To bench Pacman is good public relations

I am sure that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is tempted to suspend Pacman Jones for the entire 2007 season and make an example out of him. Pacman has always thought of himself as the next Deion Sanders, however, devoid of any good sense.

 

Forget about his Las Vegas escapade when he tossed money at strippers and then the shooting that followed after his bagful of money was taken. There are enough transgressions in the Pacman file – including two police incidents in Georgia last off-season, including one in which he is accused of biting a policeman – to warrant a four-game suspension. He failed to report either incident to the Tennessee Titans, one in which his friends took responsibility for a marijuana possession charge. Since he was selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, Jones has 10 police-related incidents on his resume.

The league has discussed the idea of fining member teams for failing to keep players from embarrassing the NFL and it would seem that the Titans are guilty of something despite Coach Jeff Fisher’s one-game suspension last season and his recent ban of Pacman from off-season workouts that begin on March 19. Fisher wants Pacman to get his legal issues in order before working with his teammates in Nashville.

Most veteran NFL players want strong discipline of continual offenders. Pacman Jones falls into this category.

If Goodell doesn’t sit him for a year, suspend him for eight games and see how Pacman reacts. If Pacman decides to fight the suspension, the NFL should be willing to defend, no matter the legal fees and costs. It is good public relations to put Pacman on the bench.

 

Pats prepared for a run

 

One of the most-guarded contracts is that of New England head coach Bill Belichick. Belichick never gives anyone a hint of how long he’s signed for, but based on how owner Robert Kraft has allowed Belichick to spend in this current free-agent marketplace it gives the appearance that Belichick may be heading into his final contract season. New England looks like it’s determined to make another run at the Indianapolis Colts and putting another Lombardi Trophy in Kraft’s victory cabinet.

          

The linebackers are getting a little old in New England and that’s why the signing of Adalius Thomas from Baltimore was so important. His versatility will allow Belichick to scheme a little more with his 3-4 front while giving New England another athletic pass rusher.

           

On offense, Belichick stocked his depleted receiving corps, thus giving Tom Brady a fighting chance with such deep receivers as Donte’ Stallworth and Kelley Washington and a solid underneath receiver in Miami’s Wes Welker. With the impressive production of Jabar Gaffey in the playoffs, New England fans can now quit moaning about losing Deion Branch. Brady has enough options, especially if someone like Chad Jackson returns from knee surgery.

           

About the only worry in New England is finding a reasonable contract solution for cornerback Asante Samuel, who had the franchise tag slapped on him. With the exception of Denver’s Champ Bailey, there might not have been a better cornerback in the league down the stretch than Samuel, who started his season at right cornerback only to excel with switched to the left side.

 

Porter’s guarantee

 

Joey Porter is a great talker in the locker room and one nasty player on the field, but Miami over-spent in giving the ex-Steeler outside linebacker $20 million in guaranteed money. Porter finished eighth on the Steelers in tackles last season, plus Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel had twice as many quarterback pressures/hits as Porter did. There were too many games in which Porter, who finished with seven sacks, simply disappeared. Porter has reached 10 or more sacks only twice in an eight-year career.

 

Waiting on Moss

The Raiders are in a bad way with Randy Moss, considering they owe him $9.75 million in salary this season. It seems very unlikely that Raiders owner Al Davis would simply release Moss in order to salvage $8 million in salary-cap space but little else. No one really knows how Moss will react to new head coach Lane Kiffin once mini-camps begin. Most believe Moss won’t even show.

The reports of Green Bay possibly offering injured, first-round bust Aaron Rodgers for Moss were laughable. Rodgers is a dink-and-dunk quarterback. The Raiders may listen if the Packers offer a second-round choice. But why would Green Bay GM Ted Thompson do that? There seems to be no other team really competing with the Packers for Moss as the moment, so why not wait out Davis and see what he and the Raiders decide?

 

Interesting free-agent signings

 

Dominic Rhodes did as much as Peyton Manning did to help the Colts beat Chicago in the Super Bowl, but his DUI arrest a week after the championship game made him expendable even though he rushed for 113 yards against the Bears. I thought Rhodes and his running sidekick, Joseph Addai, should have split the Super Bowl MVP award, but the voters selected Manning because it’s generally a quarterback vote.          

Rhodes should help the Raiders as a receiver out of the backfield, but also as a decent reserve for Lamont Jordan. Rhodes isn’t the fastest runner, but he’s smart, tough and versatile. He was a bargain at $3 million a season.

           

The Rams’ acquisition of receiver Drew Bennett ($7.5 million signing bonus) is the perfect balance to speed receivers Torry Holt and Ike Bruce. Bennett, a former college quarterback, should blossom in Scott Linehan’s offense where he most likely will be overlooked by defenders. Bennett is a solid route runner with great hands and very physical. Ex-Miami tight end Randy McMichael is a solid player, too. The Rams have a chance to be very good on offense this season.

31 Comments