The Rumor Mill

[Troy]

Do you think if the Seahawks get Henry, they'll let Alexander walk?

[ALinChainz]

Man, I don't know.

Just letting him walk wouldn't seem feasible, you would almost have to get something for him.

Wasn't much of a market for him or Edge during the off season and draft.

A lot of teams hate to give up a 3rd rounder or up because 90% of NFL starters come in those rounds.

They played the franchise game with Walter Jones forever too.

[Troy]

Maybe the Hawks thought they could get away with Walter Jones because the Rams were dragging their feet with Orlando Pace. It seems that the Hawks think Alexander is serious.

That's a lot of money to refuse even though it's for one year. Nobody is interested in him, he's got to know that.

[ALinChainz]

And the guy has like 70 TDs over the last 4 seasons.

But he is up there in age for a RB to be getting the length of contract he wants.

And the "Holmgren stabbed me in the back" bullshit did not help him whatsoever.

I bet they're using Henry as leverage, they don't really want to move him, but Henry would be a nice and cheaper alternative.

Plays hurt also.

[Troy]

Henry will always be a stud in my book, Playing with a broken fibula and ribs... Damn.

[ALinChainz]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 8:51 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2005



MEATHEAD GETTING MORE JUICE?



Given that the Vikings won't bring back Paul Wiggin as the director of pro scouting and also won't name a replacement in the near future, league insiders predict that coach Mike Tice will emerge with greater control over personnel.



And that's not, in the view of some league insiders, a good thing.



Technically, V.P. of football operations Rob Brzezinski will assume responsibility for managing the pro personnel department, but Brzezinski says that the duties previously performed by Wiggin will be spread around.



Sure, some of those duties will still be performed by Wiggin in his new role as senior consultant/pro personnel. But a certain guy with a head made of meat also stands to inherit some of the juice.



There also is criticism of the decision to give more power over personnel to Brzezinski, a cap guy who isn't generally regarded as an expert in spotting talent. As one league insider explained, the Jets made a similar move several years back by giving cap guy Mike Tannenbaum greater personnel authority. "It never works out for the good," said the source.



The one good thing for the Vikings is that the roster basically is set for 2005, with some decisions to be made on the back end of the 53. The bad thing for the organization is that, by not bringing in a guy like Rick Spielman to take over Wiggin's gig, new owner Zygi Wilf will have one less in-house option to turn to if he decides to clean house after 2005.



And, of course, that's probably one of the big reasons why Brzezinski opted not to bring in someone else.



HEAP NOT READY FOR OPENER?



A league source tells us that Ravens tight end Todd Heap is "still injured" and might not be 100 percent when the season opens on September 11.



"Why in the f--k did they give him all that coin?" asked one league insider.



Good question, we say. There was no reason to rush to pay Heap, who was still under contract for one more year. The team could have explained that the organization wants to be sure that Heap is healthy and able to contribute before turning over a check with more zeroes than the front row of an Englebert Humperdink concert.



KEY DATE COMING FOR KELLNIEVEL



In two days, the Cleveland Browns are due to pay tight end Kellen Winslow another $2 million installment on his initial signing bonus.



In theory, Winslow owes the Browns more than $9 million in signing and option bonus money given his early May mishap on the back of a crotch rocket.



Published reports have indicated that the Browns will try to recoup up to $5 million from Winslow. Along these lines, not paying it over at all is a lot more effective than turning it over and trying to get it back.



Our guess, then, is that if the Browns are serious about recovering a significant chunk of change from Winslow, the team won't pay the money on Friday.



The Browns also owe Winslow $950,000 in signing bonus money on December 15, 2005, and an option bonus payment of $2,412,500 on July 15, 2006.



The total still owed to Winslow by the Browns is $5.3625 million. If we were calling the shots in Cleveland (and we couldn't have done any worse than the Bozos who have bungled the thing since 1999), we'd send a letter to Winslow (small words, big letters) 'splaining that we don't intend to pay him another dime of bonus money -- and that if he tries to fight us on this, we'll go after the full $9 million-plus to which we're entitled under the plain terms of the deal.



TAYLOR TO STAND TRIAL



To no surprise, Redskins safety Sean Taylor rejected a plea deal that would have involved a jail term of three years.



To some surprise, Taylor's co-defendant told the prosecution to get bent in response to an offer that would have enabled Charles Edward Caughman to plead guilty to a lesser charge and testify for the prosecution against Taylor.



