Merrill: Peterson plays down the Law...

DaWolf · 07-21-2005, 06:08 AM

Peterson plays down the Law

No workout, no offer for talented cornerback

By ELIZABETH MERRILL The Kansas City Star

Carl Peterson was back in his office Wednesday, rested from a short vacation and mildly amused over the late-summer hubbub about a free-agent cornerback he hasn’t seen since March.

Or is annoyed a better word?

“I wouldn’t worry about Ty Law at this point,” the Chiefs’ president/general manager said.

“You’re talking to the horse’s mouth here. We have had no conversations with Ty Law or with his agent specific to a contract. Never have. We haven’t made a contract offer to him. I won’t make a contract offer to a player until I get to see him really actually work out. That’s what my job is, and he hasn’t been able to do that yet.”

In the month since cornerback Julian Battle went down with a torn Achilles’, Law went from an afterthought to the object of Chiefs’ fans affections. Message-board junkies suggested putting together a pool to pay for Law’s contract. Speculation swirled that Law and the Chiefs were close to a deal.

The hype intensified last week when word of Eric Warfield’s four-game suspension came out. Peterson said Wednesday that the Chiefs had long anticipated Warfield’s absence, which is why they signed veteran cornerback Ashley Ambrose earlier this month.

Law is coming off of foot surgery, which is an obvious concern for Peterson. After conversations with Law’s agent, Peterson said he thought Law was “a ways away for anybody to really look at him physically.” And then there’s the issue of money. Law has made the rounds in the national media lately, saying he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and wants to be paid accordingly.

Peterson is already paying one cornerback big money. He signed Patrick Surtain this spring in a deal that is worth about $51 million.

“People here are putting an awful lot of emphasis on Ty Law,” Peterson said. “Well, we’ve already made decisions. I had to make a decision on whether we sit and wait for Ty Law or make the trade for Patrick Surtain. That decision is made. There’s only so many dollars.

“I smile at some people out there who say, ‘Well, you should just give him X million dollars and so forth.’ Well, none of us in the National Football League have those X million dollars left. We have a cap. And very few of us have even signed one or two draft picks yet.”

The Chiefs start training camp in River Falls, Wis., next week, and Peterson said he doesn’t anticipate any other roster moves. At least two other teams are believed to be heavily in pursuit of Law — the Jets and the Jaguars. Reports out of New England this week have suggested that the Patriots might want Law to return.

“If Ty Law, once he gets well, has an interest in the Chiefs for a contract that makes sense to us, then I’m happy to talk with him,” Peterson said. “But right now my understanding is he’s looking for a big contract, but he’s not even physically well yet.”

07-21-2005, 06:08 AM	Topic Starter
DaWolf Cry havoc... Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10007725	Merrill: Peterson plays down the Law... Peterson plays down the Law No workout, no offer for talented cornerback By ELIZABETH MERRILL The Kansas City Star Carl Peterson was back in his office Wednesday, rested from a short vacation and mildly amused over the late-summer hubbub about a free-agent cornerback he hasn’t seen since March. Or is annoyed a better word? “I wouldn’t worry about Ty Law at this point,” the Chiefs’ president/general manager said. “You’re talking to the horse’s mouth here. We have had no conversations with Ty Law or with his agent specific to a contract. Never have. We haven’t made a contract offer to him. I won’t make a contract offer to a player until I get to see him really actually work out. That’s what my job is, and he hasn’t been able to do that yet.” In the month since cornerback Julian Battle went down with a torn Achilles’, Law went from an afterthought to the object of Chiefs’ fans affections. Message-board junkies suggested putting together a pool to pay for Law’s contract. Speculation swirled that Law and the Chiefs were close to a deal. The hype intensified last week when word of Eric Warfield’s four-game suspension came out. Peterson said Wednesday that the Chiefs had long anticipated Warfield’s absence, which is why they signed veteran cornerback Ashley Ambrose earlier this month. Law is coming off of foot surgery, which is an obvious concern for Peterson. After conversations with Law’s agent, Peterson said he thought Law was “a ways away for anybody to really look at him physically.” And then there’s the issue of money. Law has made the rounds in the national media lately, saying he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and wants to be paid accordingly. Peterson is already paying one cornerback big money. He signed Patrick Surtain this spring in a deal that is worth about $51 million. “People here are putting an awful lot of emphasis on Ty Law,” Peterson said. “Well, we’ve already made decisions. I had to make a decision on whether we sit and wait for Ty Law or make the trade for Patrick Surtain. That decision is made. There’s only so many dollars. “I smile at some people out there who say, ‘Well, you should just give him X million dollars and so forth.’ Well, none of us in the National Football League have those X million dollars left. We have a cap. And very few of us have even signed one or two draft picks yet.” The Chiefs start training camp in River Falls, Wis., next week, and Peterson said he doesn’t anticipate any other roster moves. At least two other teams are believed to be heavily in pursuit of Law — the Jets and the Jaguars. Reports out of New England this week have suggested that the Patriots might want Law to return. “If Ty Law, once he gets well, has an interest in the Chiefs for a contract that makes sense to us, then I’m happy to talk with him,” Peterson said. “But right now my understanding is he’s looking for a big contract, but he’s not even physically well yet.”
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