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He felt he had the necessary leverage to push the team into a deal more in line with the picks ahead of Harvey.
The Jaguars did indeed up the ante in the negotiation, but then sat on the offer as the calendar continued to roll.
By the time the deal was finalized, the Jaguars gave Harvey a deal much closer to their original offer than the one that his agent envisioned. Kremer blinked first.
Still, it was not a bad haul for the agent and his client, as Harvey's deal came in at $33.4 million, with half of that guaranteed.
Fans were rattled by the protracted talks. They wanted their draft pick in camp. There was little tolerance for the business side of the process, and they expressed their displeasure on call-in shows, on message boards, and in the media at every opportunity.
Still, the blame was divided equally.
With the Jaguars sitting in the same position with Eugene Monroe, the grumbling has already begun.
Fans want the team to soften on their stance to get a deal done quickly for the big offensive tackle. They do not want to see a drawn out contract negotiation impact the development of another player in the same manner it did with Harvey.
The Jaguars have been formulaic in the approach they have taken, and they will not be swayed by the opinion of fans. It is always going to be about the bottom line for the team, and the deal that is finally signed will be more to the liking of the team regardless of how long it may take.
The lesson learned from the Harvey negotiations is simple enough: The Jaguars' front office will not be pressured by what is happening ahead of or behind them with players drafted. Their only focus will be on what was spent last year in relation to the draft position they are in currently.
Since they know this number intimately, it should be simple enough to determine what they plan to offer.
No matter what, Monroe will wind up a very wealthy man. He will wind up leaving the table with somewhere in the range of $20 million in guaranteed money in his pocket. Whether he is willing to hold out to make a point over a few extra dollars remains to be seen.
If his agent does decide to push back, he will not have leverage in demanding too much from the Jaguars.
They have an insurance policy to assure this with Tra Thomas.
The Jaguars currently have a starting caliber left tackle on the roster. Should Monroe take the approach of holding out for more, he will discover very quickly the Jaguars will not bend.
The team will not be intimidated by the threat of a holdout. They will make their offer and wait to see what they get in return. No matter how long it takes, the negotiations will look very familiar to anyone watching this process last season.
Ultimately, it falls upon the shoulders of Monroe and his agent to reach some sort of agreement that everyone is happy with, and to do it as quickly as possible.
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