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Because they hope to avoid disturbing a tenuous peace that currently exists
with star Terrell Owens, and desperately want to build on the unsteady truce
forged between the player and coach Steve Mariucci during a recent
tete-a-tete, the San Francisco 49ers have remained mostly mum about the wide
receiver's plans to play basketball this spring.
Out of the glare of the spotlight, however, San Francisco officials have
tactfully apprised Owens and agent David Joseph that there could be serious
consequences if the wideout suffers an injury playing for the Adirondack
Wildcats of the U.S. Basketball League.
In a letter to Joseph, general manager Terry Donahue pointed out that the
49ers will not pay Owens his scheduled salary of $4.1 million for 2002 if he
is unavailable because of an injury sustained while playing in the
springtime hoops league. His football contract does not preclude Owens from
playing basketball. Nor does it stipulate that he must seek approval from
the San Francisco brass to embark on this flighty avocation.
|  | | Terrell Owens caught 93 passes for 1,412 yards last season. |
But the standard NFL contract does stipulate that a player maintain himself
in physical condition to be able to perform. And it permits a team to
withhold salary from a player who is injured in a non-football related
endeavor. Ergo, the explosive Owens can catch all the bounce passes he wants
this spring. But if he sustains an injury that prevents him from hauling in
Jeff Garcia passes in the fall, he can be docked.
"We know he plays basketball during the offseason all the time," Donahue
said. "But we don't approve of his desire to play in a league like this.
There's nothing we can do to stop him contractually. But the contract does
provide us certain rights, too, and we are making Terrell and his
representatives aware of those rights."
A onetime starter in the Tennessee-Chattanooga hoops program, Owens is an
inveterate court junky who typically participates in some high-level summer
programs in Atlanta during the football offseason, in part to maintain his
conditioning. Former NFL wideout Andre Rison, who also plays in some of the
same leagues, allowed last month that Owens "has a lot of game."
But a serious injury could mean he'll have a lot less money. Joseph is
likely to invest in an injury-disability insurance policy for his client,
one that will blunt the risk of losing any of his 49ers base salary. Joseph
said the fling with basketball is "just something that (Owens) has wanted to
do. He knows what his day-job is and he won't do anything to jeopardize it."
Still, the flirtation with basketball comes at a time when the once-volatile
relationship between Owens and Mariucci seemed perhaps headed toward
rapprochement. Mariucci traveled to Atlanta a few weeks ago to meet with
Owens and, at least reportedly, there was no referee needed during the
session. Joseph has even hinted there is a chance that Owens, whose contract
expires after the '03 season, could re-up with the 49ers.
The club has a high regard for Owens, one of the league's premier players
and also a guy who, despite his dispute with Mariucci, is anything but a
malingerer. The San Francisco officials have a vested interest in protecting
Owens. The letter was simply their way of remind Owens he has a vested
interest in protecting himself, too, on the court.
"If he gets hurt in some offseason pickup game, that's our responsibility,"
said 49ers director John York. "But if he is under contract to a basketball
team, and he's injured, then it becomes the responsibility of somebody
else."
Around the league Bengals interested in Frerotte: As of Friday morning, the Cincinnati Bengals had not made a formal contract
offer to unrestricted free agent quarterback Gus Frerotte, but they almost
certainly will. Frerotte's agent, Marvin Demoff, has been in Dallas on other
business and the Bengals have had a difficult time reaching him while he is
out of his office. But make no mistake: Frerotte is in the Cincinnati
crosshairs after visiting this week and the Bengals, at least implicitly,
have told him he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job.
Word is that the Bengals coaches, including some of his staunchest
supporters, realize Jon Kitna is not going to take the team to the playoffs.
Why it has taken that reality so long to dawn on the Dick LeBeau staff is
anyone's guess.
But while the rest of the league, and much of the media,
ridicules the Bengals, the truth is they have assembled a pretty decent
roster. This is a team that could make marked improvement if it simply gets
more consistent play from the quarterback position. Kitna will never be
mistaken for Mr. Consistency and, thus, the pursuit of Frerotte, whose only
alternative appears to be returning to Denver for a third consecutive season
as Brian Griese's caddy. Frerotte made a tactical error in the spring of
2002, when he eschewed a four-year offer from the Bengals that would have
paid him a $4 million signing bonus and given him the starter's job. When he
passed on the offer, the Bengals quickly turned to Kitna as their alleged
solution. Frerotte won't get nearly as much money this time around, provided he lands
in Cincinnati, but he will get a shot to play. Once the Bengals make a formal proposal to
Frerotte, they will expect an expeditious reply, since they have a mini-camp
next weekend. Should he turn the Bengals down again, look for Cincinnati to
turn its attentions to Shane Matthews, who was released by the Chicago Bears
this week. By the way, the Bengals would have chosen Oregon quarterback Joey
Harrington had he somehow slipped to their 10th spot in the first round of
the draft.
