Kenny Britt

[jrry32]

History is just that, guys grow up he paid for the dumbshit and it is time to move on like both partners in the agreement are grown ups.

History is not just that. Can't forget history or you're doomed to repeat it. Before I commit to a guy long term, I need to know that he's got his shit together. The Rams obviously have a better knowledge of how he is off the field than I do but I'd be hesitant to give Britt a longer term deal right now. I'd ask him to take another 1 year deal and give him my word that I'll extend him long term if he gives me another good year next year.

But, if I were in that position, I'd obviously have more information on what type of player he is in the locker-room and away from the field. Still, it's hard to trust a guy with Britt's past.

Think about Rolando McClain(obviously, much worse past than Britt)...Cowboys are going to have to decide whether to give him a longer term deal this off-season...what would you do in their shoes?

Despite the claim that people grow up, these sort of deals have come back to bite teams' in the ass in the past. See Jared Gaither for the perfect example. Guy was an incredibly talented player that showed the ability to be as good of a LT as he wanted to be...but he was also lazy and not passionate about football. He was known for faking injuries or, at minimum, making injuries out to be worse than they were to avoid playing.

He gets cut by Kansas City and signed by the Chargers. He plays great for the half of the season he's in San Diego after getting cut. Guy just looks dominant. He's everything he was supposed to be. SD has to make a difficult decision whether to give him a long term deal or let him walk...and they have a huge need at LT. They give him the long term deal...and Gaither immediately starts having "back problems" again and refuses to play. He's got guaranteed money so he's content sitting out games and collecting a paycheck.

Gaither is hardly the only example.

I'm sorry but I'm cautious with players like Britt. He's outperformed my expectations, he's been a great teammate, and I WANT HIM BACK. But I'd have a hard time making a long term commitment to him right now.

 

[-X-]

I'm sorry but I'm cautious with players like Britt. He's outperformed my expectations, he's been a great teammate, and I WANT HIM BACK. But I'd have a hard time making a long term commitment to him right now.

I wonder if teams can put a "personal conduct" clause in the contract, wherein if a player breaks X amount of team or league conduct policy rules, the team is able to terminate the contract at their discretion.

 

[jrry32]

I wonder if teams can put a "personal conduct" clause in the contract, wherein if a player breaks X amount of team or league conduct policy rules, the team is able to terminate the contract at their discretion.

Yes, they can. But why would Britt agree to it?

 

[Boffo97]

I wonder if teams can put a "personal conduct" clause in the contract, wherein if a player breaks X amount of team or league conduct policy rules, the team is able to terminate the contract at their discretion.

AFAIK, teams already can terminate contracts at their discretion, but I have heard of some NFL contracts having personal conduct clauses that allow recovery of salary for the team.

 

[-X-]

AFAIK, teams already can terminate contracts at their discretion, but I have heard of some NFL contracts having personal conduct clauses that allow recovery of salary for the team.

Well there ya go then. Problem solved.

 

[-X-]

Yes, they can. But why would Britt agree to it?

That would tell you a bunch, wouldn't it? If he refuses to sign something like that, then you can't trust him to stay out of trouble. If he does, then you know he's committed to being a team player and model citizen.

 

[jrry32]

That would tell you a bunch, wouldn't it? If he refuses to sign something like that, then you can't trust him to stay out of trouble. If he does, then you know he's committed to being a team player and model citizen.

Yes and no. The agent is going to make you give up a lot to agree to something like that because it's such a drastic clause. These are negotiations. To get something, you have to give something.

I wouldn't assume that Britt necessarily is saying that he's going to get in trouble as much as he still wants to protect himself. It's like asking for a big signing bonus or a lot of guaranteed money...it doesn't mean the player foresees himself getting hurt or not trying as hard or not earning the unguaranteed money. The player simply wants to maximize his value in the contract. It's a business transaction.

