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Email Update 7/7/02 Volume 3 Issue # 23
IN THIS ISSUE
1. VBD App Released
2. Willie Jackson is a Hot Commodity
3. Cap Situation in Green Bay
4. New England Ready for an Encore?
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VBD App Released
Need customized cheatsheets? Wait no longer. Our customized
cheatsheet maker is often imitated, but never duplicated.
Featuring the following:
- Updated with projections as of 7/6/02
- Supports flex positions
- One button toggle for auction values
- Supports length of TD scoring
- Supports length of FG Made/Missed scoring
- Supports Defensive yards allowed
- Supports Defensive points allowed
- Supports Individual defensive player scoring
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Willie Jackson is a Hot Commodity
Clipped from the Times-Picayune article:
Three weeks before training camps open across the NFL, the league's
most underrated receiver remains unsigned.
Willie Jackson doesn't have the flash of Randy Moss, the
explosiveness of Joe Horn, or the power of David Boston. And he
doesn't run a 4.4 40-yard dash like Az-Zahir Hakim.
Jackson is a blue-collar receiver. He should be a perennial All-
Madden teamer. He makes the tough catches, the third down grabs over
the middle, the 6-yard hitch on third-and-5.
Jackson doesn't put fans in the seats, but like another crafty
veteran, Cris Carter, he moves the chains.
Jackson caught 118 passes for 1,569 yards in two seasons for New
Orleans. Last year he caught 60 percent (81 receptions) of the 135
passes thrown to him, which tied Terrell Owens for the 19th highest
ratio among NFL pass catchers, according to Stats Inc.
"You can have all the speed in the world, but it doesn't matter if
you can't be relied on to be in the right place or catch the ball,"
Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks said. "Willie Jack is reliable. You
knew he was going to get open and make the play. That's what it's all
about for a quarterback."
That's why Jackson has become the hottest commodity in a bearish free-
agent market. San Francisco, Washington and Tampa Bay want him. Green
Bay and Minnesota also showed early interest.
"Willie is very methodical," said Joel Segal, Jackson's agent. "He's
turned down offers that he didn't feel comfortable with, and is just
waiting for the right deal. He has three offers on the table that he
is considering. He is very coveted."
The Saints didn't approach Jackson about staying in New Orleans. The
additions of free agent Jerome Pathon and No. 1 draft pick Donte'
Stallworth eliminated any chances of Jackson returning to the Saints.
But he'll be missed. Several Saints players said Jackson, after
defensive end Joe Johnson, was the most crucial loss of the offseason.
Look for Jackson to land in San Francisco or Washington.
The 49ers, seeking an upgrade at No. 2 receiver in place of J.J.
Stokes, reportedly have offered him a two-year deal that averages
around $1.4 million annually. Besides a shot to start, the 49ers also
can offer Jackson a chance to team with his brother, Terry, who plays
fullback in San Francisco.
Washington remains a solid second choice. Redskins coach Steve
Spurrier tutored Jackson at Florida and would like to add another
veteran to compete with Jacquez Green and Kevin Lockett for the
starting spot opposite Rod Gardner.
Whichever team gets Jackson will be fortunate. His 81 receptions tied
Torry Holt for eighth in the NFC last season and ranked higher than
any free agent on the market this spring.
"Willie showed last season when he gets the opportunity he's a great
player," said Segal, who expects Jackson to sign a deal some time
next week.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
If Willie Jackson hooks up with the San Francisco 49ers, he will
indeed be very valuable. In drafts happening right now, Willie
Jackson is going very late and in some cases not being drafted at
all. We believe he will play somewhere as he has too many skills to
sit all year. Don't make the mistake and not pick him up very late.
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Cap Situation in Green Bay
Clipped from the article at Packers.com
Depending on how one looks at the numbers, it would be easy for
someone to think that the Green Bay Packers are going all out and
sacrificing the future to try and win this season.
