Grossman Ready to Start Earning Pay : But How Much He’ll Make Working for Chargers Is Disputed

After a 34-day holdout, free-spirited rookie Burt Grossman was just happy to be at the Friday press conference in which the Chargers announced they had signed him.

He even joked about his contract, saying, “I’ve got to check my account and see if it’s as much as I made at Pitt. If it is, I’m happy.”

“Just kidding,” he added after a short pause.

But just who was kidding whom about how much money Grossman will get from the Chargers was still unclear at the end of the day.

There was more than one discrepancy between the dollar numbers reported by the Chargers to the NFL and the numbers being discussed by Grossman sources.

According to an agent for another 1989 No. 1 draft pick--who said he obtained his figures through the NFL Management Council, which gets its information directly from the league--Grossman’s contract is worth $2.885 million over five years, the fifth being an option year.

Grossman’s agent, Cleveland attorney Robert Jackson, wouldn’t speak on the record about how much the Chargers will pay. But he disputed the agent’s Management Council numbers.

A source close to Grossman contended his contract was worth $3.01 million over five years.

So, you ask, what’s $125,000 among friends? Grossman, the Chargers’ probable starter at right end and the first defensive lineman picked in the draft, is going to be a rich man either way.

True enough. But this summer, Grossman made a show of firing agent Richard Woods and hiring Jackson. Jackson, a former attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission during the Kennedy Administration, had never represented a first-round NFL player before Grossman.

When asked about the option year of Grossman’s contract, Jackson said Grossman’s base salary would be 110% of the fourth year if there were no renegotiation. But according to Plan B adopted by the owners, any option year of a contract in which the player will earn more than $250,000 is only worth 100% of the previous year’s base salary.

“Grossman got clobbered,” said the other agent.

Gil Brandt, the Cowboys’ former vice-president of personnel development, assisted Jackson in the negotiations with the Chargers that lasted virtually around the clock Wednesday and Thursday.

What is undisputed is Grossman’s signing bonus ($950,000) and his base salaries for 1989 ($250,000) and 1990 ($300,000). Grossman also will receive roster bonuses (deferred one year) of $50,000 each of his first two years.

Depending upon whom you believe, he will make either $350,000 or $375,000 in base salary in 1991 and either $400,000 or $450,000 in 1992. His roster bonuses in 1991 and 1992 are $30,000. He will get $75,000 ($30,000 deferred) in bonuses for 1993.

There were two triggers for Grossman’s arrival. First were the recent signings of Steeler running back Tim Worley and Phoenix linebacker Eric Hill. Worley, Grossman and Hill were the seventh, eighth and 10th players selected in the first round last spring. When Jackson and the Chargers found out what Worley and Hill had received, it was easier to agree on what Grossman was worth.

Second, there was the performance of the Charger defense in three exhibition games. Defensive coordinator Ron Lynn’s unit has allowed just one long touchdown drive during that period.

“That’s why I had to sign quick,” Grossman said. “I didn’t have any holding ground any more. My bargaining chips were starting to fall away.”

Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, praised Jackson’s negotiating style and issued a challenge to Grossman based on Grossman’s track record for public self-confidence.

“Burt Grossman is one player I believe fully understands that the easiest thing he is going to do over the course of his career here is to put his name on the line,” Ortmayer said. “Now he’s going to get tested for what’s real. And that’s to prove that he can help make this football team win.”

Charger Coach Dan Henning was extremely upset with the official who called Dan Rosado for holding late in the fourth quarter of his team’s 17-14 loss to the defending world champion 49ers Wednesday night.

The penalty stopped a Charger drive in San Francisco territory and forced them to attempt a 53-yard field goal that fell short.

The next day, Henning said he still wasn’t happy with the call but would not file a formal complaint with the league. The NFL asks for reports from its head coaches on officiating crews after each game.

“I ceased filing reports, personally, about four years ago,” Henning said.

He prefers, he said, to have an occasional conversation with Jack Reader, the league’s assistant supervisor of officials. One of Henning’s assistants files the weekly report.

“I don’t do that (file reports) the way I did at one time because I don’t see much fruition there,” Henning said.

Henning said he would prefer the league to change its approach on officiating. Specifically, he said, he wishes officials would only call the penalties that are obvious. It would help speed up the game and make for more consistency between different officiating crews, he said.

“When there’s a question, and it’s close, I don’t think they should ever throw the flag,” Henning said. “If you want to look, you can probably find some misdoings on every play. I’d like to see those guys (the officials) be somewhere between 95 and 100% (correct). If you only pull the flag when you’re sure, then you’re going to have a high percentage. If I was to grade them on the ones they don’t see, there’s not one in the league who will make 50%.”

Henning said the holding call on Rosado that negated a first down run by Marion Butts didn’t show up on the Chargers’ game films.

For years, Bear Coach Mike Ditka and his quarterback, Jim McMahon, differed on what McMahon should do when McMahon’s receivers were covered and the defense flushed him out of the pocket.

McMahon preferred to run for as many yards as he could, and that was one reason he was injured so often. Ditka preferred McMahon to slide in front of defenders rather than take a direct hit.

In his one rush against the 49ers Wednesday, McMahon chose to slide. The next day, Henning said he and McMahon hadn’t discussed the subject yet.

When they do?

“I would prefer,” Henning said, “for him to do things in this order: Complete the pass; throw the ball on the margin of error side; if the pocket opens up inside, escape inside; if the pocket opens up outside, escape outside, and again complete the pass or throw it on the margin of error side or throw it away.

“And if he decides to take it upfield, to be prudent. I mean if you need 25 yards and you’re being headed at nine, being prudent would be to slide. If you need nine yards, and you’re being headed at eight, being prudent would not be to slide.”

Charger Notes

Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, said he had not heard from running back Gary Anderson’s agent Friday. On Thursday, Ortmayer countered an Aug. 14 contract proposal from Peter Johnson, who represents Anderson, one of two unsigned Charger free agents remaining. The other is defensive lineman Joe Phillips. Ortmayer said there was nothing new to report on him either. . . . The Charger receivers already have noticed the difference between the “touch” passes of Jim McMahon and the tight spirals thrown by rookie Billy Joe Tolliver. “McMahon and David Archer have a softer ball,” said rookie Dana Brinson. “Billy Joe’s is, like, very hard.”

DAVE DISTEL

Please wake him when Burt starts acting weird. Page 11A.