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Chopping block Veterans playing the numbers game in minicamp
For a veteran player, the NFL Draft is like a game of musical chairs, only with much higher stakes. Adding a highly rated rookie to a roster usually means the end of the line for a veteran at the same position. And when that player looks for a new team on the open market, another veteran is likely pushed aside. The same thing happens when a team doesn't get the impact player it needs in the draft and goes out to find a replacement. A lesser player will ultimately get bumped off. The Eagles drafted UCLA wideout Freddie Mitchell in the first round. A few days later, wide receiver Charles Johnson was let go. No doubt Johnson will land on a team in the next week or so and some other vet will find himself out of work. The Patriots drafted cornerback Brock Williams in the third round, and now Antonio Langham is looking for a job. In a few weeks Langham will be signed and someone else will have to send his resume out. The Raiders didn't get a chance to take a linebacker during the draft, so they moved quickly to sign free agent Ryan Phillips, who started all 16 games for the Giants last year. Now, Elijah Alexander is looking for a new team. Why release veterans now and not wait until the June 1 deadline? Teams that manage their finances properly release players before June 1 in order to pay off all salary-cap charges and clear their books. Only teams with cap space like Philadelphia can afford to do this; that's why Johnson is already gone. Last week, the Bears released defensive tackle Jim Flanigan to free up some space. Defensive linemen are very hard to find and Flanigan is a legitimate starter. Soon he'll be signed and will put someone else on the unemployment line. More importantly, every team has a minicamp after the draft and clubs can't afford to let players they intend on cutting practice and risk injury. If a player gets hurt in a drill, the team eats his whole salary. That's why the Steelers didn't allow running back Richard Huntley or safety Scott Shields to participate in last weekend's minicamp. Detroit wide receiver Herman Moore didn't attend minicamp, either. The Lions are about $1 million under the cap, but they need nearly $2.9 million to sign their rookies. Moore will be asked to take a big pay cut or will be gone. Jumbo Elliott wasn't at the Jets' camp and New York needs nearly $2.5 million of cap space to sign its picks. And in San Francisco, they're just waiting on the calendar to say goodbye to Jerry Rice. In the next two weeks there will be a number of veteran players under contract who will not participate in minicamp events. That's a pretty good sign that, without a big pay cut, they will not be with the team after June 1. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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