Wednesday, March 28, 2001

Blake close to resuming workouts

Saints QB Jeff Blake will have the final screw removed from his broken right foot next week, and that should allow him to expand his offseason workouts. Blake, who broke three bones in his foot Nov. 19 vs. the Raiders, finished the 2000 season on crutches, watching backup Aaron Brooks lead the Saints to their first playoff victory in team history. Said Blake: "I won’t be running during that first minicamp, but I’ll be working on a lot of other things. I’m already ahead of schedule, so I know I’ll be ready by the second minicamp."

PFW: How do you see Blake fitting in with the Saints next season?

Buchsbaum: I think it will be an open battle, and it’ll depend a lot on how hard Brooks is willing to work during the offseason. You know, you have two quarterbacks right now: One, Blake is probably as good as he can be; the other, Brooks, as a lot of upside, but he’s never faced a lot of adversity in the pros, whereas Blake has.

PFW: Is Brooks at the point where he can step up or is this a dangerous part of his career?

Buchsbaum: This is a very dangerous part of his career because he may take the big step up. You know, right now, he’s where (Lions QB) Charlie Batch was after Year One, and Charlie really has not taken any step up since. I think Blake is better than what Brooks is now, but Brooks can be a lot better than what Blake can ever be.

Spikes to have shoulder surgery

Bengals LB Takeo Spikes will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. The former first-round draft pick (1998) may not be able to take part in the team’s May minicamp, but he should be ready for training camp, which begins in July. According to Bengals coaches, Spikes led the team in tackles last season with 212 total stops (143 solos).

PFW: What does Spikes mean to the Bengals’ defense?

Buchsbaum: He’s the best player on the defense. He’s got instincts, he’s got heart, he’s got speed.

Rice meets with Seahawks

Jerry Rice, who is leaving the 49ers for salary-cap reasons, met last week with the Seahawks. Rice met with Seattle head coach and general manager Mike Holmgren, who was the Niners’ offensive coordinator when Rice was at his peak. Keeping Rice would cost the 49ers $2.5 million against the cap. The Raiders have also expressed an interest.

PFW: Where is Rice at this point in his career?

Buchsbaum: Jerry Rice is still a solid, veteran possession receiver, but he’s no longer an impact player. And because of his work ethic, both teams feel that he can give them strong leadership and contribute. But he can’t expect to go someplace and be the featured guy.

PFW: Not even in Seattle with as little as they have at wide receiver?

Buchsbaum: I think they’ll draft more.

League president: XFL will carry on

XFL president Basil DeVito said the struggling league will return next year, whether NBC continues its coverage or not. DeVito was visiting Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to discuss expansion when he candidly discussed the numerous mistakes made by the league, including marketing plans and hiring football analysts late.

For more on the XFL, including a Q&A with DeVito, visit the XFL portion of this site, located on the home page.

PFW: Do you have any thoughts on how the XFL has progressed?

Buchsbaum: Actually, I think the quality of play has gotten a little better, but I think people have given up on it already. You see, I think the dumbest thing they did was, they had such a short preseason that it was like the first exhibition game for them when they started the season. And as a result … I mean, everyone watched the first game, and the quality of football there was just totally abysmal.

PFW: In what ways has the play gotten better?

Buchsbaum: It’s a little less sloppy, there’s a little better execution, players are in a little better shape, they’re fitting together better.

PFW: Have you talked to NFL people about the XFL in terms of what the league might contribute in talent?

Buchsbaum: They say it’s a lower-level NFL Europe.

The Archives
2000 - 2001 Season