The Rumor Mill

[ALinChainz]

He tweaked a groin ... and they think he might be nursing it a little long because he is listed as #5 on the Bronco depth chart.

Going to be an interesting pre-season for the Broncos at the RB spot.

[POJO_Risin]

I'd rather have more than less...

[ALinChainz]

The rumor is that he's pulling a T.O., that maybe they'll deal him somewhere he might have a better shot at beiong a starter.

The contract is incentive laden, but got to be on the field to make it happen.

[POJO_Risin]

I know he was whining and bitching about starting already...lmfao...

good start...

[POJO_Risin]

They aren't going to fucking deal him...he isn't worth shit...

[ALinChainz]

I doubt the Broncos will move them because it would be admitting they made a mistake drafting him. I don't know if they will try and IR him, that would shelve him for the season.

Trying to think of all the Denver backs ... Anderson, Bell, Dayne ... can't think of the other .... and then Clarett.

[ALinChainz]

Eagles | Davis on Their List
Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:42:42 -0700

Bob McGinn, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to trade for a wide receiver, and Cleveland Browns WR Andre' Davis could be one of their potential trade candidates. The Trenton (N.J.) Times reported Thursday, August 11, that the Eagles are looking into which wide receivers could be available and what it would take to acquire one. Philadelphia has a pair of extra fourth-round selections in the 2006 draft and leads the National Football League in available cap room at $10.916 million.



Eagles | Price on Their List
Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:40:32 -0700

Bob McGinn, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to trade for a wide receiver, and Atlanta Falcons WR Peerless Price could be one of their potential trade candidates. The Trenton (N.J.) Times reported Thursday, August 11, that the Eagles are looking into which wide receivers could be available and what it would take to acquire one. Philadelphia has a pair of extra fourth-round selections in the 2006 draft and leads the National Football League in available cap room at $10.916 million.


Eagles | Ferguson on Their List
Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:39:11 -0700

Bob McGinn, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to trade for a wide receiver, and Green Bay Packers WR Robert Ferguson could be one of their potential trade candidates. The Trenton (N.J.) Times reported Thursday, August 11, that the Eagles are looking into which wide receivers could be available and what it would take to acquire one. Philadelphia has a pair of extra fourth-round selections in the 2006 draft and leads the National Football League in available cap room at $10.916 million. On Thursday night, offensive coordinator Tom Rossley indicated that the Packers couldn't afford to trade Ferguson, saying, "He's a big piece of our chemistry." A trade of Ferguson would result in the Packers taking an immediate hit of $1.555 million against their salary cap. The Eagles and Packers have collaborated on seven trades since head coach Andy Reid left Green Bay in 1999.

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

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by ALinChainz
I doubt the Broncos will move them because it would be admitting they made a mistake drafting him. I don't know if they will try and IR him, that would shelve him for the season.

Trying to think of all the Denver backs ... Anderson, Bell, Dayne ... can't think of the other .... and then Clarett.

Quentin Griffin ... head up my ass.

[ALinChainz]

Clarett out for Broncos' preseason opener against Texans

By KRISTIE RIEKEN, Associated Press Writer
August 12, 2005


HOUSTON (AP) -- Maurice Clarett's hasn't played in a game in more than 2 1/2 years.

He'll have to wait at least another week to make his NFL debut.

The former Ohio State star and third-round draft pick has a sore groin and will miss the Denver Broncos' preseason opener on Saturday against the Houston Texans.

``The MRI was negative,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. ``It's nothing serious. It's not torn. He is getting rehab right now, working out a couple of times a day in the weight room, getting treatment about four times a day. Hopefully when we get back, he will be ready to go.''

While Clarett, who did not accompany the team to Houston, awaits his first NFL game, Jerry Rice will make his Broncos debut in hopes of making the team for his 21st season.

Rice, who sat out practice Wednesday morning with a sore heel, participated in the remainder of the team's workouts in Houston. He's listed as second-string at one of the receiver positions behind Ashley Lelie.