"We're steadfast on Charles' innocence," said Caughman's lawyer, Evan Hoffmann. "Charles is a pawn that the state has been trying to use to get the top dog in this case, which is Sean. The state pursued the most severe charge possible in hopes of getting Charles to plead to a lesser charge. That didn't happen. Now that we've seen the state's cards, it will be interesting to see where its case goes from here."



The cases against Taylor and Caughman could now be consolidated for trial, which would bump Taylor's September 12 date to October 3, the day on which Caughman's trial is scheduled to begin. Taylor's lawyer is expected to request that the trial be postponed until the end of the 2005 season.



ARRINGTON GRIEVANCE BUMPED, AGAIN



The contract was signed in December 2003. The grievance was filed in early 2004.



The issue still hasn't been resolved.



What the hell is going on?



According to The Washington Post, an arbitration hearing set for July 18 in connection with LaVar Arrington's claim that the Redskins withheld from his December 2003 contract extension a $6.5 million roster bonus due in 2006 has been postponed.



Again.



NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw wants to get the matter resolved via negotiation. The team prefers to resolve it through the normal channels.



"I heard about the request for postponement and was disappointed," said Redskins director of football administration Eric Schaffer. "While we agreed to the postponement I think it is very important to finalize through arbitration that the Redskins did nothing wrong to our highest-paid player. I also feel strongly that the business ethics of the agent should be questioned and looked into."



Amen, Eric.



The heart of the claim is that the final draft of the contract, which neither player nor agent read, contained one $6.5 million roster bonus in 2006 -- and should have contained another one.



The 'Skins have been confident from day one regarding their ability to show that they never promised Arrington $13 million in roster bonus money for 2006. Unlike signing boni, which are spread over a given number of years under the salary cap, a team takes the full hit of a roster bonus in the year in which it is earned. Thus, if Arrington's camp is right on this one, his cap number in 2005 would be well in excess of $15 million.



Even without an extra $6.5 million in cap pie on his plate in 2006, our guess is that the 'Skins will cut the cord on Arrington come next year, especially if he continues to be hampered by a knee problem that essentially washed out his entire 2004 season.



So even if Arrington wins the grievance, he gains as a practical matter nothing.



NBC LANDS COLLINSWORTH, WOOS MICHAELS



Former Bengals receiver Chris Collinsworth will be leaving FOX for the NBC Sunday night NFL broadcast, according to The New York Post. He most likely will be partnered with Bob Costas on the network's studio show.



Collinsworth's move apparently was fueled in part by the fact that NBC hosts the 2008 Olympics. He served as NBC's track reporter for the 1996 games in Atlanta.



Meanwhile, NBC is talking to Al Michaels about joining current MNF booth mate John Madden on the Sunday night broadcasts. Although we've heard from industry sources that there's a mutual hatred between ESPN and Michaels, ESPN reportedly is in the mix for his services on Monday nights beginning in 2006. Per The Post, ESPN is offering more money and the use of a private jet, one of Al's current perks with ABC.



WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



The Seahawks could turn to Travis Henry as insurance against a lengthy contract dispute with Shaun Alexander.



The NFL has suspended Chiefs CB Eric Warfield for four games due to a 2004 DUI thing (his spot in the starting lineup across from Patrick Surtain likely will be filled by Ashley Am-burned).



Supplemental draft candidate Manuel Wright was arrested in 2003 on weapons charges; "All teams know about it and it's a non-factor," said agent Peter Schaffer.



There's a "50-50" chance that the Broncos will trade one of their turds to the Niners.



LB Dick Butkus is moving to the 'Burgh to serve as an assistant coach on a high school team for an ESPN reality show.



When it comes to conjuring ideas for putting asses in the seats of AllTel Stadium, there's a fine line between suggestions that represent outside-the-box thinking -- and ideas that are just plain stupid, childish, and/or gay (not that there's anything wrong with that).



The Titans have offered a contract to AFL DL Joe Minucci, who led the Nashville Kats in sacks last season (. . . with 1.5).



Cardinals LB Leon Joe was arrested on June 30 for carrying a pistol without a license.



Disgruntled Vikings CB Brian Williams, bumped from the starting lineup by Fred Smoot, will report to training camp.



Fins TE Randy McMichael will be fined or suspended if convicted of assaulting his wife.

[Katydid]

AL,
You just don't be coming over into MAX's cooking thread and casting dispursion on my good name.

