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Email Update 7/10/02 Volume 3 Issue # 26
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Gonzalez knows hoop dreams won't last forever
2. Broncos' Moore ready for another try
3. Cowboys to target better tight end production
4. Packers' Davenport denies charges
Howdy boys and girls. ... Bob Harris here pulling my regular
Wednesday duty. ... Let's get started with a quick review of some of
today's top stories. ...
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Gonzalez knows hoop dreams won't last forever
As reported by ESPN.com insider John Clayton on Wednesday, July 10
http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1404046.html
NFL fans probably don't understand what Tony Gonzalez is doing, but
they should. Many fans and outsiders have become jaded because of the
contract negotiations of athletes who have used multi-sport talents
to squeeze out leverage in negotiations.
This isn't the case with Gonzalez. Basketball is a labor of love to
him, but he's a football player first. It's a shame that he is in
negotiations on a difficult new contract that could lead to his
holdout because his basketball fling will be misinterpreted.
Of course, many misunderstood Deion Sanders. His gift was football,
having the ability to blanket a wide receiver from the line of
scrimmage to the end of a route. But Prime Time could also play
baseball. If his love for football weren't so great, Sanders might
still be a leadoff hitter in the majors, but bouncing back-and-forth
between the two sports fulfilled his athletic dreams even though it
may have shortened the length of both careers.
Tony Gonzalez gathers basketballs as he works out with the Miami Heat
summer league team.
Gonzalez's situation is different. His body is different than
Sanders. The sport is different. And that's why Gonzalez is fighting
an uphill battle that Sanders didn't have to climb. Nature blessed
Gonzalez with a 6-foot-4, 249-pound body. The NBA doesn't have a lot
of openings for 6-4, 249-pound forwards although Gonzalez is gifted
enough to go against the odds. He is a contender.
But put yourself in his basketball shoes for a second. Here is
perhaps the most gifted athlete to play the tight end position in the
history of the league. He's caught 334 passes in five seasons and
he's only 26. He's been to two Pro Bowls. Thanks to basketball,
Gonzalez developed such quick footwork that he drives defenses crazy
covering him in the middle of the field.
How do you stop him? In basketball, he's physical enough to shed
tight defense supplied by 6-8, 260 pound forwards, grab a basketball
and slam it through a hoop. Very few linebackers are big enough to
handle him. Safeties don't have a chance.
But Gonzalez is getting a great education about his second sport
during his current stint with the Miami Heat during their summer
league. He's learning that he's good enough to make money playing pro
basketball, but that finding the right niche is going to be
difficult. Clearly, he's a power forward because of his muscle and
body width. In lesser leagues, he could be allowed to switch to small
forward where he could dominate slender, finesse players.
Here's the scary part for Gonzalez. His biological clock in the NBA
is ticking and this is probably his last chance to see if he can take
his basketball game to the NBA. In that regard, Gonzalez knows enough
about the game to understand that. He told reporters covering Heat
summer practices that if this doesn't work, he will give up
professional basketball and concentrate on football even though he
will always play pickup basketball games.
On Tuesday night, the Heat opened their summer league schedule in
Orlando. Gonzalez didn't get a chance to play because the Heat needed
to see three other power forwards.
That's no slight on Gonzalez because head coach Pat Riley and his
assistants acknowledge that he's one of the most developed of the 15
players in camp.
But summer camps are for developing draft choices first and talented
prospects such as Gonzalez second. Gonzalez will get some playing
time in Orlando and Long Beach over the next two weeks, but time is
against him.
"Tony is a good basketball player, and there is no question that he
could play professional basketball," Heat assistant head coach Stan
Van Gundy said. "Whether or not he can play in the NBA will have to
be determined down the road. His problem is that he's 26. Generally,
the summer league is for those young, developing types. At 26, that
window as a young, developing guy is not going to last that much
longer."
Understand Gonzalez and his love for basketball. He's never changed
his goal that he is a football player first and basketball player
second. Last year at camp, Gonzalez was clear about his aspirations.
