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Alexander will struggle to find '08 job
By: Vinnie Iyer
March 12, 2008
The shelf life for an NFL feature back is shorter than ever -- as Shaun Alexander is about to learn. He is about to be out of work and will struggle to find a job in 2008.
Just fewer than three full years ago, Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards, scored 28 touchdowns and was named NFL MVP in leading the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl 40. Now, Alexander's release is a mere formality.
The Seahawks are set in the backfield with newcomers Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. Alexander's release is being delayed by the fact he still is battling a wrist injury and the Seahawks have some time; the team needs only to cut him by the June 1 deadline to avoid taking his $6.9 million salary-cap hit for '08.
Where does this leave Alexander? Well, he turns 31 on Aug. 30, and it could be tough to find an NFL home if the Seahawks wait until after a running back-rich draft to release him.
Alexander's career has followed a recent trend for feature backs: carry a heavy load for a few productive seasons and then hit the wall around the age of 30. It happened not too long ago with the Tennessee Titans' Eddie George, and it happened last year with Alexander and the Kansas City Chiefs' Larry Johnson (a bit prematurely). Up next is the Arizona Cardinals' Edgerrin James, who turns 30 on Aug. 1.
Not to worry you San Diego Chargers fans quite yet, but LaDainian Tomlinson is coming off a knee injury, has averaged 403 touches over his seven NFL seasons and turns 30 in June 2009.
I think the days of having one true workhouse back are coming to an end, and in this copycat league, it's important to note that the last three Super Bowl champs -- the New York Giants (Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs), Indianapolis Colts (Dominic Rhodes, Joseph Addai) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Willie Parker, Jerome Bettis) -- split the load instead of having one feature back.
It makes sense to use a two-back system -- such as a big bruiser and a diminutive dasher -- and use their varied skills instead of relying on just one back to take the requisite pounding and perform multiple roles at a high level.
Alexander is a deliberate cutback runner whose impact grows with each carry, and then you see him reel off big runs in the second half of games. He has been a prolific scorer, but it's hard to think of him as a goal-line hammer. As a receiver, he doesn't offer much despite playing in Mike Holmgren's version of the short pass-happy West Coast offense.
With his age, the wear on his knees, the past foot injury and the current wrist woe, Alexander no longer should be viewed as a feature back.
Alexander figures to be a complementary backup in '08. If he goes to the right team, he could enjoy a bit of a renaissance -- a la Corey Dillon with the '04 New England Patriots soon after turning 30.
For teams looking for a home-run back, there are at least a half-dozen options in the draft who are better than the free-agent Alexander. The same goes for a team in pursuit of a pure power back.
Alexander isn't a home-run guy and isn't a power back. He fits somewhere in between, so he will struggle to find the right fit in what's quickly becoming a two-back league.
Vinnie Iyer is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at viyer@sportingnews.com.
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Browns, GM Savage Near Long-Term Deal
By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
March 12, 2008
BEREA, Ohio -- Randy Lerner wolfed down the last bites of lunch in the Browns' cafeteria, where the owner shared a table with former quarterback Bernie Kosar, before heading up to his office overlooking practice fields now buried in snow.
It's a relatively quiet time in the NFL, those weeks between the frenetic first days of free agency and April's college draft.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, the ever-energized Lerner spent nearly an hour candidly discussing the Browns' dramatic 2007 turnaround, an impending contract extension for general manager Phil Savage, coach Romeo Crennel's calming influence and the resurgence of Aston Villa, the English soccer team he bought in 2006.
Only once did Lerner duck a question. Asked to handicap the Derek Anderson vs. Brady Quinn quarterback derby, a daily topic of conversation among Cleveland fans, Lerner was noncommittal.
"I'm not a coach and I don't have any of the required skills to give an informed opinion," he said with a laugh. "Like any fan, I've got a lot to say, but I wouldn't stick my two cents into that one -- for any price."
Lerner's tastefully decorated office is filled with personal and professional effects. Photographs of his children and late father, Al, are sprinkled among acquired art work reflecting one of his most passionate hobbies. A coffee table filled with orange Browns helmets dating to Cleveland's football infancy provide the visitor with a hard plastic trip down memory lane.
