Beathard and Means, take 2 (long)
Robin Miller
I still think Bobby B. screwed up in a major way. He saw some problems
on the Chargers, but he cut too much away. O'Neal (possibly a bad
actor), Harmon (replaceable), OK. Means, no way. Note that, in Bobby's
comments in today's story, he says that Means _forced_ the Chargers to
release him. Bullshit. That's an utter failure to take responsibility
for his own actions.
--Robin (who, BTW, supports Bobby B. on the Boss Ross move)
Bobby Beathard, from today's SDUT:
Regarding the decision to get rid of Natrone Means and Means'
success with the Jaguars, Beathard said, "I can't say I wish we hadn't
let him go because that was forced on us. I mean, nobody likes to lose
Natrone Means. We knew what Natrone was, and it's not surprising
to see Natrone do what he's doing. I like Natrone personally. I'm
happy for him. The way I looked at it, we had a gun held to our head
by the agent. But when he went to Jacksonville, I think all that
leverage was taken out of the agent's hands.
"Natrone's a smart guy. He probably realized, 'I can't do this again or
I'm out of football.' He did the right thing. This is the Natrone we had
for a year. God, he might take them all the way to the Super Bowl.
Sure I wish we had Natrone, but I don't know or I don't think Coach
Ross knew how to resolve that problem at that time."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the stories from the SDUT archive on the Chargers' release of
Means:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chargers drop Natrone bomb
Trade talk fails: Means released with two others
KEVIN KERNAN
Staff Writer
01-Mar-1996 Friday
A stunned Natrone Means tried to put his thoughts in perspective after
yesterday's Chargers Massacre Part II.
"I never thought this would happen," Means said from Columbia, S.C.,
struggling for the right words. "I just talked to my mom and she said
this
will all work out for the best. She said it's a blessing in disguise."
Means, tight end Duane Young and wide receiver Shawn Jefferson were
released and Miami defensive end Marco Coleman signed a three-year, $9.6
million offer sheet [NOTE: $9.6 million for a guy who underperformed]
with the Chargers. The Dolphins have seven days to match the offer. The
Chargers also agreed to terms with tight end/H-back Al Pupunu on a
three-year deal believed to be worth about $3 million.
Means, Young and Jefferson are gone for good. General manager Bobby
Beathard made it clear he would not re-sign any of the three, at any
price.
Means, who is 23, recalled something Marion Butts, who had suffered a
similar fate, said to him during the 1995 exhibition season when the
Chargers played San Francisco.
"Marion told me, 'You watch, Nate, by the beginning of next year,
they're
going to have you out of here,' " Means said.
Butts, who also went from the Pro Bowl to holdout and eventually was
traded
by the Chargers, proved to be prophetic.
Citing team chemistry, off-field distractions, salary-cap woes and the
emergence of young running back Aaron Hayden, the Chargers decided Means
and his $2.343 million deal this season were expendable. The club wasn't
thrilled with the hours Means was keeping off the field, and that
contributed to the decision, according to several sources.
The Chargers will have to eat a portion of the bonus money, but by
cutting
Means they saved $1.7 million toward the cap.
By shedding Young, they freed $600,000; on Jefferson, they got a $1.1
million windfall. In all, they picked up $3.4 million on the cap, but
Beathard said that money is basically gone and the team cannot afford to
sign another big-name free agent unless the Coleman deal falls through.
There has been talk that the salary cap-pressed Dolphins will match the
Eagles' offer sheet of $16.5 million over five years to free-agent
cornerback Troy Vincent and then deal Vincent to Jacksonville to free
money
to keep Coleman. But the players' union is opposed to such a move.
Beathard said the Chargers had hoped to trade the three released players
for draft picks, but deals could not be made over the past month.
Yesterday's moves come just two months after the Chargers lopped off
veterans Leslie O'Neal, Ronnie Harmon, Stan Brock, Dennis Gibson, Mark
Seay
and Gale Gilbert.
Two years ago, Means set the club's single-season rushing record with
1,350
yards. He had 718 yards in the first eight games last season to lead the
AFC before suffering a groin injury against the Dolphins. Over the last
eight games he had just five rushes for 6 yards.
Of the moves, one veteran, who requested anonymity, said, "The Chargers
have gone crazy."
Maybe. Maybe crazy like a fox.
A few years ago the Chargers were heavily criticized for dumping Butts.
That team went on to the Super Bowl.
That team had the right chemistry, both Beathard and coach Bobby Ross
noted.
