Javon Walker is NOT coming back to Green Bay

[hoffdaddy 1]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=411548

 

No means no

Walker runs a no-route, with stiff-arm for Packers

By BOB McGINN

bmcginn@journalsentinel.com

Posted: March 28, 2006

 

Green Bay - What part of “no” don’t the Green Bay Packers understand?

 

Javon Walker's 2005 season ended in Week 1 in Detroit when he injured his right knee. He has vowed it will be his last game as a Packer.

 

In an interview Tuesday morning, Javon Walker’s stepfather said not money, not the passage of time and not the retirement of Brett Favre could change the wide receiver’s aversion for the team that drafted him in the first round in 2002.

 

“They could give him a $15 million signing bonus and he would decline it,” Charles Goldsmith said. “I think everybody is thinking it’s going to blow over and Javon’s going to show up. He’s not showing up. I mean, he is absolutely not showing up. Period. At all.”

 

During a 35-minute conversation, there were 23 occasions in which Goldsmith categorically and almost matter-of-factly said Walker’s days as a Packer were over.

 

Last month, Goldsmith sat next to Walker when he discussed his future with coach Mike McCarthy for about half an hour.

 

“He said, ‘It has nothing to do with you,’” Goldsmith said. “He said, ‘I don’t want to play in Green Bay ever again and I’m not coming back.’ He said, ‘If you force me to come back, you’re really going to have a terrible cancer on your hands.’

 

“He doesn’t want to do like ‘T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) did and cause a big disturbance. He doesn’t want to do what Mike McKenzie did. We really tried to handle this very professional. I talked to Ted (Thompson). He talked to McCarthy. Kennard (McGuire) talked to both of them. We talked to Andrew (Brandt). And they just refused.”

 

Neither Thompson, the general manager, nor team President Bob Harlan would comment Tuesday on Goldsmith’s remarks.

 

On Jan. 20, Goldsmith said he had a 30-minute conversation with Thompson in which he spelled out precisely why his stepson would never play again for the Packers and that he wanted to be traded.

 

“He told me, ‘Charles, certainly the last thing I want to do is trade Javon,’” Goldsmith said. “‘But, if he’s unhappy, I have to take all this stuff under consideration. I can’t promise you anything.’”

 

McGuire, the agent for Walker, not only requested a trade but also asked Thompson for permission to shop his client. Thompson refused.

 

Even though Walker underwent knee surgery Oct. 7 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn meniscus cartilage, there’s little doubt that the Packers could trade him. It might be an all-time weak year in the draft for wide receivers, and as a result a slew of commonplace wide receivers has received more lucrative contracts than expected in free agency.

 

At this point, the crop of free-agent wide receivers has been picked clean.

 

On Tuesday, the Rocky Mountain News reported that the Denver Broncos had made informal inquiries about acquiring Walker. Thompson said teams talk all the time about trades but declined specifically to discuss the report.

 

Does Goldsmith ultimately expect the Packers to trade Walker, as they did with the disgruntled McKenzie in October 2004?

 

“I think they will,” he said. “I don’t think they’re going to have much of a choice. We’re hoping that some rational thought will take place and Ted will realize that, hey, even if you go to the end of this year, you’re going to lose him and you get nothing in return.”

 

If push comes to shove, Walker could report for the final six games, the minimum necessary for him to gain an accrued season and fulfill his original five-year contract. However, the Packers could place the franchise tag on Walker next February and retain his services.

 

On Sunday, Goldsmith and his wife, Bernita, arrived in Green Bay to arrange for all of Walker’s belongings to be shipped and to put his Green Bay house up for sale. Goldsmith, a senior vice president for Primerica Financial Services in Houston, is married to Javon’s mother and said he had been closely involved in his stepson’s life since seventh grade.

 

Walker hasn’t been in Green Bay other than a brief end-of-season exit interview and refused to accompany his parents this week.

 

“Javon just doesn’t like the environment,” Goldsmith said. “It’s not just Brett. It’s the team. There have been a lot of things that have been done to him underhanded that he knows about. He does not enjoy Green Bay and does not enjoy even thinking about Green Bay.”

 

If the Packers ignore Walker’s trade demands and sit on him, Goldsmith thinks it could hurt them in the long run.

 

“Most people don’t realize that most of these players are friends and they talk,” Goldsmith said. “They have their own little fraternity. Other players are watching what’s happening with Javon and Green Bay.

 

“They watched how Green Bay let those two guards get away and let somebody else pay them more money. They watched how Darren Sharper had to go to Minnesota. They watched how (Ryan) Longwell signed with Minnesota and didn’t even give Green Bay the opportunity to match it.

 

“They’re watching what (Aaron) Kampman went through to try to get his money right up to free agency. Ahman Green played here and got all those yards and he gets a one-year sorry contract. There was the Bubba Franks thing.

