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Originally Posted by firstdown
So you think Lavar gave back the 4 mil to help the skins and you are sure it was not so he could become a free agent before all the teams used up their cap money? I'm sad to see him go but I don't know if I buy that one but if I was Lavar that would be my story. I also have a hard time thinking that he wants to stay in the NFC so he can come to DC and play once a year. I would have to think its to show the skin and fans that the team was wrong about him.
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Well, he was going to be a free agent either way. My point is that if he wanted to screw the Skins over, he could have waited for them to cut him. Instead, he opted to leave and forego the $4.4 mill. I might understand hating him if he chose the former course of action.
As for hitting the market ahead of others, I don't really think that's an issue. I haven't heard anything about any teams offering him a contract yet.......and any team that is interested in him is in no different position by negotiating with him now or later. Either they're going to spend the money on a LB or they're going to spend their money elsewhere. Regardless of when they sign him, he's no more or less affordable to that particular team. It all counts against the cap. Also, I might note that Lavar agreed to forego the $4.4 mill even before the new cap was set for this year. Before last night, teams would have had to sign him with the understanding that the cap would be the same as last year (i.e. if no CBA extension was reached). It wasn't until late last night that the teams learned what the new 2006 cap is. So, at the time he agreed to leave the Skins, there was actually less money for teams to spend on him than if he would have waited and forced the Skins to cut him.
As for wanting to stay in the NFC East, I'm mixed. I don't doubt that he wants to stay in this division and prove himself, but I also think he's just so much more familiar with the teams in this division. He's a more knowledgeable player with respect to the NFC East teams, so why not want to stay here? In addition, Lavar just loves the game. He loves going out there and playing football. It's still fun for him. I imagine it would be more fun for him to play with and against the guys he's come to know best from playing in the NFC East for his entire career.
Again, I just don't see anything wrong with the way he handled this situation. He didn't burn any bridges and he didn't take any shots at the Skins organization. I wish more guys would follow his lead instead of acting like fools like Trotter who came to the skins talking all kinds of smack about how he couldn't wait to stick it to the Eagles and how they were such a terrible and ungrateful franchise (only to go back to them with his tail between his legs after a few overpaid years of disappointment).