Zoneblitz.com

On the eve of the beginning of the 2008 football season for most of the league Drew Rosenhaus has taken the opportunity to reiterate that his client, Anquan Boldin would like his employer, the Arizona Cardinals, to trade him.

Despite having three years left on his current deal he wants a new one that would put him among the highest-paid receivers in the league.

Rosenhaus emphasizes that he hopes Boldin is traded by the Oct. 14 trade deadline and adds that Boldin won’t re-sign with the Cardinals. “Essentially that bridge has been blown up,” Rosenhaus told the Arizona Republic. “He’s looking to play as hard as he can for the club, for his teammates, but the sooner he is traded, the better.”

That’s a great message for his teammates to hear as they prepare for San Francisco. “Hey guys, I’ll be out on the field with you, but it’ll be grudgingly. I really don’t want anything to do with this team anymore.”

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St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson clearly reads Zoneblitz.com.

After Zoneblitz posted a story saying he had fallen short of earning the right to holdout for a new contract, the potential superstar back ended his holdout, reporting to camp as his agent attempts to negotiate a new contract for him.

Okay, I don’t really expect that Jackson gives a crap about my opinion, nor need he or should he.

But while Jackson is a budding superstar who has clearly been productive he has yet to put up numbers reflecting his status for an entire season. In 2006, his best season, he put up 16 touchdowns, but 10 came in the final four weeks of the season after the Rams were out of the race.

The holdout may be affecting his fantasy status as well. It’s a small sample - actually a minute one - but my brother and I participated in our first fantasy draft of the season tonight. And Jackson, who by conventional wisdom is a top five pick, fell into the second round before being picked (who knows - maybe it reflects on us and our league-mates more than his overall status, but still…).

Jackson probably does deserve a new contract, or at least deserves it as much or more than most of the other guys out there that are whining and crying for new deals. But I respect the Rams’ stance on this particular issue - come into camp and we can talk. Otherwise, go ahead and hold out.

After all - as Zoneblitz said the other day - the Rams are just as capable of missing the playoffs without Jackson as they have been of missing the playoffs with him.

Wide receiver Anquan Boldin, entering his sixth season in the NFL, has requested that the Arizona Cardinals trade him, due to his unhappiness with his current contract, and his claim that the team has reneged on on an offer to re-do the deal.

“At the beginning of camp, I hadn’t asked for a trade,” Boldin said. “As of recently, we did.”

Boldin reached 400 career receptions faster than any other player in NFL history, and has 5,458 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career.  He has three years left on a four-year, $22.75 million extension he signed after the 2005 season, which keeps him under contract until 2010.

Asked if he thought the situation could be resolved, Boldin answered “No.”

“If I’m not going to be treated fairly, if my hard work and loyalty isn’t going to be rewarded here, then let me go somewhere where it’s going to be rewarded. That’s how I feel,” Boldin said.

Because nothing says hard work and loyalty like whining about your contract to the press, and trying to cause a distraction for the team as it prepares for its third preseason game.  Still, he’s not worried that the situation will hurt his reputation with fans:

“Anybody that knows me, that knows what kind of guy I am, they know I’m a hard worker,” he said. “I’m a guy that does the right things, on and off the field. I’m not worried about my reputation being tarnished for me telling the truth.”

Because, you know, fans have a long history of being more loyal to a player who wants to leave their city over the team that is less likely to leave.

We’ll give Boldin some credit–he’s not being as big of a douchebag so far as some of Drew Rosenhaus clients–but that might just be because Rosenhaus is too busy reminding TO how to stir things up in Dallas to fully devote attention to the lowly Cardinals.

But you signed the extension in 2005, and you have three years left on it–if you couldn’t get the renegotiation of the deal based on your performance in writing, then you shouldn’t have signed a deal if you knew you could out-play it.  Especially with a team as notorious for being cheap as the Cardinals.

Now you’re a co-number one receiver with a guy with a much bigger contract (despite inferior career numbers), and you’re causing a distraction for your team and asking to be traded–despite the fact that going to a new team would likely hurt your numbers this season, and hurt your long term value.

Shut up, play football, and maybe you’ll get lucky enough to get something done–contract or trade–at the end of the season, when it would be in everyone’s best interest.

Steven Jackson has held out for 22 days now missing two of his team’s preseason games. He’s seeking a new contract as he heads into his fifth season.

On its face, perhaps he’s earned it. He’s had three 1,000 yard seasons and scored 36 touchdowns in his career. But has he truly earned the right to hold out in hopes of scoring his big payday?

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About a week after his agent told reporters Ryan Grant was livid with the Green Bay Packers’ first contract offer, the running back has joined teammates in training camp after signing a 4-year, $30 million deal.

He had been an exclusive rights free agent but held out seeking a long-term contract.

Grant took control of a putrid Packers running game last season falling just short of 1,000 yards rushing in half a season as a starter. He figures to start again this year despite a strong camp thus far by Brandon Jackson, a second year player who disappointed as a rookie.

Grant’s biggest concern now is that several teammates have demanded that he take them out for dinner.

While Grant looked good last year we think he’s a risk as a fantasy player this season, especially if Aaron Rodgers wins the quarterback competition allegedly taking place between he and Brett Favre. Defenses have had an offseason to study him and they’ll also likely be keying on Grant to force the passing game to beat them. Expect a decent season but games where he looks nothing like the backfield savior he was last year.

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