Volunteer work

Leave the vets -- and their issues -- at home for minicamps

Coaches would like to practice every day of the year if they had the opportunity. They are perfectionists at heart and repetitions of plays and skills are what make them sleep at night.

On the other hand, players generally find work in the spring while wearing shorts hard to justify. And when there are medical or contract issues, they can be apprehensive about it. The age-old question is: What's the right way to handle the sensitive issue of "voluntary" camp?

I was at the Eagles' minicamp practices when second-year running back Correll Buckhalter went down for the season with a torn up knee. Who really knows if he’ll ever be the same? There were rumors circulating that Duce Staley was on the trading block, which I am fairly confident weren’t true from my discussions with people at the Eagles. At any rate it’s hard to accept that a practice in shorts in April could have such a negative effect on the team, but it did.

Kansas City lost one of its rising stars to a minicamp practice when receiver Marvin Minnis went down with a broken foot. He should not miss the season like Buckhalter, but it's still a setback. Which leads me to the players who opt not to even show up for these spring sessions.

The coaches and the personnel people are always upset when veterans don’t show, but I can tell you first-hand that the capologists are more comfortable with no-shows than injured players -- at least for the time being. Seven teams have less than $1 million of cap space and all seven need three times that to sign their rookies. Maybe it’s time to look at these minicamps differently because what’s going on isn’t real productive.

It’s baptism by fire for new Raiders head coach Bill Callahan with starting quarterback Rich Gannon missing from minicamp because of contract issues. It’s hard enough for the rookie head coach to establish his identity, and frankly Gannon should at least be there as a non participant. He ought to take a lesson from Bronco kicker Jason Elam, who has a franchise tag on him and no contract who showed up for minicamp and said, "there’s a right way and a wrong way to handle this contract issue."

Callahan needs his players to see what his leadership style is like and not how he handles no-shows. It’s a distraction that probably will have little or no effect on Gannon’s performance on the field next season because Rich is an accomplished pro who will have more than enough camp time to prepare for the season. But what are the long-range effects on Callahan?

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was a no-show in Baltimore, where a new defensive coordinator is putting in a new defense. Of course, Colts running back Edgerrin James decided to continue his private knee rehab in south Florida rather than join the team for their minicamp with new head coach Tony Dungy attempting to establish his philosophy. Jevon Kearse is spending as little time as possible around the Titans this spring and I wonder what first round pick Albert Haynesworth is learning about pro football from that example?

For all the reasons being published about why guys don’t show, I just ask myself one simple question: Are these players helping or hurting their team by not showing up? No one can answer that with any degree of certainty but I have come to a conclusion on an alternative to the present structure.

The coach will always feel absent veterans destroy team chemistry. The other veteran players will publicly say it’s no big deal as long as they are ready in September. Owners even get involved these days as was the case in Indianapolis, when Jim Irsay had a conversation with James. Do you think Peyton Manning will ever need the same kind of phone call from Mr. Irsay? I doubt it.

I’m torn by the extent of damage that is actually caused, but after watching the Giants have a terrific minicamp for the rookies and backups last weekend I decided the best thing to do is not bring the veterans in for these "voluntary" camps. If the coaches know from the beginning that the vets will not be there, they can turn their focus to the young players who will eventually become the replacement parts for the overpriced veterans anyway. The capologist can rest easy that not one veteran will be lost for the year, and the coaches won’t have to come up with transparent excuses for his star players who feel they’re under-paid and need to miss practice to draw attention to their issues.

I never negotiated a player contract in the media out of respect for the player, but in my opinion players who don’t show are trying to negotiate in public -- and that’s not a good idea.

Ironically, the desired effect of leaving the veterans home this time of year may be that teams will get a few smart veterans hanging around those voluntary minicamps to see the guys who will take their jobs from them in a few years.

Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNNSI.com.

 

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