 |
Buccaneers WR
Keenan McCardell
|
There were no surprises among the post-June 1 cuts. In fact, all of the players who
were handed pink slips when it became more salary-cap friendly for their teams to release
them knew their firing was inevitable.
That said, of the 16 veterans who were released, several have quickly landed with new
teams.
One of the most sought-after veterans was WR Keenan McCardell. First, he took a visit
to Kansas City, where he golfed with Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil. His second trip was
to Tampa, where the Buccaneers pulled out all the stops to sign him. On the day of his
visit, the Buccaneers held a special workout at Raymond James Stadium that included
piped-in crowd noise, highlights shown on the stadium’s jumbo video boards and
cannons on the pirate ship being fired. Their ploy worked, as McCardell agreed to a
four-year, $10 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus.
Another wide receiver, Derrick Alexander, quickly found a new home with the Vikings.
Head coach Mike Tice hopes that Alexander can be the big, fast, physical receiver to take
some heat off Randy Moss. Tice is also hoping he signed the Derrick Alexander who caught
78 passes for 1,391 yards and 10 scores in 2000, not the player who limped through a 2001
campaign that resulted in just 27 catches for 470 yards and three touchdowns. Alexander
signed a three-year deal worth $5.1 million.
There was some competition for the services of QB Charlie Batch, who was let go by the
Lions. Batch visited with the Texans, who have been disappointed in the performance of
Kent Graham, as well as the Jaguars and Steelers. The Jaguars are searching for a backup
for Mark Brunell because they don’t believe rookie David Garrard is ready. Pittsburgh
seemed like an odd suitor, especially considering they had just given backup Tommy Maddox
a four-year contract extension that included a $500,000 signing bonus days before
entertaining Batch. Nevertheless, Batch signed a one-year, $525,000 contract with his
hometown team and will compete with Maddox for the right to back up Kordell Stewart. The
odd man out appears to be Tee Martin, who spent the spring playing in the NFL Europe
league. There is little chance of Batch unseating Stewart this season, unless Stewart
completely falls on his face.
Like the Batch case, there was some competition for the services of ex-Jaguars LB Hardy
Nickerson. The two primary suitors were the Eagles and Packers, both of whom had different
things to offer. The Eagles, with a ton of cap room, could afford to pay more. However,
with Barry Gardner currently slated to replace Jeremiah Trotter at middle linebacker, the
Eagles couldn’t guarantee Nickerson a starting job. While Green Bay didn’t have
quite as much cash to offer, they could dangle a starting job in front of Nickerson, as
the Packers want to give young Torrance Marshall more time to mature as a player before
having to count on him.
Ultimately, though, it wasn’t money or a starting job that had the ultimate impact
on Nickerson’s decision. More than anything, Nickerson wants to reach a Super Bowl
this season, and apparently he likes the Packers’ chances more than the Eagles’.
Nickerson signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal that included a $750,000 signing bonus.
Nickerson also received a $750,000 check from the Jaguars when he was released because his
entire 2002 base salary was guaranteed.
Former Redskins DE Marco Coleman declined to take a major pay cut to stay in
Washington, which led to his release. He did not stay unemployed for very long, as he
signed a three-year deal with Jacksonville that could be worth up to $4.5 million,
provided he hits a number of incentives. The contract called for a signing bonus of just
$250,000. With a base salary of $750,000 in 2002, Coleman’s salary-cap figure is a
very palatable $833,000 for this season. Not only will he provide some pass-rush help
opposite DRE Tony Brackens, but he should be a positive influence on young linemen like
John Henderson and Marcus Stroud.
Continuing the pattern of signing older veterans, the Raiders have signed ex-Steeler LB
Mike Jones.
The majority of the veterans released after June 1 — RB Jamal Anderson, RB Rodney
Thomas, OT John Fina, WR Herman Moore, WR Antonio Freeman, LB Keith Mitchell, OG Glenn
Parker, LB Sam Rogers, OG Ray Brown and CB Donovan Greer — were still unsigned at
presstime.
 Three of the
players who were slapped with the franchise tag earlier this spring still have not signed
their one-year tender. Kansas City TE Tony Gonzalez, Seattle OT Walter Jones and Denver PK
Jason Elam all remain unsigned, and things could get interesting in the coming weeks, as
teams prepare to open training camp.
Gonzalez’s situation has been filled with intrigue to date. Despite his interest
in trying out for the NBA’s Miami Heat, Gonzalez knows that it’s his football
skills that pay the bills. That said, he has turned down an offer that the Chiefs say
would have made him the highest-paid tight end in the history of the NFL, as well as the
recipient of the largest-ever offer from the Chiefs’ franchise. There remains a
rather sizable difference of opinion over what Gonzalez is worth. Gonzalez is seeking to
be paid like a wide receiver, a position that is generally better-compensated than tight
end. But the Chiefs insist that Gonzalez is a tight end and should be paid accordingly.
Jones is far from being signed, sealed and delivered to the Seahawks. From what we
hear, there hasn’t been a ton of activity from either side in terms of working out a
long-term deal. But that isn’t all that unusual at this point in the offseason
because of an NFL rule that bars teams from signing their franchise player to a multiyear
deal before July 15, unless they want to surrender the right to use the franchise tag for
the duration of said contract. From what we hear, there is a threat that Jones could hold
out rather than sign the one-year tender.
As for Elam, it’s not a slam dunk that his deal will be done before the start of
training camp either.
"It’s too early to tell," agent Jack Reale told PFW. "We expect
additional dialogue with the team prior to the commencement of camp. Jason’s course
of action will depend greatly on the tone of that dialogue."
It’s clear that Elam desires a long-term contract that will place him among the
highest-paid kickers in the NFL. Currently, Miami’s Olindo Mare is the highest-paid
kicker, with a deal averaging $2 million per season. |
