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Fool 'em once, as the old adage goes, shame on you. Fool 'em twice, well ... shame on the New Orleans Saints, who took one chance too many in
acquring troubled free agent cornerback Dale Carter during the offseason. They are now paying the consequences for their lack of judiciousness.
The league on Friday suspended Carter, who certainly
must hold the unofficial league record for substance abuse-related
suspensions, indefinitely as a result of a positive test
for alcohol. Now all the folks who cautioned former general manager
Randy Mueller and coach Jim Haslett about taking on Carter are
finding it difficult not to phone with an "I-told-you-so" dig.
Back in March, when the Saints signed Carter to a seven-year, $26.8 million
contract that included a signing bonus of $3 million, Mueller noted that the
cornerback "has a passion for football." Uh, sorry, but what Carter has a
passion for is screwing up, and this latest indiscretion will cost him not
only money but perhaps his career, too.
Sources say Carter tested positive for alcohol after having a few
beers to celebrate the new contract. But in his
reinstatement accord with the league, which permitted him to return after a previous 18-month suspension, Carter agreed he would not use
alcohol. The league standards in this case, much tougher than most states' motor-vehicle laws, deem a blood alcohol level of .06 as a positive reading.
Carter's test registered a number higher than that, so he is gone.
There are teams, and apparently New Orleans is at the head of the class,
that simply will not learn this simple lesson: No matter how hard you rub,
you cannot wipe the spots off a leopard. And the once-incredibly
talented Carter, a four-time Pro Bowl performer beyond his prime at age 32,
possesses spots that are indelible.
League sources have insisted to ESPN.com in the past that one reason Tom
Benson fired Mueller was that the Saints owner got a look at Carter's league
security file, noted that the team had paid him a $3 million signing bonus
and realized the investment might be at risk. The Saints built into the
contract some protections that will permit them to recover all or
a portion of that bonus.
But there is this caveat: Carter earlier this spring filed for bankruptcy.
That means the Saints must now get in line with other creditors, like the
Denver Broncos, a past Carter employer. The Broncos are trying hard to
recoup $3.2 million of a $7.8 million signing bonus and, while the matter is
being addressed in a Florida bankruptcy court, Denver officials aren't
holding their collective breath for the money.
What makes New Orleans look silly is that this is a team that was burned
last season by wide receiver Albert Connell and which should have been
exceedingly more diligent. A year ago, people around the league warned the
Saints about Connell, and they signed him anyway. For those of you
with short memories, that's the same Albert Connell who was charged with
stealing money from the locker and truck of teammate Deuce McAllister.
The wide receiver made restitution and the charges were dropped, but you
don't notice anyone hustling to sign Connell, do you?
That's because he is a pariah to many teams, just as Carter was, at least to
those franchises who realized he wasn't about to suddenly transform
into someone responsible for his actions.
Not that NFL rosters are comprised primarily of choirboys.
That isn't the case and never will be. But Carter was a dubious gamble at
best when the Saints signed him and his half-brother, Jake Reed, who was
supposed to serve as a babysitter. No matter how tempting Carter's talents,
no matter how badly the Saints needed a corner, the risk wasn't worth it.
Maybe some New Orleans officials ought to spend an evening at the Harrah's
casino near the French Quarter and note that snake-eyes come up at the
craps table just as often as a seven.
Before his latest problems, Carter had previously violated the league's
substance abuse policy on four occasions. That's a rate of recidivism that
should have screamed "Don't do it!" when New Orleans officials considered signing him. For most people, three strikes and you're out. For
the Saints, apparently, four strikes and, hey, let's sign him to a
$26.8 million contract.
Carter becomes the latest in a long line of New Orleans players -- joining
defensive end Darren Mickell, return specialist Eric Guliford, defensive end
Frank Warren, strong safety Antonio Gibson and cornerback Greg Stemrick -- to
be hit with a league-imposed suspension. This interruption,
though, could be permanent. Certainly the loss of Carter is a blow to the
New Orleans secondary.
But it ought to be an even bigger blow to the pride of a franchise that
continues to take a chance with well-known character
risks.
