EJ = DP, More or Less?

[YilmazOrhan]

The 2008 MLS Competition Guidelines have been released, see the link below. The most interesting changes:

1. One more International slot, and YIs and SIs will no longer be separate categories.

2. EJ, Landycakes, and Ruiz have been grandfathered in with over-the-max salaries, and will not be DPs. But, and here's the interesting part, "The salaries of these players will, however, become the financial responsibility of their club to the extent their salary exceeds the team's maximum salary budget charge." Does this mean OnGoal is now responsible for the $400,000 (or whatever) of EJ's salary is over the individual player maximum, or are they only responsible for that salary to the extent the entire team's salary is over the cap?.

Assuming the first case, if you're the FO, would you pay EJ, or would you rather pursue a DP for similar money?


http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071218&content_id=133401&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp

[Wizardscharter]

If making a run at a title this season was a priority, I'd pay EJ to the extent that it is reasonable to pay him. I would also pursue many legit DPs in hopes one would materialize.

OnGoal may not be willing to spend on salary has spending has been rampant in other areas. Also, the March assumptions of management were that KC would be contenders for the hardware. That isn't the case unfortunately. In such situations, spending isn't necessarilly the panecea. Spending with other solutions may be. Let's hope both materialize. I start with signing EJ if I can.

[Felixx219]

I wouldnt pay EJ nor would I get a DP. I think if they search hard enough they could land a forward with reasonable pay to produce for us. EJ's first touch is too much of a liability and he is too damn lazy.

[banker6901]

I would not pay EJ, I do not think he has proved over an entire season to be worth that kind of money. Most of his goals are a product of his speed, instead of being able to create shots on his own. If he was the type of player with a combination of skills(speed, touch, passing, finishing), then it would be a different story. If you were going to get a DP (which I doubt will happen while at CAB), I would want someone who could control and create in the midfield and have a direct impact on the game. If EJ is not getting the ball, he is often invisible. I would tell EJ good luck in Europe or if you could get any other MLS team to trade for him (not happening); instead I would for some different striking options.

[kuhnscoot]

Honestly, I think we probably need to keep Eddie. Unless we find the next Emilio (highly unlikely), we're going to be in a really sorry state next season attack wise. We scored 45 goals last season. Eddie was a part of 21 of them (15g 6a). That's 47% of our goals that either were scored by him or played through him. Also, look how much our attack suffered while he was gone at the Gold Cup and Copa America, we went 0-3-3, scoring 7 goals. Yes you can turn that the other way with is poor play down the stretch, but you're not going to be able to bring in a striker and expect that kind of production out of him.

Is he being paid more then he should be? Probably. But that doesn't make his scoring output any less important. We're not going to find another striker option to pick up all that slack. Sure Sealy was injured for part of the year, but he's been good for about 9 goals a season, only 2 less then he had this past season.

[Wizardscharter]

At the risk of shattering expectations and being positive...

EJ is on an upswing of production increasing numbers over '06, among the top scorers in MLS during the '07 season while missing a good portion of the season through Nat duty, and for whatever other limitations does have the one commodity unteachable - a higher maximum speed. I'd also offer that with other players more able to exploit his strengths or less likely to turn it over in the offensive zone, etc. EJ's production might well have been higher.