 

“They see this stuff and, after a while, this situation with Javon will not help Green Bay at all attracting players. I mean, they treat their players terrible. And it’s not like they don’t have the money.”

 

As much as Favre’s words stung last spring when Walker was preparing to hold out with two years left on his deal, Goldsmith said lack of response by management might have poisoned his stepson’s relationship with the team even more.

 

“I told Ted you could have just come out with a statement and said, ‘Brett does not speak for the team. We just handle all these matters internally,’” Goldsmith said. “But I told Ted, ‘You said absolutely nothing. How can you sit up there and let a player rip another player and then expect him to come back and expect him to be best of buddies and win together?’ That’s not the real world.

 

“Who’s running the team? Does Brett run the team or does Ted run the team?”

 

If Favre quits, Walker’s disgust with the Packers would not change, according to his stepfather.

 

“Javon is not fond of Brett,” Goldsmith said. “All that stuff on the field when they score touchdowns and they’re high-fiving, that’s for show. He just doesn’t want to play with him anymore.

 

“Last year, Brett Favre did something that I thought was wrong. I wish someone would tell Brett, ‘What if someone blasted one of your daughters on national TV? What would you do?’

 

“He didn’t even pick up a phone as a leader and call Javon. Never has he once called Javon. He didn’t have to go to the media.

 

“Then to have other people, other players come out and talk about that. Even Bart Starr said that Brett Favre has the right to do that. He has nothing to do with this.

 

“Brett said he was prepared to move on without Javon. Well, you moved on quite well, Brett. You threw 29 interceptions. If anybody would look at the film, they’d see those balls Brett Favre would just throw up into the air and Javon somehow magically goes and gets them.”

 

Walker, 27, is back and forth between Houston and Tallahassee, Fla., where he is studying to complete his undergraduate degree at Florida State. The house he is selling in Green Bay was purchased about two years ago from defensive end Jamal Reynolds, his former Florida State teammate.

 

His base salary for 2006 is $1.15 million.

 

In something of a surprise, Walker ended his threatened holdout and reported in time for the start of training camp in 2005. The influence of his stepfather was evident in his decision.

 

"I told Javon, 'You need to go back,'" Goldsmith said. "He said, 'I don't want to go back.' I said, 'But we need to get this accrued season. You need four accured seasons to be an unrestricted free agent. Your leverage is very slim.'"

 

 

 

 

From the March 29, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

[listen2me 23 1,873]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=411548

 

No means no

Walker runs a no-route, with stiff-arm for Packers

By BOB McGINN

bmcginn@journalsentinel.com

Posted: March 28, 2006

 

Green Bay - What part of “no” don’t the Green Bay Packers understand?

 

Javon Walker's 2005 season ended in Week 1 in Detroit when he injured his right knee. He has vowed it will be his last game as a Packer.

 

In an interview Tuesday morning, Javon Walker’s stepfather said not money, not the passage of time and not the retirement of Brett Favre could change the wide receiver’s aversion for the team that drafted him in the first round in 2002.

 

“They could give him a $15 million signing bonus and he would decline it,” Charles Goldsmith said. “I think everybody is thinking it’s going to blow over and Javon’s going to show up. He’s not showing up. I mean, he is absolutely not showing up. Period. At all.”

 

During a 35-minute conversation, there were 23 occasions in which Goldsmith categorically and almost matter-of-factly said Walker’s days as a Packer were over.

 

Last month, Goldsmith sat next to Walker when he discussed his future with coach Mike McCarthy for about half an hour.

 

“He said, ‘It has nothing to do with you,’” Goldsmith said. “He said, ‘I don’t want to play in Green Bay ever again and I’m not coming back.’ He said, ‘If you force me to come back, you’re really going to have a terrible cancer on your hands.’

 

“He doesn’t want to do like ‘T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) did and cause a big disturbance. He doesn’t want to do what Mike McKenzie did. We really tried to handle this very professional. I talked to Ted (Thompson). He talked to McCarthy. Kennard (McGuire) talked to both of them. We talked to Andrew (Brandt). And they just refused.”

 

Neither Thompson, the general manager, nor team President Bob Harlan would comment Tuesday on Goldsmith’s remarks.

 

On Jan. 20, Goldsmith said he had a 30-minute conversation with Thompson in which he spelled out precisely why his stepson would never play again for the Packers and that he wanted to be traded.

 

“He told me, ‘Charles, certainly the last thing I want to do is trade Javon,’” Goldsmith said. “‘But, if he’s unhappy, I have to take all this stuff under consideration. I can’t promise you anything.’”

 

McGuire, the agent for Walker, not only requested a trade but also asked Thompson for permission to shop his client. Thompson refused.

