The Rumor Mill

[Katydid]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



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POSTED 8:13 a.m. EST, December 28, 2004



NOT ALL GIANTS CRY ABOUT COUGHLIN



With each passing week (and loss), more and more members of the New York Giants are crying about the conditions under first-year coach Tom Coughlin.



But we're learning that there are more than a few players who believe that the problem isn't Coughlin, but the guys in the locker room who simply want to piss and moan about anything/everything.



Per one player: "Most of us know that Coughlin wants to win as bad as we do. Some of the guys would complain if their mom was coaching . . . . They complained when [Jim] Fassel was here too, and he was easy to play for."



Said another: "Shut the f--k up and play. If you have a beef, go to the coach. If you're not man enough to tell him face to face then shut your f--king mouth. This is a business, not some day care center."



Yet another: "Get rid of the crybabies and let us who want to win play. We aren't going to agree with everything the coaches say or do, but they have actually been pretty good about things considering some of the dumb ass plays we make and penalties we take."



These remarks mirror the sentiments of owner Wellington Mara, who chastised the whiners on Monday. "I think if I was a player, who had been here for these two years, under completely different coaching staffs, I think the first place I would look would be to myself. What could I accomplish? What did I accomplish? What didn't I accomplish? And I might be just a little worried about my own job.



"I don't know who is complaining now, but if I was any player, complaining or not, I'd look at myself. The fact that we've had two bad seasons and two completely different coaching staffs, makes you wonder. It's making me wonder: What have I done that's wrong? You have to think about yourself."



WHITE WAS GREAT, AND FLAWED



At a time when Reggie White is being remembered fondly by coaches, teammates, and broadcasters, plenty of league insiders are also recalling his one significant public gaffe, which came when he delivered a March 1998 address to the Wisconsin Legislature that offended in one fell swoop Hispanics, Japanese, Jews, whites, blacks, American Indians, and gays.



"We have had controversial speakers in the past," said legislator Walter Kunicki at the time. "But there has never been the kind of tension that was in the room today."



Although White later apologized for his remarks, he did not include his anti-gay remarks in his mea culpa. In fact, White subsequently fanned the flames with additional comments reflecting a strong bias against homosexuality.



And while some members of the media are now taking the position that, because White apologized for his comments, he should be celebrated, not criticized.



But we're having trouble characterizing White's comments as nothing more than a mistake that can be rectified with a seemingly heartfelt, "I'm sorry." Wrecking a car into another vehicle is, in most cases, an accident; the delivery of prepared remarks is an intentional act that provides a window into the speaker's soul. The speaker can later apologize for his choice of words, but he hardly can get away with calling the whole thing as inadvertent.



Our goal here is not to bash White, but to put his entire life into perspective. As one league insider told us on Monday, "White was a great player and a good guy off the field," but "[l]et's not forget" his comments.



BATES TO GET SOME SNIFFS?



Word around the league is that Dolphins interim coach Jim Bates has put himself in position to be considered for other coaching vacancies this offseason with his solid performance over the last half of the season in Miami.



Currently, the only vacancy is in Cleveland. Other jobs that could become available after the season include the Seahawks, the Chiefs, the Raiders, the Titans (possibly), the Saints, the Vikings, and the 49ers.



Bates provides, in our view, a low-cost alternative for teams that don't want to spend much more than $1 million per year on a head coach. Plus, he's done very well under trying conditions in Miami -- especially over the last two weeks, when the team pocketed back-to-back wins despite Saban's looming shadow.



MEATHEAD MIGHT HAVE SEALED HIS FATE



Backed into a corner by a deadline that someone in the Vikings front office didn't think through very carefully when drafting coach Mike Tice's contract, team owner Red McCombs has picked up the option on a fourth full season with Tice as the man at the helm.



Whether Tice is around in 2004 or beyond, however, remains to be seen.



Under the option, Tice will earn $1 million in 2005. Not bad money, but still much less than other NFL coaches.



Then again, Tice hasn't done much in three years on the job to deserve more.



McCombs would have preferred to wait until after the dust of the 2004 regular season settled before committing to another season with Tice. The problem, however, was that McCombs had only until January 1 to exercise the option.



And when Tice refused on Monday to extend the deadline, Tice likewise prevented himself from getting a contract extension -- absent a strong performance in 2005.



"When we couldn't get the option date changed," McCombs said, "that wiped out any discussion of a possible extension."



McCombs bought the team in 1998, and Denny Green was entering the season as a lame duck. McCombs promptly signed him to an extension. In Tice's case, the looming expiration of his contract could become a distraction next season.



The potential distraction of Tice's status in the last days of 2004 surely motivated McCombs to make a decision. Still, we don't rule out a short-term parting of the ways between McCombs and Tice, if the Vikings continue their annual late-season disappearing act. Although the coach could sit home for a year and collect 80 percent of his salary (a limit apparently specified in the contract), our guess is that he'd get a job on another staff -- and his pay there likely would cut into McCombs' debt to Tice for 2005.



And although we routinely question Tice's cranial abilities, even he is smart enough to know that the exercise of the option is no guarantee. "It still doesn't mean I'll be back, you know what I mean?" Tice said. "We just have to keep fighting the fight."



Correction -- you have to start winning the fight.



Our guess is that if the Vikings lose at Washington on Sunday and miss the playoffs, or get blown off the field in their first-round playoff game at Green Bay, Seattle, or St. Louis, McCombs will end up going Trumpish on Tice.

HERE IS WHERE YOUR WEBMASTER PO JO AND MOD AL ARE WHEN HE'S NOT IN HERE....

GIVE THE FANS TO GET A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK OF WHAT THEY ARE REALLY LIKE.

NOT DOING A DAMN THING TO EDIT PORN AND FILTH. BUT RATHER ENCOURAGING HAZING AND SPAMMING.

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=342981#post342981

[ALinChainz]

No one cares Granny ... no one cares.

Like I have told your dumb ass before, if it isn't my forum, there is nothing I can do about it.

hitch is the moderator of the dump, take it up with him.

Sarge and Panamark are mods of the Feedback for Webmaster forum, take it up with them.

You threatened everyone with having the site shut down, why would they help you anyway, you're the only one complaining.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 8:05 a.m. EST, December 29, 2004



DEL RIO DOESN'T DENY LSU INTEREST



It was a rumor that first appeared right here last week: If/when LSU coach Nick Saban bolts for Miami, Jags coach Jack Del Rio might end up coaching the Tigers.



Though some folks dismissed the report as bogus (and you know who you are), the story has picked up steam. More importantly, Del Rio isn't saying that he isn't interested.



On Monday, Del Rio would neither confirm nor deny any interest in the job (which usually means that there is interest, but that the guy thinks it wouldn't be prudent at this juncture to say so).



Such a move by Del Rio would be shocking, on the surface. But with Del Rio earning only (only?) $1.2 million to $1.3 million per year on a five-year deal in Jacksonville, he likely would be in line for a healthy raise if he heads to LSU, which previously had committed to paying Saban more than $2 million a year for the next six seasons on a deal that started out at $2.3 million in 2004 and was set to climb thereafter.



Without eyeballing Del Rio's contract, we don't know whether he could merely walk away -- or whether some sort of a buyout would be required.



Then again, this whole thing might be a calculated ploy by Del Rio to get the Jaguars to give him a raise, and an extension.



SOME HIGH PRAISE FOR SABAN



We know that most of our reports over the past couple of weeks have taken a somewhat negative view of new Dolphins coach Nick Saban and his reputation around the league. The reason for this, quite simply, is that's what our network of sources has been bringing to the table.



In response to some of these items, other league insiders have shared with us more favorable information regarding Saban.



For starters, an NFC team executive predicts that Saban, unlike many college coaches who've made the jump to the NFL, will not fail. "Saban is not like a lot of college coaches who have gone to the NFL. He has been a coordinator in the league. It's not like he has never been here. He knows and understands the league."



As to questions regarding whether members of Saban's staff will be interested in joining him in the NFL, the source said, "[A] college assistant would jump at a chance to coach in the NFL. It is considered the pinnacle. The pay for assistants is far better than college and you can't come close to the pension."



Another NFC source shared with us more facts regarding the decision of members of Saban's staff not to make the trek from Michigan State to LSU when Saban left the Spartans for the Tigers. "On Saban’s staff there was a coach named Morris Watts. Watts was the offensive coordinator for the Tigers after Mack Brown left in 1982. Watts was then fired in 1984. [He] bounced around and ended back at LSU in the ’94 or ’95 season, to once again get fired. He ended up on Saban’s staff at Michigan St. When it came time for those guys to leave, Watts poisoned the other coaches in what it was like to live and work in Baton Rouge."



The source added: "I know there are people that hate Saban. But in all the times I viewed practices and games at LSU, his teams were well prepared and rarely did they get out coached. He knows personnel. He was a force in the SEC. He should be a force in the NFL."



NFL SECURITY PROBING TURLEY, MARTZ FEUD



ESPN.com reports that NFL Security is taking a look-see into a widely-rumored confrontation between Rams head coach Mike Martz and offensive tackle Kyle Turley.



We've posted a couple of stories regarding the recent falling out between Martz and Turley. As we heard from several sources, there was a blow up between the pair, and Turley is now barred from the team's practice facility.



Per ESPN.com, Martz actually contacted NFL Security following a shouting match between he and Turley, which culminated in Turley threatening to kill Martz.



Martz issued on Tuesday night a statement through his agent denying that a confrontation occurred. "This story is absurd. It is offensive to Kyle Turley and Mike Martz. There is no truth to this story."



Still, Martz acknowledges in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that something happened.



Turley always has been a volatile figure. As a member of the Saints in 2001, Turley ripped off the helmet of Jets safety Damien Robinson and threw it across the field after Robinson committed a flagrant face-mask foul on New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks. Turley was slapped with a $25,000 fine for his actions.



Turley capped his tenure in the Bayou by going ballistic on team management. Somehow, the Saints got a second-round pick for the disgruntled former first-rounder in a trade with the Rams, who promptly signed him to a five-year, $26.5 million deal, with a $12 million signing bonus.



Said Martz at the time, "He will impact us in the same way Marshall Faulk did and Aeneas Williams did. This is a major, major, major step in really solidifying the offensive line."



Um, maybe Martz should rethink that one. In exchange for Martz's investment in Turley, who was placed on injured reserve in August with a back problem, the Rams have gotten a total of one season of play. Given recent developments, our guess is that the Rams won't be getting much more.



But, hey, look on the bright side. If Martz had actually used that second-round pick, he probably would have wasted it on another turd like Eric Crouch or Jacoby Shepherd or Jimmy Kennedy or any of the other wasted picks in the years since Martz finagled final say over personnel.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!


POSTED 9:57 p.m. EST, December 29, 2004



NFL TRYING TO PLUG LEAKS?



As the offseason approaches, many forms of supposedly secret information are floating around, from the combine list to the Blesto and National grades for draft-eligible players.



And an industry source told us on Wednesday afternoon that the NFL (possibly in conjunction with the NFLPA) has developed a coding system aimed at tracking the source of such leaks, based on (for example) the numbers assigned to the players on the combine list. If, in other words, a web site posts the combine list with the numbers to be assigned to the players, the specific numbers used will enable the league to figure out who divulged the data, based on the numbers used when the info was properly disseminated to folks entitled to receive it.



We're not sure what consequences, if any, will arise for agents or others who are caught giving out info. Earlier this year, agent Hadley Englehard reportedly was fined $10,000 by the NFLPA for letting ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli use his password to access confidential salary information on the NFLPA web site.



Although we don't disagree with the notion of punishing folks who give out confidential information when they shouldn't (even though such disclosures are the life blood of this here site), we think that the NFL and the NFLPA have far more pressing issues to address than whether someone is blabbing about combine rosters and related information. Besides, where would such efforts stop? Is the NFL hoping to ultimately gag anyone and everyone who otherwise might be talking about things they shouldn't?



