2002 free agency

Save the excuses

Despite another weak free-agent market, the pressure is on to follow in the Pats’ footsteps

By Dan Arkush, Executive editor
Published in print and updated Feb. 25, 2002

Patriots RB Antowain Smith

The party line hasn’t wavered: The free-agent market that opens for business March 1 is being tabbed as one of the weakest since the current system was introduced nine years ago.

The same thing was being said around this time last year, when exceedingly tight budget constraints and a flat talent supply had front-line personnel people around the NFL crying in their beer.

This year the tears are bigger — and the beer is flatter.

"When you look at it overall, it doesn’t look as talented or deep as the group last year," Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe said. "From an economic standpoint, there are so many teams in cap trouble that movement could be slow.

"But I guarantee you of one thing: Every GM in the league has gotten a speech from his owner about what the New England Patriots did."

Ah yes, the Pats.

Make no mistake. They are currently the darlings of the football world.

In a league that loves to copy-cat, New England’s ability this past season to find a host of free-agent riches in a mine supposedly cluttered with nothing but fool’s gold apparently has a lot of teams intent on imitating their creative — and extremely exhaustive — approach.

Said one prominent AFC East personnel executive: "It doesn’t matter what they say about the market. It is what it is, and the players that are out there are the players you have to play with. If you want to get better, you just have to make due.

"The talent is out there. You just have to continue to work hard. It’s one of those things people don’t realize. It’s 12 months a year now.

"The minute you think there are no players left to pursue, you stop doing your job."

A year ago at this time, still suffering from the sting of the previous regime’s penchant for over-spending on a host of players — such as DE Willie McGinest, LB Ted Johnson, CB Ty Law, SS Lawyer Milloy, TE Ben Coates, OT Bruce Armstrong and TE Ben Coates — the Patriots were about $6.5 million over the cap.

Yet, they still found a way to upgrade their roster with a bevy of seemingly low- to mid-tier signings, including a number of key additions after June 1 — a period that typically has been perceived as negligible in terms of talent procurement.

Among the players obtained after May 31, 2001, who ended up being key cogs in the Patriots’ unlikely Super Bowl machine were RB Antowain Smith, LBs Roman Phifer and Bryan Cox, DT Riddick Parker, WR Charles Johnson, CB Terrell Buckley, S Je’Rod Cherry — who emerged as one of the Pats’ best special-teams performers — and, well into the season, P Ken Walter.

"I think there’s always a hot point (for moves)," the AFC East exec said. "But the important thing to remember is that there is never a dead point.

"You’ve got to make use of not just free agency; you have to make use of every single method available of acquiring players, whether it’s trades, waivers or taking players from other teams’ practice squads."

Added Donahoe: "One of the keys always is patience. You have to understand that the offseason is a long period of time."

At presstime, 18 of the league’s 32 teams had managed to work their way under this year’s $71.1 million salary cap, with the Panthers, a team that was wielding an industrial-sized machete at presstime, just one or two slashes away from joining the crowd.

Panthers GM Marty Hurney, who just recently became Carolina’s first GM since Bill Polian left the franchise in 1997, could have just as easily been speaking for his cap-relieved counterparts when he outlined what is expected to be a very selective search for new blood.

"You won’t see us running out and chasing any of the high-priced guys right off the bat," Hurney said. "We’ll try to sign guys throughout the free-agency period, but we won’t do the type of things we’ve done in the past."

Primarily an interested observer last year at this time, when the Bills had the third-worst salary-cap situation in the league (about $19 million over), Donahoe and his talent scouts are looking forward to entering the fray this season.

"We’re in much better shape this year," Donahoe said. "We project that by March 1, we’ll have about 60 players under contract and be about $3 million-$4 million under the cap.

"But we won’t be a major player. We’re not in a position to lead the pack, but at least we’ll be involved."

On the other side of the coin, there were still a lot of teams stricken with a horrendous case of salary-cap fever at presstime, led by the Ravens, handcuffed by an ungodly $25 million-plus overage just one year removed from the Super Bowl.

Other teams that could have a real tough time making a dent in the market include the Titans, Falcons, Dolphins, Jets and Giants — all of whom had budgets exceeding $80 million.

As expected, a flurry of "franchise" tags has further diluted this year’s talent supply, especially in the cases of linebackers, offensive tackles and placekickers.

As a result of being franchised — which guarantees that they will receive the average salary of the top five players at their positions — the following potentially heavy hitters have essentially been removed from the free-agent lineup: LB Jeremiah Trotter (Eagles), OTs Tarik Glenn (Colts) and Walter Jones (Seahawks), PKs Jason Elam (Broncos) and Adam Vinatieri (Patriots), TE Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs), OG Flozell "The Hotel" Adams and FS Kwamie Lassiter (Cardinals).

The Patriots and Cowboys are using the franchise designation for the first time ever. In addition, this year marks the first time since the advent of the current free-agency system that two placekickers (Elam and Super Bowl hero Vinatieri) have been so designated.

"I guess ‘franchising’ your kickers is the new rage," said Elam’s agent, Jack Reale. "I think you have a case where two teams didn’t really have any other player to ‘franchise,’ and they weren’t about to allow these kickers to get into the open market.

"It really is a unique situation."

It was quite likely at presstime that a number of players could lose their "franchise" tags before March 15, by which time they could be signed to new, long-term deals that will help their teams reduce their cap hits. Gildon is one such example, signing a five-year, $23 million contract Feb. 25. Meanwhile, the Seahawks' Jones reportedly was close to signing a new contract at presstime.

Another top-flight offensive tackle was removed from the free-agent mix when the Jets struck a five-year, $18 million deal with rock-solid OLT Jason Fabini just minutes before the deadline for "franchise" and "transition" designations. Fabini received a $7 million signing bonus.

But while more re-signings of the top free agents available appeared to be in the offing, the inevitable barrage of salary-cap casualties is expected to make this year’s overall crop a lot more attractive.

In advance of March 1, a number of notable players already have received pink slips, including TE Ken Dilger, CB Jeff Burris, S Jeff Cota and DT Mike Wells (Colts); LB Ed McDaniel, S Orlando Thomas and P Mitch Berger (Vikings); CBs Doug Evans and Jimmy Hitchcock, RB Tshimanga Biakabutuka and LB Mike Wells (Panthers); QB Chris Chandler and WR Terance Mathis (Falcons); LB Bill Romanowski (Broncos); and DE Mike Sinclair (Seahawks).

After March 1, the talent pool is expected to get a lot more tantalizing, when players such as LB Marvin Jones (Jets), QB Rob Johnson (Bills), QB Jeff Blake (Saints), CB Donnie Abraham (Buccaneers), OG Ray Brown (49ers), OT Ryan Tucker (Rams), RB Dorsey Levens and WR Antonio Freeman (Packers) and LB Jessie Armstead, S Sam Garnes, OG Glenn Parker and CB Dave Thomas (Giants) are good bets, among others, to become free agents.

"That list may be more enticing when all is said and done," Donahoe said. "Teams are either going to have to take a look at restructuring contracts, which doesn’t really solve the cap problem, or look at cutting some people and creating room that way.

"You can expect some pretty interesting names."

The Archives
2001 - 2002 Season