Could Freeman become a Redskin?

By Nolan Nawrocki, Associate editor

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Friday, July 26, 2002

• Free-agent DT Daryl Gardener is expected to meet with Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier and defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis today. The team appears hesitant to sign Gardener because of past back problems. Lewis, who was unsuccessful in recruiting former Ravens DT Sam Adams to Washington, appears more interested in Gardener than Spurrier, who will be looking to add another wide receiver in the wake of the season-ending injury to third-round draft pick Cliff Russell. Former Packers WR Antonio Freeman would appear to be high on the Redskins’ list, but Freeman’s agent, Joel Segal, said he has yet to hear from the Redskins. The Redskins’ need for a receiver could expedite the Eagles’ attempts to sign Freeman, to prevent their NFC East rival from acquiring his services. The Eagles have been in negotiations to sign Freeman.

• Former Giants OLT Lomas Brown signed a one-year deal worth the $750,000 veteran minimum Thursday with Tampa Bay. The 17-year veteran, who was cut in February, will compete with starting OLT Kenyatta Walker and backup Pete Pierson for a starting job but is mainly expected to serve as a solid backup and mentor for Walker, a second-year pro. The Bucs also re-signed exclusive-rights free-agent TE Todd Yoder to a one-year deal.

• The Patriots released veteran DE Chris Sullivan and signed DL Bernard Holsey, whom they originally drafted in 1996. Holsey left via free agency in 2000 before rejoining the Patriots last December but did not play in any of the last three games or the playoffs. Holsey most recently played for the Dallas Desperados of the Arena League. The Patriots also reacquired DT Riddick Parker, a member of last year’s Super Bowl team who left via free agency. Parker, 29, signed with the Jets earlier this offseason but was recently released. Last year, he backed up Bobby Hamilton.

Thursday, July 25, 2002

• After taking trips to Houston and Detroit earlier this week, former Dolphins DT Daryl Gardener is now being courted by Washington, where he is scheduled to meet Redskins officials today. The Redskins are looking to replace free-agent DT Kenard Lang. Gardener has also reportedly drawn interest from the Seahawks, Giants, Raiders and Packers. While the Texans are not believed to have offered Gardener a contract, the Lions expressed a lot of interest and entered negotiations after a solid workout Wednesday.

• After releasing 2001 second-round draft pick DE Paul Toviessi due to health concerns, the Broncos agreed to terms with DE Michael Sinclair on a one-year, $750,000 contract that will count $450,000 against the Broncos’ salary cap.

• Hoping to add depth to their offensive line before training camp, the Bucs are pursuing former Giants OLT Lomas Brown. If signed, the 39-year-old Brown would compete with second-year starter Kenyatta Walker for playing time.

• Not happy with offers from the Broncos, Seahawks or Bengals, free-agent DT Sam Adams has decided to wait for training camps to open and injuries to take a toll on teams before signing a contract. The decision spurred the Bengals to withdraw their three-year, $8.5 million offer — Adams’ most lucrative option. The Bills have popped up as a suitor for Adams with their need for help on their interior defensive line but have little room under the cap.

• The Steelers signed restricted free-agent DE Aaron Smith to a five-year, $25 million contract extension, which included a $5 million signing bonus. Along with appeasing Smith, the deal locks up every key player for at least the next five seasons, except S Lee Flowers, who is hoping to sign an extension before becoming a free agent after the season.

• The Giants signed QB Kerry Collins to a two-year contract extension that will lock him up through the 2004 season. Under terms of the extension, Collins will receive a $5.85 million signing bonus, but his salary will drop to $650,000. He is slated to earn $15.4 million over the next three seasons. The move frees up about $1.2 million under the cap and allows the Giants to re-sign backup QB Jason Garrett.

Wednesday, July 24, 2002

• The Steelers have offered restricted free-agent DT Aaron Smith a new contract that is worth more than the six-year, $17.55 million deal given to LB Joey Porter, in hopes of having Smith in training camp on time.

