[CBFF] Forgot about trading for Lelie

[Phil DeNomme]

Never really wanted to.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Madsen
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 8:48 AM
To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
Subject: [CBFF] Forgot about trading for Lelie

Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Updated: August 23, 8:38 AM ET
Falcons acquire disgruntled WR Lelie from Broncos
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

ATLANTA -- Filling their need for a No. 3 wide receiver, the Atlanta
Falcons on Tuesday night acquired disgruntled Denver Broncos veteran
Ashley Lelie in a three-team trade, ESPN.com has learned.

The Falcons sent former first-round tailback T.J. Duckett to
Washington. At worst, the Broncos will receive two draft choices from
Washington -- third- and fourth-round picks -- and those picks could
escalate based on a complicated formula.

The trade is expected to be announced Wednesday.

The deal sends to new teams two players, Duckett and Lelie, who have
been the subject of considerable trade rumors for much of the
offseason. Some Atlanta officials conceded on Tuesday night that the
trade of Duckett, who enjoyed an excellent training camp and
preseason, was a dicey one, because it leaves the club without a
proven backup to starting tailback Warrick Dunn, who is 31 and
entering his 10th season.

But the Falcons were so desperate for a No. 3 wide receiver, having
lost veteran possession pass-catcher Brian Finneran to a season-ending
knee injury early in camp, that they were forced to part with Duckett.
None of the players in the Atlanta training camp had demonstrated any
signs they were capable of seizing the No. 3 wideout job, and coach
Jim Mora wanted the spot filled quickly.

Also, the Falcons, who were very thin at the position, wanted an
experienced player they knew could step into the lineup if either of
their starters was injured during the season.

The play at the No. 3 wide receiver spot was so poor in Atlanta's
preseason loss at Green Bay on Saturday that Mora yelled to a team
personnel official that the club had better make a move to fill the
position. And after the game, Mora acknowledged the team "had no" No.
3 wide receiver.

In Lelie, the Falcons landed a receiver with top-shelf physical
skills, but a four-year veteran who has been a bit of a tease
throughout his career. It will also be interesting to see how Lelie,
who skipped all of Denver's offseason conditioning program and did not
report to training camp, reacts to the deal. Lelie was being fined at
the rate of $14,000 per day, the maximum permitted, during his camp
holdout.

The total fines for his camp absence came to $378,000. Lelie also lost
a $100,000 workout bonus because he did not participate in offseason
workouts, and one league source suggested late Tuesday that he also
had to repay the Broncos a portion of his original rookie signing
bonus.

Lelie, 26, had said that he wanted a situation where he could be the
No. 1 wideout. But with the Falcons, he clearly is the No. 3 guy
behind starters Michael Jenkins and Roddy White, Atlanta's first-round
choices in the 2004 and 2005 drafts, respectively. A league source
said Falcons officials had a long meeting with Lelie to discuss his
role, and were satisfied he was willing to accept the No. 3 spot.

Interesting is that the Falcons did not extend Lelie's contract as
part of the trade, meaning he could be a one-year rental, since he is
entering the final season of his original rookie deal, and could be
eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring. If the Falcons like
Lelie and he is productive for them, they could approach him about an
extension during the season. For now, though, his contract remains
unaffected.

The Broncos' first-round choice in the 2002 draft, Lelie has appeared
in 64 games and started in 40 of them. He has 168 receptions for 3,007
yards and 12 touchdowns and his gaudy career average of 17.9 yards per
catch is impressive. The former University of Hawaii star, who
ironically played for former Falcons head coach June Jones in college,
led the NFL in yards per catch in 2004 (20.1) and 2005 (18.3).

His best season was in 2004, when Lelie posted 54 catches for 1,084
yards and seven touchdowns. But the inconsistencies in his game were
evident in 2005 and his production slipped, to 42 receptions for 770
yards and just one touchdown. Lelie is a long-strider whose forte is
the deep ball up the boundary, and so there are some skeptics who
wonder how he will fit into the No. 3 role, which is typically a
possession receiver.

The Falcons' first-round pick in the 2002 draft, Duckett, 25, was not
a good fit for the one-cut running game the Falcons now emphasize and
is viewed around the league more as a "downhill" runner. Like Lelie,
he is entering the final season of his original rookie contract and
will be eligible for free agency next spring.

Clearly, the Redskins wanted Duckett as insurance against the
possibility that star tailback Clinton Portis might not be ready for
the start of the season. Portis suffered a shoulder injury last week
and, while he is said to be making good progress in his
rehabilitation, there is no certainty he will be fully recovered when
the Redskins open the season against Minnesota on Sept. 11.

Duckett, 25, gives Washington a proven, starting-quality back and a
player whose style is a good fit with the Redskins' offense.

In two preseason outings, Duckett has rushed for 96 yards on 15
carries. The 96 yards are the sixth most in the NFL in the preseason
and Duckett's healthy 6.4-yard average is second best among players
with at least 15 rushing attempts.

The former Michigan State standout, the 18th player chosen overall in
2002, has carried 552 times for 2,175 yards and 31 touchdowns in 54
appearances, including 14 starts. His best season was in 2002, when he
ran for 779 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a backup, Duckett rushed for
500-plus yards in each of his first three seasons in the league, but
dropped off to just 380 yards in 2005. He has averaged nine rushing
touchdowns over the last three seasons.

But dealing Duckett leaves Atlanta with no proven backup to Dunn, and
the team may look to acquire a veteran back before the start of the
season. The team chose Jerious Norwood of Mississippi State in the
third round of this year's draft. The rookie has been impressive at
times, but it is difficult to ascertain at this point of the
preseason.

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