Ready for March 3rd?
By Rams Nation's Don Ackerman
On Wednesday, wideouts Keyshawn Johnson and Joey Galloway may swap Buccaneer
and Cowboy jerseys. Also, Redskins cornerback Champ Bailey and Broncos running
back Clinton Portin may trade jerseys (and dare I say even homes? After all,
they will both be house shopping). The biggest question based on rumor is "Will
Kurt hoist a different #13 jersey in March?"
Speaking of quarterbacks, the Redskins may also be busy picking up a quarterback
when Mark Brunell heads north from Jacksonville. Lately, Kurt Warner's name
has been mentioned based on Marc's starting role and Kurt will to play and a
little offseason trouble surrounding talks of faith interfering with football.
For Kurt, I suppose all these rumors must be either frustrating to hear or music
to his ears. I'm not sure which because I don't know what Kurt (and Brenda)
are thinking these days. But I do know one thing: something is up in Saint Louis!
Since the 2001 Super Bowl loss to New England, Kurt has not won football games.
Whether Kurt was injured or not has been discussed. In many games, he's played
very poorly when he has started a football game. I don't know if Kurt wants
another chance or wants a new start.
Until March 3rd, everything we heard about any rumored Kurt Warner transaction
was forthcoming and not present-tense. But on March 3rd, the NFL goes live and
NFL teams can begin wheelin' and dealin'. Will anything happen to Kurt Warner?
Will he end up in another uniform? Or will he battle for the head QB spot in
mini-camp. Should be interesting.
For a change, this may be one of the most active offseasons in quite a while.
I think it is due to the win-now-or-be-fired mentality of NFL owners. In any
case, look for some action but I don't expect to hear much about Kurt Warner's
status. Though he could be trade or waived, it just doesn't make sense financially
(Kurt's contract status and fees due - because of a nice signing bonus - are
reasons not to move Kurt. On top of that, Marc Bulger has performed but not
always very well. The NFL can stand for "Not For Long" and success
can be fleeting. If you don't believe me, ask Kurt himself!)
In any case, I don't expect to see anything occur with Kurt and would be shocked
if the Rams made any moves regarding Kurt Warner.
However, The Rams have to address the status of Grant Wistrom and perhaps we
can perform a miracle getting Orlando Pace and his agent to agree to a reasonable
contract. (But don't count on it. Pace's agent is making waves with Ty Law,
his New England Patriot client, who is also not getting enough money or respect
for his great talent.) I'm not holding out for Big O, but hope the Rams can
work a deal with Grant who has been a good player in the Rams organization.
In any case, buckle up because the fun begins March 3rd.
Ram on,
Don
Don, the Rams Nation columnist can be contacted at Don@RamsNation.org.