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Points: 59,204, Level: 100 | | ESPN NFL Insider - March 10th
Whither exiled wide receiver Terrell Owens, who will almost certainly be released next week by the Philadelphia Eagles, before the first $5 million installment of two bonuses totaling $7.5 million come due?
It's still a long shot, but don't rule out the Dallas Cowboys, a team whose curiosity level has risen at least a little bit in the past few weeks.
Coach Bill Parcells has always loved players who work hard and, for whatever problems Owens had off the field during his stops in San Francisco and Philadelphia, no one has ever questioned his unwavering work ethic. Even in practices, Owens goes hard every snap. As for the baggage he brings with him, well, Parcells has dealt with such situations in the past. And, let's face it, Dallas could use another difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball, and Owens still has big-play skills.
Owens is always going to affect the way a secondary game-plans, and he forces opponents to play a half-step deeper off the ball. The ancillary benefit for the Cowboys would be more running room for tailback Julius Jones, who figures to remain the offensive centerpiece for 2006.
Any pursuit of Owens by the Cowboys would raise questions about the future of wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, and that is an interesting part of the equation. It's difficult to imagine two players with the egos that Johnson and Owens possess co-existing in the same lineup. Clearly, there would have to be some adjustments. But the trio of Johnson, Owens and veteran speedster Terry Glenn would be a formidable one. And it isn't as if Owens and Johnson are similar receivers in style, so there might actually be a more complementary dimension than people realize.
There is also this to consider: Having voided the final year of his contract, Johnson is entering the final season of his deal, and is due a $1 million roster bonus later this month and a $1.5 million base salary for 2006. He has quietly suggested to people for the second offseason in a row that he'd like an extension or adjustment that upgrades his compensation level.
With the 10-year veteran set to turn 34 at about the time training camp opens, it might be tough for the Cowboys to invest more money in him. Then again, Owens turns 33 in December and, given his inactivity in 2005, when the Eagles essentially iced him for the final two months of the season, some teams will be reluctant to pay him very much.
One thing is certain: Sometime next week, whether the Eagles somehow find
a trade partner or are forced to release Owens, the veteran wide receiver is poised to embark on the next chapter of his NFL career. Chances are, it doesn't include the Cowboys, but don't write them off yet.
Around the league
• Another exiled veteran, former Washington Redskins standout linebacker LaVar Arrington, surfaced in Miami on Friday, meeting with Dolphins officials in the first of what figures to be several exploratory visits for the three-time Pro Bowl performer. It wasn't all that unusual for Arrington to be in South Florida, since he has close friends there, and frequently drops in for weekend stays. What is notable is that Arrington is very close to Miami linebackers coach George Edwards, for whom he once played in Washington, and the presence of the assistant coach might give the Dolphins some advantage in the recruitment of Arrington.
Make no mistake, despite the career setback Arrington suffered in 2005, when he batted the Washington front office and coaching staff, and appeared in just four games, there are a lot of teams curious about him. He will visit with the New York Giants next, where middle linebacker and former Washington teammate Antonio Pierce is passionately lobbying team officials to consider him, and Arrington now has generated varying degrees of interest from more than 10 franchises.
A lot of teams are going to perform their due diligence on Arrington, to see if his game has slipped, or if the Redskins' orchestrated bashing of their former star is ax-grinding with a guy who charged that owner Dan Snyder shorted him $6.5 million on the eight-year, $68 million contract extension he signed late in the 2003 season.
The likelihood is that no team is going to break open the vault for Arrington but that, at age 27, he might get a short-term, incentive-laden deal that gives him the chance to make some money if he regains his previous stature. If several teams are in the hunt for him, the presence of Edwards on Nick Saban's staff could give the Dolphins an edge.
• On the subject of Arrington, his situation last week is indicative of how some league owners talk a good game, and then fold when it's time to stand behind their words. The Redskins were aided in their quest to squeeze under the salary cap last week when Arrington elected to forfeit $4.4 million in deferred signing bonus money which was part of his 2003 contract extension. The move raised a lot of eyebrows around the league.
