NY Times on Redskins, Coles.......

[TC4]

Here is an article about the Redskins/Coles situtation in this morning's New York Times.

I am posting both the story and the link but be warned, you will probally have to register on the Times website to read it if you use the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/sports/football/11NFLL.html?th

Redskins Threaten Jets by Making Bid for Coles

By DAMON HACK

Only days ago, Terry Bradway, the Jets' general manager, was in his office on the telephone, explaining how continuity was one of his team's greatest strengths. He counted 20 of 22 starters set to return to the American Football Conference East champion Jets next season. The list included the young lions Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles, whom the Jets viewed as a productive duo for years to come.

But that kismet has been threatened by the now familiar jingling of the Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder's money.

The Redskins and Coles, a restricted free-agent receiver, have agreed to an offer sheet that will pay him $35 million over seven years, including a $13 million signing bonus, according to a person close to the negotiations and several reports.

Reached last night, Bradway said he had yet to receive notice from the Redskins but acknowledged that Coles had been in Washington yesterday. Snyder has already signed two former Jets, guard Randy Thomas and place-kicker John Hall, and agreed to an offer sheet with a third, kick returner Chad Morton.

Bradway, when asked if the Jets would match an offer for Coles, said: "If it's something we felt was good, and a good decision for the whole team, we would do it. Right now, all we can do is wait and see what the offer sheet says from Washington. It depends on what the structure of the contract is and how it fits in with what we are doing. We have to worry about the whole team."

If the Jets do not match the offer, they will receive the Redskins' first-round pick in next month's draft (the 13th pick over all). The Jets are set to draft 22nd in the first round.

Coles, a gifted and speedy receiver, is the 10th player who has signed or agreed to an offer sheet with the Redskins since the free-agent period began on Feb. 28.

While the Redskins share a similar geography with the Jets, they compete in a different conference and are hardly rivals, though that may change soon. The teams will open the N.F.L.'s regular season on Sept. 4, a Thursday night, in Landover, Md.

The Jets will have seven days to match an offer for Coles once an offer sheet is signed. They have until Thursday to match the five-year, $8 million offer sheet for Morton, who may best represent the growing border war between the Jets and the Redskins. Morton, who is seeking playing time at running back, played college football at Southern California under Coach Paul Hackett, now the Jets' offensive coordinator, and Hue Jackson, now the Redskins' running backs coach.

"It is an intriguing story in and of itself," Morton's agent, Leigh Steinberg, said. "Think about the odds of that one, two ex-S.C. coaches with their former player, the whole cab load moves across the country. Chad plays three years, his contract ends, and now these coaches start competing over him."

The Redskins have become famous for this kind of off-season noise. They have not made the playoffs since 1999 and seem to suffocate beneath the weight of expectations season after season.

"Believe me," Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington said last season, "if there is one team that has had a lot of hype surround them and then have it some way, somehow, go wrong in the course of the year, it's the Redskins. That's one class we've passed."

In 1998, the Redskins signed the behemoth defensive tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson and finished 6-10. In 2000, the veterans Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith were supposed to bring their playoff pedigree to the Redskins, but the team finished 8-8. Last season, Steve Spurrier, the former offensive guru at Florida, could manage only a 7-9 season.

Now, it seems, they are after players with speed and pass-catching ability, attributes Spurrier loves. The Redskins released their workhorse running back, Stephen Davis, and imported Trung Canidate, a fleet-footed rusher who had backed up Marshall Faulk before falling out of favor with Rams Coach Mike Martz.

The Redskins believe Coles and Morton will bring even more speed.

The pillaging of the Jets notwithstanding, Bradway said his team still had its core intact with players like Pennington, running back Curtis Martin, receiver Wayne Chrebet and linebacker Sam Cowart.

"When you look at our team, we've been able to keep a majority of the guys together, and we've replaced guys with players we think are ready," he said. "It's hard to keep them all."