Report: Jets privately apologize for negotiating tactics (by guess who?)

[Lizard King]

When the Chiefs chose to complain about the failure of agent Steve Weinberg to follow through on a verbal deal for receiver Emmanuel Sanders, several league insiders — both from the team side and the agent side — pointed out that NFL teams routinely engage in shady business dealings, too.

The Jets apparently could be on that list, in one specific way.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets have apologized to at least one agent after the team misled the agent regarding the team’s interest in a player during the three-day exclusive negotiating window.

Multiple agents told Mehta the Jets engaged in “questionable practices” by leading them to believe the team’s interest was at a level that the eventual offers apparently didn’t match.

That specific accusation comes in an article that focuses primarily on the frustrations arising within the organization regarding the slow pace of G.M. John Idzik in free-agency negotiations.  An unnamed member of the organization said that Idzik “operates on his own time and schedule,” and that the situation is “unbelievable.”

As to the latest player the Jets failed to sign, Mehta reports that the Jets made a “desperate 11th-hour offer” for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but that it was too late to keep him away from the Giants.

That said, the Jets closed the deal with receiver Eric Decker during his first and only free-agency visit.  So Idzik hasn’t been slow on every possible candidate.

Looking at the situation more broadly, the leaks suggest a level of dysfunction that either didn’t previously exist or that had been successfully concealed under Idzik’s leadership.  That could make for another mess of a season, if the Jets get off to a slow start in 2014.

[Lizard King]

Wow, this doesn't sound like sour grapes from DRC's agent AT ALL. 

 

Guy couldn't possibly be creating a diversion from blowing $20 million between the Denver offer and the Giants offer.

[JetsFanInDenver]

The biggest joke here..........Mehta!

[HessStation]

Misleading Title. MISLEADING TITLE.

[jgb]

every negotiation i have ever been in involves subterfuge of some sort. big deal.

[KINGDIRK]

Love how some homers pile on Mehta - in this instance. If the story was completely false he would be getting hit with a libel suit. Put aside Mehta's overall $hittiness for a minute. 

 

If this story has any truth - jesus, this is an absolute joke. Truly a circus

[KINGDIRK]

every negotiation i have ever been in involves subterfuge of some sort. big deal.

Then why would the organization feel the need to apologize? Again, if they didn't Mehta would likely be sacked. 

[Klecko73isGod]

Love how some homers pile on Mehta - in this instance. If the story was completely false he would be getting hit with a libel suit. Put aside Mehta's overall $hittiness for a minute. 

 

If this story has any truth - jesus, this is an absolute joke. Truly a circus

 

Why? Have you ever negotiated?

[Jets80]

I thought that all of the nonsense was done when the team parted ways with Tanny.  If this is true, it looks like we have a different type of nonsense going on with Izdik. 

[stoicsentry]

Is there any other team in the league that gets treated like this by their beat reporters? It's un****ing real. It has nothing to do with Idzik, or Tannenbaum or Woody or Rex or Herm or Mangini. It doesn't matter who it is, these beat writers are going to find some stupid thing to hone in on.

[stoicsentry]

I thought that all of the nonsense was done when the team parted ways with Tanny.  If this is true, it looks like we have a different type of nonsense going on with Izdik. 

 

Doesn't seem like nonsense to me at all. Sounds like negotiation.

[Klecko73isGod]

Then why would the organization feel the need to apologize? Again, if they didn't Mehta would likely be sacked. 

 

An agent claiming to a beat writer that the Jets "apologized" to him isn't exactly a newsworthy source. 

 

Good journalistic practice would include confirming that with a source within the Jets organization. That seems to be missing here. Mehta conveniently doesn't even remotely suggest he has a source for the "apology."

 

And as far as the unnamed source within the organization that is ripping Idzik's timetable, sounds more like a player or lower level employee expressing a fan-like frustration than anything else. 

 

So if you read this correctly, Idzik is somehow doing something wrong by working off his own timetable and not allowing agents to dictate to him how negotiations play out. I LOVE THAT TRAIT IN MY TEAM'S GM. THAT'S HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. 

[KSJets]

Then why would the organization feel the need to apologize? Again, if they didn't Mehta would likely be sacked. 

 

You do know he writes for a tabloid right? They make sh*t up all the time.  I once asked the Giants beat writer on Twitter if the Daily News was by the newspapers or tabloids where he shops and he flat out told me it's internally labeled a "tabloid newspaper".  They even know it's sh*t.  That paper is a joke and anyone looking for "news" from that paper is delusional.

[#27TheDominator]

Now quick whose agent are they talking about? Sanders is the guy that they ran their mouths about a level of "interest" before FA opened and then they barely mentioned him, getting Decker in ASAP.  His agent would be most likely to whine that the teams do it too. Next guess would have been Howard, but that should have come before the 3 day window.

[stoicsentry]

How often does Mehta actually use a NAMED source for any of his stories?

[BroadwayJoe12]

Love how some homers pile on Mehta - in this instance. If the story was completely false he would be getting hit with a libel suit. Put aside Mehta's overall $hittiness for a minute. 

 

If this story has any truth - jesus, this is an absolute joke. Truly a circus

 

You have any idea how difficult it is to prosecute a libel or defamation suit? Especially against a reporter who gets to use anonymous sources? Good luck with that counselor. 

