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Eagles QB
Donovan McNabb
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Wait till next year.
Growing up as a Falcons fan, I got used to saying those words just about every season.
As soon as the regular season ended, I was already scanning the college ranks, free-agent
market, waiver wire and the odd sandlot game in search of help for the future for my
favorite team.
The future is all a bad team has. With the postseason party beginning this weekend,
this season’s dregs can only look forward. But hope springs eternal (or floats, if
you’re a Sandra Bullock fan). The free-agent market opens in March, the draft takes
place in April and everybody’s a winner in minicamp.
And this season’s losers won’t even have to wait till next year, since
we’ve already broken out the Page-a-Day calendars for 2000. They can shout,
"Wait till this year."
While the playoff picture was about as clear as a 2-year-old’s finger painting
entering Week 17, it was easy to identify the NFL’s bottom dwellers. Six teams —
Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New Orleans, Philadelphia and San Francisco — will be
saddled with that ignominious title.
Being the optimistic sort, I’ll first list some good news for each of the bottom
six. But even my rose-colored glasses can’t hide the fact that there are plenty of
reasons these teams are at the bottom, so I’ll discuss the bad news for each of those
teams as well.
Atlanta Falcons
Good news: The Falcons face the prospect of a host of starters becoming free agents
after the season, but they have re-signed two of the most important players off that list,
DT Travis Hall and WR Terance Mathis. … RB Jamal Anderson’s recovery from the
season-ending knee injury he suffered in Week Two is on schedule. … Rookie MLB Jeff
Kelly has shown enough to be considered the eventual successor to Jessie Tuggle, and SLB
Henri Crockett’s upside has the Falcons psyched.
Bad news: The Falcons don’t have a 2000 first-round pick. They traded it to take
TE Reggie Kelly in the second round of the ’99 draft. … Atlanta still has a
bunch of starters who will hit the free-agent market. It looks as though the team will
lose at least one of its starting defensive ends, Lester Archambeau or Chuck Smith. …
There are still big holes at the reserve spots at quarterback and running back.
Cincinnati Bengals
Good news: With RB Corey Dillon and WRs Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens, the Bengals have
the weapons to help young QB Akili Smith succeed. … LBs Takeo Spikes and Brian
Simmons are building blocks who continue to improve. … A new stadium and practice
facility may make the Bengals more attractive to free agents.
Bad news: The Bengals started youngsters in the secondary in ’99, but no one was
overly impressive. That remains a huge trouble spot. … The 3-4 defensive scheme has
been such a failure that Cincinnati may use a 4-3 set next season. … Bruce Coslet
will be back. The Bengals have never gotten off to a good start during his tenure.
Cleveland Browns
Good news: The Browns had a rough expansion season but appear headed in the right
direction. … QB Tim Couch got 14 games of experience and made progress. He also found
a big-play target in WR Kevin Johnson. … LB Jamir Miller emerged as a playmaker
and signed a long-term contract. … The Browns have a wealth of picks in
April’s draft, including the first overall selection.
Bad news: Many of the veterans Cleveland signed to provide experience looked old
instead and didn’t bring much to the table. … The run defense was
absolutely wretched, and the pass rush was pretty much nonexistent, except when the Browns
used their gimmicky "UFO" scheme.
New Orleans Saints
Good news: Even though RB Ricky Williams was plagued by injuries throughout his rookie
season, he showed toughness and a determination to get on the field even when he
wasn’t 100 percent. … Late free-agent signee Ashley Ambrose was a stud at
cornerback. … Young players such as CB Fred Weary and WR Keith Poole came on a little
bit.
Bad news: The Saints desperately need a veteran quarterback who can at least be
efficient. It would help if his name isn’t Billy Joe. … Because of the
Williams deal, New Orleans will not have first- or third-round picks in this year’s
draft. … The team will likely have to renegotiate Ambrose’s contract to keep
him. … A lot of changes look to be in the offing.
Philadelphia Eagles
Good news: Teams geared up to stop RB Duce Staley, but he was still quite productive.
… The Eagles have an up-and-coming secondary featuring Pro Bowl S Brian Dawkins
and CBs Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. … Young LBs Jeremiah Trotter and Barry
Gardner are emerging as solid players. … Donovan McNabb is bursting with
promise. I still believe he’ll one day be the best of the QB class of ’99.
… The team has lots of salary-cap room to play with.
Bad news: OLT Tra Thomas took a small step back in his second season, and rookie ORT
John Welbourn missed almost the entire season. The Eagles need these two to bookend their
line next season. … Wholesale changes at wide receiver going into the ’99
season didn’t produce the desired results.
San Francisco 49ers
Good news: RBs Charlie Garner and Fred Beasley played well and should be the
49ers’ backfield of the future. … FS Lance Schulters emerged as a ballhawk
and made the Pro Bowl. … DT Bryant Young recovered from a gruesome broken leg
and is once again playing at an elite level.
Bad news: San Francisco is in abysmal salary-cap shape. Unproductive veterans such as
Ken Norton and Gabe Wilkins will probably have to go, and others, including Tim McDonald
and even Jerry Rice or Steve Young, may have to as well. … The secondary was horrid
all season. Despite trying everyone and his brother at corner, no future solutions
emerged. |
