Kurt Warner update: Define "leverage"

by David Fucillo on Mar 3, 2009 1:27 PM PST in San Francisco 49ers News

The word according to Barrows and Maiocco is that Kurt Warner has now lowered his demands to return to Arizona. He still wants more than they initially offered, but he lwoer his request to a 2-year offer for $23 million with $12M guaranteed. He also said he's sacrifice another $1M if they re-worked Anquan Boldin's deal.

Given that at the end of the day, this is all about business (and not just football), it's certainly a strong move on his part. I found one of the more amusing and spot on comments in Maiocco's post by Indiana Jim:

Wow, WTG Kurt Warner. He didn't use the 49ers trip as leverage against the Cardinals for his contract. He used the 49ers trip as leverage against the Cardinals for his AND Q's contract.

Absolutely brilliant stroke, IMO.

"Okay, we'll reduce our demand. But get Q back, would ya?"

I'm sure some folks will feel used, and maybe a little dirty, but in the end it's not really surprising. One might refer to this as a game of chicken, but I think in the end it was a pretty low stakes game. Yes it was a lot of money, but I found it hard to believe Kurt Warner would leave such a great situation in Arizona.

The deal is certainly not done at this point, but I think it's safe to say the 49ers are out of the picture. I don't know if the Cardinals will do the Boldin part of the deal, but I think they'd be foolish to not take Warner's $23M offer.

This leaves the 49ers back at square one. Barrows thinks the 49ers don't look good coming out of this, but I would disagree. I don't know if they look better, but I don't think they look all that bad. This isn't the first time a person gave his current team a bit of discount to come back and it won't be the last. It would've been nice to really drive up the price, but it doesn't seem to have worked out. That's life. There are still some free agent QB options out there so time to look to option 2, whether that be through free agency or the draft.

FOOCH'S UPDATE 1:27PM: I was tooling around the Internet and came across some hater-ade from the folks of PFT.

Based on the latest developments, we’re prepared to announce our opinion that he’s a fake and a phony and we wish we’d never laid eyes on him.

. . .

At best for Warner, the fake and the phony is agent Mark Bartelstein, but since Warner has employed Bartelstein to do his bidding, the stink clings to Kurt, too.

. . .

So he’s a fraud, in our opinion. He’s a nice guy not because he wants to do nice things in the quiet, anonymous way nice things are supposed to be done, but because his motivation is to be known as a nice guy.

I'm not saying Florio's wrong on this, but it comes across a little like he's riding the bitter bus. While I did think there was a chance the 49ers might land Warner, I also realized the business side of things is still out there. I may be misinterpreting PFT, but they seem to come across as almost a little shocked. What do you think?

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Comments

I knew it

I was almost worried I was going to be wrong about this whole thing.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 3, 2009 12:05 PM PST reply actions

I hear you.

I began doubting my original thoughts as well, and began dreaming about Warner in Red and Gold (well, hopefully mustard).

I still think Warner’s agent owes us one.

by Andrew Davidson on Mar 3, 2009 12:24 PM PST up reply actions

Ultimately, mission accomplished

Warner should get a little more coin from the Cardinals which benifits the Niners.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 3, 2009 12:52 PM PST up reply actions

Good. Now go trade for Cutler.

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Mar 3, 2009 12:07 PM PST reply actions

with what QB?

Alex Smith? We have to get a QB sent to Denver in any deal.

by David Fucillo on Mar 3, 2009 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

Can we blackmail Nolan?

by bignerd on Mar 3, 2009 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

I'm with you.

The only way we could do it if another team got involved. I can’t see another team involved interested in not acquiring Cutler, but giving up say a Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson and Shaun Rogers for just a draft pick.

by Andrew Davidson on Mar 3, 2009 1:11 PM PST up reply actions

Man, if this was baseball i'd come up with a way to make it happen

But there is too much salary cap stuff for me to try and figure out here.

Draft Sanchez at 10 and trade him for Cutler?

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Mar 3, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions

Come on...

This is silly…

If you’re the Broncos, do you really trade Jay Cutler straight up for Mark Sanchez? If you do, I want you to be the GM of the Broncos!

I'm thinking but nothing's happening.

by JRPhillips on Mar 3, 2009 1:50 PM PST up reply actions

The only way the Broncos wanted to trade Cutler is if they could get Cassel back as well as a 1st round pick from Tampa.

