Friday, June 28, 2002

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

LB Ayi strengthens Rams' special teams

The Rams acquired LB Kole Ayi from the New England Patriots for an undisclosed draft pick earlier this week. Ayi, 24, played one game on special teams with the Patriots last season and spent most of it on injured reserve.

Buchsbaum: The Patriots’ deal of Ayi back to the Rams is a move that received very little publicity. In fact, it hardly made the agate in the newspaper. However, while Ayi is hardly a household name, this trade could be a good deal for the Rams. Ayi was a free-agent linebacker from Massachusetts that the Rams signed last year. At the time they released him, he was one of their best special-teams players. Unfortunately for the Rams, their special teams were not so good with Ayi and were worse after he left until the end of the year, when head coach Mike Martz started inserting more and more starters onto special-teams units. The return of Ayi gives the Rams two things. One, it gives them a solid special-teams player whom their special-teams coach coveted. And two, it gives them some depth at linebacker since they have lost a number of linebackers during the offseason.

Titans hope incentives motivate Kearse

The Titans have agreed to a set of performance-based incentives this season for DE Jevon Kearse. The incentives come in the next-to-last year of Kearse's contract. Agent Drew Rosenhaus approached the Titans about a new deal, but the team won't negotiate until the end of the coming season. In the meantime, the incentives package gives Kearse the opportunity to earn another $1 million to $2 million if he has a phenomenal season.

Buchsbaum: The Titans did a smart thing by giving Kearse added money in the form of incentives. Kearse will have to earn almost all the money he will make, but this will give him a contract that makes him much happier and allow the team to stay under their guidelines of not renegotiating contracts with less than one year remaining. Kearse came into the league and looked like the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel. He appeared to have the tools not only to be a great player, but a once-in-a-lifetime, Lawrence Taylor type of player as a rookie. The past two years, he has played very well, perhaps even at a Pro Bowl level. However, he has not developed into the super player the Titans and most other experts felt he would be. Perhaps this new deal will help him realize his phenomenal ability level, because he does get major incentive money for every sack he records over 10. With his speed, athleticism, long arms, great jumping ability, agility, natural strength and the coaching of Jim Washburn, there is no reason why a player like Kearse cannot threaten Michael Strahan’s sack record next season.

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