June 27

Q: What do you think about Randy Moss signing next season with the Ravens? He has played under Brian Billick with the Vikings and thrived in his system. He would obviously be the featured offensive player in Baltimore, and his arrival would signal the Ravens as the team that would possess the top offensive and defensive players in the league (Moss and Ray Lewis). Plus, he would immediately make the Ravens' offense one of the best in the league, and it would signify his best chance of winning a Super Bowl. With Moss in the last year of his contract with the Vikings, do you think this transaction could ever occur, and if so, what are the odds? If Ozzie Newsome could work some salary-cap magic, I think the possibility is there for Moss to come to Baltimore and create a Ravens dynasty. What do you think? -- Zachary S. Snitzer, Owings Mills, Md.
MORT: Zachary, I think you are having a pleasant dream. First, even if Moss does not get a contract done this year, he will never be "free." Second, the Ravens will be facing a salary-cap crunch in the next few years, so they cannot afford Moss. I also believe that if the Ravens can manage their cap well with the status quo roster, they will be contenders for a good stretch. "Dynasty" is probably fiction in today's NFL.

Q: I know that the Dolphins need someone to fill in for Trace Armstrong and the sometimes fulfilling Kenny Mixon, whom I don't believe will ever be the starting defensive end they need. Do you think the Dolphins will go get any big-time players such as Andre Wadsworth? -- Dustin Swafford, Summerville, Ga.
MORT: Dustin, don't get your hopes up for Wadsworth because his knee rehab is lengthy and may keep him off the field for a good portion of 2001, so most teams (including the Dolphins) are proceeding with caution.

Q: How smart is it for Buffalo to hire someone as a short-timer like Tom Modrak? The way I understand it, Tom Donahoe told Modrak that they would love to have him for even a year. Can a personnel guy make that much of a difference in that short of time? Isn't he really just scouting on the Bills' dime? -- Douglas, Charlotte
MORT: Douglas, that's one way of looking at it. But Modrak will not be the sole personnel guy with the Bills. Donahoe always has been among the best in the business, plus Dwight Adams remains on board, not to mention a full-fledged scouting staff. Modrak just raises the level of evaluation. Plus, there is a prior relationship between Donahoe and Modrak, so I think integrity is not an issue. We also don't know if Modrak will be offered a more attractive position next year either, or that he will vacate before the 2002 draft.

Q: What is the deal with Jessie Armstead? He has had his contract re-done five times over the years and is under contract till 2005. If the players don't like the contracts, why do they sign them? How hard is it to honor a contract? -- Eric Incandela, Hoboken, N.J.
MORT: Eric, in Jessie's case, I agree with you. I used to have that attitude across the board until it became evident that most NFL teams do not honor contracts either. In fact, most deals that are "reneged" are by the club, not the player. The Giants just happen to be one of the few teams that not only honor contracts, but have been generously proactive in upgrading deals when they feel it is approrpiate.

Q: How much influence is Dan Snyder having on the Deion Sanders situation? Dan doesn't seem like the kind of guy who wants to get shown up. I know Marty Schottenheimer said all decisions made are what's best for the team, but it just seems this whole situation has gotten more personal than football on the Redskins' side of things. Deion really doesn't deserve that bonus money! -- David Rowland, Falls Church, Va.
MORT: David, I can assure you that Marty Schottenheimer is working closely with Daniel Snyder on the Deion deal. The two have forged a pretty good relationship, so nobody should assume that Snyder is out of the loop, especially when it involves his money.

Q: With the addition of Brad Johnson at quarterback and a first-year offensive coordinator, will the Bucs finally open up the offense, or will Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott carry the ball 25-35 times per game? -- Chris, Tampa, Fla.
MORT: Chris, I expect the Bucs will be more open with Johnson, but Dunn and Alstott absolutely will get that many carries, or even more (combined). A team gets an average of about 65 offensive plays per game, so balance remains the key to success in the NFL for any team, let alone the Bucs.

Q: Mort, how do you see the Saints doing next year? The Super Bowl is in New Orleans. Could we finally see a home team hosting the Super Bowl? -- David
MORT: David, I heard this from Bucs fans last year. I guess it's your turn to wonder. I like the Saints; I just don't think they're Super Bowl-bound yet.

