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Tip Sheet
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
• Faneca can be had for right price: Pittsburgh officials won't trade star left guard Alan Faneca just to get rid of the six-time Pro Bowl performer who has not participated in the offseason conditioning program and skipped the first minicamp under Tomlin, but they will listen to offers and consider dealing him for the right price. Owner Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II will do just about anything they can to avoid distractions for Tomlin. And the potential training camp absence of Faneca, a team captain, qualifies as a distraction. Faneca is upset that his contract, which calls for him to earn a base salary of $3.375 million in 2007, hasn't been extended. He sees the money that lesser guards are earning now and is justifiably miffed. Beyond that, Faneca wasn't thrilled when the Steelers hired Tomlin over his former offensive line coach Russ Grimm.
The Steelers, who aren't about to start paying their guards $7 million a year just because some other misguided franchises have begun to do so, might jump if someone offered a second-rounder for Faneca this weekend. And don't be surprised if Pittsburgh chooses Auburn guard Ben Grubbs in the first round. The No. 15 slot is probably too high for Grubbs, who some feel is the second-best offensive lineman in the draft, but Pittsburgh might be able to slide back a few spots and still grab him. Grubbs is a Steelers-type player, a blue-collar, smashmouth guy who will grow into a Pro Bowl guard. The Steelers aren't in love with their other starting guard, Kendall Simmons, who is going into the final year of his contract. Coupled with the problems they are experiencing with Faneca, it could be that the Steelers will undertake a dramatic overhaul at the guard position.
• Year of the guard: Grubbs is definitely a fast riser in this draft. Yeah, he's a guard, and that means he could slip all the way out of the first round. But don't bet on it. Both New York franchises like Grubbs a lot, as do Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago. He could be a surprisingly high pick, in fact, in the opening stanza. It's an unusually good year for guards in the draft, with Arron Sears (Tennessee), Justin Blalock (Texas), Marshal Yanda (Iowa) and Josh Beekman (Boston College) all highly regarded.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Kolb among QBs making a move up draft boards
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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Every draft features its share of late risers, prospects who leapfrog up the board in the weeks preceding the lottery, sometimes enhancing their stock by two or three rounds.
But rarely has any draft included as many upwardly mobile quarterbacks as it appears this year's has. There are, of course, two certain first-round quarterbacks in JaMarcus Russell of LSU, still the favorite to be the top pick overall, and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. But there also look to be several other first-day quarterbacks, and that is a rarity of sorts, particularly since so many of them are players who only recently moved into the top three rounds on the draft boards of most franchises.
"After the really obvious guys every year at quarterback, you know, the two or three that everyone knows about, it gets down to a 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' kind of thing," said Detroit offensive coordinator Mike Martz. "You know, a personal preference thing, where not everyone agrees on a player, but one or two teams like him. There seems to be a lot of beholding this year, because it looks like there are [quarterbacks] moving up, and a lot of guys who a lot of teams seem to like."
Indeed, "the Others," as one general manager referred to the quarterback prospects outside of the first-round picks, don't appear to be lost this year.
Certainly in the past month, the stock of candidates such as Kevin Kolb (Houston), John Beck (BYU), Jeff Rowe (Nevada) and Isaiah Stanback (Washington) has skyrocketed. Lump that group in with quarterbacks who already figured to be first-day picks -- Drew Stanton (Michigan State), Trent Edwards (Stanford) and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith (Ohio State) -- and the first three rounds could produce an impressive haul.
That hasn't been the case in recent drafts.
Since 2000, the first three rounds have produced a total of just 35 quarterbacks chosen, or five per year. The second days of those seven drafts have seen 60 quarterbacks go off the board, a rate of 8.6 annually. Dating back to 1994, the first year of the seven-round draft, there have been 59 quarterbacks selected on the first day and 99 on the second. Only three times in that 13-year stretch have first-day quarterbacks outnumbered those chosen on the second day. Just once since 2000 -- last year, when there were seven quarterbacks taken in the opening three rounds and five in the final four stanzas -- have there been more first-day than second-day quarterbacks.
Noted one NFC personnel director: "We've done a lot of slumming at the position, you know, taken guys in the sixth and seventh rounds, brought them in as just hired guns for camp, and discarded them. This [draft] looks a little different. There's some quality at the front end that extends beyond just the elite guys."
Kolb in particular has made an impressive jump in the past month, and it's now possible he could be the third quarterback selected, perhaps early in the second round. There is even some speculation that a few teams might try to trade up from the second round and into the latter part of the first round to snatch the former Houston standout. Edwards, who missed considerable playing time during his Stanford career, and who simply didn't win many games in a declining program, is also drawing elevated grades.
And then there is Stanback, who suffered a Lisfranc foot sprain late last season. The former Washington standout is a very talented athlete, a player who some teams feel can contribute as a fourth or fifth wide receiver or perhaps even as a return man while he hones his skills at the quarterback position. He is among the prospects who will go earlier than anticipated in what could be a very solid year in terms of overall numbers for quarterbacks.
There were only a dozen quarterbacks chosen in the seven rounds in 2006, and this year should top that number.
Around the league
• Johnson too expensive for Falcons: It's possible that the Falcons will swing a deal that nets them wide receiver and local Georgia Tech hero Calvin Johnson, arguably the best player in the 2007 draft. Possible but not likely. As of Friday morning, the reports that Falcons owner Arthur Blank had "ordered" general manager Rich McKay to work a deal for Johnson were, according to one highly placed Falcons official, "absolutely untrue." While it is somewhat surprising that the PR-conscious Blank hasn't issued such an edict, it simply hasn't happened. For one thing, the premise of the report -- that the Falcons need Johnson, a popular guy among Atlanta fans, in order to fill the Georgia Dome -- is flawed. While attendance may begin to suffer if the Falcons keep losing and Blank keeps raising ticket prices every year, things haven't reached that point yet. Second, the Falcons have invested two recent first-round picks in wideouts, Michael Jenkins in 2004 and Roddy White in 2005, and need to give those two more time to develop.
Finally, and most important, is this reality: Take a look at the Atlanta roster and try to figure out where all this team's alleged talent is hiding. The Falcons don't have a lot of talented players, and can't afford to surrender three or more draft choices to Detroit to get into position to snag Johnson in the No. 2 slot. The Falcons dealt away coveted backup quarterback Matt Schaub to amass draft choices, and own three of the top 44 selections. That's an opportunity to add three quick contributors to a thin roster. As much as Johnson is admired in Atlanta, it would be the wrong move to meet the Lions' price for dealing up to get him. And even Blank, who would love to have a player like Johnson to market to his fan base, seems to understand that.