• Free-agent WR Antonio Freeman is mulling over his options as negotiations continue with the Eagles. The 30-year-old is familiar with the West Coast offense run by the Eagles and could serve as a mentor for second-year WR Freddie Mitchell in Philadelphia. He also knows Eagles head coach Andy Reid from their time together in Green Bay.

• The Saints have signed free-agent RB Terry Allen to a one-year contract. The amount is believed to be at the veteran’s minimum of $750,000.

• A day after visiting the Texans, former Dolphins DT Daryl Gardener is expected to visit the Lions, who are looking for depth behind DTs Shaun Rogers and Luther Elliss, both of whom are returning from injuries.

Tuesday, July 23, 2002

• The Saints have agreed to terms with Ravens unrestricted free-agent RB Terry Allen on a one-year contract, reuniting the 12-year veteran with his former team. He is expected to provide a proven performer in the backfield behind starter Deuce McAllister, while also serving as a mentor to the second-year pro. Allen played in 11 games and started eight for the Ravens last season after Jamal Lewis was lost for the season in training camp. Allen played for the Saints in 1999, when the Saints’ backfield was decimated by injuries. He left a favorable impression on the club when he helped fuel the Saints’ surge to the NFC West title. New Orleans head coach Jim Haslett praised Allen’s ability to protect the football and push for extra yardage.

• The Eagles have made a strong push to agree to terms with former Packers WR Antonio Freeman. Eagles head coach Andy Reid spoke with Freeman for an extended period Monday. Reid was an assistant coach with the Packers for much of Freeman’s tenure with the club. More than any other team, the Eagles have plenty of room available under the cap to offer Freeman the type of deal he is seeking. Eagles’ fans have criticized the team for not being more aggressive in the free-agent market. Signing Freeman could appease fans, but more importantly, give QB Donovan McNabb another dangerous target — a weapon that could give the Eagles the firepower needed to push past the Rams in the NFC.

• A week after visiting with coaches in Jacksonville, former Bengals WR Darnay Scott reached a contract agreement with the team on a one-year, $650,000 contract. The contract is for the league minimum for an eight-year veteran and does not include a signing bonus. Scott, 30, becomes the third veteran free agent wideout the Jaguars have signed this offseason, joining Bobby Shaw from Pittsburgh and Patrick Johnson from Baltimore. Scott is expected to compete for the starting spot opposite Jimmy Smith, which was vacated by Keenan McCardell. The Falcons, Packers and Patriots were the other teams vying for Scott’s services.

• Cardinals unrestricted free-agent TE Terry Hardy doesn’t have much of chance to re-sign with the Cardinals with four tight ends currently on their roster, but the four-year veteran is still working out at the team’s facility and will soon be healthy enough to play. The team has remained interested in signing Broncos unrestricted free-agent S Eric Brown as a backup, but Brown wants more than the veteran minimum salary of $525,000 that the club is offering.

• Former Dolphins DT Daryl Gardener, who was waived by the Dolphins late last week, is scheduled to meet with Texans officials today. Gardener is scheduled to undergo a physical exam with questions lingering about his health after having back surgery.

• The Packers claimed DB Todd Franz off waivers from the Jets last week. The 26-year-old played in NFL Europe this offseason and has also had stints with the Browns, Saints and Detroit since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Lions.

• Packers DE Vonnie Holiday is frustrated that the team has not been more willing to re-negotiate a contract extension after signing free-agent DE Joe Johnson to a six-year, $33 million deal during the offseason that included $6.5 million in bonuses. He insists the team assured him that the final year of his five-year, $5.568 million contract — which will pay Holiday $696,000 this season — would be torn up after four years so he wouldn’t have to play for such a minimal salary.

