Time for me to fall on my sword, or at least begin the process.  Three weeks ago, I doubted our friend Bob Glauber’s source in how far along the process of D’Brickashaw’s negotiations were going (along with the other fellas), and that the contract process was actually quite close to completion for Brick.

Here’s Glauber’s writing on Brick in an article mainly about Revis in Newsday on June 16th.

… the team is further along in negotiations with Ferguson on a long-term deal than is widely known. An agreement could be reached before the start of training camp, barring unexpected complications, according to people familiar with Ferguson’s situation.

Here’s a quote from Brad Blank (Brick’s agent) in the Post back on Jun 18th reacting to the ongoing talks with the Jets:

That was news to agent Brad Blank, who appeared to doubt a deal could get done that quickly considering he has yet to receive a contract proposal from Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum.

“It’s hard to say that [you could get a deal done by camp] when you’ve never exchanged proposals and don’t even know if you’re in the same ballpark,” Blank told The Post yesterday. “We haven’t heard anything from the Jets.”

Here’s one from yesterday’s Fifth Down (emphasis is mine) in which Blank said something quite interesting.

Blank said there was no hint of a holdout or discontent from Ferguson, but it was the Jets wanting to “take care of someone who is a good soldier.”

“He never wanted anything, this wasn’t his idea – they came to us,” Blank said. “At no time did we approach them.”

Blank said the Jets originally came to him in early June, wanting to sign Ferguson to a long-term deal.

What valuable lesson did we learn, but probably already knew?  Agents have a tendency to speak in half truths and trust Glauber’s sources.  I listened to a Bill Simmons podcast with Chad Ford (Parts 1 & 2) where they talk about sourcing a few weeks ago, and it helped me realize what journalists have to deal with.

Now, while Blank wasn’t necessarily lying to the Post, but he wasn’t telling the whole truth either, and I took his “named source” word to the Post over whoever it was that talked to Bob on the matter.  It’s clear that negotiations were ongoing, even if concrete numbers hadn’t been put down on the table just yet, Glauber was onto something.

With that, It’s worth revisiting what else Glauber’s sources told him, which will help us to read the tea leaves on the team’s contract situation. Boiling it down:

1. Revis Contract > $100 million? — Revis has a contract that could exceed $100 million on the table in front of him, but likely doesn’t have the guaranteed cash he wants up front.  That’s the sticking point of getting a deal done with him and might continue to be.
2. Mangold Long Way Off — Mangold wants top-tier money and deservedly so … maybe even similar to Brick.  As an interior player, even a center, it might be very hard for the team to justify that.  Unless his demands come down and the team’s price goes up (my guess, maybe around $8-ish mil per year as a compromise?) the team might use the tag.
3. Harris on the Shelf — Don’t expect David Harris to see a new deal before the season ends, and maybe not even then.  As a fourth year player going into an unclear CBA, the team might try to make him an offer, but might be able to RFA him due to the current CBA rule craziness … that would allow the team more flex around Braylon, Holmes and Cromartie this coming offseason, and the chance to hold onto one more of their prized players..

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