Maybe the NFL players union will pay his salary for having him leave the facility and work out on his own...
Quote:
News of his release comes shortly after James sent a tweet saying the NFLPA has to “have our backs‘ if they are going to advise players not to participate in offseason programs with their teams.
I think it is ridiculous for the NFLPA to tell ALL players not to show up for voluntary things. Their message should have been if you don't feel comfortable showing up for voluntary things then we will support you. They didn't do that. Now the NFL owners are pushing back.
Imo, James will get some money back whether the NFLPA wins in court or whether James sues the NFLPA for their guidance.
to get real union leaders, not players who think they know. Really sad this guy lost his job trying to keep in shape while following "union" guidelines. NFLPA leadership just constantly trips over their dicks....
if I was a free agent I’d think twice about signing with them seeing this. It’s not like he got hurt partying or doing something stupid from all indications.
I'm reading this and not seeing how this has to do with the workouts?
The Broncos saw an opportunity to possibly get some of that signing bonus back on an awful, awful signing. These guys workout away from the facility all the time. I doubt they'll be able to recoup the signing bonus, but they saw an opportunity to try.
if I was a free agent I’d think twice about signing with them seeing this. It’s not like he got hurt partying or doing something stupid from all indications.
Terrible look for the Broncos. Penny wise pound foolish.
It might be bad look but I think it’s understandable
It’s a return volley, and I think that most people will understand that, to a broadside.
This is exactly right. And I don’t think the Broncos or any team particularly care about “bad looks”. The union basically begged all players not to show up because they are using them as pawns in their continued battle with the owners. The worst union in professional sports is looking for a war and the owners aren’t going to just sit back and accept it. I don’t blame the Broncos one bit. As someone else stated earlier, there would be no issue if the union gave the players support if they chose to not attend OTA’s. But they went much further than that. They can now deal with the consequences
with exceptions depending on the job, etc. but it still feels wrong for a player to get cut that was just working out. Whether that was in the building or not.
Do you honestly think players just kick back and relax from January until March when normal voluntary OTA’s start (particularly players who didn’t make the playoffs)? If the guy was jumping out of airplanes, wrecking his knee playing pickup basketball, participating in a MMA match I can see a team being like sorry buddy, not paying you. But this seems wrong.
I know a few NFL players that live in my neighborhood (not superstars and not Giants) that basically bust their ass from the time their team is eliminated until OTA’s start with personal trainers to get an edge for the next season. Whether there were voluntary team OTA’s running in parallel with a private workout or not, what difference does it make? He could have just as easily gotten hurt working out between January and March.
with exceptions depending on the job, etc. but it still feels wrong for a player to get cut that was just working out. Whether that was in the building or not.
Do you honestly think players just kick back and relax from January until March when normal voluntary OTA’s start (particularly players who didn’t make the playoffs)? If the guy was jumping out of airplanes, wrecking his knee playing pickup basketball, participating in a MMA match I can see a team being like sorry buddy, not paying you. But this seems wrong.
I know a few NFL players that live in my neighborhood (not superstars and not Giants) that basically bust their ass from the time their team is eliminated until OTA’s start with personal trainers to get an edge for the next season. Whether there were voluntary team OTA’s running in parallel with a private workout or not, what difference does it make? He could have just as easily gotten hurt working out between January and March.
I just don’t think that’s the point. Obviously players work out and I would guess that the team generally covers at home workout injuries. But right now, he’s just a pawn in the game of life.
He was working out at the Broncos facility and the union told him, and all players, to stop with that. He went home and got hurt. If he was hurt while working out at team facility his salary is guaranteed.
He was working out at the Broncos facility and the union told him, and all players, to stop with that. He went home and got hurt. If he was hurt while working out at team facility his salary is guaranteed.
I understand that and I get that “legally” the Broncos did nothing wrong. But it’s messed up. If a player gets hurt doing something stupid it’s on them. But working out to help them be better players, at home or in the facility are different situations. And these facility workouts are “voluntary” at this stage correct? It’s not like he was holding out.
In the long run. Situations like this make players and agents keep demanding more and more guaranteed dollars every FA period.
