Daniels in a Tough Spot
Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels has proven to be a formidable weapon in the Texans offense. With his rookie contract expiring and no new long term deal in place Daniels is in a tough spot.
Daniels wants a long term contract, but that has not happened yet and had to resort to signing his Restricted Free Agent tender of $2.792 million, which is measely.
Daniels in 2008 caught 70 passes for 862 yards with two touchdowns and in 2007 caught 63 passes for 768 passes with three touchdowns.
Other tight ends that have those kinds of numbers make more than five million a season. So, Daniels is making a little over half of what they make.
Currently, to become a free agent you need to have player four years in the National Football League.
With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement going into its last year in 2010 things are about to change and for players like Daniels it is not good.
In any normal year after the 2009 season Daniels would become a unrestricted free agent, but without a salary cap for the 2010 season players are going to have to played six years to become unrestricted free agents.
The only way that will change for 2010 is if NFL team owners and the NFLPA reaches a new CBA.
For Daniels that means he has only two choices after this year going into training camp them being hold out of training camp or demand to be traded.
The will be able to fine him for holding out of training camp this years as he signed his tender, but if he doesn’t sign it next year he will not have to report to minicamp and the team cannot fine him as he will not be under contract.
In the end if the Texans are smart then they will get something done soon.