Hours to FA

[Rammer]

We are now on the countdown to FA in the CFL, which also finalizes the NFL option year signing period. Where am I goign with this? Well since our FA's are all but gone, with a very slight chance of McKay-Loescher re-signing, and CK, RT and CP all gone, I can focus upon the big guys chances south of the border. T - 10 days and counting for Rob Murphy to find employment in the NFL or hopefully be back in a Lions uniform. If he does return, that may be the biggest signing for us during the off season, as he is looking for a new deal when he does return.

Go Lions Go!

[SammyGreene]

We are now on the countdown to FA in the CFL, which also finalizes the NFL option year signing period. Where am I goign with this? Well since our FA's are all but gone, with a very slight chance of McKay-Loescher re-signing, and CK, RT and CP all gone, I can focus upon the big guys chances south of the border. T - 10 days and counting for Rob Murphy to find employment in the NFL or hopefully be back in a Lions uniform. If he does return, that may be the biggest signing for us during the off season, as he is looking for a new deal when he does return.

Go Lions Go!

Murphy's situation will be very interesting to watch in that if he doesn't sign with an NFL team, he vowed will not be returning to Canada unless he sees a new six figure contact that makes him one of the league's highest paid o-lineman.

I think he deserves it but I don't think Wally has that kind of room on the payroll ??even without Kidd or Thelwell ? given the new deals given to Glatt, Johnson, Pierce and Jackson.

Murphy even earlier suggested Wally should trade him to another CFL team if the Lions can't afford him. I just think he's too valuable and the impact of talented o-lineman shouldn't be underestimated.

Just ask the Seahawks if they missed Hutchinson this year. I would have signed him over Alexander and gone the same route the Colts did when they elected not to open the vault for James.

[Rammer]

We are now on the countdown to FA in the CFL, which also finalizes the NFL option year signing period. Where am I goign with this? Well since our FA's are all but gone, with a very slight chance of McKay-Loescher re-signing, and CK, RT and CP all gone, I can focus upon the big guys chances south of the border. T - 10 days and counting for Rob Murphy to find employment in the NFL or hopefully be back in a Lions uniform. If he does return, that may be the biggest signing for us during the off season, as he is looking for a new deal when he does return.

Go Lions Go!

Murphy's situation will be very interesting to watch in that if he doesn't sign with an NFL team, he vowed will not be returning to Canada unless he sees a new six figure contact that makes him one of the league's highest paid o-lineman.

I think he deserves it but I don't think Wally has that kind of room on the payroll ? even without Kidd or Thelwell ? given the new deals given to Glatt, Johnson, Pierce and Jackson.

Murphy even earlier suggested Wally should trade him to another CFL team if the Lions can't afford him. I just think he's too valuable and the impact of talented o-lineman shouldn't be underestimated.

Just ask the Seahawks if they missed Hutchinson this year. I would have signed him over Alexander and gone the same route the Colts did when they elected not to open the vault for James.

Which team does have cap room, Winnipeg was over by more than a $100K, TO and the Riders were also over the cap in a major way. I suspect that if the Bombers were over by that much, everyone else is in tight to the cap, and the Lions know how much Murphy means to their team. I think that you find cap room at the expense of someone else in Murphy's case, he is worth it.

[Blitz]

think he deserves it but I don't think Wally has that kind of room on the payroll ? even without Kidd or Thelwell ? given the new deals given to Glatt, Johnson, Pierce and Jackson.

Just ask the Seahawks if they missed Hutchinson this year. I would have signed him over Alexander and gone the same route the Colts did when they elected not to open the vault for James.

Quality running backs are easier to find than quality left offensive tackles...especially ones that don't give up a single sack in an entire season and win the league's Best Offensive Lineman award in their first season. If the Leos get a chance to sign Murphy....they gotta find a way to do it!!

[Sir Purrcival]

Can they still back end load contracts? If so, then perhaps the best way to deal with Murphy is to get him to ink a 3 year deal with each year paying more than the one before. By year 3, you can pretty much think that maybe DD will be retiring and that should open up a nice chunk of cap room.

[Rammer]

Can they still back end load contracts? If so, then perhaps the best way to deal with Murphy is to get him to ink a 3 year deal with each year paying more than the one before. By year 3, you can pretty much think that maybe DD will be retiring and that should open up a nice chunk of cap room.

You can backend load the contract, but I think that salaries are more set by position and expectations (starter or non starter) for a player. While DD won't be around potentially, that salary void would be scooped up by his successor (BP potentially), and not an OL. I also would think that it isn't in most elder players to do that kind of contract as they can be cut without compensation in the early part of the year. For a younger player, he can always expect to grow into the numbers on a backend loaded contract.

[B.C.FAN]

I was surprised to read the other day that recently-released Saskatchewan lineman Andrew Greene was making $140,000. That's a long way from the $720,000 US minimum that Murphy would receive if he makes an NFL roster this year but it's not out of line with the $150,000 or so that he was said to be seeking from the Lions to extend his contract.

