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In a 2002 draft in which there are only two prospects who fit the computer
model of what an NFL defensive end is supposed to be -- at least from the
size-speed standpoint Julius Peppers of North Carolina and Georgia's Charles
Grant comprise that rare subspecies -- there indeed is good news for many of
the undersized "edge" players.
The return of the 3-4 front, utilized only by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a
base defense in 2001 but set to be incorporated in 2002 by at least four
other teams, figures not only to create jobs but also to place some premium
on locating hybrid outside defenders. All those "in between" players, the
defenders not bulky enough to play regularly at end or quick enough to be a
full-time linebacker, could see their draft profile enhanced a bit by the
need to fill spots in the resurrected 3-4 scheme.
|  | | Defensive end Dwight Freeney had 17.5 sacks last season for Syracuse. |
"All of a sudden, you're not taking the square peg, a 255-pound defensive
end, and trying to fit him into the round hole," said Pittsburgh defensive
coordinator Tim Lewis, who has excelled at finding undersized ends like
Jason Gildon and Joey Porter and turning them into superb outside
linebackers in the 3-4 front. "The increase (in 3-4 alignments) means there
is more opportunity for the undersized end to find a place. Not every one of
those guys will be able to make a switch (to linebacker), but a lot of them
will."
South Carolina standout Kalimba Edwards, whose draft stock has slipped in
recent weeks, did not have a good workout as a linebacker. Teams that
project him as a defensive end are concerned that he has a narrow frame and
might not hold up. But even with his problems working in space, Edwards
might project better to linebacker in a 3-4 scheme than to any other
position, and that could help him on draft day.
Among some of the other players whose draft status could be enhanced by the
re-introduction of the 3-4 are Dwight Freeney (Syracuse), Will Overstreet
(Tennessee), Alex Brown (Florida) and Bryan Thomas (Alabama-Birmingham). All
of them share one common denominator, the ability to get into the backfield,
disrupt things and rush the quarterback.
Brown has disappointed scouts with his lack of quickness and Overstreet is a
big-motor guy who isn't blessed with the superior athleticism of some of the
others. But the increase in 3-4 teams in 2002 could serve as a kind of
safety net for both players. Teams that play the 3-4, in fact, have been
closely scrutinizing Overstreet and likely pushed him from a third-round
choice into a No. 2 pick now, almost certainly by a team that plays four
linebackers.
Thomas, who blistered a 4.47 at the combine in the 40-yard dash -- faster
than 25 of the 29 tailbacks who ran in Indianapolis and quicker than 18 of
the 28 wide receivers -- has worked in recent weeks on playing from a
two-point stance because he feels his best shot in the draft is to be
drafted as a linebacker by a 3-4 team. He admittedly lacks linebacker
instincts, as do some of the other players mentioned above, but no one can
ignore his pass rush skills.
"I don't care where I play," Thomas said. "If people think I can be a
linebacker, then I'm ready to do it. Everybody knows I'm fast and can rush
the quarterback. Those are God-given abilities that some team is going to
want to put to good use."
Around the league
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| Bledsoe |
Trade winds: Sources from both teams have confirmed to ESPN.com that the Buffalo Bills
this week made a formal offer to New England for quarterback Drew Bledsoe,
that the Patriots countered with their own proposal, but that the exchange
left the sides no closer to consummating a trade. That said, the two
franchises will continue discussions, even as the Bills resume their
internal evaluation of possible alternatives and the Patriots continue to
insist they will retain Bledsoe rather than just give him away for a package
of draft choices that doesn't include a first-round selection. Buffalo
general manager Tom Donahoe, who isn't about to raise the ante for Bledsoe
when he knows he is the only suitor for the nine-year veteran, has kept in
touch with the agent for Jeff Blake. And late this week he phoned Frank
Bauer, who represents Chris Chandler, to gauge how negotiations were going
with the Chicago Bears. The man the Bills most covet, though, is Bledsoe.
