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Even with three straight Pro Bowl appearances, and statistics topped only by a few players at his position, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia still rates as one of the NFL's most anonymous stars.
But when it comes to a roll call of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks, at least over a two-year period, the four-year veteran certainly merits considerable attention. And that's because in terms of actual money that he will be paid for 2002-03, Garcia leads all NFL quarterbacks in compensation, according to league salary records obtained by ESPN.com.
Over that period, Garcia will have earned $20.4 million, about $1.4 million more than runner-up Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. The calculations could change, and dramatically, if Manning signs a long-term contract extension. Manning and the Colts are in the early stages of negotiations and a deal does not appear imminent.
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Running on empty
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While it has been somewhat devalued in recent years, the 1,000-yard mark still remains the most recognizable standard for a running back. Last season, however, the leading rusher for 15 of the 32 franchises recorded fewer than 1,000 yards. Over the last 10 years, in fact, there have been 11 leading rushers for their respective teams who didn't even post a half-1,000-yard season. Here is a look at the players, since 1993, who led their teams in rushing despite running for fewer than 500 yards:
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Player
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Yr
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Yds
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June Henley (Rams)
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'98
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313
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Joe Montgomery (Giants)
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'99
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348
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Jermaine Fazande (Chargers)
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'99
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365
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Terrell Fletcher (Chargers)
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'00
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384
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Darick Holmes (Packers)
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'98
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386
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Leeland McElroy (Cardinals)
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'97
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424
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Terry Kirby (Browns)
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'99
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452
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Ken Oxendine (Falcons)
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'99
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452
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Lamar Smith (Saints)
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'98
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457
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Derrick Fenner (Bengals)
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'94
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468
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Scottie Graham (Vikings)
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'93
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487
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But for a former CFL star like Garcia, a player who had to scrape just to land an NFL audition, the numbers are staggering.
They are part of the deal that Garcia originally signed in 2001, and has since extended through 2008, and reflect not only an $11.5 signing bonus in 2002 but much creativity in terms of creating even more financial opportunity in the near future. That is, in part, because the contract provides Garcia, 33, the ability to void the deal following the 2004 season, and to become a free agent at that time.
Garcia is scheduled to earn base salaries of $4.25 million this season and of $6.5 million in 2004. The carefully crafted contract, negotiated by Bay area agent Steve Baker, took full advantage of an option clause, escalators and, of course, the 49ers' cap situation. The contract makes Garcia the first quarterback to earn over $20 million in a two-year period.
It puts Garcia, whose bank account belies his modest physical appearance, atop an elite grouping of quarterbacks who will have earned more than $11 million in actually money paid out 2002-2003.
The quarterbacks who will bank $12 million or more in that period: Manning, $19.025 million; Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia), $19.006 million; Steve McNair (Tennessee), $16.056 million; David Carr (Houston), $14.175 million; Kurt Warner (St. Louis), $13.1 million; Tom Brady (New England), $13.009 million; Mark Brunell (Jacksonville), $13.003 million; Michael Vick (Atlanta), $12.309 million; Trent Green (Kansas City), $12.155 million; and Jake Plummer (Denver), $12.04 million.
By comparison, even with his recent contract extension, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper will earn just $4.51 million in actual money paid out 2002-03.
His relative lack of celebrity aside, Garcia has registered numbers beyond those he has rung up at the pay window, throwing for 13,704 yards the past four seasons. In the last three years, he has 84 touchdown passes and just 32 interceptions, and his career passer efficiency rating is 89.9.
Around the league
Although it isn't likely that World Bowl XI on Saturday will be the last title game for the NFL Europe League, the future of the springtime loop is clearly uncertain, and there are some NFL owners ready to seriously consider pulling the plug. The owners invest about $25 million-$27 million annually in NFLE and, with its audience stagnant both in the stadiums and in the television ratings, there is real debate about how to proceed beyond this season. Exacerbating the situation is that NFL Europe is not really the feeder system, the developmental league, that owners envisioned it as being. Most of the teams now allocate players who typically comprise the bottom 10 performers on a roster and the league isn't developing even third-string quarterbacks the way it once did. At the recent league owners meeting in Philadelphia, commissioner Paul Tagliabue acknowledged that NFL Europe is undergoing close scrutiny, and that all sorts of possibilities are now under consideration. A few owners, though, are leaning toward ending the experiment. "We're pouring cement down an endless hole," said one NFC owner. "Some of us have pretty much had it (with NFL Europe)." The fate of the European league could be decided in mid-September when NFL owners are scheduled to consider their options.