Several NFL teams had claimed that the Redskins could not mathematically get under the salary cap if it was set in the $94 million range, which it initially was (at $94.5 million), and that Washington needed a cap level in the $98 million range to be in compliance with the spending limit. And, presto, suddenly the team gained $4.4 million in cap relief (you do the math on the difference between $98 million and $94 million) when Arrington forfeited the deferred bonus money.
While no one was publicly willing to charge the Redskins with attempting to circumvent the cap, there were plenty of whispers that owner Dan Snyder had conspired to get the money to Arrington by surreptitious means.
Some owners contended they would request that commissioner Paul Tagliabue investigate the Arrington forfeiture in an attempt to ascertain if Snyder has played fast-and-loose with the cap rules, which could merit a fine and possible loss of draft choices. Such charges are difficult to prove, of course, but there have been three cases under the current system in which teams were sanctioned for violating the cap rules. Of course, when push came to shove, the whispered charges against Snyder and the Redskins were just bombast, and no team has officially sought an investigation of the Arrington matter.
• If some owners folded on the Arrington situation, a lot of their fraternity brothers clearly gagged when it came time to vote Wednesday evening on the extension to the collective bargaining agreement. For weeks, a group of owners from low-revenue franchises vowed to reject any CBA extension that did not adequately address their needs for a dramatically enhanced revenue-sharing program, one that dealt with the increasing disparity between the high- and low-revenue teams.
We haven't been able to fully digest the elements of the extension passed on Wednesday by a 30-2 vote, but if what was approved really addressed the concerns of the low-revenue teams, then those concerns must not have been nearly as dire as indicated. According to reports, the top five revenue teams will kick in $30 million in new revenue-sharing funds, and there will be a few other adjustments.
In a league that figures to rake in $45 billion-$47 billion over the course of the new labor accord, the projected $800 million-$900 million in revenue sharing is a pittance. When it came time to stand up in the revenue fight, a lot of owners from low-revenue franchises must have been slinking in their chairs instead.
Give credit at least to Mike Brown of Cincinnati and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson, the lone two dissenters in the 30-2 walkover vote to approve the CBA extension. Television made Wilson appear a buffoon when, in essence, all the Bills' octogenarian owner did was tell the truth in conceding that he didn't understand the plan. There were a lot of team officials considerably younger than Wilson who, a day after the extension was ratified, privately admitted they didn't comprehend all the in's and out's of an agreement that wasn't cobbled together until 45 minutes before the deadline for acting on it.
To digest such a far-reaching plan in 45 minutes, one with implications of such scope, seemed unreasonable to say the least. As for Brown, well, he's been viewed by some as a skin-flint owner who doesn't spend on his team, and an alarmist whose longtime message has fallen on deaf ears in owners meetings. But anyone who has studied the books knows that Brown always spends to the cap limit, often has a bigger payroll than many of the richer teams, and enjoys one of the NFL's best profit margins because he does the unthinkable, and actually exercises fiscal responsibility.
This much we know about the Bengals owner: At least he's a man who votes his convictions, not like some of the other low-revenue owners with whom he was said to be aligned, and who abandoned him at crunch time.
• As usual, Dan Snyder's private jet was in the air Friday night, ferrying unrestricted free agents to the Washington Redskins complex for visits, and, quite likely, early signings. The Redskins figure to make their annual quick strike in free agency, finish off the shopping list before most other franchises have gotten into the market, and then sit back and observe the rest of theactio
Bet the mortgage that, by the end of the weekend, the Redskins will have added St. Louis strong safety Adam Archuleta (the relationship between agent Gary Wichard and personnel chief Vinny Cerrato won't hurt on this one) and San Francisco end Andre Carter to an already solid defense, one that statistically ranked No. 9 in the league in 2005.