There are two sides. The other side is that the union has pushed and pushed and pushed to basically have no training anymore. Padded practices are almost all but gone during the season. Players show up less and less during the offseason.
You are looking at this situation too narrowly. You have to take a big picture view. This isn't about James. This is about the NFLPA and the owners..
if I was a free agent I’d think twice about signing with them seeing this. It’s not like he got hurt partying or doing something stupid from all indications.
Terrible look for the Broncos. Penny wise pound foolish.
Disagree. It's an NFL vs. NFLPA issue and not a Dewaun James vs Broncos issue, and I would imagine that players and agents see it in the same way.
Why are some fans indignant about the Broncos releasing James
But aren’t bothered if teams want to get out of contracts or don’t want to pay for damaged goods like JPP (non football injury) or Alex Smith (game injury)? In those cases, the options were on the table.
This is all just business and teams will do what the rules allow most of the time. The Broncos saw this as an opportunity to get relief from the cap by cutting a player who was going to have no value for at least the next year and who they would have to replace by signing players (Fleming and Massie) with a portion of that money.
My personal feeling is that if they didn’t want James working out on his own, it should have been specified that way in his contract. Otherwise, you pay him what you agreed to. If it goes to court, I have to believe that offseason workouts are part of a player’s professional requirements and should be covered.
RE: Why are some fans indignant about the Broncos releasing James
But aren’t bothered if teams want to get out of contracts or don’t want to pay for damaged goods like JPP (non football injury) or Alex Smith (game injury)? In those cases, the options were on the table.
This is all just business and teams will do what the rules allow most of the time. The Broncos saw this as an opportunity to get relief from the cap by cutting a player who was going to have no value for at least the next year and who they would have to replace by signing players (Fleming and Massie) with a portion of that money.
My personal feeling is that if they didn’t want James working out on his own, it should have been specified that way in his contract. Otherwise, you pay him what you agreed to. If it goes to court, I have to believe that offseason workouts are part of a player’s professional requirements and should be covered.
The CBA specifically states that teams are not required to pay players that are injured while being away from the team facility. That is the issue
to call the Broncos heartless on this. I have to believe the reason why this language of getting hurt at home exists is so the Aaron Boone's of the world getting hurt playing basketball don't falsely report the injury as something that happened in training that can't be proved true or false since it was away from the teams facility. After the Aaron Boone injury you would have to be a moron to report any injury obtained at home as anything other an injury occurred while training. Dont have any of the details of what happened to Ju'Waun James but who's to say he wasn't playing basketball and blew out his knee and then told the team it was an injury occurred while training. The team is supposed to pay him millions on just believing his story?
took a polygraph and the question was "Do you work for the the owners or players?" he would fail if he said players.
The only truthful answer he could give is that he works for DeMaurice Smith. The union is a sham.
The owners vs the NFLPA is a perfect example of one side playing checkers (the NFLPA) and the other side playing chess.
So much of this traces back to Gene Upshaw getting rolled by Paul Tagliabue in 1994 when they went to the cap model. And since then the owners have had a good laugh every time a new deal is up for negotiation...
in an impossible situation, no matter who is running it. How do you get players with a ridiculously short time to be in the NFL, to go on strike for long term goals? And the majority of members in the NFLPA are on that very short term plan. Not going to happen. And frankly, I can't really fault the players for wanting to make what they can while they're on a roster. And even if you somehow got beyond that, the owners are in a far, far, far better position to financially handle any work stoppage anyway.
Imo, James will get some money back whether the NFLPA wins in court or whether James sues the NFLPA for their guidance.
Terrible look for the Broncos. Penny wise pound foolish.
This is exactly right. And I don’t think the Broncos or any team particularly care about “bad looks”. The union basically begged all players not to show up because they are using them as pawns in their continued battle with the owners. The worst union in professional sports is looking for a war and the owners aren’t going to just sit back and accept it. I don’t blame the Broncos one bit. As someone else stated earlier, there would be no issue if the union gave the players support if they chose to not attend OTA’s. But they went much further than that. They can now deal with the consequences
Do you honestly think players just kick back and relax from January until March when normal voluntary OTA’s start (particularly players who didn’t make the playoffs)? If the guy was jumping out of airplanes, wrecking his knee playing pickup basketball, participating in a MMA match I can see a team being like sorry buddy, not paying you. But this seems wrong.