• Any interest in Samardzija? It will be interesting to see if any team invests even a late-round choice Sunday on former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, who was projected to be one of the top picks in this year's draft but signed a baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs last year. The contract is baseball-exclusive, which means that Samardzija can't moonlight playing football, unless, of course, he abandons his baseball career. And that isn't likely. The five-year deal could be worth up to $16.5 million and the Cubs hold a team option for two more seasons beyond the original five. Samardzija, 22, is currently pitching for the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, the Cubs' high Class-A affiliate. As of Thursday night, he had started four games and posted an 0-1 record. In 20 1/3 innings, Samardzija has surrendered 20 hits, five earned runs and eight walks, had eight strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.21. Several teams have checked in on Samardzija, but a team that drafts him this weekend would only hold his NFL rights for one year, and the former Irish star isn't apt to quit on baseball so quickly. Plus, it's a pretty deep draft at wide receiver, so teams can take receiver prospects in the late rounds who will actually be in training camp with them, and have a chance to win a roster spot.
• Smith watching Grant's deal: No one was more interested in the seven-year contract to which franchise player Charles Grant agreed on Thursday than New Orleans teammate and fellow defensive end Will Smith. The team's first-round choice in the 2004 draft, Smith is viewed around the league as a superior player to Grant. Grant's deal can be worth as much as $63 million, includes $20 million in guarantees and will pay him about $24 million in the first three seasons and just shy of $35 million in the first five years. Those numbers, rest assured, will become jumping-off points for Smith. The former Ohio State star is under contract through 2008. You can bet that, given the scope of Grant's deal, Smith isn't going to want to wait that long to get back to the negotiating table.
• 49ers not Smiley-ing: For much of the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have been shopping starting guard Justin Smiley, perhaps their most consistent offensive lineman, in trade talks. The reason: Smiley is entering the final year of his original rookie contract, with a base salary of just $510,000, and is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. San Francisco made one run late last season at negotiating a contract extension with Smiley but never came close to a deal. And given the big contracts signed by free-agent guards like Eric Steinbach, Kris Dielman, Leonard Davis and Derrick Dockery in free agency this spring, the San Francisco brass has determined it will be virtually impossible to retain Smiley if he hits the open market in 2008. So the feeling is that if the 49ers could land a solid draft pick for Smiley, it would be better than getting nothing at all if he exits following this season.
But it doesn't appear as though the 49ers will deal Smiley, a tough, blue-collar interior lineman highly regarded by several teams, during the draft. The teams that really like Smiley, among them Chicago and Baltimore, appear willing to wait until he hits the free-agent rolls next spring. For a trade to happen during the draft, the club that wanted to acquire Smiley would expect him to sign a contract extension, and the former Alabama star isn't going to be backed into negotiating a deal on the clock. In recent weeks, San Francisco coach Mike Nolan has been pumping up Smiley, telling him how much the 49ers need him to make another step forward in 2007, and how important the season is to the young guard's future. The gist of the message: Have a big year and some team, either the Niners or someone else, will pay Smiley handsomely next spring. The odds are, though, that it won't be the 49ers. Smiley, just 25, is poised to become one of the NFL's standout in-line blockers. He has started all 16 games in each of the past two seasons, on the left side in 2005 and at right guard in 2006.
• Other trade winds: The proposed trade that would have sent Chicago franchise linebacker Lance Briggs to Washington for a swap of first-round choices remains very much a long shot. But ESPN.com has confirmed that the two teams, which first discussed the trade at the NFL owners meetings last month, revisited the potential deal this week. Despite reports that four other teams had contacted the Bears about Briggs, Chicago has no other suitors for him. … There is no deadline for dealing Trent Green, but Jim Steiner, the agent for the Kansas City quarterback, noted that if his client isn't dealt over the weekend, it will be hard to trade him. Miami is the team most often linked to Green. But the Dolphins could simply wait for the Chiefs to eventually release Green, which they almost certainly would do, given his scheduled base salary of $7.2 million for 2007. … He probably won't be traded during the draft, but the strong sense around the league is that Oakland wide receiver Randy Moss will be shipped somewhere before the start of training camp. … Despite reports from the league's own network that Kansas City is shopping star tailback Larry Johnson, the Chiefs deny he is on the market. The Chiefs may be fudging a bit. But it is notable that Kansas City has not granted agent Alvin Keels permission to discuss a contract for Johnson with any other teams. Any club seeking Johnson is going to want an extension, since he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. It would be difficult, starting from scratch, to negotiate the kind of monster deal that Johnson is said to want over the weekend. … One player the Chiefs will attempt to deal during the draft is starting free safety Greg Wesley. The coaching staff wants to move a pair of second-year veterans, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page, into the starting lineup this year. Kansas City already cleared one safety spot by releasing Sammy Knight last month. … The Jets will take a low-round draft choice for wide receiver Justin McCareins or linebacker Eric Barton, whose $3 million salary in 2007 will make him difficult to trade. New York is not shopping defensive lineman Dewayne Robertson, as some have speculated. … Look for Philadelphia to dangle tailback Ryan Moats and perhaps wide receiver Greg Lewis in trade talks during the draft. … Seattle will still listen to offers for wide receiver Darrell Jackson. … The Commanders have offered cornerback Shawn Springs around, including in a proposed package to move up to Detroit's spot with the second overall selection in the draft. But the Lions didn't bite on Springs and neither has anyone else so far. … St. Louis and Denver seem to be the two teams most interested in Carolina defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, but the Panthers will keep him for another year rather than settle for what they consider less than market value for the three-time Pro Bowl performer. … The Dolphins are shopping veteran wide receiver Marty Booker.
• Thomas a character test: Eight months ago, Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas was projected as a likely first-round draft choice, perhaps a top-10 selection, and a player who scouts felt might dominate at the NFL level. This weekend, though, Thomas is regarded by many as the litmus test to see just how serious some franchises are about clearing risky character guys off their draft boards. Thomas was twice booted off the Gators' squad -- by his own admission because of positive marijuana tests -- and the team won the national championship without him. He had several other off-field indiscretions as well. Said one scout: "There are more flies buzzing around him than you'd see following a garbage truck. It's going to be interesting to see if anyone rolls the dice. [He's] got top-10 talent, for sure, but he could also cost somebody their job if he can't toe the line." It's possible that some team might risk a middle-round pick on Thomas, because the financial risk wouldn't be so profound. Other teams have claimed that Thomas is off their boards entirely.
• Dolphins waiting on Williams: Wednesday marked one year since Ricky Williams was banished by the NFL for a fourth violation of the league's substance abuse policy, and the anniversary passed without any news on the future of the erstwhile Miami tailback. As first reported by ESPN.com nearly a month ago, Williams has filed for reinstatement, and the indications are that the veteran back is in compliance with his treatment program. But there is no timetable for a decision about his possible return. Miami officials, who need a backup to starting tailback Ronnie Brown, had hoped to know of Williams' fate before the draft. It certainly doesn't look, however, like that will happen.
