| ProFootballWeekly.com asked
contributing editor Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the news around the NFL. 
Dolphins sign WR Dedric Ward
The Dolphins signed unrestricted free-agent WR Dedric Ward to a two-year contract worth
about $2 million. Ward caught 54 passes for 802 yards and three touchdowns as a member of
the Jets last season.
Buchsbaum: He’s a guy that’s capable of making the big play, and at times the
sensational play, but he’s very inconsistent and unreliable and is not known as a
clutch player. He also seems a little timid at times. He lacks size and plays small.
PFW: The Dolphins have parted ways with Bert Emanuel and Tony Martin. O.J.
McDuffie is still somewhat of a question mark. And earlier in free-agency, they signed
James McKnight. There was a line of thinking that the Dolphins had to address wide
receiver early in this draft, but does the addition of Ward change that?
Buchsbaum: I think wide receiver will still be a serious consideration, but it puts
them in a position where they don’t have to go wide receiver, because McKnight and
Ward give them down-the-field speed they didn’t have.
PFW: If they don’t go wide receiver in the first round, won’t they
still be lacking in the No. 1 WR spot?
Buchsbaum: No question. But the question is: Do they feel they can get a No. 1 receiver
where they are picking in the first round? Basically, they have a bunch of twos, threes
and fours at wide receiver. They don’t have one standout guy.
Bears sign special-teams ace Larry Whigham
Chicago gave a boost to their special-teams units by signing former Patriot Larry
Whigham. The move also should give some depth to the secondary, as Whigham was a backup
safety during his tenure in New England.
PFW: How would you describe Whigham?
Buchsbaum: OK, he’s a big hitter on special teams. He makes big plays. He’s
not an overly disciplined player. He’s extremely aggressive, sometimes to a
detriment. One of the criticisms of him in New England is he tries too hard to make plays,
and very often he’ll compromise the integrity of the coverage unit. But he is a big
hitter. He can play a little safety. He’s highly competitive.
Tommy Maddox wins XFL player of the year honors
Starring for the Los Angeles Xtreme, the former NFL QB Tommy Maddox was recognized as
the league’s best player.
PFW: Can you give a scouting report on Maddox?
Buchsbaum: A kid that came out of UCLA two years too early. Dan Reeves fell in love
with him and took him in the first round while he was coaching in Denver. Reeves took him
wherever he went, meaning he took him to the Giants and then to Atlanta. Maddox failed all
three places, as well as with the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s one of these kids that
possibly has matured late. He’s finally played a lot of snaps, a lot of games. And he
really played in this other league much better than I’ve seen him play since his
early Bronco days. It seems like he has his confidence and his courage back.
PFW: Typically, guys who move on from lesser leagues to the NFL and then have
success often didn’t have much of a chance in the NFL early on. Does the fact that he
got so many opportunities in the NFL lead you to believe he won’t get much a chance
again in the NFL?
Buchsbaum: I wouldn’t be overly optimistic. But by the same token, you can’t
write him off because I seen things like this happen. I’ve seen guys that have gotten
chances in the NFL, have failed and have come back and made it.
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