IB • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2002
Chiefs' draft picks indicate future, team strategy for upcoming season
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If quarterback Joey Harrington is still left when Kansas City picks 8. 8 in the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday, fans may learn whether the Chiefs are angling to win now or win later.
If the plans are long-range, Harrington would be hard to pass up. Not only did he lead Oregon to a 25-3 record as a starter, he threw 27 touchdown passes and just six interceptions last year.
Short-range — and 65-year-old coach Dick Vermeil has just two years left on his contract — the Chiefs will go for a big-play defensive player who can make an
immediate difference.
Attackle along the lines of North Carolina's Ryan Sims or Wisconsin's Wendell Bryant would provide instant help for a defense that was largely responsible for last year's 6-10 record.
"Everybody in the National Football League is in a win-now mode," said Vermell. "That's why the league has done what it's done over the last few years. The Super Bowl teams have come out of nowhere. I'm not so sure anybody thinks, 'Well, 3-4 years down the road, we're going to be pretty good.'"
Another reason to consider Harrington would be the contract situation of Trent Green and his two backups. Not one of the three good.
Green, 32, cost the Chiefs their first-round pick last year in a trade with St. Louis. Not only does he have a surgically repaired knee and 32 years on him, he also threw a league-high 24 interceptions.
is signed beyond next season.
Still, spending a first-round pick on a quarterback two years in a row would be, Vermeil said, "tough."
"Tough to do. Very, very tough to do," he added.
Most likely, the Chiefs will opt for a defensive tackle. They would love to have the 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Sims. They also like Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson as well as Bryant.
'I'd like to get an impact defensive player," said Vermeil.
The Chiefs might also look at cornerback, but a tackle would help sooner.
"It would be harder for him to be an impact player right off the bat because (cornerbacks) aren't always contested," Vermeiil said. "You've got 65 defensive snaps. A defensive lineman is contested on every snap. A corner might not have the ball thrown at him more than 3-4 times a game."
Chuck Cook, the Chiefs' director of college scouting, describes Sims as a player "with a big motor."
"He runs to the football," Cook said. "Plays hard. Has good tools that we look for. He's athletic. He's instinctive. He just has upside."
Houston set to nab Fresno quarterback make history with $60 million contract
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans are taking the suspense out of Saturday's NFL draft.
They're close to signing Fresno State quarterback David Carr, their announced No. 1 pick, to a seven-year contract that would pay $60 million if he reached all incentives, a source said.
The NFL is looking at the contract and still must approve it, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Carr would earn $45 million in base salary in seven years, and that could increase to $60 million if he meets all incentives. He would be paid $16 million in the first three years of the deal, the most in NFL history for a rookie.
Michael Vick, selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the top pick in last year's draft, will make $15.3 million in his first three years. Vick signed an eight-year, $62 million deal with the Falcons.
Carr visited Houston last week and has purchased a home.
"We wanted him to get in here and get things taken care of so we can have his full attention," coach Dom Capers said.
Carr will become the 12th quarterback selected with the top overall pick since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, and the fourth in the last five years.
He led the nation with 4,839 passing yards and 46 touchdowns in 2001, while leading Fresno State to an 11-3 record.
With Carr almost aboard and a
good base of players from the expansion draft, general manager Charley Casserly is looking to the future in the college draft.
"We want to take the best player available. So, would we take an offensive tackle with the first pick of the second round? Sure," he said.
Although the Texans will draft the best players on the board, any linebackers they choose might have the best chance of playing sooner because of the Texans' 3-4 defense.
The Texans made a bigger impact in the expansion draft than previous new teams by selecting quality players from teams with salary cap problems
"Eight or nine linebackers will make the club." Casserly said.
their first draft.
They'll play their first season with a good offensive line anchored by tackles Tony Boselli and Ryan Young. They also nabbed linebacker Jamie Sharper and defensive linemen Seth Payne and Gary Walker, which eases the burden of filling holes in
In addition to Sharper, the Texans already have linebackers Kailee Wong, Billy Granville and Greg Jones.
Houston gets the first pick in each of the seven rounds. In rounds 2 through 7, they get an extra pick following all the teams with losing records last season. The Texans will have 13 selections in the draft after sending one to Pittsburgh as compensation for kicker Kris Brown.
Dilfer lends advice to future QB Carr
SEATTLE — Trent Dilfer has advised David Carr on everything from where to set up his television to what kind of cereal he should eat once he's an NFL quarterback.
He's provided plenty of football advice, too.
But the biggest message from the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback to his friend from Fresno State heading into this weekend's draft: "Take care of your family."
"He told me to spend more time with my wife when I'm home, to make sure she's included in everything," said Carr, who will be the top pick by the Houston Texans on Saturday. "If your home life is stable, then the football stuff will be like high school or when you were playing in the backyard."
But Carr always admired Differ, and that was a reason he chose Fresno State.
Carr and Dilfer never played together at Fresno State, their college careers separated by four years. Dilfer left early for the NFL in 1993 and Carr arrived in '97.
"It was obvious Trent was his boyhood idol," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "I think Trent gave David a lot of help getting through this season with all the hype and dealing with publicity and the press. Not many have lived the life David had, but Trent had."
Raiders look to draft to improve defense
OAKLAND, Calif. - While they lost their charismatic head coach, the Oakland Raiders gained enough draft picks to hopefully improve their defense and even look toward the future.
Jon Gruden bolted for Tampa Bay in the offseason, and the Raiders got the Buccaneers' first- and second-round picks Saturday in exchange.
That gives the Raiders four total selections in the opening two rounds and they've got weaknesses, mainly on defense. But with so many picks, this year's draft also affords Oakland some flexibility.
"We're looking for the best possible Raider to come in, whether that means, to come in and contribute or come in and
develop," new coach Bill Callahan said. "We'll take the best player at the pick that can fit what we want for this team."
The Raiders have the 21st pick in the first round, courtesy of the Gruden deal, along with the 23rd selection. In the second round, they also have the 21st and 23rd picks.
Gruden had a year left on his contract when Tampa Bay came calling. In exchange, the Raiders got this year's top two picks, a first-rounder in 2003, a second-rounder in 2004 and $8 million.
Callahan, Gruden's former offensive coordinator, maintains the Raiders are solid. Oakland went 10-6 last year and beat the New York Jets in the first round of the playoffs before falling 16-13 in overtime to the New England Patriots.
The Lawrence Human Relations/Human Resources Department is pleased to present:
A Seminar for Tenants and Prospective Tenants
Learn from the experts:
-- What your landlord's responsibilities are to you.
-- What your responsibilities as tenants are.
-- What to do if you suspect discrimination in housing is occuring.
-- How to resolve conflicts with your landlord.
When: Saturday, April 20, 2002 Where: Community Building 115 West 11th St. Lawrence, Kansas
Time: 8:30 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m.
Call 832-3310 for more information This seminar,including lunch is free of charge.
Do you agree with Lee?
Open Forum
Wednesday, April 17, 4 p.m. Aldersen Auditorium Lee's Testimony
Thursday, April 18, 12:20 p.m. Wescoe Beach
Prayer and Praise Night
Friday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. Christ Community Church
www.IagreeKU.org
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