"This is not a gimmick," Gonzalez said last year of his play in pro
summer leagues. "I could go in and do something realistically like an
eighth guy in the NBA and maybe spell these guys for 10 minutes. But
if I'm not playing in the NBA, I'm playing a pickup game for two or
three hours a day."
All along, Gonzalez has said that he wants to be in a football
uniform until the end of the Chiefs season, take a month off and then
hope to find a spot on an NBA roster as a power forward signing on a
10-day contract.
Van Gundy doesn't doubt that Gonzalez can fill such a role. But at 26
and only 6-4, Gonzalez may not get too many chances that late in the
season.
"Tony is a good basketball player, and there is no question that
he could play professional basketball. Whether or not he can play in
the NBA will have to be determined down the road. His problem is that
he's 26. Generally, the summer league is for those young, developing
types. At 26, that window as a young, developing guy is not going to
last that much longer. "
� Stan Van Gundy, Heat assistant head coach
"What teams will ask is what's the future in such a signing," Van
Gundy said. "You'd be talking about a player who missed all of
training camp and the first two months of the season. He'd come in
early February around the All-Star break. There would be about 35
games left in that year. The timing would make it very difficult."
But Gonzalez intrigues the Heat, not because of the publicity but
because of the talent.
"There is no problem with his game and ability," Van Gundy
said. "Watch him play. He's quick and strong. He's got great feet and
hands. He takes the basketball and blows right past people because of
those feet. Because of his size, he's got what we call a great base
and great lower body strength. He holds his position well. And that
quickness works to his advantage against other power forwards."
In some regards, he compares to current Heat forward Brian Grant, but
here's the problem. Gonzalez is five inches shorter than the 6-9
Grant. There are six other forwards currently on the Heats' summer
league roster -- all between the heights of 6-7 and 6-11.
Still, the encouragement for Gonzalez is in these summer league
games. He's in his element playing against current and former first-
round prospects Why? Because in these games he can get matchups
against some small forwards. Gonzalez can score 20 points and grab 10
rebounds in these types of game.
But what Gonzalez wants is to find out where he fits in as an NBA
player. He can't dominate as well against the established NBA power
forwards, who have had years of skill development at one position.
The NBA isn't a pickup game or even a well-organized professional
summer league. It's the best against the best.
The NFL needs to understand that pro basketball and college
basketball have taken away some of those 6-5, 260-pound tight ends
and defensive ends. Athletes such as Gonzalez, Terrell Owens and
Randy Moss are talented enough to dabble in basketball, but their
hearts are in the NFL.
A little better understanding may encourage a few college prospects
to play both sports, eventually settling into the NFL. Gonzalez
should be looked upon as an NFL treasure. That he wants to squeeze in
a few basketball games shouldn't be held against him. Mentally, he
needs to see where his basketball skills fit.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Those of you working under the assumption that Gonzalez is a lock to
be on the field come opening day, I offer the following tidbit
written by Kansas City Star beat writer Adam Teicher last Friday:
"Given the Chiefs' negotiating history with franchise players and
recent top draft picks, it's uncertain when or even if Gonzalez will
rejoin the club."
Say what?
If nothing else, the fact that Teicher covers the team on a daily
basis makes it hard to dismiss his opinion out of hand. ... Stay
tuned.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Broncos' Moore ready for another try; Oft-injured veteran says he's
feeling healthy again
As reported by Rocky Mountain News staffer Lee Rasizer on Wednesday,
July 10
Rob Moore says the Denver Broncos training camp later this month will
be a "defining moment" in his 13-year NFL career.
At least the wide receiver now figures he'll be able to give it his
best shot.
Moore expressed concern during last month's mini-camp about soreness
in his left knee, even though he participated fully that week. It's
the same knee that was operated on two years ago to repair a torn
anterior cruciate ligament.
But after a week of almost total rest following those five practices,
then extensive stretching and strength work with the Broncos training
staff during the past month, Moore's worries - and the discomfort -
have been erased.
"I've done just about everything I could do to get this thing right,
and it's just responded," he said.
Moore figures his knee wasn't completely ready to take the pounding
and cutting of a full week of practice during mini-camp.
