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Young, Rice, Walsh could be gone
Posted: Thursday April 20, 2000 01:48 PM
Even with no trades in the first seven hours, last weekend's draft did stir up plenty of news. In San Francisco, I got the strong feeling that Steve Young, Jerry Rice AND Bill Walsh could be exiting the 49ers any month now. Walsh, at 68, was presiding over what was probably his last draft. He made it clear that two neurologists would have to pass the concussion-ravaged Young on a physical for the Niners to even think of playing him this coming season. And Walsh left little doubt that Rice would have to agree to major surgery on his $5.5 million cap number to be in 49ers camp come summertime. Said Walsh: "I will not struggle to avoid doing something unpleasant if that's my job. If Jerry and Steve and I drive out of the parking lot together for the last time sometime this year, then so be it. It would be the termination of a great dynasty." My money's on Rice to end up in Washington as the third wide receiver, Young to give it one last shot in Denver and Walsh to move to a new home in Pebble Beach. Franks spells the end for ChmuraIn Green Bay, there's little doubt that the first-round choice of tight end Bubba Franks means the end of Mark Chmura as Brett Favre's favorite big target. The Packers might not have brought back Chmura anyway because of his recurring neck injury. But the sexual-assault charges he faces, involving a 17-year-old girl, will doom Chmura to the waiver wire soon. Bobby Beathard is likely to retireIn San Diego, we may have seen the last draft-day appearance of GM Bobby Beathard. Look for him to retire in a month or so. Beathard's recent failed drafts should not obscure one fact: For the decade of the '80s there was no better talent scout in the football world than Beathard, the architect of the great Washington teams. Gold will push RomanowskiIn Denver, it won't be long before second-round pick Ian Gold pushes linebacker Bill Romanowski out of a job. Romanowski has already had nine NFL lives. Gold is the high-motor kind of guy who will force Mike Shanahan's hand with Romanowski this year or next. Steelers may run out of patienceAnd in Pittsburgh, Kordell Stewart has four weeks of the regular season, maybe six, to prove he's the quarterback of the Steelers' future. Even though Pittsburgh did not succeed in drafting top-rated QB Chad Pennington, Stewart's been put on notice. The Steelers will have little patience for the continuing disaster that is his current career. Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN's NFL Preview.
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