*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Jul 16, 1998: -- Bundren Signs, Other News --
** Jim Bundren Signs
Jim Bundren signed his new contract yesterday; a three year
deal worth a total of about $580,000 which includes a $36,000 signing
bonus. Bundren is the third draft choice to sign.
** Raymont Harris Info
Yesterday, I heard information stating that the Dolphins were
offering Raymont Harris a contract for about $800,000 a year.
However, according to Jason Cole of the Sun-Sentinel, the contract is
closer to a base of $400,000 per year with incentives that could raise
it to $1 million.
Also, the Herald reported that the Packers were offering
Harris a $1.3 million deal while the Sun-Sentinel reports that their
offer is closer to $800,000. The Green Bay News-Chronicle is
reporting that the Packers are offering $1.3 million per year.
The difference is important because it means that if Harris
were to start in Miami and earn his $1 million, then he could make
more money in Miami than he could in Green Bay - depending on who we
believe.
I suspect the difference is in how you count the signing
bonus. My best guess is that the $500,000 difference between the
Sun-Sentinel's figures and the others can be explained by a signing
bonus. If you count the signing bonus, the Green Bay offer is around
$1.3 million per year.
I have not been able to find any information on how much of a
signing bonus Miami might be offering.
There was a rumor that started yesterday on a fantasy football
website that the Dolphins had signed Harris to a contract, but a lack
of confirmation of this rumor on the Associated Press wire this
morning seems to indicate that there was no truth to it.
** More Lawrence Phillips Rumors
There are two tidbits of information about Phillips that come
out of this mornings' papers. The first is that the Herald is
reporting this morning that Phillips did, in fact, hit the woman he is
accused of hitting - after she struck him. The details, of course,
are unclear, but the latest story is that she either hit Phillips or
threw a drink at him and he hit her once in response.
According to the Armando Salguero, there was an altercation
between Michelle Black and Phillips that started as a shouting match,
progressed to either her hitting him or throwing her drink at him and
he responded with one hit of his open hand. This knocked her down
and caused her injuries.
The other rumor comes from Jason Cole of the Sun-Sentinel,
who reports this morning that JJ has been considering releasing
Phillips for the last 2 weeks. He states that a "source close to JJ"
told him that JJ has been talking about releasing Phillips for the last
2 weeks.
It is unclear whether or not the latest incident with Phillips
had anything to do with JJ's thoughts on releasing him, but the 2 week
time frame fits in with the date of Phillips' latest problems. It
also fits roughly with the amount of time that the Dolphins have been
seriously looking at Raymont Harris.
My Comments:
Note to Eddie Jones and Bob Ackles - Look, I know you're busy,
but how about signing a few more draft picks before camp opens next
week, hmmm?
The Packers and Falcons have signed all their draft picks
already. I know that the new salary cap is a little confusing, but if
they can do it, so can the Dolphins.
Note to JJ - Please open Wayne's wallet and sign Raymont
Harris. I know I wasn't all that enthusiastic about him earlier, but
I've changed my mind after reading about him and thinking about it
some more. Can't a guy change his mind once in a while?
After careful consideration, it's clear that Harris has proven
more in the NFL than any other player currently on the roster. In
the future, that could certainly change, but right now, he's the best
available.
Besides, he can also play fullback. A backfield with Raymont
Harris and John Avery in it at the same time gives the team an endless
amount of flexibility.
Note to the Miami Herald Sports Editor - Reassign Armando
Salguero to the personals desk and hire Jason Cole away from the
Sun-Sentinel. Armando obviously wants to work on human tragedy.
If you want to know why I like Jason Cole a lot more than
Armando Salguero, just look at the difference in their two articles
today. Salguero writes like he's covering a scandal in the
government. He writes about who hit who and then interviews the
lawyer. He doesn't talk to the Dolphins, nor does he write about how
this will affect the team.
Jason Cole, on the other hand, writes about the team and about
Raymont Harris and how Phillips' scandal may affect the Dolphins.
It's just a personal preference, of course, but I'd rather
read about the team than about Michelle Black's lawyer.
Related Info:
[Return to Dolphins News]
Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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