That's not necessarily true. If anything, the numbers are
misleading even though Green Bay was aggressive during the offseason
in acquiring defensive end Joe Johnson, wide receiver Terry Glenn and
linebacker Hardy Nickerson.
Of the 80-plus players the Packers have under contract for the 2002
season, roughly half already have deals for the following year as
well.
Although the league has yet to determine what the 2003 salary cap
will be, the Packers may be over that number already, and that's
before any of the 2002 draft picks sign contracts.
This year's cap is set at $71.1 million, up from $67.4 million in
2001 (and from $41.5 million from 1997). Even if there's only a
slight increase for 2003, that cap will still be at least $73 million.
On paper, it appears Green Bay could be headed for problems.
For example, whereas the Packers have four players � quarterback
Brett Favre, cornerback Tyrone Williams, safety Darren Sharper and
running back Ahman Green � who will count more than $2 million
against this year's cap, next year that list grows to 12 players.
One of them is wide receiver Antonio Freeman, who is a free agent. By
releasing him after June 1, the Packers delayed taking the cap hit on
his contract, which will be $4.2 million in 2003.
In addition, some of the biggest contracts will continue to expand.
Favre ($10.3 million), defensive end Joe Johnson ($5.4 million),
Sharper ($4.2 million) and Green ($3.8 million) will account for
roughly $24 million, or approximately one-third of the Packers'
cap in 2003.
However, that's normal in the NFL, and doesn't mean the
Packers view 2002 as an all-or-nothing season.
"Everything I do I think about next year as much as this
year," said Andrew Brandt, the Packers' vice president of
player finance. "We'll have some challenges, but we're not
mortgaging the future."
There are a number of reasons why the Packers' salary-cap numbers
aren't nearly as bad as they look.
Compared to the rest of the league, the Packers are still in the
bottom third in terms of money spent on players signed for 2003.
Changes regarding these three players should free up significant room:
� Cornerback Tyrone Williams will be in the final year of his
contract, and is due to count a staggering $7.7 million against the
2003 salary cap. However, the final year is voidable, so in all
likelihood the contract will either be renegotiated or terminated.
� According to his agent, Gene Burrough, safety LeRoy
Butler's recent renegotiation, in which he'll play this
season for the veteran minimum of $750,000 with incentives, also
covers 2003, when Butler's contract called for him to count
$6.7329 million against the salary cap.
� In the final year of his contract, center Frank Winters is due
to count $2.473 million against the 2003 cap. Like Butler, should he
return for another season in 2003, he'll almost certainly play
for the veteran minimum, as he will this season.
Those three players could count almost $17 million against the 2003
cap. The space might instead be used to sign potential free agents
like wide receiver Donald Driver, defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt,
cornerback Tod McBride and defensive end Vonnie Holliday.
The Packers had been hoping to sign Holliday to a contract extension
before the start of training camp, but that doesn't seem likely
as the team has turned most of its attention to signing its six draft
picks. None have come to terms despite a rookie salary cap that
allows for little flexibility.
According to league sources, Holliday's agent, Neil Schwartz, is
hoping to land a contact comparable to the top players at defensive
end.
However, Schwartz denied reports that he's looking for a contract
similar to that of either Michael Strahan of the New York Giants or
Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins.
"That's very far from the truth," Schwartz said.
Strahan is in the final year of a four-year, $32-million contract,
but reportedly turned down a seven-year offer worth approximately $57
million. Taylor has a six-year, $42 million deal, but in February
renegotiated and had $4 million converted into a signing bonus to
help Miami create room under the salary cap.
Asked whether he had received a firm contract offer from the Packers,
Schwartz said no. Holliday is the final year of a five-year, $5.568
million contract that he signed as a rookie.
