Kurt Warner accomplished the unbelievable last year. Now he's done the unthinkable.
|  | | Kurt Warner is still expected to capitalize on his MVP season with a lucrative contract. |
Warner's decision to sign a $358,000 contract tender from the St. Louis
Rams last week spoke volumes about a few things.
One, he gets it. He understands what the game is about, what defending a
Super Bowl title is about, and what loyalty is about. Loyalty, in this case, to
his teammates, fans and a coach who helped make his impossible dream a
reality.
Two, he is no hypocrite. He speaks of his faith, and he lives it.
Three, he knows he has made more money than he ever imagined, and that
he's about to make tons more. Still he has clearly sent the signal that
he is not driven by the almighty dollar.
(Editor's note: Warner and the Rams signed a seven-year contract worth $46.5 million Thursday.)
Not that money is a bad thing. In Warner's Christian faith, money is not
evil; the love of money is.
Do not think Warner is naive or, as it has been suggested, that the
Rams are taking advantage of his short, two-year stint in the NFL. When Warner chose to sign the $358,000 tender, he passed an opportunity to sign a seven-year, $42 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus.
Over the weekend, a league source familiar with negotiations said the
Rams increased that offer to $46.5 million with an $11.5 signing bonus. This
$6.6 million average salary puts him in the elite class of Troy Aikman, Drew
Bledsoe, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.
That's hardly a "crime," as one TV analyst described the Rams' offer.
Don't forget, the Rams voluntarily gave Warner a $500,000 bonus at the
end of last season, the maximum amount they had under the salary cap.
In fact, I know of some team executives who were surprised the Rams
have been so generous in their negotiations with a player who, despite his
MVP status, has little leverage and may have been in the right place at the right time.
Listen to one reputable NFL personnel man: "Kurt Warner took over a team
with great skill talent, guys like Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce. ... He stepped
into the perfect scheme for that talent. He got to play in 13 dome games,
including the Super Bowl in Atlanta. He played in football's worst division
(the NFC West), so he got eight games against horrible defenses. His first
playoff game (against Minnesota) was against a team with no defense. And when
he finally faced a great defensive team (Tampa Bay), he struggled. Then when
he faced a good defensive team in the Super Bowl (Tennessee), he was average.
His arm is average, maybe below-average. Trent Green would have been the MVP if he hadn't been hurt. But it all came together for (Warner), I'll give him that."
To the Rams' credit, they have discounted many of those legitimate
points. They know Warner did something no other Rams quarterback has
ever done -- he led his team to a Super Bowl title. He also made a big-money
throw to Ricky Proehl to overcome Tampa Bay's brilliant defensive bid in the
NFC title game. He did the same thing against Tennessee. He hung tough against a fierce pass rush and delivered the game-winning touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce, who made his own terrific play.
Just as Rams fans were starting to lose hope, Warner electrified St.
Louis in 1999. He has no serious character flaws we know of, unless you count
being unshaven as an indiscretion. This past offseason, he passed on numerous
endorsement opportunities to stay on course with the team's preparations
under first-year coach Mike Martz.
Don't think Warner's approach, not to mention his brilliant stroke
last week (signing his $358,000 tender so he could report to camp on time),
hasn't motivated Rams management to reward the quarterback even beyond what
they anticipated several months ago.
On the other side, Warner's capable agent, Mark Bartelstein, is certainly
doing his job by trying to milk this for all he can. No doubt, he wants more
money upfront. Nothing wrong with asking. If Bartelstein had his druthers, Warner
would not have reported to camp, which may have been a mistake given the fact
Green is getting healthier every day after last season's knee surgery.
Warner obviously does not allow an agent to be his ultimate guide. Too
bad more players can't grasp that concept.
No name for 'no-brainer'
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was stunned and disappointed to find out last week after he signed top draft pick LaVar Arrington that he couldn't order No. 56 team jerseys with Arrington's name on the back because the ex-Penn State linebacker has steadfastly refused to grant his name and likeness to NFL Players, Inc.
Arrington apparently wants a higher percentage of profit based on the
amount of jerseys that would sell. Since the collective bargaining agreement
of 1993, Arrington is the only known player to shun this "no-brainer,"
according to a league source. It's a no-brainer because the NFL and NFL
Players Association own the licensing rights, so it's not like Arrington can
market his own jerseys with the Redskins' colors and logo.
The NFL Players Association, which has been unable to get Arrington to
sign a deal since the draft, is trying to force the issue. How do you think
Snyder feels? He envisioned selling thousands of Arrington jerseys during training camp and preseason. He can't be pleased that the $34 million he has given
Arrington won't even reap a small return in merchandise sales.
Mort shorts
Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein says his knee is sound
after offseason surgery, but head coach George Seifert is limiting his
practice time this summer after a Pro Bowl season. "First time in my career
that a coach has told me, 'We want to make sure we protect you,' " said
Beuerlein with a laugh.
The Panthers' potential pass-rush this season has Reggie White and
Chuck Smith at ends, with Eric Swann and Sean Gilbert at tackles. One NFL
head coach said, "If I were on their schedule, I'd rather play them in
December, than September. Those guys will be pretty charged up at the start
of the year; whether they hold up, that's another deal." First on the
Panthers' hit list: Brad Johnson and the Redskins.
Herman Moore is still the Lions' third receiver behind Germane Crowell
and Johnnie Morton. "There's nothing wrong with Herman," said a Lions official. "It's what's right with Germane Crowell (whom Moore plays behind). But we kind of like our situation."
The Falcons think they've got a quarterback to develop for the future
in Doug Johnson, the ex-Florida QB who wasn't drafted. Johnson has been
impressive enough to put backup Tony Graziani's roster spot in real
jeopardy with Danny Kanell also progressing nicely under new offensive
coordinator Jerry Rhome. Chris Chandler remains the starter and looks really
happy with his favorite mentor (Rhome) and favorite running back (Jamal
Anderson) in the fold.
The most impressive Browns quarterback, in terms of pure arm strength
and passing ability, may not be last year's top draft pick, Tim Couch, but
rather this year's sixth-round choice, Spergon Wynn, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder
from Southwest Texas State.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is still waiting for a No. 2 receiver to
emerge from the group of E.G. Green, Jerome Pathon and Terrence Wilkins (who was the starter opposite Marvin Harrison as of this past weekend). However, it's pretty evident after watching the Colts work that, aside from Harrison, tight end Ken Dilger and running back Edgerrin James are going to be favorite targets. James appears near impossible to cover.
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