The Rumor Mill

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:47 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:32 p.m. EDT, April 29, 2004



STRAHAN HAS LOWER EXPECTATIONS



The Associated Press reports that Giants defensive end Michael Strahan has expressed concerns about the direction of the team after the acquisition of quarterback Eli Manning and the release of veteran Kerry Collins.



"I am not saying we don't have an opportunity with Eli Manning as the quarterback, but there is a difference when you have a rookie as opposed to a veteran player, and that's at any position," Strahan said.



"As an older player in this league and on this team, you just hope that it's not a situation where we sit back and wait for somebody, three, four or five years down the road to develop. Because by the time it happens, I doubt I'll be here to enjoy it.



"There is a reality we all know," Strahan said. "Oh, they are not in love with any of us. They don't feel like they owe any of us anything, and I think as players, you can't feel like you owe anybody anything."



MORE DETAILS ON CHARGERS-GIANTS TRADE



Meanwhile, a league source shared with us on Thursday more details regarding the trade that brought Manning to the Big Apple.



We're hearing that the Chargers' original price tag for the No. 1 pick was three first-round picks -- 2004, 2005, and 2006. We previously had heard that the Chargers wanted only a first-rounder and a second-rounder.



Of course, it's possible that these rumors are originating in Giants camp, in order to make the ultimate deal that the team swung look like something other than an impromptu date in a prison shower room.



We also have been told that G.M. Ernie Accorsi was a calming influence in the war room as the seconds ticked away on the team's 15 minutes to exercise the fourth overall pick. Coach Tom Coughlin was getting antsy, we hear, pressing Accorsi to call the Chargers about a trade. Accorsi told Coughlin to be patient -- and with roughly ten minutes left on the clock the phone rang.



If the G-men had used the pick with an eye toward keeping it, we're hearing that they would have selected either Ben Roethlisberger or Roy Williams -- and that they likely would have traded down to No. 7 with the Browns, who wanted to jump up to No. 4 for a crack at Miami safety Sean Taylor.



STEELERS, BILLS TRIED TO MOVE UP



One of the reasons that the Giants were hesitant to slide down to No. 7 in the hopes of pulling the Rivers-for-Manning swap was that both the Steelers and the Bills were trying desperately to trade up in an effort to nab Philip Rivers.



And if the Browns had snared Sean Taylor, the Redskins likely would have listened to offers to slide back to No. 11 or No. 13, given their reluctance to draft tight end Kellen Winslow (due in large part to his selection of the Postons as agents) and their dearth of draft picks.



So even though the Steelers ended up with Ben Roethlisberger, the word is that he was a fall back option for coach Bill Cowher, whose first wish was to tap into his alma mater of N.C. State for the team's long-term answer at quarterback.



RAIDERS REEL IN ZEREOUE



The Oakland Raiders have added veteran running back Amos Zereoue to a backfield that saw the departure of Charlie Garner last month.



Zereoue, who commenced the 2003 season as the starter in Pittsburgh due to a "gut feeling" on the part of coach Bill Cowher, was kicked in the cahones by the Steelers after a mediocre campaign.



Despite playing in all 16 games, Zereoue had the lowest rushing totals since cracking into the lineup on offense in 2001. Though some observers attribute Zereoue's performer to an unsettled line, many league insiders criticized the undersized-but-elusive back's inability to keep his feet or to break tackles.



The former West Virginia tailback who was selected in the third round of the 1999 draft emerged in 2001 as a solid complement to Jerome Bettis. After they shared touches in 2002, many thought that Amos was ready to take the next step.



He wasn't.



But we also think that Amos deserved more sniffs on the open market, and the Raiders deserve credit for recognizing that he's far from being washed up.



BUFFALO'S "NEW ERA" IS SHORT-LIVED



Lost in the Buffalo Bills' decision to trade back into round one to draft quarterback J.P. Losman is the fact that the Bills supposedly acquired their starting quarterback for the balance of the decade when they picked up Drew Bledsoe on day two of the 2002 draft, for a first-round pick in 2003.



And let's not forget the pomp and circumstance that accompanied G.M. Tom Donahoe's supposed coup that brought the 1993 No. 1 overall pick to Buffalo for less than, as Donahoe claimed, he ultimately would have given up. There was a rally complete with a marching band, and glowing praise from the team's 80-something owner, Ralph Wilson.



"This is a big day for Buffalo and particularly the Buffalo Bills," Wilson said the day that Bledsoe was introduced to a four-figure throng of fans. "When I saw all the people outside, I thought this was the first day of the season. You've given the area a spark and I know you have certainly given me a spark because I am looking forward to the start of the season."



Added former Bills guard Ruben Brown, who was cut earlier this year and later signed by the Bears, "Thank God that a guy like [Bledsoe] is coming so we can put all of the past behind us, because we're truly starting over right now. You can honestly say that this is a new era."



And when Bledsoe got off to a fast start in 2002, Donahoe gushed at the team's good fortune. "Drew is perfect for our personnel. But he also is so good he covers up lots of our warts. We couldn't have gotten luckier."


And that luck resulted in a middle-of-the-road 8-8 finish in 2002, and an even luckier 6-10 record last year.



Through it all, the guy who hired coach Gregg Williams and who swung the trade for Bledsoe faces only periodic blame for the fortunes of the team. League insiders continue to be baffled by the manner in which the Bills G.M. avoids scrutiny for the team's struggles.



So what will the Teflon Donahoe say to keep his job if/when the Bills struggle in 2004? We suspect he'll tell Mr. Wilson that the team is breaking in a new coach, and that the decision to draft Losman diminished the ability of the current class of rookies to contribute right away. Donahoe also might point to No. 13 overall pick Lee Evans' torn ACL of a couple of seasons ago, since players often need a couple of years to get back to their full potential.



Of course, in 2005 Donahoe will be able to point to the fact that they're breaking in Losman.



And then by 2006 Donahoe can tell Wilson that perhaps it's time to hire a coach who's better suited to maximize Losman's skills.



Through it all, Donahoe likely will continue to escape criticism, largely since the national media is reluctant to call out a guy who deftly spreads the scoop as a quid pro quo for positive press.



So as long as Donahoe maintains his mastery of the media, our guess is that he'll be around for as many "new eras" as Wilson is able to live to see.

[redblkwht]

Nice read bro..thanks :killer:

[ALinChainz]

I like that site, recommend it. Wild bunch they are.

They post some interesting shit in that Rumor Mill.

[POJO_Risin]

I know the Lions and the Steelers were talking a deal to get the Steelers to 6...and that they were talking with Washington at 5 to move up...if the Browns traded with the Giants...Pittsburgh was poised to move up and take the fifth pick...and get Rivers...

essentially though...you have to think Pittsburgh and the Chargers really moved Rivers stock up...supply and demand...

[POJO_Risin]

Hmmmm...a rumor mill...I like it...time to start a new thread...

[POJO_Risin]

Let them fly gentlman...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Let them fly gentlman...

If you want to move that Rumor Mill I posted to this thread, it was only for that day, and I post it daily at my site, won't be anything to post it here too.

[ALinChainz]

Then again, you are way ahead of me bro ... cool.

[POJO_Risin]

LOL bro...on the same page...;)...

[ALinChainz]

Damn, and I'm still at work, so I haven't even had the chance to alter my mind yet ...

[POJO_Risin]

I'm one step ahead of you...actually throwing down some Beck's as we speak...;)...

Rumors coming up shortly...

[Troy]

Here's a rumor... I heard that Pojo prefers to pee in the potty trainer he bought for his son! ;)

[POJO_Risin]

Only on Fridays...when I'm to drunk to crawl into bead...;)...it's better than just pissing your pants...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:33 a.m. EDT, May 1, 2004



STRAHAN DISSES COUGHLIN?



A league source tells us that Giants defensive end Michael Strahan recently took a stand against coach Tom Coughlin's request that the Pro Bowl defender participate in certain drills during offseason workouts.



Strahan told Coughlin that the drill was against the rules applicable to offseason work, and that Coughlin couldn't force him to participate.



Ouch.



As a practical matter, Strahan is protected. The Giants won't be dumping the cornerstone of their defense, and he's not subject to getting benched since he's clearly the best defensive lineman on the team.



Strahan words to Coughlin likely flowed from the same frustration that prompted his comments to the media on Thursday regarding his reduced expectations for the team, given the departure of Kerry Collins and the arrival of rookie Eli Manning.



Regardless, the incident is (in our view) a glimpse at some of the things that will be going on in the locker room this year, and our guess is that the Chargers will be using at least one high first-round pick in the draft next year, since the pick that they acquired from the G-men for Manning probably will be another top-five selection.



QUESTIONS SWIRL REGARDING J.P.'S NOGGIN



The book is still wide open on whether Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman justified a first-round pick in last weekend's draft.



And as folks debate whether Losman will be able to translate his solid performances when no one is trying to remove his head from his body to effective play when the temptation to break out the happy feet will be at its highest, league insiders are still talking about Losman's brain power, or lack thereof.



As we reported in February, Losman is one of the guys whose Wonderlic score dramatically increased from 2003 to 2004. This year, Losman got a respectable 31. The first time he took the test, he registered a pathetic 14.



The importance of the Wonderlic results varies from city to city, but most teams recognize that the score has the most relevance to quarterbacks, who constantly must make good, smart decisions under pressure.



And with teams acknowledging that some agents obtain copies of the test in advance and allow their clients to go to school on the answers, the real question is whether Losman's 14 was the product of a bad day, or whether the 31 was the result of highly specialized preparation.



As one league insider told us in February, if a kid can memorize multiple versions of the Wonderlic, then he can memorize a playbook. But there might be a difference when it comes to a quarterback, who must not only remember the plays but must also be able to recognize situations at the line of scrimmage in which a different play might work better -- or in which the play that's been called will fail.



For a quarterback who essentially failed the Wonderlic the first time he took it, we wonder whether he'll be able to master the critical mental aspects of the position.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



Jets DE John Abraham spent plenty of time in Friday's practice at linebacker.



The Packers are pleasantly surprised that DT Grady Jackson recently showed up at 355 pounds -- 15 pounds lighter than when they picked him up last November.



How big is Redskins S Sean Taylor? Teammate Fred Smoot thought he was LaVar Arrington on several occasions during minicamp practice on Friday.



The Jags already have placed rookie WR Reggie Williams at the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, behind only veteran Jimmy Smith.



Criticism is still echoing throughout the league regarding the decision of Packers coach/G.M. Mike Sherman to trade up in the third round to draft a punter.



The New York Jets will no longer allow reporters to attend practice.

[POJO_Risin]

Taylor was the best player in the draft...right now...

I didn't realize he was that big...

[ALinChainz]

I'd agree with that. He will make the most impact first I think. But I think there will be a few guys from this draft that make a difference in their respective rookie seasons.

[POJO_Risin]

More than a few...but I think Taylor...right now...with no servicetime...

is an all pro...

[ALinChainz]

Very similar to Roy Williams of the Cowboys, he's already a monster. Puts a liitle push in that rivalry.

[POJO_Risin]

I like Roy Williams...WR was really interesting...Fitzgerald is certainly a stud...as is Williams...but there really isn't much difference between the two...

We shall really see in the future...but those two guys are going to be good...

[ALinChainz]

I like the Lions taking Williams to pair with Rogers, not sure if we were talking about the same player.

I meant S Roy Williams from Oklahoma who stepped right in as rookie for Dallas, Taylor may be even a little better at this stage, as many say he is the second coming of Ronnie Lott.

Now Washington has the same type of safety back there.

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO...yeah...THAT Roy Williams was solid...no doubt about it...I had him on my fantasy team for a bit...

plays the same type of safety...but not as big a hitter...nor as big in size...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
actually throwing down some Beck's as we speak...;)...

There's a shocker..... ;)

[POJO_Risin]

hehehehehe...

well...it being Beck's is...damn foreign beers...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 11:10 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:25 a.m. EDT, May 2, 2004



DOLPHINS REDUCING OGUNLEYE'S TENDER?



A league source tells us that the Miami Dolphins could be upping the ante in their stare-down with defensive end Adewale Ogunleye by reducing his current one-year tender offer from $1.83 to approximately $435,000 as of June 1.



Article XIX, Section 2(i)(1) of the Collective Barganing Agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association permits the team to reduce a restricted free agent's tender to 110 percent of his 2003 salary as of June 1 and still retain exclusive rights as to the player.



Per the source, the reduction in Ogunleye's available pay for the 2004 season probably won't work. Ogunleye's camp, we're told, is betting on the fact that the Dolphins won't risk the public relations hit that would result from squeezing roughly $1.4 million out of Ogunleye's pocket. Likewise, the maneuver likely will do little to persuade Ogunleye to abandon his current plan to stay away from the team until after the tenth week of the regular season, which is the latest date on which he can report and still receive credit for the season, thereby enabling him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2005.



The thinking in some circles is that the Dolphins would approach Ogunleye to discuss a long-term deal after dropping the tender, with the anticipation that his expectations will be lower after his potential earnings for 2004 are cut to as low as $163,000, which is the equivalent of six games' pay at the reduced tender. Currently, Ogunleye is thought to be seeking a deal in the range of contracts signed last month by Grant Wistrom and Jevon Kearse, who received signing bonuses of $14 million and $16 million, respectively.



RAIDERS LOOKING FOR MORE RB HELP?



Despite the recent addition of veteran Amos Zereoue and the presence of Tyrone Wheatley and Justin Fargas, we're hearing that the Oakland Raiders are hoping to beef up their running back corps.



The leading candidates, we're told, are Travis Henry of the Bills and Rudi Johnson of the Bengals.



Henry is quickly becoming expendable as 2003 first-rounder Willis McGahee gets closer to the field. Johnson, a restricted free agent, is poised to hit the open market in 2005. With rookie first-rounder Chris Perry now on the roster, the Bengals might be tempted to get value for Johnson now, in lieu of nothing later.



If the Raiders add another back, our guess is that veteran Tyrone Wheatley might be the odd man out -- unless newcomer Zereoue fails to show that he'd able and willing to be a role player in the Oakland offense, which likely will be augmented with some special teams appearances, a task in which he initially made a name for himself with the Steelers.



RAMS DO DUNCAN A FAVOR



The St. Louis Rams threw a bone to veteran linebacker Jamie Duncan, a league source tells us, by cutting him loose before the post-June 1 free-agent market fills up with a new crop of available veteran defenders.



Duncan was a third-round draft pick of the Buccaneers in 1998. He pulled a Don Mattingly in Tampa, leaving the Bucs one year before they finally won the Super Bowl.



After two years in St. Louis, Duncan will be reunited with Falcons G.M. Rich McKay, who originally selected Duncan when McKay was Tampa's General Manager.



By hitting the market early, Duncan found a new home before Redskins linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon are available after June 1.



UPSHAW TAKES SWIPE AT POSTONS?



In his first comments regarding the pending grievance between linebacker LaVar Arrington and the Redskins, NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw seems to be leaning toward the 'Skins.



"I don't want to comment on the merit of their grievance because it will be grieved," Upshaw told the Washington Post in connection with an in-depth article regarding agent screw-ups of the current offseason. "But this is not a situation where the owner [the Redskins' Daniel Snyder] isn't spending money. He's spending like a drunken sailor."



Translation -- Upshaw doesn't think the 'Skins are inclined to screw any player over money, especially not one of their team leaders.



Arrington's agents, Carl and Kevin Poston, take issue with Upshaw's remarks.



"I'm kind of disappointed Gene would make comments like that without the matter being adjudicated," Carl Poston told the Post. "Each case has to be looked at on the merits. I know I didn't make a mistake."



The Postons have, however, acknowledged that they didn't read the final draft of the contract, which supposedly omitted a $6.5 million roster bonus for 2006, which would have been in addition to the $6.5 million roster bonus for 2006 that's already in there.



Perhaps not reading the final draft contract isn't a "mistake" because they intentionally didn't read it?



Upshaw's words reinforce our belief that the NFLPA is pursuing the grievance process for Arrington primarily in an effort to supply the Postons with more than enough rope to hang themselves. Our guess is that the more they say in an effort to 'splain their position, the more ammo the NFLPA will acquire for a potential assault on the Postons' certification.



In our view, the reality here is that the NFLPA might be recognizing that, if players aren't able to fire agents who have committed serious negligence and/or misconduct, the NFLPA must step in and protect the players from their agents.



"The most amazing thing is the loyalty you see on the players' part," Upshaw said. "You try to tell them, and they say they trust the guy. It's like the old saying, 'You can't tell a guy his wife is ugly.' And, in some of these cases, she's fat, too. But they don't want to hear it."

[POJO_Risin]

Interesting about Travis Henry and Rudi Johnson...I can't believe that the Bills would be willing to bangk on McGahee so early after that injury...

and Johnson...I know Perry may be good...but...after dealing away Dillon...I can't fathom they are going to go with a rookie...

[POJO_Risin]

I think they'd be doing themselves a great disservice if they didn't give Fargas a shot at that job...I watched him run early in the season and damn if he didn't run a lot like Dickerson...I think if he gets a shot...he could be a good one...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Interesting about Travis Henry and Rudi Johnson...I can't believe that the Bills would be willing to bangk on McGahee so early after that injury...

and Johnson...I know Perry may be good...but...after dealing away Dillon...I can't fathom they are going to go with a rookie...

You got it right bro.

The contract situations between Henry and Johnson are a little different but I think that these rumors are just to see if someone will overpay for one of these guys, instead of letting them walk at the end without any compensation. I think Henry signed an extension through 2005, not positive, but Rudi just signed the tender for this year and becomes a FA after the season. Perry could conceivalbly do the job as a rookie, but why would you want to until Johnson proves he ISN'T the man.

I like Fargas to. We had him here at Michigan and was injured badly and just scratching the surface at that time, but played well for USC and if he can stay healthy, has the wheels to make shit happen.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...I watched him play a couple of preseason games last year...and he looked like a man among boys...

[ALinChainz]

That talk of Wheatley being the odd man out may be just the push they want to make to get him in shape. Dominated at times at UM.

I always felt he wasted his career. For all the good players out of Michigan you get in the pros, there are guys like Wheatley, David Terrell, Biakabutuka, and Anthony Thomas who seem to have promise, but fall short for all sorts of reasons from conditioning to attitude to injury.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...the qb's...minus Brady...haven't faired all that well...who was that Michigan QB from way back...that played for the BlueJays for awhile...

[ALinChainz]

Rick Leach in the mid to late '80's.

He was a good "big game" QB for Michigan, but wasn't much for the pros, not a great passer.

[ALinChainz]

Grbac had a decent career for the most part IMO.

[POJO_Risin]

Grbac couldn't find a home...and if you play for the Browns...your career goes right down the shitter...he did play for the Browns...didn't he...I can't remember...

[ALinChainz]

Nope, Niners, Chiefs, and Ravens for a season.

Was a FA and instead of pounding th pavement and starting over yet again, he hung them up. A lot llike Collins, if you could protect him, he was decent.

[ALinChainz]

But will be watching to see how Garcia does there.

[POJO_Risin]

Garcia...I'm curious to see if his mobility will help...

I think he's on the downswing anyways...what is he...34?

[ALinChainz]

Yeah, got the late start in the NFL. I don't see where the Browns helped their offensive line too much so far this off season, which was a major problem for them the last couple years now.

They didn't draft Winslow to stay in and block either.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 6:42 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:42 a.m. EDT, May 3, 2004



LEWIS PAYS NEARLY $2 MILLION?



On the heels of Saturday's report in the Baltimore Sun that Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis paid at least $1 million to settle the civil wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of one of the two men who died following a brawl with Lewis's entourage in January 2000, there are rumors in league circles that Lewis has paid as much as $2 million to resolve the claim.



The real number never will be officially disclosed, since the payment was made pursuant to a confidentiality agreement, which ostensibly prevents anyone from talking about it. The fact that the Sun persuaded "court sources" to blab in the first place could prompt some type of a reaction from Lewis's attorneys. The only potential drawback, however, is that this would keep the story in the news even longer, potentially prompting more folks to conclude that the size of the payment speaks to Lewis's actual responsibility for the crimes for which no one ever was convicted.



Folks who know the realities of the legal system understand that a payment does not necessarily equate to such a concession. A league source told us that the payment was "excruciating" for Lewis, but that Lewis knew he couldn't afford to lose big in court, especially since he's already paid an "astronomical" amount in attorneys' fees in the criminal proceedings and in the two separate civil action that were pursued on behalf of the two victims. (Lewis previously entered into a confidential settlement with the other victim's family.)



So now the ordeal is officially over for Lewis, except for the fact that information regarding the payment that he made has made its way into the public domain. Our prediction is that Lewis will let it go at this point, since the only way he'll be able to have closure is to simply move on.



FINS NOT RULING OUT COLLINS, WARNER?



In the wake of a minicamp in which newcomer A.J. Feely failed to make good on owner Wayne Huizenga's prediction that he's the second coming of Dan Marino, there are rumblings in Dolphins land that the team might pursue Kerry Collins or Kurt Warner.



The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Feeley "struggled at times with his accuracy and didn't exhibit a firm grasp of the offense while rotating with the first team." Coach Dave Wannstedt attributed Feeley's performance to the fact that he's new to the system, and that the team also has a new quarterback's coach, Marc Trestman.



With that said, we're hearing that there are locker room rumblings regarding Feeley's performance, and some players believe that the team will (or at least should) consider bringing in Collins or Warner until Feeley is ready to take over.



Implicitly, such sentiments are also a swipe at incumbent Jay Fiedler. The Sun-Sentinel reports that he's the clear-cut No. 1 guy for now, but Collins or Warner wouldn't be signed for the purposes of becoming his backup. Instead, if either of them come to Miami, Fiedler likely will go.



We'd stick with Fiedler and Feeley, since Collins or Warner would experience the same problems as Feeley as they get acquainted with the Miami offense. But what the hell do we know?



GOLD OPTION COMES AFTER ONE YEAR



We've confirmed that the $9.6 million option bonus contained in the contract signed by linebacker Ian Gold with Tampa is triggered after one year.



The timing essentially makes the contract a one-year, $2 million deal, with an option by the Bucs to accept the remainder by paying him nearly $10 million.



It's a good move by the Buccaneers, since they get a chance to eyeball whether Gold is recovered from an ACL tear that prematurely ended his contract year in Denver.



But it's a bad move, as we see it, for Gold, who could've gotten a better deal in Denver -- one which didn't hinge on any options to be picked up by the team based on whether Gold is healthy and/or effective.



As one high-level league exec told us Monday morning, "Lost in this whole thing is the damage done to the perception of Ian Gold. Not only did he lose money from Denver, but he is now considered a certified asshole by his association with [agents Carl and Kevin Poston]."



"You can't understate how strongly clubs are opposed to doing business with these guys," the source added, explaining that the relationship cost money to draft picks and to free agents represented by them.



"It's only going to get worse in the future," the source said.



For Gold, the only way it gets better is if he plays well enough to persuade the Bucs to exercise the option. Our guess is that he'll play well enough to make the Bucs want to keep him, but not for $9.6 million in bonus money. Instead, Tampa will try to work out a new deal with him next year, his agents will shoot for the moon (again), and he'll be back on the market trying to get from someone else the same money (or more) that he could've gotten from his current team.



And we predict that he won't.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:11 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2004



BEARS TOY WITH MOVING TAIT



As Bears coach Lovie Smith explains that right tackle John Tait's brief trip to the left side during the team's recent minicamp means nothing in the grand scheme of things, the talk in league circles is that the Bears gave Tait a try at left tackle as a precursor to possibly making the move a permanent one.



Apart from the fact that Aaron Gibson is improving on the right side and the left side is a bit unsettled as Mike Gandy gets healthy and Qasim Mitchell breaks in, some league insiders think that G.M. Jerry Angelo is stinging a bit due to criticism that he paid too much for Tait, a restricted free agent whom the Bears bogarted from the Chiefs with a deftly-drawn offer sheet.



After wooing Tait to Chitown with a six-year, $33 million deal, which includes an $11 million cap number for 2004, some league insiders think that Angelo believes moving Tait to the more glamorous (and traditionally pricier) left tackle position is necessary in order to justify the investment.



Tait played left tackle in 2000 and 2001, before settling in as the anchor of the right side in K.C. after the Chiefs picked up Willie Roaf from the Saints.



The biggest flaw in this plan, unfortunately, is that Tait looked mediocre in his minicamp stint at left tackle, prompting the Bears to quickly explain that they're not seriously thinking about playing Tait at that position.



The truth apparently is that they are, but only if Tait ultimately can show that he's able to get the job done.



POSTED 9:57 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2004



MORE DETAILS ON GOLD DEAL



We've finally gotten our eyeballs on the official Ian Gold contract numbers and the numbers and clauses are roughly as clear and understandable as a Mike Martz playbook.



We'd heard conflicting views on whether the contract is, as a practical matter, a one-year or a two-year deal. The answer is that it can be either, but most likely nothing more.



As we reported on Sunday, Gold's signing bonus is $1.4 million and his salary for 2004 is $600,000. If Gold participates in 35 percent of the team's defensive plays in 2004, his salary shoots to $3.5 million in 2005. Otherwise, it'll be only $650,000 in '05.



Regarding the $9.6 million option bonus, Tampa must pay the money by day 3 of the 2005 NFL year. If the payment is made, the contract converts from a six-year deal to a seven-year deal. If the Bucs opt not to exercise the option, they can keep Gold's rights for 2005 -- either at a salary of $650,000 or $3.5 million, based on whether he meets the 35 percent threshold for defensive plays.



And if they don't pick up the $9.6 million option bonus in 2005, the Bucs must decide in 2006 whether to pay a $12 million option bonus in order to keep Gold's rights through 2010.



So, as a practical matter, Gold will be playing under this contract for no more than two years -- and possibly for as few as one.



Also, given the prevailing sentiment around the league that Gold is a pure weakside linebacker, which position currently is held down by Derrick Brooks, there's an increasing belief that Gold's contract is a low-cost, low-risk opportunity for the Bucs to determine whether Gold can be the guy to make Brooks the next defensive icon in Tampa to get run out the door. Indeed, the only sure thing under Gold's deal is that, if the Bucs pick up either the $9.6 million option in 2005 or the $12 million option in 2006, there's no way they'll keep both him and Brooks around.



Finally, a league source has confirmed for us that the Broncos had a much better deal on the table before picking linebacker D.J. Williams in round one of the draft. But once Gold and his agents, the Postons, thumbed their noses at the Broncos, no one else was willing to come close to what Denver would've done

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:55 a.m. EDT, May 4, 2004



MANNING'S MOVE ABOUT MONEY ONLY?



There's talk in league circles that the root of Eli Manning's efforts to avoid the San Diego Chargers wasn't the status of the organization, but money -- or the possible lack thereof.



The Chargers' plodding negotiations with high first-round picks over the past few years, including running back LaDanian Tomlinson and cornerback Quentin Jammer, influenced Manning's decision-making, we're told. Also, the ability to cash in on endorsement money by playing the world's biggest market is a nice supplement to the money that Manning will get from the Giants, too.



A complicating factor this year for Manning and all other top-end draft picks, regardless of city, is the absence of an extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Unless the NFL and the union stretch the CBA farther into the future, rookie contracts can be spread over only six years this season -- not seven.



Typically, high-end picks sign seven-year deals that are voidable to a shorter contract. The seven-year structure helps to keep the bonus allocation for the rookie year lower, which in turn helps the team stay on the right side of the rookie pool.



And the problem in 2004 is that the rookie pool has been increased by a slim percentage -- which means that it's going to be much more difficult for teams and agents to get deals done for the top 15 or so players taken in the draft.



FALCONS PISSED AT JOHNSON



Word around the league is that the Atlanta Falcons are livid with nose tackle Ellis Johnson for the latest chapter in his on-again, off-again commitment to the team.



Johnson, who last year went back-and-forth with the question of whether he'd retire, now wants a new contract and is staying away from all activities, including most recently a mandatory minicamp.



The veteran defender apparently intends to stay away from the team until he's traded or until he gets a new contract, despite the fact that he's subject to being fined for every day of absence from events he's contractually obligated to attend.



Already Johnson can be hit with fines of up to $7,500 per day for missing the first mandatory camp.



The Falcons, we're told, refuse to give in to Johnson's tactics, and they will neither trade him nor rework his contract. If he doesn't show come training camp, don't be surprised to see the Falcons park him on the sidelines for the entire season.



BROWNS WORRY ABOUT EKUBAN'S KNEE



The Cleveland Browns might be having a bit of buyer's remorse in the wake of the recent acquisition of defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, the first-round pick of the Cowboys in 1999.



The Browns, we're told, are concerned that Ekuban has a knee injury, which possibly will require surgery sooner rather than later.



Ekuban received a three-year, $7.5 million deal with a $2 million bonus in an effort by the Browns to beef up a defensive line that has underachieved via the performance of Courtney Brown, the first overall pick in 2000, and Gerard Warren, the fourth overall pick in 2001.



FINS SIT FIRST-ROUND PICK



Word out of Miami is that some players are wondering why the Dolphins initially have penciled in first-round pick Vernon Carey as the No. 2 man at right tackle, given his status as their No. 1 draft pick.



With the offensive line one of the biggest areas of need for the Dolphins -- and with the team giving up a fourth-round pick for the ability to move up only one spot to get Carey -- there are questions behind closed doors regarding the decision to park Carey behind veteran newcomer John St. Clair.



"I don't care who you are. I think these guys have to come in here and prove themselves not just to me but the guys on the field," coach Dave Wannstedt said Sunday, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "That's the most important thing, that they deserve to be a starter."



But the guys on the field are the ones who think that Carey's draft status is proof enough that he deserves a shot to play.



In contrast, the Eagles traded up to get Shawn Andrews, and he's already the starting right guard. "I want to give him as many reps as I possibly can, and that's the fastest way to get them," coach Andy Reid said.



We know that it's hard to master the intricacies of offensive line play in the NFL, but there's no time like right freaking now to get a guy up to speed, especially when he's lifted off of the board among the first 20 picks. Though Wannstedt apparently disagrees with that approach, questions will continue to swirl through the locker room until the team begins to try to get an immediate return on a guy for whom the Fins invested not one but two picks.

[POJO_Risin]

Mannings worried about money? Go figure...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

POSTED 8:15 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:07 p.m. EDT, May 4, 2004



WILL POOLE'S A PRE-DRAFT DUI



We've confirmed that Dolphins cornerback Will Poole was arrested for DUI prior to the draft. The arrest came in March, not February (as has been reported elsewhere).



A league source tells us that only a handful of teams knew about the arrest prior to the draft, and that the arrest likely had less to do with his slide to the fourth round than his relatively slow 40 times in two separate workouts, coupled with the fact the NFL plans to police more actively violations of the five-yard chuck rule -- a reality that promises to undermine the effectiveness of big, physical corners.



The former USC defensive back was pulled over in California with two teammates. He was projected as a late-first rounder before falling to day two of the draft.



BULGER BECOMES THE GUY IN ST. LOUIS?



Rams quarterback Marc Bulger agreed on Tuesday to a four-year contract, making him the presumptive starter in St. Louis, and likely nudging former MVP Kurt Warner even closer to the door.



ESPN's John Clayton reports that Bulger signed his one-year, $1.824 million tender and a three-year extension worth $17.25 million, including a $9 million signing bonus.



Though the contract likely means that the Rams can't justify keeping Warner's sky-high salary, Bulger hardly is being paid like a high-end signal-caller. His status as the starter, then, will likely be a year-to-year proposition.



Clayton also reports that Rams coach Mike Martz hopes to keep Warner at a reduced salary. As we see it, that bridge be burned -- and any suggestion by the Rams that they'd keep Warner is nothing more than an effort to save a little face following two years of acrimony between Martz and Warner.



NFL NETWORK TO SHOW PRESEASON GAMES



We'll admit it -- we love the NFL Network. We turn it on and we can't walk away from it, even as certified idiots like Julian Peterson attempt to barf up a cogent sentence while appearing on Total Access.



And as Commissioner Paul Tagliabue suggested a year ago when plans for the NFL Network were announced, the channel will be carrying preseason games this year.



How many? How about 54 of them -- which is every contest other than the 11 games that will be televised on the broadcast networks.



For games being played at the same time, the network will "whip around" to the different games before broadcasting each of them in full on a tape-delayed basis.



When we cited the Commish's promise last summer, we received a flood of e-mails from long-suffering fans who were frothing at the possibility that we'll all finally be able to see something more than a 30-second highlight package of the exhibition games, which are meaningless come September but which likewise are all that a football-starved public has in the dog days of summer.



So kudos to the NFL for giving us a lot more of the thing that we crave. The major cable operators, in our view, should be falling all over themselves to add this channel to their lineups.



STEELERS WERE HAPPY AT ELEVEN



Despite rumors reported in this space regarding the Steelers' desire to trade up into the top ten of the draft for a crack a Philip Rivers, a league source tells us that while the Steelers were interested in Rivers, they were happy to stay put because they knew that, at the 11 hole, a quality player would fall into their laps.



Per the source, the Steelers had identified up to 15 different players whom they could have taken with their pick, so they saw no need to move up for Rivers or anyone else.



And despite their interest in Rivers, there are still some misgivings in the 'Burgh about his accuracy on the deep ball and his mechanics. Of course, there are similar concerns around the league regarding Ben Roethlisberger's ability to throw the deep ball, but it's not as if the Steelers spend a lot of time stretching the field vertically.

[ALinChainz]

The NFL Network does rule. Like the article said, sometimes they have guys on Access that shouldn't have a mic, but all the classic shit they show and the Europe games. They had the combine this year, but they kind of dropped the ball with that.

Killer shit.

And the NFL Ticket is going to be about $200 this season. Keeps going up.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:35 a.m. EDT, May 5, 2004



JETS PLAN TO PLAY HARDBALL WITH JORDAN



A league source tells us that the New York Jets' plan to stand their ground in an ongoing contract dispute with running back Lamont Jordan.



Jordan, who is entering the final year of his contract, wants a deal that pays him like a starter (even though he isn't one), or a trade.



The Jets, we're told will do neither.



When Jordan was drafted in 2001, the thinking was that he'd give starter Curtis Martin a breather in the short term as Jordan evolves into the featured back. It's never happened.



And with Jordan stuck at No. 2 on the depth chart again this year, his value on the open market will remain relatively low once he becomes a free agent in 2005.



Of course, that is a plus for the Jets. In our view, Jordan will continue to piss and/or moan about the lack of a new deal -- and when free agency comes along he won't find anything on the open market better than what the Jets are willing to pay him.



Assuming, of course, that the Jets even decide they still want him.



SEATTLE EXODUS COMING?



With deposed BailRazers G.M. Bob Whitsitt flexing his muscles in the Seahawks front office, word out of the Pacific Northwest is that a few familiar front office faces could be hitting the road.



We're hearing that V.P. of Football Operations Ted Thompson could be leaving soon, for Dallas.



Also, Director of College Scouting Scot McCloughan could be heading to Tampa with his brother Dave, a Raiders scout who could be reunited with former Raiders exec Bruce Allen.



Previously, capologist Mike Reinfeldt got run out the door after Whitsitt supposedly tried to make him a lowball contract offer.



This story has its roots in a report we ran more than a year ago, which predicted that Whitsitt would fly the coop in Portland and focus taking charge of the Seahawks, in order to maintain some degree of influence in Microsoft gazillionaire Paul Allen's sports empire.



At this rate, however, we can't imagine Whitsitt keeping his Seahawks' gig for long. Perhaps Bob's next stop will be the PBA, an Allen charity case that could always use an extra pin-setter.



COUGHLIN OKAY SO FAR



Word out of Giants camp is that, despite a recent stare-down between new coach Tom Coughlin and Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan, the initial reaction to Coughlin has been favorable.



Coughlin, we're told, allows his assistant coaches to do a lot of the on-field work, and that the reputed taskmaster hasn't been down the throats and/or up the arses of any of his players. Yet.



And that's the key word. With voluntary minicamps, offseason conditioning, quarterback schools, mandatory minicamps, organized team activity, passing camps, and frosted miniwheats (oops), there's plenty of time for Coughlin to get in training-camp form for his new charges.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:10 p.m. EDT, May 5, 2004



NEW YORK'S NEW ODD COUPLE



Word out of New York is that there's a budding new couple odd enough to make Oscar Madison and Felix Under hang a rainbow flag by the front door.



A league source tells us that coach Tom Coughlin and running back Ron Dayne are quickly developing a solid relationship, which has blossomed as Dayne has shed 20 pounds and worked hard in minicamps.



In fact, there's already talk that Dayne will have a key role on the team this year, and that he might even end up with more touches than Tiki Barber.



Dayne has been, to date, a bust in New York. Taken with the eleventh overall pick in the 2000 draft, the former Heisman Trophy winner formed a formidable "Thunder and Lightning" combination with Barber in Dayne's rookie season. But as the season unfolded, Dayne's role diminished.



Since his rookie year, in which he rushed for 790 yards on 228 attempts, Dayne's carries have dropped, culminating in a 2003 season in which he was on the inactive list every single week, as Delvin Joyce took his spot on the game day roster. Marring Dayne's tenure was an awkward effort by his agent, Terry Lavenstein, to get Dayne into a better position, including a letter from Lavenstein broaching the issue of a trade -- and a denial from Dayne that he had authorized such a communication.



But after a season of rotting in street clothes while his team stumbled to a 4-12 record, Dayne now gets an unexpected fresh start with a new coach who's by all appearances giving him a clean slate.



FAT ALBERT STAYS AWAY FROM PRACTICE



The Associated Press reports that Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth failed to show up on Tuesday for an organized team workout with the Titans.



Word is that Haynesworth is working out in Knoxville with his college trainer, and that the third-year pro currently is 40 pounds over his playing weight. There's skepticism, however, as to whether Haynesworth is really doing anything to get ready for the 2004 season.



The only sure thing is that he wasn't with his team on Tuesday.



"For a guy that's a three-year vet ... I think he should be here," said quarterback Steve McNair, according to the AP. "I hope he comes in in shape. He's got a lot of pressure on him. He's put a lot of pressure on himself."



"I'm not concerned with Albert Haynesworth right now," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I only care about the ones who are here, not the ones who are not."



Haynesworth's agent, Jason Waugh, described the player's absence from practice on Tuesday as a misunderstanding. "What he’s got on his calendar that it was Wednesday and Thursday," Waugh said, according to the Nashville City Paper. "He was visiting a sick friend, and is flying from in from North Carolina. It was a sincere mistake in terms of what he’s got on his calendar."


There's speculation in some league circles that Haynesworth might be on his last legs in Tennessee, given a disappointing debut in 2002 and a lackluster 2003 season, along with an increasing unwillingness to show a strong commitment to the team. Indeed, the Nashville Tennessean speculated last week that the Titans' addition of defensive tackles via the draft -- and the conversion of Kevin Carter from the outside to the inside -- could be enough to spark Haynesworth's eventual exit.

''We weren't trying to send anybody a message,'' G.M. Floyd Reese said at the time. ''We were just trying to fill our needs at different positions.''

And one need they might have is at defensive tackle, where their 2002 first-round draft pick could be developing into a first-rate turd.

McGUIRE, OTHERS NOT O.K. IN OKLAHOMA?



The Oklahoma Daily reports that agent Kennard McGuire could face charges in Oklahoma for contacting a University of Oklahoma administrator regarding Tommie Harris without being registered to do so.



According to the Daily, a sports agent may not contact, directly or indirectly, a student athlete without registering with the Secretary of State, per the Uniform Athlete Agents Act. The Daily reports that McGuire's firm, CSMG Sports, is not registered to act as an agent in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Secretary of State's office.



McGuire had contact on 19 occasions with C. Don Bradley, OU's assistant dean of students, from October through January.



McGuire admitted that he called Bradley, but McGuire explained that he did so at the request of Harris's family. "Tommie's family told me that I should talk to Mr. Bradley," McGuire said on March 20. "They asked me to introduce myself to him as well, but everything I did would be mainly through the family."



Other agencies that contacted Bradley include IMG, SFX, and Athletes First, according to the Daily. Bradley said that the calls from IMG and Athletes First also came at the request of Harris's parents, and that the call from SFX related to Bradley's relationship with former Oklahoma player Roy Williams, a Pro Bowl safety with the Cowboys.



When the Daily raised the issue with McGuire on Tuesday evening, McGuire promised to sue the publication if he were in any way defamed. (Easy, big fella.)



With all that said, it's hard to tell whether any action will be taken. Oklahoma's attorney general said the issue would have to be taken up by the Cleveland County district attorney, whom the Daily couldn't reach for comment on Tuesday night.



Per the Daily, penalties for violating the Uniform Athlete Agents Act may include a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to one year or both. The Secretary of State also may assess a fine of up to $25,000.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:00 a.m. EDT, May 6, 2004



BEARS WARMING UP TO WARNER?



Despite denials by new coach Lovie Smith regarding the Bears' interest in adding a veteran quarterback, our Chitown mole says that the Bears will pursue Rams quarterback Kurt Warner if Kerry Collins signs with Oakland.



If Collins doesn't sign with Oakland, the Bears will consider both Collins and Warner, and our guess is that they'll sign the one that comes the cheapest.



Word is that Collins is leaning toward Oakland because he envisions a better chance to play for the Raiders, where new coach Norv Turner has yet to declare that Rich Gannon will be the starter in 2004.



Browns quarterback Tim Couch is now off of the Bears' radar screen, per the mole. The Packers recently have upped the ante for the failed former No. 1 pick in the draft, and it now appears that the Bears were being used merely as leverage for Couch's (and Cleveland's) efforts to get as much as possible out of the Pack.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

Missed a story? Check out our Rumormill archives!

POSTED 11:00 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:11 p.m. EDT, May 6, 2004



BOSTON ALREADY A PROBLEM FOR FINS



A league source tells us that Dolphins receiver David Boston got into it on Thursday with Miami strength and conditioning coach John Gamble, due to Boston's failure to stick with a plan intended to help him shrink his oversized body.



The story is reminiscent of reports that Boston's tenure with the Chargers began to go downhill after he got into a shouting match with San Diego strength coach Dave Redding -- which was punctuated by Boston telling Redding to "suck my d--k."



The Miami Herald reports merely that a "small rift" is developing between Boston and the team, but the Herald says nothing about the beef between Boston and Gamble. Instead, the Herald points to a shin injury that apparently was caused by Boston's 240-pound girth.



''He's been training. Until he got hurt out here, he hasn't missed a day as far as his running and lifting and stuff," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's got five percent body fat. We're not talking about losing fat. It's a matter of toning down the muscle tone, really. It sounds simple, but that's what the situation is. He's too muscled up right now and he doesn't have any fat to lose. It's just a matter of toning down."



The Dolphins acquired Boston from the Chargers earlier this year in a high-risk/high-reward transaction that could either put the team over the top, or drag it to the bottom. As of now, the indications are that Boston could be the anchor that runs these mammals aground.



49ERS POINTED OUT ARRINGTON ERROR?



Word around the league is that agent Carl and Kevin Poston first became aware of the fact that linebacker LaVar Arrington's deal with the Redskins was light to the tune of $6.5 million during negotiations with the 49ers regarding a new contract for linebacker Julian Peterson.



We're hearing that the Postons told the Niners that they wanted for Peterson a deal similar if not identical to the Arrington contract. And when the 49ers reviewed the terms of the Arrington deal with the Postons, the Postons realized that the contract was missing $6.5 million.



Though our opinion was, is, and always will be that the Postons are responsible for the mistake because they didn't read the final version of the Arrington contract, this development tends to lend credence, in a weird sort of a way, to the notion that they genuinely believed that the deal was worth $6.5 million more than it really was.



But whether they believed it remains a far cry from whether the 'Skins scalped them. Based on everything we've heard, our sense remains that the 'Skins are in the right.



But the reality in many cases is that two different people can have two different versions of the same events, and both can genuinely believe that their own version is the true and accurate one. If the Postons first found out about the true terms of the Arrington deal whilst trying to get those same terms for another client, it's possible that they're telling their own inadvertently skewed version of the truth, which of course lacks the benefit 100 percent accuracy because, as they've admitted, they didn't read the final deal.

[POJO_Risin]

David Boston is a fucking cancer...Miami deserves what it gets...and I hope Wannstadt's job goes right down the shitter with this pick up...

Ah...who the hell cares about the fins...

[WARF]

Fiedler is the worst starting QB in the league... they should have dealt higher up to get a rookie QB!

[ALinChainz]

They may not be done looking for a QB, even with the trade for Feeley. Collins, Warner, and Couch all out there.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...Feeley sure as hell isn't the answer there...although you never know when you find a hidden gem...I just don't see it...

[POJO_Risin]

Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox?

Of course this would get the Yanks into play (like they need another outfielder...the Tigers and Dodgers are also supposed to be involved in early murmurings...

Man...would that be a big deal...

Funny thing about it though...the Tigers would have the best young players available...

[WARF]

Damn, I forgot about Feeley... he sucks!

[POJO_Risin]

Soriano deal a waystation for a return trip to the Yankees?

Well...rumor has it that the Rangers are ready to deal Soriano back to the Yankees in what would be one of the biggest fucking travesties in baseball history...

Of course...he could end up in Boston...lmfao...one upmanship at its finest...

[POJO_Risin]

I would be curious to see Feeley start for a few games though...I think he has some talent...

[WARF]

I don't know about Feeley..., but it does look like your steelers have an answer at quarterback (finally)!!

[POJO_Risin]

I don't know WARFY...

It certainly won't be this year...I think Rothlisberger has two years of learning before he can be consistently effective...

good name thought....

ROTHlisberger

of course...I may be misspelling that bastards name...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

LMFAO, do like I do Poj, it's just Ben....

[POJO_Risin]

He's the Madonna of football...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 11:00 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:11 p.m. EDT, May 6, 2004; UPDATED 9:05 p.m. EDT by Len Lasagna



BOSTON STORY GETS US ROCKED



Loyal readers of this site know that this morning we broke a story about a supposed altercation between WR David Boston of the Fins and Miami strength coach John Gamble. Well -- as usual -- some sources -- including inside sources from the team itself -- are telling us that we are out of our Flipper minds. Per the sources no such altercation occurred - and Gamble and Boston are tight as a pair of 45 lb plates.



The previous story was based on another source telling us that Dolphins receiver David Boston got into it on Thursday with Miami strength and conditioning coach John Gamble, due to Boston's failure to stick with a plan intended to help him shrink his oversized body.



The story is reminiscent of reports that Boston's tenure with the Chargers began to go downhill after he got into a shouting match with San Diego strength coach Dave Redding -- which was punctuated by Boston telling Redding to "suck my d--k."



The Miami Herald reports merely that a "small rift" is developing between Boston and the team, but the Herald says nothing about the beef between Boston and Gamble. Instead, the Herald points to a shin injury that apparently was caused by Boston's 240-pound girth.



''He's been training. Until he got hurt out here, he hasn't missed a day as far as his running and lifting and stuff," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's got five percent body fat. We're not talking about losing fat. It's a matter of toning down the muscle tone, really. It sounds simple, but that's what the situation is. He's too muscled up right now and he doesn't have any fat to lose. It's just a matter of toning down."




POSTED 8:32 a.m. EDT, May 8, 2004



RAIDERS LEAN TOWARD DUMPING GANNON



A league source tells us that the Oakland Raiders presently are leaning toward releasing Rich Gannon, if they can lure a guy like Kerry Collins to the Bay Area.



Per the source, there are concerns that the 38-year-old Gannon won't be able to hold up for a full season, and that the shoulder he injured in 2003 might not be fully healed. In contrast, Collins in younger and he has a strong arm and he'd give the Raiders a longer-term answer at the position.



We're also hearing that the Raiders harbor some resentment toward Gannon. He engaged the team in a public pissing match two years ago regarding his contract, and word is that owner Al Davis is still upset about Gannon's handling of the issue.



There is also, we're told, a lingering problem regarding whether Gannon should have waited on shoulder surgery until after the 2003 season, which would have enabled him to try to help reverse an embarrassing campaign for one of the proudest franchises in all of sports.



With news that 49ers presumptive starter Tim Rattay has suffered a serious groin tear (insert cringe here), the Raiders might not be the only Cali team taking a run at Collins. Even if Rattay is fully healthy, he's unproven. And if he'll be missing up to 10 weeks of preparation for his first season as a starter, the Niners might need to revisit whether another guy should be added to the mix.



If Collins lands in Oakland and Gannon is gone, Gannon probably will have trouble finding a starting job. But the feeling is that he'll be in demand as a backup.



The obvious fit for Gannon is Tampa, where he'd be reunited with coach Jon Gruden. Under Gruden's tutelage, Gannon made a late-career transformation into one of the best quarterbacks in the game, culminating in the 2002 MVP award. We're hearing that the Bucs aren't happy with their stable of backup quarterbacks (which is headlined by Brian Griese), and there were rumors earlier in the offseason that Gruden would be interested in getting Gannon as a possible replacement for starter Brad Johnson.



As we see it, the likelihood that Gannon would end up with Gruden might be the one thing that keeps him in Oakland. Even if Al Davis pays Gannon his full salary to sit the bench behind Collins, the possibility that Gannon and Gruden would both get their way by getting together is something that the Raiders likely wouldn't be able to stomach.



GREEN PULLED TRIGGER ON NIENKARK



A league source tells us that Cardinals coach Dennis Green wanted Jay Nienkark out after nine years with the team.



So Nienkark was shown the door.



Nienkark helped manage the salary cap and he negotiated contracts with all mid-to-low-round picks. Per the source, Nienkark has a reputation of being very antagonistic with agents for those players, and Green doesn't like that approach.



In our experience, guys who tend to be "very antagonistic" in their dealings with outsiders (e.g., Dante) typically are pains-in-the-ass for insiders, too (e.g., Dante). Our guess is that Nienkark has been an in-house cancer for the Cardinals and Green, in his valiant effort to remake the franchise, decided to get rid of him.



MARTZ TAKES JABS AT WARNER?



As Rams quarterback Kurt Warner's departure from St. Louis has gone from "likely" to "freakin' inevitable," coach Mike Martz is talking more and more about the guy who helped Martz become a football genius.



And though Martz isn't saying anything blatantly negative about Warner, there are plenty of between-the-lines indications that Martz doesn't necessarily regard Kurt's seasons of excellence from 1999 to 2001 as the three best years a quarterback ever had.



"He was in the right place at the right time," Martz said regarding Warner's three-year reign as the top quarterback in the game. "This was just not Kurt. Look at Marshall [Faulk] and those receivers. It was just a real special place in time."



Martz also recognizes that, like Kramer after his garlic bath, Warner has lost his kavorka. And Martz isn't sure he'll ever get it back.



"If I was convinced he would, then he would still be our starter," Martz said. "There is still some doubt. I think that's possible. Nobody is pulling for him more than I am. There is still a little bit of doubt in my mind obviously because I made Marc [Bulger] the starter."



There are indications that Warner will get that opportunity. The Giants want Warner to take care of the offense while Eli Manning gets up to speed. There are rumors that the Bears are interested as well, and that the Dolphins still haven't ruled out adding a veteran like Warner or Kerry Collins.



We're also hearing that the Bills were close to dumping Drew Bledsoe and locking on to Warner, if Bledsoe hadn't accepted a restructured contract.


Another league source tells us that several personnel execs view Collins as a better prospect than Warner because Collins is more durable and "he's not hen-pecked by his wife." Those execs, however, are with teams who don't need another quarterback.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:24 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:35 a.m. EDT, May 9, 2004



BURRESS ABSENCE PERPLEXING TO MANY



League insiders are scratching their noggins regarding the failure of receiver Plaxico Burress to report for the Steelers' first mandatory minicamp of the 2004 offseason.



Burress, who is entering the final year of his contract, hasn't been griping about the lack of a contract extension, and he hasn't pushed for a trade -- despite the fact that teams like the Chiefs have made no secret about their desire to obtain his rights.



Indeed, with USC receiver Mike Williams kept out of the April draft, it would have been a great time for Burress and/or his agent to declare a desire to be dealt absent a new contract.



That's why many within the league can't understand the decision, only two weeks later, not to show up for an activity that he is contractually obligated to attend.



Adding to the confusion is the fact that Burress hasn't linked his absence to his contract status. Instead, the absence has been characterized by his agent as a personal matter, on which the agent won't elaborate.



"I'm not comfortable describing the nature of the personal thing," Scott Parker said. "Nothing about his contract was mentioned in my discussions with him."



There has been speculation that Burress is down in the dumps, given that it's Mother's Day weekend and his own mother died unexpectedly two years ago.



Burress already has pocketed $207,000 of his 2004 pay via a March roster bonus. He's scheduled to earn $535,000 in salary, and more than $1 million of his 2000 signing bonus applies to this fifth year of the contract. Though the raw dollars Burress will make in 2004 arguably is a bit on the low side, Parker said that Burress will be at training camp.



Even stranger is the fact that Burress has been present and active in the voluntary phases of the Steelers' offseason program.



So what's happening here? One of our sources has floated an interesting theory, and before we 'splain it we need to say plainly and clearly that this is speculation, not fact.



Our source tells us that the first mandatory minicamp of the offseason is the first opportunity for players to be tested for the presence of certain recreational substances in their, ahem, liquid byproducts. So if (and, again, this is speculation only) Burress has any reason to fear the (piss) reaper, bolting the 'Burgh on the eve of the minicamp would be the smart thing to do.



Under these circumstances, facing a potential fine of up to $7,446 is a no-brainer in comparison to possibly getting on the wrong side of the substance abuse guidelines as Burress attempts to get a big-money contract.



The problem, however, is that there's no good way out of this mess for Burress. If he isn't AWOL because of concerns that he has certain compounds in his body that might get him in trouble with the league office, he needs to explain to the powers-that-be in Pittsburgh each and every reason for his absence -- and it had better be persuasive.



Otherwise, the Steelers might start shopping the former Michigan State product to teams like the Chiefs and the Bears. We're even hearing that the Lions might be interested in Burress, which we frankly find hard to fathom given that they've already got a burgeoning stash (whoops) of receivers in Motown already.



Stay tuned on this one. There has been a difference of opinion in the front office as to whether Burress should be traded, and this latest episode could be enough to make the team make a move.



STRAHAN CONFIRMS OUR REPORT



Giants defensive end Michael Strahan confirmed our May 1 report that he has refused to take part in certain of coach Tom Coughlin's drill.



On Saturday, Strahan made this concession when asked about the growing brouhaha regarding whether Camp Coughlin violates the rules regarding offseason work: "I probably haven't violated any rules because I've kind of got my own set sometimes," Strahan said, according to the New York Post. "It wouldn't be fair for me to sit here and say, 'I've done this and I've done that,' because I actually haven't done everything."



Strahan then was asked if Coughlin had approved his lack of total participation, and Strahan ignored the question. "I don't have anything to say because I don't have a press conference this afternoon," he said.



And for those of you who think the term "scroll" refers only to something found in the Dead Sea, here's the relevant text of our May 1 report:



"Giants defensive end Michael Strahan recently took a stand against coach Tom Coughlin's request that the Pro Bowl defender participate in certain drills during offseason workouts.



"Strahan told Coughlin that the drill was against the rules applicable to offseason work, and that Coughlin couldn't force him to participate."



MANY PLAYERS PREFER PADS



As the various NFL teams spend more and more offseason time on the practice field in helmets, T-shirts, and shorts, we're hearing from multiple league sources that many players actually would prefer wearing pads for these sessions -- beginning at a minimum with shoulder pads.



The problem, especially in the trenches, is that the play during these sessions is typically as intense as during training camp practice, and many players emerge with dinged-up shoulders, courtesy of getting hit with hard plastic helmets on unprotected flesh.



"Guys already are fighting for jobs," said one league insider. "They're not going to take it easy because they don't have pads on."



As we see it, adding pads to the offseason practices is the next logical step in a gradual evolution of the offseason from a time when guys worked out (if at all) on their own or in small groups to an extension of the regular season, with more and more players recognizing that, regardless of the label applied to the sessions, success in September will happen only if guys submit to the program in March, April, May, and June.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 7:55 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2004



GIANTS NEED TO SHUT UP AND WORK



A high-level NFL insider, who has no reason to say or do anything to benefit the New York Football Giants, has shared with us some biting insights regarding the pissing-and-moaning that is going on by the players attending Camp Coughlin.



"Any time a new, hard-working coach comes to town and makes a group of losers work hard, we read the same stories," said the source, pointing to guys like Dick Vermeil, Bill Parcells, and Bill Belichick. The question, per the source, is simple: "Do you want to win or not?"



"Coughlin is about winning," said the source. "Just like Parcells, just like Belichick, just like Vermeil. Different guys, different personalities, but veteran players get pissed and grumble when they arrive because they know the gravy train is coming to an end."


In contrast, the source believes that former head coach Jim Fassel "was all about him and how many commercials he could do." And the source noted that the same observation could be made as to several of Fassel's former players.



"Radio shows, TV shows, commercials. Hey, shut the f--k up and win some games. I know you went to the Super Bowl a few years ago, but everyone knows how good that team was, or wasn't."



The source specifically pointed to the efforts of guys like Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan to chime in with their two cents regarding the unfolding fiasco.



"I've seen this stuff before," said the source. "We all have. Guys that have had good/very good careers, are quasi-icons in their NFL city, have the important local media manipulated, are on the downside, haven't won jack-sh-t. They say all the right things and have pretty smiles, but winning and knowing how to win are secondary. They are a part of the problem and they don't know anything about the solution. But they think they do.



"Hey Strahan, how much winning have you done in your career? Not too much, because you've held a salary cap gun to the Giants' head, and shame on them for giving in to you. Strahan has been a very good player, but it's always been about him. He is a media whore, a spin-doctor and a fraud.



"Hey Tiki, maybe if you spent as much time learning to hold on to the football as you do marketing yourself, you might be worth a shit.



"Nice guys? They appear to be. But what are [they] trying to accomplish? . . . . These guys are kingpins in one of the world's largest market and they don't want life to become uncomfortable. They say they want to win, but they want to continue to work the same way they used to."



TEXANS UPSET WITH COLEMAN DUI



The May 6 DUI arrest of Houston defensive back Marcus Coleman potentially puts a major crimp in the Texans' play to reconfigure their secondary, and a league source tells us that the Texans aren't happy with the development.



When cornerback Dunta Robinson was drafted by the Texans with the tenth overall selection last month, the plan was to slide Coleman from corner to free safety.



Coleman was arrested after he struck a tree with his 2005 Mercedes early Thursday. The source tells us that, if convicted, Coleman could be suspended for up to four games, since the word is that it isn't Coleman's first offense.



BENGALS "ELATED" WITH PALMER



A league source tells us that the Cincinnati Bengals are "elated" with the performance of quarterback Carson Palmer at the team's first mandatory minicamp, which started Friday and ended Sunday.



Last year, Palmer was parked on the bench while Jon Kitna almost took the Bengals to the playoffs. Though Kitna is sticking around, there's no dispute or controversy in the Queen City -- the reins have been handed to Palmer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft.



And based on the results of the minicamp, Palmer is ready to play like it.



"He's got the most skill and ability of anybody we've got in the building," Marvin Lewis said after Friday's practice.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



Giants QB Eli Manning struggled with accuracy, touch, and arm strength in his first minicamp.



The Vikings have released two veterans following the first mandatory minicamp of the offseason: LB Henri Crockett and FB Charles Stackhouse.



Vikings LB E.J. Henderson will have an MRI to assess swelling in his knee.



The $10.8 million roster bonus the Vikings gave to CB Antoine Winfield raised Charles Woodson's franchise player salary by $2 million.



Giants RB Tiki Barber concedes that, in an effort to reduce the number of times he put the ball on the ground, new coach Tom Coughlin and running backs coach Jerald Ingram have "been on me since day one to change the way I carry the ball and change the way my mentality is in going through traffic and with contact."



Broncos tackle Matt Lepsis is in the process of making the move from the left side to the right side.



49ers QB Tim Rattay will undergo surgery to repair a groin muscle that tore from the bone on Friday.



The Broncos will be releasing QB Steve Beuerlein on Monday; Beuerlein otherwise can be seen telling war stories about which no one cares on NFL Europe broadcasts.



49ers WR James Jordan is moving to tight end.



Broncos rookie CB Jeremy LeSueur made a big hit in practice over the weekend; the only problem is that the guy on the other end of the hit was defensive backs coach David Gibbs.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:22 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:33 p.m. EDT, May 10, 2004



MCKENZIE, PACK HAD A DEAL



A league source tells us that the Green Bay Packers and cornerback Mike McKenzie reached earlier this year an agreement in principle to resolve his misgivings with his current contract before McKenzie opted to demand a trade from the team that drafted him in 1999.



Per the source, McKenzie generally was unhappy with his contract, especially since he'd been hearing from other players and agents that he'd signed a bad deal prior to the 2002 season. But the source tells us that McKenzie and the Packers reached in February an agreement that would have placated McKenzie.



At issue was a $200,000 workout bonus that McKenzie is scheduled to earn each of the next three seasons. McKenzie requested -- and the Packers agreed -- to convert $100,000 of the amount each year to a mandatory minicamp reporting bonus and the other $100,000 to a training camp reporting bonus.



Though on paper the change would have resulted in no additional money for McKenzie, the revision would have allowed him to work out in the offseason away from Green Bay. And it would have permitted McKenzie to say that he extracted some concessions from a team that arguably got the better of the agent who represented McKenzie prior to his most recent advisor, Brian Parker.



But we're told that after the Packers committed to the arrangement, McKenzie backed out, eventually requesting a trade.



The problem for McKenzie was, and still is, that he has zero leverage in these discussions.



And we're hearing that if McKenzie opts to retire in lieu of playing out the final three years of the deal, the Packers can recover from him $43,750 per game, which equates to $2.1 million of the $3.5 million signing bonus that McKenzie received when he signed the contract.



Another snag for McKenzie is that when he agreed to convert a $1.75 million roster bonus in 2003 to a guaranteed payment for the purposes of allowing the Pack to spread the cap hit over the life of the deal, the Packers added language that arguably permits them to recoup the unallocated portion of the payment to the tune of $27,343 per game, or an additional $1.312 million over the next three seasons. At the time, McKenzie had no agent, and the insertion of that language is a prime example of what can happen to a guy who tries to deal with a team without the benefit of good, sound guidance,



In all, then, McKenzie could be forced to repay the Packers more than $3.4 million -- nearly as much as his full 2002 signing bonus -- if he doesn't honor his contract.



It remains to be seen whether the Packers will try to seek trade value in exchange for McKenzie. If it happens, look for the Ravens, Steelers, and Cowboys to talk to the Packers about getting a deal done.



And though the Packers are feeling better about their receiving corps with the emergence of Robert Ferguson and Javon Walker, we think that a McKenzie-for-Plaxico swap would be a good deal. The Steelers, however, might have to pony up a draft pick or two to placate the Packers, given that Burress is under contract for only one more season.



TROTTER HEADED TO NEW YORK?



Despite a belief in some league circles that linebacker Jeremiah Trotter will high-tail it back to Philly after he's cut loose in a few weeks after two disappointing seasons with the Redskins, a league source tells us that it's highly unlikely that Trotter will return to the Eagles.



Per the source, there's still plenty of bad blood between Trotter and Eagles coach/G.M. Andy Reid, and the possibility of Trotter agreeing to a deal with Reid is slim, at best.



Instead, the thinking is that Trotter will stick in the NFC East by joining the Giants, who need a middle linebacker given the team's decision to release Micheal Barrow.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:42 a.m. EDT, May 11, 2004



BEARS ANGLING FOR A NEW MCMAHON?



With the market for veteran quarterbacks apparently too steep for Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo, our Chitown mole tells us that Angelo might try to swing a trade for Lions backup Mike McMahon.



The Lions are shopping their No. 2 quarterback, a 2001 fifth-round draft pick who at one point supplanted Charlie Batch and Ty Detmer as the starter during McMahon's rookie season. On December 16, 2001, McMahon helped the then-winless Lions get their first win of the season, against the Vikings, to avoid becoming the first team to lose 16 games in one season.



Angelo, we're told, prefers to land Kurt Warner, but he doesn't want to pay upwards of $2 million for a backup quarterback. So he's considering making an offer of a conditional draft pick for McMahon, a three-year veteran who played at Rutgers for new offensive coordinator Terry Shea.



Exactly twenty years ago (do we sound really old if we say, "Has it been that long?"), quarterback Jim McMahon provided the spark of leadership on offense and just enough raw talent to take the Bears deep into the playoffs one season before helping the Bears to their only Super Bowl title.



Then again, Mike McMahon seemingly has as much in common with Jim as he does with Ed, or Vince.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



Jags S Donovin Darius finally has decided to love the one he's with.



Rams QB Kurt Warner arrived Monday night in New York for a get-acquainted meeting with the Giants; ironically, it was the Giants who ended Warner's career in St. Louis by scrambling his eggs -- repeatedly -- in week one of the 2003 season.



The 49ers are looking at a "handful" of quarterbacks, including Damon Huard.



The Packers also will be talking to Huard, given their inability to strike a deal with Browns QB Tim Couch.



The Giants could lose a week of offseason practice time if there's a determination that coach Tom Coughlin broke the rules regarding springtime drills.



Dolphins offensive coordinator Joel Collier cites exhaustion as the basis for the decision to step back into a lesser role with the team.



Steelers LB Joey Porter is hoping for a shot in the ass to help overcome a 2003 season that never got rolling after he was, well, shot in the ass.



Bucs RB Michael Pittman had his 30-day jail term cut in half due to good behavior.



Jets RT Kareem McKenzie, a restricted free agent, signed his one-year qualifying tender of $1.38 million.



The Pats visited the White House on Monday (we wonder whether Bush asked Belichick if he might have a project or two to keep Rumsfeld occupied over the next few months).



Veteran QB Steve Beuerlein reportedly will consider a return to the NFL this year only if he can swing a new deal with the Broncos, who released him on Monday to clear some cap room.