I know a few NFL players that live in my neighborhood (not superstars and not Giants) that basically bust their ass from the time their team is eliminated until OTA’s start with personal trainers to get an edge for the next season. Whether there were voluntary team OTA’s running in parallel with a private workout or not, what difference does it make? He could have just as easily gotten hurt working out between January and March.
Do you honestly think players just kick back and relax from January until March when normal voluntary OTA’s start (particularly players who didn’t make the playoffs)? If the guy was jumping out of airplanes, wrecking his knee playing pickup basketball, participating in a MMA match I can see a team being like sorry buddy, not paying you. But this seems wrong.
I know a few NFL players that live in my neighborhood (not superstars and not Giants) that basically bust their ass from the time their team is eliminated until OTA’s start with personal trainers to get an edge for the next season. Whether there were voluntary team OTA’s running in parallel with a private workout or not, what difference does it make? He could have just as easily gotten hurt working out between January and March.
I just don’t think that’s the point. Obviously players work out and I would guess that the team generally covers at home workout injuries. But right now, he’s just a pawn in the game of life.
I understand that and I get that “legally” the Broncos did nothing wrong. But it’s messed up. If a player gets hurt doing something stupid it’s on them. But working out to help them be better players, at home or in the facility are different situations. And these facility workouts are “voluntary” at this stage correct? It’s not like he was holding out.
There are two sides. The other side is that the union has pushed and pushed and pushed to basically have no training anymore. Padded practices are almost all but gone during the season. Players show up less and less during the offseason.
You are looking at this situation too narrowly. You have to take a big picture view. This isn't about James. This is about the NFLPA and the owners..
The only truthful answer he could give is that he works for DeMaurice Smith. The union is a sham.
Quote:
if I was a free agent I’d think twice about signing with them seeing this. It’s not like he got hurt partying or doing something stupid from all indications.
Terrible look for the Broncos. Penny wise pound foolish.
Disagree. It's an NFL vs. NFLPA issue and not a Dewaun James vs Broncos issue, and I would imagine that players and agents see it in the same way.
This is all just business and teams will do what the rules allow most of the time. The Broncos saw this as an opportunity to get relief from the cap by cutting a player who was going to have no value for at least the next year and who they would have to replace by signing players (Fleming and Massie) with a portion of that money.
My personal feeling is that if they didn’t want James working out on his own, it should have been specified that way in his contract. Otherwise, you pay him what you agreed to. If it goes to court, I have to believe that offseason workouts are part of a player’s professional requirements and should be covered.
This is all just business and teams will do what the rules allow most of the time. The Broncos saw this as an opportunity to get relief from the cap by cutting a player who was going to have no value for at least the next year and who they would have to replace by signing players (Fleming and Massie) with a portion of that money.
My personal feeling is that if they didn’t want James working out on his own, it should have been specified that way in his contract. Otherwise, you pay him what you agreed to. If it goes to court, I have to believe that offseason workouts are part of a player’s professional requirements and should be covered.
The CBA specifically states that teams are not required to pay players that are injured while being away from the team facility. That is the issue
Quote:
took a polygraph and the question was "Do you work for the the owners or players?" he would fail if he said players.
The only truthful answer he could give is that he works for DeMaurice Smith. The union is a sham.
The owners vs the NFLPA is a perfect example of one side playing checkers (the NFLPA) and the other side playing chess.
So much of this traces back to Gene Upshaw getting rolled by Paul Tagliabue in 1994 when they went to the cap model. And since then the owners have had a good laugh every time a new deal is up for negotiation...
How do you get players with a ridiculously short time to be in the NFL, to go on strike for long term goals?
And the majority of members in the NFLPA are on that very short term plan.
Not going to happen. And frankly, I can't really fault the players for wanting to make what they can while they're on a roster.
And even if you somehow got beyond that, the owners are in a far, far, far better position to financially handle any work stoppage anyway.