Russell Okung a Bronco

[DHoey]

Reading on Walterfootball that it's 1 year $5 mil w/option for 4 years $12 mil after. Not bad. If he doesn't stay healthy we can cut bait. Good move, Denver.

That's a really good deal for the Broncos!

 

[SpringStein]

We didn't like Okung for health reasons at 11mil, we might like Clady and his health issues for half that.

How about Okung for $5 MM for one year?

(just saw your post above)

 

[Duffman]

I like that it's a year by yer deal and Denver can cut him when he can't produce.

 

[Mingo]

Okung acted as his own agent - I like that. He's betting on himself - and signing up with a winner.

 

[SpringStein]

Okung acted as his own agent - I like that. He's betting on himself - and signing up with a winner.

I was just thinking - not bright to serve as your own agent. I think an agent could have bargained for a better deal with one of several teams.

 

[Malibu]

Reading on Walterfootball that it's 1 year $5 mil w/option for 4 years $12 mil after. Not bad. If he doesn't stay healthy we can cut bait. Good move, Denver.

That would be good new if that's true.

 

[Mingo]

I was just thinking - not bright to serve as your own agent. I think an agent could have bargained for a better deal with one of several teams.

No doubt - an agent would have bargained for more money - Okung - by the nature of this deal - was after something more than money and he had the self confidence to bet on himself with a cap friendly year one - and good compensation in the subsequent years. He impresses the Broncos in year one - and they take the 4 year option, or he takes next year's Super Bowl ring and shops his services again.

 

[MileHigh64]

No doubt - an agent would have bargained for more money - Okung - by the nature of this deal - was after something more than money and he had the self confidence to bet on himself with a cap friendly year one - and good compensation in the subsequent years. He impresses the Broncos in year one - and they take the 4 year option, or he takes next year's Super Bowl ring and shops his services again.

Winner!!

 

[cdumler7]

This deal at least for this upcoming year is incredible for the Broncos. Get a high quality player at a very team friendly deal with a big chunk of the contract being in incentives. Unlike the last couple of years our LT has to play to get paid good money. Throw in this now saves us once Clady is gone $3.9 million. If we can get a draft pick in a trade then that is just icing on the cake. Right now we don't have to cut Clady right away to stay under the Cap Limit so we don't have to rush that decision.

Very excited by this deal and very surprised at the numbers honestly. I figured he would easily be in the $8 million or more range.

 

[iknowftbll]

Personnel-wise the line looks like it's taking shape. The team will likely draft some depth for this year and starters for the future I imagine. Now the other issue is the cohesion of this unit. That's vital in a ZBS. The sooner this line settles into a starting unit the better. Even if the Broncos end up starting Sanchez at QB, with a quality line and will come a quality run game, and Sanchez will be serviceable at worst, and maybe even halfway decent.

 

[CEH]

This is encouraging.
."

Hope "Mark Sanchez will be our starting QB " was not part of the conversation

 

[SpringStein]

Personnel-wise the line looks like it's taking shape. The team will likely draft some depth for this year and starters for the future I imagine. Now the other issue is the cohesion of this unit. That's vital in a ZBS. The sooner this line settles into a starting unit the better. Even if the Broncos end up starting Sanchez at QB, with a quality line and will come a quality run game, and Sanchez will be serviceable at worst, and maybe even halfway decent.

Shh, don't tell Randy that.

 

[CEH]

Okung acted as his own agent - I like that. He's betting on himself - and signing up with a winner.

BETTING ON MYSELF


This post originally appeared on The Player’s Tribune.

We’ve all seen the wildly popular movie Jerry Maguire. What’s not to love? Jerry’s got it all: a shiny gig at a prestigious sports agency, elite clients that command respect and a beautiful fiancée. He appears to have a dream life, until his career comes crashing down and he loses everything.

Everything except for one client: Rod Tidwell, an aging-but-talented wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals who’s not exactly the easiest guy to please. Though the relationship between Jerry and Rod is at many times trying and turbulent, the two end the movie with a tearful embrace in front of the media, showing how their bond has progressed from a traditional one that is all about business, to a personal one that is close and heartfelt.

If you haven’t seen the classic flick — spoiler alert! — it concludes with a touching scene in which Jerry secures a deal for Rod to finish his legendary football career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I hate that movie.

Now let me tell you why I hate that movie. I love Tom Cruise, but Jerry Maguire represents one of the wildest misconceptions in the sports world: that athletes need agents. This movie insinuates that athletes need someone else to “show them the money” because they can’t get out there and get the money themselves. I hate that.