The defensive end is coming off his best season, starting all 16
games for the second time as a pro. His career-high 81 tackles led
Green Bay's defensive line and his seven sacks were second on the
team as the Packers set a team record with 50.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
You want to win in the NFL, you have to play these strange cap
games. It will allow you to make a run for a couple of years before
entering cap hell. And once you are in cap hell, life can became
very bleak indeed. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville
Jaguars this year. Green Bay is still in better shape than those
clubs, but their time to win is definitely now.
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New England Ready for an Encore?
Clipped from the Boston Globe article:
It has been, after all, more than five months since the Patriots'
serendipitous victory over the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl.
Except for the trades of Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn and the
acquisition of a few lesser-named free agents, the Patriots have been
one of the quietest Super Bowl champions in recent years.
During these quiet days, we wonder what's ahead.
What will it be like the season after?
The media, fans, players, coaches, and even owner Bob Kraft have
never experienced this phase.
Think about it. Patriots personnel man Scott Pioli discarded three
former first-round picks - Bledsoe, Glenn, and Andy Katzenmoyer - and
lost a second-rounder (Brandon Mitchell) to free agency.
In exchange the Patriots received three draft picks - a first-rounder
in 2003 from Buffalo for Bledsoe, a fourth-rounder in the Glenn deal,
and up to a second-round pick next season from the Packers if Glenn
has 70 or more catches in 2002. Pioli has replaced Mitchell with free
agents Rick Lyle and Steve Martin. He also has put the team in good
shape for the future with a bevy of picks in next year's draft.
Meanwhile, coach Bill Belichick has tried to keep his players focused
on the offseason conditioning program and moving on to next season.
Quietly.
The conditioning program was completed about a week ago, and now the
Patriots are vacationing until training camp begins in Smithfield,
R.I., July 26.
Otherwise, you can hear a pin drop in Foxborough.
Here are some items to watch for when the Patriots report to camp:
Big crowds in Smithfield.
Though training camp isn't the most exciting exercise, it will be
this season.
The Patriots, who have 50,000 season ticket-holders and more than
50,000 on the waiting list, have piqued the curiosity of even the
casual football fan.
Crowds should number well into the thousands on a daily basis. On 10
days during the camp, which usually runs 3-4 weeks, there will be two
practices open to the public.
Expect to see Team Karma.
Gone are the many blips of a year ago, when the Glenn saga was just
beginning, when quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died suddenly, and
when Katzenmoyer went AWOL.
Ironically, it was the professionalism with which those distractions
were handled that united and motivated the 2001 Patriots.
A Tom Brady contract controversy.
After the Patriots sign their draft picks, club senior vice president
Andy Wasynczuk and contract negotiator Jack Mula will focus on
getting a long-term deal done for Brady. There have been proposals
exchanged and rejected by both sides, but lately things have been in
limbo.
But the Patriots do not want the Brady talks to interfere with the
season. And they certainly don't want talks to be on hold until after
the season, when the Super Bowl MVP becomes a restricted free agent.
The Patriots do not overpay, nor do they set the high end of the
market, with the possible exception of Bledsoe's deal last March, but
that had built-in protection for the team.
But when all is said and done, they likely will pony up big money to
lock up Brady. After all, by trading Bledsoe they have put all of
their eggs in one basket.
Leadership lost?
Willie McGinest made an interesting comment during the June minicamp.
When asked whether Bryan Cox's leadership would be missed, McGinest
answered in the negative.
Cox, who signed a free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints after
feeling shunned by the Patriots, was credited with being the player
who taught the Patriots how to win. But as it turns out, many
veterans are now indicating there were more important leaders than
Cox, namely Lawyer Milloy, Law, Brady, and Troy Brown.
It was, however, Cox who stepped to the forefront when the Glenn
issues cropped up. He told the players to forget about Glenn, and
they did. He also proved his leadership when he did not complain
about playing time upon returning from a broken leg. In that case he
followed the lead of Bledsoe.
Cox said recently, ''They have enough leadership on that team, but
the big thing is can they keep together when things go bad?''