"Some of it is salary cap-related; a big part of it is team chemistry,"
Beathard said of the cuts. "We didn't seem to have team chemistry this
past
season. Some of the moves we made have been to correct that. Team
chemistry
is so important. We had it the year we ended up in the Super Bowl. We
all
agreed we had a decent team last year, not one that ended up like we
did.
"Our goal is, the team comes first. Everybody felt strongly this was
something we had to do if we're going to be a better team."
Means held out for 11 days in training camp last season before signing a
four-year, $7.4 million contract. This year Beathard had promised to
redo
the contract. The Chargers said they were getting indications the
contract
talks would not be smooth. In recent talks with Means' agent, Tank
Black,
the Chargers felt Means' initial salary proposals were excessive.
"Natrone is a great talent," Beathard said. "If Natrone wants to be, he
can
be a heck of a talent in this league."
Ross admitted that the last thing he wanted to do was go into training
camp
with another Means holdout hanging over the team's head.
"I thought it was a distraction to us last season," Ross said. "If we
can
remove that and still have someone to step in there and get it done for
us,
then absolutely I did not want (a holdout) to happen . . . It could have
been even uglier, to tell you the truth."
Means' release positions the New York Jets to acquire him for the NFL
waiver price of $100 -- $24,999,900 less than the club invested in
quarterback Neil O'Donnell.
Jets president Steve Gutman said the club's officers yesterday held a
preliminary discussion concerning Means and plan to conduct what Gutman
termed "a complete evaluation of the situation."
As the team with last season's poorest record (3-13), under the waiver
system the Jets have first-refusal on waived players. After the Jets in
the
waiver rotation come Jacksonville and Arizona, both 4-12.
Means has played three NFL seasons. Had he played four, he would be a
vested player, would not be subject to waivers and would be a free agent
upon being terminated. As a three-year player, he is subject to waivers.
As vested players, Young and Jefferson are free to work out their own
deals.
Young is considered one of the NFL's best blocking tight ends. An hour
after he was released, six teams, he said from his home in Michigan,
already had called. "I enjoyed all my teammates in San Diego," Young
said.
"Life goes on. I will be playing somewhere."
Hayden, 22, suddenly steps into the spotlight with fellow second-year
running back Terrell Fletcher. Hayden gained 470 yards on 128 carries, a
3.7 average, as a rookie last year. Means' average was 3.9. Hayden was
coming off a broken leg and was only at about 80 percent once he got
into
action, according to Beathard. He wasn't put on the active roster until
Nov. 10.
"I'm surprised," Hayden said. "They didn't trade him, they just cut him.
I'm kind of at a loss for words. I guess I was the guy down the stretch.
Hopefully, I can be the guy for the whole season."
----------------Goodbye, Natrone
A look at the statistics of running back Natrone Means, who was
released
yesterday:
Year Att. Yards Avg. TD
1993 160 645 4.0 8
1994 343 1,350 3.9 12
1995 186 730 3.9 5
Totals 689 2,725 4.0 25
----------------------------------------------------------------
It's as tough to fathom Means story from afar as it is in San Diego
Nick Canepa
02-Mar-1996 Saturday
PEORIA, Ariz. -- I come over here to watch some Padreball and what
happens?
I get a call from my boss in the middle of the afternoon and he tells me
Natrone Means has been cut.
"CUT?"
"Cut."
"No way."
"Way."
After he's convinced me he isn't joking -- which isn't easy -- I sort of
wander around the Padres training complex and soon the concussion of the
Natrone bomb can be felt throughout the joint.
Players and front-office personnel are not talking baseball. They're
talking Natrone and the Chargers. On into yesterday it remained the main
topic of conversation.
"What the hell is Bobby Beathard doing?" is a question I am asked about
50
times. Like I ever know what Bobby Beathard is doing. He flummoxes me.
You
might as well ask me to explain the rudiments of nuclear fission.
For an opinion, I seek out the most rabid Chargers fan in Arizona.
Just what's going on?
"Surprised," Tony Gwynn says. "I have to think we don't really know
what's
happening here. Maybe they know something we don't."
Well, "they" do. Beathard always seems to know something I don't,
although
he sometimes has a difficult time explaining it and I'm not a bad
listener.
Any way you slice this one -- and there are all kinds of excuses and
explanations -- I don't like it. You don't cut 23-year-old Pro Bowl
running
backs. You get something for 23-year-old Pro Bowl running backs.
"They outright released the guy?" Gwynn says. "What's up? This means
there
are going to be a lot of questions, kind of like the Padres used to
have."
Well, the Padres still have questions, but, the last time I checked,
they
didn't waive Tony Gwynn and get nothing in return.