 

Even though Walker underwent knee surgery Oct. 7 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn meniscus cartilage, there’s little doubt that the Packers could trade him. It might be an all-time weak year in the draft for wide receivers, and as a result a slew of commonplace wide receivers has received more lucrative contracts than expected in free agency.

 

At this point, the crop of free-agent wide receivers has been picked clean.

 

On Tuesday, the Rocky Mountain News reported that the Denver Broncos had made informal inquiries about acquiring Walker. Thompson said teams talk all the time about trades but declined specifically to discuss the report.

 

Does Goldsmith ultimately expect the Packers to trade Walker, as they did with the disgruntled McKenzie in October 2004?

 

“I think they will,” he said. “I don’t think they’re going to have much of a choice. We’re hoping that some rational thought will take place and Ted will realize that, hey, even if you go to the end of this year, you’re going to lose him and you get nothing in return.”

 

If push comes to shove, Walker could report for the final six games, the minimum necessary for him to gain an accrued season and fulfill his original five-year contract. However, the Packers could place the franchise tag on Walker next February and retain his services.

 

On Sunday, Goldsmith and his wife, Bernita, arrived in Green Bay to arrange for all of Walker’s belongings to be shipped and to put his Green Bay house up for sale. Goldsmith, a senior vice president for Primerica Financial Services in Houston, is married to Javon’s mother and said he had been closely involved in his stepson’s life since seventh grade.

 

Walker hasn’t been in Green Bay other than a brief end-of-season exit interview and refused to accompany his parents this week.

 

“Javon just doesn’t like the environment,” Goldsmith said. “It’s not just Brett. It’s the team. There have been a lot of things that have been done to him underhanded that he knows about. He does not enjoy Green Bay and does not enjoy even thinking about Green Bay.”

 

If the Packers ignore Walker’s trade demands and sit on him, Goldsmith thinks it could hurt them in the long run.

 

“Most people don’t realize that most of these players are friends and they talk,” Goldsmith said. “They have their own little fraternity. Other players are watching what’s happening with Javon and Green Bay.

 

“They watched how Green Bay let those two guards get away and let somebody else pay them more money. They watched how Darren Sharper had to go to Minnesota. They watched how (Ryan) Longwell signed with Minnesota and didn’t even give Green Bay the opportunity to match it.

 

“They’re watching what (Aaron) Kampman went through to try to get his money right up to free agency. Ahman Green played here and got all those yards and he gets a one-year sorry contract. There was the Bubba Franks thing.

 

“They see this stuff and, after a while, this situation with Javon will not help Green Bay at all attracting players. I mean, they treat their players terrible. And it’s not like they don’t have the money.”

 

As much as Favre’s words stung last spring when Walker was preparing to hold out with two years left on his deal, Goldsmith said lack of response by management might have poisoned his stepson’s relationship with the team even more.

 

“I told Ted you could have just come out with a statement and said, ‘Brett does not speak for the team. We just handle all these matters internally,’” Goldsmith said. “But I told Ted, ‘You said absolutely nothing. How can you sit up there and let a player rip another player and then expect him to come back and expect him to be best of buddies and win together?’ That’s not the real world.

 

“Who’s running the team? Does Brett run the team or does Ted run the team?”

 

If Favre quits, Walker’s disgust with the Packers would not change, according to his stepfather.

 

“Javon is not fond of Brett,” Goldsmith said. “All that stuff on the field when they score touchdowns and they’re high-fiving, that’s for show. He just doesn’t want to play with him anymore.

 

“Last year, Brett Favre did something that I thought was wrong. I wish someone would tell Brett, ‘What if someone blasted one of your daughters on national TV? What would you do?’

 

“He didn’t even pick up a phone as a leader and call Javon. Never has he once called Javon. He didn’t have to go to the media.

 

“Then to have other people, other players come out and talk about that. Even Bart Starr said that Brett Favre has the right to do that. He has nothing to do with this.

 

“Brett said he was prepared to move on without Javon. Well, you moved on quite well, Brett. You threw 29 interceptions. If anybody would look at the film, they’d see those balls Brett Favre would just throw up into the air and Javon somehow magically goes and gets them.”

 

Walker, 27, is back and forth between Houston and Tallahassee, Fla., where he is studying to complete his undergraduate degree at Florida State. The house he is selling in Green Bay was purchased about two years ago from defensive end Jamal Reynolds, his former Florida State teammate.

 

His base salary for 2006 is $1.15 million.

 

In something of a surprise, Walker ended his threatened holdout and reported in time for the start of training camp in 2005. The influence of his stepfather was evident in his decision.

 

"I told Javon, 'You need to go back,'" Goldsmith said. "He said, 'I don't want to go back.' I said, 'But we need to get this accrued season. You need four accured seasons to be an unrestricted free agent. Your leverage is very slim.'"

