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That the Denver Broncos have granted permission to quarterback Brian Griese and agent Ralph Cindrich to discuss trade possibilities with other NFL teams is a good story. That ESPN.com reported the story first, on Tuesday evening, makes it doubly good, in fact.
It is also, however, a story that realistically might be headed for a dead end.
Even with his subpar performances of the past two seasons, when Griese's touchdown passes barely outnumber his interceptions, there is a market for the Son of Bob. A trade market, however, might be a stretch, both for the team attempting to acquire the quarterback and for the one that wants to rid itself of him.
|  | | Griese has had a rough go of it in Denver the past couple of years. |
Few teams are going to surrender much in return for a player they realize is going to be released just after June 1 anyway, when the Broncos can soften the blow to their salary cap, so most potential Griese suitors won't jump on him at this point. And for the Broncos to agree to a trade would mean they would also assume a prohibitive salary cap hit of $9.26 million.
By waiting until June 1, the Broncos can cut the salary-cap impact down to a workable $2.315 million this year, and defer the balance until 2004. But that would also mean getting zero in return for Griese when he is released.
So there are plenty of permutations, lots of angles, for everyone to consider.
For the Broncos to assume a cap hit of $9.26 million, particularly after they had to frantically maneuver this week to merely squeeze under the league's spending limit of $75.007 million, the trade offer from another team would have to be irresistible. Like a first-round choice in this year's draft.
And no possible Griese suitor, at least not yet, is prepared to offer that.
Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said this week that, if another team was to offer a solid package of draft choices, Denver officials would try to pare their cap number even further to facilitate a deal. "But they've told us right up front," said Cindrich, "that it's going to have to be a heck of an offer for them to even think about it. But, hey, we'll see."
One of the best wheeler-dealer agents in the business, Cindrich, an old college classmate of yours truly at the University of Pittsburgh, would love to find his client a new address. And the quicker the better, since Griese does not want to wait until June or July to begin assimilating a new offense.
So is such a trade scenario possible?
Maybe not. But enter the Chicago Bears, a team in desperate need of a big upgrade at the game's most critical position, and with a coach (Dick Jauron) and general manager (Jerry Angelo) convinced they won't win unless they stabilize the quarterback spot for 2003.
For now, the Bears' plans remain unchanged: Use the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft on something other than a quarterback, a defensive line prospect in all likelihood. Then grab a quarterback, the guy who hopefully will be the long-term solution, in the second round.
Things change, though, in the ever-in-flux NFL. And there have been at least casual conversations, ESPN.com has confirmed, between Cindrich and Angelo. The two will continue to discuss these matters: What it will take in the way of a contract to get Griese interested in the Bears. How much the Broncos will want in a trade. How the often-impetuous Griese, who has experienced more than his share of off-field problems and was far from universally embraced in the Denver locker room, might fare with a timely change of scenery.
No one will stay tuned more closely than Denver officials, who would love nothing more than to acquire a first-round draft pick for a player who fell out of favor with coach Mike Shanahan, and with some teammates as well.
In a related matter, the Bears will host former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart next week, and he is another possibility for the team. But even with Stewart booked for a get-acquainted session, Griese's representative will continue the dialogue, and keep pushing for a formula that will satisfy both the quarterback and Broncos officials.
If he can't hit the right combination, Griese will be forced to sit and stew until early June, a proposition he would prefer to avoid.
Around the league
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| Plummer |
The quarterback most likely to replace Griese as the Broncos starter, free agent Jake Plummer of the Arizona Cardinals, is already scheduled to meet with Denver officials next week. Usually when the dots connect so easily in looking at free agency, like coupling Plummer and the Broncos, one has to be a little wary of drawing early conclusions. But the conventional wisdom appears true in this case and, with only a few clubs legitimately interested in Plummer, he certainly appears headed to a future in orange.
The wonderfully-named wide receiver Peerless Price, designated by the Buffalo Bills as a "franchise" player last week, is going to make a lot of money somewhere this season. Where he makes it, and how much he pulls in, could well be determined this weekend. ESPN.com has learned that Price, who makes his offseason home in Atlanta, is scheduled to meet with Falcons officials over the weekend. The visit includes a Saturday dinner with Arthur Blank, and that is significant, since the Falcons owner takes a very active role in recruiting free-agent prospects. He wined and dined tailback Warrick Dunn and offensive tackle Todd Weiner last year, liked both veterans, and landed them with big-dollar deals. Since Price belongs to the Bills, it will take more than a lucrative contract to pry him free, because the Falcons would still have to negotiate a trade. The initial efforts in that area, however, were not promising. Bills general manager Tom Donahoe spoke with Blank this week, laid out the terms he would accept for Price, and is still waiting for the Falcons to reach the level of compensation that he has suggested. Certainly the Bills, who don't own a No. 1 choice this year because of last spring's trade for quarterback Drew Bledsoe, want at least the Falcons' first-round choice in return for Price. And maybe even a little more than that, like a player or a later-round pick, thrown into the mix. So far, whatever the Falcons have dangled has been unacceptable, and things are stalled. Atlanta must decide if Price is better than any wide receiver they can get with the 23rd choice in the first round. It would certainly appear he is, but that is ultimately up to the Falcons to decide, and they will weigh the draft pool very carefully. Then again, Blank can certainly help boost the trade possibility, particularly if he likes Price personally. One of Blank's many strengths is determining a player's character and making a decision on whether to pursue him based in part on that. The potential deal certainly will be nudged along if Price makes a favorable impression.
Assuming they don't land Price in a trade, the Falcons will probably use the draft to bolster the wide receiver corps, but not with the players some people might think. Atlanta is one of the teams privately thrilled Florida State wide receiver Anquan Boldin ran a couple of pedestrian 40-yard times (4.70 and 4.73) at last week's combine. Word is the Atlanta personnel folks love Boldin's size (6-feet-0 5/8 and 216 pounds), and his ability to run after the catch, and feel he will run much faster in his campus workout. The hope is that, with Boldin's poor combine performance, some teams won't be as interested in him. The Falcons also like Tennessee wide receiver Kelley Washington, another big pass catcher (6-feet-2½, 223 pounds), but a guy who hasn't played much football because of neck injuries. Washington, who had neck surgery last year, didn't run at the combine. He is a big, thick and athletic player, but no one seems sure about his quickness.
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| Thomas |
Unrestricted free agent guard Randy Thomas of the New York Jets is already one of the most popular players in the veteran pool and that is a rarity for a player at his position. Thomas is a superb player, but guards tend to get short shrift in free agency. There are seven teams ardently pursuing him and Thomas arrived in Washington early Friday morning to meet with Redskins officials. Among the other guards meriting attention are Mo Collins of Oakland and Tennessee's Zach Piller. And here's one name that might surprise: Jason Whittle of the New York Giants is being sought by a number of teams, could make a quick trip to meet with one franchise early next week, and cut a very speedy deal.
The Baltimore Ravens want to re-sign quarterback Jeff Blake as their starter and, toward that end, coach Brian Billick traveled to West Palm Beach, Fla., on Thursday to reiterate that point in person. While the two sides have basically agreed on how much Blake is worth, and over how many years, they remain significantly apart on the first-year payout for a contract. Blake is seeking a total of about $5 million for 2003, from his signing bonus, salary and incentives, and the Ravens want to dole out only about $2 million for the first year of any deal. Having replaced an injured Chris Redman early in the 2002 season, and starting 10 games while earning a minimum base salary of just $750,000, no one can argue with Blake's desire to get more security this time around. After all, despite the contention that Redman will be ready for mini-camps following January back surgery, the youngster hasn't been back on a field yet and there are no guarantees he'll be 100 percent. But this is a tricky time for Blake, who has sometimes overestimated his market value, and who better not overplay his hand in dealing with Ravens officials. To this point, the Ravens have indicated no interest at all in former Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart, released earlier this week. But the deposed Stewart, who seemingly has always saved his best performances for games against Baltimore, is just a phone call away and looking to stealthily steal away somebody's starting job. Their public stance on Stewart aside, Baltimore officials have definitely discussed him internally, and he could go from the back burner to the front griddle in a hurry if the Ravens decide Blake isn't of a mind to reach a speedy deal. No one is suggesting that Blake allow a bad contract be shoved down his throat. His performance in supplanting Redman last year was admirable and he deserves to be remunerated accordingly. But if negotiations drag, look for the Ravens' interest in Stewart to pick up. And if Blake doesn't go back to the Ravens, it will be Arizona that will jump in and try to sign him.