Looks like you were mighty long winded in here tonight too.

You'd just best settle down, you're having too much fun.

[ALinChainz]

Quit stalking me you worthless skank.

Hike up the Depends and play in traffic.

But wait for a semi, anything smaller, the driver might get hurt running you down.

[ALinChainz]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 9:19 a.m. EDT, July 14, 2005



TEAMMATES TICKED AT McMICHAEL



When Ricky Williams makes his return later this month to the Dolphins, he likely won't be the locker room pariah.



That title, as we hear it, has been handed to tight end Randy McMichael, who recently was arrested for the second time in 13 months on charges of assaulting his wife.



McMichael's teammates rightfully are pissed at him. Apart from the fact that, you know, it's wrong to beat on your spouse, McMichael's antics provide an unwelcome distraction at a time when things generally are looking up for the franchise.



Word also is that McMichael and his wife are "always arguing," and that they "act like they're still in high school."



Look, we're firm believers in people honoring their marital vows, especially when children are involved. But if people just can't get along to the point that one of the parties to the marriage is driven to alleged criminal acts, we think folks strongly should consider going their separate ways.



Meanwhile, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that McMichael recently shared with incoming NFL players at the rookie symposium advice on how to avoid problems of this nature.



"He was telling us he was in a situation before where he was the one that called the police and he still ended up in jail," Dolphins rookie cornerback Travis Daniels told The Sun-Sentinel. "He said he and his wife worked out things and everything was better. We were clapping for him."



More recently, McMichael allegedly was clapping his hand against his wife's face.



Another strike against McMichael is that, per The Sun-Sentinel, McMichael is in the NFL's substance abuse program due to issues with alcohol.



TITANS TALK TOUGH ON PACMAN



On the same day that their first-round draft pick was arrested on charges of assault and vandalism, the Titans issued a strong statement regarding cornerback Pacman Jones, according to The Nashville Tennessean.

"Actions of this nature are disappointing and do not represent the values of this organization," the statement said in part. "Unfortunately we realize that some young players go through a maturing process to become professionals that includes decision-making, choosing friends, appropriate behavior, etc. Jones has not finished that maturing process, despite team and league efforts."

Whether, and when, Jones finishes that maturing process remains to be seen.



Even if they're privately exasperated by Jones' alleged antics, the Titans have invested plenty of "face" in Jones by making him the sixth overall pick in the April 2005 draft. Per The Tennessean, "[T]he Titans said their research of and interviews with Jones convinced them he would not bring any character issues to Nashville."



So either Jones became a potential turd after he was drafted . . . or the Titans allowed themselves to get buffaloed.



Meanwhile, Jones' agent pooh-poohs the arrest by suggesting that the person who filed charges against Jones is merely trying to make a buck.



"Regrettably, there are certain individuals out there who are opportunists who prey on professional athletes for financial gain, and unfortunately this is one of those incidents," said Michael Huyghue in a prepared statement.



All due respect to Huyghue, how in the hell does he know this? Was he there? Or is he merely accepting Jones' version of the events, which could be more than a little skewed?



Even if Jones isn't a criminal, he needs to stay away from situations in which supposedly phony accusations can be made. Sure, he's young and he wants to have fun by going out and spending some of the money that he has yet to earn (or even receive, which makes us wonder who's funding his partying).



But instead of trying to get his client to figure out how to avoid trouble spots, Huyghue obscures the real issue with nuggets of wisdom like, "If you string together a series of no-teeth incidents, it's just a series of no teeth incidents."



How about this one instead? "Where there's a lot of smoke, there's at least a little fire."



GUY WHO FILED CHARGES IS FRIEND OF MCNAIR



In one of the 87 articles in The Nashville Tennessean regarding the arrest of Pacman Jones, Paul Kuharsky makes an oh-by-the-way reference to the fact that Robert Gaddy, the guy who filed the charges against Jones, is "a longtime friend and business associate of Steve McNair," the veteran Tennessee quarterback and the 2003 NFL co-MVP.



Hello? Paul? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, Gaddy made a phone call to McNair before taking action? After all, McNair might understandably be upset with his "longtime friend and business associate" if he were to do something that might hurt the Titans organization.



So if the call was placed, a reasonable inference is that McNair told Gaddy to "go for it."



And if that's true, could it be that more than a few Titans already have concluded that Jones is a wild child who needs to get his wings clipped ASAFP?