[Hambone]

One small detail re: Murphy. He is an option year player meaning he is still under contract to BC for 2007. BC doesn't have to sign him to anything right now. Murphy is now 30 meaning opportunities will not be that readily available given his years of service would have him at a minimum salary of $510000 or $595000. Not many NFL teams carry 30-something backup OL. Buono knows BC can't compete with that and there's no sense worrying about offering Murphy a contract extension until the NFL option year door closes. Once that happens then he can contemplate offering Murphy an extension but in the meantime he's already under contract so it's a backburner issue for Buono.

As for a possible 6 figure deal in the future I don't think that would be out of the realm of possibilities. Buono supposedly works with a somewhat structured salary budget by position meaning he has a salary range that he feels is fair for every position. Of course things such as experience, NI vs import etc would all be factors in helping him slot individual players within those ranges. How wide that range would be is open for debate but I would assume after his 2006 campaign Murphy would slot in the upper end. I wouldn't be too concerned about previous signings as those salaries would also fall somewhere into ranges for their positions. I don't think he would ever put himself in a position whereby he'd have to go cheap on arguably the most important OL position, protecting Dickenson's blind side.

[Lionheart]

But Hambone, in Murphy's case I don't think he was signed with an option year. One year only. That would make him a free agent. Otherwise, yes this would all be a moot point in a few days.

[Rammer]

But Hambone, in Murphy's case I don't think he was signed with an option year. One year only. That would make him a free agent. Otherwise, yes this would all be a moot point in a few days.

Murphy had a 1 + 1 as all CFL contracts have to be, remember all the debate surrounding Ricky Williams signing. What he won't do is come back to the contract that he signed, knowing that he is the elite OL in the league, and will get top $ for his services now. He is financially stable enough to sit out the season if he isn't rewarded a compensation package to his satisfaction.

[Shi Zi Mi]

But Hambone, in Murphy's case I don't think he was signed with an option year. One year only. That would make him a free agent. Otherwise, yes this would all be a moot point in a few days.

Murphy had a 1 + 1 as all CFL contracts have to be, remember all the debate surrounding Ricky Williams signing. What he won't do is come back to the contract that he signed, knowing that he is the elite OL in the league, and will get top $ for his services now. He is financially stable enough to sit out the season if he isn't rewarded a compensation package to his satisfaction.

Where is that written?

It may be the standard/normal procedure.......but where does it say HAS to be?

The Calgary player who ended up in the NFL just before the CFL playoffs obviously negotiated a contract that allowed him out if the NFL came calling.......he obviously didn't have a +1 to concern himself with.......and the fact no other teams claimed him off the waiver wire indicates the contract was valid and binding.

[Rammer]

But Hambone, in Murphy's case I don't think he was signed with an option year. One year only. That would make him a free agent. Otherwise, yes this would all be a moot point in a few days.

Murphy had a 1 + 1 as all CFL contracts have to be, remember all the debate surrounding Ricky Williams signing. What he won't do is come back to the contract that he signed, knowing that he is the elite OL in the league, and will get top $ for his services now. He is financially stable enough to sit out the season if he isn't rewarded a compensation package to his satisfaction.

Where is that written?

It may be the standard/normal procedure.......but where does it say HAS to be?

The Calgary player who ended up in the NFL just before the CFL playoffs obviously negotiated a contract that allowed him out if the NFL came calling.......he obviously didn't have a +1 to concern himself with.......and the fact no other teams claimed him off the waiver wire indicates the contract was valid and binding.

Murphy's contract was stated in a recent article as being a 1 + 1, and the Ricky Williams contract is an indicator of the leagues requriement for a 1 + 1. As for the Calgary player, I recall that, but he could have had an agreement witht he Stamps to releasing him if he was called by an NFL team. Giving him his release would satisfy the reason he was able to make the jump.

[Lionheart]

Murphy had a 1 + 1 as all CFL contracts have to be, remember all the debate surrounding Ricky Williams signing.

I don't think that is true. Why should it be? Why should a player have to sign for two years if you want one? I'm not going to say I'm 100% certain but I'll say right now it's not the case. The debate around Ricky has what to do with needing to sign 2 years? None.. That issue was about him still being under contract to the Dolphins and then a promise he wouldn't sign longer than one year. The Ricky situation actually somewhat proves my point, plus I recal a quote saying the only way Wally would get Murphy here is if he only signed a one year deal.

[Rammer]

Murphy had a 1 + 1 as all CFL contracts have to be, remember all the debate surrounding Ricky Williams signing.

I don't think that is true. Why should it be? Why should a player have to sign for two years if you want one? I'm not going to say I'm 100% certain but I'll say right now it's not the case. The debate around Ricky has what to do with needing to sign 2 years? None.. That issue was about him still being under contract to the Dolphins and then a promise he wouldn't sign longer than one year. The Ricky situation actually somewhat proves my point, plus I recal a quote saying the only way Wally would get Murphy here is if he only signed a one year deal.

Well you are wrong......

[Lionheart]

Well you are wrong...... [/quote]

I hope so