|
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For the $670,588 he was paid Thursday night, roughly one-seventeenth of the $11.4 million that Michael Strahan is scheduled to earn in 2002 by virtue of his new seven-year contract, the New York Giants defensive end contributed four tackles and no sacks.
It was a solid performance, with San Francsico right tackle and former New York teammate Scott Gragg often getting double-team help, but hardly the stuff of a football superman. Which is what the fans in this area expect now from Strahan. And with good reason.
|  | | Michael Strahan recorded 22½ sacks last season. |
You'll recall Strahan on Monday signed a deal that is worth $46 million if he's around long enough to collect it all. Just in case your synapses are as selective as those of Strahan, his agent Tony Agnone and resident media spin-doctors, we consider it our civic duty to remind you that, as bountiful as his contract appears, it is still $12 million less than the one that he turned down seven months ago.
His signing bonus of $6.4 million? Well, it pales in comparison to the $17 million that he could have had in February, when Giants management first proposed a contract extension.
There is no denying Strahan's contract, which guarantees him $20.5 million in its first three seasons, qualifies for the term "blockbuster." But even with all the financial contortions, all of the formulaic permutations cooked up to enhance its value, the Strahan deal could have been worth much more.
Certainly for Strahan and undoubtedly for the Giants franchise.
Had he signed the February offer, Strahan would have saved the club about $6 million in 2002 cap room. It would have meant the Giants wouldn't have been forced to restructure the contracts of center Dusty Zeigler, linebacker Michael Barrow, defensive tackle Keith Hamilton and corner Jason Sehorn. It would have meant general manager Ernie Accorsi could have avoided all the phone calls to Brazil, where Amani Toomer was vacationing, and where the wide receiver had to be tracked down to re-do his deal just so New York could squeeze under the $71.101 salary cap limit.
It would mean the Giants could have had the room to re-sign place kicker Morten Andersen, instead of scrounging around for a replacement. It might have allowed New York to actually sign a veteran reinforcement or two, certainly on the offensive line, instead of spending the spring and summer in free agent inertia. A deal cut in February would have precluded the verbal salvos of Tiki Barber, and the similar criticisms made by teammates who lacked the profile to go public.
In sum, it would have cemented Strahan's allegiance to the Big Blue instead of furthering the perception he is primarily loyal to the Long Green.
It's a shame Strahan now is regarded that way in some precincts. He truly is a terrific player, a guy who makes the price of admission worthwhile, and who also combines a social conscience. But whatever disdain with which he is now held, well, Strahan brought it on himself.
Ironic is that Strahan accused the franchise during his contract dispute of "tanking" the 2002 season. His take after the Giants dug into the vault and handed him the pricey signing bonus check: "I love the team. I love these teammates. I love New York City." Comments like that one, in light of his actions, make Strahan look as phony as his tainted record-breaking sack.
Well, one of out three isn't bad, since Strahan conveniently decided that he didn't really want to exit the Big Apple, but only after declining to help the Giants retain a crisp roster core. No athlete did more to help resurrect the spirit of New York after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks than Strahan, and he deserves recognition for that work. Indeed, to have seen him on the field on Thursday night, toying with kids who had lost their fathers in the Sept. 11 tragedy, was to have seen a man with a big heart.
No player did less, however, to keep his own team out of the rebuilding mode. And for that, Strahan was heartless, and selfish as well.
And, really, what did Strahan gain by waiting until September to sign the deal? Maybe some common sense or, perhaps, the acknowledgement that no one was going to meet his astronomical asking price if the Giants allowed him to become a free agent next spring. Financially he signed a contract inferior to the one that he was offered seven months ago.
The proposal in February would have paid Strahan the $17 million signing bonus, $10 million immediately and the balance next spring. Base salaries in the first four years were $650,000 (2002), $3 million (2003), $6 million (2004) and $5.35 million (2006). The four-year total: $32 million.
The contract Strahan signed on Monday paid a $6.4 million signing bonus and also base salaries of $5 million (2002), $9 million (2003), $6.3 million (2004) and $5.3 million. The total over four years: $32 million.
What looks like a financial "wash," however, really isn't. Sure, Strahan and his mouthpieces will contend that, in the September deal, he is guaranteed $7 million of his 2003 base salary and $2.1 million of his '04 salary. There's no getting around the fact, they argue, that the Giants must dole out $20.5 million in guaranteed funds by the end of the 2004 campaign.
But think about this: Wouldn't the sack king have been better off with the $10 million portion of the singing bonus in his bank account seven months ago? Actuaries call it "current value," and the translation is that money is never more valuable than right now. Money deferred, of course, is money devalued. By now, Strahan could have invested the $10 million and been looking forward to the second bonus payment, of $7 million, next spring.
But the Strahan camp argued in February that they didn't know if the club would honor the second half of the bonus in the spring of 2003. Come on, guys, enough of the rhetoric. Such two-tiered bonuses were good enough for Sehorn and Barber in their most recent deals. For 75 years, the word of New York owner/patriarch Wellington Mara was good enough for most Giants players. But for Michael Strahan, it wasn't, so it seems.
The first three years of the contract signed this week total $26.7 million. The first three years of the February proposal totaled $26.65 million. So the seven-month spitting match netted Strahan $50,000. He probably considers that chump change anyway. Here's a fact: Under the September proposal, Strahan would have pocketed $17.65 million by next March 1. In the deal signed Monday, he earns just $11.4 million by March 1, 2003. Again, better to have your money working for you as quickly as possible.
Some apologists would argue that, under the February deal, base salaries were not guaranteed, but that is a fool's suggestion. When you pay a man a $17 million signing bonus, the guarantees in the first three of four seasons are implicit. Why is that? Because the cap ramifications of releasing such a player early are staggering. Thus a team is forced to keep him for at least three seasons.
There's an old agent adage that you can make the numbers do just about anything you want them to do. Clearly that bromide is emblazoned into the consciousness of Strahan's people. Turns out that what they cannot make these numbers do, though, is make sense. Not when considered in concert with what Strahan could have accomplished with the earlier proposal and how much that would have meant to the New York roster.
Turns out, too, that apparently the gap between Strahan's ears is much bigger than the one between his two front teeth.
Around the league
The new contract extension for Baltimore Ravens strongside linebacker Peter Boulware, who led the AFC in sacks last season and has established himself as a premier pass rusher during his five years in the league, should be completed shortly. Boulware has averaged double digit sacks and will be paid accordingly. There's no word yet on the size of what figures to be a seven-year contract but ESPN.com has confirmed that negotiations have already nudged the signing bonus north of $13 million. Boulware is in the final year of his original contract and would have been eligible for free agency next spring without a new deal. He will complete quite a daily double for agent Roosevelt Barnes, who also negotiated the seven-year, $49.5 million contract middle linebacker Ray Lewis signed with the Ravens last month. There were suggestions after the Lewis deal was consummated that Baltimore officials might allow Boulware to go into the open market next spring, but that was never their intention. In fact, there are some who suggest that, in the 3-4 defense the Ravens will deploy this year, Boulware is even more critical than Lewis, because he is the team's only legitimate pass rusher. The Ravens seem to have satisfied their concerns about the shoulder injuries Boulware has battled for a couple years.
A lot of people in Tampa, including some in the Buccaneers front office, insist the demotion of second-year offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker will be a short-lived punitive measure. Fact is, there are some observers who feel that Walker could be back in the lineup by the second half of Sunday's season opener against New Orleans. Because of excessive false start penalties, coach Jon Gruden and offensive line coach Bill Muir soured on Walker and opted to replace him with Cornell Green, a journeyman who was acquired from Miami via a trade. But some league personnel guys have joked that Dolphins vice president Rick Spielman ought to be the early leader for executive of the year honors, for having finagled a seventh-round choice from the Bucs in exchange for Green. "The guy," said one NFC pro scout, "is an absolute stiff. I don't care how badly Walker is playing. He has to be better (than Green)." The team's first-round choice in 2001, Walker started all 16 games at left tackle as a rookie, but Muir decided to move him to his more natural right tackle position this summer. Walker struggled and the spate of penalties certainly didn't help. By the way, if right guard Cosey Coleman (ankle) can't start this week, Tampa Bay will have only one starter from its 2001 blocking unit, center Jeff Christy, in the lineup. Roman Oben replaces Walker at left tackle and Kerry Jenkins takes over for the retired Randle McDaniel at left guard. Green replaces the released Jerry Wunsch at the right tackle spot.
Right now, it is nothing more than idle talk in Cleveland, and none of it is believed to have originated with coach Butch Davis. But there are whispers that, if quarterback Tim Couch's arm problems sideline him for an extended period, Davis might consider placing a call to old buddy Troy Aikman, now two years into retirement. Davis was the defensive coordinator in Dallas, of course, during part of Aikman's successful tenure there. There were rumors last year that Aikman might be lured out of the broadcast booth by Miami coach Dave Wannstedt, and they were fueled this year when Norv Turner, his old offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, was hired by the Dolphins. Odds are that the latest rumors have no more substance than earlier ones. But if Couch misses a sizeable amount of time, the Cleveland playoff aspirations could be dashed, since backup Kelly Holcombe has only one regular-season start on his resume.
Given that he has quarterback Drew Bledsoe in his corner, it would be surprising if Buffalo Bills starting tight end Jay Riemersma was released before Sunday's opener against the Jets, but it could still happen. Buffalo officials have been attempting to have Riemersma accept a reduction from his scheduled base salary of $2.55 million, and so far he has declined. General manager Tom Donahoe met with Riemersma earlier this week, told him he felt he was a good player, but also acknowledged he disagreed with the tight end's stance on the pay cut. If Riemersma is with the team on Sunday, his entire salary is guaranteed, because he is a "vested" veteran. The Bills released longtime kicker Steve Christie on the eve of the 2001 season, but that was different, since he was injured. Riemersma has a bothersome history of nagging injuries but, despite leading the Bills in dropped passes a year ago, is a solid player in the "red zone" and a guy Bledsoe really likes. Still, this is a situation that bears watching, even as late as Saturday evening.
Six-year veteran cornerback Tory James is the nominal starter in Oakland at the spot created by the retirement of Eric Allen, but league insiders tell us that rookie Phillip Buchanon of Miami will quickly inherit the job. James will be on the field for the opening snap Sunday but Buchanan, one of the Raiders' two selections in the first round, will play in the first "nickel" situation and could just stay on the field thereafter. The other cornerback, of course, is Charles Woodson, who is rumored to have some issues that need to be resolved before his viability for the '02 season is confirmed. For all his brilliance, Woodson still has some mental lapses that have kept him from fulfilling the lofty expectations of both himself and franchise officials.
His fighting words aside, Carolina Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke might find it difficult to regain his starting job, some team insiders feel. Weinke does not, they contend, react well to change. When coach John Fox pulled the rug out from under him this week, switching to Rodney Peete as the starter even though the 14th-year veteran had played just two quarters in the preseason, the move stung Weinke badly. "He saying all the right stuff publicly but, to the guys who see him every day, he's wounded pretty badly now," one veteran player said. "Given his temperment, I really don't know if he can bounce back from this."
In a negotiation that includes as much money as the one between the Seattle Seahawks and two-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle Walter Jones, we're not about to take sides. What we will do, however, is report that agent Roosevelt Barnes is adamant his "franchise"-designated client is mentally prepared for sitting out the entire 2002 season unless he gets an offer he likes. "I've been doing this a long time, have represented a lot of guys in tough (negotiations), done several deals for 'franchise' players," Barnes said. "From the standpoint of being dug in, of being serious about sitting out, Walter is the toughest-minded kid I have ever represented. I know everybody says they'll sit out. When he says it, he means it, believe me." The Seahawks say they offered Jones a six-year, $36 million contract with a $12 million signing bonus and, now that it has been rejected that deal has been rescinded by the club. Barnes told ESPN.com this week that Jones is willing to be the second highest-paid tackle in the league, behind Jonathan Ogden of the Ravens, but that he didn't want to be a distant second. "I don't want it to be like one of these baseball division races, where the second place team is 16 games behind," Barnes said.
To the surprise of no one, the Dallas Cowboys will sign free agent wide receiver Darnay Scott next Monday, giving him a one-year deal for the minimum base salary of $650,000. The former Cincinnati Bengals star was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, and it didn't take long for Dallas offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet to phone him, and suggest that Scott visit with Cowboys officials. Coslet was coordinator and also head coach in Cincinnati for much of Scott's career there, has always liked him as a deep threat, and feels he can still play. With the loss of Raghib Ismail (neck injury) for the entire 2002 season, the Cowboys need some speed and experience, and Coslet is convinced Scott will provide both. So why didn't the Cowboys sign Scott this week, especially after he ameliorated concerns about past shoulder and leg problems, and passed the Dallas physical? For openers, they didn't think he could be prepared for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, even though he is more familiar with Coslet's offense than any of the receivers who went through the Dallas training camp. More important, like most teams, the Cowboys were loathe to sign any "vested" veteran for the opening weekend. The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that any "vested" veteran (four years or more accrued toward the pension plan) on an opening day roster is guaranteed his base salary for the entire season, even if released. By next week, when "vested" veterans can be signed minus the guarantee provision, teams will add help from the pool of more experienced players still unsigned. Look for offensive tackle John Fina, released by the Bills this summer, to be one of the "vested" veterans who signs next week, likely with the Cardinals.
OK, so it isn't quite "Linebacker U," the nickname pinned on the Penn State program when the Nittany Lions seemed to annually turn out a couple prospects at the position. But under former head coach Woody Widenhofer, the Vanderbilt program recently produced a pair of second-year linebackers who could have breakout seasons in 2002. Jamie Winborn of San Francisco, a second-round choice in 2001, started four games as a rookie but his progress suffered because of injuries. In the Thursday night opener, though, Winborn was one of the best players on the field. Manning the "plugger" position in the 49ers defense, he posted a game-high 16 tackles, including a dozen solo stops. One of those injitial hits came on a key play, when he stuffed Giants tailback Tiki Barber for a three-yard loss on a fourth-and-one play in the second quarter. Winborn also added a sack. Matt Stewart of Atlanta, a fourth-round pick last year, had 16 tackles in limited time but showed enough promise to go to camp this year as a starter and he had a super preseason. Stewart is overshadowed by inside linebacker Keith Brooking but has become a fine player in his own right. If the preseason is any indicator, he should only get better in the new 3-4 scheme implemented by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. While he still runs around some plays, Stewart looked much stronger at the point of attack and was terrific as a blitzer, posting four sacks.
The St. Louis Rams opted not to pursue a big-name tackle this offseason, and we will see Sunday if the move comes back to haunt them. St. Louis will start third-year veteran John St. Clair, a third-round pick in 2000, and a guy who played center during his collegiate career at Virginia. But here's the rub: St. Clair has yet to play in a regular-season game. He will be matched up against Trevor Pryce of Denver, who moves from tackle to end this season, and one can anticipate St. Clair getting plenty of help. The only move the Rams made to address the tackle situation was trading for Grant Williams, a journeyman-type player, from New England.
There are very few owners we admire as much as Jerry Jones of the Cowboys. But when Jones told local media he had spoken to San Diego general manager John Butler about a potential trade for unsigned No. 1 cornerback Quentin Jammer, he must not have understood the rules. The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that, once the calendar gets to within 30 days of the regular-season opener, unsigned draft picks cannot be traded. Recall, that deadline helped to scuttle the possible trade of Redskins first-round quarterback Patrick Ramsey to Chicago.
Has any story been more misreported, except for by ESPN.com, than the saga of the Ryan Sims-Kansas City Chiefs contract situation of the past few days? As noted here, Sims could not practice before Wednesday because the Chiefs refused to sign the deal, agreed to a week earlier, until the collusion case against them was resolved. No matter what propaganda the Kansas City rumor mill churned out (and the local media bought into), that was precisely why Kansas City officials would not execute the contract. On Wednesday, the NFL Players Association and the NFL Management Council reached an agreement that Sims would no longer seek financial damages. Yet it was reported that the collusion inquiry was dropped. Not true. There remains in play, at least for now, an inquiry request. On Thursday, media outlets then reported that Sims had "finally" signed his contract and forwarded it to the league. Uh-uh. Sims had signed the deal the previous week. It was Kansas City officials who finally signed off, because they no longer had financial exposure in any potential collusion findings.
It has never been announced by the Atlanta Falcons, but very quietly the team extended the contract of underrated fullback Bob Christian several weeks ago, adding two years through the '05 season. Termed by quarterback coach Jack Burns as "the glue" of the offense, and deservedly so, Christian got a $600,000 signing bonus but dropped his 2002 base salary from $2 million to $750,000. He can make up the balance in not likely to be earned incentives. The maneuver saved Atlanta $1.1 million this season and $1.8 million for the 2003 season, when Christian's base salary drops from the scheduled $3 million to $1 million. In the years added to the contract, Christian will have base salaries of $1.2 million in 2004 and $1.4 million in 2005. He is also due roster bonuses of $500,000 in each of those seasons. While rarely considered for Pro Bowl honors, Christian is one of the most complete fullbacks in the NFL. He is an excellent receiver, a better blocker than most people realize, and an effective runner when presented with the opportunity. The nine-year veteran averaged 6.5 yards per carry in 2001, establishing careers bests in attempts (44) and yards (284).
Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson liked Levon Kirkland enough to award him the starting middle linebacker spot over Barry Gardner but that doesn't mean some Eagles coaches don't harbor some concerns about the 10-year veteran. Granted, even an overweight Kirkland looked good in camp and flashed the deceptive speed that marked his glory days as a Pro Bowl player with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the recent track record of Kirkland indicates that, as the season wears on, he wears down. Over the last two seasons, the 2000 campaign in Pittsburgh and the 2001 schedule in Seattle, he averaged two tackles fewer per game in the second half of the year than he did in the first. Gardner could, in time, regain the starting spot he inherited when Jeremiah Trotter left the Eagles as a free agent.
So, might Octagon, the sports representation and entertainment giant which represents quarterbacks Michael Vick of Atlanta and David Carr of Houston, get the first overall choice in the draft for a third year in a row? Apparently it could happen. There are whispers, some of them emanating from one Octagon operative, that the agency has a leg up on landing Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, who could be the first player taken in the 2003 lottery. That could be hyperbole, however, since Marshall coach Bob Pruett has set up a fairly rigid recruiting procedure, one in which he will be very involved.
Maybe Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves knew exactly what he was doing after all in bypassing all those wide receivers in the first round of this year's draft and choosing tailback T.J. Duckett instead. While the Falcons needed a deep threat, and still do, Reeves might have considered his track record for choosing wide receivers since arriving in Atlanta in 1997. In his six drafts there, he has chosen nine wide receivers, and none remain on the current Falcons roster. Tim Dwight was traded to San Diego in 2001, as part of the Michael Vick deal, but the rest departed via the waiver wire. Here's the list of wide receiver chosen by Reeves during his Falcons tenure: Jammi German, 1998 (third round); Tim Dwight, 1998 (No. 4); Eugene Baker, 1999 (No. 5); Rondel Menendez, 1999 (No. 7); Mareno Philyaw, 2000 (No. 6); Vinny Sutherland, 2001 (No. 5); Quentin McCord, 2001 (No. 7); Kahlil Hill, 2002 (No. 6); Michael Coleman, 2002 (No. 7).
Punts: Gus Frerotte will become the fifth different opening day starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals in five years. The others were: Jon Kitna (2001), Akili Smith (2000), Jeff Blake (1999) and Neil O'Donnell (1998). . . . The woefully thin Arizona Cardinals hope to get starting offensive right tackle Anthony Clement back for the second half of the season. When surgeons repaired the triceps tendon earlier this week, they found that it was only 30 percent torn, instead of the 90 percent that they anticipated. . . . Teams still thinking about making a change at the No. 3 quarterback spot might want to consider Todd Husak, currently on the New York Jets practice squad. The former Stanford star, originally chosen by the Redskins in the 2000 draft, is better than several third-line quarterbacks currently on active rosters. . . . Nice touch by the Raiders, who do not deduct taxes when they make an injury settlement with a player. Seems the Raiders, who want to get as much money into the player's pocket as they can, have been doing it that way for 15 years. . . . Third-year cornerback Lloyd Harrison can't win. At least with Marty Schottenheimer. He was released by Schottenheimer in Washington last year, signed by San Diego and, you guessed it, cut by Schottenheimer again last weekend. The good news for Harrison, a promising corner with athletic skills but a history of injury, is that he was claimed by the Miami Dolphins. . . . Best wishes for a quick recovery to Rick Snider of the Washington Times, who suffered a slight heart attack on Wednesday. Covering the Redskins beat, Snider has broken a lot of stories, and without having all the tips thrown his way by team management, which tries to use the other paper in town as a house organ. . . . Congratulations to hard-working player agent Ron Todd, always one of the hits of the predraft combine, for having an active player in the league for the first time in five years. Todd represents Kevin Barry, an offensive lineman who made the Green Bay roster as an undrafted free agent.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
| |
|
