http://www.azcentral.com/sports/card...combinenb.html
The Cardinals' efforts to restructure receiver Larry Fitzgerald's contract begs one question: How did they reach this point only four years into his career?
Fitzgerald was the third overall pick in the 2004 draft, and it's not unusual for the contracts of high draft choices to include escalator clauses and voidable years. Fitzgerald's contract, said general manager Rod Graves, did exactly what it was designed to do: prompt both sides to return to the bargaining table if Fitzgerald proved to be an elite player in his first four years.
Fitzgerald met incentive clauses that increased his salary to $14.6 million in 2008 and $17.4 million in 2009. That creates a huge salary cap hit for the club, which is why Graves is negotiating with agent Eugene Parker to restructure the deal.
The Cardinals could have chosen to use clauses that would have voided years on the contract should Fitzgerald have met incentives. That would have made Fitzgerald a free agent, but the team could have used the franchise tag to keep him for another year.
"It's not uncommon that there are significant escalators, particularly in the last few years of the contract," Graves said. " Or there could be voidable years. We chose to go the route of escalators rather than voidable years.
"I think what is uncommon about it is that you actually have a player who has performed as well as Larry Fitzgerald. There are not many of the players taken in the top three that actually go on to be two and three-time Pro Bowlers during their rookie contract. So Larry has earned the right to be where he is and I think the contract is a good one for us."
Graves has said throughout negotiations that Fitzgerald will definitely be on the team this year even under the original deal, but that it will limit the team's free agent options.
Does he stay in Arizona or does he get traded?
Where is Fitzgerald going to end up?
Where is Fitzgerald going to end up?
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