More RUMORS on JA

[wolfpack]

This mightbe a repost but i got if off another board.
Posted by Mike Florio on April 20, 2008, 8:47 a.m.
We received a text message and a phone call late Saturday/early Sunday from a league source who shared with us a curious development regarding the Minnesota Vikings’ ongoing efforts to acquire Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen.

Per the source, the Vikings are “likely” to sign Allen to an offer sheet after next weekend’s draft, if a “fair” trade can’t be worked out before then.

The move meshes with the idea that came us to like an acorn to a blind squirrel on Saturday. With the Chiefs reportedly wanting a first-round pick and a second-round pick for Allen, why not simply nab Allen with a poison-pilled offer sheet and foist on the Chiefs the Vikings’ first-round picks in 2009 and 2010?

The fact that the Vikes apparenty plan to pursue this tactic is a strong indication that Allen’s visit to the Twin Cities has resulted in an agreement between the player and the Purple regarding the money that will be paid to the NFL’s sack leader in 2008.

But there’s a wild card in this scenario. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reportedly interested in Allen, and could be squeezed into besting the Vikings’ pre-draft trade offer if the Bucs know that Allen would otherwise be poised to sign a post-draft offer sheet in Minnesota.

Then again, if Allen has made up his mind that he wants to play in the land of 10,000 lakes (but hopefully not 0.10 percent BAC), the Bucs will be out of the picture, and the question will be whether the Vikings get him before the draft, or after it.

A couple of readers have asked us whether the Vikings could sign Allen to an offer sheet right now, since it’s less than seven days before the first day of the draft. But even though a team with a franchise player has up to seven days to decide whether to match an offer sheet that he signs, the team can also decide before the seven days expire to not match it. In this case, doing so would give the Chiefs the Vikings’ first-round picks in 2008 and 2009.

And since the Chiefs would surely prefer to get extra draft picks for Allen right now (especially since G.M. Carl Peterson might not be around to use picks in 2009 and/or 2010), it’ll be critical for the Vikings to dust off the poison pill, if they want to be sure to acquire Allen. Otherwise, the Vikes will have merely negotiated on the Chiefs’ behalf Allen’s long-term contract to stay in Kansas City.

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VIKES CAN SIGN ALLEN POST-DRAFT
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2008, 11:04 p.m.
Earlier on Saturday, we floated the possibility of the Minnesota Vikings signing Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen to an offer sheet after the 2008 draft. If the Chiefs choose not to match the offer, they would be stuck with the Vikings’ first-round draft picks in 2009 and 2010.

Several readers asked whether such a move would be permissible, citing the Friday, April 18 deadline for signing players to offer sheets. Though vague, the CBA seemed to indicate that the pre-draft deadline applies only to restricted free agents, and not to franchise players. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed for us that there is no pre-draft deadline for signing franchise players to offer sheets.

Thus, if the Vikings believe that the team is going to be a solid contender over the next few years in a so-so NFC North (especially after Brett Favre’s retirement), why not make the run at Allen after the draft? The first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 will be low.

They’ll be even lower if the players whom the Vikes land in a 2008 draft that is deep but not top-heavy become solid contributors.

In our view, it’s a no-brainer. The Vikings should sign Allen to an offer sheet with a poison pill the moment after exercising the 17th overall selection in round one. __________________

[hermhater]

The "Poison Pill" is putting an unmatchable stipulation in a contract.

For example...

"If Jared has to play any AFC west team twice in any single regular season, then he will get a salary bonus of $700-million dollars per season, for the remainder of the contracts length."

Obviously, the Chiefs are not capable of matching that offer, because then Jared would play all three AFC west teams twice, easily assuring that he would earn $700-million per year, for the remainder of his contract. Breaking the salary cap

But the Vikings can get away with that offer because they aren't going to play any AFC West opponent twice in a regular season, ever.

Much better explanation, I was trying to think of what type of clause they would include.

[rbedgood]

does anyone know what a "poison pill" is? i've never heard this term before.

I haven't read the entire thread, but I didn't want to forget to come back and answer this.

I saw HH's explanation in the next post, but I also posted an example of a "poison pill" in another thread...

The Vikings could simply give Jared Allen a roster bonus for games against AFC West opponents...say $500,000. This would cost the Vikings $2,000,000 every fourth year, but would cost the Chiefs $6,000,000 every year...thus making matching the contract prohibitive for the Chiefs.

The Vikings have done this in the past with other restricted free agents (Steve Hutchinson comes to mind).

[PawnshopMarimba]

Wish I could say I was surprised, but this is what CP does. Ship out the talent to other teams.

[hermhater]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I didn't want to forget to come back and answer this.

I saw HH's explanation in the next post, but I also posted an example of a "poison pill" in another thread...

The Vikings could simply give Jared Allen a roster bonus for games against AFC West opponents...say $500,000. This would cost the Vikings $2,000,000 every fourth year, but would cost the Chiefs $6,000,000 every year...thus making matching the contract prohibitive for the Chiefs.

The Vikings have done this in the past with other restricted free agents (Steve Hutchinson comes to mind).

Perfect scenario.

Wish I could say I was surprised, but this is what CP does. Ship out the talent to other teams.

Nothing Carl does surprises me anymore.

[Canada]

Yeah, we never have any good players in KC.

[hermhater]

Yeah, we never have any good players in KC.

[Canada]

[hermhater]

Take your pick, but you only get one!

[tornadospotter]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I didn't want to forget to come back and answer this.

I saw HH's explanation in the next post, but I also posted an example of a "poison pill" in another thread...

The Vikings could simply give Jared Allen a roster bonus for games against AFC West opponents...say $500,000. This would cost the Vikings $2,000,000 every fourth year, but would cost the Chiefs $6,000,000 every year...thus making matching the contract prohibitive for the Chiefs.

The Vikings have done this in the past with other restricted free agents (Steve Hutchinson comes to mind).

would that bonus count against the cap?

[hermhater]

would that bonus count against the cap?

I'm sure it will, and even if it didn't Clark would never allow that much to be paid out.