[Snake]

An Orlando report says that the Mavericks will trade Antwoin Walker and a group of spares to the Magic for Grant Hill and the #1 draft pick if they get it.

Good or no?

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 1:26 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:07 a.m. EDT, May 12, 2004


CAMP COUGHLIN "A BREEZE"



Word out of New York is that Giants players generally regarded the team's recently-completed mandatory minicamp as "a breeze," and several league insiders believe that coach Tom Coughlin deliberately backed off in the wake of reports that arose late last week regarding complaints from unnamed players as to the intensity and duration of Coughlin's voluntary drills.



Multiple newcomers to the Giants, we're told, characterized the minicamp as less demanding than minicamps they'd attended in other NFL cities.



We're also hearing that the Giants are expected to lose one week of their offseason program once the NFLPA's ongoing investigation is concluded. As we see it, it's a small price to pay for getting caught breaking the rules -- and it provides not much of a deterrent for other teams who might be tempted to follow suit.



In this regard, we've been told to keep an eye on the Browns. The NFLPA is keeping close watch, we hear, on Butch Davis's offseason activities, and it's possible that another investigation could be launched in the near future.



RAVENS WRESTLE WITH COLLINS



A league source tells us that the powers-that-be in Baltimore currently are wresting with the question of whether to pursue free-agent quarterback Kerry Collins.



We're told that head coach Brian Billick and assistant Jim Fassel are in favor of adding Collins to a team that arguably has the horses to contend for a Super Bowl berth. However, G.M. Ozzie Newsome and other members of the front office prefer sticking with Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright.



The Billick-and-Fassel camp believes that Boller will be a good NFL quarterback, but that he's not ready to maximize his talents. In a league where the pressure to win now is greater than ever, grooming a young quarterback via a baptism by fire is becoming a less palatable option for head coaches who face an increasing string of "If they can win, why can't we?"-type questions from ownership.



But since front offices in most cities rarely feel the same pressure as the coaching staffs to produce in the short term, it's understandable that the execs will lean toward using the guys whom they've already acquired -- especially when the Ravens gave up a first-rounder in 2004 for the ability to jump back into round one and bag Boller in 2003.



Newsome and company also believe, we're told, that Wright provides a more-than-capable contingency plan in the event that Boller isn't ready. As we see it, however, Boller is far more likely to accept another year or two in the background if the starter is a guy like Collins, who was drafted higher than Boller and who has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume.



SAN FRAN NOT STRIKING GOLD SOON



One of the hotter topics in league circles is the systematic demise of the once-proud San Francisco 49ers.



The problem, per a league source, is ownership.



Denise DeBartolo York picked up the team from her brother, Eddie, once he got himself into trouble with the law in Louisiana. Mrs. York has been allowing her hubby, Dr. John York, to play with all of the shiny buttons and switches over the past several years, eventually creating a clusternutfudge that has pushed the team toward the same kind of funk from which it emerged in the early 1980s.



The source tells us that the league office would like to see a change in ownership in the Bay Area before the situation gets much worse. But as long as revenue sharing essentially guarantees that an NFL team will turn a profit, we don't envision the Yorks walking away.



In the short term, the sudden loss of starting quarterback Tim Rattay for several months with a serious groin tear requires the Niners to find another quarterback. The best name they can conjure thus far is Damon Huard, a career journeyman who might do well in a clear backup role -- but who likely isn't in position to push Rattay, or to play if Rattay can't get healthy.



We're hearing that the Niners aren't likely to land either Kerry Collins or Kurt Warner because the team doesn't want to spend the money that they'd expect to receive, and that neither player is willing to hold down the fort until Rattay is ready to take over.



Another option in San Fran that would be far cheaper than signing an established veteran would be to swing a trade with the Steelers for Tommy Maddox. Actually, we could see the Steelers packaging Maddox and receiver Plaxico Burress in a trade, possibly for a defensive back and/or some picks.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Eagles coach/G.M. Andy Reid soon will sign a contract extension that will put him among the highest-paid coaches in the league.



Bengals RB Rudi Johnson has signed his one-year, $1.824 million RFA tender.



The Miami Herald reports that Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt recently told DE Adewale Ogunleye that he's optimistic that a new contract for the restricted free agent will be worked out in the offseason.



QB Kerry Collins will be spending the next two days with the Raiders as both sides explore the possibility of adding him to a roster that might not include Rich Gannon come June.



The chances of the Cowboys getting talks aimed at lining up a new stadium completed by June 30 are about as slim as the chances of Iraq being handed over to the Iraqis by June 30.



The Pats have added OL Bob Hallen.



Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo has reiterated that he's not interested in soon-to-be-former Rams QB Kurt Warner.



The Jags are getting two new big-ass scoreboards at AllTell Stadium.



The Broncos have re-signed LB Johnny Rutledge.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:42 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:09 a.m. EDT, May 13, 2004



PACKERS TIRING OF COUCH DEMANDS



Though there are reports in both the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the Packers remain interested in Browns quarterback Tim Couch, we're hearing that the team is tiring of Couch's contract demands, and that the Pack soon will be cutting the cord.



Per the Plain Dealer, Couch wants either a one-year deal or a two-year contract with a starter-sized salary in 2005. The biggest sticking point is that Couch doesn't want to sit behind Brett Favre for two years.



The Packers don't want to commit to paying Couch like a starter in 2005, when the team has no idea whether Favre will stay or go after 2004. Also, the Pack aren't thrilled with the idea of giving up a draft pick (reportedly a fifth-rounder or a sixth-rounder) for a one-year deal with Couch.



The Pack instead might wait for Couch to be released, even though Browns coach Butch Davis is hinting that he might keep Couch around as a backup at $7.6 million in salary. (And if anyone believes that Davis won't cut Couch, I'll be auctioning off a few thousand cubic feet of USDA quality open air later this month.)



As we see it, Couch falls into the "beggar" (not the "chooser") category when it comes to determining his current football worth. This is his shot at a second chance, and the last thing he needs to worry about is getting paid like a starter when he hasn't shown that he deserves to be one.



And, more importantly, when no team has indicated that they're interested in making him one.



We know that agent Tom Condon wants to be able to jack up the quarterback market and to show that he pulls the strings of the NFL. But the Packers have no reason to cave in to the demands of a guy who had the world at his fingertips in Cleveland, and who managed to drop the ball.



Unless and until Couch acquires a little thing known as "leverage," he should take the best deal he can get -- especially when that deal involves an opportunity to learn from one of the best quarterbacks ever as he prepares to hand the ball off to his successor.



BURRESS CALLS STEELERS "INCONSIDERATE"



Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress explained on Wednesday his decision not to attend last weekend's mandatory minicamp in Pittsburgh.



According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Burress told James Brown of Sporting News Radio that he missed the minicamp in order to be with his brothers on Mother's Day weekend. Burress's mother died two years ago.



"I have two younger brothers that still live in the same house that my mother lived in," Burress said. "My brothers need me to be there for them more than anything. I felt that me going to camp wasn't as important as being with my family. On Mother's Day, I owe it to my brothers, and especially my mother, to pay my respects to her and grieve."



Burress also said that it was "inconsiderate" of the Steelers to schedule the minicamp for Mother's Day weekend.



"I don't always make the right decision, but I do what I feel is right. The fact that the camp was on Mother's Day weekend was inconsiderate towards the guys on the team, especially since they stress family first.



"I've had people upset with me in the past and missing a three-day camp is not going to hurt me. I made that decision based on myself and I didn't really care what anybody else thought. I think it was totally inconsiderate by having a camp on Mother's Day especially since there are four other weekends in May."



Of course, the Steelers also could say that it was "totally inconsiderate" (and grossly immature) for Burress to decide not to show without saying a word to anyone, even though he presumably knew in advance that the minicamp was scheduled for Mother's Day weekend.



Burress said that the absence had nothing to do with the fact that he's entering the final year of his rookie contract, and that there have been no serious talks regarding an extension.



"If it was based on my contract, then I never would have showed my face around there during the offseason," he said. "Several weeks before camp I sat down with the coaches and watched film. I was there for two or three weeks during the offseason. I don't see how anyone could say this has anything to do with my contract."



Still, Burress wouldn't commit that he'll be present for voluntary coaching sessions that begin on May 18. Instead, he only said that he'll be present for training camp on July 30.



JORDAN STILL SAYING "PLAY ME OR PAY ME"



Jets running back LaMont Jordan's request is simple. As he enters the final year of his contract, he wants the Jets either to play him in 2004, or to pay him.



"I would like some sort of commitment -- whether it's with a contract extension or by giving me the ball," Jordan said Wednesday, according to the New York Post. "I think I am capable. From the moment I stepped foot in here, Curtis has done nothing but teach me. How would anyone know if you learned your lesson until you take the test? I think I am ready for my test, and that test is to play."



If Jordan gets neither, he presumably wants to be traded. As we've previously reported, the Jets won't do it.



Why should they? The team needs a solid No. 2 behind Curtis Martin, and as Martin gets more and more wear on his wheels, it makes sense to hold onto LaMont as long as they can.



Coach Herm Edwards is talking like a guy who wants to find a middle ground. "His representation is coming up here on Tuesday and we're going to sit down and talk," Edwards said. "I've already spoken to LaMont. We're just going to talk about trying to get something done with the guy. Hopefully, he can be a Jet and retire a Jet. We have to get LaMont in there more, and we know that. This year we have a lot of things planned to get him into the game and carry the football."



The problem is that the Jets have been singing this same song when Jordan was drafted in 2001. But Martin continues to get the bulk of the touches -- and Jordan continues to get the scraps

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:30 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:15 a.m. EDT, May 15, 2004





ANGELO PISSED OVER LEAKS



Our Chitown mole tells us that G.M. Jerry Angelo has his undies in a mild uproar due to recent leaks relating to the front office's plans and intentions.



Angelo and company believed that a member of the former coaching staff was responsible for spilling the beans to media outlets, including this here site. Now, Angelo is concerned that a holdover from Dick Jauron's coaching staff is funneling information to Jauron, who joined the Lions after he got poop-canned in Chicago.



The Motown connection has been fueled by reports over the past week or so regarding the possibility that Bears receiver David Terrell will be cut (which was reported by a Detroit newspaper), and that the Bears are interested in trading for Lions backup quarterback Mike McMahon.





MCKAY THE NEXT COMMISH?



There is growing speculation in league circles that Falcons G.M. Rich McKay could be in line to succeed NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, when the long-time poobah rides off into the sunset with a John Facenda voiceover resonating in the background.



McKay is well-respected throughout the league, and his law degree gives him the business credentials to step into the NFL's ultimate position of leadership.



A dark horse candidate for the job, we're told, is NFL executive vice president and chief counsel Jeff Pash, who holds the position that Tagliabue occupied before ascending to the throne when Pete Rozelle retired.



But as one league insider explained to us, there isn't the same need for an experienced legal mind as there was prior to the negotiation of the landmark collective bargaining agreement, which created real free agency and the salary cap. Before that deal was done, the league faced many legal uncertainties and potential challenges, making it far more important for the captain of the ship to know his way around the whole law thing.



Tagliabue recently agreed to a three-year extension of a contract that was set to expire next year, meaning that he'll be around until 2008. Our guess, however, is that the process for locating Tagliabue's successor will commence not long after the ink is dry on the new broadcast rights contract. The current deal expires after the 2005 season, and the league (in our opinion) is girding for difficult negotiations, given that the networks took a bath on the current deal when the advertising market evaporated in 2001 -- and the NFL refused to provide the TV honchos with any relief.





RICKY WILLIAMS FAILS DRUG TEST



The Miami newspapers are reporting that Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has tested positive for marijuana, in violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.



The result currently is under appeal. If the result is upheld, Williams faces a fine of up to $878,823 (per the Sun-Sentinel) -- and an additional violation would trigger a four-game suspension.



According to the Palm Beach Post, Williams disputes the report that he was in New York on April 16 for the appeal of the test result.

"I'm in good standing with the NFL and the Dolphins," Williams said. "There is not a story here. I was in New York a few weeks ago and I did visit the league headquarters.

"I guess that's how rumors get started. But I was just visiting friends in the city and I just decided to go in. I will be at training camp on Tuesday."

A source close to Williams suggested, however, that where there's smoke there's, um, toke. "He's been in New York this week with all of the crap that's been going on," the source said. "If they tested all of us for weed, half of America would be out of work."



Perhaps we're too sheltered or naive to believe that half of America spends their free time smoking pot, but we continue to be amazed by the number of NFL players and other athletes who (allegedly) compromise their on-field abilities by taking recreational drugs.



Then again, the time-honored formula of young plus stupid plus money usually equates to that kind of behavior.




SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



The Giants have signed K Bill Gramatica -- and we hope he didn't jump for joy when he got the call.



Though we're big fans of Pittsburgh-area columnist and radio guy Mark Madden, we think his defense of Steelers WR Plaxico Burress is an exercise in contrarianism (and we hope like hell that that's a word).

[ALinChainz]

POSTED 6:20 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:49 a.m. EDT, May 14, 2004



RAIDERS LIKELY STICKING WITH GANNON



A league source tells us that the Oakland Raiders likely will not be signing quarterback Kerry Collins, which means that the team will be sticking with Rich Gannon, at least for one more season.



Per the source, when the Raiders and Collins sat down to talk about numbers during Collins' visit to the Bay Area, it became clear that the two sides were in different ballparks. As a result, a contract is highly unlikely at this point.



So the Raiders instead will stick with a guy who broke into the league in 1987, and who suffered a shoulder injury in 2003 that might or might not be healed when the 2004 season opens.



For Collins, the options might be drying up, especially if he's hoping to be a starter. His best bet might be Baltimore, even though the team denies interest in giving Collins the ball while Kyle Boller continues to develop. We stand by our report that coach Brian Billick and assistant Jim Fassel are lobbying to add Collins to the roster, and as we see it the chances of it happening increase as Collins' price tag necessarily moves downward.



BUTCH COMPLETES CLEVELAND COUP



Browns coach Butch Davis ran out of Cleveland on Thursday chief contract negotiator Lal Heneghan, abruptly firing the respected cap specialist.



The move completes a transformation of the front office, which now includes no key employees who predated Davis's arrival in Cleveland.



Davis struggled with former team president Carmen Policy for control over the operation, and a compromise apparently was reached when Ron Wolf was hired as a consultant. Most folks assumed Davis was on board with the move, since both he and Wolf are represented by agent Marvin Demoff.



But Davis refused to use Wolf, who quit less than two weeks after Policy announced his resignation.



And with each departure, Davis gains both control and accountability. So if the team struggles, there will be no one he can blame.



BUCS STILL LOOKING FOR CAP GUY



Word around the league is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still looking for a cap specialist/contract negotiator to replace John Idzik, who was let go by the team earlier this year.



The Bucs, we're told, are hoping to land a younger guy who has a reputation for getting along well with agents.



New G.M. Bruce Allen has a reputation for being extremely laid back, so it'll be critical for the new cap guy to mesh with Allen's style. We're hearing that Allen quietly has been asking around regarding possible candidates for the job, which Allen likely hopes to fill before July, when negotiations for the new draft picks will begin in earnest.



49ERS GIVING DORSEY A SHOT?



Word out of San Fran is that the 49ers are serious about giving second-year pro Ken Dorsey a crack at the starting quarterback job, pending Tim Rattay's recovery from a serious groin tear, which like an overcooked chicken involved separation of meat from bone.



Dorsey, a seventh-round draft pick who wasn't regarded as a top prospect despite his propensity for winning football games, will get a shot, we're told, if he has a solid offseason.



Meanwhile, the 49ers continue to shy away from the possibility of signing a veteran quarterback to fill the void created when the team cut Jeff Garcia in a salary dispute.



CARDS NOT INTERESTED IN WARNER



Despite lingering rumors that Cardinals coach Denny Green is planning to make a move on Rams quarterback Kurt Warner when he hits the open market in June, a league source tells us that Green doesn't plan to pursue Warner.



Green handed the starting job to Josh McCown shortly after the veteran coach took the job in Arizona, and Green hasn't wavered, signing only Shaun King to serve as the backup and not selecting a new quarterback in the draft.



Perhaps Green learned that it's better to go with a home-grown quarterback in 2000, when he stuck with Daunte Culpepper after a bended-knee pitch to Dan Marino was unsuccessful. Culpepper responded with a breakthrough performance that year -- and he has remained one of the best quarterbacks in the game ever since.



SHARPE CHANGING COURSE?



With Deion Sanders bolting from CBS in a money dispute, the Denver Post reports that tight end Shannon Sharpe could retire from the Broncos to step into the vacancy created by Prime Time.



Sharpe will fly to New York on Tuesday to meet with CBS execs, who are pursuing the loquacious Sharpe to take a seat at the table with Jim Nantz, Dan Marino, and Boomer Esiason.



The Broncos, meanwhile, are planning for the worst by signing tight end Byron Chamberlain to a one-year contract. Chamberlain left Denver for Minnesota, where he became a Pro Bowler before being cut last season. Chamberlain then was signed by the Redskins based exclusively on name recognition, and he rarely was used before being released.



Sharpe's willingness to consider quitting the game one year early highlights the reality that these TV gigs are scarce, and that Deion was foolish to give up his seven-figure gig that amounts to a part-time job from August to January.



Our guess is that Sharpe will make the move now, since it's likely that there won't be a similar job available in 2005.



Shortly before the draft, Sharpe announced that he would be returning to the Broncos, even though he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the team's decision to trade running back Clinton Portis to the Redskins.



POSTED 9:55 p.m. EDT, May 13, 2004



PRIME TIME HEADING TO ABC?



A league source tells us that Deion Sanders and his agent, Eugene Parker, are being criticized heavily in league circles after Sanders' stare-down with CBS resulted in a severance of his relationship with the network on which he debuted following his retirement from the NFL.



The source also reports that there is speculation in league circles that Sanders will resurface at ABC as an additional sideline reporter for Monday night games, joining newcomer Michelle Tafoya on Monday night telecasts.



Sanders landed on the unemployment line because, the source tells us, he treated his discussions with CBS like the negotiation of a player contract. As a player, however, the reality is that there was always a demand for his services elsewhere. In his current capacity, the problem is that all of the other chairs are filled -- and networks generally aren't inclined to tweak their roster of talking heads this late in the offseason.



Part of the problem is that Sanders apparently did no homework regarding the market for TV analysts. CBS reportedly was willing to increase his pay from $1 million to $1.3 million, but Deion wanted to double his money at a time when few, if any, TV guys and/or gals are making that kind of coin for 17-to-20 days' work per year.



Sanders already has a relationship with ABC, given his role on ESPN's American Sportsman. And we speculated after Rush Limbaugh was hired by ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown a year ago that El Rushbo and El Dumbo were being groomed to reprise that magical Cosell-Dandy Don repartee of bygone years.



With John Madden getting no younger (or thinner), look for Deion to explore an experimental gig with MNF, which could land him in the ABC booth, in due time.



PLAXICO'S MOUTH HURTS HIS WALLET



A league source tells us that the decision of Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress to blame his failure to attend the team's first offseason mandatory minicamp on a belief that the team was "inconsiderate" for scheduling the sessions on Mother's Day weekend will hurt his trade value and/or his market worth if/when he becomes a free agent after the 2004 season.



Burress's decision not to report for the minicamp after participating in all voluntary offseason drills was seen as odd, to say the least, among league insiders, prompting speculation in some circles that Plax was hoping to dodge the pissmeister, who can make his first annual pee harvest at the initial mandatory minicamp.



Regardless of whether this rank speculation is on the mark, Burress's beef with scheduling a minicamp on (egads!) Mother's Day is grossly misplaced. Hey, Plaxy -- last time we checked, the NFL don't give a hairy poop whether guys work on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or Rosh Hashanah.



Don't get us wrong. We all love our moms. But the idea that Burress would lash out at the Steelers for dropping a minicamp on the second weekend in May is lame, and it's gonna hurt him.



COLEMAN'S RIDE GETS PIMPED, DUI STYLE



Texans safety Marcus Coleman has a new edition to his ride. And it ain't a subwoofer in the trunk or an Xbox in the seat or a coffeemaker in the armrest or a laptop in the glove box.



Instead, the dudes at West Coast Customs will be pimping out Coleman's ride with a doohickey in the drive train that requires him to blow alcohol-free air into the nozzle before the car will start.



Coleman is required to use the device as he awaits trial on a recent DUI arrest. A pretrial conference has been set for May 27.



And there's no word as to whether the judge plucked the shoulder of Coleman's shirt a la Xzibit after the ruling was announced.



SAINTS GETTING SCREWED OUT OF $10 MILLION?



Though it doesn't have the same intrigue as LaVar Arrington's missing $6.5 million roster bonus, Louisiana currently won't be able to make a $15 million payment to the Saints as part of a deal struck in 2001 to keeps the team in the Bayou.



Specifically, the payment likely will be $10 million short.



Lousiana officials cite a crash in tourism since the September 11 terrorist attacks. However, state budgets generally have been strapped since 9/11, given among other things the increased security expenses resulting from Tom Ridge's horrendous Crayola system for warning of threats.



It remains to be seen what will happen if the $10 million can't be raised. Our guess is that, if Louisiana welshes on its commitment, the Saints might be permitted to bail out of its Superdome lease, moving the team to Mississippi -- or to L.A.

[POJO_Risin]

Plax was pissin' out all the drugs he took over the hiatus...that plain and simple...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:20 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:14 a.m. EDT, May 17, 2004



NEW GUARD TAKING OVER NFL?



There's a growing sense in league circles that young, involved owners gradually are becoming the norm in the modern NFL, supplanting the "old guard" that has been essentially running the show for years.



The arrival of Steve Bisciotti in Baltimore and the elevation of Randy Lerner in Cleveland represent the clearest examples of the trend toward not only youth in the owner's box (relatively speaking) but also guys who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the process.



Both Bisciotti and Lerner already have been compared to the prototypical young, involved owner -- Redskins' chief Dan Snyder.



And the most surprising aspect here is that an increasing number of folks around the league don't necessarily regard this trend as a bad thing. Guys like Snyder are committed to winning and, more importantly from the perspective of the players, to spending money in large quantities in pursuit of victory.



On the other hand, youthful owners with their hands in the stew typically are willing, by their very nature, to challenge the ways and ideas of the existing establishment, even if such settled approaches to doing business are the end result of years of refinement and careful thought.



As we see it, there's been over the years a certain suspension of ego and personal agenda on the part of the various team owners, which has helped the league to grow and prosper on a collective basis since the advent of television. Based on the problems that are plaguing the three other so-called major sports, it's fairly clear that the balance the NFL has achieved is as tenuous as it is uncommon.



And the "I'm gonna get mine" attitude that enabled guys like Snyder and Bisciotti and (though no one ever again will accuse him of being young) Jerry Jones to make truckloads of money in other industries could threaten to bog down -- if not reverse -- the progress that the NFL has made, especially over the past ten years.



Indeed, while hard-charging owners might approve in the abstract of the mutual financial windfall that has resulted from competitive balance, we're certain that guys like Dan Snyder would much rather win the Lombardi every season. This attitude, as it proliferates among more and more of the league's 32 franchises, ultimately could create the same big-market, small-market fiasco that has destroyed (yawn) baseball.



Some might think that a free-spending, no salary cap, no revenue-sharing era in the NFL is decades down the road, if that soon. But with roughly one-to-two franchises changing hands on an annual basis, the NFL ownership ranks could, in theory, be comprised of enough young turks to change fundamentally the way the NFL does business within 15 years, or less.



If the NFL hopes to preserve a sense of decorum among its owners that has enabled them to set aside their own selfish interests in pursuit of a greater good (that coincidentally has made each of them even more obscenely rich), the key in our view will be to ensure that the Commissioner's office always is filled by a person who has the skills and abilities to keep in line those who might be inclined to reverse the progress in the hopes of making more money and/or winning more games. It also will be important, in our view, for the NFL to use a high degree of care when screening potential new owners.



Part of the problem is that few Americans are in a sufficient position to pony up the coin necessary to purchase an NFL team. And the reality is that those who have managed to amass that kind of a fortune in the modern world aren't typically inclined to "play nice" with a group of colleagues, who also are competitors.



The NFL spotted these traits in Donald Trump years ago, and the league smartly kept him from ever getting his hands on a franchise. But in 2004 and beyond, the guys who can put together $500 million or so have far more in common with Trump than many of the old guard owners might be willing to admit.



SHARPE CLOSE TO CBS DEAL?



The Rocky Mountain News reports that CBS officials believe they're close to striking a deal with Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, who would retire from the NFL for a three-year deal worth less than $1 million per season to jump onto the set of the NFL Today.



CBS Sports executive Leslie Ann Wade said on Sunday that the talks between Sharpe and the network are "serious," and that CBS is "hopeful there will be an announcement early this week."



The spot for Sharpe became available last week, after former NFL Today personality Deion Sanders bolted in a dispute over money.



"I've met with them several times," Sharpe said. "I've done the playoffs. They like what I do. I can think on my feet and I have an opinion. The guys in the league know I speak my mind, I'm fair and there's a 99 percent chance I know what I'm talking about."



Not everyone is enthralled with the idea of Sharpe taking his motormouth to the airwaves (and based on the last sentence of the above quote you can add us to that group). Rocky Mountain News columnist Bernie Lincicome argues that Sharpe shouldn't add his voice to the growing din of folks who typically think they know what they're talking about. Here's a sampling of Lincicome's observations:



"Sharpe has done this kind of TV already, finding a place during last season's playoffs. My recollection is he was pretty ordinary, but possibly his blather is more appealing to those not so used to it. . . .



"The reason Sharpe is attractive to TV is because he is not embarrassed to be a clown . . . . Sharpe is the most likely to be outrageous. He will be there to help catch the Sunday football audience while it still is sober, before the numbness of the games and the gloom of the lost parlay set in. . . .



"Clearly, the bar has been raised -- or lowered, as the case may be -- for Sharpe. Not only does he have Bradshaw across the dial and Dan Marino across the set, as well as any number of cable nits, but he has the reduced expectations of the audience. Who could pass up a chance to get in on this -- for as much money as Sharpe would make getting banged around on his aging back -- before actual journalism breaks out."



Of course, the guys who take these jobs wouldn't know journalism if Edward R. Murrow stuck a notepad in their mouths and a fountain pen in their bungholes. Then again, since real journalists generally don't regard sports reporting as real journalism, why should the networks care?



JOHNSON MAKES BALTIMORE DEBUT


Receiver Kevin Johnson will don Ravens gear for the first time when he joins the team on Monday for a passing camp, which is the team's first organized session since their 2003 season ended with a playoff loss to the Titans.



Johnson was acquired from the Jaguars for a fourth-round pick in April, after the Ravens were unable to pry disgruntled Browns receiver Dennis Northcutt from their archrivals in Cleveland.



Ironically, Northcutt's posture likely was influenced in large part by Johnson's experience with the Browns. Last season, Johnson abruptly was cut based in part on the fact that he wanted out.



But with more than 15 teams making waiver claims for Johnson, perhaps the Browns have realized that giving a player who declares his unhappiness a free pass onto the open market might not be a good idea.



Johnson won't see several high profile teammates at the sessions. Running back Jamal Lewis and defensive back Corey Fuller have been "excused" from the voluntary camp (huh?) so that they can focus on their current legal problems. Also. linebacker Ray Lewis will miss the camp due to a finger injury.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:13 p.m. EDT, May 17, 2004



McKENZIE HIRES ROSENHAUS



A league source tells us that disgruntled Packers defensive back Mike McKenzie has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to assist in McKenzie's extrication for a sticky situation in Green Bay.



Per the source, McKenzie selected Rosenhaus over a gaggle of suitors, including Jimmy Sexton and Leigh Steinberg.



McKenzie parted ways with agent Brian Parker a couple of weeks ago after efforts to obtain for McKenzie a new deal fell on deaf ears in Green Bay. Prior reports were that Parker fired McKenzie, but the source tells us that the move possibly was more mutual than unilateral.



The first order of business for Rosenhaus, we're told, will be to high-tail it to the land of the tundra for a sit-down with the powers-that-be. McKenzie's primary objective remains to persuade the Packers to trade the five-year veteran to another team.



Potential candidates for his services include the Saints, Steelers, and Cowboys. The Texans were interested prior to drafting Dunta Robinson last month, but the current legal troubles involving veteran Marcus Coleman could potentially draw Houston into the bidding.



There's still no guarantee, however, that the Packers will make a move, given that McKenzie has three years remaining on his current contract. The Pack have all the leverage -- and as we previously reported they can recoup nearly $3.5 million in bonus money that previously was paid to McKenzie if he refuses to honor his deal.



FINS MAKE OPENING OFFER TO OGUNLEYE



Word out of South Florida is that the Miami Dolphins have extended to defensive end Adewale Ogunleye an initial offer for a multi-year deal.



Ogunleye, a restricted free agent who was tendered at the highest possible level by the Dolphins, has said that he won't report to training camp without a long-term deal. Instead, he's promised to report after Week Ten, which is the last date on which he can begin playing and still pick up his final year of credit toward unrestricted free agency.



Details aren't available regarding the offer, but we're told that the two sides are far apart. Apparently, the opener wasn't low enough to scare Ogunleye away from the table -- we hear that the AFC sack leader for 2003 plans to respond with an eye toward igniting a back-and-forth that gets the deal done sooner rather than later.



Stay tuned.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:40 a.m. EDT, May 19, 2004



BURRESS BURNING BRIDGES IN THE 'BURGH?



Little more than a week after skipping a mandatory minicamp based on an alleged desire to be with his brothers on Mother's Day, Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress was the team's only no-show for voluntary drills that began on Tuesday -- and he likely is setting the stage either for a trade or a decision by the team not to re-sign him after his contract expires in January.



At least one of his teammates is unhappy with Burress's stance.



"I don't know if he is alive, dead or what the situation is," receiver Hines Ward said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.



"If that's his excuse, Mother's Day, if that's what's he's saying, we have to abide by it," Ward said. "What's the reasoning now? I don't know. I'm clueless . . . . I thought he was going to be here."



Teammate Jerome Bettis took a different view. "If he wasn't here for the first game, it would be a problem," Bettis said. "For right now, it's not a problem. Sometimes people go through some things and you have to give them a chance to sort it out. I think it would be wrong if we judged him right now without knowing what's going on."



Burress called the team "inconsiderate" for scheduling the mandatory minicamp on Mother's Day weekend, but some folks thought Burress's absence was actually related to displeasure with his contract, which expires after the 2004 season. His absence from voluntary workouts suggests that perhaps his excuse for missing the mandatory minicamp was less than truthful.



Our guess is that there will continue to be calls from some corners of the front office to get value for Burress now, before 2005 rolls around and the team gets nothing in return when he leaves via free agency. The problem, however, is that coach Bill Cowher is operating for the first time ever under a deal with only two years remaining, which previously has prompted speculation that he might not be around in 2005 if the team doesn't win in 2004.



So, as a practical matter, Cowher would have no desire to give up a highly talented (albeit at times underachieving) receiver, unless the team could land a solid contributor in return.



Enter Packers cornerback Mike McKenzie. In our view, the Steelers should be drooling at the possibility of shipping Burress to Green Bay for the disgruntled corner. The only problem, however, is that the Packers' receiving corps of Donald Driver, Javon Walker, and Robert Ferguson made great strides in 2003, making Burress less than a necessity for the Pack.



Also, if Burress isn't happy with his contract, any team that requires him in trade surely will need to work out a new deal in order to persuade him to happily join the fold.



In all, it's a bad situation for Burress, and our guess is that it will get worse before it gets better.



PACK WANT FIRST-ROUNDER FOR MIKE



Agent Drew Rosenhaus likely is facing an uphill challenge as he tries to find a team willing to give up a first-round pick or a comparable player -- which, per a league source, is what the Packers expect in return for cornerback Mike McKenzie.



It's possible, as we see it, that the Packers have attached this level of compensation to any deal because they sense that no team will be willing to cough up compensation in that range.



Then again, if the Pack aren't interested in Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress, we could envision coach Bill Cowher offering to send the team's 2005 first-rounder to Green Bay for a guy who would instantly upgrade a lackluster defensive backfield. As explained above, Cowher might not be in Pittsburgh in 2005 if he doesn't win in 2004, so why not give up next year's first-round pick in an effort to make this year's team better?



And, in the end, perhaps the best outcome will be for the Steelers to send a first-rounder to Green Bay for McKenzie, and to recoup that pick by sending Plax to the Chiefs or the 49ers.



Back to McKenzie, we've picked up some additional information regarding the question of whether the veteran corner's split earlier this month with agent Brian Parker was a mutual decision. Per a league source, it wasn't -- and we've gotten an eyeful of documents that make crystal clear that the move was initiated by Parker.



We've also obtained confirmation of the fact that McKenzie faces a repayment obligation of up to $3,412,464 if he makes good on prior threats retire. $2,100,000 of that amount comes from McKenzie's original $3,500,000 signing bonus, and that remaining $1,312,464 arises from a $1.75 million roster bonus that was converted to a guaranteed payment in 2003 in order to provide cap relief for the Packers.



Finally, we've also confirmed that, at one point this offseason, McKenzie was prepared to agree to a modification of his contract that merely would have converted $200,000 per year over the next three seasons into reporting bonuses. Under the modification, McKenzie's 2006 salary also would have increased to $4,850,000 if McKenzie were elected to the Pro Bowl for the 2004 or 2005 seasons.



The proposed deal was far enough along to result in the paperwork being prepared.



At this point, however, that agreement is long gone, and the only ongoing effort will be an attempt to find McKenzie a new home. Though it seems like a possible long shot, the fact that Rosenhaus was able to work out a trade between the Redskins and the Broncos for running back Clinton Portis earlier this year suggests to us that, in the end, something will get done.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS


QB Kerry Collins, scheduled to arrive in Green Bay Tuesday night, canceled his visit; the Packers are trying to get it reset.



With 25 years of football in the rear-view mirror, Shannon Sharpe looks forward to "25 million, 30 million people tuning in to see if I know what I'm talking about" (hey, Shannon, you've been hired to replace Deion Sanders on the No. 3 NFL pregame show, not to replace Randy Jackson on American Idol).



The Jags are still talking to DE Tony Brackens about a contract.



WR Keenan McCardell is skipping voluntary workouts in Tampa, due to displeasure with his contract.



Ravens LB Terrell Suggs still faces felony charges in Arizona resulting from an altercation that occurred prior to the 2003 draft; trial is set for September 9.



Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga expressed confidence that the team will sign DE Adewale Ogunleye to a long-term deal, but Huizenga hints that Ogunleye will get a "good" (not "great") salary.



Fully expecting to be released after June 1, Steelers LB Jason Gildon is still working out at the team's facility, even as his teammates practice there.



Jags QB David Garrard might need surgery for Crohn's disease.



The Vikings have signed RB Mewelde Moore, their fourth-round draft pick.



The Falcons have named Phil Emery their director of college scouting; Emery most recently served as a scout for the Bears.



The Bills have signed TE Tim Euhus, their fourth-round pick.



The Patriots are talking to WR David Givens, an exclusive-rights free agent, about a contract extension.

[POJO_Risin]

At this point...I like any deal for McKenzie with the Steelers...and getting fucking Plax out of this shit...

[ALinChainz]

And even if Plax moves, he'll be good for a season to get the big coin on his next contract, and then become an asshole again.

David Boston, Daryl Gardener, Jeff George are some names that come to mind.

I'm sure there are more.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:55 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:26 a.m. EDT, May 20, 2004



BARBER NEXT BUC TO TAKE CUT?



Word around the league is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have asked cornerback Ronde Barber to take a pay cut.



The request, we're told, isn't going over well with Barber, a long-time cog in the team's Cover 2 scheme.



But new G.M. Bruce Allen has made it known through the handling of mainstays Warren Sapp and John Lynch that there are no sacred cows in Tampa as he and coach Jon Gruden try to re-tool a roster built by former G.M. Rich McKay.



The money that Barber is asked to cough up could be used to help address the demands of receiver Keenan McCardell, who is boycotting voluntary workouts due to displeasure over his contract.



We haven't heard whether the Bucs will bounce Barber if he refuses to reduce his pay, and our guess is that there would be a high demand for the 29-year-old's services in other NFL cities. The most intriguing possibility, of course, would be the Giants, where Ronde's identical twin brother, Tiki, is the starting tailback.



MCKENZIE GENERATING INTEREST



A league source tells us that several teams are interested in Packers cornerback Mike McKenzie, who recently received permission to seek a trade.



The Browns, who at one point were thinking seriously about taking DeAngelo Hall in the first round of last month's draft, are in the mix. We're hearing that, under such a scenario, the Browns would send quarterback Tim Couch and at least one draft pick to Green Bay for McKenzie.



The X factor in such discussions, however, is the willingness of Couch to reduce his salary. To date, Couch's financial expectations have kept a deal from getting done.



Other interested teams are the Ravens, Jags, and Eagles. In Baltimore, McKenzie would replace Corey Fuller, whose off-field troubles are giving the team an increasing level of discomfort. Adding McKenzie would permit the Ravens to keep Gary Baxter at safety. Baxter moved from corner to safety when Fuller was added to the roster as a free agent from Cleveland.



STEELERS SERIOUS ABOUT MOVING PLAX?



As the impasse between the Steelers and receiver Plaxico Burress lingers, we're hearing greater indications of a willingness by the team to send him elsewhere.



We've previously identified the Chiefs and 49ers as possible destinations for the former top-ten pick. Another potential home for Burress is San Diego, where the trade of David Boston and the general failure to address the receiver position in the draft has left the Chargers with a substandard stable of pass-catchers.



Word is that, at this point, Burress might be had for as little as a second-round pick. As we see it, though, coach Bill Cowher likely would prefer to get someone who can help the team win now, since he might not be around to help pull the trigger on any picks that the team picks up for Plax.



UDEZE POOP-CANS BROTHER



Multiple league sources tell us that Vikings first-round draft pick Kenechi Udeze has fired his agents, Jamal Tooson and Thomas Barnes.



The termination of Barnes is surprising because Barnes is Udeze's brother.



Word is that Udeze was very unhappy with the first-round free fall that he experienced in last month's draft, which was fueled by eleventh-hour rumors regarding a torn labrum in his shoulder.



Barnes and/or Tooson didn't make the situation any better by not insisting upon Udeze attending the medical re-check at the scouting combine and by failing to take steps to remove any doubt regarding his health in the days leading up to the draft.



We're hearing that, in the end, Barnes might not be completely out of the picture. Word is that Barnes could be part of the team that represents Udeze, assuming that Kenechi hires a new guy who's willing to work with Udeze's brother.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:10 a.m. EDT, May 21, 2004



BEARS EYEING SEVERAL PROSPECTS



Our Chitown mole tells us that the Bears are keeping close watch on several players who might be available either by trade or by post-June 1 free agency.



Word is that the team continues to consider signing quarterback Kurt Warner, and that they still haven't ruled out swinging a trade for Dolphins defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, even though it appears that Ogunleye and the Fins have commenced the long-term contract mating dance.



We're also hearing that the Bears have an interest in Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress and Tampa defensive back Ronde Barber.



Burress undoubtedly is available in trade, given his recent string of bizarre behavior in the 'Burgh. Barber is getting squeezed by the Bucs to take a pay cut, and could be the next high-profile member of the 2002 self-styled best defense ever to be playing defense elsewhere.



Also, we continue to hear that the Bears will dump receiver David Terrell after June 1. Terrell, a first-round pick in the 2001 draft, has been a major disappointment for the Bears.



WARNER ASKING FOR TROUBLE IN NY?



The talk in some league circles is that Rams quarterback Kurt Warner should have his head examined if he thinks that the best place to resurrect his NFL career is in New York, with the Giants.



With his eggs scrambled a few times too many (most recently by the Giants in the 2003 season opener), Warner needs to be operating behind a solid offensive line that will protect him from any further knocks to the noggin.



And in New York, the Giants' line deteriorated in 2003, and the team has done little if anything to shore it up in 2004.



So why should anyone expect to see anything other than what we all saw last September, when the Giants defense turned Warner's brain into beef stew?



We know that Warner still think he's got it (even if he doesn't), but he needs to consider very, very carefully whether he'll have any reasonable chance to set up and throw behind one of the more porous offensive lines in the league.



It also remains to be seen whether the Giants will pursue Warner in the face of lukewarm comments by Eli Manning regarding Warner's potential arrival.



"I'm not in control of that; it's not my decision. If they bring in Kurt Warner obviously that's what they think is best for the team," Manning said. Since part of the idea is to help Warner tutor Manning, we think that, in the end, the Giants' decision should be influenced by whether Manning wants him there.



RAVENS REVERSE COURSE ON COLLINS?



With backup quarterback Anthony Wright possibly missing the entire 2004 season with surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, the chances of the Ravens pursuing Kerry Collins suddenly have increased.



Despite reports that Collins is close to a deal with the Raiders, look for the Ravens to jump into the fray quickly -- albeit quietly.



We recently reported that the Ravens were debating internally the question of whether to add Collins notwithstanding the presence of Wright and presumptive starter Kyle Boller. As we heard it, coach Brian Billick and assistant Jim Fassel want Collins, while G.M. Ozzie Newsome wants to stand pat.



Newsome's thinking is that Boller is the guy into whom the team invested a first-round pick a year ago, and Wright proved to be a more than capable backup when Boller was injured during his rookie year. So with Wright suddenly gone, there's clearly a need for a strong No. 2 in Baltimore.



And don't rule out the possibility that Collins could come to Baltimore and start, at least for 2004. Collins, working with Fassel, gives the team a better chance to win this year, which would go a long way toward making owner Steve Bisciotti's first year in charge a good one. Then, Collins could hit the open market in 2005 in the early stages of free agency, when a much greater number of teams will be trolling for a starting quarterback. The Ravens, in turn, could give the ball back to Boller next season.



Given talk that the Ravens might instead look to Kordell Stewart or Kurt Warner, it seems clear to us that Kerry is the far better choice.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



The Giants brought in DT Dana Stubblefield for a visit, but apparently will not sign him.



Jags WR Jimmy Smith has sage advice for Fins RB Ricky Williams -- admit that you smoked weed, suffer the consequences, and move on.



QB A.J. Feeley's biggest problem to date in Miami is his struggles with the team's terminology.



Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith says he is exploring trade possibilities with other teams; he wouldn't comment on the positions he's targeting for improvement (here's our advice -- try all of them).



Who said the Bengals aren't cheap anymore? Coach Marvin Lewis explains the basis for the decision to drop the players' last names from practice jerseys: "It's a save-money thing. We know who they are."



There continues to be speculation that the Giants will dump the Bachelor, especially after they've added QB Kurt Kittner to the roster.



Steelers WR Plaxico Burress apparently won't return to the team until training camp.



Previously undersized Dolphins LT Wade Smith has packed on 15 pounds, pushing his weight to 310.



The Redskins have added long-time Panthers personnel exec Jack Bushofsky in a consulting role.



Redskins OL Kenyatta Jones was placed on one year probation for pouring boiling water on house guest/administrative assistant Mark Paul.



CB Dale Carter picked the Ravens over the Browns, signing a one-year, minimum-salary deal with Baltimore; he's expected to take 25 snaps per game as the dime back.



POSTED 9:37 a.m. EDT, May 20, 2004



COLLINS WANTED COMMITMENT FROM PACK



A league source tells us that free agent quarterback Kerry Collins canceled his recent visit to Green Bay because the Pack wouldn't tell Collins that he was their No. 1 choice on the current QB market.



Per the source, the Packers told Collins that he couldn't be No. 1 on their list because . . . they'd . . . never . . . met . . . him. The idea, explained the Pack, was for Collins to come and get acquainted so that the team could then decide whether to make Collins an offer.



But Collins feared that he was being used as leverage for the Packers' ongoing discussions with Browns quarterback Tim Couch, who is taken a hard line in his negotiations with the Packers given that he has roughly, um, zero other options.



PLAX'S STOCK PLUMMETS



We're hearing surprising rumblings that teams have little interest in Steelers' receiver Plaxico Burress. The four-year pro's stock has taken a tumble of late, due to a string of questionable behavior beginning with his decision to skip out on the team's first mandatory minicamp of the offseason and his failure to show for voluntary workouts that began on Tuesday of this week.



One league source opined that Burress simply isn't in position to force both a trade and a new contract. Despite flashes of brilliance, Burress generally is regarded as an underachiever. His apparent discontent with his current contract and his erratic behavior is prompting folks to shy away from putting together a package to present to the Steelers.



The key event, as we see it, is whether Burress shows for the next mandatory minicamp in June. If he doesn't, we think the Steelers will move quickly to get whatever they can in return for the former top ten pick.



It could be, in the end, a far cry from what the Steelers could've finagled if they'd tried to shop Burress prior to the draft. The Chiefs were interested in sending the 30th overall pick to the 'Burgh for Burress, but we'd consistently heard that coach Bill Cowher didn't want to part with one of his best players.



And none of this, frankly, will do much to persuade the Steelers to extend the contract of Cowher, who's presently in danger of getting the axe after the 2004 season.



Speaking of Cowher, one of our readers in Pittsburgh tells us that ESPN Radio 1250 personality Mark Madden reported on Thursday that Cowher lost much of his personnel juice after the 2003 season, apparently after complaints from the scouting department that their input routinely was ignored. Those of you who are acquainted with this here site might recall our November 19, 2003 report regarding this very issue.



RAIDERS WAIT, SEE ON GANNON



We know, we know. We've been on both sides of the question of whether the Raiders will keep 2002 MVP Rich Gannon for another season. And, unlike John Kerry, we've now carved out a third position.



It depends.



Word is that the Raiders are taking a wait-and-see approach over the next few weeks with Gannon, so that they can assess the condition of his shoulder -- and so that they can get a feel for whether he'll agree to reduce his salary.



Meanwhile, the Raiders are keeping Kerry Collins on hold. If they decide to dump Gannon, Collins will be the guy that they try to sign as his replacement.



IDZIK LANDS IN 'ZONA



The Arizona Cardinals have hired former Tampa exec John Idzik as Senior Director of Football Operations.



Idzik, according to the Cardinals' web site, will be involved in negotiating contracts, managing the team’s salary cap and football operations budget, assisting in player evaluation and personnel matters, and directing the team’s travel and computer operations.



Cut loose by Tampa earlier this year, Idzik's arrival signifies another step out of the dark ages by the Cardinals organization, which in our view quickly is pulling way ahead of the Chargers in the worst-NFL-franchise category.



Meanwhile, the guy whom Idzik will replace -- Jay Nienkark -- is filling the cap guru slot in Seattle that was unexpectedly created when Mike Reinfeldt quit due to a dispute over his pay. Nienkark worked closely with 'Hawks G.M. Bob Ferguson when both were in Arizona.

[Troy]

So much information but, I love reading this stuff.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 11:32 a.m. EDT, May 22, 2004



BURRESS FOR THOMAS A POSSIBILITY?



Unsubstantiated rumors have been circulating around the league for the past several days regarding a potential trade of receivers between the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Under this fairly simple swap, the Bears would send disappointing 2001 first-rounder David Terrell to the Steelers for suddenly diss-appointing 2000 first-rounder Plaxico Burress.



But with Terrell's release after June 1 virtually a foregone conclusion, and given (as we see it) a huge talent gap between Burress, a former Michigan State star, and his counterpart from the U. of Michigan, it's not a realistic proposal.



We're now hearing, however, that the deal could work if the Bears were interested in shipping 2001 second-rounder (and fellow Michigan product) Anthony Thomas to the 'Burgh for Burress.



On the surface, Thomas hardly represents an area of need on the Steelers' offense, given the presence of Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis. But their desire to continue to add capable running backs to the roster confirms that Bettis has only one more year, at most, in black and gold.



Regardless, the A-Train likely would welcome the move, since the arrival of Thomas Jones in Chitown likely means that Thomas won't have much of a chance to see the field in 2004.



CAMP COUGHLIN SHORTENED BY TWO DAYS



The New York Times reports that the Giants will lose two days of organized workouts next week as a penalty for violating offseason practice rules.



The players will still receive compensation for the two days off, but none of them will be permitted to report to the team facility.



The penalty resulted from the length of workouts and from the amount of classroom time. The NFLPA also has warned coach Tom Coughlin against describing voluntary sessions as mandatory. Any further violations could result in the loss of draft picks.



Meanwhile, if anyone is interested in playing some pick-up football next Tuesday and/or Wednesday, be at the big grass field next to the 7-11 in East Rutherford at 9:00 a.m. (And don't forget your helmet.)



P.S. If Tom Coughlin happens to stop by for a Slurpee, don't be afraid to invite him over to watch.



HALL'S COMBINE RUN WAS COERCED



Like many fluff pieces put together by "real" journalists, the most interesting stuff often gets buried into the bowels of the story.



Such is the case with Matt Winklejohn's butt-smoocher regarding Falcons rookie cornerback DeAngelo Hall. After suffering through multiple 'graphs regarding Hall's search for a house and his reputation for so-called "athletic arrogance," the patient (albeit bored) reader is rewarded with a revealing "behind-the-scenes" look at Hall's blazing 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine.



The previously untold story regarding Hall's jaunt on a sssslow Indy surface is that, like many blue-chippers, Hall planned to wait until his Pro Day workout to run the 40. The fact that so many prospects skip the 40 at the combine tends to stick in the collective craw of NFL types.



In Hall's case, he paid heed to comments from Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and others regarding his decision not to run.

"It wasn't just [Vermeil]; it was a lot of coaches," said Hall. "They were like, 'Fast guys run fast. Why don't you want to run?' I was saying, 'I just want to train for it and do it on my pro day and probably run faster than I would now.'

"It was like they were saying, 'I think you're scared.' That's the sense I was getting. So, after hearing it from enough coaches, I was like . . . 'You don't think I can do it? That's what I'm going to do.'"

And he did. In 4.34 seconds.



We doubt that this phenomenon will prompt other guys to run at the combine. Many of them don't realize that the teams take into account the slow nature of the surface at the combine -- and that the teams add time to the numbers generated on supposedly faster surfaces elsewhere.



Still, we've got to hand it to Hall. He accepted the challenge, and he ran a time on the surface at Indy that very well might have been a 4.2 elsewhere, especially if he'd had time to specifically prepare to run.



OLD STEELERS COMMENT ON CHANGED TIMES



In a revealing look at the stark differences between pro football from the 1970s and the modern game, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks with former Steelers Lynn Swann and Andy Russell about the way things used to be in the offseason.



Swann, who played in the 'Burgh from 1974 through 1982, explained that football in those days was a part-time gig. "You had six months where you played football and went to camp," he said. "You worked out in the offseason, but you had six months to do anything else you wanted to do and you got paid a lot more money than the average guy."



Russell explained that, in the days before multimillion-dollar signing bonuses, most guys had other jobs during the offseason. "You just couldn't afford to not work," he said. "That meant you had limited time to work out -- unlike today's players who are paid to go to the stadium and who work out four-five hours a day with tremendous programs and all of these weight machines."



Lifting weights in those days was though to make players "clumsy and uncoordinated," Russell said.

"It was for narcissistic guys who wanted to look in mirrors. Of course, they were totally wrong."

Swann says that the money has changed the teams' expectations.
"When you start paying guys who haven't played a down for you $2 [million to] $10 million or more in bonuses, then you expect it to be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week profession and you expect people to do everything they need to do to enhance their chances of being very, very good and help the team become a winner."

[POJO_Risin]

Man...that deal doesn't make much sense...Burress for ATrain...

god...he's a Steeler back though...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 12:35 p.m. EDT, May 23, 2004



COUGHLIN CONFRONTS O'HARA



A league source tells us that Giants coach Tom Coughlin has fingered newcomer Shaun O'Hara as one of the players who complained to the NFL Players Association regarding Coughlin's violation of offseason workout rules.



Following an investigation, the Giants lost two days of voluntary workouts.



Per the source, Coughlin tore into O'Hara so aggressively that it prompted other players in the vicinity to walk away.



We hear that O'Hara, who is expected to play center for the G-men, used to be a player rep with the Browns. Coincidentally, the Browns were accused last year of breaking the offseason workout rules. No violations ultimately were found.



Word also is that morale is low in Giants camp. As one source said, "If this is what it's like in minicamps, what the f--k is the season going to be like?"

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:20 a.m. EDT, May 24, 2004



RAVENS, BEARS BLOW IT ON COLLINS



With news that the Oakland Raiders are poised to sign Giants' castoff Kerry Collins, several league insiders believe that the Bears and the Ravens committed a major faux pas (French for "f--k up") by not making a run at one of the most underrated passers in the game.



The Ravens stayed away from Collins, we're told, because they now believe that backup Anthony Wright might be able to come back from shoulder surgery sooner than expected. As one source said, "Am I missing something? Did he just turn into Steve McNair? . . . . Even if he comes back, he sucks."



Another personnel exec suggested to us that Ravens starter Kyle Boller isn't ready to be a successful starting quarterback, and that Collins would have provided a perfect Jon Kitna-type gap-filler until Boller is ready to go.



Yet another personnel guy was befuddled by the Bears' lack of interest in Collins. "All they got now at QB is a bunch of big and little turds," the source said.



Meanwhile, the Raiders pick up a guy who likely will take over the starting job, sooner if not later. At $5 million per year over a three-year deal, Collins ain't being paid to ride the painted pine pony. Our guess is that the Raiders will try to ska-weeze Rich Gannon into a significant pay cut to "compete" for the starting job in 2004, and that Gannon likely will refuse -- and get the boot.



As we see it, the only thing that might make the Raiders inclined to work out a deal with Gannon is the likelihood that he'll catch the first plane to Tampa and reunite with Jon Gruden, if/when he's released by Al Davis and company. Then again, if Davis is convinced that Gannon is washed up, maybe the Raiders' preference is to allow Gannon and Gruden to fail together.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



Texans QB David Carr is doing the Johnny Damon thing with his hair.



The Jags are gearing up for rookie negotiations, including No. 9 overall pick Reggie Williams -- a Poston client.



Rams RB Arlen Harris is making the move to fullback.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:10 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:45 a.m. EDT, May 25, 2004



NCAA SHOULD LET WILLIAMS BACK IN



With the Second Circuit Court of Appeals announcing on Monday its decision to bar from the NFL draft Maurice Clarett and any other underclassmen less than three years removed from high school, it's now time for the biggest winner in this legal three-ring circus -- the NCAA -- to do the right thing and allow USC receiver Mike Williams to regain his eligibility.



Make no mistake about it. The NFL secured for the NCAA the ability of its member schools to continue to earn millions in revenue in exchange for providing (drum roll, please) a free education.



The legal fight technically isn't over, but the overcome has never seemed more clear. Clarett can petition the full Second Circuit to reconsider the decision of the three-judge panel. Also, Clarett can ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.



In most cases, obtaining a reversal of a federal appeals court is, as a practical matter, a long shot. Still, we doubt that Clarett and his lawyer, Alan Milstein, are ready to fold the tents.



The loser in all of this is Williams, who was prepared to return to USC until Judge Shira Scheindlin announced in February her decision that Clarett should be allowed into the April draft.



Though, as we previously have explained, Williams cooked his own goose when he signed with an agent, the NCAA should make a special exception in Williams' case. And even if the NCAA isn't inclined to do it in the interests of helping out Williams, the NCAA should do it in the interests of helping the NFL out of a predicament that it created when it threw the gates open and welcomed all otherwise ineligible players into the April draft.



As NFL V.P. of public relations Greg Aiello told us last month, the league warned Williams that it would revoke the invitation if it prevailed in court. Still, the league now faces a separate suit from Williams, who is left with no realistic football options south of Saskatchewan if he doesn't get back into USC.



So, in our view, Williams rightly should be suing someone -- even if the ultimate culprit is his agent, Mike Azzarelli, who might not have given Williams a full and complete explanation regarding the risks of declaring for the draft and signing with an agent.



The entire mess, however, can be avoided if the NCAA simply lets Williams return to the Trojans.



It could be wishful thinking on our part. The NCAA coaches individually care only about helping their programs win more games than they lose, and they aren't about to extend a gratuity to anyone -- especially if it means allowing the defending AP national champions to reload with one of its best players.



Hell, even as the NFL has been respecting the NCAA's desire over the years to have a hammerlock on young players, many NCAA coaches have done little to help NFL teams get a fair look at players who are getting ready to make the leap to the next level.



So our guess is that the NCAA will once again bite the generous hand that has been aiding in the feeding of the coffers of its member institutions with the blood, sweat, and talent of players whose rewards pale in comparison to the risks they take and/or the revenue they make.



TUBE TALKS TO GET STARTED?



With an improving economy and an increase in ad revenues for sporting events, the NFL apparently is interested in kick-starting discussions on an extension to broadcast rights contracts that expire after the 2005 season.



In the current deal, which had twice the length and twice the yearly haul of the prior package, the networks have taken a deep annual bath. Efforts by the networks to get relief at the height of the recent recession were ignored by the NFL, causing concerns that the networks will draw a line in the sand the next time the parties meet at the bargaining table.



It could be that the networks are willing to accept the fact that they will never make money directly on the NFL, but that having the NFL will allow them to preserve a certain status among their competitors. Coupled with the NFL's apparent willingness to tweak the product in an effort to enhance advertising revenues, it looks like the league will once again find itself rolling (rightfully so) in the billions of dollars that are paid to the 32 teams for the privilege of airing the greatest game ever invented.



As the Washington Post reports, it's possible that talks will commence even before the 2004 season. And, as we see it, the timing is just right. Prime-time television is in a massive state of flux, with every network betting that reality-based shows aren't merely a guilty pleasure of which the masses suddenly will tire.



The last thing that FOX, ABC, ESPN, and CBS should want to do is risk losing the ultimate TV reality series. And the first thing NBC should try to do is get back in.



These dynamics suggest that the NFL will, in the end, win again.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



With QB Anthony Wright, the Ravens will turn to Kordell Stewart or Brad Johnson, if he's released by the Bucs after they sign Rich Gannon, if he's released by the Raiders.



Stewart reportedly is mulling an offer from the Ravens that would pay him close to the veteran minimum.



The Lions are interested in DT Dana Stubblefield and TE Stephen Alexander.



Newly-signed Raiders QB Kerry Collins says he "wasn't in too much of a mood to help" the Giants after they picked up Eli Manning.



The Bears have signed fourth-round CB Nathan Vasher to a four-year deal.



The Texans are giving OL Seth Wand a shake at left tackle.



The Chiefs have signed FB Marvin Brown.



The Colts are taking a wait-and-see approach to CB Joseph Jefferson's recent DUI arrest.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com

http://www.thefantasymasters.com


POSTED 2:04 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:19 a.m. EDT, May 26, 2004



GRUDEN KEEPING GANNON IN OAKLAND?



Though for now we have to keep this story in the "rank-but-informed speculation" folder, the uncanny decision of the Oakland Raiders to hang onto quarterback Rich Gannon seems to be a ploy by owner Al Davis to delay and/or derail an otherwise inevitable reunion of Gannon and former Raiders coach Jon Gruden.



The addition of Kerry Collins, with a three-year deal worth more than $16 million, prompted many to conclude that the Raiders would run Gannon and his $7 million salary out the door. But now the Raiders are saying that Gannon is still the starter, despite the arrival of Collins and lingering concerns regarding Gannon's shoulder.



Our discussions with various league sources over the past few months have confirmed that a deep degree of animosity exists between the Raiders and the Buccaneers. Thus, although the Raiders might have decided to cut the cord on Gannon, Davis surely wants to prevent Gannon from making a bee-line to Tampa, where Jon Gruden's magic touch with Gannon could make the Raiders look stupid for letting the 2002 NFL MVP go.



Instead, look for the Raiders to hold Gannon until it's too late, as a practical matter, for the Bucs to sign him.



In theory, the Raiders can cut Gannon on the eve of the regular-season opener and still avoid his salary for 2004. The only downside is that the Raiders will be required to carry his cap number until he's off of the roster.



But then the extra bulge of money can be used to extend the contracts of younger players, or to front-load a new deal for franchise player Charles Woodson, who likely will be without a new contract come September.



Meanwhile, the Bucs won't have the cap room to sign Gannon, or the time to get him integrated into the team.



Keep an eye on this one as the summer unfolds. Kerry Collins isn't some rookie who needs a season to learn the ropes from Gannon (and the irony of such a suggestion is obvious, given that the Giants wanted Collins to play the lame-duck role with Eli Manning). With a new head coach getting started this season, there's no time like right now to give Collins the ball. Keeping the title of starter under Gannon's name places a bit less pressure on Collins throughout the summer and, more importantly, it keeps Gannon out of Gruden's clutches.



Sure, the Bucs might sign Gannon after the Raiders cut him in September. But without three months to get comfortable in Tampa, the chances of Gannon and Gruden making the Raiders look bad in 2004 will be slim.



HARRIS CAN THANK LAMBERT FOR HALL SNUB



We cringed a bit when we saw that former Cowboys safety Cliff Harris is bellyaching about getting snubbed (again) in voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.



Harris was a solid player in his day. But a Hall of Famer? Please.



Harris suggests a bias against the 1970s Cowboys because they lost two Super Bowl games to the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Of course, the Cowboys also won Super Bowl XII.)



If Harris's theory had any merit, Carl Eller of the four-time Super Bowl loser Vikings wouldn't have been elected to the Hall in lieu of Harris in ballots cast this year (and Fran Tarkenton and Alan Page and Paul Krause and Bud Grant wouldn't have been inducted, either).



There also wouldn't be seven members of the 1970s Cowboys in Canton.



One potential factor that Harris might conveniently be ignoring is his role in one of the most memorable (or, in his case, forgettable) moments in Super Bowl history.



After Steelers kicker Roy Gerela missed a field goal in Super Bowl X, Harris embraced Gerela and patted him on the helmet.

Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert responded by throwing Harris onto the ground like a bag full of baby dolls.



Our guess is that the voters recall that same moment every time they see Harris's name on the ballot. And with an enduring image of poor sportsmanship met with swift justice undermining at his credentials, it's no surprise that he hasn't made it in yet.



For us, the surprise will be if he ever does.



JACKSON CLOSE TO HIRING ARCENEAUX

Word around the league is that, after weeks of mulling and contemplating, Rams rookie running back Steven Jackson is close to signing a rep agreement with agent Rocky Arceneaux.

We're confused, frankly, by Jackson's willingness to sign on with the same guy who represents Rams starter Marshall Faulk. Though the rules don't prohibit representation of multiple players who play the same position on the same team, the reality is that Arceneaux won't be able to fight for the best possible contract for Jackson without potentially alienating the Rams as to Faulk, and vice-versa.

Will, for example, Arceneaux risk pissing the Rams off via a Jackson holdout when Faulk's oversized contract gradually is reaching the point of diminished returns?



Likewise, will Arceneaux recommend a five-year rookie deal for Jackson, since a longer contract will, as a practical matter, delay the date on which it becomes prudent for the team to nudge Faulk aside? That extra season basically pushes Faulk's day of reckoning back by a full year, allowing Arceneaux another season of generating three percent from Faulk's high-end salary, while Jackson waits one year longer to get paid.

Moreover, will Arceneaux argue that Jackson should be paid like a starter in the short-term, based on widespread whispers that Faulk's knee is in worse condition than previously feared?



The fact that Arceneaux sports a relatively small stable of clients (including embattled Rams defensive end Leonard Little, who easily could lose the support of Rams if the Rams so choose) makes it even more important for him to finesse the Faulk-Jackson relationships in a manner that allows Arceneuax to maximize his Faulk fee as long as he can -- and that incentive naturally works against the interests of a guy like Jackson, who stands to receive a big contract a couple of years from now if he gets a chance to become the go-to guy quickly, a la Clinton Portis in Denver.

Instead, Jackson could languish like Ron Dayne in New York as Faulk continues to get the bulk of the touches. And if the Rams decline over the next few seasons and coach Mike Martz gets the boot, who's to say that the new coach will conclude that Jackson fits with the team's objectives on offense?



We hear that Arceneaux is using his "good relationship" with the Rams as a feather in his cap with the Jackson camp. But just as players should want to be represented by the Postons in discussions with the Redskins, players also should shy away (in our opinion) from agents who are cozy to the point of beholden to any given team. As we see it, Arceneaux falls squarely into this category.

So, in our view, Jackson should choose someone/anyone other than the guy who understandably will be trying to keep Marshall Faulk on the field as much as possible over the next few years -- since that can only happen if Jackson is on the bench. The bottom line is that an agent needs to be able to put his own interests on the shelf when fighting to get his client the best deal, and the objective facts tell us that Arceneaux simply isn't in a position to do it.

WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Bucs G.M. Bruce Allen says that the team isn't interested in QB Rich Gannon (and what else can he say, in light of the above?).



Titans owner Bud Adams says, like his natural hair, he's "pessimistic" that RB Eddie George will return.



Giants coach Tom Coughlin has pulled the plug on player-organized workouts for the two lost days of voluntary practices.



With talks on a new batch of broadcast rights contracts looming, the NFL says that a team will be in the No. 2 television market by 2008.



The Pats have created enough cap room to sign their rookies by restructuring the contracts of several veterans (none of which have the words "Ty" or "Law" in their names).



Former Giants DT Keith Hamilton faces up to six months in jail after pleading guilty to cocaine possession (and Playmakers is still a gross exaggeration of real life in the NFL).



Lions S Brock Marion has been charged with insurance fraud after collecting $54,000 for a vehicle he reported as stolen (and Playmakers is still a gross exaggeration of real life in the NFL).



The Jags are losing patience with DE Tony Brackens in their efforts to re-sign the veteran defensive end.



The Ravens are moving closer to signing (gulp) QB Kordell Stewart (and Jim Fassel will be given a box of crayons and a stack of construction paper as he prepares a playbook for the team's new No. 2 quarterback).



Art Shell has been named the NFL senior V.P. for football operations and development.



The Steelers are talking to QB Tommy Maddox about a new contract that will keep the No. 1 guy on the depth chart from being the No. 3 man on the payroll totem pole.



