From: aesr137@phobos.ucc.umass.edu (Karl Stapelfeldt)
Subject: Thoughts on Keith Jackson & the Dolphins
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords:  Dolphins, Eagles, TE
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 20:47:00 GMT


     As a Dolphin fan, I'm enthusiastic about having Keith Jackson join
the team.  The 'fins have never gotten big production out of their tight
ends, and Jackson is the best pass-catching TE in football right now. 
After he gets adjusted to Marino and the offensive sets, he should be
a major contributor.  His presence should make Duper and Clayton more
effective - where does a defense play their safeties against these three?
Jackson can't be covered by most linebackers.  Opposing defenses will
have to play a lot of nickel defense, which should open some more holes
for Higgs.  In other words, this acquisition should make the Dolphins
offense Super Bowl caliber by playoff time.  Of course the defense is
still not good enough to get to the big game this year.

      As a football fan, I'm not happy to see free agent movement like
this.  The Eagles are losing a good player, and deserve to be compensated
for this.  Pro football will be thown in chaos if teams cannot build and
maintain their rosters.  What is Jackson worth?  Apparently he is NOT worth
two first-round draft choices, as any team could have signed him to an
offer sheet and taken him away from Philly during the off season if they
were willing to give up two #1s.  No team did.  But I'd say he is worth
a #1 pick and a decent player.  If we are to have total free agency in the
NFL, the league must come up with a trade value scale that determines what
a player's value is.  It must take into account NFL experience, Pro Bowl
appearances, that QBs are more valuable than OLmen, original draft round,
and performance criteria (rushing yards, receiving yards, tackles, sacks,
passes defended, TDs scored, etc.).  Using a zillion statistics it should
be possible to place a numerical trade value (arbitrary units) on each
player.  It would be a lot like the power ratings we now see for teams,
except it would be for players.  The trade value points would be the starting
point for negotiation: if a team really wants to unload a player, they can
let him go for less.  If they want to keep him, they cannot demand any
higher compensation than the trade value points require.  The original
team would be compensated by draft picks (which would have a defined point
value for each round) and/or players (whose point value would also be defined).
Admittedly this is only the outline of the elaborate point system that
would be needed.  But something has to be done.  Football can't survive
the kind of unrestricted free agency that has fouled up baseball so
completely.

      I bet Jackson makes a token appearance in the Buffalo game, and that
he won't have a big impact until the second half of the season.  I worry
about his fumbling (remember the '88 Orange Bowl?).  Edmunds should stay
for now, unless he can be traded for a quality defensive lineman right away.
I hope the Robbies are ready to pay big $$ to keep Clayton and the other
veterans whose contracts expire in February.

                                  Karl Stapelfeldt
                                  aesr137@phobos.ucc.umass.edu