Certainly, Milloy, Law, and Brown are leaders. Brady will also be one
by virtue of his position, and he's proven to his teammates that he's
a player who can be trusted to perform at a high level when it counts.
The coach.
Belichick was a coach, hypnotist, strategist, and dictator. Whatever
he asked was carried out to near perfection. You would have to call
Belichick's coaching performance last season one of the greatest in
NFL history.
Can he pull it off two years in a row? Working against Belichick are
two fewer games against Indianapolis, a team he owned, but there are
a pair of meetings against Bledsoe and the Bills. Belichick owns a 5-
4 record against Bledsoe and is confident he can get into Bledsoe's
head or the team never would have traded him to a division rival.
That aside, the schedule is tougher and teams will be gunning for the
Patriots.
Did they do enough?
There will be tweaking during camp as the coaches evaluate depth at
every position. On paper, it appears the Patriots will be fine.
Unlike so many other former Super Bowl champions, they have been able
to retain the majority of their players and even upgrade positions,
including tight end and defensive line.
Will the new players get it?
Pioli and Belichick certainly know what they want in a player. They
hit the majority right on the money last offseason. They have done
their research again and have come to the conclusion that tight ends
Christian Fauria and Cam Cleeland, guard Rich Tylski, cornerback Tom
Knight, Lyle, Martin, and receiver Donald Hayes will add to the team.
What is already evident is that Fauria, Tylski, Knight, Lyle, Martin,
and Hayes are articulate, intelligent, high-character players.
Watch the draft picks.
Because tight end has been such an albatross in the post-Ben Coates
era, first-round pick Daniel Graham will be the major focus of camp.
The first thing is getting him signed. As of midweek, the Patriots
and Graham's agents, Jack and Tom Mills, had exchanged proposals that
were characterized as ''way apart'' by Tom Mills. What may help
expedite the deal is that Bryan Thomas, the Jets' top pick, who was
taken 22d, one selection after Graham, recently signed a deal
averaging a little more than $1.3 million per year with a signing
bonus of $3.2 million.
Second-rounder Deion Branch, a speedy receiver out of the University
of Louisville, could make his splash as a kickoff returner, where the
Patriots have long been searching for a consistent performer. It does
not appear Brown wants to relinquish his punt return duties, though
Branch may eventually become a factor there, as well.
Competition.
Belichick loves to create competition at every position, but that's
hard to do with a Super Bowl championship team. One spot where fans
could see some is the second wide receiver, where Hayes and David
Patten could duke it out for the starting spot. With the addition of
Tylski, both Mike Compton and Joe Andruzzi may have to fight for
their starting jobs.
In the secondary, Knight could give 37-year-old Otis Smith a run.
But the most open battle will be at tight end. Right now, Fauria is
No. 1 on the depth chart, but Graham has a chance to take the
starting job. There's also Cleeland. When he was healthy in New
Orleans, he proved to be a fine receiver and blocker.
You may also see some jockeying for playing time among the
linebackers. If the Patriots play predominantly a 4-3 scheme, that
leaves Ted Johnson in a backup role. The Patriots have also brought
Roman Phifer back, and McGinest was used as a ''crash'' linebacker
and also on the strong side in minicamp.
Attention.
The Patriots will get a lot of it. The national media will descend
and stay for long periods. They all want to know whether the
Patriots' season was a fluke.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Lots of insight here regarding how the Patriots plan to use some of
their different personnel. The fact that Troy Brown will likely not
return kicks in favor of rookie Deion Branch could help him to become
even a better wide receiver. Additionally do not under-estimate the
need to get Brady locked up to a long-term deal. We also find it
interesting to still see Christian Fauria as the starting Tight End.
Although we love Daniel Graham for the long-term, we would caution
against any of the Patriot tight ends this season (Fauria, Graham and
Cleeland are all likely to see time)
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That's going to do it here for today folks.
David Dodds
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