Redskins may Pursue Milloy

[PennSkinsFan]

Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16561-2003Sep2.html)

[hail2skins]

To replace Ohalete, damn.

[rskinsfan10]

I wouldn't be mad.

[Redbeard]

Wow, well if they are not sure about keeping Bailey, that would surely soften the blow to the secondary next offseason.

But for this season, I wouldn't mind seeing how the new guys work out. Liked Iffy alot as a rookie. Lets see how FA Bowen works out.

[goterps1986]

Let's go get him...as long as he doesn't cost a fortune. I think he is just what the doctored ordered for the defense! I hope it works out! He would be a big upgrade...durable and a leader.

[Gump84]

From ESPN:


By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

If safety Lawyer Milloy is a veteran of at least moderately declining skills, as suggested by some New England officials after a Tuesday morning departure that sent shockwaves through the Patriots locker room, other teams around the league clearly don't share that assessment of him.

Within two hours of Milloy's stunning release, ESPN.com reported Tuesday afternoon that the Buffalo Bills had already made a solid contract offer.

By Tuesday night, Milloy and his representatives were mulling offers from at least three franchises, ESPN.com had learned. And a decision on where the seven-year veteran will resume his career could come as early as Wednesday, as some of the teams are seeking an expeditious resolution, and negotiations on all fronts are accelerating.

"We'd sign him right now and play him on Sunday," said Buffalo team president Tom Donahoe. "We've made it clear that we want him here."

The Bills host the Patriots in Sunday's regular-season opener in what already is viewed as a critical AFC East matchup.

Beyond the Bills, the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints have made offers and remain in the hunt. It is believed Washington has offered a multi-year contract that would pay Milloy about $5 million over the first two seasons. League sources said that the Saints had offered a three-year contract.

The Minnesota Vikings demonstrated early interest and then, when they saw where the market was headed, backed off later in the day. The New York Jets also made at least one exploratory phone call but it is believed their interest waned as well.

Responses were mixed when ESPN.com phoned league personnel directors and general managers throughout the day Tuesday to ask if they think Milloy's abilities had declined. But most personnel men surveyed said they felt Milloy is still among the NFL's top players at his position. Several noted that his big-play skills were somewhat diminished but that he still had several good years remaining.

"It doesn't show up on film," said one general manager of Milloy's alleged decline.

Milloy was entering the fourth season of a seven-year, $35 million contract that was seen as a landmark deal for a safety when he signed it in 2000. New England will save $4.4 million on its 2003 cap but will have to count about $6 million on its 2004 spending limit because of various prorated signing bonus segments.

Patriots sources said late Tuesday night that keeping Milloy on the regular-season roster would have pushed the team over the 2003 cap limit and perhaps forced the release of a starter or two. During the offseason, the so-called "rule of 51" applies to a team's salary cap, meaning it must count only its highest-paid 51 players against the ceiling. But when the regular season begins, every player under contract counts against the cap, and a club's account typically rises.

The scheduled 2003 cap charge for Milloy was $5.836 million. The two sides had been working on a potential reworked deal for four or five months but could not get together on numbers amenable to Milloy and the Patriots brass.

Of the three teams known to still be chasing Milloy, all offer a degree of attractiveness, and he may ultimately be forced to decide between money and a chance to perhaps play in a third Super Bowl game.

In Buffalo, he would be reunited with former New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who urged Bills officials to sign Milloy, and who spoke with the safety by phone a few times on Tuesday. There is also the specter of being able to play the Patriots twice yearly, an obvious revenge element. Bledsoe, who is being counted on to demonstrate his skills as a recruiter, figures to be Buffalo's big plus. The Bills want more big plays from their safeties and their current starters, Pierson Prioleau and Coy Wire, combined for zero interceptions in 2002.

