Gretz: Fins caved when the King put his foot down

shaneo69 · 06-10-2007, 08:18 AM

GRETZ: Finally
Jun 06, 2007, 2:49:52 PM by Bob Gretz

So finally it’s done.

The Chiefs and Dolphins agreed to terms on a deal for Trent Green on Tuesday morning, sending the team’s former starting quarterback to south Florida for a fifth-round draft choice.

That compensation will rise to a fourth-round pick if Green plays more than 70 percent of the offensive snaps for Miami. Only injury will keep that from happening, so the Chiefs will get a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Green passed a physical in Miami on Wednesday and he’ll be on the field for the team’s mini-camp this weekend.

In the end, the Dolphins blinked. They had been stuck for months on their position of offering only a sixth-round choice for Green. No matter what offer the Chiefs put on the table over the last six weeks, and there were many different packages suggested, the Dolphins said no, just a sixth rounder. The Chiefs made conditional offers, straight offers, they submitted a list of veteran players on the Dolphins roster. Always the ‘Fins said no deal.

Miami could have had Green for a sixth-round choice on the first day of the NFL Draft, but they wouldn’t swap positions in the third round. That 11-spot movement along with the sixth rounder would have given the Chiefs fourth-round value, while the Dolphins could have said they gave up only a sixth. It was a win-win and they said no.

In reality, the Chiefs did everything they could to get a deal done with Miami with one exception: they were not going to give Green away. A sixth-round pick for a starting NFL quarterback is giving the guy away. That’s trading the triggerman of your offense for Jimmy Wilkerson, or Will Svitek, or Khari Long, or Tre Stallings, or Jeff Webb … all recent sixth round picks.

The Dolphins thought the Chiefs were bluffing. They learned otherwise. Ultimately it came down to this: the Chiefs told the Dolphins the deal was going to happen on Tuesday, or there would be no deal. They were prepared, as Carl Peterson had said all along, to take Green into training camp and the 2007 season. Had the deal not been consummated, discussions would have ended and the matter closed.

Green was not at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, despite an on-field OTA session; he’s made all of those practices before that one. It’s a good guess that he was at home, working the phone to his agent and telling him to get the Dolphins off the sixth-round pick, because this was make or break time. Green has made it very plain that he wanted no part of the quarterback competition that Herm Edwards has set up for this season. Why he was reluctant to compete for the job is something Green hasn’t fully explained, other than to say he thought the situation was weighted in favor of Brodie Croyle.

In meeting with Chiefs brass over the weekend, Green came to understand that Arrowhead’s patience with the Dolphins and him were dramatically fading. His public campaigning to get out of town had only solidified the Chiefs stance on this deal: they were not going to give him away. It was time for the Dolphins to put up and Green to shut up.

If Green holds up physically, the Chiefs will get a fourth-round pick, which in recent years has brought players like Jared Allen and Donnie Edwards. Not every fourth rounder works out, but the odds are greatly increased that they have enough ability to make a contribution.

In the end, here’s what the Dolphins and Green learned: despite the analysis of pundits and even Green’s own agent, the Chiefs had all the leverage in this situation. They had Green, had him under contract, and were willing to carry his price tag. They were not going to give him away.

They stuck to their guns, the Dolphins blinked and now everybody gets to move on.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/06/06/gretz_finally/

06-10-2007, 08:18 AM	Topic Starter
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	Gretz: Fins caved when the King put his foot down GRETZ: Finally Jun 06, 2007, 2:49:52 PM by Bob Gretz So finally it’s done. The Chiefs and Dolphins agreed to terms on a deal for Trent Green on Tuesday morning, sending the team’s former starting quarterback to south Florida for a fifth-round draft choice. That compensation will rise to a fourth-round pick if Green plays more than 70 percent of the offensive snaps for Miami. Only injury will keep that from happening, so the Chiefs will get a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Green passed a physical in Miami on Wednesday and he’ll be on the field for the team’s mini-camp this weekend. In the end, the Dolphins blinked. They had been stuck for months on their position of offering only a sixth-round choice for Green. No matter what offer the Chiefs put on the table over the last six weeks, and there were many different packages suggested, the Dolphins said no, just a sixth rounder. The Chiefs made conditional offers, straight offers, they submitted a list of veteran players on the Dolphins roster. Always the ‘Fins said no deal. Miami could have had Green for a sixth-round choice on the first day of the NFL Draft, but they wouldn’t swap positions in the third round. That 11-spot movement along with the sixth rounder would have given the Chiefs fourth-round value, while the Dolphins could have said they gave up only a sixth. It was a win-win and they said no. In reality, the Chiefs did everything they could to get a deal done with Miami with one exception: they were not going to give Green away. A sixth-round pick for a starting NFL quarterback is giving the guy away. That’s trading the triggerman of your offense for Jimmy Wilkerson, or Will Svitek, or Khari Long, or Tre Stallings, or Jeff Webb … all recent sixth round picks. The Dolphins thought the Chiefs were bluffing. They learned otherwise. Ultimately it came down to this: the Chiefs told the Dolphins the deal was going to happen on Tuesday, or there would be no deal. They were prepared, as Carl Peterson had said all along, to take Green into training camp and the 2007 season. Had the deal not been consummated, discussions would have ended and the matter closed. Green was not at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, despite an on-field OTA session; he’s made all of those practices before that one. It’s a good guess that he was at home, working the phone to his agent and telling him to get the Dolphins off the sixth-round pick, because this was make or break time. Green has made it very plain that he wanted no part of the quarterback competition that Herm Edwards has set up for this season. Why he was reluctant to compete for the job is something Green hasn’t fully explained, other than to say he thought the situation was weighted in favor of Brodie Croyle. In meeting with Chiefs brass over the weekend, Green came to understand that Arrowhead’s patience with the Dolphins and him were dramatically fading. His public campaigning to get out of town had only solidified the Chiefs stance on this deal: they were not going to give him away. It was time for the Dolphins to put up and Green to shut up. If Green holds up physically, the Chiefs will get a fourth-round pick, which in recent years has brought players like Jared Allen and Donnie Edwards. Not every fourth rounder works out, but the odds are greatly increased that they have enough ability to make a contribution. In the end, here’s what the Dolphins and Green learned: despite the analysis of pundits and even Green’s own agent, the Chiefs had all the leverage in this situation. They had Green, had him under contract, and were willing to carry his price tag. They were not going to give him away. They stuck to their guns, the Dolphins blinked and now everybody gets to move on. http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/06/06/gretz_finally/
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