The Texans will get a first look at their revamped defense, including first-round draft pick Travis Johnson. Coach Dom Capers moved Kailee Wong from outside to inside linebacker in his 3-4 defense and picked up speedy free agent Morlon Greenwood to play middle linebacker in an attempt to generate a pass rush.


They got Phillip Buchanon from Oakland in the offseason, and he'll join last year's runner-up for defensive rookie of the year, Dunta Robinson, at cornerback.

Johnson, a defensive tackle who missed one day of training camp before signing, said he's up to speed and ready to play his first game. As for what will be in his head when he lines up for his first play, Johnson answered quickly.

``Violence,'' he said with a laugh. ``It's always controlled violence. I'm going to go out there and work hard.''

Houston's new defense will be tested by the Broncos' high-powered offense. Denver was fifth in the league in average total yards with 395.8 yards per game, and quarterback Jake Plummer threw for a Broncos single-season record of 4,089 yards.

Plummer said practicing with Houston all week gave his offense a good chance to get reacquainted with the 3-4.

Even without Clarett, the Broncos have a multitude of good running backs led by Mike Anderson. Second-stringer Tatum Bell had 75 carries for 396 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie and could push for the starting job.

``We've got a lot of guys fighting for positions and backup positions,'' Shanahan said. ``That's what preseason is all about. To see how they operate in game situations and hopefully they play well.''

Both coaches said they expect to play their starters for about 10 plays and then use the remainder of the game to evaluate players vying for roster spots.

``These games you'd like to go out, you'd like to see your team be efficient in all three areas,'' Capers said. ``But it's real important that you get a good evaluation. It's the first step in the competitive stages of being able to select your roster.''

The Texans hope their offensive line fares better than it did last season, when David Carr was sacked a league-high 49 times. Capers will start offseason acquisition Victor Riley over incumbent Seth Wand at tackle on Saturday. He said he's not sure who will be the starter this season, but that he's starting Riley against Houston because he hasn't seen as much of him.

Offensive guard Chester Pitts said the line will be more consistent this season and that it will show Saturday.

``If we do things right we're just as good as anybody in the NFL,'' Pitts said. ``But when we don't do things right, we can look sloppy and ugly. So the biggest thing for us is doing things right play in and play out no matter how many plays we have out there.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-broncos-texans&prov=ap&type=lgns

[POJO_Risin]

IRing him would be admitting the same thing...

[ALinChainz]

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

POSTED 1:15 p.m. EDT, August 13, 2005



BEARS WON'T MAKE A MOVE, FOR NOW



We're told that, with quarterback Rex Grossman suffering a broken ankle on Friday night, the Bears don't plan to acquire a veteran quarterback just yet.



The Bears remain cautiously optimistic that Grossman will miss only the first half of the 2005 season, but they will know more about Rex's prognosis after he has surgery to stabilize the ankle.



And word is that the Bears feel much more comfortable with Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Orton, and Kurt Kittner because of the presence of offensive coordinator Ron Turner. Throughout the preseason, Grossman has been taking jabs at former coordinator Terry Shea (who apparently was responding to the criticism by twisting the left foot of a voodoo doll with a puffy white face and Mr. Spock eyebrows).



So even though a guy like Tommy Maddox of the Steelers likely could be had at a reasonable price, and even though solid veterans like . . . like . . . well, never mind . . . are available on the free-agent market, the Bears will stick with a former baseballer and two utes, for now.



POSTED 10:34 a.m. EDT, August 13, 2005



SATURDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Lions FB Cory Schlesinger is out 6-8 weeks with a broken leg.



The Steelers and WR Hines Ward's agents are talking, but they're making no progress at all.



Jets QB Jay Fiedler was sharp as the starter against the Lions.



Jets P Ben Graham of Australia put his first kick in the NFL 56 yards down the field.



The Seahawks have seen the future, and its name is Seneca (or maybe its Harvey . . . either way, the team's third-year quarterback looked pretty good on Friday night).



The Pats might have found themselves another Tom Brady.



The Rams are happy with the performance of their starting defense against the Bears.



The Packers believe that the key to breaking RB Ahman Green's string of six fumbles in the last five regular season openers is to bang him up more in the preseason (maybe they should have him run Oklahoma drills against his soon-to-be-ex-wife).