Going to New Orleans would reunite Milloy with his former Patriots safety partner, Tebucky Jones, who was traded to the Saints this spring. During the several weeks in which team officials were negotiating the Jones swap, ESPN.com confirmed the Patriots several times offered Milloy as an alternative in the trade. New Orleans last week lost starting free safety Mel Mitchell to a knee injury. Last year's starter, Jay Bellamy, has been promoted into the lineup. Some Saints officials see him, though, as a liability in the club's revamped defense.

Given the past history of owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins may well offer the most money of all Milloy's suitors. Washington has more than $5 million in cap room, may not blink if the financial ante is raised, and certainly could use a player of Milloy's ilk to anchor its interior secondary. One of the Saints' players said Tuesday night that Milloy had hinted he favored the Redskins but wanted more time to consider his decision.

While the action was heated for the teams pursuing Milloy, his former New England teammates remained puzzled by the move, and by its unusual timing.

"Has it ever been this quiet in here? I don't think it has," said linebacker Tedy Bruschi, a former Milloy teammate, of the Pats' locker room. "I think 'shocked' is the word. . . . You sort of just shake your head and ask yourself, 'Why?' "

Milloy started in 106 consecutive games going back to his rookie year in 1996, when the Patriots won the AFC championship but lost to Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXI. He led the team in tackles in 2001, when New England won Super Bowl XXXVI.

But last year, Milloy had no sacks, no forced fumbles, no sacks and no interceptions. His 91 tackles represented his fewest since he became a full-time starter. The Patriots will not concede this point, at least not publicly, but some team officials and coaches felt Milloy had not performed on the field to his salary level.

Said coach Bill Belichick in announcing the release: "Today is a day that nobody is happy about. This isn't the way we wanted this story to end. This is the hardest player that I have had to release. It was the hardest situation that I've had to go through like this, here or anywhere else."

The Patriots have said they did not make the move in order to create a position for a player to be added from outside the organization. They stressed publicly the release was a financial matter only and said Milloy's successor will come from a group of younger players that includes Antwan Harris, Aric Morris and Chris Akins, none of whom has ever been a starter.

"It is scary in the timing," said New England cornerback Ty Law, who has the same agent as Milloy, and who has also been approached about reworking his contract. "There is such a thing as good business and bad business. I don't know what category this one falls under. But to my eyes, and being selfish, at this late in the game and in regard to him and his family, I'm sure this is something that could have been done a long time ago."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press also contributed to this story.





Lets hope they get him!

[JoeDaSchmoe]

Honestly? No. Not just an iffy, edge-of-the-fence no. A vehement, definite no.

I'm tired of watching us sign big-name players when we already have capable home-grown players in the same spots.

I'm tired of watching us usurp players we consider true Redskins, who have played their (mostly short) NFL careers, in the burgundy and gold, for even more new faces.

I'm tired of watching us throw away talent whose potential hasn't even been realized yet.

I'm tired of watching that potential go somewhere else and blossoming.

I'm tired of never seeing how good some of our diamonds in the rough can be.

I'm tired of wasting valuable cap space on positions that aren't needs.

I'm tired of having to reform team chemistry, year after year.

I'm tired of having to learn the names of at least a dozen new startes.

I'm tired of watching some of the big names we bring in bust.

I'm tired of hearing the words "cap hell" because of signings like this.

Most of all, I'm tired of always wondering if the next big name on the market will be signed by Snyder, whether we need it or not.

We have no idea how good Ohalete can be. He looked sharp last year, and could have only improved since then. He knows the system. Milloy doesn't. He's cap-friendly. Milloy isn't. He's a life-long Redskin. Milloy isn't. He'll play his ass off, because he doesn't have a huge signing bonus and a fat contract. Milloy won't.

I don't want Sam Shade part deux. I don't want another hard-hitting run support safety who'll watch the ball fly over his head and into a reciever's arms on big pass plays. I don't want a high-priced former Pro Bowler who doesn't know the system two days before the opener. I don't want to see the same mistakes we made in 2000 repeated. So far we've done a damn good job of making sure that hasn't happened. Don't ruin my faith now, Snyder.

