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Email Update 6/22/02 Volume 3 Issue # 8
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Footballguys welcomes Greg Kellogg
2. Jump Ball (Tony Gonzalez to Play Pro Hoops?)
3. Doin' the Tighten Up
4. Strength in Numbers
5. Redskins Show Interest in Willie Jackson
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Greg Kellogg, the co-founder of FanEx Football and owner of
Komments.com joins the Footballguys staff and will be writing
Saturday's newsletter through the preseason.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Greg brings a wealth of fantasy football knowledge and insight second
to none. We strongly recommend that you take some time and enjoy his
excellent website:
Komments.com
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and now onto the news...
Jump Ball
With no Chiefs contract in hand, tight end Tony Gonzalez continues
to flirt with another profession.
Gonzalez, who recently backed out of a tryout with the NBA's
Toronto Raptors, now will give the NBA's Miami Heat a shot.
Gonzalez told The Star on Thursday that he plans on going to Miami
in early July and work out with other free-agents and Heat draft
picks. About 15 players are expected at the tryout camp and from
that group coach Pat Riley will select about 12 to perform in a
summer-league camp in Orlando set to start July 9.
And this is more than just a passing fancy for Gonzalez.
"It's a pretty big deal," he said from his off-season home in
southern California. "I've got to go there and not get cut."
The summer league in Orlando could overlap with the start of Chiefs
training camp, which starts July 25.
"My situation with the Chiefs right now, I really don't know what's
going on," he said. "It's time to stay busy and stay in shape so
when I do hit the field, I can hit it flying and be in shape."
Gonzalez, 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, played college basketball at the
University of California and has long harbored dreams of playing in
the NBA. But he is adamant that football comes first.
"There's no way I'm going to give up football," said Gonzalez, a
three-time Pro Bowler. "Football is my thing. That's what I do well.
That's what I enjoy doing. I would never give up.
"But (trying out for the Heat) is something I'm definitely killing
two birds with one stone. Not only am I staying in shape, which is
preparing for football, but I'm out there doing something I love to
do, playing basketball, and I'm also exploring the possibility of
trying to play both sports and be the first person to do it.
"I'm not going to let basketball interfere with football. If I
happen to get a (Chiefs) contract signed, I would leave the Heat
right away and show up and get football started."
Gonzalez played two games in the Los Angeles summer league last
summer before reporting to the Chiefs training camp. He also was
on a tentative list of free agents to work out at the Toronto
Raptors' annual tryout camp earlier this month but was a no-show.
In the past, the Chiefs have expressed frustration at Gonzalez's
hoop dreams. That's not the stance that Chiefs' coach Dick Vermeil
took on Thursday, however.
"The fact that he's a fine basketball player is one of his great
attributes as a football player," Vermeil said. "He's an NFL
football player. He's not kidding himself. He knows that. He and
I have talked about that.
"He likes to play basketball. Some guys like to play golf. I don't
get upset about that. There's too many other things to get upset
about."
Besides, it's not exactly clear how realistic his NBA chances
actually are.
In college, as a forward, Gonzalez averaged 6.4 points and 4.3
rebounds over three seasons.
"There aren't a lot of openings for 6-5 power forwards in the NBA,"
said Marty Blake, the NBA's director of scouting. "But if he wants
to do it and somebody's willing to give him a chance, God bless."
As a football player, Gonzalez remains unsigned. The Chiefs won't
sign him to a multi-year contract between now and July 15 because,
under rules of the collective bargaining agreement, they would be
unable to label anyone else a franchise player during the duration
of Gonzalez' contract.
Gonzalez's agent, Tom Condon, and Chiefs president Carl Peterson
recently were involved a much-publicized dispute over Gonzalez's
contract situation. Condon was out of town on vacation with his
family on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
The Heat's summer league team, which plays for about three weeks,
will be comprised of free agents, draft picks and a few players who
did not play much during the regular season. While a Heat assistant
coach will run the team, Riley will still conduct a hands-on
approach.
"Last year, I was on a free-agent team," Gonzalez said. "This time,
I will be playing in a structured thing."
Heat spokesman Rob Wilson said by phone that the Heat could not
comment on or verify Gonzalez's presence at the camp.
Gonzalez said his left knee, which was injured in the Chiefs
regular-season finale at Seattle, is totally recovered. Gonzalez
did not require surgery for the injury to his medial collateral
ligament.
"The knee has been ready for three months now," he said.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
While this could present opportunities for injury, so does
attending mini-camp. And Gonzalez fully understands where his
bread is buttered. Like Mr. Blake said - there is not a lot of
demand for 6' 5" power forwards in the NBA. We do not expect
Gonzalez to sit out the season in this contract dispute. But we
also expect doubts to linger because there is no way a contract
will be done prior to July 15th due to the situation with the
Franchise Tag.
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Doin' the Tighten Up
New Orleans Saints assistant coach Bob Palcic knows the only thing
better than having a tight end who can catch the ball and block is
having two players with a rare combination of size, speed and
strength to get those jobs done.