The Bears want the NFL to change the system of giving big money to unproven rookies drafted high in round one.



HBO has outed legendary Panthers TE Wesley Walls as a former patient of Dr. James Shortt.



Jets QB Chad Pennington says he'll play against the Vikings on Friday; we say we'll believe it when we see it.



Vikings P Darren Bennett's 29-yard shank-job has opened the door for Travis Dorsch.



WR Robert Ferguson could get shipped from Green Bay to Philly.



QB Gus Frerotte starts for the Fins on Saturday night against the Jags.



Cardinals C Alex Stepanovich underwent surgery on his right hand this week, and there's no timetable for his return.



The 'Boys are ready to break out their 3-4 defense.



Saints rookie OT Jammal Brown got almost three quarters of work on Friday night against the Seahawks.



Bengals RB Chris Perry had 68 total yards against the Pats on Friday night.



Bucs FB Mike Alstott feels "a thousand times better" than he did on Wednesday, when he suffered a pinched nerve in his neck.



Meathead hinted that the Minny defense will face more conditioning in camp after the starters gave up 125 yards in the first quarter.



QUOTE OF THE CENTURY



Mike Wike of The Washington Post sums up ESPN's incessant butt-smooching of T.O. as follows: "Who knew Walt Disney's original vision would one day evolve into Al-Jazeera for Athletes?"

[ALinChainz]

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

POSTED 12:00 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:22 p.m. EDT, August 14, 2005



ANGELO WANTS TO GET BENSON DEAL DONE



With starting quarterback Rex Grossman gone for at least half of the season and no plans to acquire a veteran to complement the trio of Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Orton, and Kurt Kittner, word out of Chicago is that Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo is making a big push to get No. 4 overall draft pick Cedric Benson signed and into camp.



Benson has now missed three weeks of work in a dispute over the amount of his rookie deal. We're hearing that a big sticking point in negotiations relates to the length of the deal. The team wants six years, and Benson wants five.



From the perspective of a running back, whose ability to cash in as a free agent decreases significantly with each passing year after his 25th birthday, holding the contract to five seasons is extremely important.



We're also told that Angelo might be tempted to cut Thomas Jones and keep Adrian Peterson as the primary backup to Benson, in order to free up 2005 cap dollars that would be used to extend the deals of cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Jerry Azumah. It's also possible that linebacker Brian Urlacher will be asked to tweak his deal in order to create some 2005 cap space.



As to the quarterback position, we've confirmed through separate sources our Saturday report that the Bears won't rush to sign a veteran to take Grossman's place on the depth chart. Angelo, we're told, fears that he would take a pounding in the press if he signs any of the available free agents (Vinny Testaverde, Jeff George, Jeff Blake), since he previously passed on others like Kurt Warner, Brad Johnson, Jay Fiedler, and Jeff Garcia. If any of the remaining signal-callers in camp get hurt, however, look for Angelo to make a move quickly.



Finally, we hear that Grossman's second serious injury in less than a year has opened the door to a full-blown quarterback competition in 2005, when Orton is expected to be ready to challenge "Glassman" for the full-time gig.



SAINTS STRUGGLING TO FILL THE SEATS



The only silver lining in the cloud of confusion that prompted Saints rookie quarterback Adrian McPherson to line up behind the behind of the right guard on Friday night (scroll up for the photo) is that not many people in the Bayou actually saw it happen live.



We're told that roughly 25,000 were in attendance at kickoff, and that only 6,000 or 7,000 remained when McPherson provided the funniest moment on the floor of the Superdome since former West Virginia quarterback Darren Studstill pulled the same maneuver, with his helmet twisted on his head, after getting banged up by the Florida defense during the 1994 Sugar Bowl.



We're also told that the Saints have sold a mere 33,500 season tickets for the 2005 campaign. It's the lowest total in franchise history.



And it's further evidence that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, owner Tom Benson will move the team to L.A. -- or sell it to someone else who will.



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS



Mr. Smith goes to Realityville.



Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic takes an intriguing look at the opportunity facing Cardinals coach Dennis Green.



Despite earnings of more than $16 million since 1999, Fins RB Ricky Williams has a net worth of less than $230,000.



The Panthers retired No. 51 on Saturday night in honor of the late Sam Mills.



Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress is baffled by the allegations made about him by T.O. (join the club, Brad).



But for the fact that RB Duce Staley is about as durable as a box of kiln-dried toothpicks, the Steelers might be regretting the decision of Jerome Bettis to not retire, given his rhetoric regarding the Hines Ward fiasco.



Following Saturday's loss to the Panthers, Redskins coach Joe Gibbs essentially summed up the past six seasons in D.C. with this one: "We've obviously got a long ways to go."



Fat Albert made a Saturday night trip to the grocery store and left with four sacks.



Jags S Deon Grant suffered a hip injury on Saturday night against the Fins.



The fans in Houston are getting restless.



The good news for the Fins was that QB Gus Frerotte's passer rating was nearly twice as high as A.J. Feeley's; the bad news is that Feeley managed only a 27.7.



Ricky Williams is back to his old ways (not the marijuana smoking ways, but the excellent ball carrier ways).



The Meathead is happy with his team's performance against the Chiefs, based on his review of the game tapes.



The 'Boys looked rough in their preseason opener.



Seahawks WR Bobby Engram is doing a good impersonation of Koren Robinson (without, of course, the booze and the dropsies).



Chiefs RB Robert Holcombe will undergo an MRI after suffering a sprained knee on Friday.



Broncos RB Ron Dayne is looking great again.



Browns S Brodney Pool will remember his first game in the NFL as the first game he couldn't remember.



Broncos QB Bradlee Van Pelt will either push Jake Plummer to get better -- or push him out of the way.



Niners coach Mike Nolan patrolled the field in a suit and tie before Saturday night's preseason opener, and then switched into his league-mandated pajamas.



Pats coach Bill Belichick isn't talking about how his team's offensive plays got called on Friday night against the Bengals.



Raiders P Shane Lechler suffered a hamstring injury during a broken play on Sautrday night against the 49ers.



Odeen Domingo of The Arizona Republic sees a bright future for the Cards, based on their preseason-opening win over the Cowboys: "[I]f Kurt Warner keeps throwing touchdowns, Larry Fitzgerald keeps catching them and Darnell Dockett's helmet keeps popping off after big hits, the attendance can reach 40,000 and come within 1,000 of a high school football game in Texas."




Man, there's a fine line between T.O. and Braylon Edwards.



Falcons first-round WR Roddy White suffered a sprained ankle on Saturday night against the Ravens.

[ALinChainz]

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

POSTED 10:46 a.m. EDT, August 15, 2005



TWO CHIEFS GO ON THE WARPATH



As it turns out, Randy Moss isn't the only guy in the AFC West who once did the legal limbo in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. On Friday night, a duo of Kansas City Chiefs were busted in Minneapolis after the team's 27-16 loss to the Vikings.



Per The Kansas City Star, safety Greg Wesley and defensive tackle Junior Siavii were arrested after a disturbance at a local hotel. Siavii was charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and one count of misdemeanor fifth-degree assault, and Wesley was charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.



Police responded after Siavii, reportedly under the influence of fire water, allegedly threw objects and yelled obscenities at a hotel security guard. As Siavii was being handcuffed, Wesley blocked the exit and charged the officers.



A face full of mace ultimately got Wesley "out the way."



Then Siavii refused to get in the police car and spit at the officers. A "spit hood" was placed over his head (either they're one-size-fits-all, or the cops just happened to have an XXXXXL in the back seat, next to the box of Krispy Kremes).



Both players have court dates later this week. Wesley practiced with the team on Sunday, and Siavii was supposedly getting treatment on his knee.



Coach Dick Vermeil said he was aware of the arrest, but knew few details.



“I’m going to find out more,” Vermeil said.



MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINER (MORE COMING)



Giants QB Jesse Palmer might not be getting a rose from Tom Coughlin this year (and if Jared Lorenzen gets one he'll dip it in chocolate sauce and eat it).



