By now everyone has seen that Matt James is holding out from the Philadelphia Liberty. This is a tricky situation for both parties, as James loses out on however long he does not play, and for the Liberty because they are losing out on an OL who could be a big of their plans. To me, someone who recently wrote an article about drama, this is a situation that does not end well for James. It makes him look like a diva, and someone who is not going to put the team first when needed most. This causes the team to look for alternatives that may also cause James to lose out on playing altogether, even if he does end his holdout.
The most intriguing part of this situation is that sources close to the team have informed me that he is asking an absurd price as a rookie 6 round pick. Sources told me that he was asking to be one of the highest, if not the highest paid, players in the league, at a price that would cripple the team. While I was unable to get an exact number that he and his agent was asking, I did learn that the price would make him the highest paid rookie, highest paid player on the Liberty, and the highest paid OL in the league. The sources believed that the deal would rival that of 2nd year QB, Josh Bercovici, and would possibly unseat him from the throne that is the highest paid player. This would be a ridiculous contract to offer your 6th round pick, and it shows that his agent does not exactly know what the player’s value actually is.
This is a team that seems to have a great locker room early in their life in the NSFL, as multiple players on the team took offers that were less than the team offered, in order to benefit the team in the future. Early round picks were originally offered contracts up to 6 million over 3 years, and countered the offer with a deal that was half that, 3 million over 3 years. With the team presence like it is right now, where players are willing to help the team out even though they haven’t had the chance to even play, it makes this whole ordeal look silly and turns James and company into the group that seems unreasonable.
When I asked some players for a comment on the situation, most declined to comment, citing that they don’t want to discourage James from ending his holdout and saying that they wanted to talk with him in private. The few that did comment asked to remain anonymous, not wanting to muddy their own names with the situation at hand. Some quotes include “It’s ridiculous, we’re trying to work together to get better and he’s only worried about what is best for him. We can’t work toward the Ultimus trophy if our team isn’t a cohesive unit.” Another player was commented “I took a lower contract so the team would have more flexibility in the future, why does a 6th round pick think he deserves to be the highest paid rookie?” The last quote I’ll share is this, “We have had a great locker room so far, the rookies have gotten along wonderfully and we really feel like we have a chance to make an impact while everyone else is expecting us to fail. He’s just making the team and himself look bad by airing his dirty laundry to the public, and certainly isn’t a player I want to play with any longer than I have to.”
His value for the future has certainly plummeted due to this publicity stunt as well. He has turned himself into a player that seems to be toxic and a player who will not play for the team. He has turned himself into the second most dramatic player in the league, only behind the circus clown that is Josh Bercovici. His agency doesn’t help either, as they are a circus act that isn’t very good at their jobs. The only laughs they get, only happiness that comes from this agency is the ones where you realize that not only are they useless at their jobs, but they only want to make a profit for themselves, telling their clients to hold out to get more money so they can rob their clients. This agency is certainly an agency that should not be given the light of day, and anyone foolish enough to inquire about their services will need help from someone else so they don’t get robbed and screwed in the process.
To me, James looks like a fool, and should fire his agent immediately. He is not a player that is worth naming his own price, and should earn his place before he tries to do that. He has not had a chance to show his talents on the field yet, and if he doesn’t play a snap this season it is hard for me to see him playing next season for any team. He is a player that could turn out to be a bust, not because the team made a bad decision, but because he decided to be arrogant and overconfident in the early years of his NSFL career. The team has already shown that they are trying to accommodate all of their players, and this one player is making the team look bad, when realistically he is not in a situation in which he should be demanding his own price and holding out because the team has offered him a fair price compared to other rookies in the draft class. I plead with James, end your holdout, talk with the team, and sign a 1-season deal. Prove yourself to the league and become a free agent next year. If you play well you’ll be a coveted free agent, and teams might forget your holdout, the OL position is certainly one that every team needs, and you’re only hurting yourself if you don’t play this season.