Say one thing about Beathard: He may be the most fearless general
manager
in the history of sports. Maybe it's because he has such supreme
confidence
in his ability to find talent. When he doesn't like something, he rids
himself of it as he might whisk dandruff from his shoulders.
But people on the outside have a difficult time understanding. I know, I
often do. And this one has me baffled. Why would no other team want
Natrone
Means?
"They didn't," Beathard insists. "We tried everything. We talked to
every
club but Dallas and Seattle. No way we just wanted to waive him, believe
me. But, I was mistaken. There was very little interest. We exhausted
every
way. I asked for '97 draft picks on an 'if' basis, as in 'if he makes
the
team.' Not one offer. Fifth-round pick, fourth-round pick. Nothing."
Of course, when you try to trade somebody this good, teams lift
eyebrows.
"What's wrong with the guy?"
And Beathard also saw another training camp hassle with Means and his
agent, Tank Black.
"But this was not revenge," he says. "It wasn't done to deliver a
message.
His contract couldn't be renegotiated until we were well into training
camp
and the impression I got from his agent was that it wasn't going to
work.
We didn't want a replay of last year."
I do think a message was delivered, however, to young players who think
they don't have to live clean lives and work hard all year to earn their
pay.
There has been talk Natrone had become a part of the clubhouse cancer
that
weakened this team last year and oncologists Beathard and head coach
Bobby
Ross have done some major offseason surgery.
And there are serious reports that Natrone has been leading a
destructive
off-the-field lifestyle. If this were the case, was he beyond help?
I don't know. I'm not a coach or a general manager. I just watch and
write
football and Natrone Means is a hell of a player and I can't believe
he's
out there now floating with the flotsam and jetsam.
Just how much cancer did this team have? Are we finished? As doctors are
asked after operations, did you get all of it?
Ten players have been hacked since Jan. 1. Certainly, not all 10 were
clubhouse problems, anyway, and there are those who believe Natrone
wasn't
a disturber, that this was a work ethic and money decision. There are
others who are happy to see him gone.
I'm not one of those. I like Pro Bowl running backs. It's just me.
Now, I wonder, what's next?
They cut Natrone, receiver Shawn Jefferson (no surprise) and tight end
Duane Young to clear money under the salary cap to sign Miami free agent
Marco Coleman? Where has all this money gone?
Beathard has cut 10 players and added Sean Salisbury and Kurt Gouveia
and
he doesn't have enough to pay Coleman? The three latest slices
supposedly
add up to $3 million more for him to use, but now he says he still can't
afford to bring in free-agent receiver Fred Barnett.
Maybe I'm stupid. I have a big problem with all this. Just when I
thought
this team was about to improve itself, it's taken a step back. You don't
replace Pro Bowl players unless you bring in another Pro Bowl player.
Are the Chargers a better football team today without Means than they
were
Thursday morning with him? No.
Are they better off in the clubhouse than they were Jan. 1? Sure. But do
ticket buyers care?
"Bobby always talked about chemistry," says Padres CEO Larry Lucchino, a
longtime friend of Beathard's. "I always talked biology -- how big are
they
and how fast can they run."
I know how it is. In Beathard We Trust and I like the man and I've
gotten
used to his maneuverings. But this one sticks in my throat.
Chemistry is important, agreed. But chemistry doesn't weigh 245 pounds
and
have quick feet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot item by no Means
Salary, weight, cap make teams cautious to claim
JERRY MAGEE
Staff Writer
06-Mar-1996 Wednesday
Whither Natrone Means?
To the New York Jets, for the $100 NFL waiver fee? No. To Jacksonville?
No,
not on waivers, at least. To Arizona, No. 3 in the waiver rotation? No.
To
Carolina, in the state where he was born and played college football?
No.
Then where? No one knows. About the only thing known about the running
back
the Chargers stunningly waived last week is that NFL teams are viewing
his
availability with raised eyebrows.
Teams don't question that Means is a talent.
"There just aren't many guys walking around like that," said Ron Wolf,
executive vice president/general manager of the Green Bay Packers.
But executives of NFL teams are aware that while the waiver fee is only
$100, it is going to take a great deal more than that to satisfy Means.
"He's not going to be in training camp," said Carolina general manager
Bill
Polian. "He won't play under the contract he has now."
Broken down for salary-cap purposes, Means' current agreement is valued
at
$1.6 million. A team claiming a player on waivers must honor his
contract.
Polian, however, said in discussions with Means' representatives he has
learned that the running back does not plan to report to a team claiming
him unless his contract is rewritten.
Means is represented by Sean Holley of Professional Management Inc. of
Columbia, S.C. Holley yesterday did not return phone calls.
Polian did not detail what size contract Means is seeking, but he said
it
is a great deal more than what now is due him.
"More importantly," Polian said, "if he is not satisfied after two tries
under Bobby Beathard, how is he going to be satisfied here? I'm a firm
believer that leopards don't change their spots."
Polian has arrived, too, at another determination. "I figured out a long
time ago that Bobby is smarter than I am," he said. "If he can't do it,
there's no way I can."
Means is not a free agent because, with only three seasons in the NFL,
he
is not a vested player. Had he played four years in the league, he would
be
vested. Vested players become free agents when they are severed.
The waiver period currently is 10 days, with the period in which teams
can
claim Means lapsing on Monday. Claims are honored according to the
inverse
order of last season's standings; thus the Jets, 3-13 in 1995, are
first.
Joel Bussert, the NFL's director of player personnel/football
operations,
would not say if any teams have claimed Means. Normally, Bussert said,
teams wait until the 11th hour to lodge waiver claims so as not to tip
rivals of their intentions.
At this time of the year, waivers usually can be recalled by the team
waiving a player, but the Chargers' action concerning Means is known to
contain a no-recall notation. The San Diego club clearly no longer has
any
plans for the 23-year-old running back. A team filing a claim for Means
could withdraw it before the waiver period expires.
How some teams responded concerning a possible interest in Means (with
the
number corresponding to the team's place in the waiver rotation):
1. New York Jets: A spokesman said the Jets have determined that they
have
more pressing needs than a running back. They want a proven wide
receiver.
Their receiving corps last season was so thin that they seldom could go
into three-wide receiver sets. They also are seeking a quarterback to
support their $25 million man, Neil O'Donnell. Glenn Foley was the Jets'
No. 2 passer last season, but he is recovering from shoulder surgery.
The
Jets also are not enough under the salary cap to claim Means. They are
about $1.2 million under the $40.75 million cap. Before they could be
awarded Means, they would have to be $1.6 million under the cap -- his
earnings as measured by the cap.
2. Jacksonville: Jaguars director of pro personnel Ron Hill said only
coach
Tom Coughlin can comment on personnel matters, and Coughlin could not be
reached yesterday. The thinking in the NFL community is that Coughlin is
too much a martinet to abide Means' lifestyle. Additionally, the club
has
its running back of the future -- James Stewart, a rookie out of
Tennessee
who in '95 had only a 3.8 rushing average but was coming on late in the
season. A source within the Jacksonville organization said the club is
not
interested in claiming Means on waivers, but might be interested in
meeting
with him should he pass through waivers and become a free agent. The
Jaguars, meantime, have met with wide receiver Shawn Jefferson.
3. Arizona: The Cardinals admire Means. They don't consider his cap
figure
unacceptable. "Not considering who you would be getting," said assistant
to
the president Bob Ferguson. "I would even think about accepting him for
somebody else -- claiming him, and then trading him. But we can't even
think about claiming him." Ferguson explained that Arizona is only
$179,000
under the cap. Ferguson said he will be shocked if Means is not claimed
on
waivers. "I would think there will be four or five teams, at least, that
will take him," he said.
4. Baltimore: Leroy Hoard didn't score a TD for the Cleveland Browns
last
season, but he's a former Pro Bowler. A team spokesman said Hoard's
availability makes it unlikely that the team that considers itself "NFL
Baltimore" would be interested in Means.
5. New York Giants: They have a surfeit of running backs after matching
a
San Francisco offer for Rodney Hampton.
6. Washington: A team some believe has an interest in Means. "He'd be a
natural in Washington," noted Green Bay's Wolf. Redskins GM Charley
Casserly, however, did not return calls.
7. New England: Bucko Kilroy, a pioneer NFL scout still serving the
Patriots in an advisory capacity, noted the club has a pretty good back.
"He was Rookie of the Year," Kilroy said of Curtis Martin. If the Pats
would reach for Means, they would have to release a player of value,
Kilroy
said.
8. Carolina: The perfect fit for Means. "He is a local guy," noted
Polian.
Only Polian clearly doesn't wish to go through the aggravation of being
involved in contract negotiations with Means.
9. Houston: As a rookie, Rodney Thomas, a 213-pounder from Texas A&M,
established himself as a back of quality by rushing for 947 yards. The
Oilers, however, could use somebody like Means.
10. Cincinnati: When he thinks of Means, president/general manager
Michael
Brown said he is reminded of Ickey Woods. Not long ago, Woods was
supporting himself by selling meat door-to-door in the Cincinnati area.
"It
is similar," said Brown. "Ickey did an outstanding job for us (in the
club's Super Bowl season in 1988), and then he got overweight, and then
he
got injured. And that was it. Bing, bang." After encountering him in
Atlanta recently, Falcons defensive end Chuck Smith reportedly described
Means to a friend as "big as a blimp."
11. New Orleans: Interest, but no money.
13. St. Louis: Vice president/football operations Steve Ortmayer said he
was contacted by Beathard concerning a possible trade for Means. Nothing
eventuated. Ortmayer said the Rams aren't likely to claim Means.
17. Oakland: Means has the sort of image Al Davis values. Membership in
the
Boy Scouts of America is not required. But executive assistant Al
LoCasale
questioned the club's interest.
27. Green Bay: Wolf said the Packers staff "long and hard" has kicked
around claiming Means "and still doesn't have an answer." Added Wolf:
"He
has to fit. You would have to hand the ball to him a lot, and we have a
guy
(Brett Favre) whom we want to have the ball."
28. San Francisco: After failing to land Hampton, president Carmen
Policy
said he plans to bring in Means. Yesterday, though, a 49ers spokesman
said
Means will be invited to the club's Santa Clara base only if he clears
waivers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jags claim Means | Natrone applauds no tax, grass field
KEVIN KERNAN
Staff Writer
12-Mar-1996 Tuesday
Natrone still means business.
That was the word yesterday from ex-Chargers running back Natrone Means
after he was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sure, the expansion club finished dead last in the AFC Central with a
4-12
mark and only the woeful Jets had a worse record in the NFL, but all
parties concerned are excited about Means' new address.
Most of all, Means.
"This is great for me," Means said by telephone from South Carolina.
"I'm
close to home, I'm still not playing on turf, there's no state taxes,
they're building a good line and I'm ready to play football. They
thought I
was done."
Means then offered a devilish laugh.
"They," of course, refers to the Chargers, who cut Means 11 days ago,
citing another potential holdout, concerns over Means' weight and his
effect on team chemistry.
The way the Jaguars figure it, Means, who led the Chargers to the Super
Bowl two years ago when he rushed for a club-record 1,350 yards, was a
gift
from waiver heaven. Jacksonville was 17th in the league in rushing.
Rookie
James Stewart was their leading rusher, with 525 yards.
"Some people may have been scared off, but he was certainly worth the
investment to us," Jaguars vice president of football operations Michael
Huyghue said from the NFL meetings in West Palm Beach.
After the Jets, who had first shot at Means, passed, the Jaguars claimed
Means for $100. They now assume his contract and his salary-cap figure
of
$1.7 million. His $7.3 million contract runs through 1998.
Means, a second-round draft choice out of North Carolina in 1993, now
will
be under the watchful eye of coach Tom Coughlin, a strict
disciplinarian.
"We feel a structured environment is just what he needs," Huyghue said.
No other teams put in waiver claims, but Means' agent, Tank Black, said
he
received calls from 22 teams who showed an interest. Even the Jets, he
said, called yesterday morning, but Black made it clear Means did not
want
to play in New York. Black predicted the Jaguars will make the playoffs
as
a result of signing Means.
He added that his client is motivated as never before because of his
release from the Chargers.
"He's motivated enough to lead the league in rushing," Black said of
Means,
who had just 11 carries the last nine games of the season because of a
groin injury. Means was leading the AFC in rushing before being injured.
The Jaguars are downplaying talk of a new deal, but sources say the team
most likely will redo Means' contract in August. Means, according to
sources, is looking for Emmitt Smith-type money of $3 million a year.
Huyghue believes Means, who is only 23, will get a wake-up call from all
this.
"Hopefully," Huyghue said, "he'll see this as a way of reviving his
career."
The Chargers do not play Jacksonville this season. Means noted he is
looking forward to the day he can run against the Chargers, but added he
is
concentrating on the future, not the past.
"You've got to look at the San Diego thing as a bump in the road," Means
said.
Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard said he wishes Means well.
"I would hope," Beathard said from Florida, "he's got the best of his
career yet to come."
Nuts and Bolts
The Chargers remain $500,000 under the $40 million salary cap ... They
had
a brief interest in Browns free-agent running back Earnest Byner, but
will
be looking for more of a fullback type in the draft.
All articles copyright by the San Diego Union Tribune
C.T.
Means wasn't going to work out in San Diego. The guy will hold out every
single season. Harmon is one guy the Chargers should have kept. They
should have fired Friedgen last season. If the guy can't figure out a
way to get his best offensive threat on the field on every play, he
shouldn't be in the NFL.