From the March 29, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

let him sit....like ive said before he wont get paid how he want here or even if he goes to another team...not this year anyway.....no one wants to throw big bucks at a WR coming off an ACL injury that hasnt really proved a thing yet...only way he gets his big pay day is if he plays this year and does good....if he sits no one will pay big bucks for a guy who hasnt played in 2 years of his prime and the last time he played he tore his ACL....the man is stupid if he thinks any good money is in his future the route he's taking...

[hoffdaddy 1]

“They watched how Green Bay let those two guards get away and let somebody else pay them more money. They watched how Darren Sharper had to go to Minnesota. They watched how (Ryan) Longwell signed with Minnesota and didn’t even give Green Bay the opportunity to match it.

 

“They’re watching what (Aaron) Kampman went through to try to get his money right up to free agency. Ahman Green played here and got all those yards and he gets a one-year sorry contract. There was the Bubba Franks thing.

 

“They see this stuff and, after a while, this situation with Javon will not help Green Bay at all attracting players. I mean, they treat their players terrible. And it’s not like they don’t have the money.”

 

 

 

You gotta be focking kidding me. This guy can't be serious? What "Aaron Kampan" went through? Did you see the contract he signed? And Ahman Green? Did you miss the part where he really likes Green Bay and was going to return no matter what, so he signed a one year deal? Did you miss his previous contract? And what "Bubba Franks" thing? The guy got his pay day too. Regardless of when they got it, these guys got focking paid. This a business. You don't just run around throwing money at people. How'd that work for Mike Sherman? (KGB, Ferguson, Joe Johnson, Cletidus Hunt)

 

What a focking moron. Javon has a beef. I get it. But let's not be ignorant here. Longwell leaving doesn't really bother me, it's the least of the concerns in Green Bay. Sharper may have been a bad move in retrospect.

 

However, this guy is focking delusional. That is all.

 

 

Oh, and I now I hope they let his ass sit and then put the franchise tag on him next year. Ass.

[Portis26 0]

yea right -- if the Packers gave him $15 million - he'd sign it in a heartbeat..

 

WHAT HAS HE DONE to DESERVE $15 Million anyways?

 

1 good season ain't Sh*t -- IMO -Let him go to Hotlanta and ge crushed by bad tosses, and them we'll see how good he is.

[hoffdaddy 1]

And another thing. Has this idiot bothered to notice Green Bay's approach to free agency?

 

Kevin Barry - OT

Colin Cole - DL

Rod Gardner - WR

Ahman Green - RB

William Henderson - RB

Cullen Jenkins - DL

Aaron Kampman - DL

Marquand Manuel - DB

Kenny Peterson - DL

Ryan Pickett - DL

Tracy White - LB

Harry Williams, Jr. - WR

 

8 out of 12 were Packers last year, and will be Packers this year.

 

Oh, and I don't think Donald Driver loved his contract not too long ago either, but you don't see him acting like an idiot.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=377873

Three years into a contract he signed months before he became eligible for unrestricted free agency, Driver, 30, is being paid like a No. 2 receiver. Nineteen months after he signed his contract, teammate Robert Ferguson signed a similar five-year, $10.87 million deal, basically putting the two on par financially.

 

Driver, who ranks tied for ninth in the NFL with 71 receptions, 14th with 940 receiving yards and tied for 25th with five receiving touchdowns, said he would love it if the Packers would address his contract, especially in light of the recent escalation in receiver salaries around the NFL.

 

But he said he absolutely would not press the issue. And would not hold out next year.

 

"I'm not that type of person to make someone pull the trigger," said Driver, who has been to the Pro Bowl once. "I've never been that type of person. I wouldn't do that to someone. I think the biggest thing is I've done what I can do. I'm under contract.

 

"I love Javon and I love Robert to death, but I've always felt like I had to be the guy because no one else has caught passes from Brett but me," Driver said. "If you have another guy come in and he leads the team in receptions, they think you're not the guy anymore. That's kind of how people looked at me and a lot of media shot me down and said he was done, it's over.

 

"Then I come back and Javon has 1,300 and I have 1,200 and they say Javon is the man. You take the playoffs at the end of the year we both finished with the same amount of catches, the same amount of yards."

 

Driver has been the heart and soul of a team that has been stripped of most of its offensive strength.

[Timinator 0]

Bummer. Doesn't help Walker and doesn't help the Packers. Good interview though. Goldsmith sounds like a stand-up guy.

 

It's a shame that any team's laundry gets run through the streets. Every NFL team is trying to get the best players they can for the least amount of money. You have to.

 

I supported Favre's right to his opinion. He's one of the leaders on the team and in the league. But maybe the Packers should have said Brett doesn't speak for the team, whether or not they shared his stance.

