NFL: Dallas faces retirement threats

The biggest news emanating from the Dallas Cowboys first offseason minicap was not the play of Quincy Carter or the return of the Cowboys speedy tandem of receivers, but the three Cowboys threatening retirement. Philippi Sparks and Carl Pickens' thoughts about retirement are justified, but Darren Hambrick's announcement is false and self-serving.

Of the three Dallas Cowboys who stated that they were thinking about retirement, Sparks and Pickens understandably question their commitment to the NFL. Sparks retired before the Cowboys signed him to a two-year contract last year. The Cowboys knew that his commitment was weak and might not fulfill his deal.

Furthermore, the Cowboys probably thought they could waive him before the team took a huge salary cap hit. Carl Pickens, on the other hand, suffers from a nagging hamstring injury that hindered his productivity last season. Pickens caught only ten passes last season for the Tennessee Titians and this injury kept him out of the team's first minicamp. Pickens, too, has had a halfhearted commitment to professional football. Both men are also in their 30s and nearing the end of their careers.

Conversely, Hambrick's discussion about retirement is specious. He is relatively young and led the team in tackles last season. However, the Cowboys tendered him a contract offer sheet that Hambrick considered too low. Head coach Dave Campo expressed his displeasure with Hambrick's absence, "I felt that everyone would be there. I'm disappointed that some weren't." The deal worth $512,000 is probably not commiserate with a player with Hambrick's statistics but threatening retirement is the wrong way to do this. He obviously does not want to retire; he wants a larger contract. In a perfect world, Hambrick would arrive at the minicamp and renegotiate his contract while participating with the team. If the Cowboys do not fulfill his demands at the end of the season, he can depart like Randall Godfrey, Darrin Smith, Robert Jones and countless linebackers before him.

Hambrick's threat of retirement is false and self-serving. He is merely bantering for a larger contract, but he will probably not receive a larger offer. The Cowboys are miserly with their linebackers and Hambrick will leave the team after this season. This being the case, playing this season and leading the team in tackles better serves Hambrick's interests. That way, after the season, he can sign a huge free agent deal with another team.