"I couldn't do the things that make me who I am, basically," said
Moore, who hasn't played in a regular-season game since 1999 with the
Arizona Cardinals. "I wasn't explosive. My knee was just sore. I was
just 'getting through' everything."
Moore has resumed running pass routes and is participating - without
problems - in rigorous conditioning drills with teammates at the
Broncos' Dove Valley headquarters. And he's hopeful he'll be able to
carry his positive vibe through Greeley camp, where he'll attempt to
win the No. 3 receiver spot.
He already has learned all three wide receiver positions in the
Broncos offense as he attempts to resurrect a career that has
included three 1,000-yard seasons but recently has been dominated by
injuries. Besides the ACL tear, Moore sat out the 2001 season because
of a tear of his right hamstring attachment. He also underwent a
minor arthroscopic flush of his right knee soon after joining the
Broncos as a free agent in the spring.
His first Broncos training camp is expected to be an all-or-nothing
proposition.
"This," Moore said, "pretty much says whether I'll continue to play
or whether I'll hang it up."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Sorry. ... The fact that he hasn't played for two years is going to
hurt the former Syracuse star. In fact, if you ask me, Moore is going
to have a hard time keeping up with athletic youngsters like Kevin
Kasper and Ashley Lelie even if he's able to go full speed from day
one.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Cowboys to target better tight end production
As reported by Dallas Morning News Web reporter Mike McAllister on
Tuesday, July 9
The Cowboys' production at tight end last season was abysmal, the
worst in 31 years. The NFL's best tight end, Tony Gonzalez, is a
restricted free agent embroiled in a contract dispute with the Kansas
City Chiefs. And Jerry Jones, that big-game hunter of headlines,
loves acquiring recognizable names.
Mix those elements and the off-season wishful-thinking brigade is on
full alert, dreaming - no, praying - that Gonzalez and his 301
catches the past four seasons will somehow land in Dallas, either
through trade or some cunning kidnap plan orchestrated by Rowdy and
Crazy Ray.
But admit it - you know it won't happen. Pigs will fly, dogs and cats
will peacefully co-exist, and Rocket and Joey will stay healthy for a
full season before the Gonzalez Miracle happens at Texas Stadium in
2002.
That being said, new Cowboys tight ends coach Greg Seamon would not
go screaming into the night if Gonzalez were to land in his lap. The
question, though, is do the Cowboys really need Gonzalez? Or can
their mishmash of tight ends, led by free-agent acquisition Tony
McGee, provide stability to a position that last season was only
successful in running the curl-up-and-die pattern?
"There are some Tony Gonzalez types out there that you'd love to
have," Seamon said Tuesday at the first day of this week's
Quarterback School. "But we're not bad. And with the attitude of
these guys and as hard as we're working, we'll be better."
Certainly, they can't be much worse. Last season, Jackie Harris led
the Cowboys' tight ends with 15 catches. Not since 1970, when Mike
Ditka produced eight catches, has the Cowboys' top tight end caught
so few passes.
Of course, it didn't matter in that '70 season, as the Cowboys made
their first Super Bowl appearance. And it probably didn't matter much
last season, with the team's quarterback shuffle helping to stifle
the attack. Not even Kellen Winslow in his prime could have made the
2001 Cowboys playoff-worthy.
History does indicate, however, that the Cowboys are more successful
when they get at least decent production from the tight end spot. In
the team's five Super Bowl-winning seasons, the top tight end has
averaged 46.4 catches a season. Jay Novacek, of course, skews that
total somewhat, since he had 60-plus seasons in two of the three
championship years in the early 1990s.
"Every time this organization has been to a Super Bowl, they've been
good at a lot of positions, one of those being tight end," Seamon
said. "They've had an effective tight end. If you're not effective,
then it's hard to win."
And in Bruce Coslet's offense, the tight end usually is effective.
The Cowboys' new offensive coordinator brings in a system that is
very tight-end friendly. Not only does the West Coast-style offense
make the tight end a vital part of the passing game, many formations
and plays require that multiple tight ends be on the field.
And their responsibilities, as outlined by Seamon, are three-fold:
1) Work the intermediate-to-deep middle of the field, drawing deep
help away from Joey Galloway and Rocket Ismail so that at least one
of the Cowboys' speedy wideouts will be free of double-coverage.
