StarMan
11-19-2004, 10:37 PM
Most of the projections about whether Bill Parcells will return to the Dallas Cowboys in '05 is wasted time because, truth be told, no one really knows. Perhaps not even Parcells at this point. And if he does, his cadre of confidants is so selective and so loyal, no one is about to let The Tuna out of the bag. But the guess, and we stress guess is that Parcells will coach at least one more season and that there's a decent chance he honors all four years of his contract. As for some of his assistants, well, there figures to be a pretty significant housecleaning after this season. Word is that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who had the Nebraska head coaching job in his hip pocket last fall but then was sweet-talked into staying with the Cowboys by Parcells and owner Jerry Jones, will listen to college offers again. Top-ranked in the league in 2004, the Dallas defense has dropped all the way to No. 28 this season. The Cowboys, who allowed just 260 points all of last season, have already surrendered 252 points in nine games this year. Obviously, Zimmer is not solely culpable for such dramatic slippage. But this has been a difficult season for he and his unit and there have been suggestions that the Cowboys will, in 2005, become the latest defense to switch to a 3-4 "base" front, an alignment they used extensively in the Monday night loss to the Eagles. Some position assistants, such an offensive line mentor George Warhop, could be replaced in 2005. Of course, getting back to Parcells' plans for 2005, there is this caveat: If he is perceived as a short-timer, Parcells might have problems attracting fresh assistants, who might fear he will retire after 2005, perhaps leaving them without jobs.
While the Bears couldn't finish a contract extension with right defensive end Alex Brown before last month's deadline for counting part of any signing bonus as base salary for 2004, sources tell ESPN.com that Chicago officials continue to work on a new deal for the standout third-year veteran. The preference is to get Brown signed to a long-term contract rather than just make him a restricted free agent qualifying offer next spring. Even if the Bears tendered Brown the highest-level qualifying offer, he might still draw interest from some teams, and Chicago would just as soon eliminate any chances that he would depart. The former University of Florida standout has five sacks the last two weeks. His sack of Tennessee quarterback Billy Volek last week forced the safety that provided the Bears an overtime victory. Even before his hot streak, when he had just one sack in the first seven outings of the season, Brown was having a standout year. He has bulked up to about 275 pounds, is playing the run much better than in his first two years, and plays with an incredibly high energy level.
We don't want to take our media friends in South Florida to task because, Lord knows, we've used similar techniques, too, in the past 27 years of covering the league. But was there a story more over-hyped last week than the report that Mike Martz of St. Louis and Seattle's Mike Holmgren could be interested in the Miami Dolphins head coaching job? Notice, we didn't include the guy in Denver in the "Open Mike" casting call, since it's still our belief that Mike Shanahan was probably the source of an NFL Network report that he might be a candidate in Miami if things went poorly for the Broncos over the second half of the season. But here's how these coaching stories gain a life of their own and, frankly, why other media outlets should be more prudent before citing them. An enterprising reporter calls someone close to Holmgren and Martz, say, their agents, Bob Lamont and Frank Bauer, respectively. He poses the pertinent question of whether their clients might be interested in the Dolphins job if, by chance, they lose their current gigs. And the agent does what all good agents do, by conceding that, yeah, it's a situation that their clients would have to consider. Be honest here. When is the last time you heard the representative for a coach, or an unrestricted free agent player for that matter, publicly suggest his client wouldn't be interested in gainful employment. So the reporter has a story, a headline, a happy editor. A couple days later, the coaches deny the report and, boom, another headline. It's a traditional, create-the-news cycle inherent to almost every coaching search. It keeps the story alive and the readers interested. But the odds that either Holmgren or Martz will be on the sidelines at Pro Player Stadium in '05 are, indeed, long ones. Long before St. Louis president John Shaw debunked the Martz rumors this week, we were hearing the Rams coach is safe for 2005, no matter what transpires the rest of this season. And the Seahawks, while slumping and more flawed than was originally imagined, still figure to win the NFC West because of a favorable schedule, meaning Holmgren probably is going nowhere.
