FANECA TO NY: Jets have rep for doing what Faneca hates
February 29th, 2008 by Neal CoolongOf all teams…the Jets?
Early reports said the New York Jets had offered Steelers G Alan Faneca Four years, $32 million and $23 million guaranteed. The P-G’s Ed Bouchette wrote that Faneca will likely sign an offer by Saturday night, but not necessarily the deal he was offered by the Jets. Steelers beat writer Dale Lolley reported the Jets offer on his blog and on Steel City Insider.
Tom Rock from Newsday Magazine writes that he spoke to Faneca’s agent, Rick Smith, who said the signing is “false.” All sides seem to confirm a deal was offered, and considering that offer would make Faneca the highest paid offensive lineman in the game, it’s likely he and Smith are merely spinning the Jets offer over to other suitors - sources say the 49ers and the Rams were involved - to see if he can’t get a better deal.
But if it is the Jets, do we begin throwing around the “hypocrite” label?
Financially, the Jets offer makes sense for Faneca. Even kind of crazy. But what’s really crazy here is the amount of energy Faneca spent in calling out the Steelers organization for not treating him fairly, and his decision, barely 15 hours into the free agency period, to choose the team that has arguably the worst reputation for dealing with its players in the league.
Before training camp in May, Faneca said:
“I’ve been asking since February to trade me, to let me go,” Faneca said. “I’ve done my piece. I’ve done my time. I’ve done everything I can for this organization. I’ve lived and breathed Steeler football for nine years and gave them everything I’ve had and helped them win a Super Bowl. In my mind, I’ve earned the right to be treated fairly.”
We don’t have to look very far to see how the Jets treat their guards.
Former Jets LG Pete Kendall- the guy Faneca is obstensibly replacing - re-negotiated his contract in 2006, helping the Jets free up some salary cap space. He demanded a $1 million raise before the 2007 season, and the team refused to give it to him. A bitter battle ensued between Kendall and the Jets over the alleged deal.
According to Kendall, the Jets promised to re-negotiate his contract in 2007 if he performed well in 2006. Whether the Jets reneged on that promise, or they weren’t interested in renegotiating in the first place, they traded Kendall to Washington for a fifth-round pick in this April’s draft.
Once is an occurence. Twice is a trend.
Here’s Kendall’s former teammate, Laveranues Coles, accusing the Jets of the exact same thing Kendall did.
According to Coles, the team was happy with his effort, and were appreciative of all the non-statbook factors he contributed. But that’s not enough, apparently.
Said Coles to the Newark Star-Ledger:
“I played hurt,” he said. “I ran clear-out routes for Jerricho (Cotchery). They praised me for my toughness and not worrying about my numbers. They tell me that I’m an unselfish player. I do everything they ask me to do and then when it comes to business, they tell me my production is down. That’s not right.”
(nod to PFT on the Coles story)
The Jets are allegedly in the habit of lying to their players, and getting them to accept less money and less of a role on the team under the agreement the team would take care of them after that season. Two veteran players in two seasons have accused the Jets of those kinds of deals.
And Faneca accused the Steelers of being underhanded?
Clearly, Faneca cared little about what was fair and what was right. He wanted what was his, and nothing more.
In the end, the Steelers will remain relatively stain-free after Faneca’s tirade, but let’s stay tuned. Considering the Jets traded two picks to Carolina for DT Kris Jenkins (and gave him five years, $35 million, $20 guaranteed), it’ll be interesting to see Faneca’s reaction when they come to him in two years asking, “Hey Alan, ya think we could re-work your contract? We’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Posted in NFL News, Steelers News |
March 1st, 2008 at 3:57 am
Sttelers better draft wisely. I hope Tomlin knows what he is doing . Steelers need a major change on the OL and some defensive line help as well , throw in a receiver and a CB as well. Keep your fingers crossed
March 1st, 2008 at 9:49 am
Why don’t players just own up to the real reason they leave…money! Faneca tried to make himself look better (ie not greedy) by throwing the organization under the bus. He doesn’t care where the hell he goes…as long as there’s money.
