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Buzz on Bledsoe Teams are shying away from Pats' big-dollar backupPosted: Thursday February 28, 2002 4:17 PM
It's been almost four weeks since the Super Bowl, and there's been an embarrassing lack of buzz around Drew Bledsoe. How embarrassing? Well, as of Thursday, no team had contacted the Patriots about trying to deal for the unhappy backup quarterback. Now, that could change in Indianapolis this weekend. The free-agent signing period begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, and the first big day of the annual scouting combine is also Friday. Every coach, GM, scout and agent worth his salt will be in Indy. This concentration of NFL heavy-hitters will get the offseason ball rolling. But it can't be good news for Bledsoe or the Patriots that expected suitors Washington and Chicago are apparently turning attention elsewhere for quarterbacks. The Redskins are seeking every warm-bodied former University of Florida quarterback, while the Bears seem close to working a deal for holdover Jim Miller. If Elvis Grbac doesn't get a restructured deal done with Baltimore, the Ravens could be in the hunt for Bledsoe. Cincinnati will be, too, though Bledsoe would rather work in his hometown apple orchards in Washington state than play for that moribund franchise. Maybe it's just a smokescreen, but the Patriots won't just give Bledsoe away. They've already talked internally about what it would be like to have Bledsoe back for 2002.
Don't expect big-money free agent dealsLet's turn to free agency. You know why you haven't heard about a bunch of big-money deals ready to go down? Because there won't be many. Teams learned a lesson from the Patriots last year, when New England spent $2.7 million in signing bonuses last offseason for 20 free agents, 17 of whom contributed to the club's Super Bowl win. The big-money guys -- Indy tight end Ken Dilger, Pittsburgh linebacker Earl Holmes, Giants guard Ron Stone, Baltimore cornerback Duane Starks -- will be overshadowed by the middle-class free agents. Look for these lowlights to get a lot of action in the opening days of free agency:
Lions, Bills will look long, hard at a DuckAt the combine, two teams very interested in Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington will be Detroit and Buffalo, who are scheduled to pick third and fourth in the first round of April's draft. Either team could draft Harrington. Either team could be open to trading down. Look for lower-drafting teams, like Washington, to test the waters with those teams to see if they might be able to sneak up high in the round to get the Ducks signal caller. Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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