TAMPA - In an attempt to squash reports that their client wants a $7.5- to $9-million signing bonus, the agents for Bucs receiver Keenan McCardell revealed details Monday of the last contract offer made to the Bucs.
Sent to general manager Bruce Allen on June 17 and rejected, the proposal asks for a four-year, $11.5-million extension on McCardell's current deal, according to agent Gary Uberstine.
The new contract would come with a $2.75-million signing bonus and another $1.5-million in base salary and would account for about $1.75-million in new money this season.
The deal also would pay McCardell a second gauranteed bonus of $2.5-million next season, base salaries of $1-million (2005), $1.75-million, $2.5-million, $2-million, $1.5-million and $1.5-million in successive seasons, and other bonuses and incentives.
McCardell, 34, has held out since the start of training camp. He was due to make $2.5-million this season and $2.75-million in 2005, the last year of his deal. He has sought a raise that would put him close to the average of No. 1 receivers, approximately $4.4-million. The deal revealed by Uberstine would move him up from 25th to 20th among the highest-paid receivers. The Bucs, who were unavailable for comment, have refused to negotiate a new contract and the impasse has taken an ugly tone. "They have made no attempt to negotiate or find out what Keenan needs to return," Uberstine said. "It's absolute folly."
Uberstine said the rejected proposal would result in a $412,500 salary cap savings this season, "thereby making the salary cap excuse merely another in a long line of unfounded justifications for the organization's failure to take any action.".
