Ekeler: Negotiated Incentives for 2023 Contract Year

[charger1_sj]

Popper is capable of putting 2 and 2 together.

Most us can assume that if Ekler and his agent have taken the drastic step of asking to look for a trade the two sides are far apart. The reason they are far apart is because Ekler and his agent are throwing his production numbers at the Chargers and telling TT he deserves to be paid amont the best RBs in the NFL.

From Popper

If Ekeler wants to reach that next tier of running back contract, he would be looking for something in the $11-12 million range in AAV. Aaron Jones is at $11.5 million. Joe Mixon is at $12 million. Nick Chubb is at $12.2 million, Derrick Henry at $12.5 million and Dalvin Cook at $12.6 million. A step above that was Ezekiel Elliott at $15 million, but he was released by the Cowboys. Alvin Kamara is also at $15 million, and then Christian McCaffrey sets the market at $16.015 million.

Not sure why I have to keep rehashing this with you. Pretty OBVIOUS Ekler wants to be paid in this tier of RBs. You dont take the nuclear option of asking for a trade and risking your relationship with the team if you are asking to be bumped up to 8 million, nor would the team allow it to get to this stage if the difference was that smaller number.

Popper is the guy that listed Davis as a possible cap casualty. Now read carefully: IF He doesn't say Ekeler wants a $12M contract. Nobody has said that.
Ekeler would make $6.25 if he stays with the Chargers for one year. A contract of $9-10M for multiple years would be quite a difference and a big jump. Still
$2M short of $12M. So there you go. There is lots of room for negotiation there far short of the "North of $12M" nonsense.

The nuclear option is the hold out. Do we currently know he is going to hold out? Certainly a possibility but we're not there yet. Your jumping the gun.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Popper is the guy that listed Davis as a possible cap casualty. Now read carefully: IF He doesn't say Ekeler wants a $12M contract. Nobody has said that.
Ekeler would make $6.25 if he stays with the Chargers for one year. A contract of $9-10M for multiple years would be quite a difference and a big jump. Still
$2M short of $12M. So there you go. There is lots of room for negotiation there far short of the "North of $12M" nonsense.

The nuclear option is the hold out. Do we currently know he is going to hold out? Certainly a possibility but we're not there yet. Your jumping the gun.

Fair enough. We are getting caight up in the "north of 12 million" quote. But, 10 million for 3 more years term for a soon to be 28 year old in todays RB market is a non starter also. Hence the Chargers saying look for your trade.

He might have one good year left
A new and better designed offence will not need to throw him 100 passes. Herbert does not need to rank 31st in ave pass
4 million against a tight cap for a contender is money to be used elsewhere on the roster.

[CanadianBoltFan]

On the bears fan page there’s an article saying that ekeler's agent has been talking to the bears…it sounds like a bullshit rumor…

We can forget about the Bears for sure. Aside from Homer, they just signed a bruiser D'Onta Foreman. And Khalil Herbert isnt bad

[charger1_sj]

Fair enough. We are getting caight up in the "north of 12 million" quote. But, 10 million for 3 more years term for a soon to be 28 year old in todays RB market is a non starter also. Hence the Chargers saying look for your trade.

Now your changing your tune. I never have argued that the Charger should give him a $10M for 3 more year contract. For that matter I never said Ekeler doesn't
WANT a $12M/yr contract., Maybe he does. We don't know which is exactly what Barnham said. The opposite could also be true. Ekeler wanted an extension
the Chargers told him to take a hike. The facts are the two parties could not agree which is why Ekeler is seeking a trade. What's obvious or should be is that
he wants more than the $6.25M and very likely more than one year. That's about the extent of it in as far as the reality goes. Until we hear otherwise everything
else is speculation, conjecture or BS.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Now your changing your tune. I never have argued that the Charger should give him a $10M for 3 more year contract. For that matter I never said Ekeler doesn't
WANT a $12M/yr contract., Maybe he does. We don't know which is exactly what Barnham said. The opposite could also be true. Ekeler wanted an extension
the Chargers told him to take a hike. The facts are the two parties could not agree which is why Ekeler is seeking a trade. What's obvious or should be is that
he wants more than the $6.25M and very likely more than one year. That's about the extent of it in as far as the reality goes. Until we hear otherwise everything
else is speculation, conjecture or BS.

That is fair.

I guess i am personally assuming the divide is wide in some form for it to be so quickly at this stage. Ekler has been a great Charger, I cant see the team giving their blessing to seeking trade if a gesture within their comfort zone could make Ekler happy and keep him in the fold.