POSTED 11:08 p.m. EDT, August 14, 2005



BEARS BAG BLAKE



More than two years after a free-agency flirtation that nearly brought him to the Windy City, veteran quarterback Jeff Blake has signed a one-year deal with the Bears.



The decision to sign Blake is an abrupt about-face for the Bears, since they initially planned to take a wait-and-see approach with starter Rex Grossman's broken ankle before adding another arm.



But at some point between Saturday and Sunday, G.M. Jerry Angelo changed his mind, which might shed some light on Angelo's overall state of mind as the team embarks on a second season without a clear-cut No. 2 who can come in and get the job done. Though Angelo was tempted to stand pat with Snap, Crackle, and Pop, the fifth-year G.M. possibly realized that the failure of his backups to perform could very well get him fired, given last year's misadventures with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.



Our own theory, however, is that Angelo signed Blake so that he could later cut him and declare that each member of the remaining trio is better that the former Jet, Bengal, Saint, Eagle (hell, it might be easier to just list the teams he hasn't played for). Really, we didn't expect the Bears to go into the season with four arms in the first place, and our guess was that Chad Hutchinson would have been the odd man out.



As we see it, Blake's only chance to keep a spot on the roster is to show that he's far and away better than Hutchinson. Even if the Bears decide that they like what Blake still has in the tank, Kyle Orton is the quarterback of the future, and Kurt Kittner is the in-house master of offensive coordinator Ron Turner's system.

[ALinChainz]

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

POSTED 8:09 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:33 a.m. EDT, August 16, 2005



WARD TO HAUL IN $20 MILLION?



Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported during halftime of the Steelers-Eagles Monday night get-together that Pittsburgh franchise is willing to give receiver Hines Ward a contract that pays him $19 to $20 million in guaranteed money.



At a pre-game press conference, however, Ward said that he wasn't looking for a deal that put him in the stratosphere with the highest-paid receivers in the game.



Ward called the salaries of guys like Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens "ridiculous," and he said, "I wouldn't try to ask for that."



But the contract that the Vikings gave to Moss in 2001 had $17 million in bonus money, and T.O.'s deal (if he hadn't acted like a baby) would have generated $20.9 million over the first three years. So how does a deal that pays up to $20 million in guaranteed money not land in the same ballpark?



Given that Ward wants the deal to allow him to retire as a Steeler, it could be that the guarantees are in the form of salaries in the out years. Since most contracts do not have guaranteed salaries, teams routinely dump older players in the latter years of their contracts and/or use the threat of a release to get them to take less money. With guaranteed salaries, the team gains no cap room by bidding farewell to an older player -- thus, the player's ability to retire as a member of the organization will increase.



It remains to be seen how these nuts and bolts work out. For now, the Steelers are happy that Ward is back, the fans are happy, and Ward is happy.



"It's like we found one of our lost kids," linebacker James Farrior said. "It's a very joyful day."



And even though we believe Ward shouldn't have violated his contract in order to leverage a new deal, his overall handling of the situation and of himself is the exact opposite of the Terrell Owens debacle, and T.O. would have been wise to follow his example.



SHAPIRO BOLTING ESPN?



An industry source tells us that an announcement could come as early as Tuesday that programming wunderkind Mark Shapiro is leaving ESPN.



There have been rumors that Shapiro is in talks to become the entertainment chief at another network. Current speculation centers on NBC.



Recently, Shapiro tussled with NBC for the services of Al Michaels. Michaels opted to spurn NBC's offer to do the play-by-play on the network's Sunday night package, which begins airing in 2006, and Michaels decided to make the move with Monday Night Football from ABC to sister company ESPN.



Shapiro joined ESPN at 1993 while still in his early 20s, and he flew up the ladder through an amazing display of talent and creativity. Over the past few years, he has been responsible for many programming improvements at ESPN.



And since NBC has yet to hire a play-by-play announcer to share the booth with John Madden on Sunday nights, it'll be interesting to see whether Shapiro (if he indeed becomes a G.E. employee) looks to the ESPN lineup for a candidate to take the job that Michaels didn't want.



