Wow profootballtalk is not hating on us or chad for once

[Kazkal]

POSTED 9:52 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:44 p.m. EDT, April 20, 2006

CHAD'S DEAL IS NO "MONSTER"

Well, our favorite journalist finally has done it. He's proven to all that he has zero shame.

In his never-ending quest to submerge his entire cranium into the crap factories of the various agents who funnel information to him, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli has buried his bulbous proboscis into the hind quarters of agent Drew Rosenhaus by characterizing the new contract signed by Bengals receiver Chad Johnson as a "monster" deal.

It's not a monster deal. It's a six-year contract with $5.5 million in bonus money payable in 2006 and $4.5 million in non-guaranteed bonus money due in 2007. At a total of $35.5 million over six years, Johnson's take averages less than $6 million per season.

Less than $6 million per year for one of the best three receivers in the league? A monster deal?

Please.

In contrast, Colts receiver Reggie Wayne is averaging $6.5 million per year -- and he's still playing second fiddle to Marvin Harrison in Indy.

Look, we're not knocking Drew for getting the Bengals to re-do what in hindsight was a horrendous deal negotiated by Johnson's former agent, Jerome Stanley. Johnson signed for the long haul before his career took off, resulting in gross overperformance -- and gross underpayment.

Regardless, the Bengals had Johnson locked up for four more years, and the folks in Cincy easily could have pulled a Philly on Chad, taking the position that they expect him to honor his contract. Rosenhaus played this one right, persuading the team to tear up the prior paperwork and give Johnson a healthy chunk of new money.

Under the old contract, Johnson would have received paltry salaries of $2.75 million, $3 million, $3.4 million, and $3.6 million, for a total of $12.75 million in base pay. (Pasquarelli curiously says that the remaining base salaries under the prior deal were only $12.15 million, which of course makes the new deal look ever better in comparison.) Johnson also was set to receiver $1.25 million in workout and roster bonuses, making his old deal worth $14 million over four years -- an average of $3.5 million.

The new contract pays out a total of $21.5 million in new money, even though it only ties up Johnson for two more seasons.

Because Rosenhaus didn't negotiate the prior deal, he'll collect a fee on the new money only. Stanley will get his fee as to money that was set to be paid under the prior deal.

So Rosenhaus, in our view, did an admirable job under difficult circumstances. At a time when more than a few members of the team believe that Johnson gets special treatment from coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals surely were leery about the message that would be sent within the locker room by giving a raise to a guy with four years remaining on the deal to which he signed his name.

But let's not be naive. In the grand scheme of things, Johnson is still underpaid. For Pasquarelli to suggest otherwise proves to us convincingly that he has no integrity.

And that makes sense to us, because as agent Marvin Demoff once told us in specific reference to Len, you can only lose your integrity once.

[Larry]

Profootballtalk always hates on us. hard to do with this one though

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I'm glad someone's finally giving it to Pasquerelli for being a completely crap journalist. His articles are braindead, filled with cliches and such repetitive word use I'm pretty sure he's filling out a form. If I hear him use the term "two-year veteran" or "quantum leap" again, I'm going to puke. Never mind the fact that he completely jocks Pittsburgh, or anyone from or affiliated with Pittsburgh, since that's where he's from.

Now that PFT broke the news that he's an agent shill, his credibility goes even lower. You rock, PFT.

[andybren]

For Pasquarelli to suggest otherwise proves to us convincingly that he has no integrity.

Pot, may I introduce you to Kettle?

[bengalboomer7]

I know most people don't like that site, but I love it. They come up with crap that no one else prints and they aren't afraid to tell it like it is. Yeah, Yeah, they get it wrong sometimes, but it's a RUmor site, so tthat's going to happen. But they do get it right more often than not.