|
At an otherwise uneventful NFL meeting in Houston this week, the biggest
news was the new initiative to fill the franchise vacancy in Los Angeles,
and league officials as well as individual club owners seem more interested
than ever in putting a team there.
More surprising than the rhetoric about Los Angeles, however, was the
seeming resolve to get something done sooner rather than later. Dallas owner
Jerry Jones was among the outspoken team officials who suggested a Los
Angeles franchise is more imminent than the league has previously suggested.
His ardor aside, league officials cautioned that the Los Angeles scenario is
not yet on the fast track, and could yet be derailed.
But the commitment of Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz to building a new
stadium in Los Angeles, and the wherewithal he has already demonstrated in
luring the San Diego Chargers to his under-construction athletic complex for
training camp, represents the best and most realistic shot the city has had
in some time.
"He is not a man," said one league official, "to be easily dismissed."
Clearly, getting a team to Los Angeles will require the relocation of an
existing club. The league may not expand for another two decades and key
representatives of the Anschutz Entertainment Group have adamantly
maintained they don't want anything to do with a new team. And so the begged
question: Who is the team that will move to Los Angeles?
The most obvious franchise is the Chargers, who have hired veteran lobbyist
and public relations man Mark Fabiani as a consultant, one whose aim is to
secure the team a new stadium. But in discussions with league owners and
team officials the last few days, it appears the Arizona Cardinals could be
coaxed to Los Angeles, provided they continue to have problems getting a
stadium deal in place.
Said one NFC owner: "San Diego is the easy choice, and they have that 'out'
in their deal with San Diego after 2003, which makes a move less messy
maybe. But for now, I don't think anyone is certain who will end up (in Los
Angeles). The one thing that seems more certain now is that, because of some
new impetus, it's the hot-button topic again."
|  | | Cris Carter caught 68 passes for 811 yards last season. |
Around the leagueWho will get Carter? All those years we commiserated with Cris Collinsworth, as Jerry Glanville
kept shoving him in the shoulder, as they taped "Inside the NFL" for HBO.
Now it appears those goofy pushes by Glanville might be better than the
options awaiting Collinsworth if Cris Carter joins the show, as anticipated.
Just imagine Carter emulating one of those infamous sideline rants that
became a hallmark of the last few seasons of his career. Instead of griping
at Daunte Culpepper for not getting him the ball enough, Carter can snipe at
a producer for too little air time. OK, so maybe the extension is overboard.
But after the events of this week, when Carter leaked word of his imminent
retirement then backed off his alleged remarks, it's justifiable. For a
player who made so many superb route adjustments during his celebrated
career, it now seems Carter has no clue as to what pattern he should be
running. So he is issuing an ultimatum of sorts to NFL teams: Sign me by
Monday or I'll bolt to television. Uh, alert the makeup crew, Cris. Miami
still has a smidgeon of interest in Carter, but vice president Rick Spielman
said this week that signing the second-leading receiver in league history
"isn't on our radar screen" right now.
Beyond the Dolphins, there seem to be
no options, and for that Carter has no one to blame but himself. Rams coach
Mike Martz jumped through hoops in March to convince the St. Louis front
office that signing Carter would be a wise thing. And then Carter blew off
his meeting with the Rams, turning his back on the one coach willing to
restructure his offense to fit his skills. By Monday afternoon, if Carter's
phone doesn't ring, his snub of the Rams might be one of the most expensive
missed flights in recent history.
Following up on Cleveland: Even though the dust has settled somewhat in Cleveland, following the front
office shakeup that resulted in the resignation of vice president Dwight
Clark, there remains a leaguewide buzz about the circumstances that
surrounded his abrupt departure. But as has been noted in several ESPN.com
columns, there really is no mystery, since head coach Butch Davis simply
wanted top lieutenant Pete Garcia to officially have the kind of clout he
was demonstrating anyway behind the scenes. People in the side Browns
offices, and some sources at the University of Miami, report that Garcia is
very accomplished in player evaluation. There are the requisite skeptics, of
course, who question his lack of NFL experience. But from what we
understand, Garcia is torturously thorough, a quick learner who possesses
Davis' unwavering trust.
