Rod Graves: ‘It is very difficult to put a value on what Larry Fitzgerald means to our organization’
Aug 22, 2011, 4:12 PM | Updated: 5:40 pm
The going rate for a Larry Fitzgerald appears to be eight years and $120 million, with $50 of it being guaranteed.
Some will argue that’s too much money for a wide receiver. Cardinals GM Rod Graves says you can’t really put a price tag on a player like Fitz.
“Obviously there’s going to be various opinions about the deal, but I will say this: it’s very difficult to put a value on what Larry Fitzgerald means to our organization,” Graves told Sports 620 KTAR’s Doug and Wolf Monday. “Michael Bidwill and I have discussed that a number of times in terms of the tremendous amount of value that he brings to the organization in so many different ways.
“It’s difficult to say that this amount or that amount is the right amount for Larry Fitzgerald.”
Graves talked about being able to have Fitzgerald spend his entire career with the Cardinals, something fans will surely enjoy.
“Hopefully along the way we win a couple of championships in the process,” he said.
Graves thinks the team can work towards that goal even with Fitzgerald’s contract on the books.
“One of the things that we emphasized…Michael and I wanted an opportunity to continue to grow our football team and to continue to take advantage of opportunities down the road,” he said. “This contract and the way it’s structured allows us to do that.
“It’s relatively evenly spread out, in terms of the balance of the contract — that’s what we wanted –, it allows us an opportunity to plan and, as I’ve said, still take advantage of opportunities to keep our team strong.”
That will take care of itself down the road, but for now the Cardinals and there fans are happy to know Fitzgerald isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