Carter, who has started at end in the 4-3 and rush linebacker in a 3-4, will provide the Redskins the consistent upfield pass rusher they have been missing. Under brilliant coordinator Gregg Williams, one of the NFL's most creative defensive minds, Archuleta should dramatically upgrade his game. Archuleta is a liability when playing in space, but he could become a player in the mold of Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, with a bit less speed. Archuleta can be explosive over a short area, although he doesn't have Polamalu's range, and Williams will conjure up ways to move him around close to the line of scrimmage.
The Redskins picked up one of their targeted players Saturday when they traded with the 49ers for receiver Brandon Lloyd. The Skins gave up their third-round pick this year and their fourth-round selection in 2007.
• Minnesota is having more problems trading quarterback Daunte Culpepper than it felt it would. The Vikings feel that Culpepper's lack of an agent isn't helping the situation. And, of course, Culpepper's other problems -- a severe knee injury, off-field issues and a big-money contract -- are also impediments. No one is offering the Vikings anything close to their asking price. The Dolphins still have some interest, but Miami officials traveled to Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday to meet with Drew Brees.
The San Diego quarterback is there rehabilitating his surgically repaired shoulder. The Vikings have refused to allow any suitors to check out Culpepper's knee until teams make a solid trade proposal. Miami figured there were no such hurdles to being able to look at Brees' shoulder.
• Arizona four-year veteran Josh McCown seems to be overshadowed in free agency by many of the big-name quarterbacks thrust into the market. But we still feel, as do some teams in need of an overhaul at the game's most critical position, that McCown is the best young quarterback available. He's just 26 years old, has 22 starts on his resume, and four games of 300 yards.
Agent Mike McCartney's strategy with McCown likely will be the same one used with Jake Delhomme back in 2003: Sign him to a short-term deal, likely for two years, let him develop into a full-time starter, and then go back to the bargaining table and land him a big-money extension. It certainly worked with Delhomme and McCown, most teams agree, has even more talent than the Carolina Panthers' starter.
• Scouts from around the league can't wait for April 2, the date for the Pro Day workouts at Southern California. But talent evaluators got a pretty good eyeful at Ohio State this week as some first-round prospects had terrific workouts. Linebacker A.J. Hawk ran terrific times, with some scouts clocking him in the 4.4s. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes ran in the low- to mid-4.3s on virtually every watch, and cornerback Ashton Yabouty was in the mid-4.4s. All three players solidified their status.
• He hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 2004, and his name doesn't appear on any free agent lists, but former Seattle linebacker Anthony Simmons, a former first-round pick, is suddenly on the radar screen of a few teams. Simmons was released by the Seahawks last spring, and auditioned for several teams, but went unsigned because a broken wrist was slow to heal. The wrist is rehabilitated now and Simmons, who turns 30 in June, recently worked out for the Dolphins and has a visit tentatively scheduled with New Orleans.
Simmons played seven seasons in Seattle, appearing in 87 games, and had 590 tackles, 10 sacks, nine interceptions and seven forced fumbles. In a few of his better seasons, the former Clemson standout was a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Unfortunately, in a three-season span (2002-2004), injuries limited Simmons to just 27 appearances. But if a team is looking for a motivated veteran, a guy who just wants a chance to get back in the game and perhaps regain his past status, Simmons might be worth a look.
Given his circumstances, he isn't going to require much money, and, if he really is healthy, the reward might far outdistance the investment. Another veteran in the same situation, veteran offensive tackle Derrick Deese, who missed 2005 because of a foot injury, is also hoping to drum up some interest.
• Another linebacker who won't require much of an investment, but could return a solid dividend, is former San Francisco starter Jamie Winborn. The former second-round draft choice, traded by the 49ers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005, played in just 14 percent of the snaps last season. The career of the former Vanderbilt star has been scuttled by a series of injuries. But Winborn is an unrestricted free agent, just 26 years old, and with a resume that indicates he can make plays, if healthy.
His history shows that's a big if, no doubt. But if Winborn is willing to sign a contract that protects any team against injury, a modest deal with a prorated bonus based on him staying healthy, some team might consider taking him up on it. Winborn was certainly miscast when the 49ers switched to a 3-4 front under coach Mike Nolan last season. He clearly is a 4-3 'backer, one with some ability, and a player who seems motivated to prove a lot of the skeptics wrong.
