| | Even though Bill Parcells says he has coached his last game, spin ahead to January 2001. What's to stop some ambitious owner from picking up the phone, calling Parcells and saying, "Would $5 million make you change your mind?" What if that owner were Wellington Mara or Bob Tisch of the New York Giants, offering Parcells a chance to finish where he started?
|  | | Bill Parcells could end his head coaching career where it began -- with the Giants. |
Sure, it's very speculative at this stage, but the fact is Parcells has positioned himself to field all offers from any entity -- including an NFL owner -- by staying on this season as director of football operations for the 2000 season.
Parcells originally signed a seven-year contract with the late Jets owner, Leon Hess. Unlike Keyshawn Johnson, the coach got a voidable deal. If Parcells completes the fourth year (2000) of the contract, the final three years are voided. The Jets will own no rights to Parcells after this season.
So, if he changes his mind about coaching again, another NFL owner will not have to concern himself with the complexities of tampering and compensation that have tainted moves by Parcells to the Jets and Bill Belichick to the Patriots.
That's called leverage. Parcells can use it anyway he likes, even as he weighs another round of television offers next winter and spring.
Jets owner Woody Johnson was very persuasive in selling Parcells on sticking around a year to make the transition smoother as Al Groh assumes the head coaching job. And while Parcells' original contract gives him sole rights on his own TV, radio and media deals, Johnson gave Parcells his blessing to seek a lucrative internet deal even as he serves the club this year.
That flexibility allowed Parcells to say no to opportunities with ABC, ESPN, Fox and HBO until he reaches a comfort level about his next step.
Still at issue is whether Parcells will cast a threatening shadow on Groh's first NFL season as a head coach.
Groh has sincerely embraced the idea of having Parcells around as an associate and confidant. These two men are not strangers to each other; their
days together are numerous, and there is a genuine like and regard for each other. Even though Groh has the "final say" on any football issue with the
Jets, he has enormous respect for Parcells. Anybody who knows Groh also knows he is no pussycat -- he will be his own man.
Another possible benefit to Parcells' presence -- aside from his underrated league savvy -- is that players are somewhat in awe of the man. Something about Parcells has always made players accountable for their performance. Just knowing he's still around won't diminish that accountability.
Let's be honest, too, about the bonus of having Parcells' football mind for Groh to seek counsel. Got a problem? What do you think, Bill?
The dangers of such an arrangement are fairly transparent. Regardless of the party line, many people will ask or wonder, "Who's the boss?" If the Jets win, Parcells might still get the glory. If the Jets lose, Groh will get the blame, and many media members have already envisioned an ugly home-game scene in which disgruntled fans chant, "We want Tuna! We want Tuna!"
Myself, I think for a season, Parcells and Groh have a chance to be a pretty inviting sandwich.
Ravens fighting battle of the bulge
The Baltimore Ravens -- who are likely to make a playoff run in 2000 -- are going through some anxious moments about the belly of their defense, no pun intended. (Well, maybe a little.)
Aside from the Ray Lewis murder trial about to begin, defensive tackle Tony Siragusa pulled a no-show at minicamp when coach Brian Billick had made it plain and clear that his appearance would be expected, mandatory
and beneficial.
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| Siragusa |
Siragusa has expressed dissatisfaction that his contract, which has one year remaining at $1.5 million, has not been extended. Whether that's the reason he was absent from minicamp is unclear. There is a suspicion that Siragusa, who's not exactly a fitness nut, has added weight this offseason to tip the scales near the 400-pound mark. Was he just ashamed to show himself at minicamp?
The irony in this speculation is that the Ravens have expressed interest in Gilbert Brown, another free-agent defensive tackle whose market value has been softened by his own battle of the bulge.
Brown, the former Packer, has dropped 30 pounds under the weight management program offered at Duke University. The Ravens, and other teams like the Packers, Patriots and Seahawks, are awaiting test evaluations to determine whether Brown can maintain his weight.
Brown also proved in his previous free-agent run that he's not a good risk for a big contract. His performance was cut in half as his girth increased twofold after signing a $3 million-per-year deal with Green Bay. Consequently, Brown will have to agree to an incentive-laden contract to prove his worth. Ravens coach Brian Billick has seen what a motivated Brown can do for a defense from Billick's days as the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator.
