Glenn twists in the wind

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This article was published 11/02/2009 (6266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Kevin Glenn trade talks have morphed into a game of financial ‘chicken’ by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the quarterback himself.

The Bombers recently gave the Ticats permission to speak to Glenn about reworking his current contract — including a hefty bonus believed to be in the range of $50,000 and due on March 1 — to accommodate a deal, but those discussions have stalled over the past couple of days. Essentially, as much as the Ticats are interested in dealing for Glenn, they don’t want to be on the hook for the bonus. At the same time, Glenn doesn’t want to take a pay cut while the Bombers weigh whether to pay the sum if it helps complete the trade or release him outright and not receive anything for the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player in 2007.

 

And all the while Glenn waits and not only wonders where his next football home will be, but how much of a hit his paycheque is going to take.

"It’s not really that frustrating because this stuff is part of the game," Glenn said from Detroit. "What’s hard is not knowing where you’re going to be playing. I don’t know that right now and won’t know until (Winnipeg and Hamilton) make a decision. But what can I do about it but wait and see?

"I have no control with this. (The Bombers) can say, ‘We had Hamilton talk to you and you couldn’t get anything done’ but in all honesty, if I’m a GM and I know a team is trying to trade a guy, am I going to try and get him for exactly what he’s worth (financially) or low-ball him knowing his team is trying to trade him? I don’t think anybody owes anybody anything in this kind of situation. Why would one team do another team a favour?"

Bomber head coach Mike Kelly said Tuesday that the club has shopped Glenn around the CFL, but that interest was "lukewarm at best."

So now comes the $50,000 question for all three parties: Do the Ticats pay the bonus knowing they get a proven veteran to push rising star Quinton Porter, allowing them to release Casey Printers — who is making considerably more than Glenn — or wait until he is released and try to negotiate with him then? Do the Bombers attempt to work a deal with Glenn and/or the Ticats to restructure the bonus in order to facilitate a trade? Or do the Bombers outright release Glenn before the bonus is due and then use that money in free agency or toward signing another player — knowing they then get officially nothing for their starting QB over the past 41/2 years?

"There’s a lot of different scenarios we could get into," said Kelly. "We want to see how things play out over the next week in free agency and evaluate where we are. I don’t want to string Kevin along, that’s not my intention at all. We want to do right by the kid. But we also want to make sure we make the right business decision and things don’t always move along as rapidly as people would like them to.

"We’re hoping that talks between (Ticat GM) Bob (O’Billovich) and Kevin would work out but we don’t have any part of that negotiation process. We’re trying to accommodate Kevin, but he may have to come to the realization that people across the league may not view him as a starting-salary-calibre player and he’s going to have to have an incentive-laden contract if he’s going to play."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

blue hand potential free agents some solid offers c5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pros and cons

to be weighed

 

THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers have made no secret of their desire to trade Kevin Glenn, but a number of issues — including an impending salary bonus — are holding up the deal. Only one team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, has expressed an interest in Glenn. Why?

 

Glenn’s upside

 

Experienced CFL pivot who doesn’t turn 30 until June;

Has started last 41..2 seasons with the Bombers;

His salary, estimated at around $250,000 including some bonuses, is less than Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo, Kerry Joseph in Toronto, Hamilton’s Casey Printers, Calgary’s Henry Burris and Edmonton’s Ricky Ray.

2007 East Division all-star and Most Outstanding Player finalist;

Has averaged 3,938 yards passing and 22 TDs in the last four years.

 

The downside

 

Threw for a league-high 20 interceptions in 2008;

Limited mobility — has never rushed for more than 194 yards in a season;

Some durability questions: missed games in 2005, 2006 and was injured for 2007 Grey Cup;

Since midway point of 2007, when he had thrown 14 TDs against just three interceptions, TD-to-interception ratio is 31-30.

Is due a salary bonus, rumoured to be $50,000 on March 1. Teams could force the Bombers’ hand and wait for Glenn to be released, then negotiate with him for a reworked deal worth less than his current contract.

 

— Tait