Russell Okung

[HaroldSeattle]

I am of the opinion that Denver offered Okung more than any other team.
He had hired an adviser and a contract expert.
I just think he didn't have crap for offers, including what our FO thought he was worth.

Of course you do.

 

[JMR]

Okung is getting killed for this contract, but we'll see how it plays out. If he's injured and cannot play then he's not much worse off here than he presumably would be anywhere else, as it appears offers with guaranteed money just weren't on the table. If he plays up to ability then he just may be making $12M a season in Denver. Or maybe close to that somewhere else in '17. I am not convinced Denver would cut a top performing LT. And if Denver does cut him after '16, then Okung made $5M -- a bit under market value for sure -- but then he's once again a FA. I don't see this quite as one-sided as most. There is definitely upside for Okung.

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

How many times did Okung say "I know my value " the fact is he didn't. He had no clue. Must of be like having a bucket of freezing ice water thrown in his face when he started hearing offers.

Makes me wonder if he's gonna hit the panic button pretty soon and want to renegotiate....

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

He had zero leverage because he was one of the last OL standing... Gotta jump in while the fires hot... He jumped in when the fire was out, basically leaving him the leftovers...

I agree and that's where not having an agent in his corner really hurt him.

 

[Anointed One]

Okung is getting killed for this contract, but we'll see how it plays out. If he's injured and cannot play then he's not much worse off here than he presumably would be anywhere else, as it appears offers with guaranteed money just weren't on the table. If he plays up to ability then he just may be making $12M a season in Denver. Or maybe close to that somewhere else in '17. I am not convinced Denver would cut a top performing LT. And if Denver does cut him after '16, then Okung made $5M -- a bit under market value for sure -- but then he's once again a FA. I don't see this quite as one-sided as most. There is definitely upside for Okung.

? None of it is guaranteed... That's why it's lopsided...

 

[JMR]

? None of it is guaranteed... That's why it's lopsided...

I'm aware of that (think I mentioned it), but what guaranteed money was out there for him? If Okung plays well this year, do you really think Denver would cut him before '17?

I am not saying this is a 'good' deal for Okung, but I think it's a little better than how it's being blasted by everyone and definitely a way this ends up working out pretty well for him.

 

[SonnyCID]

I'm aware of that (think I mentioned it), but what guaranteed money was out there for him? If Okung plays well this year, do you really think Denver would cut him before '17?

I am not saying this is a 'good' deal for Okung, but I think it's a little better than how it's being blasted by everyone and definitely a way this ends up working out pretty well for him.

If he plays well this year, he wouldnt have a hard time finding another contract anyways. But the Broncos are not going to pay him 12 mil in 2017 unless he plays all year at a very high level.

I have a hard time believing that nobody else offered him a 1 year - most to fully guaranteed 5 mil for 2016.

 

[JMR]

If he plays well this year, he wouldnt have a hard time finding another contract anyways. But the Broncos are not going to pay him 12 mil in 2017 unless he plays all year at a very high level.

I have a hard time believing that nobody else offered him a 1 year - most to fully guaranteed 5 mil for 2016.

Pretty much my point -- if he plays well this year, then he wins to a large degree, whether in Denver or somewhere else in '17. This year he's playing for relative peanuts, but there were no big $ offers out there anyway.

 

[SonnyCID]

Pretty much my point -- if he plays well this year, then he wins to a large degree, whether in Denver or somewhere else in '17. This year he's playing for relative peanuts, but there were no big $ offers out there anyway.

I don't see the reason in limiting your playing rights to one team when no matter what, you're being reevaluated in a year anyways.

 

[blstoker]

I don't see the reason in limiting your playing rights to one team when no matter what, you're being reevaluated in a year anyways.

Pride.

We don't know exactly what he was offered elsewhere, with the injury history and all. It very well may have been that he was offered 1 year prove it deals with little guaranteed. So why not sign the multi-year deal that you can claim to have been given a $10 million a year contract? If they cut him loose (which is likely) after the year, then he just has to do this again, just like he is this year. But, if they keep him, $12 million is a pretty solid, if not better than what he thinks he could get next year anyway. The only way to know if this contract is a bad as the structure makes it look, we'd have to know exactly what else he was offered - and I haven't seen anything about those offers.

 

[Anointed One]

I have a hard time believing that nobody else offered him a 1 year - most to fully guaranteed 5 mil for 2016.

