Derrick Ward gone

[ChampionTexan]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Count me as one that doesn't agree with the latter statement or the decision not to resign him.........especially for the ST reason supposedly given.

Well, so far, 31 other NFL teams have made the same decision about signing him as the Texans have.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by ChampionTexan

Well, so far, 31 other NFL teams have made the same decision about signing him as the Texans have.

So far..........he may have been holding off serious thought to offers and holding out hope until he received the news. We'll see.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Count me as one that doesn't agree with the latter statement or the decision not to resign him.........especially for the ST reason supposedly given.

I'm a little dubious of the anonymous source in this instance. Ward's essentially saying they don't know what I can do on special teams just doesn't make sense. He was the 3rd string RB. If they had cared what he could do on ST they would have had him doing it in practice at the very least and he would be referring to what he did here rather than five years ago. Doesn't sound like they ever gave it a thought.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I'm a little dubious of the anonymous source in this instance. Ward's essentially saying they don't know what I can do on special teams just doesn't make sense. He was the 3rd string RB. If they had cared what he could do on ST they would have had him doing it in practice at the very least and he would be referring to what he did here rather than five years ago. Doesn't sound like they ever gave it a thought.

Maybe they gave him a few looks there and didn't like what they saw. Even if they never did that though, part of their job is to project.

Maybe they thought that he wouldnt fill any special teams roles as well as some other guys they have.

I think special teams ability did play a small role but I don't think it's the reason they let him walk. I don't see too many rb's making a big contribution there unless they are returnees. And even then they might not are a lot of action.

[Dutchrudder]

Letting Derrick Ward go is the right decision. His role can easily be filled by a cheaper UDFA who will likely be able to contribute on special teams.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

Letting Derrick Ward go is the right decision. His role can easily be filled by a cheaper UDFA who will likely be able to contribute on special teams.

Ward had that chip on his shoulder. I remember him wanting to come here and show the Bucs that they mishandled his role there.

To an extent, he should have been thankful the Texans didn't frown upon his time with the Bucs. Plus, he was riding behind Foster and Tate...so he had to know that his role was never going to be THE running back who gets the snaps.

Throw in what has been speculated about his asking price and desire to be THE running back for a team, and it's a good time for the guy to go away. I think he had no intention of staying in Houston for a third year of being RB3. His decision to go to the Bucs a few years ago was a bad idea, in hindsight. Because it put him a couple years behind the 8-ball and then he came into the Texans at a bad time due to Foster hitting the scene and going bonkers here.

He has essentially wasted a good 3 or 4 years of his career. The high he was riding upon after his successful time with the Giants has been unraveled a bit. He needs to find a team who needs a stable RB and I think he can be RB1 or even RB2 if he finds the right fit. But I wonder if his heart is even into the effort of trying.

Maybe he's being selective now, in contrast with his jump to the Bucs. I dunno. I just know that I feel the same way you do.

We've got two UDFAs and maybe a Ward version 2.0 in Forsett...and perhaps the time was ripe for Ward not being here anymore. A guy can sour and cause problems if he sticks around too long and begins to grind an axe. From his recent comments, he has an axe to grind with the Texans.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by GP

His decision to go to the Bucs a few years ago was a bad idea, in hindsight. Because it put him a couple years behind the 8-ball and then he came into the Texans at a bad time due to Foster hitting the scene and going bonkers here.

He has essentially wasted a good 3 or 4 years of his career. The high he was riding upon after his successful time with the Giants has been unraveled a bit. He needs to find a team who needs a stable RB and I think he can be RB1 or even RB2 if he finds the right fit. But I wonder if his heart is even into the effort of trying.

Mistake going to the Bucs? In five years with the Giants he had started 8 games. He parlayed that into about $5 mil for one year as a backup for the Bucs and then several million from the Texans as a backup. He was available to the Texans for the 2009 season. He's been on three teams now and started 10 games in 8 seasons. He's delusional if he thinks now at 31 anyone is going to see him as a RB1. The question is whether he hops on in the league at all.

[Norg]

we should get Addai just cuz :P

[ckhouston]

“Their loss though. Will take some time off now & see what I want to do!”

Don't let the door hit you ...

[Dutchrudder]

Originally Posted by GP

Ward had that chip on his shoulder. I remember him wanting to come here and show the Bucs that they mishandled his role there.

To an extent, he should have been thankful the Texans didn't frown upon his time with the Bucs. Plus, he was riding behind Foster and Tate...so he had to know that his role was never going to be THE running back who gets the snaps.

Throw in what has been speculated about his asking price and desire to be THE running back for a team, and it's a good time for the guy to go away. I think he had no intention of staying in Houston for a third year of being RB3. His decision to go to the Bucs a few years ago was a bad idea, in hindsight. Because it put him a couple years behind the 8-ball and then he came into the Texans at a bad time due to Foster hitting the scene and going bonkers here.

He has essentially wasted a good 3 or 4 years of his career. The high he was riding upon after his successful time with the Giants has been unraveled a bit. He needs to find a team who needs a stable RB and I think he can be RB1 or even RB2 if he finds the right fit. But I wonder if his heart is even into the effort of trying.

Maybe he's being selective now, in contrast with his jump to the Bucs. I dunno. I just know that I feel the same way you do.

We've got two UDFAs and maybe a Ward version 2.0 in Forsett...and perhaps the time was ripe for Ward not being here anymore. A guy can sour and cause problems if he sticks around too long and begins to grind an axe. From his recent comments, he has an axe to grind with the Texans.

