Reggie Bush' Agent Segal Says Bush Will Attend Saints' Rookie Camp

There's much concern around the league that Joel Segal, Reggie Bush's agent, will keep his client out of training camp as deal leverage. He seems to dispell that idea in this Times-Picayune article:

DEAL WITH IT

Getting Saints No. 1 draft pick Reggie Bush's contract completed before training camp may be unrealistic, but negotiations with agent Joel Segal don't take long

Friday, May 05, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Staff writer - Times-Picayune

In one of his first trips to the plate, sports agent Joel Segal kept fouling off the best pitches Cincinnati Bengals owner/general manager Mike Brown could offer.

Thrown into the lineup as a pinch-hitter after the Bengals' 1993 first-round draft choice, John Copeland, fired his first agent just before the start of Cincinnati's training camp, Segal, who'd just been certified by the NFL Players Association as an agent six months earlier, worked Brown, the Bengals' notoriously penurious boss, for everything he could.

After a holdout of 23 days, it appeared Copeland, a defensive lineman who was the fifth overall selection that year, had agreed to terms.

Then there was some disagreement regarding a workout clause in the deal. Copeland, who'd hired Segal because he was impressed with the work Segal had done getting Miami receiver O.J. McDuffie into camp on time earlier that summer, missed a flight to sign the contract. Finally, two days after agreeing to a five-year, $5.925 million contract that included a $3.2 million signing bonus, Copeland made it to training camp for the team's last walkthrough workout. Total holdout: 25 days.

In the ensuing years, the majority of Segal's clients who were first-round draft picks experienced holdouts of anywhere from zero to 16 days.

But Segal, who represents Saints first-round draft choice Reggie Bush, said his goal always is for clients not to miss any part of training camp.

"I always like to get a player in on time," Segal said this week, adding, "I never discuss negotiations. Ever. I've had guys drafted all over the first round, three, nine, eight. But I don't discuss negotiations."

Segal wouldn't even talk about his negotiating style.

The Saints, who last dealt with a Segal first-rounder in 2004 when he represented defensive end Will Smith, who missed two practices, would not allow senior football administrator Russ Ball, with whom Segal will be negotiating, to comment about Segal.

But it appears likely, based on Segal's track record, that coming to a contract accord before training camp with Bush could be difficult for the Saints.

Since 1993, Segal has represented 13 first-round picks, the highest being Cleveland defensive tackle Gerard Warren (third overall in 2001), the lowest being Atlanta receiver Michael Jenkins (29th in 2004).

Of Segal's first-round picks, four have not missed any camp time; Copeland's 25-day ordeal is the longest.

Warren sat out for nine days before agreeing to a six-year, $33.6 million contract with a $12 million signing bonus.

Segal will be working below the figure the Houston Texans gave No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams, whose five-year contract is worth $54 million with guaranteed money of about $26.5 million and includes a team option for a sixth year.

According to the NFLPA, since the advent of contracts that included guaranteed money for rookies beginning in 2003, never has the second overall pick gotten more guaranteed money than the first pick.

In 2000, according to NFLPA researchers, linebacker LaVar Arrington of the Washington Redskins signed a contract which, through incentive and escalator clauses, conceivably could have paid him more than the first overall pick, defensive end Courtney Brown, chosen by Cleveland.

When the Texans passed on Bush last week to take Williams, the defensive end from North Carolina State, the NFL draft grapevine buzzed with word that Bush's "signability" was the reason.

Reports had surfaced in the days leading up to the draft that Segal initially sought $30 million in guaranteed money from the Texans, who reportedly contacted Williams the next day.

Houston general manager Charley Casserly squashed rumors about "signability" in an interview this week on ESPN radio.

"I have been asked the question: 'Did signability enter into this? Was this a money decision?' Absolutely not," Casserly aid. "We made a statement that signability may be an issue. That's a negotiating statement on our side. You're negotiating with two people. They make negotiating statements on their side.

"The reality is both sides (the Bush and Williams camps) agreed to $54 million. Both sides wanted a signing bonus of over 26-and-a-half (million dollars), and we didn't want to pay (more than) 26-and-a-half. Thursday morning (before the draft), we felt it was time to make a decision. We wanted to have an honest shot to sign the player we were going to choose before the draft. We thought we needed 48 hours to finish the negotiations.

"We thought that was fair. (Coach) Gary (Kubiak) and I sat down on Thursday morning and independently came to the same decision. (Houston owner Bob McNair) was in New York. He signed off on the decision."

Segal said the Heisman Trophy winner will participate in the Saints' three-day rookie camp.