 

[Boffo97]

This seems relevant:

http://sportslawinsider.com/morals-clauses-in-sports-contracts-more-important-now-than-ever-before/

NFL players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson are the latest in a long line of professional athletes whose misdeeds have been exposed to the glare of public scrutiny and discourse on whether they should be terminated or suspended due to their conduct away from the playing field. Implicit in the dialogue and debate on the proper response of professional sports leagues and teams to the off-field misdeeds of their players is the contractual right to terminate or suspend players under the so-called “morals clauses” of the league constitutions and individual playing contracts.

“Morals clauses” date to 1920’s Hollywood contracts and have become ubiquitous in both athletic playing contracts and endorsement agreements. Each of the four major team sports leagues in North America include “morals clauses” in the standard player contracts in their collective bargaining agreements. Section 11 of the NFL standard player contract, for instance, provides that “if Player has engaged in personal conduct reasonably judged by Club to adversely affect or reflect on Club, then Club may terminate this contract.” Moreover, the NFL Personal Conduct Policy authorizes the NFL Commissioner “to impose discipline as warranted” when a player fails to conduct himself “in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful . . . even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime.”

Endorsement contracts between players and corporations also typically include a “morals clause” which may be less broad than is found in the typical playing contract, to the extent negotiated and agreed upon by the parties. The enforceability of such clauses turns on the scope of the contractual language as applied to the conduct at issue. A carefully drafted contractual “moral clause” has become an ever-increasing necessity for corporations—as well as leagues and teams—who invest substantial sums in both the performance and reputation of players whose conduct away from the field of play has significant economic impact. Accordingly, the implications of a player’s off-field immoral and illegal conduct on his earning power can be far-reaching and swift, especially in the case of high-profile players such as Wheaties cover-star Adrian Peterson. Indeed, a news report on September 15, 2014 (see Wheaties pulls all content of Vikings’ Adrian Peterson off website) indicates that Wheaties has already pulled all content of Adrian Peterson off its website.

It is too early to tell what, if any, litigation may result from the current invocation of the “morals clauses” against either Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. At minimum, the public discussion of the morality of a player’s off-field conduct, and the impact of such conduct on his ability to continue to earn a living as a professional athlete, is an opportunity for the intersection of sports and the law to serve the culture. As one commentator has noted, sports, despite the failings of its participants, have the ability to “be a field of authentic humanity, where young people are encouraged to learn the great values of life and to spread everywhere the great virtues that are the basis of a worthy human society, such as tolerance, respect for human dignity, peace and brotherhood” (see “Sports at the Service of People” – Pope John Paul II’s Timeless Relation to Sports).

In other words, in addition to fulfilling the obvious function of protecting the economic investment of leagues, teams, and corporate sponsors, there is hope that the enforcement of contractual “morals clauses” in connection with the recent highly-publicized incidents will also serve as a warning and deterrent for other athletes and help raise the moral bar inside and outside the sports community.

 

[blackbart]

History is not just that. Can't forget history or you're doomed to repeat it. Before I commit to a guy long term, I need to know that he's got his crap together. The Rams obviously have a better knowledge of how he is off the field than I do but I'd be hesitant to give Britt a longer term deal right now. I'd ask him to take another 1 year deal and give him my word that I'll extend him long term if he gives me another good year next year.

I understand you stance but giving a guy your word isn't going to get it, he just came in and did everything you wanted and more including becoming the #1 guy when Quick went down. It is time to step up and pay the guy for what he has done and trust that he is going to keep moving forward based on what he has done in StL.

 

[jrry32]

I understand you stance but giving a guy your word isn't going to get it, he just came in and did everything you wanted and more including becoming the #1 guy when Quick went down. It is time to step up and pay the guy for what he has done and trust that he is going to keep moving forward based on what he has done in StL.

Giving him my word isn't going to cut it but I'm supposed to just take him at his?

Look, we can discuss this back and forth all day. I'm not going to agree with you. You're not going to agree with me. It is what it is.