When defensive tackle Gerard Warren was summoned to
New York early last season, to be lectured for a hit on Jacksonville
quarterback Mark Brunell that drew a hefty fine, it was Garcia who
represented the Browns at that meeting. In a way, that may have been
Garcia's coming out party. Even before that incident, however,
it was obvious to Cleveland staffers that Garcia held more sway than his
innocuous and nebulous title, "assistant coach/football development,"
suggested. One thing is certain: Garcia gained his position of importance in
the organization by first gaining the confidence of the man for whom he
worked. It wasn't Garcia who pushed for the power play that ousted Clark,
but rather the natural evolution of Davis establishing his own fingerprint
on the organization, completing a turnover that left little doubt about who
is making all the team's football decisions. Two demerits, though, to Davis
and Garcia: Despite the denials by the coach, Garcia indeed bolted the
complex last week and threatened to quit. He returned the following day,
apparently having recovered from his bout of petulance, in part because he
won't have to go on the road very much. Second, there was never an opening
at the University of Miami for Garcia, as had been hinted.
Exploring Clark's record: There are people, including us, who will suggest that Clark perhaps got a
bit too much acclaim for what was accomplished in San Francisco during his
lengthy tenure in the 49ers front office. Well, in Cleveland, too much blame
may have been heaped on him for the sloppy draft record in the first couple
seasons of the reincarnated Cleveland franchise. Certainly these numbers
don't lie: Because it was awarded double picks in most rounds those first
two years, Cleveland made 24 selections. Just three years later, only 11 of
the 24 players chosen in the 1999 and 2000 drafts remain with the team. The
supposed draft bounty produced by four starters. Of the 13 players no longer
with Cleveland, six of them are out of the league completely. By any
standard, those numbers are abysmal. But it is difficult to finger Clark
alone for the fact wide receivers Dennis Northcutt (inconsistency) and
JaJuan Dawson (injuries) haven't developed as expected. Or that cornerback
Lewis Sanders can't get beyond his injuries. Or that the new coaching staff
did not consider players like tailback Travis Prentice or Spergon Wynn good
fits. That's not meant to be a defense of Clark, whose player evaluation
skills are overrated, but rather to suggest that there are always some
unpredictable circumstances in every draft.
Oakland courting Adams: Don't discount the Oakland Raiders as a viable landing spot for defensive
tackle Sam Adams, arguably the premier player remaining in the unrestricted
free agent pool. For months now, Oakland officials have been in touch with
agent Eugene Parker, keeping tabs on Adams' other possible suitors. They
reminded Parker again recently, when the two sides got together on a deal
for safety Rod Woodson, that they are still interested in adding Adams to
their front four. "They've been in it all along, although much quieter than
some of the other teams, because that's just how the Raiders do things,"
Parker told ESPN.com. "From the first day, they've shown interest, and
they're up to date on what is going on." Still, it appears Adams will not
sign with the Raiders, or anyone else for that matter, before next month.
Adams remains convinced that teams balking as his asking price right now ("I
ain't signing one of those minimum deals, no way," he recently said) will
find sufficient cap room after June 1.
More moves in New Orleans? When he canned general manager Randy Mueller last week, New Orleans owner
Tom Benson noted that he wanted the successor to be someone with whom he is
comfortable and familiar, and the job went to Mickey Loomis. But the team's
resident cap expert, for now at least, has only a one-year contract. That
could change in the not too distant future but, if it doesn't and Loomis and
the rest of the front office continue to work on just a brief honeymoon, the
Saints will need to show marked improvement on the field to keep the current
management group together. Some observers interpreted Benson's remarks in
the wake of Mueller's exit to suggest that he might have his sights set on
New York Jets assistant general manager Mike Tannenbaum. One of the NFL's
premier capmeisters, Tannenbaum is also a former Saints front office
staffer, knows the organization and city well, and is a rising league star.
Would he be interested in becoming, say, president of the Saints sometime
down the road? Tough to say, since Tannenbaum has a good situation in New
York, where he is highly regarded and justifiably so. But if the current
management situation doesn't work out, no one should be surprised if Benson
dials up Tannenbaum, a guy with whom he definitely enjoys a comfort level.