But Palcic isn't about to get greedy, he got the man he wanted this
spring. After watching tight end after tight end come and go in the
two seasons he's been with the Saints, Palcic is tickled to have
former Detroit Lions tight end David Sloan on his side again.
A 6-foot-6, 260-pounder, Sloan gives the Saints' West Coast offense
a threat it hasn't had at tight end since Cam Cleeland tore his
Achilles' tendon in the 2000 exhibition opener against the New York
Jets.
Cleeland re-injured the Achilles' tendon later that fall, which led
to another operation, and ruptured his other Achilles' last December.
Cleeland, who played in only nine of a possible 32 games in 2000 and
'01, was not re-signed.
That opened the door for the Saints to sign Sloan, an eight-year
veteran who had become an unrestricted free agent, to a four-year,
$7.05 million contract in April. Sloan, who was coached by Palcic
with the Lions in 1997 and '98, will be backed up by second-year
pro Boo Williams and Lamont Hall or Johnny Mitchell.
"I'm excited about the group I have this year," Palcic said between
minicamp practices on Friday. "Bringing in David, whom I previously
worked with, gives us a solid football player and a guy who will
bring a positive attitude to the football team."
More importantly is what Sloan brings to the offense. He's a
productive player who is expected to contribute as a blocker in
the running game and be an inviting target for quarterback Aaron
Brooks in the passing attack.
"Obviously, there are two aspects of the game at the tight end
position and it's hard to find guys who do both," Sloan said.
"Some guys excel at one or the other, so I'm hoping to bring more
balance to the offense."
Sloan definitely showed that in his seven-year stay with the
Lions. Even though he had some injuries, he still caught 180
passes for 2,024 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He grabbed a career-high 47 passes in 1999 en route to earning a
trip to the Pro Bowl. And last year, when the Lions installed the
West Coast offense, he had 37 receptions for 409 yards and a
team-high seven touchdowns.
But he wanted more, and the Saints certainly needed more after
the four tight ends they used in 2001 combined for 36 catches --
one less than Sloan had all by himself.
"I just wanted to go someplace where I would be used," Sloan
said. "You want to be a part of the team and you want to
contribute. In this offense, you want your tight end to
contribute as much as he's willing to do."
Even though he was introduced to the West Coast offense last
season under first-year coach Marty Mornhinweg, Sloan has been
getting a crash course in the system used by Saints offensive
coordinator Mike McCarthy for the past two years.
"A lot of the terminology is similar, but I've never had to
learn this much offense," Sloan said. "We have enough plays in
the play book to last us a decade. We're putting a lot in, but
we're going to condense things and do some fine-tuning when we
get to training camp (on July 26)."
Palcic isn't the only member of the coaching staff to be excited
about Sloan's arrival. In his two seasons with the team, Saints
coach Jim Haslett has watched seven tight ends get their chances
with the offense: Cleeland, Hall, Williams, Mitchell, Andrew Glover,
Dave Stachelski and Austin Wheatley.
"We really haven't had a tight end since I've been here," Haslett
said.
"Dave brings us every dimension we need. He's a heck of a blocker,
he can get down the middle of the field and he has good hands. He's
a great fit."
While Sloan gives the Saints the complete package, Williams, who is
in his second year as a tight end after playing wide receiver in
college, and Hall bring different things to the table. Williams is
the receiving threat, while Hall is more of a run-blocker.
"Both of those guys are improving and doing a good job, but David
gives us the best of both worlds," Palcic said. "He's a good
blocker and his reach at 6-6 and speed are going to make a
difference against those little defensive backs.
"We've had some problems getting consistency out of the position
the last two years," he said, "but we're hoping that we can get
past that and move on."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
You can expect Boo Williams to steal some opportunities from Sloan,
but the Saints wanted a bigger presence in the middle and in David
Sloan they got it. David Sloan should be quite productive with his
new team this season.
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Strength in Numbers
It did not take Jon Gruden long to realize the Bucs needed help on
offense, and it took less time to pinpoint one of the major
reasons.
It is not that Keyshawn Johnson did not have a Pro Bowl season and
was not among the elite receivers in the league. He was. But for
most of the past two seasons, the Bucs receiving corps has been a
one-man show.
In passing situations, the play calling went something like this:
Throw the ball to Keyshawn, then throw the ball to Keyshawn and if
that doesn't work, throw the ball to Keyshawn one more time.
Gruden is determined to change that.
Since he has taken over, the Bucs have signed veterans Keenan
McCardell, Joe Jurevicius and E.G. Green, added projects Milton
Wynn and Frank Murphy, re-signed Karl Williams, one of the more
consistent players last season, and added free-agent receivers
Jermale Kelly, Eddie Hardaway, Darryl Daniel and Keith Poole.
They drafted Marquise Walker and Aaron Lockett.
Get the picture?
"As a receiving corps, we really haven't been producing," Williams
said. "Whether it was the offense itself, the receivers or the
combination of both, whatever. This year it's going to be different.
Everybody that's playing receiver knows that. You're going to have
to bring your A game every day or you're going to have problems."
