Eric D. Williams took over the Seahawks beat and Seahawks Insider blog in December. Williams has covered the Seahawks, Sonics and high school sports for The News Tribune since joining the paper in 2006. Eric lives in Tacoma with his wife and two children.
Tacoma News Tribune columnist Dave Boling also contributes to the Seahawks Insider blog.
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This is the story I wrote for tomorrow's News Tribune:
KIRKLAND – Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram skipped Monday’s voluntary veteran mini-camp because he is upset about his contract, according to a source.
Engram attended the team’s three-day mandatory camp over the weekend, though he participated on a very limited basis.
But Engram was not present on Monday, the only player who was expected to be at the team’s practice facility but wasn’t. The team said Engram missed the practice for personal reasons.
It is unclear if Engram will be at today’s practice. The mini-camp ends on Thursday.
Engram is displeased, according to the source, that he was the team’s most productive wide receiver last season but is scheduled to be its third-highest paid wideout this year.
Engram is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $1.7 million this season, while injured flanker Deion Branch will make $3.5 million as well as a $660,000 roster bonus and split end Nate Burleson will make $3.25 million.
It is unclear what Engram wants to be paid in a new contract. His agent, Mitch Frankel, did not return several phone calls.
A team spokesman said Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell declined to comment.
Engram is coming off a year in which he set a franchise record with 94 receptions, which was a career high, as was his 1,147 receiving yards, which was among the best seasons in team history. Engram’s six touchdowns also were a career high.
Engram was quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s most-reliable target at a time that split end D.J. Hackett was continually injured, playing in only six games.
Likewise, Branch, who was paid almost $10 million last season, played in only 11 regular-season games and missed most of both postseason games. Branch tore his anterior cruciate ligament early in the team’s loss to Green Bay and will miss at least part of the 2008 season after reconstructive surgery.
With Branch injured and Hackett departing for Carolina in free agency, Engram is expected to be the team’s starting flanker, moving to the slot in the three-receiver set.
Engram, 35, had his breakout season after missing nine games in 2006 because of a thyroid condition that threatened the remainder of his career. He returned for the final three games of that season, totaling 24 receptions and 290 yards for the year.
After that season, the Seahawks gave Engram a two-year, $3.4 million contract. He will be a free agent after this season.
COMMENTS:
ok ok enough of the SA references... but if Engram was 10 years younger, I'd say yeah sure show him the money, but now? come on
Nice doing knowing ya but dont let the door hit you where the sun doesnt shine.
Nice to know players really care about the money, ya it not all guarteed but when teams that has not much left to make it cap atleast he can do is shut up and play and than leave after his contract end. Seahawks already tight with the caps.
The easiest way out of this mess would be to offer a contract extension that includes a nice lump sum. He's worth it not only in past production earned, but in the reliable consistency he would provide for the next 2-3 years.
Work for a whole year and see how you feel about only getting a mil and a half for six months work.
Engram is underpaid, and underappreciated. He is far more valuable to this team than either Branch or Burleson, and yet is paid comparitevely little.
However, the reason Bobby got all those balls thrown his way is because Branch got hurt, and Burleson is a pussy. Were Branch playing, Engram would not have been relied upon so heavily.
The fact that it is obvious the Hawks intend to lean heavily on Engram during the first half of the year says that in all fairness, they should pay him an extra million bucks this year, or sign him to an extension. But Ruskell is cheap and he is very leary of aging players, because you never know when Father Time will catch up with them.
Hopefully Bobby wont hold out of camp. As long as he shows up, he has done everything one could ask of a Seahawk. Timmay, dont screw this up! Sign Engram to another two years with a nice bonus, and lets get to the Super Bowl! Stop pinching pennies with star players---remember the Ice Fisherman Fiasco?!
This strategy worked out really well for DJack. Same (stupid) agent?
Sure he's getting paid less, but most other teams would have cut him during ThyroidFest 2006 and at 34, not many teams would have been interested in him, if any.
Good luck with that.
I am surprised and disappointed to see this about him, but then again, I will believe it when I see more about "the source." Until then this is just an inflammatory story.
Generally, I dislike the media just because of things like this.
The future has to be in performance based pay. The press is not the place to work this out.
And just because we are unhappy that perhaps less deserving people are being paid more, that will ALWAYS be the case, and it does not necessitate grumbling and pouting.
Anyway, he has been fun to watch but in time he too will be nothing but a fond memory.
I am curious who our starting receivers will end up being this year.
Isn't this also the same guy who dropped a key first down "catch" in the Super Bowl (on a 3rd down)?
Isn't this the guy who nobody else really wanted last off-season?
He should just play it out and go get his money as a FA for some other team next off-season (assuming there is more interest in him than a year ago).
Why not pick a player who seems to be developing well and write a feature story on him? Or about someone with a feel good rags-to-the-NFL story?
Look, I like Engram as much as the next but damn... a 35 year old slot receiver is pissed about his contract? I don't see why a younger, faster, stronger guy couldn't make the same catches from the slot. I'm assuming it comes down to knowing the system?
