| ProFootballWeekly.com recently conducted the
following Q&A with editor-in-chief Ron Pollack. PFW: The subject of so-called
voluntary minicamps has been in the news this offseason. What are your thoughts?
Pollack: I wish the NFL and the NFL Players Association would get together and
determine a specific amount of practice time that teams can have and eliminate the silly
distinction between voluntary and mandatory workouts. Let’s face facts. Unless you
are a superstar, they’re all mandatory. Just come up with some rule set in stone and
eliminate all the posturing. That said, I don’t have too much sympathy for players
who whine about having to go to so many minicamps. The big contracts they get should be
viewed as what they get paid for an entire year, not just four or five months. Pro
football has become a 12-month occupation. With so much money at stake, I don’t think
it’s a big deal to expect the players to be working 12 months a year, just as you or
I do, for their paychecks. Give them some vacation time, but otherwise, they owe it to the
team to be working out, working with their teammates, studying the playbook, etc., year
round. I’m a union kind of guy, but this is one case when I think management is
entitled to more than it is getting.
PFW: If you were a player, who are some of the head coaches you’d want to play
for?
Pollack: In no particular order, Tony Dungy, Jeff Fisher, Mike Shanahan, Brian
Billick, Dennis Green and Steve Mariucci quickly come to mind.
PFW: What are your favorite places to cover NFL games?
Pollack: I love going to Lambeau Field for Packers games. The atmosphere is
amazing. There is a passion and a level of excitement that I think is unmatched in terms
of pro football venues.
PFW: Who is the best quarterback in the NFL?
Pollack: I’d have to pick from Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. My
final answer depends on a few scenarios. If you surround each of them with exactly the
same talent, I’d pick Favre. If you factor in their existing teams and can guarantee
me that all three will be healthy for 16 games, I’d pick Warner. If you factor in
their existing teams but their health is based upon their health outlook, I would go with
Manning, since Warner must prove he can stay healthy this year while the talent around
Favre holds him back. Manning has great talent around him, stays healthy and is a terrific
performer. The only knock on him is that he hasn’t enjoyed big-time success in the
postseason.
PFW: Is Lamar Smith a one-year wonder or the real deal for the Dolphins?
Pollack: I think he is more than a one-year wonder. I’m not saying he’s a
superstar, but in the Dolphins’ system he’ll get the ball a lot this year and
post strong numbers yet again. I anticipate him being extremely productive once more. I
don’t see him falling off the face of the earth.
PFW: How important is it for Terrell Davis to return to his old form for the
Broncos?
Pollack: Obviously the Broncos would love for T.D. to return to his superstar form
of old. That said, I don’t think that is the crucial issue for the Broncos. Mike
Anderson showed he can carry the load in a big way last season. I know it would be
reassuring to the Broncos if Davis can play like an MVP, but Anderson’s amazing
productivity last year means that the team can get major production out of the RB spot
without Davis. The big issue to me is whether QB Brian Griese can stay healthy. Gus
Frerotte and Steve Beuerlein provide amazing depth at the position, but neither can
perform at the level I believe Griese can right now. I think the Broncos can get to the
Super Bowl with Anderson. I’m not so sure the same can be said if Beuerlein or
Frerotte must play a significant portion of the season. I think the Broncos can win big
with either of their backup quarterbacks, I’m just not sure if they can win Super
Bowl big.
PFW: What offseason move do you disagree with more than any other?
Pollack: The Cowboys hitching their wagon to QB Tony Banks. I don’t think he
is the real deal. He can look very good for a short stretch, but if he plays for any
extended period of time, I think he will be exposed.
PFW: What are your thoughts on Vikings WR Randy Moss these days?
Pollack: I think people have gotten to be a bit unfair when assessing his
abilities. I did a radio show recently where the sports-talk personality was very
surprised at how highly I rated Moss. The talk-show host kept hammering away that Moss
doesn’t play as hard as he should and could be much better with greater effort. While
it is true that Moss could improve his attitude and work ethic, the fact remains that he
is the best wide receiver in football. By a fairly considerable margin. Just because he
could be even better with more desire does not take away from the fact that he is the most
dangerous wide receiver in football. I was very critical of Moss earlier in his career,
but the time has come to talk more about what he is, instead of what he isn’t. What
he is right now is the best wideout in the game. We aren’t talking about the wide
receiver who maximizes his potential the most. We are talking about the wide receiver who
is the most difficult to stop.
PFW: What bugs you more than anything else in the NFL?
Pollack: Punters who boom the ball into the endzone when punting inside the 50.
There’s no excuse for these guys not to be able to pin the ball at the 10-yard line
or better almost every time. Think about it. It’s not as if punters have to go
through a million drills in practice. It’s not like they have to study a massive
playbook. It’s not like they get pushed to the physical limit in practice. They have
the time in practice to make pinning the opposition deep an art form. Look how good
professional golfers are at chip shots. They’re like robots they’re so
consistent. Pooch punting is nothing more than a simple chip shot. It should be a given.
PFW: What player amazes you more than any other in the NFL?
Pollack: Darrell Green. The Redskins’ cornerback is not what he once was, but
at 41 years of age, how on earth is he still playing in the NFL at a young man’s
speed position? |
