Vernon Davis has spent the offseason building his brand. (USATSI)
More NFL offseason: League minicamp dates | Latest news, notes
Tight end Vernon Davis made a $200,000 decision last week and that decision was to skip out on the 49ers offseason training activities (OTAs). Davis has a $200,000 workout clause in his contract that requires him to be at the offseason sessions, but he decided not to show up.
The reason Davis decided not to show up? He's building his brand.
"You know what, every decision I make is in the best interest of my brand," Davis told Jay Mohr Sports during a radio interview on Wednesday. "At the end of the day, we sometimes have to make a business decision. And my decision is to work out on my own and focus on building my brand."
Pat Kirwan Davis not helping himself
That 'brand,' involves promoting Fantex, a company that's selling stock in Davis. Fantex paid the 49ers tight end $4 million up front in return for 10 percent of his future earnings from football, endorsements or any other income tied to his NFL career.
"It's all about building your brand," Davis said. "And that's what Fantex … it's going to help me build my brand. That's why it is such an easy decision for me to partner with these guys."
Of course, with the $200,000 that Davis missed out on, he could have bought about 20,000 shares of Fantex stock in himself, but that's neither here nor there.
Another reason Davis missed OTAs is because he reportedly wants a new contract. The tight end has two years left on a six-year, $42.7 million extension he signed in 2010.
So does he want a new contract? He kind of cleared that up during an ESPN interview on Thursday. "Everyone was just assuming I wanted a new contract," Davis said. "I just take it one day at a time. If they offer me a new contract, I'll gladly take it. I'll accept it."
The next time Davis shows up at a 49ers team activity will likely be June 17 when San Francisco holds its mandatory minicamp. If Davis doesn't show up, the 49ers can fine him up to $60,000.
"If it's mandatory, I think I should be there," Davis said. "My foot could get stuck in the grass, and I may not be able to get out ... but if it's mandatory, I think I should be there."
So he'll be there unless his foot gets stuck in the grass.
NFL Hot News
Redskins TE Jordan Reed has sustained 4 concussions since 2010
Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is ranked behind only Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, and Julius Thomas in our initial preseason rankings. He's a mismatch nightmare running down the seam and has receivers on each side of him who can demand a lot of defensive attention.There's also a very real risk that Reed is one hit away from seeing his career end.Reed's 2013 rookie season effectively ended November 17 due to a concussion. He tried to come back and play after that, but his symptoms were too strong, and he ended up on injured reserve in December. He dealt with headaches and nausea for months. But Reed admitted this week that he suffered another concussion two weeks before that season-ender and hid it from his coaches and the Redskins' medical staff. He also suffered two concussions during his three years at the University of Florida. That's four concussions in no longer than four years.
And in today's NFL, that sends up a huge red flag. The progressive effects of multiple concussions are backed up by medical science. Wide receiver Laurent Robinson's career seems to be over after he suffered four or five concussions in 2012 alone. Reed's brain injuries aren't so clustered together, but he has still absorbed an alarmingly high number of dangerous hits in a relatively short time span. I'm a believer in Reed for fantasy purposes, because he is an athletic pass-catcher who has Robert Griffin's trust. And right now, he's healthy. But one more concussion this season could send Reed to the sidelines for a long, long time.
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