Around the league
Free agent defensive tackle Sam Adams might never shake his reputation as
being a mercenary -- not an altogether bad thing to be in the NFL sometimes --
but he probably won't be known as a moneygrubber by next week. It appears
that Adams, the premier player still available in the unrestricted free
agent pool, will leave a ton of money on the table when he
finally decides where he will continue his eight-year career. That decision
isn't likely to come before Monday, when Denver coach Mike Shanahan and
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren are back in their offices and ready to get
serious about signing Adams. The one team that is motivated
right now, Cincinnati, is offering the most money, with sources telling
ESPN.com the proposal would pay him $3 million in 2002 and as much as $9
million over three years. Despite his rhetoric of earlier this week, when
Adams publicly proclaimed he liked the potential of the Bengals, he has all
but decided to pass on their offer. Instead he'll settle for what amounts to
a one-year deal with the Broncos or Seahawks. The
Buffalo Bills would love to make a run, too, club officials told
ESPN.com, but their salary-cap situation is such that they probably can't even do a
one-year contract with Adams. If he goes to Denver or Seattle, the prized
run-stuffer will settle for significantly less money. Denver would pay him
about $1.5 million for '02, and Seattle a little less than that. The contract
Adams eventually signs might look like a multiple-year deal, for salary cap
purposes, but it would essentially be an agreement that would free him up
next spring and allow him to test the free-agent waters again. Denver wants
to further bolster its interior, a move that would permit tackle Trevor
Pryce to move out to end in some situations. The Seahawks remain
concerned about the knee surgery that will keep John Randle out until the
start of the regular season.
The Bengals can't seem to get anyone to take their money,
and that has to be a frustrating thing for a franchise with more talent than
people perceive. In addition to Adams turning his back on them, it appears
standout linebackers Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons aren't in any hurry to
extend their contracts. Both are eligible for unrestricted free
agency next spring and the goal was to get one or both locked up by the
start of this season. But vice president Katie Blackburn, who has been
negotiating with the agents for the linebackers, this week confirmed what
sources have been telling ESPN: Both players want deals better than the one
the Pittsburgh Steelers gave to Joey Porter, a contract Cincinnati has been
using as a model for bargaining, and it looks like neither Spikes nor
Simmons is anxious to re-up. Cincinnati, which is trying to build
for the future, can't afford to lose the young defenders. Simmons and Spikes
aren't that well known nationally, because they get zero exposure in
Cincinnati, but general mangers and personnel directors know all about them.
There remain three "franchise" players leaguewide without contracts --
Denver kicker Jason Elam, offensive tackle Walter Jones of Seattle and tight
end Tony Gonzalez of Kansas City -- and none figures to sign any time soon.
League rules essentially precluded negotiations before July 15. But even now
that the date has passed, progress has been very slow with the three.
Everyone knows about the enmity created in Kansas City, where general
manager Carl Peterson and agent Tom Condon have used the local media to lob
salvos at each other this spring over Gonzalez' status. But don't be
surprised if the lack of movement on Elam's deal creates an even worse
environment. Elam feels he has been a good and faithful servant and deserves
a long-term deal commensurate with a Pro Bowl performer and one of the
league's best players at his position. Some in the Elam camp privately
suspect the Broncos would prefer the kicker simply sign the one-year tender
for a "franchise" kicker. That isn't going to happen, though, and Elam is
telling friends that he is dug in and will sit at home until Denver becomes
more flexible.
The Broncos would like to deal away one of their veteran tailbacks --
Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary or Mike Anderson -- and it really doesn't matter
to team officials which one they move, provided they land a future
first-round choice in return. No team is going to surrender a first-rounder
for guys whose shared medical dossiers take up plenty of file space, so
Denver will either have to reduce its asking price or keep all three. The
back who has looked the best of the trio this spring is Gary, who
has recovered well from a broken leg and is showing some of his old quickness.
Broncos coaches also like second-round draft choice Clinton Portis of the
University of Miami. Portis' play is one reason Anderson has been switched to fullback,
where he is a willing but unpolished blocker. The other back in the league
who remains available is Shawn Bryson of Buffalo, but general manager Tom
Donahoe is in no hurry to move him and may wait to see how desperate some
teams get in camp. Donahoe lost a potential suitor for Bryson when the
Eagles signed Dorsey Levens. The Saints, who need a proven backup for new
starter Deuce McAllister, remain a possibility.
Donahoe isn't too pleased that three Buffalo players have encountered
problems with the law lately. He believes in running a tight ship, and tight
end Sheldon Brown, return specialist Charlie Rogers and rookie seventh-round
receiver Rodney Wright will enter camp under closer scrutiny now because of
off-field indiscretions. In fact, word is that the Bills will demand that Wright agree to a contract that does not include a signing
bonus. That would permit Buffalo to release him in camp without any of the
typical financial exposure.
The league lost a true warrior this week when Green Bay safety LeRoy Butler
was forced into retirement by a 2001 collarbone injury that would not,
doctors felt, have withstood training camp. Strange thing, though, about the
Butler affair. Just hours before the Packers announced they were scheduling
a news conference for Butler, we spoke with agent Gene Burrough to ask him
about rumors his client would retire or be released. He insisted such
reports were "premature" and said he was meeting with Butler later that
night to discuss the 12-year veteran's future. "He's not recovered yet from
the injury, but he still wants to play, and it's strong language to even
suggest he is retiring," Burrough said. The supposition here is that Butler
was permitted to retire rather than be released.
The heat is on in Washington, where as of Friday afternoon the Redskins
had yet to reach agreements with any of their top four draft choices. The
group is quarterback Patrick Ramsey (No. 1), tailback Ladell Betts
(No. 2), cornerback Rashad Bauman (No. 3a) and wide receiver Cliff Russell
(No. 3b). With the Redskins scheduled to report for work on Monday, that
isn't good news for Joe Mendes, the top football man in the organization
and a guy acutely aware that owner Daniel Snyder does not tolerate rookies being absent for the start of camp. In 2000, when first-round
linebacker LaVar Arrington was late, Snyder stepped into the
negotiations and hastened the deal. He may eventually have to take similar
steps this year, especially with Ramsey, who will not be in camp Monday
barring a dramatic improvement in the team's offer. The absence of Ramsey
might not rile coach Steve Spurrier, who isn't counting on the former Tulane
star to challenge for the starting job until later in the year. But Snyder doesn't want his
first-rounder, even if he was the last player chosen in the opening stanza,
missing camp time -- especially since he feels Ramsey is the team's
quarterback of the future. Unless something changes over the weekend, the
top half of the Redskins draft haul is going to be tardy for class.
The Philadelphia Eagles don't make many mistakes signing players so, in the
case of the acquisition of free agent middle linebacker Levon Kirkland this
week, maybe wily team president Joe Banner and his football people know
something the rest of the NFL doesn't about weight loss. Just a few weeks
ago, Kirkland weighed in at a monstrous 304 pounds despite two springtime
trips to the celebrated Duke University weight loss clinic. It's likely what earned the 10-year veteran a pink slip from the Seahawks. Even on Wednesday, when he signed a one-year contract for
the NFL minimum of $750,000, Kirkland acknowledged he was at 290 pounds.
Needless to say, the former Steelers star will spend the early
weeks of camp shedding tonnage. Kirkland always played big and, even at
270-275 pounds, he was effective. It was remarkable that, at such a weight,
the Steelers still used Kirkland in most "nickel" packages. "He could run
deep up the middle of the field like a guy who weighed 230 pounds," recalled
former Kansas City Chiefs center Tim Grunhard. "It actually made it hard to
figure out just what kind of coverage (the Steelers) were playing at times."
But at age 33, even coming off a modestly productive year at Seattle, Kirkland doesn't run nearly as well as he once did and he can't afford
to tote so much baggage. Of course, the Eagles put only a $450,000 dent
into their salary cap, still have more than $9 million in available funds
and have zero financial exposure in a signing bonus if Kirkland doesn't work
out and they release him in camp. Coach Andy Reid has stressed competition
at all positions (save quarterback) for camp, and bringing in Kirkland
ensures that new middle linebacker Barry Gardner, the fourth-year veteran
who is replacing the departed Jeremiah Trotter, can't just coast into the
starting job.