Since the NFL is in the journalism business now via the NFL Network, it's actually not a bad strategy for increasing the ratings of Total Access. If the league were able to put a lid on leaks, the league would be able to control the flow of information through the NFL Network and NFL.com.



But this is one area where theory and reality simply don't mesh. Folks always will be willing to disclose information that others think they shouldn't, whether to advance a specific agenda or to satisfy the basic human desire to tell secrets. Although the electronic age in which we now reside allows the detection of folks who are sloppy, there are only so many forms of communication that can be tracked.



DENVER BACKFIELD SHUFFLES AGENTS



A league source tells us that Broncos running back Mike Anderson and Reuben Droughns have hired new agents.



Droughns fired Brad Peter and hired Drew Rosenhaus, and Anderson dumped David Canter and signed with Peter Schaffer.



Anderson, the 2000 offensive rookie of the year, was placed on injured reserve in August after a suffering a serious groin injury in the latter stages of a preseason game. Droughns emerged as the Broncos' go-to tailback this season, rushing for 1,164 yards on 260 carries in 14 games.



JIMBO FISHER HAS FALLBACK WITH FINS



One of our Louisiana moles tells us that LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has an offer to join Nick Saban's staff in Miami as quarterbacks coach, if Fisher isn't hired as the head coach at LSU or some other Division I program.



Although LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman has said that he wants an established head coach to replace Saban, we're hearing that there's a feeling in Baton Rouge that Fisher should get consideration for the job, especially since he rebuffed opportunities a year ago to leave the program.



In our view, Fisher deserves to be on the short list at any D-I school that has a vacancy, including LSU. As the chief "O" guy on a team led by a coach with a background in "X"'s, Fisher is primarily responsible for the solid performance of the LSU offense during Saban's tenure in Baton Rouge.



WEDNESDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS



Eagles WR Terrell Owens has been slapped with a $35 million suit for alleged breach of contract resulting from a deal with a company that makes supplements appearing on the NFL's banned substances list.


Steelers coach Bill Cowher says that he won't be influenced by the fact that RB Jerome Bettis is only 59 yards short of 1,000 when the time comes to decide whether the dinged-up, full-tailed tailback plays on Sunday.



Raiders CB Philip Buchanon has informed the team that he wants to be traded.



The Hartford Courant reports that Connecticut QB Dan Orlovsky has signed with agent David Dunn.



From the "No Sh-t, Sherlock" file, former two-time MVP Kurt Warner plans to leave the Giants after the season in search of a city where he won't be benched, again (given the dearth of quarterbacking talent in the NFL, even a washed-up Pro Bowler with a tendency to hold the ball longer than a perverted urologist and the foot speed of a diabetic turtle should be able to find a starting job somewhere).




POSTED 9:14 a.m. EST, December 30, 2004



BENSON KEEPING HASLETT?



Rumors of Saints coach Jim Haslett's demise has dissipated over the past few weeks, coinciding with the team's quiet-but-surprising ascension into playoff contention.



And we're hearing that owner Tom Benson likely will retain Haslett beyond 2004, regardless of whether the Saints qualify for the postseason.



It's hardly a vote of confidence, however, for Haslett. With an unsettled stadium situation and the looming possibility that Benson could sell to team -- possibly to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who'd then move it to L.A. -- Benson doesn't want to worry about buying out the remainder of Haslett's contract and, promptly thereafter, searching for and paying seven figures to a replacement.



WARNER NEEDS TO SHUT UP



We posted a quick blurb on Wednesday night regarding Kurt Warner's declaration that he intends to be a starting quarterback in 2005. Now that we've had more time to think about it, this one deserves a little more attention.



Primarily because it confirms our belief that Warner is a big, fat phony.



For the last five years, we've constantly heard what a great guy Warner is, and how he doesn't complain, even when he's benched. In 2003, for example, Warner received praise for taking the high road when the possibility of yanking Rams starter Marc Bulger was raised. Warner said (insert sobs and honks) that he didn't think it would be right to shake Bulger's confidence by benching him.



So what's our current beef with Warner? On the surface, there's nothing obviously offensive by his comments. Per the New York Times, Warner said, "I believe I'm a starter in this league, still. And until I change my thought process and decide that I'm a backup, I'm never going to be content sitting on the bench.

"Nothing against the New York Giants, nothing against this situation, anybody that coaches the organization. I loved my year here. But I'm not content being a backup.

"Coming in, nobody had any expectations for this football team," Warner added. "And to be the leader of the team that was 5-2 and the second best team in the [NFC] at one point, I'm happy with that."

But with one game still remaining in his first -- and obviously only -- season with the Giants, it was unnecessary for Warner to open his yap at this time. His two-year deal with the Giants was never intended to result in a two-season stay; instead, the term of the contract allowed the $1.5 million bonus to spread out, with $750,000 of it hitting the cap this year, and the rest in '05.



Warner, according to the Times, can void the second year. But even if he couldn't or doesn't, the Giants would never pay him a salary of $6 million next season.



Maybe Warner spoke out because he wants to be sure that no one forgets about him. Or maybe he wanted to start the spin cycle regarding his stint with the Giants, characterizing his record while the starter as 5-2, and conveniently ignoring those two straight losses (in which he looked awful) that greased the skids for rookie Eli Manning.



Then again, Warner's decision to go public with his feelings might be the result of frustration with the fact that he didn't receive (in his mind) a fair chance to earn up to $6 million in incentives under the 2004 portion of his contract. Regardless of his motives, we think that Warner should have waited until at least next week before grandstanding about his desire to get out of New York, especially when his exit after the season essentially has been a fait accompli from the day he signed his name at the bottom of the contract.



With all that said, Warner will get a shot -- somewhere -- to be the starter in 2005. The starting job shouldn't be handed to him, though. He needs to earn it in the offseason and in training camp, just like he did in New York. Still, looking at the quarterback depth chart of teams like Arizona, Tampa, Miami, and Dallas, our guess is that he could be the starter in any of those towns, by default.



NINERS TO START SPENDING?



Word around the league is that John York will be prying open his man purse in the near future in an effort to rebuild a 49ers roster littered with turds.



We're told that York's wife, Denise DeBartolo York, is leaning on him hard to take steps to improve the team's fortunes. Apparently she (unlike he) is smart enough to realize that the goodwill the team engendered with the fan base from 1982 through 1998 doesn't guarantee an eternal string of sellouts, and that the locals eventually will turn away from the organization if it doesn't at least look like ownership is trying to field a competitive team.



And that's the biggest pitfall of revenue sharing, in our view. Cheapskate owners, if they so choose, can tread water and still make money.



It's precisely what the Niners have been doing ever since Mrs. DeBartolo York wrested control of the team from her brother, Eddie. Her husband has been essentially running the thing ever since -- and he's now officially run it completely and directly into the ground.



How bad are the 49ers? Until last Sunday, they were the only team out of contention for a postseason berth in the weakest NFC field in years, if not ever. And but for a pair of three-point wins against the Cardinals, the 49ers would be one loss away from the first 0-16 season in league history.



If York is serious about spending coin, he'll get his chance to do so come April, when the team can (if it so chooses) select and sign in advance the first overall pick in the draft. Assuming the 49ers use the pick in lieu of trading down, it'll be the first time they've done so since 1963, when they selected Dave Parks out of Texas Tech.



Here's hoping, for the team's sake, that this time around they'll pick a guy whose name will still be recognizable 42 years later.



OHALETE SUES PORTIS OVER NUMBER



Former Redskins safety Ifeanyi Ohalete has sued running back Clinton Portis for failing to tender the full amount of the $40,000 payment that Portis promised Ohalete when Ohalete surrendered his jersey No. 26 upon Portis's arrival in the offseason.



On the surface, it looks like an open-and-shut case. Portis allegedly signed a contract in the presence of team equipment manager Brad Berlins. The contract required Portis to pay $20,000 up front (which he did) and $10,000 in Week 8 and $10,000 last week (which he did not).



Once Ohalete's agent was told that Portis didn't plan to pay the remaining $20,000, there was only one option available for enforcement.



"This is about honesty and principle," Ohalete said. "There is no gray area on this. We made a deal and drew up a contract. I held up my end of our deal and gave him my number. All I am asking is that he does what he agreed to do, and hold up his end of the deal as well. I don't think that is asking too much."


Amen, Ifeanyi. But our guess is that Portis' people will argue that the future payments necessarily were contingent upon Ohalete's continued presence on the roster, regardless of whether the contract actually said so. Ohalete was cut, after all, on August 17, at which time Portis would have gotten the number, free and clear.



But, in our view, if such a condition were to apply, then the contract should have said so. Apparently, it did not.



The real lesson here for Ohalete and any other players who might be selling their jersey numbers in the future is to get all of the coin up front.



THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Jets QB Chad Pennington insists that his problems of late have nothing to do with his injured shoulder and everything to do with his footwork.



WJZ-TV in Baltimore reports that Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh will be fired after the season.



Ravens CB Chris McAlister is the latest member of the team to suggest that there's a problem with team chemistry. (Who'da thunk it, what with a guy like Prime Time on the squad?)



Jags coach Jack Del Rio declined to discuss whether embattled offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave will return in 2005.



Current and former members of the Packers who played with Reggie White will fly to North Carolina for his funeral on a plane chartered by the team.



Lions QB Joey Harrington is willing to restructure his contract to reduce his $10 million cap number in 2005, but he also wants the deal to be extended.



Vikings WR Randy Moss took some snaps at the quarterback position on Wednesday in the event that Daunte Culpepper (flu) can't start and backup Gus Frerotte gets nicked up and has to exit the game; the use of emergency QB Shaun Hill before the fourth quarter would prevent Culpepper or Frerotte from entering the game. (Psst, Randy, if you're going to throw the ball again, look for the safety before letting it go.)



Pats QB Tom Brady is looking forward to playing the 49ers, the team for whom he rooted while growing up and the organization that drafted Giovanni Carmazzi instead of Brady in 2000. (What, was Dave Parks already taken?)



Chiefs LT Willie Roaf says that he'll return in 2005 for a 13th season.



Bills G.M. Tom Donahoe, who said before the season that the Steelers made a mistake in firing him, is singing a different tune now that his team needs to beat the boys from the 'Burgh in order to qualify for the postseason: "Probably things have been done and said on both sides that we should just leave it in the past and move on. We're very happy in Buffalo. My family loves it here. I loved my time in Pittsburgh; we had a great time and an outstanding football team. I choose to remember the good things."



Steelers coach Bill Cowher announced on Wednesday that QB Tommy Maddox will start on Sunday in place of rookie Ben Roethlisberger (ribs).



Speaking of Roethlisberger, the first-year quarterback was not named team MVP for the 2004 season; the honor went instead to LB James Farrior.



The Steelers-Ravens game drew a whopping 47.6 rating in the Steel City on Sunday, which makes us wonder what in the hell the other 53.4 percent of Pittsburghers were watching?



The Rams are squabbling with the powers-that-be in St. Louis about the replacement of the green cement playing surface with FieldTurf.



Jets NT Jason Ferguson denies that he's on the verge of signing a contract extension with the team.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 10:02 a.m. EST, December 31, 2004



SMOOT GOES AGAINST PORTIS IN NUMBER FLAP



Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot, who helped broker the $40,000 deal between teammate Clinton Portis and former 'Skin Ifeanyi Ohalete for the transfer of jersey No. 26, says that Portis should pony up the remaining $20,000, for which Ohalete recently sued Portis.



"They did have the agreement," Smoot said, "so I might have to go with Ife right there. He got it in writing."



Portis has told teammates that he doesn't owe Ohalete any more money, and that he doesn't intend to pay.



The irony here is that Portis recently was fined a total of $15,000 for wearing red socks in back-to-back games.



So do the right thing, Clinton. Pay the man the money, and move on.



GARDNER GETS GRIFTED



Redskins receiver Rod Gardner's SUV was stolen early Thursday when he handed the keys to a guy impersonating a valet outside a D.C.-area night club. The fourth-year wideout's GMC Envoy Denali was later recovered minus several items, including wheels.