• Steelers cornering market: The Steelers' interest in University of Pittsburgh cornerback Darrelle Revis, whom team officials know well, since the Panthers share a practice facility with the NFL team, is pretty legitimate. But almost as compelling as the possibility that a kid from Aliquippa, Pa., could wind up playing for the team he idolized as a kid is the reclamation project that first-year head coach Mike Tomlin has taken on with veteran corner Ike Taylor. Despite possessing some of the worst hands of any cornerback in the league, Taylor, a four-year pro, was viewed as an emerging young star only a year ago, and the Steelers signed him to a new five-year, $22.5 million contract last September. By the end of the year, though, Taylor had been benched by then-coach Bill Cowher, who lost as much confidence in the right cornerback as Taylor had lost in himself. Tomlin, though, restored Taylor to the No. 1 unit in last week's minicamp, and has been working overtime to pump up the talented, young cornerback.
"I love him," a freshly motivated Taylor said of his rookie coach. "I try to talk to him every day, just to see where I'm at, just to see the little things I might need to work on. He's a hands-on guy. I couldn't ask for anything better." Tomlin is a former secondary coach and understands that Taylor can be as good as any cover defender in the league. So he's definitely not about to give up on him. Tomlin also understands that you can never have enough good corners. So while the Steelers have some solid young outside coverage guys in Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough, they wouldn't mind landing Revis, who is one of only two surefire first-round cornerbacks in this year's draft.
• Faneca can be had for right price: Pittsburgh officials won't trade star left guard Alan Faneca just to get rid of the six-time Pro Bowl performer who has not participated in the offseason conditioning program and skipped the first minicamp under Tomlin, but they will listen to offers and consider dealing him for the right price. Owner Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II will do just about anything they can to avoid distractions for Tomlin. And the potential training camp absence of Faneca, a team captain, qualifies as a distraction. Faneca is upset that his contract, which calls for him to earn a base salary of $3.375 million in 2007, hasn't been extended. He sees the money that lesser guards are earning now and is justifiably miffed. Beyond that, Faneca wasn't thrilled when the Steelers hired Tomlin over his former offensive line coach Russ Grimm.
The Steelers, who aren't about to start paying their guards $7 million a year just because some other misguided franchises have begun to do so, might jump if someone offered a second-rounder for Faneca this weekend. And don't be surprised if Pittsburgh chooses Auburn guard Ben Grubbs in the first round. The No. 15 slot is probably too high for Grubbs, who some feel is the second-best offensive lineman in the draft, but Pittsburgh might be able to slide back a few spots and still grab him. Grubbs is a Steelers-type player, a blue-collar, smashmouth guy who will grow into a Pro Bowl guard. The Steelers aren't in love with their other starting guard, Kendall Simmons, who is going into the final year of his contract. Coupled with the problems they are experiencing with Faneca, it could be that the Steelers will undertake a dramatic overhaul at the guard position.
• Year of the guard: Grubbs is definitely a fast riser in this draft. Yeah, he's a guard, and that means he could slip all the way out of the first round. But don't bet on it. Both New York franchises like Grubbs a lot, as do Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago. He could be a surprisingly high pick, in fact, in the opening stanza. It's an unusually good year for guards in the draft, with Arron Sears (Tennessee), Justin Blalock (Texas), Marshal Yanda (Iowa) and Josh Beekman (Boston College) all highly regarded.
• Safety dance for Commanders: When it comes to safeties, maybe the third time will be the charm for Washington and owner Dan Snyder. The Commanders used the fourth overall choice in the 2004 draft on safety Sean Taylor. While the former University of Miami star has performed at a Pro Bowl level at times, he still hasn't emerged as the difference maker he was supposed to be. Last year, Washington signed St. Louis unrestricted free agent Adam Archuleta to the richest safety contract in NFL history. So how'd that work out? Not even brilliant coordinator Gregg Williams could conjure up a way to use Archuleta, who became the league's richest special-teams player by the second half of the season and was traded to Chicago this spring. Now, it appears the Commanders are poised to take LSU safety LaRon Landry, maybe the premier defensive player in the draft, with the sixth overall pick. As good as Landry is projected to be, it's a bit of a luxury having two top-10 safeties, which is in part why no team has ever had such a tandem. Maybe Snyder, though, is just going to keep paying for safeties until he gets it right.
• Lots of suitors for Olsen: Look for University of Miami tight end Greg Olsen, by far the top prospect at his position, to have a lot of suitors. Carolina (No. 15) has long sought a tight end to provide it some presence in the middle of the field and will consider Olsen along with safety Reggie Nelson of Florida. The New York Jets, another team with a long history of striking out at tight end, also figure to have Olsen on their radar screen. But the one team lying in the weeds on Olsen, a franchise where he hasn't gotten much mention in projections, is Green Bay. The Packers are starting to sour on incumbent Bubba Franks, himself a former Hurricanes star, and might be looking for his replacement.
• Where will Moss grow? One of the more difficult prospects to accurately slot in this year's draft is Jarvis Moss of Florida. Just about everyone agrees Moss, who has drawn comparisons to another former Gators end, Jevon Kearse, is a first-round talent. And there is agreement that Moss, who had 15 sacks in his final two college seasons, is probably the second- or third-best pure pass-rusher in the 2007 draft pool. The conundrum: Several teams don't feel Moss can play in space as a 3-4 linebacker. And those clubs that feel Moss has to play end in a 4-3 alignment aren't certain how well he can physically anchor versus the run. Moss has a long frame (6-feet-6½ and 250 pounds at the combine), and not much body mass to him, and will get rag-dolled around at times. Of course, it's hard to overlook his 4.70 speed in the 40, his explosiveness off the edge and his great closing burst. As good a pass-rusher as teams think Moss will be, some won't want to invest a first-round pick in a guy who might only be a situational defender until he gains some weight. Fact is, there are scouts who feel that another rush-end, Anthony Spencer of Purdue, might be a tad more versatile than Moss right now.
• Kearse working hard: Speaking of Kearse, who missed all but two games last season because of a knee injury, Philadelphia officials would like to see a little more of "The Freak." Literally. Kearse, who has been working out fiendishly in an attempt to return to form, is down to 240 pounds as a result of the cardio work he's been doing, and even he acknowledges that's too light. He plans to add 20-25 pounds before training camp begins. Kearse was off to a great start in 2006, with 3½ sacks in his first two games, before he tore up his knee. The surgery was not as extensive as originally feared, and Kearse is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, but the Eagles' coaches agree it's time for him to begin adding some pounds. Kearse will turn 31 the first week of the regular season and has heard all the whispers about how he might be slowing down. Part of his motivation in working so hard to come back from the knee surgery is to prove the skeptics wrong. "I can't even talk about how bad I want to get back on the field," he told the Philadelphia Daily News this week. "I've always been a man of action. I'll let my actions speak for me."
