Imagine the irony that the Oakland Raiders will have less tolerance with a renegade player than Florida State did. That should make FSU coach Bobby Bowden blush with embarrassment.
|  | | Sebastian Janikowski can expect the Raiders to be tough in contract talks. |
The central character in this story is, of course, Sebastian Janikowski, the first-round draft choice of the Raiders. Janikowski possesses a powerful leg, but he also apparently has a weak constitution for doing what's right.
Janikowski is in deep this time because of his June 21 arrest for possession of GHB, the so-called date-rape drug. The arrest came just eight days following his acquittal on a charge of bribing a police officer. This makes six run-ins in two years for the Polish immigrant who is not a U.S. citizen. It's unlikely he will face deportation, but he's closing the gap on that drastic measure.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden is not humored by this streak. An Oakland source says Gruden has made it clear to the team's front office, including chief negotiator Bruce Allen, that any more slip-ups by Janikowski will have "severe consequences."
How severe? Gruden is willing to go with Joe Nedney as the team's kicker, if necessary.
Janikowski might or might not take Gruden's stance seriously. Remember, this was a guy who violated team rules again and again at Florida State. When he missed curfew during the week of the Sugar Bowl this year, Bowden joked that Janikowski wouldn't miss the game because he was subject to "Warsaw rules," as opposed to team rules. The national championship meant too much, an indication of just how valuable this kicker is to a team.
At the very least, Janikowski has probably cost himself some significant cash, just as Lawrence Phillips did as the Rams' No. 1 pick in 1996. Phillips was a controversial choice who proceeded to have another legal run-in just after the April draft. The Rams did not give Phillips the traditional signing bonus -- much of his money was contractually tied to his ability to stay out of trouble, which we know now was a very shrewd and prudent decision by St. Louis.
Janikowski can now expect a similar contract negotiation with the Raiders, even if his transgressions do not appear as harmful as those by Phillips.
Janikowski was among the 200 to 300 players who attended the NFL's mandatory rookie seminar prior to the Fourth of July weekend. It's one of the best player programs the NFL has to offer, where rookies are indoctrinated to the professional life and the pitfalls of fame and fortune.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis made an unannounced appearance to speak firsthand about the trappings of trying to satisfy hangers-on. Kerry Collins, now the New York Giants quarterback, was another player who spoke eloquently about mistakes that can be avoided. It was obvious that the Rams' Leonard Little, who served an eight-game suspension in 1999 because of vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, was still reconciling with the ramifications of taking another person's life.
If Janikowski doesn't watch himself, he could find himself on the most-wanted speakers list for the NFL rookie seminar in years to come. That is, unless Janikowski hasn't been deported to Poland by immigration officials. Then maybe he'll really be subject to "Warsaw rules."
Five things I wish would happen now
1. The Chiefs should release or trade guard Dave Szott. He has served the team well for 10 years, but his handicapped son, Shane, can receive the best medical care in New Jersey. Do the right thing -- give Szott the opportunity to maintain his livelihood, meet his family needs, and trade him to Philadelphia or the New York Giants.
| |  | | Pickens |
2. The Bengals should cut bait on Carl Pickens and Corey Dillon. Pickens is a goner anyway, and they need to either give Dillon his $5 million deal, or trade him to the Chiefs.
3. Eric Swann must go in Arizona, so let him go. The Cardinals are just $300,000 under the salary cap and must come up with $1.5 million to sign top draft pick Thomas Jones. Swann is scheduled to make $3.5 million, and there's no need to string this one out.
4. The Patriots need to get left tackle Bruce Armstrong back in the fold. The Pats have formally made an offer, but it's not enough yet to keep Armstrong from visiting Cleveland, where the Browns are looking to reshuffle their offensive line because of the loss of right tackle Orlando Brown. Drew Bledsoe is nervous. Wonder why?
5. Kurt Warner needs to sign a contract with the St. Louis Rams. Never has a league MVP and Super Bowl MVP had so little leverage, thanks to two years of service time and a Rams quarterback named Trent Green getting healthier every day.
Mort shorts
| |  | | Anderson |
There's concern, but the Atlanta Falcons have yet to truly hit the panic button because Jamal Anderson had to shut down his workouts for most of June because of tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee. The volume of rehab often produces this inflammation, although it certainly means Anderson will be limited in training camp. The signing of ex-Lion Ron Rivers at least provides the team with a back who can bang it between the tackles, though any thoughts of recapturing the NFC West would be diminished without a fully-recovered Anderson.
The Raiders are thinking about adding a pair of veterans, quarterback Rodney Peete and tight end Eric Green, for depth. Bobby Hoying will get a lot of snaps in the preseason to determine whether he's the right guy to eventually replace starter Rich Gannon. Peete would give them insurance because of the uncertainty of other roster QBs like Scott Dreisbach and Craig Whelihan. Green, who has seldom been healthy in his underachieving NFL career, has convinced Raiders coach Jon Gruden that his flop with the Jets came because he was often playing out of position as an H-back.
Daniel Snyder's spectacular offseason with the Washington Redskins is getting its first dose of reality. Still unsigned are both top draft picks, LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels, who expect $10 million signing bonuses. But the real thorn might be running back Stephen Davis, who has balked at a $5 million signing bonus; he's looking for a bonus double that amount. It's even money that two out of the three players won't be signed by the start of training camp July 21. If Snyder gets all three done on time, he shouldn't have to apologize to 'Skins fans for charging admission to training camp.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen writes a weekly column for ESPN.com during the NFL season.
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VIDEO
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