Farris, Conrad Among First Cuts (Aug. 22)
The two "future tackles", Christina "The Human Turnstile " Conrad and Kristina Farris, were among the first cuts.
Other sent to the unemployment line were veterans Todd Burger and WR Shawn McWashington, as well as rookie tight end Jason Gavadza, a sixth-round pick, and rookie free agents Kyle Atteberry , Joey Goodspeed, Tim Strickland, Jonathan Foster and Johnny Mitchell.
Conrad will likely get an injury settlement, since his neck got injured. Bad neck or not, "The Upright Alligator" had no business playing any position in the NFL, be it right tackle, where he was a disgrace, or right guard, which was pure folly. The only appropriate position for Conrad would have been to play left out.
I was perplexed during camp, when I heard these absurd quotes from Farris about, "I'm still trying to learn the offense�this is all new to me, blah blah blah.." In typical Steeler coaching fashion, what, praytell, was Farris doing the past 13 months?? Playing cards? Nintendo? Coleco football ?? Farris was not allowed to PLAY in practice --- with shoulder pads, helmet, and so on. There's no reason this lumbering stiff couldn't have pulled up a lawn chair, fer chrissakes, and watched, observed, and LEARNED. I smelled a rat back in July, when the staff, and Farris, acted as though he'd just arrived from Mongolia to attend his first football game.
Let's be sure to place the blame for this Farris fiasco on BOTH the staff and Farris. The staff had a chance to work with, and DEVELOP, this player. Instead, they allowed him to sit, rot, and do nothing the past 13 months. If Farris was weak in the arms, legs and chest --- as was Conrad, by the way -- he should have been pounding iron 4 hours per day since last July. And Farris should have had Gilbride's playbook memorized as well. Both he and the staff are accountable for this gross lapse of any commitment, dedication, and concern.
Let the record also show that this move smacks of a final barb by Bill Cowher toward his old nemisis, Tom Donahoe. Perhaps Cowher was never fond of this draft pick, and perhaps Donahoe was the one more so in favor of drafting Piss Farris. It seems rather absurd for a staff, on a team with dearth of quality offensive linemen, to ROT such a promising tackle, and then give him 5 weeks of work with pads on and summarily cut the man, while keeping a fat, out of shape doughboy like Larry Tharpe, who might chip in on occasion this season but clearly has no future upside.
By the way, Will Jackwell was placed on PUP, and with any luck will never return to the active roster. Now, if we can only cut Jeremy Faat�..
And, by the way, it was Bill Murray, not Tom Hanks, in "Groundhog Day"�thanks to ALL who wrote to me and pointed out this blunder. J
The Still Mill