They are one of the few teams in the league with sufficient salary cap room
to take on his contract without having to reconfigure it. They know that,
under Bledsoe's current deal, they get him for the next three years at
fairly palatable salaries for a starting quarterback before having a Nov. 1,
2004 decision on whether to pick up a pricey option for the 2005-2010
seasons. And they will exhaust their efforts to land Bledsoe, perhaps right
up to the draft, until turning to someone else. One quarterback who doesn't
figure into the Buffalo puzzle is Joey Harrington of Oregon, whose arm
strength has been questioned by Bills scouts, and who doesn't rank among the
top players being considered by the team with the fourth overall choice in
the April 20-21 draft.
More on Bledsoe: Despite public statements to the contrary from coach Dick LeBeau, and
published reports which indicate Cincinnati might be willing to part with
its first-round draft pick for Bledsoe, the Bengals aren't actively seeking
the quarterback. That isn't to say they won't enter the bidding at some
point but, for that to happen, team officials would have to be persuaded to
set aside some long-held beliefs. Owner Mike Brown is a well-intentioned
steward, but one who is philosophically opposed to restructuring contracts
that impact on the salary cap status of future seasons, and he already has
said the only way that his team could squeeze Bledsoe under the 2002
spending limit is to have the quarterback re-do his existing contract. Brown
keeps using as an excuse the fact the Bengals will have a rookie allocation
pool of about $3.5 million. But that is a sham excuse since, under the NFL's
voodoo economics, typically only about 50-60 percent of a rookie pool number
is used up on a team's cap. The league operates during the offseason on the
so-called "Rule of 51," which stipulates only the 51 highest cap numbers on
a roster count against the spending limit. Most teams can sign all their
draft choices from the fourth round on down (and sometimes the third round)
and not have it count against their cap, since those players do not rank
among the top 51 salaries on the roster. Brown is intrigued by Blesdoe, for
sure. At the 1999 combine, we can recall him referring to quarterback
prospect Brock Huard as "looking Bledsoe-ish." So it appears Bledsoe is a
standard, of sorts, that Brown uses as a measuring stick when evaluating
other quarterbacks. But liking a player and dealing for him, in the world of
the Bengals, are two disparate things.
Akili's comeback: The Bengals' onetime "franchise" quarterback, Akili Smith, visited with
team officials as Cincinnati commenced its offseason conditioning program
this week. While he is ahead of the rehabilitation schedule, as Smith
attempts to come back from a hamstring injury which required surgery, the
team's 1999 first-round pick still won't be ready to get back on the field
until late in camp. The original projection, ESPN.com confirmed, was that Smith would en up on the physically unable to perform list, which means by definition he would
have to sit out the first six games. The problem for the Bengals is that,
after starter Jon Kitna, there are zero backups. Cincinnati doesn't seem
inclined to re-sign Scott Mitchell again and Scott Covington is totally
inexperienced. Contrary to reports, the Bengals did not contact the
representative for veteran free agent Gus Frerotte this week, but such a
move could be in the offing. The Bengals love quarterback Patrick Ramsey in
the draft but don't feel the Tulane star will be available at their pick in
the second round. They are looking once again at Illinois quarterback Kurt
Kittner, who has rehabilitated his floundering draft status with some solid
workouts of late, and could be available in the third round.
New deal for Davis? Rookie head coach Steve Spurrier has gone out of his way in Washington to
proclaim that tailback Stephen Davis is still a big part of a new offense,
and that the workhorse back need not worry about reduced carries. But what
Spurrier might want to concern himself with is the real possibility he might
only have Davis, one of the league's premier power backs and a guy who
relishes getting the ball 25 times a game, for this season. Davis has a
gigantic salary cap value for the 2003 season, between $11 million-$12
million, and no team can afford to carry that kind of hit on a player. Agent
Steve Weinberg and league sources have confirmed the Redskins have contacted
him about a totally new contract for his client. In fact, Weinberg and owner
Dan Snyder chatted casually about that very topic at last month's league
meetings. Rest assured, if the two sides don't come to an accord on a new
contract, Davis will be released next spring and become one of the most
coveted veterans in the 2003 free agent pool. No telling when the two sides
will get together for serious discussions, but both are planning negotiating
strategies, and a meeting will come in the not-too-distant future. Funny
but, when the Redskins signed Smith to a landmark nine-year, $90 million
contract just before the 2000 season commenced, they allowed that the deal
would probably be for just three years. As it turns out, if the two sides
reach an agreement on a new contract, the old deal will have held up for
just two seasons.
