Free Agents Rarely Offer A Quick Fix

Marv Levy said it first: The free agents a team keeps are more important than the ones it acquires.

It’s never been more true than this season. The teams that made a splash in free agency aren’t necessarily the most successful. In some cases (Oakland), they’re the least.

Yes, Seattle has used free agency to improve and so has Kansas City, with Andre Rison and Elvis Grbac. But the Chiefs dumped one of their other big-name acquisitions, Brett Perriman, and they had a nucleus of young draftees, like Jerome Woods, John Browning, Reggie Tongue and Donnie Edwards.

That’s the norm now.

Start with the New York teams.

The Giants, the NFL’s youngest team, concentrated on locking up players long term. Cornerback Jason Sehorn and defensive tackle Keith Hamilton both signed new deals this year and all their starters are under contract through next season.

The Jets, saddled by $84 million committed pre-Bill Parcells, concentrated on plugging holes with Parcells favorites such as Pepper Johnson, now injured.

Another example is Pittsburgh, near the top of the AFC despite losing linebacker Chad Brown and its three top cornerbacks.

“This is a game of cohesion,” says Giants general manager George Young, echoing what Levy said five years ago. “We think we’ve got a core of young players who we want to keep and we’re trying to sign them in advance.”

Most teams now operate that way. Along with salary cap problems, that’s why there was less movement this year than any since the system began in 1993. And it’s why most players who moved were role players or fading stars plucked at low prices by already strong teams like San Francisco and Denver.

The best free agents this year? Probably Cris Dishman of Washington, Garrison Hearst of San Francisco and Brown in Seattle. Add Gary Brown in San Diego, picked up after sitting out last year. Now, he’s 270 yards away from a $1 million, 1,000-yard rushing bonus.

Chad Brown, paid $24 million over six years, including a $7 million signing bonus, was more than a player. He was a symbol designed to convince citizens about to vote on a new stadium that team owner Paul Allen would spend money to build a winner.

Clueless in Memphis

When a man went to the Liberty Bowl ticket office in Memphis, Tenn., to buy tickets for the New York Giants game last Saturday night, the office was closed, but he saw a box on the ground with 531 tickets worth $40,000.

He notified the news media and turned them in to the team, which gave him four free tickets.

That was just the latest fiasco involving the Oilers’ move. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue showed up to try to drum up some interest and was introduced at a rally as “Pete Rozelle.”

A running joke

The rumors about Barry Switzer’s coaching future in Dallas have become so ludicrous that even the Cowboys are laughing about it.

So when Jerry Jones was queried last week about the rumor George Seifert would replace Switzer, Michael Irvin stepped in front of the television cameras and said: “I want you to introduce me as the new head coach.”

“Do you have any idea what a pay cut you’re fixing to take?” Jones asked.

“I think I’ll stay a wide receiver,” Irvin replied.

Alumni meeting

The World League has helped teams like the Chiefs develop players. But it’s also a source for the Colts to find new quarterbacks as regulars go down.

Indianapolis, winless in 10 games, currently has four ex-World League quarterbacks on the roster. They are:

Paul Justin, MVP of the World Bowl in 1995 for Frankfurt.

Kelly Holcomb, who played for Barcelona in 1995.

Kerwin Bell, who played for Orlando in 1991 and 1992, when the original World League had teams in the United States.

Gino Torretta, a member of the 1995 Rhein Fire.