Timing pattern misfired

DANIEL GRAHAM Holds no ill will

When tight end Daniel Graham looks back on how his free agent situation unfolded in March, it all comes back to timing. The Patriots made a final pitch, but it was too late.

"I felt like if I didn't have to wait that long to get a decent offer on the table, I still might be in a Patriots uniform," Graham said. "The process had dragged on throughout the whole year."

If it sounds like sour grapes, it's anything but. Graham holds no ill will toward the Patriots, and believes his five years under coach Bill Belichick made him a better player in terms of understanding the game, thus increasing his value as a free agent.

All he's pointing out is a key factor from a player's perspective when it comes to NFL business: Timing can be everything.

Had the Patriots stepped forward before or during last season and offered the $4 million-per-year contract ($8 million in bonuses) they presented him prior to free agency, he probably would have signed it. At that point, the financial security would have been too hard to pass up.

But since those numbers didn't come across the negotiating table until he was weeks from hitting the open market, he felt he owed it to himself to explore the possibilities. The Broncos pounced by outbidding the Seahawks, with Graham landing a whopping five-year, $30 million contract that included $15 million in guarantees.

On the surface, it looked as if it unfolded as had been designed. Graham, who grew up in Denver and played at the University of Colorado, was returning home. Yet Graham doesn't see it that way.

"I felt like I expressed to the front office that I'd like to spend my career with the Patriots," he said. "For five years, I worked hard there, but I wasn't going to be pushed over on a contract. Things dragged on, and by the offseason I knew that if I didn't get franchised, there was a strong possibility I was leaving."

From the Patriots' perspective, Graham's situation highlights one of the most challenging aspects of building a team: knowing the right time to ante up in an evolving market.

The Patriots were proactive with center Dan Koppen last October, signing him to a five-year extension ($7.5 million signing bonus) that could be worth $20 million. Had Koppen not reached an extension, he would have been an unrestricted free agent after last season.

Yet had the Patriots been more aggressive with cornerback Asante Samuel, they might not be in the stalemate they currently find themselves.

Back in October, Samuel was seeking an extension that included approximately $10 million in bonus money. Now, with timing and a changing market, Samuel's asking price is significantly higher.

There are similar examples across the NFL, such as what has recently unfolded with the Bears.

Favoring a proactive approach, Chicago signed cornerback Nathan Vasher to a lucrative, five-year extension last month, one year before he was to become an unrestricted free agent. But had the Bears taken a similar approach with linebacker Lance Briggs in 2006, one year before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, they might not be in a stalemate similar to what the Patriots face with Samuel.

If it sounds like a team can avoid future problems by paying up early, it's not that simple. Too many extensions too early can throw a team's salary cap out of whack, as clubs need productive players who are still performing under their rookie deals to keep their cap situations healthy.

The 28-year-old Graham said he understands the element of timing, which is why he isn't slinging arrows in the Patriots' direction.

"I'm going to be pulling for them, wishing my teammates the best of luck until they have to play Denver," he said.

"I had a great time there for five years and being under Coach Belichick made me a better player. There are a lot of good guys in that locker room, and we had a lot of fun. It's hard to leave those guys, but you see it all across the league -- it happens, it's a business, and you move on."

In Denver, Graham has been immersing himself in the Broncos' West Coast offense, which he said is significantly different than what the Patriots run. He has bonded quickly with teammates Javon Walker, Travis Henry, and Ian Gold, and likes what he's seen from second-year quarterback Jay Cutler, who was elevated to starter for the final five games of 2006 and enters this year as the clear No. 1.

One of the appeals of signing with Denver was the chance to be featured more in the passing game, and while Graham expects more balls to be thrown his way than he caught in New England (21 last year), he also knows expectations are higher based on a contract that exceeded his expectations.

"I was surprised a little bit [by the contract], but I also felt like over five years I had earned it," he said. "I'm grateful for it. I think now a lot of people are going to be watching more. I might not have been looked at as a total tight end, but now people will want to know what one of the highest-paid tight ends can do."

Deals add fourth dimension

A flurry of rookie signings should be coming as training camps near, and while there are unlikely to be holdouts among later-round picks, not all contract talks have gone as smoothly as hoped.

Two longtime negotiators have expressed concern regarding a growing trend when it comes to second-day draft choices (rounds 4-7), as more teams are insisting on four-year contracts. When a player signs a four-year deal, it eliminates the chance he could become a restricted free agent after his third year.

Restricted free agency is a collectively bargained right for players, but with more teams insisting on four-year contracts (the Redskins and Texans are new in leaning that way), it's bordering on extinction. One agent estimated that only six of the league's 32 clubs still offer three-year deals for second-day picks.

By insisting on four-year deals, teams attempt to appease agents by inserting escalators into the final year of the contract that, if certain criteria are met, could pay the player the same amount as if he were a restricted free agent. The clubs also point out that signing bonuses -- the lump sum players receive up front -- are richer in four-year deals than three-year deals.

The difference, of course, is that the player isn't a true restricted free agent in the fourth year, and thus loses the possibility to negotiate with other teams and land a big payday (i.e. Wes Welker and the Patriots).

Some agents feel more teams are insisting on four-year deals in the wake of the Seahawks signing restricted free agent receiver Nate Burleson away from the Vikings last year with a poison-pill-filled offer sheet. Another line of thinking is that with the salary cap rising dramatically, teams have to pay veterans more, so they are leaning on the cost certainty that comes with rookie picks who sign for four years instead of three.