You see, prior to being selected sixth overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Jerry Maguires from some of the biggest agencies in the world courted me. From seemingly every avenue possible, sports agents found me and gave their best pitch. I was promised it all — the possibility of securing endorsements and show deals, appearing in Coca Cola commercials and wearing tailored suits to the best parties in the world. Not to mention, of course, a lucrative contract.

As a 21-year-old offensive tackle out of Stillwater’s Oklahoma State University, I knew I’d made it big time. I understood that my life would change forever. I’d no longer be that kid from humble beginnings in Houston, Texas, but a personality in the greatest league in the world. I could set up my family, my finances and my legacy forever. All I had to do was find someone to show me the money. In essence, I was under the impression that selecting an agent was the precursor to my wildest dreams.

I weighed my options — noting the factors most important to me — and made my decision. Soon after, I sat with my new agent to discuss the terms of the deal. He told me that the standard rate, which is set by the National Football League, was 3 percent. I asked to pay 2.5 percent, and without much pushback, my agent agreed.

From that moment, I knew I possessed an intangible factor in the relationship that I’d never considered: leverage.

The sheer length and complexity of player contracts means that many agents are lawyers or, at the very least, have some sort of background in contract law. Agents are expected to be savvy about not only the game, but about finance, business management and risk analysis. They’re also expected to be marketing gurus and sharks when it comes to securing endorsements. Is it really possible for one person to be a true expert in so many fields?

And what does it look like when that expertise is spread across, say, 20 clients? My agent wasn’t only promising me a lucrative contract and then some. He was promising every other player he was representing a lucrative contract and then some. How do agents manage so many people, especially if they’re promising each one of us the same deals? What about the inevitable conflict of interest — for both the agent and the athlete — if an agent represents two players on the same team?

The fact of the matter is that even if the agent-player relationship is a close, heartfelt, personal one, it’s still founded on one thing: money.

Did a 2.5 percent agent fee really make sense in relation to the amount of work that was being done? Did it make sense in relation to the amount — and caliber — of those commercials, endorsements, show deals, suits and parties that were or weren’t delivered? Did I, entering the final year of my rookie contract and what I believe will be the prime of my career, really need someone else to tell me my worth and not only “find me a deal,” but take a cut of it?



No.

So, before I became a free agent, I decided to free my agent.

Now, I’m merely speaking from the heart because I witnessed — and continue to witness — this truth not only in my own situation, but through other players as well. I see guys who believe they need representation because they merely haven’t considered an alternative.

Granted, there are plenty of guys who didn’t take the same route as I did; guys who aren’t in the same position as me. There are undrafted free agents and “journeymen” who constantly move from team to team. They spend the majority of their careers on the practice squad with the slim possibility of making a team before it’s time to retire. I applaud their efforts; in so many ways they’re the backbone of the league.

And for guys like that, agents are useful. They have relationships with general managers to get workouts and start up initial conversations. But in my opinion, that expertise doesn’t warrant a relationship that leads a player to believe he’s inadequate without representation.

And because I know I’m more than adequate without representation, I’m betting on myself.

I know my worth. I can look at the market and go directly to a team without an agent and tell that team my worth. And I can do so with confidence because I’ve done my research, I’ve educated myself and I’ve questioned the answers I’ve been given. And when it comes to reviewing the details of my next deal, I’ll hire an expert — a lawyer or a sports attorney who understands the dynamic of football contracts — to read the paperwork. I’ll negotiate a one-time flat fee that isn’t dependent on the size of my salary.

You see, there’s a new sort of athlete, and he’s not just an athlete. He’s a businessman and a living brand, a la Magic Johnson or LeBron

James. He’s a player who represents himself because he not only understands the market and his own personal value, but has the self-assurance and financial know-how to do so, too.

Every athlete has the ability to be free of his or her agent. It all comes down to being willing to bet on yourself.

So, fellow athletes, I encourage you to do your research. Educate yourself. Question the answers. And take ownership of your career and your livelihood.

So, before I became a free agent, I decided to free my agent.

Now, I’m merely speaking from the heart because I witnessed — and continue to witness — this truth not only in my own situation, but through other players as well. I see guys who believe they need representation because they merely haven’t considered an alternative.

Granted, there are plenty of guys who didn’t take the same route as I did; guys who aren’t in the same position as me. There are undrafted free agents and “journeymen” who constantly move from team to team. They spend the majority of their careers on the practice squad with the slim possibility of making a team before it’s time to retire. I applaud their efforts; in so many ways they’re the backbone of the league.