Interesting (and incredibly premature) and ironic observation from Seahawks tailback Shaun Alexander this week, noting that he wouldn't mind playing in South Florida in 2005 if the Seahawks don't sign him to a contract extension. Interesting because, last time we checked, the Seahawks were still in the playoff hunt, and Alexander, eligible for unrestricted free agency, ought to have that uppermost in his mind. Ironic because, as reported here in the past, the Seahawks floated Alexander's name to the Dolphins this summer, in the days after the abrupt retirement of Ricky Williams. Those trade talks never got serious, but one Miami official was flabbergasted that the Seahawks even made the phone call. He shouldn't have been. His recent output aside -- Alexander has rushed for 531 yards in the three weeks since Mike Holmgren decided his quarterback-driven offense needed more balance -- some Seattle coaches still think their tailback isn't a tough enough runner. The Seahawks will make Alexander a solid offer to return, might even use the "franchise" designation to retain his rights, but won't break the bank with a long-term contract proposal.
Look for tailback Dorsey Levens, even at age 34, to become an increasing factor in the Philadelphia Eagles offense the rest of this season. Levens carried 12 times for 73 yards in his team's Monday night victory at Dallas. He demonstrated that his conditioning is back -- remember, he wasn't in camp with any team this summer, and was signed only after injuries depleted the Philadelphia depth chart -- and that he can handle maybe 10-12 "touches" per game. The 73 rushing yards represented the most for Levens since he had 74 yards on 24 rushes in a Sept. 17, 2000 game, while with the Packers. Ironically, Green Bay defeated the Eagles, in Veterans Stadium, that day. Between that game, and this past Monday night's contest, Levens appeared in 53 contests and averaged an anemic 19.9 yards per outing. Right now, though, with Brian Westbrook still fighting through a chest injury and Reno Mahe likely to be sidelined a few weeks by a high ankle sprain, Levens is certainly important in the Philadelphia offense.
This time a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings defense had 20 takeaways and was a plus-11 in the all important takeaway-turnover differential department. Through the first nine games of the 2004 season, the Vikings are minus-1 in turnover differential and have only 10 takeaways. Most glaring is that a secondary that registered 28 interceptions in 2003 has but four pickoffs this season. Free safety Brian Russell, who tied for the NFL lead in interceptions last season, with nine, had one theft each in the first six games of 2003. In the 19 games since, he has just three interceptions, none this year. Head coach Mike Tice has always hinted that Russell wasn't as good a player as his numbers indicated, and that he was seeking an alternative at free safety. This week, third-year veteran Willie Offord, who has vied for the starting job in the past, got increased snaps in practice. He hasn't ousted Russell from the top of the depth chart yet, but a change could be coming.
With all his accomplishments, Joe Gibbs is deserving of tons of respect. But when the Washington Redskins coach says things like, "I disagree with the fact it hasn't worked out," in discussing the failed tenure of quarterback Mark Brunell, you've got to wonder what universe he's working from. The Redskins, after weeks of rationalizing about the veteran quarterback, finally benched him. Problem is, they're stuck with him for a few more years, certainly through the 2005 season at least, because of his contract. If the 'Skins were to release Brunell before June 1 of next year, he would count more than $7 million against their salary cap. Waiting until after June 1 ameliorates the cap hit, but would push $6 million into the 2006 cap, when most experts who have analyzed the Washington contracts have suggested the franchise will be in trouble. The Redskins have one of the NFL's smallest scouting staffs. Heck, for a couple bucks, I could have shared with them my opinions on Brunell from seeing him in the 2003 Jacksonville camp, when he looked used-up.
And you've got to wonder, too, why Gibbs and his staff waited so long to get wide receiver Darnerian McCants on the field. The third-year veteran hadn't so much as dressed for a game until last weekend. Forced into the contest because of an injury to Rod Gardner, he had two catches for 46 yards in the closing minutes, and even Gibbs lauded his play and hinted at increased playing time. But the guy has been on the roster all year and should have played before this, especially given the lack of offense the Redskins have exhibited.
