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Redskins Allow Star Bailey to Pursue Trade
Champ Bailey has been to the Pro Bowl four times during his career.
The Washington Redskins have given four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey permission to pursue a trade, the strongest indication yet that one of the team's most popular players might not return next season.
Bailey's agent, Jack Reale, said he spoke to "seven or eight" teams Friday after receiving a call Thursday night from Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
"I think they're curious to see what the interest level is," Reale said.
Bailey's contract expires next month, and talks for a new deal have gone nowhere. The Redskins offered a nine-year, $55 million contract with $14.7 million in bonus money before the start of last season, but Bailey was unhappy with the structure and numerous other clauses in the offer.
Negotiations resumed this month, with the Redskins essentially making the same offer, except the proposal covered eight years instead of nine. Bailey has said he wanted a deal that would make him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league.
Reale said Snyder "made it very clear that the coaching staff considers Champ an elite player" but that the two sides "simply disagree" over the parameters of a long-term contract.
If the Redskins don't re-sign Bailey or trade him by Feb. 24, they will probably designate him as a franchise player, which means they would have to tender him a one-year, $6.8 million offer that leave the team hamstrung to pursue free agents under the salary cap.
A trade for Bailey could involve a player or draft picks or a combination of the two.
Bailey was a Pro Bowl selection for the fourth consecutive year, despite playing much of last season with a broken left wrist and a sprained left shoulder. He could barely lift his arm above his head when he intercepted a pass and forced a game-turning fumble in a 20-17 victory over New England in Week 4.
Bailey is the second popular Redskins player whose future has come into doubt this month.
The Redskins are negotiating a possible trade for Jacksonville quarterback Mark Brunell, who would then become the favorite to supplant Patrick Ramsey. Brunell wants to go where he can become a starter without sparking a quarterback controversy, and the possibility of his arrival in Washington has sparked trade rumors concerning Ramsey.
"We've had some interesting discussions this week which have centered on a perspective role of Mark as a Redskin," Brunell's agent, Leigh Steinberg said.
Interestingly, although several teams -- including Miami, San Diego and Dallas -- have expressed interest in Brunell, Steinberg has been allowed to talk only to Washington. Brunell met last week with Redskins coach Joe Gibbs.
"We asked to allow Mark to have the opportunity to interact with any coach from a franchise that might be interested in trading for him," Steinberg said. "But they refused permission to anyone except Washington."
Source: AP