Hook, Line & Sinker: Dolphins Sign Jake Long To Five-Year Deal
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Dolphins Avoid Trouble, Contract Disputes,
Lock Up Long For Five Years, $57.75M |
The Dolphins signed OT Jake Long to a five-year contract worth $57.75M, which includes $30M in guaranteed money, ensuring the team will draft Long with the No. 1 pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft, according to Jeff Darlington of the MIAMI HERALD. The Dolphins “never negotiated with any other players” and had been in discussion with Tom Condon, Long’s agent, “for the past two weeks.” Condon: “It was a very straightforward negotiation.” Darlington reports Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, last year’s No. 1 pick, signed for six years and $32M guaranteed, meaning Long “stands to earn less money from the Dolphins during his contract -- but he’ll be tied up for one less year under the current terms.” Long’s deal averages out to $11.55M per year, which on a yearly average will make him the “highest paid tackle in the NFL next season.” Despite already signing his deal, Long still will travel to N.Y. today "as a guest for this week’s predraft festivities” (MIAMI HERALD, 4/23). Condon also reps top draft prospects QB Matt Ryan and DE Vernon Gholston, but he and the Dolphins “only discussed Long.” Condon: "They didn’t leverage us with other players, and we didn’t tell them we wanted to be on a different team” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 4/23).
GETTING AHEAD: In S.F., Nancy Gay writes the Dolphins “bucked the NFL’s longtime trend of committing more guaranteed money to the No. 1 overall draft pick than the top pick received the previous year.” The Dolphins got Long for “less money up front than Russell,” but Long does not have to "concern himself with negotiating hassles and is free to begin working out" with the team. Long also will be able to “hit the open market a year sooner" than Russell can (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/23). Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said that “locking up the top pick so early gives the Dolphins a huge advantage in addressing the rest of the draft and how to use their eight remaining picks.” Ireland: “It’s absolutely an advantage. Because now we can work on what we’re going to do at 32, what we’re doing regarding trades. We don’t have to worry about anything else other than that what we’re doing for the second pick on.” Meanwhile, Dolphins President of Football Operations Bill Parcells was not present at the press conference announcing Long’s signing, but Ireland and Condon said that Parcells “was very much involved in the entire process” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 4/23).
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| Long Described As Safe Pick For Dolphins |
SOLID PICK: In Miami, Greg Cote writes the selection of Long “isn’t a sexy pick with a lot of sizzle, but rather a pick both safe and sound.” The Dolphins also “look smart for having their guy in the books early” (MIAMI HERALD, 4/23). In Ft. Lauderdale, Dave Hyde writes the Dolphins “have a tradition of trouble signing picks,” but Long is “signed, sealed and ready to learn.” The deal comes four days before the start of the NFL Draft, meaning the Dolphins' new front office had not "gotten a sniff of interest from any team about trading up for the pick.” It also means Long “won’t miss most of training camp in a contract stalemate” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 4/23). Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw said of Parcells, "Nobody wants to trade up for these picks anymore. He's going the safe route" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 4/22). An agent involved in the negotiations said the Dolphins were “afraid of what happened to Russell” last year, when he signed after Week 1 of the regular season due to a contract dispute. The agent: “You have to look at it from the perspective of the club. They’re paying all this money; they have to protect themselves” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/23).
SECOND CHOICE: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported the Rams, who hold the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, yesterday were told by the NFL Management Council that they “do not have permission to begin negotiations with any player" despite the Dolphins already signing Long. A league spokesperson said that there have been “internal discussions to determine whether the Rams have the right to negotiate with a player or players” (ESPN.com, 4/22).
PROCESS FIX: FOXSPORTS.com’s Michael Rosenberg wrote the top of the NFL Draft has become so “messed up, the whole point of it has been lost.” Most years, the No. 1 pick has a “slightly higher probability of success.” But with the “disparity in contracts, the No. 1 pick has a much higher chance of crippling a team financially for years. The system needs fixing. The NFL would benefit from an NBA-style slotting system, which would guarantee a reasonable amount for the first pick -- and guarantee that a team like the Dolphins could make the top pick solely for football reasons” (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/22).
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