| ProFootballWeekly.com asked
contributing editor Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the news around the NFL. 
Trent Green update
Profootballweekly.com: What’s the latest you hear on the Trent Green front
as far as the possible trade from the Rams to the Chiefs?
Buchsbaum: Both sides are pretty much entrenched. (Dick) Vermeil is being very stubborn
on one side, and (Rams president) John Shaw is very upset with the way Vermeil has treated
the Rams’ organization and Vermeil’s feeling that he’s almost entitled to
get the second-round pick back if he makes a deal.
Profootballweekly.com: What’s your gut feeling? Will something happen
here, or will there be no trade?
Buchsbaum: It’s 50-50. It’s the two sides cutting off their noses to spite
their face.
Dolphins re-sign Bromell
The Dolphins re-signed DE Lorenzo Bromell to a one-year contract yesterday. Bromell, a
fourth-round pick in 1998, recorded 14 tackles and two sacks in a backup role last season.
Buchsbaum: His best year probably was his rookie year, when he showed some flashes on
the inside pass rush. Since then he hasn’t really had too many opportunities, but
they feel he’ll have more opportunities now because they lost Trace Armstrong. He
needs to step up in terms of consistency in his play and the ability to come off blocks.
Dolphins sign Spriggs
In hopes of providing some insurance along their offensive line, the Dolphins agreed on
a two-year deal with former Bills OT Marcus Spriggs, who started 11 games in Buffalo last
season.
Buchsbaum: He did some decent things for the Bills last year, and he’s basically a
second guy they can try at left tackle if they can’t bring Richmond Webb back.
Steelers secure Fuamatu-Ma'afala
The Steelers secured the rights to restricted free agent Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala
for the 2001 season by matching the Patriots’ tender offer for the running back.
Ma’afala carried for 149 yards on just 21 carries before being lost for the season
with a foot injury on Oct. 22.
Buchsbaum: That means that (RB Richard) Huntley probably is going to be released. You
never know what to expect from Huntley. He’s not a guy you can rely on to be a No. 1
back. The question with Ma’afala is whether the guy can stay healthy because
he’s got ability.
Profootballweekly.com: What happened from the time the Steelers gave Huntley
the contract they did a year ago to now?
Buchsbaum: They thought he’d replace Bettis, but he hurt his hamstring in training
practice and never got on track.
The futures of Bill Walsh and Ron Wolf
Bill Walsh, the general manager and former coach of the 49ers, expects to turn over GM
duties to top assistant Terry Donahue soon after Saturday’s draft. Walsh will still
be involved in future drafts from his consultant’s role, but it has yet to be decided
what his future job entails.
Profootballweekly.com: Can you talk about the careers of Walsh and Packers
executive vice president and general manager Ron Wolf, who both will be in charge or their
final drafts with their respective teams this weekend?
Buchsbaum: Two of the all-time greats. Both Hall of Fame types. They both were great
students of the game and great students of the draft. They knew three things: They had a
great eye for talent, a great eye to see how a player would fit into their teams and they
had a great knack for figuring out where players would go in the draft and where to buy.
Buchsbaum on Kraft's proposal
What follows is a general summary of a proposal to the league by Patriots owner Robert
Kraft:
Buchsbaum: Robert Kraft is pushing the NFL to try to amend the player contract with the
union in order to give the veterans a lot more protection and to put the teams at a much
lesser risk with the rookies. Kraft’s plan involves making the veterans less
expensive to keep under the cap, and the league sets up a fund for the veterans so they
can get bonuses if they produce. On the other hand, what he wants to do is cut out these
ridiculous rookie signing bonuses and come up with a plan that has rookies come in at a
set fee for one year and then they negotiate so you can find out who’s a player and
who isn’t the first year. That way you can cut someone who’s no good in order to
keep a veteran who is pretty good and can still do some things. Then you don’t lose
money down the road in bonuses.
So in other words, you cut out these ridiculous bonuses for rookies, and they all sign
one-year deals. I think it’s a tremendous idea. It protects the veterans, it creates
a much more competitive training camp and it will help the rookies immeasurably because
they come in with a feeling of entitlement when they come in with these huge contracts,
and very often it changes them. But if they’re basically going to be working for the
minimum wage with incentives as rookies, it means either put up or shut up, and basically
you’re on a probationary period for one year to see how you do.
If you show that you’re going to be a great player, you can superstar’s
money. On the other hand, it avoids these tremendous discrepancies when you have a
sixth-round pick like Terrell Davis who turns into a superstar and is greatly underpaid
and a guy who’s taken at the top of the first round like Ryan Leaf, who’s a bust
and is way overpaid. It saves the veterans because a team like the Chargers had to cut and
reduce salaries to veterans just to pay Leaf.
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