Vick: "Happy to be an Eagle" after franchise tag; Akers' agent "disappointed"
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Vick: "Happy to be an Eagle" after franchise tag; Akers' agent "disappointed"
Jonathan Tamari
UPDATED below with comments from Vick, Eagles president Joe Banner and Jerrold Colton, Akers' agent
The Eagles, as expected, placed the franchise tag on Michael Vick this morning, giving them the ability to retain the Pro Bowl quarterback for at least another year.
Vick said he was "happy."
"Happy to be an Eagle," he said, smiling as he left the team's NovaCare Complex Tuesday afternoon. He did not stop to answer further questions.
The team also placed the transition tag on Pro Bowl kicker David Akers, which would allow the Eagles to match any offers he receives if and when free agency begins.
Eagles president Joe Banner said the team has "interest in (Vick) long term" and is "very excited about his talent." He acknowledged that the quarterback would like a long-term deal, but said Vick likely views the tag as a "holding spot" that leads to a longer contract. Akers would prefer to hit the open market without restrictions.
As to whether or not the tags remain valid, Banner said no one can be sure, but that the Eagles are covering themselves and securing the rights to Vick andlong Akers in the event that the designations are in the next CBA. At the very least, they have followed the rules as they are laid out by the league.
Banner said the team was barred by the rules of the expiring collective bargaining agreement from giving extensions to Vick or Akers, due to their pay increases.
Asked about how the CBA might affect potential trades for backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, Banner said it could be difficult to trade players if a lockout lasts beyond the draft. At that point trading for 2012 draft picks would be "more complicated" than the typical deal, which, in a normal year, would bring the Eagles 2011 selections that could be used to help the team in the immediate future, Banner said. Players are usually dealt in exchange for draft picks. A player for player trade would be possible after the draft and a new CBA is done, but such deals are very rare in the NFL.
Both Vick and Akers would get significant raises under the tags, though they could each also work out long-term deals after a new collective bargaining agreement is signed. The franchise tag would pay Vick around $16 million, though the exact number is not yet clear. He made $5.2 million from his base salary and roster bonus last season and received a $1.9 million playing time bonus. (Note: the pay figures are updated from earlier; the NFL Network report on Vick's playing time bonus was confirmed by the Inquirer). The Eagles placed the "exclusive" franchise tag on Vick, meaning he can't talk to other teams at all, though it may entitle him to a larger contract.
Akers would make roughly $3 million under the transition tag, up from a $1.65 million base salary last season.
His agent, Jerrold Colton, said he was "disappointed" by the move.
"Our hope all along has been to come to a fair, long-term agreement for David to finish his career as a Philadelphia Eagle," Colton said. While the transition tag shows the team wants him back, Colton said, "it's not exactly the level of salary that we were looking to have."
Colton, like the NFL players union, challenged the idea that the tags can even be used, given the league's soon-to-expire CBA. He said he hopes Akers and the team can still reach an "amicable" resolution under a new CBA, but that the tag "doesn't necessarily help that."
Banner said the team "thinks highly" of Akers and wants him "to be part of the future."
Vick's agent, Joel Segal, could not be immediately reached for comment. While the quarterback said he was happy, and has often spoken of his loyalty to the team, he likely wants the security of a long-term contract, especially given his fearless style of play.
Neither player could be signed to long-term extensions once the season ended, due one of the quirks of the expiring CBA. Both players had pay increases of 30 percent or more from 2009 to 2010, preventing the team from offering long-term deals, under the current labor rules. Those same rules, due to the uncapped year, let the team use both the franchise and transition tag at once, instead of being limited to choosing only one.
The tags are both subject to dispute by the players' union, but will likely remain in effect in some way in a new labor agreement. By using the tags the Eagles are essentially protecting themselves and the rights to the two Pro Bowlers in the likely event that the designations survive the latest CBA negotiations.
Vick and Akers were among the best at their positions for much of 2010, but ended the season on sour notes. Vick, dominated through the middle of the season, putting on a historic Monday night performance against the Redskins and rallying the Eagles from a 21-point deficit to beat the Giants and help win the NFC East in a year when few expected such success. His elevated play earned Vick the Comeback Player of the Year award from the Associated Press. At his best, Vick's running and passing made him one of the most dangerous players in the NFL and the Eagles offense one of the most potent.
But Vick appeared to wear down as the season went on and he took more and more hits both in the pocket and as he ran. Defenses blitzed with increasing discipline and Vick's turnover numbers rose: he had six interceptions and three lost fumbles in his last six regular season games.
