Thursday, June 6, 2002

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

Texans show interest in LB Mitchell

Keith Mitchell was released by the Saints to avoid taking a $2.35 million cap hit this season. The Texas A&M product and 2000 NFL Pro Bowler with New Orleans, visited Houston Wednesday in his search for a new team after being cut loose. Texans head coach Dom Capers would use Mitchell in his 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker and Mitchell would like to move into a lineup that already includes LBs Jamie Sharper, Allen Aldridge and Kailee Wong. Mitchell was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Saints after the ’00 season when he had 6.5 sacks and returned two fumbles for touchdowns. His playing time dropped and he had just 1.5 sacks last year.

Buchsbaum: Two years ago, when the Saints played to Keith Mitchell’s strengths and used him basically as a featured pass rusher and as an outside linebacker who very rarely had to drop into coverage, he had a Pro Bowl year and was an impact player. Last year, after the return of Charlie Clemons at middle linebacker, Clemons assumed the role of pass rusher, and the Saints asked Mitchell to cover. He was completely lost in that role. That has been his history dating back to his days at Texas A&M. Thus, it was no surprise that the Saints decided to release Mitchell in a salary-cap-related move after June 1. The team that makes the most sense for him to join is the Houston Texans. They play in his backyard, since he attended A&M, plus they play a defensive scheme that is very well suited for his talents. In that 3-4 front, one of the linebackers is used basically as a pass rusher, which would be the ideal role for him to fill. If I were Mitchell, I would offer to play for the NFL minimum and incentives, just to get back into a scheme that allows him to play to the best of his ability. He also could work a little bit harder on pass coverage.

Jaguars sign pair of offensive linemen

Free agent OG Daryl Terrell, who played the last three seasons with the Saints, signed with Jacksonville on Wednesday. Terrell, 27, appeared in 45 games with New Orleans, including every game the last two seasons. He started nine games at tackle last season in place of the injured Willie Roaf and one game at guard. He played two years at Southern Mississippi.

Buchsbaum: Jacksonville, which is very thin on the offensive line, made a couple of good signings by bringing in Kevin Long, the Titans’ former starting center, for the NFL minimum, and Daryl Terrell, who was lost at left tackle with the Saints last year but still has a chance to make it as a guard or right tackle. Both were NFL minimum workers. Long appears to be the best investment in that he is just 27 years old and started for a team that went to the Super Bowl. The knock against him is that he doesn’t have great playing strength, and he doesn’t look pretty doing things, but the bottom line is that he generally gets the job done.

Rams bolster O-line with Irwin

The St. Louis Rams signed free-agent OG Heath Irwin to a one-year contract Tuesday. In six NFL seasons, Irwin, a 6-foot-4, 301-pounder, has started in 24 of his 73 career games, including the final seven games of the 2001 season for the Miami Dolphins. The nephew of professional golfer Hale Irwin was drafted by New England from Colorado in 1996 and played four seasons for the Patriots before moving to Miami in 2000. He has played both guard positions and center.

Buchsbaum: The St. Louis Rams, who have very little experience among their backups on the offensive line, signed former Dolphins and Patriots OL Heath Irwin, who was considered an adequate starting NFL guard at one point. Irwin’s career has not progressed as people felt it would, but he is a good athlete with good size who also might be able to fill in at offensive tackle.

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