Free Matthews: For a guy who has played in just 22 games and started only 15 since
entering the NFL in 1993, Matthews figures to get pretty good action in free
agency. Washington coach Steve Spurrier, who two weeks ago would have taken
Matthews in a heart-beat, doesn't want him now because the Redskins chose
Patrick Ramsey in the first round. But Matthews will be considered by the
Bengals, Jaguars, Vikings, Broncos, Panthers, Chiefs, Cardinals and Packers,
among others, and will definitely find a new landing place. He may not have
the strongest arm in the league but Matthews is a steady and dependable
player who, as he demonstrated in two comeback victories for the Bears in
2001, can do a respectable job coming off the bench. Noted one NFC pro
personnel director: "He's not a guy you want starting six or seven games for
you. But if your starter is out for a week or two, then this is a guy who
can play for you. He won't win you a game by himself. But he won't lose it
for you, either."
Shakeup in Minnesota:By all accounts Rob Brzezinski and Scott Studwell, undoubtedly the two
members of the Minnesota Vikings front office who benefited most from this
week's shakeup, are good people. Their promotions in the new hierarchy,
league sources say, are deserved. But the manner in which ouster of longtime
personnel chief Frank Gilliam came about, and neither Brzezinski nor
Studwell had anything to do with orchestrating his dismissal, was
nonetheless despicable. Gilliam, who was allowed to leave with some dignity
intact by announcing his "resignation," was a class act for a long time. If
there was a lack of preparation in the Minnesota draft room last weekend, as
Vikings officials have now leaked, someone should have said something before
the lottery began. It was only a few months ago that Gilliam was tabbed by
owner Red McCombs to ostensibly be the top man in the football organization,
shortly after Dennis Green departed. For his star to have fallen so quickly
is pretty suspicious. Seems that McCombs or one of his lieutenants is keen
on expunging many of the top people from the Green regime.
Buffalo gets their quarterback: Funny how things work out. All but convinced the trade for Drew Bledsoe was
dead in the water last Saturday morning, Buffalo Bills officials did an
about-face on quarterback Joey Harrington and would have taken the Oregon
star had he slipped to their selection, the fourth overall in the first
round. Of course, the Detroit Lions grabbed Harrington, one pick ahead of
the Buffalo slot. So then the Bills set their sights on Tulane quarterback
Patrick Ramsey, thought about dealing their second-round pick for a choice
late in the first round to get him, and watched the Redskins choose him with
the final pick in the first round. At that point, Bills general manager Tom
Donahoe, frustrated but resilient, told ESPN.com: "We'll get something done.
We're just going to keep picking good players and get the quarterback thing
straightened out later."
At that point, not even Donahoe realized that
"later" would be in 24 hours, when the New England Patriots accepted the
Bills' first-round pick in 2003 for Bledsoe. Granted, getting Harrington or
Ramsey would have bolstered the Bills for the future, but neither move would
have engendered the kind of excitement in Western New York that the deal for
Bledsoe brought to the area. And neither move, while prudent and with an eye
for the future, would have made Buffalo a playoff contender in 2002. Bledsoe
is a big piece of the puzzle Donahoe and coach Gregg Williams are
assembling. Donahoe likes to say of his team, "Well, we're getting better,"
but AFC East opponents know now that the Bills have the players to cause problems this season. Our personal biases aside, the
Bills have arguably the premier personnel tandem in the league in Donahoe
and director of football operations Tom Modrak, and they will get things
right. The deal for Bledsoe certainly solidified Donahoe with the loyal
Bills fans. And anyone who looked at the second straight powerhouse draft by
the team and isn't impressed with the work of Modrak -- take a hint, Arthur
Blank, when you get around to considering general manager candidates in
Atlanta again -- ought to have a cranial MRI.
Take that Pittsburgh: Donahoe will never admit it, but he clearly experienced some degree of glee
when he chose Brigham Young defensive end Ryan Denney in the second round.
It was no secret that Donahoe's former employers, the Pittsburgh Steelers,
coveted Denney as a possible down-the-road replacement for Aaron Smith. The
team's incumbent right end is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent
next spring and, despite their recent success in being able to retain their
own best players, the Steelers aren't going to be able to keep everyone
onboard after this season. Pittsburgh actually considered selecting Denney
in the first round but opted for Auburn offensive lineman Kendall Simmons
instead. The Pittsburgh officials were on the phone with Denney in the
second round, assuring him he would be their pick in that stanza. Donahoe
cut a deal to trade up with San Francisco, one spot ahead of the Steelers,
and snatched Denney from the Steelers' mitts.
Fuller lends a hand in Cleveland: Veteran cornerback Corey Fuller noted at the beginning of the offseason,
when rumors of his potential demise were rampant, that he would do whatever
it took to remain with the Cleveland Browns. Apparently he is a man of his
word, since Fuller recently accepted dramatic salary reductions for the
final two years of his contract. Fuller, who turns 31 on May 1, dropped his
2002 base salary from $3.8 million to $1.4 million. His salary for the 2003
season was reduced from $4.5 million to $1.5 million. In return for taking
the cuts, Fuller was given a $600,000 signing bonus. He has the opportunity
to make back some of the money he forfeited because there is an additional
$1.25 million of "not likely to be earned incentives" for both seasons. The
Browns realized a salary cap savings of $2.2 million for 2002 and $1.725
million for 2003.
Holcombe's new deal: It didn't get any kind of publicity, but ESPN.com has learned the Browns
also extended the contract of backup quarterback Kelly Holcombe by two
years. His base salary for 2002 under the old deal was to have been
$750,000. Instead the team gave him a $375,000 signing bonus, cut his '02
base to $525,000 and added two seasons. He will earn base salaries of
$825,000 in 2003 and $975,000 for 2004.
Mixed signals in Green Bay: Few teams were as aggressive as the Green Bay Packers in hitting the phones
when the lottery ended last Sunday evening, and recruiting undrafted free
agents, and the approach netted the club several intriguing prospects. It
also netted one Packers personnel official, who shall remain nameless, a
peck of trouble with his boss. The official wanted to sign Kansas linebacker
Algie Atkinson, a player who was off several draft boards around the league
because of character issues, and who faced serious off-field charges. But
coach Mike Sherman, who also serves as the Green Bay general manager,
strongly suggested he did not want Atkinson signed. The personnel official
either ignored Sherman's suggestion or didn't understand it, because he
signed Atkinson anyway, who reported with the rest of the team's rookies for
a mini-camp this weekend. The move, needless to say, didn't earn the
personnel official many brownie points. As noted here last week, the Packers
have one of the most top-heavy personnel departments in the league in terms
of people with important-sounding titles. In Mark Hatley, John Dorsey and
John Schneider, the Packers have plenty of experienced hands in the war
room. But they've also got a lot of guys who are accustomed to being chiefs,
not followers, and that isn't always a good situation.
Irish eyes smiling: Despite a lingering slump in the program, Notre Dame still had 10 players
selected in the draft last weekend, further swelling the roster of Irish
alums in the league. There is an interesting NFL Players Association survey
which indicates that, for the 2001 season, Notre Dame was tied with Florida
State for most players in the league, 42 each. The more compelling element
of the survey, however, was the graduation rates for the universities which
provided the NFL most of its players. Here is a list of the schools which
sent 25 or more players to the NFL and what percentage of them have degrees:
Florida State, 42 players (35 percent); Notre Dame, 42 (67 percent); Texas
A&M, 39 (18 percent); Miami, 38 (32 percent); Michigan, 36 (25 percent);
Ohio State, 35 (17 percent); Tennessee, 35, (29 percent); Penn State, 34 (41
percent); Nebraska, 33 (48 percent); Florida, 31 (19 percent); Georgia, 30
(30 percent); North Carolina, 30 (50 percent); Wisconsin, 30 (23 percent);
Southern California, 29 (38 percent); Virginia, 27 (37 percent); LSU, 26 (35
percent); Colorado, 26 (42 percent); Michigan State, 26 (15 percent);
Arizona State, 26 (31 percent); California, 26 (54 percent); Syracuse, 26
(54 percent); Washington, 26 (31 percent); and Auburn, 25 (16 percent).
Career ending injury? The doctors won't say so publicly yet but it appears the short-lived NFL
career of Miami Dolphins guard James Wagstaff was likely ended by the
one-vehicle accident in which he was involved early Thursday morning.
Wagstaff suffered severe injures to his left hand and will require multiple
surgeries just to have the opportunity to regain full use of it. The hand,
sources said, was nearly severed. Wagstaff spent some time on the Dallas
practice squad in 2001 and was signed by the Dolphins this spring.
Lions take a chance on Staley:Given the numerous injuries he suffered during his college career, and the
resultant surgeries on his shoulders and knees and ankles, it is not
surprising that Brigham Young tailback Luke Staley was medically red-flagged
on draft boards around the league last week and even removed from some.
But the Detroit Lions feel they got a steal, not took a
risk, by selecting Staley in the seventh round on Sunday evening. In fact,
one Lions coach privately predicted that Staley would be the team's starter
by the halfway point of the season. "He can do everything we need (the
tailback) to do in this offense, and do it extremely well," said the coach.
"Well, as long as he holds up (physically), of course." Staley claims to be
100 percent and most franchises agreed the Doak Walker Award winner, as the
top back in the country, is fine for now. What concerned them was how long
it would be before his next major injury and, frankly, how long he could
last in the league. But as a seventh-round choice, which means that there
will be only a modest financial investment, Staley was worth the risk. Word
is that the Denver Broncos liked Staley enough to take him in the third
round. Their plan was to parlay a pair of fourth-round picks and move up
into the third round, a stanza in which they did not have a choice. That
plan evaporated when the Broncos selected Miami tailback Clinton Portis.
Stewart a team player: If Staley is indeed to become the starter in Detroit, he will have to oust
James Stewart, the athletically-limited but hard-working incumbent. After
having suggested the subject nearly two months ago, and then dragging their
feet, the Lions last week finally proposed a restructuring of Stewart's
contract. He signed a five-year deal in 2000, has rushed for 1,869 yards in
two years and plays hurt, but his $5.3 million cap charge for 2002 is deemed
exorbitant by Detroit officials. They have suggested reducing his salary for
this season from $4.15 million to $2.5 million (with $1.5 million of that
guaranteed) and dropping his '03 salary to $3 million from the scheduled
$4.9 million. The total for two years is only about $500,000 less than the
counterproposal submitted by agent Pat Dye Jr. so at least both sides are in
the same ball park and it appears an amenable deal can be struck. Like most
veterans, the last thing that Stewart wants right now is to be released
after June 1, dumped into a tough market with little chance of getting a
decent contract anywhere.
Breaking down Trotter's deal: Last week, ESPN.com was first to report that free-agent middle linebacker
Jeremiah Trotter had agreed to a contract with the Washington Redskins, but
mistakenly noted that he would receive his entire $7 million signing bonus
upfront. Turns out we misinterpreted the payout on the bonus. So a
resounding mea culpa from yours truly. Trotter will get $1 million upon
execution of the contract and the balance next year. Still, the signing
bonus is all due on the first "rider" of the seven-year contract, and is not
a two-tiered deal, as many teams are now doing to protect themselves. It's
simply that most of the Trotter bonus is deferred. But the balance is not an
option payment, as would have been the case in a two-tiered arrangement.
Translation: Trotter gets his bonus no matter what. The Redskins can't
decide next season he's too expensive, release him, and withhold the
balance.
Draft-day confusion: Much was made of the confusion surrounding the Dallas-Kansas City swap of
first-round choices last Saturday, with the Minnesota Vikings contending the
Cowboys had allowed their 15-minute time limit to lapse before making the
switch. What most fans don't know was there was a similar situation in the
early moments of the third round. Desperately seeking TCU tight end Matt
Schobel, the Bengals phoned Carolina to see if they would deal them the
second overall choice in that round. After several minutes of negotiation,
the Panthers finally agreed to a swap but apprised the league of the trade
just as their five-minute limit expired. The Detroit Lions, who had the
subsequent choice, also coveted Schobel and hustled to turn in their card
noting his selection. But the NFL ruled the Panthers had made the trade in
time and that the Bengals immediately took Schobel.
Drafting a speedier plan: Speaking of time limits in the draft, it isn't yet on the agenda for the
league's May meetings in Houston, but expect the issue of the ponderous
draft of last weekend to be at least casually discussed. Tampa Bay general
manager Rich McKay and Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher, co-chairman of the
competition committee, said this week they fully expect to hear from clubs
about how long the draft lasted. League officials insist there is no
groundswell of support to change the time limits: 15 minutes for first-round
choices, 10 minutes in the second round, and five minutes for all rounds
thereafter. But the league is sensitive to the screams of viewers and
understands it's ridiculous, for instance, for the Houston Texans to take
more than six minutes for their first selection, when they had announced two
weeks previously that quarterback David Carr was the choice. The draft is a
made-for-television event, and ESPN dictates that there has to be some time
between the first-round picks for review and to help build tension, but many
general managers and personnel directors surveyed this week agree 15 minutes
is too long. Teams spend over $1 million each in scouting costs. Players are
scrutinized for at least nine months. There is, quite simply, no reason
franchises can't make their first-round picks much quicker.
Rookie getting fast a start: It looks like the Tennessee Titans are counting on second-round draft
choice "Tank" Williams to start at safety opposite free agent acquisition
Lance Schulters in 2002. The Titans have seemingly abandoned their pursuit
of free agent Victor Green, who they had tried to sign earlier in the
spring, and he now may go to the New England Patriots. If that is the case,
he would become just the latest savvy veteran to join the Super Bowl champs,
and he would be an excellent addition. Simply put, Green knows how to play
the game, and never got the credit he deserved in nine seasons with the New
York Jets. As for the physically-imposing Williams, he could be a great fit
in the Titans secondary. The only problem is he won't be able to report for
offseason work until after June 15 because of Stanford's late graduation
date.
Campbell missteps his way to Minnesota: There were undoubtedly several franchises which took risks on prospects
with dubious backgrounds in last weekend's draft. But notable was that
neither of the prospects who tested positive at the combine workouts last
month, South Carolina offensive lineman Melvin Paige or wide receiver Kelly
Campbell of Georgia Tech, was drafted. Paige was signed by Washington as an
undrafted free agent on Sunday evening. The Redskins thought they had a deal
with Campbell, as well, but then he reneged. When his agents told Campbell
it was ethically wrong to back out of the agreement with the Redskins, he
fired them, and signed with the Minnesota Vikings instead. Apparently he
felt that he had a better shot with the Vikings where his former Georgia
Tech head coach, George O'Leary, is the defensive line mentor.
Undrafted, but not unwanted: In the frenzy with which teams pursue undrafted
free agents in the hour after the lottery concludesone offensive lineman Qasim Mitchell of North Carolina A&T received a $25,000 signing
bonus from the Cleveland Browns. Clearly one of the
top players to go undrafted, Mitchell drew plenty of attention. The San
Diego Chargers, desperate for offensive linemen, wanted him and assistant
coach Hudson Houck actually felt he might be able to play tackle. In
addition to his signing bonus, the largest of which we've heard for an
undrafted free agent this year, Mitchell got a $2,500 roster bonus from the
Browns.
What's up with Westbrook: Classy move by often-criticized Redskins wide receiver Michael Westbrook
earlier this week. In noting he probably will not be re-signed by
Washington, the unrestricted free agent took time out to laud owner Dan
Snyder for his efforts to rebuild the team. There is some interest in
Westbrook, but his signing isn't as imminent as he suggested. That said, he
probably will sign somewhere in the next month and avoid a market that will
become even more crowded after June 1, when wide receivers like Derrick
Alexander (Kansas City), Keenan McCardell (Jacksonville) and Antonio Freeman
(Green Bay) are released.
Punts: The Eagles may soon open contract extension discussions with free
safety Brian Dawkins, whose current deal is becoming obsolete, given the
level of his performance. . . . No matter what Browns officials say, they
offered linebacker Jamir Miller, wideout Dennis Northcutt and defensive
lineman Orpheus Roye in various trade discussions on the first day of the
draft. Coach Butch Davis hoped to move up for a shot at offensive tackle
Bryant McKinnie, who he recruited and coached at Miami. . . . It looks like
the New York Jets will experiment again with defensive lineman Shaun Ellis
at tackle. The former first-round draft choice looked awful at the position
last summer. But the choice of Bryan Thomas in the first round last
Saturday, and the addition of free agent Steve Martin last month, leaves
Ellis the odd-man out at end. There have been rumors that the Jets tried to
trade Ellis this spring. Sources say the Jets initiated the rumors in an
attempt to motivate Ellis, who doesn't exactly have a big motor. . . .
Carolina officials are pretty confident they can get former UCLA tailback
DeShaun Foster beyond well-documented fumbling problems of the past. "If we
can," said one team official, "then we got the steal of the draft. The guy
can run, can catch the ball, and is exactly what we needed. Then again, we
said the same thing when we took Tim (Biakabutuka) in 1996, and he never did
stop fumbling the ball." . . . Strangest pick in a weird St. Louis draft
that, upon further inspection, warranted a "D" grade on the ESPN.com report
card wasn't former Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari, who will go to
camp as a safety. Nope, it's offensive guard Travis Scott of Arizona State,
chosen in the fourth round. The guy started just two games since 2001, was
nearly 360 pounds at his latest workout and ran in the 5.6s. Rams offensive
line coach Jim Hanifan is one of the all-time best at his position, but he
might have to be a miracle worker to make this pick work out.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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