 

I like Walker. I hope something get ironed out--probably a trade. I wasn't opposed to paying him last year after he came back to the team. In fact, I've tought the Packers may have restructured the deal midseason had he not been injured. Walker was the lone bright spot in Sherman the GM's career.

 

Driver is a good WR, but he certainly needs some help and I don't trust Gardener or Ferguson. Is it Favre to someone not on the team now (Moulds)? Or is it just Rogers to Driver? The anticipation isn't as bad as you might imagine. What? Like we win the Super Bowl either way? Playoffs?!?

[Mike MacGregor 20]

As much as Favre’s words stung last spring when Walker was preparing to hold out with two years left on his deal, Goldsmith said lack of response by management might have poisoned his stepson’s relationship with the team even more.

 

“I told Ted you could have just come out with a statement and said, ‘Brett does not speak for the team. We just handle all these matters internally,’” Goldsmith said. “But I told Ted, ‘You said absolutely nothing. How can you sit up there and let a player rip another player and then expect him to come back and expect him to be best of buddies and win together?’ That’s not the real world.

 

“Who’s running the team? Does Brett run the team or does Ted run the team?”

 

If Favre quits, Walker’s disgust with the Packers would not change, according to his stepfather.

 

“Javon is not fond of Brett,” Goldsmith said. “All that stuff on the field when they score touchdowns and they’re high-fiving, that’s for show. He just doesn’t want to play with him anymore.

 

“Last year, Brett Favre did something that I thought was wrong. I wish someone would tell Brett, ‘What if someone blasted one of your daughters on national TV? What would you do?’

 

“He didn’t even pick up a phone as a leader and call Javon. Never has he once called Javon. He didn’t have to go to the media.

 

“Then to have other people, other players come out and talk about that. Even Bart Starr said that Brett Favre has the right to do that. He has nothing to do with this.

 

I like this part. Javon had better sack up if he can't take a little criticism.

 

I'm also confused at the "Bubba Franks thing"

[hoffdaddy 1]

Any respect I had for Walker is about gone now. This is moronic.

 

And Driver brings up a very good point. It's not like Walker blew away Drivers stats. In reality, they were damn near equal, stat wise. Not to mention, Walker did it one year, compared to Driver's several years. Yet Walker wants a huge payday, while Driver just says it's up to the team if they want to pay me more or not.

 

Walker = world class ass.

[Fumbleweed 547]

However, this guy is focking delusional. That is all.

 

Pretty much sums up my feelings on Javon Walker....and I'm not a Packers fan per se.

[hoffdaddy 1]

I like this part. Javon had better sack up if he can't take a little criticism.

 

I'm also confused at the "Bubba Franks thing"

 

Yeah. He wanted a new deal. The Packers transitioned him.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=343179

Unlike Walker, who has two years remaining on his contract, Franks has no contract and is prevented from reporting until he does. The team essentially kept Franks off the unrestricted free-agent market in February by designating him as a transition player.

 

Then, poor Bubba became one of the top five paid tight ends in the league.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=350611

By reaching agreement on the contract late Tuesday, Franks moved into the top five among tight ends in annual average of contract. Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez leads with an average of $4.785 million, followed by Baltimore's Todd Heap at $4.58 million and Atlanta's Alge Crumpler at $4.429 million.

 

Further proof that Javon Walker and his mouthpiece stepfather are idiots.

[Timinator 0]

Any respect I had for Walker is about gone now. This is moronic.

 

It's not like Walker blew away Drivers stats.

 

I don't think Walker was ever the starter that year either.

 

The whole thing sounds a lot like the McKenzie trade blowing up in the team's face. Now, anybody on the team thinks they can whine their way to New Orleans. Yeah, that's a big upgrade over Green Bay.

 

 

Then, poor Bubba became one of the top five paid tight ends in the league.

 

Further proof that Javon Walker and his mouthpiece stepfather are idiots.

 

Nice work, Hoff. You gotta get this as a sidebar item to all the Packers news outlets that ran this Goldmisth article.

[Walter34 3]

He held out last year, caved in and then in the end, what he was afraid would happen, did happen - a major injury. He probably feels like he would be better off today if he stuck to his guns last year. He has a right to be pissed off, but a good part of that is that he is PO'd at himself for giving in.

 

Its a bit naive on his part to expect a team to be loyal over the business of football, but we see team's extend that loyalty all the time. In his shoes, I would have been pissed at favre as well. Mind your own f'in business is what I would say / think.

 

Some other team will pay him and he will see this as a fresh start and "loyalty" on their part. Again, naive, but that's the way it appears to be. I would love it if Chi could get him somehow. He would fill a huge gap if he is recovered from his injury.