2) Block the edge of the defense and create an outside lane so that
Emmitt Smith does not become a one-dimension, up-the-gut
runner. "We're going to run the football," said Cowboys coach Dave
Campo, "so ... we're going to have to block out there."
3) Provide a safety valve for second-year quarterback Quincy Carter.
Coslet wants his quarterback to complete a high percentage of passes,
somewhere in the 60-65 percent range. Last year, Cowboys quarterbacks
combined to complete just 50.8 percent. Relying on the tight end,
especially for a developing quarterback such as Carter, is a
necessity for a percentage upgrade.
"We've got to be there for him," McGee said. "We've got to show him
that we can make the plays. He needs to know that he has a safety
valve with us.
"That's the job of the tight end - to be there when everything else
falls apart. We have to build that confidence. It's something they
had here in the early 1990s."
Campo thinks that young quarterbacks have a tendency to rely on their
underneath receivers, the tight ends and running backs, when things
get harried. But Carter, avoiding the "young quarterback" label as
deftly as he sidesteps onrushing defensive ends, said his only goal
is to find the open receiver and deliver the ball.
Even so, Carter welcomes the challenge of trying to re-involve the
tight end into the offense.
"We didn't throw to the tight end that much last year," he said. "I
know for a fact that our tight ends will be a little bit more
involved this year."
But are the ingredients there?
McGee successfully performed in Coslet's offense in the mid-1990s,
but he comes off a 2001 season in which he was even less productive
than Harris, catching a career-low 14 passes before a sprained knee
sidelined him the final five games. The Cowboys' other free-agent
tight end acquisition, Jeff Robinson, was signed mainly for his deep-
snapping ability. The team isn't sure how much tight-end production
he'll offer.
Of the holdovers from last season, Mike Lucky is a wide body with
blocking skills and a resume full of injury scars. Sure-handed James
Whalen is the fastest tight end on the team. He's also the smallest,
and the Cowboys remain skeptical of his blocking at the point of
attack.
For Seamon and Coslet, finding the right mix at tight end may require
the skills of a chess champion, the constant maneuvering of each
piece into its proper fit. The Cowboys aren't counting on one guy
rising to be the answer (unless, of course, the Gonzalez Miracle does
happen). Instead, they expect a shuffling of players, a sharing of
snaps.
And what they need is consistency.
"For us to help the offense be good, we need to catch the ball every
week," Seamon said. "We can't go out there and the tight end hasn't
caught a ball in three weeks. We have to present ourselves to the
defense as a threat. If not, they'll only have to defend 10 of us.
And you can't win like that."
There are no guarantees that the Cowboys will carry four tight ends
on the final roster. Robinson's deep-snapping ability and Whalen's
versatility to float out as a wide receiver help the cause. The tight
ends are also expected to contribute on special teams, a given for
Robinson, an unknown for the others.
And they will need to be multi-dimensional. Lucky and Robinson must
show they can catch as well as block, Whalen just the opposite.
"We've got our work cut out for us," Seamon said. "But there's a lot
of room in this offense for the tight end to be involved and be
effective."
Of course, the ultimate goal is simple: Show Cowboy fans that Tony
Gonzalez is not needed in Dallas.
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Hey now. ... I love it when somebody mentions "my boy" Whalen. After
all, I've been touting the former University of Kentucky star as a
potential Fantasy prospect since Tampa Bay snagged him with a fifth-
round pick in the 2000 draft.
And by golly, I still like him. In fact, with Bruce Coslet calling
the plays this year, I like Whalen even more.
What's that? How much did I like him last year?
Here's what I had to say about Whalen last August
Despite gaining 50 pounds in the last three years, Whalen is probably
still too small to have a legitimate shot at a starting job in the
NFL. However, what he lacks in size, he certainly makes up for in
receiving skills. In case you missed it, Whalen set an NCAA record
for catches by a tight end with 90 for 1,019 yards as a senior at
Kentucky in 1999. And he was the most productive tight end in NFL
Europe this spring, pulling in 66 catches for 691 yards as a Scottish
Claymore. As Dallas head coach Dave Campo said last week, "Everywhere
he's been, he just seems to lead a bunch of stuff."
