Argonauter
02-14-2012, 11:58 AM
Argonauts.ca Staff
TORONTO -- It is one of the most intriguing times of year for any pro sports general manager but Jim Barker rarely panics or changes his philosophy when it comes to free agency.
As chaotic as it may seem to the outside observer, free agency is not an overly complicated process. In fact, according to Barker, the real leg work happens well before the market opens and the bidding wars begin.
Barker talked with argonauts.ca on the eve of the CFL’s premier team-swapping session to talk about his approach, preparation and experience heading into a time of year where cap money is often spent and saved, and rosters begin to take shape.
Basic Supply and Demand
It is interesting to listen to Barker’s take on how and when to pursue both a pending free agent from one’s own team and one about to hit the market from another team.
Despite what many fans and media may say, the so-called ‘best player’ available is not necessarily worth the most money. And the team that covets the highly touted talent cannot automatically be given the label of the ‘biggest winner’ After all the pieces have fallen in the days following the market opening.
Ultimately, each team is going to free agency with their own goals and their own set of variables. Age, cap space and ability to fit into the club’s system are all contributing factors. It eventually comes down to lining up your needs versus the price tag, which can vary from team to team.
“It’s about supply and demand,” Barker said. “A player’s value is dependent on the particular team and how much he is needed, and while that sounds simple, that is what free agency is all about. We have (pending) free agents that we have made offers to based on what we think we can pay them and we either get them or we don’t.”
“The hardest thing to do in this business is to place a value on a player – you don’t want to overpay a player and you want to get the best value that you can. It’s kind of what happened with Lin-J (Shell). When you change philosophies and you change the type of player you are looking for, you have to consider what a player is making and you have to make tough decisions.”
Although it is pro sports, this exercise can be carried over to any industry and, like any other business, the game of football has its economic barriers that alter the approach of those in charge of making big decisions. In the Argos case, it was the acquisition of quarterback Ricky Ray.
“We have had to change our cap structure because of Ricky and that is a fact of the way things are. Players at positions that we used to pay more for we are going to have to pay less for, and now you have to make other concessions.”
Knowing When To Let Go
Last season, Barker’s main priority was retaining the large list of players that could have walked and tested offers from other clubs. This year has been a bit of a different story. With a new coaching staff, a shift in philosophy and a salary cap that has taken on a new look, the chances of keeping all 10 Argos that remain unsigned seems to be dwindling.
So how does a general manager approach this process? How does he know when to just put all of his cards on the table and ensure that he locks up the player to avoid him coming back to haunt the club he may be leaving later down the road? How does he know if his offer is significant enough?
Barker states that the reality is that there is no magic formula and each player’s situation and goals heading into the open market are different.
“It’s all based on the individual,” he said. “Some players may be able to get a bit more money somewhere else but won’t go because it is not worth it for them to move their families. Some other guys may get upset because they don’t think that you have offered them enough money and they would rather sign with anybody instead of coming back to your team.”
For the free agent player himself, it is sometimes a risky game to test the market because, in most cases, the original offer from the previous club could be long gone should he change his mind and want to return.
“They will often come back to us – they know that the offers (originally) made to them may not be there because that is just part of the way it works. If a player says, ‘I’m not going to take what you are offering me because I can get more on the open market’, and we go out and replace him with another player on the market that we like, then he comes back and that money is gone.”
Doing Homework
It seems as though the free agency period is a lot more than just reaching out to players once the deadline hits and putting fourth your best offer. It’s tough to know who will still be available come the opening of the market as many players re-sign with their clubs in the final days and hours.
It is for that reason that Barker and his staff put a lot of stalk in being as prepared as possible so they can target what a player’s value is and how much he is needed.
“At the end of the season, I had all of the coaches from last year grade every player in the league at their position,” Barker explained. “We then take that information and know which players they like. When Scott (Milanovich) was hired we talked about strengths and weaknesses of our team and where we thought we needed help, and we did the same thing with Chris Jones as we tried to figure out what player is of what value to us.”
It seems like a tedious process but it is a crucial step of which most outsiders may not be aware. Grading every player across the league only to make as few as one or two signings when all is said and done may seem excessive, but that meticulous work can often make the difference between acquiring a new player or losing him to another team.
As for the what happens when the deadline hits? Barker once again says it’s not overly complicated once all the homework has been done and a reasonable and affordable offer has been drafted.
“We have a list of the players and who their agents are. When free agency starts, we contact them and express that we are interested in their player and this is what we will pay. It’s pretty self-explanatory.”
He has already snagged one free agent, recently released OL Marc Parenteau, and has a list of 2011 Argos that still remain un-signed. With all the homework, grading, researching, scouting and debating, Argos fans will just have to wait until Wednesday at 12 noon to see how active Barker and his crew really are when the markets open.
http://www.cfl.ca/article/barker-gearing-up-for-free-agency?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
TORONTO -- It is one of the most intriguing times of year for any pro sports general manager but Jim Barker rarely panics or changes his philosophy when it comes to free agency.