[bammbamm 0]

I think Javon needs to grow up a little bit. He sure sounds like a first class dipsh!t. I like the quote from his step-father where he said he doesnt want to be like T.O. Newsflash - It's too late, you already are. What a dumba$$.

[Fumbleweed 547]

He held out last year, caved in and then in the end, what he was afraid would happen, did happen - a major injury. He probably feels like he would be better off today if he stuck to his guns last year. He has a right to be pissed off, but a good part of that is that he is PO'd at himself for giving in.

 

Its a bit naive on his part to expect a team to be loyal over the business of football, but we see team's extend that loyalty all the time. In his shoes, I would have been pissed at favre as well. Mind your own f'in business is what I would say / think.

 

Some other team will pay him and he will see this as a fresh start and "loyalty" on their part. Again, naive, but that's the way it appears to be. I would love it if Chi could get him somehow. He would fill a huge gap if he is recovered from his injury.

 

I hear what you're saying, but he never should have held out in the first place....it was stupid. One good season and he wants top WR money. You've gotta do it for more than one season. Walker wasn't established enough last year to be holding out. Besides, he was a first round draft pick, and first round picks get paid pretty decently with their first contract.

 

Is what Favre did wrong? Possibly. But, like I said, Javon hadn't earned the right to be holding out, either. Peerless Price, Germane Crowell, and others have had one very good season. You've got to do it at least two seasons to start clamoring for big money.

[hoffdaddy 1]

He held out last year, caved in and then in the end, what he was afraid would happen, did happen - a major injury. He probably feels like he would be better off today if he stuck to his guns last year. He has a right to be pissed off, but a good part of that is that he is PO'd at himself for giving in.

 

Its a bit naive on his part to expect a team to be loyal over the business of football, but we see team's extend that loyalty all the time. In his shoes, I would have been pissed at favre as well. Mind your own f'in business is what I would say / think.

 

Some other team will pay him and he will see this as a fresh start and "loyalty" on their part. Again, naive, but that's the way it appears to be. I would love it if Chi could get him somehow. He would fill a huge gap if he is recovered from his injury.

 

You know what, if it's the beef with Favre that is the issue, fine. I can understand that. But to act like it's the organization and use Bubba Franks as an example (who, IMO, is overpaid) is just plain stupid.

[Fumbleweed 547]

I think the idea that Bubba Franks is overpaid is just plain ol' fact........

[remote controller 143]

Good riddance to bad trash! Though it would be fun to watch him or do some sit ups on his driveway!!! I would love to see the Pack get a 2nd rounder for him, though it would be real fun to watch him go the route of Keyshawn and TO and simply be benched and not allowed to travel with the team.

[Walter34 3]

You know what, if it's the beef with Favre that is the issue, fine. I can understand that. But to act like it's the organization and use Bubba Franks as an example (who, IMO, is overpaid) is just plain stupid.

 

yeah, that is pretty silly using Bubba to make your case. Its probably a combination of everything that has him pissed. Not saying he is justified at all by the way.

[hoffdaddy 1]

yeah, that is pretty silly using Bubba to make your case. Its probably a combination of everything that has him pissed. Not saying he is justified at all by the way.

 

And not only Bubba, but then to bring up Kampan, who just signed a nice deal. And Green, who stated all along he wanted to stay in Green Bay. Honestly, delusional is the only way to describe this. I mean, this is how the NFL works isn't it?

[adam smitty 0]

Javon Walker is a BIG baby. I hope he leaves and plays for Minnesota!

[Sho Nuff 720]

He held out last year, caved in and then in the end, what he was afraid would happen, did happen - a major injury. He probably feels like he would be better off today if he stuck to his guns last year. He has a right to be pissed off, but a good part of that is that he is PO'd at himself for giving in.

 

Its a bit naive on his part to expect a team to be loyal over the business of football, but we see team's extend that loyalty all the time. In his shoes, I would have been pissed at favre as well. Mind your own f'in business is what I would say / think.

 

Some other team will pay him and he will see this as a fresh start and "loyalty" on their part. Again, naive, but that's the way it appears to be. I would love it if Chi could get him somehow. He would fill a huge gap if he is recovered from his injury.

 

Im a bit tired of the mind your own business part...

 

Javon made it everyone's business the minute he and Drew put it out there through the media.

 

You know what, if it's the beef with Favre that is the issue, fine. I can understand that. But to act like it's the organization and use Bubba Franks as an example (who, IMO, is overpaid) is just plain stupid.

 

Agreed...had we not paid Bubba that much Vernon Davis looks like one hell of a pick for the Pack this year.

 

 

 

 

And not only Bubba, but then to bring up Kampan, who just signed a nice deal. And Green, who stated all along he wanted to stay in Green Bay. Honestly, delusional is the only way to describe this. I mean, this is how the NFL works isn't it?

