Post by lazarus on Mar 8, 2005 20:25:38 GMT -5
PRESIDENT CARL PETERSON ON THE SIGNING OF UFA LB KENDRELL BELL
Mar 08, 2005, 6:05:39 PM
Q: Could (LB) Kendrell Bell play today?
CARL PETERSON: “Yes, according to our doctors.”
Q: Will he be available for all of the off-season workouts?
PETERSON: “Yes, that is what they have told us.”
Q: What does he give you that you don’t already have?
PETERSON: “I think versatility at the linebacker position. He can play more than one position. And I think we all know we need some help at more than one position. He is a very fast and physical football player that we liked coming out of college. He played exceptionally well early in his career, but unfortunately had a physical problem this year that limited him to three games. According to our medical people he worked his way through that. He has been working out diligently since the conclusion of the season and actually before that. We are pleased about getting a linebacker with that speed and versatility.”
Q: Do you plan on him being your middle linebacker?
PETERSON: “I don’t think I ever said that. Maybe someone else did. I have been negotiating with (his agent) Todd France on a linebacker that can play more than one position. I think obviously that is one of the reasons we were attracted to Kendrell Bell. Where he lines up will be determined in competition in training camp. He has been playing in a “30” defense in his career in Pittsburgh.”
Q: Wherever he plays do you see him as a three-down player?
PETERSON: “Yes with his speed and versatility I do. I will let the coaches make that decision, but I think (defensive coordinator) Gunther (Cunningham) plans on having him in for three downs.”
Q: Does this end your pursuit for free agent linebackers?
PETERSON: “We will turn our attention to another defensive position of need. We were negotiating at the same time with (LB) Ed Hartwell. But this negotiation with Todd France has been going on for a week. I got comfortable with where we were able to negotiate this deal. We pulled the trigger on it, on a seven-year deal.”
Q: Can you update us on where you are with free agent defensive backs?
PETERSON: “I can update you that we have a couple of free agent cornerbacks coming in, in the next few days.”
Q: Is (CB) Fred Smoot one of them?
PETERSON: “That is probably a good guess if he gets out of Minnesota. He is there right now and he might end up signing with them.”
Q: Is (CB) Ty Law the other guy?
PETERSON: “That is probably a pretty good guess, too. We would like to take a look at his foot.”
Q: Do you know what is left of your salary cap in terms of what else you need to do?
PETERSON: “I guess that will depend on mine and (Assistant General Manager) Denny Thum’s negotiating skills.”
Q: How healthy is Ty Law?
PETERSON: “I have absolutely no idea. I saw him in a mechanized wheelchair at the Super Bowl on radio row. I need for him to come in for our doctors to look at him and then give me a prognosis and diagnosis of where he is in his rehab and how long it might take. The process can only begin by getting him in and having our doctors take a look at him. Now his representatives feel that they can do that so we are setting that up.”
Q: Are you still talking to Miami about a trade for (CB) Patrick Surtain?
PETERSON: “That door is certainly open. It is as much with Miami as it is with his agent, if we can get to some kind of contract that makes sense. I think that is a difficult thing to do, but it is something we still have on the table. They are still talking to us and want to continue to talk to us because I think Patrick would like to leave Miami.”
Q: Is the holdup negotiating with the contract or the compensation with Miami?
PETERSON: “Both.”
Q: Can you fill us in on how the deal with (CB) Samari Rolle did not work out?
PETERSON: “I think some confidential medical records got out that really changed things dramatically for them. I don’t know where that came from or how it got into the media, but I am not going to substantiate it or not. But that certinilally played a major role in his decision and his agent’s to go in a different direction to basically Baltimore. That is disappointing, but those things happen.”
Q: Were you willing to continue negotiating with him based on the reports about his spine?
PETERSON: “What do you know about his spine?”
Q: That they said it was a narrowing of the spine?
PETERSON: “Who are they?”
Q: It was in the Kansas City Star.
PETERSON: “Did you ever hear our doctors or anybody from the Kansas City Chiefs say that?”
Q: Rolle said that you guys brought that up after you heard he was negotiating with Baltimore?
PETERSON: “Specific to Samari we were negotiating with him and then the information got out that is either true or not true. Certainly nobody from the Kansas City Chiefs gave that information out. I am certain our doctors and trainers never comment on any player’s injury situation. That changed the situation for them.”
Q: Did it change it for you?
PETERSON: “It takes two parties to negotiate. They stopped negotiating and said they were going to Baltimore.”
Q: So they saw the report, got aggravated and said this deal is over with here?
