Well, it's almost the end of July 15th, and I've yet to read anything trumpeting a sudden breakthrough in negotiations, so it seems pretty clear your Houston Texans are not going to reach an agreement with Dunta Robinson on a long-term contract. As Lance Zierlein notes, we may be about to embark on the farewell tour of Dunta-In-Battle-Red. Of course, the Texans can still franchise Dunta next season (and eternally after that, if they so desire), so it's not a foregone conclusion that Dunta's plying his trade elsewhere next season. Nevertheless, as he typically does, LZ hits the nail on the head:
I think the market has been set with the Kelvin Hayden and Asomugha deals, but I'm just not sure Robinson is worth that market value based on what I saw last year in his limited time on the field. I love D-Rob's fire, hitting and swagger, but as a cover CB, I would say he is good but not great.
By negotiating and dictating Scotland's terms through the media, Dunta has made it awfully hard to support his quest for big dollars this offseason. As the 2008 season wound down, however, I think it's fair to say that the vast majority of Texans fans were adamant that the team needed to bring D-Rob back. Now? I think it's the complete opposite. Most of us would like to have him back, sure, but not at the dollars that have allegedly been bandied about.
Still...I wonder...is there anyone out there in Dunta's camp? Anyone who sympathizes with Dunta's position? Remember--this is a player who's been the heart, soul, and swagger of the team during some awfully dark times. A guy who soldiered through the horrific 2005 season and never gave an inch. A guy who suffered one of the most seemingly disfiguring incidents I've ever seen live on a football field and battled back to play again. A guy who gave all of us this emotional moment. A guy whose profession has an average life span of 3.5 seasons. With all that in mind, it becomes somewhat more difficult to villify Dunta for seeking to maximize his income, doesn't it?