Portis will hold out

According to todays Washington Post article it lookes like the Redskins might be backpeddling on offering Portis a new contract.....Washington Post said, "Initially, the trade was contingent on both Bailey and Portis agreeing to new contracts with their suitors. However, the Redskins have put a new contract with Portis on the back burner, and hope to get it done by training camp."
I think the Skins will try to force Portis to play out his exsting contract, especailly since he asked the Broncos for something like a $18-20M signing bonus in his negotiations just a month or so ago.
If the Skins do this it will be a big mistake! Portis is a real Probowl player, unlike Ramsey (sorry for the low blow). Portis has been severly underpaid at a postion that takes a real beating. As a good faith measure the Skins should at least offer him a good bonus to go with his low salary. Otherwise Portis will be gone in two years.

This is excactly why this trade should not go through untill there is a deal in place. This guy ovousily has some attitude issues. I'm starting to think we would get shafted if this trade goes through. It should be Bailey for Portis and THERE second or third round pick. Plus there's no way it should go through untill a deal is in place. The only protection we would have if we can't get a deal in two years is the franchise tag. I don't know what the numbers are for that.

I say they offer him a 2 year decent salary increase deal (more than his existing contract, but far less than pme with a $20M SB) to ensure he works out, to avoid cap problems, and to satisfy Portis.

They must be aware of the kind of contract that this is going to take. It would be stupid to move ahead with this without having the pieces in place. I say if they can't do a deal by 3rd March, go with the Jets trade.

Unfortunately that may now not be possible as it looks like Champ has warmed to the idea of signing for Denver.

:cool:

....... This guy ovousily has some attitude issues.
Portis is set to make something like $300,000- $400,000 this year and next year. He doesn't have a bad attitude, he plays a position that players don't usually have long careers. Look at Willis McGahee, he was set to be a top 3 pick in the 2003 draft and in his last college game had his leg bent backwards. Cost him millions.
Portis has proven his is one of the top RB's in NFL....probowl, one of the league leaders in TD's and rushing yards . He has played for peanuts, it is time to give him some financial security, he deserves it.

I read a quote from Portis saying that a deal didn't have to get done for him to play this year, even in Denver. He started to backpeddle on his Pro Bowl week comments when the trade started to formulate.

Think about it people we take portis, still alot of cap room, sign all the player we want, then offer him a deal with the left over money. Smart, smart, smart.

He will sign when we need him to we don't need it right now. Especially if Kearse has the same agent that would mean they would want similar blockbuster deals or one out doing the other. Just wait be patient everything will pan out perfectly

The redskins never look better than during the offseason.

Clinton Portis' agent is Drew Rosenhaus - the same guy who represents Willis McGahee and many of the University of Miami players in the NFL. There is some "hint" that Rosenhaus has become persona non grata in Denver - not with his contract demands - but with the way he went about the way of pursuing those demands.

If the trade goes through, we'll have to get used to Rosenhaus and his histrionics. He isn't about to change...

One NFL source said that Portis -- through agent Drew Rosenhaus -- was seeking a signing bonus of close to $20 million, which hindered negotiations. However, a Redskins source with intimate knowledge of negotiations described that claim as false.

The Redskins say they are confident that they can sign Portis to a new contract before training camp. Although Rosenhaus has a reputation for being a tough negotiator -- the Tennessee Titans didn't name defensive end Jevon Kearse as their franchise player because of Rosenhaus's contract demands -- the agent has worked well with owner Daniel Snyder, who handles major contracts for the Redskins. Last offseason, two of Rosenhaus's clients -- defensive tackle Jermaine Hailey and defensive end Regan Upshaw -- were signed by the Redskins.

"We have an excellent working relationship with Drew Rosenhaus," Redskins Vice President Vinny Cerrato said yesterday. "Eventually, he's getting a new deal."

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What are you guys worried about? Postis will be a Redskin and he'll have a new contract before training camp.