New England would have received either Tampa’s or the Bronco’s 2nd.

With all the talk I have heard, the Broncos are not at all interested in trading Cutler for any other player or draft pick.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"

by Eastbayjim on Mar 3, 2009 4:54 PM PST up reply actions

I'm still lost on this one

Why are we so convinced that the 9ers can land Cutler?

I'm thinking but nothing's happening.

by JRPhillips on Mar 3, 2009 12:59 PM PST up reply actions

by sundaysfinest on Mar 3, 2009 1:02 PM PST up reply actions

WE WANT HIM THEREFORE WE CAN HAVE HIM

GROUGTHINK ALERT

by groug on Mar 3, 2009 1:22 PM PST up reply actions

I guessing

Because people think Denver wants to trade Cutler when ~~Denver~~ McDaniels really just wanted Cassel [and draft picks] in lieu of Culter but now people think Culter has enough power, which I disagree about, to force a trade.

Unless you’re KC and have Cassel on your roster already I doubt Denver is interested in discussing a deal but if I’m KC I might be calling Denver about this.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 3, 2009 1:54 PM PST up reply actions

We're not getting Cutler.

Period.

by Brendan Scolari on Mar 4, 2009 12:46 AM PST up reply actions

This..

..is not a bad thing

by Josh G and the Shaun Hill band wagon on Mar 3, 2009 12:25 PM PST reply actions

If Kurt Warner was available and we didn’t talk to him, that would have been much worse. Either we get a Pro Bowl QB and good team player or the Cardinals end up paying more to keep him. There’s nothing bad that is coming out of this either way

by Chuckcottle on Mar 3, 2009 12:36 PM PST reply actions

This worked

For the price of a private jet and a highschool prom limo (not my money) we get Arizona to use up more cap space the next two years. Awesome.

As for Cutler – sign me up. Yes, please.

by Neon on Mar 3, 2009 12:49 PM PST reply actions

Limo

I thought I was the only one when I read about the limo, nice call on prom. I wonder if Kurt lost his virginity on his way to the airport. HEY-O!

by GTrain on Mar 3, 2009 1:03 PM PST up reply actions

7 kids

probably weren’t conceived in a lab.
Hey-O!

MURS for President!!!!!!!

by jtoj on Mar 3, 2009 1:04 PM PST up reply actions

+1

by J2daZ on Mar 3, 2009 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

Couldn't...

agree more regarding the salary cap issue you pointed out.

"The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing"

by Jeff_Fuller_49 on Mar 3, 2009 3:15 PM PST up reply actions

Draft Implications

I think it’s Mission Accomplished (sorry) in two ways:
1) It drove up Warner’s price
AND
2) It makes people think that the Niners really believe they need QB help, thus making it more likely that a team below them will jump ahead of them to snag Sanchez or Stafford. And if either or both of them goes, it means there will be a genuine top 10 prospect (I’m not sold on Sanchez in the top 10) sitting there for the Niners at 10.
This is clearly win-win.

Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!

by grantmp on Mar 3, 2009 1:49 PM PST reply actions

I think every team in the League...

Knows the 49ers need help at QB before Warner was ever a consideration. All you had to do was look at the roster.

I agree with Barrows also, and I don’t think the 49ers did any serious damage to the Cards.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 1:56 PM PST up reply actions

They didn't

Just a couple million probably, which is better than nothing.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 3, 2009 1:58 PM PST up reply actions

Plus..

Warner is kind of holding the Bidwills hostage regarding Boldin, keeping that door open for him. Warner is helping himself on both his contract, and keeping the talent around him to be successful.

Win-win for Warner.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 2:03 PM PST up reply actions

Not really.

I think the Cardinals would gladly pay Warner an extra million or so a year if Boldin’s demands for an extension are too high.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2009 2:19 PM PST up reply actions

The 49ers have nothing to do with Boldin's contract...

And really, Warner just nudged the Cards into a little more money, and some of that is mostly the guaranteed portion of it. There is still a lot of incentives he has to earn, and he said he is willing to give up some of his money to keep Boldin, who is still under contract. This is more tweaking a negotiation than creating a whole new negotiation, and the deal isn’t that far from what the Cards had offered Warner already.

Warner is happy in AZ, and even more so, Brenda is happy there as well. Just look at her now. She is long locked blonde, tanned, and looking younger than she as ever has. The Cards also have a new Stadium, great talent on the offensive side of the ball, and AZ isn’t near in crisis as CA is at this moment.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 2:36 PM PST up reply actions

Oh.

