Obviously there are a lot of rumors out there but I found these 2 articles interesting. Could it be that this retirement, is to take the focus off a drug suspension, and we could be seeing Ricky later this year?
REST OF THE STORY ON RICKY?
While the media continues to get its beauty sleep, skips out on church in lieu of snarfing Homer Simpson's patented moon waffles, and/or continues to recite "we're stunned" by the announcement that running back Ricky Williams is retiring after only five NFL season, we're bringing you the details, the inside poop, and (as outlined below) the speculation from some league insiders as to what might be going on behind the scenes.
And we must preface the following remarks by emphasizing that this specific blurb is rooted in speculation only.
In a conversation with one league insider this morning, we were reminded of the reported fine of up to $650,000 that the league was set to impose on Williams for violation of the league's "smoky, smoky" policy. If, the insider surmised, Ricky feared arriving at camp and failing given yet another pee test, he would have next faced a four-game suspension and another $650,000 fine. The next violation would have resulted in a one-year suspension.
By walking away voluntarily, Williams avoids a potential outcome that would have placed him on the sidelines for 25 percent of the year anyway, and one step closer to a full-season ban.
If this speculation is accurate, look for Ricky to come back in 2005, or possibly sooner. In theory, he could clean out his system over the next month and show up for the start of the regular season. (Could that reported trip to Asia be a 28-day visit to the Betty Ford-son Center?)
And by filing his retirement papers, Ricky can't be fined for missing camp or the preseason. Instead, he can un-retire in September -- and the team can restore him if it so chooses (and so choose it likely would, given the dearth of other options presently available to it).
Again, this is all speculation. We don't know whether or not Ricky has been puffing on the magic dragon. But the insider who formulated this theory is the same person who told us on the day that the Bucs dumped Darrell Russell that the move likely was the result of yet another violation by Russell of the league's substance abuse policy.
POSTED 10:56 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:13 a.m. EDT, July 25, 2004
RICKY HAS SEVEN-FIGURE DEBT TO FINS?
A league source tells us that, if Ricky Williams' contract contains language conditioning his signing bonus upon his fulfillment of the deal (a provision found in most NFL deals), then Williams owes the Dolphins in 2004 the sum of $1,249,085, which represents this season's piece of the bonus money he previously received due to his premature retirement.
This specific issue first arose when Barry Sanders abruptly retired from the Lions prior to the 1999 season. Sanders was required by an arbitrator to pay back to the team $1.83 million per year for the remainder of his contract, the prorated annual amount of his bonus.
More recently, the Broncos recovered bonus money from receiver Eddie Kennison, who quit on the team in the middle of the 2001 season.
Earlier in the offseason, the Ravens were prepared to force receiver Terrell Owens to repay bonus money if he refused to report to the team following a trade that ultimately was scuttled via the settlement of his grievance seeking free agency status. Currently, the Packers could recover more than $3 million from cornerback Mike McKenzie if he makes good on threats to retire in lieu of continuing to play for Green Bay.
None of the published reports regarding Williams' retirement have addressed this no-brainer issue, which could give the Dolphins significant leverage in their efforts to get Williams to change his mind.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
All speculation and conspiracy theories at this point, but didn't want to miss the chance to add fuel to the fire.