The Patriots are one team willing to offer three-year deals, as sixth-round pick Corey Hilliard signed for that length of time.

Lindell kicks off tour of NFL stadiums

Entering his eighth NFL season and fifth with the Bills, Rian Lindell kicks in arguably the NFL's toughest venue, Ralph Wilson Stadium. But when Lindell lists his least-favorite stadium to kick in , Buffalo isn't part of the consideration.

"I wouldn't say it's my favorite, and it can get real bad, but I'm pretty used to it by now," he said.

While Lindell hasn't kicked in every NFL venue -- he'll find out this season if Pittsburgh's Heinz Field is as bad as he's heard -- here are his best and worst:

BEST 1. Seattle -- "Maybe I'm a little biased, being from the Northwest, but it's a nice stadium. It's not too breezy, which allows you to get a bit more comfortable."

2. Atlanta -- "The ball seems to carry pretty well there, and it helps that you're indoors. You're not worrying about wind, and it has nice FieldTurf."

3. Giants Stadium -- "The biggest thing there is the turf. It's short, so you only have to pat it down a little. I usually feel pretty good there."

WORST 1. Baltimore -- "I've kicked there twice and just never felt great. It's nothing with the stadium or the turf, I just don't think the ball carries well there."

2. San Francisco -- "You're right there on the water, so it can get windy."

3. Oakland -- "Weather-wise it's not that bad, but when you consider the dirt from the baseball infield, it makes it tougher. That's always where your kickoffs are."

Keep in mind . . .
Four nuggets not to forget from last week: 1. Rams officials and representatives for quarterback Marc Bulger met regarding a contract extension. Bulger is entering the final year of his contract and hasn't ruled out the possibility of a training camp holdout if a deal isn't reached in the next few weeks; 2. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis confirmed the team will be without linebacker David Pollack this season. A 2005 first-round draft choice, Pollack sustained a career-threatening neck injury in the second game last season and has been sidelined since; 3. The Broncos held a mandatory minicamp and receiver Rod Smith, who had offseason hip surgery, remained on the sideline and acknowledged he might not be ready for training camp. "We don't want to push him too hard or we'll set him back," coach Mike Shanahan said; 4. The league held its supplemental draft and two players were selected: Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver (Chargers, fourth round) and Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither (Ravens, fifth round).

Safety counts
The Raiders took safety Donovin Darius off the market, signing the free agent to a three-year, $7.1 million contract. Now the question is where Darius fits into the team's scheme, as both of last year's starters -- 2006 first-round draft choice Michael Huff and four-year veteran Stuart Schweigert -- return. The thinking in Oakland is to create Patriots-like competition, and let the battle among three solid players shake out in training camp. Flexibility is also a factor, as the coaching staff can mix and match depending on what package is called. One behind-the-scenes nugget on the Darius deal: It was negotiated by Mansfield native Mark Jackson, whose role as director of football operations continues to grow.

Nothing personal, strictly business
The Patriots might have been at odds with agent Jason Chayut during negotiations with receiver Deion Branch last year, but those hard feelings didn't affect the team's scouting of Oliver. Oliver is represented by Chayut, and when the Patriots did not attend Oliver's Pro Day workout but decided to hold their own workout for him, the sides came together to make it happen. While the parties probably won't be cutting steaks together any time soon, it's a reminder that one previous contentious negotiation doesn't always affect a potential future one.

The leadership of Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been scrutinized over his first three seasons, which is why his comments last week had the New York newspapers buzzing. Manning told reporters that with running back Tiki Barber retired, he's ready to become the Giants' unquestioned leader. "You lose Tiki, a guy who kind of did that, I look forward to that opportunity to take it over," Manning said. Perhaps no player in the NFL is under a larger microscope than Manning, who is still working to justify the Giants trading up to select him No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft.

Since entering the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice of the Saints in 2002, quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan has appeared in one game, which barely makes him a footnote in NFL history. How, then, does one explain that O'Sullivan joined his seventh NFL team last week when he signed with the Lions? Even die-hard Patriots fans might be hard pressed to remember that O'Sullivan spent a brief stretch on the team's practice squad last year. In all, O'Sullivan has been on the roster or practice squad for the Saints, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Patriots, Bears, and Lions.

Tomorrow marks the deadline for the Patriots to reach a long-term extension with cornerback Asante Samuel. If Samuel doesn't sign by tomorrow, he can only play for the one-year, $7.79 million tender offer in 2007. If the sides then decided to negotiate a long-term deal, it couldn't be finalized until after the season . . . The Patriots reached a contract agreement with seventh-round pick Oscar Lua, an inside linebacker from Southern Cal. That means four of the team's nine picks have signed . . . Time magazine selected their 50 most-influential sports executives last week, and Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft was one of four NFL owners on the list. The others were Dan Rooney (Steelers), Bill Bidwell (Cardinals), and Jerry Jones (Cowboys) . . . Former University of Maine receiver Kevin McMahan, the last selection of the 2006 draft, has hooked on with the Giants after being let go by the Raiders and then the Colts . . . First-year Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is planning on cracking the whip this summer, scheduling 15 two-a-day practices for training camp.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.