Posted on Wed, Aug. 25, 2004

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DOLPHINS

 

 

Booker deal took wild path

 

Miami's trade of Adewale Ogunleye for Bears receiver Marty Booker went through several stages before Ogunleye's agent sealed it while flying to Chicago.

 

BY ARMANDO SALGUERO

 

asalguero@herald.com

 

 

The drama began Friday morning, and by Saturday afternoon the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins had discussed nearly a dozen trade scenarios that included players and draft picks. Miami ultimately sent Adewale Ogunleye to the Bears in exchange for Marty Booker and a third-round draft pick.

 

This was a trade the Dolphins never really intended to make until late last week. They intended to keep Ogunleye and had told the handful of teams asking about the Pro Bowl player they would sign him or, lacking a contract, would put the franchise tag on him next year in order to keep him.

 

But the Bears presented the Dolphins an offer that was too tempting on many levels.

 

Chicago offered a good receiver for the ravaged Miami offense, a way for the Dolphins to balance the money the team spends on offense and defense, and a draft pick -- and all without Miami having to pay premium signing-bonus money to Booker.

 

That wasn't the case with Ogunleye because his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, initially asked for a $16 million signing bonus and other guarantees the first three years of a multiyear proposal.

 

''Sometimes in this business you have to make tough business decisions,'' Dolphins general manager Rick Spielman said.

 

Keeping Ogunleye could have meant an extended contract holdout because on Aug. 15, when Rosenhaus and Spielman spoke, Rosenhaus asked for a proposal -- and Spielman said it might be better for Rosenhaus to fax him a deal instead.

 

Rosenhaus called, asking for a $14 million signing bonus, split in two payments, with the first three years of the contract averaging $7 million per year.

 

''That's too rich,'' Spielman countered before wondering why the agent was calling instead of submitting a written proposal.

 

NOT IN WRITING

 

'I felt like something could be happening with the Dolphins talking to other teams, so I was afraid of making a written offer because I didn't want them to work out a trade and have another team say, `You made this commitment to the Dolphins so this is what we want to pay you,' '' Rosenhaus said. ``It was going to cost another team more money to get 'Wale than it would for him to stay here.''

 

The words would be prophetic, because when the Bears became involved, the dealing became fierce.

 

Chicago agreed to make the trade with the Dolphins without contacting Rosenhaus about a contract. So the trade was contingent on the agent and the team agreeing to a contract.

 

The Bears offered a $4 million signing bonus on a deal that spanned six years and averaged $6 million per year. But Rosenhaus had held out nearly three months in talks with the Dolphins about the structure of the deal.

 

Now he threatened to hold up a trade and told the Bears as much.

 

''I told them there was no deal, and we hung up the phone,'' Rosenhaus said. ``Then I went to Pro Player Stadium to tell the Dolphins their trade was about to fall through.''

 

Rosenhaus first told coach Dave Wannstedt, who referred the agent to Spielman. Rosenhaus then told Spielman the same in the Pro Player Stadium tunnel -- a conversation that bordered on being an argument.

 

''The conversation had a lot of, let's say, firepower to it,'' Rosenhaus said. 'I told Rick, `I'm very disappointed nobody talked to me about this trade beforehand. We could have avoided this embarrassing situation. We all should have talked about the numbers first.' And he said, 'You have to work it out with the Bears.' ''

 

The deal was not complete until Rosenhaus boarded a plane for Chicago -- unbeknownst to the Bears -- and negotiated with the team on the phone while in the air.

 

As the plane descended for a stopover in Dallas, the Bears' offer went from a $4 million signing bonus to $10 million.

 

''Take the deal,'' Ogunleye told Rosenhaus.

 

''Not yet,'' Rosenhaus responded, and by the time his flight landed in Dallas, the Bears had added another $5 million in a guaranteed roster bonus.

 

The sides agreed they had a deal at around 10:40 Saturday night.

 

So did the Dolphins get a good deal?

 

FAIR VALUE

 

They believe Booker would be a first-round pick if he were coming out in a draft today. So in their minds they believe they got what it would have cost another team to sign Ogunleye during restricted free agency even if others might not agree.

 

''The Dolphins were in a tough situation and needed to get a first- and third-round pick out of the trade because that was the value on Ogunleye as a restricted free agent,'' former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves said on his nationally broadcast radio show Tuesday. ``They got the third but didn't get the first.

 

Booker is close to having first-round talent, but he's not quite there right now.''

 

First-round talent or not, Booker, 28, earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2002 and promises to get better.

 

''I'm still developing,'' Booker said. ``There's always room for improvement. I need to build off what I've been doing in the past [to attain premier status].''

 

i cant stand rosenhaus.

Hell of an agent though. He got Ogun his money, and some.

yeah, theres no denying that.

I wonder if thats how the Postons do buisness....Props to Rosenhaus