• Ravens forced to draft QB: Miss on any first-rounder and it usually comes back to haunt a team. But miss on a first-round quarterback and the whiff is an especially painful and expensive experience. Case in point: The Baltimore Ravens and former first-round quarterback Kyle Boller, the team's top choice in the 2003 draft, and one of the few blights on the otherwise sterling résumé of general manager Ozzie Newsome. The failure of Boller to develop into a top quarterback essentially forced the Ravens to have to trade for Steve McNair last season. And now it might force Newsome to invest a high-round choice this weekend on a quarterback for the long-term future. At age 34, McNair doesn't have a lot of mileage left and there were times in 2006 when he really struggled. Boller is only 25 and should be embarking on his prime, but there are no tangible signs he is ready to be even a serviceable starter in the NFL.
It isn't likely that Newsome will use his first-round choice, the 29th overall, on a quarterback. But there are whispers that he might gamble on a prospect with whom the coaching staff is smitten. And if not a first-rounder, it's a pretty good bet the Ravens will use a first-day pick on a passer. And it all goes back to a poor judgment on Boller in 2003. Making matters even worse is that Boller is eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring, so he could leave, and the Ravens will have netted next to nothing in return for their investment in him. It's a hard lesson to learn but, in the NFL, you've got to be right when it comes to quarterbacks.
• Pats punt Sauerbrun deal: In the wake of the arbitration ruling which freed three-time Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun from the right of first refusal New England thought it held on him, the Pats can't be overly thrilled with the NFL Management Council. The Management Council is the league's labor arm and must approve all player contracts. When the Patriots signed Sauerbrun last December, after two other punters were injured, they apparently forgot to properly file the paperwork granting them the right to match any deal that Sauerbrun signed with another team this spring. The paperwork oversight was the basis of the arbitration case that set Sauerbrun free and enabled him to sign with Denver. But this question remains: When the Sauerbrun contract was submitted to the league last December, with the faulty paperwork, why didn't the Management Council catch the mistake and kick the deal back to team officials to rectify the error? Contracts just aren't rubber-stamped in the league and it's not unusual for a deal to be sent back for changes if everything isn't in order. Seems the Management Council could have been more diligent in catching the Patriots' mistake five months ago.
• Poole searching for work: Twelve-year veteran cornerback Tyrone Poole, recently released by the Raiders, still wants to play in 2007 and is hoping to catch on with some franchise. Poole has been making calls to gauge interest and a few clubs have told him they'll get back to him after the draft. Poole, 35, feels he can fill the No. 4 cornerback role on some team's roster and his preference would be to sign with Indianapolis, where he would serve as a mentor to young corners Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden and Tim Jennings. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost both starting cornerbacks from 2006, Nick Harper and Jason David, in free agency, and Poole feels he could provide some much-needed leadership. Poole was drafted into the league by Bill Polian in 1995, when the Colts' president was the Carolina general manager. When Polian moved to the Colts, he traded for Poole in 1998. A Polian-Poole reunion is a long shot at best, but the veteran cornerback is hoping the Colts will consider it.
• More on McGee decision: There was an interesting off-field occurrence this week when arbitrator Roger Kaplan ruled that Buffalo cornerback Terrence McGee owes his former agent, Terry Bolar, $100,000 in commission fees the two men have been contesting. In 2005, Bolar negotiated a contract extension for McGee and the lucrative deal included a $5 million signing bonus, with the agent scheduled to receive a 3 percent commission. After firing Bolar a short time later, however, McGee claimed that the men had signed a "side agreement" which called for the agent to receive just 1 percent. There was, however, no physical evidence to support the player's claim, and Kaplan ruled that McGee must pay 3 percent of the signing bonus and also of his base salaries.
"It gives me room now to move forward with my business," said Bolar, a veteran agent. "They unfairly tried to destroy me, my reputation and my livelihood. But we negotiated a great contract and now we're going to be paid as we should have been." What makes the ruling compelling is that there are rampant rumors that several prospects in this year's draft class, including one player projected in the top five, have such "side deals" with agents. The top-five player rumored to have signed an under-the-table agreement to pay his agent only 1 percent has reportedly bragged to friends and former teammates about the deal, which violates NFL Players Association rules for what is known as the Standard Representation Agreement, a document that must be filed with the union. We noted the alleged existence of the side deals several weeks ago. Not surprisingly, however, it doesn't appear the NFLPA has much interest in investigating possible violations.
• How 'bout some privacy: There are a lot of players in this year's draft who will turn out to be fakes on the field. Offensive tackle Joe Thomas of Wisconsin, of course, isn't one of them. Thomas is seen as one of the safest picks in the entire draft, a guy who figures to go off the board in the top five, and who should develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle. That doesn't mean Thomas hasn't been a little disingenuous. Remember how he was praised for turning down the NFL's invitation to attend the draft because he wanted to spend the weekend on his annual salmon fishing trip with his father? Pretty admirable, for sure. Now comes word that the NFL Network plans to mount a camera on Thomas' fishing boat, to capture his live reactions when he is selected in the first round. If Thomas was so hell-bent on some private time with his dad, he should have told the NFL Network he didn't want to be part of the gimmickry. Now that would have been admirable.
• A Halberstam memory: How admirable was the generosity of author David Halberstam -- who died earlier this week in an automobile accident in the Bay Area -- even to young hacks he didn't know? It has nothing to do with football, but indulge me this memory and appreciation of my lone, long-distance encounter with the man: On Oct. 26, 1986, the phone rang in my Indianapolis apartment and it was Halberstam returning a desperate message I had left with his publisher. Mind you, it was the night of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, just 24 hours after the ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs, and Halberstam, a huge baseball fan in general and a New York Mets fan in particular, was taking time in the middle of the contest to call. I was fishing for anecdotes about Indiana Pacers coach Jack Ramsay for a feature story, and Halberstam, of course, had some knowledge of the subject. Halberstam chronicled the exploits of Ramsay and Bill Walton and the 1979-'80 Portland Trail Blazers team in his book "The Breaks of the Game."
