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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- That was cheese? HA! I think you had your shoes off again! I warned you about that wiff. I managed to cover up for you the last time you unleashed the toxic twins. Remember when all those birds fell out of the sky and no one knew why? wiff's feet. Yep, when it comes to weapons of mass destruction Saddam had nothin' on the wiff's tootsies. So have some pity on your city and keep those feet discreet wiff. In a while the other stench will be gone too...tick...tick...tick...
— tpizza 
WTF is Aker's agent whining about? The Transition Tag doesn't restrict his ability to get a big payday in the least. If someone else signs Akers, they don't have to give up any draft picks...unlike the Franchise Tag. All this does is give the Eagles the right to match.
mikeygirl and woof0 are the reasons why the Klan continues to exist. The Mike Vick Experience is here to stay! GO MIKE VICK GO! Kubb will have to play back up or go to Minnesota or Washington or wherever the heck he can find somewhere to play. Mike Vick is the Man and you haters know it! GET USED TO IT!
mcKolb was regressing in the few games he played with 9 turnovers 7INTS 4FUMBLES (2 lost),so mcKolb basically played well in 1/8th the season(7games played total-he started and finished 3 games..now he expects to get paid???..that's (a waste of $$$) per game average that into the two games he played well it is (a waste of $$$) per game he plays well in that includes doormats like the niners...well it's time to set the KK trap-he can't help himself but to go for the yellowolf..LOL..book it...(y)w— Mabus- I was about to bring that up mabus. Remember that Titan game when all KK had to do was NOT fumble and the Es would probably win. Result: fumble. And then he continued on and led the Es to an entire second half of 3 and outs. Result: Titans win. Luckily he stayed on the bench till the end of the year when the Es played Dallas and in that game where the Es played a lot of second stringers Kolb was the WORST player on the field. Now that's progress! On the good side he did beat the Falcons and the Niners but was awful against the Skins and the Pack. So for that we are supposed to axe the #4 rated QB? What has KK shown to merit anything but a ticket to Frisco? Answer: Not much. And even as Vick supposedly regressed he was still the best player on the field. More on that later. Gotta be careful not to step in any wiff traps. Snap...what a joke. — tpizza
- is $3.333 MIL a game for mcVick to play a game well..Q:is it worth it??..A:no...the money would be better spent on the defense...when KK went to SF and beat them and the next week pummeled the #1 seed Falcons you were MIA for two weeks-couldn't even catch you in the RAtpizza trap..with out those two wins this team wouldnot have went to the playoffs and lost to a underdog..get your facts straight,my friend...w. — wolf 4
- Sure wiff, you know all about getting facts straight. The next time will be the first time. I have always been here. How many times have we read "Where's wiffy" from the others because you were MIA. Tons. Me? Not once. Gotta look at the facts wiff. It's the obligation of the team to put the best players on the field. Right now that's VICK at QB. Don't pick out the one game KK won against a good team as some standard [the only good win in 4 years BTW] and ignore all the awful games wiff. I didn't. There's the proof at 5:16. But you? Apparently you forget that without Vick this team was going nowhere. It was YOU that said the schedule was brutal and an 8-8 season would be acceptable with KK as QB. But when they end up 10-6 due mostly to Vick all of a sudden it's no good. That's the ultimate in wiffocracy wiff. One standard for KK [low] and another for Vick [SB or out]. Those are facts wiff and I can prove them all. Signing Vick doesn't even mean they can't make vast improvements on the D and OL. Man you are clueless, but tick...tick...tick...time's growin' short wiff. SNAP! — tpizza
- Pardon the poor grammar/punctuation. I was just keeping it "real" (SNAP!) The Titans game stands out, as does the Chicago and Minnesota games (as far as losses). All winnable, but for various reasons the E's lost. They win those three games or 2 out of the 3 & they would've watched the WC round at home. The Dallass game was horrible to watch (glad I sold my tix). Thought they could at least beat a brokeback team but...it's the past. The future looks good if they can fix the O & D line holes/coaching and get someone adequate across from Asante. QB is the least of my worries. Vick showed he learned a lot from AR & staff. Not enough attention has been paid to the advances he made as a QB. If he can build on that and get protection, the O will be unstoppable. Peace bruddah — Mabus
- Football seasons are made up of games we could have won and games we won but shouldn't have too. For every Minny game there was the Miracle in the Meadowland II. For every loss to a Titan game back up there was a win over PManning. I consider the last season a success. a three beat of the Mannings? Beautiful! The Miracle, the total destruction of the Skins, sweet. The team was by no means a SB winning team but it held it's own against the Pack and if the Es spend some damn $$ to get some real players on D we have a good shot soon especially if they RUN THE BALL. Should be an interesting season ahead if the CBA BS doesn't derail the team's chances. — tpizza
- Vick really screwed himself here! 16 million to throw an interception to end a playoff game. he probably should've thrown a few more and really cashed in!— Geno D
- Onlineps2beast, you say Akers is done cause he missed a kick in the pro bowl. Look at your statement that includes the words pro bowl. You dont get voted to pro bowl if your done. He was also voted 2nd team all pro. That doesnt sound like a player thats done. Yes he had a couple misses at crucial times in the playoffs but that doesnt mean hes done.
— MrSmithTP - Who cares...spinning wheels.....spinning wheels...AH— RoastedBird
- Sad that in this day and age a team can take an African-American player and enslave him with the approval of the league. Vick deserves to see what he is worth on the open market. If Vick were white, they would have signed him to a new deal mid-season for Manning and Brady-type money. Instead, they made sure they kept paying him the scraps they signed him for because no one else in the league wanted to give a black athlete who made one bad decision a chance.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Ummmm, Peyton Manning got the same franchise tag today. — cancer36
