 HOWARD BALZER- OBSERVATIONS AND INSIGHTS (March
20) |
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I. THE WARNER SITUATION. 1. KURT WARNER CONTROVERSY. This controversy began with rumors that Warner wants $6M a year and a $15M signing bonus. The Rams would be interested in signing Warner to a long-term contract, but at what price? Would Warner accept a deal similar or a bit higher than Green got last year? Or does it make more sense for Warner to wait it out and make much more after next year or the year after? Those are the issues; it's not as simple as one-year deal or long-term. Certainly a holdout is always a possibility, but what does Warner stand to gain by holding out---if Edelstein's contract numbers are accurate [see below]. He would hurt his own credibility, considering his numerous comments about money not being that important. His full-length book comes out during the summer, which a holdout would obviously affect as well as the several endorsement deals he has signed. Plus, he knows that if he holds out and Green plays well, he's stuck. There's no question the Rams want Warner back, but it has to make sense. Consider that Green, after a solid starting experience in Washington without nearly the talent around him that Warner had, got $16M over four years from the Rams with a $4.5M signing bonus. So, does that mean that because the Rams won with Warner (and all that great talent around him), the Rams should give Warner nearly four times the bonus Green got and a six-year contract when HE HAS NO LEVERAGE? The Rams want to take care of Warner (they gave him that $500,000 bonus at the end of the season purely on their own), but it has to make sense within the context of the cap and his bargaining position. Isaac Bruce is woefully underpaid, compared to other receivers, but do we hear complaining like from Keyshawn about his contract? Or Kevin Carter? These are guys that have proved it for more than one year, yet they never threatened to hold out. As important as Warner is, we should be consistent. Since London Fletcher had a very good year at middle linebacker, should we be calling for the Rams to rip up his one-year contract at $358,000 (the same tender Warner got) and give him the going rate for a linebacker? The cap be damned? Dexter McCleon came back strong from the fiasco in Detroit, so why should the Rams be able to get away with paying him $472,000? Let's pay him the going rate for a starting cornerback. You see, it's not so simple when trying to juggle all the pieces of a team and how it all fits. One thing the Rams are trying to avoid is getting into the salary cap hell that has hit Denver, San Francisco, Dallas and other teams. The Rams have come out and said they want to get Bruce and Carter signed before they become free agents. There's nothing wrong with an athlete asking for a long-term contract. It doesn't mean he will get it. Now, I'm not comparing Warner to Randall Cunningham, but the Vikings made a huge mistake giving Cunningham the contract they did at the end of the 1998 season based on one solid year. It's affecting everything they do now. Should the Rams take the same chance? Every team has problems along the way. The Packers have been a great paying team, but the last two years have encountered trouble with Levens and Antonio Freeman. It's the nature of the business. 2. EDELSTEIN'S ARTICLE. And this whole issue now is being fueled by a story from Fred Edelstein that is based on supposed dollars Warner is seeking. I can tell you the Rams haven't said anything to Edelstein. Especially before there have been any negotiations. [Edelstein writes: "The Rams would like to see Warner, who's signed to make bupkis this fall, take a one-year deal for, say, $4 million, which is what his backup Trent Green will earn. The problem is, the Warner camp believes he'd be foolish to back off capitalizing on his wondrous season. There's also a strong belief in the Warner camp that the Rams would lose all credibility in future negotiations with players if they didn't take care of a guy who produced so famously after they said they would."] After reading this again, it's interesting to hear comments about "Warner's camp" and references to a contract befitting his status. It never says this is what Warner is seeking; they are only numbers thrown out there by Edelstein. What's troubling is the comment about how the Rams would lose credibility with other players if they don't take care of a guy after they said they would. When did they say they would take care of him to the tune of making him the one of the highest -paid QBs in the league? They've never said that. This sounds like saber-rattling from the Warner "camp," trying to place the Rams in a position where they look bad. Is that what Warner really wants? From the only team that was even willing to give him a chance? But Edelstein's history is to throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and hope some of it sticks. Edelstein is known for simply making things up. Example: Let's say he asked someone with the Rams what would happen IF Warner demanded $6M a year with a $15M bonus. And that someone responded there could be a holdout if they refused to listen to anything else. Suddenly, you have a story, based on nothing. Don't underestimate that this is what could have occurred. Believe me, he has no credibility; that's why ESPN didn't bring him back. Some in the business used to call him