While his peers might not always agree with the strategies of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, several are taking a hard look at the unorthodox but also innovative methodologies he employed this offseason for upgrading the talent level of his roster, and there figures to be some trickle-down effect both immediate and long-term. Snyder, of course, opted for a previously untested course this spring, forfeiting draft choices to sign restricted free agents away from other franchises. He surrendered his first-round pick for wide receiver Laveranues Coles (New York Jets), a fifth-round pick for return specialist Chad Morton (the Jets again), his selection in the sixth round for Green Bay safety Matt Bowen and a seventh-rounder for Miami defensive tackle Jermaine Haley. He also swapped his fourth-round choice to St. Louis for tailback Trung Canidate.
The maneuvers left the Redskins with a league-low three draft choices and, the Snyder critics insist, an untenable salary cap situation. The detractors point out that, to balance a salary cap in any year, a team needs an influx of cheap labor, that is, draft choices, young performers whose income will be fixed for three or four seasons. History has certainly indicated that is the case and the Redskins and Snyder still have to prove they can balance the books and remain viable on the field as well. But some teams feel Snyder has hit on an intriguing concept and top-ranking officials from at least two franchises recently phoned Washington vice president Vinny Cerrato to discuss with him the Redskins' revolutionary approach. And while no one should expect many teams to adopt a similar model, in this copy-cat league, look for more clubs to troll the restricted free agent market next spring.
The Redskins' emphasis on restricted free agents (players with three seasons accrued toward their pension) this offseason has already forced some franchises to re-think the manner in which they negotiate with draft choices. The typical contract for a rookie chosen after the second round is for three years. But after three seasons, when a player's contract expires, he is eligible for restricted free agency. And if the restricted market is going to heat up, fueled by the Redskins' ardor this year, some teams have considered protecting themselves by seeking longer-term deals on rookie contracts. The Buffalo Bills have already said they might attempt to negotiate four-year contracts with some of their later-round draft choices. And one NFC franchise has suggested, in early negotiations with agents for their middle- and late-rounders, that they want five-year contracts. Most agents will fight such a move but, as one noted to ESPN.com this week, there is very little leverage when dealing for a late-round choice. "If I have a sixth-round pick, and a team wants to do a four- or five-year contract they're hard-asses about it, what can I do?" said the agent. "You keep a sixth-round kid out of camp, it's professional suicide, for the player and for the agent." Teams may also next spring decide to use the middle- or top-level qualifying offer to retain a right of first refusal on their restricted veterans. Because those levels call for higher draft choice compensation, they will scare some suitors off, and keep them from poaching on the restricted pool. So, in some ways, the ramifications of what Snyder hath wrought with his unusual approach this offseason remains to be seen. But in other ways it is already beginning to have an effect.
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| Palmer |
As for signing draft picks in general, the pace to this point has been both predictable and unremarkable, a trickle that doesn't figure to pick up steam until early next month. As of Friday morning, just 27 of the 262 prospects chosen in April had reached agreements. And of those, only three - top overall choice Carson Palmer of Cincinnati and third-round picks Ricky Manning of Carolina and Kansas City's Julian Battle -- were first-day picks. More than half the agreements, 17 of the 27, were with sixth- and seventh-round choices. One element that could hasten some middle- and late-round accords is the realization that, with a so-called "flat" rookie pool allocation, draft choices will not realize the typical raises in signing bonuses and overall per-year average on their deals. The increases on the agreements struck to this point have been modest and that figures to be the case through the spring and summer, particularly for choices beyond the second round.