[Matt39]

[Klecko73isGod]

If you connect the dots here, this absolutely has to be DRC's agent using the Jets "negotiating tactics" by "misleading him as to how much they were interested" as his excuse for costing his client several million dollars by turning down the Broncos 6-year $54 million offer.

[Jetknowledge]

How does Mehta still have a job?

[HessStation]

every negotiation i have ever been in involves subterfuge of some sort. big deal.

 

[#27TheDominator]

If you connect the dots here, this absolutely has to be DRC's agent using the Jets "negotiating tactics" by "misleading him as to how much they were interested" as his excuse for costing his client several million dollars by turning down the Broncos 6-year $54 million offer.

 

I didn't hear the Jets linked to him during the 3 day window

[Sperm Edwards]

"the three-day exclusive negotiating window"

Can someone explain to me what this is?

[stoicsentry]

"the three-day exclusive negotiating window"

Can someone explain to me what this is?

 

Players can only negotiate with their own teams

[Sperm Edwards]

Players can only negotiate with their own teams

I figured that, since we wouldn't get to exclusively negotiate with players we don't now and never have had any rights to.

I mean what is it? Is it the first 3 days of free agency? Is it some time period after FA already starts if the player is unsigned so far?

[stoicsentry]

I figured that, since we wouldn't get to exclusively negotiate with players we don't now and never have had any rights to.

I mean what is it? Is it the first 3 days of free agency? Is it some time period after FA already starts if the player is unsigned so far?

 

Yeah, it was, I believe, the 3 days before the 11th.

[Sperm Edwards]

Yeah, it was, I believe, the 3 days before the 11th.

 

So we (or like other teams) designate someone for exclusive negotiation and he's the unlucky one who doesn't get to hit the market during the first 3 days of wild spending?

 

I see.  Yeah, that isn't nice.  Worst thing I ever saw from a GM was tagging Clemens so highly (2nd rounder) that no one would touch him in free agency.  He signs the tender, which means he can't talk to any other teams.  Then we rescind that on the last cutoff day and tell him take half or a third of the amount on the paper he signed, or he's getting cut.  Can't believe the PA let that loophole exist in the CBA.  They don't seem to bright, though.  Anyway, because of Hard Knocks we all got to watch it on camera.  Made me sick to see it.  Much worse than this, IMO. 

[stoicsentry]

So we (or like other teams) designate someone for exclusive negotiation and he's the unlucky one who doesn't get to hit the market during the first 3 days of wild spending?

 

 

 

As far as I know, it applies to all UFA's.

[stoicsentry]

Theory on what happened here: the Jets were willing to sign Howard to the deal that he ultimately got from the Raiders. Idzik had his eyes on Giacomini the whole time, but something changed that made him think that Giacomini could be had for less than he expected. So he lowered his offer to Howard, then Howard walks and the Jets sign Giacomini.

 

As disrespected as the Jets can be at times, it totally makes sense to me that anyone who has to wind up in Oakland would be having sour grapes.

[BroadwayJoe12]

So we (or like other teams) designate someone for exclusive negotiation and he's the unlucky one who doesn't get to hit the market during the first 3 days of wild spending?

 

I see.  Yeah, that isn't nice.  Worst thing I ever saw from a GM was tagging Clemens so highly (2nd rounder) that no one would touch him in free agency.  He signs the tender, which means he can't talk to any other teams.  Then we rescind that on the last cutoff day and tell him take half or a third of the amount on the paper he signed, or he's getting cut.  Can't believe the PA let that loophole exist in the CBA.  They don't seem to bright, though.  Anyway, because of Hard Knocks we all got to watch it on camera.  Made me sick to see it.  Much worse than this, IMO. 

 

Still can't believe that happened.

[Sperm Edwards]

Still can't believe that happened.

 

What was Tannenbaum thinking, to do that scene in front of the cameras? I could never understand that.  Then I thought, I'm not a dirtbag on a power trip.

 

Totally unrelated, I'm banning you for no reason later.

[BroadwayJoe12]

What was Tannenbaum thinking, to do that scene in front of the cameras? I could never understand that.  Then I thought, I'm not a dirtbag on a power trip.

 

Totally unrelated, I'm banning you for no reason later.

 

It would certainly make me more productive, this place is a time vampire.

[SouthernJet]

Wow, this doesn't sound like sour grapes from DRC's agent AT ALL. 

 

Guy couldn't possibly be creating a diversion from blowing $20 million between the Denver offer and the Giants offer.

this

[SouthernJet]

I a) dont beleive manish anymore or he is being fed false info to get back at him for all the sh*t stirring

[Larz]

jets : "we are interested in having you join us, we think are super mega awesome"

 

agent : "suck it, pay him huge bucks or he walks"

 

jets : "we were thinking more like good bucks"

 

agent : "liars" !!!!

[Bleedin Green]

Forget even taking a side for a moment, when you break it down, this article is about and vague and undefined as possible.  What is it that is exactly being said here?  The Jets spoke to a FA, but wasn't willing to offer him and his agent as much as they wanted, so they signed elsewhere.  Ok... and?  While there seems to be plenty of guesses in this thread as to what type of FA it may have been (Jets' or other teams'), who specifically it involved, or what the overall issue actually was, none of this even comes close to being explained in the article.  Not to mention most of the quotes in article are quotes of freakin' Mehta himself.  Never mind defending or criticizing Idzik about it, what the hell is any of this supposed to mean?