Players hold out. It's a part of the game. Edwards is still playing his restricted free agent hand because coaches took notice of him in the playoffs last year. Antoine Winfield did it too...and guess what? Looks like the fans got over it. Same goes with Matt Birk. The Vikings have had MANY players hold out, and many fans call them d bags, jerks, whatever insult is en vogue at the moment. Then...surprise! They sign, they return, do well, and we all forget about it. Until they're unsigned, traded, or cut, then we all regurgitate the same "oh, he held out once, and he got caught speeding...he was no good" nonsense.

Look, I work as a software contractor. If the company I'm working for is paying me less than what another company would, and I feel like I'm the fourth fiddle on a team that I'm working long hours and working my heart out for and outperforming my original expectations, I'd entertain other offers. Especially if there's another company that considers me important enough to pay me more and provide for me the sort of job and responsibilities I'd want to work long term. I'd figure "this team can find another fourth banana probably at the drop of a hat", and if they just hired a kid to basically do my job, yeah, that would motivate me even more. This is how the world works. Doesn't matter if you're making 40k a year or 500k a year. If Edwards resigns and gets a couple sacks in one game, you'll all forget that he even held out. If not, some other team's fans will be ecstatic over swiping away from the Vikes an up and coming defensive end that had his big emergence in last year's playoffs.

My concern is less about the holdout and more about how badly he wants to be an unrestricted free agent.

I understand that being unrestricted would allow him to get a lot more money and the fact that the NFL is a business, but it also suggests a lack of loyalty to the team that has already paid him a lot of money.

My issue with him is that his attitude makes it seem like he's only in it for the money and likely won't be with the team next year unless we want to have a ridiculous amount of money invested in our D-line.

Scott

What about the team's loyalty to him? That relationship goes two ways. While the Vikings can't control the terms of contracts and free agency under the CBA in it's last year, they could most certainly attempt to sign Ray to a long-term contract and lock him up. Heck, they could have done that regardless of the situation with the CBA this year. It's not like Edwards is saying he doesn't want to play for the Vikings - he just wants to be compensated for it. Given the length of many pro football player's careers, I really can't hold that against him.

I don't see Edwards holding out given the overall situation as that just isn't in his best interest. I could also see the Vikings attempting to extend him, and perhaps over-compensate him, towards the end of next season if he picks up where he left off in the playoffs. He has to recognize that the Vikings need to see consistency from him before they can make that long-term investment. He also has to realize that his chances of doing that increase markedly by being in camp on time and making sure guys like Robison and Griffen don't leapfrog him on the depth chart. His chances of getting any sizeable contract from any team (Vikings included) are only good if he shows he can be an every-down impact lineman.

This should work out for us, we only have one more year as a legitimate contender, assuming Favre comes back, so it's good that a guy like Ray will be trying to play his best football to get a big contract.

That's a really good point VL, nice post.

But you can definately see where the team is coming from not wanting to sign him long term now considering that nobody knows what the next CBA will look like.

Like you said, hopefully he'll show up and play his #### off this year and we win the superbowl and anything that happens after that will work itself out.

Scott

Which i think he will do. One thing we cant deny is Ray is a hell of a player and is coming on as a really good DE. On the business side though i was hard on him at first, but i guess you got to take care of yourself in the nfl because teams will take advantage of you. On the other hand, with the signing of Griffen and Robison in the wings we probably could be ok without him. Best scenario is he helps us make a run in 2010 and in the meantime bulks up his tade value which will be a positive for both sides.

To say a NFL player is mainly in it for the money shouldn't surprise anyone. The average career is 3 years, if that long. It's a brutal sport. This isn't high school. Of course he's playing for the money. I would be, too. That doesn't mean he isn't playing to win. But the first priority is the money. I don't find that distasteful. I find that merely a fact of playing in the NFL. Of course, that doesn't excuse any player for not giving their best effort and I can't say I've seen any evidence that Edwards doesn't give his best. Let him talk as much as he wants, and try to position himself to get the best deal he can. I'd like to see him re-sign with Minnesota, but if they can't come to terms when the time comes, then he'll move on. The sport is a business. Always has been, always will be.

Any coincidence he finally shows up the year he would have been a free agent? I find some solace in the fact that he should have the same motivation again this year. But where were these big games his first couple years? Hopefully he keeps it up, but the guys been a head case since college, and I'm glad they got Griffen in case Edwards decides it's not worth the effort.

Not really. This last one was the first year he wasn't platooning at end with Robison. It finally occurred to people that Brian Robison is not an every down end, and actually would have been better off in a 3-4 defense as a linebacker. Edwards has been pretty consistent in terms of tackles during 2008 and 2009, and only had 3.5 more sacks last year, which figures to be fairly consistent with normal NFL player development patterns. He's played in 12 games or more since his rookie year.

Look. If he were signed on a three year contract as a free agent and had played at a high level in the past, and he didn't play worth a crap until year three, then I'd obviously be suspicious. But the guy was platooning at the position earlier in his career and not getting as many snaps. His full time numbers were respectable for a defensive end in 2008, and not that far off from Jared Allen's in 2009.

