Show Hines Ward the Money!

Training camp is now up and running in for all 32 NFL teams. The biggest concern of any team at the start of camp are players that hold out. Usually I am deadset against players that hold out while under contract, but I have to make an exception here. The exception is for one Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh
Steelers. The Steelers are my favorite football team and I almost never question their moves, but I do have to question this one. They have decided to suspend contract negotiations with Ward until he reports to camp. Now, people may say, "what makes him different from any other player that holds out?" Well, simply put, he
has always let his actions on the field speak way louder than anything he may say to the media or on the field. He is the complete package. He has proven himself year after year, not only as a proven receiver, but as probably the premier downfield runblocker in the league, occasional quarterback on a trickplay, and he runs an end around every now and again. He has four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, which is staggering considering that he plays on a team that lives and dies by the run and has been injury-free for his entire professional career, and was named Team MVP two years in a row and won the Chief Award in 2002 for exemplifying the spirit of cooperation with the media. He may not score 15 touchdowns every season, but he
always comes through, no matter what he is doing on the field. He would also be doing this for the bargain-basement price of $1.66 million for the 2005 season, which is far below the amount of money that some of Ward's more high-profile contemporaries will make this year (Moss, Owens, Harrison). The Steelers have offered to make him the highest paid player in team history, but the team does not what to give him the bonus that he is seeking. I can understand the fact that the front office is trying to be cautious about the salary cap, but I don't see why they couldn't offer him a front-loaded deal and make the bulk of that front-loaded money the bonus, which would be evenly counted against the cap for the duration of the
contract. For example, if the Steelers offered Ward a new four-year deal at say $4 million per year with a $4 million signing bonus ($20 million total for the mathematically-impaired), he would get make 8 million that first year, but only $1 million of that bonus counts against the cap in addition to whatever the amount that counts towards the cap in the first year of the deal (which wouldn't be anywhere near $4 million because of how the salary cap formula is set up). With Jerome Bettis most likely calling it quits after this season and a few other possible free agency defections, the team will at least have that million available to allocate for Ward's bonus for '06 and beyond. If Ward is able to stay healthy and his
production stays consistent, then he will most likely be around for when his next (and most likely last) set of contract negotations with the team occur. For someone that has consistently performed (unlike Moss) and doesn't create controversy on and off the field (unlike T.O.), Ward certainly has earned the right to make his feelings known to the team and he shouldn't be looked down upon as in ingrate or being selfish all of the sudden. Several players on the Steelers have also expressed theirI'd be willing to bet that if Ward and the Steelers are able to work out a new deal, that the next deal that is worked out will not be nearly as difficult to work out, should that need arise. I just hope that the Steelers front office will be able to work something out with Ward before too long. The season
is only five weeks away.