Are The Bears Done In FA?...........

I only posted this so I could rant.

Who the **** is Nicholas Buono and who told him he knew anything about football.  And.....why this ongoing tizzy about needing to sign Jonathan Hankins, a 6'2"/325lb NT by trade with all of 12 sacks in 5 years, to replace Bullard, RRH, and Bilial Nichols et al.  Yes, he had 7 sacks in 2014 but that was 4 years ago and he hasn't even come close to that since.

Indy signed him in 2017 and already let him go.  What does that tell us?  We have a very good NT now and some of that $20 mil, not $27 mil (can't even get that right) will be used to extend his deal and more than like Amos as well so there won't be anywhere near $25 mil carried over into 2019 even if we don't extend Goldman and Amos.  Get yer numbers right Nick!

If he or anyone else wants to know why not only have we not signed Hankins but no one else has either this may help and it's now one year and two months later.  Hankins didn't sign with NY and Indy gave him a 3 yr/$27 mil deal.  After paying him $10.5 mil in 2017 they released him before having to pay him the other $4.5 mil he was guaranteed for 2018.

Johnathan Hankins' agent has botched negotiations before
Updated Mar 28, 2017; Posted Mar 28, 2017

By Dan Duggan
dduggan@njadvancemedia.com,
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

PHOENIX -- Conversations with multiple NFL sources recently have produced a sense of disbelief that defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins remains on the market as free agency is nearing the three-week mark. But when it is revealed that the Giants' free agent is represented by Kevin Poston, veteran NFL insiders tend to have a better understanding of the situation.

Poston and his brother, Carl, were once major powerbrokers, representing numerous first-round draft picks in the early 2000s, including offensive lineman Orlando Pace, defensive back Charles Woodson and linebacker LaVar Arrington.
What does JPP deal mean for Giants?

But that client list has dwindled to just three marginal players currently on NFL rosters. There's no mystery about the reasons the Postons have fallen off the NFL map.

Both brothers developed reputations as unreasonable negotiators prone to making exorbitant contract demands. Meanwhile, Carl Poston was suspended for two years by the NFLPA due to negligence that cost Arrington a $6.5 million bonus from the Redskins in 2006.

With Hankins, it appears that Kevin Poston is up to his old tricks. Poston's contract demands for Hankins have been "outrageous," according to a league source. One report indicates that Hankins' camp has been seeking more than $10 million annually, which would be more than All-Pro teammate Damon Harrison.

That's in line with the Postons' reputation. Their contract demands for Pace, who eventually fired the Postons, were described as a "ransom note" by former Rams president Jay Zygmunt in 2004.

Hankins is in a different position than most of the Postons' infamous contract negotiations. Those players were Pro Bowlers with some leverage. Hankins is a solid 24-year-old who is overshadowed on a defensive line that features Harrison, Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.

The consensus from NFL insiders is that Poston grossly misread the market. One league source said this is the worst case of an agent misjudging a market they've ever seen.

While every agent's objective is to get his player the best contract possible, there is a level of professional expertise expected to inform the process.

But the big-money defensive tackle market never materialized aside from the five-year, $52.5 million contract Brandon Williams signed with the Ravens. Players in Hankins' class, such as Dontari Powe and Bennie Logan, were left to sign one-year, $8 million prove-it contracts. Meanwhile, Hankins remains on the market as teams put their checkbooks away after the spending spree of the first two weeks of free agency.

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch confirmed the team has a standing offer for Johnathan Hankins, and said there is no deadline for him to sign.

Poston, who didn't respond to multiple messages from NJ Advance Media, hasn't explained his approach with Hankins. That leaves the rest of the league to cast a harsh view on his handling of the situation.

Poston's reputation is already damaged. But Hankins could be the ultimate loser in this situation.

The window for Hankins to land a monster contract has closed. The best-case scenario at this point is for Hankins to accept the multi-year offer that remains on the table from the Giants. If the Giants pull their offer, Hankins could really be left scrambling. It's a mess that could have been avoided with better representation.

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @dduggan21. Find our Giants coverage on

Rant completed.