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Dolphins News: Avery and Shaw Sign
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Dolphins News: Avery and Shaw Sign
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*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Jul 17, 1998: -- Avery and Shaw Sign --

** John Avery and Scott Shaw Sign

This morning, the Dolphins signed first round draft choice John Avery to a 5 year deal. Avery was taken by the Dolphins with the 29th pick overall in this year's draft after trading out of a higher position with the Green Bay Packers. Details of Avery's contract are unknown at this time, but his salary is likely to be in the $1 million per year range.

Talks were reportedly going slowly between Avery and the Dolphins because of disputes about the length of the contract. The Dolphins wanted a 5 or 6 year deal, which is consistent with most first round draft picks. Avery's agent was said to be holding out for a 4 year contract so that Avery could become a free agent after just 4 years in the league.

Also, 5th round draft pick Scott Shaw was signed to a contract today for 3 years at a salary of approximately $638,000, which includes a signing bonus of $98,000. Shaw and Avery are the 4th and 5th draft picks to sign this year.

With training camp opening for rookies next Tuesday, July 21st, the 5 draftees that remain unsigned are CB Patrick Surtain, LB Brad Jackson, DE Kenny Mixon, WR Larry Shannon and QB John Dutton. As of right now, the only information available on these 5 is that Brad Jackson is reportedly close to a deal.

** Tim Bowens Threatens Holdout

Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Tim Bowens, has threatened that his client may hold out of Dolphins training camp next week if he doesn't get the kind of contract that he's looking for. Rosenhaus is asking for a long term contract in the range of $5 million per year and the last known offer of the Dolphins is about $3 million.

As the Dolphins' franchise player, Bowens is guaranteed a contract that averages what the top 5 defensive tackles in the league made last season. However, with the increased television revenues, the $2.8 million guaranteed salary that Bowens must get will be low for a franchise player in the coming season.

My Comments:

Whew! It's always a relief when the number one guy signs, because he'll have the biggest salary and the highest expectations. In this case, it's particularly important, because Avery needs to be in camp from the very start if he's going to compete for the starting running back position.

Of the remaining players still not under contract, the one that I'm most concerned about is Patrick Surtain. Mid-second rounders seem to be hard for the Dolphins to sign these last few years and Surtain will need every minute of training camp to get ready for the season.

I would expect that Larry Shannon, Kenny Mixon, Brad Jackson and John Dutton will sign over the weekend sometime.

I don't think that it's very smart for Bowens to sit out much of training camp. He's good - but he's not that good - and JJ doesn't have to pay him a cent if he doesn't show up. I would expect that if he and the Dolphins can't come to some kind of arrangement in 2 weeks or so, that he'll report and play for the paltry $2.8 million that he's guaranteed this year. Then he'll be a free agent again at the end of 1998.

Of course, the Dolphins could use the franchise tag on him again next year, but that has two drawbacks. First of all, it would guarantee Bowens the average that the top 5 defensive tackles are making in the league in 1998, which will be in the $5 million to $6 million per year range.

And second, the Dolphins won't be able to use the franchise tag on Richmond Webb, who is in the last year of his contract.

It will be interesting to see how this drama plays out. Rosenhaus imagines himself to be the toughest agent in sports and will drive a hard bargain for Bowens. Bob Ackles has his work cut out for him.

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Curt Fennell, curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
     
   

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Curt Fennell
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DOLFAN in New England