Warren (Sapp) report: Despite denials by just about everyone involved, there seems to be some legitimacy to
those rumors that the Tampa Bay Bucs are shopping star defensive tackle
Warren Sapp, in an effort to secure some of the draft choices they
sacrificed as part of the compensation for hiring Jon Gruden as coach. If a
deal happens, it will definitely be before the draft, and among the likely
suitors is the Philadelphia Eagles, who wouldn't mind pairing Sapp with
third-year pro Corey Simon. The Eagles don't pick until No. 26 in the first
round and the rationale is that they won't find anyone at that juncture who
can nudge them closer to a Super Bowl appearance than will Sapp. The veteran
tackle simply has worn thin with some teammates and Tampa Bay officials. And
the Bucs clearly don't want to sit around until the third round - remember,
both their first- and second-round choices went to the Raiders in the Gruden
deal - before being able to make a choice.
Shouldering the load: Carolina officials told ESPN.com this week there is about a 90 percent
likelihood quarterback Chris Weinke will undergo surgery on his right
shoulder in coming weeks. But they insisted the surgery is only to remove
bone spurs and should not preclude the second-year veteran from being fully
recovered well in advance of training camp. They also insisted the pending
surgery will not force the Panthers to change their draft plans and pluck
quarterback Joey Harrington of Oregon with the second overall selection.
Harrington is, they pointed out, among the draft prospects who will visit in
Charlotte with team officials. But it's not likely he will be the team's
choice and, if he is, it will be because the Panthers deem him the best
player and not because of the shoulder injury to Weinke, who threw the ball
well during this week's mini-camp sessions. One injury that might affect the
team's thinking with the first-round choice is the neck surgery that
cornerback Rashard Anderson will undergo next week. As noted in this space
last week, Anderson is expected to miss all training camp and perhaps the
first month of the season as he recovers from surgery to repair a bulging
disk. That leaves Carolina with retread veterans DeRon Jenkins and Terry
Cousin as the starting corners for now. And that means Quentin Jammer of
Texas, who scouts tell us is the most physical corner in the draft in the
last five years, will look pretty attractive. It's no slam-dunk yet that the
Panthers will take defensive end Julius Peppers. What is likely is that the
choice comes down to Peppers or Jammer.
Cap talk: On cap matters, the spending limit is expected to rise by only about $1.5
million-$2 million in 2003, owners were apprised at last month's annual
league meetings. That would put the cap in the area of $73 million and would
leave some clubs scrambling like never before to get under the ceiling.
Foremost among them would be the Oakland Raiders. Remember last spring, when
the Jacksonville Jaguars became the first team to be $30 million over the
cap limit? Well, as things now stand, the Raiders, who currently count
$124.71 million against their '03 cap, would be a whopping $50 million-plus
beyond the projected limit. The next highest overage is Denver, with a
current 2003 cap of $82.72 million. Then again, future cap levels can be
very misleading, and one look at the Oakland payroll for 2003 points that
out. The team's biggest ticket item, defensive tackle Darrell Russell, has a
cap value of $11.84 million for 2003. But Russell, currently serving a
one-year suspension for violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy,
probably will never play for the Raiders again. Corner Eric Allen, with a
cap value of $6.85 million for '03, is considering retirement before
training camp this summer. Another cornerback, Tory James, has a cap value
of $6.3 million for 2003 and won't be around to see it. Wide receiver Tim
Brown has a cap of $7.63 million but annually restructures his contract to
help the team. So while the $50 million excess appears insurmountable,
Raiders senior administrator Bruce Allen should be able to whittle away
about $30 million-$35 million of it with only a modicum of pain.