Denver coach Mike Shanahan espoused this week that the NFL will not severely alter its rules on so-called "low blocks" because every offensive line uses them. Of course, no line uses such blocks more than the Broncos, and no team has been fined as much for the "cut" blocks in which Denver has specialized for years. It's notable that the NFLPA and executive director Gene Upshaw, along with former Oakland teammate Art Shell, now a league vice president, are leading the initiative against "low blocks." Both the men, of course, are former offensive linemen and Hall of Fame members. The commissioner's office last week dispatched a memo to all 32 teams apprising them that, while the "low blocks" have become part of the game's tapestry, they will be heavily scrutinized by the influential competition committee in the offseason.
It's been a pretty miserable season in Nashville but, if there is one bright spot for the Tennessee Titans, it might be that the team seems to have finally succeeded a No. 2 wide receiver to complement the talents of "lead" receiver Derrick Mason. In his first season as a starter, Drew Bennett, who didn't even start in college at UCLA, has 39 catches for 536 yards and two touchdowns. That projects to 70 receptions for 953 yards and four scores over the course of the season. The man Bennett replaced, Justin McCareins, has struggled in his first season with the Jets, who acquired him in March for a second-round draft pick. McCareins has only 26 receptions for 373 yards. Last season, with the Titans, he posted 47 catches for 813 yards. Bennett's numbers project out nicely. Better, in fact, than the averages statistics for No. 2 wideouts leaguewide in both 2003 and 2002.
Falcons defensive "under" tackle Rod Coleman was fretting this week that he might not be a candidate for Pro Bowl honors because of the three games he missed due to injury after his one-car accident on Oct. 16. Normally, when a player misses a significant part of the season, it is a factor in Pro Bowl balloting. But in his first year in Atlanta, Coleman has made such a graphic difference in the Falcons defense, that he not only merits Pro Bowl consideration but might be tabbed the best unrestricted free agent acquisition of the year. In case you missed these numbers in the "Morning After" column on Monday, they bear repeating. Coleman has six sacks in six appearances this year and is tied for the sack lead among interior linemen. In the six games Coleman played, the Falcons have allowed an average of 276.5 yards and 13.3 points, totaled 25 sacks and registered 12 takeaways. Four times in those games, the defense held opponents to less than 300 yards, and three times the Falcons unit permitted fewer than 250 yards. Atlanta didn't permit more than 20 points in any of those contests. In the three games Coleman missed, the defense surrendered an average of 475.0 yards and 34.7 points, recorded one measly sack and five takeaways. Opponents scored 20 or more points in all three of those outings and that included 84 points the past two weeks.
Safeties first: Several scouts to whom we speak on a regular basis opined this week that Dallas star Roy Williams might be the most overrated safety in the league right now. Upon reviewing the Monday night loss to the Eagles, they may have a point. Williams is a terror when he's "in the box," close to the line of scrimmage, but has been a liability in pass coverage. "He's lost out there," said one NFC personnel director. On the flip side, the scouts praised the improvement of Pittsburgh Steelers second-year strong safety Troy Polamalu, a guy some scouts never figured would be good in coverage. The former first-round draft pick has four interceptions, though, has flourished in the complicated scheme of coordinator Dick LeBeau, and is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
To those who suggested that the New York Giants will be forced to use more two-man patterns, and increased "max" blocking schemes, to protect Eli Manning in his first start this weekend: Take a look at the tapes from the first nine games of the year. No team has run more two-man patterns than the Giants and Tom Coughlin went to extremes to try to insulate Kurt Warner. It's not the schemes, but rather the performance, of the Giants that has to change. And that includes the blitz pickup performance of Tiki Barber, who hasn't been particularly strong in that department. It will help, too, if Manning gets rid of the ball quicker than Warner did.