Later in the day, Gardner denied knowledge of the incident, explaining that he'd been confused with someone else having the same last name.



But police told the Washington Post that Gardner had given his name to authorities, identified FedEx Field as address, and listed his occupation as football player.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



Jags coach Jack Del Rio continues to deflect questions regarding rumors linking him to the LSU job, which recently included a report that the folks in Baton Rouge hope to interview him.



Former Browns QB Bernie Kosar recently had a sit-down with owner Randy Lerner; team president John Collins declined to say whether Bernie wants a job with the team.



Redskins CB Fred Smoot, who's hoping for a six-year, $30 million contract, realizes that he might not get that kind of coin in D.C.



Opposing defenses are frustrating the Vikings' high-octane offense by switching to the Cover 2 in mid-game.



After hearing that former Cowboys teammate Darren Woodson is retiring, Cardinals RB Emmitt Smith conceded that his own time is coming.



Vikings No. 2 QB Gus Frerotte has yet to take an offensive snap, and he plans to go trolling for a starting gig in 2005 (based on his performance in relief of an injured Daunte Culpepper in 2004, Frerotte should get a sniff or two).



Steelers CB Chad Scott will return to the starting lineup on Sunday, replacing the injured Deshea Townsend.



The Steelers likely will have to choose among three key free agents: RG Keydrick Vincent, LB Kendrell Bell, and WR Plaxico Burress; in our view, it's a no-brainer -- keep Plax and let the other two walk.



Rams DT Tyoka Jackson is standing up for coach Mike Martz (at the possible risk of getting kicked in the grill by Crazy Joe Davola).



45-year-old Titans K Gary Anderson won't use the word "retirement" as the 2004 season draws to a close. (Actually these words might be more appropriate: "death due to natural causes.")



The Jaguars will be $24 million under the cap in 2005; the real question is how much of that money will owner Wayne Weaver actually spend?



Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who earns more in D.C. than he did as a head coach in Buffalo, plans to stick around for 2005.



Panthers RB Stephen Davis vows to return in 2005.



49ers DT Bryant Young, an 11-year veteran, says he doesn't plan to retire after the 2004 season.



Several Giants players have gone on the record to support coach Tom Coughlin.



Ravens coach Brian Billick says that no decisions have been made regarding the future of offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh.



Panthers QB Jake Delhomme frustrated team pranksters who had been dumping ice water on guys while in the bathroom; Delhomme had an umbrella with him in the stall.



Utah QB Alex Smith is strongly considering entry into the NFL draft in lieu of returning for his senior season.



Akron QB Charlie Frye has hired agent Eric Metz.



Panther WR Ricky Proehl is considering retirement after 15 NFL seasons.



Philadelphia city councilman Rick Mariano has issued subpoenas in an effort to determine why some contractors have not been paid in full for their work on Lincoln Financial Field.



Carolina fans have started a "Save Our Moose" effort in response to rumors that the Panthers will dump WR Muhsin Muhammad before paying him a $10 million roster bonus on March 1.



Jets RB Curtis Martin says that, after Sunday's loss to New England, several Patriots players told him that the game plan had been to shut him down, no matter how many players it took; Martin finished with 33 yards on 13 carries.



Jim Brown's ongoing efforts to publicly recruit Ravens G.M. Ozzie Newsome for the same job in Cleveland has not yet drawn charges of tampering.

[ALinChainz]

by http://www.profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 10:27 a.m. EST, January 1, 2005



SURTAIN CERTAIN TO LEAVE MIAMI



Although Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison recently criticized the team for not following through on alleged promises to extend the contract of fellow corner Patrick Surtain, we're hearing that the Fins ultimately decided not to work out a new deal with Surtain (who'll be a free agent after 2005) because the perception of Surtain has become that he is overrated -- and that the Dolphins most likely will let him walk after his contract expires.



Madison primarily was miffed because the team squeezed him into taking a pay cut because (as Madison contends) the team planned to use the money to lock down Surtain.



We can recall plenty of guys who claim their team lied about their own contract situation; this is the first time in our recollection that a guy has griped about alleged misrepresentations regarding the contractual status of someone else.



Back to Surtain, we wouldn't be surprised to see new coach Nick Saban bounce him prematurely, depending on his salary for 2005. Since there's no additional cap hit resulting from the release of a player in the final year of his deal, Saban might not want to invest big money in a guy who'll only be in the new system for one season.



HASLETT REFLECTS ON EARLY CRITICISM



Saints coach Jim Haslett, with his team on the cusp of an unlikely postseason berth (courtesy of an NFC playoff field more watered down than the drinks at Mike Brown's Christmas party), is reflecting on some of the criticism his team received early in the season. Specifically, he's thinking -- and talking -- about criticism originating from management.



"What hurt was the criticism we received within the building," Haslett said, according to the Biloxi Sun-Herald. "To get criticized early in the season by the general manager, I think that affected me some and I think it affected our football players. And the comments the owner made, which he has a right to make, but I think that affected us some."



Haslett, to his credit, is being charitable in his remarks, since neither Loomis nor Haslett know a thing about the football side of the football business. We were amazed by Loomis' effort to toss Haz under the bus, and we likewise were puzzled by Benson's conclusion that the team's performance in a home route by the Broncos was worse than any of the other dodo eggs the team has laid in his time as owner.



As to whether Haslett thinks he's saved his job (and we've heard that he has), the coach is staying philosophical, for now.



"These jobs are hard to get," he said. "But people don't realize it's more than the coach getting fired in these things. It's the assistants, the trainers, the scouts, all kinds of people. It affects 200, 300 people probably when you count the families. I don't worry about myself. I worry about them."



We know we've tossed our share of poop at Haslett in the past, but we admire the guy for hanging in there -- especially when he's ultimately answering to a couple of first-class buffoons.



NEW YEAR'S DAY ONE-LINERS



Although Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio postponed an interview scheduled for Friday, LSU officials say that they expect the session to happen soon (and although others are now trying to claim credit for launching the Del Rio-to-Baton Rouge reports, our loyal readers know where the link was first made).



The Chargers might sit QB Drew Brees on Sunday, going instead with Doug Flutie as the starter, and also giving some reps to Philip Rivers.


Panthers LB Mark Fields was fined $5,000 for a facemask-twisting tackle on Bucs QB Brian Griese last Sunday.



The Bears have signed P Brad Maynard to a five-year extension.



Brian Polian, the son of Colts G.M. Bill Polian, is joining Charlie Weis' staff at Notre Dame as a defensive assistant; also expected to sign up are Bill Lewis, the Dolphins d-backs coach who was in the middle of the Derek Dooley fiasco, and Bucs special teams coach Rish Bisaccia.



USC QB Matt Leinart is putting off his decision as to whether to jump to the NFL until after the Orange Bowl.



The Vikings' coaching staff is among the leanest and lowest-paid.



Jets RB Curtis Martin was named the team MVP for the fourth time in seven seasons.



Steelers RB Jerome Bettis will miss the regular-season finale at Buffalo with a sprained ankle.



Raiders QB Marques Tuiasosopo is languishing on the bench in Oakland.



WR Amani Toomer and TE Jeremy Shockey have been downgraded from questionable to doubtful for the Giants' regular-season finale.



"U" RB Frank Gore says he'll follow the advice of the NFL's College Advisory Committee as to whether he should enter the draft early.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 4:20 a.m. EST, January 3, 2005



AGENTS DECRY "DIRTY" RECRUITING



As the pressure intensifies within the agent community to get the top draft-eligible players under wraps, the 2005 player recruiting season apparently has taken rules violations and unethical conduct to a new level.



"I've never seen so much money change hands," said one league insider. "This is the dirtiest year I've ever seen."



The NFL Players Association prohibits agents from giving anything of value to a player or to his family as an inducement to sign with that agent.



But we've heard countless tales over the past few years of violations of this provision -- and we're aware of zero action taken against agents who flagrantly have handed money and other things of value to players.



Whether it's in the form of a line of credit or the purchase of a car or a so-called marketing guarantee or a bag full of cash with a dollar sign on it, such conduct results in players being given and/or promised value in exchange for utilizing the agent's services.



And the money isn't only lavished on blue-chip, first-round prospects. This year, we've already heard that a marginal running back prospect has received $100,000.



We continue to be amazed by the fact that this behavior goes on without detection. If catching guys who disseminate the password to the NFLPA web site justifies the expenditure of assets and resources, nailing agents who are wooing players with coin should be a top priority, too.



Clearly, it isn't.



AGENT PROMISING MEDIA PIMPING?



Along the same lines of agents funneling cash and/or cars to potential recruits, we're hearing that at least one agent (who shall remain nameless, for now) has promised a blue-chipper (who shall remain nameless, for now) that, if said player signs with said agent, a certain well-known draft guru (who shall remain nameless, for now) will pump up said player's draft stock in the run-up to the draft.



Let's be clear on this one. We're not saying that said guru is in on the ploy. All we're saying is that said agent is using the promise of said pimping by said guru to land said recruit. Whether said guru actually engages in said pimping for said player on behalf of said agent is something that remains to be seen. Or said.



Either way, we know the names of the parties involved in this one, and we're going to keep a close eye on whether anything fishy transpires.



If, after all, the NFLPA isn't going to try to put a stop to this kind of monkey business, someone has to shine a light on it.



MUSGRAVE DONE?



There's mounting speculation and rumor that Jaguars offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave will get the boot after his second season with the team.



Musgrave has been criticized throughout the year, both from inside and outside the organization.



Head coach Jack Del Rio declined to comment on Musgrave's status after Sunday's win at Oakland.



"I don't care to talk about that [now],'' Del Rio said. "The season's come to an end, and we'll go back and look at things we can do better. I don't want to get into speculative things of that nature.''



Musgrave previously served as offensive coordinator of the Panthers, and quit the job in the middle of the season. He re-emerged as Al Groh's offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia, and the Cavs performance on offense gave Musgrave an opportunity to come back to the NFL.



VIKES SHOULD JUST FORFEIT



Minnesota receiver Randy Moss had the right idea when he strutted toward the tunnel on Sunday against the Redskins, with the Vikings poised for an onside kick with two seconds left and trailing 21-18.



Why bother to stick around for the inevitable?



In this same vein, we're wondering why the Vikings are bothering to make the short trek to the frozen tundra next Sunday for their first postseason date ever with the Green Bay Packers.



So what if the Pack only beat the Vikings on two late-game field goals in their head-to-head meetings this season? We smell a looming blowout in the land of beef and cheese, and we think the overall psyche of the Vikeys would be far better served if they don't show up for the game.



Physically, we mean. Mentally, the Vikings haven't shown up for several games this year, starting with a Week Eight loss at home to the Giants. So why should they subject themselves to yet another nationally televised embarrassment as the whipping boys for their biggest rivals?



Yeah, the folks at the league office might not understand, and the guys at Fox who are hoping to televise the game could be a bit put off if, you know, there's no game to televise. But our guess is that a replay of "Who's Your Daddy?" and a few episodes of "My Big, Fat Obnoxious Boss" would fare about as well in the ratings as another 3.5 hours or so of the Packers showing that they're the daddies of this big, fat obnoxious collection of purple underachievers.



Final score? Packers 38, Vikings 10.



MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Jags owner Wayne Weaver will make his first public comments later this week regarding coach Jack Del Rio's flirtation with LSU.



Seahawks WR Koren Robinson was suspended from Sunday's game against the Falcons, apparently due to missing a team meeting; said teammate Jerry Rice, "This guy's a great athlete, and I hope he realizes that he's letting something special pass him by."



Lions CB Dre' Bly already is putting his young team on notice that the time to grow up is now; meanwhile, the Detroit media (and perhaps rookie WR Roy Williams) is expecting more out of coach Steve Mariucci.



Police apprehended a trio of burglars who were trying to ransack the home of Steelers WR Plaxico Burress on Sunday morning; among other things, the crooks tried to make off with a gold chain and large crucifix that Sgt. Stephen Matakovich described jokingly as "actual size."