Why else would Gaddy be saying that he merely wants to teach Jones "a lesson" -- and why would Gaddy be so careful to note that the situation started because Jones' friends were smoking marijuana in the club, but not Jones?



In our opinion, it's hard to imagine a guy hanging out with a bunch of dudes who are smoking grass and not taking a toke or two. Sure, Jones should steer clear of putting the pot in his piehole because he's subject to unannounced drug testing. (And, apparently, he's never heard that second-hand smoke could cause him to test positive.)



While we're engaged in full-out speculation, could it be that McNair's only request to his longtime friend and business associate was that he refrain from telling the fuzz that Pac was smoking, too?



This way, Jones gets a chance to accelerate the "maturing process" without facing serious consequences.



And if the "maturing process" isn't completed soon, serious consequences could be the next step.



ANOTHER RECENT PACMAN INCIDENT



As it turns out, Jones had another near-miss last month.



In June, a league source told us that there were rumors of an incident involving Pacman, a hotel room, marijuana, and the police -- and that the team had done its best to keep the incident under wraps.



After we heard this, we placed at least 10 different calls to authorities in Nashville in an effort to find out whether Jones had been arrested for marijuana possession. We learned that he hadn't, so we sat on the story.



So did the Nashville media. Until now. In an article summarizing Jones' history of off-field, no-teeth incidents, The Tennessean reports as follows:

"On the afternoon of June 8, 2005, security officials at the Regal Maxwell House hotel in Nashville were having trouble getting Lewis Kuffuor of Atlanta, age 21, and Leandre Washington, 25, of Morgantown, W. Va., to clear their room after checkout time had passed.

"When Metro Police arrived to investigate, they smelled marijuana and found some on a tabletop in the room.

"Jones was in the room with Kuffuor and Washington and was questioned. Kuffuor, however, took full responsibility for the evidence found and Jones told police in his statement that 'Lewis had the weed.' Kuffuor plead guilty to a misdemeanor possession charge on June 22."

If true, we can't imagine an example of greater stupidity and/or arrogance. Folks who smoke marijuana in hotel and/or dorm rooms usually take significant precautions to . . . conceal . . . their . . . activities.



Instead, Jones and Kuffour and Washington (who played football with Jones at West Virginia and was involved in Pacman's pool-cue incident) lapsed into a "Dave's not here" routine with the rent-a-cops, apparently too dumb (or perhaps high) to realize that, at some point, the cops would be coming.



And then, after the security guards banged on the door for a while and after the police showed up, the sh-t was still sitting on top of a table!



In hindsight, Playmakers really was unrealistic in its depiction of real life in the NFL. Based on incidents like this one, Playmakers didn't nearly go far enough.



THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Good news for Pats haters -- rumors of coach Bill Belichick's separation from his wife are true; bad news for Pats haters -- the separation occurred before the 2004 season, so it's not likely to be a distraction for him or the team in 2005.



LB Peter Boulware is holding a workout on Thursday in the hopes of finding another team who'll give him at least as much as the Ravens were willing to pay before he told them to take their $2 million in salary and $2 million in incentives and shove it . . . into someone else's pockets.



The Cincinnati Enquirer has a short blurb on the EA Quaterback Challenge that reads as if the thing hasn't already taken place (Jake Delhomme wins it, by the way).



The Broncos have shipped disappointing DB Willie Middlebrooks to the 49ers for DE John Engleberger; the Broncos now have a total of 16 defensive linemen on the roster.



The Browns have signed K Phil Dawson to a five-year, $7.1 million contract extension.



From the "Kellen Winslow Is Now Really Pissed Off" file, the Chargers will retire No. 19 in honor of '60s-era star Lance Alworth, joining Dan Fouts' No. 14 as the only two jerseys retired by the franchise.



The Packers still haven't gotten TE Bubba Franks under contract for 2005.



From the "Uncanny Mastery of the Obvious" file, Rick Braun of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says in a sub-headline to a piece regarding WR Javon Walker that a training camp holdout by the Pro Bowler "might be [a] distraction."



The Browns have signed sixth-round LB Nick Speegle.



Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News predicts that the Eagles won't draft DT Manuel Wright.



Packers DT Grady Jackson still doesn't realize that his recent salary advance prevents him from getting a new contract.



The Bears have signed seventh-round LB Rod Wilson.



Movie producer Steve Tisch, the son of co-owner Robert Tisch, is the new executive vice president of the Giants (and he's already offered QB Jared Lorenzen the lead role in the remake of The Blob).