Punts: Despite this train wreck of a season, the Carolina coaches have been pleased with the recent work of wide receivers Keary Colbert and Muhsin Muhammad. Colbert, a second-round pick, has 31 catches for 510 yards and is demonstrating more big-play skills than anticipated. Muhammad has come up big of late but almost certainly will not be back in 2005 because of age and salary cap considerations. Muhammad, though, is creating a little bit of a market for himself in free agency next spring. Not a big-money market, but a decent one. ... Opponents feel that part of the problem with the Kansas City defense is the play of veteran safeties Greg Wesley and Jerome Woods. The Chiefs signed both players to extensions this summer. ... All that talk about "fresh legs" when Baltimore tailback Jamal Lewis returned from his two-game suspension. The Ravens star has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry in the two games since his return. ... New England wide receiver David Givens has 42 catches and 39 have resulted in first downs. ... Jets coach Herm Edwards and his staff deserve to be taken to task for the shoddy clock work at the end of regulation play last week. But such poor time management is rampant in the league. ... Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis was ripped in some quarters for this year's draft picks, but the Bengals have four rookies in their "nickel" defensive package now, and all of them are playing well.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .
While the Bears couldn't finish a contract extension with right defensive end Alex Brown before last month's deadline for counting part of any signing bonus as base salary for 2004, sources tell ESPN.com that Chicago officials continue to work on a new deal for the standout third-year veteran. The preference is to get Brown signed to a long-term contract rather than just make him a restricted free agent qualifying offer next spring. Even if the Bears tendered Brown the highest-level qualifying offer, he might still draw interest from some teams, and Chicago would just as soon eliminate any chances that he would depart. The former University of Florida standout has five sacks the last two weeks. His sack of Tennessee quarterback Billy Volek last week forced the safety that provided the Bears an overtime victory. Even before his hot streak, when he had just one sack in the first seven outings of the season, Brown was having a standout year. He has bulked up to about 275 pounds, is playing the run much better than in his first two years, and plays with an incredibly high energy level.
We don't want to take our media friends in South Florida to task because, Lord knows, we've used similar techniques, too, in the past 27 years of covering the league. But was there a story more over-hyped last week than the report that Mike Martz of St. Louis and Seattle's Mike Holmgren could be interested in the Miami Dolphins head coaching job? Notice, we didn't include the guy in Denver in the "Open Mike" casting call, since it's still our belief that Mike Shanahan was probably the source of an NFL Network report that he might be a candidate in Miami if things went poorly for the Broncos over the second half of the season. But here's how these coaching stories gain a life of their own and, frankly, why other media outlets should be more prudent before citing them. An enterprising reporter calls someone close to Holmgren and Martz, say, their agents, Bob Lamont and Frank Bauer, respectively. He poses the pertinent question of whether their clients might be interested in the Dolphins job if, by chance, they lose their current gigs. And the agent does what all good agents do, by conceding that, yeah, it's a situation that their clients would have to consider. Be honest here. When is the last time you heard the representative for a coach, or an unrestricted free agent player for that matter, publicly suggest his client wouldn't be interested in gainful employment. So the reporter has a story, a headline, a happy editor. A couple days later, the coaches deny the report and, boom, another headline. It's a traditional, create-the-news cycle inherent to almost every coaching search. It keeps the story alive and the readers interested. But the odds that either Holmgren or Martz will be on the sidelines at Pro Player Stadium in '05 are, indeed, long ones. Long before St. Louis president John Shaw debunked the Martz rumors this week, we were hearing the Rams coach is safe for 2005, no matter what transpires the rest of this season. And the Seahawks, while slumping and more flawed than was originally imagined, still figure to win the NFC West because of a favorable schedule, meaning Holmgren probably is going nowhere.
Interesting (and incredibly premature) and ironic observation from Seahawks tailback Shaun Alexander this week, noting that he wouldn't mind playing in South Florida in 2005 if the Seahawks don't sign him to a contract extension. Interesting because, last time we checked, the Seahawks were still in the playoff hunt, and Alexander, eligible for unrestricted free agency, ought to have that uppermost in his mind. Ironic because, as reported here in the past, the Seahawks floated Alexander's name to the Dolphins this summer, in the days after the abrupt retirement of Ricky Williams. Those trade talks never got serious, but one Miami official was flabbergasted that the Seahawks even made the phone call. He shouldn't have been. His recent output aside -- Alexander has rushed for 531 yards in the three weeks since Mike Holmgren decided his quarterback-driven offense needed more balance -- some Seattle coaches still think their tailback isn't a tough enough runner. The Seahawks will make Alexander a solid offer to return, might even use the "franchise" designation to retain his rights, but won't break the bank with a long-term contract proposal.
