The Rumor Mill

[ALinChainz]

Lakers: Malone declines option

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Thursday, June 17, 2004

News

Lakers forward Karl Malone became a free agent on Wednesday by failing to inform the team that he would exercise his $1.65 million option. Agent Dwight Manley told the Associated Press that if Malone plays for anyone next season, if would be the Lakers. "The first priority for him is we're going to meet with doctors this week and have MRIs done on both legs, specifically his right leg," Manley said. "He has made it clear he won't play if he's not 100 percent healthy. I believe his heart and his competitive juices are in L.A. because he came so far and was such a factor in the Lakers' success." Malone averaged 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 42 games He missed 39 games due to a torn ligament in his right knee and injured the joint again in the playoffs.

Views

Malone likely needs surgery to repair his knee, so it's certainly not a given that he'll be 100 percent over the summer and looking into next season. We'd expect Karl to take a lot of time making a decision. He'll wait too see how rehab goes and what moves the Lakers make. He's still 1,459 points (17.8 points per game over 82 games) behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the all-time list, and we have to believe that remains a motivating factor.

[POJO_Risin]

I would have to believe that two things would happen with Malone

1. He resigns with the Lakers in a reserved role...looking to stay healthy for the playoffs...

2. He ends up back in Utah for one more year...and a chance to break the record with his real team...

[POJO_Risin]

Also...

Steelers with the most talent...

Well...receivers obviously...

rb is solid with Staley and Bettis in a backup roll...

QB looks good with Roth, Maddox and Batch (better than most...even though I'm not a Maddox fan)

Line...question mark...could be good...depends on health...

DLine...solid...

Lbackers...solid...

secondary...weak...but young and talented...all their starters will be...could be...24 or younger...which means they'll get burned (probably less than last year), but...be spectacular in the sense of hitting...and making picks...we'll just have to see...

They are reaquiring the depth they've lost in the past...we'll see how it lasts...and what happens injury wise...

[POJO_Risin]

Thanks for the hoop update by the way chainz...

I'm working on some shit in that regard that you might be able to use with your site...as well...and baseball as well...

I'll start posting them asap...

[ALinChainz]

Cool.

We just added some new feeds that update regularly to.

Malone does still have the Lakers on the top of his list, and only being about 1800 points behind Jabbar is still a motivation for him.

[POJO_Risin]

and that elusive NBA title...

of course...now...it doesn't look like he'll be able to just look at a team...and pick a title winner...

I wonder if he's going to wait and see how things shake out to choose the team he goes to...lmfao...how about the Pistons?

[ALinChainz]

Would be ironic.

There is now the annual media wonderings about Larry Brown, as he after every off season wrestles with the decision on whether he should retire.

And with Phil Jackson and his "slim chance" on returning, Larry's name would be one of the first brought up to replace him. He will be coaching the Olympic team this summer and will be asked over and over if he's returning to Detroit or what.

We wouldn't have room for Malone, but I think we could make room for Shaq if he forces a deal.

Now that would fucking rock, the Diesel as a Bad Boy.

[POJO_Risin]

I could never see that happen to be honest...would it make ANY sense...

I'm curious though to see if there are some players that start moving back toward the Eastern Conference...Detroit winning might change the face of hoops in the years to come...the same way players ran from Jordan...perhaps now they'll run over to the East...to see if they can't get into the finals and catch lightning in the bottle like Detroit did this year...

[POJO_Risin]

I think one of the big rumors you'll see...as a matter of fact...would be a Jermaine O'Neal and perhaps Bender...or someone like that...for Shaq...in Indiana...

[ALinChainz]

The Pacers do need to move either Bender or Harrington, just not enough minutes.

I have always envisioned Reggie Miller going home to play for the Lakers, and he is what they need.

[POJO_Risin]

No...they need "Rip," not that old ass Miller...

They should go after someone like Szerbiak...someone like that...

of course...he ain't for shit after that injury...

[ALinChainz]

Rip did gain some league wide recognition as a solid 2-way player after these finals.

I should have been a little more clear. By Miller, I meant outside shooting, guys that are a danger from three.

I do think he could be released though (Miller) and would be hell coming off the bench, sort of the Lakers own version of "The Microwave".