• With two days before training camp opens for the Ravens, the team is not likely to reach contract extensions for LBs Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware before camp begins. Lewis is scheduled to earn $4.75 million in each of his last two seasons while Boulware is slated to earn $4.3 million this year, the last of his contract. Lewis is seeking a bonus in the vicinity of $20 million while Boulware is seeking a deal similar to that of Miami DE Jason Taylor, who signed a six-year, $42 million contract, which included a $9 million signing bonus. Head coach Brian Billick said negotiations would be mute after camp opens, which may not bode well for Boulware. The team has discussed the possibility of slapping the franchise tag on him, which would give him a one-year deal equal to the average salary of the league’s five highest-paid players at his position, if a contract extension cannot be reached in due time.

• The Saints signed free-agent WR Michael Lewis to a one-year contract Monday. Lewis is a former beer truck driver who never played college football and started his football career with semi-pro and Arena League teams before joining the Saints last season. Sometimes referred to by fans as "Beer Man," Lewis played in eight games in 2001 and was second on the team with 32 kickoff returns for 762 yards. He was assigned to the practice squad because he was prone to fumbling, a problem that coaches feel he has corrected.

Monday, July 22, 2002

• The Saints are expected to sign Ravens unrestricted free-agent RB Terry Allen today after he recently visited the team. Allen, who led the Ravens with 658 yards rushing last season in place of the injured Jamal Lewis, played for the Saints late in the 2000 season.

• The Dolphins released injury-prone DL Daryl Gardener Friday, shortly after acquiring DL Jay Williams from the Panthers. Gardener, who has a history of back problems, was in danger of forfeiting a $200,000 bonus because he has missed a pre-determined number of offseason workouts. He also did not return phone calls from coaches and clashed with head coach Dave Wannstedt. In exchange for Williams, the Dolphins sent DE Al Wallace and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft to the Panthers. Gardener’s agent, Neil Schwartz, said the six-year veteran has been trying to resolve some personal issues the last six weeks and was prepared for training camp. Six teams have expressed interest in the former first-round pick since he was released, according to Schwartz. Likely suitors include the Bills, Packers, Bengals, Broncos, Seahawks and Ravens.

• Steelers restricted free-agent DE Aaron Smith, a two-year starter who has rapidly developed into the team’s best defensive lineman, has not signed a one-year, $1,227,000 offer he was tendered in February. If Smith does not agree on a new contract before Wednesday — the first day of training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe — Smith will not report with the other veterans and rookies. Smith’s agent, Peter Schaffer, is hoping to negotiate a new contract for Smith that is similar to the deal the Steelers awarded OLB Joey Porter after he was tendered the same one-year offer as a restricted free agent. If Smith does not get a new contract, his only option is to sign the tender and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2002 season.

• Former Ravens DT Sam Adams is waiting for Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren to return from vacations before making a decision on where to play. The Broncos are believed to have more money on the table although the Seahawks provide Adams the chance to play near home. He is not excited about the terms of the contract offered by the Bengals, even though they have the most lucrative deal on the table, believed to be worth as much as $9 million over three years. Instead, he is expected to sign a one-year deal worth a little more than $1 million with either the Broncos or Seahawks.

• The Ravens, Eagles, Seahawks and Chiefs are believed to be interested in acquiring former Packers WR Antonio Freeman. Freeman is seeking a chance to start for a playoff contender and would like to sign a deal for more than the veteran’s minimum. The Ravens should provide Freeman with the best chance of starting but are in a state of disarray with all of their salary-cap troubles and would not be able to give him the money he is seeking. The Eagles are a playoff contender but likely would not offer Freeman a chance to start with Todd Pinkston and James Thrash in the lineup. The Seahawks are set at wide receiver with Koren Robinson and Darrell Jackson. Eagles head coach Andy Reid and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren are both familiar with Freeman from their time in Green Bay. Freeman could take Robinson under his wings in Seattle and provide the extra depth the team needs to spark their passing game. The Eagles, however, have the most room under the cap and could afford to sign Freeman to a lucrative deal. The Chiefs made a huge commitment to Johnnie Morton in the offseason and have Eddie Kennison and Snoop Minnis on the other side.

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

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2001 - 2002 Season