Ekeler: Negotiated Incentives for 2023 Contract Year

[richpjr]

he can’t hold out, if he does it accomplishes nothing, he owes the charger a year of work under his current deal, if he holds out they retain his rights for 2024 as well…

He can’t hold out the entire season, but I thought players got credit for an accrued season for 6 games, so he could hold out for 11 games.

[jamrock]

So there is this big deal somewhere waiting for him next season that is going to motivate him to hold out, miss game checks and pay fines, take a hit to his professional image and locker room status that is all going to be worth it for him in the end?
wow. Well I guess I'm even more convinced that I want him gone after he plays 11plus games for us this year.
He'll be fresher for those 11 games plus playoffs and net us a 3rd round comp pick with this huge rb contract someone is willing to give him that's obviously much more than whatever slave extension deal Telesco was pitching back in March 2023.
not buying it, he will play because the money he is set to currently get is worth playing for, and he knows it. The only real risky choice is to actually holdout, he won't do it.

Again, he's a known commodity, we're in our last all-in year with our core 4 we just restructured. Telesco is feeling the heat, he isn't trading any known commodity that's going to help us win NOW.

2 caveats would be
1: If Moore suddenly decides Ekeler is holding this offense back so we should trade him now. Which is simular to Budsman's idea if I'm reading that right. No way. Telesco is already trying to extend him, this means we (Moore too) want him here beyond this season.
2. We trade for another veteran player to help us win now. Much more likelier at "seriously doubt it"

Ekeler has not even THREATENED a holdout, he's simply asking for permission to do his due diligence and compare Telesco's offer to whats out there.
this is what my dude Marty Schotty would call a, "non issue"
RIP

Once a guy looks around and feels the love from someone else, he’s gone.

if your theory is no one else will pay him ala Lamar then he learns that lesson too but you’re rolling the dice

[jamrock]

he can’t hold out, if he does it accomplishes nothing, he owes the charger a year of work under his current deal, if he holds out they retain his rights for 2024 as well…

He can do what VJ did and then MG III a few years later. Miss a chunk of the season, come in half heatedly and qualify for a season and go. Guys that don’t want to be on a team are locker room poison. Can’t have it.

all of a sudden that hamstring is sore or some other soft tissue issue that can’t be doubted. Etc.

[21&500]

He can’t hold out the entire season, but I thought players got credit for an accrued season for 6 games, so he could hold out for 11 games.

Okay well I might be confused about how many games counts for a season.
I really don't want management to get into a pissing match with Ekeler so with respect to everyone's thoights on the matter, I REALLY REALLY wish we're able to work out an extension that keeps him here through 2024 at least and that shouldn't be too hard.
If not possible, I'd consider bumping his pay this season and getting a comp pick after.
if he insists on a trade, I look for a proven player at a PON.

If it's picks, has to be a 2 or higher to be worth skipping the 3rd round comp pick.

[richpjr]

Okay well I might be confused about how many games counts for a season.
I really don't want management to get into a pissing match with Ekeler so with respect to everyone's thoights on the matter, I REALLY REALLY wish we're able to work out an extension that keeps him here through 2024 at least and that shouldn't be too hard.
If not possible, I'd consider bumping his pay this season and getting a comp pick after.
if he insists on a trade, I look for a proven player at a PON.

If it's picks, has to be a 2 or higher to be worth skipping the 3rd round comp pick.

I hate contract negotiations spilling over into the season. I had hoped we’d extended him and reduce this years salary number a bit while doing it. One of my favorite players and our only open field running threat.

Lots of questions:

Is he asking for crazy money? Is the team worried he is close to the age when RBs slow down? Just negotiations in the press? What could we get for him? How much would another team overpay him salary wise?

[Bolt4Knob]

And how one dimensional was our offense in that time? Ekeler was given a ton of opportunity that he wouldn’t have received elsewhere. While he is an amazing 3rd down back using and paying a third down back like a everydown back is bad for our offense. We need balance and Ekeler is not a balanced back. Sure it’s hard to replace his production in a Lombardi led passing first offense. But if we get an every down back that can make opposing defenses honest by not putting the entire offense on Herbert every down, we won’t need Ekeler to score those touchdowns because other players will.

This is how I see

The Chargers offense was not good last year. Too many short passes, too many third down attempts, terrible running game. That is not all on Austin Ekeler. Ekeler is very good player. But he needs to be a smaller part of the offense.

So the Chargers -- with a different scheme, and maybe an explosive WR or more explosive RB - will create more chunk plays thereby limiting the touches of Ekeler

Therefore - the Chargers -- if they are to get better - need Ekeler to touch the ball less so making his value less

I love the trade Wu put forth, flipping with the Bills and get another second and third or whatever that was

I don't think Ekeler will get what CMC got the Panthers - but I would take a 3/5 type deal

[Bolt4Knob]

He can do what VJ did and then MG III a few years later. Miss a chunk of the season, come in half heatedly and qualify for a season and go. Guys that don’t want to be on a team are locker room poison. Can’t have it.

all of a sudden that hamstring is sore or some other soft tissue issue that can’t be doubted. Etc.

Exactly. Chargers can't repeat Melvin Gordon. Plus, the Chargers will get 6m of cap space plus probably a draft pick or two. That will be valuable with the cap the way it is.

This is a no-brainer to me to trade him now that he asked for it.

Buffalo, Cincy, Washington, maybe the Bears.

[Bolt4Knob]

no trade scenario is going to net the chargers enough to recoup the lose in production from ekeler being gone…4 round pick at best will be offered…what is that going to do for the team? Unless you think a 4rth rounder or worse is going to score 39 TDs over the next 2 years…

4th round pick AND $6m of cap space
plus not pushing more money on to the future

Pick your poison - the Chargers need to improve the offense. Not Ek's fault but if the offense gets better, Ekelers number will drop. Unless you like an offense witha bunch of dump off passes to Ekeler and not scoring in the second halves of games.

[QSmokey]

And our upcoming Throwaway Season has begun with a Throwaway Off-Season. Kinda sucks when the only thing we have to look forward to as Charger fans - winning the Off-Season Super Bowl - has been taken away so early. To say the Chargers will be a non-factor in '23 is optimistic.

[wu-dai clan]

Still angry about Sproles.

[Bolt4Knob]

And our upcoming Throwaway Season has begun with a Throwaway Off-Season. Kinda sucks when the only thing we have to look forward to as Charger fans - winning the Off-Season Super Bowl - has been taken away so early. To say the Chargers will be a non-factor in '23 is optimistic.

Because they might be trading Austin Ekeler

[Bolt4Knob]

Still angry about Sproles.

The worst thing AJ did was Franchise that guy twice instead of signing him to a multi year deal in his prime