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Email Update 7/8/02 Volume 3 Issue # 24
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Terrell Buckley joins Buccaneer secondary
2. Rookie TE Darnell Sanders signs with Browns; Incumbent Rickey
Dudley coming off foot surgery
3. Vikings begin negotiations with seven draft picks this week,
including key LT Bryant McKinnie
4. New Orleans Crystal Ball: Who will be the 53 after training camp
5. Two Chuckies in Tampa Bay?
6. Quote of the Day: Phil Snow on former Cardinal's safety Pat
Tillman:
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Terrell Buckley joins Buccaneer secondary
Clipped from an ESPN.com article by Len Pasquarelli, 7/8/02.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added veteran experience and a guy with a
Super Bowl ring to their secondary on Monday afternoon, signing
cornerback Tampa Bay Buccaneers added veteran experience and a guy
with a Super Bowl ring">Terrell Buckley to a one-year deal. The 31-
year-old Buckley was an unrestricted free agent who had also
considered an offer from the Miami Dolphins.
Buckley had visited with Tampa Bay officials recently and spent the
last two weeks weighing his future. The Detroit Lions also were
interested, but signed veteran Eric Davis instead when they discerned
that Buckley would likely sign with one of the Florida clubs seeking
his services.
The 10-year veteran, who played as a "nickel" cornerback for the New
England Patriots in '01, signed a one-year deal with a base salary of
$750,000. It is believed the rapport he quickly developed with new
Bucs coach Jon Gruden was a major factor in his decision�.
Tampa Bay already figured to have some interesting competition in the
Secondary, and the acquisition of Buckley should make the battle for
starting and key backup jobs even more intriguing now. Second-year
pro Dwight Smith is expected to battle Brian Kelly for the starting
spot opposite cornerback Ronde Barber. And now Buckley, who had 26
tackles, three interceptions and seven passes defensed as a backup
for the Patriots last season, will be in the mix for the top "nickel"
and "dime" spots.
Adding Buckley probably is the final major move the Bucs will make
before the start of training camp on July 28�.
While he could still probably be a spot starter in some
circumstances, Buckley is best suited now for the "nickel" role. He
remains an effective coverage player and still has adequate closing
speed.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
A nice addition to an already-scary Buc's defense. Terrell
Buckley isn't a likely fantasy starter as a part time player, but
should he win one of the starting jobs in training camp or through an
injury to another player, he could be a strong addition for a
franchise in leagues that feature IDP's. If your league plays
IDP's, keep an eye on the coming competition in the Buc's
secondary
during training camp, for sure!
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Rookie TE Darnell Sanders signs with Browns; Incumbent Rickey Dudley
coming off foot surgery
Clipped from the Bill Rabinowitz article on www.dispatch.com, 7/8/02
Darnell Sanders had to miss the Cleveland Browns minicamp in June.
The former Ohio State tight end has ensured he won't miss the start
of training camp in two weeks.
The Cleveland native has become the first member of the Browns 2002
draft class to agree to contract terms. Sanders' four-year contract
includes a signing bonus of about $375,000�.
Taken in the fourth round (122nd overall), Sanders left Ohio State
with a year of eligibility remaining. He has good size and athletic
ability, but the Browns regard him as rough around the edges. Sanders
caught only 42 passes in three seasons for the Buckeyes.
Even so, he could earn significant playing time this year. Incumbent
tight end Rickey Dudley is coming off foot surgery. Aaron Shea and
Mark Campbell are the other holdover tight ends.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
A long-shot to have a big impact in 2002, Sanders could be a strong
player in coming seasons. A prospect for dynasty leagues that require
a TE position.
Rickey Dudley owners will want to see how he progresses in training
camp coming off his foot surgery.
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Vikings begin negotiations with seven draft picks this week,
including key LT Bryant McKinnie
Clipped from an article by Sean Jensen on www.twincities.com, 7/8/02
"Vikings headquarters will be abuzz this week as the team begins
negotiations with the seven rookies it selected in the NFL draft.
Rob Brzezinski, the vice president of football operations, and Dave
Blando, director of football administration, will try to sign rookies
before training camp opens July 26 in Mankato, Minn.
The Vikings must sign a top-10 pick, their first since Chris Doleman
in 1985, who was fourth overall. And the agents for left tackle
Bryant McKinnie, who was picked seventh in the April draft, have a
reputation as tough negotiators. Last year, agents Jim Steiner and
Ben Dogra of SFX advised defensive end Justin Smith to hold out for
51 days. Smith didn't join the Cincinnati Bengals until the second
game of the season. But Steiner and Dogra got Smith, the fourth pick,
a deal with a $7.5 million signing bonus and a handful of escalators
based on performance and incentives.
They declined to comment on negotiations for McKinnie.
Clearly, the agents and the Vikings want McKinnie to sign soon. He
lacked conditioning during the team's first minicamp, and his taking
over as starting left tackle demands he spend as much time with the
offense as possible�."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Rookie holdouts are always a bad thing, especially if your team is
counting on one of them to start at left tackle. The news that Bryant
McKinnie is lacking in conditioning heading into training camp is a
potential red flag for fantasy owners planning on making Michael
Bennett a big part of their 2002 plans. Keep an eye on the progress
of negotiations if you are considering Bennett.
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New Orleans Crystal Ball: Who will be the 53 after training camp
Clipped from the www.sunherald.com article by Don Hammock, 7/8/02
"The heat also will be on the Saints coaching staff and football
operations types. They have 93 players on the roster. Only 53 will
make the final squad - and not all of them are even on the current
roster.