I should really make my responses more clear.

I wasn’t disagreeing that it was a win-win for Warner. I was disagreeing with him holding the Cards hostage regarding Boldin.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2009 3:18 PM PST up reply actions

You're missing the point of PR...

With Warner willing to give up some of his salary to keep Boldin, it may not necessarily force the Bidwills into contract renegotiations, but it puts Boldin back into light with the fanbase. Warner’s basically saying he’ll come back to those terms if it means they could work something out with Boldin. Now, the 49ers have stated that they didn’t have a serious offer to Warner on the table when he came to town, so who knows where that leaves Warner’s leverage now.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 9:22 PM PST up reply actions

This does, as grantmp said, gives the 49ers a little trade leverage with the number 10 pick.

If any team under us wants Sanchez or Stafford, and either falls to #10 we could get a couple other draft picks to work with.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"

by Eastbayjim on Mar 3, 2009 4:59 PM PST up reply actions

Yes

That’s the underrated factor here. Some team is either going to a) have to pay to pick up Sanchez (good, because that means he’ll get picked earlier than otherwise) or b) to convince the Niners that they shouldn’t pick up Sanchez for themselves (good, because that way we’ll get draft picks).

Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!

by grantmp on Mar 3, 2009 7:12 PM PST up reply actions

That's thinking that..

The 49ers would actually consider drafting a QB in the first (which I doubt they do), predicating Smith’s restructuring of his contract. Even without Warner coming to town, that scenario is still in play. Warner didn’t change any of that, unless he was signed, and then the 49er’s needs at QB would be fulfilled.

The 49ers still have QB needs, even after drafting @ #1 in 2005, and the League knew they had them back then. Guess what? The League still realizes they have QB issues. So do the 49ers. The difference here is there is more value at #10 this year than there was @ #1 in 2005, which much better prospects at QB.

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 9:16 PM PST up reply actions

I feel so...used

by djfivenine on Mar 3, 2009 1:52 PM PST reply actions

Why?

It’s not a big deal. This kind of thing happens all the time.

by Brendan Scolari on Mar 4, 2009 12:46 AM PST up reply actions

Used like this guy?

Throwback unis? Yes. Throwback afros? YES!

by grantmp on Mar 4, 2009 4:19 AM PST up reply actions

First off

It’s not necessarily over. Okay, there wasn’t much chance to begin with either, but it could still happen.

Second, it shows that the Niners are willing to think big and to pay for immediate results.

Third, if I were Alex Smith’s agent I’d get that contract negotiated and signed.

Fourth, Denver was only interested in moving Cutler if they got Cassel. They didn’t get Cassel. They’re keeping Cutler.

Fifth, if Warner doesn’t come the Niners should pick a QB in the middle of the draft to sit and learn. Hill has gotten the job done, which is enough in the NFL, and Smith can still be a good NFL quarterback. Really.

Sixth, at some point yesterday I suspect that Warner let it be known what it would take for the Niners to woo him from Arizona and the Niners let it be known what they would pay to overcome the hometown discount. Now, the numbers may not work for Warner, but this in itself is good because it strongly suggests that Jed can loosen Ma and Pa’s pursestrings.

So like lots of folks have said, even if all it’s done is make the Cards pay more for Warner, hey, that’s good.

by Bob In Beaverton on Mar 3, 2009 3:03 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

I agree with everything here.

by Viliphied on Mar 3, 2009 5:55 PM PST up reply actions

+1

MURS for President!!!!!!!

by jtoj on Mar 3, 2009 6:59 PM PST up reply actions

+2

Blind devotion.

by ProfessorBigelow on Mar 3, 2009 7:01 PM PST up reply actions

+3

you win!

Simply by pulling on both ends, Patrick Willis can stretch diamonds back into coal

by 49erLou on Mar 3, 2009 7:48 PM PST up reply actions

Did you read the report...

That the 49ers didn’t give a serious offer to Warner?

Well, we're waiting....

by drummer on Mar 3, 2009 9:23 PM PST up reply actions

if we

get him im fine, if we don’t im fine, Shaun Hill deserves a chance, but to get a top 5 qb in the league, that’s also fine, i think we should keep Alex and he’ll be a starter by 2010

by Dub4lif3 on Mar 3, 2009 3:50 PM PST reply actions