You've got to love the Oakland Raiders, a team that always treats its
former players as family. ESPN.com obtained a copy of the 10-page
contract to which the Raiders agreed early this week with first-round
linebacker Napoleon Harris. The addendum section to the standard player
contract, the section that deals with bonuses and incentives, is a treat
through which to wade. It includes "Ted Hendricks Incentive," the "Matt
Millen Escalator," the "Rod Martin Escalators," the "Phil Villapiano Void,"
the "Jack Squirek Roster Bonus" and the "Dan Conners Playtime Bonus." Each
of the contract segments are named for former Raiders linebackers. The
Raiders, in fact, name the incentives based on former past greats that
played the same position as the player with whom they are negotiating. So look
for the "Willie Brown Escalator" or the "Lester Hayes Roster Bonus" in the
deal first-round cornerback Phillip Buchanan signs.
The NFL will conduct its annual supplemental draft, for players who weren't eligible in April, next Tuesday afternoon and the exercise should
consume all of about five minutes. As of Friday, league officials confirmed
there were four prospects (using the term loosely) available in the
supplemental draft -- which typically is comprised of a pool of players who
have left school for a variety of reasons or been declared ineligible -- and
none of them figure to be selected. The four players are Hampton running
back Darian Barnes, Alabama fullback and middle linebacker Marvin Brown,
safety Ray Ross of West Texas A&M and Nevada-Reno defensive tackle Johnny
Thomas. If a team takes one of the prospects, it would forfeit a
choice in the 2003 college draft, in the round corresponding to when it selected the
player. There's a good chance that none of the players in the supplemental
draft will even be signed as a free agent.
The addition of Josh Evans earlier this week certainly gives the New York
Jets quite a collection at defensive tackle. Evans has twice been suspended
by the league. Another springtime acquisition, Larry Webster from Baltimore,
has one suspension. And Jason Ferguson, who is returning after missing the
entire 2001 season after shoulder surgery, tested positive for marijuana at
the University of Georgia before the Jets selected him in the 1997 draft.
The three-year contract to which free agent Marco Coleman agreed with the
Jacksonville Jaguars last month has finally been executed and filed with the
league office, and it seems the veteran defensive end will have to reach
some incentive benchmarks for the deal to total the $4.5 million that was reported. The contract includes a signing bonus of $250,000 and base
salaries of $750,000 (for 2002), $755,000 (2003) and $1 million (2004). In
both the 2003 and 2004 seasons, $250,000 of Coleman's base salary is fully
guaranteed. There are roster bonuses of $245,000 in '03 and $250,000 in '04.
So the total face value of the deal is $3.25 million. Coleman
will be able to trigger some of the incentives. But it is believed
he will have to play at a Pro Bowl level for the deal to max out at $4.5
million.
Punts: How significant an addition might safety Lance Schulters be for the
Tennessee Titans this year? Over the past four seasons, the former San
Francisco standout had nine interceptions. In that same stretch, all the
Titans safeties totaled just six pickoffs. ... New England might restructure
the contract of cornerback Ty Law to create some cap room that could then be
used to sign quarterback Tom Brady to a long-term deal. ... Arizona is
interested in adding former Denver starter Eric Brown as a No. 3 safety, but
so far he is balking at their minimum offer of a $525,000 base salary. . . .
Buffalo rookies started a league-high 66 games in 2001 and might come close
to that total again this season. Unless the Bills can unearth a few veteran
free agents, draft choices Ryan Denney and Justin Bannan are apt to log
considerable snaps on the defensive line. ... The Raiders are thrilled by
the recovery defensive end Trace Armstrong has made from his '01 Achilles
injury. ... Free agent tailback Jamal Anderson is starting to get a few
nibbles, but nothing substantial enough to predict he will be in a
training camp next week.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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