Post by GeorgiaEagle on Jul 23, 2005 2:27:19 GMT -5
Owens: 'I'll be there'
By Stephen A. Smith and Bob Brookover
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Terrell Owens says he is coming to training camp, and it should be interesting to see how he behaves once he gets there.
Owens told the Inquirer today that "I'll be there" when the Eagles' veterans report for the start of training camp a week from Monday, but he quickly added that he won't be a happy camper.
"I mean, the bottom line is that I still believe I deserve a new contract," the star wide receiver said. "I still believe I deserve more than what they've given me. But I'm not stupid. I'm not about to miss training camp, get fined every day and give them even more reasons to keep from paying me.
"I'll be there. But I won't be happy, I can tell you that much. Take from that whatever you want."
The most obvious interpretation is that Owens is threatening to be a disruptive force in an attempt to get the Eagles to trade him before he ever sets foot on Lehigh's campus in Bethlehem, Pa.
It's a scenario the Eagles have considered, but they hope does not unfold.
"He needs to come in and behave," a team official said. "I know he's said before that he's incapable of giving less than 100 percent and I really believe that to be true."
It was difficult to tell what was true and what wasn't today.
The Eagles said that both Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus contacted the team to tell them the wide receiver would indeed report to training camp.
Rosenhaus, who did not return phone calls from the Inquirer, said in two different television interviews that it was not 100 percent that Owens would report to training camp.
"We haven't made any decisions yet that are final," the agent told ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet. "Things can change. It's not training camp yet. There's no question that Terrell and I are thinking very strongly about reporting to camp... . We've gone back and forth on this a number of times. I don't think a final decision will be made until the day of."
The agent suggested that an unhappy Owens would be a major distraction in training camp.
"Even if he does report to training camp on time, that does not mean we're going to stop pursuing a contract and that does not mean he will not leave at some point down the road. If we can't get this worked out, sure it's going to be a distraction. How can it not be?
"He's not going to be happy and it's going to be a constant topic of discussion. If I were the Eagles, I would find some framework of an agreement because this is a great football team and I think we can work something out that would be good for everybody."
Rosenhaus said he still has hope the Eagles will change their decision about negotiating a new deal for Owens, who is in the second year of a "seven-year deal worth just under $49 million, but a team source reiterated that there will be no new deal for the receiver.
"Our only intention is to get a deal that we can live with and the Eagles can live with," Rosenhaus said. "If they're not happy with that, give us permission to work out a trade. I'm certain I can find a team out there that will pay Terrell fair value for what his abilities are."
Sources close to the situation said that no teams have expressed any desire in obtaining Owens, whose salary demands would be difficult to fit into any team's salary cap structure this close to the start of training camp. A team source said that Rosenhaus has asked and been denied permission to pursue a trade for his client.
By reporting to camp, Owens would avoid a fine of $6,000 per day. A league source said the Eagles still have the right to collect $1.87 million of the $2.3 million signing bonus he received as part of the seven-year deal because Owens breached his contract when he failed to report to a mandatory post-draft minicamp in May.
The Eagles know there is a precedent for one of Rosenhaus' clients becoming a disruptive force in an effort to force a trade. In fact, the strategy worked for veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie last year in Green Bay.
After hiring Rosenhaus as his agent, McKenzie demanded a trade over a contract dispute and held out through the first game of the Packers' season a year ago. He finally reported after the Green Bay opener, but he was an obvious malcontent and then suffered a hamstring injury in his first game. He did not play again for the Packers and was traded in October to New Orleans.
Owens, 31, is scheduled to make $3.25 million in 2005 and first made it known back in early April that he felt he was being underpaid shortly after hiring Rosenhaus.
Will Owens try to use the same blueprint as McKenzie?
At this point, anything is possible.
www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/12201760.html
By Stephen A. Smith and Bob Brookover
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Terrell Owens says he is coming to training camp, and it should be interesting to see how he behaves once he gets there.
Owens told the Inquirer today that "I'll be there" when the Eagles' veterans report for the start of training camp a week from Monday, but he quickly added that he won't be a happy camper.
"I mean, the bottom line is that I still believe I deserve a new contract," the star wide receiver said. "I still believe I deserve more than what they've given me. But I'm not stupid. I'm not about to miss training camp, get fined every day and give them even more reasons to keep from paying me.
"I'll be there. But I won't be happy, I can tell you that much. Take from that whatever you want."
The most obvious interpretation is that Owens is threatening to be a disruptive force in an attempt to get the Eagles to trade him before he ever sets foot on Lehigh's campus in Bethlehem, Pa.
It's a scenario the Eagles have considered, but they hope does not unfold.
"He needs to come in and behave," a team official said. "I know he's said before that he's incapable of giving less than 100 percent and I really believe that to be true."
It was difficult to tell what was true and what wasn't today.
The Eagles said that both Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus contacted the team to tell them the wide receiver would indeed report to training camp.
Rosenhaus, who did not return phone calls from the Inquirer, said in two different television interviews that it was not 100 percent that Owens would report to training camp.
"We haven't made any decisions yet that are final," the agent told ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet. "Things can change. It's not training camp yet. There's no question that Terrell and I are thinking very strongly about reporting to camp... . We've gone back and forth on this a number of times. I don't think a final decision will be made until the day of."
The agent suggested that an unhappy Owens would be a major distraction in training camp.
"Even if he does report to training camp on time, that does not mean we're going to stop pursuing a contract and that does not mean he will not leave at some point down the road. If we can't get this worked out, sure it's going to be a distraction. How can it not be?
"He's not going to be happy and it's going to be a constant topic of discussion. If I were the Eagles, I would find some framework of an agreement because this is a great football team and I think we can work something out that would be good for everybody."
Rosenhaus said he still has hope the Eagles will change their decision about negotiating a new deal for Owens, who is in the second year of a "seven-year deal worth just under $49 million, but a team source reiterated that there will be no new deal for the receiver.
"Our only intention is to get a deal that we can live with and the Eagles can live with," Rosenhaus said. "If they're not happy with that, give us permission to work out a trade. I'm certain I can find a team out there that will pay Terrell fair value for what his abilities are."
Sources close to the situation said that no teams have expressed any desire in obtaining Owens, whose salary demands would be difficult to fit into any team's salary cap structure this close to the start of training camp. A team source said that Rosenhaus has asked and been denied permission to pursue a trade for his client.
By reporting to camp, Owens would avoid a fine of $6,000 per day. A league source said the Eagles still have the right to collect $1.87 million of the $2.3 million signing bonus he received as part of the seven-year deal because Owens breached his contract when he failed to report to a mandatory post-draft minicamp in May.
The Eagles know there is a precedent for one of Rosenhaus' clients becoming a disruptive force in an effort to force a trade. In fact, the strategy worked for veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie last year in Green Bay.
After hiring Rosenhaus as his agent, McKenzie demanded a trade over a contract dispute and held out through the first game of the Packers' season a year ago. He finally reported after the Green Bay opener, but he was an obvious malcontent and then suffered a hamstring injury in his first game. He did not play again for the Packers and was traded in October to New Orleans.
Owens, 31, is scheduled to make $3.25 million in 2005 and first made it known back in early April that he felt he was being underpaid shortly after hiring Rosenhaus.
Will Owens try to use the same blueprint as McKenzie?
At this point, anything is possible.
www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/12201760.html
