Thursday, April 18, 2002

ProFootballWeekly.com asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in football. 

Raiders sign LB Phifer

The Raiders signed unrestricted free-agent LB Roman Phifer, an 11-year veteran who is coming off a championship with the Patriots. Phifer posted 92 tackles as a starter for the Patriots last season, his best total since 1996. He also added two sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. The former UCLA standout entered the league as a second-round selection of the Los Angeles Rams in 1991. The Raiders signed free-agent LB Gerald Dixon last week. The team is seeking to fill the losses of Elijah Alexander, who was released earlier in the offseason, and William Thomas, who is expected to retire.

Buchsbaum: The Patriots suffered a major blow when they lost OLB Roman Phifer to the Raiders. Phifer, 34, was one of the best players on New England’s defense last year and still probably has one or two good years left. The fact that he is going to a team that the Patriots played in the playoffs last year has to hurt doubly. As for the Raiders, he is an upgrade over what they have now and should be a starter. A potential problem is, if William Thomas comes back, both Thomas and Phifer are weak-side linebackers, and that could be a dilemma because neither is big enough to play on the strong side.

Bills sign LB Robinson, acquire KR Rogers

The Buffalo Bills on Wednesday signed free-agent LB Eddie Robinson and acquired RS Charlie Rogers from the expansion Texans for LB Jay Foreman. Robinson, 32, was the second-leading tackler for Tennessee last season and is reunited with Bills head coach Gregg Williams, who was the Titans’ defensive coordinator before heading to Buffalo in 2001. Williams immediately made Robinson the starter at weak-side linebacker, shipping Foreman to Houston for Rogers. In 2001, Robinson had 101 tackles, two interceptions, a sack, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Foreman, 26, started all 16 games at weak-side linebacker for the Bills last season, but Williams was seeking to upgrade the position. In Houston, he will likely start along with Jamie Sharper, who was claimed in the expansion draft, and free-agent signee Kailee Wong at linebacker. Rogers was claimed by Houston in the expansion draft, although the Texans had already claimed Pro Bowl WR-RS Jermaine Lewis.

Buchsbaum: In an interesting move, the Bills signed Eddie Robinson, who was one of Bills head coach Gregg Williams’ favorite players when he was with the Titans. Robinson will probably start on the weak side in place of Jay Foreman, whom they traded to the Texans for return specialist Charlie Rogers. Rogers is one of the better return men in the game and an explosive big-play maker, but he really didn’t have much of a place in Houston because they already have Jermaine Lewis, who may be the best return man in football. In Foreman, they are getting an outside linebacker who has the talent to play in their 3-4 defense. He was a part-time starter in Buffalo up until last year when he claimed the starting position and had an average year, playing in Buffalo’s 4-3 defense. In the past, he had played in the 3-4, like the Titans use.

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