Therein lies Gruden's point: There is little hope for excellence
without competition. In training camp this summer, receivers will
redefine competition.
"Competition is going to be there wherever you go," Williams said.
"They have to bring guys in to make the team better, to try and
find the right combination of players. All you can do is try to get
better every day and let (Coach) know you can fit into whatever
combination they're looking for and be a versatile player."
While the influx of new faces is a mandatory offseason maneuver,
what the Bucs have done appears unprecedented. They not only
increased the competition but got, in McCardell, arguably the
best free-agent receiver available.
"I've never had a Pro Bowl character receiver opposite me that
would draw attention and demand respect from the defense," Johnson
said. "This guy comes in with that (reputation) pretty much with
him and he's going to demand their respect, and it should free up
the other guys a bit more."
The arrival of McCardell and Jurevicius, who had his best season
last year with the Giants, fills three of the usual five receiver
spots on a roster. If the season started today, Johnson and
McCardell would start, and Jurevicius would be first off the bench.
"To me, I've got three guys that can play, and a pack of guys, some
of them have been in the league, but I don't really know them,"
said receivers coach Richard Mann, who replaced Charlie Williams in
the coaching staff overhaul. "What we're trying to do is get
everyone to understand the system so that everybody knows what to
do. When we get to camp, we're going to let them compete."
Many have one or two characteristics that interest Gruden. Williams
and Green have solid hands and veteran savvy. Lockett has blinding
speed. Walker (6-2, 219 pounds), Murphy (6-0, 206) and Wynn (6-2,
207) have height and body strength that enable them to get
separation.
"There's ways to get separation, there's ways to get past people,
and that's what I've been pushing," Mann said. "I think Coach
Gruden has an excellent system and it'll take care of itself, but
it's the little things you do to get off the line, to get
separation from people, to get past people, those are the things
that we're working on. If we can keep pushing those techniques and
those fundamentals, I don't see why we couldn't be successful."
In some ways, the focus has been on Walker, the team's first draft
pick after a highly productive college career at Michigan.
"At times he rides me but it's part of it," Walker said of Gruden.
"They do expect for me to come out and do more and learn. I have to
take that pressure on. That's part of the rookie thing. Some of the
stupid mistakes that I might have made, he points them out and I
can't use the rookie thing as an excuse."
An early pick like Walker might feature prominently in a team's
offensive plan. But with the addition of some veterans, Walker will
have to be patient.
"As far as I'm concerned, the more and more veterans around the
more and more they can push me and I can learn from them," Walker
said. "They've been playing in the league for five or more years.
So I have to learn from them. It's about knowledge.
"I know I have to go in there and do my thing when my job calls for
it, and I'm going to do it. But right now, I'm watching them and
seeing how they work the line of scrimmage, work the defensive
backs and see how I can get better."
Green, a former Florida State standout who played four seasons with
the Colts, said it's hard to resist looking at the numbers.
"We're human, so I think we are going to look at the numbers and
say, 'I wish I was in a better situation,' " Green said. "But the
bottom line is we have an opportunity the other receivers don't.
All we can do is take advantage of our opportunities. I feel like
I've been blessed just to be here."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Good secondary receivers rarely hurt the production of the primary
option in the passing game. We expect that example to hold true in
Tampa as well. Johnson will remain the No. 1 option with additional
contributions from McCardell and Jurevicius. Brad Johnson obviously
built a rapport with Johnson last season and should he retain his
starting position, we would expect that to grow this year. However,
Head Coach John Gruden, on the World Bowl halftime show, stated
today that there was an open competition for the starting QB job.
This seemed to come as news to Rob Johnson, so this is a positional
battle you will want to keep an eye on. Should Rob Johnson gain
the upper hand, he may feel more comfortable with McCardell.
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'Skins Show Interest in Willie Jackson
The Washington Redskins released cornerback Donovan Greer yesterday.
It had been clear for months that the club would release Greer,
but the Redskins had to wait for him to recover from a torn knee
ligament suffered last season. Under NFL rules, an injured player
cannot be released. Greer participated in portions of practices
during the team's last minicamp.
The five-year veteran signed with the Redskins as a free agent
prior to last season but suffered a torn anterior cruciate
ligament in the club's second game.
The move clears $800,000 of salary cap space for the Redskins,
leaving them about $4.6 million under next season's $71.1 million
cap. The Redskins must sign their draft choices in the coming weeks
and hope to sign free agent defensive tackle Sam Adams. They also
are interested in free agent wide receiver Willie Jackson and might
sign a veteran guard, perhaps Ray Brown or Ben Coleman, as a free
agent.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Signing Jackson would further muddy an already murky WR situation.
If signed, he would battle with Reidel Anthony and Kevin Lockett
for the third receiver position behind starters Rod Gardner and
Jacquez Green. Based on historic production, Jackson could battle
for Green's slot. After turning down the 49ers, this might be the
best situation he can find for himself.
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That's it for today folks,
Greg Kellogg
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Greg Kellogg
Komments.com
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