Never been a "Wally World" fan, overrated in my opinion.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:12 a.m. EDT, June 18, 2004



OFFSEASON PROGRAMS TRIGGER CONCERN



Apart from Troy Vincent's recent observations that the year-round nature of an NFL gig prevents guys from developing skills in the offseason that they could parlay into post-football careers (we didn't know there was a market for professional video game players), players and agents are becoming very concerned regarding the increased wear-and-tear resulting from extensive offseason programs.



Even though there are no pads and the contact is limited to the guys in the trenches, we're heard that there are many similarities between the practices in March through June and the practices in July through December.



For example, we've been told that, along the line, guys indeed come off of the ball with nearly the same force and speed as during the regular season and training camp drills, with plenty of hand-fighting between the O-line and D-line players. The 7-on-7 passing drills likewise are as intense during the offseason are they are during the regular season.



And the problem is that the sheer number of additional times out on the practice field increases the chances of a guy getting injured. As a result, every year a handful of guys end up with season-ending injuries as a result of the offseason work.



From the perspective of the teams, it's surely a calculated risk that they're willing to take. Even if a few of the players are gone for the year, the remainder will be far better prepared for the coming slate of games.



INJURY PROTECTION TO BE TESTED?



Since many of the serious offseason injuries this year involved rookies, some league insiders think that the looming wave of contract negotiations will demonstrate whether the injury protection letters that unsigned draft picks receive before participating in offseason drills lead to fair treatment by the teams.



In theory, an unsigned draft pick who goes down with a season-ending injury during offseason drills should get a contract similar to the deal that he would have signed if healthy. Since rookie deals are subject to a slotting system, where draft picks receive something more than the guy taken after them and less than the guy taken in front, the process should be easy.



But there's a sense among some agents that Panthers receiver Drew Carter, who'll miss the season with an ACL tear, Browns safety Sean Jones, who also has a torn ACL, and Titans defensive end Bo Schobel, who fell victim to the Kearse curse with a fracture of the same foot bone that his predecessor Jerome broke two years ago, will not get the same deals they would have received if healthy.



The ultimate perception of whether these guys are treated fairly could affect, in the long run, the manner in which some agents advise their players regarding participation in offseason workouts. Holdouts from offseason programs by rookies are rare (except in pre-Green 'Zona, where the injury protection letters flowed like rainwater in August). Agents believe that the rookie greatly benefits from the opportunity to start learning the system -- especially for guys taken in rounds four through seven, who aren't guaranteed a spot on the final roster.



If, however, agents begin to conclude that their guys are getting screwed for getting hurt while working without a contract, look for some to start advising their guys to stay away.



And this is an example of a topic on which the players, agents, and union legally may collude, agreeing among themselves that rookies would boycott offseason workouts until signed to a contract.



The end result, which we wouldn't see for several years, could be that the process of signing the bulk of the rookies would move from August to May. Under the current system, signing guys early isn't much of a priority for teams, since the rookies voluntarily submit to the offseason programs. If/when they ever start refusing to show up until their names are on the dotted line, the teams' general nonchalance from draft day through the eve of training camp will disappear.



MORE ON THE CBA GLITCH



We promised on Wednesday that we'd get an answer to the question of whether the three-game roster exemption for unsigned restricted free agents and unsigned exclusive rights free agents was automatic, or whether the league office had to approve it.



And we got one. Sort of.



It appears based on further research that no approval is required for use of the roster exemption, which operates like a three-game suspension. It likewise appears that, even if approval is required, it's of the rubber-stamp variety.



Another point that should be re-emphasized is that a player who plans to refrain from signing an RFA tender or an exclusive rights tender until the latest date possible to preserve a season of service credit will know well in advance whether the team plans to use the roster exemption, since the CBA requires teams to give written notice of its intention to do so at least five days before the second preseason game.



If no notice is given, guys like Adewale Ogunleye and Jason Ball can stay away for ten full games without losing the year toward free agency.



A FOOTNOTE RE: ARMPITS



In response to our Thursday reference to Europe as the land of stinky armpits, we received an e-mail from a reader in Portugal, who takes issue with the general perception that all Europeans think "hygiene" is what you say when the bass player from KISS walks into the room:



It’s unfortunately true that many a European women suffers from this terrible problem, but it concerns Centreal European ones (German and French, especially). Why this happens is totally and utterly unexplainable to me and to millions of otherwise shaven and deodorant-applying women in our part of the globe. In Portugal specifically, while a rather poor country compared to some of the richer ones in the world, we can’t understand why they (and I mean also guys) don’t wash and bathe regularly. When we southern Europeans (Portuguese, Spaniards, Italian) discuss our friends from up north, one of the topics is always their (lack of) hygiene. Maybe that could explain some of the animosity towards the US in those countries.



