Money in the bank: wide receiver Laveranues Coles raised a lot of eyebrows when he signed a $35 million free-agent contract with the Redskins in the offseason—but so far, he has earned every penny

Football Digest, Jan, 2004 by Tom Worgo

FEW PEOPLE CAN DISCUSS WASHington Redskins wide receiver Laveranues Coles without mentioning his fat contract. Owner Dan Snyder shocked the NFL in the offseason--not to mention Coles himself--when he offered the wideout a free-agent deal worth $35 million over five years, including a whopping $13 million signing bonus.

The signing bonus was one of the largest payments ever bestowed upon an NFL player. The Redskins gave Coles a better contract than he was asking for, and New York Jets general manager Terry Bradway didn't seriously consider matching the offer sheet to keep Coles because he felt it was just too much money.

The pact was a huge gamble. The only Pro Bowl-caliber season Coles had produced in his three-year career came in 2002, when he caught 89 passes for 1,264 yards. He was under the gun in Washington--and he knew it.

So far, though, he's proving the skeptics wrong. Coles quickly has become the focal point of the offense; he's quarterback Patrick Ramsey's go-to receiver.

"Some people just don't feel that I'm worth it," Coles says. "That's what drives me every day. The coaches and the media expect a lot of things when you get a big payday."

Coles has had to talk a lot about his contract, which has been difficult for him. He is a quiet man by nature, the last player one would expect to run off his mouth in the locker room. Says Coles, "I'm not a vocal leader. I lead by example."

As the Jets' No. 1 receiver last season, Coles lived with pressure in New York. But it was nothing like he's experienced in Washington. Rather than crack under it, though, he has tried to channel it positively.

"I think he is fueled by the conversation that, 'Oh, maybe the Redskins paid a little too much for him,'" Washington offensive coordinator Hue Jackson says. "I think all that does is inspire him to play harder. I don't think the pressure fazes him."

Over the past decade or so, the Redskins haven't spent their money particularly wisely. They wasted top-five draft picks on receivers Desmond Howard and Michael Westbrook, then entered the free-agent market and had many more misses than hits. Among the more dubious signings were cornerback Deion Sanders, defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield, quarterback Jeff George, and safety Mark Carrier. The Redskins' poor play led to the firing of head coaches Norv Turner in 2000 and Marty Schottenheimer after the 2001 season.

But Coles has helped second-year coach Steve Spurrier look good. The 25-year-old Jacksonville, Fla., native gives Spurrier's Fun 'N' Gun attack the big-play threat it requires, and that it lacked last season when the offense ranked a dismal 20th and the team finished 7-9. The Redskins' top receiver last year, Rod Gardner, simply did not scare defenses the way Coles does.

"Certainly, Coles is a big-play guy and a guy that we felt is going to get open and catch the ball," Spurrier says. "He's got excellent hands; the ball just sort of sticks. He's a reliable receiver, no question."

Coles' speed--he runs the 40 in 4.2 seconds--is the main reason why he has had such an impact on Washington's offense. But there is more to his game than the ability to get open deep. In addition to his precise route-running and those soft hands, he knows how to pick up yards after the catch.

"We've all seen him go down the field and catch the cuts, go routes, and posts," says New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who had to face Coles two times a season when the wideout played for the Jets. "But what is really amazing are those quick screens and reverses, and the plays where it looks like he has been contained and he makes 25 or 40 yards out of it on just his run-after-the-catch skills."

Belichick isn't the only one who feels that way. A number of players and coaches rank Coles among the best receivers in the league, right up with Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, and Eric Moulds. New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan calls Coles a phenomenal talent.

"The amazing thing about it is that he makes it look easy," Strahan says. "You can tell he is a determined guy. He is showing that he definitely is one of the best in the league."

The Redskins believe Coles' 89 catches last season merely were the tip of the iceberg. "I think he can be a perennial 100-catch guy," Washington rice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato says. "His career is just on the brink of taking off. He is a guy that doesn't have an ego. He just works hard and tries to improve every day."

Adds Redskins guard Randy Thomas, who played with Coles on the Jets: "I think he is the best receiver in the league. I have been with him four years. I know what type of player he is and what he can do. We haven't seen nothing yet."

It is difficult for free agents to make an immediate impact with their new team. Sometimes it takes months, or even a full season, to adjust to a different system. For example, David Boston of the San Diego Chargers and Peerless Price of the Atlanta Falcons--two other high-profile free-agent wide receivers in the offseason--struggled early with their new teams. Somehow, though, Coles has been able to make a seamless transition.