Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 3, 1990 TAG: 9004030064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The overall effect is likely to be the same, too. Many of the 1989 transfers were special-teams players with their old teams and remained special-teams players with their new ones.
"We need to find some way to improve our kickoff-coverage team," said Kansas City general manager Carl Peterson after signing Bjorn Nittmo, a kicker who can kick off deep but struggles with extra points.
"We were down near the bottom last year, and that certainly starts with the ability to kick the ball deep with hang time and/or distance."
Plan B took effect last year as a way for the league to demonstrate that it was allowing players to move freely. Under the plan, each team is allowed to protect 37 players, with the rest becoming free agents for two months - from Feb. 1 to April 1.
When the final numbers were in Monday, 184 of the 490 eligible players had changed teams. Last year, it was 229 of 619, when more players were available because this year's roster rules were more restrictive.
But the players who switched teams made more money - salaries increased an estimated $12 million, or 70 percent more than last year. Non-refundable signing bonuses averaged $65,000, according to the players' union; $53,000, according to management. Last year's average was about $35,000.
Most of that increase was the result of big bucks paid to big names.
The Cleveland Browns, for example, paid $1.8 million over two years to 35-year-old cornerback Raymond Clayborn, a former Pro Bowl performer for New England. The contract included $700,000 a year in salary, plus a $400,000 signing bonus.
"I don't consider it giving him a big raise," said Art Modell, the Browns' owner. "His salary is the same as last year."
Clayborn also fits into a revolving door policy that continued from last year, replacing 31-year-old Hanford Dixon, another former All-Pro performer, on the Browns' roster. Dixon was one of three experienced defensive backs who signed lucrative contracts with the 49ers, who are worried about depth in their secondary - Dave Waymer and Greg Cox were the others.
"You try to stack them up and hope one makes it," said Bill Polian, the Bills' general manager. "If one plugs the hole, you've done your job."
Dallas, 1-15 last season, signed 16 players; Green Bay signed 13 and Kansas City, the New York Jets and Washington signed 12 each.
Indianapolis was the only team not to sign a Plan B player. New England lost 17, most of any team, and Miami lost 11.
Two-time Super Bowl champion San Francisco lost only one player - wide receiver Terry Greer, who signed with Detroit. The 49ers, who lost two players last season, also re-signed Cox, whom they lost to the New York Giants last year, giving them a total loss of two Plan B players in two seasons.
Other well-known players who moved included running back Curt Warner, from Seattle to the Los Angeles Rams; guard Max Montoya, from Cincinnati to the Los Angeles Raiders, and nose tackle Fred Smerlas, from Buffalo to San Francisco.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB