As a football fan and person who wants to see others succeed in what they love, it's time to have a heart to heart with you. Corporations are structured a certain way for purposes and reasons. The minute you try to break or change things, depending on what it is, it will cause a ruckus.
Yes, I totally understand you want to control your own narrative and do things your way. We're all great and talented at things but I'll be the first to say, I'm not the greatest at certain things and it's why I hire others to help me with those things. This is where having an agent will help.
I have trust issues with people and situations myself. But the reality is, I know I can't do everything myself and in this situation where your livelihood and career is on the line at age 26, it's time to think of the bigger picture.
We as football fans, football analysts and all other forms of media fully know and understand you are better than Deshaun Watson. Should you get paid more than Watson? Yes, but you have to look at the team he went to. They're the bottom of the barrel of the National Football League and needed to make a splash after the Mayfield-Beckham-Landry debacle.
Yes, the Cleveland Browns changed the market and narrative of how players will get paid going forward. The guaranteed money you want will unfortunately not happen and it's time you face that reality.
Yes you're an NFL MVP and the statistics show clearly you're a great quarterback in the league. The only thing is, you've had your share of injuries (which is beyond your control at times) but it's what your organization, the Baltimore Ravens and other teams are looking at.
You've proven yourself to be a gamechanger when you step on the football field every Sunday. But making things personal with the organization isn't your best bet either. Other teams will look at that and question whether you will do that to them.
Can you make more money than Watson? You surely can but it will be through bonuses. Bonuses are guaranteed money and you can get paid lovely. Your asking price for guaranteed money will have to decline significantly and you can incentivize your contract to be paid well through bonuses.
It's not that Baltimore doesn't value you. They just don't want to make a long term investment, not knowing the full outcome of what will happen. Things change, situations change. Coaches leave, players move onto other teams, the culture of the locker room changes from year to year.
I don't fully know what's going on behind the scenes of the facilities and office of the Baltimore Ravens so I can't tell you what to do or how to do things. But what I can do is offer advice on how to make things better for you and you win in the end.
We all have to do it in Corporate America and we're all investments to companies. Yours is just a little more of a higher threshold. Whatever team you go to at this point, hopefully the culture is great, the fit, coaching staff and training staff is a good fit and you have an opportunity to win.
At this point, you'll need to trust an agent to get you as much money as possible since you are in the prime of your playing career. You have the chance to get two more significant contracts (depending on how well you play) so let's make the best of it.
This contract you want to negotiate everything possible in your bonuses from games played, games you win, making the playoffs, advancement per round, yards thrown, completion percentage, touchdowns thrown, making the pro bowl and any other incentives you want to throw in.
It's great to have your mom as your right hand but she's not going to understand the intricacies of NFL contracts, incentives and other things involved.
We all know the relationships between owners, general managers and agents are there and that will always be the staple of the league even after you're long gone and retired. It's the nature of business and sometimes you have to play the game off the field the right way to get what you want on the field.
With bonuses, from a longevity standpoint, you could make significantly more money than Deshaun Watson (if you play your cards right and you're smart). Chances are Watson doesn't fulfill his contract or potential injuries derail his career. He's surely not going to win where he is and you have the opportunity to do that.
No one truly knows what's to come of this situation but I hope that you come out on top and you win. The majority of us as football fans want to see you on the field and being paid well. It's just your guaranteed money will not be as high as you think it is and the market will determine that.
Wishing you well and success,
Jamell Crouthers
