Freeman awaits decision from Ravens

By Nolan Nawrocki, Associate editor

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Wednesday, July 3, 2002

• According to agent Joel Segal, former Packers WR Antonio Freeman is interested in catching on with his hometown Ravens. Freeman’s hometown is Baltimore, he attended Virginia Tech and would have a chance to be the Ravens’ top wideout if he can edge WRs Travis Taylor and Brandon Stokely for a starting job. The problem is that the team's failure to reach contract extensions with LBs Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware have put a wrench in the plans to acquire other free agents, much to the disenchantment of head coach Brian Billick. If Freeman can land with the Ravens, he likely will play for the veteran minimum, or slightly over, plus incentives.

• After weeks of negotiations, Bengals personnel director Duke Tobin finally reached an agreement with Michael Westbrook’s agent, Steve Zucker, after a face-to-face meeting at Zucker’s suburban Chicago home. Westbrook will sign a three-year, $4.5 million contract, which includes a $350,000 signing bonus. Westbrook was enticed by the opportunity to become a veteran leader amongst a young receiving corps and to play near his hometown of Detroit. Westbrook’s signing likely means the end of WR Darnay Scott’s stay in Cincinnati. Scott is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.55 million in 2002 and a roster bonus of $500,000 if he is still on the team come September.

• The Falcons signed former Cowboys WR Darrin Chiaverini, a three-year veteran who was released by Dallas earlier this spring. He signed a one-year, $450,000 contract, the minimum base salary for a player with three accrued seasons in the league. Chiaverini worked out for the Falcons last week and was scheduled to work out for the Packers, but the he saw a better chance of contributing in Atlanta, where he should fit the system well.

• The Bucs signed two experienced defenders from the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe Tuesday. DE Cedric Pittman and LB Tony Ortiz, both of whom have been in past NFL training camps, joined the Bucs’ roster. Pittman, 25, had stints with the Lions in 1998 and the Giants in 2000 and ’01. Ortiz, 25, formerly played at Nebraska and signed with Dallas in ’00 before spending the past two seasons with the Claymores.

Tuesday, July 2, 2002

• After sitting out last season and appearing as a regular on the Fox Sports Net show, "The Best Damn Sports Show Period," former Rams DT D’Marco Farr is hoping for another chance in the league. The seven-year veteran started every game from 1995 to 1999, recording 34.5 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1999. He sat out the 2001 season after being released by the Rams to recover from a microfracture procedure in his left knee. He recently taped a workout for the show at the Titans’ facility, proving his health and exposing his talent. A Titans physician cleared Farr, 31, after the workout, but some teams seem concerned about his knees, which have undergone five operations. The latest procedure, which was conducted last July, is generally considered a last resort for an athlete to relieve the bone-on-bone pressure in a heavily damaged knee. Cardinals DT Eric Swann has had trouble returning to his old form after having the same operation, but Raiders S Rod Woodson and Redskins DE Bruce Smith have been able to recover from it.

• Bengals director of pro/college player personnel Duke Tobin is meeting with Steve Zucker, the agent for Michael Westbrook, today in Chicago. The two sides have been negotiating since Westbrook ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash earlier this month, erasing the Bengals’ concerns about the torn anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in 2000. The 30-year-old receiver is looking for a long-term deal and will likely replace Darnay Scott if he signs. The Bengals have been frustrated with Scott since he refused to attend any voluntary workouts in May, preventing team officials from evaluating his injured leg. The Bengals are hoping to sign Westbrook for no more than the $1.7 million average that the Vikings gave WR Derrick Alexander. If the two sides cannot agree on a deal, the Bengals are expected to set their sights on signing former Packers WR Antonio Freeman, who is still on the market. With more than three weeks remaining before training camp opens, Zucker said it is not important to get the deal done today, but the Bengals have been negotiating with Zucker since June 10. If an agreement cannot be reached face-to-face, the Bengals are expected to move to Plan B, Freeman.

• The Ravens have set the first day of training camp — July 26 — as an unofficial deadline for restructuring the deals for LBs Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware. The team is hoping to sign both players to long-term deals but have been unable to meet the heavy demands of their agents, Eugene Parker and Roosevelt Barnes, the tandem who represent both players. Lewis is under contract for two more years while Boulware has one year remaining. Lewis is believed to be interested in a $20 million signing bonus. With the Ravens still recovering from cap troubles that virtually depleted their roster, it will not be easy to pony up the money both players are seeking.

Monday, July 1, 2002

• The Lions signed Denver unrestricted free-agent CB Eric Davis and released S Kourtney Young over the weekend. Davis entered the league as a second-round selection of the 49ers in the 1990 draft. He played six years in San Francisco and then joined the Panthers for five seasons before spending last season with the Broncos. Although he was mainly a special-teams contributor and did not start a game last season, he has started 143 of 175 games in his 12-year career. With only two cornerbacks on the Lions’ roster who have started more than one game, Davis could contend for a starting job. His signing will likely end the Lions’ flirtation with signing Patriots unrestricted free-agent CB Terrell Buckley. Young was an undrafted free agent rookie out of Eastern Illinois who signed with the Lions on June 6.

• The Bears have said they would secure two restricted free agents in the offseason and have already locked up WR Marty Booker to a long-term deal. The two remaining restricted free agents are OG Rex Tucker and LB Rosevelt Colvin, both of whom signed one-year tender offers in April. Colvin is reportedly interested in seeking a contract similar to the five-year, $23 million deal given to Steelers LB Jason Gildon. Tucker may use the contract of another Steeler, OG Alan Faneca, as a starting point in negotiations. The Steelers recently signed the Pro Bowl guard to a six-year, $26.25 million deal that included a $6 million signing bonus. The Bears signed restricted free-agent LB Warrick Holdman to a four-year, $12 million contract, matching Kansas City's offer sheet in April, and will soon have to open their pockets even further for Pro Bowl LB Brian Urlacher. With OT James Williams nearing the end of his career, odds are that solidifying the offensive line will take precedence over the LB corps, which isn’t good news for Colvin. The development of two rookies — Terrence Metcalf, a guard selected in the third round out of Mississippi, and Bryan Knight, an outside linebacker selected in the fifth round out of Pittsburgh — could have an impact on the decision. Metcalf is listed behind Tucker on the depth chart and is expected to contend for a starting job. Knight is an undersized pass rusher with great speed who has the tools to replace Colvin.

Got scoop?  Drop a line to associate editor Nolan Nawrocki at nnawrocki@primediasi.com.

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