POSTED 11:14 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2005



PACMAN GONE WILD



We've heard rumors for weeks about his life in the fast lane. And multiple league sources have been convinced that the wheels eventually will come off.



At a minimum, the lugnuts already are rattling.



According to WKRN-TV in Nashville, multiple warrants were issued Wednesday morning for the arrest of Titans first-rounder Pacman Jones, in connection with charges of vandalism and assault.



Per WKRN, the incident occurred after two of Pac's friends were asked to leave a Nashville nightclub for allegedly smoking marijuana. In the ensuing brouhaha, Jones allegedly assaulted both a bouncer and the general manger of the club.



"I hope he learns a lesson from this, I don't want nothing real bad to happen to him because of this. But, I'm doing this to teach him a lesson. And you just can't go around thinking you are above the law, and act a fool any way you want to act. There are rules and laws that govern this society, and he has to learn that he's not above the law," said the manager of the nightclub.



It's not the first time Jones has gotten into hot water at a watering hole. During his freshman season at West Virginia University, he cold-c**ked someone with a pool cue. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, and a civil lawsuit was filed against him. Shortly after the April 2005 draft, he allegedly busted a bottle over a woman's head at an Atlanta-area strip club. The alleged victim later withdrew the charges.



The Titans, in our opinion, need to write his contract with a firm eye on Pacman's apparent Jones for putting himself in compromising positions. Even if he's innocent of any wrongdoing this time around, he needs to stay away from places that lead to the kind of situations from which criminal charges arise.



Truth be told, if the Titans have heard half of the things that we've heard over the past couple of months on a Karl Rove double secret background basis, they'd be wise to not sign him at all. If, after all, the kid is destined to be a bust, it's better to declare him as such now -- and save the $10 million bucks or so that he'll command in boni as the sixth overall pick.



Sure, they'd take a huge hit in the media for punting on Pac. So the best course of action might be to offer on a "take-it-or-leave-it-basis" a contract that tilts heavily in the team's favor.



If he leaves it, then they leave him.

[ALinChainz]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 9:04 a.m. EDT, July 15, 2005



TITANS TO HOLD BACK MONEY ON PACMAN



Word around the league is that the Tennessee Titans plan to present a Lawrence Phillips-style contract offer to first-rounder Pacman Jones, due to a string of questionable incidents involving the sixth overall selection since he was drafted.



The Titans, we hear, will offer low bonus money and high incentives to Jones as a hedge against the further manifestation of character issues. Though the contract surely will contain clear language regarding the forfeiture of money paid if, for example, Jones is ultimately suspended by the league, the far safer course is to never have paid the money than to try to get it back.



Phillips, a top ten pick of the Rams in 1996, received no signing bonus. Jones likely will get something up front, but it won't be nearly as much as he expected. Given that, by all appearances, he's already living well beyond his means, Jones won't like the offer one bit -- and it could lead to an impasse that causes him to miss a big chunk of training camp.



As we've recently suggested, that might be the best outcome for the Titans. It'd require the powers-that-be to spend a couple of days at the pride buffet to part ways with Jones, but we think the team's best bet at this point is to not sign him at all.



The Titans insist that it conducted an appropriate background check on Jones, but we're now hearing that the team recognizes that, when Jones gets together with his friends from Atlanta, bad things can happen.



Meanwhile, Jones' involvement in two recent incidents involving a Mexican girl named Mary Jane could give the NFL cause to require Jones to submit to drug testing above and beyond the standard random selection protocol.



"A player who is involved in any type of incident involving drugs or alcohol can be evaluated and entered into the [testing] program," NFL spokesman Steve Alic told Paul Kuharsky of The Nashville Tennessean.



The NFL rightly should be troubled by news that, on June 8, Jones and Mary Jane were in the same hotel room. Pacman persuaded police who found it that the "weed" belonged to one of his friends.



And if the incident resulting in Jones' Wednesday arrest indeed were precipitated by the fact that his friends were openly smoking pot in a nightclub, it's not a huge leap of logic for the NFL to suspect that Jones has been inhaling -- directly or on a second-hand basis -- fumes that should not be in his body.



Finally, our buddy Howard Balzer of USA Today SportsWeekly tells us that Titans quarterback Steve McNair is a part owner of the club at which the Tuesday night melee occurred. This news bolsters our belief (scroll down for more) that Robert Gaddy, the co-owner of the club, consulted with McNair before filing charges against Jones.