POSTED 7:05 p.m. EDT, May 25, 2004



NFLPA GOING AFTER ENGLEHARD



Multiple league sources have advised us that the NFL Players Association has initiated disciplinary action against Hadley Englehard based on two alleged violations of the rules governing agents.



Per the sources, the NFLPA alleges that Englehard improperly adjusted his fee arrangement with Chiefs defensive tackle Ryan Sims. Initially, Englehard was scheduled to receive 1.5 percent of Sims' signing bonus and 1.5 percent of the salary and other payments made under the seven-year deal. Englehard later persuaded Sims to change the numbers to 2 percent of the bonus money and 1 percent of the future payment, allegedly telling Sims that it was better for him to make this adjustment.



The problem, the NFLPA contends, is that the change is only better for Sims if he plays out the full seven years -- and if he achieves the various escalators included in the package. If he suffers a career-ending injury or if the Chiefs decide to release him before the contract ends (which isn't out of the question given his performance through his first two seasons), Englehard likely will end up with a bigger total fee than he would have earned under the original arrangement.



Englehard, we're told, contends that he passed this arrangement through Sims' financial advisors, who in theory should be sharp enough to catch the possibility that Sims was potentially getting screwed. What Englehard doesn't seem to realize, however, is that he's got a little thing known as a fiduciary obligation not to try to screw Sims -- regardless of whether the guy doing Sims' financial planning is Warren Buffett or Jimmy Buffett.



The NFLPA also is pursuing discipline against Englehard for allegedly providing confidential salary information to members of the media. Though the line in this regard can at times be vague, Englehard arguably did a cannonball into the wrong side of the rules by allegedly giving his password for the NFLPA's proprietary database to ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli.



Though Englehard believes the rules against such conduct are unclear, we think that a pinch of common sense and a dash of conscience are all that he and/or Pasquarelli would need to realize that it shouldn't have happened.



For Pasquarelli, it's a sign of laziness; for Englehard, it's a sign of sleaziness. Part of what agents pay for is access to that information. Sure, nothing prevents Englehard or any agent from sharing salary info with Pasquarelli or anyone else. But by merely giving a reporter access to a computerized database into which his cookies don't belong is just plain wrong.



It'll be interesting to see whether ESPN takes a look at whether Pasquarelli has violated the company's internal rules and regulations by taking advantage of a fairly significant short-cut to scoop. Moreover, we wonder whether the powers-that-be in Bristol will take a look-see at Len's history of stories regarding Englehard and his clients to see if Hadley got any "quo" for this sizable "quid."



Though we don't wish termination of employment on anyone, keep an eye on the manner in which Mickey Mouse and Company handle this one, given that they summarily fired Gregg Easterbrook last year for making ill-advised comments unrelated to his substantive work. At a minimum, the matter merits an investigation to determine whether Pasquarelli and any of his colleagues are using questionable tactics to harvest information.



As to Englehard, the process will play itself out within the confines of the NFLPA. Meanwhile, we're pleased to see that the union is enforcing its rules.



POSTED 9:10 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:45 a.m. EDT, May 25, 2004



NCAA SHOULD LET WILLIAMS BACK IN



With the Second Circuit Court of Appeals announcing on Monday its decision to bar from the NFL draft Maurice Clarett and any other underclassmen less than three years removed from high school, it's now time for the biggest winner in this legal three-ring circus -- the NCAA -- to do the right thing and allow USC receiver Mike Williams to regain his eligibility.



Make no mistake about it. The NFL secured for the NCAA the ability of its member schools to continue to earn millions in revenue in exchange for providing (drum roll, please) a free education.



The legal fight technically isn't over, but the overcome has never seemed more clear. Clarett can petition the full Second Circuit to reconsider the decision of the three-judge panel. Also, Clarett can ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.



In most cases, obtaining a reversal of a federal appeals court is, as a practical matter, a long shot. Still, we doubt that Clarett and his lawyer, Alan Milstein, are ready to fold the tents.



The loser in all of this is Williams, who was prepared to return to USC until Judge Shira Scheindlin announced in February her decision that Clarett should be allowed into the April draft.



Though, as we previously have explained, Williams cooked his own goose when he signed with an agent, the NCAA should make a special exception in Williams' case. And even if the NCAA isn't inclined to do it in the interests of helping out Williams, the NCAA should do it in the interests of helping the NFL out of a predicament that it created when it threw the gates open and welcomed all otherwise ineligible players into the April draft.



As NFL V.P. of public relations Greg Aiello told us last month, the league warned Williams that it would revoke the invitation if it prevailed in court. Still, the league now faces a separate suit from Williams, who is left with no realistic football options south of Saskatchewan if he doesn't get back into USC.



So, in our view, Williams rightly should be suing someone -- even if the ultimate culprit is his agent, Mike Azzarelli, who might not have given Williams a full and complete explanation regarding the risks of declaring for the draft and signing with an agent.



The entire mess, however, can be avoided if the NCAA simply lets Williams return to the Trojans.



It could be wishful thinking on our part. The NCAA coaches individually care only about helping their programs win more games than they lose, and they aren't about to extend a gratuity to anyone -- especially if it means allowing the defending AP national champions to reload with one of its best players.



Hell, even as the NFL has been respecting the NCAA's desire over the years to have a hammerlock on young players, many NCAA coaches have done little to help NFL teams get a fair look at players who are getting ready to make the leap to the next level.



So our guess is that the NCAA will once again bite the generous hand that has been aiding in the feeding of the coffers of its member institutions with the blood, sweat, and talent of players whose rewards pale in comparison to the risks they take and/or the revenue they make.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com

http://www.thefantasymasters.com



POSTED 6:12 a.m. EDT, May 27, 2004



GANNON GONE IF HE REFUSES PAY CUT



A league source tells us that, despite recent proclamations that Rich Gannon remains the starting quarterback in Oakland, the Raiders will indeed release him if he refuses to significantly reduce his $7 million salary.



And even if Gannon takes a sufficient pay cut, the source says that the Raiders will continue to take a wait-and-see approach regarding Gannon's fitness to remain a viable NFL quarterback, given concerns regarding his age and a shoulder he injured in 2003.



But if Gannon swallows a big chunk of his salary and otherwise shows he can still play, the Raiders will keep both Gannon and Collins on the roster in 2004. If, after all, the Raiders can keep Gannon and Collins for roughly the same total salary required to have Gannon only, it's a no-brainer to go with both of them.



The source also agreed with our assessment that the decision to hang onto Gannon in the short term is influenced in large part by the desire of the Raiders to keep Gannon from joining Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen in Tampa. But the reality is that the Raiders don't have to wait until late August or early September to dump Gannon in order to effectively keep him out of the Bucs' clutches. Given cap issues in Tampa -- including a stiff hit resulting from the potential release of Brad Johnson -- the Bucs simply might not be able to do the math to get Gannon on the squad while still signing their draft picks.



Also, don't count on Gannon's agent, Tom Condon, provoking a release by flat-out refusing to take a pay cut. The general consensus among the agent community is that Kerry Collins' agent, David Dunn, acted prematurely by forcing the Giants' hand without have a damn good idea as to what the market for Collins would otherwise be.



So Condon likely won't draw any lines in the sand until he knows that he can get more elsewhere than the Raiders are willing to pay. Though Gannon might actually prefer to bolt for less money with another team, these agent types continue to be driven by a desire to maximize their fees, and the fees only get maximized if the player is getting the highest possible salary.



Look, then, for this issue to go somewhat slowly, with impasse being reached (if at all) in early July.



GARRARD ON THE BLOCK



A league source tells us that the Jacksonville Jaguars are willing to listen to trade offers for backup quarterback David Garrard.



Per the source, the Jags are happy with newcomers Doug Johnson and Quinn Gray. There also could be some lingering resentment among the powers-that-be regarding Garrard's grousing early last season, when it became clear that he was third in line for the starting job, behind then-rookie Byron Leftwich.



Earlier in the offseason, there was a sense that some teams might be interested in Garrard, a former East Carolina standout. But his recent diagnosis with Crohn's disease likely will prompt most teams to shy away from giving up a player or a pick in return for a guy whose health currently is up in the air.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



Agent Lamont Smith concedes that, if Titans owner Bud Adams thinks that RB Eddie George won't be back, George probably won't be back.



The supposedly flimsy case against Ravens RB Jamal Lewis for arranging a drug deal could get a whole lot stronger if an incriminating videotape is allowed into evidence at trial (and Playmakers is still a gross exaggeration of real life in the NFL).



The Steelers have signed CB Willie Williams, who played in the 'Burgh before heading to Seattle seven years ago, to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.



NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw promises that the next extension to the CBA will contain explicit language regarding the rule that players must be three years removed from high school in order to be eligible for the draft.



NFL Network chief Steve Bornstein will produce the pregame and halftime shows for Super Bowl XXXIX.



The Cowboys have released undrafted rookie free-agent LB Ryan Fowler, despite giving him a $20,000 signing bonus.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:25 a.m. EDT, May 28, 2004



G-MEN WAITING FOR WARNER



Word around the league is that the New York Giants are counting the days until the Rams quarterback Kurt Warner is released, when the G-men will promptly pounce on him.



There's speculation in some circles that the Giants and Warner's agent already have reached an agreement regarding compensation and duration. As we see it, if Warner and the Giants reach a formal agreement quickly, it's likely that most of the heavy lifting on the negotiations was accomplished in advance. Really, there's no reason for Warner and the Giants not to talk turkey, since there's no other team that plans to make a run at the two-time former league MVP.



The other big-name June 1 cuts will include Jeremiah Trotter, Jason Gildon, Daryl Gardener, and (most likely) Eddie George.



Trotter previously has been linked to the Giants and Gardener likely will be headed to Cincinnati. For Gildon and George, their destinations are unclear.



Some league insiders can envision Gildon heading to a team like the Raiders, who are installing the 3-4 defense. As for George, the Cowboys would be a no-brainer match -- which likely means it won't happen.



Other teams who could be interested in the 1995 Heisman winner include (rank speculation alert) the Eagles, the Bears, the Raiders (who are interested generally in anyone over 30), the Buccaneers (who are interested generally in anyone they've ever heard of), and the Broncos. As we see it, George's best chance to win a starting job in 2004 is in Big D, where rookie Julius Jones is No. 1 on the depth chart.



Regardless, some league insiders question whether George will earn elsewhere the $2.12 million in salary he could have realized in Tennessee, if he'd merely agreed (as the team asked) to slice his $4.25 million salary in half. Though some players (e.g., Kerry Collins) don't want to stick around in a city where their time is clearly running out, the reality is that most guys like Collins and George could get more by staying put and swallowing their pride than by hitting the open market after the early March spending spree.



Jerome Bettis, for example, understood that it was better to eat a big chunk of his salary for the ability to stay in Pittsburgh, since there was no guarantee he'd find elsewhere the money that the Steelers were still willing to pay him. Then again, maybe Bettis decided in the end to stick around because the Steelers were appropriately sensitive to the fact that squeezing money out of a guy's pocket is an enormous blow to the ego, even if the team is leaving more money behind than the guy ever will find anywhere else.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:55 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:30 a.m. EDT, May 29, 2004



AGENTS PISSED AT EARLY DEALS



We're hearing that the agent community generally is up in arms regarding the decision of a handful of their colleagues to commence early negotiations with middle-round draft picks.



Generally, seasoned agents believe that delaying negotiations until July creates a greater sense of urgency for the teams, which at that point want to get all of their picks into camp. The thinking is that greater urgency generally results in better deals for the players.



The problem with early deals is that these contracts help establish the framework for other contracts, due to the "slotting" phenomenon. This year, those early deals in the middle rounds likely will have even greater influence, since the rookie salary pool has increased by a paltry 1.3 percent and the lack of an extension to the CBA probably will cut down the length of contracts for first-rounders -- which means that the first-year cap numbers for high-end picks would be higher than usual in 2004.



Though the agents generally accept the reality that inexperienced contract reps might be inclined to pull the trigger too quickly on rookie deals, one agent with whom we spoke specifically complained about the fact that Neil Schwartz, an established agent, has been making early contracts an annual ritual.



This year, Schwartz already has agreed to terms with the Vikings as to fourth-round running back Mewelde Moore, and with the Panthers as to third-round offensive tackle Travelle Wharton. Both of these contracts are four-year deals, which essentially rob the player of a crack at restricted free agency -- and which often don't fairly compensate the player for the lost crack at a seven-figure tender after only three years of football.



So why are these early deals done? As it has been explained to us, the contracts are finalized because either the player or the agent wants to get paid sooner rather than later. In cases where the player wants the money, the thinking among most experienced agents is that the agent should take steps to help the player acquire sufficient financial support until a better deal can be done in July.



Agents also are keeping an eye on the proliferation of five-year contracts, which also wipe out the player's first season of potential unrestricted free agency. Last year, the Browns forced five-year deals onto every draft pick, and word is that they plan to do it again this time around. We're hearing that other teams could be following suit.



BLAKE FINDS YET ANOTHER NEW HOME



Make it six NFL teams for veteran quarterback Jeff Blake.



Blake, who has been with the Jets, the Bengals, the Saints, the Ravens, and the Cardinals, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles.



"Think about it," Blake said Friday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "The Eagles have been to three NFC championship games three years in a row. I played for the Cincinnati Bengals, the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals. I've only been involved in the playoffs one time.



"The Eagles have been a Super Bowl contender the last three years. You're talking about a team that has been one game away three years in a row, and I'm coming from Arizona."



As noted by the Inquirer, the expansion of the practice squad from five to eight players this year affords teams like the Eagles the luxury of using a veteran as the No. 3 quarterback, with the No. 4 guy available via the practice squad. Also, with Donovan McNabb signed into the next decade and Koy Detmer entrenched as the No. 2 guy, there's no need for the team to focus on getting a young guy ready to take over either of the top spots on the depth chart.



Then again, Blake says he's under the impression that he'll be competing with Detmer for the No. 2 job, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.



"I'm capable of being a backup and a good one," Blake said.



The contract is thought to be in the vicinity of the minimum value of $760,000, which means that the deal will cost only $450,000 in cap dollars and in real dollars.



Finally, we couldn't help but notice a bit of revisionist history regarding that one year in which Blake's team qualified for the postseason.



"I've only played on one team that made the playoffs -- the Saints in 2000 -- and I got hurt and couldn't play in the playoff game, Aaron Brooks played."



To the untrained eye, this statement creates the impression that Blake led the team to the playoffs, strained a groin the week before the playoff game, and that Aaron Brooks was pressed into service. Blake's suggestion that there was only one playoff game connotes that his backup blew it, and Blake's statement arguably implies that, if he'd been available, the team likely would have gone farther.



Unless the 2001 NFL Record & Fact Book was written in part by Jayson Blair, the truth is that Blake went down with a season-ending broken foot in the first quarter of the Saints' eleventh game. Aaron Brooks came in and came on over the final four-plus contests, leading the Saints to the first playoff win in the history of the franchise, against the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, before falling to the Vikings in the divisional round.



Of course, we can understand why Blake would slant the facts regarding his tenure in the Bayou. After all, when he was healthy in 2001, he lost the starting gig in a straight-up duel with Brooks. Since then, Brooks has been the No. 1 guy in New Orleans -- and Blake has bounced to a different squad every year.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:56 a.m. EDT, June 1, 2004



PACKERS TO CUT THE ANTI-WHITE



Though it's hardly a shocker, the fact that the Green Bay Packers will be cutting defensive end Joe Johnson is noteworthy because, once upon a time, the team's addition of a big-name defensive end arguably catapulted the team toward its 1996 Super Bowl title.



That guy, of course, was Reggie White, the first marquee player to change teams under the then-fledging free agency system. The Pack gave him a pile of cash to leave the Eagles, and White delivered by helping the team gradually improve its fortunes until, after his fourth season in Green Bay, they brought home the Lombardi.



In contract, the guy who was supposed to help put this decade's version of the Packers over the top has been a colossal bust -- arguably one of the worst free-agency moves since the system was launched in 1993. The Packers gave Johnson a six-year, $33 million deal barely two years ago, and they've already decided based on two seasons of play that it's time to cut the cord.



The signing of Johnson also contributed in large part to the departure of a once-promising defensive end, Vonnie Holliday, who left for the Chiefs because the team couldn't (and wouldn't) pay him like Johnson, especially with the emergence of Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.



By dumping Johnson, the Pack will pick up a net cap gain of $4 million this year, which is the difference between the salary that Johnson won't receive and the cap hit resulting from his unallocated bonus amount for 2004. In 2005, the team will take a cap hit of $3.25 million, but the team will avoid three additional years of salary obligations.



In 2000, Johnson formed a fearsome front four in New Orleans, teaming with Norman Hand, Darren Howard, and La'Roi Glover to create one of the best rush lines in the league. In our view, Johnson likely will be forced to accept a one-year deal close to the veteran minimum as he attempts to persuade NFL teams that he's more like the guy who starred for the Saints in 2000 than the guy who has sputtered for the Pack over the past two seasons.



And the release of Johnson casts even further doubt on the wisdom of having a dual-role coach/G.M. in Green Bay, especially where the front office is otherwise full of capable people. We delved into this question several months back, and our conclusion at the time was that grand poobah Mike Sherman simply isn't taking full advantage of the talent that surrounds him.



Clearly, if the Pack don't produce in 2004, the powers-that-be likely will look to the misadventures with Johnson as a fact that favors, at a minimum, removing the G.M. title from Sherman's parking space.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



Eagles DE Jevon Kearse says he still hasn't gotten used to the fact that he isn't playing for the Titans -- and he doesn't rule out a possible return down the road.



The Steelers plan to extend the contracts of LB Kendrell Bell and LB James Farrior, who like WR Plaxico Burress are entering the final year of their current deals but who unlike Burress are participating in offseason workouts.



LB Jeremiah Trotter will be released no later than Wednesday by the Redskins, who also might end the campaign of RB Trung Canidate.



54-year-old QB Vinny Testaverde will be released by the Jets; Testaverde could end up in Dallas or New England.



The Redskins plan to sign TE Fred Baxter.



If Testaverde lands in Dallas, look for QB Chad Hutchinson to be released.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:30 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2004



KURT KUT BY RAMS



The move was anticipated, but it is nevertheless jarring to see the name of the 1999 league MVP, the 2001 league MVP, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV on the NFL's June 1 trash heap.



The guy, of course, is former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner.



Warner was poised to become this generation's Joe Montana -- a soft-spoken pillar of confidence who seemed consistently to play above his God-given skills within a system that was perfectly suited to maximize his strengths and disguise his weaknesses.



But a late-season concussion in 2000 and an early-season thumb injury in 2001 became harbingers for Warner's eventual downfall. By 2002, Warner's hand continued to be a problem and his eggs continued to be scrambled. The injuries forced him to the bench after an 0-4 start, enabling another unlikely quarterback, Marc Bulger, to steal the starting job.



Then again, Bulger's 2002 performance didn't bump Warner to No. 2. in 2003. Until, that is, after the first regular-season game was played. The Giants battered and bruised Warner into Tysonesque bolivian, resulting in Bulger getting and keeping the gig, permanently.



And as Warner sets his sights on joining the same G-men who dropped the curtain on his grill in St. Louis, we continue to be baffled by Warner's desire to set up behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Unless coach Tom Coughlin plans to have Warner through the ball while in the midst of a two-step drop, Warner will continue to takes shots to the head -- and our guess is that his tenure as the starter in New York will be short-lived.



If that happens, few tears will be shed for Warner, who squandered his rags-to-riches goodwill through the antics of a Yoko Ono spouse and a bizarre, restrained feud with Mike Martz. Though Warner still tends to say the right things at the right times, many regard his act as transparent -- and there's a feeling of quiet satisfaction in some circles that God's gift to grocery clerks has seen his NFL career fall into a premature funk.



Whether it stays there remains to be seen. Our guess is that it will.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 10:03 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:40 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2004



POSTONS MISJUDGED MARKET FOR T-BUCK?



Word around the league is that veteran cornerback Terrell Buckley will signing a one-year deal with the Patriots soon. It's a move that, as one league insider opined, represents another failure by agents Carl and Kevin Poston to properly gauge the market for one of their players.



Buckley spent 2001 and 2002 with the Patriots before re-joining the Dolphins for 2003. Previously, T-Buck spent five seasons with the Fins, from 1995 through 1999.



Per a league source, the Dolphins were serious about bringing Buckley back, but they were willing to offer only a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $760,000. This specific device, which was adopted a couple of years ago, caps the cost of such contracts at $450,000.



But Buckley, through the Postons, wanted more. Miami held firm, signing Reggie Howard and drafting Will Poole.



And if Buckley thought there still was a chance to stay in Miami after the draft, the decision of the team to issue his number to Poole likely cemented his status.



So the end result is that Buckley will be forced to leave Miami, where he lives and where he wanted to play, for the same dollars that he turned down. A less obvious factor in all of this is that Buckley's $760,000 salary would have been exempt from state income tax in Florida.



"It's the same thing as with Ian Gold," a league source said. "The Postons overestimated their guy's value, and their client got burned."



PATS BITING THE BULLET ON LAW?



So are the Pats planning for the potential departure of Postons client Ty Law by adding Buckley, another Postons client?



Word around the league is that the Pats plan to bite the bullet on Law's ginormous 2004 salary and cap number, despite Law's stated desire for a new deal that places him among the highest-paid corners in the game -- preferably from a team other than New England.



There was speculation that the Pats, in the end, would give Law the Lawyer treatment, cutting him in the same fashion that they dumped Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy prior to the 2003 season. But with several contract restructurings giving the Pats enough cap room to sign their rookies, it's looking like the team won't give up their shut-down corner, yet.



Part of the reality is that the Pats don't have another guy on hand to step in and fill Law's shoes if he's dumped. So with a solid roster in place for a run at a third NFL title in four seasons, it's looking more and more likely that the team won't engage Law in a pay-cut-or-else stare down.



The Pats' decision likely was driven by the team's belief that Law, in the end, will play -- since he's scheduled to be paid a total of $7.15 million this season in the form of a $1 million reporting bonus and seventeen weekly checks in the amount of $360,000. Each.



MCCARDELL STILL MIFFED



The impasse between the Bucs and receiver Keenan McCardell isn't any closer to getting resolved.



McCardell wants an increase in his $2.5 million compensation for 2004, to reflect his status as one of the top receivers in the game. Never mind the fact that McCardell is 34 -- he believes that his production in 2003 merits a bigger pay day this season.



Given the team's decision a year ago to send Keyshawn Johnson home after he pouted long enough, we don't rule out a release of McCardell. As we see it, there aren't many other teams out there that will be willing to give more than $5 million over the next two years to an aging pass-catcher who, despite his numbers in 2003, isn't, never was, and never will be a No. 1, go-to receiver.



GEORGE RELEASE NOT A DONE DEAL?



Despite rhetoric from last week indicating that the Titans soon will be releasing veteran running back Eddie George, we're hearing that the move isn't the sure thing that many now presume.



Though we're not saying that it won't happen, it's hardly a foregone conclusion. With George rejecting a request that he cut his $4.25 million salary in half, the possibility remains that the two sides will settle on a number somewhere south of his currently scheduled pay and $2.125 million.



Without George, the Titans would turn to Chris Brown, a third-round draft choice in 2003. Notwithstanding conventional wisdom that George is suffering from the Earl Campbell syndrome, it's hard to imagine a team that's among the best in the AFC consciously placing its running game into the hands of a generally unproven commodity as it prepares to take on the Colts and the Pats for a berth in Super Bowl XXXIX.



STEWART, RAVENS CLOSE TO DEAL



Free-agent quarterback Kordell Stewart remained in Baltimore on Tuesday night, extending his visit with the Ravens as his agent, Leigh Steinberg, tries to hammer out a contract with the team.



Stewart has drawn little interest elsewhere, with only the Broncos and Bills expressing serious interest in the ten-year veteran. Still, the Ravens have both a specific need for a quarterback and a sufficiently simple plan of attack on offense to accommodate Stewart's, um, unique skills.



After being benched by the Steelers in late 1999 and excluded from quarterback meetings, Stewart worked his way back into the lineup in 2000, seizing the opportunity to play when then-starter Kent Graham was injured. In 2001, Stewart's confidence slowly grew in a running-based attack, allowing him to take advantage of passing lanes when opposing defense sold out to stop Jerome Bettis.



The Ravens apparently are betting on the fact that the Stewart who flourishes in the face of reduced (or no) expectations will be able to perform if starter Kyle Boller gets hurt before Anthony Wright is ready to return.



Coupled with Stewart's history of solid play when pressed into service by an injury to the starter, the Ravens plan to pound away with Jamal Lewis makes Stewart a sound replacement for Wright, who won't begin throwing again until September after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum.



With that said, Stewart shouldn't get greedy. With precisely zero other options out there, Stewart needs to hope that he can carve out a late career niche for himself as a year-to-year option for a team that needs a backup who can hold the clipboard when the starter is healthy and put on the plastic hat if/when the starter gets dinged.



POSTED 9:10 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2004



VINNY A VICTIM OF JUNE 1 CUTS



The Jets officially have released quarterback Vinny Testaverde, ending his six-year tenure in New York.



The expected move creates a $1.5 million net cap savings for the Jets, but it will require the Jets to carry $4 million in "dead money" in 2005.



Testaverde had a late-career rejuvenation in New York, taking the Jets to the 1998 AFC title game -- and a halftime lead over the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos.



But Testaverde's run of excellence in New York took a big step backward in 1999, when he tore an Achilles' tendon in week one of the regular season. Vinny was the starter again come 2000, but the Jets already had acquired his eventual replacement, Chad Pennington, with one of four first-round draft picks.



Vinny held onto the starting gig for two more full seasons, but the handwriting was on the wall. By the middle of 2002, Pennington had secured the starting gig.



Current speculation is that Testaverde will head for Dallas, where he'll be reunited with Bill Parcells, who originally brought Vinny to New York. Another potential player is the Patriots, who arguably give Vinny the best chance at leaving the NFL with a trophy in his hands named for another Italian guy named Vince.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:55 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:57 a.m. EDT, June 2, 2004



OGUNLEYE, FINS STILL FAR APART



Though talks are continuing between the Dolphins and defensive end Adewale Ogunleye on a long-term deal, word out of Miami is that the two sides remain far apart -- and that Ogunleye remains prepared to stay away from the team through the tenth week of the regular season.



Ogunleye, we're hearing, is hoping to get a deal worth more than the package received last year by Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, and less than the deal given to defensive end Jevon Kearse by the Eagles in March.



We've also confirmed that Ogunleye, who has been absent from all offseason workouts while he is without a contract, will attend the team's annual banquet on Wednesday night, where he'll pick up the team MVP award for 2003. The award, we're told, is determined by the local media.



Speaking of the local media, someone needs to tell Jason Cole of the Miami Herald that the Patriots have not signed former Dolphins defensive back Terrell Buckley. Cole inexplicably states that Buckley signed with the Pats last week when the move simply hasn't happened. Indeed, Michael Felger of the Boston Herald addresses in Wednesday's edition rumors that the Pats are pursuing Buckley.



We know everyone makes mistakes (and we make our fair share of them), but how do you not check the available resources (NFL.com, Patriots.com, Google.com, and/or last week's transaction report) to confirm that the move has indeed occurred?



AZZARELLI FEELS THE HEAT



On a day when one of his highest-profile clients (Vinny T.) got cut by the Jets, agent Mike Azzarelli was spending time worrying about his handling of a guy who has been barred (for now) from entering the NFL draft.



According to the Tampa Tribune, Azzarelli explained at length his actions and relationship with former-and-possibly-future USC receiver Mike Williams, who declared for the NFL draft after the initial court decision in the Maurice Clarett case scuttled the rule keeping guys out of the draft until three years after their high school class graduates -- but before the judgment was reversed on appeal.



Wethinks Azzarelli doth protest too much as he attempts to deflect attention from the fact that Williams' decision to sign a rep agreement has virtually guaranteed that the NCAA won't allow him to return in 2004.



"He signed with NFL Players Association, the union, a trading card company and Nike," Azzarelli said. "That [Williams hiring an agent] is what they [critics] wanted to hang their hat on, but that's only a small part of the equation. The NFL told him he was eligible for the draft. Him hiring an agent was irrelevant, because in order for him to enter the NFL, he had to renounce his eligibility to USC."



As we've previously reported, the NFL maintains that it specifically told Williams when he was invited to enter the draft that the FieldTurf would be pulled out from under him if the Clarett ruling was overturned. The real question is whether Azzarelli made this exception to the invitation clear to Williams.



Because in our view it was Azzarelli's duty to fully and completely advise Williams of the risks of his decision to declare for the draft. Even though Azzarelli technically wasn't his "agent" within the specific confines of the NFLPA and its applicable regulations at the precise moment Williams said he was leaving USC, Azzarelli surely was in a position to give Williams advice and counsel as to the ramifications of the move, and Williams surely was in a position to rely reasonably on what Azzarelli had to say (or, as the case may be, not say).



If anything, the fact that Williams signed with an agent, a trading card company, and a shoe company indicates that he was under the distinct impression that there was no realistic set of circumstances that would have prevented him from entering the draft. Really, if there were any doubt, he could have (and should have) delayed making any financial commitments that would have kept him out of the NCAA if the invite were revoked.



Azzarelli attempts to duck his role in this fiasco by suggesting that "Mike [Williams] made a professional career choice, but some folks want to twist it around." As we see it, Williams made a career choice based on the information available to him, and his behavior indicates that such information did not include a caveat that he could be up chocolate creek if the Clarett ruling were to collapse.



Understandably, then, Azzarelli denies reports that Williams has fired him. Per Azzarelli, he still represents Williams, and Williams has made no definite decisions regarding his future.



But ain't it a bit odd to think that Williams wouldn't have formally disengaged with Azzarelli if Williams has any desire to get back into the USC program? At a minimum, shouldn't Azzarelli be advising Williams to terminate the rep agreement in order to enhance the overall likelihood of maintaining his final year of eligibility?



In our view, Azzarelli's apparent desire to cover his own arse could result in an even greater degree of exposure in the long run. Whether, of course, Williams ever takes any action against Azzarelli remains to be seen. For many players, the fact that they picked an agent who screwed things up is a long-term blow to the ego, making it less likely that the player will ever do anything about it (see Owens, Terrell).



In this case, however, the potential difference between what Williams would have earned on his rookie contract after playing for USC in 2004 and what he will earn by way of a rookie contract after sitting out this year likely will be in the multiple of millions. In an era where players balk at taking a $500,000 pay cut, it's hard to imagine anyone walking away from claims potentially worth far more than that.



MCKENZIE SKIPPING MANDATORY CAMP



A league source tells us that Packers cornerback Mike McKenzie won't be present at the team's mandatory minicamp that opens on Wednesday as efforts continue to work out a trade for the disgruntled five-year veteran.



Though the Packers officially want at least a first-round pick for McKenzie, it's possible that they'll settle for a second-rounder or a third-rounder plus a player in order to get the deal done. The thinking in some circles is that the Packers have accepted the fact that McKenzie won't be rejoining the team -- and that their ability to recover more than $3.4 million from McKenzie in bonus money won't do anything to make the 2004 edition of the franchise any better.



So look for something to happen with McKenzie after the minicamp ends. We're hearing that, from McKenzie's perspective, the ultimate destination isn't important, as long as he gets a new contract after the trade is made.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



As expected, the Redskins released LB Jeremiah Trotter, RB Trung Canidate, and OG Dave Fiore on Tuesday.



There's a question as to whether Dolphins RB Ricky Williams was excused from practice on Tuesday, or whether he simply forgot to show up.



The Packers are making one last run at a trade-and-sign for QB Tim Couch; the Pack apparently have set a deadline of next week for getting the deal done.



The Packers are interested in soon-to-be-former Steelers LB Jason Gildon.



NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw has met with LB LaVar Arrington and Redskins owner Dan Snyder in the hopes of resolving Arrington's claim that the team screwed him out of a $6.5 million roster bonus in his December 2003 contract renegotiation (frankly, we don't envision the Redskins voluntarily paying him a penny more than the millions he's already due to earn).



The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Vikings rookie free agent LB Gino Capone has "retired" -- can someone explain to us precisely how in the hell a rookie free agent can "retire" more than three months before his rookie season even starts?

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:20 p.m. EDT, June 2, 2004; UPDATED 6:57 a.m. EDT, June 3, 2004



STORM LOOMING FOR WILLIAMS, NFL?



In the wake of receiver Mike Williams' announcement that he plans to attempt to return to USC for the 2004 season due to the decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that kept Williams and Maurice Clarett out of the draft pool, it's becoming more and more apparent that a legal battle between the NFL and Williams is on the horizon.



Multiple league sources have told us that Williams' effort to regain his eligibility at USC is a precursor to the taking of formal legal action by Williams against the NFL. Per the sources, the league's threshold defense to suggestions that Williams was damaged by the un-vitation to the April draft is that he can return to college. If/when the NCAA refuses to allow Williams to return to USC, the thinking is that Williams' case will be stronger.



And, despite our prior reports suggesting that the league would be able to prove unequivocally that Williams knew his golden ticket was subject to a stay or reversal of the ruling allowing Clarett and others into the draft, we've picked up information suggesting that Williams might indeed have a case.



The info came from an unlikely source. Specifically, we were contacted on Wednesday afternoon by Williams' agent, Mike Azzarelli, who was on the receiving end of our scathing analysis (scroll down) that placed the blame for Williams' current predicament squarely on his shoulders.



After describing our Wednesday report as "a pretty shitty story," Azzarelli explained to us with a high degree of confidence the evidence that, in his view, will lead to a finding that the NFL did not properly advise Williams that the league intended to pursue a stay of the ruling before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, or that Williams would be kept out of the draft if a stay and/or reversal were obtained in the appellate court before Williams was drafted.



Azzarelli initially pointed to public comments from NFL general counsel Jeff Pash, which in Azzarelli's view constitute a concession that the league did not seriously believe that it would achieve a stay or a reversal in the Second Circuit before the April draft. We assume that Azzarelli is referring to Pash's statements of February 5, 2004, in which he said that "it's unlikely that we would get a decision from the appeals court between now and the draft. I can't absolutely rule that out," Pash added, "but just in the ordinary course, the appellant [sic] process takes, you know, a number of months longer than we have between now and, you know, the latter part of April."



Although the NFL undoubtedly will point to the memo sent by the league office to all member clubs on February 6, 2004, which explained that, "[u]nless the ruling is stayed by the courts, players who did not meet the prior eligibility requirements (three football seasons after high school graduation) will be eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft," the memo also explains that players who elect to accept the invitation will be expected to complete a "Special Eligibility form" from the NFL Player Personnel Department.



The problem, as Azzarelli explained, is that the NFL not only threw open the doors to the draft for all otherwise ineligible players, but also called Williams specifically to inquire as to his interest in joining the draft. Azzarelli says that he was present when NFL V.P. of player personnel Joel Bussert called Williams, and Azzarelli contends that Bussert told Williams he was a consensus first-round draft choice.



Azzarelli also believes that Bussert said nothing about Williams' invitation being potentially revoked if the league were to obtain from the Second Circuit a stay or a reversal. In contrast, NFL V.P. of public relations Greg Aiello told us on Wednesday evening via e-mail that Bussert "informed [Williams] personally by phone that if we were successful in obtaining a stay and/or reversal that he would not be eligible for the 2004 draft."



Azzarelli also points to the fact that the paperwork Williams completed when he declared his intention to enter the draft was no different than the standard paperwork that potential draft picks sign, and that the documents Williams completed said nothing about Williams' eligibility for the draft getting yanked if the NFL secures a stay or reversal. As a practical matter, it should be fairly easy to determine whether the NFL gave Williams the standard forms -- or whether Williams NFL was supplied with the "Special Eligibility form" mentioned in the February 6 memo from the league office to the 32 teams.



In our view, the NFL's problem here is that it has no irrefutable silver bullet that would enable it to show clearly and unequivocally that Williams properly had been told that he'd be barred from the draft if the Clarett ruling were overturned. Really, all that the NFL would need is a document explaining the limitations that bears at the bottom Williams' signature.



Absent, as it appears, such evidence, the NFL will be stuck with a classic pissing match between Bussert and Williams regarding whether the NFL exec said enough to defeat Williams' understanding that his spot in the draft was guaranteed. And if, as it appears, the NCAA won't permit Williams to return to USC given his decision to sign with Azzarelli, things could get a lot uglier between the NFL and Williams once the NCAA tells the former Trojan that he's SOL.



Azzarelli also told us that, while he intends to take steps to terminate the official agency relationship between himself and Williams, Azzarelli plans to continue to assist Williams, given that Williams once lived with Azzarelli's brother's family and that Azzarelli has been advising him for years.



On an unrelated (and equally intriguing) point, Azzarelli told us that IMG was trying to recruit Williams two weeks after Williams signed with Azzarelli. If IMG were indeed pursuing Williams after he signed a rep agreement with Azzarelli, such conduct would subject the recruiter to the same kind of disciplinary action that the NFLPA recently has been meting out to other agents. It'll be interesting to see whether the NFLPA takes a look at this issue, given IMG's representation of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw.



GILDON TO START MAKING THE ROUNDS



Word around the league is that former Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon will be in high demand, now that he's on the June free-agent shelf.



We're told that, on Thursday, Gildon will make arrangements to begin making visits, with teams like the Lions, Bears, Packers, Browns, and the Ravens among the teams who are expected to show an interest.



League insiders view Gildon as a perfect fit for a team breaking in the 3-4, but there's also a belief that he could play the rush end position in a 4-3 alignment, too.



Though some folks are still a bit confused by the release of Gildon, whom we included on a list of potential casualties way back in December, our guess is that the Steelers believe that Gildon's success was partially due to the system, and that they can fill his spot with another capable player who'll enjoy similar results -- at a lower cost to the team.



As to Gildon's potential destination, former teammate Joey Porter hopes that he doesn't land in Baltimore. "The Browns are not so bad; the Ravens -- ooooohhh, that would hurt, that would hurt bad," Porter said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I wish the best for him, but, oh, that would hurt right there if he went to those guys. Anybody but them."



The reason? Ray Lewis.



"That's what I'm talking about," Porter said. "Jason's going to ride with whoever he's with, and I would hate to see him jumping around with that guy. It's a tough situation, you know what I mean? But I wish the best for him."



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



The Ravens have signed QB Kordell Stewart to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $760,000, giving Baltimore the two lowest-rated starting quarterbacks from 2003.



Eagles DT Corey Simon is skipping the team's voluntary minicamp due to his displeasure with a $535,000 salary he'll earn in the final year of his rookie deal.



A day after the Rams released one-time Packers camp arm Kurt Warner, the Rams picked up 2004 camp arm Russ Michna, launching another cycle that every so often results in the camp arm eventually becoming a star.



The Packers have cut Eric Crouch, who was getting reps at the safety position.



Former Jets QB Vinny Testaverde is in Dallas, and he'll meet with Cowboys coach Bill Parcells and owner Jerry Jones on Thursday.



The Broncos cut ties with 2003 free-agent bust Daryl Gardener, who'll sign with the Bengals.



Former Giants QB Phil Simms warns that Kurt Warner might be more interested in keeping the starting gig than mentoring Eli Manning.



The Lions are allowing TE Mikhael Ricks to seek a trade.



Panthers WR Drew Carter, a fifth-round draft pick from Ohio State, suffered the third ACL tear of his career on Wednesday.



Junior "the Greek" Seau has publicly used a derogatory term regarding gays, which is the perfect bookend for his "fried chicken and watermelon" remarks from last season regarding Chargers RB LaDanian Tomlinson.



Packers coach Mike Sherman, pissed about the fact that DT Cleditus "Dolores" Hunt is absent from the team's current minicamp, has a fresh take on the whole "voluntary" thing: "It's not a mandatory camp. It's a mandatory commitment to what we're trying to get done here." (Hey, Gene, maybe this guy needs a phone call.)



Despite $4 million in cap room resulting from the release of LB Jason Gildon, the Steelers don't plan to go shopping for new players; instead, the money likely will go to QB Tommy Maddox, LB Kendrell Bell, and/or LB James Farrior.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:12 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:56 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2004



GILDON VISITS GREEN BAY



Wisconsin was the first stop on what likely will be one of the few June 1 free agency tours that actually involve more than a single destination.



A league source tells us that former Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon is in Green Bay as of Thursday night to visit with the Packers.



Though the Packers use a 4-3 front, Gildon is considered to be a candidate to play defensive end on passing downs. His presence would give the Pack an impressive one-two punch of Gildon and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila -- allowing the team to sever ties with underachievers Joe Johnson and Jamal Reynolds.



Gildon also has drawn interest from the Bears and the Lions. As we see it, the remaining NFC North team, the Vikings, also should jump into the fray -- if for no reason other than to push up the final price that one of their arch-rivals will be required to pay.



The Browns and Ravens also are considered to be interested in Gildon, who was released by the Steelers on Wednesday.



COLE CRIES FOR MEA CULPA



Dale Carnegie likely didn't have this here site in mind when he crafted his patented principles for parlaying Eddie Haskell propensities into success in the business world.



Sure, we're harsh -- but we're consistent.



And that's why it amazes us when someone who is unhappy with one of our reports thinks that confrontation will prompt us to slink away because we've been dressed down by someone who, drum roll, puh-lease, gets a real paycheck for a job in the football bidness.



The latest example of a fully-credentialed NFL dude taking exception to our work product came on Thursday, when Jason Cole of the Miami Herald called to voice his displeasure with our criticism of his statement that defensive back Terrell Buckley had signed "last week" with the Pats when the Boston media was reporting the move merely as a rumor. Apparently unwilling to give us the satisfaction of knowing that he might have had the occasion to visit our humble domain, Cole said that he heard we wrote something unflattering about him, and he wanted to know what we said. (Hmmm -- he tracked down our phone number but he didn't take 30 seconds to pull up our site.)



We started to ask Jason whether he would be coming over to beat us up, but for most of the next ten minutes we had trouble injecting more than a few words at any one time into the conversation before Jason would remind us, for example, that "I'm pretty darn good at what I do," and that this site named him the best beat writer in the country in 2000. (Actually, this site wasn't in existence then, but we'll take his word for it.)



Cole's beef with us was that, as he explained it, Buckley did in fact sign "last week" with the Patriots, and that it merely hadn't been reported elsewhere. In response, we tried (several times) to explain that the reference to the Buckley signing in his story reasonably implied that it was old news. "If you're breaking something," we said, "your story needs to make that clear."



Cole then tried to justify his choice of words by explaining that the story was about Will Poole, not Buckley, that Cole didn't have enough space to explain that no one else knew about Buckley signing with the Pats, and that since Buckley doesn't play for the Dolphins anymore it wasn't relevant.



Whatever. We're not gonna tell anyone how to do their job, but we'll always be prepared to make reasonable assumptions based on available information, and we think it was more than reasonable to conclude that Cole was wrong about Buckley.



Cole's deeper concern was that we didn't take the time to call him to confirm that he was wrong before writing a story that "impugns" his abilities. Even if we did this thing as a full-time gig, it's hard to fathom taking the time to call every single person about whom we might say something they don't like for the purposes of confirming in advance that our criticism is warranted. Instead, we'll continue to gladly take the flak from folks who believe that our comments were in some way misguided -- especially if we can parlay it into more content.



Bottom line: (1) Cole was right about Buckley; (2) it was fair for us to conclude that Cole was wrong; (3) Cole made himself look like a boob by calling us up and crying about it; (4) only 0.023 percent of you give a flaming dung heap about this story; and (5) we're a bunch of rotten, miserable pricks.



Did we miss anything?

[ALinChainz]

I would just like to say in regards of Gildon visiting Detroit:

GO LIONS !

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO...I actually hope he goes there...and stays out of the AFC...especially with the Browns and the Ravens interested...

you've gotta think he wants to go to a team that can directly effect the Steelers playoff chances...

[ALinChainz]

I'm thinking the Ravens will be in the HEAVY bidding for him. Peter Boulware is STILL hurtin' and not sure what they'll have, probably nothing more than a situational pass rusher.

They would love to snatch him up and watch him get up for the Steelers.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...I have a feeling Mr. Gildon is going to get fucking paid...that's for sure...he's going to be one of the few that gets his fair share...

I'm still shaking my head at Warner's 3 million a year...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:18 a.m. EDT, June 4, 2004



WARNER GIVING GIANTS FALSE HOPE?



Only in New York would the arrival of a curiously fallen NFL star be heralded as a sign of hope for a suddenly struggling franchise. And only in New York will quarterback Kurt Warner be lambasted early and often if/when it becomes apparent that roughly two years of standing on the sidelines hasn't caused him to rediscover the mojo that made him, for a three-year stretch, the best quarterback in the NFL.



Lynn Zinser's headline in the New York Times suggests that Warner's arrival gives the Giants "hope" for 2004. If Lynn means "hope" as in, "I hope Warner doesn't get killed behind our crappy offensive line," we fully agree.



The quality (or lack thereof) of the Giants' line remains, from our perspective, the biggest issue that Warner and the team will need to address. If, as one league insider told us Thursday night, guys like Orlando Pace and Kyle Turley and Andy McCollum and Adam Timmerman couldn't keep Kurt hand and head in sound condition, what'll happen behind the Big Blue sieve?



The other problem, as we see it, is that Warner never will acknowledge that his role is to keep the team competitive while Eli Manning gets ready to play. Asked if, as a practical matter, his time in New York was a short-term stopover on his overall NFL journey, Warner said, ''I don't look at it that way. I'm looking to come in and to play and re-establish myself. I would love this to be where I finish my career.''



Coach Tom Coughlin sees it differently. ''I told Eli that Eli is the quarterback of the future of the New York Giants, whether he started the first game, the fourth game, the ninth game, the first game of the following year,'' Coughlin said. "However that was going to play out, he is the quarterback of the future. I think that theme remains.''



And that's why the Giants signed Warner to a two-year deal. Like the two-year contracts signed last year by Kordell Stewart in Chicago and Brian Griese in Miami, a two-year deal is essentially a one-year marriage. Either, like Stewart and Griese, the relationship won't continue after the first season, or (if Manning dies) a new deal will be negotiated. The presence of a second year is nothing more than a device intended to enable the team to spread the signing bonus over two season.



Not everyone in New York, of course, sees Warner's glass as 10 percent full. Bob Glauber of Newsday, for example, recognizes the reality that MVP Kurt is as much a memory as the Kurt who was bagging groceries at Piggly-Wiggly.



"Warner is kidding himself," Glauber writes, "if he thinks he can get back to where he once was.



We agree. He's not being signed to be the long-term answer, but only to be a finger in the dike as the team resists the temptation to put Eli on the field as a rookie. Before parity took root in the NFL, it was easier to justify putting a rookie quarterback on the field for a below-average team. But with fans in every city now believing on an annual basis that their team can win it all in any given year, few teams are willing to consciously accept a 3-13 record.



TESTAVERDE AN UPGRADE IN DALLAS



As one former MVP quarterback signed with one New York team, the former starter with the other New York team finds himself in a much better situation with another NFC East team..



Former Jets signal-caller Vinny Testaverde signed on Thursday a one-year deal with the Cowboys, which reunites him with former Jets coach Bill Parcells -- and former Jets go-to receiver Keyshawn Johnson.



In our view, Testaverde's situation has a better "feel" to it because, unlike Warner, he's clearly not hoping to rejuvenate a career while supposedly mentoring a No. 1 draft choice. Instead, Vinny was brought in as a short-term upgrade for a team that made the playoffs despite the generally mediocre play of incumbent Quincy Carter.



Though the Cowboys have their own quarterback of the future in the form of Drew Henson, there's no presumption that Henson will be given the starting job in 2004, 2005, or beyond. The Parcells approach in Dallas has a distinct year-to-year feel about it, which makes sense given his age and given the realities of free agency and the salary cap.



And our prediction is that, in the end, Testaverde's numbers for 2004 will look a lot better than Warners.



SEAU ADMITS HE NEEDS "SENSITIVITY CLASS"



After his second ill-advised choice of words in less than a year, Dolphins linebacker Junior "the Greek" Seau admits that he needs to take a "sensitivity class."



On Wednesday night, Seau said the following in accepting a leadership award at a team banquet in front of 1,000 people:



"This is a great group of guys we have on this team. . . . I would say love and everybody would say you're a faggot, but I'm not. We care in that locker room. My feminine side might come out once in a while, but I'm telling you, there is a lot of love in that locker room."



Seau admits that his comments were intended, and that he was merely "stupid."



Hey, Junior -- so was Archie Bunker. And, as we see it, no amount of sensitivity training is going to change the feelings that bubble up from your soul into your grill. Sure, you might eventually learn to intercept phrases like "fudge packer" and "butt pirate" before they migrate from your brain to your mouth, but it won't change the fact that you have negative thoughts regarding gays or, based on the "fried chicken and watermelon" comment you made last year regarding LaDanian Tomlinson, regarding your African-American teammates and competitors.



Then again, we don't really care about any of this. These guys aren't paid to be public statesmen; they're paid to play football. But it's always refreshing to see that some of these highly-paid and supremely-skilled athletes are even more stupid than the rest of us.



The most troubling aspect of all of this, as Dave Hyde of the Miami Herald recognizes, is that Seau's casual use of the term "faggot" highlights the reality that professional athletes who happen to be gay will never be able to venture out of the closet, since there will always be one or more rock-headed teammates who'll react negatively. If, after all, a guy like Seau will use the word "faggot" in front of 1,000 people, what does he say and do in the privacy of the locker room?



GREEN BENCHES SHELTON



In what likely will be the first of many moves intended to whip an underachieving team into shape, Cardinals coach Dennis Green has moved left tackle L.J. Shelton to the second team -- and he'll install Leonard "Big" Davis into Shelton's spot, moving Davis to left tackle only a couple of months after moving him from right guard to left guard.



"Right now that’s where [Davis] is going to play and we’ll see if we change that or not," Green said, according to the East Valley Tribune. "He could be one of the best at any position in the league. I think we want him to get accustomed to [tackle]."



Shelton, who received a contract extension last year worth more than $20 million, apparently is in the dog house because of the extra weight he's carrying.



"Nothing I say is going to help the situation,” Shelton said, “so I am going to continue to keep my mouth shut and do what I am supposed to do."



We also suggest keeping your mouth shut when you pass the local Krispy Kreme store, too.



FINAL FOOTNOTE ON COLE



In response to our story (scroll down) regarding the phone call that we received on Thursday from Jason Cole of the Miami Herald, who complained about our suggestion that his statement from Wednesdau that Terrell Buckley "signed last week" with the Patriots was flat wrong, a league source told us on Friday morning that, in reality, Cole was flat wrong.



Per the source, Buckley still has not "signed" with the Patriots. Instead, he has merely agreed to terms.



As a practical matter, there's not a huge difference between the two phrases (except in those not-so-rare cases where a guy "agrees to terms" with one team and then is signed by another). But for a writer who, by his own declaration, is "pretty darn good" at what he does, you'd like to think that he wouldn't say a player "signed" with a team unless the player actually has "signed" with the team.



Maybe using "agreed to terms" instead of "signed" in his Wednesday piece would have placed him over his daily word limit, or maybe Cole was just sloppy. Either way, we now find it even harder to stomach the fact that he called us up and cried about our suggestion that he was wrong when, in fact, he was.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



Packers DT Cletidus Hunt is still absent from Packers' voluntary minicamp.



Vikings owner Red McCombs says that he thinks Mike Tice can lead the team to a Super Bowl this year, even as he enters the final year of his contract with no extension in sight.



Legendary Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope will be back for another year in the booth after giving a "Yoy!" to some serious health problems.



Giants DE Michael Strahan has wedged a sock in his tooth gap because he thinks his recent comments regarding his failure to fully participate in minicamp drills were taken out of context.



Reading between the lines of these items from the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philly Inquirer, our guess is that Eagles WR Terrell Owens and QB Donovan McNabb eventually will be clashing over how many balls are thrown T.O.'s way.



The Chiefs have agreed to terms with QB Damon Huard.



The Ravens say that they aren't interested in LB Jason Gildon.

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Well...I have a feeling Mr. Gildon is going to get fucking paid...that's for sure...he's going to be one of the few that gets his fair share...

I'm still shaking my head at Warner's 3 million a year...

He won't see all of that I'm sure. It has to be an incentive laden deal, where he would have to be in there most of the time to achieve them, and like the story says, most of these 2 year deals are really one year deals, so the can spread the bonus out over the 2 years.

I bet that if they are losing, and Warner is getting close to bonus money, Coughlin will yank him.

Should be fun watching either of those QB's operate behind that woeful line.

[POJO_Risin]

I'd have to think that their intent is to have Manning start the whole year...with Warner as insurance...

I think that Simms was right though...with Warner thinking he's going to start...

I would more than likely start Manning though...I don't think they'll do much worse than with Warner...with the line as you said...

Warner needs a ton of time...and moves like a cement truck...

[POJO_Risin]

You've gotta think the Ravens saying they aren't interested means that they are...

I'm interested in what the deal is with Burress...to my knowledge...he still hasn't shown his overrated mug...

[ALinChainz]

A little something about Burress in this Rumor Mill.


by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:57 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:46 a.m. EDT, June 5, 2004



PACK PERKY FOR TYRONE?



The Green Bay Packers have said they're not interested in reuniting with defensive back Tyrone Williams, who bolted for Atlanta after the 2002 season and was dumped by the Dirty Birds after only one year. But we're hearing indications that Williams might be their fallback if/when cornerback Mike McKenzie is traded to another team.



Still, it's been difficult for us to get a solid indication of whether the Packers are serious about moving McKenzie. Some league insiders think that they've realized McKenzie isn't going to play for the Packers in 2004, and that forcing him into a corner won't do anything to help the team punch through to the next level. Others think that the Packers are content to stand pat, and that they aren't going to give McKenzie away for less than what they think he's worth.



It's also been hard to determine who, if anyone, is talking to the Packers about a trade. It could be that any interested team(s) are keeping it quiet in order to keep others from jumping in; but wouldn't the Pack want other teams to know what's happening so that the bidding would potentially escalate?



Williams, who turned 31 last week, would give the Packers a short-term gap-filler for McKenzie, and he's familiar with the team, the coaching staff, and the system. So if McKenzie is dealt, look for the Pack to pounce on Williams as soon as the trade is finalized.



MARKET COOL FOR TROTTER



As linebacker Jason Gildon draws interest from NFC North teams like Green Bay and Chicago, former Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is still waiting for his free-agent tour to commence.



Rumors linking him to the Eagles, Giants, or Seahawks have yet to materialize, and some league insiders think he'll eventually be forced to swallow a short-term, low-dollar deal.



On paper, Trotter hasn't lost much of his game from his final season in Philly, after which he was slapped with the franchise tag. Indeed, his stats for 2001 and 2003 are virtually identical. Considering that he was playing last year behind a group of "will work for food" defensive tackles last year in Washington, we think he's still got the same stuff that made him a Pro Bowler in Philly.



At 27, Trotter still has plenty of years left, and someone is going to get a guy who still can play. As it stands, however, it looks like Trotter isn't going to be getting another big-money contract any time soon.



PRODIGAL PLAXICO BENEFITS STEELERS?



In our discussions with various league insiders, the general consensus around the league is that Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress is the new poster child for high-maintenance pass-catchers who are more trouble than they're worth.



For Burress, the short-term consequences are that no one likely will have any interest in trying to take him off of the Steelers' hands in 2004. Looking to 2005, Burress also has killed any chances of getting a big-money deal when he hits the free-agent market.



As one league insider explained, Burress wasn't generally regarded as a problem child around the league until last month, when he failed to report for a mandatory minicamp and then offered a cockamamie story regarding the fact that the camp landed on Mother's Day weekend. A week later, he launched a boycott of voluntary drills -- which apparently were determined to be unacceptable by him because they took place in the same month in which Mother's Day falls.



If Burress instead had kept his mouth shut and showed up for all offseason work and busted his ass and had a solid season, he likely would have been one of the top players in 2005 free agency. Instead, he's a pariah -- a T.O. with less talent -- who won't get any offers close to what he thinks he's worth next March.



In the end, this could directly benefit the Steelers. If, after all, other teams don't put big numbers on the table for Burress, the Steelers will be in a position to sign him to a long-term deal for a lot less money than it would have required if he hadn't shot himself in the foot, and then shoved the foot in his mouth.



And the Steelers likely know it. Why else would they be taking a kid glove approach to Plax, with coach Bill Cowher recently saying he'll welcome Burress back into the fold whenever he decides to show up? Surely, Cowher and the front office understand that their chances of keeping Burress have increased significantly, and they are betting on the fact that Burress will be ready to stick around once he realizes that there will be no big bidders for his services.



LOSMAN PUTS THE "P" IN J.P.



We know that teams are required to rally 'round their draft picks, especially when they mortgage a piece of the future to jump up and get a guy they want. But we're hearing that the Buffalo Bills have taken the turd-polishing thing to a new level with the explanation they're offering regarding the initial Wonderlic score generated by rookie quarterback J.P. Losman, for whom the team sacrificed its 2005 first-round pick in order to acquire him in the 2004 draft.



Losman is one of the guys whose Wonderlic saw a dramatic rise from one season to the next, prompting speculation in some circles that he had access to the test before he took it the second time. Word is that the Bills privately are saying that Losman's initial score (which was somewhere in the teens) resulted from the fact that (egads!) he really had to pee.



Supposedly, Losman left the testing room so that he could relieve himself, and he didn't get back in time to generate a respectable score.



The hole in all of this, as we see it, is that the Wonderlic test is only 12 minutes long.



Twelve minutes! Unless J.P. was in danger of getting uromycsotisis poisoning a la Jerry Seinfeld in the garage of the shopping mall, there's no reason why he couldn't have held it in for 12 minutes.



If the excuse is true (and we doubt that it is), it's further evidence of Losman's stupidity.



Smart guys would have pissed before the 12-minute test began. Alternatively, they would have realized that leaving the test room for a pit stop might have affected adversely their ability to answer all 50 questions within the 12-minute span, which without a visit to the pee-pee palace requires players to progress through the page at a rate of more than four problems per minute.



We're also hearing that Losman's apparent cognitive limitations already have surfaced in team practices. Though it's normal for a rookie quarterback to be overwhelmed by NFL playbooks and terminologies, Losman got so discombobulated in his drills with the Bills that he started calling out his high school cadences.



Then again, maybe he just had to pee.

[POJO_Risin]

Interesting...but it makes a whole ton of sense...

I still am not going to stick my head in the sand here...he's talented...and will get a shitload of money from whoever gets him...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:08 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:01 a.m. EDT, June 6, 2004



BUCKLEY PARTS WITH POSTONS



He was one of their first clients in 1992. Twelve years later, Terrell Buckley has parted ways with Carl and Kevin Poston.



The Boston Globe reports that Buckley has negotiated on his own a contract with the Patriots, working out a one-year deal for $760,000 and avoiding $22,600 in agent fees.



The negotiation wasn't all that complicated, since he's being added pursuant to the twist in the CBA that allows teams to acquire 10-year-plus veterans at $760,000 per year, with a cap cost and real dollars cost of $450,000.



We think this one runs deeper than merely saving money. Buckley says that going it alone "was something that had been on my mind for a couple of years." So what made him decide that this year was the right year?



It could have been that he knows the Patriots have little regard for the Postons, who arguably forced an impasse last year with Lawyer Milloy and who are mired in a dispute with the team now regarding Ty Law. Given widespread rumors that teams who have experienced problems with the Postons have no desire to deal with them, Buckley might have recognized that his best chance to get a deal done in New England was to do so without the Postons doing it for him.



Also, and as we recently explained, Buckley could have had the same deal he got from the Patriots in Miami. The Postons apparently wanted more than the minimum deal, and the Dolphins decided to look elsewhere for help at the cornerback position, signing Reggie Howard and drafting Will Poole.



Once it became clear that the Postons' apparent negotiating strategy would force Buckley to play somewhere other than in the city where he lives, Buckley might have decided that enough was enough.





BORGES BATTLES WITH "CRIPPLE"



We were concerned the other day that Miami Herald writer Jason Cole wanted to beat us up for criticizing him about a premature suggestion that Terrell Buckley had signed with the Patriots.



We now realize that fears of getting our butts whipped by a beat writer aren't so irrational.



As it turns out, Boston Globe columnist Ron Borges -- with whom we've verbally tussled in the past -- got into a brouhaha with former Daily News writer Andy Katz on Thursday while interviewing boxing promoter Bob Arum in Las Vegas.



Sunday's New York Daily News has this account of what transpired:



"This all started when Arum, during an impromptu press conference, began ripping [Bernard] Hopkins for threatening to pull out of his fight with Robert Allen. Hopkins made the threat because he did not want Joe Cortez to referee the bout.

"Borges, sitting to the right and slightly behind Katz -- who was covering the fight for the New York Times (which owns the Globe and is thus also Borges' employer) -- basically said it was about time for somebody to draw the line with Hopkins and stand up to him. That's when Katz injected his unique, and renowned, brand of venom into the mix.

"Katz: 'Yeah this sounds like a Don King toady, a Don King writer, attacking a guy (Hopkins) Don King hates.'

"Borges: 'You need a punch in the face, I'm really sick and tired of your ...'

"Katz: 'Shut the (expletive deleted) up.'

"This is when the words turned into actions. Borges reached around and landed a hard open-handed blow on Katz's right cheek. Katz never saw it coming. The shot sent Katz reeling back, separating his head from his beret, which went flying through the air.

"Katz: 'You shmuck. How can you hit a cripple?'

"Borges: 'You been getting away with that (hiding behind an infirmity) for years.'

"This really sent Katz over the edge. In Zorro-like fashion, he began waving his cane menacingly, poking at Borges' chest. The Boston writer advanced on Katz. And then the melee broke out. HBO Sports executive Kery Davis, trying to break things up, grabbed Borges' head. Four other guys jumped Borges from behind, trying to pull him back. Bodies were seemingly flying everywhere, one of them landing on Arum, knocking him down.

"Adding to the chaos, one of Arum's PR men, thinking he had heard gunshots, dove on his boss to protect him.

"'Get the (expletive deleted) off me,' Arum screamed.

"By then, security had arrived. Katz only would say that the incident had been 'embarrassing' and declined to comment any further. Borges also would not comment."

For once, we're speechless.

On second thought, maybe we're not. We're wondering (as many of you likely are) how it is that Borges still has a job with the Globe or the Times given his conduct.

Apparently, plagiarism gets a guy fired; pugilism doesn't.

In the inherently zany world of boxing, we wouldn't be surprised to see Katz sue Borges and the Globe and its corporate parent for seven figures in damages, under the theory that Borges was operating within the scope of his employment or, at a minimum, that the newspaper knew or should have known that Borges is a loose cannon prone to fits of rage.



ARRINGTON PIES TAYLOR

An incident at Redskins Park on Saturday almost turned ugly after linebacker LaVar Arrington snuck up behind rookie safety Sean Taylor and crammed a shaving cream pie into his face.

According to the Washington Post, the prank backfired, leaving Taylor shaken and yelling that he could not see.

"I got him good, but I got him too good," Arrington said. "That's horrible. I feel bad now. But he'll be all right. . . . I've done that before and I've had it done to me, and I've never seen that. He panicked. He scared the bejesus out of me."

Arrington and teammate Shawn Springs helped Taylor wipe the shaving cream from his eyes.




SUNDAY ONE-LINERS

Dolphins WR David Boston is down to 235 pounds, and on his way to 228.

Cowboys QB Chad Hutchinson doesn't even have a locker anymore -- even if it really was an oversight, it's likely only a matter of time before he's released.

Redskins RB Clinton Portis finally has pried away jersey number 26 from teammate Ifeanyi Ohalete: "I feel like Superman now, I got my cape back," Portis said. "Superman's not Superman when he don't have his cape."

ESPN Radio 1050 in New York is talking to Brenda "Yoko" Warner regarding the possibility of making regular appearances; WFAN says they aren't interested.

Though coach Butch Davis previously has denied any desire to release QB Tim Couch, the team's inability to swing a trade has fueled speculation that Couch soon will be dumped.

Redskins motormouth CB Fred Smoot says that a Pro Bowl berth in 2004 is a "gimme" (not bad for a guy the team was trying to trade a year ago).

Dolphins QB A.J. Feely is showing dramatic improvement in minicamp practices.

Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez continues to be sidelined by a stress fracture in his foot.

Browns RT Rex Tucker has agreed to a four-year extension, which puts him under contract through 2009.

Titans RB Chris Brown, who'd benefit the most if Eddie George were released, nevertheless says that the Titans will be a better team with George on the roster.

The offensive line formerly known as the "Hogs" have now become the "Dirtbags" -- and we can't wait to see what the "Dirtbaggettes" will be wearing at home games.

Dolphins WR Chris Chambers, who'll be a free agent in March, has dollar signs in his eyes based on contracts signed by guys like Carolina's Steve Smith: "It's a good time to be a receiver, baby. I think I'm the best receiver anywhere. Those guys went out and played well and deserved what they got. But I think I bring more to the table than any of them."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:55 a.m. EDT, June 7, 2004



CHARGERS TANKING IT?



As the Yorks realize in San Fran that revenue sharing makes the bottom line roughly the same for Super Bowl title-winners as it is for turds, the Spanos family has by all appearances come to the conclusion in San Diego that trying to put together a winning team in the short term simply isn't worth the time, trouble, or expense.



What other explanation could there be for the fact that the Chargers have done nothing to improve upon a team that was dreadful in 2003 and that has every indication of stinking up the AFC in 2004? Though they've got one of the best young running backs in the entire league, they've got next-to-nothing at receiver plus a three-headed quarterback monster still has everyone wondering whether the old guy, the young guy, or the guy with the pizza bubble on his face will be taking the snaps come September.



A few weeks back, G.M.-by-default A.J. Smith said he was looking into making some trades and/or adding some players, but there's been nothing done whatsoever of any kind to improve the team.