I was bummed when we lost Chad Brown, Gildon, Kendrell Bell, Porter…but generally speaking, you don’t hear much from these guys after they leave. Though there are definitely exceptions - Woodson, Burress. The Jets can have Faneca. I’m not necessarily saying we won’t hear from him, but he is 34, and probably just signed his last contract. The Jets aren’t doing anything any time soon…so farewell Faneca, enjoy your last days as a Jet.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
The Steelers made Alan Faneca the highest paid O/L about six years ago. If he really wanted to remain with the Steelers, he would have never thrown the organization ubder the bus the way he did last Summer. I agree with Faneca to an extent; however, I also have to agree with the Rooney’s as well. The Rooney’s have an organization to run first, no need to over spend for players headed beyond their prime just because owners like Dan Snyder is willing to. I think the two sides would have come to an agreement if Faneca would not have gone public last year. I hope he gets paid so he will be able to get his family off of welfare and feed them.
Amen, Steel05, you put it perfectly! If he can make that much money, then good on ya. Good luck, God bless…but don’t act like an f’n baby if your current team isn’t stupid enough to pay a player at a historically interchangeable position $20 million guaranteed. The key to sustained success is mastering the salary cap, not taking massive plunges like that. Someone’s going to pay a guy like Faneca that much money, and if someone will pay it, he deserves to make it. But I wouldn’t have been happy if they kept him at that price.
March 1st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
The main issue (if we are all Steelers fans responding to this) is what WE are going to do to better ourselves after last year. Some misconceptions: I don’t think Anthony Smith is as bad as everyone is saying. He was only starting his like fifth game or something when Brady burned him. Then Aaron Smith goes down and Anthony Smith, who is somewhat shell shocked and keeping himself back so as not to get beat deep, is out of place against the run. I’m not saying he’s Superman; just, give him more time, I think he is going to be a fine FS. Taylor would have had double digit interceptions if he would have caught (the implication here is that he WAS in position to catch a lot of them. ergo, he has shut-down corner coverage abilities). If McFadden beats out Townsend relegating him to nickel and a healthy Palomalu, we have a pretty good secondary. I think, if Balmer from NC is still on the board or even Calias Campbell, we should take them with the first pick. Here’s why: We don’t have bad edge rushers, not the greates but good enough to get the job done . We lack an interior push up the middle. If we could get someone who could push up the middle with Hampton and Aaron Smith, then opposing quarterbacks would have a difficult time stepping up in the pocket. Maybe Keisel could move to ROLB and move Harrison inside with Timmons and trade Farrior with Foote as depth or trade Harrison leaving Farrior in the middle (as long as Keisel could play on a regular basis at ROLB). Use that extra pick to take a RB AND a receiver in the third round, and an offensive tackle in the second since this draft is deep in that area. Another offensive lineman in the fourth or an edge rusher (I’d love to see us get that Avril kid if he drops)—perhaps both if we get the compensatory for Porter and Avril drops. pick up a return man in the fifth and a corner or safety for depth in the sixth.
No offense Jay, I think you’ve been playing Madden a little too much. We aren’t going to trade our best coverage linebacker, James Farrior, especially since Farrior is next year’s Faneca. This is the last year on his contract and could be headed somewhere else (the Patriots?) after 2008.
Harrison was one of the two or three best OLBs in the game last season, why would we want to move him inside? I’m going to pretend you didn’t suggest trading Silverback, the team’s MVP.
Hampton is a multiple Pro Bowl performer, and does quite well at getting a push at the line. Very few centers if any can handle him one-on-one, so the Steelers defense is at his best when he can force a guard to help out. That leaves animals like Aaron Smith one-on-one with the tackle, which isn’t the easiest matchup on its own, let alone when Silverback is rushing on that same side.
Why was that not as effective over the second half of the year? Cuz Smith was out. That’s how good he is.
The absence of Smith on the line and FS Ryan Clark in the secondary left a good defense vulnerable over the second half of the year and the playoffs. I agree with your analysis of Anthony Smith, but the question is about Clark, not Smith. I think Smith will develop well, and had been up to that point. Yeah, probably shouldn’t have gone through that guarantee nonsense (I still contend the media baited him into it), but he’s still a good player. Clark is better, though.
