Sam Shields Remains Unsigned. Is He Holding Out?
There's an offer on the table from the Packers in the form of of a one-year $2.023 million tender, but the cornerback has yet to accept the team's proposal.
Cornerback Sam Shields. Photo by Corey Behnke of CheeseheadTV.com.
An item that's flying under the radar in the aftermath of the NFL Draft is that cornerback Sam Shields remains unsigned.
The April 19 deadline for restricted free agents has come and gone, meaning Shields can no longer sign with another NFL team, but he still hasn't signed with the Packers either.
The thing is, there's an offer on the table. The Packers had reportedly placed a second-round tender on Sam Shield this offseason, which is a one-year deal worth $2.023 million.
Perhaps Shields and agent Drew Rosenhaus were looking for a first-round tender worth $2.879 million, but it wasn't their choice to make.
Either way, the Packers and Shields have to come to an agreement at some point. Either Shields must accept his one-year offer, or they can work out a multi-year deal.
By signing a one-year deal, Shields can become an unrestricted free agent next season and shop his services to any team he desires.
But as the old saying goes, a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. In other words, a multi-year deal from the Packers would provide security to Shields now.
In essence, a long-term contract would guard against an injury and the potential that Shields wouldn't get much interest in free agency in 2014.
The Packers were reportedly working on a multi-year deal as recently as Apr. 15, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
But that was then, this is now. Shields remains unsigned and now a June 15 deadline looms when the Packers have the opportunity to lower their offer to the free agent cornerback.
"If Shields does not sign the tender by then, the Packers have the right to limit his salary to 110% of the year before," writes Tyler Dunne of JSOnline.
The June 15 does not necessarily prevent Shields from holding out, however. He can still work out a long-term contract with the Packers at any point, if the Packers are willing.
Working in Shields' favor is that he's arguably the fastest player on their roster and is a young, ascending cover cornerback. Players like that tend to be in-demand commodities in the NFL.
The Packers do have other options at cornerback, however. Casey Hayward is coming off a rookie season in which he finished third in the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
On top of that, they also have Tramon Williams and Davon House and added Iowa's Micah Hyde in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
It's also worth finding out if Shields has been taking part in the team's offseason strength and conditioning program.
Players who are not under contract have the opportunity to take part in offseason workouts if they sign a waiver, but whether Shields has done that has gone unreported.
Offseason workouts are voluntary under rules of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, so Shields is under no obligation to be in Green Bay.
Wide receiver James Jones recently said in a local radio interview on Green Bay's WDUZ that the Packers have a 100 percent participation for the team's offseason workouts, but whether that included Shields, who is technically not under contract, is similarly unknown.
Comments (25)
May 10, 2013 at 12:44 pm
If a multi-year deal isn't worked out, Shields needs to sign the one year deal. He comes into the NFL undrafted and now has $2 million in front of him. Count your blessings Sam and be happy Ted Thompson's faith in you got you this far. Another solid year will pay off and Ted will compensate you for your work.
May 10, 2013 at 01:33 pm
I bet if it were you in that situation, you wouldn't feel the same way...
May 10, 2013 at 01:57 pm
I could live many years comfortably on $2 million. Many of us could!
May 10, 2013 at 02:47 pm
But what if you thought you were worth 8 million over 2 or 3 years. would you take 2 mil then? that's what's in the head of today's pro athlete. Ask Charles Woodson about that today.
May 10, 2013 at 02:51 pm
It's really hard to start equating the NFL to real life work situations.
I can't think of any real world work situation that remotely resembles the restricted free agent/tender situation.
Shields will either be signed long-term or sign his tender and play out the year then try again. Whether it gets resolved tomorrow or 3 months from now is the question.
May 10, 2013 at 03:30 pm
Evan... Its also kind of ignorant IMO, to imply that Shields is holding out when he doesn't have a contract! A lot of players in Shields situation chose to wait to sign their tenders for personal reasons that have absolutely nothing to do w/ a holdout (which implies he is under contract).
May 10, 2013 at 01:04 pm
Is there anything to be really "holding out" from at this point?
May 10, 2013 at 01:06 pm
Also, I'd like to point out that arguments like "...a multi-year deal from the Packers would provide security to Shields now." and "In essence, a long-term contract would guard against an injury and the potential that Shields wouldn’t get much interest in free agency in 2014." are the same arguments people like myself were making when you were expressing such skepticism that Shields would be interested in signing long-term.
May 10, 2013 at 01:15 pm
Two words: Drew Rosenhaus.
May 10, 2013 at 01:26 pm
Why is that when you hear about players "holding out" for more money, there is a good possibility that the agent is Drew Rosenhaus? It seems like he hates the Packers and will try to work out a way to get his client out of GB--see Javon Walker.
