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Running back? Chances are retired RB Smith won't be returning
Updated: Tuesday August 21, 2001 12:23 AM
Sports Illustrated's Peter King chatted with Bob Lorenz on Sunday about the goings-on in the league this week on CNN’s NFL Preview: Bob Lorenz: The Ravens' search for a running back seems to now include Robert Smith. The former Vikings tailback has reiterated, though, that he's staying retired. Have we heard the end of this? Peter King: We have not heard the end of this. I spoke to Smith's agent, Neil Cornrich, at the Ravens-Jets game Saturday night, and whereas two weeks ago Smith was saying 'I'm not playing football anymore,' now he's saying, 'I don't think I'm playing football anymore.' To me, that's a subtle difference. Now it may mean nothing but it also may mean that in two weeks when we're out of training camp and players can stop knocking the snot out of each other, Smith can come in and play this year for maybe $3 million. I'm not saying this is likely, I'm not saying this is going to happen, but I mentioned this to Baltimore head coach Brian Billick after the game. He was discouraged about how his team had played and said, 'If that's the case, we'd be very, very interested in Smith.' Lorenz: But doesn't this go against the reason Smith walked away in the first ? He wanted to walk away healthy.… King: You're absolutely right and, indeed, he may stay away. I'd say there's only a 15-20 percent chance that he'd play. I'm saying that it used to be categorical and now it's probable
Lorenz: We've talked before about the crowded backfield in Denver, but isn't there a more serious question there than who will start, Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary or Mike Anderson? King: The Broncos don't know whether Howard Griffith will ever play football again. He's got a neck injury and he's been the fullback who has opened up a lot of holes, leading to the line of scrimmage for these running backs the past couple of years. He's been a key component to the running game. What they're going to do is move the backup tight end, Patrick Hape, who came over from Tampa Bay as a free agent this offseason, to fullback. They're going to give him every opportunity to win that job. What I see happening on Opening Night against the Giants in that brand-new stadium, my gut is telling me this, is that Olandis Gary will be the starting back. Mike Shanahan loves the way he catches the ball, loves the way he blocks and loves the way he breaks tackles downfield. That's the one advantage, in my mind, both Gary and Anderson have over Davis -- they're both just a little bit better at breaking tackles downfield. Lorenz: Another twist this week in the Terry Glenn saga. After the league suspended him for four games for violating the substance-abuse policy, the Patriots suspended the wideout for the remainder of the year. What's been the reaction from his team and what's his future? King: His future is this: He can't play football until 2002. By contract the Patriots can't deal him or do anything with him until March 2, 2002. I think the biggest thing that happened here is that New England gave Terry Glenn 12 days to report to camp after his initial suspension and he didn't do it. Rather than have this guy be a distraction all year, the Patriots decided to cut the cord now. They're going to go with a bunch of experienced guys -- no game breakers like Glenn, though -- but I think they had to do this for the best of the team. Lorenz: There's growing concern over the contract between the league and its officials. The two sides will meet Monday, but will this situation get worked out before the season starts in three weeks? King: I've got grave doubts that the officials will be there to work Opening Day and not just because they would like to get up to a 400 percent pay increase and be paid as full-time employees. The referees union has sympathizers among the supervisors of officials of the top college conferences. They will not send their officials to referees NFL games because if they do they won't be welcomed back in their college conferences. And what happens to the replay officials? I've been told by a source close to the referees that the replay officials will not do officiating at games once the season starts -- they will go out in sympathy with the officials. That's why the meeting between commissioner Paul Tagliabue and his people, and Tom Condon, the agent for the referees' association, is vital. It's a very serious situation and I think it's headed toward a strike. Lorenz: Cade McNown is being shopped around by the Bears. Is there going to be a taker for the former first-round quarterback? King: It's looking doubtful that there will be a taker who will actually pay compensation. It's funny. I talked to Bears GM Jerry Angelo and he basically said, 'All we want is a fourth-round pick for the guy. I'm putting it all on the table.' It's amazing to me that McNown has done so much damage to his career in the space of two years that no team will even pay a conditional fourth-round pick for him. If I'm the Dolphins, I'm jumping all over this guy. In fact, if I'm the Bengals, who liked McNown a lot on draft day two years ago, I'm jumping all over him. I don't understand this because if you work on his accuracy, this guy is still a very salvageable player. Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat and appears each Sunday on CNN's NFL Preview.
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