[UPDATE: Well, so much for that. Tampa Bay signs him, four years and $17 million]
Derrick Ward is largely considered the best available running back in free agency. He's been targeted by the Bengals, who hosted him over the weekend. After that, Ward took off for Denver and is now making his way to Tampa Bay. However, it would appear that Derrick Ward is sending negotiation offers to the New York Giants in the meantime, writes Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger.
Also, a source said RB Derrick Ward is telling people the Giants have turned down his proposal for a multi-year deal worth $3 million per season. The Giants are apparently not willing to go that high.
Be that as it may, a player was turned down a contract offer by the team that banked on a gimmicky name for a running back trio. That's also hardly the Michael Turner money we've heard about, in which the Denver Post suggested that Ward is looking for something in the neighborhood of a four-year deal worth $25 million with $13 million guaranteed. Which makes you wonder if there's validity to the source, or that Ward really, really wants to go back to New York -- or is he just self-delusional?
While he makes his way to Tampa Bay, the Denver Broncos are deciding whether to sign Ward or J.J. Arrington, writes Mike Klis. The piece said that an announcement was to be made today.
Based on conjecture, our opinion is that the Bengals are already out of the running. If he's asking for Michael Turner money, which could be what brings him to Cincinnati while he keeps his market value a bit more realistic with his proposals to the Giants at a minimum, then you know, I know, that's going to be a bit much for Mike Brown's blood. In this case, I'm not 100% convinced he's worth that much.