With that in mind, it's time to dust off the crystal ball, wipe down
the Ouija board and shake up the Magic 8-Ball. Here's an educated
guess at the final squad:
Quarterbacks: Aaron Brooks, Jake Delhomme, Jeff Lewis.
Jeff Blake is gone to Baltimore and it's Brooks' team for sure this
go-around. That also means that Delhomme will be the No. 2 guy. The
Saints still have been sniffing around veteran quarterbacks to see if
they can find an upgrade to Lewis, but they'll be satisfied with him
as a clipboard holder.
Bubble: The Saints used a draft pick on J.T. O'Sullivan on the hopes
the league adds a sixth player to the practice squad, but he might be
able to find a spot if Lewis stinks it up in New Orleans like he did
in Carolina last year.
Running backs: Deuce McAllister, Fred McAfee, James Fenderson,
Terrelle Smith, Moran Norris, Mr. Veteran.
Who's Mr. Veteran? It's whoever the Saints bring in to be
McAllister's backup. They say they want to look at the young backs on
the roster, but don't bet on James Fenderson or the other Ricky
Williams to be able to fill the bill. The Saints love Smith, but his
balky neck is a concern and they might try to find someone cheaper.
Bubble: Williams is a prototypical third-down scatback who may find a
spot on the practice squad.
Wide receivers: Joe Horn, Jerome Pathon, Donte' Stallworth, Jimmy
Robinson, Michael Lewis, Jake Reed.
The first three are easy. Robinson surprised folks over in NFL
Europe. Reed is around to baby-sit his brother, Dale Carter, as much
for his leadership. Lewis remains an intriguing special teams weapon
the Saints think they can salvage despite his questionable hands.
Bubble: Onome Ojo just doesn't have the football smarts to stick.
Tight ends: David Sloan, Boo Williams, Lamont Hall.
Sloan gives them a durable, all-around tight end. Williams has bulked
up admirably but will always be a converted wide receiver. Coach Jim
Haslett loves Hall's blocking and, ahem, aggressive play.
Bubble: Johnny Mitchell is a veteran guy who just won't have enough
to make the club.
Offensive line: Kyle Turley, Wally Williams, Jerry Fontenot,
LeCharles Bentley, Victor Riley, Spencer Folau, Kendyl Jacox, Bubba
Miller, Tutan Reyes.
Overall, this is a far, far deeper group than last year's unit, which
collapsed after losing Willie Roaf. It's also a very versatile bunch.
Bubble: Scott Sanderson is another good swing player who can back up
a number of positions. He might be in the mix if the Saints decide to
cast aside Wally Williams, who doesn't look like he's lost much
weight and is still a bit costly.
Defensive line: Darren Howard, Charles Grant, Norman Hand, Grady
Jackson, Martin Chase, Willie Whitehead, Kenny Smith.
The questions here are Grant's inexperience and inconsistency,
Smith's intensity and Jackson's shoulder.
Bubble: Derrius Monroe is another draft pick used for a project. He's
a great workout guy, but face it, he hasn't started a football game
since high school.
Linebackers: Sedrick Hodge, Charlie Clemons, Darrin Smith, Bryan Cox,
James Allen, Roger Knight.
This figures to be one of the most competitive positions in training
camp. After the first five listed, the final position could come down
to one of three players.
Bubble: Jonathan Jackson had a strong NFL Europe season and Curtis
Holden is a known commodity. Special teams contributions figure to
tip the scales in this battle.
Defensive backs: Dale Carter, Fred Thomas, Sammy Knight, Jay Bellamy,
Richard Newsome, Michael Hawthorne, Ken Irvin, Keyuo Craver, Mel
Mitchell, Fakhir Brown.
Kevin Mathis, who started opposite Thomas last year at cornerback,
should get his final medical finding this week. Even if he's cleared,
the Saints don't figure to keep a smallish corner who likes to hit
but has a bad neck.
Bubble: Mathis, Jerry Wilson and Steve Gleason.
Specialists: John Carney, Toby Gowin, Kevin Houser.
Gowin is definitely the shakiest pick of the three.
Bubble: Dirk Johnson was the best punter in NFL Europe and could beat
out Gowin, although he can't handle kickoff duties."
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Part of the fun before training camps is making projections like
these. Some potential sleepers for dynasty league drafts are
mentioned (J.T. O'Sullivan, Ricky Williams) but they should be
taken the very late rounds of your rookie draft, if at all.
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Two Chuckies in Tampa Bay?
Clipped from the tbo.com article on 7/8/02
Orlando QB Jay Gruden, who came out of retirement this season to lead
the Predators, will go back into coaching mode when he returns to
Tampa to volunteer as an assistant on brother Jon's staff with the
Bucs. And as far as he's concerned, he will do anything.
``Putting the staple on the paper, whatever he needs me to do, I'm
going to try to do it,'' he said. ``[I'll have to] learn the outdoor
game again and see what happens. That opportunity to be on the same
staff with him and the success he's had in the outdoor game is
unmatched and I can't wait to be a part of that.''
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
You gotta love Jay Gruden's attitude. Anybody who's hungry
enough to be willing to try and keep up with ultra-intense Jon Gruden
deserves best wishes. Good Luck in Tampa, Jay Gruden!
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Quote of the Day: Phil Snow on former Cardinal's safety Pat Tillman
Clipped from an AP article on ESPN.com.
"You don't find guys that have that combination of being as
bright and as tough as him. This guy could go live in a foxhole for a
year by himself with no food."
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Pat Tillman, a man willing to give up 3.6 million dollars and NFL
glory to serve his country. Wow, there are some heroes left in the
modern world.
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That'll do it for now! Mark Wimer
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