Akers won't sign transition tender; Vick signs
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Akers won't sign transition tender; Vick signs
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
UPDATE:
The Eagles made it official when they announced Wednesday that Michael Vick signed a one-year contract. The quarterback was designated as the team's franchise player on Feb. 15.
Based on 2010 earnings of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, Vick is slated to earn a little over $16 million next season. That number could increase based on the next collective bargaining agreement.
Of course, there is the possibility that the franchise tag would not exist as is or at all in the new CBA.
As he did when the Eagles tagged him two weeks ago, Vick tweeted, "Proud to be an Eagle!" on Wednesday.
FROM EARLIER:
While Michael Vick is slated to sign the Eagles' franchise tender on Wednesday, kicker David Akers won't ink a transition tender, his agent Jerrold Colton said.
Akers' decision not to sign the tender comes as no surprise. Colton said two weeks ago, after the Eagles placed the tag on the kicker, that his client was "disappointed" with the designation.
Colton took the stance already made by the NFLPA that the franchise and transition tags will be rendered invalid anyway once the collective bargaining agreement expires on Thursday at midnight. A new CBA could alter the tags or not include them, but many expect the labels to exist in some form.
"It was never something that we were going to sign at this point," Colton said. Asked if Akers not signing was an indication that he remains unhappy with the tag, Colton said, "Our feelings haven't changed."
Akers' transition tender was valued around $2.8 million. It differs from the franchise tag in that the Eagles have the right of first refusal if team's make an offer to Akers. The Eagles have exclusive rights to Vick under the franchise tag.
Akers is still hoping to work out a long-term deal with the Eagles, Colton said. If the two sides can't agree on a deal, however, Colton said Akers would hope to test the open market as a free agent.
Comments (49)
Put it this way, if after the CBA mess is sorted out the tag applied to Akers is deemed to be valid, he will sign it and like it! Period.— 5NOT4- let's hope they do sign him or we'll end up with another hole ... he'll end up signing with the freakin' cowboys and come back to haunt us. — lordhelpus
- See ya Dave!— Old German
- Akers wrote his own ticket out of town last month with the Ashley Fox article unfairly smearing Reid. The tag is about the Eagles getting comnpensation for him. Smart move.— ahab
- He made 1.4 last year. I would think he would be as happy as Vick is to get double pay over one year.— KINGOFZED
- It was a pretty good run, but it's over now, time to move on. Guy was never very clutch anyway.— sla6yer
- Man do you have a short term memory... — phigglesfan75
- "out'a here"....— M60tanker
- The Tonner doesn't see Mr. Akers returning next season. Just as well. The Tonner considers him the Mike Lieberthal of the Eagles.— hunglikeaton
- After all his whining and moaning about not being an Eagle anymore, all he wanted was to get paid. Good riddance, David.— drbob1
- He wants and extension more than a large some of money... — phigglesfan75
- Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole point of the franchise tag and the transition tag, that the team can keep the rights to a player who is eligible for FA and not let them go? If players have the right to decline the FA, why did so many players in the past complain about getting the Franchise tag when they simply didn't have to sign it? I thought once the team franchised (or transitioned) you, you were locked in for another year, but that they get the average of the top 5 or 10 (for transition) salaries in the league.
By the way, it's worth pointing out that the Franchise tag was what the Players union wanted when it first was introduced, not the owners. So no sympathy for players complaining about it.— awl - Dowenside of his career.— TPMILLER
Comment removed.
Get rid of this drama queen. 2.5 mil to kick a ball. Fruit.- The people writing that Akers is outa here don't understand the way the transition tender works. If someone else signs Akers they have two options: match the offer or let him go. If they let him go they get zero compensation. So, if the Eagles had decided that they want to cut ties with Akers and won't match any offer how does the transition tag help them. You folks haven't thought this through. The Eagles want to keep Akers and the transition tag gives them option that don't exist if they let him become an unrestricted free agent. Akers and his agent don't like it because their options are a little bit limited in the free agent market. No big deal. They'll work it out if another CBA is signed.— Al Wilson
- - Al....you're wasting your time trying to explain it to these "fans". Unfortunately, so many of these posters are so pathetic in their lives that the only way to feel better about themselves is to put others down. They'll also be the first calling Reid an idiot for letting Akers get away the first time the new kicker misses a FG. Anyone that doesn't realize what Akers has meant to the Eagles - on and off the field - is totally clueless. Of course he hasn't been perfect (unlike so many Eagle fans!) but outside of Venatieri, he's been as good a kicker as anyone the last decade. — jimyd0315
- Time to go...cya— irishlaxer
- All this support for billionaire owners. Pay the man better! Akers is one of the Eagles' best.— orange rhino
- Dave is a great kicker - you guys are clueless. We have been lucky to have such a consistent kicker for all of these years.— ilovesalad
- Can someone let me know of any better kickers out there???????????— Cool 1
- Great guy, but those misses against the Packers were brutal.— gho_matt
