Why Hasn't DeMeco Ryans Been Paid?
by Jake on Sep 7, 2009 6:38 PM CDT
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With the return of the player that some people believe is the heart and soul of the Houston Texans, Dunta Robinson, I couldn't help but think of another great player on the roster who currently has a contract dispute--DeMeco Ryans. I understand why some people believe that Robinson is so critical to the Texans, but I think he has been surpassed in terms of importance by the man wearing #59 in the middle. The Robinson situation is far from resolved because negotiations will and can not happen during the season, since Dunta did not sign his one-year tender by the deadline this summer, therefore, all bargaining will cease until after the 2009 season.
It's hard to remember that DeMeco was in the process of a holdout just a few months ago. His unhappiness over his contract has taken a backseat behind Robinson and even Owen Daniels, who proclaimed his anger with the Texans front office on his Facebook account. I've always thought, however, that DeMeco had the most legitimate reason to complain out of the three. Dunta is coming off an injury that could have been career-ending and has not shown the same ability as he did before the injury, and OD has demonstrated a great deal of talent but at a position which makes him somewhat replaceable (see James Casey).
DeMeco is now the most pivotal player on our defense. Please note that I did not say "most talented," because that would end up opening a completely different can of worms, and one of those worms is named Mario Williams. I challenge you to find an interview of a Texans defensive player in which he refers to Ryans as anything but "Captain 'Meco". That is not arbitrary; rather, it is a testament to DeMeco's leadership ability on and off the field.
DeMeco isn't just a figurehead either. His authority is derived from what he produces on the field. Just this last Monday, in the closest thing to national exposure that the offseason can produce, Ryans had a staggering 16 tackles, 2 of which were for loss, and a sack. It worked for DeMeco, who was recognized for his efforts by national writers such as Peter King.
I really believed he would be paid by now. Part of that belief stems from the fact that he is so good. I am not a proponent of paying everyone that shows any talent, but DeMeco has changed the face of this defense. The other reason I thought DeMeco would be a richer man by now is due to the ease with which he's handled the contract issue since he ended his brief holdout. That is by no means scientific, but I figured that he dropped the subject because his agent Ben Dogra was near to completing a deal with general manager Rick Smith.
We might assume that a new collective bargaining agreement will be struck between the NFLPA and the owners, which could eventually lead to DeMeco becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season. Despite the other notable free agents next year, DeMeco is by far the most important to the team. If the Texans don't have an agreement before the end of the season they will have to either pay out the nose for his continued service or use the dreaded franchise tag, which would ensure that Dunta could hit the market with no fear of getting tagged again (assuming he played well enough to warrant consideration).
There is a chance that DeMeco could get a deal along the same time frame that Eric Winston got his; in other words, once the season has already started. I hope that one way or another, Ryans gets paid soon because I don't see the benefit of waiting. The only way that he wouldn't warrant a huge contract would be injury or seriously degraded performance, both of which would leave a gaping hole in the middle of our defense.
Personally, I just want to see the man get paid. And as opposed to Dunta and Owen, I don't really care about the price.
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Couldn't agree more.
Great blog entry.
He’ll have a new contract sometime this season. And he deserves it.
I hope DeMeco is only thinking about the Jets right now
Play the game and your agent will take care of the money for you.
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Nice post
A healthy DeMeco is, I believe, an elite MLB. Dunta may be the “heart and soul,” but DeMeco’s the one who makes plays.
Note to self: Insert something witty here.
Tar...
He smacked it out of many a player in the preseason. Not only does he close on backs and recievers in a hurry but he punishes them when he gets there too.
Undoubtedly has a contract coming his way as I see his value as higher than that of Dunta for sure. He anchors that defensive unit
Ryans, AJ and Super Mario are the cornerstones of this franchise, assuming the franchise is more of a triangle…., and represent our success in the long run
Yes!
Take it out on the opponent!
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Echoing
If I have to choose one guy out of the three (DeMeco, Dunta, and OD) to get paid, it’s DeMeco. And it’s not even debatable.
The thought of a Texans defense without Captain ‘Meco terrifies me. Fortunately, I have to think that Bob McNair is no different than the rest of us, and he’ll order a deal gets done with Dogra.
Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...
However..
Couldn’t agree more with signing DeMeco long term but, there’s a whole lot to assume in this assumption:
“We have to assume that a new collective bargaining agreement will be struck between the players association and the owners, which would lead to DeMeco becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season.”
If the owners and the NFLPA reach a “new” agreement in the CBA, then who knows what the landscape will look like. Under the current process is all we can assume. In this scenerio, DeMeco, having only 4 years of service, would become a restricted FA and the Texans would have the opportunity to franchise two (2) players for 2010.
Likewise for OD. He had to sign his one year tender (as a RFA) to get paid his current salary or the Texans could have pulled the tender and paid him 500k for this year.
I have been harping about the CBA and it’s effects on current contracts and next years un-capped salaries factoring into current rosters and franchise players. If we assume the current CBA will somehow not change, then we have to assume and prepare for a lock out in 2011.
DeMeco, Mario, and AJ are the cornerstones to build a franchise around. The real question is what with the labor situation in the NFL, how will it effect these contract talks?
I only meant
That we have to prepare for the worst case scenario, which would be that OD and DeMeco would both be UFA’s along with Dunta and all the others that are coming up on the end of their contracts.
You know... for kids.
Could be?
The worst case scenario for DeMeco and OD!? Being drafted in 2006 and with the owners opting out of the CBA means both of them are between a rock and a hard place. The team has 2 years additional to add them as RFA. Dunta’s rookie contact was up and as an UFA, they franchised him (at the time, the team had only one). The Texans could either offer both new contracts or repeat the contract situation that OD just went through. (Also, in 2010, they have 2 F-Tags to use as stated above).
