*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Mar 25, 1998: -- Panthers Get Gilbert --
** Gilbert Agrees to Deal with Panthers
According to reports on the news wires, Redskins' defensive
tackle Sean Gilbert has agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers
that would make him the highest paid defensive lineman in the league.
Reports vary, but the deal appears to be worth more than the deals
given to Warren Sapp in Tampa and John Randle of the Vikings.
Gilbert is getting a 6 or 7 year deal worth as much as $45.5
million which includes a $10 million signing bonus. This offer was
too rich for the Dolphins and they dropped out of the bidding for
Gilbert after the Panthers made their winning offer.
Any deal for Gilbert is contingent upon the Panthers and
Redskins working out a suitable trade. Since the special master ruled
against Gilbert in his bid to become an unrestricted free agent, the
Redskins still own the rights to Gilbert and he still carries the
franchise designation. This means that the Redskins could be entitled
to as much as 2 first round picks for Gilbert, if they choose to force
the issue with the Panthers.
The reported compensation that the Redskins are asking for
includes two draft picks this year and possibly one next year. This
year, they want a first and a third round pick and next year, they
want a second or third round pick.
** McPhail and Brent Smith to change positions
The Dolphins also announced yesterday that running back Jerris
McPhail will move to wide receiver and offensive lineman Brent Smith
will go to left guard and compete with Jeff Buckey for the starting
position.
McPhail has been the designated third down back for the past 2
years, but with the new offensive scheme, the third down back will be
used far less this year. Because of McPhail's inconsistent play at
running back and his blazing speed, he will be moved to wide receiver
to try and give the Dolphins more speed at that position.
Brent Smith had been listed as a tackle for the Dolphins, but
when the re-signing of James Brown solidified the right tackle spot,
the weakest position on the Dolphins line became the left guard.
Smith didn't play a down in regular season competition last year, but
has been praised by JJ in the off-season for his aggressiveness.
The new offensive scheme will feature far fewer shotgun
formations and 4 wide receiver sets. Tight end Troy Drayton can
expect to be on the field a lot more, especially in third down
situations, where the Dolphins will no longer automatically go to an
obvious passing set. Also, the starting running back will play a lot
more as the third down back, thus reducing the need for a designated
third down back.
** Yatil Green is 90% Healthy
According to this morning's Miami Herald, Yatil Green's
recovery is on track and he's back to 90% of his original strength and
speed. He is expected to be back running at full speed in time for
the first mini-camp of the year.
** Two Pre-Season Games Scheduled for National TV
Two of the Dolphins' pre-season games were announced
yesterday, due to their appearance on national TV. They will play at
8 p.m. on Aug. 13 versus visiting Tampa Bay and at 4 p.m. on Aug. 23
at San Francisco. The Tampa Bay game will be on ESPN and the Aug 23rd
game will appear on Fox.
My Comments:
Gilbert is getting an outrageous amount of money and is not
worth the price. I originally thought that Gilbert might be worth the
$6 million per year price tag and perhaps even a first round draft
pick, but now that the price has gone up to $7 million a year, the
Dolphins are smart to drop out of the race for his services.
Bob Ackles said yesterday that this isn't free agency - "it's
an auction".
Of course, the deal could still be screwed up if Carolina and
Washington can't come to some agreement on a compensation package for
Gilbert, but it's hard to imagine that the Panthers will balk at
giving up 2 or 3 draft picks after they've spent $7 million a year for
Gilbert.
It's completely ridiculous that a player like Gilbert is
getting more money than a guy like John Randle. After all, who would
you rather have on your team?
On the position changes, it was pretty predictable that Brent
Smith would move to left guard. JJ has been pretty much broadcasting
that move since the beginning of free agency. If Smith is as
aggressive as JJ says he is, then the move is a good idea. However,
Smith still hasn't played a single down in regular season competition
and it remains to be seen if he will be able to unseat Jeff Buckey for
the starting spot.
Jerris McPhail has been a real on-again, off-again player for
the team. His best game was last year against the Bears when he had 2
touchdowns, including his 71 yard touchdown run from scrimmage. But
he has also completely disappeared in some games and has been known to
drop a few passes in critical situations.
Basically, this is McPhail's last chance to prove he belongs
on the team. He knows it, too. With his speed, he could be a very
dangerous receiver if he can learn to catch the ball. However, if he
keeps dropping the ball as often as he did last year, then he won't
make it through the end of this season.
The reports on Yatil Green have been mixed ever since he had
his surgery last summer. At first, it was reported that he had been
healing much faster than expected and could have even played a little
last year. Lately, however, his recovery seems to either have slowed
or was not as fast as was initially reported. He is running hard in
rehabilitation, but he is clearly not back to full speed yet. It will
be interesting to see what happens to him in the first mini-camp.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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