'BOYS HAPPY TO GIVE HUNTER THE HEAVE HO



A league source tells us that the Dallas Cowboys were happy to get rid of cornerback Pete Hunter, who was traded to the Jets for a sixth-round pick that could improve to a five based on his performance.



Apart from the fact that he's had a stick up his shoot for most of the offseason, word is that Hunter was repeatedly toasted during minicamps and involuntary voluntary workouts. There's also a concern that weightlifting in the offseason left him too muscular and, consequently, too stiff.



The 'Boys acquired Hunter in the fifth round of the 2002 draft. He signed a one-year restricted free agent tender for $665,000 after missing most of the 2004 season with a torn ACL. Per The Dallas Morning News, he became upset when the team signed Anthony Henry in March, and Hunter thereafter resisted moving to free safety.



Hunter, a starter at the outset of the 2004 season, fell even farther on the depth chart when the Cowboys added Aaron Glenn.



The Jets had a keen interest in Hunter because veteran cornerback Donnie Abraham finally has decided to retire after flip-flopping on the issue earlier in the offseason. Ray Mickens will give the first crack at replacing him in the starting lineup, and Hunter will now be in the mix.



Of course, Hunter could end up doing the depth chart free fall in New York, if the Jets are able to sign Ty Law, whom they'll now pursue more aggressively given Abraham's departure.



FRANCHISE MORATORIUM LIFTED



The calendar says it's July 15, which means that NFL teams can resume negotiations, after a four-month hiatus, on long-term deals with players wearing the franchise tag.



Technically, the player must sign his one-year franchise tender before inking a long-term deal.



This year's list of franchise players includes Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, Colts running back Edgerrin James, Jets defensive end John Abraham, Pats kicker Adam Vinatieri, Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson, 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson, Saints defensive end Darren Howard, Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon, Jaguars safety Donovin Darius, and Chargers quarterback Drew Brees.



The Rams designated tackle Orlando Pace as the team's franchise player for a third straight season, but the two sides worked out a long-term deal before the March 15 deadline. Likewise, the Bengals signed running back Rudi Johnson to a long-term contract after he signed the one-year tender offer.



FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



The Jags are close to acquiring RB Travis Henry from the Bills.



With two weeks left until they open training camp, the 49ers still haven't signed No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith.



Agent Drew Rosenhaus wants Packers QB Brett Favre to give him a call so that they can chat about the reasons for WR Javon Walker's offseason AWOL. ("Hello, Drew, this is Brett Favre. Javon needs to honor his contract. So does Grady Jackson. And Terrell Owens. Goodbye.")



Further confirming that LB Peter Boulware blew it when he refused a $2 million salary with up to $2 million in incentives from the Ravens, only four teams showed up for his workout on Thursday.



San Diego wants to host the NFL Draft in 2006 (Baghdad has a better chance of landing the event).



The Nicktator thinks he got a steal in Manuel Wright for only a fifth-rounder, especially since Wright now has a chip on his shoulder because he didn't go higher.



The Colts have signed WR Roscoe Crosby, who was passed over in the supplemental draft.



The Cowboys likely won't sign S Damien Robinson before training camp opens.



The Seahawks have signed seventh-round LB Cornelius Wortham.



The Titans have signed fifth-round RB Damien Nash.



The Packers have signed fifth-round CB Mike Hawkins.



Drew Rosenhaus tells The Rocky Mountain News that a trade of CB Willie Middlebrooks to the 49ers has not yet happened; ESPN.com reported more than a day ago that it's a done deal; The Denver Post reports that the deal will be announced on Friday.

[POJO_Risin]

Travis Henry to the Jags...good move for the Jags...makes fucking fantasy interesting though...doesn't it...lmfao...

and the Steelers are looking to "steal" Boulware...for minimal money...offering a chance to make Baltimore look realy bad...

they are still in the running for Ty Law as well...

[ALinChainz]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 10:39 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2005



RUMORS OF CHIEFS, LAW DEAL ARE BOGUS



We received several e-mails on Friday from readers in the Kansas City area regarding rumors of an impending deal between the Chiefs and free-agent cornerback Ty Law.



Specifically, a local radio station reportedly is reporting that the Chiefs and Law "have agreed in principle to a contract pending Law pass [sic] a physical showing that he is able to play on opening day" (whatever in the hell that means).