COACH TEFLON ADDRESSES MO-CLO'S GROIN



Okay, anyone who has been coming to this here site for the past few days knows that there are rumors that Broncos rookie running back Maurice Clarett is exaggerating and/or faking a groin injury to protest his low spot on the depth chart, which will prevent him from earning money above his $230,000 salary under the terms of his incentive-laden deal. Clarett, we've heard, developed the injury after he met with Coach Teflon and demanded to be moved up on the chart. We've also heard that Clarett wants to be cut so that he can land somewhere else in the hopes of getting reps -- and earning the incentives he accepted in lieu of a signing bonus.



And reading between the lines of Tuesday's report in The Denver Post, we are convinced that we are onto something here.



An MRI performed last week on Clarett's groin was negative for any tears in the muscle. Which means that there were none. Which means that there is no objective evidence of anything that would keep Clarett from practicing and playing.



Nevertheless, Coach Teflon allowed Mo-Clo to stay in Denver while the team made the trek to Texas for a preseason game in Houston. The idea was that Clarett would take treatment the whole time and be ready to practice on Monday.



So Monday came and Clarett still didn't practice.



Said Coach Teflon on Monday, in a manner that Bill Williamson of The Post described as "[choosing] his words carefully":



"According to [Clarett], he doesn't feel a whole lot better than when we left [for Houston], and he told [Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos] that it is still quite sore, so that is a little discouraging. We thought he might improve over a three- or four-day time frame with all the treatment and work he has had. It seems to be bothering him, so we will have to just wait and see.

"He's a guy who was wanting reps, and obviously you can't get reps if you can't practice," Coach Teflon added. "If you can't get reps, you can't get a feel for what we're doing. It's a shame, but those groins sometimes take a while."



A looong while, in Clarett's case.



This one is far from over. Though we're not expecting another T.O. explosion in Colorado, we see this one getting a lot uglier before it gets any prettier.



TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



The Titans have finally reached a deal with first-round CB Pacman Jones.



The Eagles confirm that they have sent a letter to T.O. outlining his misdeeds.



The Bears are leaning toward putting QB Rex Grossman on injured reserve.



Another day, another unhappy Rosenho.



The contract signed by Dolphins Ronnie Brown has $19.9 million in guaranteed money.



Giants RB Brandon Jacobs left practice briefly on Monday after he took a shot to the wee-wee.



Redskins LB Marcus Washington says that he wants to be a year-in, year-out performer in the NFL; "I don't want to be an Ickey Woods."



After Giants WR Amani Toomer caught a pass along the sidelines, DE Michael Straham came over to argue that he was out of bounds; said Toomer, "I got it by the spread of your teeth."



Jets QB Chad Pennington completed two practices in one day for the first time this season.



Texans CB Philip Buchanon justifies his exile from Oakland with this twisted-ass logic: "My mom and dad always told me that if people hate on you, that only means that they kind of love you a little bit. So I kind of took it as the Raiders didn't want me to leave."



Folks in New England are still trying to figure out why Wonderboy isn't throwing the ball more in camp.



LB Peter Boulware, who can't find on the open market the $2 million salary he walked away from in Baltimore, will work out for the Ravens later this week.



Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson speaks out against T.O.'s tactics.



Prime Time could end up being a sack machine this season.


Bengals coach Marvin Lewis ripped into first-round LB David Pollack, calling the unsigned rookie "selfish" for not accepting the team's current offer (but why do we have a feeling that the team's current offer has one or more tweaks that reflect the chronic skin-flintedness of the franchise?).



Vikings coach Mike Tice says he won't keep two kickers.



Clare Farnsworth of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer takes a look at the "vertically-challenged, horizontally endowed" DT Chartric Darby.



Father time has leapfrogged Darius Watts.



The Ravens might start to get a return on their investment in TE Todd Heap this week.



Vikings rookie WR Troy Williamson has been out since August 9 with an ankle thing.



From the "Lighten Up, Brian -- It Was A Freaking Preseason Game" file, the Ravens have sent tape of a questionable pass interference call from their loss to the Falcons into the league office for review.