Thank you for bringing up Ike Taylor though. Look at that Patriots game, and take out the gadget plays. Taylor covered Moss as well as any corner did all year. The huge game Moss had was not on Taylor; it was on Smith, who didn’t stay home. Outside of that, Taylor held Moss to a fairly vanilla four catches for 70 yards. Decent day, but that’s about all you can expect to hold Moss to when he’s the main focal point of the offense like he was that game. I mean, did you SEE that ridiculously sick catch he made on top of Taylor? That was 20 yards right there, and a 6-foot-1 WR doesn’t catch that, and it’s a great defensive play by Ike.
Ike had a fantastic season, and the reason he didn’t get more credit for it is because: A. Smith’s guarantee drug down the reputation of the rest of the secondary. B. The average fan doesn’t notice the cornerback unless he gets an interception (hanging on to the ball…c’mon Ike…THIS year?? Please??), and broadcasters don’t mention the pure skills the best CBs have.
Ike’s game against Seattle was perhaps the finest performance a Steelers CB has had since Woodson. What was the difference? He caught the ball.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
how come when our players become free agents, they tend to sign witht he jets! i.e. O’DONNEL - KIMO- AND NOW THE ‘ FAN’…. WHATS UP. CAN’T THE JETS GET THIER OWN PLAYERS. LOL,,, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA,,, MY REACTION TO THE FAN/JET DEAL. DIDN’T YA SEE IT COMIN, YATHINK!
It’s somewhere in the AFC East, I know that. Vrabel, Hank Poteat, Chad Scott, in another few days, Haggans in New England (you heard it on Die Hard Steel!), Peezy in Miami, Kimo and Big Nasty to the Jets…
March 1st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PLAYERS CONTRACT, THERE IS NOT A GARANTEED DIME IN IT, WHICH REALLY PUZZLES ME. HEY, MCDONALDS MONEY IS …. SO WITH THAT BEIG SAID, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT BE A SELFISH PLAYER AT THE END OF YOUR CONTRACT, I REALLY DON’T BLAME EM. YOU ONLY LAST SO LONG IN THE NFL, AND IF YOU LOOK AT KEVIN EVERITT, ONE GAME COULD DICIDE YOUR FUTURE, SIGNING BONUSES ARE THE ONLY GARANTEED MONET THESE PLAYERS GET UP FRONT. REMEMBER THIS WHEN WE LOSE PLAYERS TO ” MORE MONEY” IT IS A BUSINESS FELLAS!
They get plenty of money guaranteed, it’s just that the NFL isn’t set up the same way the NBA and MLB are. While players ultimately want the most guaranteed money they can get, it’s not impossible to get the full value of the contract they sign. Teams oftentimes throw on a few voidable years to make their contracts look bigger so the agents can brag to the media and generate more business, but GMs know the true value of the player’s deal isn’t likely to be what they are really going to get. That’s the reason you read so much about guaranteed money.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
YOI!!!!!!!!GO COPE!
March 1st, 2008 at 5:44 pm
There is no way the Steelers are going to replace Faneca any time soon. There are no 7 time pro bowl guards available and no guarantee any draft pick will accomplish what he has. That being said there are only two directions in the NFL, teams either get better and teams get worse. Under Mikey Tomlin, where do you think the Steelers fall right now?
In March of 1998, I’m sure you also said there weren’t any seven-time Pro Bowl guards available. There are never any seven-time Pro Bowl guards available. The team develops talented players into Pro Bowl-caliber contributors. Ya wanna know how we know that? Cuz the Steelers have been doing it for decades.
I’d say the 10-6 Steelers are moving in a steady and successful direction under Coach Tomlin. If you don’t agree, then you don’t agree, but you have no evidence to refute the fact the team improved two games amid Faneca’s crybaby antics in Tomlin’s first year.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
remembering the founder of the terrible towel. bungles - brownies - i never heard a catch phrase for the 0ilers. has any body!
2008 for MYRON COPE
GAzILLIONyoiiiiisssss!!!!!!
March 1st, 2008 at 5:52 pm
WE CAN’T REPLACE ANY PLAYER WHO LEAVES FOR MORE MONEY. AND IF FANACA WANTED TO STAY IN PITTSBURGH, HE WOULD’VE PLAYED THE SITUATION OUT. LOOK AT BETTIS, WARD, THESE GUYS WANTED TO REMAIN IN PITTSBURGH AND THEY DID. THEY WAITED THEIR TIME AND GOT THE DEAL DONE. BUT LIFE IN THE NFL IS A CYCLE, YOUR HERE TODAY, GONE 4 OR 5 YEARS LATER. WHAT HAPPENS! PLAYERS WAITING FINALLY GET TO SPREAD THIER WINGS, AND THUS FAR, THEY HAVE DONE SO VERY ADMIRABLY. AGREEING OR DISAGREEING DOESN’T GARANTEE WINS. SO IF WE GET LOST IN THE FACT THAT WE LOST FANACA, THEN WE LOSE OUT IN 2008. HE WILL SOON BE FORGOTTEN WHEN THE FIRST STEELERS SNAP OCCURS.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
OH,, AND FANACA SAYS HE WON THE STEELERS A SUPERBOWL, UHM, DIDN’T 21 OTHER GUYS DO THE SAME THING!,, TALK ABOUT A SELFISH THOUGHT. YOU GO ALLAN, ALL THE WAY TO NEW YORK, YEAH, AND YOUR GONNA WIN THEM A SUPERBOWL TOO! EXCUSE ME, BUT I HAVE TO WIPE MY EYES FOR THE TEARS START POURING! LOLOLOL. HAHAHAHA
March 1st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I’m ashamed to be a Steeler Fan the past 2 days.We cant go out and sign 1 good player? With Fanaca gone who is going to hold up the line? Open your tight wallets and lets sign some free agents for once. OT Shane Oliva from San Diego is out there to replace Fanaca. We also need upgrades at CB now that Cleveland has legit WR’s as does Cincy. Always a Steeler Fan until i die. Erik
Now Erik…off the ledge, my friend…the Steelers can’t go out and sign anyone right now because they’re basically at the cap threshold. Besides, who do you want them to sign? Olivea? What is he, like, 60 years old? Free agent does not equal quality in every instance. You have to consider why that player is a free agent. A team like San Diego, who loves to run the ball, would want to keep every available offensive lineman they can, right? So look at Olivea’s ability, age and salary. Is he worth bringing in?
Add that with the fact the Steelers, currently, are on the hook for $6.8 million against the cap this year for Starks, and Roethlisberger has a rather large cap number right now as well. Getting long-term deals done for both of these players is the team’s main priority - NOT bringing in other players. Besides, Olivea isn’t going anywhere. The Steelers have never jumped all over the primary market free agents anyway. The player or two they bring in each year are role players, and rarely do they even need to go after someone on Day 1 or 2 of the FA period.
Let’s keep in mind, too, that while everyone wants to bash the offensive line, the team did offer restricted tenders to Chris Kemoeatu and Trai Essex along with the transition tag on Starks. Jim Wexell makes a fantastic point about G Branden Alberts being the Steelers’ first-round pick. That means, going into training camp, the Steelers have five tackles: Starks, Marvel Smith, Willie Colon Jason Capizzi and Essex, and Kendall Simmons, Kemoeatu, Alberts, Sean Mahan and Darnell Stapleton at G/C. Those players are signed, meaning, cutting any one of them would result in a hit on the salary cap. Add that hit along with the veteran price tag of a guy like Olivea, and I really don’t see what Olivea brings that justifies that.
I’m not suggesting there aren’t some holes here, but it’s the situation the team is faced with. That’s reality. They have their own team to worry about right now, and handling Starks and Roethlisberger’s extensions have to come first, so they can open up cap room.
I’m currently working on a column for RF 365 on the reasons why the Steelers won’t take a pure tackle on Day 1 of the draft. Get ready, it’s going to be a big one.
Be excited about Alberts, though, he can play anywhere along the line, and he has that same nasty streak Faneca has. No, he won’t replace an All Pro like Faneca, but he’s going to be a very good player. Plus, his versatility will give the Steelers much more depth on the line, and will ultimately make it a better unit. My sources have all said that the issues with Mahan and the battle between Starks and Colon for the RT spot was mostly caused by Arians, and Starks’ signing (when it happens) will likely force Colon back to RG. Smith, Simmons, Mahan, Colon and Starks seems like a stronger line than benching Starks, starting Kemoeatu at RG and keeping Colon at tackle. Plus, there are good centers available.
It’s probably the most important draft the Steelers have had in five years. Personally, I think Kevin Colbert is one of the finest eyes for talent in the game, and last year’s class will be very strong when we judge it in three more years. I’m looking forward to it.