Trent Dilfer started a trend. For this year, anyway, quarterbacks don’t seem so all-important. NFL teams are plugging in whomever is available.
The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl with Dilfer, the third ex-Tampa Bay quarterback to win one, following Doug Williams and Steve Young.
But the Ravens decided Elvis Grbac would be an upgrade, so Grbac will become the fourth different quarterback in four years to start for Baltimore, following Jim Harbaugh, Scott Mitchell and Tony Banks. And a close look at Grbac’s contract makes him look like a short-timer. The five-year, $30 million deal includes a $6 million option after the first year to pick up the rest of it, not likely as long as young Chris Redman progresses.
The Ravens also were courting Brad Johnson, who signed with Tampa Bay for more guaranteed money, but no guarantee he will outlast the younger Shaun King and Ryan Leaf. The future is now.
The Brett Favres and Troy Aikmans of the quarterback world are so rare that teams aren’t even pretending to discover or develop them anymore. If they appear, fine; if not, there is always Doug Flutie.
Far out: Favre’s 10-year, $101.5 million deal is supposed to assure he will stay with Green Bay his entire career, but there is no guarantee he won’t eventually end up on waivers, as Aikman did with Dallas or Flutie did with Buffalo.
After six years, when Favre will have pocketed $51.5 million, the base salary inflates from $7 million to $11 million. Favre will be 38 and the Packers will have to make a decision.
Favre’s contract, by the way, is worth more over the first four years than the similarly backloaded 10-year, $103 million deal signed by New England’s Drew Bledsoe. Favre will get $31 million, including $11 million up front, while Bledsoe gets $30 million, including $8 million up front.
The huge numbers accomplish two things: They allow agents to brag and they allow teams to prorate the signing bonuses over the length of the contracts to reduce the annual salary-cap hit.
Aikman pain: The Cowboys could have deferred some of their $10 million cap hit by waiting until June 1 to release Aikman, but Aikman argued it would be difficult for him to jump onto the current quarterback merry-go-round and land a job someplace else.
He might have fit in Seattle before the Seahawks traded for Green Bay’s Matt Hasselbeck. He might have fit in Baltimore before Grbac. He could have helped Tampa Bay before Johnson. Flutie beat him to San Diego, where there isn’t much of a shot at the playoffs. If he goes to Miami, he must coexist again with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who didn’t turn him on as head coach in Dallas. Kansas City might be Aikman’s best and last alternative, and he has begun talks with the Chiefs.
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Releasing Aikman now also allows owner Jerry Jones to swallow the cap hit all at once and have room to revive his team in 2002. Teams are so confident in their fan base that an owner can actually enter a season admitting it’s wait till next year.
Big bonuses and long-term contracts entice players and teams that want to win now, but the cost always comes due. Aikman and 10 other ex-Cowboys will cost Jones $23.4 million in cap space this season, meaning he will field a team with a payroll of only $44 million instead of the cap ceiling of $67.4 million. Jones doesn’t mind blowing off the year, though he would have preferred Aikman quietly retire on June 2.
“One year from today, we’ll see the effects I’m talking about,” Jones said. “In today’s NFL, having that type of cap room, you can turn a non-playoff team into a contender. We’ve seen four teams in the last two years end up in the Super Bowl when they weren’t in the playoffs the year before.”
In other words, fans, we don’t have a prayer this year, but keep buying those tickets anyway.
Chief spin: New Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil is talking up third-stringer Todd Collins just in case he gets shut out in his desire to sign Aikman or to trade for Trent Green from St. Louis. The Rams aren’t inclined to do Vermeil any favors after he reneged on his intention to retire.
The Chiefs also replaced ex-Bear punter Todd Sauerbrun with Atlanta’s Dan Stryzinski.
Harbaugh home: Bill Tobin drafted Harbaugh in Chicago and signed him in Indianapolis, and now Harbaugh will finish his career with Tobin as Charlie Batch’s backup in Detroit.
“That’s where it started, where I played football in Ann Arbor when I was in 3rd grade,” Harbaugh said. “Played high school, college and now to have a chance to come back is a big thrill for me.
“I’ve played 14 years. I’ve had a chance to be a starter, played a lot of big games. But I’ve watched Charlie Batch and I’ve always been impressed with his toughness and the way he handles himself. I kind of look forward to the role of playing and helping coach in a way. I think he’s got a great future.”
Viking haul: Only in free agency could three players from the Minnesota Vikings’ 28th-ranked defense rake in contracts worth $59 million, including signing bonuses of $14.7 million.
Seattle signed John Randle to a five-year, $25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus. Cleveland signed Dwayne Rudd to a five-year, $23 million contract, including a $5.7 million signing bonus. Cincinnati signed Tony Williams to a four-year, $11 million contract, including a $4 million signing bonus.
Luxury in Philly: When the Eagles practiced at Veterans Stadium, their facilities were the worst in the league. They opened a new complex last week that makes the Bears’ new Halas Hall look dated. It includes a 3,250-square-foot cafeteria with an attached executive dining room that will be staffed by chefs who will cook dinners for the players to take home at night, as well as breakfast and lunch. The Bears neglected the need for food service.
Owner Jeff Lurie, apparently short of mug shots of Eagles heroes, put up pictures in the lobby of non-football people he admires, including Mother Teresa and Jonas Salk.
Said Lurie: “I can’t wait to show this to free agents. It should give us a great edge on that front and also help us retain the players we want to keep.”