PETERSON: “I know they did. I spoke with his agent. They saw the article in the newspaper and were very angry about it.”
Mar 08, 2005, 6:05:39 PM
Q: Could (LB) Kendrell Bell play today?
CARL PETERSON: “Yes, according to our doctors.”
Q: Will he be available for all of the off-season workouts?
PETERSON: “Yes, that is what they have told us.”
Q: What does he give you that you don’t already have?
PETERSON: “I think versatility at the linebacker position. He can play more than one position. And I think we all know we need some help at more than one position. He is a very fast and physical football player that we liked coming out of college. He played exceptionally well early in his career, but unfortunately had a physical problem this year that limited him to three games. According to our medical people he worked his way through that. He has been working out diligently since the conclusion of the season and actually before that. We are pleased about getting a linebacker with that speed and versatility.”
Q: Do you plan on him being your middle linebacker?
PETERSON: “I don’t think I ever said that. Maybe someone else did. I have been negotiating with (his agent) Todd France on a linebacker that can play more than one position. I think obviously that is one of the reasons we were attracted to Kendrell Bell. Where he lines up will be determined in competition in training camp. He has been playing in a “30” defense in his career in Pittsburgh.”
Q: Wherever he plays do you see him as a three-down player?
PETERSON: “Yes with his speed and versatility I do. I will let the coaches make that decision, but I think (defensive coordinator) Gunther (Cunningham) plans on having him in for three downs.”
Q: Does this end your pursuit for free agent linebackers?
PETERSON: “We will turn our attention to another defensive position of need. We were negotiating at the same time with (LB) Ed Hartwell. But this negotiation with Todd France has been going on for a week. I got comfortable with where we were able to negotiate this deal. We pulled the trigger on it, on a seven-year deal.”
Q: Can you update us on where you are with free agent defensive backs?
PETERSON: “I can update you that we have a couple of free agent cornerbacks coming in, in the next few days.”
Q: Is (CB) Fred Smoot one of them?
PETERSON: “That is probably a good guess if he gets out of Minnesota. He is there right now and he might end up signing with them.”
Q: Is (CB) Ty Law the other guy?
PETERSON: “That is probably a pretty good guess, too. We would like to take a look at his foot.”
Q: Do you know what is left of your salary cap in terms of what else you need to do?
PETERSON: “I guess that will depend on mine and (Assistant General Manager) Denny Thum’s negotiating skills.”
Q: How healthy is Ty Law?
PETERSON: “I have absolutely no idea. I saw him in a mechanized wheelchair at the Super Bowl on radio row. I need for him to come in for our doctors to look at him and then give me a prognosis and diagnosis of where he is in his rehab and how long it might take. The process can only begin by getting him in and having our doctors take a look at him. Now his representatives feel that they can do that so we are setting that up.”
Q: Are you still talking to Miami about a trade for (CB) Patrick Surtain?
PETERSON: “That door is certainly open. It is as much with Miami as it is with his agent, if we can get to some kind of contract that makes sense. I think that is a difficult thing to do, but it is something we still have on the table. They are still talking to us and want to continue to talk to us because I think Patrick would like to leave Miami.”
Q: Is the holdup negotiating with the contract or the compensation with Miami?
PETERSON: “Both.”
Q: Can you fill us in on how the deal with (CB) Samari Rolle did not work out?
PETERSON: “I think some confidential medical records got out that really changed things dramatically for them. I don’t know where that came from or how it got into the media, but I am not going to substantiate it or not. But that certinilally played a major role in his decision and his agent’s to go in a different direction to basically Baltimore. That is disappointing, but those things happen.”
Q: Were you willing to continue negotiating with him based on the reports about his spine?
PETERSON: “What do you know about his spine?”
Q: That they said it was a narrowing of the spine?
PETERSON: “Who are they?”
Q: It was in the Kansas City Star.
PETERSON: “Did you ever hear our doctors or anybody from the Kansas City Chiefs say that?”
Q: Rolle said that you guys brought that up after you heard he was negotiating with Baltimore?
PETERSON: “Specific to Samari we were negotiating with him and then the information got out that is either true or not true. Certainly nobody from the Kansas City Chiefs gave that information out. I am certain our doctors and trainers never comment on any player’s injury situation. That changed the situation for them.”
Q: Did it change it for you?
PETERSON: “It takes two parties to negotiate. They stopped negotiating and said they were going to Baltimore.”
Q: So they saw the report, got aggravated and said this deal is over with here?
PETERSON: “I know they did. I spoke with his agent. They saw the article in the newspaper and were very angry about it.”
