RoanokeFan
06-01-2012, 07:48 PM
OSI UMENYIORA, GIANTS AGREE TO RESTRUCTURED CONTRACT (http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/06/osi_umenyiora_giants_agree_to.html)
"The contract strife that has clouded the relationship between the Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants/) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora for
the past few years seemingly has come to an end.
The Giants announced today that the club has reworked Umenyiora's contract.
The terms of which were not disclosed but the team announced the deal was
"restructured," as opposed to extended longer than this upcoming season.</p>
"I appreciate Osi’s patience and effort through this process,” Giants general
manager Jerry Reese said in an announcement released by the team. “We talked it
out, and it makes sense for everybody involved. We are very pleased, excited and
looking forward to seeing number 72 on the field at Monday’s OTA.”</p>
Said Umenyiora, "This gives me peace of mind, definitely. We just resolved a
situation. It really was affecting me in a bad way. Because I didn’t like all
the negativity that was surrounding the whole situation. I couldn’t stand it,
because if you know me, you know I’m not that type of person. I’m just happy all
that is over with and I’ll be there. I’ll play out this contract, I’ll play this
year and I’ll play my heart out.”</p>
Umenyiora's absence from the Giants' voluntary organized training activities
this offseason has been conspicuous. There had been much speculation about
whether he would show up for the only mandatory event of the spring, which is
the full-squad minicamp from June 11-13.</p>
The mystery has now been eliminated. Umenyiora said in the team's release he
will be alongside his teammates Monday.</p>
“I’ll be there,” Umenyiora said. “I can’t wait. I’m all in. Like Antrel
(Rolle) says, 'I’m all in.'”</p>
The financial terms of the contract have yet to be fully revealed but someone
informed of the communcation between the sides said the Giants were recently
offering a bump to the final season of Umenyiora's contract. The person
requested anonymity because the negotiations were to remain private.</p>
Umenyiora was scheduled to earn $3.975 million in base salary this season.
The person said the Giants were offering to add $2-2.5 million in a signing
bonus plus another $500,000 or so in a roster bonus and one more bonus if he
reaches 10 sacks. The offer included an easily voidable 2013 season, which would
allow the team to spread the cap hit over two seasons. It's unclear if the final
agreement wound up in that range, but it's likely close to those numbers.</p>
The Giants' offer (which, again, is likely in the neighborhood of the final
deal) would benefit both sides because the team would get another season out of
a two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher while Umenyiora, 30, would basically double his
salary this season while setting himself up for a big payday next offseason as
an unrestricted free agent. The carrot of hitting the market next spring also
helps the Giants, as Umenyiora will remain motivated this season to prove he
deserves a big contract.</p>
Umenyiora <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/05/giants_osi_umenyiora_fires_age.html">confirmed
to The Star-Ledger Thursday he parted ways with agent Tony Agnone</a> this week.
The timing of the firing and the contract extension indicates Agnone might have
been a road block to this deal. (Not to mention the 3 percent fee Agnone would
have received. On a contract of $7.5 million, that's $225,000 Umenyiora gets to
keep. 7:00 p.m. UPDATE I'm told Umenyiora would still owe his original agent
on the money that was negotiated back in 2006. So he'd save the fee on the $3
million or so extra, which would equate to $100,000-plus.)</p>
Politics aside, Umenyiora is pleased to put aside haggling over a new
contract, which has been drawn out through the end of the NFL lockout last
summer.</p>
“I’m just happy, I’m happy all that’s over with,” Umenyiora said. “It’s time
to get back to work. It was definitely frustrating (not being on the field this
spring), but <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/05/giants_mathias_kiwanuka_comes.html">hearing
some of the things they said, whether it was Kiwi</a> or (Justin) Tuck or (Jason
Pierre-Paul) or Antrel (Rolle) – hearing the way they supported me, it made me
want to come back even more and be around them. Those guys really stepped up for
me. I really appreciate it and I’m happy to be here with them."</p>
"The contract strife that has clouded the relationship between the Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants/) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora for
the past few years seemingly has come to an end.
The Giants announced today that the club has reworked Umenyiora's contract.
The terms of which were not disclosed but the team announced the deal was
"restructured," as opposed to extended longer than this upcoming season.</p>
"I appreciate Osi’s patience and effort through this process,” Giants general
manager Jerry Reese said in an announcement released by the team. “We talked it
out, and it makes sense for everybody involved. We are very pleased, excited and
looking forward to seeing number 72 on the field at Monday’s OTA.”</p>
Said Umenyiora, "This gives me peace of mind, definitely. We just resolved a
situation. It really was affecting me in a bad way. Because I didn’t like all
the negativity that was surrounding the whole situation. I couldn’t stand it,
because if you know me, you know I’m not that type of person. I’m just happy all
that is over with and I’ll be there. I’ll play out this contract, I’ll play this
year and I’ll play my heart out.”</p>
Umenyiora's absence from the Giants' voluntary organized training activities
this offseason has been conspicuous. There had been much speculation about
whether he would show up for the only mandatory event of the spring, which is
the full-squad minicamp from June 11-13.</p>
The mystery has now been eliminated. Umenyiora said in the team's release he
will be alongside his teammates Monday.</p>
“I’ll be there,” Umenyiora said. “I can’t wait. I’m all in. Like Antrel
(Rolle) says, 'I’m all in.'”</p>
The financial terms of the contract have yet to be fully revealed but someone
informed of the communcation between the sides said the Giants were recently
offering a bump to the final season of Umenyiora's contract. The person
requested anonymity because the negotiations were to remain private.</p>
Umenyiora was scheduled to earn $3.975 million in base salary this season.
The person said the Giants were offering to add $2-2.5 million in a signing
bonus plus another $500,000 or so in a roster bonus and one more bonus if he
reaches 10 sacks. The offer included an easily voidable 2013 season, which would
allow the team to spread the cap hit over two seasons. It's unclear if the final
agreement wound up in that range, but it's likely close to those numbers.</p>
The Giants' offer (which, again, is likely in the neighborhood of the final
deal) would benefit both sides because the team would get another season out of
a two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher while Umenyiora, 30, would basically double his
salary this season while setting himself up for a big payday next offseason as
an unrestricted free agent. The carrot of hitting the market next spring also
helps the Giants, as Umenyiora will remain motivated this season to prove he
deserves a big contract.</p>
Umenyiora <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/05/giants_osi_umenyiora_fires_age.html">confirmed
to The Star-Ledger Thursday he parted ways with agent Tony Agnone</a> this week.
The timing of the firing and the contract extension indicates Agnone might have
been a road block to this deal. (Not to mention the 3 percent fee Agnone would
have received. On a contract of $7.5 million, that's $225,000 Umenyiora gets to
keep. 7:00 p.m. UPDATE I'm told Umenyiora would still owe his original agent
on the money that was negotiated back in 2006. So he'd save the fee on the $3
million or so extra, which would equate to $100,000-plus.)</p>
Politics aside, Umenyiora is pleased to put aside haggling over a new
contract, which has been drawn out through the end of the NFL lockout last
summer.</p>
“I’m just happy, I’m happy all that’s over with,” Umenyiora said. “It’s time
to get back to work. It was definitely frustrating (not being on the field this
spring), but <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/05/giants_mathias_kiwanuka_comes.html">hearing
some of the things they said, whether it was Kiwi</a> or (Justin) Tuck or (Jason
Pierre-Paul) or Antrel (Rolle) – hearing the way they supported me, it made me
want to come back even more and be around them. Those guys really stepped up for
me. I really appreciate it and I’m happy to be here with them."</p>