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Not-so-done deal Come draft day, Chargers may not be sold on Vick
With the early stages of contract talks between Michael Vick and the Chargers presenting some daunting challenges, don't be shocked if, a few minutes past noon on Saturday, San Diego hands NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue a card bearing the name of Texas Christian running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The situation is far from being at a point of no return regarding Vick and the Chargers, and San Diego still might draft the talented Virginia Tech quarterback even if they don't reach a pre-draft contract agreement. But this much is already clear: If the two sides remain miles apart on an expected six-year deal through Friday, with Vick showing no signs of compromising, the Chargers will strongly consider going with Tomlinson at No. 1 because of at least two factors. First off, San Diego believes Tomlinson will be much easier to sign than Vick, who has been projected as the draft's top pick from the moment he first declared himself eligible for it this winter. The Chargers are adamant that their mistake with Ryan Leaf in 1998's draft will play a role in Vick's negotiations, serving as a reminder to not commit an exorbitant financial package to a relatively unproven quarterback who has played just two collegiate seasons and thrown only 360 NCAA passes. Leaf received an $11.25 million signing bonus as the No. 2 pick in 1998, and the Chargers received next to nothing on their investment before waiving him this spring. In effect, the Chargers, who will carry $5.6 million of Leaf's signing bonus acceleration on this year's cap, want to guard themselves against getting burned again to that degree and are seeking to use the specter of Leaf to lower their overall investment in Vick. Contrary to earlier media reports, Vick is not seeking a deal that would include a $15 million signing bonus. The total value of his six-year package could exceed $50 million, which would be slightly higher than last year's six-year, $45 million contract received by first overall pick Courtney Brown. "We're only asking to be treated like a No. 1 pick," said one of Vick's agents, Michael Sullivan of Octagon Sports. "We have already recognized in our proposal before the fact that Michael may not play as early as other recent highly drafted quarterbacks."Also, despite a somewhat united front for public consumption, not everyone in the Chargers organization wants to pick Vick. Chargers head coach Mike Riley is a notable exception to that group and has repeatedly declared that Vick has too much potential to pass on. But given the early warning signs on the contract front, if Vick and his agents remain firm in their demands, it is likely to prompt San Diego to re-think its decision to select him. Some within the Chargers organization have questioned internally the wisdom of taking a player who isn't expected to contribute for two years or so, and others say even Riley is well aware that he'll probably be developing Vick for whomever winds up being San Diego's next head coach. There is a growing sense from the Chargers that while they still want Vick, they will not be crushed if they decide his contract demands are prohibitive and move on to Tomlinson. If San Diego does make the decision to pass on Vick, the Chargers will no doubt investigate moving down a spot or two, providing they are still assured of getting Tomlinson, their clear-cut backup choice. The top three picks in the first round would then all be on the market, given that No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Cleveland have made no secret of their willingness to move down. Which team would then emerge as the most likely to make a move for Vick? Atlanta, at No. 5, would love to groom Vick as Chris Chandler's successor. Other suitors could come out of the woodwork once San Diego is on the clock. The Chargers' vice president of football operations, Ed McGuire, and Vick's two agents, Andre Colona and Sullivan, spent part of Monday evening and all day Tuesday in face-to-face negotiations in San Diego. Afterward, Sullivan said "substantial obstacles remain and no deal is imminent." Talks were expected to resume Wednesday, but the Chargers did not contact Vick's agents, a rather ominous sign that both sides are deeply entrenched. Colona returned cross-country to his McLean, Va., home office Tuesday night and Sullivan flew back to his office in northern California. It is believed that the Chargers intend to open negotiations with Tomlinson. Earlier this week San Diego was planning to do so as a precaution against problems in its contract talks with Vick. The practice of the No. 1 team in the draft negotiating a contract agreement with their potential pick before the draft has become a customary league practice. Another issue that figures to be somewhat tricky in the Vick talks centers on the NFL's "Deion Rule," which deals with how teams structure the signing bonus and base salaries of a contract that extends into and beyond the league's next uncapped season of 2004. The rule, inspired by the hefty signing bonus that Dallas awarded cornerback Deion Sanders in 1995, discourages teams from paying huge signing bonuses that pro-rate significantly into uncapped years at the same time they are paying low base salaries in capped seasons. With just three capped years remaining and no extension of the current collective bargaining agreement in sight, the rule will make it difficult for teams to fit these types of sizable contracts under the rookie salary pool. With Vick likely in line for a six-year deal, the rule will force a club like the Chargers to carry a higher than usual cap number in the first half of the deal. The rule will in effect drive up base salaries and drive down the size of signing bonuses, which can be pro-rated over the length of the deal. The end result will be that teams must find a way to pay a higher percentage of dollars that count against the cap now, rather than deferring most of the cap consequences. Don Banks covers pro football for CNNSI.com.
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