Friday, May 3, 2002

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

Ravens sign OT Spears

The Ravens signed former Chiefs ORT Marcus Spears on Thursday. Spears, 30, started all 16 games for the Chiefs last season, including 11 at right tackle. The Chiefs, who recently acquired ex-Pro Bowl OT Willie Roaf from the Saints, would have used Spears as a backup to John Tait. Spears joined the Ravens because he has a chance to start. The 6-foot-4, 312-pound Spears has played with the Bears and the Chiefs during his eight-year NFL career.

Buchsbaum: Marcus Spears was a big addition to the Ravens at right offensive tackle. Spears, a former second-round bust with the Bears, found himself in Kansas City, where he was a solid backup for a couple of years and started two years. Then last year, he finally got a chance to start, first at left guard and then at right tackle, and more than held his own. He’s a good athlete with good feet but is not the most aggressive run blocker in the world. However, he is a major upgrade over what the Ravens currently have at right tackle and should help them a lot. With the loss of Spears, who was projected to go back to guard for Kansas City this year, the Chiefs are very thin on the offensive line and also do not have quality depth at the OT position.

Patriots release TE Wiggins

TE Jermaine Wiggins, who caught the pass that set up Adam Vinatieri's Super Bowl-winning field goal, was waived Thursday by the New England Patriots. Wiggins caught 14 passes in the regular season last year but had 10 in the snow-covered playoff game against Oakland to help the Patriots advance to the AFC title game. In the Super Bowl, he had two more catches, including a six-yard reception one play before Tom Brady spiked the ball to stop the clock with seven seconds left. Without Wiggins, the Patriots still have five tight ends, having signed free agents Christian Fauria and Cam Cleeland and drafted Daniel Graham in the first round. They will face competition from last year's draft picks, Jabari Holloway and Arther Love.

Buchsbaum: The Patriots did Wiggins a favor by cutting him now instead of bringing him to camp. With the tight ends they added, he had almost no chance of making the team, and this way he can shop himself around before training camp and find the best fit for him. While Wiggins did catch a lot of big passes at the end of last year, he is not a good blocker and he lacks speed as a receiver.

Chargers bolster O-line with OG Hallen

The Chargers sought to upgrade their offensive line by signing OG Bob Hallen away from the Falcons. Hallen, who started 12-of-15 games for the Falcons last year, was signed to a two-year deal. All of Hallen’s starts for the Falcons in 2001 came at left guard. He has played right guard and left tackle in his career. Hallen, a 6-4, 295-pounder, is a veteran of four NFL seasons (1998-2001), all with Atlanta. He has started 31 of the 59 regular-season games in his career.

Buchsbaum: The Chargers got some stopgap assistance in OG Bob Hallen, the former Falcons second-round pick. Hallen never panned out in Atlanta and appeared to lack playing strength, but with new Chargers offensive line coach Hudson Houck working with him, miracles could be possible because Houck is one of the finest OL coaches in the game.

Texans add Prentice to backfield

After being waived by the Vikings, RB Travis Prentice was claimed by the Texans. The 5-foot-11, 221-pound Prentice played in 14 games for the Vikings last season, gaining 14 yards on 13 carries. He caught one pass for 10 yards. Prentice was a third-round pick of the Browns in the 2000 draft and rushed for 512 yards and seven touchdowns on 173 carries as a rookie. He was traded last September to the Vikings. Prentice set an NCAA career record at Miami (Ohio) with 468 points, 73 rushing touchdowns and 78 total touchdowns.

Buchsbaum: The Texans took a long-shot flier on Prentice, who never panned out with Minnesota or Cleveland. Prentice was a very productive running back in college but never really found his niche in the pros, or at least hasn’t until now. However, he is still young, he is relatively healthy and he has good speed to go with above-average size.

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2001 - 2002 Season