With the Eagles poised to make Vick the team's starter for another year, if not longer, his next test will be adjusting to the blitzing formula defenses employed late in the year, once teams had seen his improved style of play.
Akers, too, had an excellent season, hitting 84 percent of his kicks. He missed two critical field goals in the Eagles Wild Card loss to the Packers though. He played the game knowing his six-year-old daughter would soon need surgery to remove a cyst on her ovary. Afterward, Akers sounded like he did not expect to be back with the Eagles, the team he has played for in 188 of his 189 career regular season games. But he now appears likely to return.
Under the franchise tag, the Eagles must pay Vick the average of the top five quarterback salaries. Akers must be offered the average of the top 10 kickers. If he gets an offer from another team the Eagles have the right to match the contract, though they get no compensation if they let him walk.
"Michael Vick and David Akers were two of our most valuable players last year," Andy Reid said in a news release. "They were well deserving of their Pro Bowl berths and we're happy to take this step to ensure that they'll be back in Philadelphia next season."
Trent Cole has elbow surgery
Defensive end Trent Cole had arthroscopic surgery to debride tissue in his right elbow Monday, the team said. Debridement removes dead or damaged tissue. The surgery was performed by Dr. Michael Ciccotti of the Rothman Institute at the Thomas Jefferson Surgical Center at the Navy Yards in South Philadelphia.
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Go Vick!— PhilMar- expected this with Vick. Very good news with Akers-he deserves to stay— krazylegs
- Theyre banking on this franchise tag but demauris smith is playing hardball here and it wouldnt suprise me if he's like 18 gms? then no tags. And then what? The eagles will NEVER sign Vick to a long term deal. And im sorry, in my opinion, Akers is done. You cant miss 34 and 41 yard fg's in a playoff gm, and then miss a 41 yarder in a pro bowl setting with no rush. Dude cant consistently make plus 50 yarders anyway— Onlineps2beast
- There is a ZERO percent chance that the Franchise Tag is not part of the new CBA. For all the BS form both sides, it is pretty clear that the players got the better of the deal the last time around so the owners won't be "giving" back anything of significance. The only hope the union has in this regard is to make players Free agents earlier which very well may happen. The players will agree to a rookie wage scale and they will ask for No FTag but what they will get is a wage scale and an earlier free agent eligibility. They may be able to get No Tag on the same player in consecutive years but that is it. — ccheung
- WOW, what a jerk Reid is. He threw Akers under a bus and now he wants to keep him and not let him go to free agency where he can make more money. Go ahead idiots, run with this one!— oharabri
- Actually what Andy did is HELPING Akers because now Akers will be paid at LEAST the average of the top 10 kickers and the Eagles and choose to match or not. How exactly does that hurt Akers in "making more money"? — awl
- Yup, this is Andy's way of saying he put his foot in his mouth.
— Richard Saunders - Akers is one of the top 3 kickers in the league so paying him the average of the top 10 is lower than what he can get as a FA. And he won't get a signing bonus.
— ej610 - A YES for both. Keep Ackers at any cost. Trade Vick for high draft studs OR bring in in PAC man, TANK J., OCHO CHOCO MOCKO, & PLEXICO for a all-pro hoodlum gold standard team.— jwatson
- COOL!....But wait...Where's T O ? Hmmmm...I can see it now: Big Monday Night game against the 'Boys...long pass on fourth down for the win...TO and Plex BOTH in the area!...Both go up for the ball! TO's hand snatches it out of Plex's grip...Plex whips out a .32 from his ankle holster and shoots TO in the leg!.....Grabs ball, scores as time expires!( Has to shoot his way out of the Dallas stadium, but we win...maybe, it'll be up to the Commish. Sighhh.) — TBear
Transition that drama queen right out of the city. Really such a cornball.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah blah. Is Reid still here? Then blah, blah, blah. Time's yours . . .— Justicek- The whole situation is very, very sad especially where it concerns Vick....figure it out for yourselves.....— scrollersam
Akers has been a stalwart here for a very long time would we still have lost that GB game if he had connected on those field goals... Maybe...Reid sure as hell didn't kick the ball...Always something. How y'all haters feelnow that looks like Mike is staying... OOhh are y'all feelings hurt U poor com passionless Ba^%#@^* ... I think Plax could help this team he would be highly motivated against THE NY Bums... U know the law is wrong Plax should probably do some more time for shooting himself in the leg hahahhaha We need to hold everyone to y'all haters gold standards. Bunch of self righteous p*&!*%. hahahah It really ain't that serious. Go Eagles.
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