Former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder figures it’s time to get his NFL career back on track. But he made it clear this week in Indianapolis he has no interest in doing it in Miami.
Crowder, 28, who was released at the start of training camp last year and wound up sitting out the season, said his lack of respect for General Manager Jeff Ireland means he’s willing to talk to every team but Miami about returning for the 2012 season.
“I wouldn’t go on a team with Jeff Ireland. I’m not very confident in him,” said Crowder, who has been hosting his Miami-based radio show from Indy all week. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing in my opinion. He’s real disrespectful; he doesn’t know how to deal with people and the whole Dez Bryant (situation) kind of showed to the world what he’s about, but guys in the building know what he’s really about.”
Ireland came under a torrent of criticism after reportedly asking Bryant probing questions about his mother regarding prostitution and drug use in interviews leading up to the 2010 draft. He subsequently apologized.
Not that Crowder would ever be welcomed back to his old team. After his contract was terminated, he got his own radio show and spent much of his time slamming both Ireland and quarterback Chad Henne.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, upgraded his position with the addition of inside linebacker Kevin Burnett, who wound up third on the team with 100 tackles. Crowder, who missed eight games his last two seasons due to injury, had only 39 in his final season of 2010. He totaled 469 in his six seasons in Miami, including a career-high 113 in 2008, when the Dolphins made their only playoff appearance in the last 10 years.
The Dolphins’ depth at linebacker and their plans to move to a 4-3 defense next season make it unlikely they would have an interest in Crowder.
Crowder, who announced his retirement 10 days after having his contract terminated on July 29, said his real reason for stepping away at the time was the fact his wife was 37 weeks pregnant at the time. Given the time he’s had to allow his body to heal and the fact he’s still young has convinced him he’s ready to do what he said he would do on the air several times last fall: resume his career with any of the other 31 teams that wants him.
Crowder threw in one more shot at Ireland, adding, “He’s not a good person. He has no class, and I wouldn’t choose to go back and play there. And I would have to say that’s the only team I wouldn’t want to play for.”
One could imagine him getting a shot with the New York Jets. Coach Rex Ryan said before the season finale between his team and the Dolphins that one of his biggest regrets was getting into the back-and-forth with Crowder a couple of years back that turned ugly. Chances are that if Jason Taylor gave Crowder his stamp of approval, the Jets, who have demonstrated a penchant for getting past-their-prime guys like LaDainian Tomlinson and Plaxico Burress, might reach out to him, even though their linebacking corps is already a strength of the team.