Pacers public relations director Dale Ratermann had suggested that I try to reach Halberstam for the story. "None of the other [local guys] has ever talked to him about Ramsay, and it'd be great," Ratermann said. After about a week's worth of messages, Halberstam phoned and was, predictably, great. For 40 minutes, again, in the middle of the seventh game of the World Series, he filled up my notebook with Ramsay tales. And for that, I will be forever grateful to an incredible writer whose work will be sorely missed. At the time of his death, Halberstam was working on a book about the 1958 overtime championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. It is the event that serves as my first important memory of the NFL and of my love for the game and I'm sure a lot of us 50-something guys feel the same way. What a great game. And what a great book Halberstam likely would have written to commemorate its golden anniversary.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
• Faneca can be had for right price: Pittsburgh officials won't trade star left guard Alan Faneca just to get rid of the six-time Pro Bowl performer who has not participated in the offseason conditioning program and skipped the first minicamp under Tomlin, but they will listen to offers and consider dealing him for the right price. Owner Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II will do just about anything they can to avoid distractions for Tomlin. And the potential training camp absence of Faneca, a team captain, qualifies as a distraction. Faneca is upset that his contract, which calls for him to earn a base salary of $3.375 million in 2007, hasn't been extended. He sees the money that lesser guards are earning now and is justifiably miffed. Beyond that, Faneca wasn't thrilled when the Steelers hired Tomlin over his former offensive line coach Russ Grimm.
The Steelers, who aren't about to start paying their guards $7 million a year just because some other misguided franchises have begun to do so, might jump if someone offered a second-rounder for Faneca this weekend. And don't be surprised if Pittsburgh chooses Auburn guard Ben Grubbs in the first round. The No. 15 slot is probably too high for Grubbs, who some feel is the second-best offensive lineman in the draft, but Pittsburgh might be able to slide back a few spots and still grab him. Grubbs is a Steelers-type player, a blue-collar, smashmouth guy who will grow into a Pro Bowl guard. The Steelers aren't in love with their other starting guard, Kendall Simmons, who is going into the final year of his contract. Coupled with the problems they are experiencing with Faneca, it could be that the Steelers will undertake a dramatic overhaul at the guard position.
• Year of the guard: Grubbs is definitely a fast riser in this draft. Yeah, he's a guard, and that means he could slip all the way out of the first round. But don't bet on it. Both New York franchises like Grubbs a lot, as do Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago. He could be a surprisingly high pick, in fact, in the opening stanza. It's an unusually good year for guards in the draft, with Arron Sears (Tennessee), Justin Blalock (Texas), Marshal Yanda (Iowa) and Josh Beekman (Boston College) all highly regarded.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Kolb among QBs making a move up draft boards
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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Every draft features its share of late risers, prospects who leapfrog up the board in the weeks preceding the lottery, sometimes enhancing their stock by two or three rounds.
But rarely has any draft included as many upwardly mobile quarterbacks as it appears this year's has. There are, of course, two certain first-round quarterbacks in JaMarcus Russell of LSU, still the favorite to be the top pick overall, and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. But there also look to be several other first-day quarterbacks, and that is a rarity of sorts, particularly since so many of them are players who only recently moved into the top three rounds on the draft boards of most franchises.
"After the really obvious guys every year at quarterback, you know, the two or three that everyone knows about, it gets down to a 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' kind of thing," said Detroit offensive coordinator Mike Martz. "You know, a personal preference thing, where not everyone agrees on a player, but one or two teams like him. There seems to be a lot of beholding this year, because it looks like there are [quarterbacks] moving up, and a lot of guys who a lot of teams seem to like."
Indeed, "the Others," as one general manager referred to the quarterback prospects outside of the first-round picks, don't appear to be lost this year.
Certainly in the past month, the stock of candidates such as Kevin Kolb (Houston), John Beck (BYU), Jeff Rowe (Nevada) and Isaiah Stanback (Washington) has skyrocketed. Lump that group in with quarterbacks who already figured to be first-day picks -- Drew Stanton (Michigan State), Trent Edwards (Stanford) and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith (Ohio State) -- and the first three rounds could produce an impressive haul.
That hasn't been the case in recent drafts.
Since 2000, the first three rounds have produced a total of just 35 quarterbacks chosen, or five per year. The second days of those seven drafts have seen 60 quarterbacks go off the board, a rate of 8.6 annually. Dating back to 1994, the first year of the seven-round draft, there have been 59 quarterbacks selected on the first day and 99 on the second. Only three times in that 13-year stretch have first-day quarterbacks outnumbered those chosen on the second day. Just once since 2000 -- last year, when there were seven quarterbacks taken in the opening three rounds and five in the final four stanzas -- have there been more first-day than second-day quarterbacks.
Noted one NFC personnel director: "We've done a lot of slumming at the position, you know, taken guys in the sixth and seventh rounds, brought them in as just hired guns for camp, and discarded them. This [draft] looks a little different. There's some quality at the front end that extends beyond just the elite guys."
Kolb in particular has made an impressive jump in the past month, and it's now possible he could be the third quarterback selected, perhaps early in the second round. There is even some speculation that a few teams might try to trade up from the second round and into the latter part of the first round to snatch the former Houston standout. Edwards, who missed considerable playing time during his Stanford career, and who simply didn't win many games in a declining program, is also drawing elevated grades.
And then there is Stanback, who suffered a Lisfranc foot sprain late last season. The former Washington standout is a very talented athlete, a player who some teams feel can contribute as a fourth or fifth wide receiver or perhaps even as a return man while he hones his skills at the quarterback position. He is among the prospects who will go earlier than anticipated in what could be a very solid year in terms of overall numbers for quarterbacks.
There were only a dozen quarterbacks chosen in the seven rounds in 2006, and this year should top that number.
Around the league
• Johnson too expensive for Falcons: It's possible that the Falcons will swing a deal that nets them wide receiver and local Georgia Tech hero Calvin Johnson, arguably the best player in the 2007 draft. Possible but not likely. As of Friday morning, the reports that Falcons owner Arthur Blank had "ordered" general manager Rich McKay to work a deal for Johnson were, according to one highly placed Falcons official, "absolutely untrue." While it is somewhat surprising that the PR-conscious Blank hasn't issued such an edict, it simply hasn't happened. For one thing, the premise of the report -- that the Falcons need Johnson, a popular guy among Atlanta fans, in order to fill the Georgia Dome -- is flawed. While attendance may begin to suffer if the Falcons keep losing and Blank keeps raising ticket prices every year, things haven't reached that point yet. Second, the Falcons have invested two recent first-round picks in wideouts, Michael Jenkins in 2004 and Roddy White in 2005, and need to give those two more time to develop.
Finally, and most important, is this reality: Take a look at the Atlanta roster and try to figure out where all this team's alleged talent is hiding. The Falcons don't have a lot of talented players, and can't afford to surrender three or more draft choices to Detroit to get into position to snag Johnson in the No. 2 slot. The Falcons dealt away coveted backup quarterback Matt Schaub to amass draft choices, and own three of the top 44 selections. That's an opportunity to add three quick contributors to a thin roster. As much as Johnson is admired in Atlanta, it would be the wrong move to meet the Lions' price for dealing up to get him. And even Blank, who would love to have a player like Johnson to market to his fan base, seems to understand that.