a scud missile, i.e., just shoot something with no idea where it's headed or if it will hit. 3. DE LUCIA. [Brian DeLucia reports: "Now Warner is asking the Rams for a deal that gives him around six million a season and a double digit signing bonus...One member close to the situation thought Warner has grown a big head over his value and many members of the Rams organization feel Trent Green can beat out Warner this summer if he is given the chance."] Beautiful. I would be willing to bet this guy read Edelstein's report, then wrote something similar, passing it off as his own. Amazing. He even used the same salary figure ($6M a year). The question isn't whether Brian DeLucia is any more respectable than Fred Edelstein. The question is: Who is Brian DeLucia? II. MORE ON THE RAMS 1. SEAN MORAN. This is a solid signing by the Rams. Moran is a high-character, high-motor guy (sounds like a Dick Vermeil player), who was originally a fourth-round pick of the Bills in 1996. He is better suited for a 4-3 defense and can play outside or inside. How about this: the Rams thought they were going to lose him when not only Wade Phillips tried to convince him to stay, but so did owner Ralph Wilson. Yes, Wilson. He put in a personal call to him. The deal, according to his agent, is two years, $1.5 million with a signing bonus of $600,000. His cap figure for this year is in the $700,000 range. 2. JENKINS V. BUSH. The Jenkins issue was discussed all season and there were times it was written that there were those who thought Bush should start, but that the coaches supported Jenkins. Armey is often one for giving an opinion, and he sometimes doesn't have the same opinion as the coaches. That happens in a lot of organizations. But Armey doesn't mandate who plays. 3. HOW IS THE FRONT OFFICE ORGANIZED? Front office responsibilities.Armey is certainly the key in the whole machine. Vermeil brought him in after the draft in 1997 (just before training camp) and Armey instituted his system for scouting, grading, etc. Becker is a quiet guy, who gives straight answers when asked. Ortmayer was above Becker, as is Armey now. Becker scouts, reports, but others make the decision. Becker was director of college scouting before McCutcheon was director of scouting and remains that after McCutcheon's "promotion." McCutcheon was basically given a title and some added responsibility in recognition of his hard work for the organization. But Becker remains director of college scouting. He reports to Armey, as does McCutcheon. Zygmunt, of course, does the negotiating with agents. Armey, now Martz and Zygmunt all discuss options when it comes to the cap and player values.. 4. SAGE. We will be working on ingredients for next season. Keep in mind, much of the sage was mixed with other things: cedar, lavender, eucalyptus, etc. But the sage base is important. Also, more sweetgrass will likely be considered for the Super Bowl repeat. 5. SHOULLD THE RAMS PURSUE JEFF GEORGE? NO! It's more than throwing darts. It's leadership and respect. George lost it on the fumbled snap when he ran away from the ball rather than trying to recover it. He has an arm, but no heart. Why do you think few teams ever pursue him. Last year, he became a free agent and could only get a minimum deal from the Vikings. Never, never, Jeff George. Martz wouldn't have it, anyway. I know that for a fact. The fact is, he's not a winner and never will be. Yes, he did a nice job with the Vikings, but check out the big games, especially on the road. This team had a chance to win the division and compete for at least one home game in the playoffs. But he gagged against Kansas City and Tampa Bay on the road, and then went south in the third quarter against the Rams in the playoffs. Consider this: Last year, the Rams could have had George to back up Green when they didn't know what they had in Warner. They wanted no part of George then, so why would anyone think they'd want him now? Hope he does sign with SF. It won't help. III. THE DILLON RUMORS. 1. QUESTION FROM RAMBILL: "Pasquarelli is the one pushing this story. Have you talked to any of your Rams sources about whether the Rams have actually discussed this? I doubt this will happen, but if the Rams can get a 2nd round pick for Kennison, anything is possible." 2. HOWARD ANSWERS: For the person who wondered why the Browns would go about this way. They certainly won't sign Dillon to an offer sheet, because a non-match by the Bengals would cost them the first pick in the draft. They could conceivably make a deal with the Bengals after the draft and the offer-sheet period is over, but the Bengals could also consider other deals. The Rams wouldn't make this deal unless they had an agreement with the Browns set. That benefits the Browns because they are assured of getting Dillon if the Bengals don't match. The Rams would need the cap room for the Dillon deal during the time Cincinnati would be deciding. But if the offer sheet was extended April 10, it would only count for five days, until the draft. And the Rams won't be needing the cap room during that short period of time. It's not only Pasquarelli. I had heard it a few weeks ago at the time of the combine and mentioned it on my radio show. But I haven't asked anyone from the Rams about the possibility. Now that the draft is getting closer, and the story is getting some added shelf life, I will follow up. |
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