EDIT: I have just received an offer sheet from Matt James agency, as part of my anonymous sources. The contract was broken down to make him the highest paid player. In Season 2, He was asking for a whopping 12 Million Dollars. S3 doesn't get much better, but does drop to 10 Million Dollars. This exorbitant number is certainly not befitting of a rookie, and shows how selfish the agency and player really are.
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The most intriguing part of this situation is that sources close to the team have informed me that he is asking an absurd price as a rookie 6 round pick. Sources told me that he was asking to be one of the highest, if not the highest paid, players in the league, at a price that would cripple the team. While I was unable to get an exact number that he and his agent was asking, I did learn that the price would make him the highest paid rookie, highest paid player on the Liberty, and the highest paid OL in the league. The sources believed that the deal would rival that of 2nd year QB, Josh Bercovici, and would possibly unseat him from the throne that is the highest paid player. This would be a ridiculous contract to offer your 6th round pick, and it shows that his agent does not exactly know what the player’s value actually is.
This is a team that seems to have a great locker room early in their life in the NSFL, as multiple players on the team took offers that were less than the team offered, in order to benefit the team in the future. Early round picks were originally offered contracts up to 6 million over 3 years, and countered the offer with a deal that was half that, 3 million over 3 years. With the team presence like it is right now, where players are willing to help the team out even though they haven’t had the chance to even play, it makes this whole ordeal look silly and turns James and company into the group that seems unreasonable.
When I asked some players for a comment on the situation, most declined to comment, citing that they don’t want to discourage James from ending his holdout and saying that they wanted to talk with him in private. The few that did comment asked to remain anonymous, not wanting to muddy their own names with the situation at hand. Some quotes include “It’s ridiculous, we’re trying to work together to get better and he’s only worried about what is best for him. We can’t work toward the Ultimus trophy if our team isn’t a cohesive unit.” Another player was commented “I took a lower contract so the team would have more flexibility in the future, why does a 6th round pick think he deserves to be the highest paid rookie?” The last quote I’ll share is this, “We have had a great locker room so far, the rookies have gotten along wonderfully and we really feel like we have a chance to make an impact while everyone else is expecting us to fail. He’s just making the team and himself look bad by airing his dirty laundry to the public, and certainly isn’t a player I want to play with any longer than I have to.”
His value for the future has certainly plummeted due to this publicity stunt as well. He has turned himself into a player that seems to be toxic and a player who will not play for the team. He has turned himself into the second most dramatic player in the league, only behind the circus clown that is Josh Bercovici. His agency doesn’t help either, as they are a circus act that isn’t very good at their jobs. The only laughs they get, only happiness that comes from this agency is the ones where you realize that not only are they useless at their jobs, but they only want to make a profit for themselves, telling their clients to hold out to get more money so they can rob their clients. This agency is certainly an agency that should not be given the light of day, and anyone foolish enough to inquire about their services will need help from someone else so they don’t get robbed and screwed in the process.
To me, James looks like a fool, and should fire his agent immediately. He is not a player that is worth naming his own price, and should earn his place before he tries to do that. He has not had a chance to show his talents on the field yet, and if he doesn’t play a snap this season it is hard for me to see him playing next season for any team. He is a player that could turn out to be a bust, not because the team made a bad decision, but because he decided to be arrogant and overconfident in the early years of his NSFL career. The team has already shown that they are trying to accommodate all of their players, and this one player is making the team look bad, when realistically he is not in a situation in which he should be demanding his own price and holding out because the team has offered him a fair price compared to other rookies in the draft class. I plead with James, end your holdout, talk with the team, and sign a 1-season deal. Prove yourself to the league and become a free agent next year. If you play well you’ll be a coveted free agent, and teams might forget your holdout, the OL position is certainly one that every team needs, and you’re only hurting yourself if you don’t play this season.
EDIT: I have just received an offer sheet from Matt James agency, as part of my anonymous sources. The contract was broken down to make him the highest paid player. In Season 2, He was asking for a whopping 12 Million Dollars. S3 doesn't get much better, but does drop to 10 Million Dollars. This exorbitant number is certainly not befitting of a rookie, and shows how selfish the agency and player really are.
(1088 words)
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