CaptainHook Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 SAN DIEGO -- Antonio Gates hadn't even stepped on the field and he already was running some zigzag routes. Besides contradicting his agent, the record-setting tight end said on Monday that travel problems kept him from reporting to training camp by Saturday afternoon, as mandated by the San Diego Chargers. Missing the deadline had serious consequences. The All-Pro was placed on the Roster Exempt List on Monday, meaning he'll have to sit out the final two exhibition games and the season opener against Dallas on Sept. 11. He can be added to the activer roster on Sept. 12. "You don't understand," Gates said during a nine-minute news conference before he was hustled off to a meeting. "I tried to come in Saturday but I couldn't get a flight. So we ended up calling and explaining we weren't able to make it in Saturday. So it wasn't my intention to actually miss the deadline." That was news to the Chargers, who despite 10 months of talks have been unable to agree with Gates' agent on terms of a long-term contract. The team never mentioned Gates' failure to get a flight, either in a statement Saturday afternoon announcing that Gates had missed the deadline, or on Sunday when general manager A.J. Smith held a news conference at halftime of a 36-21 exhibition win over St. Louis. "As you know, all the rumors were that he was on his way," Smith said Sunday. "We had not officially heard that. But we got a phone call before we kicked off. He is on his way. He is going to sign the tender this evening." Smith didn't immediately return a phone call on Monday. But, said team spokesman Bill Johnston: "We only had conversations with the agent on Saturday morning, and the agent never informed us that Antonio was coming in on Saturday. We weren't notified until Sunday before the game." Gates' agent, Andre Colona, didn't return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment. Gates, an exclusive-rights free agent, reported Sunday night and signed a $380,000, one-year contract, the minimum for a third-year player. Gates had a breakout year in 2004, helping the Chargers go 12-4 and reach the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Gates caught 13 touchdown passes -- a league record for tight ends -- and led the Chargers with 81 catches for 964 yards. Gates also said he wants negotiations to continue after the season opener, contradicting reports quoting Colona as saying the player doesn't want to extend talks past Sept. 11. "Absolutely," Gates said when asked if he'd negotiate through the season. "The door is definitely open to negotiation. We're still talking. Things are going perfectly fine right now." On Sunday, Smith concurred with Colona that "negotiations are dead in the water." "I'm quite sure at some point something will get done," said Gates, who wants to be paid in the range of the league's other top tight ends. "I'm here basically on good faith that something will get done. They want me here, so we have an understanding that most likely something will get done." In an attempt to break an impasse, the team sent Colona a letter more than a week ago ordering Gates to be in camp and sign a contract by Saturday, or be put on the Roster Exempt List. "I didn't really feel upset about the situation," Gates said. "I thought it could have been done different ways. For the most part I want to move forward from that. I'm back here, I'm healthy, I'm ready to get ready to play." But he won't be able to play until the second regular-season game, Sept. 18 at Denver. Gates said he heard there was a way to get the roster exemption lifted, but NFL spokesman Steve Alic reiterated on Monday that no such process exists. "There's no precedent for anything being altered," Alic said. link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Sounds like he needs a new agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostFace Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I hope that the Chargers lose their first game and end up missing the play-offs by one game. Seriously, this guy should not be playing for the league minimum. I had a lot of respect for them after what they did last season, but I've lost some of that respect due to this game of hardball they've played with Gates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Gates out for the first game One less thing the Cowboys have to deal with on opening day......... Charger Fans need to enjoy him while they can. Something tells me he won't be around next season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampnuts Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I hope he's able to walk next year, I'll be interested to see if SD matches what he gets offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Teams seem to be playing hardball these days. I like it. Players were getting away with too much in contravt bickering. . Now maybe when a team says something like this they will take it seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grits and Shins Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I hope that the Chargers lose their first game and end up missing the play-offs by one game. Seriously, this guy should not be playing for the league minimum. I had a lot of respect for them after what they did last season, but I've lost some of that respect due to this game of hardball they've played with Gates. 943170[/snapback] Gates did it ONE year. He is under contract. Too many players think that after they do it ONE year they should be paid top dollar. I have a great deal MORE respect for the SD organization for NOT letting Gates hold them hostage because of his ONE good year. I have even MORE respect for them that they are attempting to back off the suspension. They laid down the law and it would undermine their position for this negotiation and any future negotiations if they relented now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavinRJohnson Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Gates did it ONE year. He is under contract. Too many players think that after they do it ONE year they should be paid top dollar. I have a great deal MORE respect for the SD organization for NOT letting Gates hold them hostage because of his ONE good year. I have even MORE respect for them that they are attempting to back off the suspension. They laid down the law and it would undermine their position for this negotiation and any future negotiations if they relented now. 943335[/snapback] Who says Gates is holding out for "top dollar"? I say he deserves something more that the NFL minimum for a 3rd year player. The SD organization is a joke. Gates (unlike TO) has a legit gripe. How can an All Pro TE go into the season making the minimum salary? The Chargers should have renegotiated in good faith over the off season, convinced Gates that he'd have a new deal by the start of the season, and had him there for day 1 of training camp. No, instead they have this mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grits and Shins Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Who says Gates is holding out for "top dollar"? I say he deserves something more that the NFL minimum for a 3rd year player. The SD organization is a joke. Gates (unlike TO) has a legit gripe. How can an All Pro TE go into the season making the minimum salary? The Chargers should have renegotiated in good faith over the off season, convinced Gates that he'd have a new deal by the start of the season, and had him there for day 1 of training camp. No, instead they have this mess. 943345[/snapback] Because he only did it ONE year. He does it again this year and then he should be paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted August 23, 2005 Author Share Posted August 23, 2005 The Chargers were willing to offer Gates more than the minimum. They just did not want to make him the highes paid TE in the league, which is what he wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebdog Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Who says Gates is holding out for "top dollar"? I say he deserves something more that the NFL minimum for a 3rd year player. The SD organization is a joke. Gates (unlike TO) has a legit gripe. How can an All Pro TE go into the season making the minimum salary? The Chargers should have renegotiated in good faith over the off season, convinced Gates that he'd have a new deal by the start of the season, and had him there for day 1 of training camp. No, instead they have this mess. 943345[/snapback] A.J. Smith stated that Gates is worth more than the league minimum. San Diego has been negotiating to sign him to a long-term deal for quite a while. The issue is not about Gates deserving more money, its about how much more. Gates has the option to play this year and prove he deserves as much as he's asking for. San Diego has the right to offer a little less right now because he is only a ONE YEAR STAR so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 (edited) I heard the issue wasn't the money. The offer was there from the Chargers, but they wanted a 5 year contract and Gates only wanted to sign a 3 year contract. Edited August 23, 2005 by SteelBunz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolv Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Who says Gates is holding out for "top dollar"? I say he deserves something more that the NFL minimum for a 3rd year player. The SD organization is a joke. Gates (unlike TO) has a legit gripe. How can an All Pro TE go into the season making the minimum salary? The Chargers should have renegotiated in good faith over the off season, convinced Gates that he'd have a new deal by the start of the season, and had him there for day 1 of training camp. No, instead they have this mess. 943345[/snapback] I suppose if he got a nice fat contract, then had a subpar year, he'd have to pay back some of the money, right? Never seems to work that way. Its a one-way street in this league, and organizations get the shaft....Agents are the real evil at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1stimer Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I think I read stuff like this in another post ... at least a time or two ... Hmm ... I think the Vick bashing and Manning bashing and Brady/NE bashing threads are much more interesting and entertaining. Why waste time with all this legal mumbo jumbo when you can be heckling somebodys hero? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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