Look for tailback Dorsey Levens, even at age 34, to become an increasing factor in the Philadelphia Eagles offense the rest of this season. Levens carried 12 times for 73 yards in his team's Monday night victory at Dallas. He demonstrated that his conditioning is back -- remember, he wasn't in camp with any team this summer, and was signed only after injuries depleted the Philadelphia depth chart -- and that he can handle maybe 10-12 "touches" per game. The 73 rushing yards represented the most for Levens since he had 74 yards on 24 rushes in a Sept. 17, 2000 game, while with the Packers. Ironically, Green Bay defeated the Eagles, in Veterans Stadium, that day. Between that game, and this past Monday night's contest, Levens appeared in 53 contests and averaged an anemic 19.9 yards per outing. Right now, though, with Brian Westbrook still fighting through a chest injury and Reno Mahe likely to be sidelined a few weeks by a high ankle sprain, Levens is certainly important in the Philadelphia offense.
This time a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings defense had 20 takeaways and was a plus-11 in the all important takeaway-turnover differential department. Through the first nine games of the 2004 season, the Vikings are minus-1 in turnover differential and have only 10 takeaways. Most glaring is that a secondary that registered 28 interceptions in 2003 has but four pickoffs this season. Free safety Brian Russell, who tied for the NFL lead in interceptions last season, with nine, had one theft each in the first six games of 2003. In the 19 games since, he has just three interceptions, none this year. Head coach Mike Tice has always hinted that Russell wasn't as good a player as his numbers indicated, and that he was seeking an alternative at free safety. This week, third-year veteran Willie Offord, who has vied for the starting job in the past, got increased snaps in practice. He hasn't ousted Russell from the top of the depth chart yet, but a change could be coming.
With all his accomplishments, Joe Gibbs is deserving of tons of respect. But when the Washington Redskins coach says things like, "I disagree with the fact it hasn't worked out," in discussing the failed tenure of quarterback Mark Brunell, you've got to wonder what universe he's working from. The Redskins, after weeks of rationalizing about the veteran quarterback, finally benched him. Problem is, they're stuck with him for a few more years, certainly through the 2005 season at least, because of his contract. If the 'Skins were to release Brunell before June 1 of next year, he would count more than $7 million against their salary cap. Waiting until after June 1 ameliorates the cap hit, but would push $6 million into the 2006 cap, when most experts who have analyzed the Washington contracts have suggested the franchise will be in trouble. The Redskins have one of the NFL's smallest scouting staffs. Heck, for a couple bucks, I could have shared with them my opinions on Brunell from seeing him in the 2003 Jacksonville camp, when he looked used-up.
And you've got to wonder, too, why Gibbs and his staff waited so long to get wide receiver Darnerian McCants on the field. The third-year veteran hadn't so much as dressed for a game until last weekend. Forced into the contest because of an injury to Rod Gardner, he had two catches for 46 yards in the closing minutes, and even Gibbs lauded his play and hinted at increased playing time. But the guy has been on the roster all year and should have played before this, especially given the lack of offense the Redskins have exhibited.
Denver coach Mike Shanahan espoused this week that the NFL will not severely alter its rules on so-called "low blocks" because every offensive line uses them. Of course, no line uses such blocks more than the Broncos, and no team has been fined as much for the "cut" blocks in which Denver has specialized for years. It's notable that the NFLPA and executive director Gene Upshaw, along with former Oakland teammate Art Shell, now a league vice president, are leading the initiative against "low blocks." Both the men, of course, are former offensive linemen and Hall of Fame members. The commissioner's office last week dispatched a memo to all 32 teams apprising them that, while the "low blocks" have become part of the game's tapestry, they will be heavily scrutinized by the influential competition committee in the offseason.