Given the team's injury problems at this position, anything is
possible. However, Whalen is still more of a project than prospect at
this point. Tight ends/special teams coach Joe Avezzano recently
noted, "The only problem with fitting James into the scheme of things
is, how do you utilize him? He will not be able to line up at the
line of scrimmage and overpower or match up with huge defensive
people who outweigh him by 70, 80, 90 pounds. So his task is to
continue to catch everything he's thrown. Our task is to see if [he]
fits into the 53-man roster."
In the meantime, Whalen continues to work towards the future; his
goal is to add another 15 pounds of muscle to his 6-2, 228-pound
frame next offseason. "Obviously, I need to keep getting bigger and
stronger," he explained. "I think that will come. But what I do well
and what I've always done well is get out and catch the ball and use
my instincts to get open."
---
Don't get me wrong here. ... I'm not looking for Whalen to join the
ranks of the league's elite tight ends this year, but I will be
very surprised if Coslet doesn't ask him to make a significant
contribution to the Cowboys passing attack.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
And following up on an item appearing in yesterday's update
Lawyer: Packers' Davenport denies charges
As reported by PackerNews.com contributor Christopher Walsh on
Wednesday, July 10
The attorney for Green Bay Packers fullback Najeh Davenport said
Tuesday that the rookie is "humiliated" by his arrest on
charges that he broke into a university dormitory and defecated into
a laundry basket in a woman's closet.
Davenport, 23, surrendered to Miami Shores, Fla., authorities on
Monday, a week after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
"Whether it was Najeh is definitely in dispute," said
Davenport's attorney, Richard Sharpstein, adding that his client
denied the allegations. "The truth will come out in the wash."
The incident happened on April 1, three weeks before the NFL draft,
when the Packers selected the University of Miami fullback in the
fourth round.
Davenport was in Miami that night, visiting friends near Barry
University. However, no other arrests were made and, according to
police reports, the victim identified Davenport's photo out of a
football yearbook.
After the warrant was issued on July 1, Davenport flew from Green Bay
to Miami, where he spent four hours in jail and posted a $6,500 bond.
He told the Miami Herald, "I am still trying to find out what
happened."
Davenport is facing charges of burglary to an occupied dwelling, a
second-degree felony and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.
Sharpstein said he was wondering what kind of evidence might be
produced after three months, and why it took so long for a warrant to
be filed. He's also confident that at minimum the charges will be
downgraded.
"I feel terrible for him," Sharpstein said. "He's a
fine young man. He's humiliated."
Davenport has yet to sign a contract with the Packers, though the
arrest is unlikely to affect negotiations.
Packers representatives declined comment, other than to offer the
following statement: "The Packers organization is aware of the
allegations against Najeh Davenport in the state of Florida and has
spoken to him about them. It would be inappropriate for us to comment
further on this matter, however, until the legal system has run its
course."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
If commenting on this one is "inappropriate," what does that make the
act itself?
Let's face it, even if he's ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in
this case, Davenport might be up the proverbial creek without a
paddle. .. If nothing else, this incident has to be a major
distraction. And for a rookie still recovering from offseason
surgery, it'll be even more troublesome.
The fact that Davenport, an above average ballcarrier and an
excellent receiver out of the backfield, seemed to have a legitimate
shot at contributing this year ads insult to injury.
In an article published last Friday -- before Davenport's plight
became public knowledge -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat writer Tom
Silverstein singled out Davenport as a player worth watching this
summer. According to Silverstein the versatile Davenport appeared to
be capable of serving as a backup at both fullback and halfback.
Silverstein went on to predict that Davenport might turn out to be
the surprise of camp.
One last note on Davenport: Veteran draftnik Frank Coyle
(Draft Insiders) ranked the former Hurricane, who he
compares to Larry Centers, as the third-best back available in this
year's draft behind only William Green and T.J. Duckett.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
That's all for now. ... Catch ya next week.
--
Bob Harris
Editor/Webmaster -- TFL Report
Senior Editor -- FSP, Inc.
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