It's as if the Chargers responded to the criticism of the franchise reflected by Eli Manning's refusal to come to San Diego with a shoulder shrug and a resolve to show the world that they suck even more than Manning thinks.



Before we get a torrent of e-mails from Chargers fans who have nothing else to talk about, don't accuse us of having a West Coast bias (again). We've taken our share of shots at the Bengals over the years, and the looming train wreck that is the Giants has drawn plenty of our attention this offseason. But the Bengals are improving and the Giants have hope for the not-to-distant future.



What do the Chargers have? For now, it looks like the Spanoses are happy to answer that question by pointing to the fact that, no matter how bad their team sucks, they still get 1/32nd of the billion-dollar TV revenue pie.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



Redskins safety Sean Taylor sat out of practice on Sunday with lingering eye irritation due to LaVar Arrington's shaving-gel-pie-in-the-face prank gone bad (scroll down for more).



Three Vikings were arrested for kicking the caa-caa out of a guy at a bar only days after the team had a session on how to avoid scrapes with the law (and Playmakers is still a gross exaggeration of real life in the NFL).



With Vikings coach Mike Tice said to be considering demoting presumptive starting MLB E.J. Henderson for his involvement in the bar fight, our guess is that the Vikes might try to sign free-agent Jeremiah Trotter to a short-term deal.



The federal drug conspiracy charges against Ravens RB Jamal Lewis could go to trial as early as August, marring the team's preseason preparations and (if convicted) royally screwing up the Ravens' chances at getting back to the top of the NFL heap (and Playmakers is still a gross exaggeration of real life in the NFL).



With a minimum two-year commitment required for a stint in the CFL, Mo Clarett likely will be doing nothing this year.



The Cowboys likely will hold onto QB Chad Hutchinson until June 14, since cutting him before then would cause the team to lose the roster exemption resulting from his assignment to NFL Europe.



The Steelers are close to signing QB Tommy Maddox to an extension that pays him more like a starter, even as they begin the process of grooming Ben Roethlisberger to replace him.



After getting whacked in the noggin (again) during his first practice with the Giants, Kurt Warner looked down at his jersey and said, "I signed with the Chiefs?" (We're kidding.)



For anyone who ever ran a marathon faster than 4 hours, 9 minutes, and 57 seconds, you've got a leg up on former 49ers RB Roger Craig, who realized the hard way that 26.1 miles is a lot longer than 100 yards.

[POJO_Risin]

Screw freakin' Maddox...he shouldn't get shit...

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO to Arrington...

do you think that Taylor is going to take shit for the rest of the year?

I would be ruthless...

could you imagine if this permanently hurt his career...Arrington would fucking lose all his money...

[POJO_Risin]

I can see it now...

not getting "pied" and not "Pieing" will be written into contracts...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Screw freakin' Maddox...he shouldn't get shit...

I agree 1000%.

These guys who have one good season and then think it's Lotto Time. He seems to forget that no one was banging down his door, even after that big XFL MVP Award.

He should be kissing Steeler ass everyday he's even on the roster and getting a paycheck.

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
LMFAO to Arrington...

do you think that Taylor is going to take shit for the rest of the year?

I would be ruthless...

could you imagine if this permanently hurt his career...Arrington would fucking lose all his money...

You know stuff like that goes on all the time with rookies, and I'm sure they let the rest of the team know that this could have been serious.

Just keep thinking of Arrington and Taylor flying around and killing opponents, scary.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:30 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:26 a.m. EDT, June 8, 2004



RIFT BETWEEN BILLICK, NEWSOME?



Word out of Baltimore is that a rift has arisen between Ravens coach Brian Billick and G.M. Ozzie Newsome in the wake of the team's decision to sign quarterback Kordell Stewart.



Newsome wanted nothing to do with Stewart, a controversial up-and-down journeyman who'll raise your hopes before breaking your heart. Billick, however, wanted to sign Stewart as, at a minimum, a short-term gap-filler while backup Anthony Wright recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum.



The Stewart decision, we're told, is the latest example of a tug-of-war between Billick and Newsome, as Billick wants to have a greater say in the acquisitions made by the organization. Last month, we'd heard that Billick and assistant coach Jim Fassel wanted to pursue Kerry Collins with an eye toward giving him a chance to start in 2004, but that Newsome and the front office wanted no part of the former Panther/Saint/Giant.



With all that said, and recognizing that no one ever will confuse us with Kordell Stewart fans, we think it was a good move for the Ravens -- assuming that the only stripes running back Jamal Lewis will be wearing this fall are the stripes on his game pants.



Stewart historically has performed well as an off-the-bench option in a run-oriented offense under circumstances carefully orchestrated to build his confidence. Even after a disastrous debut last year in Chicago, due in large part to the refusal of then-offensive coordinator John Shoop to tailor the offense to Stewart's abilities and limitations, Stewart returned to the field and played well after Chris Chandler was injured. Stewart got the hook once the team was eliminated from playoff consideration, giving the Bears a chance to get rookie Rex Grossman acclimated.



Getting the guy for a one-year, $760,000 deal that counts only $450,000 against the cap is, in our view, a steal for the Ravens, assuming that Stewart accepts his role. If he does (and we think he will), he could prove to be a more-than-capable replacement for Kyle Boller, if Boller goes down with an injury.



Back to Billick and Newsome, it'll be interesting to see how their relationship plays out as they both jockey for the love and attention of new owner Steve Bisciotti, especially if the team struggles in 2004 or 2005. As coaches go, Billick is getting a bit long in the tooth, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him leave or get nudged if the team doesn't make a serious run deep into the playoffs over the next two seasons, especially since the reputed offensive guru still hasn't brought a field-stretching, point-scoring attack to Baltimore in five seasons as the head coach.



POSTONS TRYING TO SOFTEN IMAGE?



There's a buzz in Panther land that a recent piece in the Charlotte Observer by Pat Yasinskas regarding the prospects of getting cornerback Chris Gamble under contract on a timely basis that agents Carl and Kevin Poston might have fed the information directly to Yasinskas in an effort to begin the process of softening their image.



In the 2004 offseason, the Postons have been involved in a series of controversies, which might have caused one or more of their clients to re-think the wisdom of utilizing their services. An increasing number of teams simply do not want to deal with the Postons, given their reputation for divisive tactics.



So some folks think the Postons are trying to use the media to help spread a more positive message.



Given the realities of gathering and reporting NFL news in major newspapers, some league insiders believe that the Postons have been playing quid pro quo with Michael Smith of the Boston Globe in exchange for favorable coverage in the market where the team with which they have a bad relationship resides, due in large part to a lingering dispute between the Pats and defensive back Ty Law.



As we see it, the Postons' best strategy for rehabilitating their image would be to: (1) get their rookies into camp; (2) study the market before making pie-in-the-sky demands for free agents; and (3) take responsibility for the $6.5 million snafu regarding LaVar Arrington's contract with the Redskins, and persuade him to drop his grievance against the team.



For some reason, we don't see it happening.



DEFENDING THE TUNA?



Okay, we know we're on slippery ground here. After all, we lambasted Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau only a few days ago for showing Archie Bunker propensities in his homophobic comments before 1,000 folks at a team banquet.



So how can we defend Bill Parcells for referring on Monday to the team's surprise plays as "Jap plays"?



We could say that Parcells grew up in the wake of the event on which the term is based -- Japan's surprise attack of December 7, 1941 on Pearl Harbor -- and that, in his era the use of the term "Jap" was no more offensive or inappropriate than the use of the term "Nazi." They were the enemies of Parcells' childhood, and stuff that goes on during a guy's formative years is hard to forget.



Of course, the use of derogatory terms regarding, for example, blacks and gays was far more accepted in the 1940s and 1950s -- and that reality didn't keep us from teeing off on Seau for his own chronic case of verbal diarrhea.



We also could say that Parcells' judgment was blurred by the recent focus on D-Day and the death of tough-guy President, who had the charm to get away with anything he said, as long as it was delivered with a twinkle in his charismatic eye.



Of course, Parcells hasn't acquired the same Teflon shell that Ronald Reagan enjoyed throughout his political life. If anything, the Tuna's slip is out of character for a guy who at all times seems to choose his words carefully.



Finally, we could say that Parcells prefaced his comments with a "no disrespect intended" both before and after using the term. Though such a device easily could be used a cover for saying all sorts of unsavory things, the big difference between guys like Parcells and Seau, Rush Limbaugh, and Jimmy "the Greek" is that the apology came contemporaneously -- not after an uproar ensued (hell, we're not sure Limbaugh ever apologized for his Donovan McNabb statements).



In the end, Parcells' comment is (as we see it) further proof that the football industry is the last American bastion with all of the trappings (good and bad) of genuine Free Speech. Football coaches and football players don't have time for political correctness -- and harsh, profane, and/or offensive language often is necessary to get through to a group of kids who are strapping on the pads and banging heads with each other.



So we'll repeat our bottom-line sentiments regarding the Seau affair. We don't really care about any of this, when the statement are made by players or coaches. (We'll choose to hold members of the media to a higher standard, since their only job is to communicate.)



But for the same reasons that Seau's comments give us concerns regarding the extent to which gays ever will be accepted in the locker room, we wonder whether Parcells' words demonstrate an intolerance in the game of football for Asian players.



To find out, all anyone would have to do is interview one of Parcells' current players, linebacker Dat Nguyen.



WARD WANTS NEW DEAL, TOO



Some members of the Pittsburgh media believe that the Steelers have a habit of timing their announcements in an effort to overshadow (or, at a minimum, compete with) significant developments for the town's other pro sports teams. So it was with a certain degree of cynicism that some in the media regarded the announcement of the contract extension given to Tommy Maddox, which came on the same day that the Pirates selected local product Neil Walker with the 11th overall pick in the draft.



And if the Steelers were indeed looking for ways to crowd out the Pirates' decision to fulfill a hometown boy's dreams, they unexpectedly generated a separate source of news via the Maddox signing.



According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, receiver Hines Ward openly is wondering why he isn't getting a raise, too.



"Tommy got an extension. Why Tommy and not me?" Ward said. "I get paid good money, I can't deny that. But I'm in the same situation Tommy is."



The Steelers characterized Maddox's new contract as an "rare exception" to the team's rule that extensions won't be given to players with more than a year remaining on their deals.



Ward is slated to earn more than $1.6 million in 2004 under a deal that was negotiated before he became arguably one of the best receivers in the league. He'll make nearly $2.2 million in 2005. Clearly, Ward is worth more than that.



And Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette, who by all appearances is jockeying for a piece of Ward's new deal, raises an intriguing point -- since the Steelers haven't been bashful about ripping up the contracts of guys who are underperforming in comparison to their salaries (see Mark Bruener and Jerome Bettis), perhaps they should be willing to reward players who have exceeded their expectations.



The easy answer, Ed, is that it's the nature of the system. Guys outplay their deals all the time. If the team chooses to reward him, so be it. If the team instead chooses to risk a problem in the locker room or (worst-case scenario) a guy who simply wants out, like Mike McKenzie in Green Bay, it's the team's prerogative.



If it were up to us (and Steelers fans everywhere should be glad it's not), we would've held firm both as to Maddox and Ward. Why give a guy an eight-figure contract when you just drafted a quarterback in round one for the first time in a generation? Really, if it's a question of investing dollars in the future, we would've been more inclined to give the money to Ward.



But the Steelers have a method, even if to some it appears to be madness. They need Maddox to accept his role of short-term starter and long-term insurance policy. And his contract, as the quarterback market goes, is still fairly small.



Ward, as we see it, will grumble from time to time, but then he'll have another solid season in 2004 and he'll get his reward next year, in the form of a long-term deal that reflects his worth.



And the Steelers know that Ward is smart enough to realize this is the nature of the free-agency-based environment the players wanted for decades.



"It's part of the business and I just have to live with it," Ward said. "I have to play this year out and see what happens. It's out of my hands now; I have to let them deal with my agent and see where it goes from there."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:05 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:45 a.m. EDT, June 9, 2004



KEYSHAWN LIVING IN THE PAST?



Word out of Big D is that receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who was traded to the Cowboys after getting sent home in November by the Bucs last season, isn't looking very good in offseason drills.



In the opinion of one league source, Johnson appears to be "living off of his hype."



It remains to be seen whether and to what extent coach Bill Parcells will tolerate Johnson if he doesn't step it up. Their history together, including several successful seasons in New York, suggests to us that the Tuna will be patient -- at least until the regular season starts.



And Johnson's spot in the starting lineup is by no means etched in stone, given that holdovers Terry Glenn and Antonio Bryant are looking sharp to date.



Of course, reports that Bryant and coach Bill Parcells got into an altercation at practice on Tuesday won't do much to elevate Bryant's status on the team. The Dallas Morning News openly speculates that the incident could get Bryant released from the team.



We're also hearing that quarterback Vinny Testaverde has looked great in his short time with the team, and that his presence apparently has prompted incumbent starter Quincy Carter to step it up.



The 'Boys will need a solid passing game to create running lanes for rookie Julius Jones, who currently is perched atop the depth chart in the backfield.



YOKO FOR HIRE



People ask us from time to time why we give Kurt Warner's wife Brenda a/k/a Yoko such a hard time.



Our standard response: Because she deserves it.



Our fallback position: Because it's fun.



The latest piece of proof to justify our pattern of picking on Mrs. Warner came from a reader who e-mailed to us a link that offers Yoko's services -- as a keynote speaker -- for up to $5,000 a clip.



Confirming that she has no independent basis for peddling her speaking skills (or lack thereof), the page prominently explains beneath her name that she is "married to NFL two-time MVP Kurt Warner."



It's literally unprecedented for any wife of any NFL player (two-time MVP or otherwise) to try to craft for herself some sort of fame and fortune based solely upon the fact that she's married to a guy that plays football. Really, we can think of no other NFL wife who has spent so much time mugging for the camera and/or publicly insinuating herself into her husband's football career.



And the pattern dates back to 1999, when Kurt Warner took the NFL by storm -- and the cameras regularly found Yoko in the crowd, usually wearing some attention-grabbing blue and yellow outfit.



As another reader recently told us, his reaction when he first saw Brenda during a game was that "Kurt's mom looks young." Yet another reader's initial reaction was (no disrespect intended) "Lesbians like football?" (No disrespect to lesbians intended.)



(Editor's Note: We've decided in light of recent events that prefacing statements that potentially insult a specific segment of society with a "no disrespect intended" disclaimer and immediately reiterating the statement after uttering the insulting phrase will avoid any untoward consequences.)



Along these same lines, we need to clarify that we're not knocking Brenda because of her apparent faith. Still, it's our belief that folks who wear that stuff on their sleeves sometimes have ulterior motives -- and we've suspected for a couple of years now that Kurt and Brenda possibly are wrapping themselves in self-professed Christianity to boost their own images within the NFL world and beyond.



And if the Christian thing is indeed for show, the facade will completely crumble, once Yoko and Kurt gets a taste of the fans and the media in New York.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Eagles WR Terrell Owens is grousing about the fact that he's required to wear shorts over his tights at practice (yeah, he's gonna work out just swell in Philly).



The Giants have hired former Bills offensive line coach Pat Ruel to assist Pat Flaherty, who learned recently that he has colon cancer.



The Lions are pleased with the work ethic of RB Kevin Jones.



DT Daryl Gardener was in Cincinnati on Monday for a physical; a tentative 4-year, $9.3 million contract has not been finalized due to concerns regarding his back.



Jaguars WR Troy Edwards says he won't hand over his starting job to rookie first-rounder Reggie Williams: "I'm a former first-rounder also," Edwards said, "and I've got some skills." ("Some" is the operative term, given that he was poop-canned by both the Steelers and the Rams before landing in Jacksonville.)



The guy who allegedly was assaulted by three Vikings players last weekend has a shoe imprint on the side of his face.



The Vikings have signed LB Keith Newman, but coach Mike Tice insists that LB E.J. Henderson and LB Mike Nattiel won't be demoted for their arrests.



The plan for DE Tony Brackens is to increase "his repetitions and his role," said coach Jack Del Rio.



LB Kendrell Bell practiced for the first time since May 7, when he injured a groin.



QB Joe Hamilton has signed a one-year deal with the Colts.



Panthers FB Brad Hoover is recovering from April hernia surgery.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:37 p.m. EDT, June 9, 2004



NINERS MAKE BIG OFFER TO PETERSON



The San Francisco 49ers have made a jaw-dropping contract offer to linebacker Julian Peterson, which includes the highest signing bonus ever paid by the franchise.



But G.M. Terry Donahue still doesn't think that the $15.5 million in bonus money will be enough to lure Peterson, who is represented by the increasingly notorious Poston brothers.



Donahue said that the offer will make Peterson the second-highest paid linebacker in the league, trailing only Ravens All-Pro Ray Lewis. Because, however, Donahue has offered no other details regarding the deal, it's impossible at this point to verify whether the offer exceeds the deals signed last year by Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher or by Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington.



Technically, negotiations cannot resume until after July 15, given Peterson's status as a franchise player. (If he were to sign a long-term deal before July 15, the 49ers would lose the franchise tag for the life of the contract.) But even after July 15, Donahue doesn't expect a protracted back-and-forth.



"There really isn't a whole lot to discuss," Donahue said. "We've gone where we can go. We've made a very, very competitive offer."



Though the number falls short of the $30 million bonus that the Postons supposedly requested in February, statements made by the Postons regarding the ongoing Orlando Pace negotiations suggest that they intentionally aimed high, with an eye toward moving downward. The question is whether they'll take $15.5 million to sign -- and whatever other terms are in the offer.



It'll also be interesting to see how the offer compares to the deal signed in December by Postons client Arrington. As we reported several weeks back, the 49ers clued the Postons in to the allegedly missing $6.5 million roster bonus in the Arrington contract, presumably because the Postons were looking for something in the same ballpark for Peterson.



If a long-term deal can't be reached, Peterson probably will report on the eve of the regular-season opener and sign his one-year franchise tender, which is worth more than $6 million in 2004 salary.

[POJO_Risin]

Pittsburgh shouldn't have given Maddox that contract...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:34 a.m. EDT, June 11, 2004



COWHER CHANGING HIS TUNE ON BURRESS?



After weeks of taking a kid-glove approach to AWOL receiver Plaxico Burress (and before any of you send us e-mails explaining that the minicamp practices he's been missing since May 18 technically aren't "mandatory," we all know by now that the "voluntary" label is meaningless), Steelers coach Bill Cowher finally is suggesting that Burress has hurt himself by not being involved in offseason workouts.



Cowher on Thursday refused to confirm that Burress is guaranteed a starting job with the Steelers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.



The feeling around the league is that recent statements of discontent by receiver Hines Ward, who is busting his butt under a contract that he has outplayed, might have been triggered by the contract given to starting quarterback Tommy Maddox, but that the root of the problem is that Burress has by all appearances gotten a pass for essentially telling the team to shove it over the past month.

"The one thing I said is these aren't like the days of old when you had three or four weeks to get ready," Cowher said. "I mean, you have to come ready to hit the ground running."

Further complicating matters is that new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt plans to move Ward and Burress around this year, in lieu of starting them from the same receiver position on every play. To get ready for the regular season, the receivers need to be working together in these new formations now.

Still, Cowher's suggestion that Burress has hurt himself likely was a calculated response to recent hints by Hines Ward that he might express his displeasure with his contract status by staying away from training camp.



Ward likely also realizes that any money that he might receive after the 2004 season, when only one year will be remaining on his contract, could be diverted to Burress, especially if (as we've recently explained) Plax's recent behavior causes teams to shy away from him when he hits the market -- and the Steelers begin to realize that they might be able to afford him.



Even if the Steelers can, in the end, afford Burress, any long-term investment in him surely will affect the money available for Ward.



Though we don't know whether Cowher's comments on Burress indicate that the team has decided to consider seriously the possibility of trading Burress, the coach's comments are noteworthy based solely on the fact that, in our recollection, it's the first time he has said anything remotely negative in public regarding the team's first-round pick in 2000.



FINAL THOUGHTS ON OBEN



In a strange way, we're glad to see that there are so many of you who are willing to put down the sushi plate and pick up the fight for your beloved San Diego Chargers. In response to our two recent dissings of a franchise that somehow made it to the Super Bowl a decade ago, we've received many e-mails from fans and assorted nitwits who take great issue with our comments regarding their beloved 'Bolts.



Many of these e-mails question our report that the Chargers got fleeced out of a fifth-round pick for left tackle Roman Oben. But the fact that the guy has been (key words: "has been") a starter for a team that won a Super Bowl doesn't mean that he merits a job in San Diego, or that a draft pick should be sacrificed to get him. The suggestion that Oben automatically merits such consideration reminds us of Steve Spurrier's concession from last season that the Redskins signed Byron Chamberlain based essentially on the fact that they'd heard of him.



One of the communications we received on Thursday confirmed the accuracy of our report, and it came from an NFL scout, who probably has the credentials to comment on matters of this nature.



As the scout said: "If the NFL cannot find 32 left tackles that are worth a shit, why do the Chargers feel Tampa had two of them?"



That pretty much sums it up, in our view. Should they have tried to sign Oben if/when he was cut by the Bucs? Sure. Should they have given up a fifth-round draft pick to get him? Probably not.



TROTTER STILL WAITING



Despite rumors linking veteran free-agent linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to the Bengals, Giants, and Seahawks, the former Pro Bowl and Philly franchise player is waiting for a new home, ten days after hitting the free-agent market.



Word around the league is that concerns about Trotter's weight and knee are keeping interest in him relatively low. Though he's still young at 27, he has taken a beating in his career, and the concern is that he's got not much tread left on the tire.



Our guess is that he'll stay on the shelf until he realizes that he won't be getting a $35 million contract. Instead, our guess is that he'll get a short-term deal from a team willing to let him prove that he still can play.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



Bucs QB-for-now Brad Johnson is still trying to fend off rumors that Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen are looking to replace him.



Vikings CB Eric Kelly wants to be released after getting bumped off of the second team by Rushen Jones.



By all appearances, the Packers are hoping that CB Mike McKenzie eventually will decide to re-join the team.



Chargers C Jason Ball wants to be traded.



POSTED 10:38 p.m. EDT, June 10, 2004



TEXANS TALKIN' TURD-KEY WITH TUNA



A league source tells that the Houston Texans have contacted the Dallas Cowboys regarding disgruntled receiver Antonio Bryant. We're also hearing that several other teams have inquired about the third-year receiver. "Every team that needs a receiver has called," another source said.



Though the 'Boys and the 'Xans are geographic rivals, their placement in separate conferences causes them to meet on the field only once every four years. Thus, the 'Boys would be more likely to ship Bryant to Houston than, say, to Philly or D.C., both of which teams the Cowboys see twice per year.



And a trade of Bryant to Houston would represent the second Texas two-step that these two franchises have danced this spring, with the Texans sending quarterback Drew Henson to the Cowboys for a third-round draft pick.



Our guess is that the Cowboys initially will try to recoup that third-rounder, arguing that the Texans surely would have traded Henson for Bryant straight up, if that were the deal on the table at the time.



Meanwhile, Bryant reportedly is in Miami as the team wraps up minicamp sessions. Following the Tuesday altercation, Bryant has not been at practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and he won't be present on Friday.



Bryant's mother, Irene, is trying to talk some sense into her prodigal son. "I talked to Antonio for an hour last night," Mrs. Bryant said. "I told him that respect has to be given before it is received. I'm hoping and praying for the best."



Yet another league source tells us that the episode is the result of resentment on Bryant's part regarding newcomer Keyshawn Johnson, whom Bryant believes is the recipient of favoritism on the part of coach Bill Parcells. Before the Johnson-for-Galloway trade, it widely was assumed that Joey Galloway would be dumped, permitting Bryant to crack into the starting lineup.



We've confirmed that the situation turned ugly on Tuesday when Bryant threw his jersey in Tuna's face. Bryant also tried, we're told, to continue his assault on Parcells as Bryant was being thrown out of the team's practice facility.



The players, we're told, are behind Parcells on this one, which indicates that Bryant likely won't be back, under any set of circumstances.



The irony in all of this, as we see it, is that Bryant was third on the depth chart behind two veterans who know a thing or two about falling out of favor -- and getting run out of town. Though we're hearing that the league in general is becoming less willing to give second chances to guys who have demonstrated turdish behavior, both Keyshawn and Terry Glenn have made the most to date of their second chances.



The question at this point is whether Bryant will.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:46 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:16 a.m. EDT, June 12, 2004



CHARGERS DUO IS AWOL



A pair of starters along San Diego's offensive line didn't show up for the team's final mandatory minicamp of the offseason.



Center Jason Ball and guard Toniu Fonoti were AWOL from Friday's opening session, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Ball is unhappy with his contract, and Fonoti reportedly has checked into a weight-loss clinic in the hopes of leaving behind more than a few of his 400 or so pounds.



"It's a setback, no question," G.M. A.J. Smith said. "But we'll move on. There's nothing else we can do."



Smith apparently is also applying that shoulder-shrugging attitude to the roster in general. Though he promised several weeks back that the team would be looking to add players via trades and free agency, he now says they'll likely go into the season with the guys that they currently have.



"Now maybe there will be some late cuts by other teams and a veteran may become available and we'll look at him," Smith said. "But we're pretty much where we are as a team."



And "where they are" as a team includes having 40 percent of the starting O-line unavailable for the last round of mandatory drills before training camp opens.



Given these realities, Nick Canepa of the U-T isn't bashful about projecting "where they'll be" come January:

"Generally, when you look at an NFL team's schedule, you can scribble a 'W' here and there. . . . Not this time. Try as I might, I can't find one. . . . I'm not saying there won't be one, I just can't see where it is. Going 0-16 in The League is more difficult than getting to 16-0, but it could be easier to find Jimmy Hoffa than a victory among these ruins."

Amen, paisan. Amen.

COWBOYS PLANNING TO TRADE BRYANT?

While some members of the media suggest that the Cowboys won't trade or release Antonio Bryant in the aftermath of his jersey-to-the-face routine with head coach Bill Parcells, the objective evidence suggests that, at this point, it will require some serious begging, groveling, and butt-smooching to bring Bryant back to Big D. And that might not be enough.

Really, it's hard to place any credence in what ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli has to say about the situation, since Pasquarelli was openly miffed about then-ESPN colleague Parcells' failure to gift-wrap to the network scoop regarding his secret meetings with Dallas owner Jerry Jones in late 2002. (The story was broken by CBS.) Pasquarelli at one point said in a radio appearance that Parcells should have been summarily fired for not sharing the info regarding his flirtations with the Cowboys while still getting paid by ESPN.

It's also possible that someone within the organization is feeding misinformation to Pasquarelli, in the hopes of creating the impression that the Cowboys aren't interested in trading Bryant, thereby preventing teams from thinking he can be had for a seventh-rounder and a bowl of chili.

Others think that Bryant's days in Dallas indeed are numbered. We reported on Thursday that the Cowboys are receiving trade inquiries, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms that the team is indeed fielding trade offers for the third-year receiver.

The acquisition of receiver Dedric Ward also fuels the notion that a spot will be open on the depth chart. Ward, a former Parcells draft pick who drew no interest from any other team after a one-catch season with the Pats in 2003, signed a one-year, $600,000 deal on Friday.

"He and coach Parcells had a lengthy conversation about [his role]," said Ward's agent, Stephen Hayes. "Dedric left that meeting feeling very strong about his opportunity in Dallas."

Did we mention that Bryant will earn only $380,000 in 2004?

Bryant's agent, Peter Schaffer, is doing his best to get the situation under control. "Antonio does not want to go anywhere," Schaffer told the Star-Telegram. "He's a Dallas Cowboy. That's the way we view it. His hope is that things can be worked out."

Schaffer also made no requests or demands on Bryant's behalf. "If they want to trade him, they can. If they want to release him, they can. We are not going to ask for those things, but we have no control over that if they do."

The more we think about it, the less we can see Parcells welcoming back into the fold a guy who ventured past a line that never, ever should be crossed. The irony here is that, while Parcells received a fairly quick free pass for his "Jap plays" comments from Monday, he's unlikely to be as charitable to Bryant for launching his own surprise attack with a sweaty jersey rolled into a ball.

Reflecting on the great coaches of the past, would any of them tolerated such behavior? Halas would've killed the guy on the spot. Lombardi would've had Ray Nitchske kill him. Other coaches might have been less violent in response, but of guys like Landry, Noll, Shula, Gibbs, and Walsh, we can't think of any of them that would have kept Bryant around.

After all, great coaches believe in their hearts that they can overcome the absence of a great player. And they can. Bryant, despite having great potential, simply isn't good enough yet to be indispensable. For that reason, we don't think Parcells will give him another chance.

And before Bryant scribbles "shot at redemption in Dallas" on his Christmas list, he needs to think about whether he really, truly wants to go to training camp with a guy like Parcells, after pissing him off. One way or another, Parcells will make an example out of Bryant. If we were Antonio, we wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of the endless grief he'll suffer if he gets a chance to return.

From Parcells' perspective, it'd be smart to ride Bryant endlessly and relentlessly. Like a colt that's been chomping on loco weed, Bryant needs to be broken, once and for all. It'll be easy for Bryant to say that he won't be acting up in the future -- it'll be another for him to bite his tongue (and hold his jersey) with the Tuna in his face constantly from the day camp opens until the final preseason game -- and beyond.

SATURDAY ONE-LINERS

Unable to trade TE Mikhael Ricks, the Lions have dumped him; look for the 'Skins to consider Ricks for the pass-catching tight end role they envisioned for potential draft pick Kellen Winslow.

The Vikings were impressed with the "raw ability" of former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar, who worked out for them on Friday, and the Vikes haven't ruled out signing him (but can he pass a pee test?).

Though he could piss-and-moan like many of his NFL brethren, Tom Brady isn't complaining about the fact the market for quarterback deals makes him grossly underpaid; Brady's bigger concern seems to be the eventual departure of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

Cowboys backup RB Erik Bickerstaff torn an Achilles' tendon on Friday and is done for the year.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that QB Tommy Maddox's new contract is still below-average for NFL starting quarterbacks (which in our view is fitting, since Maddox is as below-average starting quarterback).

QB Drew Brees is No. 1 on the Chargers' depth chart, and Doug Flutie is No. 2; but rookie Philip Rivers got the same number of snaps in Friday's practice.

The Pats and LB Tedy Bruschi could be close to an extension.

Rams rookie DB Jason Shivers apparently slipped from round three to round five due to a pre-combine DUI.

The Rams have signed former Giants OL Jeff Hatch.

From the "Disturbing Images that Will Rob Us of Sleep" file, Eagles coach Andy Reid says that WR Terrell Owens can wear tights without shorts at practice if he scores 15 touchdowns this season -- and that if T.O. enters the end zone 15 times, Reid will wear tights to practice, too. (It's still better than the notion of Jon Gruden parading around in a jock strap if the Bucs had repeated last season.)

POSTED 9:25 p.m. EDT, June 11, 2005

LAW GOT SMART ABOUT THE POSTONS?



Anyone remotely familiar with this here site knows that we've been devoting plenty of e-space to the trials and tribulations of the brothers Poston, who have had their mitts in more controversy this offseason than many agents enjoy in an entire career.



But we hardly can be accused of unfairly trumpeting the troubles that the Postons have experienced, due in large part to the fact that they seem to revel in conflict, even when their claims are patently implausible.



And with the stunning about-face that Patriots cornerback Ty Law pulled on Thursday, re-embracing a franchise he not long ago rejected, it's hard for us not to conclude that some of the Postons' clients are starting to realize that the agents' strategies might not be working. Really, the first cracks in the facade appeared several weeks back, when Rams tackle Orlando Pace hinted that the demands made by the Postons to the Rams were higher than what he wanted, and that Pace would've been interested in the bonus ballpark at which the Postons scoffed.



More recently, defensive back Terrell Buckley opted to go his own way in negotiating a one-year minimum salary deal with the Pats -- saving more than $20,000 in agent fees and prompting some league insiders to question whether the Postons' fairly should have been taking a full fee from T-Buck over the past years for similar one-year, no-brainer, veteran minimum contracts.



Regardless of the reasons, the end result was downright uncanny. "A lot of things said about me were taken out of context," Law declared on Thursday. "You know my personality and who I am. I'm all about the Patriots, but at the same time I was concerned that if it didn't work out here I'm a football player that can play anywhere, but I'd like to play here and retire as a Patriot. . . . I'm very happy to be a part of this team."



On behalf of the entire sports media, Ty, we're sorry that your comments such as "Bill Belichick told me a lie" and "I don't want to play for the Patriots" were misconstrued. We now realize that what you really said was that "Bill Belichick bought me a tie" and "I don't want to play for (anyone but) the Patriots."



Oops.



Seriously, though, our guess is that someone whom Law respects (T-Buck, perhaps?) had a long talk with Ty about his future in the NFL, and about his current contract in New England that will pay him multiple millions of dollars this year and next year. And while we continue to believe that NFL players will never acknowledge to having sub-par representation for fear of taking endless grief from their colleagues, it could be that some are realizing that they can exert control over the situation without firing the agents or otherwise conceding to the world that they've gotten piss-poor advice in the past.



Really, if Law's 180-degree change of course had its origins in the Postons' brains, wouldn't we have heard about the change of heart from them and not from Ty? Instead, the Postons have been conspicuously (and uncharacteristically) silent ever since Law restated his dedication and devotion to the Pats.



COUCH TO GREEN BAY HARDLY A LOCK



Many readers have asked us why we've had nothing to say about the decision of the Browns to release quarterback Tim Couch. We've said nothing about it because we've got nothing to say.



Okay, maybe we do. (Hey, it worked for Ty Law.)



Those who presume that the move enhances the likelihood that Couch will sign with the Packers haven't been following the story with sufficient attention and/or brain power. The biggest stumbling block wasn't the issue of compensation between the Packers and the Browns, but the question of bonus money and salary to be paid to Couch by the Pack.



So the fact that the Packers don't have to give up a mid-to-low-round draft pick has no relevance to the question of whether they'll break the impasse with Couch and agent Tom Condon. Couch doesn't want to sit the bench for more than a season, and he wants to be paid like a starter in 2005. With coach/G.M. Mike Sherman paying Wizard-of-Oz type deference to current starter Brett Favre regarding his retirement plans, the Pack simply don't know whether they'll need a replacement for Favre in 2005, 2006, or 2007.



But with Favre firmly in place for 2004, there's no need for Couch to rush into anything in Green Bay. Instead, we predict that Couch will wait for a starter's ACL and/or Achilles' and/or ankle to go snap and/or crackle and/or pop at some point between the opening of training camp and the start of the regular season. If that happens, someone will be knocking on Couch's door with the promise of a chance to leap frog the No. 2 guy on the roster, giving Couch a chance to put up good stats in 2004 -- and to hit the open market in March, when more than a handful of teams will be willing to overpay for the "hot" free agents.



It's a low-risk gamble for Couch, whose options in Green Bay likely won't disappear even if he calls them as late as September 10 and says he's ready to join the squad. Though the Pack have huffed and puffed from time to time about putting a hard deadline on the discussions with Couch, the truth is that there's no one else out there with the right combination of potential and age to inherit the position of Favre's eventual successor.



VIDEO PRICE WAR COMING?



For folks like us who can only get their offseason fix of football action courtesy of a PS2 or an Xbox, Sega has launched the first strike in a price war that could revolutionize the video game industry.



After days of speculation that the initial $19.99 list price for ESPN Football 2K5 was an error, the number has been confirmed as accurate.



The Sega/ESPN franchise has been trying for the past few years to compete with the EA Sports' Madden juggernaut, and someone at Sega apparently has concluded that the only way to beat Madden is to undercut him.



We're not so sure about the logic, since the price drop will ensure that most hard-core NFL video game aficionados (like us) will buy both Madden 2005 and ESPN 2K5 come August. With Madden likely priced at $49.99, the total expense for both games of $69.98 is a downright bargain.



But it'll be interesting to see whether EA carves away at its price tag for Madden -- and whether Sega will apply the same approach to its other ESPN sports games.



Another factor that the folks at Sega might be overlooking is recent marriage of EA Sports and Xbox Live, which likely will prompt more folks to buy the Xbox version of Madden and the other EA Sports titles. Then again, the looming explosion of EA Sports games on Xbox Live might have been the impetus for the price cut.



Bottom line: Lower prices are a good thing, and the $19.99 tag for ESPN 2K5 guarantees that we'll be checking out this year's version of the No. 2 NFL video franchise, which could eventually end up being No. 1.



And for any of you who'll be trolling the lobbies of Xbox Live looking for a butt-whupping, look for us under a gamer tag that you'll surely recognize.

[POJO_Risin]

Jesus Christ...19.99 for anew game...I hope they kill Madden...and drop that price...sweet as hell....

Fuck Burress...have I said that before?

[Troy]

You need to buy that game then!

I've always liked Sega's NFL games better than Madden. I guess it's like Ford vs. Chevy...

[POJO_Risin]

Is 2005 out yet?

if not...I'm going to get it...

[BrownSound1]

Sega has made constant bad decisions since they won the 16-bit market with the Genesis. I love Sega's games, but they just can't seem to get it together so they can get back to prominence. Plus, their football games, I dunno, just always seemed a step behind EA.

[POJO_Risin]

I do Love Madden and like how the college game and the pro game for XBox transers over...so if you are doing Dynasty mode...your players can contine into the NFL...that's some solid shit...

[POJO_Risin]

I would agree with you BS...but I like the thought of Madden getting tested with the #2 game dropping their price...

If Madden even comes down 10 bucks...well...we make out...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:11 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2004



BALL DISPUTE ABOUT MORE THAN MONEY?



A league source tells us that Chargers center Jason Ball wants out of San Diego not just because he wants a long-term deal, but because he's unhappy with the direction of the franchise.



Hey, has the kid been talking to Archie Manning or something?



Per the source, Ball could ignite discussions toward a long-term contract with the Chargers if he merely reports to training camp. And that stance by the Chargers is a departure from the position we're told they took in February, when they told Ball there would be no talks on a long-term deal.



Because he's an exclusive rights free agent who has not yet signed his one-year, $380,000 tender offer, Ball is under no obligation to participate in any team activities, since he simply isn't under contract. If he were to play out the 2004 season, his third NFL year, he'd be eligible for restricted free agency in 2005.



Ball can report to the team on the eve of the regular season opener, sign his tender, and still receive $380,000 in salary this year. Likewise, he can show up for the final six games, get a prorated salary, and secure his fourth year of credited NFL service, preserving his eligibility for free agency.



If, on the other hand, the Chargers get sufficiently miffed by his looming absence from training camp and rescind the tender offer, he'll become an unrestricted free agent now.



In our view, this is the natural consequence of the Chargers' decision to cave in to Eli Manning in April, when the No. 1 pick in the draft said he didn't want to come to San Diego. It set a bad precedent for the Chargers, who now must decide whether to take a hard line with an undrafted gem who started eight games in 2003 at center before an ankle injury knocked him out for the balance of the season.



NINERS PLAYING PETERSON PROPERLY?



We like the idea of putting the bottom-line offer to a player on the table when faced with a ridiculous demand from his agents, since it forces the kid to walk away from a lot more than he would under the traditional back-and-forth dialogue, since the process when the starting number is insanely high breaks down before the team ponies up any real money. That's precisely what the 49ers did last week when, in the face of a request for a $30 million bonus for franchise player Julian Peterson, the Niners offered a deal with $15.5 million up front -- and G.M. Terry Donahue announced their intentions to the free world.



As one league insider explained to us, the team's decision to make the offer public likely was intended to pressure Peterson's agents, Carl and Kevin Poston, to take advantage of the opportunity to prove that they're not hopelessly unreasonable, as events of the past few months have suggested. And the move also might have been specifically prompted by reports that Rams franchise player Orlando Pace might have been willing to accept the money the Rams reportedly were willing to offer, if the negotiations hadn't been derailed by yet another Postons moon-shot demand.



Still, not everyone thinks the strategy is sound. As another league insider told us, "I don't like the idea of negotiating through the media," and "I'm not crazy about the money that [the 49ers] are offering . . . . I don't think that he's THAT good. He's not that type of a difference maker."



The insider shared another nugget of wisdom with us: "Be careful how rich you make a dumb guy."



Peterson notched a score of 8 when he took the Wonderlic test, landing him somewhere between a bowl of tepid Jello and a busted transistor radio on the overall intelligence hierarchy. And for anyone who's ever been privy to Peterson's appearances on the NFL Network, our guess is you'd rather see the wiggly green stuff on the stool next to Rich Eisen.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:33 a.m. EDT, June 15, 2004



'BOYS LEANING TOWARD KEEPING BRYANT?



In response to our weekend analysis of the chances of Cowboys receiver Antonio Bryant sticking around in Dallas after stuffing his jersey in the face of coach Bill Parcells last Tuesday, a source in Big D tells us that current indications are that the team will find a way to work with the third-year receiver, due in large part to his potential.



"This kid is way too talented just to let go," the source said. "Bill knows that this kid has talent. I believe in my heart that he is going to try and work with him."



The source also said that the final paragraph of our Saturday story might in the end carry the most truth -- Parcells, if he keeps Bryant, will try to break him, once and for all.



Others beyond Dallas think that the Cowboys merely are attempting to drive up the trade market for Bryant, and that they'll move him during training camp, perhaps after a team or two loses a starting receiver to injury. This strategy also would permit the Cowboys to seek and/or to obtain a replacement at a lower cost.



Our current thinking is that Bryant probably will be back, even though Antonio's direct assault on the freaking head coach has crossed a line that pulls the NFL even closer to that morass of miscreants known as the NBA.



NO PADS IN COWBOYS PRACTICE



ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli recently teased his readers with the notion that the Cowboys might have been wearing shoulder pads in practice, based on initial reports regarding the Bryant fiasco that he threw his jersey and pads. As explained in Pasquarelli's oft-tedious Tip Sheet, the 'Boys pulled a Roswell on this one, engineering the prompt removal of any reference to the pads from all public accounts of the incident, in order to avoid potential scrutiny of the league office and/or the NFLPA.



Possibly in an intentionally deft piece of non-reporting, Pasquarelli has fueled speculation regarding the used of pads at Cowboys offseason practice by not tracking down the truth and presenting it.



So we've finished the job for him: A team source tells us unequivocally that the Cowboys were not wearing pads.



"This team was not in pads," said the source. "If our beat writers were worth a sh-t, they would have done more than guess that we were in pads. Like maybe they could have asked two or three or four other sources."



Our source also pointed out that the practices are now taped. Thus, it would be easy for the NFL or the union to prove that teams are wearing pads when they shouldn't be.



COUCH, PACKERS WORK OUT A DEAL



A few days back, we suggested that the recent release of Tim Couch by the Browns didn't mean that he'd quickly reach a deal with the Packers, since the hang-up in past discussions wasn't the issue of compensation between the teams, but between the Pack and Couch.



So on Monday, Couch and the Packers reached agreement on a one-year deal.



In lieu of a $7.6 million salary that Couch would have earned in Cleveland this year, he'll receive $1.25 million, plus incentives, in Green Bay. This will allow Couch to look for a starting job in March 2005, if Packers starter Brett Favre doesn't decide to retire following the 2004 season.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



The Dolphins are expected to reduce DE Adewale Ogunleye's tender offer from $1.8 million to $412,000, which will protect the team in the event he decides to show up only for the minimum number of games to qualify for free agency in 2005.



Vikings RB Michael Bennett is "faster than ever" and taking on a leadership role in Minnesota.



Free-agent LB Jason Gildon is meeting with the Bills on Tuesday.



Panthers LB Mark Fields is back on the practice field after fighting Hodgkin's Disease.



Giants TE Jeremy Shockey is seeking a second opinion on his injured right foot.



Miami G.M. Rick Spielman says that the Fins aren't interested in trading for Cowboys WR Antonio Bryant.



Giants QB Kurt Warner thinks that his wobbly passes and confusion regarding the offense are related to his lack of familiarity with the team's offense (and we think these problems are related to the fact that he's lost it -- and it ain't never comin' back).



Giants coach Tom Coughlin is trying to show RB Tiki Barber how to avoid dropping the ball.



Beyond the $2 million signing bonus, the contract extension given to Steelers QB Tommy Maddox doesn't pay him much more money than his old deal -- unless he's able to keep Ben Roethlisberger on the bench for most of the next four seasons (and play really well).



The Titans are expecting RB Eddie George to attend team workouts that open on Tuesday.

[POJO_Risin]

No...and no...to the last statement about freakin' Maddox...

Roethlisberger will be starting by week 10...and Maddox will be selling Va life insurance...;)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

That's a bet.....

[ALinChainz]

The extension is a smoke screen, he'll never see that money and will only earn slightly more than he would have this season.

Clock is running on Maddox.

[POJO_Risin]

and running quickly...

Okay Va...gee...lets see...what to bet...hmmm...how about some beer...lmfao...there's a stretch...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:10 a.m. EDT, June 16, 2004



CBA GLITCH LIMITS BALL, OGUNLEYE



At least two current NFL players have threatened to refrain from signing current contract offers until only six regular season games remain, since six games on the roster is the magic number for picking up a year's credit toward free agency.



Specifically, Chargers center Jason Ball intends to delay signing his one-year, exclusive rights tender, and Dolphins defensive end Adewale Ogunleye plans to delay signing his restricted free agent tender until the last possible minute, meaning holdout of up to ten weeks.



Ten weeks, however, could be three weeks too many.



A league source has pointed out to us a glitch in the collective bargaining agreement that could be used to prevent Ball and Ogunleye from picking up credit for 2004. Specifically, Article XXXII, Section 4(c)(iii) of the CBA permits players such as Ball (who has "two but less than three Accrued Seasons") and Ogunleye (an Article XIX Restricted Free Agent who has been given the required tender) to be placed on the so-called "roster exempt" list until the day following the third regular season game after he signs his contract, if he shows up after the fourth preseason game.



This means that, if Ball and/or Ogunleye show up after Week Ten in order to get their requisite six games, the Chargers and/or the Dolphins can drop them onto the roster exempt list and prevent them from meeting this goal.



The Miami Herald vaguely alludes to this dynamic in its Wednesday edition, but provides no details for its suggestion that the possibility of a "three-game suspension" would require Ogunleye to report after seven games instead of his original plan of missing ten. It's not a suspension per se, but placement on the roster exempt list operate in the same manner, keeping the player from getting paid and from getting credit for the three weeks that he spends on the roster exempt list after showing up.



In order to place a player on the roster exempt list, the team must give the player written notice of its intention to do so at least five days prior to the second preseason game.



Though the CBA seems to suggest that the exemption is automatic, the source has indicated that placement on the roster exempt list might require the exemption to be formally granted by the league office. (We'll get more info on this point.)



The source also told us that he is not aware of a team ever using the exemption to keep a player from qualifying for free agency.



"I do not recall ever seeing this done for this reason," the source said. "In the few instances I can recall, the exemption was granted in the early part of the season so a late reporting player -- or otherwise activated player such as from [the] Reserve/Left Squad [list] -- can work out and the team gets to devote that
roster spot to someone available to play. In these cases, there was enough of the season left that an accrued season was not in jeopardy."



In Ogunleye's case, the reduction of his tender by the Dolphins from $1.8 million to $412,000 suggests that the team will take advantage of any rules available to it under the current system.



In Ball's case, well, it's the Chargers. We're confident that they'll find a way to screw up their ability to screw him out of qualifying for restricted free agency in 2005.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



LB Jason Gildon could end up in Buffalo as a pass-rushing end in their 4-3 alignment.



Titans rookie DE Bo Schobel, who was slated to replace Jevon Kearse, has broken the fifth metatarsal in his right foot; it's the same injury that Kearse suffered in 2002.



Giants RB Tiki Barber thinks he can be another Marshall Faulk in Tom Coughlin's offense (we scoffed at that same possibility three years ago, when it was suggested that Priest Holmes would become Dick Vermeil's new Faulk in K.C.).



Titans DT Albert Haynesworth is back in the team's good graces after losing nearly 30 pounds over the last six weeks.

[POJO_Risin]

Gildon in Buffalo?

Now that would be interesting...

Barber and Holmes are two different backs...ie...Holmes holds onto the ball...

Barber needs stick 'em...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
and running quickly...

Okay Va...gee...lets see...what to bet...hmmm...how about some beer...lmfao...there's a stretch...

Go ahead, twist my arm....

OK, OK !!!!

[POJO_Risin]

Alright...winner gets a case...and loser gets a case...

sounds good...

2 cases for all...lmfao...

[POJO_Risin]

Hey chainz...you get any other rumors other than football...with the deadline in baseball creaping closer and closer...and some big names out there...wondering if you had anything going there...

and hoops too...

Malone's already gone the free agent route...and Kobe is going there...and McGrady is setting to make a decision...

just curious...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Hey chainz...you get any other rumors other than football...with the deadline in baseball creaping closer and closer...and some big names out there...wondering if you had anything going there...

and hoops too...

Malone's already gone the free agent route...and Kobe is going there...and McGrady is setting to make a decision...

just curious...

I haven't really taken the time to search out a good hoop or baseball rumor mill-ish site.

I know that Malone has stated that if he cannot be absolutely 100% by training camp next season, he is retiring, and at 40 or 41, he should be thinking about it anyway. He missed 39 games this season, maybe he is at the end of the road.

I'm sure Kobe can afford to take the max from another team other than the Lakers, which is 7 years, $103 Million I believe, and with the Larry Bird rule, the Lakes could go as high as $140 for the same.

The Lakers need shooters. Kobe is the only guy they have that can create his own offense, but isn't the most consistent shooter from the outside. He seems like he has to take a minimum of 25 shots per game (being nice with that #), but few are from 3, and isn't a serious threat like say a Reggie Miller.

Payton is gone IMO, Malone too. Shaq may force a trade, he has said as much. Big off season for the Lake Show.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:00 a.m. EDT, June 17, 2004



ROOKIE WRANGLING ON THE HORIZON?



A league insider predicts that the coming wave of rookie contract negotiations could be the most contentious and acrimonious ever.



Per the source, many teams already are setting the stage for the use of deals at least four years in length on an across-the-board basis. The Browns have gone a step farther starting last season, forcing rookies to sign five-year deals.



Four-year rookie contracts help teams avoid the restricted free agent tender conundrum, since the player is still under contract when the team otherwise would be deciding the specific level of the offer to make after the three-year contract expires, factoring in the risk that someone will swoop in and sign him.



Five-year deals take the proposition a step farther, essentially wiping out the player's first year of unrestricted free agency.



The problem with these deals is that, for the guys who'll blossom in the NFL, they're trading in the chances for a huge payday after three seasons (see Laveranues Coles) in exchange for a relatively minor bump in their rookie signing bonuses. Last season, the NFLPA circulated a memo explaining to agents the dangers of these four-year deals, but it looks like they'll become somewhat of a fixture in the NFL as more and more teams cram them down players' throats.



Another problem this season, as we mentioned a few weeks back, is that the lack of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement shortens by one the number of seasons over which the signing bonuses of first-round picks can be prorated, resulting in bigger 2004 cap numbers for these players. Since the 2004 rookie pool won't be increasing significantly over 2003, it'll be harder for teams to get all of their rookies signed to deals that stay under the allotment of cash available for their first seasons.



NFL EUROPE A WASTE OF TIME?



There's an increasing feeling in league circles that a tour of duty in NFL Europe has become, in essence, a waste of time for players trying to develop their skills.



Why, you ask? The expansion of offseason workout programs means that players who spend a couple of months in the land of stinky armpits will miss out on much of the preparations for the coming season.



With the exception of quarterbacks, who often need the live reps in game situations in order to truly reach their maximum skill level, most players are better off staying with their NFL teams from February through June.



This could, in time, spell the end of the NFL's long-term European experiment, possibly prompting the creation of a true minor league in second-tier American cities that would play its season at the same time the NFL season unfolds.



OBSERVATIONS ON TEAM TALENT



Since it's a bit sssslow right now around the NFL, we've been trying to gin up some stuff worth reporting -- short of just making things up.



So we asked one NFL personnel department for their thoughts on the most talented rosters in the league. The following five teams were identified, not necessarily in this order: Packers, Panthers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Steelers.



Whether or not, of course, these teams are successful in 2004 depends largely on coaching and injuries.



The Steelers arguably are the most surprising addition to this list, given an offensive line that played poorly in 2003 and unsettled backfields on both sides of the ball. Still, they've got a solid group of linebackers, a respectable defensive line, and one of the best trios of receivers in the league -- if, of course, two of them show up this year.



We also asked for a list of the most improved teams. Here's what we were told, again in no specific order: Jaguars, Raiders (because of talent infusion), and Cardinals (because of new coach).



The two worst teams by way of talent? The Browns and (you guessed it) the Chargers.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



The Packers are trying to decide whether to pay DE Jamal Reynolds a $217,500 roster bonus next month, or cut him.



Pats LB Tedy Bruschi has signed a contract extension that will pay him $8.1 million over four years, with a $3.5 million bonus.



The Jags are in line to be the first subjects of a Hard Knocks-style training camp documentary on the NFL Network.



The Ravens unveiled alternative all black uniforms that they will wear once this season (several players on the team could be wearing on a more regular basis a slightly modified version more sporting a series of white stripes).



The Jaguars say that they are closely monitoring the situation between the Dolphins and DE Adewale Ogunleye, in the event the Fins decide to trade him.



Vikings Hall-of-Fame S Paul Krause is still miffed that the team hasn't retired his number 22 jersey; Vikings fans are still miffed that Krause, who says that coach Bud Grant told him "Don't get beat deep" and "You're the last guy back there," was nothing more than a bystander to the Staubach-Pearson Hail Mary in 1975, which pulled the plug on arguably the best Vikings team ever.

[ALinChainz]

Lakers: Malone declines option

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Thursday, June 17, 2004

News

Lakers forward Karl Malone became a free agent on Wednesday by failing to inform the team that he would exercise his $1.65 million option. Agent Dwight Manley told the Associated Press that if Malone plays for anyone next season, if would be the Lakers. "The first priority for him is we're going to meet with doctors this week and have MRIs done on both legs, specifically his right leg," Manley said. "He has made it clear he won't play if he's not 100 percent healthy. I believe his heart and his competitive juices are in L.A. because he came so far and was such a factor in the Lakers' success." Malone averaged 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 42 games He missed 39 games due to a torn ligament in his right knee and injured the joint again in the playoffs.

Views

Malone likely needs surgery to repair his knee, so it's certainly not a given that he'll be 100 percent over the summer and looking into next season. We'd expect Karl to take a lot of time making a decision. He'll wait too see how rehab goes and what moves the Lakers make. He's still 1,459 points (17.8 points per game over 82 games) behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the all-time list, and we have to believe that remains a motivating factor.

[POJO_Risin]

I would have to believe that two things would happen with Malone

1. He resigns with the Lakers in a reserved role...looking to stay healthy for the playoffs...

2. He ends up back in Utah for one more year...and a chance to break the record with his real team...

[POJO_Risin]

Also...

Steelers with the most talent...

Well...receivers obviously...

rb is solid with Staley and Bettis in a backup roll...

QB looks good with Roth, Maddox and Batch (better than most...even though I'm not a Maddox fan)

Line...question mark...could be good...depends on health...

DLine...solid...

Lbackers...solid...

secondary...weak...but young and talented...all their starters will be...could be...24 or younger...which means they'll get burned (probably less than last year), but...be spectacular in the sense of hitting...and making picks...we'll just have to see...

They are reaquiring the depth they've lost in the past...we'll see how it lasts...and what happens injury wise...

[POJO_Risin]

Thanks for the hoop update by the way chainz...

I'm working on some shit in that regard that you might be able to use with your site...as well...and baseball as well...

I'll start posting them asap...

[ALinChainz]

Cool.

We just added some new feeds that update regularly to.

Malone does still have the Lakers on the top of his list, and only being about 1800 points behind Jabbar is still a motivation for him.

[POJO_Risin]

and that elusive NBA title...

of course...now...it doesn't look like he'll be able to just look at a team...and pick a title winner...

I wonder if he's going to wait and see how things shake out to choose the team he goes to...lmfao...how about the Pistons?

[ALinChainz]

Would be ironic.

There is now the annual media wonderings about Larry Brown, as he after every off season wrestles with the decision on whether he should retire.

And with Phil Jackson and his "slim chance" on returning, Larry's name would be one of the first brought up to replace him. He will be coaching the Olympic team this summer and will be asked over and over if he's returning to Detroit or what.

We wouldn't have room for Malone, but I think we could make room for Shaq if he forces a deal.

Now that would fucking rock, the Diesel as a Bad Boy.

[POJO_Risin]

I could never see that happen to be honest...would it make ANY sense...

I'm curious though to see if there are some players that start moving back toward the Eastern Conference...Detroit winning might change the face of hoops in the years to come...the same way players ran from Jordan...perhaps now they'll run over to the East...to see if they can't get into the finals and catch lightning in the bottle like Detroit did this year...

[POJO_Risin]

I think one of the big rumors you'll see...as a matter of fact...would be a Jermaine O'Neal and perhaps Bender...or someone like that...for Shaq...in Indiana...

[ALinChainz]

The Pacers do need to move either Bender or Harrington, just not enough minutes.

I have always envisioned Reggie Miller going home to play for the Lakers, and he is what they need.

[POJO_Risin]

No...they need "Rip," not that old ass Miller...

They should go after someone like Szerbiak...someone like that...

of course...he ain't for shit after that injury...

[ALinChainz]

Rip did gain some league wide recognition as a solid 2-way player after these finals.

I should have been a little more clear. By Miller, I meant outside shooting, guys that are a danger from three.

I do think he could be released though (Miller) and would be hell coming off the bench, sort of the Lakers own version of "The Microwave".

Never been a "Wally World" fan, overrated in my opinion.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:12 a.m. EDT, June 18, 2004



OFFSEASON PROGRAMS TRIGGER CONCERN



Apart from Troy Vincent's recent observations that the year-round nature of an NFL gig prevents guys from developing skills in the offseason that they could parlay into post-football careers (we didn't know there was a market for professional video game players), players and agents are becoming very concerned regarding the increased wear-and-tear resulting from extensive offseason programs.



Even though there are no pads and the contact is limited to the guys in the trenches, we're heard that there are many similarities between the practices in March through June and the practices in July through December.



For example, we've been told that, along the line, guys indeed come off of the ball with nearly the same force and speed as during the regular season and training camp drills, with plenty of hand-fighting between the O-line and D-line players. The 7-on-7 passing drills likewise are as intense during the offseason are they are during the regular season.



And the problem is that the sheer number of additional times out on the practice field increases the chances of a guy getting injured. As a result, every year a handful of guys end up with season-ending injuries as a result of the offseason work.



From the perspective of the teams, it's surely a calculated risk that they're willing to take. Even if a few of the players are gone for the year, the remainder will be far better prepared for the coming slate of games.



INJURY PROTECTION TO BE TESTED?



Since many of the serious offseason injuries this year involved rookies, some league insiders think that the looming wave of contract negotiations will demonstrate whether the injury protection letters that unsigned draft picks receive before participating in offseason drills lead to fair treatment by the teams.



In theory, an unsigned draft pick who goes down with a season-ending injury during offseason drills should get a contract similar to the deal that he would have signed if healthy. Since rookie deals are subject to a slotting system, where draft picks receive something more than the guy taken after them and less than the guy taken in front, the process should be easy.



But there's a sense among some agents that Panthers receiver Drew Carter, who'll miss the season with an ACL tear, Browns safety Sean Jones, who also has a torn ACL, and Titans defensive end Bo Schobel, who fell victim to the Kearse curse with a fracture of the same foot bone that his predecessor Jerome broke two years ago, will not get the same deals they would have received if healthy.



The ultimate perception of whether these guys are treated fairly could affect, in the long run, the manner in which some agents advise their players regarding participation in offseason workouts. Holdouts from offseason programs by rookies are rare (except in pre-Green 'Zona, where the injury protection letters flowed like rainwater in August). Agents believe that the rookie greatly benefits from the opportunity to start learning the system -- especially for guys taken in rounds four through seven, who aren't guaranteed a spot on the final roster.



If, however, agents begin to conclude that their guys are getting screwed for getting hurt while working without a contract, look for some to start advising their guys to stay away.



And this is an example of a topic on which the players, agents, and union legally may collude, agreeing among themselves that rookies would boycott offseason workouts until signed to a contract.



The end result, which we wouldn't see for several years, could be that the process of signing the bulk of the rookies would move from August to May. Under the current system, signing guys early isn't much of a priority for teams, since the rookies voluntarily submit to the offseason programs. If/when they ever start refusing to show up until their names are on the dotted line, the teams' general nonchalance from draft day through the eve of training camp will disappear.



MORE ON THE CBA GLITCH



We promised on Wednesday that we'd get an answer to the question of whether the three-game roster exemption for unsigned restricted free agents and unsigned exclusive rights free agents was automatic, or whether the league office had to approve it.



And we got one. Sort of.



It appears based on further research that no approval is required for use of the roster exemption, which operates like a three-game suspension. It likewise appears that, even if approval is required, it's of the rubber-stamp variety.



Another point that should be re-emphasized is that a player who plans to refrain from signing an RFA tender or an exclusive rights tender until the latest date possible to preserve a season of service credit will know well in advance whether the team plans to use the roster exemption, since the CBA requires teams to give written notice of its intention to do so at least five days before the second preseason game.



If no notice is given, guys like Adewale Ogunleye and Jason Ball can stay away for ten full games without losing the year toward free agency.



A FOOTNOTE RE: ARMPITS



In response to our Thursday reference to Europe as the land of stinky armpits, we received an e-mail from a reader in Portugal, who takes issue with the general perception that all Europeans think "hygiene" is what you say when the bass player from KISS walks into the room:



It’s unfortunately true that many a European women suffers from this terrible problem, but it concerns Centreal European ones (German and French, especially). Why this happens is totally and utterly unexplainable to me and to millions of otherwise shaven and deodorant-applying women in our part of the globe. In Portugal specifically, while a rather poor country compared to some of the richer ones in the world, we can’t understand why they (and I mean also guys) don’t wash and bathe regularly. When we southern Europeans (Portuguese, Spaniards, Italian) discuss our friends from up north, one of the topics is always their (lack of) hygiene. Maybe that could explain some of the animosity towards the US in those countries.



Well, since two-thirds of the NFL Europe teams are based out of Germany, there's no need to quibble with the guy.



And for all you kids out there who are on summer vacation, don't think you aren't learnin' anything in the month of June.

[POJO_Risin]

Carl Crawford to the Phillies?

Rumored for awhile...and Bowa and Pinella are pals...

this was out of a Philly Newspaper...

There is always a trade, of course. There continues to be word in the back channels that Bowa's pal Lou Piniella would make leadoff blur Carl Crawford available. Lou's Devil Rays are making a run and Piniella might settle for Vicente Padilla and Double A slugger Ryan Howard for Crawford. The D-Rays are ager to get exciting Triple A shortstop B.J. Upton installed as their leadoff hitter of the future. Stay tuned.

Crawford at the top of that lineup...christ...

but you have to wonder...Crawford's batting over .300...going to steal in the neighborhood of 75 bases...and really sparking that club...

so they think Upton is better than that?

give me a break...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:25 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2004



DELHOMME'S DEAL NOT SO SWEET?



Initial reaction around the league to Jake Delhomme's new $38 million contract in Carolina was that the Panthers overpaid for a guy who has not yet proven conclusively that he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league.



But the hard numbers, as reported by the Charlotte Observer, suggest that the Panthers haven't yet broken the bank on Delhomme, since his contract is back loaded -- and it essentially gives the team another year or two to evaluate whether he's truly the long-term answer before making a big financial commitment.



Per the Observer, Delhomme received a signing bonus of only $6.1 million, which will be spread over six years. In contrast, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger recently got $9 million as part of a four-year deal.



Also, Delhomme's base salary dropped from $1.37 million to $535,000 for 2004. The deal actually reduced his 2004 cap number from $3.52 million to $3.3 million, according to the Observer.



Next season, Delhomme will receive a salary of $655,000, and he's slated to earn roster bonuses totaling $3 million over the first two seasons of the deal (and we wonder whether the Observer's calculation of the 2004 cap number factors in any roster bonus he'll receive this year).



The day of reckoning likely will come in 2006, when Delhomme's salary rockets to $4.8 million. The team also must decide in 2006 whether to pay a $3 million roster bonus in order to pick up the 2009 season, the final year of the deal.



The deal wraps up with cap numbers in excess of $8 million in 2007, 2008, 2009.



As we see it, if Delhomme plays well enough to persuade the team to pay out the back end of the deal, the Panthers likely will want to re-do the contract before 2006 in order to better manage the overall cap consequences. And if Delhomme doesn't tear it up in 2004 and 2005, there's a good chance that he'll be asked to swallow a pay cut come 2006 -- and that the team won't pay the $3 million roster bonus to secure the 2009 season.



In the end, then, Delhomme's deal might be nothing more than an exercise by both sides to nab a headline ("5 years, $38 million!") inflating Delhomme's perceived worth -- and suggesting that the Panthers are willing to spend money for key players.



As quarterback contracts go, this one hardly is a blockbuster. For now, it's more like a two-year, $10 million deal.



ROOKIES NEED OFFSEASON WORKOUTS



In response to our Friday story regarding the participation of rookies in offseason programs, even though they don't have contracts, a management-side league source offered his views regarding the issue.



Rookies, the source told us, need to participate in the offseason because their focus from January to April isn't preparing to play NFL football, but preparing to enhance their draft stock by focusing only on a handful of specific activities -- the forty, the three-cone drill, the short shuttle, the bench press, the vertical leap, the standing broad jump, etc.



Then, in the weeks after the final Pro Day workouts, many of them shut down and fall out of shape.



So, come early May, the rookies desperately need to start getting ready for football, since most veterans have been working out with an eye toward playing football in September -- not participating in the draft-day Olympics in March and April.



And perhaps that's why agents tell their guys to participate in offseason programs even though they haven't signed their contracts yet, and therefore are under no obligation to do anything.



But the explanation offered by the source also suggests to us that, if the players and the agents ever decide to take a common stand against rookie participation in offseason workouts until they are signed, the teams might start to feel the same pressure in May to get them under contract that the teams currently begin to experience as training camp approaches.



PASQUARELLI'S MEA CULPA



On the surface, it was a fairly benign admission, buried deftly near the end of his weekly Tip Sheet. In the third paragraph from the bottom, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli acknowledges that he made a mistake in a prior version of the "Sheet," and he offers an apology.



But unlike a spelling error or a typo or some other mistake that happens no matter how many proofreaders you have (or, in our case, you don't), Pasquarelli's error seems to speak to a deeper flaw in his scoop-gathering processes.



Specifically, Len says that he mistakenly explained that Eagles sixth-round rookie cornerback Dexter Wynn of Colorado State had outperformed third-round rookie cornerback Matt Ware of UCLA in offseason drills. The mistake arose from the fact that, since UCLA had not yet finished its semester, Ware had been prevented by NFL rules from participating in any portion of the offseason program.



Though he tries to brush it off by explaining with tongue in cheek that Wynn was the better of the two in offseason drills by default, the real question is how did Pasquarelli obtain information that Wynn looked better than Ware in workouts? And what did he do to confirm it?



Setting aside for now the question of whether Pasquarelli (who, unlike us, covers the NFL on a full-time basis and gets paid well for it) should have known off the top of his head that any player from UCLA wouldn't be involved in offseason drills since it's one of the schools that stays in session deep into the spring, we're wondering whether Len's reporting technique observed accepted journalism principles that certain sites (like this one) are criticized by the media for ignoring.



Although the report regarding Wynn and Ware reads like info that came straight from a source within the Eagles organization, we're fairly certain that no one in a position to actually observe practice would have his head that far up his rear end.



But maybe the info came from a team source, but maybe Len just wasn't taking good notes.



Or maybe Len was relying upon a self-serving scoop from Wynn's agent that, to Pasquarelli's detriment, contained a slightly skewed version of reality.



Regardless of the origin of the error, the move suggests sloppiness, undermining (in our view) the full body of his work. And given recent reports that Pasquarelli was at one point using agent Hadley Engelhard's password to access contract information and other confidential NFLPA data, it's hard not to conclude that Len has been cutting corners.



MEDIA SCREWS POOCH ON O-GUN TENDER



Speaking of media errors, Pasquarelli was among multiple members of the media who recently committed a faux pas regarding the reduction by the Dolphins of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye's one-year tender.



On June 15, NFL rules permitted Miami to drop the offer from $1.824 million to 110 percent of Ogunleye's 2003 base salary, which equates in O-Gun's case to $412,500.



But the media's supposed mastery of these CBA niceties overlooks one key fact. The Dolphins cannot drop the tender below $455,000, the minimum salary for a fourth-year player.



We'd like to say we caught this one on our own, but we didn't. In fact, we made the same mistake when we reported on May 2 that the Fins might drop the tender several weeks back.



Instead, a member of the media who spotted the error in reports from the Miami Herald pointed the glitch out to us. We then confirmed that Ogunleye indeed couldn't be offered less than $455,000.



By all appearances, then, either both the Herald and Pasquarelli made the same mistake this week. Or Pasquarelli merely piggy-backed the Herald's June 15 error by crafting a June 16 story under his own byline, based in large part on information reported by the Herald -- without attribution, of course.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



Suggesting (to us) that he still has a lot of growing up to do (and that he doesn't know jack about the CBA), Packers QB Tim Couch is bellyaching about the fact that the Browns didn't cut him before June 1.



Mike Freeman of the Florida Times-Union explains that teams are increasingly relying on workout bonuses to enhance participating in offseason workout programs.



The family of Philip Rivers, which loaded up the truck and moved to Raleigh when Phil enrolled at N.C. State, is now making the move to San Diego.



Vikings coach Mike "Meathead" Tice is raving about the talent level of his team, which means that if they don't perform well this year, it's his fault -- and he'll be gone.



The Vikes have cut veteran CB Eric Kelly, who had slipped on the depth chart.



The Rams have signed former Redskins DT Bernard Holsey.



Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith continues to upgrade the roster via the acquisition of (drum roll, please) two guys from NFL Europe, one of whom hasn't played in the NFL since 2001.



LB Jason Gildon is negotiating with four teams, including the Packers, Bills, and Bengals.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
The D-Rays are ager to get exciting Triple A shortstop B.J. Upton installed as their leadoff hitter of the future. Stay tuned.

Crawford at the top of that lineup...christ...

but you have to wonder...Crawford's batting over .300...going to steal in the neighborhood of 75 bases...and really sparking that club...

so they think Upton is better than that?

give me a break...

Another Va Beach Boy....

B.J. is a badass, he's gonna be a good one....

[POJO_Risin]

Leave it to fucking Couch to still be bitching...

I wonder who his husband is?

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:54 p.m. EDT, June 19, 2004



RIVERS' OLD MAN A PROBLEM?



With news that the family of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is moving to San Diego -- only a few years after moving to Raleigh when Baby Boy joined the N.C. State Wolfpack -- some league insiders are starting to wonder whether Rivers' football-coaching father will be a negative presence as the incoming rookie tries to adapt to life in the NFL.



Several pro personnel execs told us that Rivers' reputation as a daddy's boy created a pre-draft perception that he's soft, and there's concern that a too-involved immediate family could retard Rivers' development.



We won't pretend to know whether the decision of the Rivers family to go west with their young man is a bad thing. And being the son of a football coach can cut both ways. In the past two decades, we've had a John Elway -- and a Todd Marinovich.



But if personnel types who know a thing or two about the factors that help a player grow -- and those that hurt him -- we're not going to dismiss their belief that a close-knit family structure could cause problems.



Instead, we'll take a wait-and-see approach, with our eyes and ears open for signs that Rivers' family is getting in the way of his team.



PASQUARELLI A FALL GUY?



We received an interesting e-mail from a reader in response to Saturday morning's report regarding the retraction of Len Pasquarelli's report that Eagles sixth-round cornerback Dexter Wynn has outperformed third-round cornerback Matt Ware in offseason drills. Pasquarelli was wrong because Ware, who went to school at UCLA, was prohibited from participating in offseason workouts until the Bruins wrapped up their spring semester.



The reader asked if perhaps Pasquarelli's report was accurate, but that he was later solicited by his source to expunge any suggestion that the Eagles were breaking the rules.



In theory, Len's Philly source could have realized the faux pas after Pasquarelli's June 11 Tip Sheet was posted, prompting the source to ask/instruct/beg Pasquarelli to call the whole thing a mistake.



If Ware indeed was working out with the team, it'd be fairly easy to prove. But if everyone involved is zipping their lips, who would ever find out about it?



This makes us wonder what, if any, mechanism is in place to ensure that other rookies who are eligible to practice are indeed staying out of the action. Though we don't expect that any of the rookies would be inclined to complain about the team's decision to allow them to practice on the down low, our guess is that a veteran who stands to get nudged to the bench -- or to the street -- once the rookie is ready might be inclined to blow the whistle if the rookie is getting reps in a manner that violates the rules.



ANOTHER TIP SHEET OOPSIE?



With our legion of loyal readers now scrutinizing every word generated by Len Pasquarelli for mistakes, a Bills observer pointed out a potential error in Lenny's newest Tip Sheet.



On June 18, Len explained that Bills G.M. Tom Donahoe is taking a "first-come, first-served" approach with three veterans who can become free agents after the 2004 season. Per Pasquarelli, Donahoe has informed offensive tackle Jonas Jennings, defensive end Aaron Schobel, and defensive tackle Pat Williams that there's only enough cap money to sign one of them to an extension before the season starts -- and that the invitation is available only through the start of training camp.



Two days earlier, the Buffalo News reported that the Bills already have pulled the plug on the negotiations with the trio.



Sure, it's possible that Pasquarelli's got better info on this one, given his reputed pipeline to Donahoe -- and given that the Buffalo News report comes from (egads!) unnamed sources.



But those familiar with Len's style know that he would have couched his blurb with something like "contrary to published reports" or other words intended to diss, in backhanded fashion, the Buffalo News for getting it wrong. Instead, it looks like Lenny's late-spring swoon is continuing, and we're starting to wonder whether the folks in Bristol have taken notice.



QUOTE OF THE DAY



Bucs G.M. Bruce Allen, describing his youthful exposure to Bears coach/owner George Halas, for whom Bruce's father, George, worked as defensive coordinator: "I learned some of my first profanity from the founder of the NFL."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 12:01 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:05 p.m. EDT, June 21, 2004



GARDENER PERMANENTLY PLANTED?



A league source tells us that the Bengals haven't finalized a widely-reported contract with free-agent defensive tackle Daryl Gardener because the contract won't be finalized. Ever.



Per the source, Gardener's chronic back problems have prompted the Bengals to back off on their interest in the former first-round draft pick, whose back troubles initially greased the skids toward an abrupt and unexpected divorce two seasons ago in Miami.



Then came a one-year visit to D.C., which Gardener parlayed via good behavior and effective play into a long-term, big-money contract with the Broncos. In Denver, however, Gardener's career hit a low point, thanks in large part to a street brawl at an IHOP parking lot and a pissing match with coach Mike Shanahan. A grievance filed by the team to recover much of his signing bonus was resolved with an agreement that he'd be released on June 1.



After the arrangement was announced, the Bengals (with permission) reached a tentative agreement with Gardener, to be consummated after June 1. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was the defensive coordinator in Washington during Gardener's comeback season, and Lewis believed that he could manage Gardener's reputation for being a deep-fried turd.



But nearly three weeks later, nothing has happened. There have been rumblings from guys like Tony Williams regarding the question of whether the Bengals need Gardener's services. The real issue, though, is the condition of his back.



We're told that, in the end, nothing will happen, due to Gardener's health. And it likely means the end of the line for Gardener, whose only hope might be to sign a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in order to prove that he's healthy.



EAGLES COVERING TRACKS ON WARE?



A high-level league source tells us that our speculation regarding the question of whether ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli is taking the fall for his Philly source could be on the money.



"Word on the street is that you may have hit a home run," the source said in an e-mail we received on Sunday. "Word has it that the folks in Philly are scrambling."



For now, however, it appears that Ware likely has not been practicing with the team. Mark Eckel of the Trenton Times told us on Monday that Ware has not been with the team since the first post-draft minicamp. Eckel also said that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson "went out of his way to point out how Ware is falling behind" and that Johnson described the rule preventing Ware from practicing as "stupid."



Our research reveals that, indeed, Johnson explained on June 9 that Ware is falling behind, and Johnson implied that Ware isn't even anywhere near the team's practice facility:



"No question about it, he's behind," Johnson said. "We talk to him everyday on the phone. We try to tell him what we're doing. We send him tape. We send him notes. But, until he gets on the field, he's going to be behind. It's a shame that it's the rule. He'll be behind for a while."



If that's the case, then it merely was sloppiness on Pasquarelli's part for suggesting that Ware was falling behind as a result of his on-field performances.



If, however, Ware has been practicing, Johnson's remarks will make it easier to prove it. Via Johnson's suggestion that Ware hasn't even been on the premises, evidence to the contrary likely would be sufficient to prove a violation -- even if there's no hard evidence that he was on the practice field.



Stay tuned, perhaps, for more.



DELHOMME'S AGENT FIRES BACK



On Saturday, we characterized Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme's new deal as a backloaded contract that allows the team to decide based on the next two seasons whether Delhomme is worthy of the bigger salary numbers that kick in for 2006 through 2009.



In response, we received this e-mail message from Delhomme's agent, Rick Smith (or, at least, from someone identifying himself as Smith):



While I find myself reading your column daily it's almost comical as to where you get your information. Jake's deal is far from backloaded, in fact it it totally opposite. His first roster bonus is paid on 7/1/04. His 5 [million] in option bonus and roster bonus must all be exercised by 3/1/05. That means if they do not pick up his option and roster bonuses they will pay him 7 [million-plus] for one year then he is a free agent. If they pick it up he will earn all 12 [million]. The contract from there on is actually fully front-loaded (meaning you do not hit his new money average until the last year in the deal). Again, your column is great comedic reading once a day.



Our response:



Hey rick -- my info comes from the charlotte observer. I think I only mentioned that, oh, five times in the article.


Really, if the numbers we used on Saturday were wrong, it's the Charlotte Observer's fault. We just used what was publicly reported.



And regardless of Smith's self-serving characterizations regarding the value of the deal, a league source opined for us that the contract is backloaded insofar as it indeed provides the team with a chance to decide within the next two years whether Delhomme is the real deal like Tom Brady, or whether Jake was simply in the right place at the right time like Kurt Warner. (Perhaps Warner isn't the best comparison since he pulled a Steve Blass after three full productive years, but there's no one right now legitimately taking the position that Warner is the real deal.)



Moreover, the Delhomme contract is hardly a chest-thumper. Yeah, it'll pay $38 million through 2009. As supposedly elite quarterbacks go, that's hardly a jaw-dropper. Peyton Manning, who has been to exactly one less Super Bowl than Delhomme, got nearly the full value of Delhomme's contract as a signing bonus.

[ALinChainz]

McGrady-Francis Swap Leads NBA Rumor Mill


By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer

A blockbuster trade involving Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis dominated the NBA rumor mill Monday while the Los Angeles Lakers (news) waited to learn whether Shaquille O'Neal was serious about demanding a trade.


The Charlotte Bobcats also were major players on the eve of their expansion draft, making a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers (news) to move up two spots in Thursday's NBA draft to select Emeka Okafor or Dwight Howard as the cornerstone of their franchise.


What promises to be a busy week began with loads of trade talk, much of it centered around two of the league's best known superstars.


The Rockets were said to be the leading candidate to acquire McGrady from Orlando, with officials from other teams saying Houston was offering a package including Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Kelvin Cato and/or Bostjan Nachbar for McGrady, Juwan Howard and Tyronn Lue. Because of league salary cap rules, such a deal could not be finalized until July.


"Tracy has indicated he would like to play elsewhere, and we're trying to see what we can do," Magic executive Pat Williams said. "The issue is where he would sign (a contract extension). Teams want to know what Tracy's plans are."


A trade to Houston would put McGrady on the same team with center Yao Ming, giving the Rockets an inside-outside nucleus few Western Conference teams could match.


In the trade that was finalized Monday, the expansion Bobcats acquired the No. 2 overall pick from the Los Angeles Clippers for the Nos. 4 and 33 picks. Charlotte also agreed to select Clippers center Predrag Drobnjak in Tuesday's expansion draft.


"We would be pleased starting our basketball team with either one of those young men," Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said of Okafor and Howard, the consensus top two picks in Thursday night's draft. "They represent what we would like to become in terms of character, competitiveness and talent."


Charlotte, which will select at least 14 players in the expansion draft Tuesday, also was close to finalizing a deal with Phoenix to acquire center Jahidi White, cash and a future first-round draft pick.


That trade would clear salary cap space for the Suns, allowing them to make a run at free agents Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and others.


The Lakers, meanwhile, were exploring their options regarding O'Neal, who issued a trade demand last week after Los Angeles announced that Phil Jackson would not return as head coach.


"Me and the Big Fella are trying to get to Dallas together now," McGrady told Florida Today.


Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he hadn't spoken to the Lakers yet.


"Will we? Most likely," he said. "But, you know, we also have to ascertain what's real and what's not real.


If the Lakers are serious about trading O'Neal, the Mavericks could be an ideal trading partner.


Dallas has one of the league's most talent-laden rosters, including several players whose combined salaries would be within the league-mandated 15 percent of O'Neal's $27 million salary for next season.


The hangup would be deciding the players involved. The Lakers would start by asking for Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks would be more willing to package Antoine Walker, Antawn Jamison or Michael Finley.


"I'd be hard-pressed to see us trading Dirk," Cuban said. "Dirk is as close to an untouchable as we'd get."

With former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich interviewing for the Lakers' coaching job, Los Angeles general manager Mitch Kupchak was coy regarding O'Neal.

"I do expect to meet with or speak to Shaquille's representatives in timely fashion. We've had three or four days now for everybody to wind down now, calm down a little bit. I'll get a better feel of where we stand at that time," Kupchak said. "I'm eager to hear what they have to say, and we'll take it from there."

The rumored deal sending McGrady to Houston could be contingent on whether the Bobcats select any of Orlando's unprotected players in Tuesday's expansion draft.

"It's a very tenuous situation right now," Williams said.

Said Bickerstaff: "We have been in conversations with the Magic, and we're good listeners and good facilitators. We have to make a decision not to do anything that's vindictive, but to do something we can derive some benefit from."

Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, told the Houston Chronicle the trade was not complete but was close.

"Steve's preference is to not go to Orlando," Fried said. "Steve's tasted the playoffs. (The Rockets) got a series under their belts. He was looking forward to going further with the same Rockets team but with another year of experience together. This is certainly not his preference. He loves Houston."

New Jersey reportedly agreed to send the No. 22 pick in Thursday's draft to Portland in exchange for Eddie Gill and cash. Nets vice president Rod Thorn would not be specific about his trade discussions but acknowledged he does not view any player who will be available at No. 22 as being worthy of the three-year contract that first-round draft picks receive.

___

AP sportswriters Jaime Aron in Dallas, John Nadel in Los Angeles and Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this article.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=531&e=3&u=/ap/20040622/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_nba_rdp

[POJO_Risin]

"Me and the Big Fella are trying to get to Dallas together now," McGrady told Florida Today.


Hmmmmm...I can't believe there is no comment on this...

Is Dallas in the running for McGrady as well?

How about Nowitski and Walker for Shaq...

Finley and Jamison for TMac?

[ALinChainz]

According to Francis' agent, the deal is practical;ly done between Houston and Orlando. Maybe he meant getting to Texas, although different teams, who knows.

Dallas has pretty much said anyone but Dirk can be had.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:47 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:16 a.m. EDT, June 22, 2004



BISCIOTTI SICK OF BALTIMORE BAD BOYS?



There's talk around the league that new Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti already is feeling embarrassed about a roster rife with guys who have had more than a few scrapes with the law.



Whether it's Ray Lewis or Jamal Lewis or Corey Fuller or Terrell Suggs or the player du jour who faces an indictment and/or trial, might want to consider renaming the franchise "the Mean Machine."



If Bisciotti has anything to do with it, we're told, he'll be cracking down on guys who can't stay on the right side of the penal code. It remains to be seen whether this means that Bisciotti will release or trade or not re-sign guys with checkered backgrounds and/or orange jumpsuits (after all, he needs to be able to field 11 guys at any given time). But the Baltimore players should consider themselves on notice that the front office under Bisciotti will be looking for ways to reduce the rap sheets of the Ravens' regulars.



Our guess is that Bisciotti will be making an example out of someone soon. Assuming, of course, that the justice system doesn't beat him to it.



TURDINALS NO MORE?



The league is buzzing about the decision of Cardinals coach Denny Green to shake up the roster even before the opening of the team's training camp.



In moves that put aging veteran Emmitt Smith back into the starting lineup (until his arm snaps off in a preseason game) and put Super Bowl XXXVII MVP Dexter Jackson and 2003 bonus baby L.J. Shelton on the bench, Green is by all appearances placing his imprint on the Cards much the same way that he transmogrified an underachieving Vikings team from purple turds to division champs in his first season on the job.



And league insiders are keeping an eye on the Cards as August approaches. The feeling is that the team will be much improved in 2004, challenging the Seahawks and the Rams for supremacy in the NFC West.



Hell, we'll be the first ones to go on record with a prediction that the Cardinals will win the division and make it to the NFC title game this year. (If, after all, the Sporting News has the stones to forecast a Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl, we're hardly going out on a limb with this one.)



BULGER, BRUSCHI GET WORST DEALS OF '04



A league insider tells us that, in his opinion, the offseason contracts signed by Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi were the worst deals signed this year by NFL veterans.



Bulger's four-year, $19.1 million package in St. Louis (they guy's a quarterback, right?) is "a joke," the source said, explaining that some teams are using Bulger's contract as justification for lowballing players at other positions. Weeks after agent Tom Condon hit the motherlode with Peyton Manning's record-setting deal, Condon flat-out laid an egg with Bulger's contract.



Sure, Bulger got a $9 million bonus, which isn't out of line with the bonus money received by guys like Tom Brady in 2002 ($10 million), Brett Favre in 2001 ($10 million) and even Kurt Warner in 2000 ($11.5 million). But the market for top-tier quarterbacks supposedly had changed dramatically, with Peyton Manning's $38 million hijack bonus in Indy, Donovan McNabb's $20 million bonus in Philly, and Daunte Culpepper's $16 million bonus in Minny.



Though Bulger likely thinks/hopes/prays that two or three more solid years will result in a much bigger contract, he should look no farther than his own rise to prominence as proof positive that, in the NFL, the gig can come crashing down without warning, as it essentially did for Warner two years ago.



And, in Warner's defense, at least he got paid handsomely (relative to the market at the time) before the wheels came off. If Bulger disintegrates within the next year or two, that $9 million signing bonus will have to go a looong way for a guys who's still fairly young. (Plus, Bulger's contract doesn't have features like the $6 million option bonus the Rams paid Warner prior to 2003, in which he played only one game, or the $1.2 million option bonus they paid him this year -- for the privilege of cutting him three months later.)



As to Bruschi, his four-year, $8.1 million deal translates to a lower per-year average ($2.025 million) than the contracts signed by Carlos Emmons in New York ($3.3 million), Dhani Jones in Philly ($2.7 million), and Barrett Green in New York ($2.6 million). Bruschi arguably is a better player than each of those three.



So what happened? The problem, as the insider explained it, is that Bruschi acts as his own agent. Sure, he avoids the three-percent fee that he would have paid to an agent. But based on the comparable deals signed by Emmons and Jones and Green, an experienced agent likely could have gotten Bruschi a significantly higher after-fee net deal.



And although it seems that the Patriots generally have good intentions, they've got a salary cap to manage and their objective is (as it should be) to sign as many players as possible to manageable (i.e., below market) deals.



They'd be stupid if they gave money way, regardless of whether a guy has no agent. That's why (even though we've got concerns about the current structure of the system, which rewards the agent only for getting a guy the most money, not for placing him on a winning team) every player should have an experienced, competent agent that is committed to getting him the best deal.



Players play and agents . . . um . . . agent. In the midst of increasingly intense offseason workouts and conditioning programs, did Bruschi really have the time or the knowledge to do all the things that a good agent would have done to ensure that he maximized his contract? It's doubtful.



And, again, we're not saying the Pats screwed Bruschi. If anything, the kid screwed himself by trying to go it alone. We're not saying he should hire the Postons next time around (which in our view is an alternative worse than going it alone) and we're not saying that every player needs an agent in every circumstance (e.g., Pats corner Terrell Buckley, who signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum).



The reality for Bruschi is that there likely won't be a next time around. At 31 years of age, Tedy likely just signed his last seven-figure contract.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



The Redskins reportedly have offered the Dolphins a first-round draft pick for DE Adewale Ogunleye; the Fins reportedly have rebuffed the offer -- for now.



All charges have been dropped against Pats CB Ty Law following an arrest earlier this year in Miami; "This is a classic case of DWB: Driving While Black," said his lawyer, Joel Hirschhorn.



Bucs WR Keenan McCardell will boycott the team's mandatory minicamp as he continues to grouse about a contract that will pay him $2.5 million this year and $2.75 million next year.



McCardell's absence has been a boon for rookie WR Michael Clayton, who has picked up the bulk of Keenan's reps in offseason practices.



Hey all you early-career NFL guys -- for a glimpse of your possible futures, take a peek at the struggles of former Pro Bowl tackle Leon Searcy as he embarks on life after football to the tune of $35,000 a year.



Since Titans DE rookie Bo Schobel has the same injury suffered by former Titans DE Jevon Kearse, he'll also have surgery on the foot with the same doctor.



The NFL is moving forward with efforts to select a site for an L.A.-area stadium by next early 2005 (um, who's gonna play there?).



In a straight-up swap of TV gigs, Greg Gumbel is taking his welcome mat toupee to the desk of The NFL Today, and Jim "White" Nantz will join Phil "Bread" Simms on the No. 1 announcing team on CBS.



The Redskins have signed sixth-round rookie Jim Molinaro, an offensive lineman, to a three-year deal.



The Texans have signed seventh-round rookie WR Sloan Thomas to a three-year contract.

[POJO_Risin]

It's funny that there isn't more talk of Art Modell being out of the football game...after all the years...and finally the controversy...he ends up out of the league...broke...probably...

without a word...so much for making an impact anywhere...the NFL doesn't give a shit about him...Cleveland wants him dead...and Baltimore could give a shit less who owns the team...as long as they win...

by Modell...nobody misses you...

Please do not pass go...and DO NOT...collect $200...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:13 a.m. EDT, June 23, 2004



RAVENS CONFIDENT LEWIS WILL GET OFF



Despite our report from Tuesday that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti plans to try to reverse the team's image as the NFL's real-life version of Playmakers, we're hearing that the organization is very confident that running back Jamal Lewis will be exonerated of pending federal drug charges.



Though the trial could start in August while the team is getting ready for the 2004 season, the thinking is that the evidence against Lewis is flimsy, and that the case is an example of overly zealous prosecutors hoping to make a name for themselves by snaring a big fish.



Part of the problem is that one of the key witnesses against Lewis has a checkered past, and that the case otherwise seems to be based upon relatively flimsy circumstantial evidence.



Lewis has at all times expressed confidence regarding his ultimate acquittal. Still, there's always a possibility that Lewis will draw a jury that decides to connect the dots in a manner that results in a conviction -- even if he's truly innocent.



LAST WORD ON MATT WARE



Reports continue to trickle into PFT's world headquarters confirming that Eagles rookie cornerback Matt Ware was not practicing with the team during offseason drills. Participation by Ware would have violated league rules preventing rookies from taking part in football-related activities prior to the completion of their college's spring semester.



The league source who alerted us to the possibility that the Eagles might have been covering their tracks in the wake of the suggestion that Ware could have been practicing with the team (scroll down) recently told us that, indeed, it would be out of character for Eagles coach Andy Reid to engage in such a blatant violation of the rules.



Moreover, the source confirmed that all offseason sessions are videotaped, and that NFL "spot-checkers" usually show up once or twice during minicamps to make sure that the rules generally are being followed. As a practical matter, then, it would have been difficult for the Eagles to get away with sneaking Ware onto the practice field.



But, as the source explained, this doesn't mean that the Eagles (or any other team, for that matter) can't try to work with players such as Ware away from the team facility. We're hearing that Ware was in Philly for portions of the offseason, and it wouldn't have been completely implausible for an assistant strength coach to meet Ware at a gym to help him with a workout routine, or for a defensive backs coach to bump into him at (what a coincidence) a flat grass field where they could compare notes on certain coverage techniques.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Tampa Bay RB Michael Pittman was hit with a three-game suspension and docked two additional game checks by the league as punishment for his bumper-car incident with his wife's vehicle last year.



Titan RB Eddie George says he's still "in limbo," but he's confident that his contract situation with the team will be worked out.



Bucs WR Sylvester Morris has suffered a potentially serious injury to his left knee -- three years to the day after surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.



Giants TE Jeremy Shockey, whom some think has a screw loose, had a screw of a different kind planted into his foot in order to address a chronic problem that might or might not have been a stress fracture last season; he'll be back on the field in 6-7 weeks.



The Redskins are working with their rookies one last time before training camp -- in part because they're concerned that first-rounder Sean Taylor might not be back for the start of training camp, if a contract can't be reached.



Bucs LB Ian Gold worked out for the first time since tearing an ACL last year with the Broncos; he plans to push Ryan Nece for the starting spot on the strong side.



Bucs WR Keenan McCardell made good on his promise to boycott the team's mandatory minicamp due to his lingering displeasure with his contract.



Raiders coach Norv Turner has excused all players over the age of 30 from the final minicamp of the offseason (as a result, the workouts will consist of a game of three-on-three basketball).



FedEx Field, which is owned by Redskins chief Dan Snyder, has submitted a proposal to host the inaugural ACC championship game.



DT Chad Eaton says he has offers from the Cowboys, Texans, and Titans.



The Bucs are resisting pressure to drop an all-you-can-drink draft beer promise as part of a game ticket and tailgate package that the team is marketing (if, after all, the fans are drunk, maybe they'll forget that guys like Warren Sapp and John Lynch are long gone).



The Jaguars are dropping the price for 2,000 club seats at AllTel Stadium.



The Packers have promoted Marc Lillibridge to assistant pro personnel director.



The Bengals have re-signed OL Alex Sulfsted after cutting him on June 4.



Tampa K Martin Gramatica has changed his number to 10, which also happens to be the number of field goals he missed last year.

[POJO_Risin]

Shockey went ahead with the surgery...should be ready by preseason...we'll see...

[ALinChainz]

Seems like that injury has a history of reoccurence. Even if he is back, it may be a step or two and BOOM, right back on DL.

Staying away from this guy in keeper leagues.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...after a year of this shit...I would agree...

and nobody should waste a top 3 round pick on this guy at this point...

a Bavarro he is not...

[ALinChainz]

I'd take him in the later rounds as a backup to my #1, he'd be worth that risk at this point. Hell, I know I would go Winslow over him for certain.

The Pro Bowl nod he got was bunk in my opinion.

2 TDs?

[POJO_Risin]

2 TD's....and how many games did he miss?

I like Winslow...even with the shitass Browns...

[ALinChainz]

2 TDs in each of his first 2 seasons.

I'd take Winslow before Shockey with any team now.

[POJO_Risin]

I'm not a big fan of the Browns though...I'd have a few ranked above him...Winslow that is...

[ALinChainz]

Oh hell yeah.

I'd say Gonzo is still the top man. Heap is coming on. Shockey would be ahead of him if healthy.

Definitely have Winslow higher on keeper lists than seasonal.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:30 a.m. EDT, June 24, 2004



LIONS THIS YEAR'S BIG THING?


A league insider who knows a thing or two about assessing talent tells us that his surprise team for the 2004 season is the Detroit Lions.



It pains us to say it, because we historically haven't been big fans of G.M. Matt Millen or head coach Steve Mariucci. Millen has been flirting with termination for two years now, and Mooch has the demeanor of a guy caught somewhere between a sugar high and Tourette's Syndrome.



Still, the source says that the team has "had some great drafts in recent years."



The source added: "Despite what people want to say about Matt Millen, he has moved them in a positive direction. Being politically correct is not a prerequisite for managing an NFL roster."



No, but creating a sense that you're smarter than Homer Simpson is.



Then again, the emerging core of talent on the roster suggests that maybe it isn't.



Either way, things could get interesting in the NFC North this season. The Lions and Bears are on the rise. The Vikings have playoff-caliber talent. The Packers perennially are in postseason position. It wouldn't be a shocker to see both wild-card teams come out of the black-and-blue division.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



The Bears are bracing for a possible holdout by first-round DT Tommie Harris (we know it's technically not a holdout when a guy's not under contract, but unless someone can come up with a seven-letter word to describe the situation, we'll be responding to any e-mails on this topic with a variety of four-letter words).



The Pats have signed second-round DE Marquise Hill to a five-year, $3.075 million deal with $1.15 million up front and minimum salaries each season.



An influential private planning association in New York opposes the proposed $1.4 billion stadium complex in Manhattan for the Jets.



There's an interesting piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding the details surrounding the Jim Nantz/Greg Gumbel job swap at CBS Sports.



The Redskins will allow fans to come to attend training camp practices for two weeks, but then the doors will be shut as coach Joe Gibbs tries to capitalize on secrecy and surprise.



The Bears have cooled to the notion of signing LB Jason Gildon.



The Texans have signed sixth-round S Jamal Lord, another converted quarterback from Nebraska.



The Titans have been trying to improve the flexibility RB Jarrett Payton, who was roughly as limber as Jared Lorenzen when he first arrived.



Bucs DT Darrell Russell brings uncharacteristic size to a defensive line that he used to refer to as "the Wonder Midgets"; "[T]hey were all so small," Russell said. "You couldn't tell the difference between the linebackers and the D-line. All you saw were their stomachs, and that's how we'd tell which was the D-line.''



Bucs WR Sylvester Morris is out for the year with a torn ACL in his left knee.



The Giants have signed OL Mathias Nkwenti.



The Bears have hired former linebacker and special-teams standout Bobbie Howard as director of player development.

[POJO_Risin]

Here's that article...from the Post Gazette...

CBS -- Traded Jim Nantz for Greg Gumbel. No first-round picks involved. No salary-cap concerns. Oh, sure, there was some minor Sunday activity in the background: Lesley Visser swapped jobs with Bonnie Bernstein, moving from the "NFL Today" pregame to the game-day sideline, and then switched positions with Armen Keteyian by joining the first team (now Nantz and Phil Simms) and Keteyian moving to the second team (Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf).

Mostly, though, it was a one-for-one exchange.

The No. 1 studio guy for the No. 1 play-by-play guy on the network's AFC broadcasts.

It was a straight-up deal ... but, in some respects, it wasn't.

Sean McManus, CBS Sports' adult in charge, explained this Black Rock headquarters version of "Trading Spaces" thusly: "As my daddy used to say, if you stand still and don't change, you won't get any better." Hey, when your daddy's no less a sportscasting institution than Jim McKay, you take notes when he repeats the grocery list.

"There was no burning need to change the host of the 'NFL Today' program," McManus said, and funny he should address it that way. "This move, I think, will energize both Jim and Greg. Given a new assignment, a new challenge, I think they will step up to the challenge. I think both packages will be different, and both will be better."

Agreed. Change can be good. But, first, let's tune into the broadcasters' disappointment with the job switch.

"Nobody has any more love for CBS Sports than I do," Nantz said over a teleconference call, a quaver detectable in his voice. "This definitely will take me away from my family a lot more than they want me to and than I want to.

"This was Sean's call. This is what he sees for the future of CBS Sports," Nantz continued. Then, he let out a small laugh. "Greg said it so well: We live in a world here that's almost like make-believe. We get to go around and cover all these sporting events. Television so often is about ego and power instead of honor and humility. ... I did not push for this at all. Not one bit."

As for Gumbel, he sounded as if he had been asked to hand-deliver an anthrax bouquet to an enemy: "This is not an unpleasant assignment."

On the surface, which was where Nantz's emotions appeared to bubble, this looks like a demotion but actually is a parallel move. The network's next-biggest sports package, the NCAA men's basketball tournament, has Nantz, 45, as the No. 1 play-by-play guy and Gumbel as the studio host. This alteration gives Nantz a chance to become the next Curt Gowdy and call the network's top three properties: football, basketball and golf.

Beneath the surface, for Gumbel, 58, this has to feel like a demotion. After all, he so enjoyed his game times with Simms. When the studio-host subject arose 21*2 years ago inside the Heinz Field press box, Gumbel spoke these words to me: "I feel like I never want to go back to that. It was nice and it was fun, but that was then. It's far too exciting to be at the scene of a game."

He spent eight years as studio host on CBS and NBC pregames. You can still picture him in those Hell's Peacocks biker-gang, black leather jackets ...?

Now they rotate jobs, all because it's what the boss wants.

McManus talked about how he wants Nantz to call a Super Bowl. How CBS earlier put its golf producer and director, Lance Barrow and Mike Arnold, on the football first team -- something that should've been a neon sign to Nantz. How they decided to make across-the-board changes, even though game ratings were decent and the pregame ratings improved by 40 percent the past two years.

Fox took Cris Collinsworth off its fabulously successful studio set and shoved him into the first-team booth two years ago, and that worked out well ... mostly because it gave Collinsworth a couple of extra hours to yak. Nantz -- after growing bland as the pregame ringmaster of 11 different sidekicks -- is deft on his tush, so the AFC booth might prove to be where he belongs. (Although he better not call the AFC "a tradition unlike any other.")

And Gumbel is smooth, breezy and downright funny behind a studio desk, where he ought to help capture the star quality of Shannon Sharpe, harness the relatively untapped wit of Boomer Esiason and perhaps even elicit more personality from dry Dan Marino.

"To me, it's a readjustment," Gumbel said of the move that is hardly "CSI: AFC" or Jeff Probst-for-Ray Romano. "I don't see this any more or any less than trading one quarterback for" another.

Besides, nobody tunes in a telecast because of the announcers, as "Monday Night Football" now knows.

[ALinChainz]

Bears: Smith likes Terrell's progress

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Thursday, June 24, 2004


News


David Terrell made a spectacular leaping catch over corner R.W. McQuarters toward the end of practice on Wednesday. The wide receivers' grab caught the attention of Bears' head coach Lovie Smith. "That's what he said he's capable of doing, [so] we need to get him the ball," Smith told the Chicago Tribune. "We've gotten him the ball a few times and he has made some plays. I like his progress."


Views

Terrell will be fighting for the starting gig opposite Marty Booker during training camp. Second-year man Justin Gage is neck and neck with Terrell for the job. If Gage manages to eek out the starting spot, Terrell and his large contract are in danger of being released. If David plays half is well as he thinks he can this summer, however, his spot on the roster will be secure. It's a situation that bears watching for fantasy owners.

[ALinChainz]

Rumor mill: Beltran, Delgado and more

by Mike Harmon

June 24, 2004




The All-Star break is rapidly approaching. Close on its trail is the trade deadline. It's that fun time of year, particularly in fantasy leagues using only AL or NL player pools, where an infusion of useful players enter the league. You don't have to pray for the latest hotshot from the minors to save your squad; you get proven players.

Let's take a look at some of the players rumored to be changing addresses. I'll warn you in advance. The common denominator remains George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees.

Carlos Beltran, Kansas City Royals
Beltran has been streaky with both his power and speed outbursts this season, but you can't argue with the results – 14 HR, 50 RBI, 14 Steals. Earlier this week a proposed trade was nixed that would have sent Beltran to the Houston Astros as part of a three-way deal with the A's. Then, a second deal that had Beltran on to Los Angeles was defeated when the Dodgers refused to deal the marvelous setup man Guillermo Mota.

A move to Los Angeles would impact his power numbers negatively, but a trip to Houston could propel Beltran to new heights. Either way, an entry into the National League has auction league owners counting their duckets and others praying to hit the top of the waiver priority list.

That leaves the two big sharks to swim into the picture: Boston and the New York Yankees. The downside of a trade to either of these teams is that they don't run much. With the massive power production of both lineups, the stolen base component of Beltran's value will be minimized. With that said, the short porches in right field at both Fenway and Yankee Stadium are mighty enticing.


Carlos Delgado, Toronto Blue Jays
Delgado remains on the disabled list, but his name continues to swirl in the trade winds. As a 10/5 guy, he's got the right to veto any deal that comes down the pike. At the top of the list of suitors sit the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are looking for some added pop to the lineup. He would reunite with Shawn Green, whom fantasy owners would love to see any type of spark from. This move would also allow Green to move back to the outfield where he's more comfortable.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been a disappointment to date, languishing 14 games behind the division-leading Yankees in the standing and need to make a move. Naturally, they don't want to see Delgado coming back to haunt him every other series, so a move to the NL seems likely.

Jose Mesa, Pittsburgh Pirates
As Pittsburgh begins its annual decline, Mesa has risen to the top of several teams' wish lists. The top two possible destinations for Mesa are Florida (not exactly sold on the acquisition of Billy Koch) and Oakland (the Arthur Rhodes era appears to be over already).

Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and the boys would be excited to see any reliever actually hold a lead. You'd have to look back to 1999 for Mesa's last year as a closer in the AL, but he got the job done, albeit with a huge ERA and WHIP. Pitching in the spacious Network Associates Coliseum should help to mitigate the damage.

The next players may be temporarily off the market, as the Mariners are deluding themselves into believing they are back in the race following a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A shellacking at the hands of the Rangers might change that in a hurry.

Freddy Garcia, Seattle Mariners
Garcia sits atop the New York Yankees wish list this trading season. They're attempting to dangle several top prospects, including lefty Alex Graman, to get Seattle to pull the trigger. Also in the mix are the Chicago White Sox, who are desperate for another starter, and the Mets, who are still in the hunt in the NL East.

Imagine this guy with a team that scores runs in bunches as they do in New York or Chicago. His 3.21 ERA would have him approaching double-digit victories. Given the soft offense of Seattle to date and the stories of Garcia being off the market, the arguments that will allow you to steal him from his owner in your league are already made.

Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners
Like Garcia, Moyer is allegedly off the block. Don't believe it. The Yankees are making a hard pitch to acquire him, and Moyer himself has wondered aloud of the glory of pitching in the Big Apple. Pitching in the AL East could be hazardous to Moyer's ERA and WHIP totals, even though his win total would multiply in a hurry.

Another bidder for Moyer is the Los Angeles Dodgers. This would be a boon for fantasy owners in NL-only leagues, as the big ballpark in Los Angeles would see a number of flyballs die at the track.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks
D-backs owner Jerry Colangelo vehemently denies any truth to this rumor, and I highly doubt that it will occur. Even with the Diamondbacks firmly entrenched at the bottom of the NL West with the Colorado Rockies, Johnson remains the face of this team. With that said, Big Stein normally gets what he wants, and there's no doubt that having Johnson ending his career in pinstripes stands high on his wish list.

There are a number of other stars potentially on the move, including Magglio Ordonez of the White Sox, Alfonso Soriano back to New York in a Mets uniform and Barry Zito of the A's. I'll keep watch over the activity and report back on any new names dredged to the surface.

Until then, enjoy rivalry week.


http://fantasysports.yahoo.com/analysis/news?slug=mh-rumormill&prov=yhoo&type=lgns&league=fantasy

[POJO_Risin]

Well...the Beltran deal happened...can't say that I'm upset by my best outfielder roaming that hitter's park...

and they run a bit...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Jose Mesa, Pittsburgh Pirates
As Pittsburgh begins its annual decline, Mesa has risen to the top of several teams' wish lists. The top two possible destinations for Mesa are Florida (not exactly sold on the acquisition of Billy Koch) and Oakland (the Arthur Rhodes era appears to be over already).


Now that Oakland got Dotel, scratch the A's off of the list....

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:46 a.m. EDT, June 25, 2004



BENGALS PUSHING FOR KITNA?



Word out of Cincy is that, contrary to the public gushings of coach Marvin Lewis regarding quarterback Carson Palmer's development, the consensus among the players is that they want Jon Kitna to remain the starter.



The concern, we hear, is that Palmer isn't picking up the system as well as advertised, and that he's not the leader that Kitna is.



The Bengals, of course, have little choice but to give the job to Palmer. He's getting paid like the No. 1 overall draft pick that he was in 2003. Keeping him on the bench would be a concession to the NFL world that you screwed up in drafting him.



And, as we see it, that's yet another reason for not taking a quarterback high in the draft -- unless he's a freak of nature like Falcons quarterback Mike Vick. With the success of players like Tom Brady and Marc Bulger and Jake Delhomme and Brad Johnson and Rich Gannon and Trent Green and Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia, the risk of taking a guy at the top of round one who might not work out seems to outweigh the rewards.



We're not suggesting that Palmer is the next David Klinger and/or Akili Smith. The point is that, while coach Lewis is thrusting Palmer into the lineup, the players think that they might have a better alternative in Kitna. If that feeling lingers, the stage is set for problems in the locker room.



FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Bucs coach Jon Gruden says he's ready to move forward without WR Keenan McCardell, who is threatening to hold out for the entire season.



Surgery on Titans DE Bo Schobel's foot was successful, but coach Jeff Fisher said that the condition of the bone was "worse than expected."



The Seahawks stadium officially has been renamed Qwest Field, which if you ask us sounds more than a bit qweer.



Bucs RB Mike Alstott is anxious to play again after missing most of 2003 due to a spinal injury.



The Seahawks have signed sixth-round DT Craig Terrill to what the Seattle Times describes as a "multi-year contract" (way to dig for the hard facts, guys).



With Cowboys WR Dedric Ward having hardware inserted into a freshly-broken foot, he's the third NFL player to be "screwed" this week.



The Rams have signed seventh-round C Larry Turner to a three-year contract.



Titans QB Steve McNair treated his former backup, Neil O'Donnell, like No. 2 on Thursday, initially snubbing the fledging WTVF-TV sports guy.



No Tampa player is wearing the jersey numbers of John Lynch (47) or Warren Sapp (99), but rookie S Will Allen will be wearing WR Keyshawn Johnson's No. 19.



POSTED 10:07 p.m. EDT, June 24, 2004



STEELERS BADMOUTHING GILDON?



A league source tells us that free-agent linebacker Jason Gildon is still unsigned for two primary reasons -- he's overpriced and his old team, the Steelers, could be giving out a negative recommendation regarding Gildon when other teams call.



Though we don't know for sure that the Steelers are indeed saying bad things about the veteran defender, we find it hard to believe that a team like the Bengals, who play the Steelers twice per season as AFC North competitors, would take such input with anything more than a grain of salt and a burst of man-made methane.



It's more likely to conclude that Gildon is looking for more coin than the market will bear. With as many as four teams interested in acquiring his services, Gildon is in a better position than most free agents who have been languishing on the shelf for weeks if not months (see Smith, Antowain, who actually got a tryout with the Bucs on Thursday).



GREEN SAYS 10-4 TO 10-6



Arizona coach Denny Green told the Tempe Chamber of Commerce of Tuesday that the Cardinals could win 10 games in 2004.



In 1992, Green led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and the NFC Central championship, losing 24-7 to the Redskins in Joe Gibbs' last postseason win before 11 seasons in mothballs.



Green's prediction, as we've recently explained, is justified. The guy is a winner, thriving under less-than-ideal circumstances in Minnesota, where there was little stability at quarterback, a spate of injury problems in the offensive backfield, and a defense that disintegrated after Tony Dungy left after the 1995 season.



The veteran coach's positive words are the most brazen talk from a Cardinals coach since Buddy Ryan announced that "there's a winner in town" when he took the gig in 1994. Ryan, however, was arrogant. Green, in contrast, is supremely confident, and he knows how to get players mentally prepared to accept the concept of winning.



Green's biggest asset in a league rife with parity are his skills on game day, where he seized many a win in Minny merely by outcoaching the opposition. With few teams ready to take the Cardinals seriously (especially with those awful uniforms featuring mildly perturbed birdie on the helmet), look for the Cards to surprise plenty of teams as they build on that thrilling season-ending win over Green's former team, the Vikings.



On a different subject, Green sounded off about Giants quarterback Eli Manning's draft-day power play, in which he forced his way out of San Diego.



"Never allow a snotty-nosed, 23-year-old guy" to do that, Green said.



WILLIAMS BACK TO SCHOOL



The Associated Press reports that receiver Mike Williams, who was blocked from the NFL draft via the backwash of the Mo Clarett case, has enrolled in summer classes at USC.



The move by Williams is an apparent effort to get his academic affairs in order in the event the NCAA grants his request to return to school.



It's still a longshot, in our view, for Williams to get another season of eligibility at USC. Our guess is that Williams is going through the motions in order to justify a potential legal challenge regarding the NFL's handling of his unvitation to the April draft.



ALTERNATIVE TO "HOLDOUT"?



On Thursday morning, we explained in passing that we'll use the term "holdout" when referring to rookie draft picks who chose not to attend training camp due to a contract impasse because there's no other quick and easy way to explain their status as players who have not yet reached an agreement with their respective team, and thus are not required by law to attend preseason practice sessions.



And when we said that we'll continue to use "holdout" unless someone can come up with a seven-letter alternative, we didn't really expect PFT Nation to put on its collective thinking cap (or, as the case may be, dunce cap) to come up with ideas.



But thanks to all of you who sent in suggestions. Most were entertaining, some made no sense, a few were profane, and all were appreciated.



The most common idea, which indeed has seven letters, was . . .



"Asshole."



THURSDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS



Bucs WR Keenan McCardell is prepared to sit out the entire season due to his displeasure with his contract.



Titans coach Jeff Fisher expects the status of RB Eddie George to be resolved by the start of training camp.



NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says that planning for Super Bowl XL in Motown will not be affected by the fact that there were IX non-fatal shootings on Wednesday at Detroit's fireworks celebration.



Redskins coach Joe Gibbs is trying to catch up on 11 years of evolution in the slang that players use.



The Cardinals have signed DT Nate Hobgood-Chittick.



Titans rookie DE Antwan Odom gave the team a scare when someone stepped on his arm during practice.

[POJO_Risin]

I can't see the Rooney's badmouthing any of their players...

can't see it happen...

depends who they called though...

[ALinChainz]

Sounds like an agent ploy.

Rooney's would be above that in my opinion.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...Gildon's a good linebacker...no doubt...best days are behind him...and he shouldn't get top dollar...which I'm sure he's looking for...

I think the longer he waits, the more he'll have to settle for...

I don't see a Gildon bidding war...

[ALinChainz]

Bit Ian Gold in the ass waiting so long, had to take an incentive laden deal with Tampa.

Gildon the best of what's out there though and if healthy, will still get after that QB effectively in the right scheme.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...I like Gildon roaving between the backing crew...and as a down lineman...he can be effective using his agility...and sure as hell knows how to get after the qb...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, that said, he's definitely lost a step, probably two steps....

And, the team he tried to sign with, Buffalo, is now coached by someone who's seen him every practice and game for several years, Mike Mularkey...

So in that respect, I don't think the Steelers NEEDED to say anything negative...

But just as Poj said, the Steelers don't play that kind of dirty pool...

Cleveland, yes, but Pittsburgh, hell no.... ;)

[ALinChainz]

Forgot about Mularkey being there.

Maybe Gildon's asking price still too high.

[POJO_Risin]

Who knows at this point...

I'm really surprised that it took this long...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 10:01 a.m. EDT, June 26, 2004



TEXANS FIRST TO SIGN A FIRST-ROUNDER



Western Michigan defensive end Jason Babin, the first first-rounder draft pick in the history of the school, is the first member of the 2004 first-round class to strike a deal, according to the Houston Chronicle.



Serious discussions have been occurring since June 15, and the 27th overall selection, taken by the Texans, could be under contract soon.



Babin will play outside linebacker in the Texans' 3-4 scheme, and he currently is penciled in as a starter in his rookie year.



The numbers aren't yet available. In 2003, 27th overall pick Larry Johnson, a running back, received a $3.3 million bonus on a seven-year deal worth $1.2 million per year.



Babin's deal is for five or six years. As we've previously mentioned, the absence of a CBA extension is preventing teams from using seven-year contracts, thereby forcing a greater chunk of the bonus money into the first year of the deal, when the rookie pool must also be navigated.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



Former Bengals flash-in-the-pan Ickey Woods is now coaching a Cincinnati women's football team, for which his wife plays.



The Chargers have signed seventh-round OT Shane Olivea to a three-year deal.




Holy Rod Woodson! Titans CB Tony Beckham, who tore an ACL on April 15, could be cleared to resume running this week.



The Rams, who apparently are realizing it's much easier to sell tickets with a Super Bowl-caliber team, are offering two versions of a four-game ticket package (both of which, of course, include a preseason contest as one of the four games).



DE Marco Coleman has opted not to retire two weeks after telling Broncos coach Mike Shanahan that he was done.



John Elway and Joe Montana will face off in a flag football game on August 20 to commemorate Elway's induction into the Hall of Fame (hey, guys -- couldn't you have picked an opposing quarterback who didn't hang 55 points on Elway's Broncos in the Super Bowl?).



http://www.profootballtalk.com

[POJO_Risin]

Good to see Ickey's career aspirations coming to fruition...chripes...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:46 a.m. EDT, June 28, 2004



GILDON DEAL COMING?



We're hearing that former Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon soon could be under contract with the Packers, the Bills, or the Bengals.



Multiple league sources have told us that, contrary to our recent suggestion that the delay in Gildon getting a deal done traces to the fact that the Steelers are badmouthing him, there are no hard feelings between Gildon and his former team, and that the team hasn't been giving bad references to potential suitors.



Word is that the Gildon camp is waiting for one of the three teams interested in Gildon's services to step up, which suggests to us that Gildon is prepared at this point to go to the high bidder -- and that factors like whether the team is in position to compete for the postseason and/or the Super Bowl aren't a consideration.



BLEIER'S BLING BOGARTED



Three of former Steelers fullback Rocky Bleier's Super Bowl rings have gone missing, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.



The rings and his wallet were lifted from an unlocked room at the Charlotte Convention Center while he was speaking to the Moose Convention. Bleier's fourth ring was on his hand.



Bleier previously sold the rings to his attorney for $40,000 two days before filing for bankruptcy in 1996. He later purchased the rings back.



In an unrelated story, three Super Bowl rings currently are for sale on ebay. Go figure.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



The Arizona media already is more fond of Denny Green than the Minnesota scribes ever were.



After three straight Arena Bowl losses, Arizona Rattlers coach Danny White, a former Cowboys quarterback, could be looking for an NFL gig.



Steelers RB Jerome Bettis is skeptical about reports that the Steelers will return to a ground-based offense in 2004; "I don't believe it 'til I see it," Bettis said. "They said it last year, and it didn't happen."



Broncos WR Rod Smith is a shining example of how pro athletes should handle their money.



Former Cardinals C Jason Starkey is still hoping to land with another team for 2004.



Jacksonville is looking for a catchy new slogan as it prepares for the Super Bowl; here's three that probably won't make the cut -- "We're Not Named After Michael" or "We Still Can't Figure Out How We Got An NFL Team" or "We Make Up For The Fact That We Have Only Three Hotels By Jacking The Price Up Really High On The Handful Of Occasions Every Year When Folks Actually Have A Reason To Come Here."



POSTED 11:23 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2004



FINS READY TO GO WITHOUT O-GUN



Word out of South Florida is that the Dolphins are prepared to proceed to training camp and the regular season without the 2003 AFC sack leader, defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.



Ogunleye, a restricted free agent, refused to sign a one-year tender in excess of $1.8 million. Based in part on threats by Ogunleye to show up anywhere from seven to ten games into the regular season in order to gain another season toward unrestricted free agency while participating in the minimum number of game, the Fins rolled back the tender two weeks ago, into the $400,000 range.



We're told that Ogunleye also will make $300,000 in incentives earned under his 2003 deal.



Despite a belief in some circles that the Fins won't want to embark on an arguably critical campaign without Ogunleye, the front office is by all appearances holding firm in its position -- refusing to cave in to Ogunleye's demands.



Questions also remain regarding Ogunleye's real value. Some of the personnel execs with whom we've spoken explained that Ogunleye benefits significantly from the presence of Jason Taylor on the other end of the line, and that consideration of a player's supporting cast is a fundamental component of any evaluation of his overall worth.



On the other hand, the decision of the Seahawks to pour a $14 million bonus into Grant Wistrom's pockets leads us to believe that Ogunleye could at least do that well if allowed to hit the open market.



The next topic to consider in the Ogunleye soap opera is whether the Fins will slap the franchise tag upon him -- like they did with Taylor -- when he qualifies for unrestricted free agency in March 2005. And with both sides digging in their heels deeper than ever, we have a feeling that this one still could be playing itself out next year at this time.



DHANI IS A DUMMY?



With reports emerging that Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones is having trouble picking up the team's defensive system, we're reminded of info we picked up from a Giants source when Jones made the jump from one NFC East team to another.



"The kid is dumb as a rock," we were told.



Jones is one of the guys who got a deal sweeter than the self-negotiated contract finagled by Tedy Bruschi with the Patriots (scroll down).



Regarding Bruschi, we received plenty of e-mails 'splaining that Bruschi's decision to take less money in Beantown is part of a lifelong design by the defensive standout to make a living off of the rock-star status he's achieved.



Others have reminded us that the deal is in line with comparable deals signed by inside linebackers -- and that it's a solid contract for a 31-year-old defender whose career arguably peaked last season. Also, many think that Bruschi was willing to give up some coin because he knows the team will use the extra money in good ways, to help the team remain among the NFL's elite.



While we don't question any of that, confirmation that Jones is another Wonderlic wunderkind makes us think that Bruschi could have squeezed out more money without upsetting the salary cap applecart.

[POJO_Risin]

1. How stupid could you be to put rings you just sold on ebay...morons...

2. If the Steelers were smart...they'd run the ball a ton...of course...this all will go back to that offensive line...if Bettis is gaining 1 yard a carry...my guess...they'll throw...lmfao...what an idiot...

[ALinChainz]

No doubt. No line, no nothing basically.

Bus isn't the young and spry he once was, he needs some big road gratin' fucks in front of him. Staley is tough, but isn't super elusive.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Steelers RB Jerome Bettis is skeptical about reports that the Steelers will return to a ground-based offense in 2004; "I don't believe it 'til I see it," Bettis said. "They said it last year, and it didn't happen."

What a dumbshit....

If you can't gain two yards a carry because your O-line is fucked up, or perhaps because the running back in question has lost a step or two, why would you continually try to run the ball ??

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:03 a.m. EDT, June 29, 2004



WARD WAFFLING ON HOLDOUT?



Steelers receiver Hines Ward wasn't happy with the team's decision to give Tommy Maddox a contract extension with two years left on his contract, since Ward still has two years left on a deal that he too has outplayed.



Ward hinted that he might stay away from training camp in protest, and his recent comments on the subject suggest that the issue is still up in the air.



Asked if he'll report on July 30, Ward told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:



"I hope. As far as I know I am. Until Eugene [Parker] tells me otherwise, I am planning on reporting to camp. That is my plan to be there. I never even considered [being late]. That's the last resort, I think. We don't see it being a problem.



"I'm waiting to see what [Parker] wants me to do," Ward said. "I don't know 'what-if.' I ask myself that question, too."



Frankly, we're not sure we buy the whole "blame the agent" thing. If Ward stays away, it's his decision to do so. And if he's letting his agent make those decisions for him, he needs an agent who understands that the agent, in the end, doesn't make those decisions.



It could be part of a subtle plan by Ward to skip a few days of camp in order to get the team's attention, and then say Parker told him to do it in order to avoid the negative P.R.



Speaking of P.R., Ward recently visited U.S. troops and hospitals in Europe this month.



"They read about athletes saying 'We support the troops,' but actually one of us taking time out to go see them up close, they got enjoyment out of that more than seeing it in a newspaper."



Hmmm. Though we respect anyone with name recognition who takes time to go visit the troops overseas, we're wondering whether Parker, as Hines would say, told him to do it, in order to help deflect some of the criticism that will be heaped on the veteran wideout if/when he holds out.



As the article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review begins:



Doctors, nurses and soldiers -- even a boy who lost both legs in Afghanistan -- had the same question for Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward when he visited U.S. troops and hospitals in Europe earlier this month.
"They wanted to know what is going on with my contract," Ward said.

Yeah, right. As if little Jimmy with the two stumps gives two sh-ts about whether Hines will make $2.5 million or $4.5 million in 2004 for using the things that little Jimmy doesn't have anymore. Please.



Our advice to Hines -- please be glad you got legs of your own and start using them again come July 30.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



There are conflicting views as to whether the Redskins are interested in trading for Dolphins DE Adewale Ogunleye.



Former Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw had this to say about disgruntled WR Plaxico Burress: "Plexico, Plaxico, Fiberglass, whatever his name is, if I was him I'd shut up and get my (butt) in here and earn your money. And if not, let him go, unload him, 'cause if you're only playing for the money, anyway, we're not going to win with him. I hate guys like that."



Redskins TE David Ware was arrested in Houston for public intoxication (and Playmakers is a gross exaggeration . . . oh, hell, you know what we're thinking).

[POJO_Risin]

2 fantastic quotes...leave it to Bradshaw with this one...


"Plexico, Plaxico, Fiberglass, whatever his name is, if I was him I'd shut up and get my (butt) in here and earn your money. And if not, let him go, unload him, 'cause if you're only playing for the money, anyway, we're not going to win with him. I hate guys like that."


and...


Doctors, nurses and soldiers -- even a boy who lost both legs in Afghanistan -- had the same question for Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward when he visited U.S. troops and hospitals in Europe earlier this month. "They wanted to know what is going on with my contract," Ward said.

Yeah, right. As if little Jimmy with the two stumps gives two sh-ts about whether Hines will make $2.5 million or $4.5 million in 2004 for using the things that little Jimmy doesn't have anymore. Please.

Our advice to Hines -- please be glad you got legs of your own and start using them again come July 30.

bwahahahahahhaa...

got a couple of good receivers goin here in Pittsburgh...could you imagine Swann and Stallworth goin' there with this bullshit?

[POJO_Risin]

Bradshaw..."we're not going to win with this guy"

there was a day he wouldn't have said "we're"

[ALinChainz]

Trade rumors are picking up

By Tom Gatto - SportingNews



News and notes from around the majors to help you stay one step ahead of your fantasy competition.

Kris Benson should have picked up some admirers with his eight-inning gem against the Cardinals on Monday, just in time for trading season.

The Pirates righthander essentially has been showcased all year and is just waiting to find out what his next address will be. The Bronx remains high on the list, but there might be a little extra competition after that performance. The crosstown Mets reportedly are in the picture, too.

Any team with a reasonable shot at the postseason and some payroll flexibility could be a player for the 29-year-old Benson, who will be a free agent after this season. Teams apparently question his toughness, but if he keeps throwing well, he could be a serviceable two-month rental.


The Bombers aren't focusing just on Benson, either. There still is bullpen help to be found, and Newsday reports the Yankees and Rockies recently discussed a Kenny Lofton-for-Preston Wilson swap. The Rocks would clear Wilson's big salary in the deal, but the only reason Colorado should take Lofton is if it can deal him to another contender and pick up a young player.
The paper also says a Diamondbacks scout was checking out some Yankees prospects at Triple-A Columbus this week. Are we talking Steve Finley here? Not likely. Randy Johnson? Nah. Unit's not going anywhere, right? That's what is being said, at least. And the Yankees weren't supposed to have enough prospects to make too many deals. Probably just due diligence on Arizona's part -- just in case.


The Royals' lineup has taken a sudden turn for the young because of injuries and the Carlos Beltran trade. That means opportunities for young players -- and inconsistency as those players learn on the job. Tread lightly in the free-agent markets. The biggest change is in the outfield, with 24-year-old rookie David DeJesus taking over for Beltran in center and Dee Brown, 26, now playing left. Rookie Byron Gettis, 24, is splitting time in right with veteran Matt Stairs. Rookie John Buck, 23, is the new catcher. And third baseman Mark Teahen, 22, is expected to be brought up from the minors sometime this season.

Until recently, few outside the Braves organization know who Charles Thomas was. But the rookie outfielder is introducing himself to the baseball world in a big way. Thomas, 25, batted .333 in his first seven big-league games (5-for-15) and has hustled every minute he has been on the field. He doesn't look to be a power guy, but steals might be in his future. If the Braves think Thomas can play left field regularly, they could grant Chipper Jones his wish and keep him at third base. Perhaps a more chipper Chipper can be a more productive Chipper. The Braves certainly could use the extra offense given their starting pitching.

The Astros just can't get things together. Andy Pettitte returned from the DL right as Wade Miller (shoulder) went on. Then Jeff Kent hurt his hamstring during the first game of a key series against the Cubs. At this rate, Beltran might not want to unpack. As others have pointed out, Houston might be wise to use Beltran the way the Royals did and grab some youngsters, if the Astros fall out of contention. The club is poised to at least retool, if not rebuild, anyway, and another Beltran move would be a good head start.

Freddy Garcia ought to be very happy to be with the White Sox, because he now is pitching for a team that will score for him. Garcia came into Wednesday's action 4-7 despite a 3.20 ERA, partly because the Mariners scored an average of 2.19 runs in his 15 starts. Garcia's new teammate Mark Buehrle, on the other hand, has received 9.05 runs per start in his first 17 starts, the best run support in the majors.

With this year's trade pool for pitchers supposedly a little shallow, the Angels' Ramon Ortiz might be a more attractive target than usual. Ortiz is throwing very well after a bad April and May, but Anaheim GM Bill Stoneman remains reluctant to part with the righthander, who has repeated his desire to be traded if he can't remain in the rotation. "This is a guy who can help our club, whether it's in the bullpen or whether it's starting," Stoneman told the Los Angeles Times. The Mets and Orioles reportedly are among the teams interested in Ortiz, but the conservative Stoneman knows the Angels' pitching has been shaky and wants maximum value for a live arm.



Tom Gatto is a senior editor for the Sporting News. E-mail him at tgatto@sportingnews.com.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Bradshaw..."we're not going to win with this guy"

there was a day he wouldn't have said "we're"

That's nice to see, finally, after all these years.....

Savran's got an hour interview with him tomorrow on FSN.....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Trade rumors are picking up

By Tom Gatto - SportingNews

News and notes from around the majors to help you stay one step ahead of your fantasy competition.

Kris Benson should have picked up some admirers with his eight-inning gem against the Cardinals on Monday, just in time for trading season.

The Pirates righthander essentially has been showcased all year and is just waiting to find out what his next address will be. The Bronx remains high on the list, but there might be a little extra competition after that performance. The crosstown Mets reportedly are in the picture, too.

Any team with a reasonable shot at the postseason and some payroll flexibility could be a player for the 29-year-old Benson, who will be a free agent after this season. Teams apparently question his toughness, but if he keeps throwing well, he could be a serviceable two-month rental.


Damn, didn't someone else just mention the other day that the Mets were pushing for Benson ??? ;)

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:38 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:24 a.m. EDT, July 1, 2004



BABIN DEAL TOO RICH?



A league source tells us that complaints are swirling among NFL teams regarding the contract signed by Texans first-rounder Jason Babin.



Per the source, Babin received a bump over "way over the normal incremental increase" as compared to his 2003 counterpart at the 27th overall pick, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson.



As a result, the agents of the players taken at number 26 and number 28 now have ammunition for jacking up the demands for their respective clients, and the increase could have a ripple effect throughout the round.



If Babin were the Texans' only first-round pick, the move could be characterized as a calculated effort by G.M. Charley Casserly to start a chain reaction that might squeeze the teams with picks high in the round into overpaying. But Casserly still has another pick to sign in round -- cornerback Dunta Robinson, who was taken with the 10th overall selection.



