NFLPA claims Denver acted illegally

[knownone]

The Broncos started Wilson 7 games after the alleged threat, and he's still the active #2 QB. Would a judge reasonably assume they were unfairly trying to avoid paying his injury guarantees after the initial warning? It seems unlikely. So, while it's not a good look for the organization, the more I read, the more it looks like a very flimsy legal case. The Broncos would have to be completely inept to lose the case (based on the information available).

 

[morgulon1]

That’s BS. The NFL owners don’t pay the players. Players money comes out of TV contracts. The cap is a system setup to force players against each other when it comes to their contracts. There are no broke owners barely getting by in the NFL.

But IF the league went away from a salary cap , the wealthiest owners would be able to buy up the best talent regardless of cost. It doesn't guarantee a championship but throws things out of whack.Three , maybe four teams would have all the top free agents.

Look at MLB.

 

[RiverDog]

The Broncos started Wilson 7 games after the alleged threat, and he's still the active #2 QB. Would a judge reasonably assume they were unfairly trying to avoid paying his injury guarantees after the initial warning? It seems unlikely. So, while it's not a good look for the organization, the more I read, the more it looks like a very flimsy legal case. The Broncos would have to be completely inept to lose the case (based on the information available).

I agree. Unless a smoking gun emerges, ie text messages, emails, etc., there's no hard evidence that the threat existed, and like you said, he started 7 games after the threat had supposedly been made. Plus, from a coaching standpoint, the fact that they had lost 3 of their last 4 games and were all but eliminated from the playoffs would support Payton's claim that it was strictly a football decision. Even if they were afraid that RW was going to get hurt, how many times does a team shut down a player in the last two games of the season in order to avoid the risk of injury?

I'm no attorney and would appreciate it if someone who is would step forward and straighten me out if I'm full of the brown smelly stuff.

 

[chrispy]

In order for it to be a threat, the Broncos would have wanted RCW to continue playing without an injury clause. They didn't. They dont. It seems obvious to me, but maybe just plausible to most, that they really just want to move on.

I believe RCW was told they're done with him and, to protect themselves financially, they're benching him. If he wants to take that clause out, then there's no downside to the Organization so that's the only way he could continue to play. In RCWs mind, that's a threat. There's no possible reality where he's not the preferred option over Stidham. In truth, the Broncos wanted to bench him for numerous reasons but were open to allowing him more playtime... but only if the risk was removed.

Whether this is a threat or a favor to RCW is all in the presentation. That will be impossible to prove and would never impose any damage on the Broncos. The entire drama-fest is RCW being himself: the 50mil/yr victim. He hopes it increases his value in Free Agency but, in the meantime, he gets some ego stroke from RG3 and Ryan Clark and other talking heads.

The Broncos are done with him. Their lack of any response tells me they don't see him as even worth the PR group investing 30 minutes to write a statement.

already unraveling....

Report Casts Doubt on Russell Wilson's Side of the Story with Broncos - Sports Illustrated Mile High Huddle: Denver Broncos News, Analysis and More

Russell Wilson may not have been entirely truthful in his accusation of the Denver Broncos "threatening" to bench him.

www.si.com

 

[LastRideOut]

already unraveling....

Report Casts Doubt on Russell Wilson's Side of the Story with Broncos - Sports Illustrated Mile High Huddle: Denver Broncos News, Analysis and More

Russell Wilson may not have been entirely truthful in his accusation of the Denver Broncos "threatening" to bench him.

www.si.com

What I've been saying all along....

Russ is Russ. He is who he is. He tries harder at the PR game than he does at the sport of football.

 

[OrangeGravy]

The NFLPA disagrees with your contract legality expert opinion.


Either way it's a classless move by a classless organization that's now run by a classless coach who has a sordid history for doing shady crap. So I wouldn't put it past Payton to give no F's about what he was doing is a violation of the CBA or not.

It happens all the time in every organization. Why is all of a sudden classless?
Don't be surprised when all the NFLPA noise, turns out to be just that, noise. A lot of fish biting on that RW PR spin hook.

 

[RiverDog]

already unraveling....

Report Casts Doubt on Russell Wilson's Side of the Story with Broncos - Sports Illustrated Mile High Huddle: Denver Broncos News, Analysis and More

Russell Wilson may not have been entirely truthful in his accusation of the Denver Broncos "threatening" to bench him.

www.si.com

Thanks for posting this article. It's a definite possibility and if true, would explain a lot of things.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

It happens all the time in every organization. Why is all of a sudden classless?
Don't be surprised when all the NFLPA noise, turns out to be just that, noise. A lot of fish biting on that RW PR spin hook.

Telling a starting QB they're benched if they don't waive an injury clause in their contract happens all the time?

Please give me another example of that happening.

 

[Torc]

Telling a starting QB they're benched if they don't waive an injury clause in their contract happens all the time?

Please give me another example of that happening.

Derek Carr. They asked him to waive the no-trade clause in his contract rather than the injury cause, but benched him and asked him to not even be present at practice specifically because of his injury clause.

According to the SI article:

Rapoport reports that yes, Wilson's agent did take the Broncos' request, which was a "commonplace" ask, to the NFLPA. The player's union "did not view any 'threat' of benching as a real threat."

 

[Rosco]

But IF the league went away from a salary cap , the wealthiest owners would be able to buy up the best talent regardless of cost. It doesn't guarantee a championship but throws things out of whack.Three , maybe four teams would have all the top free agents.

Look at MLB.

As I’ve already pointed out the NFL does not operate like the MLB. As a result small market teams can spend money like the big market teams.

 

[morgulon1]

As I’ve already pointed out the NFL does not operate like the MLB. As a result small market teams can spend money like the big market teams.

They can if they have it. Can Kansas City or Milwaukee spend like the NY Yankees or LA Dodgers ?

I know the NFL doesn't operate like baseball , that's why I made the point .

 

[Rosco]

They can if they have it. Can Kansas City or Milwaukee spend like the NY Yankees or LA Dodgers ?

I know the NFL doesn't operate like baseball , that's why I made the point .

They all(NFL) have it. There is no real gap between what NY teams make and the Green Bay packers.
there’s cheap ownership and there’s winning ownership.
MLB could if they had revenue sharing like the NFL.

 

[OrangeGravy]

Derek Carr. They asked him to waive the no-trade clause in his contract rather than the injury cause, but benched him and asked him to not even be present at practice specifically because of his injury clause.

According to the SI article:

On top of that, it's no different than asking someone to take a salary cut or they get cut. Same, same. You want to keep your job, these are the conditions. The only difference is this time, you have the RW/Roger's 3 ring circus spinning their toxic yarn.

 

[BASF]

Unless Wilson or his agent actually have the conversation recorded and can prove that it was truly a threat, nothing will come of this.