I'm hoping this "source" is full of it. If not, however, I'm good with getting someone else some experience.
That said... is anyone else feeling a bit scared of our receiving game? I know we have young, promising guys... but how much longer is it going to take? I dont know how good I feel about Burly being our number 1 guy.
Engram has been a first class guy. I don't see this as treating him with a lot of respect. Unless he comes forward and says this himself I view this as fairly irresponsible journalism. According to as source? Its embarrassing reading what sort of comments people are posting in this blog.
This is a VOLUNTARY workout and that he missed. Wouldn't the better play here be giving him the benefit of the doubt until he makes a statement? What has he done to have earned so much scorn from you? I'm glad he's on this team. Fan backlash like this is embarrassing.
He probably got alot of incentive to make alot more money and if money is only reason he want new contract than cut him and go with young and fresh WR.
Engram missing a little camp isnt much. It actualy HELPS the team cause now Kent, Taylor and the rest can get reps in his spot.
He deserves the money. Branch has nothing on Engram even when Engram is 35. Engram has only been Hasselbecks Fav targets on 3rd down sinse he became the starting QB. Also younger, faster, stronger players cant replace Engram. Engram knows where to go when D's run zone, he knows what to do & where to go when Hasselbeck runs out of the pocket. Also he has had the best hands on this team from the time he joined Seattle. PAY HIM
But it doesn't have to be a TO-like contract or anything. Something to show respect to him, for maybe just another year or two.
People forget that players can get cut at ANY time, but for a player who has outperformed their contract, other than trying to quietly request a raise/new contract (which alot of times fall on deaf ears), their only other recourse is to do things like this. I would prefer he still show up, but i completely understand his position.
And his current salary - $1.7M sounds like a lot and it is but if this IS his LAST year that's it. No more $ from say 35 yrs. old to what - 86 years old? Why not ask for more $ - it may be all you ever get from football - your lifetime career.
And unless someone knows of some veteran slot WCO receivers who may be available after June 1 then what are our options? He will play this year and he is the professional we all feel he is. I think he is just being reasonable in asking for some $ after a good year, one "last" time, unless he pulls a Jerry Rice and plays several more years.
If you had $2M in incentives and bonuses to spread around who would you give it to? Clearly we didn't give the big $ to a PK now in St. L, but maybe we can consider a little something for B.E. It may be a dangerous precedence and we shouldn't pay anything until after 1 - 3 pre-season games and we know what we have for WR's but talking about $ is o.k. with me. Just no hold outs. Bobby is a good guy and this shows a reasonable business person.
GO SEAHAWKS
And about the millions and millions argument. Yeah thats more money than any of us will see but you have to put it in perspective. If someone is making twice the money for half the production that is not right no matter how may zeroes are involved. Bobby has everyright to demand to be paid fairly and in this case that means a raise of more than a million dollars.
Comparing him to Alexander is weak. Unlike Alexander, he played hard last year and is dependable.
Frankly, I'd like to see Ruskell admit that he was fleeced out of a first round draft pick for Branch as well as a lot of money given to Branch. We would have been better off keeping that draft pick and just starting Engram all along.
He had more production last year than he was paid.
Oh well, that's the way it goes. Life isn't perfect and things aren't always fair.
Come on, it's not like he can't do something else. With that amount of cash, after he retires he can go back to school and become whatever he wants to be. Or he could invest it wisely. Or he could start a business. Remember, they ay that the average person has 6-7 careers in their lifetime. So why should Bobby be any different just because he plays professional football.
That being said I'd be in favor of making some concessions to Engram in this case. Maybe some incentive based targets so his base is still 1.7 this season, but if he meets or exceeds his last year production he could stand to earn a lot more.
He's the best receiver on the team going into the season and he's always been a team guy. There's every reason to try and work with him on this.
There are very few players - on any team - who are worthy of being awarded loyalty over economics. It is a commodity that is not only rare, but is most likely dying out as the league becomes ever so much more money-conscious...and considering how tough it is for some teams to find 53 players that can stay out of jail, players like that are all the more valuable. Bobby is one of those players. I'd say Wally is another, as was Mack. Lofa has that potential, but still has a long way to go. I'm not even sure I'd put Hass in that category yet. They are the kind you try to keep on a team until their career is over. I not only believe that Bobby can still get the job done, but that he can also be a well-spring of practical knowledge to the rookies. And that coopts the argument that he's getting old...to let that experience walk out the door (possibly to get grabbed up and used against us) when throwing some leftover salary-cap money we've got lying around anyway would solve the problem doesn't make sense to me. Give him an extension plus a few million bonus, let him retire a Seahawk in 2-4 years, then put him in the Ring of Honor. It not only makes him happy, it makes the fans happy.
As for the SA comparison, it remains to be seen whether shelling out money for two other vets will produce better results. If the running game's lousy again next year, who will even remember that we could have kept Shaun, had the same results and saved millions?
I'd be for them getting contract increases for stellar play.
However, they should take a hit in the paycheck when they underperform.
Performance pay and single year contracts are the only equitable way to do it. Too bad it will never happen. Sign on the dotted line and live with it til the contract ends.
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