And for everyone else...hating on Ray Edwards, who has played right end pretty well for the Vikes on a full time basis the last 2 years, just because he's holding out on his veteran contract, is silly. The guy was drafted in the fourth and was paid as a fourth round pick. He's starting full time and looking for a starter's salary. That's pretty ordinary. Jared Allen was also an ex-fourth round pick, and while his sack stats were among the best in the NFL, his tackles were about where Edwards's numbers were. He was made one of the highest paid players in the NFL by the Vikings regardless of the fact that the guy had been arrested multiple times for DUI and made a lot of noise over in the Chief's organization in regards to them placing the franchise tag on him. That's why they traded the best pass rusher in the league to the Vikings for a mid first round pick. If Ray Edwards were trashing the team and the coaches, then sure, he's a problem. Just like Jared Allen was a problem to the Chiefs. But he hasn't been doing that. He's been handling it professionally, and no one should complain about that. It's business.

I recall a few fans (maybe not on this board) complaining about Sharper wanting out, and saying good riddance when he left. I'd bet that if Sharper were playing for the Vikings last year, that team might have won the Super Bowl. If he put up those kinds of interceptions for the Vikes, the Vikes would have had that many more possessions and chances to score...not to mention not have a slightly clueless second year guy trying to play free safety and a strong safety playing out of position.

Sharper would not have put up the same INT totals as Vikes play a different D. The sit back and not make interceptions D.

OK, people can have their opinions about Ray Edwards. But I get a little tired of the "Ray Edwards has an attitude" talk. It's all uninformed speculation.

Here's what the Strib had to say about Edwards on Dec. 9 of last year ...



Read the full article.

In the interest of full disclosure, the article DID say that Edwards benefits greatly from playing next to three all-pro linemen, as well as playing left end, which pits him against the opposing team's weaker tackle.

But this hardly sounds like a loafer who's just going through the motions. If we are to believe this article (which I do, since it is backed by actual well-vetted research, not unfounded fan speculation), Edwards has obviously worked on both his body and his mind to improve his game. This isn't the only place I've heard these things about Edwards, by the way. It was mentioned on a number of Vikings telecasts last season, as well.

Personally, I'd like the Vikings to keep him. If signing him to a long-term deal isn't an option because of the uncertain situation surrounding the CBA, fine. But make him a 1-year offer commensurate with his performance, which was pretty darned good last year. Or at least give him some healthy incentives.

Agreed, I don't want to lose anyone from the team, with the exception of maybe like Tahi I want every player from last season, the same team pretty much. Granted, a couple new additions of course.

I don't know If i necessarily agree with the general thought that Edwards seems to have some huge attitude problem. I can somewhat see that he CAN be little cocky at times but, these are prfessional football players we are talking about so I expect it in doses. Edwards pulled some good weight at very good times last year, I am actually happy with his play considering his starting exp and who he has next him. Not HUGE play, but very impressive given that he is holding his own pretty much standing next to Williams' and Allen.

If Edwards is to show that he can and will be a force to be reckoned with, truthfully I think this will be the year we find out. Hopefully we keep him around to find out.

Football's Future:


SBNation.com:


It was an issue when he was drafted. If he's worked on it, fine. But clearly there was something out there to make people take notice. Even in that article it talks about his attitude!





Clearly there was an issue, and clearly it was more than "uninformed fan speculation". This article was from this offseason. So up until a handful of months ago, there were apparently issues with maturity, professionalism etc. He's improved as a player since being drafted, apparently as a person (this offseason...that was suppose to be his free agent period), but he'd hardly be the first to find jesus leading up to a contract, and falling right back into the habits and behaviors that stunted his growth previously. And it's entirely possible the organization was concerned enough to spend a mid round pick on a guy with a ton of upside as a possible replacement.

Would I like to keep him? So long as we don't have any other options, of course. Which means right now sure, but if Griffen shows he can play in the NFL, I wouldn't be that worried if Edwards walked after this year.

I think the funniest thing I've ever heard was when Ray claimed to be in the running for the NFL sack record and KFAN had the Ray Edwards sack countdown. It stayed at zero for a long time and it was just a riot. Edwards is very average and if we can trade him I would be up for that.

Really? Who did they cite? Who runs those websites? Do they have access to anybody? What do they have on the line if they're wrong?

Things like "there is also some talk that he did not take coaching very well" has no more basis than if you or I said it, nor does "Also has some character issues. Not very coachable." It's garbage. Seriously, man. Football's Future? We're not talking NFL Network or the New York Times here.

At least the Strib article cites Edwards, his D-line coach and his agent. That's three separate people who are close to Edwards. Yes, they're obviously people who want to put a good spin on things, but they ALL (including Edwards himself) acknowledged that he had some growing up to do, and that there is evidence that he's at least beginning to turn the corner.

This is what used to be known as journalism, where you actually go and cite multiple sources instead of just spouting opinions as fact.

I can find anything on the internet. Hell, I can POST anything I want on the internet, and I can say things like "there is talk around the league" and give my website an official-sounding look and name. That doesn't make anything I say credible.


See, what you've said here makes perfect sense.

I'd much rather hear a reasonably formed hypothesis from you than crap from some hack website.

Well sadly NFL Scouts don't release there reports to the public. But his lasting well into the fourth despite some pretty solid skills on the field when he was there makes it pretty easy to assume there were issues. Issues that sites like those hear about, and report.

Issues which were repeated by Edwards, his agent, and his coach in the article you posted. When those "hack sites" put something in a report, and then "legitimate journalists" reveal the exact same thing in an article a few years later (when it's STILL an issue) it isn't "uninformed speculation". You don't want to take those sites at face value, well the article you just posted backs both of them up. To the point that now, 3 years later, he's finally making some changes (just in time for his contract...)

Or, looking at it another way ... Football's Future happened to be right this time. Because at the time, the likelihood of it being more than speculation was pretty low.

The only fact in play here is that Ray Edwards had his best season as a pro last year. He's developing into a solid defensive end. As for coachability, the only people who know the truth about that are Edwards and his coaches. If legitimate journalists (no quotation marks necessary) are coming in later than the blogs, it's only because they adhere to at least minimum standards of verifying sources in the hopes of getting the story right.

Don't get me started on the slippery slope to hell that the blogosphere is leading us down. We do a better job of verifying facts here on this board than the typical blogger does ... at least we demand sources and tend to self-correct.

Seriously, Demi, your hypothesis about WHY he's gotten it together is the only speculative thing I've seen that makes any sense. Just labeling a guy uncoachable without any further digging (which is what those other sites have done) is ridiculous and counterproductive. The hope is that if you're right, at least he's come to realize that getting his act together is better for him as a player and something he wants to continue doing because it's the right thing to do.

Whether he deserves a better contract than the Vikings offer him is another argument, and reasonable people can disagree about that.

Ray Edwards-DL-Vikings Jun. 8 - 4:09 pm et

Restricted free agent Ray Edwards plans to sign his tender offer after he skips this weekend's minicamp.

The minicamp is mandatory, but Edwards will escape fines since he remains unsigned. Consider it a small protest now that he will receive $2.521 million instead of a long-term deal. He should make his return to the field for the beginning of training camp.
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Well,

To me 2.5 Million Dollars a year to play football sems like alot of money. He should be satisfied with that put his head down and play football. Give us a whole season like he did in the playoffs then maybe ask for a raise.

hehe, I've never liked Edwards, getting suspended for steroids, being fairly non-existant. I mean the way I kind of see it is he's playing next to pat williams (pro bowler, double teamed) Kevin Williams (pro bowler) Jared Allen (double teamed, Probowler) and I just expect his production to be better. Yes we saw that at the end of the last season but you put edwards on a D-line like the browns and he'd just be useless.

I would be totally fine with them letting Edwards walk if he demands big money and even has a great season. Just fill in with the next DE on the list and likely get the same thing for cheaper.

It's no surprise to me that Edwards wants BIG money NOW, as soon as he leaves the Vikings D-line everyone will see him for what he really is.

i cant believe everyone wants to get rid of him, i mean he has done nothin but get better every year...

someone just said that his only good games were the big games...??? UH thats not really a bad thing, to me ray edwards just wants to be known that he is a elite DE and there is nothing wrong with that

To me i veiw Edwards as the Celtics basketball player Glenn Perkins, hard worker, and looks pissed off all the time haha

i say we keep him, plus i beleive he will a breakout year for some reason

I would be in favor of keeping him, but he is NOT an elite DE. He is serviceable. He wants elite money I assume, if thats the case, let him walk, the guy we drafted will likely be as good or better than Edwards is. If he'll sign a fair (to both sides) contract, he is definaltely worth keeping, he is NOT worth over-paying for though.

I would say his contract at about $2.5 million is pretty fair. You're right ... much more than that would have been too much until he proves the latter part of 2009 wasn't a fluke.

Well, Ray Edwards Sign his tender today. Congrats and Get ready for Traning Camp

I don't understand the point of waiting and missing the minicamp. I mean, all he did was set himself back relative to his teammates, and I don't think he made his point. If anything, he gave the coaches more looks at Robison and Griffen and didn't do anything to improve his negotiating power for his next contract. He should have just signed the tender and got his behind in to Winter Park and started working towards that next contract. I'm sure he's going to be motivated this season and will work hard, but he didn't make whatever point he was trying to make by waiting and missing camp. Not a smart move.

i'm just glad our D-Line remained intact. We need it to shore up our secondary weaknesses

Part of it could have been hoping another team came calling. Attempted a trade. Or heck even his agent working out a long term deal with the Vikings. And even then it's the only thing he can do, he's clearly frustrated and expected to be a free agent. There must be something to it since it happens all the time throughout the NFL. Just glad he's back (as long as it doesn't hurt Griffen's development!)

I have a feeling that if Ray continues to play at the level he did towards the end of last season, the front office will do everyting in their power to get him signed to a long-term deal. I believe the reason they didn't sign him to an extension is because his play has been too inconsistent. If he can keep his motor running for the entire season, we can expect to see him for several more years.

Prove it to me Ray. I want a season that reflects what you did during the post season. Otherwise I can't wait to see #97 Everson Griffen take your spot and tear it up in the NFL.