Indeed, part of the concern is that Casserly will overpay Robinson as well, guaranteeing that the high end of round one will be thrown out of whack this year.



Complicating matters is that the deal this year have a maximum six year term, not seven. As a result, there are less seasons over which the signing bonus can be prorated. With only a slight increase in the rookie salary pool, a spike in the across-the-board value of first-round contract will make it harder to get all of the guys signed with the dollars available.



Babin's official numbers have not yet been reported. We're trying to get them -- but we can't find any agents who'll give us their password for the NFLPA computer system.



CFL BECOMING NFL CANADA?



Okay, so the two North American football leagues haven't become quite so cozy that the Canadian league is ready to stand at the altar and take the NFL's name.



But they might be moving in together.



On the heels of the announcement that the NFL and the CFL have reupped their contractual commitment (i.e., NFL sends money and CFL makes it easier for NFL to pluck players who don't suck), we're hearing that the CFL could indeed become a minor-league circuit for the NFL, with NFL teams allocating players to CFL teams and "calling them up" during and/or after the CFL season.



Word is that there would be a specific deadline in the CFL season after which there would be no further player movement until after the season is completed.



Since NFL Europe is a money pit -- and since the players sent there by the NFL are now missing out on the weeks and weeks of "voluntary" drills intended to help get the schemes in place for the upcoming season -- we've been predicting/advocating an end to the 14-year European experiment, replacing it with a true minor league that allows players who otherwise would be riding the pine to get live reps.



Stay tuned. The fact that the NFL Network will be broadcasting the CFL's Grey Cup likely is a deft move to get the NFL fan base comfortable with the idea that the relationship between the two leagues eventually will enter new territory.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



Dolphins TE Randy McMichael could escape jail time for assaulting his pregnant wife since charges were filed against her as well, making it harder as a practical matter for either to get convicted.



The NFL is going to take a look at the involvement of Steelers RB Jerome Bettis in lobbying for the legalization of slot machines in Pennsylvania.



The Titans are thinking that seventh-round DT Jared Clauss (the valedictorian of the Wonderlic class with a 45) could make it into the rotation sooner rather than later.



An MRI revealed no serious damage to Miami OT Wade Smith's knee.



Ravens LB Peter Boulware, nursing a bum knee, isn't sure he'll be available for the season opener.



The Dolphins preference for four-year deals could make it harder for them to get their picks signed.



POSTED 8:05 a.m. EDT, June 30, 2004



DHEFENDING DHANI?



We got e-mails-a-plenty in response to our recent piece suggesting that Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones, who's having trouble picking up his new team's defensive schemes, is a dhummy.



Several league insiders reminded us that Jones was an honor student at Michigan, that he scored a 27 on the Wonderlic test, that he's a poet and a musician and an artist, etc.



Others have explained that he attended Churchill High in Potomac (Md.), and that he's an articulate speaker, and that his parents are professionals, etc.



The problem, however, appears to be that, while Dhani might have book smarts, the concern is that he's lacking in football instincts. Folks familiar with his performance while a member of the Giants insist that, between the lines, Dhani transforms into a dhumbass.



And not everyone buys the whole Poindexter routine. One high-level league insider tells us that, in his view, Jones is a pseudo intellectual who fancies himself a Renaissance man because it's another feather in his cap as he chases skirts. The source pointed to an NFL Network appearance by Jones, in which he tripped all over himself and had to start a sentence over three times.



COMMISH COZIES UP TO SNOOP



For those of you whose trees have grown to the point that they're blocking the signal to your DirecTV dish, you're not alone. We haven't been able to tune into the NFL Network for several weeks now -- and if it means not catching performances from guys like Dhani Jones and Julian Peterson, it's not such a bad thing.



But we also missed the bizarre pairing of Paul Tagliabue and Snoop Dogg on a recent NFL Total Access, hosted by smarmy ass-kisser extraordinaire Rich Eisen.



Snoop Dogg? We know the NFL is doing it's best to keep Johnnie Cochran and Cyrus Mehri off its rear end right now, but embracing Snoop Dogg?




"It's easier to root for the Cardinals when you're semi-conscious."


For those of you who've forgotten in the midst of Mr. Dogg's inexplicable acceptance in the mainstream culture over the past year of so (for no apparent reason than the fact that folks think it's funny and/or endearing to hear him say "fizzle," "shizzle," and/or "gizzle"), Snoop Dogg is a menacing character with a checkered history including narcotics convictions, murder charges (he was represented by Mr. Cochran), and a business partnership with smut purveyor Hustler.



Though Tags seemed to hint at Snoop's history during the on-air discussion, reminding him that he needs to be a role model, the mere fact that the two of them were on the screen together makes us scratch our noggins and wonder whether Tagliabue has lost his marbles.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Dolphins OT Wade Smith, the only returning starter on the offensive line, injured his knee and ankle during an informal workout on Tuesday; results of an MRI are pending.



The NFL and the CFL have continued their partnership through 2006; they first hooked up in 1997.



GM still hasn't delivered to Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady his Cadillac; the NFL claims there's been confusion about the delivery site, but the Brady camp denies that claim (a league insider tells us that Brady should "be careful not to sound too spoiled").



Packers WR Robert Ferguson received a $3.5 million bonus as part of a five-year extension worth $10.9 million.



Steelers RB Jerome Bettis could be walking a fine line as he apparently lobbies Pennsylvania lawmakers on behalf of folks who hope to legalize slot machines in the Keystone State.



The search is still on for RB Rocky Bleier's three missing Super Bowl rings.



The State of Indiana likely won't be able to help the City of Indianapolis give the Colts enough coin to keep them from loading up the Mayflowers and heading for L.A.



The Steelers have signed DB Shane Walton, ten days after he was released by the Rams.



And now for today's Playmakers trifecta:



Dolphins TE Randy McMichael has been arrested for assaulting his wife -- his pregnant wife. Lovely.



A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former NFL WR Andre Rison, who owes more than $184,000 in two separate child support actions.



Former Bears and Oilers lineman Stan Thomas has been arrested on rape charges, after apparently giving into the devil on his shoulder when a 21-year-old passed out drunk in his home.

[POJO_Risin]

I like the CFL minor league idea a lot...

and the idea that they can "send down" players during the year...and "bring up" players is a fantastic idea...

say Bettis isn't getting enough PT...lmfao...they send him to Canada (where he can play some slots)...then bring him back up the following week...

[ALinChainz]

Only smart for the NFL to have it hands in on any football league out there. Different rules makes it interesting for players.

Be good for QBs to do some seasoning, with the 1 less down and bigger field, there is much more passing.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:26 a.m. EDT, July 3, 2004



BALL BEHAVIOR NOT "ERRATIC"



In his weekly Tip Sheet, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli cites unnamed (egads!) Chargers sources, who say that center Jason Ball's unhappiness with his current contract situation might be about more than money.



"A few Chargers contend that Ball . . . has acted erratically at times this offseason," Len writes. "Ball, they say, has been difficult even for his closest friends to contact during some stretches."



As we reported a few weeks back, and as we confirmed after eyeballing Len's story, Ball has been incommunicado this offseason for one simple reason -- he wants out of San Diego.



Ball is upset with the direction in which the team is headed, we're told, given the exodus over the past 18 months of key players like Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau and Marcellus Wiley and David Boston.



Sure, Boston was a turd -- but embraced the turd in March 2003 and then dumped him a year later, essentially admitting that they don't know what the hell they're doing.



But the purpose of this piece isn't to bash (again) the Chargers. It's to explain that Len's borderline-defamatory report (which essentially suggests that Ball has gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs) is wrong.



Ball, an exclusive rights free agent, initially wanted a long-term deal. When the team said no, he decided that he wanted out. Although the team drafted Nick Hardwick to back up Ball in the third round of the draft, the fact that Hardwick will get a signing bonus worth more than Ball has earned to date in his career has only fueled Ball's desire to play elsewhere.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



The Buffalo News wonders whether the Jim Nantz-Greg Gumbel swap was actually a demotion for Gumbel, who made numerous mistakes in a Bills-Cowboys broadcast last year.



NFL bust Henry Burris is back in Canada -- and he hasn't missed a beat, throwing for four TDs and running for another in his first start for Saskatchewan.



Card QB Josh McCown is hitting the media circuit to convince folks that his name is not Cade.



The Bengals lease prohibits gambling along the Cincinnati riverfront, which could throw a minor wrench into efforts to bring riverboat gambling to the Queen City.



The Ottawa Renegades are off to their first 3-0 start since 1972 (it's profootballtalk.com, not nfltalk.com).



POSTED 8:05 a.m. EDT, July 2, 2004



CHARGERS, SAN DIEGO NEARING A DEAL



It's almost time to cross the Chargers off of the short list of teams on the L.A. list.



According to the North County Times, the Chargers and the City of San Diego are close to an agreement on a lease that would keep the Chargers in Qualcomm Stadium through at least the 2008 season.



It's actually a ten-year lease, but the Chargers can get out of it after 2008 with a payment of $57.775 million. The Chargers can get out after 2009 for $56 million, and after 2010 for $24 million.



As a practical matter, this takes the Chargers out of the pool of potential franchises that could move to Los Angeles in an effort by the NFL to placate the networks, whose return on the billion-dollar NFL investment surely would increase by putting a team back in the nation's No. 2 television market.



So who'll make the move? For now, the Saints, Vikings, and Colts are the three primary candidates -- primarily since they're the only three teams who have been unsuccessful in their efforts to get new digs over the past decade.



We also won't rule out, however, the possibility of a team like the Raiders or the Cowboys (who now hold their training camp in Cali) trying to squat on the lucrative L.A. market. And with concerns that the folks in Los Angeles might be ambivalent about the return of football, our guess is that the NFL will be looking to make a big splash.



We realize that the Cowboys are a long shot, and that the mere suggestion of such a move likely will be regarded in Big D as sacrilege. But Jerry Jones is capable of doing it, especially if the move could be justified as being in the best interests of the league.



And the move likely would be followed by a move of the Colts, Saints, or Vikings to Texas -- with either the Colts or Saints heading to Dallas, or the Vikes to owner Red McCombs' hometown of San Antonio.



As to the Saints, New Orleans is beating the deadline by only a few days to complete a $15 million payment to the team, which is part of a 2001 contract intended to keep the Saints from leaving town.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



The 49ers have given their players diversity training, due in large part to former RB Garrison Heart's homophobic statements and former DT Ted Washington's bumping-and-grinding with former trainer Lindsy McLean.



The Chiefs have signed LB Keyaron Fox to a four-deal deal worth $1.8 million; the fourth year is voidable and he'll get a $430,000 signing bonus.



From the "At Least You Won't Have To Look At His Horse Face" file, Shannon Sharpe will host a three-hour show on Sirius radio three days per week.



Tom Cruise will introduce a tribute to Pat Tillman at the July 18 ESPY Awards.



Unemployer QB Chris Redman is rehabbing a shoulder injury -- and waiting for some other quarterback to get hurt.



A decision won't be made for several weeks regarding potential charges against Dolphins TE Randy McMichael and/or his wife.



The Jags have signed fifth-round OT Sean Bubin to a three-year deal worth slightly more than $1 million, with a $110,000 signing bonus.



NASCAR nut Byron Leftwich is the Grand Marshal of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.



The Redskins have cut TE David Ware after his arrest for leaving the teepee after drinking too much fire water.



The 1952 NFL champion Lions didn't get rings because the team couldn't afford them.



Larry Fitzgerald, Sr., thinks that his son, Larry, Jr., will end up with a better contract than Eli Manning, since Larry, Jr. is a "better overall player."



A Hawaii businessman is accused of selling tickets to the 2003 Pro Bowl -- and then pocketing $600,000 in proceeds.



Appearing on the NFL Network, LB LaVar Arrington called the Redskins "the richest franchise in sports" -- and maybe that's why Arrington is trying to squeeze an extra $6.5 million out of Dan Snyder's pocketses.



The Vikings might be willing to trade RB Michael Bennett in 2005 if Onterrio Smith continues to develop.



The Dolphins have waived WR Nick Davis.



Felony charges will not be pursued against the Vikings players who put a shoe imprint on a dude's grill recently, since the injuries weren't sufficiently serious.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:00 a.m. EDT, July 4, 2004



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS



Eagles WR Terrell Owens says that he'll never be able to change his image as a bad guy, and then he pisses and moans (some more) about the fact that he has to practice in Philly with shorts over his tights (psst, T.O, there's a connection between those two sentiments).



The Washington Post reports that S Sean "Shaving Cream Eyes" Taylor soon could be re-hiring Drew Rosenhaus to serve as his agent.



Ickey Woods says that one of the players on his women's football team tried to do the Ickey Shuffle after scoring a touchdown but she "messed it all up."



Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that the NFL needs to smack Jerome Bettis for his unexpected connection to gambling interests.



Saints LB Darrin Smith has agreed to take a $1.35 million reduction in his salary, which was slated to be $2.25 million in 2004, the final year of his deal.



Michael Smith of the Boston Globe has a lengthy, multi-part NFL report (focusing, of course, on the Pats) on a day when most other football writers are doing anything but writing about football.



Former NFL ref Sonny Gamber recently got a ring for his work in Super Bowl V.



Michael Felger of the Boston Herald fills in a dead spot in the NFL calendar by offering his predictions as to the impact (or lack thereof) of high-profile offseason moves.



Pats DB Tyrone Poole has come a long way in 12 months; a year ago, he was ready to quit the game -- and now he's loving it again as he sports his first Ring.



The Kansas City Star has an in-depth look at the intriguing background of rookie defensive tackle Junior Siavii.



Bob Dicesare of the Buffalo News says that NFLPA president Troy Vincent's public stance against the proliferation of offseason workouts is a testament to his character.



Former Bears DB Dave Duerson says he's not interested in taking the spot of Jack "Sex Club" Ryan on the ballot as the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, even though someone faxed his resume to the GOP office on Friday.



Vikings coach Mike Tice says that second-round LB Donatarrius Thomas is "the real deal."



Byron Leftwich got the gig as grand marshal for the Pepsi 400 because Tracy McGrady, the original marshal, was traded out of Orlando.



Annice Canady, the first female ref to work in Division 1-AA, has her eyeballs on the NFL.

[POJO_Risin]

Man...could you imagine the fucking Cowboys moving to LA?

Jesus Christ...

I know there are people that are going to be saying no way...but I seem to recall 9 years ago people saying no way to the initial rumor of the Browns moving...

that being said...two totally different situations...

[ALinChainz]

Indy is facing some deep shit, as the state of Indiana as apparently told them they will not be able to finacially assist them in keeping the Colts there.

They have to be the front runner in possibilities, followed by Minnesota in my opinion, although the situation has gotten quiet there.

[ALinChainz]

Buccaneers: Clayton could start if McCardell's holdout continues

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Monday, July 5, 2004


News


Michael Clayton is living up to the first-round draft pick hype. The former LSU wide receiver earned praise from Buccaneers' head coach Jon Gruden following a three-day minicamp held last week. "I was impressed with every aspect of Michael Clayton," Gruden told the Tampa media. "He's a big, physical, tough guy with great hands, and he's quick. What he did since the draft, learning this system and operating against a great defensive team, says a lot. I like the kid tremendously. I think he sincerely wants to be great. He understands his responsibility as a No. 1 draft choice, and he's a heck of a football player." Clayton will compete for a starting role during training camp with Joey Galloway, Joe Jurevicius, Charles Lee, and perhaps contract holdout Keenan McCardell.


Views


Clayton could be the Buccaneers No. 2 wideout on opening day if McCardell continues to holdout during the regular season. Buccaneers' officials are taking a firm stand on the holdout, in part because Gruden believes he can win with Galloway and Clayton as his starting receivers. Michael's current fantasy value is highest in keeper leagues, but his stock would soar in all fantasy leagues should he be named an opening day starter.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:42 a.m. EDT, July 6, 2004



GARDENER TO RETIRE



The Washington Times reports that defensive tackle Daryl Gardener, a one-time first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins, will retire from pro football due to a degenerative condition in his back.



"It's over," an unnamed source (egads!) close to Gardener told the Times, "unless there's some sort of miracle or something."



Gardener's agent, Neil Schwartz, worked out with the Bengals the general parameters of a three-year, $9 million deal after the resolution of grievances filed by the Broncos and Gardener resulted in an agreement that he'd become a free agent after June 1.



But as the days passed, nothing happened.



We reported recently that the Bengals had abandoned any efforts to sign Gardener because of his back, and that he likely would be forced from the game due to the condition.



Ironically, it was back trouble that initially sparked problems between Gardener and Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt in 2001, as Gardener missed offseason workouts due to his condition. A year later, Wannstedt and the Dolphins unexpectedly cut Gardener, due in large part to the fact that he'd become a negative presence in the locker room.



But Gardener got his act together under a one-year contract in Washington, significantly improving the team's defense under coordinator Marvin Lewis. After rehabbing his image, however, Gardener wanted to be paid handsomely -- and the ordinarily free-spending Redskins were smart enough to know that Gardener was a risky investment.



So the Broncos instead gave Gardener a six-year, $33 million deal. He missed training camp and the first part of the regular season with a wrist injury suffered in a brawl at an IHOP parking lot. He later clashed with coach Mike Shanahan, ultimately resulting in efforts by the team to choke off his remaining bonus payment of $2 million -- and to recover the $3 million that already had been given to him.



Though the full terms of the settlement of the grievances that followed were not published, our guess was/is that Gardener kept the first chunk of his bonus payment and forfeited the remainder. Though the Broncos managed to save some face, the Gardener fiasco goes down as one of the worst free-agent signings ever.



WILLIAMS MUST REPAY AZZARELLI



The Los Angeles Daily News reports that receiver Mike Williams must cough up every last cent received from agent Mike Azzarelli -- and prove that he has done so -- as part of his efforts to recover his NCAA eligibility.



Specifically, the Times reports that Azzarelli paid for a chartered flight from Tampa to Los Angeles, a vacation to the Bahamas, and an extensive stay at the Competitive Edge Sports training center in Duluth (Ga.) before the NFL Draft.



Williams previously has said that he owes Azzarelli "hundreds of thousands" of dollars. It's anybody's guess as to how Williams will come up with the money to pay these debts off -- unless, of course, he borrows even more money from Azzarelli.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



Titans QB Steve McNair will be back in Court on Tuesday in connection with his 2003 DUI arrest.



The quest to get a Manhattan stadium for the Jets is putting the "cluster" in "clusterfudge."



Bucs LB Ian Gold is out to prove that he's worth more than the $1.4 million signing bonus he received after languishing on the free-agent shelf for weeks.



Thanks to the reader who pointed out our failure to wish a happy 75th (or is it 175th?) to Raiders owner Al Davis on July 4.



Pats DT Richard Seymour is still coping with the April 25 death of his father.



Chicago Tribune copy editor Richard Rothschild makes this insightful observation regarding the uncanny lingering popularity of ESPN celeb Chris Berman: "Is it possible that as a young man the Brown-educated Berman made a deal with the TV devils? You will become rich and famous, they told him, live in a huge house in Connecticut and cover the biggest events in sports. The catch: Instead of speaking with insight and intelligence, you will play the buffoon." (Rothschild also compares Berman's transformation over the past 25 years to the young, thin Elvis/old, fat Elvis degeneration.)



Denver coach Mike Shanahan's first victory of 2004 will be the 100th of his career (doesn't it feel like he's been around a lot longer than that?).



The Nashville City Paper outlines the looming camp battles when the Titans begin to train.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Chicago Tribune copy editor Richard Rothschild makes this insightful observation regarding the uncanny lingering popularity of ESPN celeb Chris Berman: "Is it possible that as a young man the Brown-educated Berman made a deal with the TV devils? You will become rich and famous, they told him, live in a huge house in Connecticut and cover the biggest events in sports. The catch: Instead of speaking with insight and intelligence, you will play the buffoon." (Rothschild also compares Berman's transformation over the past 25 years to the young, thin Elvis/old, fat Elvis degeneration.)


Interesting commentary....

Can't say I disagree with him though, Berman gets on my nerves alot nowadays, especially with his homerism of the Niners....

[ALinChainz]

He used to be my favorite on ESPN.

Now some of the others too are really wearing on the old nerves.

I seem to put up with it better when it's football season.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yeah, ESPN has a few of them that I cannot stand, particularly Sean Salisbury and Joe Theismann..........

[ALinChainz]

Oh man, try and decide which is worse.

probably Theisman, he's on the Sunday Night telecast, bigger dosage.

Deeny Green offered Salisbury an assistant job at Arizona, coaching QBs I think, he turned it down.

I thought he would have jumped at it.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:30 a.m. EDT, July 7, 2004



MARVIN'S STATURE GROWS



There's a sense in league circles that the stature of Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has grown significantly in the one year since he took the job, after several years of waiting (sometimes impatiently) for an opportunity to lead an NFL team.



The Bengals quickly shed under Lewis's leadership the reputation for being a tightwad organization as Lewis somehow persuaded president Mike Brown to pony up the coin necessary to make the players feel like they were something more than an inconvenience. Lewis also has been instrumental in player evaluation and recruitment, with the long-term deal signed by receiver Chad Johnson a project that had Lewis's fingerprints all over it.



Under Lewis's watch, the Bengals also have become a viable destination for free agents. Before Marvin, the Bengals would bring in as many as 20 free agents with name recognition in a given offseason -- and sign only a couple of them. Since Lewis arrived in early 2003, the Bengals have added guys like John Thornton, Duane Clemons, Tory James, and Kevin Hardy -- and they nearly pulled off a major coup in landing defensive tackle Warren Sapp, before he signed with the Raiders.



Lewis also has been involved in a few shrewd trades, getting cornerback Deltha O'Neal in exchange for sliding down seven spots in round one of the 2004 draft -- where the team selected running back Chris Perry. Also, in a win-win deal with the Pats, Lewis finagled a second-round pick for disgruntled running back Corey Dillon.



Along the way, Lewis wisely has demonstrated loyalty and affection for Brown, a curmudgeonly owner who drove the franchise into the ground from 1992 through 2002. The end result? Lewis is doing well, Brown is out of the way, and the Bengals could be on the way to becoming a team that remains in the hunt beyond September on an annual basis.



Maybe the world really is coming to an end . . . .



FALCONS HOLDING FIRM ON JOHNSON



It's becoming a tired routine for the Falcons. Defensive tackle Ellis Johnson, who went back and forth in 2003 regarding whether he'd retire, has been grumbling about getting a new contract for much of the offseason.



And for the second straight year, Johnson stayed away from the team's offseason program.



Johnson's desire for a new deal underscores the crappy nature of the three-year, $4.3 million contract he signed in Atlanta prior to the 2002 season, after getting released by the Colts because he was unhappy with his contract there.



Word of out Georgia is that the Falcons simply will not budge, forcing Johnson to play out his contract as written -- or not play at all.



This time around, Johnson has been grousing about travel expenses for his family, but the real reason could be the $27 million free agent deal signed by Rod Coleman with the Falcons.



The consensus around the league is that Johnson indeed is underpaid. But so are plenty of other players who either signed bad contracts or who have outplayed their deals. Under the current system of free agency, it's a risk a guy takes when he signs his name to a contract.



Johnson's best bet would be to shut his mouth and play hard this year. Quality interior defensive lineman can get paid well in the NFL, and he'll hit the market in March still young enough to cash in, if a team with the money and the need is willing to pull the trigger.



But the only sure thing at this point is that Johnson's behavior won't do anything to loosen up NFL wallets come 2005.



WILLIAMS FACES TALL ORDER



The NCAA has received Mike Williams' formal reinstatement application, but questions regarding monies that he must repay to agent Mike Azzarelli could are swirling around the league.



We're hearing that several teams were put off by Azzarelli's attitude in the weeks preceding the draft, and that few league insiders have been shedding tears for Williams' and/or Azzarelli's predicaments.



The fact that Azzarelli paid for a chartered flight for Williams from Tampa to Los Angeles prompted some league insiders to laugh out loud.



As the L.A. Daily News reported on Tuesday, Williams must be able to show that he paid back every last cent to Azzarelli. A league insider explained to us that the money must be paid back without any assistance from Azzarelli or any other agent who might be angling to represent Williams come 2005.



This means that Williams will have to figure out how to raise the money on his own. And if he's able to get a loan for the money -- secured by his future NFL contract -- Azzarelli can't co-sign the note or put up any short-term collateral.



We tried to contact Azzarelli on Tuesday to find out exactly how Williams was going to pull this one off, but he didn't respond to our e-mail. Stay tuned.



BUBBA BENT OUT OF SHAPE



With the Packers stuffing a seven-figure bonus into the pockets of a still-unproven receiver taken in the second round of the 2001 draft, the tight end selected in round one a year earlier is wondering why the team hasn't taken care of him.



Word around the league is that Bubba Franks is unhappy with the team's decision to extend the contract of wideout Robert Ferguson while ignoring Franks -- whose contract (like Ferguson's) expires after the coming season.



Franks has been working under his rookie contract, essentially making the minimum salaries each year after bagging a $4.67 million signing bonus.



With a fairly thin supporting cast at the position, perhaps the Packers have opted not to open discussions with Franks at a time when he might have greater expectations. Or perhaps the front office wants to see whether the reliance upon Franks in past seasons was the result of a generally underachieving receiving corps.



With Ferguson, Javon Walker, and Donald Driver developing, having a high-priced tight end is a luxury that the team simply might not need.



Either way, the table is set for Franks to be pissed off throughout the 2004 season -- which could cause some problems in the locker room and/or on the field.



POSTED 8:42 p.m. EDT, July 6, 2004



TUESDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS



Steelers RB Jerome Bettis has acknowledged his interest in a company that wants to parlay new Pennsylvania laws expanding legalized gambling into a chunk of coin, but he says he'll step aside if his interest runs afoul of NFL rules.



The 49ers have signed sixth-round S Keith Lewis, the first of the team's draft picks to come to terms.



Falcons TE Hunter Goodwin, who signed with the team in March after five years in Minny sangwiched around two in Miami, has decided to retire.



The attorney for Titans QB Steve McNair has asked a judge to toss out DUI charges on the basis that McNair was illegally stopped.



POSTED 5:45 p.m. EDT, July 6, 2004



COLTS HAVE THE EDGE ON JAMES?



On the same day that Colts G.M. Bill Polian is bemoaning in the USA Today his inability to retain two starting linebackers due to cash-flow problems inherent to life in a small market (but which didn't prevent him from paying a $38 million bonus to quarterback Peyton Manning), we're hearing that the team is feeling pretty good about the value it's realized over the past five seasons on Edgerrin James' rookie contract.



After being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1999 draft, James signed a six-year deal. Despite a few restructurings, the contract essentially has paid out the same dollars promised at the outset, and the Colts have reaped the benefit of three stellar seasons and an above-average return last year from a 2002 ACL tear.



So with James entering the final year of his deal, word is that the Colts are content to allow him to finish out the contract and test the market in 2005. Veteran running backs with wear and tear simply aren't commanding big dollars on the open market, and the thinking is that James won't have many (any) eight-figure offers thrown his way in March of next year.



Conversely, Edge is feeling a bit like he took the shaft, we're told, giving his best years to the Colts while never getting that knee-buckling sophomore contract most elite players receive. Our guess is that he'll end up with an incentive-laden, two-year deal with a pedestrian signing bonus next year as he tries to show that he can get back to the form that made him one of the best backs in the NFL from 1999 through 2001.



As for the Colts, if they can't match the best offer that James gets elsewhere, maybe they can ask Manning to give back some of his money.



Manning won't do it, of course -- but at least they can ask.



MARKET DISPARITIES DON'T MATTER



Speaking of the USA Today's in-depth report regarding the growing gulf between the NFL's "haves" and "have-mores," the issue won't be a serious problem, in our view, unless and until the best professional sports league in the world gets a taste of the Yankee Syndrome.



Really, who cares is the Redskins are spending $100 million or more in bonus money every year if it isn't buying Super Bowl trophies? Hell, Dan Snyder's five years of free spending haven't even produced a playoff berth since 1999.



In our recollection, the only team that has managed to buy a championship under the new system of free agency was the 1994 49ers, who amassed a glut of veteran talent on defense via short-term deals. But most of those guys (e.g., Gary Plummer, Ricky Jackson) took below-market contracts for the right to play for a contender, so the notion of the rich teams buying a title hardly has taken root in the new NFL.



Consider also the Cowboys, who arguably have enjoyed the bulk of non-shared NFL revenue over the past decade. Their Super Bowl teams were built in the twilight of the pre-free agency system, with only their 1995 squad the product of paying out big money, most notably to Deion Sanders.



And with every NFL team in the black, it's hard to boo-hoo for any of the owners. Sure, the lack of a swanky new stadium prevents some teams from having the cash flow to pay out big bonuses to keep and/or to attract free agents. But has the influx of greenbacks that came from the opening of Heinz Field and all of its luxury suites really helped a team like the Steelers?



Before they got their new digs, the Steelers were a perennial playoff team that was prevented from establishing continuity because their best players were accepting better contract offers elsewhere. Since acquiring the ability to dole out competitive signing bonuses, the Steelers have realized that the downside to spending big coin is that the guy still could end up being a turd -- and then it's virtually impossible to cut him.



If anything, the new system of free agency and the salary cap has helped the NFL avoid situations where only certain teams have a long-term hammerlock on success. If/when a team suddenly begins winning the Super Bowl every year because they're in a position to buy all of the best players, then maybe it'll be something to fret about.



In fact, our cynical nature suggests that the USA Today feature was nothing more than the next step in the NFL's ongoing effort to finagle new stadiums for every team -- and to then ship the last team without a new venue to L.A. By last count, there are only three more to go: the Saints, Vikings, and Colts.



And the loser stands to become the biggest winner, landing a brand new stadium in the second biggest market in the nation.



TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS



AFL2 QB D. Bryant will have a tryout on Thursday with the Bills; he was one of only 12 quarterbacks invited to the 2003 combine.



Vikings fans, here's some bulletin board fodder -- MSNBC says that nine wins aren't likely this year.



Dan Pompei thinks that underachieving DT Ryan Sims will have a breakout year -- which explains why the team drafted DR Junior Siavii in round one this year.



The Bucs have signed NFL Europe DB Will Hunter.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:28 a.m. EDT, July 8, 2004



FAULK FEARS HE'LL BE PHASED OUT



Word out of St. Louis is that Rams running back Marshall Faulks fears that he's the next in line for the Kurt Warner treatment.



Faulk, whom the Rams acquired in 1999 for a peanut butter sandwich and an old show, became a superstar in St. Louis. But his rise coincided with the out-of-nowhere ascension of Warner -- and with Warner now a fading memory Faulk knows that he's next.



The fact that the Rams drafted running back Stephen Jackson in round one of the April draft likely has done little to calm Faulk's nerves. But Jackson and Faulk are represented by the same guy, Rocky Arceneaux, and there's a school of thought in some league circles that Arceneaux will structure Jackson's contract to allow Faulk to continue to be the starter -- and get paid well in the process -- for the next year or two.



Even so, the concept of having only a year or two left is a bitter pill for a guy who, like Warner, believes that his spot atop the depth chart has transformed into a birthright. And with those concerns already creeping into Marshall's mind, it'll be interesting to see whether he rises up and recaptures his past MVP form, or whether he gets tentative as he fears the big hook that found Warner's neck a year ago.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



The Patriots have cut CB Otis Smith, less than three months after signing him; Smith was with the Pats in 1996 and 2000-02.



The NFL might start using the rookie symposium as a vehicle for teaching players tolerance toward gays (and the message will take root right about the time that O.J. Simpson is ice fishing in hell).



The Rams have signed OG Ryan Schau to a one-year deal; he most recently played for the Texans and was out of football in 2003.



Current Fox pregame airhead Jillian Barberie has been dropped from Fox's "Good Day Live" -- and our guess is that in due time she'll also be the former pregame airhead on the Fox NFL studio show.



As Jacksonville continues to search for a catchy new slogan in conjunction with its preparations for hosting the Super Bowl, this quote from city planner Joel McEachin probably shouldn't be used as the basis for the brainstorming: "It's not what I would call a sexy city. When you visit, there's nothing terribly exciting about it. But it's a nice place to live."



Former Bears MLB Dick Butkus thinks that current Bears MLB Brian Urlacher "needs to have some big hits."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:11 a.m. EDT, July 9, 2004



ARRINGTON, 'SKINS STILL AT ODDS



Though the issue has been quiet for the past several weeks, the Washington Post reports that the Redskins and linebacker LaVar Arrington are still caught in a dispute regarding Arrington's December 2003 arbitration -- and Arrington's claim that the team essentially screwed him out of $6.5 million when the final version of the deal was presented to his agents.



Under the collective bargaining agreement, disputes of this nature are sent to arbitration, not to the court system. So in early August, an arbitrator will hear evidence and arguments and eventually issue a decision as to whether Arrington has proven that his contract should have included a $6.5 million roster bonus payable in 2006 -- in addition to the $6.5 million roster bonus that he's already scheduled to receive under the deal to earn in 2006.



Though coach Joe Gibbs wants the issue resolved before the regular season opens, it's unlikely that a decision will be rendered before the 'Skins host the Bucs on September 12 -- unless the parties agree to submit the matter for a decision without post-hearing briefs and/or they request an expedited ruling.



As we see it, it's unlikely that Arrington's camp will go out of their way to move things forward quickly, since the lingering cloud could ultimately prompt the team to settle the claim.



Still, efforts to resolve the issue have gone nowhere to date. NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw met with both sides in May to urge them to settle the grievance. The 'Skins have resisted the notion of paying anything, since doing so could cause fans and/or the media to conclude that they were indeed engaged in some type of untoward conduct in connection with the negotiations.



Arrington apparently plans to try to prove fraud and/or negligence on the part of team negotiator Eric Schaffer. The Post reports that Arrington might even call a General Manager to testify -- probably as an expert witness regarding the manner in which contracts are negotiated. This testimony then would be compared to/contrasted with Schaffer's handling of the Arrington deal in an effort to prove that Arrington should not be responsible for the admitted failure of his agents to notice the absence of the $6.5 million in the final, signed version of the deal.



In the end, that'll be the hardest obstacle for Arrington to overcome. If anyone was negligent, it was his agents -- the notorious Poston brothers -- who signed the contract without reading it. So absent clear evidence that prior versions of the contract contained clauses pushing Arrington's 2006 roster bonus to a cap-busting $13 million or that the team verbally agreed as a last-minute concession to add the $6.5 million to the deal, Arrington is wasting everyone's time, including his own.



Our guess is that the arbitrator will give Arrington strong hints at the hearing that he should take what he can get -- just as the arbitrator did during the hearing regarding the Terrell Owens free agency fight. The arbitrator's not-so-subtle clues led directly to a deal that resolved the issue.



The difference in this case, however, is that Arrington's heels are dug in too far to realize that receiving (for example) some type of a modest additional benefit under his contract is better than getting nothing.



Of course, he won't get nothing if he takes action against the Postons for their own role in this process. But since making a claim against the Postons would be an implicit blow to Arrington's locker-room image (since he's the knucklehead who hired the knuckleheads) our guess is that Arrington won't pursue the path of least resistance.



COLTS ACQUIRE REYNOLDS



In a move that further highlights the strides that the Indianapolis Colts still need to make on defense, the Colts picked up former top-ten bust Jamal Reynolds from the Packers for an undisclosed future draft pick.



Though the Colts probably won't be giving up much to the Pack in the end, the Colts will launch the Reynolds era in Indy next week, by giving him a $217,000 roster bonus (unless, of course, the deal is restructured in the immediate future).



The trade forces the Pack to take the full remaining cap hit of $1.3 million this year. Cutting him would have split the hit over two seasons -- if he hadn't been claimed off of waivers. (Since the Colts were willing to trade for him, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Colts would have put in a waiver claim.)



The draft pick is conditioned upon Reynolds making the Indy roster.



With the Colts, Reynolds will join his brother, Diron, a quality control assistant.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



John Elway and Dan Reeves are in the process of burying the hatchet.



Though we've got a ton of respect for former Vikings RB Robert Smith, it's more than a bit out of character for the media-shy speedster to start talking to reporters merely because he's hawking a book (the irony, of course, is that his failure to embrace celebrity during his playing days has forced him to self-publish).



Though Denny Green has named QB Josh McCown the starter, backup Shaun King plans to try to knock him to No. 2.



The Giants are considering building a new stadium in lieu of renovating their current home.



With the "3Com" label long gone, the naming rights to the 'Stick are again available.



QB Steve Beuerlein is close to signing a deal with CBS to serve as analyst for eight games, but he doesn't rule out a return to the field once signal-callers start falling victim to the preseason injury bug.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:35 a.m. EDT, July 10, 2004



FINS LOSE THOMAS FOR SIX WEEKS



The challenging offseason for the Miami Dolphins got a bit more difficult this week when linebacker Zach Thomas tore knee cartilage during an individual workout.



Thomas suffered the injury on Thursday while running cone drills at the team's facility, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Team physician John Uribe operated on Friday, and Uribe estimates that Thomas will be ready to go in six weeks.



"The good news is it is not an injury that is going to affect him in the long term and it won't have an impact going into the season," agent Drew Rosenhaus told the Sun-Sentinel. "It will take six weeks approximately for it to be 100 percent. Zach is a great rehabber, but Dr. Uribe feels he needs about six weeks."



Strongside linebacker Morlon Greenwood will move to the middle until Thomas returns, approximately on August 19.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



From the "Hey, Alanis -- This Is An Accurate Example of Irony" file, Jack Ryan, who bowed out of the Illinois Senate race due problems arising from trying to have sex with his wife in public, could be replaced on the ballot by Mike Ditka, who re-entered the public eye last year after going public with his problems in trying to have sex with his wife.



Saints S Mel Mitchell admits that he faces an uphill battle to regain the starting job that he'd won before tearing up a knee in the final 2003 preseason game (thanks to a cheap shot from Dolphins QB Sage Rosenfels).



The Jets have signed TE Mikhael Ricks and released rookie TE Michael Carter.



Former Browns DB Percy Ellsworth has sued NBA player Carlos Boozer for $15,000 in unpaid rent.



Single-game tickets for Dolphins game will go on sale on July 24.



After creating a stir by dropping the price of its NFL simulation to $19.99, Sega might be moving the release date for ESPN NFL Football 2K5 to July 20, beating EA's Madden franchise to the shelf by a couple of weeks.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 2:02 p.m. EDT, July 11, 2004



PEYTON DISSES JAKE



The Manning Passing Academy proceeded this year without any NFL quarterbacks not named "Manning." It was a departure from past seasons, in which guys like Jake Delhomme, Patrick Ramsey and Kelly Holcombe participated.



"We're kind of disappointed Jake couldn't come back," Peyton Manning told the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Friday. "He tried to charge us an appearance fee now that he's gotten so big-time."



Hmmm. Delhomme and his back-loaded contract worth less than the total value of Peyton's signing bonus is now "big time"?



Even more surprising is the fact that Peyton gave us all a rare glimpse behind that Gomer Pyle/Herman Munster facade -- and that the national media hasn't picked up on the remark. Even the Times-Picayune buried the comment deep within its Sunday NFL report.



Then again, the media is nearly as infatuated with Peyton as they are with John Edwards, and we suspect that no one who gets paid to do this for a living will go out of their way to say/write anything that will expose the golden boy of football for the phony that he truly is.



Maybe other NFL quarterbacks don't come to the Manning Passing Academy because they've figured out that Peyton and Eli are a couple of jerks with no regard for their teammates or anything other than stuffing their pockets with money.



And maybe Peyton is feeling a bit envious of the success that Delhomme's team enjoyed last season -- especially since the Colts will be hard-pressed to maintain a solid supporting cast while Manning is filling his face with salary cap pie.



G-MEN LOOKING TO COMPETE WITH JETS



A league source tells us that the recent announcement from the Giants that they'll try to build a new stadium in lieu of renovating their current home is motivated by good old-fashioned notions of keeping up with the Joneses.



Or, in this case, the Johnsons. Es.



Word is that the Giants have grown weary of the publicity that the Jets are receiving as they attempt to finagle new digs in Manhattan. The process recently has devolved into a full-blown clusternutfudge, guaranteeing that one of the 73 dailies in New York will be covering virtually on the daily basis the Jets' efforts until ground is broken.



The Giants understandably want equal time.



In our view, the Giants also realize that now is the time to use the "build it or we'll move" leverage -- since the last, best open market will be filled within the next few years as an existing team loads up the truck and moves to Be-ver-ly.



As we see it, more teams than the Saints, Vikings, and Colts are drooling over the Los Angeles market, given the millions of potential merchandise-purchasing fans and the billions of dollars that can be used to buy luxury suites.



We floated recently the possibility that the Cowboys could move to Cali, and we also don't rule out possibility of the Giants (or the Jets) joining the Giants (and the Dodgers) as major league franchises making a cross-country move.



Sacrilege? Sure. Such a move would be almost as ridiculous as the Colts moving out of Baltimore, or the Browns moving from Cleveland.



Still, we think that every team that has not yet gotten a new stadium will quietly play the L.A. card in an effort to get enough public funds to make it happen. In the end, the last franchise without definite plans for a new stadium in place will be the team to win the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.



Under this approach, everyone involved will be sucking on an everlasting gobstopper full of cash for the next generation, or longer.



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS



Retired RB Terrell Davis is unfazed by the likelihood that he won't get into the Hall of Fame.



Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson, who played for the Packers, Cardinals, and Giants and who overcame lymphoma, had pit bulls seized from his residence on Friday in connection with an ongoing investigation into a dog fighting ring.



Pats LT Matt Light isn't thinking about the fact that his contract expires after this season -- and that he might have to choose between playing for a winner or getting paid the most coin.



Starting in 2005, the Falcons will no longer conduct training camp at Furman University, opting instead to practice at their facility.



Jags cap guy Paul Vance is bracing for his first negotiations with the Postons, who represent first-round WR Reggie Williams (here's a clue, Paul -- Reggie Jackson has a better chance of participating in your team's training camp).



3,000 tickets to each of the Titans' eight home games were sold out in 18 minutes on Saturday (psst, Bud, most of those fans bought those seats with the expectation that Chris Brown won't be the starting tailback this season).



The NFLPA has filed a grievance against the Pats on behalf of WR Jamin Elliott, who spent the whole season on the practice squad and eight days on the active roster -- but didn't get a Super Bowl ring (when did Mike Brown swap franchises with Bob Kraft?).



Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News ranks the ten best offseason moves; the Eagles' acquisition of WR Terrell Owens in No. 3 (hey, Rick, you sure that list isn't supposed to be the ten worst offseason moves?).

[ALinChainz]

Inside Dish: Pirates see lots of interest in Benson

By Ken Rosenthal - SportingNews



The Angels, Mets and Twins are among the teams pursuing Pirates RHP Kris Benson, but don't rule out the Phillies or even the Yankees. The Pirates want to add at least one power hitter at first base, third or center field in the 0-to-3-year service class. The Mets have offered 3B Ty Wigginton and a pitching prospect, but one rival executive says the Pirates should aim higher. The executive says of Wigginton, "He's an average kind of guy. He plays hard. He can hit. He's not very good in the field. I wouldn't mind having him, but you had better have better players around him." Benson has not allowed a home run in his last seven starts, compiling a 2.92 ERA. . . .

The Twins are deep in position prospects, particularly in the outfield, but they would be reluctant to overpay for a potential free agent like Benson. Scouts are mixed on Twins Class AAA OF Michael Restovich, who has tremendous power but is viewed by some as a mediocre hitter who feasts on mistakes. Class AA OF Jason Kubel is considered a superior prospect, and his compact 5-11, 190-pound frame and lefthanded bat draws comparisons to players like Brian Giles, Jim Edmonds and Fred Lynn. . . .

Forget about the Astros trading CF Carlos Beltran, 2B Jeff Kent or other veterans even if they somehow fall out of wild-card contention by the July 31 non-waiver deadline. "We've made a commitment to a lot of people, players and fans," general manager Gerry Hunsicker says. "A lot of tickets have been sold, especially because of (Roger) Clemens and (Andy) Pettitte. It would be kind of foolish for us to turn our backs on our fans. To even think about something like that is mind-boggling to me. I don't see a scenario where that would happen regardless of where the team is at the trading deadline." The Astros would like to add rather than subtract, but the team is not in position to replace injured RHP Wade Miller, who probably is out until at least August 1. "We've already traded away a couple of our better young players," Hunsicker says. "You do have to think about tomorrow. You can't just carve up your system. We don't have the ability to fill a lot of holes via free agenc y." RF Richard Hidalgo's breathtaking start with the Mets reflects poorly on Astros manager Jimy Williams, whom many suspect will be fired on Wednesday, the day after the All-Star break. Williams benched Hidalgo, a notoriously streaky player, in favor of Jason Lane. Those who know Hidalgo describe him as a sensitive person who felt that Williams lacked confidence in him. If Williams had gotten more out of Hidalgo, the Astros might not have traded him, then acquired CF Carlos Beltran in a deal that cost them closer Octavio Dotel and C John Buck. . . .

One executive says that Braves scout and former manager Jim Fregosi would be the perfect choice to replace Williams if the Astros make a change. "When you need a jump-start, Jim certainly has enough personality," the executive says. "He doesn't care who you are. He'll put (Jeff) Bagwell and (Craig) Biggio in their place. Those guys have way too much power. It's not that they're bad examples or bad leaders. But the manager has to be the leader." Astros special-assignment scout Mike Cubbage and third base coach Gene Lamont also are possible replacements for Williams. . . .

The A's have two struggling lefty starters in Barry Zito and Mark Redman--a situation that raises questions about the combined $20.2 million that Oakland G.M. Billy Beane spent last offseason on Redman and LH reliever Arthur Rhodes. Redman has been less effective in Oakland's Network Associates Coliseum, a neutral ballpark, than he was last season at Miami's Pro Player Stadium, a pitcher-friendly park where he faced weaker N.L. lineups. Beane says he trusts the track records of both Zito and Redman -- and Zito has been generally untouchable in the second half. Among pitchers who have worked 350 career innings after the All-Star break, Zito's 2.54 ERA and .199 opponents' batting average are the best in the majors, according to STATS Inc. If the A's want to trade him, they probably will need to wait until RHP Tim Hudson recovers from his strained oblique muscle. Beane, saying this is "the worst year we've had with injuries," believes the team will be fine once it is healthy . The A's still could use a second baseman and additional relief help. . . .

Oakland's biggest offseason loss wasn't shortstop Miguel Tejada, but pitching coach Rick Peterson. While former Cy Young winner Barry Zito and several veteran A's relievers have pitched below expectations, Peterson's Mets lead the National League in ERA, with pitchers like Braden Looper and Orber Moreno showing marked improvement. "Rick was Zito's mentor," one scout says. "Barry's one of those cerebral, high-maintenance guys. He's very intelligent. He wants to analyze everything. He misses Peterson." . . .

Among his other attributes, Twins rookie Joe Mauer might be the fastest catcher in the majors. Mauer, a lefthanded hitter, runs from home to first in 4.2 seconds, according to one scout. Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki, one of the fastest runners in the game, typically runs 3.8-3.9. . . .

Rangers manager Buck Showalter says of RH reliever Frank Francisco, "He has a chance to be special." Francisco, acquired from the White Sox in the Carl Everett trade, is averaging 12.31 strikeouts per nine innings -- and plays chess in the middle of the clubhouse with pitching coach Orel Hershiser. . . .

The Giants' fade as the first half ended was partly attributable to fatigue -- the team had only two days off between May 25 and the break, not including a rainout that led to a day-night doubleheader. At the All-Star break, Giants relievers Jim Brower, Felix Rodriguez, Matt Herges and Scott Eyre were on pace to pitch in 89, 86, 80 and 80 games, respectively. No team has ever had four pitchers with 80 appearances in the same season, according to STATS Inc. The 2003 Dodgers were the only team to have four with 75. . . .

A scout who monitored the Yankees' system recently says Class AAA 2B Robinson Cano is a far better prospect than AAA C Dioner Navarro. "There's no comparing the two--Cano has much more ceiling," the scout says. "Offensively, he's pretty advanced. He has no problems at second; I don't see why he can't play shortstop. He's a confident player. He has a lot of swagger to him." One scout says Navarro might only be a platoon player; another says he has a chance to be a regular, but not an impact player. . . .

Pittsburgh closer Jose Mesa figures to be traded, but he could be this season's Reggie Sanders, a player the Pirates won't move unless they get a usable part in return. Sanders remained in Pittsburgh all of last season while earning a modest $1 million. Mesa is earning $800,000, and the Pirates could use him to protect leads for young LHPs Oliver Perez and Sean Burnett. Perhaps the most encouraging part of the Pirates' season has been the emergence of Perez and Burnett along with LH relievers Mike Gonzalez, John Grabow and Mike Johnston, who is currently on the disabled list. Each of those pitchers has less than three years of service time, giving the team a potential edge in a division that currently features only two other lefthanded starters--the Brewers' Doug Davis and the Astros' Andy Pettitte. . . .

The Braves and Astros are among the clubs seeking lefthanded relief help, but perhaps only the Yankees would take on the complex contract that the Mariners awarded LH closer Eddie Guardado last offseason. If Guardado's club declines an option of $6 million in 2005, he can exercise a player option for $4 million. The same goes for '06, when the club option is worth $6.25 million and the player option $4.25 million. Guardado also can earn up to additional $1 million if he exercises the player option for '05 and finishes 60 games and up to an additional $1.25 million if he exercises the player option for '06 and finishes 60. He also has a blanket no-trade clause. The Mariners are more likely to trade LH relievers Mike Myers and Ron Villone. . . .

The Marlins, 13th in the N.L. in on-base/slugging percentage at catcher, would love to add Pirates C Jason Kendall, but they can't afford him. Kendall, 30, is owed $37 million through 2007, and the Pirates aren't willing to contribute more than half of that. . . .

A name to remember: Tony Pena Jr. Pena, the Braves' shortstop at AA, was batting .295 with nine homers and 28 RBIs after 302 at-bats. "He's really developed in the last year," one scout says. "He's going to be real, real good." . . .

It's difficult to imagine anyone other than Barry Bonds as National League MVP when Bonds could become the first player to finish with a single-season on-base percentage above .600. The best argument for Scott Rolen is that in addition to his lofty batting average and power numbers, he's the best defensive third baseman in the game while Bonds is now a below-average left fielder. After slightly declining zone ratings the previous seasons -- from .906 to .896 to .883--Bonds' ZR has dropped to .838 this season, putting him in a sixth-place tie among nine qualifying N.L. left fielders. Zone rating is the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive zone, as measured by STATS Inc. . . .

Nice try by the Phillies, dangling RHP Kevin Millwood for Cardinals RHP Matt Morris in a swap of struggling potential free agents that also might have included Phillies 2B Placido Polanco and Cardinals LHP Steve Kline. Polanco is a chip the Phillies could use to acquire pitching, but Millwood isn't exactly tempting. Since the 2003 break, a span of 33 starts, he's 10-11 with a 4.88 ERA. . . .

Acquiring CF Steve Finley from the Diamondbacks might not be as simple as the Padres had anticipated. The Diamondbacks will drive a harder bargain with a division rival, and their other option is to sign Finley to a contract extension. It is doubtful they would offer him salary arbitration as a free agent and risk paying him a significant increase from his $7 million salary. . . .

The value of defense: The Red Sox are 11-17 when they allow an unearned run, according to STATS Inc., 37-20 when they do not. The Sox have allowed 67 unearned runs, most in the majors. The Dodgers have allowed 14, the fewest in either league. . . .

Brewers C Chad Moeller, a former Diamondback, raves about new Arizona manager Al Pedrique, a former manager in the D-backs' farm system. "I think he'll do a great job," Moeller says. "He really knows how to run a game. He has a good knowledge of the game. The players really like him. As long as you play hard, he's going to be behind you."



Senior writer Ken Rosenthal covers baseball for Sporting News. Email him at kenrosenthal@sportingnews.com.

[ALinChainz]

Inside Dish: Wagner's stint in summer school goes well

By Sean Deveney - SportingNews

The Cavaliers are encouraged by G Dajuan Wagner's performance in the Orlando summer league. Wagner led the league in scoring entering the week, at 18.6 points per game. The team hopes the 6-2 Wagner, who is too short to be a shooting guard, can handle point guard duties, though not necessarily for Cleveland. The Cavs, already struggling to find big men, received a devastating blow when PF Carlos Boozer signed an offer sheet with the Jazz. Without Boozer, the Cavs will have no true power forward on the roster. The team will have to attempt to trade for one, and a league source says Wagner is Cleveland's best bait, especially if another team is convinced he can be a point guard. . . .

It shouldn't take long for SG Tracy McGrady to recognize that his decision to force a trade to the Rockets will present a challenge. With realignment, McGrady will play in the Southwest Division, which features Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Memphis and New Orleans. He has done well in his career against the Grizzlies, but the other teams have given McGrady some of his toughest matchups. In the past two seasons, he has shot a miserable 38.2 percent against the Spurs, 42.1 percent against the Hornets and 37.9 percent against the Mavericks, a team not known for its defensive prowess. . . .

Newly signed SG Brent Barry could be a perfect fit for the Spurs, who still are trying to find the kind of clutch shooting they had during their 2003 championship run. That's why they were unfazed when the Magic signed Spurs restricted free agent G/F Hedo Turkoglu to a big offer sheet -- San Antonio was unimpressed with how Turkoglu handled playoff pressure. But Barry replaces Turkoglu's 3-point shooting, and, at age 32, the Spurs feel he'll be able to handle pressure situations. Barry also came cheaper than Hawks SG Stephen Jackson (who is heading to Indiana in a sign-and-trade deal) would have, signing a four-year deal in the $22 million range. And Barry provides the added bonus of backing up flighty PG Tony Parker. . . .

At the beginning of the week, sources were divided over whether the Nets would let PF Kenyon Martin leave New Jersey. Martin was entertaining maximum-dollar contract offers from the Hawks and Nuggets, and the Nets are reluctant to pay that much. The reason? SF Richard Jefferson has improved so dramatically in his three seasons that he could command a max offer when he is a free agent next summer. Jefferson is versatile, athletic and the perfect match on the wing for PG Jason Kidd's passing skills. The team already is paying Kidd the max and can't afford all three at that price. Martin is an All-Star, a great rebounder and defender, but the team sees him as the easiest of the three to replace. . . .

The Lakers will push to make free-agent Vlade Divac their new center, which would leave Kings SF Peja Stojakovic in a strange spot. Divac long has been the glue of the Kings' locker room, but divisions have arisen over the years, especially between Divac and PF Chris Webber. Stojakovic, who considers Divac a hero, would be without his strongest ally. Rumors of a Stojakovic trade have been floated, but an NBA general manager says talk has cooled.

Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.

[POJO_Risin]

Jesus...the Lakers WANT Vlade to be their starting center...

it's all down hill from here...

I'd comment on the baseball crap...but just to damn much...lmfao...

if I were Oakland...i wouldn't deal Zito...

I know he's struggling...and they have depth...but their hitting sucks...

[ALinChainz]

I think they better keep Zito just because Redman sucking wind too, insurance either way and if you can hold teams down, all the offense in the world won't get it done for you anyway.

They need their bullpen to pick it up to.

[ALinChainz]

NFL | Fighting Dogs Seized at Johnson's Home - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:02:13 -0700

Oklahoma narcotics agents seized more than 80 pit bulldogs after search warrants were served on Friday, July 9 at the Tulsa home of former NFL RB LeShon Johnson, according to the Associated Press. The seizures were part of an investigation leading to the confiscation of 141 dogs in May and the arrests of 22 people, including Johnson. "When we did the roundup in May, we knew we didn't get all of the people involved, nor did we get all of the dogs," said Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control. "Today, we found the dogs we were looking for, as well as documentation that will help tie seven to 10 more people to this dog fighting and drug distribution network." Johnson was arrested in Hughes County two months ago on dogfighting, conspiracy and racketeering counts. Many of the dogs involved suffered from malnutrition and sustained numerous injuries from fighting. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states, and is a felony in Oklahoma.


Buccaneers | Coleman to Backup - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 07:43:33 -0700

Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers project OG Cosey Coleman as a reserve lineman this year.


Buccaneers | Walker to Backup - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 07:42:39 -0700

Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers project OT Kenyatta Walker as a reserve lineman this year.


Buccaneers | Deese Projected as Starting LT - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 07:41:54 -0700

Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers project free agent pickup OT Derrick Deese as their starting left tackle in 2004.


NFL | Patten Would be Hot Commodity - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:28:36 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports if the New England Patriots release veteran WR David Patten later this summer, many teams would express interest in him. "You factor in experience, his ability to make the big play, and his work ethic, and there isn't a team in the NFL who wouldn't at least explore it," said an AFC general manager. "The Patriots are stacked, and if a guy like Patten is out there he won't be unemployed very long."


Patriots | Patten a Training Camp Casualty? - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:26:33 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports there is early speculation that New England Patriots WR David Patten may have a difficult time making the team's final roster this summer with a young stable of wide receivers battling for roster spots in training camp.


Panthers | Pleasant an Option? - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:24:29 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports free agent DE Anthony Pleasant (Patriots) had planned to retire this offseason, but may consider joining his hometown team, the Carolina Panthers, this year.


Patriots | Pleasant to Return? - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:21:52 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports free agent DE Anthony Pleasant (Patriots), who initially had planned to retire this offseason, may consider re-joining the New England Patriots this season.


Patriots | Light Unfazed Over Contract Status - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:20:26 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OT Matt Light is scheduled to become a free agent following the 2004 season, but is not concerned with his cloudy future with the team. "I love what I do," Light said. "I would never put that pressure on myself or play mind games and what-ifs. The season coming up is what I'm thinking about." Light could be highly coveted if he hits the free agent market next year as he plays the all-important left tackle position.


Patriots | Light Begins Training, May Miss Start of Camp - from www.KFFL.com
Sun, 11 Jul 2004 06:19:11 -0700

Nick Cafardo, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OT Matt Light (appendectomy) has begun working out after undergoing appendectomy surgery last month and might be limited at the start of training camp this summer. "It took a little longer than I thought it was going to take, and I didn't get back on my feet as soon as I thought I might, but basically the way I look at it, I'm glad I got it out before something bad happened," Light said. "I'm just waiting for a scar to heal. For me it's just getting my wind back and getting back into the weight room."


Eagles | Rookies Expected to Ink Long-Term Deals - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 20:18:46 -0700

Len Pasquarelli, of ESPN.com, reports that the Philadelphia Eagles have joined a growing list of NFL teams who want all of their rookies, including low-round draft picks, to sign five-year contracts.


Chargers | Chargers, City Reach Agreement on Stadium Lease - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 10:49:09 -0700

Ronald W. Powell, of the San Diego Union-Tribune, reports the San Diego Chargers and the city have reached concessions on the stadium lease that the San Diego City Council will vote on after a public hearing Monday, July 12. Both sides compromised on issues including the dismissal of a lawsuit the team filed against the city in November, the team's dropping an expensive maintenance requirement on the stadium, and the inclusion of an exit clause that allows the Chargers to leave San Diego at the end of the 2008 season as long as it paid off $57.7 million in outstanding bonds for the 1997 stadium expansion.


NFL | Tillman Honored for Patriotism - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 10:15:08 -0700

The Associated Press reports former Arizona Cardinals S Pat Tillman, who quit the NFL to join the military and was killed in Afghanistan earlier this year, was the recipient of the Audi Murphy Patriotism Award, an annual award presented over the Fourth of July celebration weekend. The award was given to the Tillman Foundation, formed to carry on Tillman's spirit and help families of soldiers killed overseas.


Buccaneers | McFarland Progressing In New Role - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 10:06:20 -0700

Roger Mills, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Anthony McFarland is making strides in shifting from nose tackle to the under tackle position previously held by former DT Warren Sapp. "He's really starting to grow into the position," defensive line coach Rod Marinelli said. "He understands it very well. He's got the motor, the effort and the hustle. Now it's up to him to develop that one-on-one rush all the time."


Dolphins | More Practice Reps for Moore - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:51:29 -0700

Michael Cunningham, of the Miami Sun-Sentinel, reports Miami Dolphins second-year LB Eddie Moore will see more practice reps at the strongside linebacker position in training camp now that LB Morlon Greenwood has been shifted to middle linebacker to replace injured LB Zach Thomas (knee).


Dolphins | More Practice Reps for Jenkins - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:50:33 -0700

Michael Cunningham, of the Miami Sun-Sentinel, reports Miami Dolphins second-year LB Corey Jenkins will see more practice reps at the strongside linebacker position in training camp now that LB Morlon Greenwood has been shifted to middle linebacker to replace injured LB Zach Thomas (knee).


Dolphins | Injury to Thomas Shifts Greenwood - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:42:40 -0700

Michael Cunningham, of the Miami Sun-Sentinel, reports the Miami Dolphins will shift starting strongside LB Morlon Greenwood to the middle linebacker spot with LB Zach Thomas (knee) out with a knee injury.


Dolphins | Thomas Injury Update - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:40:21 -0700

Updating a previous report, Michael Cunningham, of the Miami Sun-Sentinel, reports Miami Dolphins LB Zach Thomas (knee) is expected to miss about six weeks after undergoing successful knee surgery to repair torn cartilage suffered during Thursday's practice, July 8. "The good news is it is not an injury that is going to affect him in the long term and it won't have an impact going into the season," Thomas' agent Drew Rosenhaus said. "It will take six weeks approximately for it to be 100 percent."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:38 a.m. EDT, July 12, 2004



GALLOWAY'S STRUGGLES NOT A SURPRISE



In response to news that Bucs receiver Joey Galloway is having trouble grasping an offense that requires him to do something other than go deep on every play, one league personnel exec tells us that Galloway's struggles with the Tampa playbook are not surprising.



"He has the concentration level of a turnip," the source said. "And that is slighting the turnip a bit."



Galloway recently told Bucanneers.com that the complexity of the offense is at times making his head spin. "It's difficult and it takes time," Galloway said. "There have been times we have shifted so much that when we got done shifting, I forgot the play."



Galloway was traded to the Bucs earlier this year for Keyshawn Johnson in lieu of almost certainly becoming a cap casualty in Dallas.



BEUERLEIN WON'T GET A SHOT



We recently posted a blurb regarding the possibility that 49-year-old quarterback Steve Beuerlein could return to an NFL roster if/when somebody goes down with an injury.



In response, a league personnel exec told us that Beuerlein "has been on scholarship for the past few years," and that "no one wants him -- no one."



Beuerlein most recently played for the Broncos, backing up Jake Plummer. Beuerlein's season ended in October after suffering a grotesquely dislocated finger against the Vikings.



KING ASPIRATIONS MISS THE MARK



As to statements last week from Cardinals quarterback Shaun King regarding his intention to press John McCown for the starting gig in the desert, a league exec tells us that "the only way he'll start if they also field a arena team -- and even that wouldn't be guaranteed."



King, per the source, is "too small, too dumb and [he has] no heart."



Not long ago, King had secured the starting job in Tampa, losing it to Brad Johnson in the final year of the Tony Dungy regime. King remained on the bench for the first two seasons under Jon Gruden, and he bolted for 'Zona via free agency.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



Redskins S Sean Taylor could be fined $10,000 for skipping out of last month's rookie symposium -- past recipients of a five-figure fine include Ryan Leaf and Ron Dayne.



Bucs WR Frank Murphy punched a barroom doorman in the face after Murphy tried to skip out with an unpaid tab of more than $1,600 -- and after he left a tip of only $40.



The arbitration hearing between the Redskins and LaVar Arrington will occur either on August 3 or August 10.



U.S. sprinter Tyree Washington plans to try out for some NFL teams in the fall.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

Missed a story? Check out our Rumormill archives!

POSTED 7:36 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:36 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2004



BIG BEN NOT TICKING IN THE 'BURGH?



As folks throughout the league try to guess which of the Postons' first-round clients will be the last to sign a rookie contract, there's a chance that all of them could be cashing their bonus checks long before Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suits up.



A league source tells us that the Steelers privately are concerned that they're in for a protracted holdout with Roethlisberger, the first Pittsburgh first-round signal-caller since Mark Malone in 1983.



The problem, as we hear it, is two-fold. First, word is that Roethlisberger still hasn't gotten over the fact that he was drafted third among the three high-profile quarterbacks -- and that he hopes to get a contract comparable to the deal to be signed by No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers in order to soothe his ego. Second, Roethlisberger was supposed to be agent Leigh Steinberg's return to the big time in his first top-five splash since that ugly public split with David Dunn.



The thinking is that Steinberg will swing for a grand slam from the No. 11 spot, in lieu of settling for a mere home run if Roethlisberger had been drafted at the 4 hole. Also, there's nothing like a long-term holdout to keep Steinberg's name in the headlines well into August.



Moreover, with the Postons trying to nail a big deal for receiver Reggie Williams at No. 9 and the Texans likely to overpay cornerback Dunta Robinson at No. 10, the potential price for Roethlisberger could end up being far more than the Steelers are willing to pay.



And that's the real reason, in our view, for the Steelers' decision to give starter Tommy Maddox a raise heading into the 2004 season. In the end, it likely was cheaper to keep Maddox satisfied in the short term than to pay the ransom that Steinberg would have demanded if the team publicly had committed to making Ben the starter from week one of his rookie year.



With more and more rookie quarterbacks taking a redshirt season, the Steelers are now protected against a long-term holdout by Roethlisberger. The fact that Charlie Batch has not yet been released strengthens our opinion that the Steelers plan to go with Maddox, Batch, and Brian St. Pierre until Roethlisberger is signed, sealed, and delivered.



Really, why keep Batch around? Dumping him would create some cap room, and the Steelers could sign a camp arm or two in a heartbeat to take his place.



Batch is still on the team for a reason. It's called leverage -- and the Steelers might need a lot more of it to get Roethlisberger into camp before the leaves start falling off of the trees in Western Pennsylvania.



TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



The NFL isn't expected to decide this week whether to fine Redskins S Sean Taylor for skipping out on the rookie symposium.



The Seahawks signed fifth-round WR D.J. Hackett to a three-year deal with a $112,750 bonus and minimum base salaries.



Steelers players are hurting after the unexpected passing of Stephanie Porter, 44, who manned the cafeteria line at the team facility and served as a mother figure for the players.



How slow is it right now in the NFL right now? The Washington Post has a loooong story regarding the fate of a time capsule buried by the Redskins in 1977.



The Seahawks have signed DT John Schlecht, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2001.



Former Redskins OL George Starke received a $50 fine and a year of probation after pleading guilty to possessing seven grams of crack cocaine (who says athletes don't get off easy in court?).



Former Vikings RB and self-styled intellectual Robert Smith labels himself a "[s]mart-mouth atheist" in an interview with Bob Sansavere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, which we find even more disappointing that his inability to sell his book to a major publisher.



Miami Hurricanes CB Artrell Rolle, a potential first-rounder in 2005, has been charged with a felony and two misdemeanors following an altercation with a police officer.



POSTED 11:13 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2004; LAST UPDATED 8:36 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2004



HAMILTON COUNTY TAKES ON BENGALS



At a time when the Cincinnati Bengals are reversing a decade of worse-than-crappy performances on the field, a potentially gi-normous embarrassment suddenly is looming large in the rear-view mirror.



On Monday, federal judge S. Arthur Spiegel granted the request of Hamilton County to take over a lawsuit filed initially by County Commissioner Todd Portune in his status as a taxpayer.



The suit alleges that the NFL illegally used its monopoly to squeeze the Queen City into funding a new stadium for the then-bungling Bengals.



The most significant short-term development is that the amendment to the suit clears the way for the so-called discovery process, which will allow lawyers for Hamilton County to begin obtaining sensitive internal NFL records and deposing key league officials. Of course, the NFL and its stable of blue-suited hammerheads likely will do everything possible to prevent such information from becoming public. But even if a protective order is entered to shield the information from disclosure pending trial, a trial is an inherently public proceeding, and plenty of dirty laundry will be aired for all to see if the case isn't thrown out via the filing of a dispositive motion, or settled via the payment of big coin from the league and the Bengals back to the citizens of Hamilton County.



And settlement could be the ultimate goal, via the renegotiation of the Bengals' lease for the County-owned stadium. Under the current deal, the Bengals pay a total of $11.7 million in rent for the first nine years, no rent for the second nine years, and then the County pays the Bengals for the next nine years. Throughout the full 27-year term, the Bengals have control over development in the riverfront area, which recently triggered concerns regarding the ability of the local government to bring riverboat gambling to the area.



Stay tuned. This one could get very interesting as it unfolds.



CARDS SMACKED BY NFL



In a development that has received a tad less attention than the firestorm that accompanied the Giants' battle with the NFLPA regarding the drills conducted at Camp Coughlin, the Cardinals have been forced to forfeit the final week of their voluntary offseason program, from July 12 through 16.



According to Cardinals.com, "NFL Executive Vice President Harold Henderson and Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw have determined that the Cardinals violated rules pertaining to the intensity level and tempo of drills conducted during organized team activity days."



The allegations -- and the resulting penalty -- barely has registered a blip on the media radar screen at a time when the NFL otherwise is experiencing a dearth of news items. The East Valley Tribune covers the story in its Tuesday edition, explaining that the action followed complaints by players regarding the degree of contact in the drills.



"We have been informed of the decision by the Management Council," said Rod Graves, Vice President of Football Operations. "We’re very respectful of the CBA and are taking the appropriate measures to make sure this does not re-occur."



EARLY TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



LB Jason Gildon is "very close" to making a decision between the Bills, Bengals, and Packers.



It's official -- ESPN Football 2K5 will be released on July 20, beating the Madden franchise to the punch (and we can only hope that the Vikings' computerized defense can stop the run this year -- and that a receiver other than Moss can catch the ball).



Edmonton Eskimos RB Mike Pringle has set a CFL record for yards from scrimmage, passing 19,000 career yards.



Former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka is getting more and more serious about seeking a job from which, as a practical matter, he can't be fired.



Nelly is in, and Snoop Dogg is out of the remake of the classic film The Longest Yard.

[Troy]

I've read some stuff about Marshall Faulk being hurt and the Rams keeping it under wraps, because they're not sure if he'll be ready for camp, anyone else hear this?

[ALinChainz]

I have heard this too Troy.

All makes more sense that they drafted Stephen Jackson in the first round.

Faulk is wearing down, might have a season at top production if healthy, which seems to be a big IF.

Sounded to me like he should be in camp sometime, and won't miss the start of the season.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
and that he hopes to get a contract comparable to the deal to be signed by No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers in order to soothe his ego.

That dog ain't huntin', not with the Rooney's it ain't.....

Take your fucking money and sit the bench....

At least until Tommy starts fucking up, that is.... ;)

[ALinChainz]

I had to laugh when they referred to Charlie Batch as insurance, and maybe somewhat of a bargaining chip, in so many words.

Batch? LOL ... I've probably said this before, but we were ready to help him load the moving van to get him out of Detroit.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:14 a.m. EDT, July 14, 2004



REASONS FOR RUSSELL RELEASE A MYSTERY



A day after the Tampa Bay Bucs decided abruptly to part ways with former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Darrell Russell, the reasons for the move are in dispute.



The oddest aspect of the development is that the Bucs didn't bother to inform Russell before cutting him. According to the Tampa Tribune, he learned of it via a phone call from a friend who heard the news on ESPN.



Russell explains away the decision to dump him by pointing to the team's depth at the nose tackle position. "This is all about Tampa Bay freeing up a position they felt they were stacked in,'' Russell said. "Even though I had a rapport with [G.M.] Bruce [Allen], Coach [Jon] Gruden and [defensive line coach] Rod Marinelli, I was competing against guys like Chuck Darby and Ellis Wyms, who had been in the program for years."



The team provides a different spin. "We had strict parameters for this young man, and those parameters were not met,'' Gruden said. "We put in all these hurdles to test how much of a price Darrell was willing to pay. It's disappointing, because even before the relationship begins, the relationship is over."



In an apparent effort to defuse speculation that Russell reverted to prior conduct (actual and/or alleged), Allen said, "You can rule that out -- Darrell didn't break any laws. But he didn't comply, and it didn't work out for him. It is what it is. You feel for the player because this was a second, third or fourth chance for him."



Still, there is speculation in league circles (and speculation only), that the Bucs made the move upon receiving from the NFL official notice that Russell had tested positive for a banned substance, which most likely would have triggered a mandatory suspension. As one league source explained to us, there otherwise would have been no reason to jettison before camp opened a guy who is making the veteran minimum, which would cost the team only $450,000 in real dollars and in cap dollars.



If the move indeed were prompted by receipt of such notification from the NFL (and we'll say it again -- we're speculating as to whether any league policies were violated by Russell), this would make the team's failure to give him a ring before making the move more understandable, since Russell and/or his agent soon will be receiving their own copy of the letter.



Other theories making the rounds are that Russell was 20 pounds overweight, that he has lost his high-level ability, and that he simply doesn't like playing football. The last reason meshes most closely with Gruden's explanation that the team tried to test Russell by seeing how much of a price he was willing to pay.



Still, Russell's ultimate transgression was sufficiently serious to prompt Gruden and Allen to proceed without bothering to make a phone call to the player first, and this tells us: (1) that something came to their attention out of the blue; (2) that it was sufficiently clear and convincing to make any efforts to obtain an explanation from Russell useless; (3) and/or that Allen and/or Gruden were sufficiently pissed off by the news to prompt them to hit the kill switch immediately.



So if we were betting men (and as far as anyone knows we aren't), we'd drop some coin on the "positive pee test" square.



And for the other end of the parlay, we'd wager that Russell's NFL career is done, permanently.



MORE DETAILS ON CARDS VIOLATION



In the wake of the news that the Cardinals have forfeited the final week of their voluntary offseason program due to CBA violations resulting from so-called OTAs, a league source tells us that the Cards were dinged because: (1) the team was conducting full-contact one-on-one drills between linemen; and (2) they were exceeding the two-hour daily on-field time limit.



Another league source tells us that some of the current Cardinals players believe that the complaints were pushed by guys who had been cut by Dennis Green since his arrival in January. (We also wouldn't be surprised to learn that L.J. Shelton griped to the NFLPA after he was demoted from his starting gig at left tackle -- possibly based on his performance in those one-on-ones.)



Yet another league source opined that the notion of nailing a team for engaging in too much physical contact during OTAs "is bullshit," since "[e]veryone does that in the offseason."



Indeed, we've previously heard that the line play during offseason workouts is intense, and that defensive ends come off of the ball with the same speed and force used during training camp. We've also heard that players would prefer to wear pads during these drills, since many of them get banged up in T-shirts and shorts.



STEELERS, ROETHLISBERGER START TALKING



In the wake of our report from Tuesday that the Steelers are bracing for a protracted holdout by first-round draft choice Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that chief contract negotiator Omar Khan recently met with agent Leigh Steinberg in California to discuss general parameters for a deal.



Some folks in league circles have reminded us that Steinberg doesn't have a reputation for keeping guys out of camp, apparently because Steinberg routinely promises recruits and their parents that the player will be in training camp on time. Still, other league insiders believe that Steinberg is committed to making a big splash with Roethlisberger in order to get back into the ranks of elite NFL agents.



Notwithstanding the news that initial discussions have occurred on a potential Roethlisberger deal, we continue to hear that the Steelers are indeed concerned about a holdout -- which might explain the team's decision to dispatch Khan to Cali for a meet-and-greet that involved no actual negotiations.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Radically conservative and blunt-speaking Mike Ditka reportedly has warned Illinois GOP officials that "If I run [for the U.S. Senate], it could cause problems for you." (Maybe Ditka's first order of business would be proposing a restriction on Levitra sales to heterosexuals only.)



Deion Sanders' difficult year continues -- after walking away from his CBS gig and losing his position at ESPN, he now has been accused of failing to pay child support and of mismanaging his children's $2 million trust fund.



One of the agents for RB Shaun Alexander says that Alexander wants to stay in Seattle beyond the expiration of his contract following this season, and that the objective is to get an extension in place by September (the 'Hawks already are on the hook to pay Alexander $3.25 million this year because his three 1,000-yard seasons triggered an escalator pushing his base salary up from $545,000).



The Falcons have signed fourth-round LB Denorrio Williams and sixth-round S Etric Pruitt to three-year deals.



Agent Joel Segal, who represents Falcons first-round CB DeAngelo Hall, first-round WR Michael Jenkins, and seventh-round RB Quincy Wilson, met with G.M. Rich McKay on June 24 to begin negotiating deals for the three players.



In an effort to beat the heat, the Jags will have 13 evening training camp practices under portable lights.

[Carmine]

I just heard this from a guy in my office. Any truth to this: Roger Clemens back to the Yankees? just curious

[ALinChainz]

Nothing would surprise me, but I wouldn't think so. They are keeping Beltran, so they must think they are still in the playoff hunt. My bet is they keep Clemens.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:18 a.m. EDT, July 15, 2004



MIXED FEELINGS ON MANNING



Our Sunday blurb regarding statements made by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning about Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme sparked a surprising amount of reaction both from fans and from folks who make a living via the NFL.



Most of the fans who contacted us took issue with our characterization of Peyton as a phony and a jerk for his statement regarding Delhomme, who didn't attend the Manning Passing Academy this year. Said Peyton:



"We're kind of disappointed Jake couldn't come back. He tried to charge us an appearance fee now that he's gotten so big-time."



We were accused of taking the statement out of context, since Manning also was quoted later in the New Orleans Times-Picayune article as saying the following:



"We're real proud of Jake. Everybody that has been a part of this camp we keep up with those guys. It's no surprise that the team kind of rallied around him. We take a lot of pride in those guys."



How much did the issue snowball? On Tuesday, we were asked to appear on "The Gerry V Show," a drive-time radio program on AM 1280 in New Orleans. The 10-minute segment, which was devoted to the Manning-Delhomme flap, included a sound byte from Peyton explaining away the statements regarding Delhomme as a joke, and a report from host Gerry Vailancourt that Times-Picayune writer Jeff Duncan thought Manning had been joking when he made the comment -- but that Duncan acknowledged that the article didn't make clear the supposedly tongue-in-cheek nature of Peyton's remark.



On the flip side, a football reporter contacted us with info supporting a conclusion that the after-the-fact effort to dub the diss of Delhomme as a joke might have been contrived by Peyton for the purposes of covering his butt.



The reporter told us that he'd once been contacted by Peyton with an allegation that he'd misquoted Manning on a statement that Peyton's father, Archie, apparently believed made Peyton appear to be immodest. It was nothing controversial, the reporter told us, but Peyton still took the time to try to explain that his words had not been properly transcribed. The reporter tells us that the quote had been accurate.



Would it be out of the question, then, for Peyton to say something he shouldn't, be called out for it, and then try to make it look like he didn't mean it and/or didn't say it?



And that was the gist of our commentary -- that the NFL's golden boy had put his foot in his mouth and gotten a pass for it. because he's the NFL's golden boy.



Of course, not everyone within the NFL is prepared to prop up Peyton. One high-level insider agrees wholeheartedly with our assessment of Peyton as a phony, based in large part on Manning's decision to "rape, pillage, and plunder" the Colts for a $98 million contract, which included a $34.5 million signing bonus.



As the source explained (and as we believe), a guy who tries to get every last penny from his team and then act like it's not about the money are, indeed, phonies. In the wake of signing the blockbuster deal, Manning said in classic "Aw, shucks" style:



"I don't even like to use the word 'money.' I've never felt comfortable talking about it. I'm gonna continue that policy."



If Peyton truly doesn't like to use the word "money," he wouldn't have insisted on a package from the Colts that will make it difficult if not impossible for the franchise to surround him with a quality roster made up of guys receiving fair pay for their abilities and services.



And lest we be accused (again) of not using all of the quotes from an article containing an unflattering remark from Peyton's mouth, he also says in the article with the "m" word:



"I'm excited about the cap relief that the contract provides."



Cap relief? The deal only provided cap relief because his franchise player cap number would have been $18.4 million for 2004, which would have forced the Colts to dump several starters if the Colts hadn't handed that $98 million package to Manning.



Perhaps, in the end, Peyton doesn't like to use the word "money" because he doesn't want to think about how little of it will be available over the balance of the decade to pay guys charged with the duty of keeping opposing defenders from snapping his spine.



Hopefully, he also doesn't like to use the word "championships," either.



LEN THROWS BONE TO HADLEY



We got a mild chuckle out of Len Pasquarelli's efforts to prop up safety Jason Perry, who was officially dumped by the Pats on Wednesday.



Pasquarelli explained that Perry "was victimized by the overall depth in the New England secondary," and that the "release came despite the fact that Perry, playing for the Amsterdam Admirals, led all NFLE defenders this spring with 76 tackles." Pasquarelli also calls him a "solid special teams player."
As one league insider told us on Wednesday, "nobody cares about Jason Perry," who has bounced from one team to another during his NFL career and was out of football in 2003.

So why did Len go out of his way to prop him up?

Harris is represented by Hadley Engelhard -- the same agent who gave Len his NFLPA web site password, enabling Len to track down (with the click of a mouse) information regarding player financial packages before it otherwise would have been publicly available. Englehard is facing NFLPA scrutiny for giving Len access to the supposedly secret database, so Len perhaps feels compelled to trumpet some of his fringe guys.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



LB Jeremiah Trotter is headed back to Philly, with a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.



Cowboys OL Gennaro DiNapoli has a stress fracture in his ankle.



Titans RB Eddie George is less positive about the possibility of working out a resolution to his contract impasse with the team.



With the Seahawks giving DE Grant Wistrom a $14 million signing bonus, LT Walter Jones might aim a bit higher than his past demands of $18 million.



The NFL fined Chris Cooper, Barret Robbins, and Dana Stubblefield for positive THG tests.



So much for getting a steal -- the Colts voided the Jamal Reynolds trade after the first-round bust failed a physical; the Packers promptly released him to avoid a $217,000 bonus that was due on Thursday.



Former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka's plans for running for the U.S. Senate have gone limp; "I don't know how I'd react under the scrutiny. I don't know how I'd react on the Senate floor if I got into a confrontation with somebody I didn't really appreciate or maybe didn't appreciate me." (Hey, if dough boy Dick Cheney can tell a guy to perform an act on himself that is physically impossible for 99.9 percent of the population, just think of what the former coach would do if someone asked him about his troubles with his Ditka.)



Packers RB Ahman Green hopes to follow his 1,883-yard rushing performance in 2003 with 2,000 yards in 2004.



Rams LT Orlando Pace and all other franchise players may resume talks with their teams on long-term contracts without jeopardizing future use of the tag.

[Carmine]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
Nothing would surprise me, but I wouldn't think so. They are keeping Beltran, so they must think they are still in the playoff hunt. My bet is they keep Clemens.

it supposedly is Georges plan if the randy johnson to boston, nomar to the cubs, half the cubs roster to arizona takes place. Me being a yankee fan, I would rather see R.J. come our way. still can happen, the yanks are just getting poised to make their KILLER deals for the stretch!

[ALinChainz]

They always do too. They are certainly always active around the trade deadline and never boring to say the least.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:18 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2004



TROTTER RETURN STUNS MANY



The decision of linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to return to the Philadelphia Eagles has left NFL insiders shocked and stunned, as one league source told us on Thursday.



"It's the most unusual reconciliation in years," the source told us, explaining that Trotter's failure to find a better offer elsewhere and Philly's quiet dissatisfaction with its current linebacking corps forced the two sides to mend fences -- notwithstanding coach Andy Reid's "monster ego" (as the source said) and Trotter's outrage regarding the manner in which the Eagles handled his situation when he became a free agent after the 2001 season.



Although news coverage of the unlikely reunion focuses on current statements from Trotter as to the manner in which the burned-out bridge was rebuilt, articles published in 2002 demonstrate the extent to which the relationship had deteriorated.



In an item that ran in the Philadelphia Daily News on April 10, 2002, Trotter said he "felt unappreciated" when coach Reid refused to meet with him during Trotter's brief tenure at the team's franchise player.



"That bothered me more than the franchise tag, that I couldn't get a meeting with my own coach. I was so upset, I took it upon myself to drive over there," Trotter said. "Andy had left for the day, so I talked to [team president] Joe [Banner]. Then, when Andy heard I'd come down there and was upset, he called me and agreed to meet with me."



When he finally got a meeting, "I wanted [Reid] to tell me whether he thought I was one of the best linebackers in the league, and he wouldn't give me an answer."

"I asked Andy, I said, 'Listen: Do you not think I'm worth the money? Do you not think I'm one of the best linebackers in the NFL?' And he couldn't answer me. . . He jumped all the way around the question. He wouldn't give me an answer. He said, 'I really don't want to get into that'. . . I asked him, man-to-man.

"I feel that, like I said, I'm supposed to be your defensive leader, but you can't talk to me like a man. I was always raised, you got something to say, say it. But you can also be respectful. I never went in and disrespected him. That let me know right there that I am good enough, I am worth the money, but he just didn't want to pay me."

In removing the franchise tag from Trotter on April 5, 2002, Reid acknowledged Trotter's state of mind at the time: "After reviewing Jeremiah's situation, I felt that it was in the best interest of Jeremiah and the team that we withdraw the franchise tag, letting him become a free agent to explore other options where he'll be happier."



The biggest problem with the move was that the Eagles tied up Trotter through March 2002 -- the annual period of free agency in which teams spend money like liquored-up Japanese businessmen at a Las Vegas casino. By dumping him in April, the big money was gone.



Sure, Trotter landed on his feet in D.C. But with a $7 million bonus and low-end salaries in his two seasons with the 'Skins, the question becomes whether he would have done better in Philly is he'd signed the franchise tender, which would have paid him $5.515 million for 2002 -- or whether he'd done better by getting his free-agent contract at the outset of the signing period.



So how did Trotter let bygones be bygones? He says that Eagles coach Any Reid called him after his knee was blown out in the Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys.

"That meant a lot to me," Trotter said Thursday, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. "It was an unexpected phone call at a time when I was mentally down. It boosted my spirits a lot.''

Trotter returned the favor after he was cut by the 'Skins last month, calling Reid to apologize for the manner in which his departure had been handled.

"I called him for two reasons,'' Trotter said. "One was to thank him for his call after I got hurt. But I also called him to apologize for how I handled myself in the whole ordeal of my departure.

"I've grown up a lot. I'm not ashamed to say I made some bad decisions. I didn't handle things the way I should have. I told him if I never see him or we never speak again, I just felt I needed to call him and tell him that."

Trotter also surely had heard the rumors that the Eagles might be interested in bringing him back -- and Trotter surely knew that he wouldn't have many other options.

In the end, the fact is that the Eagles were the only one of 32 NFL franchises willing to sign Trotter, and all he's getting from them is a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.

Did we call this a reunion? Hell, it's a one-night stand, at best. Still, the fact that Reid and Trotter found themselves together again is something that even the thickest set of beer goggles couldn't have triggered.

MARCH 1 ROSTER BONUSES ARE CRITICAL

The Trotter situation illustrates the importance of agents insisting on roster bonuses that are payable on or before March 1 of a given year. The presence of such clauses generally forces a team to poop or get off the pot as to a player who could end up being an offseason casualty.

Without roster bonuses payable on or before March 1, most teams will hold a guy until after June 1, when the cap hit in the current year is reduced. A big roster bonus creates an incentive to make the move sooner -- allowing the guy who was going to be cut anyway to hit the market during the month-long feeding frenzy when guys like Grant Wistrom strike gold.

In Trotter's case, there was no reason for the Redskins to dump him before June 1 because he wasn't due to receive $1 million or more on March 1. So Trotter got peanuts in comparison to what he would have received if he'd hit the market at the outset of free agency.

Of course, there are exceptions. Guys like Kurt Warner and Eddie George will sometimes get paid their roster bonuses, and then get cut later. For Warner, the Rams decided that paying him an extra million in March was better than taking the full cap hit resulting from a pre-June 1 release.

For George, the Titans likely opted to take a chance on squeezing George into a lower salary later. If the Titans had pushed the issue to a head in February, George could have held firm, confident that he'd land a pretty good deal in the first wave of free agency. Now, George has less leverage.

Still, both Warner and George picked up an extra million bucks for their trouble -- and that's a million more than Trotter got for staying on the Redskins' roster until the team pulled the plug in June.

FRIDAY ONE-LINERS

ESPN's Sean Salisbury had better not show his puffy face in Cleveland after calling the new Browns the old Bengals (he's right, of course, but he'll have trouble finding a Browns fan who agrees with his assessment).

Former Lions WR Herman Moore points the downside to having a stable of talent on offense, which the Lions now have since the first time Moore played with Brett Perriman and Barry Sanders: "We had one ball."

The Steelers are close to a deal with second-round DB Ricardo Colclough.

The Steelers are still talking to LB Kendrell Bell regarding a long-term deal.

The Giants signed TE Joe Dean Davenport.

The Rams have signed fourth-round LB Brandon Chillar to a three-year deal.

POSTED 8:09 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:44 p.m. EDT, July 15, 2004



ALCOHOL VIOLATION FORCES RUSSELL RELEASE



Though we're routinely accused of speculating (and/or flat-out making sh-t up), followers of this here site who are plugged in to goings-on in the NFL know that our original stories are what we say they are -- a slice of the current topics making the rounds among NFL insiders.



Of course, the scuttlebutt we share often includes the speculation of those NFL insiders. And one of the most recent examples of speculation from one of our most trusted sources was right on the mark.



On Wednesday, we reported that league insiders were speculating on the real reasons for the Buccaneers abrupt release of defensive tackle Darrell Russell, who learned of his fate from a friend who heard the news on ESPN.



And, as reported on Thursday by ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen, our source nailed it.



Per Mortensen, Russell had a positive test for alcohol last month. As a result, he faces an indefinite suspension.



The Bucs are mum on the issue, as mandated by league rules. But G.M. Bruce Allen provided a hint on Tuesday, when he said that "Darrell didn't break any laws."



Technically, Russell didn't break any law (unless, of course, he got blotto and took a dump in the moon roof of someone's Porsche). But in the eyes of the NFL and given Russell's history of positive tests, what he did was enough to burn up his last, best chance to return to football prominence.



Congrats to our source for coming up with the theory and sharing it with us.



THURSDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS



After deciding not to make a run for the U.S. Senate, former Bears coach Mike Ditka has agreed to do a weekly segment on WBBM-TV in Chicago with Mark Malone.



USC QB Matt Leinart, a junior, will stay in school through the full duration of his eligibility.



Former NFL coach Dan Reeves will host a two-hour show on SIRIUS radio from Monday through Friday.



The "River City Relay" won the ESPY for the NFL play of the year (we assume the missed extra point that actually would have made the play worth a crap was a very distant second).



The Pats have added QB Kurt Kittner.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:08 p.m. EDT, July 18, 2004



EDDIE HEADING TO OAKLAND?



There's a growing sense in some league circles that running back Eddie George will tell the Titans to take their $1.5 million and shove it (sideways), opting instead for a new start with the team that has epitomized life after 30 (or, as the case may be, 40) in the new NFL -- the Oakland Raiders.



It was more than a decade ago that the Raiders first lured a pair of big-name late-career guys via free agency: Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott. Since then, guys like Jerry Rice, Rich Gannon, Warren Sapp, Ted Washington, Rod Woodson, Trace Armstrong, and Kerry Collins have made the jump to Oakland for one last shot at glory after their 30th birthdays.



Rumors linking George to the Raiders first began to swirl when it looked like the Titans might push the issue regarding Eddie's contract to a head soon after the June 1 trigger for spreading a cap hit over two seasons. The talk died down quickly when folks around the league realized that the Titans didn't have to make a move in early June. Waiting until late July potentially gives them greater leverage, since George's options could be even more limited now.



And with the Titans giving George an ultimatum (or, as they say on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, "old tomato") regarding his 2004 salary (i.e., take $1.5 million or take a hike), we're hearing once again rumblings that George could call the Titans' bluff and head to Oakland.



The move will happen, of course, only if George can get more than $1.5 million from the Raiders for 2004. Though no one involved ever will admit that any actual discussions have occurred on a potential contract between the Raiders and the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner (and we have no proof that they have)l, communications that technically constitute "tampering" occur all the time in the modern NFL. George's agents (Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer) would be stoopid not to try to gauge the market before giving a final answer to Bud Adams and the dead rat perched atop his head.



There's also a school of thought in league circles that the Titans really can't afford to let George go, and that they're taking a huge risk if they give the ball on a regular basis to untested second-year man Chris Brown. (Of course, the Titans' first order of business if George leaves might be to pounce on Antowain Smith or James Stewart, two other over-the-hill tailbacks who have been waiting for a new gig for months.) But now that all of their tickets for the 2004 regular season have been sold, the Titans have nothing to lose (financially) if they dump a guy who is the last link to the Houston Oilers, who left Texas after his rookie year.



It's no secret that the Raiders are anxious to upgrade their offensive backfield, given the offseason departure of Charlie Garner. They'd added Amos Zereoue and Troy Hambrick to a stable that includes Justin Fargas and Tyrone Wheatley. On paper, the unit still lacks a certain pizzazz. George -- despite the thinning tread on his tires -- would bring a fire and intensity that could help this proud franchise forget all about a dismal 2003 season, especially with a defense that has been bolstered via the additions of Sapp and Washington.



And if George is released, it'll be time to keep a close eye on Rich Gannon. We predicted in early June that the Raiders would spring an "old tomato" of their own on Gannon after all other starting spots (especially the one in Tampa) were solidified, forcing him either to dramatically reduce his 2004 salary or hit the road. Either way, the money saved by reducing Gannon's salary could be used to ink Eddie.



We'd also keep the other eye on the Broncos. If the folks in Denver sense that Eddie might be headed to Oakland, they'll slap together a package package quicker than you can say "Al Davis still owes Mike Shanahan a bunch of money."



Of course, this also raises the possibility that, while the Raiders and the Broncos wrestle over George, another team could slip in out of nowhere and steal him -- just like the Pats did as they two bitter rivals were trying to lure safety Rodney Harrison a year ago.



Stay tuned. This one could get very interesting.



POSTED 11:55 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:25 p.m. EDT, July 18, 2004



RAVENS LEERY OF LONG-TERM DEAL FOR CB



With franchised cornerback Chris McAlister pissing and/or moaning about the team's failure to sign him to a long-term deal, a league source tells us that the team fears the potential consequences of giving McAlister financial security.



The guy is "a major pain in the ass," the source told us. The team is concerned that, if they give McAlister a long-term contract -- with the kind of eight-figure bonus that makes it difficult if not impossible to sever ties with him if he misbehaves or underachieves -- he'll become an even bigger pain in the ass.



And that's the primary benefit that any team will derive by using the franchise tag on a repeated basis with a given player. Every season is his "contract year," so he continuously has to try to stay on his best behavior and play to the best of his ability. Otherwise, he'll have no interest on the open market -- and the team won't need to use the franchise tag on him.



But that's the only benefit. As we explained on Saturday, a guy who manages to wear the tag for three or more seasons likely ends up pocketing more than he would have earned in the first three years of a long-term deal.



DUNCAN SLAMS US FOR MANNING FLAP



In a scathing article that in at least one sentence pitches a tent in that burgeoning metropolis known as "Slanderville," Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tries to rip us a new one for our decision to copy in this here space one week ago words that Duncan had gotten directly from the mouth of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.



In his most recent submission, Duncan initially provides the explanation that should have appeared in his story from last week regarding Manning's facially derogatory comments as to Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. Writes Duncan:



It was a joke. A boys-will-be-boys, bust of the chops from one local star quarterback to another.



It was intended to show readers a glimpse of Manning's sense of humor, to elicit a positive reaction, something like, "Hah! Did you see how Peyton cracked on Jake the other day?"



The problem is that it sure as hell didn't read that way. But don't take our word for it. Here's the entire text of the relevant segment from Duncan's July 11 column:

NOT JAKE: The Mannings weren't able to lure any current NFL quarterbacks to the Manning Passing Academy this year. Former Steelers and Broncos signal-caller Bubby Brister and University of Georgia standout David Greene, a projected 2005 first-round draft pick, was about as close as they could get.

In previous years, Cleveland's Kelly Holcomb, Washington's Patrick Ramsey and Jake Delhomme, then of the Saints, participated.

"We're kind of disappointed Jake couldn't come back," Peyton Manning said Friday. "He tried to charge us an appearance fee now that he's gotten so big-time."

Manning said he called Delhomme recently to congratulate him on the five-year, $38 million contract he signed in Carolina last month.

"We're real proud of Jake," Manning said. "Everybody that has been a part of this camp we keep up with those guys. It's no surprise that the team kind of rallied around him. We take a lot of pride in those guys."

Wow, that Peyton Manning sure is funny. Yes sir, he really knows how to rip off a good one when it comes to the fact that, for some reason, NFL quarterbacks aren't coming to his family's passing camp.



Gee, we wonder why they're not coming. Scheduling conflicts? Leaves in the gutters? Raging case of genital warts? Well, since the only reason offered in the scintillating piece of journalism quoted above is that Delhomme "tried to charge . . . an appearance fee now that he's gotten so big-time," maybe that had something to do with Delhomme's failure to participate.



Even now, as he tries to cast blame on others for his own sloppiness, Duncan still doesn't answer these key questions: (1) why wasn't Delhomme at the Manning Passing Academy?; and (2) did he try to charge an appearance fee?



Is it so unheard of that a high-profile NFL player would try to get paid for devoting time to something that he isn't required by his NFL contract to do that it should have been obvious for a reader to conclude that Peyton was kidding? Hardly.



And please don't give us the "read the second quote" routine. In context, Peyton's "gosh, we're proud of Jake" remark can be interpreted either as evidence that Peyton really wasn't miffed at Delhomme for stiffing the family's football venture, or that Peyton was trying to cover his tracks after Peyton realized that he'd said something he knew he might later regret -- especially if Daddy saw the article and reacted unfavorably.



As to Duncan, our guess is that he initially took some heat from his superiors and/or the Mannings for writing a blurb that created the appearance that he was dissing Peyton. So when the poop hit the fan, Duncan backtracked, explaining that it all was a joke.



In our view, however, Duncan knew what he was doing when he wrote the article, and he played the "he was kidding" card once the switchboard at the T-P began lighting up with calls from the Mannings and their legion of devotees.



Regarding the barbs Duncan threw our way, we're as perplexed as we are pissed off. By describing us as a web site that "poaches NFL news stories," Duncan has lied about what we do. We don't "poach" anything -- we give full attribution either in name or by a direct link to the sources of the news stories that we didn't originate.



We also got a charge out of Duncan's efforts to get his nose back into Peyton Manning's anal cleft, explaining that Peyton "was forced to call [a local talk radio] to defend his good name."



Are we talking about the same Peyton Manning who dropped his naked butt and rectum onto trainer Jamie Ann Naughright's face when he was at the University of Tennessee? The same Peyton Manning who was sued for defamation (and later paid money to settle the case -- without admitting liability of course) after he took shots at Naurhright in his autobiography?



That Peyton Manning's "name" is hardly "good" in our book, and others agree with us on this point.



The presence of the "Peyton had to defend his good name" gratuity in Duncan's article speaks volumes. Our conclusion is that Peyton figuratively (or perhaps literally) dropped his naked butt and rectum onto Duncan's face after Peyton and/or Archie read the article, and Duncan abruptly caved. So now Duncan is in the process of making nice with the Mannings, lest he end up looking for a job covering women's high school basketball in Duluth, Minnesota.



Given Duncan's cowardly, bush-league handling of this issue, he deserves to be.



(Editor's Note: Any of our loyal readers who agree with our assessment of this issue should feel free to drop Mr. Duncan a line (or two) at jduncan@timespicayune.com.)



JOHNSON RETIREMENT TALK IS TIRED



It's hard to give much credence to the suggestion that Falcons defensive tackle Ellis Johnson will retire from football if he doesn't get a new contract, since he's made that Chicken Little routine an annual ritual.



Johnson says he wants an increase over his $1.5 million salary to help defray the costs of hauling his family to Atlanta for every home game. If we were calling the shots in Atlanta, we'd want to know exactly how and when the lifestyle choices of Johnson or any other player became our problem.



When Johnson signed with the Falcons, we presume he knew that the team wouldn't be moving to Indianapolis in the immediate future. Thus, he was faced with a choice: (1) move the family to Atlanta; (2) get enough money in the contract so that the costs of bringing the family to Atlanta eight times a year would be covered; or (3) do without bringing the family to Atlanta eight times a year.



We know that sounds harsh, but plenty of men and women sacrifice time with their families in the interests of earning a living, and most of those folks don't make 5 percent of $1.5 million. Johnson already is flying his own plane from Atlanta to Indy on off days during the season. Coupled with an offseason in which he hasn't shown his face in Atlanta for voluntary or mandatory workouts, our guess is that Ellis has had, in total, more quality time with his wife and kids than 99 percent of the working population.



Frankly, we're getting sick of these guys who want the money and the fame that go with being a pro athlete, but who don't want to make the sacrifices. Though it pains us to say anything remotely positive about the sport of baseball, hardballers have it harder than anyone in sport -- living out of a suitcase for 81 games over a season that stretches from April to October, not including a month or so at training camp, which for most teams is a long way from home.



NFL franchises have ten business trips per year, not counting the playoffs. One average, that's less than once per month when they leave their home city behind for a 36-hour (or so) trip to a different town. If NFL players choose to exacerbate that problem by not moving their families to the city in which their teams are located -- that's the players' issue, not the teams'.



Then again, it's possible that Johnson is using the travel expenses as cover for the simple fact that he did a bad deal in Atlanta. Indeed, our guess is that if Arthur Blank offered to provide curb-to-curb transportation for Johnson's family to all 16 games, Ellis still would be griping about getting only $1.5 million this year.



As we've previously reported, don't look for the Falcons to do either. In the end, Johnson either will earn $1.5 million to play, or nothing at all.



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS



The Steelers have agreed to terms with second-round CB Ricardo Colclough on a four-year, $3.27 million contract with a a signing bonus of $1,892,800.



The Washington Post has an in-depth look at whether the Redskins' recent spending sprees give them a narrow window of opportunity to win with the guys they now have.



The Bengals already have sold more than 1,000 of their new jerseys, which makes Mike Brown very, very happy.



The Titans have signed seventh-round DT Jared Clauss to a three-year deal with a $30,000 signing bonus and minimum salaries.



Giants RB Ron Dayne is looking forward to a fresh start in training camp after being deactivated for all 16 games last season.



Dolphins LT Wade Smith should be ready for camp as he continues to recover from a strained MCL.



Steve Serby of the New York Post has ten questions for the Jets (we have one -- will you suck again this year?)



Dolphins WR David Boston is using his down time before training camp to work on increasing his speed.



QUOTE OF THE DAY



From Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington, regarding his agents, Carl and Kevin Poston: "If you don't like the Postons, maybe you should ask yourself why. Look at the athletes they represent, the character we have and what we're doing on the field." (Does that include blinding a teammate with a shaving cream pie? Accusing team management of fraud? Not being able to read this sentence?)



POSTED 9:33 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:11 a.m. EDT, July 17, 2004



A TITANIC ULTIMATUM TO EDDIE



After months of hand-wringing, the Tennessee Titans finally have given a pay-cut-or-get-cut ultimatum to running back Eddie George, according to the Nashville Tennessean.



The Titans want to trim Eddie's salary from $4.5 million to something in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. George needs to decide whether to take a $3 million haircut, or to test the market for a better deal elsewhere.



A major factor in George's decision-making process surely will be whether he could jump to a new team in late July and emerge as the starter. A quick scan of the list of NFL logos suggests that most teams have an incumbent starting running back firmly in place, with the exception of Cleveland, Denver, Dallas, Philly, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, and Tampa.



And these eight teams already have spent months getting the guys who are on the roster ready to play. George would be a late arrival to a new system, and he'd be hard pressed to get the same reps that he'd get in Tennessee.



The other question is money. Is anyone going to pay an aging runner with plenty of wear and tear more than $1.5 million for a season of football? In this regard, you can take one thing to the bank -- George's agents, Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer, will be (and/or have been) floating all sorts of "hypothetical" scenarios to potentially interested teams in an effort to gauge whether one or more of them will pay bigger money to George.



Perhaps they need look no farther than another of their clients, linebacker Jason Gildon, who mustered only a $1.25 million contract with $500,000 in incentives from Buffalo. Though 31, Gildon is still a top defensive performer. The problem is that he hit the market after the big money had flowed, and even a three-team contest for his services couldn't crack the $2 million mark for a single season.



The decision point for George will be whether he's willing to swallow hard and lose $3 million by stating with the Titans -- or whether he wants to make even less for the privilege of sticking it to Bud Adams and company, forcing them to rely on newbie Chris Brown.



Given that Smith and Schaffer have invited Steelers running back Jerome Bettis to fill out their Saturday morning golf foursome, our guess is that Smith and Schaffer hope Bettis (who took a deep cut last year to stay in the 'Burgh) will persuade George to take what he can get in Tennessee, because the agents surely know in their hearts they won't be able to get George as much or more elsewhere.



MCALISTER SKIPPING CAMP?



Players generally don't like wearing the franchise tag. Sure, it guarantees them a very healthy one-year salary, but it prevents them from scoring an even healthier signing bonus via the forces of the open market.



Some franchise players take it in stride, accepting this wrinkle in the NFL's system and participating in offseason drills and training camp. Others stay away from any activities until the eve of the regular season, since until they sign the tender they are not under contract, and thus not obligated to attend mandatory minicamps or training camp.



Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister reluctantly participated in training camp last year, despite wearing the tag. This time around, however, McAllister appears to be planning a much later arrival.



According to the Baltimore Sun, McAlister has suggested that he won't be back for training camp. "I don't know when I'm coming back to the East Coast," he said. "I'm going out west and staying out there. I'll come back when I have to be here."



The Ravens don't want to discuss a multiyear deal until McAlister signs the tender. McAlister doesn't want to sign the tender because it will force him to report to camp, thereby losing any leverage that he has.



And unless the Ravens work out a long-term deal, McAlister will leave Baltimore -- if/when he ever becomes a free agent. In 2005, McAlister's franchise number will jump from $7.1 million to $8.5 million.



"If I don't get signed to a long-term deal, I don't want to be here," McAlister said. "I'm tired of living year to year. That's the bottom line."



But living year to year ain't so bad. McAlister made $5.9 million under the franchise tender in 2003. He'll make $7.1 million this year. If he makes $8.5 million in 2005, that's $21.5 million over three years -- which likely is better than the three-year haul he would have gotten under a long-term deal signed in 2003.



We'll call this the "Walter Jones Effect," since agent Roosevelt Barnes has managed to finagle for the Seahawks left tackle a three-year franchise haul worth $17.9 million (assuming Jones signs his current tender). Jones will get another $8.5 million in 2005 if he's the franchise player, or he'll finally get a chance to hit the open market. Though he surely won't get a $20 million bonus as a 31-year-old free agent, his take under the first three years of a long-term deal most likely will be better than the money he would have made on the back end of a long-term deal signed in 2002.



Also, this scenario ensures that the player won't be getting cut from a long-term deal in June or later, enabling him to participate (eventually) in the March money rush that sees guys like Grant Wistrom pocket $14 million signing bonuses.



The only downside to this approach is that an injury or a sudden drop in performance would screw everything up. But with every year being a contract year, guys like McAlister and Jones understand the importance of staying healthy, and playing well.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 1:15 p.m. EDT, July 19, 2004



PATS REACH DEAL WITH WILFORK



The New England Patriots have signed first-round draft pick Vince Wilfork to a six-year deal. Wilfork, a defensive tackle, was the 21st overall pick in the draft.



He is the second first-round pick to sign a contract.



The deal includes $5.825 million in bonus money, with $3 million coming up front and the rest payable in the form of a $2.5 million option bonus in 2005 and a 2004 roster bonus of $325,000.



In a somewhat rare twist, the 2005 and 2006 base salaries are guaranteed, pushing the total amount of guaranteed money to $6.575 million.



The total value of the contract is $18.05 million.



Wilfork's stock fell as the draft approached over concerns regarding his girth. If he gets in shape, he'll be yet another steal for the Patriots.



Kudos to Mike Reiss of the MetroWest Daily News for getting this scoop before the big boys sniffed it out.



POSTED 11:52 a.m. EDT, July 19, 2004



HAMPTON EATING HIS WAY OUT OF BIG DEAL?



A league source tells us that there's mounting concern in the 'Burgh that nose tackle Casey Hampton could be eating his way out of a big-money, long-term contract.



Hampton was the team's first-round draft pick in 2001. After somewhat contentious negotiations that led to a short holdout, Hampton signed a five-year deal. With two seasons left on his rookie contract, 2004 likely will be Hampton's best opportunity to prove to the team that he should get an extension before he enters the final year of his contract in 2005.



But Hampton, we're told, currently is overweight -- and the team isn't happy about it.



Hampton, who is 6'1" and has a listed weight of 320, has appeared in all 48 career games with the Steelers. His stats aren't overwhelming, but he's the kind of wide body who can clog the middle of the line (along with plenty of toilets), allowing linebackers to roam freely in the team's 3-4 alignment.



The problem is that his body's getting a bit too wide for the team's liking. And his ability to earn the kind of money that will allow him to eat like a king for the rest of his life is tied directly to whether he can push himself away from the table with a bit more regularity.



MCALISTER A GOOD "PAIN IN THE ASS"?



In response to our report that the Ravens are leery of giving cornerback Chris McAlister a long-term deal out of concern that he''l become an even bigger pain in the ass, one league source confirms that he's a pain in the ass -- for every team the Ravens face.



"He's one of the best in the league," the source said, "and that's the kind of pain in the ass a team can put up with."



Regardless, we imagine that any team will be skittish about transforming a problem child into a really, really rich problem child with the kind of signing bonus that makes him invincible. So it's a bit of a conundrum for the Ravens, and perhaps the best way to deal with the situation is to keep slapping him with the franchise tag.



MONDAY ONE-LINERS



Cardinals DT Wendell Bryant has been arrested for DUI; the former first-rounder has been a disappointment and we suspect coach Denny Green won't be afraid to show him the door if need be.



Some of RB Eddie George's present and/or former teammates have told him to walk away from the Titans.



The Tampa Tribune reports that former Bucs WR Marquise Walker was arrested for DUI; the story says that he identified his occupation as a player with the New England Patriots -- and according to Patriots.com, he is.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:50 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:38 p.m. EDT, July 20, 2004



RAY LEWIS FIRES AGENTS



Multiple league sources have informed us that All-Universe linebacker Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens has fired his agents, Roosevelt Barnes and Eugene Parker.



The reasons for the move are unclear. Two years ago, Barnes and Parker negotiated on Lewis's behalf a seven-year deal worth $50 million, with a $19 million signing bonus.



Barnes and Parker also were instrumental (we assume) in hooking up the curiously marketable former murder suspect with a deal to serve as the cover boy for EA Sports' Madden NFL 2005 video game, along with other endorsement deals.



Earlier this year, Lewis reportedly plunked down a sum in excess of one million to settle one of the wrongful death lawsuits resulting from the January 2000 incident that left two guys dead following a brief encounter with Lewis and his crew or posse or whatever the right word is for marauding group of thugs. With no immediate need for someone to negotiate a contract on his behalf, given that five years remain on the existing deal, perhaps Ray is hoping to redo his existing contract -- perhaps by converting future payments into a bonus.



Even if Lewis isn't looking for a new deal, his new agent (whoever it might be) has an incentive to work something out, since he won't earn any money under the deal negotiated by Barnes and Parker.



More coming as we obtain it.



TAYLOR HIRES MATO AND MOORAD



We've confirmed that Redskins rookie Sean Taylor has hired Eugene Mato as his agent, after several weeks of flying solo. The story initially was reported Tuesday afternoon by the Washington Post.



Per a league source, Jeff Moorad also will be involved in the representation. The source also tells us that Mato and Moorad landed Taylor by agreeing to reduce their fee beneath 2 percent of his gross salary. The NFLPA permits a maximum fee of three percent.



We're told that Taylor tried to get multiple other agents to give him a reduced fee agreement, but that his efforts were unsuccessful. Moreover, word is that Taylor was looking for a steep marketing guarantee, which is not permitted pursuant to NFLPA rules (but which happens all the time).



TITANS SHOULD STAY AT TABLE



We're getting a real kick out of the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth currently taking place in Nashville as the Titans try to decide whether to cut running back Eddie George, who has refused the team's supposed ultimatum to reduce his 2004 salary to $1.5 million or be cut.



George, as we reported earlier on Tuesday, has not asked to be released. He only wants to be released quickly if the team is going to make good on the "or else" portion of its most recent offer.



But we're wondering why the Titans aren't taking a look at a potentially viable "Plan B" -- up the offer to George in the hopes he'll take it.



As it now stands, George is set to earn $4.25 million in salary this year. He offered to restructure his contract in March, and the team responded with its take-it-or-leave-it package of a $1.5 million base, plus incentives that will kick in if George cures cancer and/or squeezes flying monkeys out of his fudge can.



So why not offer George more money?



Apparently, that light bulb has yet to flicker above owner Bud Adams' toupee-covered grill. Instead, G.M. Floyd Reese is talking like the team is trying to decide whether to dump George or to give in to his demands.



"We want to take our time and make sure everyone involved understands the ramifications of this action," Reese said Tuesday in a statement. "I don't think taking a day or two of reflection for something of this magnitude is a bad thing."



Of course, Reese's comments tend to undermine the characterization of the Titans' prior offer as an ultimatum. If it were, there would be no need for reflection.



The problem here could be that neither Reese nor coach Jeff Fisher want to dump Eddie George, since they realize that their performance ultimately is judged not by cap room but by wins and losses. If, indeed, Adams ultimately decides to go without George, Fisher and Reese hardly can blame any struggles the team might have this season (or next) on their stupid-ass boss who cut loose a guy who still has a lot to offer on the field.



If another million or so can get the deal done, why not pay it? The alternative -- giving the ball to untested second-year tailback Chris Brown -- might cause a lot more than $1 million in overall harm to the team's chances this year.



The idea ain't so far fetched. Fox's John Czarnecki reported Tuesday afternoon that another million will keep George around.



TUESDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS



What's the best way to address a roster that has too many underachieving turds? Sign another one -- and the Browns did that on Tuesday by agreeing to terms with DE Jamal Reynolds on a two-year deal.



In a move that might be a sign that the Bucs are serious about moving forward without 34-year-old WR Keenan McCardell, they signed 33-year-old WR Bill Schroeder on Tuesday.



The Bucs are uncharacteristically mum regarding RB Eddie George's interest in joining the team if he's released.



With ESPN NFL Football 2K5 shipping Tuesday with a price of $19.99, it looks like Sega will apply the low price to its NBA and NHL games, too.



The Commish officially is under contract through 2007, to the tune of $8 million a year.



Vikings and former Marshall WR Randy Moss provided not only free autographs but carnival rides and food for more than 700 kids in Charleston, West Virginia on Monday -- Moss even brought Rams and former WVU QB Marc Bulger along to scratch out signatures.



POSTED 11:56 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:50 p.m. EDT, July 20, 2004 by Len Lasagna (and edited and proofread initially by Mike Florio's 7-year-old son)

EDDIE GETS GEORGED

Our moles in Titan Town tell us that Eddie George that, contrary to what every other media outlet is saying, The Dome Headed One hasn’t asked to be released – he has told Tennessee to release him quickly if the team already has decided to release him. But in the land of the used car salesman, owner Bud Adams and his flunkee Floyd “I Will Only Talk To The Media When It Makes Me Look Good” have made it look like George is the bad guy.

In reality, George has told our source that he'll still consider another offer from the Titans and wants to retire as a member of the team. One catch though – George doesn't want to give up $3M in salary to do it. (Isn’t that kind of a overpriced going away watch?)

MORE FALLOUT IN ‘ZONA

Some Arizona players are still a bit fuzzy about Commissioner Paul’s penalty against the team's offseason training techniques, all of which centered around the fact that the players were having too much physical contact in drills. Several players have reiterated a fact that we first report several weeks ago – none of the physical contact in the OTAs was out of the ordinary and is commonplace throughout the NFL in the offseason.

In a related story, reports still to be confirmed indicate that California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar has included in his definition of “girly-men” the “pussies that oversee that NFL penalty thingee.”

TUESDAY ONE-LINERS

Lavar Arrington’s arbitration case with The Little One won’t occur until November.

From the Who Gives A Sh-t Department: Plexiglass will report to the Steelers training camp.

A Clinton girl is now working with the Browns (did she bring some cigars?).

Today’s No Sh-t Award: Former Tampa WR is charged with DUI after crashing his car into another car and two trees.

The Vikes are nearing their seventh straight sellout season -- Twins are asking if some of these fans could “maybe come over and buy a Coke or something.”

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:17 a.m. EDT, July 21, 2004



WILFORK DEAL BAD FOR VINCE, GOOD FOR PATS



One of the potential drawbacks to doing a first-round contract ahead of the feeding frenzy that will be unfolding over the next couple of weeks is that the terms of the deal naturally will receive extra scrutiny.



And that can be good for one side of the negotiation, and bad for the other.



In the case of the agreement reached between the Patriots and their 21st overall pick on Monday, the consensus around the league is that Vince got Wilforked at the bargaining table.



The biggest problem with the deal is that it has a six year term, with no provision voiding it to five years. This will keep Wilfork off of the free agent market until he's 28 years old, meaning that he likely will have a shot at only one really big contract in his career -- and that he'll have to be healthy and effective after six years of football in order to land a big-money deal.



Exacerbating this flaw in the deal is that Wilfork's bonus money doesn't reflect a significant raise about the bonus money received by the 21st overall pick in 2003. Jeff Faine, a center drafted by the Browns at the 21 hole a year ago, received $4.65 million in bonus money (signing, first-year roster, and second-year option) on a five-year deal, which averages out to $930,000 per year. Wilfork's bonus ($3 million to sign, $400,000 roster bonus in 2004, and $2.5 million option bonus in 2005) averages to $975,000 per year over six years.



Basically, Wilfork got an extra $1.2 million in total bonus money in exchange for delaying his first eligibility for free agency from 2009 to 2010. One league insider told us that, in light of the big money that defensive tackles can command on the open market (and assuming that the numbers will continue to rise as the salary cap pushes higher), the decision to agree to a non-voidable six-year deal for only $5.85 million in total bonus money is "stunning."



Just as various NFL teams quietly criticized the Houston Texans for overpaying 27th overall pick Jason Babin in comparison to the contract received by last year's No. 27, Larry Johnson, NFL agents are now taking aim at Michael Huyghue for the Wilfork deal.



As one agent told us, Huyghue had a reputation when he was with the Jaguars for cutting corners in getting deals done (which might have added to the team's salary cap problems of the late 1990s/early 2000s). Huyghue is still relatively new to the agent side of the business, and the rumblings among the agent community are that Huyghue is again cutting corners and, in Wilfork's case, doing bad deals.



Defenders of the contract might point to the fact that Wilfork's base salaries in 2005 and 2006 are guaranteed. As one league insider explained to us, however, the fact that Wilfork's second-year and third-year salaries are guaranteed is essentially meaningless, since it's highly unlikely that any team will dump a first-rounder prior to the completion of his third year in the NFL.



PEYTON ALMOST PULLED AN ELI?



For those of you who take issue with our willingness to publish in this here space information that might reflect negatively on the public image of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, you might want to scroll down to the next story (or you can go back to surfing gay porn).



On Sunday, the Journal News reported that Peyton nearly asked the Colts not to draft him, just as baby brother Eli did to the Chargers earlier this year.



And lest we be accused of taking statements out of context, here's the full quote from the article:



"Then Archie [Manning] told a story that, he believes, is a secret to everybody. Peyton, he said, almost pulled the same stunt before the Colts took him first in 1998. The irony there is that it was the Colts, then in Baltimore, who were stood up by John Elway a generation ago. Peyton was going to tell the Colts to trade him, but, as has become his MO, he did all his due diligence. He spoke with the owners and the new management team in Indy, was convinced the team was going in the right direction, was told he'd be the starting quarterback no matter what, and decided to go to the Colts."



To our knowledge, the possibility of Peyton stiffing the Colts had never been reported. Ironically, if Peyton had asked the Colts not to draft him (and if the Colts had complied), he almost certainly would have been taken by the same team that Eli spurned -- the Chargers, who traded up a spot to No. 2 in order to ensure that they'd get either Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.



It's reasonable to conclude that the Colts would have passed on Peyton if he'd asked them to do so. Back in March and April of 1998, the Colts were going back and forth between Manning and Leaf, and there was no clear consensus that Peyton should be the first guy off of the board. With Peyton declaring his lack of desire to play for the Colts, that factor might have been enough to push the folks in Indy toward Leaf.



NOT ALL ENAMORED WITH EDDIE



Although running back Eddie George is receiving plenty of support in his ongoing stare down with the Titans, not everyone thinks George is in the right to dig in his heels and ask for more money than the team is willing to pay him for 2004.



One management-side league source -- with no connection to the Titans -- has told us that, in his opinion, George is in the wrong.



"He has a chance to play for a Super Bowl champion . . . and [he] is complaining about an end of career contract offer that the Titans are giving him," said the source. "Unless he has totally screwed up his money, he needs to accept the deal and play harder than he ever has to set a positive example for the future of his team."



In our view, this sentiment brings back into focus the realities of the current salary cap system that exists because the players wanted true free agency. George has a contract that pays him more over the next two years than the team thinks he is worth at this stage of his career. Just as the system does not require a team to redo the contract of a guy who has outplayed his current deal, the system permits a team to dump a guy who isn't in position to earn the money he's scheduled to be paid.



And just as the CBA was adjusted a couple of years ago to create an incentive to sign veteran players to one-year deals, we also think that the CBA should contain a "career service exemption" that gives teams the ability to pay money above the salary cap to players who have been with that team for 10 or more consecutive seasons.



Such a wrinkle in the CBA would permit teams to reward players for loyal service and hard work at a time when their objective skills and abilities might not justify such a payment, especially under the salary cap. It'd be a great way to take care of the guys who show the most longevity and durability -- and it's be an excellent tool for persuading young players to emulate the guys who have managed to stick around for 10 or more years.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 11:46 a.m. EDT, July 23, 2004



GEORGE SIGNS WITH 'BOYS



A league source has confirmed for us that the Dallas Cowboys have reached an agreement with former Titans running back Eddie George. The signing initially was reported on ESPN.com at 11:26 a.m.



As reported by ESPN.com, the deal is worth $660,000 in salary with a $1.54 million signing bonus and incentives that could push the deal to $3 million. Our source tells us that those numbers are "pretty damn close."



Given the sudden fashion in which the talks have occurred, some folks in league circles are wondering whether George's agents have steered him straight to Dallas in an effort to acquire some goodwill for one of their other clients, receiver Antonio Bryant. Last month, Bryant had a well-documents (and incredibly ill-advised) run-in with head coach Bill Parcells. Both sides have been mum ever since, but a suspension, fine, or some other punishment (hand-washing Tuna's dirty jock straps?) still might be imposed.



But others in league circles believe that the deal got done quickly because George's agents had gauged the market for his services before he told the Titans "no, thanks" to a $1.5 million salary for 2004.



We think the latter is more accurate. As we recently speculated, Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer wouldn't have advised George to walk away from $1.5 million if they knew he would have been stuck with a one-year deal for the veteran minimum -- and they likely did their homework (discreetly and hypothetically) in order to figure out who was in a position to do better than $1.5 million.



If that's what happened, then it's clear that the Cowboys had indicated a willingness to pay George much more than the Titans or anyone else were willing to spend.



Of course, no one would ever admit that something like this occurred, since the discussions would have happened while George was still the property of the Titans. But anyone who follows the NFL knows that conversations that never officially took place take place all the time.



POSTED 8:33 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:34 a.m. EDT, July 23, 2004



MAKE OR BREAK YEAR FOR URLACHER?



Our Chicago mole has resurfaced after a prolonged hiatus, and the mole tells us that the Bears have high expectations for middle linebacker Brian Urlacher -- or else.



Per the mole, G.M. Jerry Angelo will strongly consider asking Urlacher to restructure that nine-year, $55-plus million deal from June 2003 by giving back some of the money he's set to receive if he has a second straight lackluster season.



The concern in the front office is that the money might have made Urlacher soft a year ago. His early-season fling with long-nosed skank Paris Hilton didn't do anything to undermine the perception that Urlacher wasn't as focused on football as he should have been.



At coach Lovie Smith's urging, Urlacher recently spent two weeks training in Colorado, in the hopes that Urlacher will be able to play 60 minutes of high-motor football. The coaching staff, we're told, is ecstatic with the results, and there's a high degree of confidence that Urlacher will return to the form that prompted the team to reward him with that huge contract.



In our view, however, it's important not to forget that Urlacher's play dipped after Ted Washington wasn't around clog up blockers in front of him and Rosevelt Colvin wasn't wreaking havoc to the outside. Sure, Urlacher has the potential to be dominant -- but he can't do it alone.



STEELERS OVERPAID FOR FARRIOR?



Immediate reaction in some league circles was that the Steelers overpaid linebacker James Farrior, who agreed to a five-year extension worth $16.4 million on Thursday.



Per one league source, the perception is that Farrior's high tackle numbers (he had 127 last year, leading the team) is the result of the failure of the team's defensive linemen to knock down the ball carrier.



Last year, nose tackle Casey Hamption had 27 tackles, defensive end Aaron Smith had 36 tackles, and defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen had 27 tackles -- for a total of 90 tackles from the starting defensive line.



If we didn't have day jobs, we'd crunch the numbers for all of the other teams in order to determine whether those numbers are in line with the league average. Regardless, the perception is that Farrior's numbers are artificially inflated by the lack of tackling support from the defensive line -- and perception in many cases is all that matter.



We also recognize the discrepancy between our observations that the lack of a solid defensive line hurt Bears' middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, but at the same time helped Farrior. (We don't have an explanation for it, but at least we recognized it.)



According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Farrior will receive a $4.5 million bonus and salaries of $660,000, $2.1 million, $2.9 million, $3 million and $3.24 million. Those high salaries in years two through five could be more of a curse than a blessing for Farrior. In year three, cutting him before June 1 results in a net gain of $200,000 under the salary cap. It year four, the pre-June 1 net gain is $1.2 million. In year five, it's $2.34 million.



Farrior will turn 30 in early January. Jason Gildon was released as he approached his 32nd birthday. As we see it, then, the chances of Farrior making all of that money are slim, and the deal is more properly described as a three-year, $10.16 million package or a two-year, $7.26 million contract. Those numbers probably won't quiet the critics of the deal -- but at least those numbers better reflect what Farrior is likely to earn in his last big NFL contract.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Bullshit....

Farrior's much more athletic than Gildon....

And of course he's going to be the leading tackler, they play a 3-4 for Christ sakes....

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 6:10 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 7:07 p.m. EDT, July 23, 2004



'SKINS STILL ANGLING FOR O-GUN



A league source tells us that Redskins owner Dan Snyder is passing word through intermediaries to Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye that Snyder eventually will swing a trade for the unsigned free agent -- and then reward him with a healthy contract.



Snyder, we hear, is encouraging Ogunleye to be patient as Snyder prepares to make his move.



Ogunleye and the Dolphins have been at odds throughout the offseason. The Fins slapped him with the highest possible RFA tender, requiring any team interested in signing him to an offer sheet to be ready to pony up a first-round and a third-round draft pick.



Ogunleye, meanwhile, has openly lobbied for a long-term deal or a trade, threatening not to sign his tender until after the seventh week of the regular season. The team responded by cutting his tender dramatically on June 15.



Rumors of a trade to the Redskins (possibly involving offensive tackle Chris Samuels in return) have been swirling for weeks. The thinking in some circles is that, as the Dolphins get closer to the start of the regular season, they'll be more willing to take a player or some draft picks in return for a disgruntled pass rusher who probably won't be in a position to make a difference for the Dolphins until November.



Stay tuned.



FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS



The Packers have signed free-agent DE Tyrone Rogers.



The Cowboys are poised to release QB Chad Hutchinson.



Dallas coach Bill Parcells will meet face-to-face next week with WR Antonio Bryant in an effort to get Bryant back in the team's good graces.



The NFL Monday night package could move to ESPN, and the Sunday night contests could land on NBC as a result of current contract negotiations.



The Bengals have released LB Adrian Ross.



The Raiders have cut C Barret Robbins after the veteran failed a physical.



Bears first-round DT Tommie Harris probably won't be in camp on time.



The Broncos are working on a deal with first-round LB D.J. Williams.



Cards V.P. of football operations Rod Graves doesn't anticipate any problems in getting No. 3 overall pick Larry Fitzgerald into camp on time (psst, Rod, maybe you should).



Cowboys S Darren Woodson might need surgery to repair a ruptured disk in his back, which would knock him out for 6-8 weeks.



From the "There's a Freaking Shocker" file: The Panthers and the Postons aren't close on a deal for first-round CB Chris Gamble.



The Jags have signed fourth-round DT Anthony Maddox to a four-year deal.



The Vikings have signed a trio of late-round draft picks -- fifth-round LB Rod Davis, sixth-round DB Deandre' Eiland and seventh-round TE Jeff Dugan -- to standard rookie contracts.



Broncos LB John Mobley will be sentenced for DUI next Friday.



The Charges have signed fourth-round LB Shaun Phillips to a three-year deal.



In an effort to boost the chances of an actual sellout, the Jags are considering the possibility of covering up some seats (given the way the team has played over the past few years, the move actually might make those seats more attractive).



The Lions don't foresee any problems in connection with the signing of their rookies (as long as none of them act like devout cowards . . . or faggots).



The Texans have signed fifth-round LB Robert Reynolds and fifth-round OL Jacob Bell.



The Redskins are engaged in face-to-face meetings with the agents for S Sean Taylor, who needs another $25,000 to take care of the fine imposed upon him for skipping out of the rookie symposium.



The DUI case against Titans QB Steve McNair has been gutted by a judge's decision that the initial traffic stop was illegal.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 10:05 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:08 a.m. EDT, July 24, 2004



FIRST FOUR PICKS TO BE A CLUSTERFUDGE



As negotiations continue in earnest among most NFL teams and their first-round picks, folks are keeping a close eye on the negotiations between the Chargers, Raiders, Cardinals, and Giants and their top selections.



The problem arises from the trade of No. 1 pick Eli Manning from San Diego to New York for No. 4 pick Philip Rivers. If the two teams had swapped spots before the picks were made, the Giants' rookie pool would reflect that they have the No. 1 slot in the first round, and that the Chargers have the fourth.



But since the trade came after the picks were made, the Giants have to sign the No. 1 overall pick with No. 4 money, and the Chargers hold No. 1 money to sign the No. 4 pick.



We're hearing that, despite rumors of progress being made between Rivers and the Chargers, agent Jimmy Sexton won't be agreeing to any deal in San Diego until he sees how much Eli Manning gets from the Giants.



As to Manning, the thinking is that agent Tom Condon will dig in for money reflecting that Manning was the overall pick -- since he was.



This process also could delay negotiations between Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals and/or Robert Gallery and the Raiders. Regardless of whether Manning gets more than the No. 4 slot otherwise would justify given that he was the first overall pick (and get more he surely will), the fact is that the package given to the No. 4 pick sets the floor for No. 3, which sets the floor for No. 2, which sets the floor for No. 1.



Which brings us to Rivers. He's got the chance to parlay being the fourth overall pick into getting paid four slots above the money given to the real first pick.



Moving forward, teams surely will try to paint this as a one-year aberration. The agents, however, will be ready to use the money paid to picks one through four this year as the base line for the top four picks next year.



This glitch also could influence the money paid to picks 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 under the slotting system. That's why it's important for teams like the Redskins to get Sean Taylor, the fifth overall pick, under contract before the Manning-Rivers effect unfolds.