It's been a pretty miserable season in Nashville but, if there is one bright spot for the Tennessee Titans, it might be that the team seems to have finally succeeded a No. 2 wide receiver to complement the talents of "lead" receiver Derrick Mason. In his first season as a starter, Drew Bennett, who didn't even start in college at UCLA, has 39 catches for 536 yards and two touchdowns. That projects to 70 receptions for 953 yards and four scores over the course of the season. The man Bennett replaced, Justin McCareins, has struggled in his first season with the Jets, who acquired him in March for a second-round draft pick. McCareins has only 26 receptions for 373 yards. Last season, with the Titans, he posted 47 catches for 813 yards. Bennett's numbers project out nicely. Better, in fact, than the averages statistics for No. 2 wideouts leaguewide in both 2003 and 2002.
Falcons defensive "under" tackle Rod Coleman was fretting this week that he might not be a candidate for Pro Bowl honors because of the three games he missed due to injury after his one-car accident on Oct. 16. Normally, when a player misses a significant part of the season, it is a factor in Pro Bowl balloting. But in his first year in Atlanta, Coleman has made such a graphic difference in the Falcons defense, that he not only merits Pro Bowl consideration but might be tabbed the best unrestricted free agent acquisition of the year. In case you missed these numbers in the "Morning After" column on Monday, they bear repeating. Coleman has six sacks in six appearances this year and is tied for the sack lead among interior linemen. In the six games Coleman played, the Falcons have allowed an average of 276.5 yards and 13.3 points, totaled 25 sacks and registered 12 takeaways. Four times in those games, the defense held opponents to less than 300 yards, and three times the Falcons unit permitted fewer than 250 yards. Atlanta didn't permit more than 20 points in any of those contests. In the three games Coleman missed, the defense surrendered an average of 475.0 yards and 34.7 points, recorded one measly sack and five takeaways. Opponents scored 20 or more points in all three of those outings and that included 84 points the past two weeks.
Safeties first: Several scouts to whom we speak on a regular basis opined this week that Dallas star Roy Williams might be the most overrated safety in the league right now. Upon reviewing the Monday night loss to the Eagles, they may have a point. Williams is a terror when he's "in the box," close to the line of scrimmage, but has been a liability in pass coverage. "He's lost out there," said one NFC personnel director. On the flip side, the scouts praised the improvement of Pittsburgh Steelers second-year strong safety Troy Polamalu, a guy some scouts never figured would be good in coverage. The former first-round draft pick has four interceptions, though, has flourished in the complicated scheme of coordinator Dick LeBeau, and is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
To those who suggested that the New York Giants will be forced to use more two-man patterns, and increased "max" blocking schemes, to protect Eli Manning in his first start this weekend: Take a look at the tapes from the first nine games of the year. No team has run more two-man patterns than the Giants and Tom Coughlin went to extremes to try to insulate Kurt Warner. It's not the schemes, but rather the performance, of the Giants that has to change. And that includes the blitz pickup performance of Tiki Barber, who hasn't been particularly strong in that department. It will help, too, if Manning gets rid of the ball quicker than Warner did.
Punts: Despite this train wreck of a season, the Carolina coaches have been pleased with the recent work of wide receivers Keary Colbert and Muhsin Muhammad. Colbert, a second-round pick, has 31 catches for 510 yards and is demonstrating more big-play skills than anticipated. Muhammad has come up big of late but almost certainly will not be back in 2005 because of age and salary cap considerations. Muhammad, though, is creating a little bit of a market for himself in free agency next spring. Not a big-money market, but a decent one. ... Opponents feel that part of the problem with the Kansas City defense is the play of veteran safeties Greg Wesley and Jerome Woods. The Chiefs signed both players to extensions this summer. ... All that talk about "fresh legs" when Baltimore tailback Jamal Lewis returned from his two-game suspension. The Ravens star has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry in the two games since his return. ... New England wide receiver David Givens has 42 catches and 39 have resulted in first downs. ... Jets coach Herm Edwards and his staff deserve to be taken to task for the shoddy clock work at the end of regulation play last week. But such poor time management is rampant in the league. ... Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis was ripped in some quarters for this year's draft picks, but the Bengals have four rookies in their "nickel" defensive package now, and all of them are playing well.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .