Do Not Sign Eddie Kennison

The Tribune is reporting that the Buccaneers worked out Eddie Kennison on Monday. And unless the Bucs have relaxed their policy on not working out wastes of skin just to make them sweat, the team may be interested in signing him. Bruce Allen is not a dumb man, so I can only assume that he has suffered a case of amnesia. I do hope he recovers before he does anything stupid.

You may recall that Kennison was with the Denver Broncos in 2001 when, the day before a game against the Chargers, he went to Mike Shanahan and told him he had lost his love for the game and wanted to retire. Shanahan really had no choice but to let him go. He tried to come back a couple days later, but Shanahan wanted nothing more to do with him and he released him. Less than a month later, the Chiefs signed Kennison to a two-year contract.

He had initially cited family problems as his reason to retire, although Shanahan didn't buy it at the time.

Kennison said his thoughts were on his family at the time. His father was hospitalized because of a serious illness. His wife was experiencing a difficult pregnancy. His mind, clearly, was not on the Chargers.

Shanahan would say later that Kennison insisted family concerns were not at the root of his disillusionment and he had been considering retirement since the spring mini-camp.

I'm all for screwing Mike Shanahan in any way possible, but this was dirty. Play the game that's coming up in 12 hours and then ask Shanahan for some personal leave time to tend to your family. See how the team can work with you to help you out and keep you on the roster at the same time. NFL teams have lots of resources. Maybe they couldn't have helped, but it would have been better than saying your heart isn't in the game anymore and then signing with a division rival the next month.

"There are things more important than this football game, and that's my family," he said. "They had to do what they had to do, and I had to do what I had to do. I guess both parties were satisfied, in a sense. But the past is the past. I'm glad for a fresh new start."

I have two words for Eddie Kennison: Joe Jurevicius.

I suppose I should consider the fact that he has spent six years with the Chiefs and apparently not caused any problems and has been productive. I do love a redemption story. But something about that scene in Denver just doesn't sit right with me. I don't wish any specific harm to Kennison, but the Bucs don't need to inject their locker room with that kind of flakiness. And even if you completely erase that incident and go on his ability alone, what do the Bucs need with another receiver in his mid-30s who was injured for half of last year? Kansas City receivers benefit from a strong running game and a future Hall of Fame tight end. I don't think Kennison would work well in the West Coast system. Please, Bruce, let this one go.