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Updated: Mar/10/2007 04:19 PM
Silly money could lead to bitterness come training camp
I was talking to a player on an AFC team the other day and he was amazed at the money being given to so-so players during the free-agency period.
"Some of those guys aren't very good," the player said.
And that's why teams better be prepared for this latest wave of free spending to possibly cause some problems with the better players.
With all the big deals being given to this free-agency class, it's making players who really deserve the money open their eyes to it.
Stars should be the highest paid.
On some teams, they're not.
That could lead to problems at training camp when veterans start complaining about their deals.
"As coaches, we better be prepared for some of that," said one NFC coach. "That's the nature of the beast. And if it happens, we created it with the money that we're giving to all these guys."
When guards with no Pro Bowl experience are getting deals that average $7 million a year, and fullbacks are getting paid like feature backs, it's going to cause problems. For the most part, players are usually appreciative when a teammate cashes in. But when you look at some of the deals being thrown around, that could change.
Get ready for the summer of contract envy.
Quick hits
• The Cardinals wanted Eagles corner Roderick Hood from the start of free-agency, but he was asking for way too much money early on. But the Cardinals were persistent and landed Hood on Saturday. They plan to have Hood, who was a nickel corner, compete with Eric Green for the corner spot opposite Antrel Rolle. The loser will be the nickel corner. By adding Hood and safety Terrence Holt, the Cardinals have improved their secondary greatly. Holt has the range the team wants in a free safety, with Pro Bowl player Adrian Wilson being used more near the line of scrimmage. Veteran Robert Griffith didn't have the range playing in that spot last season.
• While most analysts applaud the Raiders' move to sign running back Dominic Rhodes, I like the move to sign fullback Justin Griffith a lot better. He is a quality fullback who can run it and catch it. He isn't one of those power blockers, but he gets the job done. The Raiders gave Griffith a deal that will pay him just over $1 million a season.
• Rarely have I liked some of the uniform redesigns by teams in recent years. But after looking at what the San Diego Chargers are doing to their uniforms, I give them big props. They've made them better looking. Plus, they're brining back some of the powder blue around the lighting bolt on the uniform. Not only that, the Chargers are going to white helmets, similar to what they used when they wore those sweet powder-blue uniforms. The Chargers didn't get caught up in the craze to do more, rather than less.
LINK
Silly money could lead to bitterness come training camp
I was talking to a player on an AFC team the other day and he was amazed at the money being given to so-so players during the free-agency period.
"Some of those guys aren't very good," the player said.
And that's why teams better be prepared for this latest wave of free spending to possibly cause some problems with the better players.
With all the big deals being given to this free-agency class, it's making players who really deserve the money open their eyes to it.
Stars should be the highest paid.
On some teams, they're not.
That could lead to problems at training camp when veterans start complaining about their deals.
"As coaches, we better be prepared for some of that," said one NFC coach. "That's the nature of the beast. And if it happens, we created it with the money that we're giving to all these guys."
When guards with no Pro Bowl experience are getting deals that average $7 million a year, and fullbacks are getting paid like feature backs, it's going to cause problems. For the most part, players are usually appreciative when a teammate cashes in. But when you look at some of the deals being thrown around, that could change.
Get ready for the summer of contract envy.
Quick hits
• The Cardinals wanted Eagles corner Roderick Hood from the start of free-agency, but he was asking for way too much money early on. But the Cardinals were persistent and landed Hood on Saturday. They plan to have Hood, who was a nickel corner, compete with Eric Green for the corner spot opposite Antrel Rolle. The loser will be the nickel corner. By adding Hood and safety Terrence Holt, the Cardinals have improved their secondary greatly. Holt has the range the team wants in a free safety, with Pro Bowl player Adrian Wilson being used more near the line of scrimmage. Veteran Robert Griffith didn't have the range playing in that spot last season.
• While most analysts applaud the Raiders' move to sign running back Dominic Rhodes, I like the move to sign fullback Justin Griffith a lot better. He is a quality fullback who can run it and catch it. He isn't one of those power blockers, but he gets the job done. The Raiders gave Griffith a deal that will pay him just over $1 million a season.
• Rarely have I liked some of the uniform redesigns by teams in recent years. But after looking at what the San Diego Chargers are doing to their uniforms, I give them big props. They've made them better looking. Plus, they're brining back some of the powder blue around the lighting bolt on the uniform. Not only that, the Chargers are going to white helmets, similar to what they used when they wore those sweet powder-blue uniforms. The Chargers didn't get caught up in the craze to do more, rather than less.
LINK