• Any interest in Samardzija? It will be interesting to see if any team invests even a late-round choice Sunday on former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, who was projected to be one of the top picks in this year's draft but signed a baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs last year. The contract is baseball-exclusive, which means that Samardzija can't moonlight playing football, unless, of course, he abandons his baseball career. And that isn't likely. The five-year deal could be worth up to $16.5 million and the Cubs hold a team option for two more seasons beyond the original five. Samardzija, 22, is currently pitching for the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, the Cubs' high Class-A affiliate. As of Thursday night, he had started four games and posted an 0-1 record. In 20 1/3 innings, Samardzija has surrendered 20 hits, five earned runs and eight walks, had eight strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.21. Several teams have checked in on Samardzija, but a team that drafts him this weekend would only hold his NFL rights for one year, and the former Irish star isn't apt to quit on baseball so quickly. Plus, it's a pretty deep draft at wide receiver, so teams can take receiver prospects in the late rounds who will actually be in training camp with them, and have a chance to win a roster spot.
• Smith watching Grant's deal: No one was more interested in the seven-year contract to which franchise player Charles Grant agreed on Thursday than New Orleans teammate and fellow defensive end Will Smith. The team's first-round choice in the 2004 draft, Smith is viewed around the league as a superior player to Grant. Grant's deal can be worth as much as $63 million, includes $20 million in guarantees and will pay him about $24 million in the first three seasons and just shy of $35 million in the first five years. Those numbers, rest assured, will become jumping-off points for Smith. The former Ohio State star is under contract through 2008. You can bet that, given the scope of Grant's deal, Smith isn't going to want to wait that long to get back to the negotiating table.
• 49ers not Smiley-ing: For much of the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have been shopping starting guard Justin Smiley, perhaps their most consistent offensive lineman, in trade talks. The reason: Smiley is entering the final year of his original rookie contract, with a base salary of just $510,000, and is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. San Francisco made one run late last season at negotiating a contract extension with Smiley but never came close to a deal. And given the big contracts signed by free-agent guards like Eric Steinbach, Kris Dielman, Leonard Davis and Derrick Dockery in free agency this spring, the San Francisco brass has determined it will be virtually impossible to retain Smiley if he hits the open market in 2008. So the feeling is that if the 49ers could land a solid draft pick for Smiley, it would be better than getting nothing at all if he exits following this season.
But it doesn't appear as though the 49ers will deal Smiley, a tough, blue-collar interior lineman highly regarded by several teams, during the draft. The teams that really like Smiley, among them Chicago and Baltimore, appear willing to wait until he hits the free-agent rolls next spring. For a trade to happen during the draft, the club that wanted to acquire Smiley would expect him to sign a contract extension, and the former Alabama star isn't going to be backed into negotiating a deal on the clock. In recent weeks, San Francisco coach Mike Nolan has been pumping up Smiley, telling him how much the 49ers need him to make another step forward in 2007, and how important the season is to the young guard's future. The gist of the message: Have a big year and some team, either the Niners or someone else, will pay Smiley handsomely next spring. The odds are, though, that it won't be the 49ers. Smiley, just 25, is poised to become one of the NFL's standout in-line blockers. He has started all 16 games in each of the past two seasons, on the left side in 2005 and at right guard in 2006.
• Other trade winds: The proposed trade that would have sent Chicago franchise linebacker Lance Briggs to Washington for a swap of first-round choices remains very much a long shot. But ESPN.com has confirmed that the two teams, which first discussed the trade at the NFL owners meetings last month, revisited the potential deal this week. Despite reports that four other teams had contacted the Bears about Briggs, Chicago has no other suitors for him. … There is no deadline for dealing Trent Green, but Jim Steiner, the agent for the Kansas City quarterback, noted that if his client isn't dealt over the weekend, it will be hard to trade him. Miami is the team most often linked to Green. But the Dolphins could simply wait for the Chiefs to eventually release Green, which they almost certainly would do, given his scheduled base salary of $7.2 million for 2007. … He probably won't be traded during the draft, but the strong sense around the league is that Oakland wide receiver Randy Moss will be shipped somewhere before the start of training camp. … Despite reports from the league's own network that Kansas City is shopping star tailback Larry Johnson, the Chiefs deny he is on the market. The Chiefs may be fudging a bit. But it is notable that Kansas City has not granted agent Alvin Keels permission to discuss a contract for Johnson with any other teams. Any club seeking Johnson is going to want an extension, since he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. It would be difficult, starting from scratch, to negotiate the kind of monster deal that Johnson is said to want over the weekend. … One player the Chiefs will attempt to deal during the draft is starting free safety Greg Wesley. The coaching staff wants to move a pair of second-year veterans, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page, into the starting lineup this year. Kansas City already cleared one safety spot by releasing Sammy Knight last month. … The Jets will take a low-round draft choice for wide receiver Justin McCareins or linebacker Eric Barton, whose $3 million salary in 2007 will make him difficult to trade. New York is not shopping defensive lineman Dewayne Robertson, as some have speculated. … Look for Philadelphia to dangle tailback Ryan Moats and perhaps wide receiver Greg Lewis in trade talks during the draft. … Seattle will still listen to offers for wide receiver Darrell Jackson. … The Commanders have offered cornerback Shawn Springs around, including in a proposed package to move up to Detroit's spot with the second overall selection in the draft. But the Lions didn't bite on Springs and neither has anyone else so far. … St. Louis and Denver seem to be the two teams most interested in Carolina defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, but the Panthers will keep him for another year rather than settle for what they consider less than market value for the three-time Pro Bowl performer. … The Dolphins are shopping veteran wide receiver Marty Booker.
• Thomas a character test: Eight months ago, Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas was projected as a likely first-round draft choice, perhaps a top-10 selection, and a player who scouts felt might dominate at the NFL level. This weekend, though, Thomas is regarded by many as the litmus test to see just how serious some franchises are about clearing risky character guys off their draft boards. Thomas was twice booted off the Gators' squad -- by his own admission because of positive marijuana tests -- and the team won the national championship without him. He had several other off-field indiscretions as well. Said one scout: "There are more flies buzzing around him than you'd see following a garbage truck. It's going to be interesting to see if anyone rolls the dice. [He's] got top-10 talent, for sure, but he could also cost somebody their job if he can't toe the line." It's possible that some team might risk a middle-round pick on Thomas, because the financial risk wouldn't be so profound. Other teams have claimed that Thomas is off their boards entirely.
• Dolphins waiting on Williams: Wednesday marked one year since Ricky Williams was banished by the NFL for a fourth violation of the league's substance abuse policy, and the anniversary passed without any news on the future of the erstwhile Miami tailback. As first reported by ESPN.com nearly a month ago, Williams has filed for reinstatement, and the indications are that the veteran back is in compliance with his treatment program. But there is no timetable for a decision about his possible return. Miami officials, who need a backup to starting tailback Ronnie Brown, had hoped to know of Williams' fate before the draft. It certainly doesn't look, however, like that will happen.
