03-14-2017, 11:01 AM
(03-14-2017, 09:53 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Willie's salary for his last year was $3.15 million. He signed a 3 year, $11 million contract with the Ravens. Average salary of 3.67 million. So by "greatly reduced price", did you actually mean "pay raise"?
Willie received interest from the Ravens, Chargers, Bears, Rams, Bucs and Giants according to Rotoworld. 20% of the league was interested...and this is right before the season. Those teams wouldn't have been interested if they thought Willie was washed up. You are greatly exaggerating the seriousness of any injury or surgery that Willie had. I remember Willie playing that preseason, and Rotoworld mentions nothing of any surgery. He wound up starting 11 games (beginning in week 3...he had to get up to speed) for the Ravens. They even tried to convince him not to retire, wanting him back in 2009 at 34 years old.
Look...I understand that Andrews was viewed back then as having potential, but it's clear looking back that the Bengals made the wrong call there. They franchise tagged Andrews and that surely played a role in Willie's release. The line was terrible that year, and this - along with sticking with Ghiaciuc at Center, was among the biggest mistakes.
Before Fred starts, Willie had a vague foot or ankle issue going into 2008. The fact I can't tell you if it was a foot or ankle issue indicates how vague they were about it. Willie had a procedure, but they never revealed what that procedure was. Without knowing that information, any speculation on "crippled" Willie's prognosis is nothing more than guesswork by a layman completely unqualified to speculate. Clearly, it wasnt as severe as Hobson or Fred is trying to convince everyone it was on behalf of the front office.
What can't be disputed is Andrews was making significantly more than Willie due to the franchise tag. A franchise tag they never should have used on a player that was never anything more than a track and field athlete with unrealized potential the Process couldn't tap.
