Jerry Rice: A Seattle Treat

Jerry Rice: A Seattle Treat

It's OK to ask for help. And if you're the greatest wide receiver in history, it's also OK to ask to be traded. Jerry Rice and the Seattle Seahawks are a marriage made in heaven. No longer part of the gameplan in Oakland, Rice lobbied for a last-minute change of scenery and he couldn't have possibly landed in a better situation than this. With a 4-game substance abuse suspension looming for starter Koren Robinson, and an injured Bobby Engram, the Seahawks were perilously thin at the position. When you also factor in the loss of defensive stalwart Grant Wistrom for 4-6 weeks with a broken knee, it had become painfully clear that the Seahawks were going to need to throw the ball, and thus needed some immediate pass-catching relief.

By all accounts, nobody will scoff at a conditional 7th-round price tag for the legendary Rice even if he is a shadow of his former self. The bottom line is this; if Rice can still catch the ball reliably he may actually be an upgrade over the inconsistent and aloof Koren Robinson who continues to lead the team in dropped passes. Say what you want about Al Davis, he's a tyrant, a control freak, a lone ranger, whatever, but accomodating Rice's wishes for a small pittance in return is a first-class move by the Raiders organization who will continue to attract veteran players with this kind of treatment. A lot of owners in this league would've had their head too far up their arse to see the forest for the trees on this one. That's big-picture thinking by a big-time ego. Slick as always, Al. Credit is due.

Photo: [AP]

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