Giants RB Tiki Barber set the franchise's single-season rushing record on a last-second touchdown that defeated the Cowboys on Sunday night.



Texans QB David Carr was heavily booed during Sunday's home loss to the Browns and, even more disconcertingly, the fans eventually began chanting for (gulp) Tony Banks.



Vikings SS Corey Chavous is likely done for the year (which likely includes only one more game) with a broken bone in his arm.



Since Oakland owner Al Davis doesn't allow other scores to be shown at the Black Hole, the Jags didn't know that the Colts had laid down for the Broncos (thereby keeping Jacksonville out of the playoffs) until after they beat the Raiders.



Packers WR Javon Walker and TE Bubba Franks were removed from Sunday's game following injuries, but both likely will be available on Sunday.



After being told that he'd set the single-season NFL record for combined rushing and passing by a quarterback (5,123), Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper said, "I would rather have the record for most victories by a quarterback." (If only more guys on that team had that mindset . . . .)



POSTED 5:08 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:53 p.m. EST, January 2, 2005



WEAVER JACKED AT DEL RIO



A league source tells us that Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver is unhappy with the flirtation between LSU officials and Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio.



Weaver, per the source, doesn't like the fact that Del Rio failed to state in unequivocal fashion a lack of interest in the looming vacancy at a time when the Jags were battling for the postseason. And the situation arguably created a distraction for the team, which lost at home on December 26 to the Texans, 21-0.



Even though, by all appearances, the ambiguous courtship of Del Rio by LSU ended when the two sides couldn't get hooked up for an interview, the source says that, if the whole thing was an effort by Del Rio to get a raise and/or an extension, Weaver sees right through it -- and it could backfire.



Of course, all likely will be forgotten depending on the outcome of Sunday's late games. If the Jags win at Oakland and the Colts win at Denver, Jacksonville will sneak into the postseason as the No. 6 seed, and they'll head to Indy for a rematch of a game that the Jaguars won on October 24.



STEELERS' BACKUPS EXPOSE BILLS



Lost in the hoopla over the Buffalo Bills' recent winning streak was one relatively minor fact.



They haven't really beaten anybody.



Their six-game winning streak included wins over the Seahawks (yawn), Rams (snore), Dolphins (wretch), Browns (barf), Bengals (ho-hum), and 49ers (ho- . . ., uh, hum).



And facing at home a Steelers team that rested plenty of starters and had no incentive to win, the Bills choked on their chance to win a berth in the postseason.



So before the Tom Donahoe butt-kissers out there who were conspicuously quiet when the team's record reflected more accurately its overall talent level start describing the Bills as an up-and-coming team in 2005, let's keep a few things in mind:



1. Tackle Mike Williams sucks.



2. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe will be a year older in 2005.



3. The Bills will play no members of the NFC West next season.



4. The team's first-round draft pick in 2005 already has been spent, courtesy of the J.P. Losman trade.



5. Tackle Mike Williams still sucks.



Are we ruling out the possibility that the Bills will be successful in 2005? No. One thing we've learned over the past six years is that anything can happen in the NFL. But Donahoe still hasn't done jack in four years on the job to show that the Steelers erred when choosing to fire him instead of coach Bill Cowher in the late 1990s.



POSTED 1:42 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:15 p.m. EST, January 2, 2005



LEINART SAYING "SO LONG" TO SC



A league source tells us that USC quarterback Matt Leinart will forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.



Per the source, Leinart has selected agent Leigh Steinberg, a quarterback specialist who has re-emerged as one of the top agents, due in large part to this year's performance of Steelers rookie signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger.



Leinart, in our view, is making the right call. He's starred for two years with the Trojans, and he's bagged a Heisman. Returning next year will carry no upside -- and at the same time expose Leinart to the risk of serious injury and/or poor play, either of which would hurt his draft stock come 2006.



And given that the pool of draft-eligible quarterbacks this year is on the thin side, Leinart has a greater chance to cash in if he leaves now.



COACHING CHANGES COMING?



With two head coaches already gone (Butch Davis, Dave Wannstedt) and one of them already replaced, NFL owners have gotten a head start on so-called Black Monday -- the day on which a chunk of head coaching get pink slips following the end of the regular season.



This year, talk around the league is that up to three more guys could get their walking papers come January 3, and another one could get the heave-ho after his team exits the playoffs.



In St. Louis, repeated assurances given by owner Georgia Frontiere and team president John Shaw isn't persuading many of the folks who believe that Mike Martz is in hot water.



The problem has started to go beyond whether he's an adequate coach, a league source explained. Instead, there are real questions as to whether Martz has lost his marbles.



The Kyle Turley incident, for example, has left many wondering which of the two, Turley or Martz, is genuinely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.



At a minimum, look for Martz to lose his final-say authority over personnel. But outright termination remains a distinct possibility.



In the Bay Area, both pro teams could shed their head coaches, unless (we're told) Norv Turner of the Raiders and Dennis Erickson of the 49ers shed their entire defensive staffs.



We're hearing that Turner will comply, dumping the defensive coaches he hired a year ago and starting from scratch.



Erickson, on the other hand, will refuse -- if for no reason other than to force the termination for which he has been salivating since November.



If/when Erickson goes, look for him to land in Stillwater with Oklahoma State -- if (as rumored and reported) current Cowboys coach Les Miles ends up as the head coach at LSU.



And in Erickson's wake could be Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks coach who (as we're told) wants out of Seattle. Per a league source, Holmgren has grown weary of team president Bob Whitsitt and G.M. Bob Ferguson -- and Holmgren realizes that his team's talent level will diminish significantly in the offseason, when more unrestricted free agents than the team can afford will hit the open market.



Beyond this quartet, we think that changes also could occur in Kansas City, Minnesota, and Dallas.

[ALinChainz]

by http://www.profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 12:14 p.m. EST, January 4, 2005



SAVAGE GETTING THE BROWNS G.M. GIG?



Multiple league sources tell us that the Browns owner Randy Lerner and president John Collins spent most of the day on Monday interviewing Ravens director of player personnel Phil Savage for the G.M. vacancy in Cleveland.



We're told that Savage will get it unless the Browns are able to finagle permission to interview Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli. Pioli, of course, would also have to be interested in the job. He's previously said that he intends to stay in New England through the expiration of his current contract.



We've also heard that Jaguars executive Charles Bailey also was interviewed for the position on Monday. Although the Browns job likely won't be offered to Bailey, the fact that he made it onto the dance card means that he likely will get additional opportunities in other NFL cities.



POSTED 8:21 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:16 a.m. EST, January 4, 2005



BEARS PLOTTING A MOVE DOWN?



Our Chitown mole tells us that Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo already is considering scenarios that would enable him to trade out of the No. 4 overall spot and pick up extra selections in the 2005 draft.



Two years ago, the Bears traded out of the four hole and picked up two first-rounders and a fourth-rounder from the Jets. The Bears used those picks on DE Michael Haynes, QB Rex Grossman, and DT Ian Scott.



This time around, the Bears are eying a possible swap with the Chargers and the Cowboys, both of whom hold two first-round picks.



Angelo's goal, we're told would be to grab a receiver with the initial first-rounder, and then to address the offensive line with the second pick.



The mole also tells us that the Bears will be keeping close watch on Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones, who most likely won't receive the franchise tag for a fourth straight season.



Another name to keep in mind for Bears fans is Mike Martz. If the Rams coach ends up out of St. Louis once the dust of the 2004 season settles, Martz could end up on the Chicago staff, possibly in an ill-defined, Fassel-esque "I'm too good to be called an assistant coach" capacity.



Our suggestion, frankly, would be to dump offensive coordinator Terry Shea (as we advocated on Sunday) and to make Martz the new architect of the offense. The last time Martz had such a job, his team only won the Super Bowl.



VIKINGS MIFFED AT MOSS' MOVE



In a long overdue move that likely was delayed by a perception that the moody superstar had matured, Vikings center Matt Birk angrily confronted receiver Randy Moss for leaving the playing field with two ticks left on the clock and the Vikes, only three points down, angling for an onside kick.



"I didn't like it," Birk said Monday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I made sure to get to the locker room quick to talk to him about it. And hopefully, it won't happen again."



Birk added that his comments to Moss could be repeated "only with a lot of bleeps."



And the team's Pro Bowl center, who has battled back from not one but two hernia surgeries this year, wasn't the only one to take exception to Moss's behavior. The guy responsible for getting the ball to Randy also is a bit put off.



"I don't like what he did," quarterback Daunte Culpepper said. "I didn't know about it at the time, because I was on the field. But I know I'm going to address it with him, for sure. I definitely don't like it.



"Randy is Randy. He does his thing. He knows what he was doing. He's a grown man. But it's all about winning championships, and is that helping us move toward a championship? That's a question he has to ask himself."



Coach Mike Tice spent more than two hours Sunday night and Monday morning talking to Moss, who we'll guess had his nose out of joint that anyone would have the nerve to question him.



Still, Tice doesn't plan to discipline his All-Pro receiver. Instead, Tice said that Moss "can make it up to us. He can go out and make a whole lot of plays this week."



On guy who isn't troubled at all by Moss's move is the most important guy in the organization -- the dude that writes the checks.



Owner Red McCombs said the incident "doesn't concern me at all." Instead, McCombs is focused on the fact that his team is in the playoffs for the first time since a 41-0 loss to the Giants in the 2000 NFC title game.



"It's totally sweet," McCombs said. "You play all year to get here. Now we're here. I'm so excited about it. Everything we want is out there for us, plain as day. Now all we have to do is get it."



We'll check back with Red at about halftime of Sunday's game at Green Bay, when the score is Packers 17, Vikings 3 . . . or when the Levitra wears off.



Back to Moss, the truth might be that he's frustrated not because of the team's performance, but because he's starting to realize that he's no longer the player that he once was. Sure, he sneaks behind the defense every once in a while and he's got the height and arm length to make a difference in the red zone. But it's a hard thing for any man to see his skills beginning to erode, especially when they're the only skills that he really has.



Randy, we think, is trying to deal with the fact that he's gradually becoming just another guy.



The fact that his teammates are finally willing to stand up to him suggests that they're starting to figure out that he isn't the player he used to be, too.



BROWNS INTERVIEW GRIER



A league source tells us that the Cleveland Browns' meandering G.M. search recently included an interview of Bobby Grier, the Texans associate director of pro scouting.



Another source opined that Grier isn't a serious candidate for the job, and that the Browns are merely trying to create the appearance that minority candidates are being considered for the top football job in the organization.



The so-called "Rooney Rules" currently mandates only that teams with a head-coaching vacancy interview at least one minority candidate.



The Browns are using a headhunting firm to conduct interviews and obtain information regarding possible candidates. Names mentioned in connection with the job include Randy Mueller, Phil Savage, Tim Ruskell, John Schneider, and Tom Heckert.



Although Heckert, Andy Reid's right-hand man in Philly, recently received a contract extension, he still could leave for Cleveland if the move entails a genuine promotion.



And another name that continues to be mentioned for the job is that of Pats V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli. Though Pioli has said he doesn't plan to leave New England, the Browns reportedly plan to seek permission to interview him. Despite the fact that the job would entail the final-say authority that coach Bill Belichick possesses in New England -- and thus would be a promotion -- the Patriots could nevertheless try to block the move. (In our opinion, the better way to keep Pioli in place would to bump his salary to a level that reflects his efforts over the past five years.)



We've previously reported that there's a split of opinion in the Cleveland front office as to the ultimate hire. Our suggestion (to the extent anyone gives a pile) is that the powers-that-be wake up and make a decision soon, so that a scouting staff and a coaching staff can be hired before the time comes to make preparations for free agency and the draft.



Oh wait -- that time already is here.



TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander tried (lamely, in our view) to back off from his "I got stabbed in the back" routine regarding the NFL rushing title; his awkward effort to put the stink back in the skunk only confirms, in our view, that we all got a glimpse of the real Shaun Alexander after Sunday's game.



Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger earned $2.6 million in incentive money this season, and he'll get another $750,000 if the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl and win.



The Bengals suddenly plan to keep RB Rudi Johnson, and they might use the franchise tag to ensure that he stays in Cincy.



Titans owner Bud Adams has sent letters to the Browns and Dolphins telling them that G.M. Floyd Reese is under contract and off limits.



Miami coach Nick Saban is taking some of his LSU staff with him to the Fins, including Derek Dooley, who created a firestorm more than two weeks ago with a presumptuous phone call to a Dolphins assistant coach.



Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is "skeptical" that his team can be a Super Bowl contender in 2005, the ten-year anniversary of the team's last championship.



Colorado officials are looking into the question of whether proper procedures were followed when Colts defensive tackle Montae Reagor was permitted to bail out of jail on Sunday in time to play against the Broncos.



Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh has resigned under pressure; a possible replacement could be Vikings offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who's making less than $300,000 in the final year of his contract.



Cardinals coach Dennis Green fired offensive coordinator Alex Wood on Monday; Green had been grooming Wood for several years, and apparently has decided once and for all that it was time to give up.



With one year left on his current deal and the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, Bills RB Travis Henry wants out of Buffalo.



POSTED 12:45 a.m. EST, January 4, 2005



EAGLES TO FLY THE COOP IN ROUND ONE?



There's mounting talk around the league that the Philadelphia Eagles' back-to-back losses to close out the season -- including a 38-10 home loss against the Bengals -- could keep them from advancing beyond round one of the playoffs.



The Eagles, per one source, have lost their rhythm by resting their starters and allowing themselves to get bitch-slapped by the Rams and the Bengals.



The bigger problem, according to another source, is the absence of Terrell Owens. "By making him the savior," the source said, "the team will now be convinced that it can't win without him."



And by losing two ugly games in his absence, even without the starters playing significant roles in either contest, the Eagles have lost their swagger.



The fact that they'll be facing the Seahawks, Rams, or Vikings in the divisional round might make the situation less dire. But with the prospects of facing the Falcons or the Packers for the NFC title looming on the horizon, a fourth straight title-game loss for the Eagles could be in the cards.



MORENCY COMING OUT EARLY



The Associated Press reports that Oklahoma State tailback Vernand Morency will give up his remaining eligibility in Stillwater based on the decision of coach Les Miles to leave for LSU.



"When the boss man leaves, you don't know where the team is heading," Morency said.



Morency, who played high school football in Miami, has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus and filed the appropriate paperwork with the NFL.



Morency will be 25 next month.



SHAUN SHOWS HIS TRUE COLORS



Some member of the media think that Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander hasn't received enough publicity due to the fact that he plays his home games in the Pacific Northwest.



We think that, all things considered, Alexander is better off that more people don't know how he really is.



We've always deemed the 2000 first-rounder from Alabama a bit on the goofy side, ever since rumors emerged in 2002 that he was thinking about quitting football after only two seasons and joining the Billy Graham ministry.



"I plan to be in camp and do what God tells me to do," Alexander said at the time. "At this time, God wants me to play for the Seahawks."



And as Alexander has been in the process of playing out the final year of his rookie deal, there have been periodic puff pieces regarding what a great guy Alexander is, etc.



Now, of course, Alexander has shown a different side. A selfish side. A side that places individual stats over team goals.



In short, his real side.



"I got stabbed in the back," Alexander said after he ended the regular season one yard behind Curtis Martin for the NFL rushing crown.



Ah, the NFL rushing title. Quick, name the last five guys who won it -- without guessing. Okay, the last three. Um, the last two?



We pride ourselves on following the game of football as closely as anyone, and we had to sit and think for a few seconds before remembering that Jamal Lewis was the rushing king a year ago -- and we likely remembered it only because he broke the 2,000 yard mark (as opposed to the coming offseason, when he'll be breaking rocks).



It's a meaningless title, in our view. Sure's Alexander is gonna be a free agent after the season. But, really, will the fact that he didn't get another yard or two make a damn bit of difference when it's time for offers to be made?



If anything, Alexander's reaction will cause smart teams to shy away.



And although we don't profess to hold a charter membership in the Mike Holmgren fan club, we think that Alexander should've kept his mouth shut, and we support Holmgren's decision to call the game in the way he deemed necessary to win it.



So good luck finding a high-paying gig next year, Shaun. Sure, some team out there won't care. But our guess is that just enough squads will back off to prevent you from getting as much coin as you otherwise would have earned if you'd focused more on getting yourself and your team ready to play the Rams on Saturday.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 9:15 a.m. EST, January 5, 2004



PETE POLITICKING FOR NINERS GIG



Even before his Trojans pulverized the Sooners in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday night, USC coach Pete Carroll was working behind the scenes to move up the coast to San Francisco, as the new coach of the 49ers.



According to a league source, Carroll is posturing to succeed Dennis Erickson in San Fran, who like Carroll has been to the top of the college game . . . and has been a two-time failure in the NFL.



(Okay, so Erickson hasn't been fired yet. We're hearing that his exit -- and the termination of G.M. Terry Donahue -- is a sure thing, and will happen very soon.)



Carroll could fare better than Erickson, in our view (and, of course, it would be hard to do worse). Shortly after the foaming-mouthed pursuit of Nick Saban commenced in Miami, we questioned why owner Wayne Huizenga was so willing to back the truckload of money up to the front door of the LSU coach at a time when the USC coach -- who unlike Saban has experience as an NFL coach in the free agency era -- isn't getting a sniff despite one of the best two-year runs in the history of college football.



We've made our feelings clear about recycled NFL head coaches. But our objection to the notion of hiring guys who've been fired by another NFL owner relates primarily to the phenomenon of former pro coaches being on the short list for a new top job within a year or two after getting canned. In Carroll's case, he's done something very significant at the college level. If/when he re-enters an NFL locker room, he will have a greater level of respect.



Still, there are folks around the NFL who question whether Carroll can get it done. If he makes it to San Fran, he'll likely bring along his good buddy Pat Kirwan (who was spotted on the sidelines with Carroll during Tuesday night's game). Carroll is a former personnel exec who'd have a better chance getting a cabinet position in the Bush administration than another NFL gig -- but for the fact that his pal Pete might be in position to get Pat hired.



A year ago, it was revealed that Kirwan, a supposedly objective NFL analyst for the league's official web site, was getting a piece of David Dunn's fee for the representation of former USC quarterback Carson Palmer, whom Kirwan helped recruit for Dunn via Kirwan's relationship with Carroll. Amazingly, Kirwan barely drew a slap on the wrist for allowing his integrity as a quasi-NFL journalist to be so grossly compromised.



We're also hearing that Carroll tried on several occasions to get Kirwan into the Patriots front office when Pete was the head coach there -- and that Bobby Grier consistently blocked Carroll from doing so.



So, even as we listen to ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit proclaim that Carroll won't be leaving Southern Cal, the wheels already are in motion for Carroll's long-anticipated return to the NFL.



And it looks like Kirwan will be tagging along.



Stay tuned.



PLENTY OF FAT IN ROGERS' NEW DEAL



As our loyal readers know, the initial reports of big-money contracts typically are puffed up by millions of dollars.



And as our loyal readers also know, the mainstream NFL media rarely (if ever) relays the much lower "true" numbers when the official contract data becomes available.



So our new policy is to say nothing at all about the specific terms of a big contract until we can obtain more information about what the deal really and truly provides.



We've launched this policy with Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who supposedly signed on January 1 a six-year, $46 million contract, with a $15 million signing bonus.



A league source has shared with us the real numbers on Rogers' deal and, as usual, they're not nearly as impressive as reported.



Per the source, the $46 million figure contains an $11 million incentive that will be triggered only if Rogers participates in 95 percent of the team's special teams plays in 2006. (The specific year could be 2007; we're trying to nail this down.)



So it's really a six-year, $35 million contract.



But wait, the so-called paragraph 5 salary in the final year of the deal is $8 million. As a practical matter, that money will never be paid -- he'll either be cut loose or he'll get a new deal by then.



So it's really a five-year, $27 million deal.



And, per the source, the guaranteed money is $13 million, not $15 million.



There you have it -- a six-year, $46 million contract with a $15 million signing bonus is, in reality, a five-year, $28 million deal with $13 million in guaranteed coin.



How does it compare to contracts for other guys at the d-tackle position? Seven years ago, the Vikings handed John Randle a five-year, $32 million deal with a $10 million signing bonus and $20 million in guaranteed money.



Then again, those numbers are from the initial media reports, which was based on information straight from Randle's agent (who'd, cough, surely have no incentive to pump up the numbers). And, by the way, Randle eventually was cut loose with two years left on the contract.



Back to Rogers, and in light of the real numbers, the thinking in league circles is that it still was a good deal for the former Texas Longhorn. As one league insider told us, "He has consistently underachieved until this year, when there's money to be made."



The real question is, now that he's made his money, will he take it to the next level, or will he become a turd?



SABAN WORKING ON STAFF



Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Dolphins coach Nick Saban will begin dismissing members of the existing coaching staff on Tuesday, only one day after his introductory press conference.



Saban's first big move will be to seek permission to interview Texans interior offensive line coach Joe Pendry for the position of offensive coordinator. Pendry was hired in by the Texans in January 2004, and the team can block the interview request, even though the move would be a promotion. Two years ago, for example, the Falcons prevented defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas from interviewing for the defensive coordinator position with the Bengals.



Previously, assistants could exit their contracts early for a higher position with another team.



So as Saban looks for assistant coaches with NFL experience, there's a caveat -- current assistant coaches with years left on their contracts might not be in play.



This could affect Saban's intended reunion with his former Michigan State assistant head coach Todd Grantham, who also works for the Texans. Grantham has completed his third season with the team, and he possibly is not under contract heading into 2005. If he is under contract, Saban will need to get permission to interview Grantham for the job of defensive coordinator -- and the Texans aren't required to let Grantham leave.



(Editor's note: We need to specifically acknowledge -- and thank -- Marvez for specifically referencing in his story our report linking Grantham to the defensive coordinator job. It would have been easy for him to use our work product as the starting point for his own reporting, as others have done with some of our past stories. We salute Marvez for demonstrating a high degree of integrity.)



It also has been confirmed that two members of Saban's LSU staff will be heading to Miami. Will Muschamp and Derek Dooley confirmed on Tuesday to the New Orleans Times-Picayune that they've accepted positions with the Dolphins.



Another guy to keep an eye on is LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. As we reported last week, Fisher has an offer to join Saban as quarterbacks coach -- if Fisher doesn't land a head coaching job at the college level.



POSTED 3:04 p.m. EST, January 4, 2005



SHEA GETTING SH-T-CANNED



Word out of Chitown is that the Bears will be firing offensive coordinator Terry Shea at a 3:00 p.m. CST press conference.



Shea, who served as the Chiefs quarterbacks coach in Kansas City before joining Lovie Smith's staff last year, was responsible for the team's ill-fated decision to settle on Jonathan Quinn, Medicine Woman as the No. 2 quarterback.



Potential replacements include Rams coach Mike Martz, if he gets run out of St. Louis.



The move shows, in our view, that Smith is serious about doing what is necessary to build a winner, even if it means admitting to mistakes along the way. Shea, we're told, was not liked by other coaches on the staff or by members of the front office, and the team's horrendous performance -- coupled with his blind faith in the unproven Quinn -- made the decision a no-brainer, and kudos to Lovie for being able to view the matter objectively, and make the right decision.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



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POSTED 7:58 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:36 a.m. EST, January 6, 2005



LEVY WANTS BEARS GIG



The search for a new offensive coordinator in Chitown has begun, and we're hearing that an unlikely candidate has thrown his hat into the ring.



Former Bills coach Marv Levy, we're told, has contacted Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo and requested an interview for the job.



Levy coached Buffalo from 1986 through 1997, taking the team to four straight Super Bowls with his K-Gun offense -- a no-huddle point-scoring machine that turned guys like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed into superstars.



