CANTON, Ohio -- There's a question about Chicago coach Marc Trestman that won't go away, and it has nothing to do with winning games, designing plays or coaching up Jay Cutler. Nope, this one's a little more complicated, and let's make it simple.
Can he command a room?
You heard me. Can he back down a player ... or players ... who challenge his authority by showing up late for practice, fail to follow orders or who are simply unhappy with the way things are run? In short, can he get tough when tough is required? I posed that question to Dallas offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, who coached Oakland when Trestman was his offensive coordinator, and he was quick with his response.
"No question," he said. "He did it in Oakland, and I know he did it as a head coach in the CFL when he was winning championships."
Basically, Callahan said, it's a no-brainer. But Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice isn't so sure. That doesn't mean he's doubtful; it just means he isn't so sure. Period.
Rice played for Trestman in San Francisco and Oakland, produced big numbers for him in both places, praised his smarts and said he liked playing for the guy. But when I asked if Chicago's new coach "could command a room," Rice conceded he didn't know.
"That's my question, also," Rice said. "Marc Trestman is one of those coaches who isn't confrontational, and I don’t know if a player will use that as an advantage. He might be having this good relationship with Jay Cutler right now because everything is not heated. But what happens when it is?
"Lovie Smith went 10-6 and lost his job, so a lot of those players are upset about Lovie being fired. Marc Trestman is a very smart coach, and I got along well with him. But I think some of the guys are going to challenge him. How he responds to that will play a very important role in his future and the future of that team."
Here's hoping Trestman makes it. He waited a long time for this chance, and there are a lot of CFL coaches hoping he can do for them what he did for himself -- namely, make it easier for NFL owners and GMs to think outside the border.
2. Ralph Wilson is 94. Charley Trippi is 91. Both showed up at the Hall's 50th anniversary. So did former running back Earl Campbell, who got around in a wheelchair. What I don't understand is why others, who are considerably younger, don't return to Canton. The weekend is not just a celebration of those in the Hall; it's a celebration of professional football.
3. Seeing Joe Namath in Canton I had to wonder: What advice would he give Johnny Manziel?
4. There's a life-size black-and-white photo, above, in the Hall of Baltimore's John Unitas, Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry and Weeb Ewbank, and it was taken over 50 years ago. The only thing better, Baltimore, was having Moore and Berry here themselves last weekend. Both were gentlemen who were generous here with their fans and their time.
5. The highlight of Friday's Gold Jacket dinner was Bill Parcells emotional reunion with Lawrence Taylor. Like other new inductees, Parcells walked through a receiving line of Hall-of-Fame members, shaking the hands of each. It just happened that Taylor was last, and when Parcells realized it he practically jumped into his arms. It made me wonder: Where would one be without the other?
6. Gracious move by Cris Carter. When he stood to speak at Saturday's induction, he started by doing the unusual -- thanking the Hall of Fame selection committee. Critics annually shred the committee for what they consider oversights, but there was considerably less static this year -- a sign someone was happy with the results. No one seemed happier than Carter.
7. Now the question: When does punter Ray Guy get in? That's up to the seniors committee, and here's hoping it's sooner rather than later.
8. Having Carter in breaks the log jam at wide receiver, but it won't make it easier for former Oakland star Tim Brown. Marvin Harrison joins the queue next year, and figure he jumps to the head of the class at his position, with Andre Reed second and Brown third. My guess: Brown will have a hard time making it, no matter what year it is.
9. Of all the preseason injuries, I think the loss of tight end Dennis Pitta is the most damaging. Here's why: Seattle won without Percy Harvin last year, Anquan Boldin steps in for Michael Crabtree in San Francisco and Dan Koppen was a backup center in Denver. But Pitta was a security blanket for quarterback Joe Flacco, and his value increased with the loss of Boldin. Now what?
10. Smart move by Philadelphia to get Riley Cooper out of the building. Having him around kept his story on the front pages. If coach Chip Kelly isn't going to cut or suspend the guy -- and he says he won't -- the next best thing is to have Cooper disappear so Kelly and the Eagles can try to move forward.
11. People who see the Arizona Cardinals tell me Carson Palmer doesn't look good; they say he looks sensational. He's lost about 10 pounds, and, seemingly, the weight of the world off his shoulders with his trade from Oakland.
12. People there also tell me to watch out for Michael Floyd. They say he's vastly improved.
13. I like what Jason Garrett's doing this summer with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have been among the NFL's bottom six in penalties the past six years, so Garrett decided to do something about it. He invoked a new policy that requires the player who commits an infraction in teamwork ... plus his entire unit ... to leave the field. It's an imaginative move, and it's a necessary one. Garrett needs to shake his team up. Another 8-8 finish, and he's toast.
14. Unsung rookie to watch: San Francisco tight end Vance McDonald. He catches everything thrown in his direction.
15. The Chargers roll the dice at cornerback with two new starters, Derek Cox and Shareece Wright in place of Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer. That's OK if you're trying to catch Kansas City, but the Chargers aren't. They have to beat Peyton Manning. Cason and Jammer didn't hold up, so the Bolts make the change ... and hope change is good.
16. San Francisco safety Donte Whitner says the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFL, but a couple of things work against them: 1) The history of Super Bowl losers and 2) injuries. Where injuries didn't cripple the club a year ago, they already sidelined Michael Crabtree and cornerback Chris Culliver -- with Crabtree lost indefinitely and Culliver for the season. "The loss of Crabtree really hurt them a lot," said Rice, "because of the yards after catch, being that threat outside and being that security blanket for Colin Kaepernick. I know he has Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis, but the loss of Crabtree is tough. The guy could make those catches underneath and the run after catch, and I like to see receivers who can do that."
17. Someone tell San Diego coach Mike McCoy to loosen up. He doesn't have to be Rex Ryan with the media, but, geez, lighten up. Football's not that serious.
18. When I see recycled veterans like Alex Barron, Andre Carter and Andre Gurode on the Oakland roster it reminds me of something a smart man once said: "It's better to be bad young than it is to be bad old." Translation: The only way for a bad team to improve is to play guys with a ton of upside.
19. I feel for Matt Flynn. This is his best chance to prove he can make it as a starting quarterback, and tell me where the playmakers are around him. Darren McFadden? Yep. No question. But for how long? He gets hurt every year. As I said before, Bryant is in a difficult position, even if he and his teammates won't admit it. "I understand I'm fortunate," he said. "So I'm trying to come out here and learn from the past; learn from every competition ive been in; every preseason game I've been in and not let this one get away from me. I'm trying to do everything I can ...everything in my potential ... to hold on to it and make the best of it."
20. Congrats to Philip Rivers. He's expecting his seventh child this fall, and I hope he finds the happiness on the field that he does at home. He deserves it. Rivers is a terrific quarterback who struggled the past two seasons, mostly because the Chargers didn't protect him with a left tackle or running game. Plus, they've been subtracting playmakers for years, with none more damaging than the loss of Darren Sproles. I don't see a lot of talent around Rivers this fall, but maybe offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt can do for him what he did with Kurt Warner in Arizona. One difference: He had Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
Five things I learned in California
1. There's an unexpected optimism with the Oakland Raiders. They have four quarterbacks in camp with three combined starts, few playmakers and too many retreads on a club that was 4-12. Nevertheless, people there remain confident the arrow is pointing up, and I'm not sure why. What I do know is that the league needs the Raiders to be a factor again and that coach Dennis Allen deserves time to get this thing turned around. "The culture of this football team," Allen said, "is going to be about guys who love the game of football, who feel it's important to them and who will play the game with passion; it's going to be about a group of guys who want to work, who want to make sacrifices you've got to make to be good." When I asked him if that wasn't the case a year ago, he hedged. "I don't know," he said. "It's hard to say what's deep down inside somebody. Whether we did or didn't have it before, I feel we have it now. Guys who want to put the team first."
2. San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick has more than outstanding physical tools. "He's really taken a leadership role in this offense," said offensive coordinator Greg Roman. "It's great to work with him because you can give and give and give, and he can take, take, take. I really like his mind. It's not just the physical attributes (that make him special). He's fixing things, and they're getting done better. He's understanding them. He's got a real sharp and competitive mind and a laser-beam focus. And that's one of his greatest weapons -- his mind."
3. The 49ers aren't worried about defenses catching up to the read option or pistol. Roman concedes that defensive coordinators are armed after working the offseason to combat last year's rushing quarterbacks, but he also doesn't seem concerned that it will affect the 49ers. "We believe our success is not about scheme," he said. "It's about the players we have, their commitment level and how they execute whatever play they have. No matter what scheme you're talking about it's about guys doing their jobs.
4. The two most impressive players I saw were receivers Dez Bryant and Anquan Boldin. Bryant absolutely dominated in practices at Oxnard, often in single coverage vs. cornerback Morris Claiborne, while Boldin was the favorite target of Kaepernick day after day after day. Look for both to have big seasons.
5. I know there are questions about Monte Kiffin implementing the 4-3 defense in Dallas with 3-4 personnel, but consider me one of those who buys into the move of star pass rusher DeMarcus Ware to defensive end. First of all, he doesn't have to drop into coverage; second, most offenses run to the right, meaning he won't have to take on lead fullbacks or tight ends; and, most important, look where he lines up. He's wide, outside one shoulder of the left tackle. In essence, he's Kiffin's Simeon Rice ... only better.
Five things I learned in Canton
1. The newly renovated and expanded Hall of Fame is everything you'd want from the birthplace of the league. I last was in the building in 1982, and, frankly, I was disappointed. It wasn't what I hoped. Now, it's one of the best museums I've experienced, with an additional 37,000 square feet and a raft of marvelous exhibits, displays and memorabilia added fo the 50th anniversary. Next August, make the trip to Canton. You won't be disappointed.
2. Dermontti Dawson, Randall McDaniel and Jonathan Ogden are as classy off the field as they were terrific on it. I met all three offensive linemen at Thursday's reception and sat with Dawson at dinner, and two things I noticed: 1) He's a very large man and 2) he's extraordinarily kind to strangers. Ditto McDaniel and Ogden, both of whom have Hall of Fame personalities.
3. Cris Carter can work a crowd. When he said he didn't have a prepared speech I worried. Then I heard him, and when he finished I felt like I was from Ohio.
4. Next year's Hall of Fame class of candidates is stacked. Tony Dungy, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison and Walter Jones are among those pushing holdovers like Aeneas Williams, Michael Strahan and Will Shields, who were oh-so-close this year. Of the next group, my guess is that Brooks has the best chance of making it on his first try.
5. Bill Parcells has a soft side. Curtis Martin found it at the Ray Nitschke Memorial Luncheon last weekend when he stood and talked about the impact his former coach had on his career and his life. When Martin looked over to Parcells, the Hall of Fame inductee made a motion as if wiping away a tear. "Curtis got up there and kind of embarrassed me a little bit," Parcells acknowledged.