I agree... IMO, I feel he received some offers and he felt he could get a better offer from somewhere else but it in turn, back fired on him... I have a hard time believing he couldn't at least have gotten a 1 year guaranteed contract from someone...

 

[Uhsplit]

If he plays well this year, he wouldnt have a hard time finding another contract anyways. But the Broncos are not going to pay him 12 mil in 2017 unless he plays all year at a very high level.

I have a hard time believing that nobody else offered him a 1 year - most to fully guaranteed 5 mil for 2016.

I don't think Okung is a fool. Actually, I consider him an intelligent man.
These contracts aren't that difficult to understand. Hell, we all pretty much understand the language of Okung's deal don't we? None of us play in that arena, probably aren't attorney's, and most likely aren't in the habit of looking at multi year contracts for millions of dollars yet we are fairly clear on who gets what.
With that in mind, I am quite convinced Denver offered RO the best deal. That is why he kept searching other ball clubs for their interest. He was the #1 LT in FA, but he signed for his current market value.

 

[SonnyCID]

I don't think Okung is a fool. Actually, I consider him an intelligent man.
These contracts aren't that difficult to understand. Hell, we all pretty much understand the language of Okung's deal don't we? None of us play in that arena, probably aren't attorney's, and most likely aren't in the habit of looking at multi year contracts for millions of dollars yet we are fairly clear on who gets what.
With that in mind, I am quite convinced Denver offered RO the best deal. That is why he kept searching other ball clubs for their interest. He was the #1 LT in FA, but he signed for his current market value.

I think a few teams pulled their offers, including Seattle.

 

[JMR]

I don't see the reason in limiting your playing rights to one team when no matter what, you're being reevaluated in a year anyways.

I agree... IMO, I feel he received some offers and he felt he could get a better offer from somewhere else but it in turn, back fired on him... I have a hard time believing he couldn't at least have gotten a 1 year guaranteed contract from someone...

It's sorta hard to argue against a course of action that may not even have been available. At the very least, we don't know the details of other offers on the table. This quite possibly could have been the best one.

But sure, we can assume there was something better out there -- maybe a 1 year deal with some guaranteed cash. Hooray. Then what? The only way you take that deal is if you don't think you're going to have a good season, and these guys are just not wired like that. If Okung has a good season, he's gonna win on this deal.

 

[SonnyCID]

It's sorta hard to argue against a course of action that may not even have been available. At the very least, we don't know the details of other offers on the table. This quite possibly could have been the best one.

But sure, we can assume there was something better out there -- maybe a 1 year deal with some guaranteed cash. Hooray. Then what? The only way you take that deal is if you don't think you're going to have a good season, and these guys are just not wired like that. If Okung has a good season, he's gonna win on this deal.

Thats not true. One year prove it deals are very common for guys who feel like theyre better than the market is currently reflecting, and they just want a short term deal to prove it, then hit the market again.

 

[JMR]

Thats not true. One year prove it deals are very common for guys who feel like theyre better than the market is currently reflecting, and they just want a short term deal to prove it, then hit the market again.

Well, I understand that....but guys who take 1 year deals are typically those guys who don't have anything better on the table. They are betting on themselves. What I meant was: Okung only takes a 1 year deal with *some* guaranteed money instead of the one he signed in Denver if he doesn't think he's going to have a good season (including not being healthy) and just wants the sure thing.

I stand by my over-arching point: this deal is a win for Okung if he has a good year. Either he'll be lined up for $12M a year with Denver or he'll be getting good offers as a UFA.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Pride.

We don't know exactly what he was offered elsewhere, with the injury history and all. It very well may have been that he was offered 1 year prove it deals with little guaranteed. So why not sign the multi-year deal that you can claim to have been given a $10 million a year contract? If they cut him loose (which is likely) after the year, then he just has to do this again, just like he is this year. But, if they keep him, $12 million is a pretty solid, if not better than what he thinks he could get next year anyway. The only way to know if this contract is a bad as the structure makes it look, we'd have to know exactly what else he was offered - and I haven't seen anything about those offers.

If they cut him after the year do you think he represents himself again or hires an agent?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

If they cut him after the year do you think he represents himself again or hires an agent?

Doesn't matter to me anymore.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

If they cut him after the year do you think he represents himself again or hires an agent?

Probably hires an agent but the damage is already done.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Probably hires an agent but the damage is already done.

That's what I was thinking as well? I wanted to see if others felt he'd be too hard headed to prove his point of not needing an agent? I guess the kind of year he has will tell us a lot?