Whether Levy gets an interview remains to be seen, but in an era where the NFL has enacted form-over-substance guidelines aimed at avoiding possible liability to minority head coaching candidates under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the powers-that-be need to be thinking about another Congressional edict that might eventually get them into trouble, especially if guys like Levy continue to be ignored.



It's called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.



Meanwhile, the Bears already have interviewed former Illinois coach Ron Turner for the job previously held by Terry Shea. Turner previously served as offensive coordinator for the Bears under coach Dave Wannstedt.



The Chicago Sun-Times reports that 38-year coaching veteran Jim Colletto, who coaches the Ravens offensive line and previously was a head coach at Purdue and Cal-State Fullerton, called Bears head coach Lovie Smith on Wednesday about the vacancy. (And for the reasons discussed above regarding Marv Levy, the Bears need to think long and hard about giving Colletto serious consideration for the job.)



HARD NUMBERS ON THE ROGERS DEAL



We've now gotten a look-see at the actual contract numbers for Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who supposedly signed a six-year, $46 million deal on January 1. To clarify Wednesday's story, here are a few tidbits regarding the deal.



The signing bonus wasn't $15 million (as reported when the deal broke). It was only (only?) $9 million, with a roster bonus due in 2005 of $3.5 million.



In 2005, Rogers will earn a base salary of $650,000.



In 2006, Rogers has a base of $850,000. Also in 2006 appears that ridiculous $11,750,000 incentive based on participation in 95 percent of the team's special-teams plays. The purpose of the incentive was to aid compliance with the 30 percent rule regarding contracts that stretch from capped to uncapped years, we're told. (We don't understand it, by the way, but there's a legitimate reason for the huge incentive payment, apparently.) The reality is that the number, as we explained on Wednesday, artificially inflates the value of the deal, since Rogers undoubtedly will not participate in 95 percent of the special-teams plays.



In 2007, Rogers' salary moves to $1.5 million.



In 2008, Rogers' salary increases to $4.25 million, with a $1 million roster bonus.



In 2009, Rogers' salary increases to $5.25 million, with a $1 million roster bonus.



In 2010, the salary is $7 million with another $1 million roster bonus.



As we explained on Wednesday, the final year of the deal -- with $8 million in new money -- is unlikely to be honored. So it's really a five-year deal, not a six-year contract.



Given the $1 million roster bonus and $5.25 million salary due in 2009, there's also a chance that it could be, in the end, a four-year deal -- if Rogers' performance over the next few seasons doesn't justify the total investment of $6.25 million come 2009.



Also, the guaranteed money under the deal is the $12.5 million in bonuses plus, as a practical matter, $650,000 in 2005 salary, since Rogers gets it all if he's on the roster come the first day of the season. He's very, very unlikely to be cut before then, given the $9 million signing bonus and $3.5 million roster bonus.



The "real" numbers, then, are five years, $27 million, with a chance that it'll be only a four-year, $20.75 million deal.



Not chump change, but hardly the six-year commitment with a $7.7 million annual average that the "real" media painted it to be.



YORK PLAYING INTO PETE'S HAND



On Wednesday, we reported that USC coach Pete Carroll was working behind the scenes before the Orange Bowl to get in line for the 49ers head coaching job. After Tuesday night's 55-19 win over No. 2 Oklahoma, it appears that any politicking by Pete won't be necessary, and that he can now play coy in the hopes of grabbing as much coin and control as possible, a la Nick Saban in Miami.



Indeed. the Los Angeles Times reports that the San Francisco 49ers plan to pursue Carroll aggressively.



Per the Times, an unnamed source says that 49ers owner John York plans to do something "exciting and dramatic" to boost a sagging franchise.



"You're dealing with a desperate man," the source told Sam Farmer of the Times. "I think he's willing to go to the wall for anything that will stop the bleeding."



In short, York "wants to take a page from Daniel Snyder" (and that's a good thing?), paying Carroll $5 million or more per season and handing him total control of the franchise.



Carroll, if he's smart (and he is), will milk this for all it's worth. He'll continue to say, as he did on Wednesday, "If somebody's going to call you, they're going to call you. If they want to come after you, they'll come after you. If people are calling about jobs, you have to feel good about the fact they're considering you. That's always nice. But I'm not interested."



That's right, Pete. Don't slam the door, but don't invite them inside. Yet.



We're not knocking him. He's earned the ultimate leverage -- especially now that it's known that York is willing to do whatever it takes to get him.



For Carroll, a little thing called ego might also be driving him to squeeze as much as possible out of York, and to enjoy every nanosecond of the squeezing process. After all, Carroll was bypassed for the head coaching job in San Fran for Steve Mariucci in 1997, even though Carroll had spent two years as the team's defensive coordinator. (Carroll later landed that same year as the head coach in New England, after Bill Parcells bolted town.)



And Carroll justifiably should be miffed at the fact that Nick Saban has been the top-of-the-A-list NFL candidate for the past two seasons, even though Carroll has done as well -- if not better -- than Saban in the college ranks.



So if Carroll can get everything he wants, he'll go. And he'll continue to deny interest until the day he accepts the job, since no college coach in his right mind would openly flirt with an NFL team in the final month of high school recruiting.



What about the Rooney Rule, you ask? Well, as we now know, the league office has provided the Art Shell Exception to the provision requiring at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for every head coaching vacancy. Shell has said he'll interview for any job, any time, any place. So all York needs to do is fly Art out to 'Frisco for a few hours, and then the Niners will have a clear path to working out a deal with Carroll.



Here's one last name to keep in mind -- Mike Holmgren. We've heard he wants out of Seattle, given the looming free agency clusterfudge, and that he'd like to come home to the Bay Area. If Carroll simply asks for too much at the bargaining table, Holmgren could emerge as York's much more affordable Plan B.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



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POSTED12:18 p.m. EST, January 7, 2005



DALLAS FRONT OFFICE GOING IRISH



A league source tells us that the Dallas Cowboys will announce on Friday the promotion of national scout Jeff Ireland to the position of Director of Pro and College Personnel.



Friday's San Antonio Express-News reports on speculation that the job will go to Ireland; we're hearing that the team already has made the offer, and it's been accepted.



Though Ireland is relatively unknown in league circles, our guess is that he has demonstrated the most important job function.



Licking the cow poop off the boots of owner/G.M. Jerry Jones.



Why else would the team not address a seriously flawed talent selection system (with the exception of drafting Julius Jones) by promoting a guy who arguably has been part of the problem? With plenty of qualified personnel guys out there who'd possibly be interested in a promotion (even if it meant working for Jones), we question the wisdom of moving so quickly, without even attempting to consider possible candidates from other teams.



POSTED 10:14 a.m. EST, January 7, 2004



ROMEO NOT THE ONLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE



As the San Francisco 49ers prepare to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, this year's leading minority head coaching candidate, Crennel is hardly the only qualified person from this specific pool.



Our discussions with league insiders have enabled us to create a list of potential candidates who objectively have the ability -- now, not in five years -- to put together a staff and lead a team to, at a minimum, the same results as guys like Dennis Erickson, Steve Spurrier, and other white coaches who have gotten their bread buttered in the NFL.



The list of viable black candidates includes, in no particular order, guys like Jimmy Anderson (Bengals), George Stewart (Falcons), Donnie Henderson (Jets), Jerry Gray (Bills), Tim Lewis (Giants), Jonathan Hayes (Bengals), Terry Robiskie (Browns), Maurice Carthon (Cowboys), Ray Hamilton (Jaguars), Ted Cottrell (Vikings), Mike Singletary (Ravens), and John Mitchell (Steelers).



The problem is, as one key league insider explained, "Owners really do not have a great system of finding out who the options are. They ask the wrong people who they need to interview."



The source also believes that the so-called "Rooney Rule" should have more teeth, requiring among other things that at least two minority candidates be interviewed. (Not a bad idea, in our view, since NFL employee Art Shell is now the official willing token interview to enable compliance with the requirement that at least one such interview occur.)



We also believe that, absent a fundamental shift in the manner in which owners finds candidates for head coaching jobs, meaningful steps should be taken to put more minority candidates in the pool from which current short-list coaches are drawn (e.g., coordinator jobs and NCAA Division I-A head coaching positions).



Memo to owners -- quit looking only at the coordinators of teams with winning records and/or strong performance on one side of the ball or the other, or college head coaches. Spend some time looking for those diamonds in the rough, regardless of skin color.



And screw the local media if they call it a bad hire or a reach. Their job is to write stuff that sells papers, and hard-hitting commentary is always more intriguing than puff.



POSTED 8:31 a.m. EST, January 7, 2005



FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



USC coach Pete Carroll says (again) that he's not interested in the 49ers job.



Could someone please explain to us how Chargers QB Drew Brees can be the Comeback Player of the Year when, in three prior NFL seasons, he never was particularly any good?



The Ravens likely will pick their new offensive coordinator from the following trio: former University of Washington coach Rick "the Greek" Neuheisel, Saints quarterbacks coach Mike "Aaron Brooks Is Giving Me A Bleeding Ulcer" Sheppard, and Vikings offensive coordinator Scott "My Current Boss Has The I.Q. Of A Ham Sandwich" Linehan.



For those of you who still think we just make stuff up, here's corroboration of our stories regarding the real value of Shaun Rogers' contract.



Jags owner Wayne Weaver says that coach Jack Del Rio will remain as the head coach, but he won't be getting an extension in the foreseeable future (our guess is that he might have received one if he hadn't flirted with LSU).



Vikings WR Randy Moss says he made a mistake, we think, by leaving the field with two ticks remaining against the Redskins.



Larry Lacewell, the Cowboys' director of pro and college scouting, retired on Thursday.



Rams LT Orlando Pace plans to hire a new agent after the season; he previously parted ways with the Postons.



Selling more that 5,000 tickets under an extension of the blackout deadline, the Seahawks playoff game will be televised in Seattle.



POSTED 7:01 p.m. EST, January 6, 2004



PETE, YORK PLAYING LEVERAGE GAME?



In the sudden saga that might result in USC coach Pete Carroll jumping back to the NFL and landing in San Fran as the head coach of the 49ers, there's an emerging school of thought that Carroll doesn't want to give up what he has with the Trojans, and that he wants to leverage the 49ers' interest into a better contract with Southern Cal.



Word is, in at least one corner of the NFL, that Carroll doesn't want to leave a relatively cushy gig with SC for a pressure-packed position in San Fran.



And we're also hearing that 49ers owner John York likewise might not be locked onto Carroll, after all. Just as Carroll would like to parlay some NFL interest into more NCAA coin, York could (key word -- could) be putting out phony smoke signals regarding Carroll in the hopes of landing Mike "Big Show" Holmgren at a more reasonable salary.



As to Holmgren, we're hearing increased rumblings that he desperately wants to escape the 'Hawks and make the trek down to the Bay, taking with him personnel guru Ted Thompson and unemployed capologist Mike Reinfeldt.



Apart from the recent slew of problems in Seattle with Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson (and looming turds on the horizon such as Marcus Tubbs), no team in the post-salary cap era has finished a season with players at so many key positions primed for unrestricted free agency. Coupled with an opportunity to bring a once proud franchise back from the doldrums, the San Fran job is extremely appealing to Holmgren -- and the smart money very well might be on Mike to get the gig.



NCAA NEEDS TO CONSIDER "COIN" FACTOR



As the powers-that-be in college football begin to explore possible alternatives to the Bowl Championship Series, there's an important factor that needs to be considered.



Come January, the draft eligible players on many teams no longer give a crap about playing for free.



Case in point, an NFL source tells us that several of the Oklahoma Sooners stars who'll be drafted in April spent more time in the run up to the Orange Bowl talking not about getting ready for USC, but about the car that their agents will be hooking them up with in the near future.



Several of the players also were concerned about being injured in the final game of the college careers, which might have had something to do with that 55-19 ass-blasting that USC systematically administered to OU.



So if it's hard to get players to focus on one game played at the outset of the calendar year in which they'll get enter the NFL, imagine how hard it'll be to get these guys focused on playing another game or two in later in the month of January.