Taking some heat: Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo and the Bears organization have been
ridiculed for their sloppy handling of the situation with restricted free
agent D'Wayne Bates, and it is difficult to defend the club for some
elements. The team botched the paperwork it filed with the league when it
made a qualifying offer to Bates, a three-year veteran. By forgetting to
check a box on a form filed with the NFL offices, the Bears eliminated the
third-round compensation they would have received if Bates signed with
another team. Because of that snafu, the Bears retained only the right of
first refusal on Bates, meaning they could match any offer sheet. The
Minnesota Vikings then signed Bates to a three-year, $2.85 million offer
sheet, which the Bears on Wednesday matched. One day later, the Bears waived
Bates, because they couldn't renegotiate the offer sheet and didn't want to
pay him a $550,000 roster bonus that was due on Friday. So now they'll lose
Bates on waivers, possibly to Minnesota, maybe to a team ahead of the
Vikings in the current waiver claiming order. There is no excuse for that.
But what no one has written is that, had the Bears not made the clerical
error, no one would have ever signed Bates to an offer sheet. There is no
team that would have sacrificed a third-round draft choice for a player who
has caught all of 15 passes in three seasons. There have been more words
written about Bates in the past week than have ever been penned about such a
meaningless player. Yeah, the guy has potential, but he's never produced and
maybe never will.
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| Horn |
Hardly Saints: Word is that the New Orleans Saints, who possess a pair of first-round
choices (Nos. 13 and 25) because of the Ricky Williams trade, are hot for
University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Bryant unless they use their
two picks to trade up in the round. Makes sense that the Saints like Bryant,
arguably one of the most physically gifted pass catchers in this year's
lottery, but a guy who never has to worry about being confirmed with
choirboy status. The team signed Joe Horn in 2000 and Albert Connell in
2001, as free agents, and neither veteran wide receiver was perceived as
squeaky clean. Then, of course, there was the recent acquisition of free
agent cornerback Dale Carter, suspended by the league for 18 months for
indiscretions that violated the NFL's substance abuse policy. And then on
Thursday came the acquisition of offensive tackle Victor Riley, who will
miss the first game of the '02 season because of a domestic incident last
year. The Connell addition blew up in the face of general manager Randy
Mueller, but that apparently won't stop the inaptly-named Saints from taking
some character risks, it seems.
Who will catch Pathon? Even as the Saints think about using a first-round choice on a wide
receiver, they have also been pursuing free agent Jerome Pathon, a former
Indianapolis Colts starter and one of the top players remaining in the
unrestricted pool. ESPN.com has learned that Pathon really likes the
situation in The Big Easy but that the Saints will have to raise the signing
bonus portion of their proposal to him to secure his services. New Orleans
this week suggested a four-year contract worth about $10.5 million, but the
signing bonus was just $500,000, and the first-year compensation only a bit
over $1 million. Rather than sign a bad long-term deal, Pathon might instead
consider a one- or two-year contract that would enable him to demonstrate
that he has recovered from offseason surgery on his foot, and then get him
quickly back into the free agent market. St. Louis, which despite re-signing
veteran Ricky Proehl this week is still looking for another experienced wide
receiver, made inquiries about Pathon in recent days. But the Rams were
offering compensation of only about $750,000, with the chance to earn more
in incentives, and it appears that Pathon will not consider such a deal with
the Rams. The Colts continue to tell Pathon they want to re-sign him, and
promise he'll start in the slot, as the team moves to a three-wideout set in
2002. But what the team is unable to answer is who would be the odd-man out
among the other wideouts. Marvin Harrison is one starter, the team just
spent $1.2 million in a signing bonus to get Qadry Ismail, and the Colts
aren't ready to give up yet on 2001 first-rounder Reggie Wayne.
