Is Shemar holding out?

[TJHoushmandzadeh's Shiny Shoes]

(07-23-2025, 12:41 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I don't think the Bengals are thinking about on field altercations or even smoking weed. MB is talking about not wanting to pay a guy who is sitting in jail. So to me that means they are worried more about Domestic Violence or a Henry Ruggs scenario

We don’t know that. The proposed language is wider than that and they may be using a more extreme example to push through the wider language.

However Shemar’s beef isn’t with the breadth of the clause but the principle of the clause being different to what was previously offered. We know this as he specifically said this. However the language is used elsewhere in the League (and I understand on R2 pick Knight’s contract too).

As someone who was once an inexperienced contract negotiator I recognize the agent clinging to last year’s language and not wanting to shift from that precedent. But as you gain experience you gain a greater appreciation of what matters and of each side’s bargaining power. Ultimately this isn’t a battle he’s going to win as he has no leverage and his client needs this deal more than the Bengals do. He’s doing his client no favors either by holding him out from training camp reps nor by taking cheap shots at Tobin.

The Bengals could invariably have handled this better but I think we’re looking at least a 80:20 blame on the Agent.

What the Bengals have done a good job on is framing it as an issue on the Agent rather than the player. That’s important for the long term relationship. I actually think it does reflect on Shemar’s lack of maturity and I think privately they may have concerns on that but they are wise not to voice those.