Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001

Another round of cuts

Several more players were released Tuesday as NFL teams continued their efforts to get under the $67.4 million salary cap. Buchsbaum gives his thoughts on some of the bigger-name casualties below.

Patriots LB Chris Slade

Buchsbaum: He lost a step, and they are in such a jam with the salary cap, it’s an impossible situation. He still has something to offer, but the Patriots couldn’t afford him. He can still give you some pass rush, he’s a veteran player and he’s still got some skill.

Packers ORT Earl Dotson

Buchsbaum: You don’t know about him because of the back injury, but he was their best offensive lineman when he was healthy.

Bears RB Curtis Enis

Buchsbaum: Basically, he’s been not a bust, but a major disappointment there. He’s never been really healthy, he was a bad fit for the offense Gary Crowton used. He got off on the wrong foot with the holdout and the stupid statements, and it just never worked out for him. He has not shown he can run the ball frequently and stay healthy.

Jaguars DE Joel Smeenge

Buchsbaum: He’s a guy that can help a little as a pass rusher, but he’s past his prime.

Jaguars WR Reggie Barlow

Buchsbaum: He’s a decent return guy, but they never developed the way they hoped he would.

Fassel signs new contract

Having guided the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV, head coach Jim Fassel received his just due, signing a four-year contract Tuesday to remain with the team. Terms were not disclosed, but Fassel reportedly will receive $11 million over the length of the contract. He made $1.1 million last season.

PFW: What did Fassel do so well last season?

Buchsbaum: Basically, he got this team to play hard and to win all the games they were supposed to win. He did a marvelous job of developing Kerry Collins, and he relied heavily on two very good coordinators who someday may be head coaches. As an offensive coordinator, he was bold and aggressive. When he became a head coach and was basically running the offense, he became very conservative. But he saw that he was being too conservative, and he loosened up and he let Sean Payton call the plays, and it was a more wide-open, diversified offense.

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2000 - 2001 Season