Wrong, says a source close to the action.



Per the source, the Chiefs and Law's agents "touch base periodically to see where he is in his rehab, etc., but there's been nothing more going on than that."


The Chiefs have signed Ashley Ambrose as a short-term replacement for Eric Warfield, who will serve a four-game suspension resulting from a 2004 DUI incident. When Warfield returns, Ambrose likely slides to the nickel back role in a defense that already includes cornerback Patrick Surtain.



According to the source, Law would land in Kansas City only if/when he abandons efforts for a long-term deal and opts to sign somewhere on a short-term basis for a shot at big money in 2006.



PACMAN COULD LAND IN "STAGE ONE"



In light of the reality that Pacman Jones has now publicly been linked to two situations within the past six weeks in which marijuana was being possessed and/or allegedly smoked by his "friends," Jones could find himself in "Stage One" of the NFL's substance abuse intervention program upon signing his rookie contract -- even without a positive test.



NFL spokesman Steve Alic explained to us on Friday that, although unsigned rookies are covered by the league's Personal Conduct Policy from the day that they are drafted, rookies are not subject to the Substance Abuse Policy until they sign a contract.



But once they sign, they can be placed into Stage One of the program based on past positive tests or other relevant behavior.



Unsigned rookies are required to submit to drug testing only at the Scouting Combine. Thereafter, there is no further testing until the player signs his deal. In theory, then, a player inclined to smoke a little weed doesn't need to go cold turkey until his name is scrawled at the bottom of his deal (assuming he cleans up in time for the announced test in February).



Still, the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy authorizes placement of a player into Stage One for activities other than a positive test. Specifically, a player can be placed into Stage One based on "Behavior, including but not limited to a substance abuse-related arrest, which, in the judgment of the Medical Director, exhibits physical, behavioral, or psychological signs or symptoms of substance abuse."



Though we're not doctors, it doesn't require a rocket surgeon to conclude that the body of Pacman's offseason escapades justify a finding that he has engaged in conduct exhibiting signs or symptoms of substance abuse. The league's Medical Director need not conclude, in other words, that there is fire -- only that there is smoke.



If a player is referred to Stage One based on behavior, he will be subject to an evaluation by the Medical Director, who will decide whether specific clinical intervention and/or treatment is required. If no clinical intervention and/or treatment is needed, the player is released from the program. If the player fails to cooperate with the evaluation process or fails to comply with the treatment plan, he is fined three game checks and transferred to Stage Two, where the obligations and potential penalties become far more intense.



And for any players out there who wonder based on Jones' situation whether merely hanging out with guys who are smoking pot can create potential problems, all players are responsible for the substances in their own bodies, even if marijuana metabolites genuinely are the result of second-hand smoke. Thus, a positive result arising from standing to close to a dude who's toking is still a positive result.



Finally, and as Steve Alic pointed out to us, the overriding purpose of the policy is to rehabilitate players who have a taste for illegal substances. Marijuana, for reasons still neither obvious nor apparent to us, is a common substance of choice for young athletes.



"[T]he goal and focus of the NFL's Substances of Abuse Policy," Alic said, "is to educate players and to rehabilitate those who need help. Discipline gets most of the headlines, but rehabilitation is the reason why our program exists."



CZARNECKI TAKES ON PIOLI



Last month, the President of Russia screwed Bob Kraft.



This month, the Czar stuck it to Scott Pioli.



On the same day that the Pats announced that their V.P. of player personnel has signed a contract extension, John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com posted an article suggesting that Pioli quietly has been campaigning for the Giants G.M. job.



Wrote Czarnecki: "[T]he word within the Mara family is that they suspect Pioli, the top personnel man of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, is actually campaigning through some New York and New England columnists and commentators for a position that really isn't available. . . ."



"[T]his is how men advance and get hired in the NFL. Football writers sing their praises and owners read and listen. It's a huge part of the process, maybe bigger than listening to a consulting team. Word of mouth has opened many a door in the NFL."




The threshold problem with this logic is that there's little or no evidence of articles from "New York and New England columnists and commentators" who have "sng the praises" of Pioli in an express or implied effort to place Pioli in New York.



We've looked for the articles, and we simply can't find them. The only item we tracked down was a March 2005 bottom-of-the-column prediction from Gary Myers of The New York Daily News that the Giants will hire Pioli as the team's General Manager after the April 2006 draft.