- $2.8 million is more than he got last year. To be upset over a guaranteed raise is ridiculous. He could still get more from someone else. I guess it IS about the money. Open auditions coming up.— calm weather
hey..that's what you get for taking financial advice from koy detmer..an empty bank account...you kid a ball dude..and not very good as of late--not like you boot two super bowl winning field goals like vinatieri...consistently this clown has come up small in big games.- Akers is a very good kicker. And he's clutch, his 2 misses against the Packers nothwithstanding. Those bashing him are truly clueless haters. I simply stated that if this tag is still valid once they work out the CBA, he will sign it because he will have no viable choice. THEN, we can decide to match any offer he might receive.— 5NOT4
- nothing but selfishness....get rid of him. dude wants a raise after shooting our team in the foot twice in the playoffs--how do u justify that? we give him a raise we might as well give Winston Justice a raise too— Anything_Philly_is4me
- it's time for a change.if he wants the big money it requires being a clutch kicker when needed,no excuses. the green bay fiasco is not the first time he's missed clutch kicks. i wish him well.— lfran55
- I heard he tried to sign the tender but the signature was wide right and missed the contract.— thebaron
- Akers only mistake was the same mistake Dawk made; he didn't bow and kiss their feet when they made their below market offer! Like Dawk, Akers will be forced to leave town to only get what he deserves. Thankfully, the Phils don't treat their loyal veterans this way!!!— JBinPA
- Scary thought that so many see Akers as the guilty party here and not the excessive greed/avariace of the owners. Akers happens to be in a profession that pays a gazillion dollars to professionals. he like many more at in the right place at the right time. Do not hold him guilty for wanting more. Do I detect jealosy? Akers has a gift albeit through hard work that is in demand. Is there any reason why he should not seek the maximum?— ox
- One word: Horst Muhlman— Horst Muhlman lives on in all of us
David Akers: Start making some clutch kicks in your life and not choke then you can ask for alot of money.— briandawkins20- I love how everyone forgets all the game winning kicks he has made in the past, you people can't get by the 2 he missed in Green Bay. — phigglesfan75
- Seriously, Google Horst Muhlman, the greatest Eagles kicker ever ... because he lives on in all of us ...— Horst Muhlman lives on in all of us
- I like you David but you are too old for a long term deal. I'd like to see you here another year but if not, it was a nice ride. No long term deals here. Sorry...— thatbawl
- Time for Ackers to move on. His best years are behind him anyway. Good riddance.— PhilMar
- Enjoy your new team Dve .. HE MISSED SOME BIG ONES & the AVG salary for an NFL kicker is $ 70,000 ... I don't see him worth 4 x as much .. he should get a MILLION & practice PRESSURE KICKS :)— suptom
- Hit clutch field goals and we could talk about more money.
Did he or did he not "GIVE" the Green Bay game away?
2 misses in a 5 point ball game and "easy ones" too, please,, give me a break.— phillyroni - Did you see the video comparing Vick to Jesus? I don't remember anywhere in the book of Matthew that said Jesus transfered HIV to women... What an idiot! Amazing that the city was up in arms that we signed him and now everyone would kill themselves if he left. I hope we trade Kolb then Vick kills another living creature...either human or beast and we end up with some div. II qb. Scumbag— primetime225
- Akers is the best, most reliable kicker we've ever had. He needs to stay. Remember the two decades before Akers when a field goal was as uncertain as Ryan Howard swinging at a curve from a lefty?— Blue Hens Rule
- Shouldn't be tough finding a guy to miss every kick over 40 yards hope its not windy were he's going.— dafence
- thinks he's worth more? seems to me he cost us more games over the last 2 years than he won for us?— sgamble077
- Wow, you guys are harsh! Damm good kicker. Pretty good tackler too. Be careful what you wish for.— Trifectas
- David Chokers will NEVER get that amount on the free market. NEVER!— phillyfly
- Thank goodness you "fans" are not running ths team. We have a joker coachin us now, but wit you all you would let lose everyone who makes a mistake. Have another round!— reedo
Looking forward to the next couple years of revolving door kickers.... /sadface— corakil- Best kicker in Eagles history, misses 2 kicks and people are ready to throw him under the bus. check his stats, he hasn't dropped off at all, check around the league see how many are better— Howard32
- Akers is unhappy. Like many idiotic athletes who have hit the genetic lottery and have been handed millions, he wasn't satisfied. He tried to get outrageous returns on his money instead of using smaller, but solid investments to grow his money. He gambled his life savings with Koy and Ty Detmer and their wild business ventures and he lost it all. Now he feels it's the Eagles job to negotiate with him based on his need to recoup his losses. I, like many around here am not a huge fan of Eagles management but it's not their responsibility to make up for David's gamble with his family's future. I hope you get all your cash back David, but it's not Banner's job to give it to you. When will these athletes who blow it all on shopping malls learn?— Sewellmatt
- Give the man his money. He is automatic inside the red zone and unless Reid has an epiphany and decides to run the ball next season we are going to need all the red zone points we can get.— jkt
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Birds' Eye View is the Inquirer's blog covering all things Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
Jeff McLane
Inquirer Staff Writer
Zach Berman
Inquirer Staff Writer
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