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Survival of the fittest Lions' Ross evaluating talent more on instinct than stats
Posted: Tuesday December 28, 1999 05:49 PM
It's ironic that the very thing that almost got Detroit coach Bobby Ross demoted during the offseason is now what has the Lions in the NFC playoffs. Last summer the Lions considered handing the personnel decisions to broadcaster Matt Millen. Ross tells me surviving that power play has made him more focused on his job than every before in his career. He has aced the last two drafts, solidified the defensive front with free agent James Jones and two weeks ago grabbed kick returner Desmond Howard. Ross also signed quarterback Gus Frerotte, a player he had been watching since the draft in 1994. The coach told me his secret has been that he decided to go back to evaluating players like he did at Georgia Tech, based more on instinct, feel and character than just raw stats and measurements.
Naughty or nice Christmas for Ricky?With almost a full season under his belt, now is a good time to evaluate the bizarre, incentive-laden contract signed by Saints rookie running back Ricky Williams. And right now it looks like a total failure. Williams is scheduled to receive $175,000 in base salary and only an additional 50 grand out of a possible $3.5 million in incentives. That's the football equivalent of getting a lump of coal for Christmas.
Dwindling numbers in the backfieldHere's one reason the Dolphins are at the mercy of other AFC teams heading to the last week of the season. At the beginning of training camp Miami had 13 running backs on their roster, but now, because of injuries, cuts and arrests, the Dolphins' featured runner is fullback Stanley Pritchett.
Crowded infirmaryThe Cowboys now have a dozen players on injured reserve, the worst rash of injuries to hit Dallas since 1986. In fact, there are so many wounded Cowboys these days that last week the team considered adding lockers to their practice facility to accommodate everyone. Sports Illustrated staff writer David Fleming covers the NFL and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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