Brett A
09-15-2003, 07:52 PM
Worth his weight
OK, so it's only two games, but maybe all those skeptics, the ones who pilloried Redskins owner Dan Snyder for writing a $13 million signing bonus check for restricted free agent wide receiver Laveranues Coles, should start preparing their apologies. In two games, Coles has 16 catches for 286 yards, and has provided Washington coach Steve Spurrier the home run threat he lacked in 2002. Oh, yeah, in two games, Peerless Price of Atlanta has four receptions for 58 yards, and zero scores. Hear anyone dissing Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who surrendered a first-round choice to Buffalo for Price, and then paid him a $10 million signing bonus?
Once again, it's all about perception, NFL style. Blank is viewed as the more mainstream of the two, a guy trying to resurrect a moribund franchise, and outsiders have conveniently ignored his excesses, like overpaying for tiny tailback Warrick Dunn and right offensive tackle Todd Weiner. But, see, Snyder is seen as an interloper, an owner who also wants to be his own general manager, and that seems to chafe purists. No doubt about it, The Daniel undertook an ill-advised spending spree in 2000, paying far too much for big-name players with declining talent levels. But none of his additions this offseason was a reach. As for spending $13 million on Coles, there is always a premium attached to stealing a restricted free agent away from another team, and Snyder understood that.
All right, so maybe Coles won't maintain this current pace, and perhaps some secondary will actually cover the guy with a better effort than the futile one the Falcons did on Sunday afternoon. But it says here that, in the long run, he will be a more productive receiver than Price in 2003. Here's why: When Coles had his breakout season in 2002, it came as the "lead" receiver for the New York Jets, where he was the "go to" guy. C'mon, you've got to admit he is superior to Wayne Chrebet and Santana Moss. That big 2002 campaign enjoyed by Price was in part attributable to having Eric Moulds lined up across the formation. With the Falcons, he is the wide receiver expected to make plays, not just a wide receiver, as was the case previously. Price has already griped a bit about all the double-team coverages he has experienced. Guess what, Peerless, it comes with the territory. They pay the big money to the receivers who make the big plays. So far in 2003, as far as the two big wide receiver acquisitions of the offseason go, it's been no contest.
Also
ATLANTA -- In the annals of newspaper faux pas, it hardly ranks with Dewey Defeats Truman, but an ad in Monday editions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution certainly raised eyebrows here.
In anticipation of a victory over the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons marketing department readied a quarter-page ad congratulating coach Dan Reeves on the 200th victory of his career. One problem: After jumping to an early 17-0 lead, the Falcons lost to the Redskins 33-31.
Bigger problem: Despite phones calls from Falcons officials after the defeat, apprising the paper to pull the ad, oops, it still ran.
On page 5 of the Sports section, the ad occupies the lower right-hard corner.
It reads:
Shula. Halas. Landry. Lambeau. Noll. The only coaches who've won 200 NFL games. Before yesterday. Congratulations, Coach Reeves, for adding your name to this prestigious list. We're honored to be a part of your 200th victory. From your friends at The Atlanta Falcons and the entire region.
One of the Redskins scouts, traveling through Atlanta on Monday morning, spotted the ad and phoned team officials, who got a pretty good chuckle out of it. The newspaper will run a correction in its Tuesday editions.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com
:cool: Brett
OK, so it's only two games, but maybe all those skeptics, the ones who pilloried Redskins owner Dan Snyder for writing a $13 million signing bonus check for restricted free agent wide receiver Laveranues Coles, should start preparing their apologies. In two games, Coles has 16 catches for 286 yards, and has provided Washington coach Steve Spurrier the home run threat he lacked in 2002. Oh, yeah, in two games, Peerless Price of Atlanta has four receptions for 58 yards, and zero scores. Hear anyone dissing Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who surrendered a first-round choice to Buffalo for Price, and then paid him a $10 million signing bonus?
Once again, it's all about perception, NFL style. Blank is viewed as the more mainstream of the two, a guy trying to resurrect a moribund franchise, and outsiders have conveniently ignored his excesses, like overpaying for tiny tailback Warrick Dunn and right offensive tackle Todd Weiner. But, see, Snyder is seen as an interloper, an owner who also wants to be his own general manager, and that seems to chafe purists. No doubt about it, The Daniel undertook an ill-advised spending spree in 2000, paying far too much for big-name players with declining talent levels. But none of his additions this offseason was a reach. As for spending $13 million on Coles, there is always a premium attached to stealing a restricted free agent away from another team, and Snyder understood that.
All right, so maybe Coles won't maintain this current pace, and perhaps some secondary will actually cover the guy with a better effort than the futile one the Falcons did on Sunday afternoon. But it says here that, in the long run, he will be a more productive receiver than Price in 2003. Here's why: When Coles had his breakout season in 2002, it came as the "lead" receiver for the New York Jets, where he was the "go to" guy. C'mon, you've got to admit he is superior to Wayne Chrebet and Santana Moss. That big 2002 campaign enjoyed by Price was in part attributable to having Eric Moulds lined up across the formation. With the Falcons, he is the wide receiver expected to make plays, not just a wide receiver, as was the case previously. Price has already griped a bit about all the double-team coverages he has experienced. Guess what, Peerless, it comes with the territory. They pay the big money to the receivers who make the big plays. So far in 2003, as far as the two big wide receiver acquisitions of the offseason go, it's been no contest.
Also
ATLANTA -- In the annals of newspaper faux pas, it hardly ranks with Dewey Defeats Truman, but an ad in Monday editions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution certainly raised eyebrows here.
In anticipation of a victory over the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons marketing department readied a quarter-page ad congratulating coach Dan Reeves on the 200th victory of his career. One problem: After jumping to an early 17-0 lead, the Falcons lost to the Redskins 33-31.
Bigger problem: Despite phones calls from Falcons officials after the defeat, apprising the paper to pull the ad, oops, it still ran.
On page 5 of the Sports section, the ad occupies the lower right-hard corner.
It reads:
Shula. Halas. Landry. Lambeau. Noll. The only coaches who've won 200 NFL games. Before yesterday. Congratulations, Coach Reeves, for adding your name to this prestigious list. We're honored to be a part of your 200th victory. From your friends at The Atlanta Falcons and the entire region.
One of the Redskins scouts, traveling through Atlanta on Monday morning, spotted the ad and phoned team officials, who got a pretty good chuckle out of it. The newspaper will run a correction in its Tuesday editions.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com
:cool: Brett