• Steelers cornering market: The Steelers' interest in University of Pittsburgh cornerback Darrelle Revis, whom team officials know well, since the Panthers share a practice facility with the NFL team, is pretty legitimate. But almost as compelling as the possibility that a kid from Aliquippa, Pa., could wind up playing for the team he idolized as a kid is the reclamation project that first-year head coach Mike Tomlin has taken on with veteran corner Ike Taylor. Despite possessing some of the worst hands of any cornerback in the league, Taylor, a four-year pro, was viewed as an emerging young star only a year ago, and the Steelers signed him to a new five-year, $22.5 million contract last September. By the end of the year, though, Taylor had been benched by then-coach Bill Cowher, who lost as much confidence in the right cornerback as Taylor had lost in himself. Tomlin, though, restored Taylor to the No. 1 unit in last week's minicamp, and has been working overtime to pump up the talented, young cornerback.
"I love him," a freshly motivated Taylor said of his rookie coach. "I try to talk to him every day, just to see where I'm at, just to see the little things I might need to work on. He's a hands-on guy. I couldn't ask for anything better." Tomlin is a former secondary coach and understands that Taylor can be as good as any cover defender in the league. So he's definitely not about to give up on him. Tomlin also understands that you can never have enough good corners. So while the Steelers have some solid young outside coverage guys in Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough, they wouldn't mind landing Revis, who is one of only two surefire first-round cornerbacks in this year's draft.
• Faneca can be had for right price: Pittsburgh officials won't trade star left guard Alan Faneca just to get rid of the six-time Pro Bowl performer who has not participated in the offseason conditioning program and skipped the first minicamp under Tomlin, but they will listen to offers and consider dealing him for the right price. Owner Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II will do just about anything they can to avoid distractions for Tomlin. And the potential training camp absence of Faneca, a team captain, qualifies as a distraction. Faneca is upset that his contract, which calls for him to earn a base salary of $3.375 million in 2007, hasn't been extended. He sees the money that lesser guards are earning now and is justifiably miffed. Beyond that, Faneca wasn't thrilled when the Steelers hired Tomlin over his former offensive line coach Russ Grimm.
The Steelers, who aren't about to start paying their guards $7 million a year just because some other misguided franchises have begun to do so, might jump if someone offered a second-rounder for Faneca this weekend. And don't be surprised if Pittsburgh chooses Auburn guard Ben Grubbs in the first round. The No. 15 slot is probably too high for Grubbs, who some feel is the second-best offensive lineman in the draft, but Pittsburgh might be able to slide back a few spots and still grab him. Grubbs is a Steelers-type player, a blue-collar, smashmouth guy who will grow into a Pro Bowl guard. The Steelers aren't in love with their other starting guard, Kendall Simmons, who is going into the final year of his contract. Coupled with the problems they are experiencing with Faneca, it could be that the Steelers will undertake a dramatic overhaul at the guard position.
• Year of the guard: Grubbs is definitely a fast riser in this draft. Yeah, he's a guard, and that means he could slip all the way out of the first round. But don't bet on it. Both New York franchises like Grubbs a lot, as do Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago. He could be a surprisingly high pick, in fact, in the opening stanza. It's an unusually good year for guards in the draft, with Arron Sears (Tennessee), Justin Blalock (Texas), Marshal Yanda (Iowa) and Josh Beekman (Boston College) all highly regarded.
• Safety dance for Commanders: When it comes to safeties, maybe the third time will be the charm for Washington and owner Dan Snyder. The Commanders used the fourth overall choice in the 2004 draft on safety Sean Taylor. While the former University of Miami star has performed at a Pro Bowl level at times, he still hasn't emerged as the difference maker he was supposed to be. Last year, Washington signed St. Louis unrestricted free agent Adam Archuleta to the richest safety contract in NFL history. So how'd that work out? Not even brilliant coordinator Gregg Williams could conjure up a way to use Archuleta, who became the league's richest special-teams player by the second half of the season and was traded to Chicago this spring. Now, it appears the Commanders are poised to take LSU safety LaRon Landry, maybe the premier defensive player in the draft, with the sixth overall pick. As good as Landry is projected to be, it's a bit of a luxury having two top-10 safeties, which is in part why no team has ever had such a tandem. Maybe Snyder, though, is just going to keep paying for safeties until he gets it right.
• Lots of suitors for Olsen: Look for University of Miami tight end Greg Olsen, by far the top prospect at his position, to have a lot of suitors. Carolina (No. 15) has long sought a tight end to provide it some presence in the middle of the field and will consider Olsen along with safety Reggie Nelson of Florida. The New York Jets, another team with a long history of striking out at tight end, also figure to have Olsen on their radar screen. But the one team lying in the weeds on Olsen, a franchise where he hasn't gotten much mention in projections, is Green Bay. The Packers are starting to sour on incumbent Bubba Franks, himself a former Hurricanes star, and might be looking for his replacement.
• Where will Moss grow? One of the more difficult prospects to accurately slot in this year's draft is Jarvis Moss of Florida. Just about everyone agrees Moss, who has drawn comparisons to another former Gators end, Jevon Kearse, is a first-round talent. And there is agreement that Moss, who had 15 sacks in his final two college seasons, is probably the second- or third-best pure pass-rusher in the 2007 draft pool. The conundrum: Several teams don't feel Moss can play in space as a 3-4 linebacker. And those clubs that feel Moss has to play end in a 4-3 alignment aren't certain how well he can physically anchor versus the run. Moss has a long frame (6-feet-6½ and 250 pounds at the combine), and not much body mass to him, and will get rag-dolled around at times. Of course, it's hard to overlook his 4.70 speed in the 40, his explosiveness off the edge and his great closing burst. As good a pass-rusher as teams think Moss will be, some won't want to invest a first-round pick in a guy who might only be a situational defender until he gains some weight. Fact is, there are scouts who feel that another rush-end, Anthony Spencer of Purdue, might be a tad more versatile than Moss right now.
• Kearse working hard: Speaking of Kearse, who missed all but two games last season because of a knee injury, Philadelphia officials would like to see a little more of "The Freak." Literally. Kearse, who has been working out fiendishly in an attempt to return to form, is down to 240 pounds as a result of the cardio work he's been doing, and even he acknowledges that's too light. He plans to add 20-25 pounds before training camp begins. Kearse was off to a great start in 2006, with 3½ sacks in his first two games, before he tore up his knee. The surgery was not as extensive as originally feared, and Kearse is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, but the Eagles' coaches agree it's time for him to begin adding some pounds. Kearse will turn 31 the first week of the regular season and has heard all the whispers about how he might be slowing down. Part of his motivation in working so hard to come back from the knee surgery is to prove the skeptics wrong. "I can't even talk about how bad I want to get back on the field," he told the Philadelphia Daily News this week. "I've always been a man of action. I'll let my actions speak for me."