• The Philadelphia Eagles need to better insulate rehabilitating quarterback Donovan McNabb in 2006, and not just with improved pass protection, but also by running the football more often and more productively. That might explain why the Eagles seem to be focusing on bolstering the interior of their offensive line through free agency. There were early Saturday indications that the Eagles had reached an agreement with New Orleans center LeCharles Bentley, but Bentley instead signed with Cleveland.
Philadelphia has also demonstrated interest in former New York Jets center Kevin Mawae, the six-time Pro Bowl snapper who was released last week. And ESPN.com has confirmed that the Eagles would have been interested in 11-time Pro Bowl guard Will Shields, had he been released by Kansas City. The upshot of all this: Head coach Andy Reid realizes his team has to get more physical inside, probably bulkier as well, and is seeking out some maulers and road graders to help achieve both of those aims.
It appears that third-year veteran and 2004 first-round draft choice Shawn Andrews will move from right guard to right tackle, if Jon Runyan departs in free agency. The Eagles coaches liked what they saw from youngster Jamaal Jackson, who started eight games after incumbent Hank Fraley was injured. But even though Jackson provided the muscle they were looking for, the Eagles want more experience in the middle, and feel Jackson might compete for a starting job at guard. Fraley could be on his way out or retained as a backup. The Eagles ranked 21st in rushing offense in 2005, but had only 365 rushes, and ran the ball on just 35.5 percent of their offensive snaps.
• Stat of the week: The historical perception of the Pittsburgh Steelers has never been that of a team which possessed a particularly explosive offense. But put the Steelers in a Super Bowl -- they have been in at least one title contest in three of the last four decades and won five of six times -- and the performance of their offense certainly belies the perception.
In those six Super Bowl games, Pittsburgh has scored 18 offensive touchdowns, and the average scoring play was for 26.8 yards. And that's despite four touchdown runs of one yard each and four scoring passes of seven yards or less. The Steelers have six offensive touchdowns of 30 or more yards, five of 40-plus yards, four of 60-plus yards and three of more than 70 yards. There are six other franchises which have made five or more Super Bowl appearances and the closest to Pittsburgh in terms of average length of offensive touchdown is Oakland, at 26.1 yards.
• Punts: Look for Philadelphia to upgrade at backup quarterback, with veteran Jeff Garcia a potential target in free agency. Garcia, who has suffered through two long seasons since departing San Francisco after the 2003 campaign, enjoyed a couple very good years under Marty Mornhinweg, when the Eagles' assistant head coach was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers … Three prospects from small-time schools to watch as the draft process moves forward: center Chris Cook of Georgetown College, wide receiver Andy Wellendorf of Mt. Saint Joseph and cornerback Jerome Perry of Eastern Michigan … Carolina will address its backup quarterback situation by re-signing Chris Weinke this weekend … There are rumblings that, while Southern Cal tailback and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush is being pursued by Reebok and Nike, he is close to an endorsement deal with Adidas … Washington was trying to interest New Orleans in a trade that would have sent quarterback Patrick Ramsey to the Saints and wide receiver Donte Stallworth to the Redskins. The Saints wanted no parts of the deal. Ramsey will visit with Miami officials next week and likely will be traded somewhere, either to the Dolphins or New York Jets, in the coming days … Kansas City restructured the contract of tailback Priest Holmes, in part to save salary cap room, but also to address the possibility his back injury could keep him from playing.
• The last word: "If I leave and go somewhere else and [am] very successful like I plan on doing, they have a lot to lose. I guess, in a way, I've laid my butt on the line for them a lot in the last five years. There have been ups and downs, and I laid my butt on the line. I wish there was somebody there who would lay their butt on the line for me, besides the head coach and the players." -- San Diego quarterback Drew Brees, as he headed into unrestricted free agency, with a parting shot at Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, who he feels did not support him. Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's
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03-11-2006, 11:01 PM
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