First-round backs? Although some general managers feel only one tailback will go off the board
in the first round of the draft, it appears there are more teams looking for
running back help that originally thought. The Dallas Cowboys could go for a
back, particularly if Quentin Jammer is gone by the time they choose with
the sixth pick overall. Cleveland will almost certainly take a back and
ESPN.com confirmed the team made a last-minute call on Friday to Michigan
State tailback T.J. Duckett to hastily schedule a Saturday visit. Eddie
George showed during this week's mini-camp that the toe injury which slowed
him in 2001 is much improved, but whispers are that Tennessee is looking for
a more viable backup to him. Green Bay is said to like DeShaun Foster of
UCLA because his receiving ability fits well with its West Coast-style
offense and because the team probably will not be able to re-sign Dorsey
Levens to fill the third-down role.
Comeback trail: Should he simply set foot on the field again in 2002, cornerback Fred
Vinson will become the early favorite for comeback player of the year.
Released by Seattle last summer, Vinson hasn't played in a game since the
final contest of the 1999 season. He was with the Green Bay Packers at the
time, the club's second-round pick in the '99 draft, and a solid contributor
who had a pair of interceptions as a "nickel" and "dime" defender his rookie
year. The following year, though, he was dealt to the Seahawks for tailback
Ahman Green in what would soon become one of the most lopsided trades in
recent NFL history. Vinson blew out his knee before the 2000 season, then
tore it up again the following spring. He never played a single down in
Seattle before his release. Now after two years of rehabilitation, the
former Vanderbilt standout is auditioning for teams again, and someone
probably will sign him to a minimum contract and bring him to their camp.
Teams that have worked Vinson out feel he still has a way to go before he is
back to 100 percent, but consider him a worthwhile gamble.
Edwards' role expands in Pittsburgh: Two months after the fact, Pittsburgh officials are relieved now that the
Houston Texans did not select wide receiver Troy Edwards in the expansion
draft. The team's 1999 draft choice, who had 61 catches as a rookie and then
fell into disfavor, has suddenly moved up the depth chart with the free
agent exit of Bobby Shaw to the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. The
departure of Shaw left the Steelers without a slot receiver and Edwards, who
blossomed as a punt returner in 2002, will get the first shot at filling
that vacancy. Look for Pittsburgh to add a receiver with one of its early
choices in the draft.
Williams top tackle: There continue to be some teams concerned about the alleged knee problems
of Texas offensive tackle Mike Williams, and one club to whom we spoke
claimed it still would not pass him on its physical exam. But the consensus
now is that Williams is a better overall player than University of Miami
tackle Bryant McKinnie, who many regard as too soft. Both tackles will be
chosen in the top 10 picks. But in conversations with 11 personnel directors
or general managers, Williams was the choice as the top tackle by a 7-4
margin.
Rolling Stone: Sources close to guard Ron Stone insist that the two-time Pro Bowl
performer from the New York Giants is not asking for "left tackle money" to
sign a contract. Stone is being pursued by the San Francisco 49ers, among
others, and is arguably the premier lineman remaining in free agency. To
date, the Giants have not made him an offer to return, and didn't attempt to
extend his contract last year. Agent Ralph Cindrich has had some contact
with New York officials, but the interest appears stronger from other teams.
Punts: More than two months after the press conference, Chicago Bears coach
Dick Jauron still hasn't signed the new three-year contract the Bears
awarded him, and no one seems to know when the final details will be
resolved. . . . The Eagles seem to be the team most ardently looking at
defensive end Andre Wadsworth, the 1999 first-round pick of the Arizona
Cardinals, whose career has been plagued by knee injuries. . . . Look for
the Baltimore Ravens to snatch a tailback in the middle rounds of the draft.
The Ravens were caught short last year when starter Jamal Lewis blew out his
knee in training camp and there was no viable replacement. . . . Washington
is trying to sign free agent guard Bob Hallen, who played his first four
years in Atlanta, to fill out its starting offensive line. . . .
Jacksonville made a last-gasp effort to contact the agent for Doug Evans on
Friday, but an agreement between the free agent cornerback and Seattle was
already completed. . . . It appears that second-year quarterback Drew Brees
will get a legitimate chance to oust San Diego starter Doug Flutie in camp.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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