The Seattle Seahawks would do well to prepare for opening the season without second-year tight end Jerramy Stevens, who this week was sentenced to five days in jail for violating a previous probation, and who could face jail time as well after pleading guilty to reckless driving charges. One source in the league office told ESPN.com on Friday that it is "all but certain" that the Seahawks' 2002 first-round pick faces sanctions under the terms of the NFL personal conduct policy. And he noted that the sanctions are likely to include some type of suspension or substantial fine. "My guess," said the source, "is that Stevens will sit for a while (at the outset) of the season."
Long one of the NFL's most prized and elusive commodities, every team seeks depth on the defensive line, and few franchises ever achieve it. But one team that seems to now have both quality and quantity in its front four is the Denver Broncos and that abundance was, well, abundantly clear in recent workouts. In 2002, the Broncos started a front four that was comprised of ends Trevor Pryce and Kavika Pittman and tackles Lional Dalton and Chester McGlockton. But McGlockton and Pittman were both released for salary cap considerations, and diminished productivity, and Dalton could well lose his starting job because he doesn't fit what new coordinator Larry Coyer wants from his linemen.
Under the new scheme, quickness is the prerequisite, and the new-look Broncos front certainly has the potential to be more disruptive in 2003. Now a perennial Pro Bowl performer, Pryce, of course, remains the starter at left end. The right end, for now, is Bertrand Berry, but he will face plenty of training camp competition. No matter who wins the job, though, figures to produce more than the zero sacks that Pittman had in 2002. But it is at tackle where the Broncos' true depth and quality might be most demonstrated. The Broncos signed veteran Daryl Gardener as an unrestricted free agent and, if his balky back is not a problem, he is a mauler inside. Dalton is still a solid player, but will have to lose some of his bulk to play in the Coyer design. Look for two youngsters, Monsanto Pope and Dorsett Davis, to get considerable playing time. Both second-year players have made big-time progress this spring and could well bump Dalton to the bench. A seventh-round pick, Pope played much of the spring with the first unit. Davis, a third-rounder who bounced between end and tackle as a rookie, has great quickness and the ability to penetrate.
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| Stewart |
The brief but serious flirtation with Brian Griese on the part of Chicago Bears officials didn't register much more than a blip on the radar screen in The Windy City. But to many league observers, it offered some evidence of recent rumors that Kordell Stewart is hardly viewed by Bears management as the long-term answer at quarterback. Stewart is said to be struggling this spring, not sharp physically or mentally, and has had some problems in assimilating the offensive design of coordinator John Shoop. And, remember, the Bears' financial commitment to Stewart is relatively modest, a two-year deal at $4.75 million and with upfront money of just $1.75 million. Chicago jumped into the Griese bidding because it sensed an opportunity to get him on the cheap and to perhaps create some competition with Stewart in camp. It may not bode well for Stewart that, just months after signing him, the Bears were seeking potential alternatives. General manager Jerry Angelo drafted Rex Grossman in the first round but the former University of Florida standout will not be rushed. But no one should be surprised, if Stewart flounders and the Bears are on the skids at the midway point of the season, if Grossman gets some December starts.
Had the board of trustees at Tulane University voted to terminate the football program earlier this week, a reaction to the athletic department's ponderous operating deficit of about $7 million, NFL teams likely would have faced an intriguing decision next month in the annual supplemental draft. Word is that Green Wave star J.P. Losman, rated as the top senior quarterback prospect in the 2004 draft by the National Football Scouting, Inc. combine, was seriously considering the supplemental lottery. With great discretion, some Losman associates were surveying NFL teams about how they regarded Losman, who in the 2002 season started all 13 contests and completed 230 of 401 passes for 2,468 yards, with 19 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Like any other Tulane player, Losman could have transferred and been granted immediate eligibility at a new school, had his program been eliminated. But the more likely scenario, sources told ESPN.com, was a foray into the supplemental draft. With the Green Wave program intact, of course, the point is a moot one. But it would have been interesting to see just how lofty a choice some team might have invested in Losman, a player some scouts feel is a superior prospect to former Tulane quarterback Patrick Ramsey, the first-round selection of the Washington Redskins in the '02 draft. The National grades aside, the consensus still is that Eli Manning of Mississippi is the nation's premier quarterback, and might even be the top player chosen in 2004. But the strong-armed Losman is a big kid with pocket presence and excellent football awareness and Tulane coaches feel he is the real deal.