As chaotic as it may seem to the outside observer, free agency is not an overly complicated process. In fact, according to Barker, the real leg work happens well before the market opens and the bidding wars begin.
Barker talked with argonauts.ca on the eve of the CFL’s premier team-swapping session to talk about his approach, preparation and experience heading into a time of year where cap money is often spent and saved, and rosters begin to take shape.
Basic Supply and Demand
It is interesting to listen to Barker’s take on how and when to pursue both a pending free agent from one’s own team and one about to hit the market from another team.
Despite what many fans and media may say, the so-called ‘best player’ available is not necessarily worth the most money. And the team that covets the highly touted talent cannot automatically be given the label of the ‘biggest winner’ After all the pieces have fallen in the days following the market opening.
Ultimately, each team is going to free agency with their own goals and their own set of variables. Age, cap space and ability to fit into the club’s system are all contributing factors. It eventually comes down to lining up your needs versus the price tag, which can vary from team to team.
“It’s about supply and demand,” Barker said. “A player’s value is dependent on the particular team and how much he is needed, and while that sounds simple, that is what free agency is all about. We have (pending) free agents that we have made offers to based on what we think we can pay them and we either get them or we don’t.”
“The hardest thing to do in this business is to place a value on a player – you don’t want to overpay a player and you want to get the best value that you can. It’s kind of what happened with Lin-J (Shell). When you change philosophies and you change the type of player you are looking for, you have to consider what a player is making and you have to make tough decisions.”
Although it is pro sports, this exercise can be carried over to any industry and, like any other business, the game of football has its economic barriers that alter the approach of those in charge of making big decisions. In the Argos case, it was the acquisition of quarterback Ricky Ray.
“We have had to change our cap structure because of Ricky and that is a fact of the way things are. Players at positions that we used to pay more for we are going to have to pay less for, and now you have to make other concessions.”
Knowing When To Let Go
Last season, Barker’s main priority was retaining the large list of players that could have walked and tested offers from other clubs. This year has been a bit of a different story. With a new coaching staff, a shift in philosophy and a salary cap that has taken on a new look, the chances of keeping all 10 Argos that remain unsigned seems to be dwindling.
So how does a general manager approach this process? How does he know when to just put all of his cards on the table and ensure that he locks up the player to avoid him coming back to haunt the club he may be leaving later down the road? How does he know if his offer is significant enough?
Barker states that the reality is that there is no magic formula and each player’s situation and goals heading into the open market are different.
“It’s all based on the individual,” he said. “Some players may be able to get a bit more money somewhere else but won’t go because it is not worth it for them to move their families. Some other guys may get upset because they don’t think that you have offered them enough money and they would rather sign with anybody instead of coming back to your team.”
For the free agent player himself, it is sometimes a risky game to test the market because, in most cases, the original offer from the previous club could be long gone should he change his mind and want to return.
“They will often come back to us – they know that the offers (originally) made to them may not be there because that is just part of the way it works. If a player says, ‘I’m not going to take what you are offering me because I can get more on the open market’, and we go out and replace him with another player on the market that we like, then he comes back and that money is gone.”
Doing Homework
It seems as though the free agency period is a lot more than just reaching out to players once the deadline hits and putting fourth your best offer. It’s tough to know who will still be available come the opening of the market as many players re-sign with their clubs in the final days and hours.
It is for that reason that Barker and his staff put a lot of stalk in being as prepared as possible so they can target what a player’s value is and how much he is needed.
“At the end of the season, I had all of the coaches from last year grade every player in the league at their position,” Barker explained. “We then take that information and know which players they like. When Scott (Milanovich) was hired we talked about strengths and weaknesses of our team and where we thought we needed help, and we did the same thing with Chris Jones as we tried to figure out what player is of what value to us.”
It seems like a tedious process but it is a crucial step of which most outsiders may not be aware. Grading every player across the league only to make as few as one or two signings when all is said and done may seem excessive, but that meticulous work can often make the difference between acquiring a new player or losing him to another team.
As for the what happens when the deadline hits? Barker once again says it’s not overly complicated once all the homework has been done and a reasonable and affordable offer has been drafted.
“We have a list of the players and who their agents are. When free agency starts, we contact them and express that we are interested in their player and this is what we will pay. It’s pretty self-explanatory.”
He has already snagged one free agent, recently released OL Marc Parenteau, and has a list of 2011 Argos that still remain un-signed. With all the homework, grading, researching, scouting and debating, Argos fans will just have to wait until Wednesday at 12 noon to see how active Barker and his crew really are when the markets open.
http://www.cfl.ca/article/barker-gearing-up-for-free-agency?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter