Herm Edwards Deals Out the Spin

There was so much spin, thanks for the word Bill O'Reilly, coming out of Kansas City yesterday I almost thought Chiefs coach Herman Edwards was running for political office.

It was day two of Chiefs mini-camp and all eyes were on disgruntled QB Trent Green.

Here's a sampling of what Edwards had to say.

"We're making a big deal out of nothing," Edwards said. "We're making a big deal out of competition. For me, it's competition. All that other stuff, I don't deal with."

Hold on there's more.

"Are you kidding me? This is the offseason," he said. "We've had one practice and all of the sudden we think it's a distraction? It's not a distraction by any stretch of the imagination. We will have a starting lineup when we go to Houston, 46 guys will dress. And they'll be the best 46 guys, in my opinion, who can help us win games."

Sorry Herm, I'm not buying it. Green being on the practice field is a major distraction. If not to the players, definitely to the front office.

The reality is the Chiefs big shots don't want Green and his $7.2 million salary in Kansas City and Green wants to be in Miami, where he will immediately be inserted as the starter over the still injured Daunte Culpepper.

Kansas City GM Carl Peterson and Edwards want to go with Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle. Edwards feels Croyle is the future of the franchise, but he's a year away. Until then, veteran Huard, who signed a three-year contract in the offseason, is the stop gap.

Green understands this. He also knows at 37 he still has the talent to start, but not much sand is left in the hourglass.

He started 80 straight games before being knocked unconscious in the 2006 season opener against the Bengals. From there, it's been nearly a year's worth of questions about quarterback controversies and whether Green can return to the old form that carried him to three straight 4,000-yard passing seasons.

Green and his agent have already worked out a deal with Miami, but the sticking point is over compensation. The Chiefs want a fourth round pick and the Dolphins have offered only a sixth rounder.

Neither team has budged, both are waiting for the other to blink.

Make no mistake, the advantage is on the side of Miami. Kansas City is in a quandary because they know if Green gets hurt in camp, the team is responsible for his salary. The Dolphins know the Chiefs front office doesn't want Green around and are willing to wait until July 1, when Green most certainly will be released.

Miami controls the gameboard and is playing its hand to the hilt. If you had a chance to get a Pro Bowl quarterback for next to nothing wouldn't you play the waiting game?

Edwards can put all the spin on the situation he wants, but the truth is clear. Trent Green is a distraction to the Chiefs, who have few cards left to play in this little drama. In the meantime, the Miami front office will be patient, content in knowing that Green will soon be a Dolphin on its own terms.