When it comes to the supplemental draft, Georgia Tech tailback Tony Hollings and his family might want to get on the same page. Despite denials from his mother, Hollings told ESPN.com on Thursday that he has apprised coach Chan Gailey that he intends to apply for the special-cases draft next month. "I haven't filed any (of the paperwork) yet, but I told him that is my intention and he is making some calls for me to his friends in the league," Hollings said. Hollings, 21, was recently declared academically ineligible for the '03 season and certainly seems to fit the criteria for inclusion in the supplemental lottery. The biggest question teams will have about Hollings is the progress on rehabilitating from the severe knee injury he suffered last fall. Hollings led the country in both rushing and scoring through four games, with 633 yards and 11 touchdowns, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus cartilage in his right knee in a contest against BYU. While he has sufficient size and speed -- 5-feet-10 3/4, 223 pounds, and a 40-yard time of about 4.45 -- what Hollings needs is to have a prominent orthopedic surgeon assure teams that his recovery is on-track. He is considering a second opinion, possibly from noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., and a letter attesting to the pace of his rehabilitation. Oh, yeah, when Hollings spoke to ESPN.com, he was in the company of an Atlanta-based agent. Technically that means nothing to his status and he has not formally retained the agent in question. But that he is speaking with a potential representative certainly provides some circumstantial evidence of his preference for turning pro rather than returning to school for the 2004 season.
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| Morgan |
Based on reports from the Cleveland Browns minicamp workouts this week, it appears that Tim Couch continues to hold an obvious edge over Kelly Holcomb for the starting quarterback spot. There was some feeling that coach Butch Davis might announce this week that Couch had held off Holcomb's challenge, at least entering camp, but it now seems he won't make anything official until after preseason play begins. One spot no longer in question is the starting job opposite wide receiver Kevin Johnson. Two of the Browns' staffers raved about third-year pro Quincy Morgan in separate discussions with ESPN.com this week. And while there were plenty of young players who earned the praise of Davis and his assistants, as the Browns continue to tinker with the lineup, none seemed to get higher grades than the team's 2001 second-round draft choice. The feeling is that Morgan has matured both mentally and physically and is ready to become a true playmaker in the passing game. "He's doing everything better," said one coach. "You can see that the wheels aren't turning in his head anymore. Things come naturally to him now and he's a lot more confident. Plus, he's just catching the hell out of the ball, getting deep and making plays." In 2002, his first season as a full-time starter, Morgan certainly made strides. He had 56 catches for 964 yards and seven touchdowns. Notable was that his 17.2-yard average was the best in the NFL for players with 50 or more receptions. In fact, only six other players with at least 50 catches had averages in excess of 15 yards.
Geez, it's been at least two weeks since the rumor mill churned out a name -- former San Francisco and Cleveland personnel chief Dwight Clark and current Packers pro personnel director Reggie McKenzie were the two most popular ones -- alleged to be taking over as the Carolina Panthers' new personnel director. That might be, unless several folks in the Carolina front office are fibbing to ESPN.com, because there never were any plans to replace Jack Bushofsky, the longtime personnel man who is retiring at the end of this month. Per a plan put in place two years ago, when Bushofsky signed a contract extension everyone surmised would be his last NFL deal, Tony Softli remains as the college director (with some expanded responsibilities) and Mark Koncz as the pro director. "It's the way we decided to proceed two years ago, when it was obvious Jack was starting to consider retirement, and nothing has changed," said one Panthers front office staffer. There has been rampant speculation that, because Clark and Panthers president Mark Richardson were teammates at Clemson, the out-of-work personnel man, who now resides in the Charlotte area, might come aboard. But Clark is still cashing checks from the very generous severance package he got from Browns president Carmen Policy, is being very deliberate about his future plans, and doesn't seem to be on the Panthers radar screen right now. How the McKenzie rumor grew legs in anyone's guess, but the standout Green Bay talent evaluator, is telling friends there is nothing to it.
