The Rumor Mill

[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.