Getting Free For A Big Gain

Patriot quarterback Tony Eason, 28, who reportedly made $875,000 last season, falls into that category. Eason is coming off a serious shoulder injury that has left him with numbness in the thumb on his throwing hand. None of the other teams in Phoenix seemed interested in Eason, but his agent, Leigh Steinberg, said he thinks quarterbacks will be the targets of offers if a free agent movement really develops. "And I wouldn't be surprised if my guy is among them," Steinberg said, ever hopeful.

The names of Carl Banks, the New York Giants' 25-year-old outside linebacker, and Mark Bavaro, their 24-year-old tight end, came up. Both are All-Pros, but the Giants have a history of holding on to their own. When Bennett went out and signed Lawrence Taylor to a USFL contract in 1984, New York bought out the contract and locked Taylor to a long-term deal that is worth a million dollars this year. The Giants aren't to be messed with. All you'll do is make an enemy.

Most NFL people felt that one isolated case does not a trend make, but Buffalo Bills general manager Bill Polian says, "It wouldn't surprise me if there was a rash of offer sheets handed around. These things tend to lead to chain reactions. Plus the draft is not that strong this year. If Jim Kelly had decided to sit out a couple of years ago, we were prepared to match any offer he got.

"Now? I don't know. What this is forcing us to do is to look at our squad very carefully and determine which players we want to make sure are signed before the last year of their contracts. It's changed the general manager's focus. You can't be fooling around with speaking engagements and ticket sales. You'd better spend 14 hours a day on squad matters or the roof could fall in quickly. The Al Davises and Bobby Beathards will eat you up. The premium on winning soon has increased dramatically. The five-year rebuilding plan doesn't fly anymore."

The deadline for making offers to this year's 500 or so free agents is April 15. Keep your eye on the weather reports. Will it be a flood—or a raindrop?