The Washington personnel department won't exactly be forced to do business on the cheap this year -- after all "cheap" is not a word in the lexicon of owner Dan Snyder -- but having to shell out $450,000 to deposed vice president of football operations Joe Mendes and recently dismissed college director Ron Nay will force some alterations. The Skins likely will seek out younger, and more eager, scouts to fill the vacancies on their staff. They will not replace Nay because, in essence, vice president Vinny Cerrato will oversee the evaluation of prospects for the 2004 draft. Scott Campbell, who is much respected by Snyder and has an excellent rapport with Cerrato, is a very capable pro director. Don't be surprised if longtime NFL defensive coordinator Foge Fazio, who once worked for the Redskins and retired from the Cleveland Browns following the 2002 season, does some part-time film evaluation work for the Redskins personnel department. Former league players like Cary Conklin, Barry Foster and Marcus Dupree have contacted the team about scouting jobs and are possibilities. One candidate for the top pro scouting post is Mike Kelly, who previously worked in the Philadelphia Eagles personnel department.
Whether veteran free safety Kwamie Lassiter won his offseason gamble, by rejecting an early re-signing offer from the Arizona Cardinals and finally landing a three-year deal in San Diego earlier this week, probably depends on his priorities. The contract Lassiter got from the Chargers as an unrestricted free agent is worth $3.3 million and, according to a few Cardinals sources, that total is less than Arizona proposed. But in San Diego, he is likely to start, and that might not have been the case had Lassiter extended his Cardinals tenure. The Cards have an emerging young star in strong safety Adrian Wilson, and club officials were wary of the manner in which Lassiter's interception total plummeted from nine in 2001 to just two in '02, and were seeking to upgrade. There was some suspicion that, at age 33, Lassiter was beginning to slow down. Eventually, the Cardinals added Super Bowl XXXVII most valuable player Dexter Jackson to play free safety and that left Lassiter on the street. Even if he has lost a step, the eight-year veteran should be a solid player for the Chargers for a year or two, a steadying force in a secondary that is being dramatically overhauled. The bottom line: Lassiter probably got less money, but likely more playing time, with the Chargers deal. The contract will pay him a signing bonus of $295,000 and base salaries of $655,000 (2003), $800,000 (2004) and $1 million (2005). There are roster bonuses of $250,000 for '04 and $300,000 for '05.
He is 36 years old, and hasn't played in a game since 1999, but former NFL defensive end James Harris has been contacting teams and seeking a workout. So far, there have been no takers, but Harris remains persistent. The former Temple star played six seasons in the league, and had stints with Minnesota (1993-95), St. Louis (1996) and Oakland (1998-99), appearing in 82 games and starting 51 of them. In fact, he started all 16 games in each of his two seasons with the Raiders. Harris is suggesting to teams that he can give them an outside pass rush but, truth of the matter is, he totaled just 9½ sacks during his six years in the league.
One defensive lineman who unfortunately won't be back on the field in 2003, it seems, is Minnesota veteran Willie Howard. A second-round pick in 2001, Howard suffered a catastrophic injury to his left leg in December of his rookie season, didn't play a single snap in 2002, and almost certainly will be forced into retirement. The former Stanford star met recently with Vikings coach Mike Tice and the conventional wisdom is that Howard, who had the ability to play both tackle and end, will be released this summer. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right leg, sprained the medial collateral ligament and fractured his fibula when Tennessee offensive tackle Brad Hopkins accidentally rolled up the back of his leg.
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| Bruener |
In what could be the beginning of the end for Mark Bruener in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have asked the eight-year veteran to take a pay cut, from $2.05 million to $755,000. It was certainly a move everyone saw coming, particularly after the Steelers signed former Buffalo Bills starter Jay Riemersma and re-upped backup Jerame Tuman. A former first-round draft choice, Bruener has finished each of the last two seasons on injured reserve and the conventional wisdom is that the Steelers want to throw the ball more to the tight end this year. Riemersma is a more polished receiver, his cap charge is more palatable and he is about a year younger than Bruener as well.
Hardly a done deal yet, but the Buffalo Bills and two-year veteran punter Brian Moorman have nudged closer to a possible contract extension agreement. Moorman is one of the top young punters in the NFL, having averaged 36.9 yards net in his career, and the Bills would like to secure his tenure with the franchise for the long-term. Moorman is likely to sacrifice his free agency year if he signs a new deal but he seems to prefer to stay in Buffalo and the two sides would like to have something completed before the start of training camp next month.
It's pretty common knowledge in Atlanta but, for all those inquiring minds wondering who the "NFL wives" are that are participating in tandem on the reality television show The Amazing Race every Thursday night on CBS, this revelation: Sheree is Mrs. Ray Buchanan and Monica is Mrs. Ashley Ambrose. Their last names are never used by the show and, when they appear on screen, they are only identified generically by the graphic "NFL wives." Their husbands became best friends when they played together, first with the Indianapolis Colts and more recently with the Atlanta Falcons, and the wives grew close as well. So far, three couples have been eliminated in the program, and the wives of the two cornerbacks remain in contention.
The absence of veteran Tyrone Poole from much of the New England offseason program hasn't cost the cornerback a shot at a starting spot in the Patriots' secondary yet and, at worst, he figures to be the "nickel" defender when the regular-season begins. But the four-year, $7.8 million contract that Poole signed this offseason afforded him a chance to earn an additional $100,000 workout bonus if he was present for a predetermined number of organized conditioning sessions. Not only did Poole fail to collect the bonus, because he opted to work out in Atlanta with his personal trainer, but it actually took money out of his wallet. His contract stipulated that, if he failed to attend a set number of workouts, he had to pay the team $25,000.
In a league governed by deadlines, Sunday represents yet another key calendar date, at least for a few restricted free agents. It is the deadline for restricted players, who have been tendered qualifying offers by their incumbent clubs of more than 110 percent of their 2002 base salary, to sign the deals or risk having the offers reduced. There are only a handful of restricted free agents still left who have not signed the qualifying offers. The stragglers are all but certain to beat the deadline.
Punts: The contract talks aimed at netting an extension for Bears free safety Mike Brown have stalled a bit over the usual hang-ups, signing bonus and length of the deal, and might take a while to get back on track again. With the recent Brian Urlacher megadeal, forging an extension for Brown is the team's next priority in terms of veteran players. … Despite having played the weak-side spot his entire previous career in Indianapolis, linebacker Mike Peterson is getting strong reviews from the Jacksonville Jaguars staff over his play at middle linebacker now. Signed as an unrestricted free agent, Peterson is a part of the trend to move quicker players into the middle spot. … The Arizona Cardinals are again discussing a trade that would send former first-round tailback Thomas Jones, who has lost his starting job each of the last three seasons, to the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Cards are seeking a player, not a draft choice, in return and aren't thrilled by any of the names the Tampa Bay officials have tossed out. … The spotlight in Baltimore Ravens mini-camps has been on Chris Redman and first-rounder Kyle Boller but, in the competition at the quarterback spot, the itinerant Anthony Wright has been a pleasant surprise. … The Ravens coaches want first-rounder Terrell Suggs, who is struggling in the transition from college defensive end to NFL linebacker, to drop about seven more pounds and report to camp in the 250 range. … Tennessee still wants to re-sign three unrestricted free agents -- quarterback Neil O'Donnell, center Gennaro DiNapoli and punter Craig Hentrich -- but general manager Floyd Reese has to first figure out how to create cap room. One way might be a contract extension for defensive end Jevon Kearse, who recently underwent the second in a series of evaluations on his surgically-repaired foot. … New York Giants wide receiver Ron Dixon will miss the rest of the pre-camp work after arthroscopic knee surgery but should be rehabilitated when the team puts on the pads next month. … Cleveland defensive end Courtney Brown, who underwent the controversial microfracture knee surgery this offseason, probably will not be at full-speed for the start of camp, coach Butch Davis acknowledged, and could be limited to individual work the first week.
The last word: "I don't even know where that No. 40 came from. I think he lives three doors down or something. I think he was walking by the stadium, got dragged onto the field, and did pretty good. They're not afraid to say it. I've heard it four or five times already this year (from the coaching staff). If you can't do it, they'll find somebody who will. It's like the hip-hop industry. One minute, you're on the top. The next minute, you're on the bottom. It makes every practice important." -- Cincinnati Bengals veteran cornerback Artrell Hawkins, after the team signed undrafted free agent safety DeLoise Moore of Troy State, following just a two-day audition.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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