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April 20, 2000 By Len Pasquarelli SportsLine.com Senior Writer |
It took them more than two months and they went through several prospects,
but the Green Bay Packers on Thursday finally landed the veteran defensive
tackle they have been seeking since the beginning of the unrestricted free-agent signing period.
SportsLine.com learned the Packers have reached a contract agreement with
nine-year veteran Russell Maryland, released last month by the Oakland
Raiders for salary cap reasons. Maryland signed a three-year contract worth
$8.3 million. The deal includes a signing bonus of $1.75 million and a base
salary of $750,000 for 2000.
The first player taken in the 1991 draft, Maryland will bring
stability, run-stuffing skills and great character to a Green Bay defense
that in '99 ranked No. 22 statistically against the rush. The toughness and
overall performance of the front four has been a concern of general manager
Ron Wolf since the end of the season.
Green Bay unsuccessfully courted a number of unrestricted defensive
tackles, including Norman Hand, who signed with New Orleans, and Sam Adams,
who opted to go to Baltimore. The unit still has incumbent tackle Santana
Dotson and solid backup Billy Lyon, and the Packers drafted a pair of
prospects there, Steve Warren of Nebraska (No. 3) and Northwestern
Oklahoma's Ron Moore (No. 7-a). There is also a chance the Packers will
re-sign unrestricted free agent Gilbert Brown, currently at Duke
University's weight management program, although that likelihood may be
diminished by the acquisition of Maryland.
Maryland, 31, started all 16 games for Oakland last season, but his
performance has declined the last few years and the Raiders were eager to
move youngster Grady Jackson into the starting lineup with fellow tackle
Darrell Russell, one of the league's premier interior defenders.
Maryland entered the league with the Dallas Cowboys in '91 as the first
overall selection in that draft. While he has never approximated that
status on the field, he's been a solid performer and a tremendous presence
in the locker room and in the community. He spent his first five seasons in
Dallas before signing with the Raiders in 1996 as an unrestricted free agent.
In nine years, he has played in 138 games, with 124 of them starts. He has
430 tackles, including 301 solo stops, 26 sacks, nine forced fumbles, five
recoveries and one interception. Although he made the Pro Bowl team in
1993, his best season was in '97 with the Raiders, when Maryland had 79
tackles and 4½ sacks.
Since his second season in the league, Maryland has started at least 12
games every year. He had his career-high in sacks, with five, as a rookie,
when he started only seven games.
Related Links:
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The Packers hope Russell Maryland can help rebuild their defense.(Allsport)