Well, since two-thirds of the NFL Europe teams are based out of Germany, there's no need to quibble with the guy.



And for all you kids out there who are on summer vacation, don't think you aren't learnin' anything in the month of June.

[POJO_Risin]

Carl Crawford to the Phillies?

Rumored for awhile...and Bowa and Pinella are pals...

this was out of a Philly Newspaper...

There is always a trade, of course. There continues to be word in the back channels that Bowa's pal Lou Piniella would make leadoff blur Carl Crawford available. Lou's Devil Rays are making a run and Piniella might settle for Vicente Padilla and Double A slugger Ryan Howard for Crawford. The D-Rays are ager to get exciting Triple A shortstop B.J. Upton installed as their leadoff hitter of the future. Stay tuned.

Crawford at the top of that lineup...christ...

but you have to wonder...Crawford's batting over .300...going to steal in the neighborhood of 75 bases...and really sparking that club...

so they think Upton is better than that?

give me a break...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:25 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2004



DELHOMME'S DEAL NOT SO SWEET?



Initial reaction around the league to Jake Delhomme's new $38 million contract in Carolina was that the Panthers overpaid for a guy who has not yet proven conclusively that he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league.



But the hard numbers, as reported by the Charlotte Observer, suggest that the Panthers haven't yet broken the bank on Delhomme, since his contract is back loaded -- and it essentially gives the team another year or two to evaluate whether he's truly the long-term answer before making a big financial commitment.



Per the Observer, Delhomme received a signing bonus of only $6.1 million, which will be spread over six years. In contrast, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger recently got $9 million as part of a four-year deal.



Also, Delhomme's base salary dropped from $1.37 million to $535,000 for 2004. The deal actually reduced his 2004 cap number from $3.52 million to $3.3 million, according to the Observer.



Next season, Delhomme will receive a salary of $655,000, and he's slated to earn roster bonuses totaling $3 million over the first two seasons of the deal (and we wonder whether the Observer's calculation of the 2004 cap number factors in any roster bonus he'll receive this year).



The day of reckoning likely will come in 2006, when Delhomme's salary rockets to $4.8 million. The team also must decide in 2006 whether to pay a $3 million roster bonus in order to pick up the 2009 season, the final year of the deal.



The deal wraps up with cap numbers in excess of $8 million in 2007, 2008, 2009.



As we see it, if Delhomme plays well enough to persuade the team to pay out the back end of the deal, the Panthers likely will want to re-do the contract before 2006 in order to better manage the overall cap consequences. And if Delhomme doesn't tear it up in 2004 and 2005, there's a good chance that he'll be asked to swallow a pay cut come 2006 -- and that the team won't pay the $3 million roster bonus to secure the 2009 season.



In the end, then, Delhomme's deal might be nothing more than an exercise by both sides to nab a headline ("5 years, $38 million!") inflating Delhomme's perceived worth -- and suggesting that the Panthers are willing to spend money for key players.



As quarterback contracts go, this one hardly is a blockbuster. For now, it's more like a two-year, $10 million deal.



ROOKIES NEED OFFSEASON WORKOUTS



In response to our Friday story regarding the participation of rookies in offseason programs, even though they don't have contracts, a management-side league source offered his views regarding the issue.



Rookies, the source told us, need to participate in the offseason because their focus from January to April isn't preparing to play NFL football, but preparing to enhance their draft stock by focusing only on a handful of specific activities -- the forty, the three-cone drill, the short shuttle, the bench press, the vertical leap, the standing broad jump, etc.



Then, in the weeks after the final Pro Day workouts, many of them shut down and fall out of shape.



So, come early May, the rookies desperately need to start getting ready for football, since most veterans have been working out with an eye toward playing football in September -- not participating in the draft-day Olympics in March and April.



And perhaps that's why agents tell their guys to participate in offseason programs even though they haven't signed their contracts yet, and therefore are under no obligation to do anything.



