Bosa Watch: Assessing CAA's Response to the Chargers Statement

The Chargers released their "best offer" an 85 percent cash payout signing bonus in 2016. A significant increase from the 57 percent cash payout offer previously reported. After the Chargers released this PR statement, Bosa’s camp responded with a statement of their own.

This statement was made by Joey Bosa’s agent Brian Ayrault who represents CAA:

It is unfortunate the San Diego Chargers have decided to manipulate facts and negotiate in the media. The team surely is not strengthening its relationship with Joey Bosa by taking this stance and making their position public.

We have decided that we will not engage in public negotiations or discuss numbers and/or terms in this negotiation.

We will say, that it is ironic that the team now takes issue with the timing of Joey’s arrival, since the Chargers unilaterally decided to remain silent for the first 14 days of training camp instead of replying in a timely fashion to the proposal we made on the eve of training camp on July 28th.

At this point, all we can do is continue to fight for a fair contract on behalf of our client, as we do for all of our clients. The Chargers can focus on trying to sway public opinion, but our focus will remain on our client and securing a contract for him that is fair and consistent with his draft position.

Bosa’s camp took a strong stance to downgrade the Chargers statement. Many fans immediately came out criticizing Bosa and his representatives after the Charger’s statement claiming he is egotistical and "hasn’t done anything to demand anything". This statement depicts the bigger picture with the Chargers and Bosa saga and why we are still here with the number 3 overall pick still not signed.

It makes sense why Ayrault would open the statement pointed the finger back at the Chargers. Specific terms of the negotiation are not usually released in a statement the way the Chargers did this morning. Bosa’s camp came out and said this was a huge PR move by the Chargers. By releasing this statement the Chargers are trying to get the public to rally behind them, Ayrault is saying this was a blow to the integrity of their negotiations and will be another factor on mending the teams and the player’s relationship.

Ayrault then stated his party will not be using the public negotiation. This again shows me that they are stating the Chargers have resorted to foul business tactics and we will not combat them through the media. This again tells me they want to make sure they are being seen is the victim here, not the ones to blame for the current state.

The next paragraph Ayrault makes the claim that the Chargers have some nerve making statements about Bosa’s camp timeliness when they waiting for a response 14 days after they made a counter offer on the eve of training camp. Again a valid point and reflection on the Chargers business strategy. If this was a priority and the main objective was to get Bosa signed, why was there a long stall to negotiation? Is it fair for the Chargers set timely parameters to contract talks when they don’t abide by the same principal on their end?

The end of the statement simply states the agency will continue to hold out until we feel they get the deal they feel is fair for Joey Bosa based on where he was taken in the draft. Again Bosa’s camp continue with the high road approach and again will not negotiate by releasing stances to the public.

So what is this statement trying to tell the public?

That there is more to the situation than what the Chargers are releasing to the public. Do not be fooled; this negotiation process has not been flawless on the Chargers' end. Bosa is set out to get the same thing everyone else in is position has gotten over the past five years: either offset language or a complete signing bonus payout. The Chargers statement indicates they tried to close the gap on this stance but Bosa’s camp still craves more and rightfully so. The underlying answer is he is the highest Charger player drafted in the new rookie contract allotted system, his contract should reflect that.

This media circus has now taken an extra step. There is reason to worry that Bosa and his camp are in this for the real long haul, possibly to the point of reentering  the 2017 draft. As a Charger fan, it is one thing to support the team but another to blindly applaud every move. At the end of the day a lot of time has been lost on a negotiation that already had the money slotted, but leave it to the Chargers to complicate even the slam dunk negotiation. Both sides sare some of the blame, but the Chargers have taken this process to the next step, a PR power move that appears, for now, not to scare Bosa or his camp but, instead reaffirm their stance. Only time will tell if this deal can still get done.