May 10, 2013 at 01:33 pm
"It seems like he hates the Packers and will try to work out a way to get his client out of GB..."
I think that's silly. Rosenhaus doesn't "hate" any team. He loves getting paid and his only goal is to get his clients the biggest deal he can, no matter the team.
Also, at the end of the day, Rosenhaus works for the player.
May 10, 2013 at 03:26 pm
He's still a jackass :)
May 10, 2013 at 03:23 pm
OK now that's completely ridiculous! Rosenhaus has absolutely no reason to not like the Packers! If fact its in his best interests to have very good relationships w/ all teams!
For the record... Shields is NOT holding out! He doesn't have a contract, and by waiting he can train where ever he wants w/o being forced to train in GB. That allows him to train in Miami w/ all the alums or in his hometown near his family.
The title of the article is making some of you, and maybe intentionally, to view Shields as a holdout! That's just really a POOR title. If you can't understand that ALOT of athletes want to train where they want, thereby waiting to sign a tender for their personal reasons, your being pretty close-minded and to be honest kind of ignorant!
May 10, 2013 at 03:54 pm
Credit to the team and the player, Shield's made the most of his opportunity and is a legitimate starting CB (may be the toughest position to play well in the NFL). Hopefully they can come to conclusion on a multi-year deal that is equally as favorable as the relationship to date. If I see a replay of Rosenhauss saying "next question" one more time I will quit watching ESPN, talk about a shady character. By the way, both T.O. and Javon Walker are flat broke, what does that say about their representative ?
May 10, 2013 at 06:09 pm
Is says ALOT about T.O. and Javon Walker that they couldn't manage their money adequately to provide for their futures. Non of that is on Rosenhaus... He got them the best deal he could, and got paid to do it, its not his job to make sure they spend THEIR money wisely. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
May 10, 2013 at 04:09 pm
Worth more $$$ than Tramon Williams.
May 10, 2013 at 07:35 pm
Yes, he's worth more $$$ than Tramon but Tramon's getting more $$$ than he's worth...imo
May 13, 2013 at 02:35 pm
It's funny to see so many down on Tramon. He matches up with the other teams #1 wr every game. He only have up 2 Tds last season and not 1 had over 100 yards against him. He could of easily had 6-8 int. If he didn't drop those int, no one would be saying a thing.
Don't be that fan that only blows when a player is hot! Stats don't tell the full story of a players play.
Since Woodson is gone, I would love to see what the others can do without Woodson and Williams.
May 11, 2013 at 08:01 am
walker had a nice thing going in Gb until Rosenass told him how great he was and he's worth a gajillion bucks a year.....good advice...pretty much ended his career. i have no doubt the Packers hate Rosenhaus.
May 11, 2013 at 02:01 pm
Didn't Rosenhaus get Mike McKenzie all riled up and wanting out too?
May 11, 2013 at 08:34 am
I'm just not high on the D backs. I rate them average at best. I think the tackling improved but the pass coverage was again suspect. Teams moved down the field with east last year. Yes the run coverage was terrible but so was the pass coverage.
No teams were afraid to target either shields or Williams so that says a lot.
May 11, 2013 at 10:59 am
This is true and to the poster who said CB was the "toughest position," no, that would be QB. Another post was a suggestion of 3 years/$8 million. More like Tramon Williams' type contract, which Shields needs to keep improving. He's not Tramon Williams circa 2009. This story is premature much ado about very little. Shields has until June 15 to sign the offer without possible repercussions. Get back to us on June 14.;)
May 11, 2013 at 11:45 am
I agree let it paly out.
May 11, 2013 at 07:51 pm
Rosenhaus is the worst thing for an NFL player. He only cares for Rosenhaus. BTW, ANY agent worth his/her $$ is setting up their clients with a Financial Advisor, if they don't already have one.
I cannot understand what weak minded player needs a slug like this (Rosenass) to tell them how great they are and that X team is screwing them.
Sam, This slug works for YOU. I'd rather deal with the devil or congress. You'd get a better deal.
The 2 mil deal on the table now is more than fair for Shields. Sign the long term deal, your still young enough at the end of the deal to either extend or hit the free market.
May 11, 2013 at 07:51 pm
Rosenhaus is the worst thing for an NFL player. He only cares for Rosenhaus. BTW, ANY agent worth his/her $$ is setting up their clients with a Financial Advisor, if they don't already have one.
I cannot understand what weak minded player needs a slug like this (Rosenass) to tell them how great they are and that X team is screwing them.
Sam, This slug works for YOU. I'd rather deal with the devil or congress. You'd get a better deal.
The 2 mil deal on the table now is more than fair for Shields. Sign the long term deal, your still young enough at the end of the deal to either extend or hit the free market.