Other than that, the only thing we could find on point was our own story from February 27, which reported that the Giants were plotting a run at Pioli if current G.M. Ernie Accorsi retires after the 2005 season.



Far more effective than either of those articles, in our opinion, was the fact that the Seahawks offered Pioli $15 million over five years to take over their football operations -- and that Pioli instead opted to honor his less lucrative and powerful deal in New England.



And that's the biggest point Czar's article overlooks. A guy who walks away from $15 million and final say in order to play out the last year of a below-market deal in which, by all appearances, he's second fiddle at best to Bill Belichick isn't a guy who'll orchestrate a conspiracy to finagle for himself the very kind of opportunity that he already has rebuffed.



Sure, it could be argued that Pioli prefers the Giants gig to Seattle, regardless of the money. But even if Pioli would be inclined to entertain offers from the Giants, the notion that he's recruiting members of the media to pimp him simply doesn't fit with the objective evidence.



It's far more likely, in our view, that a person or persons within the Giants organization who have their eyes on Accorsi's job and/or authority and who perceive Pioli to be a threat are trying to discredit him by planting embellished (or, as the case may be, phony) notions that Pioli is pulling the strings of New York and Boston journalists to do his bidding.



Of course, the fact that Pioli has signed an extension with the Pats doesn't put the matter to rest. Unless and until he acquires "final say" authority in New England, the rules permit him to take a job elsewhere that would give him full power over the team's roster.



But based on Pioli's past words and actions, our guess is that, if Accorsi retires after the coming season and if the Giants come calling in January 2006, Pioli would politely decline.



POSTED 4:37 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 4:47 p.m. EDT, July 15, 2005



PATS INK PIOLI TO EXTENSION



A league source advises us that Patriots have signed V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli to an extension.



At this point, there are no details as to the terms of the deal. His prior contract was scheduled to expire in April 2006.



Thought to be a candidate for the G.M. job in Cleveland last December, Pioli removed his name from consideration and said he planned to fulfill his contract with the Patriots. He later turned down a $3 million per year offer from the Seahawks to remain in New England.



Since he likely will be one of the hottest commodities again in 2006, our guess is that Pioli had been paid fairly and handsomely for his efforts and his loyalty.



Still, our guess is that Pioli negotiated specific language permitting him to explore opportunities to take the reins of a football operation elsewhere, since he lacks the coveted "final say" authority in New England. Recently, there wee published reports indicating that Pats owner Bob Kraft has attempted to finagle a rule that would essentially permit him to tie Pioli to his position with the Patriots even though he does not have the last word on the roster.

[ALinChainz]

Titans | To Land Henry
Sat, 16 Jul 2005 09:35:14 -0700

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports the Tennessee Titans have reached agreement in principle on a trade to acquire Buffalo Bills RB Travis Henry and, barring unexpected complications, the deal will be announced early next week. Buffalo will receive a third-round choice in the 2006 draft. The paperwork for the trade, which is not contingent upon the Titans reaching a contract extension agreement with Henry, has already been forwarded to the league offices. "From what we've been told, Travis is headed to Tennessee," agent Hadley Engelhard said Saturday morning, July 16. "I don't know if Floyd (Reese, Titans general manager) will try to do an extension or not. We'll have to wait and see about that." The trade is also contingent on Henry passing a physical.


Jaguars | Offer Comes Too Late?
Sat, 16 Jul 2005 09:32:41 -0700

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports the Jacksonville Jaguars did indeed present the Buffalo Bills a trade offer for RB Travis Henry, but the offer did not come until Friday evening, July 15. The Jaguars also offered a third-round choice. The Jaguars had also completed one crucial element in a potential acquisition of Henry. ESPN.com confirmed that the Jaguars earlier this week reached agreement in principle with Henry on a multi-year contract extension. However, the Jaguars lagged in the second half of the equation, satisfying the price tag of Bills' general manager Tom Donahoe, who had all along been seeking a third-round draft pick in return for Henry. By the time Jacksonville finally made a proposal to Buffalo, the Bills were more inclined to accept the Tennessee Titans offer and thus Henry will wind up with the Titans.

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl

[POJO_Risin]

Wow...talk about no faith in fucking Kris Brown...interesting...very interesting...

[ALinChainz]

Buffalo probably got tired of waiting on J'ville to decide whether or not Fred Taylor was going to be healthy enough and make a decision.

It's obvious after all reports had Henry going to the Jags and now BOOM, the Titans.