Bears searching for defensive depth: In the wake of the injury sustained last weekend by Chicago defensive left
end Bryan Robinson, who broke both wrists when he tripped over his dog, look
for the Bears to intensify efforts to add another veteran at the position.
The Chicago starters, Robinson and Phillip Daniels, are solid players but
there is little depth behind them. Second-year pro Karon Riley appeared in
only five games in 2001 and, at 261 pounds, is viewed as just a situational
pass rusher. Chicago invested a fourth-round pick last month on former
University of Florida sackmaster Alex Brown but he also is regarded as a
"sub" rusher. So don't be surprised if the Bears take a look at players like
former Baltimore starter Rob Burnett, who is also being courted by Miami,
Washington and New England, in the next week.
The Bears might wait until
after June 1, when players such as Washington left end Marco Coleman are
expected to be released for cap purposes. That free agent signee Renaldo
Wynn has been working with the first unit at left end for the Redskins
doesn't augur well for Coleman. There was much speculation the 10-year
veteran would be asked to accept a salary reduction, but he might not even
be afforded that option. Coming off a 13-3 year, and the team's first
division title since 1990, the Bears want to assure there's no slippage in
2002. Adding a quality No. 3 end behind Robinson and Daniels would
definitely help bolster the front four.
Receiving some help: The 49ers visited with unrestricted free agent wide receiver Willie Jackson
last month and haven't made a move on him yet, but that doesn't mean San
Francisco doesn't retain some interest in the veteran pass-catcher. San
Francisco will clear about $1.5 million in cap room next month when the
49ers release guard Ray Brown and defensive lineman Junior Bryant. The 49ers
have one spectacular playmaker (Terrell Owens) and two solid performers
(J.J. Stokes and Tai Streets) at the position, and some in the organization
see Jackson as a luxury. But the talented Streets hasn't quite developed as
quickly as the 49ers felt he would a year ago and Stokes has basically been
an underachiever who never lived up to his first-round status, so Jackson
remains a possibility. Had Stokes not agreed to a salary reduction, in fact,
Jackson probably would have been signed by now.
Vikings add brain power: For most newspapers around the country, it was merely an agate item, a few
lines tucked away in the "transactions" block on the back page of the sports
section. But give the Minnesota Vikings credit for signing veteran defensive
back Ronnie Bradford early this week to a one-year, $675,000 contract. The
nine-year veteran, released by Atlanta early this spring for cap reasons,
immediately becomes the graybeard of the Minnesota secondary. And he is
certainly the early-line favorite to claim the free safety vacancy created
by the release of Orlando Thomas. But even more, Bradford is a class act, a
smart guy who knows how to play the game. With cornerback Corey Chavous,
signed earlier this year as an unrestricted free agent, the Vikings
secondary now features two of the brightest defensive backs in the entire
league. Brains clearly is an underrated commodity in the league but, while
it's true you'd better have superb physical ability to play at the NFL
level, "smarts" will typically make the difference in a game or two every
year. And in Bradford and Chavous, neither of whom runs particularly well,
the Vikings definitely have added some brain power.
No ordinary Jones: Those critics who chastised the Cincinnati Bengals for the choice of
Arizona State offensive tackle Levi Jones have grown quiet in recent weeks
and, if they had seen the team's first-round draft choice in workouts
earlier this week, might have been completely muted. Because starting left
tackle Richmond Webb was forced to skip the workouts to tend to his ailing
daughter, Jones worked with the first unit, and veterans came away
thoroughly impressed by his physical skills. "If he drew up the perfect left
on a computer, from a physical standpoint, he'd fit the model," said left
guard Matt O'Dwyer. "Plus you can tell from the way he works that he wants
to be better than just good. He's focused on being a special player and he
flashed enough to see that he can be." Jones suggested that he was not yet
comfortable with the mental part of the game but offensive line coach Paul
Alexander claimed the rookie did not miss an assignment during a mid-week
practice. If he continues to progress, Jones could make things interesting
for the venerable Webb once training camp begins.