[truant]

I agree with most of your Post JDS, but this is Lawyer Milloy. I don't think you can really question his leadership and work ethic by saying that he won't work his ass off.

To me, the bottom line is that this guy is top 5 in his position RIGHT NOW. I like Ohalete, but i think that Milloy is a wonderful asset to have back there.

I don't care too much either way, i'm still in shock he got wavied. I hope he doesn't go to someone we play this year... but that doesn't look likely with the Saints and Bills in pursuit.

He's an upgrade and a true team leader. So i'm not going to say that I don't want him here. We are just a few pieces away... maybe he gets us over the hump?

[IowaSkinsFan]

I agree with JDS.

[SkinsCT]

Go get him. This guy leads by example, he was captain of NE, a 4-time pro bowler, and a super bowl champ. It can't hurt to have that kind of experience and talent in the secondary. And if anyone says that Ohalete is going to be just as good, come on, Iffy would do a fine job at SS, but he is no Lawyer Milloy.

[BigCountry]

JDS I'm telling you chemistry won't be a problem. He'll do for our defense what Rod Woodson did for the Raiders. He's a class act, gives 110% on every down and along with LaVar will give the defense so much fire and passion it'll be scary. They said the same about Jerry Rice and Woodson and a. their skills haven't diminished b. their signing meant so much more to the Raiders then on field stats. That's what the game is all about and this is the opposite of most of the signings Snyder has made, which is why we're all so paranoid. This is no Dana Stubblefied, Dieon Sanders, Mark Carrier, Jeff George, Sean Gilbert (anyone else think that list is too long?) He brings everything we need to the table. Get him and get him now so we can use every second of the spare time we got to get him ready for the Falcons.

[Hailyeah]

A) Ohalete was not sharp last year. He had one very dramatic touchdown and a couple other big plays, but faltered many times in run support and being out of position in the passing game.
B) I like the Rod Woodson example. I don't buy that Milloy is washed up. If he's affordable, get him. Besides the D Line, our Safeties are the most suspect area of the team. We're all assuming Bowen will be solid. He didn't even start for GB last year. We have no idea.

[SkinsKY]

I say we should only sign him IF we have completely given up on Champ. Otherwise money for Samuels and Arrington will definitely not be there and I do not want to lose either one of them because of Milloy.

[Skinzaholic]

If we sign him... then the Champ storyline is history.

You can take that to the bank.

[Skins57]

I agree, Skinz. Could you imagine Smoot, Bowen Milloy and Champ? wow what a secondary that would be but we would still have no pass rush

[rskinsfan10]

Originally posted by Skins57
I agree, Skinz. Could you imagine Smoot, Bowen Milloy and Champ? wow what a secondary that would be but we would still have no pass rush

There is two ways of looking at that. If you have a secondary that can lock everything down that's headed it's way, sacks and hurries will come. O-linemen can only contain their assignments for so long.

[BigCountry]

Champ could still be kept. If they sign him to the deal the post says he'll count for about 2 mil against next year's cap. A cap that Bruce Smith will be off. We've always found a way until now so I wouldn't disspair.

[Gump84]

They are apparently offering him $5 million over 2 season. If he accepts those terms, I really don't think he'll hurt our chances with Champ, Lavar, or Chris too much.

[REDMAN]

Lawyers leadership can only help our defense. wr's will have to respect us when they venture across the middle. also will be like an extra LB in run support.

[Green-Is-Good]

I agree with JoeDaSchmoe. Bowen and Ohalete will have stellar seasons this year. And cost less, and are younger(26 and 24, respectively). There are too many reasons not to sign Milloy.

[BigCountry]

WOULD HAVE. He just agreed in principal with the Bills.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

i knew they were going to go after him. i would have loved to have him hear, with the price right of course. but right now, im content to see what bowen and iffy can do.