If he signs with the Ravens, Brown could find himself playing next to Sam Adams, the former Seahawks defensive tackle. In wake of a drug suspension for Larry Webster, the Ravens outbid the Packers for Adams in an
eve-of-the-draft deal.
Siragusa is still in the mix. Actually, he has a contract, and where else is he going to make $1.5 million? The Ravens informed Siragusa that there will be no contract discussions because he missed minicamp. However, if Siragusa chooses to attend a voluntary camp in June, he'll be back in good graces, and the Ravens will be more receptive to extending his contract. This was the point Billick successfully made when Pro Bowl defensive end Michael
McCrary briefly bolted the team last season; McCrary got his deal only after he returned.
For the Ravens, these shenanigans are certainly more manageable than the uncertainty that faces Lewis in his imminent murder trial in Atlanta.
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| Lewis |
Even though there has been an air of confidence about Lewis' case, as the trial draws near there is also a somber mood in the Ravens camp. A jury
will decide Lewis' guilt or innocence, not owner Art Modell, not commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Lewis has won many motions in court, but he did not manage to get a separate trial from the other co-defendants, Joseph Sweeting and Reginald
Oakley. The Ravens fear "guilt by association" and the possibility that prosecutors will attempt to strike a deal with one of the defendants in exchange
for cooperation.
Prosecutors are most likely to make that move after they put on their case in the first two weeks, a period when the Ravens are bracing for the
worst from a practical and public-relations viewpoint. They also fear a hung jury that would cause further delays. There's no way Lewis would be welcome
to put on a uniform if he were awaiting a re-trial of a murder case.
The Ravens will have a presence during the trial on selected days to show support for Lewis. They are optimistic that Atlanta attorney Ed Garland will defend the Pro Bowl linebacker with skill equal to his considerable reputation as a trial lawyer. They have two hopes -- that Lewis is truly innocent and that a jury will see it that way.
Mort shorts
Ricky Williams is giving a different version to Saints officials about the recent embarrassment in which police found a "bong" allegedly used as marijuana paraphernalia at his house. While Williams was out of town, house guests called police when a man went into seizure. These house guests told police the man had been smoking marijuana, though none was found in the house.
A pill reportedly found near the man turned out to be a muscle relaxer, which his friends say they gave him after he went into a seizure. This man, who was described as uncooperative and incoherent by police, was allegedly bitten by an insect while mowing the law, and the seizure followed, or so the Williams' version goes, a source says. Even though the Saints were disappointed by the event, Williams has been so responsive on and off the field that he'll be cut some slack on this incident.
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| Conway |
Good news from Chargers camp: Veteran wide receiver Curtis Conway and fourth-round draft pick Trevor Gaylor (Miami, Ohio) impressed everyone, including veteran safety Rodney Harrison, who went out of his way to shake
the 6-foot-3 Gaylor's hand after minicamp. The bad news: Veteran quarterback Jim
Harbaugh didn't have enough arm to get the ball downfield, making it pretty evident that Moses Moreno is the likely starter.
Jerry Rice's agent, Jim Steiner, is expected to meet in person with 49ers officials, including general manager Bill Walsh, next week. Rice is willing to take a pay cut from his $3.95 million salary, but has made it clear he is still seeking "respect" and expects to play two more years, not one, as the 49ers have suggested.
| |  | | Hearst |
The 49ers are downplaying a sense of optimism after running back Garrison Hearst underwent surgery Saturday on his damaged left ankle. Dr. Pierce Scranton performed the surgery in which he drilled holes in a bone that wasn't getting sufficient blood supply, and plugged the holes with
cartilage from Hearst's knee to promote the blood flow. Scranton told Hearst he believes the surgery will get the job done, and he could be playing
by October. Hearst cannot begin rehabilitation until his cast is removed in four-to-six weeks.
Is it a lock that the Buccaneers will sign Vikings QB Randall Cunningham after he is released June 1? Some coaches who know Tony Dungy wonder. For one, Dungy is quite aware that Cunningham is not the type to be a true "mentor" for Shaun King on the art of being an NFL quarterback. | |
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