Q: Do you consider Plaxico Burress to be a future NFL star, and if so, when can we expect him to start producing for the Steelers? -- Brandon Parro, Pittsburgh, Pa.
MORT: Brandon, Plaxico has some things to prove to become a star, as you know. First and foremost, does he have the desire to be great? Does he act on that desire with a "Jerry Rice" commitment? He has a lot of talent, with a lot of maturity questions. My understanding is that he is healing from his injury well, and the new offense under Mike Mularkey will be simpler and should take advantage of Burress' pure physical skills. I also hear that Troy Edwards, another former No. 1 pick, is really looking sharp this offseason.

Q: As a Chiefs fan, I do have to admit, although begrudgingly, that Tim Brown is an awesome player. Since Jerry Rice has signed with the Raiders, I have to ask the following question: Do you think that if Brown had been drafted by the 49ers and Rice played his entire career for the Raiders that Brown would be the best receiver of all time? Rice is a freak of nature, but Brown always ran that slant route just like Rice did, but he had the likes of Jay Schroeder throwing to him instead of Joe Montana or Steve Young. -- Matt, Albuquerque, N.M.
MORT: Matt, great question. This is a debate that we can carry to great depths. I know of some sharp football people who will argue that Cris Carter and Brown both would have had Rice-like numbers if they had been in his place. However, that's speculation. Rice did it! And Brown and Carter also have posted Hall-of-Fame numbers, so there should be no real regrets. If Archie Manning had been drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the early '70s, chances are he would be considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, quarterbacks in NFL history. Or if Montana had gone to the Saints, where would he stand?

Q: I am a huge Dolphins fan, and I am wondering what you think about the Dolphins' chances this year and if they have any plans to replace Jay Fiedler soon? -- Luke MacDonald, Illinois
MORT: Luke, I get this question often, and I answer it the same way: I think the Dolphins will be very tough this year. I even like Fiedler better than most, but I do look at him as an ideal No. 2 QB. Dave Wannstedt and Chan Gailey see him as a good enough QB to win big when he is healthy. The Dolphins did win an AFC East title with Fiedler when everybody else was forecasting doom without Dan Marino. Now, that being said, I think Fiedler will have to play very well, or else Ray Lucas will get a shot. But is Lucas a Super Bowl QB? The answers are coming this season, I think.

Q: Dorsey Levens appears to be on his last legs and Ahman Green looked absolutely awesome last year. Shouldn't Green just be the No. 1 back regardless of Levens' status? And if Levens' knee problems continue, what is the probability of him hanging them up? -- Scott Legere, East Taunton, Mass.
MORT: Scott, competition usually brings out the best in good players, so why worry? If Green is the best guy, he'll play more than Levens. It just means the Packers have a great one-two punch if Levens is healthy. If Dorsey's knee does not hold up (and I think he's doing well), then I'm sure he would consider retirement. That's premature, as of now.

Q: With the retirement of Robert Smith, which was shocking to say the least, will the Vikings' offense remain as potent? Or with the loss of Smith, will the scoring machine come back down to earth with less defensive focus on the running game? -- Jack Yerton, Omaha, Neb.
MORT: Jack, the way I see it, Daunte Culpepper gets better this year, so that should keep this offense extremely potent. Smith's loss is a big blow, but I suspect Michael Bennett will get them some big runs. I don't question the Vikings' offense; I remain skeptical about the defense.

Q: I have always read and respected all your work, but I recently read a response you gave to a question about the Dolphins, and Marino in particular. I know that you agree that it takes a team to win a championship, right? Well, why would you say "when was the last time Marino won an AFC championship?" Just seems like too much blame has fallen into the lap of one of the best QBs the NFL has ever seen. -- Greg W. Killian, Lakewood, N.J.
MORT: Greg, yeah, I know that my response on the particular Marino question sounded a little harsh. I would never blame Marino. I have always understood that football is the ultimate team game. I think championship teams need it all -- defense, running game, special teams and a good QB. I have always believed a Super Bowl team needed all those things, plus a great QB (which Marino was). However, that's not always true (see: Ravens).

Q: How far do you think the new and improved St. Louis Rams will go this year? -- Will, Springfield, Mo.
MORT: Will, if Kurt Warner stays healthy from start to finish, I expect the Rams to be playing well into January.