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Carl Nicks Admits On Free Agent Status With Saints: “i’m Not Greedy, I Just Want What’s Fair.”
NFL free agency kicks off this week, and Saints guard Carl Nicks is one of the most talented players slated to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. At 26, Nicks is already a two-time All-Pro and a Super Bowl champion. And because the Saints have limited cap space and have already used their franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees, New Orleans probably can’t afford to keep Nicks around.Carl Nicks joined WWL in New Orleans to give an update on non-existent contract talks with the Saints. He also detailed why he has such high contract demands, reflected on his time in the Bayou in the past tense and took a moment to address the bounty scandal and the unnamed snitch who brought the story to the league offices.
On if he has any progress to report when it comes to contract talks:
“No, nothing’s really changed since, you know, ever I guess.”
On if that disappoints him:
“I’m kinda disappointed. I thought I meant a little more to the team than that, but I guess it is what it is.”
Of if he thinks the Saints are moving in another direction:
“It had to be. I think they’re probably going to draft a young guy in the late rounds like they did me and Jahri (Evans). But I mean, it has to be, right? … I just think that’s what the plan is because maybe I cost too much or they don’t think I’m in their future plans, they can get somebody cheaper or younger or whatever — whatever the case may be. I haven’t heard anything. There’s a lot more troubling issues I guess, as far as (what) the Saints organization has to deal with, so I mean, they’re probably just busy.”
On his contract demands:
“I plan to be the highest paid guard in the NFL. You can take that whatever kinda way but that’s my goal, so…more than Logan Mankins got I guess.”
On if he feels he’s earned that:
“Absolutely. I mean I don’t wanna sound cocky or anything but I busted my butt for four years, I made a couple Pro Bowls. For my first three years I was the lowest paid guard of all the starting guard in the NFL. And I never complained, I never held out, I came in early to sign my tender when no one else was doing that. I’ve been dedicated to the team and I’ve proven my stats speak for itself. I just feel like I should get paid what I deserve.”
On if he and his agent have talked to the Saints at all thus far:
“I think my agent spoke with them briefly, I wanna say maybe a day or two before the Combine started. And that was it. And it was real brief — no specifics.”
On if he or his agent has talked to them since:
“No. No they called me I wanna say maybe three weeks ago, four weeks ago, asking me if I had any questions or if we had any questions about the whole situation to give them a call. And I guess maybe I shoulda called them. But the only question I have is, How come there’s been no effort made to reach out to me? Even if it was just like a low deal, there’s been no effort.”
On if he’s disappointed they haven’t made an offer at all or if it’s more because they aren’t willing to meet his price:
“I just feel like even if they felt like they couldn’t afford me or whatever, at least make an effort and at least try to low-ball me. It sounds weird but if you act like you really want to make something work then maybe I’m up for discussion. I’m not greedy, I just want what’s fair, but at the same time if you didn’t offer me anything then what am I supposed to do?”
On if he’s prepared to move in another direction:
“At this point … I’m absolutely prepared. I mean, what can you do? If a team acts like they don’t want you then the only thing you can do is leave.”
On if the Saints know what his expectations are:
“Yeah they absolutely know. My agent made it very clear what my expectations were.”
On what he says to fans who think he’s asking for too much:
“One, I don’t think they’re in my position to be criticizing or telling what I deserve and don’t deserve. And two, they’ve gotta realize it’s a business. Yeah, it’s fan-driven, and yeah, it’s a team sport. But at the end of the day if you get an opportunity to set your family up for the rest of your life you take it. There’s no ifs ands or buts about it. So people can say whatever negative they want — at the end of the day I know I’m gonna get what I deserve and I’m gonna get what I earned. But everybody’s entitled to their opinion.”
On if knows who the bounty scandal snitch is:
“No, but someone definitely did rat though, and everybody on the team that we played with the last three, four years, they’re not that kind of person to just (tell) them for no reason. Especially when they know it’s such a big deal. Where I’m from you don’t tell, especially on your teammates like your brothers. So whoever did it probably had to play with us for a year or two or a couple years.”
On if he thinks the snitch is a player:
“I doubt it, man. I mean, maybe it’s a player who was just around that time — that felt they got did wrong some kinda way maybe. But I highly doubt that it was a player.”
On his time in New Orleans and what he tells fans who ask him to stay:
“I kinda just smile and tell them, ‘Why do you work?’ I ask them, ‘Why do you work and why do you do what you do?’ You know, money. And you know we do it for the love of the game, we do it for the glory and championships first and foremost. But we do it for the money. And they might say, ‘Oh we’re greedy and athletes are this and that’ but that’s just the bottom line. And my time in New Orleans was the best time I’ve ever had as an adult. Just being a part of that Super Bowl, all the records we broke. Just being in the locker room — I think that’s one thing I’m really gonna miss — just all my boys in the locker room. One thing about this team, we weren’t just teammates, we were like brothers. We all hung around each other. And people might say if you’re brothers how you gonna leave? And I’m like, ‘Well, it gets to a certain point in anybody’s household where the kids gotta leave eventually. If your parents aren’t showing you no love, you gotta leave. And I don’t think the Saints front office is showing me any kind of love.”
On if he think he’s as good as gone:
“I pretty much am gone, to be honest. I don’t think they’re gonna make any last-ditch efforts to try to sign me.”
Brad Gagnon is also the NFL editor at theScore.com‘s Goal-Line Stand blog. He can be followed on Twitter right here.
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