Well, he\u2019s been active on social media<\/a>. If you\u2019re going to be the player who breaks the norms on representation, why not break the norms on how you negotiate? Use your Twitter.<\/p>\nNegotiate through the media. Put out a public list of what it is that you\u2019re looking for. You don\u2019t have to call each team and explain if you just post it. You\u2019ve just messaged all 32 teams at the same time. You don\u2019t have to postal exact numbers (although you ostensibly could, and why not\u2026) \u2014 just a general idea of what it is you\u2019re looking for. Use the same media many disdain. Float out figures that way.<\/p>\n
It makes sense for teams and agents to be secretive about information at times as that info getting out works against self-interest. It doesn\u2019t for Mr. Jackson. If he wants to operate in secrecy, that\u2019s most certainly his prerogative, but there\u2019s no tangible benefit for him to do so. He doesn\u2019t have other clients to protect, nor is he the one who has to bid for himself.<\/p>\n
It was interesting to see the rush of uninformed narratives surrounding Jackson when the tag was applied and several teams immediately through media said they weren\u2019t pursuing him.<\/p>\n
Many assumed some sort of collusion on the NFL\u2019s part to avoid guaranteed contracts, but the people I spoke to laughed at the idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe funding rule makes the idea of guaranteed contracts untenable for most anyway. I imagine that\u2019ll get some scrutiny at the next CBA,\u201d an NFL team executive said on Jackson situation.<\/p>\n
What that exec meant was the NFL\u2019s rule that any guaranteed money in a contract has to be in an escrow account mere weeks after the deal is signed. Contrary to popular belief, many teams don\u2019t have $200 million in cash just lying around. The Bengals and Chargers are both on the verge of huge deals with their quarterbacks and are scrambling to cobble together the cash needed for those contracts.<\/p>\n
The Bengals selling stadium naming rights to Paycor for the first time last August serves to illustrate this.<\/p>\n
NFL teams didn\u2019t need to \u201ccollude\u201d against Jackson to not<\/em> pay guaranteed deals. The funding rule and CBA all but make it an impossibility at this juncture.<\/p>\nTeams didn\u2019t have<\/em> to make a move in the first few days. From a PR perspective you can always walk back \u201cnot pursuing.\u201d You can\u2019t walk back \u201cpursued and didn\u2019t land.\u201d<\/p>\nAs it sits, most everyone I talked to has the same opinion. Namely, that if Jackson had an agent, this situation would likely already be done \u2014 and that he is probably costing himself money and probably not maximizing his market. Obviously, those things are this choice, and if he\u2019s at peace with it who are we to question another man\u2019s decisions on his wallet?<\/p>\n
I\u2019d love to see Lamar just open this thing up and negotiate over Twitter. Clarify the situation for the teams, the media and the fans. Create a new empowered negotiation position for future players.<\/p>\n
It\u2019d make for a hell of a story, but then, maybe I\u2019m just being the self-serving one.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n