But with two Postons client in spots 6 (Kellen Winslow) and 9 (Reggie Williams), we can envision many of the top ten picks missing a big chunk of camp as this process continues to unfold.



In hindsight, then, it was smart for the Texans to get Dunta Robinson under contract on Thursday. He'll be present for all of training camp and the preseason -- which is important since he'll be starting on opening day. Likewise, the Texans did his deal without any of the contracts above him being negotiated. There's good chance that, if the Texans had waited, they might have had to pay a lot more money -- and Dunta might have missed a lot of camp.



Finally, we know that there have been reports of a potential deal between the Raiders and Gallery, which could short circuit the possibility that picks one through four will be inflated artificially. The concern in some circles, however, is that Gallery's contract will reflect the Manning-Rivers effect -- especially since doing so will make it harder for the Raiders' AFC West rivals to sign their quarterback of the future du jour.



STEELERS TALKING EXTENSION WITH COWHER



The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers are engaged in serious discussions with coach Bill Cowher regarding an extension of his contract, which expires after the 2005 season.



Historically, Cowher has received an extension with more than two seasons left on his current deal. In March, the thinking was that the Steelers were going to wait until after the 2004 season to decide whether to re-commit to Cowher -- or whether to cut him loose and pay his salary for 2005.



"We may change that up and not do it that way," chairman Dan Rooney said in March, referring to the team's habit of rolling out a new deal with two seasons left on the old one.



Surely, the Steelers don't feel as strongly about Cowher as they did in past years. We've previously reported that his influence in personnel matters has diminished this year as the team shifted to a committee approach on evaluating players and budgeting money to getting and/or keeping them.



In our view, the front office probably wanted to take a wait-and-see approach with Cowher, who has delivered only one Super Bowl appearance and several home playoff losses, including three AFC title games ('94, '97, '01). But they painted themselves into a corner by drafting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the eleventh overall pick in the April draft.



With Cowher understandably worried about winning this year in order to secure his future, he might be inclined to focus less on the development of Roethlisberger and more on enhancing the 2004 performance of Tommy Maddox. In the modern NFL, the pairing of a first-round rookie signal-caller and a coach with a "win now or else" mandate simply doesn't work.



The Steelers also might be thinking about Cowher's potential interest in succeeding Dick Vermeil in Kansas City. On the surface, locking up Cowher prevents him from leaving. At a deeper level, however, having Cowher under a long-term deal and allowing him to go to the Chiefs if/when G.M. Carl Peterson provides the Steelers with a win-win exit strategy.



With Vermeil coaching either one or two more years, the Steelers can shed themselves of Cowher by letting him take the job, thereby avoiding any further financial responsibility to him. The team also will avoid the inherently messy job of firing their head coach -- something they've only done once in the last 35 years.



Either way, no one can argue that the Rooneys don't know what they're getting. Cowher has been in the 'Burgh since 1992, making him the longest-serving coach in the NFL, by a full three seasons.



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



The NFL considered slapping Sean Taylor with the maximum fine of $50,000 for skipping out on the rookie symposium.



The Dolphins plan to resume trying to get their rookies signed starting Monday; one of the problems is that they are insisting on four-year deals for low-round picks.



The Fins reportedly are negotiating long-term deals with WR Chris Chambers and DE Adewale Ogunleye simultaneously, "with the hopes that signing one will put more pressure on the other" (more accurately, we think that the Fins are telling each of them they've only got so much money to get a deal done this year, and only one of them will get paid).



Jets secondary coach Doug Graber, who took a leave of absence in May after being hired in January, won't be back; he'll be replaced by Corwin Brown.



The Bucs have signed seventh-round DB Lenny Williams, and they waived OL Mike Moroz.



Wrestler Brock Lesnar will get a second workout with the Vikings, but it's still unlikely that he'll be signed (maybe they're still waiting for the decade or so of 'roids to work their way out of his system).



Months after signing P Darren Bennett, the Vikings have cut 2003 sixth-rounder Eddie Johnson, who had a decent leg but had trouble getting the ball to it.



The Vikes have signed local product Ryan Hoag, a receiver who was the last player taken in the 2003 draft.



Carl Poston says there's a "negative ten percent" chance of unsigned franchise player Charles Woodson reporting to camp on time (does "negative ten percent" mean Woodson's gonna sneak in and steal stuff?).



Bears DT Tommie Harris likes to pull pranks on reporters.




http://www.profootballtalk.com

[POJO_Risin]

VA? Did I miss something about them comparing Farrior's to Gildon's athleticism?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Not specifically that, but they're stating that Farrior got overpaid in his new contract, and that he was the leading tackler only because the D-line isn't that good....

News flash - Steeler linebackers always lead the team in tackles....

Always....

I think the Steelers did well in signing him now, just as I hope they extend Kendrell Bell this week before training camp starts....

Burress can fucking wait.....

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:04 a.m. EDT, July 25, 2004



DESPERATE FINS TRADING O-GUN FOR A-TRAIN?



In the wake of running back Ricky Williams' stunning decision to retire after only five NFL seasons, our Chicago mole tells us that the Fins already have been in contact with the Bears regarding a possible trade of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye for a package of players including running back Anthony Thomas.



Per the mole, the other players traded could include receiver David Terrell and/or right tackle Aaron Gibson, in order to help the Bears clear enough cap room to sign Ogunleye to a long-term contract.



According to the mole, the Dolphins called the Bears on Saturday, which fits with the overall timeline, since Williams broke the news to coach Dave Wannstedt on Friday.



At this point, a trade is probably the only strategy for the Dolphins to fill the gaping hole left by Williams' departure. The only available back with any name recognition is James Stewart. Eddie George reached a deal with the Cowboys on Friday, and Antowain Smith agreed to terms last week with the Titans as a replacement for George.



The question of whether their contracts have been signed could be a key factor in both of those examples. If a contract has not yet been inked either by George or by Smith, they technically are free to renege. It's happened before, but our guess is that something like that would be highly unlikely here.



The Dolphins also might be able to pry Onterrio Smith, Moe Williams, or Michael Bennett free from an unnecessarily deep backfield in Minnesota -- and the Vikings have sufficient cap room to sign Ogunleye to a long-term deal.



One factor that the Miami Herald and big-boys like ESPN.com have ignored thus far is whether and to what extent Williams will be required to refund signing bonus money to the Dolphins. Depending on the specific language of his deal, Williams might owe the Dolphins the prorated portion of the bonus money applicable to 2004 and any future remaining years on his contract. (We're tracking this info down right now.)



Finally, we'll be the first ones to go out on a limb and predict that, unlike Barry Sanders' surprising retirement five years ago, Ricky Williams will be back. He's never been, to use fancy medical terms, "right in the head," and our guess is that the same forces that drove him to walk away from the game will drive him back into it in 2005 or beyond.



POSTED 9:42 p.m. EDT, July 24, 2004



'SKINS DENY CONTACT WITH O-GUN



Redskins V.P. Karl Swanson says that our recent report regarding efforts by owner Dan Snyder to pass messages through intermediaries to Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye is "bullsh-t."



"There has been no contact concerning Ogunleye with anyone," Swanson wrote in an e-mail sent to us on Saturday afternoon. "If [your source] knew anything at all, they would know Snyder has been on vacation on a boat for the past two weeks and virtually incommunicado."



Swanson also expressed disdain for the report on the basis that the source opted not to alert the league office to a violation of the tampering rules.



But, as a practical matter, no one reports tampering because tampering investigations go nowhere. Last year, for example, Lawyer Milloy told CNNSI's Peter King that the Redskins had made him a contract offer before he was released by the Patriots. When Milloy clammed up, the issue died.



In Ogunleye's case, the story isn't that Snyder is calling Ogunleye or his agent directly, but that Snyder has passed word through others to Ogunleye that the Redskins remain interested in acquiring him via a trade with the Dolphins. And, obviously, it's possible that the source is getting bad information from one or more links in the alleged communication chain.



Moreover, no one expects the Redskins to admit such conduct, especially after last year's near-miss with Milloy. If anything, Swanson's vehement denial of any contact makes us wonder whether he doth protest too much.



http://www.profootballtalk.com

http://www.thefantasymasters.com

[POJO_Risin]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
Not specifically that, but they're stating that Farrior got overpaid in his new contract, and that he was the leading tackler only because the D-line isn't that good....

News flash - Steeler linebackers always lead the team in tackles....

Always....

I think the Steelers did well in signing him now, just as I hope they extend Kendrell Bell this week before training camp starts....

Burress can fucking wait.....

I agree with all of that wholeheartedly...

Farrior and Gildon really aren't comparable...two totally different linebackers...Farrior has always been an East/West linebacker...one of those guys with a nose for the ball...Gildon is a North/South guy...who penetrates...and shakes it up...a big play linebacker...and I think that article does a good job of stating that they probably don't know what they are talking about...

I like long term deals in the NFL...in particular when you know they won't be as long term as stated...and once they are gone...they are gone...

A deal for Bell better get done...one of the best in the game...

and I still say they oughta deal Plax...even for a loss...better than nothing...

You gotta go after WARD after Bell...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com


POSTED 12:11 p.m. EDT, July 26, 2004



MIAMI-AREA SCUTTLEBUTT ON WILLIAMS



We've got a few non-NFL sources on the ground in South Florida, and they've shared with us some of the local reaction to and insights regarding the surprise announcement that running back Ricky Williams will retire from pro football.



Part of the local speculation is that the Miami Herald knew about the decision prior to early Sunday, but that the newspaper held off on reporting the decision, either at the request of Williams, the team, or both. Coincidentally (or not), the Dolphins had a meet-and-greet event with fans on Saturday in connection with the sale of single-game tickets. It's possible, then, that the team wanted to keep this genie in the bottle in order to keep Saturday soiree from becoming a revolt.



On this point, the team is now explaining away its failure to disclose Williams' decision, which he shared with Dave Wannstedt on Friday, before the single-game tickets went on sale on Saturday.



If the Herald sat on the story, it was wrong from a journalistic perspective. The reality, however, is that this kind of stuff happens from time to time as local newspapers try to maintain good relations with the folks who are in position to give them info from inside the team's building. (We used to get riled up about this kind of stuff, but if nobody else seems to care, why should we?)



There's also some gossip in South Florida that Williams kept his intentions quiet until after the Eddie George situation had been resolved in order to give teammate Travis Minor the best shot at the job as the team's go-to back. It might seem a little far-fetched -- but it's not more implausible than the notion of a 27-year-old running back and team cornerstone announcing his retirement only days before training camp opens.



MONDAY'S WILLIAMS COVERAGE



With a flood of articles and analysis regarding the aftermath of the Williams retirement, we've tracked down the most interesting of the stories for quick review.



First, Jason Cole of the Miami Herald reports that Colts running back Edgerrin James has already made known his interest in joining the Dolphins -- a potential link that we predicted Sunday morning.



James will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2004 season, and Peyton Manning's cap number most likely will require the team to choose between James and receiver Marvin Harrison. As we've reported, the team feels that it got James' best years of his career under his rookie deal, and they're willing to let him walk if a better offer comes along next year.



The real question is whether Miami's sudden need for a running back would make the Colts willing to let James go now for value, in lieu of keeping him for one more season while his eyes are fixed on the possibility of going home.



Cole also identifies various backs whom the Dolphins might acquire via a trade, including Tony Hollings of the Texans, Najeh "Dookie" Davenport of the Packers, and Lamar Gordon of the Rams. Hollings is the most enticing of this trio; he was the Texans' second-round pick in last year's supplemental draft, and league sources have in the past verified that his ability justifies the lofty draft status. Still, his future in Houston has been clouded by the unlikely emergence of fellow 2003 rookie Domanick Davis.

Gordon likely will be the odd man out in St. Louis (assuming Marshall Faulk's knees hold up through camp), and Davenport has become a capable backup for a team that probably won't be able to afford him when he becomes a free agent.



Another possible trade partner is in Minnesota. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, coach Mike Tice is willing to talk about the possibility of trimming down a backfield that contains Onterrio Smith, Michael Bennett, Moe Williams, and rookie Mewelde Moore.



"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about Miami calling after I heard about the retirement," Tice said. "Let's put it this way: We're not shopping anyone, but if the phone rings, we'll certainly listen."



The most daring move for the Vikings would be to send speedster Bennett, a former first-round pick and 2002 Pro Bowler, to Miami straight up for defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. Such a deal, which would hinge on the Vikes using a chunk of that remaining ginormous cap room on Ogunleye, would give the Vikings a modern-day version of the Purple People Eaters, with Ogunleye joining Chris Hovan, Kevin Williams, and Kenechi Udeze.



For a team that hasn't been able to put together a solid defense to match it's jaw-dropping offensive attack, sacrificing some depth at running back might be the best way to get to the Promised Land.



(Did we mention that the Vikes started 6-0 last year while Bennett was hurt.)



The Chicago Sun-Times confirms that Bears running back Anthony Thomas can be removed from the list of potential replacements, for now. Still, we think that if Thomas Jones shows he can carry the load in the early stages of training camp, a trade of Thomas to Miami could be a possibility down the road.



And in suggesting on Sunday that Thomas could be dealt in exchange for Ogunleye, we would have to have been smoking almost as much weed (allegedly) as a formerly dreadlocked tailback to think that such a trade would have occurred on a straight-up basis. Instead, our report was that the Bears would want to include some other players to alleviate the cap hit resulting from a new contract of O-gun. Even then, the Dolphins might still want a draft pick or two in order to get such a deal done.



Meanwhile, agent Leigh Steinberg hinted that Ricky's retirement might not be permanent. "Right now he seems at peace with his decision and intends to retire," Steinberg said, according to the Associated Press. "Whether it ends up being short term or long term, we'll have to see."



We're sticking with out prediction that he'll be back -- and we wouldn't be surprised to see him in uniform for the Fins on opening day. Either way, look for the Dolphins to keep a close eye on the situation as they keep the other eye on the waiver wire and/or the trading block.



POSTED 8:32 a.m. EDT, July 26, 2004



FINS TO FOCUS ON SHORT PASSING GAME



With running back Ricky Williams gone at least for the foreseeable future, a league source tells us that the team will adjust its offense accordingly, focusing on short, high-percentage passes.



This means that the influence of quarterbacks coach Marc Trestman will increase in Miami, since Trestman heavily was involved in the utilization of such an attack in Oakland.



Trestman was hired by the Dolphins in January after spending three seasons with the Raiders, where he worked with 2002 league MVP Rich Gannon. His biggest challenge in adding this twist to the Miami offense will be to get Jay Fiedler and/or A.J. Feeley to play like Gannon has performed over the past several seasons.



"NEGOTIATIONS" OR "VACATIONS"?



A league insider has shared with us some pointed criticism of NFL teams who conduct negotiations with their first-round picks by sending a small group of representatives to the offices of the player's agent for "negotiations."



These "negotiations" can come off more like "vacations" when guys like Vinny Cerrato and Eric Schaffer of the Redskins hop a plane from D.C. to Cali for four days and counting in Newport Beach and San Francisco of face-to-face talks. (Vinny recently headed back to Washington, leaving Schaffer to fend for himself against a three-man tag team of Eugene Mato, Jeff Moorad, and Scott Parker.)



Cerrato, who spent several years with the 49ers, likely went along so he could "visit some of his friends" in California, the source suggested.



The deeper problem, as the source explained, is that conducting the negotiations on the agent's turf works to the advantage of the player. It's far better for the team to fly the agents (and possibly the player) to conduct the talks in the team's headquarters. That way, the team can put the squeeze on the agents through a variety of participants. The coach, for example, can stop by and see how things are going. The G.M. can be involved in the process. Hell, the guy who signs the checks can pop his head in and express his desire to get the deal done.



Even a seasoned agent will recognize that human beings perform more effectively in familiar environments, and they likewise aren't as sharp in unfamiliar surroundings. For that reason alone, no visits or negotiations with draft picks or their agents should occur anywhere other than the team's main offices.



OPINIONS DIFFER ON ONE-YEAR DEALS



Amid news that the Browns are willing to give out one-year deals to players who balk at the team's standard demand that all rookies sign contracts at least five years in length, a league insider has opined for us that, given the option, the agents should sign the longer-term deals and "take the coin now."



To protect against the money that would be lost if the guy turns into the kind of player who'll command big interest as a free agent after year three or year four, the agent should insist on escalators or voidable years or any other standard device to protect against a rookie outplaying his contract at some point between year one and year five.



Regardless, and as the source said, "There's no f--king way you do a one-year deal. This only takes guaranteed money away from a guy who's got no guarantee he'll even have a job a year from now."



The real issue here, as we see it, is the failure of agents to band together and stand up to the Browns' insistence on departing from the standard practice of giving three-year contracts to mid-to-low-round picks. Right after the draft, the NFLPA should facilitate regular communications between the agents of all players picked by the Browns aimed at persuading them to take a common, united stand against the efforts to cram a five-year deal or a one-year deal down the throats of the incoming class.



Really, if a guy is willing to take a bonus based on one year of play, why not sit out of camp and the preseason until the Browns agree to alter their approach?



Although teams wouldn't be allowed to collude in this manner, the players are permitted to do so, and the only way to get the Browns to alter their approach is for the players to come together and essentially go on strike against the team until it reverses its policy in this regard.



Then again, the problem could solve itself in the next couple of years, since Butch Davis has run off anyone who could be blamed for the team's misfortunes of late -- and since Butch is now on the hook for any ongoing failures of the organization. Once Butch goes, the five-year mandate likely will go with him.




POSTED 10:17 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:48 p.m. EDT, July 25, 2004



FINS SNIFFING AROUND ALLEN, EDWARDS?



With a dearth of available free agent running backs, a league source told us on Sunday evening that the Miami Dolphins' initial prospects for replacing the suddenly retired Ricky Williams are James Allen and Robert Edwards.



Allen, who unexpectedly retired from the Texans a year ago at this time, recently had a workout with the Dolphins, and we hear that he likely will be the first guy they call. Edwards spent the 2002 season with Miami but was a late cut in 2003 and was out of football last season.



We're also hearing as of late Sunday that a trade of running back Anthony Thomas to Miami is unlikely at this point. Though it's not out of the question, we're told it wouldn't happen for at least a few weeks.



Stay tuned.



RICKY COULD'VE HELPED TITANS



The timing of Ricky Williams' decision to retire couldn't have been any worse for the Miami Dolphins, who could have entered the Eddie George sweepstakes if they'd only known a few hours earlier in the day on Friday that Williams wouldn't be with the team in 2004.



But our guess is that, if Williams had announced his intentions on Wednesday or sooner, the biggest team to benefit from the advance notice would have been the Tennessee Titans, who surely would have plopped an extra $1 million or so in 2004 salary onto the table if they'd known that the Dolphins would be suddenly desperate to land a veteran running back.



The problem in Tennessee was that the Titans and George were playing poker. George bet that he could get more than $1.5 million on the open market, the Titans bet that he couldn't.



So the Titans called what they thought was a bluff -- and lost.



But George's ability to do better than what the Titans were willing to pay would have been more obvious to G.M. Floyd Reese and company if they'd known that Miami had been left in a lurch by Williams' decision to walk away.



Sure, there's also a chance that George would have wanted more than $2.5 million to stay in Tennessee once the Dolphins hit the radar screen as a suitor for his services. But even if the number were $3 million or higher, the Titans likely would have sensed more strongly that George would get a greater number from the Dolphins in the wake of Williams' departure.



It appears that, in hindsight, all the Titans needed was a swift kick in the butt in order to wake them up as to George's potential value on the open market. Indeed, we hear that the

Titans made an eleventh-hour run at persuading running back George to return to the team in lieu of signing with the Cowboys.


And you heard it here first -- we don't rule out a return by George to the Titans in 2005 for a career-ending contract.



Unless, of course, the Titans acquire Ricky.



SUNDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS



On the same day that dreadlocks-wearing goofball RB Ricky Williams bolted from the NFL, his potential successor agreed to terms with the Rams.



The Pats have signed fifth-round WR P.K. Sam and seventh-round CB Christian Morton, while cutting DL Ryan Atoe and WR Ricky Bryant.



The Jets have signed seventh-round LB Darrell McLover.



Rams seventh-round TE Erik Jensen signed a three-year deal on Sunday.



POSTED 12:14 p.m. EDT, July 25, 2004



RICKY HAD BEEN "ACTING ODD" LATELY



The Ricky Williams story continues to unfold. (Scroll down for more.)



Multiple acquaintances of Williams' tell us that Ricky had been "acting odd" since returning from a trip to Australia earlier this year.



Per the sources, Williams seemed to be more laid back and less interested in football following his time "down under."



With talk that Williams is making a power play in order to get more money from the Dolphins in order to stick around, the sources say that, in their view, it's not about money. Regardless of whether Williams changes his mind at some point in the future, his decision to stop playing is legitimate, for now.



POSTED 11:35 a.m. EDT, July 25, 2004



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.



POSTED 8:04 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:35 p.m. EDT, July 25, 2004



FINS INTERESTED IN A-TRAIN, NOT FOR 0-GUN



In the wake of running back Ricky Williams' stunning decision to retire after only five NFL seasons, our Chicago mole tells us that the Fins already have been in contact with the Bears regarding a possible trade of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye for a package of players including running back Anthony Thomas.



Per the mole, the other players traded could include receiver David Terrell and/or right tackle Aaron Gibson, in order to help the Bears clear enough cap room to sign Ogunleye to a long-term contract.



According to the mole, the Dolphins called the Bears on Saturday, which fits with the overall timeline, since Williams broke the news to coach Dave Wannstedt on Friday.



Another league source tells us that the Fins might be interested in Thomas, but not in exchange for Ogunleye.



At this point, a trade is probably the only strategy for the Dolphins to fill the gaping hole left by Williams' departure. The only available backs with any name recognition are James Stewart and Trung Canidate (whom we're told will be back to 100 percent soon).



From the timing standpoint, the move couldn't have been any worse for the Fins. Eddie George reached a deal with the Cowboys on Friday, and Antowain Smith agreed to terms last week with the Titans as a replacement for George.



The question of whether their contracts have been signed could be a key factor in both of those examples. If a contract has not yet been inked either by George or by Smith, they technically are free to renege. It's happened before, but our guess is that something like that would be highly unlikely here.



The Dolphins also might be able to pry Onterrio Smith, Moe Williams, or Michael Bennett free from an unnecessarily deep backfield in Minnesota -- and the Vikings have sufficient cap room to sign Ogunleye to a long-term deal.



Another intriguing possibility is Colts running back Edgerrin James. Rumors had linked James to the Dolphins before the team swung a trade with the Saints for Williams. With Edgerrin entering the final year of his Indy contract and the Colts apparently intent on letting him play out the deal and test the market, the looming possibility of a 2005 free-agent signing by Miami could prompt G.M. Bill Polian to get something in return now for James -- in lieu of getting nothing later.



Yet another possibility would be a trade of Bills running back Travis Henry to Miami, since Henry is unhappy with the fact that Willis McGahee soon will be leap-frogging him. (Sure, intradivisional trades are rare -- just as Drew Bledsoe.)



We're hearing that the Fins might be inclined to wait until the final cuts in September to pick up a guy who is released from another team. The Raiders likely will shed either Tyrone Wheatly, Amos Zereoue, or Troy Hambrick, and the Broncos like won't take a backfield containing Garrison Hearst, Mike Anderson, and Quentin Griffin into the regular season.



One factor that the Miami Herald and big-boys like ESPN.com have ignored thus far is whether and to what extent Williams will be required to refund signing bonus money to the Dolphins. Depending on the specific language of his deal, Williams might owe the Dolphins the prorated portion of the bonus money applicable to 2004 and any future remaining years on his contract. (We're tracking this info down right now.)



Finally, we'll be the first ones to go out on a limb and predict that, unlike Barry Sanders' surprising retirement five years ago, Ricky Williams will be back. He's never been, to use fancy medical terms, "right in the head," and our guess is that the same forces that drove him to walk away from the game will drive him back into it in 2005 or beyond.



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS



With DE Tyrone Rogers in the fold, the Packers still could be interested in Kenny Holmes or Chad Bratzke.



The underachieving Vikings have been assigned 6-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl, trailing only the Pats and the Eagles.



After 25 years, the 49ers will be moving away from the West Coast offense that Bill Walsh devised.



Giants QB Kurt Warner is concerned that the New York media might try to twist the words of his wife, Yoko (he should be more concerned about the stuff she says without unfair media manipulation).



POSTED 9:42 p.m. EDT, July 24, 2004



'SKINS DENY CONTACT WITH O-GUN



Redskins V.P. Karl Swanson says that our recent report regarding efforts by owner Dan Snyder to pass messages through intermediaries to Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye is "bullsh-t."



"There has been no contact concerning Ogunleye with anyone," Swanson wrote in an e-mail sent to us on Saturday afternoon. "If [your source] knew anything at all, they would know Snyder has been on vacation on a boat for the past two weeks and virtually incommunicado."



Swanson also expressed disdain for the report on the basis that the source opted not to alert the league office to a violation of the tampering rules.



But, as a practical matter, no one reports tampering because tampering investigations go nowhere. Last year, for example, Lawyer Milloy told CNNSI's Peter King that the Redskins had made him a contract offer before he was released by the Patriots. When Milloy clammed up, the issue died.



In Ogunleye's case, the story isn't that Snyder is calling Ogunleye or his agent directly, but that Snyder has passed word through others to Ogunleye that the Redskins remain interested in acquiring him via a trade with the Dolphins. And, obviously, it's possible that the source is getting bad information from one or more links in the alleged communication chain.



Moreover, no one expects the Redskins to admit such conduct, especially after last year's near-miss with Milloy. If anything, Swanson's vehement denial of any contact makes us wonder whether he doth protest too much.



SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS



Chiefs CB Cliff Crosby has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct following a July 3 "screaming match" with police officers.



Lousiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is floating the idea of a new stadium for the Saints.



The Jags have reached an agreement on a contract extension with RT Maurice Williams; it's a five-year deal worth $21 million and $8 million in guaranteed money.



Writer Tim Kawakami is boycotting ESPN (we are, too, except for the football page of the website and the NFL video game that bears its name).

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com


POSTED 11:20 p.m. EDT, July 26, 2004; LAST UPDATED 12:06 a.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



WILLIAMS BACK IN THE USA?



There's a buzz in league circles that the ever-unpredictable Ricky Williams has cut short a supposedly extended vacation in Asia, returning to California to meet with agent Leigh Steinberg.



What in the hell does this mean? Who knows? But it's yet another bizarre development in what has become one of the most bizarre NFL stories in years.



Meanwhile, Steinberg said on Monday that Ricky's decision resulted in large part from the fact that he was overused during his five-year career.



"There was a lot of frustration about the battering ram nature of it," Steinberg told the New York Times. "In so many of his carries, he was running straight into the line. It took a heavy physical toll. Maybe it took an emotional toll."



Even if Ricky isn't already having second thoughts, we're told that the Fins won't be making any quick moves to land a long-term replacement for Ricky. Per a league source, the Dolphins don't want to respond to the shock of Williams' departure with a reaction that could be deemed desperate.



BRYANT CLEARED TO RETURN TO 'BOYS



Only three days after one client of Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer was signed by the Cowboys as the most attractive free agent of the late offseason, another Smith and Schaffer client has gotten another chance to stick around with the 'Boys despite having a confrontation with coach Bill Parcells last month.



ESPN.com reports that receiver Antonio Bryant met with Parcells and owner Jerry Jones on Monday, and that Parcells and Jones decided to give the third-year receiver another chance.



"He's getting another opportunity," Jones said. "I certainly believe if your heart is in the right place, you should have second chances."



Some folks around the league believe that it's no coincidence that Smith and Schaffer client Eddie George made a bee line to Dallas with Bryant's status still up in the air. Others scoff at the notion that George was nudged in Dallas' direction in order to boost Bryant, but the fact remains that George made no other visits and, by all appearances, no other offers were fielded (at least not after George was released).



BARRY'S DAD CALLS BOBBY ROSS A RACIST



Our buddies at LionsFans.com report that the father of former Lions running back Barry Sanders dubbed former Lions coach Bobby Ross "a racist" during an interview on WQTX radio in Lansing, Michigan on Monday.



More specifically, Williams Sanders said that his son, Barry, believed that Ross was a racist.



In the five years since pulling a Ricky Williams (or did Williams pull a Barry Sanders?), Sanders never has attributed the decision to any personal conflict with Ross, who himself pulled a Sanders/Williams nine games into the 2000 season.



LAVAR PLANNING CLAIM AGAINST POSTONS?



Linebacker LaVar Arrington makes an interesting observation in his comments regarding the fact that the arbitration hearing of his grievance against the Redskins has been pushed back to November 2.



"I'm done with it. It's case closed," Arrington said Monday, according to the Washington Post. "Win or lose, I win in the end. There's no reason for me to keep going back and forth about it. It's time to play ball."



Okay, this probably means that Lavar is taking the broader view of his life, and that he's keeping in mind the fact that he gets paid more than handsomely to play a game that he loves, with or without an extra $6.5 million in 2006.



But could Arrington be hinting at what we believe to be his ultimate plan. Specifically, if he doesn't manage to obtain through the arbitration process the phantom roster bonus that the 'Skins allegedly had promised to include in his December 2003 contract extension, Arrington would have a slam-dunk malpractice claim against agents Carl and Kevin Poston, who already have admitted that they had LaVar sign the deal without reading it.



The Redskins had hoped to get the issue resolved before the season starts, to ensure that it won't be a distraction for Arrington or the team. With a November 2 hearing, the final decision might not come before the end of the regular season.



EARLY TUESDAY ONE-LINERS



Texans S Marcus Coleman was convicted on Monday of drunk driving; he faces up to six months in jail.



The NFL have suspended Vikings DE Kenny Mixon two games for violating the league's substance abuse policy in connection with his recent DUI conviction.



Lions first-round WR Roy Williams was a no-show at a voluntary rookie camp on Monday because he missed his flight to Michigan.



The Bears have signed fifth-round DE Claude Harriott to a four-year deal.



Free-agent OL Solomon Page is scheduled to make another visit to the Lions this week.



The Bills have reach an agreement with third-round DT Tim Anderson on a contract of yet-unspecified length.



The 49ers aren't budging from their offer of a six-year, $38 million contract to franchised LB Julian Peterson.



The NFL has suspended DT Darrell Russell indefinitely for yet another violation of the league's substance abuse policy, likely guaranteeing that the former All Pro's career is over.



The Chargers have signed seventh-round OT Carlos Joseph to a three-year deal.



Overachieving Vikings FS Brian Russell will have to hold off Willie Offord in order to keep the starting job.



The agents for Redskins first-round pick Sean Taylor made a surprise trip to D.C. in the hopes of getting a deal done ASAFP.



Cowboys S Darren Woodson will have surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.



POSTED 7:15 p.m. EDT, July 26, 2004



WILLIAMS OWES FINS NOTHING



A league source with knowledge of the contents of Ricky Williams' contract tells us that the abruptly retired tailback owes the Dolphins zip, zero, and a bag full of nada for bailing with multiple years left on his contract.



Per the source, the Dolphins redid Williams' contract in September 2002 -- but merely by adding escalators and incentives aimed at making Williams feel better about the crappy deal negotiated on his behalf by rapper Master P.



Williams' initial contract contained a hefty signing bonus, minimum salaries, and escalators and incentives that required him to have some of the best seasons in NFL history on a consistent basis in order to cash in. Part of his unhappiness in New Orleans surely flowed from the fact that he realized he'd been taken.



So in an example of the axiom that no good deed goes unpunished, the Dolphins' decision to pump up Ricky's contract at a time when he had no leverage to insist upon a better package resulted in a contract that superseded Williams' rookie deal -- and that now prevents Miami from arguing that they should recoup from Williams the corresponding portion of the original bonus applicable to any of the remaining years under the original deal.



There's also a difference of opinion among league insiders as to whether a team can recoup bonus money paid by another team following a trade. Some insiders think that the money can be recovered; some don't.



As to Williams, the issue became academic when the Dolphins gave him a new contract containing no bonus money. In hindsight, it can be argued that they should have envisioned the possibility of Williams getting bored and moving on.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

http://www.profootballtalk.com

POSTED 11:02 a.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



JETS SIGN VILMA



The New York Jets have agreed to terms with linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the twelfth overall pick in the 2004 draft.



A press conference is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT.



Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.



POSTED 9:27 a.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



GIANTS READY TO GIVE ELI NO. 1 MONEY



It's a concession that surely will cause the agents for picks No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 to stop dead in their tracks and wait for the youngest member of the Manning brood to put an "X" on the bottom of his contract with the Giants.



According to the New York Daily News, the Giants are committed to paying Eli as the No. 1 pick in the draft, even though the NFL has given the team No. 4 money to do it, due to the draft-day trade of Manning for fourth overall selection Philip Rivers.



"We've treated this guy like the No. 1 pick from the start," Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi told the Daily News. "We are given fourth slot money, but that doesn't mean you can't get him the money he deserves as the No. 1 pick. That's not a problem. There's just a creative way you do it."



(This statement prompted one league insider to ask aloud, "Is Accorsi f--king nuts?")



Last year, No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer's deal counted for $2.3 million under the salary cap. The Giants have a total of $4.5 million to sign their seven draft picks. To date, they have signed sixth-round receiver Jamar Taylor and seventh-round OL Drew Stojny.



The Giants need to move fast on this one. Camp opens in two days.



RIVERS AGENTS' WANT NO. 1 MONEY, TOO



Even though the Giants recognize that they acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the fourth spot in round one, the guy who was traded from four to one thinks he should be paid as the first overall pick in the draft.



According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the agents of Philip Rivers believe that he should be paid as the No. 1 pick because the Chargers dealt that the No.1 pick to acquire Rivers, and because the team was awarded additional money under the rookie salary pool for exercising the first pick in the draft.



We agree with the latter point, but we're not so sure that we think Rivers deserves No. 1 money simply because the Chargers traded the No. 1 pick to get him. Last time we checked, the Chargers got a lot of other consideration for making the swap, including the Giants' first-round pick in 2005 (should that guy be paid as the No. 1 overall pick, too?).



Regardless, this position from the Rivers camp means that they'll wait to see what Manning gets in the fourth spot before finalizing a deal in the first spot.



And you can take this to the bank -- Rivers in the end will want to take more money to the bank than Manning.



The incidental beneficiaries to this dynamic (if they remain patient) are the No. 2 and No. 3 picks (Robert Gallery and Larry Fitzgerald, respectively), who'll be able to argue that their contracts should fall somewhere between the deals given to Rivers and Manning.



TUESDAY MID-MORNING ONE LINERS



The Redskins have worked out a deal with S Sean Taylor, the team's fifth overall pick in the draft (it was a good move for the 'Skins, who didn't have to contend with Manning's huge deal at the No. 4 hole in reaching terms with Taylor).



The Giants inquired about RB Eddie George last week, but did not aggressively pursue him before he was signed by the Cowboys (we wonder what Tiki thinks about that).



Falcons DT Ellis Johnson reiterated Monday that he won't report for camp absent a new contract (good luck getting paid $1.5 million over the next six months doing something else, Ellis).



Steelers WR Plaxico Burress might have to work his way back into the starting lineup after dropping out of the offseason program in May.



Bears first-rounder Tommie Harris won't be in camp on time.



Eagles first-rounder Shawn Andrews will miss the start of training camp.



Falcons first-round CB DeAngelo Hall might not sign before camp opens.



Steelers LB Clark Haggans will miss four weeks with a broken hand suffered last week while lifting weights.



Leigh Steinberg wants a $9 million signing bonus for QB Ben Roethlisberger; the guy picked in front of him got only $8 million.



The Bears are expected to place OT Marc Colombo on the PUP list.



POSTED 8:52 a.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



FINS MIGHT TRY TO RECOUP $8 MILLION



Though a league source told us on Monday that Ricky Williams apparently owes the Dolphins no refund under his contract, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the team might force the issue, to the tune of $8 million.



In addition to the $3.3 million in remaining bonus proration from his rookie deal with the Saints, the Sun-Sentinel reports that the team can recover $4.7 million in incentive money paid to Williams over the past two years.


For now, we're sticking by our story that the Fins can't recover anything from Williams. But we'll keep working this one until there's a definitive answer. (Then again, there might not be a definitive answer until an arbitrator issues a ruling.)



The Sun-Sentinel also reports that Williams and agent Leigh Steinberg rejected overtures from the team in the offseason regarding a contract extension. Steinberg, according to the Sun-Sentinel, thought that Ricky could get a better deal down the road.



But if a contract had been worked out, Williams clearly would have owed back to the team any signing bonus money paid now.



RICKY: FINS COULD BE "BETTER OFF"



Retired running back Ricky Williams spoke again on Monday with Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald, and Williams tried to diminish the impact of his sudden retirement by 'splaining that he might have been doing the team a favor by leaving.



''Maybe it was perfect timing,'' Williams said. "You don't know. Travis [Minor] is cheaper, quicker, faster than me. Maybe they'll be better off without me because now they can play real football. What we were doing, handing the ball to me every time, wasn't real football. And it wasn't successful, obviously. We didn't even get to the playoffs with me there. Now they can do something different, and see if they're good at that."



Williams also told LeBatard that (as we reported last night) he is indeed back from Asia and that he's now "bouncing around" the U.S. with rocker Lenny Kravitz (not that there's anything wrong with that).



He recognizes that his decision was motivated by his own self interests. 'This was selfish, but I don't think of 'selfish' as an insult,'' Williams said. "The only way to make others happy is to make yourself happy. Your happiness depends on how you take care of yourself. I'm taking care of myself now. In the end, the only person who makes you happy is yourself."



Williams also gave insights as to the reactions of teammates as to his move. In response to the criticisms of center Seth McKinney, who called Williams a quitter, Ricky said, "'I owe Seth an explanation? That guy owes me. I almost got my head taken off last year because of him.''



He got support, however, from defensive end Jason Taylor. ''He was very, very cool," Williams said. "He said, 'I respect you. You have the strength to walk away that the rest of us don't have.'"



Williams also found support from the first running back to send shock waves through the NFL with a premature retirement -- former Browns great Jim Brown. ''I applaud him,'' Brown told the Herald. "You can't be a free thinker if you only think the way everyone else does. Ricky is going to other worlds to study other cultures. Our own president doesn't even care about other cultures."



TUESDAY RICKY ONE-LINERS



The NFL denies Ricky's contention that there's a magic liquid that lets players beat pee tests for marijuana (but we're hearing that such substances exist -- and that other NFL players do indeed use them).



The Dolphins are refusing to give refunds to fans who bought tickets on Saturday -- even though the team knew that Ricky was retiring when the transactions occurred (hey, Wayne, you might want to run that one by the lawyers).



Ricky's mom reveals that he nearly quit after his rookie year in New Orleans.



The Dolphins will work out James Stewart and Stacey Mack on Wednesday, and that also are interested in Trung Canidate.



WR Chris Chambers hopes that the absence of Ricky means that the team will pass more.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com


POSTED 3:52 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 5:32 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



PACKERS EXEC HATLEY DEAD



A source in Green Bay tells us that Packers V.P. of football operations Mark Hatley passed away on Tuesday. Initial indications are that he died in his sleep.



Hatley, 54, had been with the Packers since May 2001. He previously served as vice president of player personnel in Chicago from 1998.



Our deepest condolences go out to Mark's family and to the Packers organization.



No further information is available yet. Stay tuned.



SEATTLE AGREES TO TERMS WITH BOULWARE



A league source tells us that the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with second-round pick Michael Boulware.



Boulware, the 21st pick in round two, will receive a bonus of $1.3 million on a four-year deal.



A linebacker, he is the brother of Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware. There's a chance that the younger Boulware eventually will be given a shot at playing safety.



POSTED 1:46 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



RICKY OWES AT LEAST $4.7 MILLION TO FINS



We're continuing to work the Ricky Williams story and its potential fallout, and we're committed to getting any new information on the biggest NFL story of the decade posted ASAP.



Here's what we've learned so far on Tuesday.



As to the question of whether the Dolphins can recover any money from Ricky due to his premature retirement, a credible league source eyeballed the paperwork and told us that the Dolphins have a "pretty strong argument" to support any efforts to recover incentives paid to Williams over the past two years by the Dolphins, under a contract that was renegotiated by the Fins in 2002.



Specifically, the contract states that Williams must repay the money if he leaves the club without its consent.



As the source reminded us, the final decision on any controversy regarding this issue would be rendered by an arbitrator, pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA. Still, it looks like Mr. Williams had better hold back $4.7 million or so from his weed-buying fund, just in case the arbitrator happens to interpret the contract according to its plain language.



Regarding the question of whether the Dolphins also can recapture the remainder of the signing bonus allocation that applies to the years left on Williams' rookie deal, we're still trying to nail down an answer. As we reported on Monday, a league source tells us that the new contract from September 2002 supersedes the rookie deal, excusing Williams of any responsibility for refunding bonus money if he quits early. We're still working on that wrinkle.



In summary, the Fins likely can squeeze $4.7 million out of Ricky if they so choose -- whether they can get another $3.3 million is an open question for now.



DOLPHINS WILL SET DEADLINE



The front office in Miami likely is keeping quiet (publicly, at least) about Ricky's possible repayment obligation, probably because they're still holding out hope that he'll change his mind and return to the team. But a league source tells us that the Dolphins eventually will give Williams a hard deadline for returning, or they'll put him on the reserve-retired list (and presumably initiate efforts to collect any monies that he allegedly owes them).



Our guess is that the team is trying to take a low-key approach with this issue, in order to prevent burning the bridge (or, as the case may be, prompting Ricky to smoke it). The Dolphins, we predict, will say nothing about any communications with Williams or his agent, Leigh Steinberg, until they know for sure that Ricky will not change his mind.



But if he does change his mind, Ricky might not get a warm reception in the locker room. Some of his teammates, we're told, are extremely pissed off by the move, and they're saying that, if the prodigal son-of-a-bitch returns, they'll let him know how they feel about what he's done to the team.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com


POSTED 11:20 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:56 a.m. EDT, July 28, 2004



DEAL REACHED BETWEEN RAIDERS, GALLERY



ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports that the Raiders and No. 2 overall pick Robert Gallery have agreed to terms on a "monster" deal including guaranteed money of as much as $19 million.



John Czarnecki of Foxsports.com broke last night the news that Gallery and the Raiders have a verbal agreement in place.



Though some might question the decision of agent Rick Smith to push the deal through before the coming Eli Manning contract at No. 4 potentially raises the bar for the No. 2 pick even higher, Smith apparently got the Raiders to proceed under the assumption that Manning would indeed sign a jaw-dropper at No. 4 -- and that the money paid to Manning fairly should push the Gallery number even higher.



Of course, now that the No. 2 guy has signed, Tom Condon surely will use Gallery's numbers in support of his argument that Gallery's deal sets the floor for Manning's contract. And the recent acknowledgement by Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi that the team intends to pay Eli Manning like the No. 1 pick surely will be repeated at the bargaining table early and often by Condon.



In the end, then, the No. 4 pick could end up with a better deal than the No. 2 pick, which should make for interesting conversation between the No. 3 pick, Larry Fitzgerald, and the Cardinals.



Meanwhile, Jimmy Sexton surely will sit back and wait for all three of those contracts to be completed before he puts the full-court press on the Chargers to pay Philip Rivers more than any of them -- even though Rivers was the fourth name off of the board.



TUESDAY EARLY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS



A league source tells us that the contract between the Lions and second-rounder Teddy Lehman, the 36th overall pick in the draft, includes total bonus money of $1.91 million ($1.5 million signing bonus, $90,000 reporting bonus in 2004, $320,000 option bonus in 2005), and it has a four-year value of $3.29 million.



Now that the statute of limitations for a civil action against him has expired, former TE Mark Chmura is back in the public eye as a radio host.



The Texans have locked up sixth-round CB Vontez Duff and sixth-round LB Charlie Anderson to three-year deals.



The Colts have signed fourth-round LB Kendyll Pope.



Though we've got a lot of respect for ProJo writer Tom Curran, there's a good reason why agent Darrell Willis hasn't returned Curran's calls regarding the status of unsigned Pats first-rounder Ben Watson -- Wills has been decertified by the NFLPA.



The Giants have agreed to terms with fourth-round DE Reggie Torbor.



The Bears have agreed to terms with fifth-round QB Craig Krenzel on a four-year contract.



RB Stacey Mack will work out for the Dolphins on Wednesday.



The Saints have dumped FB Sam Gash, reports Pulitzer finalist Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.



POSTED 8:44 a.m. EDT, July 28, 2004



MANNING, RIVERS TO GET $20 MILLION EACH?



There's talk around the league of the increasing possibility that both Eli Manning and Philip Rivers will break the bank via their rookie contracts -- if/when those contracts are eventually signed.



One league insider has predicted that the contracts will represent a significant increase over the money paid last year, estimating that both Manning and Rivers will get total bonus money of $20 million or more.



It remains to be seen whether such payments will be parlayed into equivalent deals for receiver Larry Fitzgerald and offensive tackle Robert Gallery, who might already have a deal in place with the Raiders as the No. 2 overall pick.



The other big question is whether any of this big money will flow through to No. 11 pick, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Though the high-low of his signing bonus arguably have been fixed via $8 million in bonus money to the No. 10 pick and $7.25 million in bonus money to the No. 12 pick, the fact that the trio of quarterbacks generally was deemed to be of equivalent talent in some circles (with Roethlisbeger higher than either or both Manning and Rivers on some draft boards), agent Leigh Steinberg probably will try hard to get a lot more than $8 million in bonus money.



In the end, we don't see it happening. But our guess is that the Steelers and Steinberg won't be able to see eye-to-eye on this one until Roethlisberger ends up missing a week or two of camp.



WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Per a league source, Seattle second-rounder Michael Boulware is worth $3.225 million over five years, with a $1.3 million bonus.



Memo to Coach Ditka: We saw Barack Obama's keynote speech last night, and we think you made the right decision not to take this guy on.



Ricky Williams isn't worried about the possibility of having to repay money to the Dolphins; "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," Williams told the Miami Herald. (And if all else fails, Ricky can roll a few doobs and inhale his worries away.)



The Bucs have informed WR Keenan McCardell that, if he fails to report for training camp, the team will try to collect half of the $2 million bonus he received when signing a four-year deal two years ago.



Colts G.M. Bill Polian says that Edgerrin James won't be traded to Miami; "We're trying to win," Polian said.



From the "Trying to Fill the Ricky Williams Niche": Steelers WR Plax Burress is driving a mammoth Ford F-650 around Pittsburgh.



Texans S Marcus Coleman might want to get an apartment within walking distance of Reliant Stadium; in addition to a three-day visit to the hoosegow and a $2,000 fine for his Monday DUI conviction, his license was suspended for a year.



Jags coach Jack Del Rio anticipates that ninth overall pick Reggie Williams will be signed by Friday.



LB John Mobley will take 2004 off to get his neck healthy after being released by Denver.



Bears DT Tommie Harris says there's an 80 percent chance he'll be under contract by Wednesday afternoon.



David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune reports that Bears DT Bryan Robinson has brought a portable "hyperbolic chamber" to his dorm room for training camp (um, Dave, we think it's "hyperbaric" -- and we also think you should follow up on the whole Michael Jackson twist that Robinson has taken over the past year . . . remember those bizarre man-rape allegations of a year ago?).



The Chiefs will try to get WR Dante Hall more one-on-one coverage, so that he can bring some of those highlight reel return moves to the offense.



Ricky Williams might want to think a bit more about the financial consequences of his decision to retire; he paid more than $72,000 last year in property taxes for his two homes, and he still owes more than $2.7 million to the bank on both properties.



Former Eagles RB Duce Staley threw a dart at his old team recently: "In Philly we ran the West Coast offense," Staley said. "When you run the West Coast offense, you don't run the ball. You pass first down, you pass second down, you pass third down and if you go for it on fourth down, you pass."



Falcons G.M. Rich McKay recognizes that DT Ellis Johnson ain't showin' up for camp.



The Cowboys will take a $2.4 million cap hit if someone claims QB Chad Hutchinson off of waivers.



The Dolphins will hold Williams' rights indefinitely; "The contract is tolled," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Miami Herald.



The toe that Redskins WR Laveranues Coles broke last year is still bothering him, but he'll play through it.



Redskins CB Shawn Springs, who has been slowed by various injuries over the past few seasons, says he is fully healthy as he enters camp.



Vikings rookie DE Kenechi Udeze might flip from the right side to the left in order to replace Kenny Mixon during his two-game suspension for DUI.



Udeze's agents are coming to Minnesota in the hopes of getting the deal done.



The Browns are close to signing fourth-round QB Luke McCown.



Eagles DE Jerome McDougle will miss the start of training camp due to offseason shoulder injury.



POSTED 11:44 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:18 a.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



D.J. WILLIAMS SIGNED BY DENVER



A league source tells us that the Broncos agreed to terms on Tuesday night with first-round draft pick D.J. Williams, the seventeenth overall pick in the 2004 draft.



Per the source, Williams will receive $6.37 in total bonus money and a total value of $9.013 million after five years, with incentives and/or escalators that could push the total value of the contract to $12.113 million.



We're also hearing that the contract for 16th overall pick Shawn Andrews of the Eagles is worth $9.260 million over five years.



(Memo to the "real" media: Of the nine first-round picks who have signed, we've broken two of them right here. It's okay to start giving us credit -- everyone else recognizes that we're now a legitimate source for NFL news.)



POSTED 11:35 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



TRIP TO D.C. GETS TAYLOR DEAL DONE



On Monday, we suggested that a rookie first-rounder might be more likely to get signed to a deal that the team likes if the negotiations occur not in the offices of his agent, but in the team's headquarters. Our comments flowed directly from the decision of the Redskins to send Eric Schaffer and Vinny Cerrato for a vacation, er, meeting in California with No. 5 pick Sean Taylor's agents, instead of flying them to D.C. to get the deal done.



Coincidentally, Taylor's agents arrived in Washington on Monday without advance notice to resume negotiations that had dragged over four days in California.



After one day in D.C., the deal was done.



And our criticism of the deal must have struck a chord with both Cerrato and Jeff Moorad, who indirectly referred to our story at their Tuesday press conference, with Vinny specifically referring to our remark that he'd tagged along with Schaffer to "visit friends" in his old Cali stomping grounds.



Regardless, the fact is that the deal got done not in the Bay Area but at Redskins Park -- and this comports with our observation that the process tends to work more quickly (and, from the team's perspective, more favorably) when the negotiations occur at the team's offices.



As to the deal itself, published reports indicate that the deal contains a $7.2 million signing bonus, which increases to $13.2 million when taking into account option and roster bonuses. We'll get the real numbers soon, and we'll break down whether or not Taylor got a good deal -- or whether he got Steven Jacksoned. Stay tuned.



EARLY WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Ravens CB Chris McAlister still hasn't decided whether he'll show up for training camp; since he's an unsigned franchise player, he's not required to report.



The Ravens have reached an agreement in principle with seventh-round WR Derek Abney.



If/when Ricky Williams files his retirement papers, he'll be eligible for $60,000 in severance pay.



Redskins S Sean Taylor refused at his Tuesday press conference to talk about his reasons for skipping out early on the NFL rookie symposium, chiding reporters for not asking him about it directly before going with the story.



The Bengals have claimed P Eddie Johnson off of waivers from the Vikings.



Less than a week after expressing an interest in RB Eddie George, the Bucs have their noses back in the anal cleft of Charlie Garner.



POSTED 8:15 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:05 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2004



JACKSON GETS HOSED BY RAMS



We've gotten a look-see at the numbers from the contract agreed to between the Rams and first-round running back Steven Jackson, the 24th overall pick in the draft.



And, in comparison to the contract signed last year by the 24th overall selection, tight end Dallas Clark, Jackson got flat-out hosed.



As outlined in our updated first-round rookie contract analyzer, Jackson's $4 million bonus represents a whopping 8.2 percent decrease in comparison to the $4.358 million bonus paid by the Colts to Clark last year. Jackson also is earning 2.2 percent less in total first-year compensation, 6.7 percent less in the first three years of the deal, and 1.1 percent less over the life of the five-year deal.



Sure, Clark's signing bonus technically was only $3.8 million a year ago. But Clark's contract also included a "falling off of the log" incentive to the tune of $558,000, pushing the bonus money as a practical matter to $4.358 million.



In a system where it's a given that the player draft in a certain spot this year will do better than the player taken in the same spot a year before, it's virtually unheard for a player to take a step backwards.



So why the drop, you ask? In our view, look no farther than the fact that Jackson is represented by the same guy who represents current Rams starting tailback Marshall Faulk. By negotiating a very favorable deal for the team on behalf of Jackson, agent Rocky Arceneaux is helping to ensure that Faulk won't get the Eddie George treatment any time soon.



The Clark and Jackson deals also include escalators, but Clark's escalators generally are more favorable and easier to obtain than Jackson's.



For example, Jackson's 2008 salary bumps by up to $1.5 million by rushing for 1,000 yards ($250K per season) and by rushing for 1,000 and making the Pro Bowl ($125K per season). For as long as Marshall Faulk is around, the prospects of Jackson rushing for 1,000 yards are remote.



In contrast, Clark's escalators hinge up relatively modest reception numbers, both in individual seasons (41) and cumulative seasons (85 over three seasons and 125 over four).



Also, Jackson can earn $200,000 in incentives this year -- if he rushes for 800 yards. Again, it's not an easy task with a guy named Marshall on the roster.



Finally, Jackson's salaries in 2005 and 2006 are guaranteed, but the guarantee disappears if the Rams chose to pick up the $1.95 million option bonus (which, by the way, is included within the reported $4 million bonus).



Bottom line: We told you so, Steven. Hiring Arceneaux was a mistake. The dude has a conflict of interest, and it looks like you got thrown under the bus so that Arceneaux could ensure that he'll continue to earn three percent of Marshall's big-money deal.



FIGHT OVER WILLIAMS COIN LOOMING?



With diverging opinions as to whether running back Ricky Williams might owe money to the Miami Dolphins for backing out early on his contract with the team, only one thing is clear -- the issue eventually will be decided (if pressed by Miami) in an arbitration hearing.



A league source outlined for us on Tuesday afternoon the specific items that the Dolphins could seek: $2.1 million for incentives paid in 2002; $2.1 million in a salary "rollover" in 2003 created by Williams' numbers in 2002; $1.1 million in 2003 incentives; a $100,000 workout bonus; and the remaining $3.3 million on the original bonus paid to Williams by the Saints.



If successful as to all items, Miami would recover $8.7 million, only 100 large less than the $8.8 million signing bonus paid to Williams by the Saints five years ago.



Other league sources has expressed pessimism regarding the Dolphins' ability to recapture money that Williams has earned. That money already has been earned by Williams, unlike a signing bonus, which is paid with the understanding that it will be earned via future performance.



And our guess is that Williams would defend any such claim by arguing that the incentive money was earned, and that the bonus money wasn't paid by the Dolphins.



As we see it, the bigger questions in this regard are, first, whether the Dolphins plan to chase Ricky for the money, when doing so could wipe out any chance of Ricky ever returning to the team (of course, this didn't stop the Lions from seeking money back from Barry Sanders . . . but maybe Sanders would have come back at some point if the team hadn't sued him).



Second, even if the Dolphins win an award against Williams, can they as a practical matter collect? The process of tracking down a guy's assets, forcing him to sell his cars and put his Heisman on ebay (maybe O.J. will buy it), is a dirty business that, in the end, typically yields pennies on the dollar.



In the end, however, the decision won't be driven by money, but by principal. Either the Fins will take the high road, allowing Ricky to walk away with no repercussion -- or they'll try to prove a point to any other player who might be inclined to quit football early.



OGUNLEYE TO CINCY?



At a time when we're getting flooded with rumors regarding possible trade scenarios involving Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye (including a three-way trade that would send Ogunleye to D.C., Edgerrin James to Miami, and picks and Travis Minor to Indy), we're hearing rumblings regarding a possible deal between the Bengals and the Dolphins centering on running back Rudi Johnson.



Johnson, a restricted free agent operating under a one-year tender, probably won't be retained by the Bengals in 2005, given the presence of 2004 first-rounder Chris Perry. But it would be very risky for the up-and-coming Bengals to dump 2003 workhorse Johnson.



Nothing likely will come of this rumor either, especially in the short term. But it's yet another possibility that should get thrown into the "what in the hell is going on?" hopper as we all wait and see whether the Fins will use a disgruntled defensive end as bait for filling the hole left by a departed running back.



TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS



The Eagles have reached an agreement with first-round pick Shawn Andrews; the deal is worth $9.26 million over five years.



The Raiders have released 39-year-old DB Rod Woodson (and the move actually increased the average player age on the roster).



John Czarnecki of Fox Sports reports that the Raiders have a verbal agreement with No. 2 overall pick Robert Gallery.



All of the Rams' draft picks will be in camp; on Tuesday, third-round DE Anthony Hargrove and sixth-round QB Jeff Smoker agreed to terms.



The Rams are restricting media access to DE Leonard "Labatts" Little to one group interview session per week focusing on football issues only (and each reporter must bring a six-pack).



The Cowboys officially have released QB Chad Hutchinson.



The Lions have signed veteran OT Soloman Page and sixth-round OT Kelly Butler.



The Cowboys said that back surgery went well for S Darren Woodson.



The Ravens agreed to terms with second-round DE Dwan Edwards on a five-year deal.



The Postons will meet in Cleveland on Wednesday with the Browns regarding sixth overall pick Kellen Winslow.



The Broncos have released LB John Mobley.



Dallas signed two seventh-round draft picks, WR Patrick Crayton and CB Jacques Reeves.



The Vikings have signed former wrestler Brock Lesnar to play on the defensive line.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


http://www.profootballtalk.com



POSTED 10:51 a.m. EDT, July 29, 2004



MANNING AGREES TO TERMS



ESPN.com reports that the Giants have reached an agreement with No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning on a deal that could include bonus money of up to $20 million.



As Len Pasquarelli observes, such a number would make Eli and big brother Peyton (who got $34.5 million earlier this year) the only two NFL players to land bonus money at or above the $20 million mark.



Manning's trade from the Chargers, who drafted him, to the Giants, who held the fourth overall pick, reduced the available cap space that the Giants had for their rookie salaries in 2004. (We've previously predicted that second-round pick Chris Snee, who has fathered coach Tom Coughlin's grandchild, will allow his 2004 salary to be offset in order help ensure that Peyton's deal will get done.)



The question now becomes whether Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald will be able to persuade the Bidwills that he should get more than Manning, since Manning technically was in the No. 4 spot -- and whether the "real" fourth pick, Philip Rivers, will try to get more than either of them, since he now sits in the No. 1 hole.



POSTED 7:49 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:13 a.m. EDT, July 29, 2004



FINS INQUIRE ABOUT JOHNSON?



The Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins have inquired about the availability of Kansas City second-year running back Larry Johnson.



But, as the Herald also reports, the information is news to Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil.



''They haven't talked to me or anybody else in the building,'' Vermeil said.



Johnson was drafted by Kansas City in the first round of the 2004 draft. At the time, the availability of workhorse Priest Holmes was in doubt, given a hip injury and unhappiness with his contract.



Since then, Holmes' hip healed, he got paid (well), and he rushed for more than 1,400 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2003.



Larry who?



Since Johnson was a first-round pick, a trade of the former Penn State star straight up for unsigned defensive end Adewale Oguneleye makes some sense -- especially if the Dolphins are indeed initiating these discussions.



For the Chiefs, a Johnson-for-Ogunleye trade fits with Vermeil's effort to go for broke and win it all now, so that he can ride off into the sunset . . . again. O-gun would help beef up a defense that couldn't stop the Colts in the playoffs last year, and losing Johnson would mean little to an already souped-up offense.



Look at it this way: If the Chiefs knew in April 2003 that Holmes would be healthy and happy and productive and Ogunleye was on the board at No. 27, would they have taken him?



Of course, the fact that the deal makes so much sense probably means it won't happen. Stay tuned.



TEAMS CRITICIZED FOR PRE-CAMP CUTS



There's been a rash of cuts over the past few days as teams prepare for training camps. And the decision to dump these guys now is prompting criticism in some league circles.



Why? Because in most cases nothing has happened since the conclusion of offseason workouts to change a team's plans as to the player in question. Holding the guy until late July essentially limits his chances of landing with another team -- either in the NFL or in Canada.



For guys who'll choose to get out of the game, their ability to make post-football plans (like going back to school or getting a job) also were put on hold and, again, for no good reason (in most cases).



We know, we know -- the teams have the right to cut guys whenever and however they want. But at a time when teams are crying about the absence of any loyalty from players like Ricky Williams, perhaps the teams should think about their own conduct before claiming that they got screwed by players.



Really, there's no good reason to put these guys' lives on hold from June until August. Once a team knows a guy is gonna get cut, the team should cut him. If the decision genuinely isn't made until July 28, so be it. But if it's made on June 1, don't hold the guy on the roster for the same reason that a dog licks his own genitals (i.e., because he can). Do the right thing and let the guy go.



BROWNS UNNECESSARILY MAKING ENEMIES



As the Cleveland Browns continue to insist on five-year contracts from every draft pick (with the option to take a one-year deal), there's a growing consensus in league circles that the team is unnecessarily alienating players and agents for a cause that doesn't have much of an upside.



In the end, this strategy protects the Browns against getting prematurely hijacked by a low-rounder who becomes a superstar, either as a restricted free agent after three seasons or an unrestricted free agent after four.



But, the last time we checked, the Browns haven't been growing superstars either from the low rounds or the high rounds of their draft classes, which has been headlined since the team's return to the league by guys like Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren, and William "Stick a Fork in Me, I'm Done" Green.



So by obsessing over getting themselves into embarrassing situations such as those that the Jets experienced with Laveranues Coles and Chad Morton and the Bears experienced with D'Wayne Bates and Warrick Holdman, the Browns are instead pissing off everyone involved in the process from rounds three to round seven -- every year.



In our view, it's a serious mistake, and it will only grease the skids for Butch Davis's exit from the team.



For Browns fans, then, perhaps this is a good thing.



REACTION TO COWHER EXTENSION



We posted our analysis of the Bill Cowher extension in Pittsburgh after reports of the impending deal first broke on Saturday, and there really isn't much more to add. First, we think that the front office realized that an implicit "win now or else" mandate for Cowher didn't mesh with the idea of grooming a first-year quarterback who might not place until after Cowher is gone. Second, we think Cowher has his eye on Kansas City anyway -- and the Steelers will be immune from criticism that they ran him out the door if/when he chooses to succeed Dick Vermeil.



Far more entertaining, however, is an e-mail we received from a reader on this topic:



Is there any reason why the Steelers don't, oh, I dunno, sign The Chin to a HUNDRED YEAR EXTENSION?!?!? Rooney, just come out and say you love the man so much, it doesn't matter if the Steelers are a perennial shoulder-shrug. An annual who-gives-a-crap. A yearly ho-hum. I know they had a good season a few years back, when Greg Lloyd wore a garage door-sized
facemask and Larry Brown almost had to fend off the interceptions. But Art, The Chin's most unpredictable move during a game in the last [10] years has been to stuff a field photo down the shirt of Red Cashion. Otherwise, The Chin's game plans fall somewhere between Styrofoam cup and paper plate on the interesting scale.



Again, we're not sure that this extension should be interpreted as a sign that Cowher is still regarded as the long-term, 20-plus-year field general in the 'Burgh. Sooner or later (preferably sooner), Cowher needs to add that long-elusive fifth Lombardi to the case before he gets that lifetime contract he otherwise has been piecing together in two-year and three-year increments.



THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



The MRI on S Sean Taylor's knee was negative (and that's positive); his availability for Redskins' training camp is day-to-day.



The Ravens have signed coach Brian Billick to a contract extension.



Broncos rookie WR Darius Watts already is lighting up training camp -- just like another former Marshall wideout did six years ago (Watts also spoke to his new NFL money: "I still go to Wendy's and get 99-cent bacon cheeseburgers. I don't go to Applebee's or something. I guess once I get out and start knowing I have the money in the bank, it might be a little different. But it still feels like I'm poor.")



One day before agreeing to terms with the Eagles, a doctor told Eagles rookie OT Shawn Andrews that his nasal polyps are "kind of coming back a bit" (we wonder whether Andrews shared this nugget with his employer before taking their money).



The Cowboys have agreed to terms with second-round RB Julius Jones, the team's first overall pick in the draft.



The Packers don't expect CB Mike McKenzie to report for training camp.



RB Terry Kirby worked out for the Dolphins on Wednesday.



Chargers C Jason Ball might not sign his exclusive rights tender and report to camp even if the team offers a long-term deal.



Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard admits that he has a bias in favor of Ricky Williams.



Bears RB Anthony Thomas would like to stay with the team beyond 2004, but he's not interested in being the backup to Thomas Jones.



RB Duce Staley and RB Jerome Bettis will split time with the first-team offense in Steelers training camp.



Packers G.M./coach Mike Sherman spoke to the shareholders on Wednesday, and he said that the team is reluctant to ship RB Najeh "Dookie" Davenport to Miami.



The Chargers have signed WR Eric Parker to a two-year contract extension.



Steelers coach Bill Cowher talked to Rod Woodson about joining the coaching staff after the 2003 season, but Woodson said he wanted to try to rehab his knee and play again.



Former LB Kevin Greene will help coach the Steelers linebackers for the first two weeks of camp.



Newly-signed DL Brock Lesnar is explaining away recent negative comments regarding homosexuals: "If you're gay, that's fine. Go ahead and be gay. But you don't have to tell me about it and approach me.''



The Pats have signed OT James "Big Cat" Williams.



New England CB Ty Law picks up a cool million for reporting to training camp on Thursday.



The 49ers still have to sign six of their ten draft picks.

[Troy]

Brock Lesnar, the wrestler??? Did I miss something? Who signed him, and why???