 

Kampman is funny too...Thompson sort of dropped the ball there...but being a new GM perhaps did not know what he had in Kamp...but had he signed him before last season...it would have been cheaper.

 

using Kampman is funny given he got more the way Green Bay handled it, then if they would have redone his deal before last season.

[Walter34 3]

Im a bit tired of the mind your own business part...

 

fine, but that is how I would see it if I was in his shoes. I wouldnt "hold out", but at the same time would not want my teammates butting in.

 

Think about it in terms of your own job. Your co-worker who makes a ton more money and is on the verge of retiring is telling everyone that you need to stop complaining and get to work?

[Sho Nuff 720]

fine, but that is how I would see it if I was in his shoes. I wouldnt "hold out", but at the same time would not want my teammates butting in.

 

Think about it in terms of your own job. Your co-worker who makes a ton more money and is on the verge of retiring is telling everyone that you need to stop complaining and get to work?

 

How does that really equate?

 

Now...if I was in the papers complaining about my pay and how I did great work that one year and will not show up and work hard unless I get a raise... Id expect others to blast that decision.

[listen2me 23 1,873]

fine, but that is how I would see it if I was in his shoes. I wouldnt "hold out", but at the same time would not want my teammates butting in.

 

Think about it in terms of your own job. Your co-worker who makes a ton more money and is on the verge of retiring is telling everyone that you need to stop complaining and get to work?

 

 

Yea...ok so if you bring your job into the papers...and go public so everyone knows about it....why be so sensitive when your teammate simply says thats not the way to deal with it and he needs to get to camp...

 

I mean grow up and stop crying ......its his fault for bringing attention to the situation by holding out and going on air about it....anyone who thinks favre is so much in the wrong can keep cryin with javon....and the rest of us will give you all a bottle...

 

Its javons fault!!!! for it even being a topic...!!!

[Force of Two 0]

At least his stepfather got one thing right...>Favre blows now....he plays like one of the sissy kids playing kill the man with the ball...what he did in his last two playoff games is shameful and I am shocked that even Packer fans done cry out about his play more often.

 

The interceptions against the Eagles were downright abominations and looked like he didnt want to get hit and that under handed throw he made in the Minnesota game when they were still in it and about to score (which looked to me like he didnt want to get hit there either) are unforgivable......I dont care who you are.

[Crestwood 0]

just wow. he ripped hard in that one

 

although its pretty ghey that walker is using his stepdad to get his point across. like we all know that this is walkers opinion of it, so be a man and say it yourself and dont get daddy to do it

[Arsenal 3]

Favre would never have said anything last year if Walker had not first turned the thing into a media battle. Is Favre just supposed to say "no comment" when asked about it? Its not like he was holding a press conference to talk about Walker, he was just asked for his opinion and gave it.

 

I also think that the Packers would have offered Walker a nice extension half way through last season if things were going well. As a player you have to prove that you are more than a one-season wonder before expecting the huge pay day. Walker's injury was extremly unfortunate, for both him and the Packers but that ###### happens, its part of football. In any event, the situation really just validates that the Packers made a good decision... how would it have been fair to pay the guy huge money based on one season only to have him not play. Not to mention, with this guys attitude, I'd be hesitant to give him much garunteed money anyway. Who knows if Walker will ever be the same reciever he was, many people don't come back from those injuries very well. If I were Walker, I'd be pretty pissed off and bitter as well, but at the same time he needs to realize that this is not some unique situation with the Packers.

 

At any rate, I doubt the Packers will get much for him in a trade unless he is really back to 100% already (and how would we know that if he doesn't play?). They will sit on him, and he will come back to play a few games to fullfill his contract so he can become a FA. If he comes back and plays well, he will get a good contract offer from the Packers and if he declines it, he will likely be tagged. If he doesn't play well, he will hit the FA market and get underpaid. Suck it up Walker, come play some football.

[bammbamm 0]

Javon Walker is a BIG baby. I hope he leaves and plays for Minnesota!

who is going to throw him the ball? i know you are trying to be funny but childress just got rid of one 'me first' baby so i dont think he would want another one.

[Blackgums100 0]

How can you Packers fans really be happy with the direction your team is going?

 

Walker is a smart man to get out of Dodge. I agree his knee is a big question mark but he was a better WR 2 years ago then Driver.

[swamp dog 0]

ouch

[hoffdaddy 1]

How can you Packers fans really be happy with the direction your team is going?

 

but he was a better WR 2 years ago then Driver.

 

 

It's called 'patience.' Mike Sherman left this team in shambles, and it's up to Thompson to pick up the pieces. That ain't happening overnight.

 

And Walker may have been better, but not by much. Check the numbers. Five catches, three touchdowns and 170 yards is all that seperated them. It amazes me how little respect Driver gets. Certainly, it's mutually beneficial for them to be on the field together, but Driver is a hell of a receiver in his own right.

