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Why Cowboys gave 'anti-diva' Miles Austin six-year, $54 million deal
12:18 AM CDT on Friday, September 10, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – There were reasons not to offer Miles Austin the six-year, $54 million extension he agreed to Thursday.
The Cowboys had a convenient out as labor Armageddon looms. The club could have clung to the argument that Austin is a one-hit wonder, someone who needed to follow his breakout season with another strong outing before he was rewarded with long-term security.
These negotiating points were overridden by the team's conviction that Austin is a special person and player.
"He's not a one-year wonder," said Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president. "Whether it be his work ethic, whether it be him off the field being a great leader.
"He's the anti-wide receiver. He's the anti-diva that you normally see with receivers. He's not that type of guy."
Moments after he was pulled from a meeting to announce the deal, Austin reinforced Jones' assessment when he stressed that his sights were set on Sunday night's opener against Washington and that his goal is for the Cowboys to win as many games as possible.
"It feels great to be wanted by this team because I want to be here," Austin said. "But that being said, my main focus really is on the Redskins this week."
The extension ties Austin to the Cowboys through the 2016 season. His salary of $3.168 million for this season will increase to $17 million since the Cowboys can shovel money into an uncapped year. Two sources said the total for the seven years is slightly more than $57 million with roughly one-third of that guaranteed.
If you focus strictly on the extension, Austin will average $9 million a season. How does that stack up with the league's top receivers?
Miami's Brandon Marshall and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald have contracts that average $10 million. Houston's Andre Johnson just tacked a two-year extension onto the final five years of a deal that makes him the league's highest paid receiver at $10.5 million per year.
The Cowboys don't like to leave any loose ends when it comes to their key players. Owner Jerry Jones consistently steps up to eliminate the sort of nasty negotiations and holdouts that drag down other organizations.
"We all are familiar and admire the way Miles has evolved into the player he is today," Jerry Jones said. "We're also very impressed with the person he is.
"I've never felt like when we've made this type of commitment that we've ever been better prepared or better informed about what he is as a player and as a person."
Austin caught 18 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns in his first three seasons. But the free agent from Monmouth University exploded on the NFL scene with 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns 11 months ago in an overtime win over Kansas City.
Austin ranked third in the league with 1,320 yards and 81 receptions despite being a bit player the first four games of last season. He joined tight end Jason Witten as quarterback Tony Romo's most trusted options and finished with 11 touchdown receptions.
"Yeah, he's only done it one year, but what a year," coach Wade Phillips said. "He's shown so many things. He had the greatest game in Dallas Cowboys history. That's pretty strong."
"It's not like the guy had a good year. He had a tremendous year and he's had a tremendous game that nobody has had before. I think that's part of the confidence.
"That, and he's such a hard worker. He is a great athlete. He's learned to put it all together."
Negotiations between the team and David Dunn, Austin's representative, intensified two weeks ago. Stephen Jones joked that after Austin heard of Tom Brady's car accident in Boston on Thursday morning, he rushed into the team's office to sign the agreement.
Neither side let an uncertain labor future – the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the end of this season – cloud the issue.
"Miles as a young player is going to be part of this team for many years to come," Stephen Jones said. "It was obvious that he was going to be our priority no matter if it was this year or whether it was when we had a new CBA.
"We just felt like now was the time."
The bank is now closed. Stephen Jones said this will be the club's last extension before a new CBA is reached.
"My career started here," Austin said at the hastily called news conference. "You guys gave me a shot.
"I put my all out there every day and I'm going to continue to do that, hopefully for a long time."
12:18 AM CDT on Friday, September 10, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – There were reasons not to offer Miles Austin the six-year, $54 million extension he agreed to Thursday.
The Cowboys had a convenient out as labor Armageddon looms. The club could have clung to the argument that Austin is a one-hit wonder, someone who needed to follow his breakout season with another strong outing before he was rewarded with long-term security.
These negotiating points were overridden by the team's conviction that Austin is a special person and player.
"He's not a one-year wonder," said Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president. "Whether it be his work ethic, whether it be him off the field being a great leader.
"He's the anti-wide receiver. He's the anti-diva that you normally see with receivers. He's not that type of guy."
Moments after he was pulled from a meeting to announce the deal, Austin reinforced Jones' assessment when he stressed that his sights were set on Sunday night's opener against Washington and that his goal is for the Cowboys to win as many games as possible.
"It feels great to be wanted by this team because I want to be here," Austin said. "But that being said, my main focus really is on the Redskins this week."
The extension ties Austin to the Cowboys through the 2016 season. His salary of $3.168 million for this season will increase to $17 million since the Cowboys can shovel money into an uncapped year. Two sources said the total for the seven years is slightly more than $57 million with roughly one-third of that guaranteed.
If you focus strictly on the extension, Austin will average $9 million a season. How does that stack up with the league's top receivers?
Miami's Brandon Marshall and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald have contracts that average $10 million. Houston's Andre Johnson just tacked a two-year extension onto the final five years of a deal that makes him the league's highest paid receiver at $10.5 million per year.
The Cowboys don't like to leave any loose ends when it comes to their key players. Owner Jerry Jones consistently steps up to eliminate the sort of nasty negotiations and holdouts that drag down other organizations.
"We all are familiar and admire the way Miles has evolved into the player he is today," Jerry Jones said. "We're also very impressed with the person he is.
"I've never felt like when we've made this type of commitment that we've ever been better prepared or better informed about what he is as a player and as a person."
Austin caught 18 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns in his first three seasons. But the free agent from Monmouth University exploded on the NFL scene with 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns 11 months ago in an overtime win over Kansas City.
Austin ranked third in the league with 1,320 yards and 81 receptions despite being a bit player the first four games of last season. He joined tight end Jason Witten as quarterback Tony Romo's most trusted options and finished with 11 touchdown receptions.
"Yeah, he's only done it one year, but what a year," coach Wade Phillips said. "He's shown so many things. He had the greatest game in Dallas Cowboys history. That's pretty strong."
"It's not like the guy had a good year. He had a tremendous year and he's had a tremendous game that nobody has had before. I think that's part of the confidence.
"That, and he's such a hard worker. He is a great athlete. He's learned to put it all together."
Negotiations between the team and David Dunn, Austin's representative, intensified two weeks ago. Stephen Jones joked that after Austin heard of Tom Brady's car accident in Boston on Thursday morning, he rushed into the team's office to sign the agreement.
Neither side let an uncertain labor future – the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the end of this season – cloud the issue.
"Miles as a young player is going to be part of this team for many years to come," Stephen Jones said. "It was obvious that he was going to be our priority no matter if it was this year or whether it was when we had a new CBA.
"We just felt like now was the time."
The bank is now closed. Stephen Jones said this will be the club's last extension before a new CBA is reached.
"My career started here," Austin said at the hastily called news conference. "You guys gave me a shot.
"I put my all out there every day and I'm going to continue to do that, hopefully for a long time."