Mcnair-to-Calico

May 4, 2005) -- With more teams than ever managing the salary cap with greater care, we should see more veterans released before June 1 than in years past. When a player is released now, whatever prorated signing-bonus charges that were left to be deducted from the salary cap are done so immediately and the player is off the books for good. It takes some extra salary-cap room to pay the bill in total, but it is that kind of discipline that helps manage the future more effectively.


The Bengals released linebacker Kevin Hardy and will gain back the $2.6 million of cap space his salary was eating up, but they do have to pay off the $1.75 million of signing bonus that was on the books. The net of the release is such that Cincinnati gains almost $1 million of cap space. So why wait until June?

The Texans could have waited to release Aaron Glenn until after June 1 and paid off the $2.3 million of unamortized signing bonus money next year, but they know it's better to get it done now and there will be no record of Glenn on the 2006 books. But not every team can function this way, and so teams realize June 1 will still bring a few names to the open market.

As I look at the 2005 team cap structure, I noticed a few interesting cases in the league. Last year the Cleveland Browns cut Tim Couch after June 1, so he is still prominent on the books to the tune of $1.6 million. Then they released Jeff Garcia before June 1 this year so he to is on the books for another $3.6 million. Those are two quarterbacks are no longer on the Browns roster and they eat up just over $5 million. The Redskins still have to look at Jeremiah Trotter on the books for $4.8 million and Dave Fiore for $750,000.

They're not alone with dead money, but the recent terminations suggest that teams are dumping their problems early and not using the "credit card" method which drove a lot of decisions in the past.

I TIP MY HAT TO THE TEAM LEADERS
No one ever said it was easy to be a leader. In fact, most of us don't have the skills, aptitude or risk taking to be effective leaders. For the record, Webster's Dictionary defines leadership and a leader as "one who can direct, command or be the guiding head of a group."


Brett Favre only wants to throw passes to teammates that want to be on the field.
Not every team in the NFL has a leader on the roster, but for those teams who possess a leader, it is time for him to stand up and take notice of what some of the team leaders are doing around the NFL. Brett Favre said it best in an interview with Packersnews.com: "My job is to throw passes and be a leader. That's why I decided to speak up. I need to be a leader, and even though I may not like having to do it, I think some things needed to be said." Of course the subject was the decision of a Packers wide receiver Javon Walker to not attend practice sessions because he wants more money.

Everyone wants more money, and as one 13-year NFL veteran player said on my Sirius radio show this morning, "The money will take care of itself if you're good enough." That's the truth and it's about time players realize they are the employer and not the employee when it comes to the relationship with their agents.

Donovan McNabb and young Eli Manning have both been compelled to speak up about issues involving players who do not participate in the team activities. Football is a game of synchronization between 11 players at a time and it takes a lot of hard work together to even have a chance to look like a team. If individual activities are your thing, then take up golf or bowling. Sign up for a marathon or try swimming. Football is the ultimate team sport, and there's no doubt it needs leaders.

Leaders don't have to be loud and out in the public with issues, but when team members don't exhaust every possible avenue to get what they want before they resort to not practicing, then what can the leaders do to keep the team moving forward? I asked one prominent New England Patriot why his team didn't appear to have these problems and he made a very powerful statement. He said, "That is not part of our culture." Another Patriot said, "Those kind of people wouldn't survive here." Don't believe for a second that the pressure to put the team ahead of individuals is driven by head coach Bill Belichick. It is peer pressure among the players to have team goals.

ONE SKILL ALL HEAD COACHES NEED IN THIS ERA
I am more convinced than ever that head coaches in the NFL in this era just have to come to grips with the concept that young players have to contribute early in their careers. I had a discussion with Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and he was impressive about the plan for the Titans in 2005. Sure, his team is in salary-cap jail, but he is very optimistic about his young players. Last year his rookie class accounted for 49 starts during the season. Eleven of his 13 draft picks in 2004 started at least one game.

When I discussed this year's draft class, two things rang loud and clear. One, many players in this draft class will get a lot of playing time in 2005. And two, there are high expectations for the team to compete and be successful. Not one peep of "I wish I had all the veterans back on the roster" was uttered. So how does he get it done?

As Fisher pointed out, Norm Chow, the new offensive coordinator, has a history of taking very young players and getting them to execute at a very high level. And that appealed to him when he hired Chow. When I asked Fisher about which running back had the receiving skills to occasionally line up as a wide receiver in a mismatch like Chow did with Reggie Bush at USC, his answer was equally impressive. He said we can get the same desired effect with second-year tight end Ben Troupe. This year's fifth-round pick, running back Damien Nash, has a chance, and maybe even undrafted rookie Walter Reyes could contribute. Fisher didn't hesitate for a second, and if I were a young player on the Titans roster, I would be excited about how my head coach viewed what he expects from me.

If I were an owner in the NFL looking for a head coach, the individual would have to convince me he understood the offensive and defensive scheme had to be young-player friendly and that the coach embraced the prospect of coaching more young men then ever before. The 11 Titans draft picks better be ready to go this summer because Fisher is ready to play them and he expects to win.

__________________

"If you guys don’t want to win then you need to get out of the huddle."
-- Vince Young during the Giants game



Thanks to Havoc for this sweet SIG