Post by EagleGene on May 19, 2005 6:39:15 GMT -5
Westbrook changing field with new agent
By Bob Brookover, Inquirer Staff Writer
Brian Westbrook has made a move that may be more beneficial to his contract negotiations with the Eagles than any of the skillful maneuvers he made on the field during his first three NFL seasons.
With talks between the Eagles and their top running back at a contentious standstill, Westbrook, according to a league source, has parted ways with agents Anthony Agnone and Howard Shatsky and replaced them with Fletcher Smith, the agent for quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Neither Smith nor Eagles team president Joe Banner returned phone calls yesterday, but it's safe to assume that Westbrook's decision to hire Smith will likely enhance the running back's chances of getting a long-term deal with the team.
With Agnone as Westbrook's chief negotiator, the contract talks between the running back and the Eagles never seriously got off the ground. The Eagles felt as if Westbrook's demands for the kind of money paid to the league's upper echelon of running backs such as Tiki Barber and Priest Holmes were not justified. Westbrook and his former representatives felt as if the Eagles were countering with unsatisfactory offers.
Shatsky said during the scouting combine in Indianapolis that the running back was disappointed when the Eagles made him the middle of three tenders that can be offered to an unrestricted free agent.
"We think there may be some teams willing to give up a first-round pick to get a player like him," Shatsky said when asked about the Eagles' $1.43 million tender to Westbrook.
Shatsky thought the Eagles should have made the high tender of $1.9 million that would have required a team to surrender a first-round and third-round draft pick in order to sign Westbrook.
The Eagles, however, had no fear of losing Westbrook after making the middle tender, and they were proved right when no team made an offer to the running back. Westbrook still refused to sign the team's offer sheet and report to the post-draft minicamp last month, a move that one team source said hindered any chance he had for a long-term deal.
Agnone said just before the minicamp opened that Westbrook would eventually sign the tender and report to training camp at Lehigh University on time.
Now, with Agnone out of the picture and Smith as the lead negotiator, the possibility of striking a long-term deal probably exists again, although both the running back's demands and the Eagles' view of Westbrook are going to have to be altered some if the sides are to reach an agreement this off-season.
Smith, of course, has a history of closing major deals with the Eagles. Three years ago, he negotiated the 12-year, $112.9 million deal for McNabb that included a team-record $20.5 million signing bonus. A good first step for Westbrook to rekindle talks would be to sign the Eagles' tender and report to the voluntary minicamp next month at the NovaCare Complex.
Westbrook, who will be 26 before the start of next season, has obviously been of great value to the Eagles the last two seasons. He led the Eagles with 13 touchdowns in his second season, and last year he rushed for a team-high 812 yards and led all NFL running backs with 73 catches for 703 yards despite sitting out the final two games of the season.
The Eagles, of course, have had a series of contract issues this off-season, including rifts with wide receiver Terrell Owens (who is under contract), and defensive tackle Corey Simon (who is not) that remain unresolved.
Now, it appears as if there's at least a chance to settle things amicably with Westbrook.
Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.
Updated on Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:30 am EDT
By Bob Brookover, Inquirer Staff Writer
Brian Westbrook has made a move that may be more beneficial to his contract negotiations with the Eagles than any of the skillful maneuvers he made on the field during his first three NFL seasons.
With talks between the Eagles and their top running back at a contentious standstill, Westbrook, according to a league source, has parted ways with agents Anthony Agnone and Howard Shatsky and replaced them with Fletcher Smith, the agent for quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Neither Smith nor Eagles team president Joe Banner returned phone calls yesterday, but it's safe to assume that Westbrook's decision to hire Smith will likely enhance the running back's chances of getting a long-term deal with the team.
With Agnone as Westbrook's chief negotiator, the contract talks between the running back and the Eagles never seriously got off the ground. The Eagles felt as if Westbrook's demands for the kind of money paid to the league's upper echelon of running backs such as Tiki Barber and Priest Holmes were not justified. Westbrook and his former representatives felt as if the Eagles were countering with unsatisfactory offers.
Shatsky said during the scouting combine in Indianapolis that the running back was disappointed when the Eagles made him the middle of three tenders that can be offered to an unrestricted free agent.
"We think there may be some teams willing to give up a first-round pick to get a player like him," Shatsky said when asked about the Eagles' $1.43 million tender to Westbrook.
Shatsky thought the Eagles should have made the high tender of $1.9 million that would have required a team to surrender a first-round and third-round draft pick in order to sign Westbrook.
The Eagles, however, had no fear of losing Westbrook after making the middle tender, and they were proved right when no team made an offer to the running back. Westbrook still refused to sign the team's offer sheet and report to the post-draft minicamp last month, a move that one team source said hindered any chance he had for a long-term deal.
Agnone said just before the minicamp opened that Westbrook would eventually sign the tender and report to training camp at Lehigh University on time.
Now, with Agnone out of the picture and Smith as the lead negotiator, the possibility of striking a long-term deal probably exists again, although both the running back's demands and the Eagles' view of Westbrook are going to have to be altered some if the sides are to reach an agreement this off-season.
Smith, of course, has a history of closing major deals with the Eagles. Three years ago, he negotiated the 12-year, $112.9 million deal for McNabb that included a team-record $20.5 million signing bonus. A good first step for Westbrook to rekindle talks would be to sign the Eagles' tender and report to the voluntary minicamp next month at the NovaCare Complex.
Westbrook, who will be 26 before the start of next season, has obviously been of great value to the Eagles the last two seasons. He led the Eagles with 13 touchdowns in his second season, and last year he rushed for a team-high 812 yards and led all NFL running backs with 73 catches for 703 yards despite sitting out the final two games of the season.
The Eagles, of course, have had a series of contract issues this off-season, including rifts with wide receiver Terrell Owens (who is under contract), and defensive tackle Corey Simon (who is not) that remain unresolved.
Now, it appears as if there's at least a chance to settle things amicably with Westbrook.
Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.
Updated on Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:30 am EDT