Eagles must keep Westbrook happy

By John McMullen  |   Wednesday, July 23, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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Thursday is a big day for the Philadelphia Eagles.

That's when the team will learn if disgruntled running back Brian Westbrook will show up for training camp.

Westbrook, the Eagles' top player and lone big-play threat on offense, recently fired Fletcher Smith, his now-former agent, in favor of Todd France. Westbrook, a Villanova product who's in the third season of a five-year deal worth $24.9 million, remains one of the most underpaid and underappreciated players in the NFL, and he's intent on changing that.

Westbrook is believed to be seeking a guaranteed $30 million over three seasons.

"If LaDainian (Tomlinson) got paid $25 million guaranteed in 2003 and now it's 2008, the next person needs to be paid $30 million guaranteed," Westbrook told the Philadelphia Inquirer . "It works its way up. You can't sit here and say, 'I'm as good as LaDainian right now and I'm getting paid five years after him...so I'll take $15 million. That doesn't make any sense."

Things certainly have changed; heck, Westbrook even undervalued himself a couple years ago.

When negotiating contracts, NFL agents often use the salary numbers of a comparable player for leverage. Before Westbrook became a star, Smith was using names like Domanick Williams and LaMont Jordan as yardsticks for his client. And while you might think that's why Smith was shown the door by Westbrook, it wasn't.

Westbrook was actually on board with Smith's negotiating tactics at the time. At one point, Westbrook's ceiling was supposed to match Jordan's. However, now that the undersized running back has blossomed, the only comparable names in the NFL are Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson; pretty impressive company, eh?

Smith was axed because he couldn't get the Eagles' heavy-handed negotiator, team president Joe Banner, back to the table in a meaningful way. The firing also means a big guaranteed payday is the only thing that will keep Westbrook content.

Known for his tough negotiating style, Banner rarely blinks in this type of situation. As owner Jeffrey Lurie's right-hand man, the Birds' president is bulletproof in the organization. Normally, Banner would sit back and let the fine money accrue before the player returned to camp with tail tucked firmly between legs.

In fact, that happened to Westbrook himself in 2005 when he was wrangling to renegotiate. But the Westbrook of 2008 is a different animal, a true top-tier player who has replaced Donovan McNabb as the face of the Philadelphia offense.

Off the record, players, coaches and front-office personnel for the Eagles cringe when they think about life without Westbrook because he's the only Philadelphia player who commands a double-team. Opposing defenders often have to play "Where's Waldo" with Westbrook before the snap because of his versatility and ability to line up all over the field.

On the record, meanwhile, everyone is upbeat, hoping Banner & Co. do right by the team's franchise player.

"Brian is obviously one of the leaders of the football team, so I would expect that he would be here," Eagles coach Andy Reid said when queried about a possible Westbrook absence.

"Westbrook will be here," McNabb added. "We all have the confidence that if he's here or if he's not here, he's going to be the same guy we know. We use him a lot and he's an important factor in this offense. For the both of us, if we are in this offense together, we have a great chance to win."

In the end McNabb is right about one thing: Eventually Westbrook will be in Lehigh, Pa., at camp, new deal or not.

But whether he arrives with his head on straight and ready to play at an elite level will determine if the Eagles "have a great chance to win."

A mere $30 million could ensure that.

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the ...
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