Or maybe they are confidently playing a bit of chicken and want him to get a reality check in the open market. But still, do you take that tact with a good Charger?

[Bolt4Knob]

I'm sure his agent is talking to a lot of teams.

Bengals and Bills I think are two teams
Commanders I thought but they signed somebody

Bears are not signing Foreman - for three damn million bucks
Tampa got Edmonds for the vet minimum

Ekeler might get a bit of "new money" from say the Bills or Bengals - but hard to see him getting a lot
Seattle might have a need as they lost Penny and Travis H

[CanadianBoltFan]

Bengals and Bills I think are two teams
Commanders I thought but they signed somebody

Bears are not signing Foreman - for three damn million bucks
Tampa got Edmonds for the vet minimum

Ekeler might get a bit of "new money" from say the Bills or Bengals - but hard to see him getting a lot
Seattle might have a need as they lost Penny and Travis H

The list is dwindling.

Bengals maybe IF they release Mixon, but I think the main reason there is they dont want to pay him his 12 million

Bills have no cap, and they came out and said they want a power back to go with James Cook as a the 3rd down back. A big reason Singletary is not returning.

[charger1_sj]

That is fair.

I guess i am personally assuming the divide is wide in some form for it to be so quickly at this stage. Ekler has been a great Charger, I cant see the team giving their blessing to seeking trade if a gesture within their comfort zone could make Ekler happy and keep him in the fold.

Or maybe they are confidently playing a bit of chicken and want him to get a reality check in the open market. But still, do you take that tact with a good Charger?

Yes here you are correct. The divide is wide. We just don't know how wide. It's not out of the Chargers playbook to play hardball. They could have nixed any negotiations
believing he has to come back and play for one more year. The Chargers clearly have the leverage unless he does get some kind of offer. Which is why he asked to shop
around. Part of the negotiation tactic. If he strikes out he's likely out of luck, because I don't believe the Chargers will budge from what they put on the table, if anything.

Too bad. He's been good for the Chargers. But that's life in the NFL. If he doesn't come back we just move on to the next RB.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Yes here you are correct. The divide is wide. We just don't know how wide. It's not out of the Chargers playbook to play hardball. They could have nixed any negotiations
believing he has to come back and play for one more year. The Chargers clearly have the leverage unless he does get some kind of offer. Which is why he asked to shop
around. Part of the negotiation tactic. If he strikes out he's likely out of luck, because I don't believe the Chargers will budge from what they put on the table, if anything.

Too bad. He's been good for the Chargers. But that's life in the NFL. If he doesn't come back we just move on to the next RB.

Again speculation, but Matt Money Smith said he heard rumors Ekler camp is asking for money more in step with what receivers are making, they are pointing to his recpetions and TDs suggesting he should not be paid like a running back. Money is alot closer to the Chargers than we are.

If that is true we are definately talking about an ask somewhere above 10 million, likley a fair bit if you look at receiver scale. IIf this is true and Ekler camp are playing receiving card this negotiation is nowhere near close.

Ekler is agreat receiving back , but again, ina better offence with this QB, his receptions should be quite a bit less. Suppliment Williams and Allen with a stud TE and YAC receiver and the reliance on Ekler goes way down and the offence becomes more diverse and less predictable and harder to stop. Charger have way too good of a QB for the offence to be as predictable for defences a sit was last year.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Money also said, and this IS true, teams have moved away from offering RBs 3rd contracts. It never works out

[Rugger05]

Money also said, and this IS true, teams have moved away from offering RBs 3rd contracts. It never works out

Offering a third contract to a RB is dodgy, but I believe Ekeler could be worth it. Not worth anything like he requesting but dude has outplayed his contract. I cannot fault players from wanting to get paid

[CanadianBoltFan]

Offering a third contract to a RB is dodgy, but I believe Ekeler could be worth it. Not worth anything like he requesting but dude has outplayed his contract. I cannot fault players from wanting to get paid

I dont think anyone faults Ekler, but we need the Chargers to be smart and not over pay the RB position and use their limited cap wisely.

I think the Chargers will take a trade they like and if they dont get it will expect Ekler to come back and play the last year of his contract. No need for them to take a late draft pick if that is the best offer. Any offer is going to be hard for Ekler to find. Not only does new team have to agree wih the Chargers on compensation, they have to give Ekler a new contract he likes. Good luck with that.