He and his agent requested a trade, definitely after negotiations had happened, and he was roundly criticized for it - including by me.
The negotiations were ongoing, obviously, Mr. Local Football Savant . .. who said Vea should honor his contract because "that is how the NFL works"
Good grief Biggs, pick a flippin argument and stick to it.
Vea said . . . Â
That is PART of negotiating though, right? They got the deal done so obviously the negotiations were not over. Everyone putting way too much weight on the public pronouncements.Â
Mayfield also said it was over for the season etc. Wow . . . then a deal? Weird
When Vea had his hold in he has likely known for two years that the team's position was to not extend him . . and yet . . . somehow .. . it got done. Weird, again!
FWIW, thinking of a player's agent and Licht as two distant, warring camps that ONLY have formal, structured communications IS A COMPLETE MISTAKE. Way way way off base.Â
Vea's agent works for Vea BUT he and his agency also have a very important relationship with Licht because they need Licht, for other players like Goedeke, for example. And future players.
So these are NOT often acrimonious negotiations. They are much more often akin to working it out together (compromise) because they all need each other and, in most cases the team and the player want each other. Vea, Mayfield etc. And there is a very well defined market, so it is pretty straightforward.
Here's a really easy example you see every season that illustrates the point that they are all in it together. Every season you see agent, player and NFL teams together WAITING to do a deal between the team and their own player because everyone in the very small NFL community knows that another player is about to set the market with some other team. They are waiting because all three - player, agent and team - want to look good. They all want for NO ONE TO GET EGG ON THEIR FACE lol because, again, they are all in it together. This is one reason why the Mayfield contract works out on terms that are not much different than when they supposedly broke things off. The team, the player and agent are very often just "polishing" the deal to find a middle ground that also lets everyone claim "victory." Mayfield got his 3rd year . . . but it is not guaranteed. Mayfield got the "biggest bucs contract!" the agent loves that but again the Glazers already said theyd pay Mayfield. The Bucs got the deal done . . without moving much. They win TOO!
Every season same process over and over. I dont know because I was not involved but I can almost GUARANTEE you that almost the same day Mayfield publicly said the negotiations were over and it was all about ball . . he and his agent KNEW a deal was there to get done lol. The Bucs too. It almost always just Kabuki Theater because everyone wants the same thing, theres a market rate etc.
