Big spenders better get down to business

Sporting News, The, August 30, 1993 by Chris Mortensen

The honeymoon is over. Clearly, the NFL clubs that spent money on free agents no longer can promote themselves on the basis of hope. Now they must do it.

And, as the season inches closer to its start, one could sense some of that old-fashioned anxiety. Certainly that was the case in the camps of the Packers, Cardinals and Jets. All of that optimism was being reshuffled in the past couple of weeks.

The Cardinals thought they were having a terrific camp. In fact, Cardinals Coach Joe Bugel even classified the club as feeling "arrogant." But then came a couple of shaky preseason games in which free-agent signee Steve Beuerlein was particularly shaky. He threw three interceptions last Saturday in a 10-3 loss to San Diego.

As we recently suggested here, the Cardinals should open with Chris Chandler at quarterback. But they also desperately need to sign running back Garrison Hearst, the third overall pick in the draft.

As one scout who attended the Chargers-Cardinals game assessed: "The (Cardinals') offensive line isn't all that great, but Hearst would make it look a lot better. Plus, he'd take heat off the quarterbacks. They need Hearst."

The Cardinals, who had taken care of business so well in the offseason, were struggling with the business end in the preseason.

They played a game of poker with two unsigned defensive starters -- linebacker Eric Hill, the club's second-leading tackler a year ago, and Pro Bowl cornerback Robert Massey -- but couldn't get them into camp with a bluff. The "five-day" letters that demanded that Massey and Hill report and sign by the second exhibition game backfired. Both will miss the Cardinals' first two regular-season games and, if they hadn't reported by Thursday, they would miss the first three games.

Those three games: at Philadelphia, at Washington and vs. Dallas at home.

The Cardinals'dream of contending in the NFC East could be shattered if they don't get it together this week.

As for the Packers, most insiders have picked them to win the NFC Central, based on their 9-7 finish a year ago and their acquisition of new talent, such as All-Pro defensive end Reggie White.

Their 0-4 start in the preseason doesn't seem to count for much, but it does make you wonder whether we should have listened to Packers G.M. Ron Wolf when he warned us that the team still had a lot of holes.

White, who gets $9 minion of his ,$17 million this year, has been very ordinary in the preseason. In fact, a personnel man says the theory that White made others around him better may have been exaggerated in Philadelphia. In other words, maybe White was better because he was surrounded by players such as Seth Joyner and Clyde Simmons.

The benefit of the doubt here goes to White. It would be a surprise if he didn't crank it up come the regular season. He also is playing in a slightly different scheme, so give him time to adjust. After talking with Eagles defensive coordinator Bud Carson a few weeks back, it was clear that he missed No. 92.

We won't have to wait too long to discover the difference. The Packers play the Eagles September 12 at Green Bay.

The Packers' bigger problems rest with unsigned restricted free agent Tony Bennett. Once Bennett, a pass-rushing linebacker, gets in (presuming he will), the defense will look better.

There is a sense that the Packers have been disappointed in cornerback Terrell Buckley, a No. 1 pick last year. In fact, one league personnel man thought that Wolf would entertain offers for Buckley.

The right deal, no doubt, would have to include an offensive lineman or another big-time wide receiver.

The Jets? When they spent more than $2 million per year on free-agent safety Ronnie Lott, it was based on his leadership skills and the belief that he still could play. This preseason, he truly looked like a man whose better days were behind him. They also acquired veteran quarterback Boomer Esiason, who had stumbled in recent years. Boomer may be an inspiring leader, but it has appeared that his critics in Cincinnati were on to something.

Those critics didn't say that Esiason had lost his arm strength. They said that the lefthander was more like a baseball pitcher who could still throw hard but couldn't get his fastball over the plate. In other words, his accuracy was in question. It continued to be in question this summer, as were the Jets' chances in the AFC East.

Then again, it may be too early to pass judgment. When the games really count, maybe we'll find out that all these little things were simply a means to get through the boredom of preseason. Or, who knows, maybe we'll find out that they were legitimate issues all along.

A father figure

Jeff George may not know it, but he is very fortunate to have a man such as Ted Marchibroda as his coach with the Colts.

Marchibroda, a father figure if there ever was one, welcomed George back to training camp last Friday. Marchibroda really didn't have much choice in the matter, but he let George know that, like the prodigal son, George would not be rejected at the door.