Vikings CB Fred Smoot underwent an MRI on his injured knee on Monday, and it confirmed that there are no serious problems.



Cardinals C Alex Stepanovich (hand) is out for the rest of the month.



Keyshawn Johnson says that the T.O. saga is "[t]otally different" from the events that resulted in a six-week paid vacation for Johnson in 2003.



Three high-end Chargers rookies are battling chronic injuries.



RB Frank Gore (shoulder) and LT Jonas Jennings (hand) both returned to practice after missing last week.



Bengals rookie LB Odell Thurman gave the team a scare on Monday when he injured his knee; no MRI was needed and he'll be fine.



POSTED 8:53 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:07 p.m. EDT, August 15, 2005



EAGLES PUT T.O. ON NOTICE




ESPN reports that the Philadelphia Eagles have sent a letter to receiver Terrell Owens outlining in detail his various behavioral problems.



The letter undoubtedly is a "case building" exercise for the organization, which as we've explained for several weeks now plans to make an example out of Owens. If the team eventually tries to suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team, they'll have to be able to prove it to a neutral arbitrator.



And this specific exercise reminds us of a classic edition of The Far Side, in which cartoonist Gary Larson demonstrated the difference between what people say to dogs -- and what the dogs actually hear.



So the letter possibly read something like this: "Terrell, we continue to be shocked, dismayed, and disappointed by the manner in which you have conducted yourself since reporting to training camp. We signed Terrell Owens to a contract, and we expect Terrell Owens to perform under that contract in the best way that Terrell Owens can, regardless of the amount of money that Terrell Owens will receive under that contract."



And, from Owens' perspective, here's what the letter said: "Terrell, blah blah blah blah blah, blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah Terrell Owens blah blah blah, blah blah blah Terrell Owens blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Terrell Owens blah, blah blah blah blah blah money blah Terrell Owens blah blah blah blah blah."



MORE ON MO-CLO



We recently reported on rumors that Broncos running back Maurice Clarett is exaggerating and/or faking his groin injury in an effort to get released by the Broncos. We've since heard that Clarett's groin problems were preceded by a meeting with Coach Teflon, during which Mo-Clo "demanded" to be moved up in the depth chart so that he could earn more of the incentive money contained in his no-bonus contract.



Coach Teflon deflected the request, and Clarett's groin got stiff the next day.



Stay tuned for more on this one.



NFLPA TO REVISE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT?



Word around the league is that the NFL Players Association is rethinking the whole mandatory malpractice insurance thing, especially as that requirement applies to agents who already have their own liability coverage in place.



Recently, the NFLPA advised agents that, in order to maintain their certification for the 2005-06 year, they must pony up at least $3,500 in premiums for an AIG policy by September 1.



The announcement sparked a negative reaction from many agents who viewed the requirement as heavy-handed, and unfair.



We're told that the union soon will be contacting the agents with more information regarding the program.

[ALinChainz]

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

POSTED 10:38 p.m. EDT, August 16, 2005



REPORTS OF T.O. STUNT ARE FALSE



Thanks to our buddies at pick2pick.com for tipping us off to a report originating out of NBC 10 in Philly regarding the latest potential episode in the T.O. saga.



Vai Sikahema, the sports director at NBC 10 and former NFL special-teamer extraordinaire, says that Eagles receiver Terrell Owens will emerge from his Wednesday meeting with coach Andy Reid reading a written statement of feigned remorse.



And though we're in the business or mongering rumors, not debunking them, we've learned -- unequivocally -- that this report is false and that Owens will not be conducting any such "stunts" for the media on Wednesday.



With that said, we don't expect Owens to be a good soldier if/when Reid allows him to rejoin the team, and we fully expect the Eagles to be poised to pounce on any actual or perceived misconduct by T.O. in support of further adverse action against him.



POSTED 6:54 p.m. EDT, August 16, 2005



TUESDAY EVENING ONE-LINERS

Did the Fins get the better of Ronnie Brown at the bargaining table?

QB Gus Frerotte starts for the Fins on Saturday night in Miami; coach Nick Saban says that Gus is "a little ahead" of A.J. Feeley in the race to win the full-time gig.

WR Derrius Thompson is doing the depth-chart slide in Miami.

Rookie WR Braylon Edwards was bored at his first practice with the Browns (hey, Bray, you can always keep yourself awake by counting your money).

New Browns S Brian Russell played quarterback on the same high school team as Cleveland CB Daylon McCutcheon, who was the star tailback.

The Falcons are talking about giving WR Roddy White some reps at corner.

Saints coach Jim Haslett will play his starters for about three quarters on Thursday night in Foxboro against the Pats.

POSTED 1:20 p.m. EDT, August 16, 2005



SOME EAGLES PLAN TO MEET WITH REID



As Terrell Owens prepares to return from a team-imposed one-week exile, word out of Philly is that a group of players plan to seek out coach/G.M. Andy Reid and request that the situation involving T.O. be resolved.



One way or the other.



Whether he gets more money (good luck in hell, snowball) or gets run out of town (good luck in the furnace, too), there is a feeling in the locker room among some players that they just want the whole thing to be over.



The organization's response to that sentiment likely would be to say that it will be over when T.O. honors his contract and acts professionally and appropriately within the context of a football team. The incessant silent treatment and the "don't f--k with me" demeanor contributed to last week's brouhaha -- so if Owens would merely get the stick out of his sphincter, the problem would be solved.



But, frankly, we don't see that happening. Word is that both sides are making plans for a looming battle of lawyers and letterhead, with the team likely to try to suspend Owens -- and toll his 2005 contract -- if he continues to cause problems.



Still, even though the organization decided weeks ago to make an example out of Owens if he acts up, and even though Reid, Joe Banner, and Jeff Lurie have the resolve, the resources, and the smarts to make it happen, they need to consider at some point the potential damage to the franchise's broader interests that could occur if/when other players grow weary of the three-ring circus.



BENGALS SHOPPING WARRICK



Last week, it was reported that the Bengals have given former first-round receiver Peter Warrick a "take-a-pay-cut-or-take-a-hike" ultimatum. We're told, however, that before the Bengals cut the cord on Warrick, they are trying to get value in return for his services via a trade.



Warrick is scheduled to make $2.28 million in the sixth and final year of his rookie deal. As a vested veteran, his base salary will become fully guaranteed if he's on the roster when the team opens its regular season.



Whether the receiver-needy Eagles would be interested in Warrick remains to be seen. His status as a Drew Rosenhaus client could make the team less interested, given the current acrimony between the team and Terrell Owens.



Teams with a potential interest in Warrick, as we see it, could include the Jets, the Steelers (who are still a bit thin even with Hines Ward back), the Titans, the Texans, the Chiefs, the Redskins, the Buccaneers, and the Seahawks.



The real question for any team that might be interested in Warrick is whether the team is willing to cough up a draft pick in order to gain priority over any other potential suitors.



PRICE OUT IN ATLANTA?



Though the Falcons chose demotion instead of termination for receiver Peerless Price prior to the start of training camp, it sounds like he still could end up on the chopping block come early September.



Without overtly slamming Price, coach Jim Mora's comments in Tuesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggest that things aren't rosy for Price at Flowery Branch.



"[T]here's issues of how's he responding to being demoted," Mora said. "Has his blocking improved to the point where he's not a liability on runs but he becomes an asset? It's kind of funny we’re still saying that about a five- or six-year veteran, but that's the facts of the matter."



Of course, Mora's comments invite skepticism, since they come in yet another "It's Not Mike Vick's Fault That Our Passing Game Blows" article from the good folks at the AJC, who should be in line for lots of ad buys from Artie Blank's "other" business interest, Home Depot.



But even if Vick really is the problem, there's no reason to pay Price or any other receiver $4.4 million to be a decoy for a scramble or a dump off to tight end Alge Crumpler.



So look for Price to not be a member of the final 53 in Atlanta -- and he very well could end up getting an invitation to join the team that defeated the Falcons in last year's NFC title game.