Moore playing time? It's difficult to envision young Denver guard Michael "Mookie" Moore
replacing either of the Broncos incumbents, Dan Neil or Lennie Friedman,
but look for him to get more playing time in 2002. Moore has been one of the
pleasant surprises of the minicamps and, now heading into his third NFL
training camp, appears poised to make a contribution. The former Troy State
standout was taken by Washington in the fourth round of the 2000 draft,
and played in five games and started one during his rookie season. But Moore
was released last summer by then-Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer, signed
halfway through the season by the Broncos, but did not appear in a game.
Coach Mike Shanahan pondered briefly the possibility of moving Moore to
defensive tackle, but is happy now he decided to keep him at guard. The
irony is that Washington is now looking for a left guard, one who can push
the untested David Loverne for the starting job, and Moore may have been
able to do so.
Jansen should be top priority: On the subject of the Redskins' offensive line, it is notable that the team has yet to begin substantive negotiations on an extension for right tackle Jon Jansen. The team's second-round draft choice in 1999, Jansen has started
all 48 games during his three-year career, and is regarded as one of the
NFL's premier strongside tackles. Yet his scheduled base salary for 2002 is
a piddling $563,500 and Jansen already has reached performance levels that
permitted him to void the 2003 year of his original contract. Translation:
Jansen, at age 27 next spring, would be one of the hottest commodities in
the '03 unrestricted free agent market. Washington could always slap the
"franchise" designation on him to limit his mobility, but the sagest course
of action is to sign him to an extension now. Keeping the tandem of Jansen
and left tackle Chris Samuels together for the long-term should be a
priority. Someone is going to pay the hard-working Jansen a lot of money
within the next 10 months. The likelihood remains it will be Washington
owner Dan Snyder's name on the big signing bonus check Jansen will sign. The
Redskins have other issues with which to contend, like the future of
tailback Stephen Davis, but need to move Jansen up to the front burner in
the next month or so.
Anderson could be headed to the desert: Look for Arizona to be among the teams interested in tailback Jamal
Anderson after he is released by Atlanta next month. Third-year tailback
Thomas Jones has bulked up by 12-15 pounds and Cardinals officials are more
convinced now he can emerge as a top back after two disappointing seasons.
They will retain some degree of skepticism until the former first-round
choice proves it on the field, though, and Anderson might be a nice fallback
for the team. Coach Davie McGinnis believed the resurrection of quarterback
Jake Plummer is tied to establishing a productive running game. The first
half of the equation was keeping intact one of the NFL's best young (and
certainly biggest) blocking units. Now the Cardinals need a productive back
to run behind the mammoth line.
Smith could center Titans' OL: The Tennessee Titans on Friday officially signed unrestricted free agent
center Jeff Smith to the contract he had agreed to earlier in the week.
Smith signed a one-year deal with three options years, typical of the
contracts the Titans have negotiated recently, and is expected to vie for
the starting position. The contract is worth about $1.1 million annually. As
noted earlier this week by ESPN.com, Smith becomes the most experienced
center on the roster, assuming that Bruce Matthews follows through on his
plans to retire later this spring.
Punts: Washington coaches are raving about the performance of strongside
linebacker LaVar Arrington in minicamp. Coordinator Marvin Lewis is creating
more opportunities for Arrington to make big plays and the third-year
veteran appears poised now to take his game to another level. . . . No team
will recruit Kansas City wideout Derrick Alexander harder than Minnesota
once he is released after June 1. The Vikings believe his speed is a perfect
fit with Randy Moss. . . . The Ravens now are 0-for-2 in trying to attract a
starting offensive right tackle -- Marcus Spears reneged on an agreement and
it appears Roman Oben is asking for too much money - so don't be surprised
if left guard Edwin Mulitalo moves over to fill the vacancy. . . . Some
Panthers officials are so impressed with second-round draft choice DeShaun
Foster, they figure the former UCLA tailback will oust Lamar Smith from the
starting job by the beginning of the regular season. . . . The Colts are
excited by the work of veteran free agent acquisition Qadry Ismail so far.
The wide receiver has quickly gained the confidence of Peyton Manning.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
| |
|