Good luck, NCAA, for coming up with a plan to inject some/any credibility back into a horribly broken and unfulfilling college football system. Once upon a time, the college game was the real thing and the NFL was regarded as something akin to pro wrestling and tractor pulls. Now, the college game is becoming an out-and-out joke as the pro version continues to strengthen its status as America's true pastime.

[ALinChainz]

by http://www.profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio



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POSTED 9:40 a.m. EST, January 8, 2005



SAVAGE WANTED NEWSOME MONEY?



In the aftermath of the Browns' hiring of former Ravens director of player personnel Phil Savage, we're hearing that the day-long negotiations prior to the announcement of the deal resulted from the fact that Savage wanted to be paid like Ravens G.M. Ozzie Newsome.



The Browns declined, explaining that Savage, 39, is a first-time G.M. and should be paid accordingly.



Savage also wanted, we're told, exclusive authority over the selection of the next head coach. Instead, he was told that he'll have input in the hire, but not the final word.



BELICHICK HELPING SABAN?



Word around the league is that Patriots coach Bill Belichick is helping protege' Nick Saban in his efforts to find Saban's version of Pats V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli.



Belichick, like Saban, has the final say on personnel matters, but relies heavily on Pioli's recommendations. Saban wants to create the same kind of dynamic -- which has contributed directly to two Super Bowl wins in three seasons and a 14-2 record this year -- in Miami.



Though we've got a ton of respect for Belichick, we're a little troubled by the notion (if, indeed, it's true) that he'd be helping out a guy who coaches a team in the same division as the Patriots. Every successful head coach wants to build his legacy via the growth of a so-called coaching tree, but when one of the branches is in position to sprout into a place where the sun doesn't shine, we'd be reluctant to feed and water it.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



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POSTED 8:35 a.m. EST, January 10, 2005



VIKES PURGE WILL WAIT A WEEK



With the Minnesota Vikings scoring an improbable 31-17 road win at Lambeau on Sunday against the Packers, the Punks in Purple merely have delayed the inevitable -- a blowout loss to end their underachieving season.



Because, eventually, the Vikings will become satisfied with their achievements and revert to the same form that caused them to lose as many games as they won during the regular season.



So they beat a team on Sunday they know better than any other. Big deal. The Packers aren't quite the squad they were when they went to back-to-back Super Bowls.



Next up for the Vikings is the best team in the conference, even without receiver Terrell Owens. Given the way that Randy Moss was hobbling during and after the win over Green Bay, there's a good chance that each team with be without its loudmouthed, don't-get-it-and-never-will deep threat.



The question, then, is merely whether the difference between the Philly offense and the Minny defense is greater than the difference between the Vikings "O" and Eagles "D."



The answer? Yes. By at least 10 points.



Sure, the Vikings didn't get blown off the field on September 20 at the Linc. But they stunk inside the red zone, and were unable to score enough points against arguably the best defense in the league.



Even though it will be all hugs and kisses and poofed-out 'fros in the Land of 10,000 Lakes this week, and just as the faithful will begin to think they can win a road playoff game against the NFC East champions (see January 2001), it'll all be over come January 16, when the Team of 10,000 Fakes shows its true colors once again.



And when it ends, the changes will still be a-plenty. Because even though the Vikings got a postseason win against a bitter rival, there's still a long way for this team to go before it can challenge for supremacy of the conference.



What's that, you say? What if the Vikings beat the Eagles? Unlikely as it would, it would only mean that the blowout would come the following week at Atlanta or St. Louis, or two weeks later on sports' biggest stage.



Most Vikings fans, still smarting from those four Super Bowl losses in the 1970s, don't want their team to make it back to the championship game unless and until they're clearly good enough to win it. If the Vikings should defy logic, odds, and their own nature to make it to the Super Bowl, this isn't the year to replace the goose egg with a "1". Because if -- if -- the Vikings make it, the safe bet for the Super Bowl will be the AFC representative, minus 21 points.



MUCH ADO ABOUT MOSS'S MOON



Could someone, anyone please 'splain to us the brouhaha that has erupted over Randy Moss' faux mooning of the folks in the end zone seats at the place which should be known from this day forward as Lambutt Field?



Frankly, we were shocked by Joe Buck's holier-than-thou reaction to the move, and in hindsight (pun intended) we think Buck believed that Moss actually dropped trou and gave the Cheeseheads a glimpse at what Randy had eaten on Friday night.



(It's ironic, of course, that Buck would have anything negative to say about Moss' antics after coming off as a flaming metrosexual -- at best -- in those Budweiser ads with the fictional

football turd "Leon".)



In our view, the moon move was no big deal. And as the loyal readers of this here site know, we rarely have defended the aforementioned Mr. Moss. He didn't actually show his butt, and he didn't wave to the crowd with one finger a la Jake the Fake.



Given that Moss was hounded relentlessly by the Lambutt faithful prior to and during the game for Moss' ill-advised early exit from FedEx Field one week prior, his reaction was relatively mild, especially in comparison to some of the slurs and obscenities that surely were hurled his way.



Still, the NFL likely will slap Moss with a five-figure fine, fueled by the fact that the media (starting with Mr. Buck) has been crying incessantly about the routine. And, actually, that might be a good thing for Moss and the Vikings, since Randy needs to have that oversized chip on his shoulder in order to coax from himself the highest levels of performance.



Now that Moss has raised (or, in the view of some, lowered) the bar for touchdown celebrations, here's a quick list of the touchdown celebrations that might happen in the future as NFL players continue to try to show each other up:



1. Player holds ball behind his back, grunts audibly, and then slowly lowers ball until dropping it onto the ground.



2. Player gets on all fours and raises leg at goalpost.



3. Player actually moons crowd.



4. Player grabs female fan out of stands and they tango on the field.



5. Player actually poops on the field.



6. Player leaps into seats, climbs over rail, and actually leaves building.



7. Player actually pees on field.



8. Player grabs female fan out of the stands and they tango on the field . . . and then dance.



MORE BUTT SMOOCHING FOR BRETT



On a day when the media's venom primarily, if not exclusively, has been directed at Vikings receiver Randy Moss, we continue to be amazed by the failure of the guys on Fox -- or anyone else, for that matter -- to call it like it be when it comes to Brett Favre's performance on Sunday.



As we suggested right here on Sunday afternoon, the Vikes would have a chance to win if they put bodies on Brett. They did.



He got rattled. When rattled, he started throwing the ball to the guys in the white shirts.



Four picks. A fifth one (which actually looked like a clean catch and then a fumble) was dropped.



Yet even with those four picks, the play that made Favre look at once like a greenhorn and an old man was his second-quarter scramble toward the goal line. At first, it looked like Favre easily would get a first down on the Minnesota two. But as the Vikings defenders quickly converged on Favre and his 35-year-old wheels, he realized that there was only one was to get to the sticks -- by giving up his body and diving for the yellow line.



He didn't.



And lest there be any confusion, Brett Favre at 35 declined the opportunity to show the same heart as John Elway at 37, when in an effort to get a first down he took the hit and got spun against Favre's Packers in a postseason game that a few of you might recall.


Favre, in contrast, relied on a sandlot-style, no-look, please-don't-hurt-me underhand flip into an area where players from both teams were standing. Although Packers receiver Javon Walker caught the ball, the whole thing could have turned even uglier if a fleet-footed Viking had nabbed the ball and headed the other way.



So was Favre properly criticized for this bone-headed, pussy-footed move? Hell, no. Sure, the guys on Fox yukked it up about the whole thing, and Cris Collinsworth was tempted to show off his come-and-go Cosellian tendencies -- but Cris stopped short.



We won't. If this is the kind of crap that the great and powerful Favre is going to pull in a playoff game against the Packers' arch-rivals in their first meeting ever in the postseason, then it is time for Brett to call it a career.



Period.



POSTED 1:05 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 2:28 p.m. EST, January 9, 2005



SAINTS STILL HAVE "NO CLUE"



Our network of league insiders is sounding off regarding the recent announcement that Saints coach Jim Haslett will be getting a contract extension on a deal with two remaining seasons.



"They still have no f--king clue," said one personnel exec. "What a f--king stupid ass decision."



Please, fella. Don't mince words.



While there's no quarrel with the decision not to fire Haslett, the notion of adding more years to his contract is the catalyst for the criticism.



"Why give him an extension now?" said another insider. "Because he won a few games at the ends of the season in the sh-tty NFC?"



We don't know what owner Tom Benson is trying to prove with this one, and we're not sure he does, either. Maybe Benson is merely hoping to find out whether Haslett is interested in being the head coach for the long haul, given the five-year coach's recent comments regarding criticism leveled against the team by Benson and General Manager a/k/a Glorified Bean Counter Mickey Loomis earlier in the season.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



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POSTED 6:54 a.m. EST, January 11, 2005



VANDERJAGT RUNS HIS MOUTH, AGAIN



Maybe Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt really has lost his mind. Or maybe he's hoping to get run out of Indy after the season -- possibly with an eye toward getting signed by the Patriots if/when their kicker, Adam Vinatieri, leaves via free agency.



Regardless of the motivation, Vanderjagt is running his mouth in advance of the Colts' looming showdown with New England, and he's playing right into the Pats' hands.



"I think they're not as good as the beginning of the year, not as good as last year. And I think they're beatable,'' Vanderjagt said in reference to the Patriots on Indianapolis television Sunday night, according to the Boston Herald. "We have to play well. There's no question about that. But I think we're going to come back [to Indianapolis] Sunday night going to the AFC title game.



"I think they're ripe for the picking,'' he added.



On Monday, Vanderjagt's comments drew a response.



"We don't really care about the guarantees and the stuff they're saying," said linebacker Willie McGinest. "They have a right to be confident. They're playing really good ball. We have all the respect for them in the world. It's going to be a dogfight."



Said linebacker Tedy Bruschi: "You're asking me to comment on what a kicker said? It doesn't really concern me. OK?"

"We're the underdogs,'' McGinest also said. "And that's a great feeling, because nothing else matters. None of the Super Bowls matter. We're going into a fresh new playoff scenario where we're the underdogs. That's great. We love it. It just makes guys around here hungry to come out hard."



With the Pats installed as two-point favorites, it might be hard for some to agree with McGinest's assessment. Considering, however, the fact that home field usually is worth three points in the eyes of the boys in Vegas, New England giving the Colts only two points at home suggests that, on a neutral site, Indy would be a one-point favorite.



And that really wouldn't be a stretch. The Colts, after all, outplayed the Pats on the opening night of the regular season -- they just didn't outscore them. Given the injuries that New England has sustained this year, primarily in the secondary, and based on Peyton Manning setting the record for touchdown passes and shattering the single-season passer rating mark, it's easy for an outsider to believe that it's the Colts' year.



But if guys like Vanderjagt continue to chirp, the Pats will indeed use those words as fuel to overcome adversity, which marked their run to the Super Bowl championship three seasons ago, capped by improbable wins over the Steelers and the Rams.


Our guess is that Colts coach Tony Dungy will slap a muzzle on Vanderjagt, pronto. Still, it's possible that this liquored-up kicker, as Manning called him two years ago, already has said too much.



MORE AGENT DIRTY TRICKS



As the agent recruiting wars continue, we're hearing that some agents tell incoming rookies and their families that teams actually rely upon the advice of agents when selecting players in the draft, and that the parents of these kids usually believe it.



This device primarily is used by agents who are trying to wrest away from the clutches of a rival agent a player at the same position as another guy already signed by the rival agent. The agents explain to the parents that having two players at the same position is a "conflict of interest" for the rival agent, since he now has to choose one of them to recommend to a given team.



For all the kids out there -- and their parents -- who are being fed this line of crap, listen close: You're being played.



As confirmation, we asked several of our team sources for their thoughts on the matter on Monday. And we received prompt, unequivocal replies.



Said one personnel exec: "The only guys that work with teams and 'rely' on agent advice are guys that are: (1) unemployed; (2) about to be unemployed; (3) guys that have absolutely no say in the decision-making process."


