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Thursday, July 29, 2004
Update: Bears, Draft Pick Compromise
From the Chicago Sun-Times
Updating our July 23rd item, "Bears, Draft Pick Fighting Over Oral Promise", the Chicago Bears have reached a compromise with draft pick Tommie Harris and signed him to a five-year contract. The Bears wanted to hold Harris to the oral promise made on draft day by his former agent, Kennard McGuire, agreeing to a six-year contract. After firing McGuire and hiring Eugene Parker, Harris demanded that the sixth year of the contract be voidable at his option.
The parties reached a compromise on the sixth year by eliminating it entirely, giving Harris the right to become a free agent after five years (like he wanted) but taking away any commitment by the Bears to pay Harris during that sixth year (like they wanted).
What's interesting about the whole tussle is that (1) NFL contracts (with the exception of signing bonuses) are not guaranteed, so Harris technically is not getting any more or less guaranteed money than he would have under a six-year deal, and (2) NFL players re-negotiate their contracts in the midst of their term all of the time, adjusting upward or downward as necessary to maintain their place on the roster, based on their performance. When a player refuses to adjust his contract, teams simply cut the player. This is something that would never happen in baseball, where the contracts are guaranteed. The MLBPA is not in the business of allowing the reopening of a guaranteed contract unless the renegotiation is for more years and more money. As always, the whole dance in football is complicated by the NFL's salary cap rules as well.
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