Wednesday, May 15, 2002

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

Saints sign ex-Eagle Miller

New Orleans continued to upgrade its offensive line through free agency when it signed former Eagles C Bubba Miller to a one-year contract for $650,000 that will just count as the veteran minimum against the Saints’ 2002 salary cap. Miller is returning to action this fall after missing the entire 2001 season with a broken right ankle that he suffered in the ’01 preseason. Miller, 29, started 16 games for the Eagles in ’00 and was establishing himself as a solid starting center in the league.

Buchsbaum: Sometimes in free agency, the little signings that show up in the agate pages turn out to be very meaningful and the Saints may have made one of those moves when they signed Miller. Two years ago, Miller looked like he was an adequate young center with a chance to become better than that. Then last year, he broke his ankle. The Eagles showed no interest in re-signing him because his ankle was not fully healed. For that same reason, just about everyone else in the league passed on him.

Miller got desperate and finally took the Saints’ offer, which basically amounts to the Saints counting him at the minimum against the veteran cap of $450,000. If he can regain the form he showed in 2000, he will be an upgrade over fading veteran Jerry Fontenot at center and allow the Saints to play second-round pick LeCharles Bentley at guard, completing their revamped offensive line.

Only big bucks will keep Watters from retiring

Now that Seattle has decided not to bring back Ricky Watters this fall, the 33-year-old veteran is deciding whether he wants to keep playing or retire. He has been working out in the Bay Area, where he lives, but is only willing to continue his NFL career for the right price. That means he wants a multi-million dollar deal or else he’ll retire. In a 10-year NFL career with the 49ers, Eagles and Seahawks, Watters has amassed 10,643 rushing yards and 4,248 receiving yards.

Buchsbaum: Ricky Watters has indicated that unless someone is willing to pay him like a superstar back, which he feels he still is, he will retire from the NFL. While Watters was a very good football player and very productive, he’s always been very "me" oriented and selfish. As far as a lot of people are concerned, including many of his former teammates, if he retires, it’s good riddance. Watters’ ego was always oversized and obviously still is.

Colts sign ex-Patriots TE Wiggins

New England’s talent overload at the TE position — with free-agent signings Christian Fauria and Cameron Cleeland and top draft pick Daniel Graham — left playoff hero Jermaine Wiggins out in the cold this offseason. Wiggins has now found a new home, signing with Indianapolis, which was in desperate need of a veteran backup following the departure of Ken Dilger to Tampa Bay.

Buchsbaum: The Colts have been looking for a tight end ever since letting Ken Dilger go as part of a salary-cap measure. However, it’s doubtful that Wiggins can fill Dilger’s role. While Wiggins did have a very good close to the 2001 season for the Patriots, catching a lot of passes in a crowd, the reason he’s always in a crowd is he has no speed or quickness to separate from defenders. He does have an excellent feel for the passing game and very good hands. However, as a blocker, he’s not even below average, he’s a notch below that.

In other words, it’s no equal exchange giving up Dilger for Wiggins. The Colts need to do a lot better than Wiggins if they still plan to play a two-TE offense because Wiggins basically will not be the blocking tight end that Dilger was. Their other TE Marcus Pollard is more of a receiver than a blocker.

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2001 - 2002 Season