| It’s
oh, so quiet around here. Not much going on in the way of news. At least nothing you folks
would want me to write about. Sure, I could write a column about the Bills’ signing
of WR Charles Johnson, but what’s there to say? He’s going to battle for the No.
4 WR spot. Really intriguing, huh? I could write about my thoughts on Darryl Kile’s
death and what it has meant to me, but you don’t want to hear about the number of
Wendy’s Big Bacon Classic burgers I eat per week. And, quite frankly, I don’t
think I want to admit how many it is to you (plus, I don’t think I want to figure it
out). It’s all about denial, baby.
So let’s have a little fun instead.
In the most recent print edition of Pro Football Weekly, I wrote a column about how
much hype surrounds the June 1 salary-cap cuts, when that hype wasn’t warranted.
Certainly it is tough for teams to find a solid-gold answer to any problems they might
have at this point. But on the flip side, this offseason as a whole has been, as usual,
rife with a hefty helping of big-name players switching teams.
So, without further ado, here is my "Lazy Summer All-Traveling Team" for
2002. This lineup features the best players who have switched teams this offseason and
will make the biggest impact around the league. Of course, this is purely my opinion.
Offense
QB Drew Bledsoe, Patriots to Bills — Bledsoe adds leadership, poise, a strong arm
and consistency to a passing game that needs all four of those things.
RB Ricky Williams, Saints to Dolphins — After a superb 2000 season for Miami,
Lamar Smith fizzled in 2001. Some say this is a Super Bowl-making move.
RB Warrick Dunn, Buccaneers to Falcons — Dunn will probably split some time with
rookie T.J. Duckett, but I’m betting Dunn will see much more time down the stretch.
OT Victor Riley, Chiefs to Saints — The Saints did a very good job of patching
holes along their offensive line this offseason.
OG Kerry Jenkins, Jets to Buccaneers — Jenkins is one of the men who paved the way
for Curtis Martin, and he’ll work in a scheme that is as run-heavy as New
York’s.
C Bubba Miller, Eagles to Saints — Miller has experience blocking for a mobile
quarterback, having paved the way for Donovan McNabb.
OG Steve McKinney, Colts to Texans — Houston did a very fine job of stocking its
offensive line, and there’s no doubt that top pick David Carr will appreciate it.
OT Trey Teague, Broncos to Bills — Teague may not be the most noteworthy offensive
tackle in the business, but he’s consistent, which is what Buffalo needs.
TE Shannon Sharpe, Ravens to Broncos — Sharpe returns to Denver and brings his
mouth (for motivation) and his athleticism.
WR Keenan McCardell, Jaguars to Buccaneers — McCardell gives defenses a legitimate
someone to worry about in the passing game other than Keyshawn.
WR Qadry Ismail, Ravens to Colts — Ismail gives defenses a legitimate someone to
worry about in the passing game other than Marvin Harrison.
Defense
DE Kenard Lang, Redskins to Browns — This acquisition allowed the Browns to let
rehabbing DE Keith McKenzie sign elsewhere. Lang should fit nicely in the Browns’
system.
DT La’Roi Glover, Saints to Cowboys — It wasn’t looking good for the
Saints when they lost Glover. …
DT Grady Jackson, Raiders to Saints — … But then they signed Jackson, who
should do just fine in Glover’s spot. …
DE Joe Johnson, Saints to Packers — … The problem is, they also lost Johnson,
who gives the Pack an instant, every-down pass-rush threat.
LB Jeremiah Trotter, Eagles to Redskins —Washington’s LB corps is one of the
tops in the league with the addition of Trotter and Jessie Armstead.
LB Donnie Edwards, Chiefs to Chargers — Not only do the Chargers get a stud, but
they steal him from a divisional foe. Double whammy.
LB Kevin Hardy, Jaguars to Cowboys — The Cowboys’ defense looks quite
menacing now, with the additions it has made to its personnel.
CB Duane Starks, Ravens to Cardinals — Arizona landed a few nice free agents, and
Starks fills most of the void created when Aeneas Williams was traded prior to 2001.
CB Donnie Abraham, Buccaneers to Jets — Jets head coach Herman Edwards loves
bringing in guys he worked with as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator.
S Robert Griffith, Vikings to Browns — Griffith brings a ferocity to the
Browns’ secondary, where the safeties left much to be desired last season.
S Brian Walker, Dolphins to Lions — The least-known member of the Dolphins’
stud secondary moves on to a team in desperate need of help in the secondary.
Special teams
PK Mike Hollis, Jaguars to Bills — Jake Arians and Shayne Graham simply were far
too inconsistent for Buffalo last season.
P Kyle Richardson, Ravens to Vikings — The Vikes and Mitch Berger couldn’t
agree on a pay cut, so he was cut. Richardson was third in the league in punts inside the
20 in 2001.
RS Jermaine Lewis, Ravens to Texans — Lewis gives the Texans an instant shot of
credibility in the return game. |