But the explanation offered by the source also suggests to us that, if the players and the agents ever decide to take a common stand against rookie participation in offseason workouts until they are signed, the teams might start to feel the same pressure in May to get them under contract that the teams currently begin to experience as training camp approaches.



PASQUARELLI'S MEA CULPA



On the surface, it was a fairly benign admission, buried deftly near the end of his weekly Tip Sheet. In the third paragraph from the bottom, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli acknowledges that he made a mistake in a prior version of the "Sheet," and he offers an apology.



But unlike a spelling error or a typo or some other mistake that happens no matter how many proofreaders you have (or, in our case, you don't), Pasquarelli's error seems to speak to a deeper flaw in his scoop-gathering processes.



Specifically, Len says that he mistakenly explained that Eagles sixth-round rookie cornerback Dexter Wynn of Colorado State had outperformed third-round rookie cornerback Matt Ware of UCLA in offseason drills. The mistake arose from the fact that, since UCLA had not yet finished its semester, Ware had been prevented by NFL rules from participating in any portion of the offseason program.



Though he tries to brush it off by explaining with tongue in cheek that Wynn was the better of the two in offseason drills by default, the real question is how did Pasquarelli obtain information that Wynn looked better than Ware in workouts? And what did he do to confirm it?



Setting aside for now the question of whether Pasquarelli (who, unlike us, covers the NFL on a full-time basis and gets paid well for it) should have known off the top of his head that any player from UCLA wouldn't be involved in offseason drills since it's one of the schools that stays in session deep into the spring, we're wondering whether Len's reporting technique observed accepted journalism principles that certain sites (like this one) are criticized by the media for ignoring.



Although the report regarding Wynn and Ware reads like info that came straight from a source within the Eagles organization, we're fairly certain that no one in a position to actually observe practice would have his head that far up his rear end.



But maybe the info came from a team source, but maybe Len just wasn't taking good notes.



Or maybe Len was relying upon a self-serving scoop from Wynn's agent that, to Pasquarelli's detriment, contained a slightly skewed version of reality.



Regardless of the origin of the error, the move suggests sloppiness, undermining (in our view) the full body of his work. And given recent reports that Pasquarelli was at one point using agent Hadley Engelhard's password to access contract information and other confidential NFLPA data, it's hard not to conclude that Len has been cutting corners.



MEDIA SCREWS POOCH ON O-GUN TENDER



Speaking of media errors, Pasquarelli was among multiple members of the media who recently committed a faux pas regarding the reduction by the Dolphins of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye's one-year tender.



On June 15, NFL rules permitted Miami to drop the offer from $1.824 million to 110 percent of Ogunleye's 2003 base salary, which equates in O-Gun's case to $412,500.



But the media's supposed mastery of these CBA niceties overlooks one key fact. The Dolphins cannot drop the tender below $455,000, the minimum salary for a fourth-year player.



We'd like to say we caught this one on our own, but we didn't. In fact, we made the same mistake when we reported on May 2 that the Fins might drop the tender several weeks back.



Instead, a member of the media who spotted the error in reports from the Miami Herald pointed the glitch out to us. We then confirmed that Ogunleye indeed couldn't be offered less than $455,000.



By all appearances, then, either both the Herald and Pasquarelli made the same mistake this week. Or Pasquarelli merely piggy-backed the Herald's June 15 error by crafting a June 16 story under his own byline, based in large part on information reported by the Herald -- without attribution, of course.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



Suggesting (to us) that he still has a lot of growing up to do (and that he doesn't know jack about the CBA), Packers QB Tim Couch is bellyaching about the fact that the Browns didn't cut him before June 1.



Mike Freeman of the Florida Times-Union explains that teams are increasingly relying on workout bonuses to enhance participating in offseason workout programs.



The family of Philip Rivers, which loaded up the truck and moved to Raleigh when Phil enrolled at N.C. State, is now making the move to San Diego.



Vikings coach Mike "Meathead" Tice is raving about the talent level of his team, which means that if they don't perform well this year, it's his fault -- and he'll be gone.



The Vikes have cut veteran CB Eric Kelly, who had slipped on the depth chart.



The Rams have signed former Redskins DT Bernard Holsey.



Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith continues to upgrade the roster via the acquisition of (drum roll, please) two guys from NFL Europe, one of whom hasn't played in the NFL since 2001.



LB Jason Gildon is negotiating with four teams, including the Packers, Bills, and Bengals.