How, and to Whom, Slick NFL Deals Get Done
By Rams Nation's Barry Waller
Even the amazing God given talents of such a specimen as #28 eventually fade,
but the gifts a great GM possesses don’t wane, and in fact improve with
age.
When the Bills lost their former GM, John Butler, one of the best ever at his
job, to the Chargers in 2002, they were lucky enough to replace him with another
personnel genius of equal genius. Tom Donahoe was able to keep the Steelers
at the top of the standings despite year after year of free agent defections
until he and Bill Cowher, two strong egos, finally had to divorce.
IF fans (Or some current GMs) want to study the master in action, just take
this quick study of the recent Donahoe moves and how it all looks to play out
before the next week is done. For Donahoe, the problems surrounding acquiring
the really good players these days are like fairway traps 250 yards out from
the tee are for Tiger Woods. This late week hand of free agent cards played
by “Cool Hand” Donahoe is a thing of beauty. Like a hand of “Three
Card Monty”, Buffalo’s “Grand Master” couldn’t
lose, because he held the aces, and knew it.
It would be even more impressive if the two eager opponents in Tom’s
rigged game weren’t two rubes famous for folding two pair on a ten-dollar
bet. Remember that disgusting guy in “A Bronx Tale” who was so star-crossed,
that Sonny; played by Chaz Palmantieri, who wrote the book and script; tore
up his betting tickets even before a photo finish was decided, because he saw
that born loser desperately urging the same steed on which Sonny had bet, down
the stretch.
When his crew played craps, they forced that ne’er do well to leave the
room, locking him into what was a tiny bathroom for such a big fat guy, one
obviously well used that day, while Sonny tossed the bones.
Well, THAT’S how most NFL organizations would view the Bengals and Falcons
as NFL franchises in their overall legacy of ineptitude and bad Karma.
Today’s Peerless Price deal was brilliant, and Donahoe wasn’t done
with his slight of hand either. The Bills had no intention of ever giving Price
the dough he wanted, they just franchised him, knowing it would make him even
more want to leave, which was their plan from the start, because the Bills have
three good receivers even after Peerless, who thinks he is Jerry Rice.
They can draft another in a deep crop this year, or even wait a year till the
incredible bumper crop that comes out in 2004, starting with Roy Williams, the
best college WR since Moss, with none of the attitude problems. They can sign
Curtis Conway, or Donald Hayes, or Brandon Stokely, or any of the others that
got cut recently, or will get cut after June 1.
Price is going to Atlanta as the #1, and he is NOT a #1, so he will be double
teamed or covered by a Troy Vincent or Aeneas Williams, with deep help. There
have been a TON of #2 guys that went somewhere and flopped as #1. Remember Alvin
Harper?
So they get a free #1 pick, which they will use to get Cincinnati to let them
keep Spikes, and because of that transition tag on Spikes, they get him signed
cheaper because fewer teams are wasting time trying to structure an unmatchable
deal with so many other free agents, including their own, to get done in a short
time.
Cincinnati knows Spikes wants to leave badly, and now they know for sure after
he signs this offer. If they match, they have a guy whose relationship with
them is forever destroyed, a guy who would become a cancer for a new coach.
So they have this late #1 pick sitting there, they save the cap by letting
Spikes go and also $7 million or more in cash up front back in their pocket.
They may try to say they want more for a second, but Buffalo knows better, and
says nope, then go ahead and match, which they know is horrifying to Cincy,
having let another team set the market for their guy. Mike Brown would have
none of it, because then all the other Bengals want raises too, at least that's
what he will think.
So they cut the losses, and are thrilled with the draft pick, which they will
probably use to pick a QB if one of the top ones are there, and one should be.
The Bengals got screwed on this deal, but they don't feel like it, at least
they saved face and didn't look cheap, though they are. With the top pick they
can now forget that QB risk and take the best player or trade down, so Marvin
Lewis’ ship is still afloat with more chance to add youth.
The Falcons got screwed by betting the pot on far less than a pat hand; overrating
Price, probably because he attended the University of Tennessee, which gives
him fan appeal and name recognition in neighboring Georgia, home of the Volunteers
SEC arch rival Georgia Bulldogs.
Dan Reeves, in his haste to win now before he calls it quits once and for all,
is forgetting that Price is just 5’ 11” and that Mike Vick specializes
in the high fastball. They also forget that a WR that can block for Vick when
he takes off could be better than a small receiver who is mainly just a deep
threat. Still he is the best WR out there now to be had now that Boston went.
So like the Lions did for Dre Bly, the Falcons will VASTLY overpay Price by
going to panic mode, not to mention now having no #1 pick to address other needs,
like replacing CB Ashley Ambrose, or getting D line help in a draft year of
great defensive line talent.
See the pattern here?
CINCINNATI: Won't pay a guy his due because they are cheap;
"trades" great player for less than his true value in draft picks.
ATLANTA: Give TOO much in draft picks to inadequately fill
a huge need, in a panic move to add a good, not great player who hasn’t
been a top gun his whole career. That’s just what the Falcons expect from
him now. Then they pay him as if he HAS been one of the top receivers in the
game, an amount that’s probably double his true value, or probable performance.
See how all that is so nicely symmetrical? In a league where parity makes even
a small advantage equate to a playoff appearance instead of another high draft
spot, it's easy to see why those two franchise's success stories have been somewhat
like an inch of rainfall on the ocean.
Meanwhile, the Bills, one of the BETTER run franchises of all time, lose a
guy they were going cut anyway, one that was not a #1 pick originally, and get
one of the best young LB in the league in free agency at a fair price. "Bases
loaded, here is the pitch to Tom Donahoe (Bills GM).......... SWING AND A LONG
ONE......LOOK AT THAT BABY FLY........ IT......IS.......OUTA....... HERE !!!!!!!!
GRAAAAAANNNNNNND SLAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMERRRRRRRRRR !!!