After sitting down, Lerner perched his feet on the table's edge, inches away from an updated white model similar to the one the Browns wore in 1948, and could break out for a future special occasion.
Seconds later, Lerner excitedly talked about the 2008 Browns. Coming off a 10-win season, they struck quickly in free agency by re-signing Anderson and running back Jamal Lewis, and adding defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams as well as wide receiver Donte Stallworth.
They were brought to Cleveland by Savage, who in just three years has completely rebuilt the Browns from laughingstocks to legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Lerner will reward Savage with a long-term contract extension, which has been in the works for several weeks. Talks have gone so well that Lerner and Savage decided to put negotiations on hold to concentrate on free agency, college-player workouts and the draft.
Lerner said nothing is imminent but the deal will be finalized soon with Savage, who he says deserves much of the credit for bringing the Browns back.
"There are two characteristics that keep showing up with Phil," Lerner said. "One is his patience to let circumstances play out in order that he have as much information to make a decision as possible. The other is that he has enormous reach within the NFL and college ranks to get second opinions about his assumptions and suspicions about either a player or an approach to a situation.
"People take his call, people like to talk to him and people do like him in general throughout the NFL. He has brought those relationships and that book of business and made it a valuable resource to the Browns."
Savage is currently signed through the 2009 season. In January, the Browns gave Crennel a two-year extension through 2011, reward for his role in Cleveland's resurgence.
A year ago, Crennel's future with the Browns was uncertain at best. There was speculation he wouldn't last through 2007, and yet Crennel not only survived the head-coaching pressure cooker but flourished.
"It's a very difficult job," Lerner said. "It's a guy who does well in a confusing, chaotic kind of environment and can create calm and continue to inspire players and continue to show up with a plan and a safe pair of hands to execute the plan. A coach with good coordinators and a guy the players speak well of.
"I think you can say that about Romeo, there's no question about that. ... It's about chemistry with players, chemistry with the GM, with the organization and the city, and I think you are starting to see that with Romeo."
Only a late-season loss at Cincinnati prevented the Browns from making the AFC playoffs. Looking back at '07, Lerner didn't dwell on disappointment but on several fourth-quarter comebacks he hopes will spawn similar future success.
"The Rams at the Rams, the Jets at the Jets, the Ravens at the Ravens. The Bills at Cleveland," Lerner said rattling off Cleveland's close calls. "Those were not easy. We did a lot of fighting to get those, and a lot of perseverance and a lot of commitment went into those wins.
"I kind of feel like we are building on the kind of character that was demonstrated in pulling some of those out. They weren't just wins for this organization, they were part of a building process. Those 10 wins were really important because they were lessons and they were memories. I don't want to be overdramatic. But there was a depth to them."
Next season, for the first time since Lerner took ownership, the Browns -- tougher schedule or not -- will be expected to win. Period.
But as they learned last season, a 10-6 record might not be enough to guarantee any games in January. But Lerner has learned to savor the good times.
"I'm probably more concerned with what might not work out, but I also realize that you're probably not doing it right in this business if you're not enjoying it when you do get it right a little bit," he said. "I am feeling pretty good about winning 10 games, and I am feeling pretty good about knowing that we've earned the right to have some higher expectations."
Lerner touched on a few other topics, including:
• On the benefits of having two quality QBs: "A lot of the early Miami Dolphins teams in the '70s had two viable quarterbacks. It wasn't until hindsight that you could see how it was playing out, but Don Shula knew what he was doing."
• On the possibility of hiring Kosar: "Nothing has changed necessarily. But you never know. Life changes, circumstances change. We've kind of got a nice situation now with Bernie and others, there are some very productive lines of communication."
• On the Browns playing on Monday night for the first time since 2003: "There are some rumblings. It's a great night and the first one ever was here in Cleveland. I see that as the byproduct of playing good football. It would be pretty cool. More than anything it shows we're on the right track."
• On winning back the trust of Browns fans: "We're getting there. I don't think you ever want to declare that you have done that. I think we've made progress, but we've got a ways to go. Directionally, yeah, I think we're starting to be an organization that is starting to make moves, go through a season, make more moves, and that kind of consistency and steadiness is where the loyalty and the support comes from.
"I think that's your best chance of winning and winning big in this business.
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