Added another: "Agents . . . do not know the whole picture of a team. . . . [T]o have them say they are making selections for teams is unimaginable. Everyone wants to have power and I guess any lie will do to get a client. . . . [A]ny parent of a draftable player should find a new agent if the one they are talking to says he or she can get a player drafted to a specific team and a specific round."



A third team source was even more blunt regarding the lack of agent influence on draft decisions, and regarding the real relationship between teams and agents:



"Anyone who thinks that agents have absolutely any role in the NFL selection process ought to have their heads examined. The fact is, agents are the NFL version of lepers. We don’t want them around, we don’t want to talk with them, we don’t want to see them, and we don’t want them involved. . . . Personally, I won’t even talk with agents until after the draft when we are trying to sign undrafted free-agents. With the exception of a scant few agents who actually played the game of football at a competitive level, most are totally ignorant as to a player’s physical ability.



"In reality, most (certainly not all) drafted and undrafted players could negotiate their own deals. In today’s 'cap environment,' there is very little 'wiggle room' as to how much of a signing bonus a player is going to get. Virtually everything is 'slotted' anyways. The agent is a classic example of 'someone who has been able to get something from nothing.' Clearly, there are a few good agents who know what they are doing and have their clients best interests in mind. There aren’t enough. "



Although we don't necessarily agree with the idea that agents generally have nothing to add in a cap-driven era, the comments shows that teams generally have hostility and contempt for agents. Agents, after all, make it harder and more expensive for teams to sign players.



Still, every player should beware anyone who says that agents have a role in the selection of players.



The only exception, of course, is that some agents will cause the team to think twice before drafting a player, as the Redskins reportedly did when the time came to choose between safety Sean Taylor and tight end Kellen Winslow, who is represented by the notorious Poston brothers.



So while having a certain agent might cause your kid to get passed over when it counts, there's no agent out there who can control in any way where the player will be selected.



POSTED 8:57 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:00 a.m. EST, January 10, 2005



DUNGY DRAWS MORE CRITICISM



Folks around the league privately are blasting Colts coach Tony Dungy for sharing his two cents regarding Randy Moss' Sunday evening goal post faux mooning of the Lambeau faithful.



"It's not the kind of thing you want to see on national TV," Dungy said on Monday in reference to the Moss mooning, "but I understand what it was all about.



"Anyone who has played in the NFC Central knows what that's about. The fans in Green Bay have a tradition in the parking lot after the game where they moon the visiting team's bus," he said. "It's kind of a unique send-off.



"I had seen it seven times because when I was with the Vikings, we lost to them seven times up there."



(Actually, Dungy was only with the Vikings for four seasons, from 1992 through 1995. And during that span Minnesota was 2-2 at Green Bay. As one high-level NFC exec pointed out to us on Tuesday morning, Dungy picked up six more as the coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs from 1996 through 2001.)



Said one personnel exec regarding Dungy's decision to 'splain away Moss' behavior. "Has he lost his mind? Why is it every time there is an incident involving a black player -- Moss, the [Terrell] Owens thing -- [Dungy] has to chime in with some stupid comment. It usually sounds like he is Jesse Jackosn. So stick to football, or get the f--k out and hang out in Congress or something."



FANS WEARY OF FAVRE FRENZY?



In response to our piece from Monday morning regarding the media's ongoing love affair with Packers quarterback Brett Favre, we received more than a few e-mails agreeing with us.



And none -- as in not one -- calling us out for questioning Favre's play on Sunday and/or the media's failure to criticize him.



Here's a sampling of the comments:



" . . . even the ever faithful cheeseheads have had it with the Farve lovefest. Has anyone ever asked Farve if he is embarrassed by all the fuss? I’m certainly embarrassed for him."



"Chris Berman can kiss my ass. Favre is 'still having
fun' on the field a.k.a. 'going senile."



"I’m happy that someone in the media (yes, I consider you media) has realized that Brett Favre is not the greatest thing since JC walked on water."



"Brett Favre has jumped the shark."



"I can pinpoint the fall of the 'Great One' to the phony sack stunt that he pulled with Michael Strahan. By perpetrating the most disgraceful act in the history of the league, and showing contempt for the history and records of the NFL, Brett Favre's mojo is gone."



"I couldn't wait to read your site this morning to see what you had to say about Favre and the way the networks kiss his behind so badly."



"Nice article on Brett Favre . . . as a huge Packer fan, I couldn't agree more. I am tired of the free pass that he seems to get as well. His last five playoff games?


1. [Minnesota]: 4 picks, lose at home to 8-8 team;


2. Philly: horrible pick in OT to cost us the game;



3. Seattle: his one solid game;


4. Falcons: 2 picks, lose by 10 at home;


5. Rams: NFL playoff record 6 picks."



Amen, all. Maybe the media finally will figure out that someone's likeability factor doesn't merit unwarranted praise and/or looking the other way when he's falling on his face.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 9:08 a.m. EST, January 12, 2004



ABRAHAM WANTS HIS LINCOLNS



Folks around the league are heaping criticism on Jets' defensive end John Abraham, whom many believe is refusing to play on a mildly injured knee because a serious aggravation of the injury could jeopardize his coming pay day in free agency.



The Jets are giving Abraham the kid glove treatment on this one, since they very much want to keep him beyond the 2004 season. They've supposedly offered him $16 million to sign.



But in the opinion of various league insiders, Abraham should "take off his thong and play," regardless of the fact that he'll be a free agent. The Jets already have upset the Chargers, and they could shock the football world by beating the Steelers at Heinz Field, where Gang Green played admirably well in a December defeat.



In our view, the situation highlights the importance of giving players meaningful compensation for postseason play. For most, the playoff share pales in comparison to their regular paychecks, which by the way stop flowing after Week Seventeen. Sure, the money teams earn during the postseason is factored into the salary cap, but we think players need more obvious and immediate financial incentive in order to ensure that they'll give their all during the postseason -- especially as to guys who have free agency on the horizon.



Then again, nothing prevents the Jets from getting him signed. The problem, however, is that Abraham and his agents will use the team's desire to get him on the field as leverage, driving the defensive end's price up even higher.



HARRINGTON DONE IN DETROIT?



Tom Kowalski of MLive.com reports that the Detroit Lions are considering releasing quarterback Joey Harrington in lieu of paying him a $3 million roster bonus and a $5 million salary in 2005.



"That decision hasn't been made yet," a Lions source told Kowalski. "We're looking at all the options."



Per Kowalski, Lions president Matt Millen wants to bring Harrington back for a fourth season, but the coaching staff wants to let him go. Former offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis, who "retired" last week, wrote in letters to Millen, owner William Clay Ford, and vice chairman Bill Ford, Jr. that the Lions would never win with Harrington at quarterback.



Cutting Harrington now would result in a cap hit of $5.5 million.



If Harrington goes, backup Mike McMahon (an unrestricted free agent) likely isn't a candidate to replace Harrington as the starter.



Our guess is that coach Steve Mariucci would look to former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia, who likely won't survive in Cleveland after his only season there. Beyond Garcia, Mooch might try to land 49ers starter/backup/starter Tim Rattay -- or the Lions could look for a veteran free agent, such as Kurt Warner or Brad Johnson.



We doubt that Millen and Mooch will try to draft for a starter, primarily because there will be extra pressure on the team to turn it around in 2005, with the Super Bowl played on their home field. They've got the horses at the skill positions to score points; with the emergence of Kevin Jones, a superstar quarterback isn't necessary.



But a solid contributor could be enough to turn this perennial pussycat into the king of the jungle.



BIG SHOW STAYING PUT



In a move nothing short of stunning given rampant reports that coach Mike Holmgren wanted out of Seattle and that team president Bob Whitsitt and G.M. Bob Ferguson were poised to pop the corks once Big Show walked, it turns out that Holmgren will return to Seattle for a seventh season.



Holmgren also served as head coach for seven years in Green Bay, to much different results.



"I want to coach here, and I really love our team," Holmgren said Tuesday. "But to say it didn't cross my mind just to ride off into the sunset, I'd be lying to you."



Actually, word was that Holmgren wanted to slide south to San Fran, taking over the team where he served as offensive coordinator before getting hired by the Packers in 1992.



Whitsitt almost decided not to make the announcement that Holmgren would be back. "I announce if we're making changes, but I don't feel you announce we're not. I do think Mike is a good coach, I really do. And I think he can get us there. I still believe he can get us to the mountain top." (And if Whitsitt continues to say it, eventually he might begin to genuinely believe it.)



Beyond Holmgren, it's not clear who else will be back. The Seahawks have failed to lock up any of the 16 players who'll become free agents, including running back Shaun Alexander, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, and left tackle Walter Jones.



They also have to decide whether to keep 2001 first-round turd Koren Robinson.



On defense, the team sunk to No. 26 overall, creating speculation that coordinator Ray Rhodes will get run.



In our view, Holmgren's ultimate decision not to pursue opportunities in San Francisco likely resulted from Holmgren's realization that he can't co-exist with owner John York and his cabal of know-it-all football neophytes.



BASIS OF HERM, HARRIS FLAP REVEALED



No need for a drum roll on this one. Word out of New York is that, as most have concluded, the Saturday night sideline flap between Jets head coach Herm Edwards and running backs coach Bishop Harris resulted from a dispute over the amount of time that backup LaMont Jordan was receiving in the contest against the Chargers.



Edwards, we're told, wanted to see more of Jordan. Harris, we're told, wanted to stick with starter Curtis Martin.



On Tuesday, Edwards apologized to the team for getting into a shouting match with Harris during the eventual win over San Diego.



"The head coach is supposed to keep his composure," Edwards said. "He tells his players that all the time. That's one thing I preach to our football team. When I don't keep my composure, it's not good for the football team. It's not good for football."



Edwards has declined to comment on the reason for the blow-up with Bishop. Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News reasoned earlier this week that, if the squabble between the two coaches was the result of the split between playing time at the running back position, the real target of Edwards' anger likely was offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who makes those decisions and relays the information to Harris, who then tells which of his backs to get into the game.



Hackett is thought to be in danger of getting fired, but he acquitted himself well against the Chargers.



"I thought he did a good job," Edwards said regarding Hackett's performance. "He mixed it up. He got the players involved. That was the whole key, to get the players involved early, the guys that can make plays. . . . He (also) created formations that gave them problems."



WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Jets coach Herm Edwards confirmed on Tuesday that Packers fans have a tradition of showing their backsides to the losing team; "They gave you a brat and a moon," Edwards said.



Former Vikings WR Cris Carter also took up for Randy Moss' faux moon, reiterating that it was a response to the Cheeseheads' bare asses.



Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will donate his $18,000 game check from Saturday's game against the Jets to the tsunami relief fund.



Former Packers G.M. Ron "I Continue To Give Interviews So No One Will Forget About The Fact That I Single-Handedly Resurrected This Franchise" Wolf says that he wouldn't change the responsibilities of coach/G.M. Mike Sherman.



USC QB Matt Leinart says he's still undecided about whether to give up his final year of eligibility and join the NFL; we've previously reported that he's coming out, and hiring agent Leigh Steinberg.



The Steelers are using the comments of Jets DE Shaun Ellis following the team's regular season contest as motivation for the rematch; said Ellis at the time, "If we come back again, we'll beat them. I honestly believe that with all my might."



Vikings RB Moe Williams likely will miss Sunday's game against the Eagles with a sprained ankle.



Texans defensive line coach Todd Grantham says he's interested in joining former boss Nick Saban as defensive coordinator in Miami; the Palm Beach Post reports it's a done deal.



An arbitrator on Tuesday heard arguments in the grievance filed by former Denver d-backs coach David Gibbs against the Broncos regarding the length of his contract.



Jets G.M. Terry Bradway says he regrets letting LB James Farrior get away via free agency (would Terry be so candid if he didn't already have his contract extension?).



As one of our sources predicted over the weekend, Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will interview for the 49ers head coaching job -- and don't be surprised if Schwartz gets the job.