[packakegger 2]

His base salary for 2006 is $1.15 million.

 

 

What was his signing bonus, around $3 million also?

[Sho Nuff 720]

How can you Packers fans really be happy with the direction your team is going?

 

Walker is a smart man to get out of Dodge. I agree his knee is a big question mark but he was a better WR 2 years ago then Driver.

 

How can we be happy? Because I can see more than 1 year down the road in terms of what I am willing to accept.

 

I know what TT is trying to do first by getting rid of Sherman's errors...and building from there.

He started on defense...a defense which is still very young, but already showed improvements last year. He is not going out and paying an aging veteran a ton of money and getting us back into the cap mess that guy them to this point.

 

Nothing Walker has said or done has led me to believe he is being smart.

 

Better 2 years ago than Driver? Not by much. And they are different types of WRs.

[uubeee 0]

Let him sit. If he wants to cry like a baby, send him to time out. If he sits out the year, his contract extends another year. His problem. Shut up and show up or prepare to flip burgers.

 

I once thought we should pay the man. I don't anymore.

 

Keep digging Javon. Just keep digging....Jackass

[swamp dog 0]

Let him sit. If he wants to cry like a baby, send him to time out. If he sits out the year, his contract extends another year. His problem. Shut up and show up or prepare to flip burgers.

 

I once thought we should pay the man. I don't anymore.

 

Keep digging Javon. Just keep digging....Jackass

 

the problem with that is the same problem as owens/philly: even if walker isn't with the team or practicing with the team, he and his issue are still dominating the landscape at lambeau and being a huge-ass distraction.

 

until he's gone, that's ALL the media will talk about (assuming favre comes back and there isn't a qb controversy).

 

you gotta cut the cord on him.

[uubeee 0]

the problem with that is the same problem as owens/philly: even if walker isn't with the team or practicing with the team, he and his issue are still dominating the landscape at lambeau and being a huge-ass distraction.

 

until he's gone, that's ALL the media will talk about (assuming favre comes back and there isn't a qb controversy).

 

you gotta cut the cord on him.

 

 

I agree and disagree.

 

I agree with you about the distraction factor.

 

I diagree with you because to allow the Walker and Owens types the ability to complain only feeds their egos and desire to be in the spotlight.

 

Here's how I think it should go down.

 

The Packers should issue a "gag order" on all players and personel about discussing anything Javon Walker to any outside source. The Packers should issue "no comment" to any question about the subject.

 

Basically let Javon spout off and dig his own grave. Unlike TO, Javon has to show up at some point this season or his contract extends to the next season. He would in effect still be property of the Packers.

 

If the Packers get an offer worthy, then go for it. If not, let him sit and blow his own shot at millions. We must not cave in as an organization to 1 player. He is not in charge, he does not control his own destiny.

[Blackgums100 0]

Taking a hard line just hasn't worked well. So either adapt or lose out. It was handled so poorly, they now have almost no way of signing a young WR that looked close to becoming a future star.

 

My point is you keep taking a hard line and good luck getting pro bowl caliber free agents. Pack fans had better hope they have great drafts over the next couple of years.

[uubeee 0]

Taking a hard line just hasn't work well. So either adapt or lose out. It was handled so poorly, they now have almost no way of signing a young WR that looked close to becoming a future star.

 

My point is you keep taking a hard line and good luck getting pro bowl caliber free agents. Pack fans had better hope they have great drafts over the next couple of years.

 

 

Philly has been taking a hard line for years. Players still want to go there. It isn't a one size fits all situation. GB is trying to build around the young talented team with young FA's and good drafts. At some point, all teams will have to take a hard line. TO, Walker, etc, it will only become more of a problem in the future unless teams decide enough is enough. Deal with it now, or deal with it later.

[Blackgums100 0]

Philly has been taking a hard line for years. Players still want to go there. It isn't a one size fits all situation. GB is trying to build around the young talented team with young FA's and good drafts. At some point, all teams will have to take a hard line. TO, Walker, etc, it will only become more of a problem in the future unless teams decide enough is enough. Deal with it now, or deal with it later.

 

Why compare Walker to TO, not even in the same league.

[uubeee 0]

Why compare Walker to TO, not even in the same league.

 

Simply because from my view it's very close to the same thing.

 

TO complains about contract, Walker complains about contract

TO holds out, Walker holds out.

TO goes to the press, Walker goes to the press

TO shows up, Walker shows up

Different year, same thing.

TO has someone else speaking for him, Walker has someone else speaking for him.

 

The only difference between the 2 is TO is top 3 talent at WR regardless of where he goes. Walker is talented, but hasn't shown that talent multiple years.