And for guys like that, agents are useful. They have relationships with general managers to get workouts and start up initial conversations. But in my opinion, that expertise doesn’t warrant a relationship that leads a player to believe he’s inadequate without representation.

And because I know I’m more than adequate without representation, I’m betting on myself.

I know my worth. I can look at the market and go directly to a team without an agent and tell that team my worth. And I can do so with confidence because I’ve done my research, I’ve educated myself and I’ve questioned the answers I’ve been given. And when it comes to reviewing the details of my next deal, I’ll hire an expert — a lawyer or a sports attorney who understands the dynamic of football contracts — to read the paperwork. I’ll negotiate a one-time flat fee that isn’t dependent on the size of my salary.

You see, there’s a new sort of athlete, and he’s not just an athlete. He’s a businessman and a living brand, a la Magic Johnson or LeBron

James. He’s a player who represents himself because he not only understands the market and his own personal value, but has the self-assurance and financial know-how to do so, too.

Every athlete has the ability to be free of his or her agent. It all comes down to being willing to bet on yourself.

So, fellow athletes, I encourage you to do your research. Educate yourself. Question the answers. And take ownership of your career and your livelihood.

Written by Russell Okung

 

[Mingo]

Wow - that's a great read - from Okung. Funny he calls it betting on himself - the same way I thought of it.

The way - I think - John Elway looks at it - Okung wanted to be a Bronco more than Ryan Clady. The Denver Broncos are not only viewed as winners among the players, but they have a reputation for being first class all the way in strength and conditioning and player development and locker room comforts. A beautiful place to live and work - where every Bronco player is idolized. Okung valued those things - where an agent looks only at how much the total is constantly thinking of what 2.5% of it would be. This is exactly what happened with Talib -while Elway was in negotiation with Rodgers-Cromartie- he switches and signs a guy as good or better for the amount he wants to pay.

 

[BHF]

No doubt - an agent would have bargained for more money - Okung - by the nature of this deal - was after something more than money and he had the self confidence to bet on himself with a cap friendly year one - and good compensation in the subsequent years. He impresses the Broncos in year one - and they take the 4 year option, or he takes next year's Super Bowl ring and shops his services again.

Is anything guaranteed after year one?

Edit

Let me rephrase, is anything guarunteed within the option?

 

[Mingo]

Is anything guaranteed after year one?

Edit

Let me rephrase, is anything guarunteed within the option?

No - the way I understand it - $5 million this year - with incentives to $8 million - the Broncos option to sign up for the next 4 years at $10 million a year or so. If Okung is good next year - he would be being paid last year's money for a top LT. Meanwhile the salary cap with rise, but Broncos will be paying 2016 prices for a top LT through 2020 - or 2018 when he can be cut again. For Okung - he signs with a winner - makes at least $5 - incentives to $8 and if the Broncos don't pay him $10 million he can go cut his own deal while he is still young enough a player to be attractive.

 

[SpringStein]

And Mingo, from what I'm hearing, we will have a lot of cap room next year. Due to not knowing what the cap will rise to, no way of knowing exactly how much. But I'm reading estimates of $70 MM.

 

[Malibu]

This deal at least for this upcoming year is incredible for the Broncos. Get a high quality player at a very team friendly deal with a big chunk of the contract being in incentives. Unlike the last couple of years our LT has to play to get paid good money. Throw in this now saves us once Clady is gone $3.9 million. If we can get a draft pick in a trade then that is just icing on the cake. Right now we don't have to cut Clady right away to stay under the Cap Limit so we don't have to rush that decision.

Very excited by this deal and very surprised at the numbers honestly. I figured he would easily be in the $8 million or more range.

Agreed good deal for the Broncos. If he can't stay healthy and produce they can cut bait. Good deal in the end.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Sounds like a good deal for both sides, basically a prove it deal, 1 year 5mil, then an option to re-sign at 12 mil / year and 20.5 mil guaranteed.

Chance for him to try and turn his career around after last year and if Bronco's are taking a chance on a left tackle, he doesn't cost as much as Clady.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

And Mingo, from what I'm hearing, we will have a lot of cap room next year. Due to not knowing what the cap will rise to, no way of knowing exactly how much. But I'm reading estimates of $70 MM.

Showing 82 mil in 2016 based on expected cap (90ish without Clady now), but that's no Von, Okung, Ware, Sanchez, Sly Williams, Brandon Marshall, Emmanuel Sanders, etc. only 22 players currently signed past 2016. So they'll have the ability to re-sign guys and make moves in FA for sure.