The Rumor Mill

[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.