Ekeler: Negotiated Incentives for 2023 Contract Year

[Bolt4Knob]

I have read 4 different writers now suggest his ask is in the 12 million range. Is Popper shit too?

Common sense and the current events also dictate the range is ask is. Not that hard to figure out

Fortunatey for the Chargers and fans of the team, he is asking at the wrong time in the wrong market.

I feel like the Chargers are going to keep him at this point - maybe give him a little bump but thats about it.

[QSmokey]

Because he is a good RB? Because he wanted to see if the RB market is willing to pay more than the Chargers offered (doesn’t appear to be)? Because he doesn’t hate the owners that have paid him 8 figures in salary?

All I'm suggesting is that there might be other factors involved in his decision to seek a trade. Which I feel is quite plausible. If you were Ekeler, and you could get the same (or maybe a little more) money, wouldn't you want to play for the Bengals, or Bills, or Eagles? And before you jump all over me for the list of teams, I have no info that would link him to any of them, but they certainly present a more attractive option than the Chargers when it comes to competing for a SB in '23 (and beyond).

[charger1_sj]

I feel like the Chargers are going to keep him at this point - maybe give him a little bump but thats about it.

In these situations the Chargers tend to play hardball. They have the leverage. My opinion: no bump unless
he gets some offer and the Chargers have a handshake deal with him that they get to counter any offer he gets.

[Air Coryell]

Always liked EK and his story is great. Great complementary back. One thing that always bugged me with him is his focus on his personal Fantasy Football stats. Bottom line, his market value (or any RB) is not what he thought, and now he has made himself a bit of a distraction in a negative way. Hard to come back from this.

[richpjr]

All I'm suggesting is that there might be other factors involved in his decision to seek a trade. Which I feel is quite plausible. If you were Ekeler, and you could get the same (or maybe a little more) money, wouldn't you want to play for the Bengals, or Bills, or Eagles? And before you jump all over me for the list of teams, I have no info that would link him to any of them, but they certainly present a more attractive option than the Chargers when it comes to competing for a SB in '23 (and beyond).

Sure there could be more to it than we know. Or it could be he just wants to see if what we offered matched the market - seems likely to be the latter to me.

We have vastly different outlooks on the team, as you know, so if he is as pessimistic as you, I’m could well leave when his contract his up. Just remember - he did sign a second contract here so he can’t think of it as all bad. I just don’t think players look at things the same way as fans do.

[Budsman]

Omg how dare he act like a human being, think maybe he’s hearing all the disrespect online and is thanking people who stand by him? You realize he’s a person right? And that contract extensions are a normal thing at the end of contracts? He even said doesn’t know what’s going to happen we really out here killing him for wanting what he thinks he’s worth? Man people out here acting like he hasn’t been a class act his entire career

Let’s not get this twisted. Hes not some blue collar worker trying to get a raise so he can afford to send his kids to college. He’s a multimillionaire trying to get more millions from billionaires. If he gets heat he deserves it for being a public figure (that’s why he has millions) and I’m sure he can wipe away the tears with the hundos he has laying around.

[boldarblood]

You are in denial Ekler is not asking for 12 million range

Maybe I am missing something, where does it say he is not asking for that range. I see Popper saying that he doesn't see a market for it, but that's not the same thing as what Ekeler wants or not.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I feel like the Chargers are going to keep him at this point - maybe give him a little bump but thats about it.

That is the most likely outcome I think as well

[dmac_bolt]

Here is a question: would you trade Ekeler, meaning his draft pick in a trade plus the Chargers own 21 to move up to get Bijan

I’d run to the podium

[Bolt4Knob]

I’d run to the podium

A 4th gets you 50 points so thats one spot to 20 and Seattle

A 3rd gets you 165 so thats Pittsburgh at 17

A 2nd gets you 360 so thats the Jets (or Packers) at 13

I don't see Ek getting a 2nd or 3rd

[Boltjolt]

Mixon also has a bit of a checkered past (I think he beat a woman on video in college?) and there are recent reports of gun fire coming from either his backyard or a relative's back yard when he was there and possibly involved. The salary and the trouble may be too much for Cincy? But they also let Perine go (to Denver) So they would have no RB now?

TG

I don't know anything about the gunfire thing but the bolded was a while ago.
If it wasn't an issue then, it sure isn't now.

I think his salary is the biggest issue. Most of that list with high priced RBs are being shopped or cut.

[LarryAW]

We're going to need Edge before a RB, unless you want to take a $38M cap hit for Bosa in 2024. Besides RBs are not valued, so pick one off
the street. No need to spend a 1st rounder on one. Of course we can draft Bijan, the guy can run and catch, next LT I'm hearing. We'll run
him into the ground by year 4 and we'll be looking for a bell cow RB again. They are trying to unload Henry, a so called top 3 RB in the league.

Don't know if we can afford him. Spotrac is showing we have 24M cap space. Not sure if that's up to date since we're singing guys every day.

You still need a big back to move the pile when nothing is there.

Which running back least belongs on this list (BTW, has nothing to do with overall talent)?

1 Means
2 Butts
3 LT
4 Turner
5 Mr. Broken Clavicles (How, in Hell, do you break each clavicle?)
6 MGIII
7 Ekeler

If I'm handing the ball off on 4th & 1 on my own 37-yard line (I think it was the 37) in a game where the winner makes the playoffs, #7 on the list is the last guy I want getting that ball on a running play. Same thing trying to get a damn first down in the 2nd half of a playoff game, when I'm trying to protect a 27 - 7 lead. If you're a shit team, it doesn't matter. If you want to make a deep playoff run, it damn sure does. Even when we had LT, a great between-the-tackles runner, we still had Turner to pick up the short yards and wear down defenses.

Rules may favor a passing game, but the last time I checked, they didn't eliminate 2nd & short, 3rd & short, and 4th & short. A loss of possession is a loss of possession, whether you blew it on 3rd & 1 or 3rd & 10. Fans don't hate the running game; they hate a bad running game. I don't want to lose Ekeler, who is phenomenal in space, as both a runner and a receiver. I would have no problem giving him a three-year extension at ~$8.5-9M yearly because he will still be an outstanding receiving back. That's if we had the salary-cap space. Still need a power back, if Spiller isn't that guy. Spiller = the great unknown.

The true issue here is Telesco's inability to replace MGIII. Ekeler is a gigantic asset and not the problem.

There are more ways than one to construct a solid team, but I think the lack of a power back is a big hole. Reasonable minds may differ. Nobody is burning up my phone line to hire me as a team-construction-consultant. I wouldn't either. Many here are far better at that than I am.