He's not being selective, he's being priced out of the market thanks to the NFL's stupid minimum wage policy:

For the 2012 season, minimum NFL base salaries are:

1) Rookie - $390,000
2) 1 year - $465,000
3) 2 year - $540,000
4) 3 year - $615,000
5) 4-6 year - $700,000
6) 7-9 year - $825,000
7) 10+ year - $925,000

He has 8 or 9 years experience, so he costs at least 825k this year. UDFA's cost about 435k less this year, and I think we all know the Texans' cap is in bad shape. We can't afford to waste that money on a #3 RB who will only play in the case of injury or when the game is out of hand. Save the cash and use it on better players. Ward was decent while he was here, but never a real factor in any game that mattered.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Mistake going to the Bucs? In five years with the Giants he had started 8 games. He parlayed that into about $5 mil for one year as a backup for the Bucs and then several million from the Texans as a backup. He was available to the Texans for the 2009 season. He's been on three teams now and started 10 games in 8 seasons. He's delusional if he thinks now at 31 anyone is going to see him as a RB1. The question is whether he hops on in the league at all.

It was a great move financially. He wasn't really good enough for that contract....so he did the right thing.

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

He's not being selective, he's being priced out of the market thanks to the NFL's stupid minimum wage policy:



He has 8 or 9 years experience, so he costs at least 825k this year. UDFA's cost about 435k less this year, and I think we all know the Texans' cap is in bad shape. We can't afford to waste that money on a #3 RB who will only play in the case of injury or when the game is out of hand. Save the cash and use it on better players. Ward was decent while he was here, but never a real factor in any game that mattered.

This is another example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. This was supposed to help the vets but it hammers them out of a job in cases like this one.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

He's not being selective, he's being priced out of the market thanks to the NFL's stupid minimum wage policy:

If he will accept a contract with no signing bonus for that minimum wage then the NFL gives a big discount on salary cap hit - I want to say a third but maybe fifty percent.

[MidtownMikey]

If a vet accepts a one year deal for the minimum with no bonuses then for salary cap purposes they basically count as a 1-year player.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by ckhouston

If you base decisions off of the team history then we go into this year expecting to lose and not make the playoffs. Look forward, not back. Both our backs are healthy so go out with Foster and Tate and dominate. All I was saying is dont worry about who #3 is right now, it isnt critical. Dont start inventing problems to spend more money on when they arent there. Spend the money where we need it. Not that much cap room. Improve what needs to be improved ... Forsett will do just fine. Good luck to Ward.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

He's not being selective, he's being priced out of the market thanks to the NFL's stupid minimum wage policy:



He has 8 or 9 years experience, so he costs at least 825k this year. UDFA's cost about 435k less this year, and I think we all know the Texans' cap is in bad shape. We can't afford to waste that money on a #3 RB who will only play in the case of injury or when the game is out of hand. Save the cash and use it on better players. Ward was decent while he was here, but never a real factor in any game that mattered.

Uh, oh yeah. Forgot about the whole vet minimum and how it's insanely bloated no matter what the real market would hold for a guy like Ward. My bad.

In that sense, it's going to be hard for him to land anywhere.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

He's not being selective, he's being priced out of the market thanks to the NFL's stupid minimum wage policy:

He has 8 or 9 years experience, so he costs at least 825k this year. UDFA's cost about 435k less this year, and I think we all know the Texans' cap is in bad shape. We can't afford to waste that money on a #3 RB who will only play in the case of injury or when the game is out of hand. Save the cash and use it on better players. Ward was decent while he was here, but never a real factor in any game that mattered.

In today's Modern-Day-Salary-Capped NFL, this is the bottom line folks. We can get what he brings to the table for less cash.

And if the injury bug swarms on us again, as it did last year, we have your agent's number.

Good luck Mr. Ward - and I mean that because I thought he was a good player - hope you land on your feet. Preferably with someone NOT on our schedule this year.

[Dutchrudder]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

If he will accept a contract with no signing bonus for that minimum wage then the NFL gives a big discount on salary cap hit - I want to say a third but maybe fifty percent.

You are right, there is a cap hit limit for vet minimum deals (Qualifying Contracts), $540,000 + signing bonus (if there is one). It doesn't matter what their years of experience is, just that they sign for the vet min. So it's a 150k difference between Ward and an UDFA, but the club still has to pay him 825k if they want him. That's still a 435k difference in money that McNair would have to pick up if Smithiak wanted to keep him. I guess they chose to not offer him anything.

[Dutchrudder]

Thanks for the couple years of service Derrick.

Back in June, running back Derrick Ward said that he was going to take some time to evaluate his options after learning the Texans didn’t want him back for another season.

Ward’s soul-searching has come to a conclusion and he has decided to retire. Ward made the announcement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

Ward spent nine years in the NFL with the Giants, Buccaneers and Texans after being drafted by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2004 Draft. The Giants signed him off of their co-tenants’ practice squad in October of his rookie year and he gradually worked his way into the backfield mix. His best season came in 2008 when he ran for 1,025 yards as part of the Earth, Wind and Fire backfield with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.

Ward parlayed that year into a four-year deal with the Buccaneers, but got cut after one disappointing season that resulted in just 409 yards. Ward ran for 469 yards as a reserve with the Texans during the last two seasons and, at 31, didn’t get too many more looks from a league slanted toward younger running backs.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...is-retirement/

[badboy]

wow, I thought he'd end up somewhere; did not know it was the beach.

[The Pencil Neck]

I'm surprised. I thought he still had some tread on the tires. He didn't look too bad when he played last year.