| It’s hard to concentrate on the fall sport
of football when it’s a beautiful, 85-degree, sunshine-filled Friday. So forgive me,
I simply refuse to be disciplined and stick to one subject. My mind is wandering, which
means this will be a cop-out column that deals with a variety of subjects. First up, I
want to say kudos to Bryan Thomas, the 22nd overall player taken in the draft.
Way to go, rookie! Why? Because he is the second first-round pick to sign a contract.
(David Carr was first.) Rather than dragging his feet and instructing his agent to
negotiate for every available nickel, Thomas and his rep got the deal done with time to
spare.
Too many rookies are either stubborn of their own accord or they get bad advice from
their agents, which leads to unnecessary holdouts. There is absolutely no reason for a
holdout, considering that every player’s compensation is essentially set, based on
what happened last season. Thomas signed a five-year pact worth about $6.6 million and
included a signing bonus of just over $4 million. Last year, the Giants signed CB Will
Allen (also the 22nd overall pick) to a five-year, $6.2 million deal that
included a $3.95 million signing bonus.
My advice to all rookies is as follows: Tell your agent to get a fair deal done now. No
one benefits from a holdout.
On to the next subject. Whom would you rather have, and at what cost? Renaldo Wynn or
Marco Coleman?
These two players are basically trading places this offseason. Wynn was released by the
Jaguars in a salary-cap move in February, and he signed with the Redskins. Coleman was cut
by the Redskins after he refused to take a pay cut, and then he signed with the Jaguars.
Both players are expected to start at left end for their new teams.
The big difference between these players, right now, is age and money. The Redskins
signed Wynn (age 28 when the season starts) to a six-year, $21 million deal that included
a $3.5 million signing bonus. Coleman (32 years old), on the other hand, signed a deal
that could pay him $4.5 million over the next three years, provided he hits several
incentives.
If you ask me, the Jaguars are getting an incredible bargain. Yes, he likely only has a
couple of years left. But Coleman showed last year that he can still be effective. In 12
games, he recorded 55 tackles, 4.5 sacks and forced three fumbles. He missed four games
with an elbow injury. Compare those stats to Wynn’s numbers in 2001 — 75
tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble in 16 games. While Wynn may have more staying
power, thanks to his youth, Coleman could wind up being the better signing, especially
when you consider the price.
While on the subject of the Redskins, let’s discuss DT Sam Adams. Released by the
Ravens in their effort to get under the salary cap, Adams remains one of the few true
impact players left on the free-agent market. He initially wanted an $8 million signing
bonus from his new team. That’s not going to happen, so Adams has somewhat reduced
his demands. However, he still vows that he will sit out the 2002 season rather than sign
a bargain-basement contract.
Washington is seriously courting Adams, with new defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis
making calls to his former pupil. But, apparently, the Broncos, Eagles, Ravens and Bengals
are also hoping to land Adams.
If I were Sam Adams, I would instruct my agent to work the Eagles’ option hard.
Not only do they have a ton of salary-cap room, they could use an upgrade at defensive
tackle. Corey Simon and Hollis Thomas are good, but pairing Adams with Simon in the
starting lineup, with Thomas coming in as part of a DT rotation, could be really
beneficial. The Eagles ranked 18th vs. the run in 2001. Adams would help shore
up the run defense and help keep blockers off first-time starting MLB Barry Gardner.
Furthermore, of the four interested teams vying for Adams, the Eagles are the most
legitimate Super Bowl contender.
And the final subject — Super Bowl XXXVII. The last three seasons have produced
startling champions. Last year the Patriots shocked the world simply by reaching the Super
Bowl and then stunned the globe again by beating the heavily favored Rams. The season
before, the Ravens came out of nowhere to win the NFL championship. In the 1999 season,
the Rams surprised everyone by going from 4-12 cellar dweller (in ’98) to world
champions.
So will this trend of surprising Super Bowl champions continue in 2002? I don’t
think so. While many people are starting to suggest that Browns or Bengals or Jaguars
could be surprisingly competitive this season, I don’t see any one of those
franchises capturing a title next winter. Instead, the Super Bowl champs will be one of
the preseason favorites — the Rams, Eagles, Packers, Buccaneers, Steelers, Colts,
Raiders or Dolphins. That said, I am free to change my mind on this topic come November.
Now, it’s time to go outside and play. |