I agree 100% to pay DeMeco and not to let it go any further, regarding a new contract! I pray that McNair, Smithiak, & Co. get it done before the end of the season and lock him up long term. I just hope the recent events of the labor agreement doesn’t cloud their judgement.
Picture
It almost looks like Meco got to be runningback for a play and just blew by Cush. He seems very excited.
"I'm just looking forward to something great happening in the city of Houston" - Tracy McGrady
Still waiting...
Agree completely with you Jake
DeMeco should be considered untouchable by McNair and getting him locked up has to be at or near the top of the to do list for Rick Smith.
OD is a great TE and we would be worse without him. Dunta’s absence would also hurt us, but a Texans defense without Captain Meco in the middle is unthinkable. If the Texans become a perennial playoff team, and Meco stays healthy, he will end up in Canton.
It took the Astros 44 years to get to the Series, the Oilers-Texans are due to get to the big dance...Go Texans!!!!!
by oiler-texan diehard on Sep 7, 2009 10:25 PM CDT reply actions
I agree as well
I’m generally supportive of what Rick Smith has done, but this is a situation where he has dropped the ball. He needs to make DeMeco happy. It’s just that simple. We’re very lucky to have DeMeco on our team, and I will be very angry if his contract isn’t resolved in such a way that he remains a Texan throughout his career.
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on Sep 8, 2009 12:38 AM CDT reply actions
Why indeed, Jake. Why indeed.
I really just think it’s a matter of time. I still think Dunta is as good as gone, and now I’m starting to feel the same way about OD – but I can’t imagine ANY scenario where 59 isn’t a Texan for a long time.
Chris - www.HoustonDiehards.com
Nice post..
DeMeco will get his, if not it would be a major dissappointment, but I think he will.
GO TEXANS!!!!
This is the year.......
where's the love?
thats what OD #23 and meco are asking…. it pisses me off when i think about it, because i dont understand why we are being so damn tight. listen, when you have guys who started when the team was SHIT and built it into a contender, you do what you gotta do to save those guys! one thing about bob and rick is that i never questioned them, always assumed they would always do the right thing. but somebody in that front office is seriously dropping the ball. 0-3 this pre-season? what msg does that send to the young guys? play hard and u MAY get rewarded? its bullshit. where’s da love rick?
by chrisd21 on Sep 8, 2009 7:53 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Pay Out
Texans will not pay, they will trade him first…….. Houston does not care about championship teams they want profit……… Thats all it is to it……. This is why we dont produce great teams.
There is no basis for your claim lionel w
The Texans have yet to lose a player because of a contract dispute. He cleaned house after the Capers/Casserly regime proved they were on the wrong track. I think Bob McNair will spend whatever it takes, and make whatever hire is necessary to build a contender in Houston. Of course he would like to profit as well, but I don’t think that is his greatest priority. He was instrumental in bringing the NFL back to Houston, and we should all be very thankful for his efforts. I know I am.
Now let’s jst get off to a good start this season. GO TEXANS!!!!!!!!!
It took the Astros 44 years to get to the Series, the Oilers-Texans are due to get to the big dance...Go Texans!!!!!
by oiler-texan diehard on Sep 8, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah well
The Comets say you’re wrong.
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on Sep 8, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions
And people say I'm negative....
The true test in the life of a Texans fan is how gracefully you endure it.
Rescinded...
Dang, Lionel the lion just took that ball and sprinted with it. Jeebus.
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
The Texans
unerstand how big of an impact Ryans is for them. He showed everyone this offseason/preseason how hard he works and how much of a team player he is – he did all of it with class and he kicked butt out there. He is our best defensive player. The Texans will sign him to a long term deal and might have to pay too much (but I don’t care at this point – pay the man!). They will however be making a decision on both OD and #23. If #23 plays well – solid coner but not top 5, I would franchise him again and be looking for a veteran or good first/second round CB in the 2010 draft. OD is a good solid TE but I’m not sure how much he should be paid especially if Casey continues to get better. OD handled himself poorly in the offseason with his contract dispute. Great, he made the pro bowl but the way I look at it we still haven’t been to the playoffs or even had a winning record at that so to pay all these guys what they think they deserve – I’m not there yet (except for Captain Meco of course). #59 is the only one of those 3 that you can build the team around.
Lots of sentiment clouding matters here
As Xenodu or whatever his name is has pointed out, the Texans are in the driver’s seat on all three contracts due to the CBA. While I as a fan would like to see DeMeco and Owen and Dunta signed up long-term, I’m not general manager. But if I were, I could see the current situation as a good thing, given what will likely happen. Maybe “good” isn’t the right term – “perfectly acceptable” works.
The owners will drive a hard bargain on the new CBA and try to leverage the union into taking a more owner-friendly deal. If the union doesn’t, then the teams will have two franchise tags (which the players union doesn’t like one bit), and those 2006 draft class guys have to wait two extra years to become unrestricted free agents. In the mean time, they’d be restricted, which for all intents are purposes means they’ll be Texans – so Rick Smith is fine. Since this is so unacceptable to the players, they will likely go on strike. The team has all the leverage in the world here, with all three guys, especially Owen and DeMeco.
In addition to that, signing Owen and/or DeMeco, and to an extent Dunta, means that the team will be inclined to not drive as hard of a bargain in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. After all, at that point Bob McNair would have invested heavily in three players in order to Win Now, and would hate to see Now disappear into a lockout.
by socctty on Sep 10, 2009 3:01 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
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