Delete the Dallas Cowboys from the list of teams who will be interested in signing former Washington tailback Stephen Davis as their new starter. Two sources in the Cowboys organization told ESPN.com earlier this week that, even with the temptation of spiriting away a former Redskins star as part of the evaluation mix, coach Bill Parcells really isn't as keen on Davis as many outsiders have suggested. "(Parcells) isn't going to get into the emotional deal with (the Redskins)," said one source. "That doesn't mean anything to him. It might raise the ante with some people around here, but he certainly isn't one of them." Word is that Parcells, now freed from having to worry about the possibility of Emmitt Smith in training camp, is content to hand the job to loquacious three-year veteran Troy Hambrick. He'll probably try to bolster the position with a modestly-priced veteran free agent and look to the draft for help as well.
On the Davis front, he spent the past several days interviewing potential new agents, and appears to have settled on a new mouthpiece. The surprise choice, ESPN.com hears, is David Canter, better known for his marketing skills than for representing a lot of players. That isn't to say that Canter won't do a solid job. But the other three candidates -- Jimmy Sexton, Pat Dye Jr. and Marvin Demoff -- have more experience at the bargaining table. None of the three, though, was willing to negotiate his fee. Davis wants a deal negotiated for less than the standard 3 percent commission. Agents are usually loathe to reduce their commissions because, if other clients find out they are providing a discount, they are miffed. Canter has also picked up the representation for Carolina punter Todd Sauerbrun, a "franchise" free agent. Like Davis, the Panthers punter is a former client of Steve Weinberg, who was recently decertified by the NFL Players Association. Once upon a time, Canter worked with Weinberg, but they split a few years ago.
Since we like Redskins owner Dan Snyder, and admire the aggressiveness he continues to display in trying to build a winner, we don't want to accuse him of fibbing in his denials to us that he dangled cornerback Fred Smoot to Detroit in an attempt to secure the second overall pick in the draft. But there is way too much smoke, and in far too many places, surrounding Smoot and his possible role as human barter as the Redskins try to move up in the first round from their current No. 13 position. No, the Redskins didn't discuss a deal that involved Smoot with the Chicago Bears, as has been reported in some quarters. But there are some teams, such as Minnesota (which quietly has indicated it will entertain trade-back scenarios), with whom Snyder has talked about a swap of first-round selections. If the Redskins can't move up high enough to secure Michigan State wideout Charles Rogers, a gambit that nets the team Miami wide receiver Andre Johnson would be nearly as good. Sliding up the first round, to the latter regions of the top 10, might be enough to snag Johnson, who didn't work out at the combine, but did check in at a jaw-dropping 6-feet-2 and 230 pounds. Put a guy like Johnson with a steady No. 2 wide receiver like veteran Rod Gardner and you've now got a pretty solid outside tandem. As for Smoot, it's tough to figure why he has become the favored trade trinket in Washington, since he has played well in his two seasons there. Snyder pointed out to us this week that he has Smoot under contract for two more seasons, and at palatable cap numbers, below $800,000 in both 2003 and 2004. But fellow cornerback Champ Bailey is entering the final season of his contract, Snyder might have to "franchise" him next spring, and there is a suspicion Smoot will be tough to re-sign when he becomes a free agent in the spring of 2005. "Smoot feels like he should have been a first-round pick (in 2001) and he's going to be trying to recoup the money he thinks he lost as a rookie," said one league source. "Plus the guy had some off-field stuff in college. He's been tremendous for the Redskins, stayed out of trouble, but you never know. You've got to give to get in this league. If (Snyder) wants to move up, he has to throw out a pretty good player as trade bait and, apparently, Smoot is the guy."
As last week's predraft scouting combine proved once again, you can lead a prospect to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, but you can't make him run. The league dramatically modified the combine schedule this year to allow for more free time, and recovery time between the various segments of the event, hoping that more players would participate in on-field drills. And in particular, most combine officials hoped to see an increase in the number of players taking part in the 40-yard dash. Unfortunately, as was predicted here last week, the percentage of players who completed all the combine drills germane to their position was approximately the same as in recent years. There were 308 non-kickers in attendance and, according to the combine records obtained by ESPN.com, 96 did not run the 40-yard dash. In fact, 126 of the non-kicker prospects missed at least one of the drills pertinent to their respective positions. The combine officials might revisit, most likely with ESPN, the possibility of televising the event. The feeling is that, if the combine is on television, there might be some peer pressure exerted on the prospects to perform more of the on-field drills. Another possibility that is being kicked around is the concept of paying bonuses to players who do well in the drills. A $10,000 incentive, perhaps, for the player who runs the fastest 40-yard time in his group. A check, maybe, for the prospect who posts the top time in the 20-yard shuttle. "There are all kinds of things we are discussing in an effort to get more kids to work," said Tampa Bay Bucs general manager Rich McKay. "We have to do something."
So, of the players who did participate in the 40, who were the fastest? At least those results had to be gratifying to officials. Given the times clocked in the RCA Dome, fewer players are going to be able to use as an excuse the allegedly spongy surface in the facility. Eighteen players recorded official times of 4.43 seconds or faster. The speedsters: CB Kevin Garrett (SMU), 4.31; WR Tyrone Calico (Middle Tennessee State), 4.34; WR Bethel Johnson (Texas A&M), 4.37; RB Justin Fargas (Southern California), 4.38; CB Terence Newman (Kansas State), 4.38; CB B.J. Tucker (Wisconsin), 4.38; CB Dennis Weathersby (Oregon State), 4.38; CB Drayton Florence (Tuskegee), 4.39; FS Colin Branch (Stanford), 4.40; CB Marcus Trufant (Washington State), 4.40; CB Eugene Wilson (Illinois), 4.40; CB Sammy Davis (Texas A&M), 4.41; WR Kareem Kelly (Southern California), 4.41; CB Roderick Babers (Texas), 4.43; WR Kevin Curtis (Utah State), 4.43; WR Talman Gardner Jr. (Florida State), 4.43; FS Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman), 4.43; CB Charles Tillman (Louisiana-Lafayette), 4.43.
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| Peete |
Veteran quarterback Rodney Peete, whose 14 starts in 2002 were two more than he had in the previous four seasons combined, is very close to contract agreement to remain with the Carolina Panthers, ESPN.com has learned. The terms of the basic deal have been all but agreed upon, but there remains a bit of work to be completed on the "back end" of the contract, with incentives. It looks like Peete, 36, will sign a three-year, $4 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $500,000. In addition to the signing bonus, Peete will collect a roster bonus of $500,000. The base salaries for each of the three years of the new deal are $1 million. The contract, which will take Peete off the unrestricted free-agent market, figures to also include some "makeable" incentives. The Panthers are expected to add a young veteran and may visit with New Orleans unrestricted free agent Jake Delhomme, who has started only two games in four years, and also have an interest in Kordell Stewart. Yet to be determined is the fate of two-year veteran Chris Weinke, a starter in 2001, but relegated to backup duty last season. Team officials seem to like Randy Fasani, a fifth-round choice in the 2002 draft. Peete won the starting job from Weinke just before the beginning of the '02 regular season and played especially well at the outset of the campaign. He cobbled together seven victories, quite an accomplishment considering that the Panthers won just one game in 2001. The former Southern California star completed 223 of 381 passes for 2,630 yards, with 15 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 77.4. All of those numbers represent career highs. Perhaps more important than statistics, though, was the fact that Peete brought veteran leadership and stability to a young team. Those are two commodities coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney want to keep around.
On Monday morning, ESPN.com posted a story detailing the "risers" and the "decliners" at the combine workouts. Unfortunately, because of travel schedules and resultant deadlines, the story was posted while some of the linebackers and defensive backs were still working out in the RCA Dome. So to correct an injustice, remove Oklahoma cornerback Andre Woolfolk from the "decliners" list. A former wide receiver, Woolfolk still needs to improve his technique and learn more of the nuances of the corner spot, but he did very well in his workout and probably kept his status as a first-round possibility. Woolfolk was one of the several cornerback prospects who lit up the RCA Dome track, posting a 4.46 time in the 40. But he also did a 35½-inch vertical jump, a 10-feet, 8-inch long jump and looked fluid in most of the position drills.
ESPN.com has learned that former standout defensive end Sean Jones, who has served as a player agent since his '97 retirement, has been decertified by the NFL Players Association. The move came in a 3-2 vote by the agent disciplinary committee and, given the preponderance of evidence, about the only surprise was that the vote was so close. Teams were advised Thursday by letter that Jones can no longer negotiate contracts. ESPN.com reported a year ago that Jones was in trouble with several federal agencies for some investment deals in which he had involved clients. In addition to being an agent, Jones operated an investments firm, and was also paid a $60,000 annual fee to serve as a consultant to the NFLPA on investments. Jones has had judgements against him for his handling of investments for former NFL standout cornerback Cris Dishman. Most recently, Jones became the target of an investigation because of investments made for current Dallas defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban. The four-year veteran claims, among other charges, that Jones forged his signature on bank documents, including a $1 million loan. "I can't even rent a car because my credit is so bad," Ekuban said. "I'm making good money and I can't rent a car." Depending on the ongoing probes by federal agencies, Jones' problems with the NFLPA could well be benign. It is not known when Jones will be able to apply for reinstatement and begin representing players again. Notable is that Jones' listing does not appear in the 2003 NFLPA guide to player representatives, a likely sign that union leaders knew this week's action was coming.
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| Sehorn |
The gesture by New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn last week, an offer to move to free safety this year, apparently didn't do much for head coach Jim Fassel. The Giants coach responded by noting that, if Sehorn is back with the team, he will continue to line up at cornerback. Sources say that, unless Sehorn dramatically restructures his contract, New York will release him before he is due a $1 million roster bonus on March 10.
Punts: Denver cornerback Tyrone Poole, the No. 1 "sleeper" free agent as graded by ESPN.com, is already a popular veteran. Poole flew to Kansas City on Friday, will visit with Chiefs officials, then go to New England on Sunday … . The reworked contracts signed by Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair and guard Benji Olson were so-called "simple" restructures, in which each player reduced his scheduled base salary to the league minimum and then had the balance guaranteed in a signing bonus … . The Falcons are dangling three-year veteran linebacker Mark Simoneau, a former third-round pick who seems destined to be a backup in Atlanta and might be able to start elsewhere, as trade bait … . One positive from the combine is that scouts may have to start tapping into the once-fertile training grounds of the historically black colleges. Over the last several seasons, the black colleges are back on the upswing, in terms of producing prospects. This year, corner Drayton Florence (Tuskegee) and free safety Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman) established themselves as viable high-round choices… . The Packers and wide receiver Terry Glenn have agreed to defer a roster bonus the veteran was due in an effort to provide agent Jim Gould more time to locate a trade partner. The reality is, however, that few teams are interested in trading for Glenn, since they know he will be released within a week or so. One of the teams with some interest in Glenn is Miami, but Dolphins officials are also set to meet with Derrius Thompson, a decent receiver who had 52 catches for the Redskins last year … . It certainly seemed at last week's combine sessions that there aren't enough votes yet to change the current overtime system. Most coaches are opposed to change and owners generally vote with the sentiments of their coaches on such matters.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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