• Ravens forced to draft QB: Miss on any first-rounder and it usually comes back to haunt a team. But miss on a first-round quarterback and the whiff is an especially painful and expensive experience. Case in point: The Baltimore Ravens and former first-round quarterback Kyle Boller, the team's top choice in the 2003 draft, and one of the few blights on the otherwise sterling résumé of general manager Ozzie Newsome. The failure of Boller to develop into a top quarterback essentially forced the Ravens to have to trade for Steve McNair last season. And now it might force Newsome to invest a high-round choice this weekend on a quarterback for the long-term future. At age 34, McNair doesn't have a lot of mileage left and there were times in 2006 when he really struggled. Boller is only 25 and should be embarking on his prime, but there are no tangible signs he is ready to be even a serviceable starter in the NFL.
It isn't likely that Newsome will use his first-round choice, the 29th overall, on a quarterback. But there are whispers that he might gamble on a prospect with whom the coaching staff is smitten. And if not a first-rounder, it's a pretty good bet the Ravens will use a first-day pick on a passer. And it all goes back to a poor judgment on Boller in 2003. Making matters even worse is that Boller is eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring, so he could leave, and the Ravens will have netted next to nothing in return for their investment in him. It's a hard lesson to learn but, in the NFL, you've got to be right when it comes to quarterbacks.
• Pats punt Sauerbrun deal: In the wake of the arbitration ruling which freed three-time Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun from the right of first refusal New England thought it held on him, the Pats can't be overly thrilled with the NFL Management Council. The Management Council is the league's labor arm and must approve all player contracts. When the Patriots signed Sauerbrun last December, after two other punters were injured, they apparently forgot to properly file the paperwork granting them the right to match any deal that Sauerbrun signed with another team this spring. The paperwork oversight was the basis of the arbitration case that set Sauerbrun free and enabled him to sign with Denver. But this question remains: When the Sauerbrun contract was submitted to the league last December, with the faulty paperwork, why didn't the Management Council catch the mistake and kick the deal back to team officials to rectify the error? Contracts just aren't rubber-stamped in the league and it's not unusual for a deal to be sent back for changes if everything isn't in order. Seems the Management Council could have been more diligent in catching the Patriots' mistake five months ago.
• Poole searching for work: Twelve-year veteran cornerback Tyrone Poole, recently released by the Raiders, still wants to play in 2007 and is hoping to catch on with some franchise. Poole has been making calls to gauge interest and a few clubs have told him they'll get back to him after the draft. Poole, 35, feels he can fill the No. 4 cornerback role on some team's roster and his preference would be to sign with Indianapolis, where he would serve as a mentor to young corners Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden and Tim Jennings. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost both starting cornerbacks from 2006, Nick Harper and Jason David, in free agency, and Poole feels he could provide some much-needed leadership. Poole was drafted into the league by Bill Polian in 1995, when the Colts' president was the Carolina general manager. When Polian moved to the Colts, he traded for Poole in 1998. A Polian-Poole reunion is a long shot at best, but the veteran cornerback is hoping the Colts will consider it.
• More on McGee decision: There was an interesting off-field occurrence this week when arbitrator Roger Kaplan ruled that Buffalo cornerback Terrence McGee owes his former agent, Terry Bolar, $100,000 in commission fees the two men have been contesting. In 2005, Bolar negotiated a contract extension for McGee and the lucrative deal included a $5 million signing bonus, with the agent scheduled to receive a 3 percent commission. After firing Bolar a short time later, however, McGee claimed that the men had signed a "side agreement" which called for the agent to receive just 1 percent. There was, however, no physical evidence to support the player's claim, and Kaplan ruled that McGee must pay 3 percent of the signing bonus and also of his base salaries.
"It gives me room now to move forward with my business," said Bolar, a veteran agent. "They unfairly tried to destroy me, my reputation and my livelihood. But we negotiated a great contract and now we're going to be paid as we should have been." What makes the ruling compelling is that there are rampant rumors that several prospects in this year's draft class, including one player projected in the top five, have such "side deals" with agents. The top-five player rumored to have signed an under-the-table agreement to pay his agent only 1 percent has reportedly bragged to friends and former teammates about the deal, which violates NFL Players Association rules for what is known as the Standard Representation Agreement, a document that must be filed with the union. We noted the alleged existence of the side deals several weeks ago. Not surprisingly, however, it doesn't appear the NFLPA has much interest in investigating possible violations.
• How 'bout some privacy: There are a lot of players in this year's draft who will turn out to be fakes on the field. Offensive tackle Joe Thomas of Wisconsin, of course, isn't one of them. Thomas is seen as one of the safest picks in the entire draft, a guy who figures to go off the board in the top five, and who should develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle. That doesn't mean Thomas hasn't been a little disingenuous. Remember how he was praised for turning down the NFL's invitation to attend the draft because he wanted to spend the weekend on his annual salmon fishing trip with his father? Pretty admirable, for sure. Now comes word that the NFL Network plans to mount a camera on Thomas' fishing boat, to capture his live reactions when he is selected in the first round. If Thomas was so hell-bent on some private time with his dad, he should have told the NFL Network he didn't want to be part of the gimmickry. Now that would have been admirable.
• A Halberstam memory: How admirable was the generosity of author David Halberstam -- who died earlier this week in an automobile accident in the Bay Area -- even to young hacks he didn't know? It has nothing to do with football, but indulge me this memory and appreciation of my lone, long-distance encounter with the man: On Oct. 26, 1986, the phone rang in my Indianapolis apartment and it was Halberstam returning a desperate message I had left with his publisher. Mind you, it was the night of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, just 24 hours after the ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs, and Halberstam, a huge baseball fan in general and a New York Mets fan in particular, was taking time in the middle of the contest to call. I was fishing for anecdotes about Indiana Pacers coach Jack Ramsay for a feature story, and Halberstam, of course, had some knowledge of the subject. Halberstam chronicled the exploits of Ramsay and Bill Walton and the 1979-'80 Portland Trail Blazers team in his book "The Breaks of the Game."
Pacers public relations director Dale Ratermann had suggested that I try to reach Halberstam for the story. "None of the other [local guys] has ever talked to him about Ramsay, and it'd be great," Ratermann said. After about a week's worth of messages, Halberstam phoned and was, predictably, great. For 40 minutes, again, in the middle of the seventh game of the World Series, he filled up my notebook with Ramsay tales. And for that, I will be forever grateful to an incredible writer whose work will be sorely missed. At the time of his death, Halberstam was working on a book about the 1958 overtime championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. It is the event that serves as my first important memory of the NFL and of my love for the game and I'm sure a lot of us 50-something guys feel the same way. What a great game. And what a great book Halberstam likely would have written to commemorate its golden anniversary.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
