The Rumor Mill

[POJO_Risin]

Screw freakin' Maddox...he shouldn't get shit...

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO to Arrington...

do you think that Taylor is going to take shit for the rest of the year?

I would be ruthless...

could you imagine if this permanently hurt his career...Arrington would fucking lose all his money...

[POJO_Risin]

I can see it now...

not getting "pied" and not "Pieing" will be written into contracts...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Screw freakin' Maddox...he shouldn't get shit...

I agree 1000%.

These guys who have one good season and then think it's Lotto Time. He seems to forget that no one was banging down his door, even after that big XFL MVP Award.

He should be kissing Steeler ass everyday he's even on the roster and getting a paycheck.

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
LMFAO to Arrington...

do you think that Taylor is going to take shit for the rest of the year?

I would be ruthless...

could you imagine if this permanently hurt his career...Arrington would fucking lose all his money...

You know stuff like that goes on all the time with rookies, and I'm sure they let the rest of the team know that this could have been serious.

Just keep thinking of Arrington and Taylor flying around and killing opponents, scary.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio


POSTED 8:30 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:26 a.m. EDT, June 8, 2004



RIFT BETWEEN BILLICK, NEWSOME?



Word out of Baltimore is that a rift has arisen between Ravens coach Brian Billick and G.M. Ozzie Newsome in the wake of the team's decision to sign quarterback Kordell Stewart.



Newsome wanted nothing to do with Stewart, a controversial up-and-down journeyman who'll raise your hopes before breaking your heart. Billick, however, wanted to sign Stewart as, at a minimum, a short-term gap-filler while backup Anthony Wright recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum.



The Stewart decision, we're told, is the latest example of a tug-of-war between Billick and Newsome, as Billick wants to have a greater say in the acquisitions made by the organization. Last month, we'd heard that Billick and assistant coach Jim Fassel wanted to pursue Kerry Collins with an eye toward giving him a chance to start in 2004, but that Newsome and the front office wanted no part of the former Panther/Saint/Giant.



With all that said, and recognizing that no one ever will confuse us with Kordell Stewart fans, we think it was a good move for the Ravens -- assuming that the only stripes running back Jamal Lewis will be wearing this fall are the stripes on his game pants.



Stewart historically has performed well as an off-the-bench option in a run-oriented offense under circumstances carefully orchestrated to build his confidence. Even after a disastrous debut last year in Chicago, due in large part to the refusal of then-offensive coordinator John Shoop to tailor the offense to Stewart's abilities and limitations, Stewart returned to the field and played well after Chris Chandler was injured. Stewart got the hook once the team was eliminated from playoff consideration, giving the Bears a chance to get rookie Rex Grossman acclimated.



Getting the guy for a one-year, $760,000 deal that counts only $450,000 against the cap is, in our view, a steal for the Ravens, assuming that Stewart accepts his role. If he does (and we think he will), he could prove to be a more-than-capable replacement for Kyle Boller, if Boller goes down with an injury.



Back to Billick and Newsome, it'll be interesting to see how their relationship plays out as they both jockey for the love and attention of new owner Steve Bisciotti, especially if the team struggles in 2004 or 2005. As coaches go, Billick is getting a bit long in the tooth, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him leave or get nudged if the team doesn't make a serious run deep into the playoffs over the next two seasons, especially since the reputed offensive guru still hasn't brought a field-stretching, point-scoring attack to Baltimore in five seasons as the head coach.



POSTONS TRYING TO SOFTEN IMAGE?



There's a buzz in Panther land that a recent piece in the Charlotte Observer by Pat Yasinskas regarding the prospects of getting cornerback Chris Gamble under contract on a timely basis that agents Carl and Kevin Poston might have fed the information directly to Yasinskas in an effort to begin the process of softening their image.



In the 2004 offseason, the Postons have been involved in a series of controversies, which might have caused one or more of their clients to re-think the wisdom of utilizing their services. An increasing number of teams simply do not want to deal with the Postons, given their reputation for divisive tactics.



So some folks think the Postons are trying to use the media to help spread a more positive message.



Given the realities of gathering and reporting NFL news in major newspapers, some league insiders believe that the Postons have been playing quid pro quo with Michael Smith of the Boston Globe in exchange for favorable coverage in the market where the team with which they have a bad relationship resides, due in large part to a lingering dispute between the Pats and defensive back Ty Law.



As we see it, the Postons' best strategy for rehabilitating their image would be to: (1) get their rookies into camp; (2) study the market before making pie-in-the-sky demands for free agents; and (3) take responsibility for the $6.5 million snafu regarding LaVar Arrington's contract with the Redskins, and persuade him to drop his grievance against the team.



For some reason, we don't see it happening.



DEFENDING THE TUNA?



Okay, we know we're on slippery ground here. After all, we lambasted Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau only a few days ago for showing Archie Bunker propensities in his homophobic comments before 1,000 folks at a team banquet.



So how can we defend Bill Parcells for referring on Monday to the team's surprise plays as "Jap plays"?



We could say that Parcells grew up in the wake of the event on which the term is based -- Japan's surprise attack of December 7, 1941 on Pearl Harbor -- and that, in his era the use of the term "Jap" was no more offensive or inappropriate than the use of the term "Nazi." They were the enemies of Parcells' childhood, and stuff that goes on during a guy's formative years is hard to forget.



Of course, the use of derogatory terms regarding, for example, blacks and gays was far more accepted in the 1940s and 1950s -- and that reality didn't keep us from teeing off on Seau for his own chronic case of verbal diarrhea.



We also could say that Parcells' judgment was blurred by the recent focus on D-Day and the death of tough-guy President, who had the charm to get away with anything he said, as long as it was delivered with a twinkle in his charismatic eye.



Of course, Parcells hasn't acquired the same Teflon shell that Ronald Reagan enjoyed throughout his political life. If anything, the Tuna's slip is out of character for a guy who at all times seems to choose his words carefully.



Finally, we could say that Parcells prefaced his comments with a "no disrespect intended" both before and after using the term. Though such a device easily could be used a cover for saying all sorts of unsavory things, the big difference between guys like Parcells and Seau, Rush Limbaugh, and Jimmy "the Greek" is that the apology came contemporaneously -- not after an uproar ensued (hell, we're not sure Limbaugh ever apologized for his Donovan McNabb statements).



In the end, Parcells' comment is (as we see it) further proof that the football industry is the last American bastion with all of the trappings (good and bad) of genuine Free Speech. Football coaches and football players don't have time for political correctness -- and harsh, profane, and/or offensive language often is necessary to get through to a group of kids who are strapping on the pads and banging heads with each other.



So we'll repeat our bottom-line sentiments regarding the Seau affair. We don't really care about any of this, when the statement are made by players or coaches. (We'll choose to hold members of the media to a higher standard, since their only job is to communicate.)



But for the same reasons that Seau's comments give us concerns regarding the extent to which gays ever will be accepted in the locker room, we wonder whether Parcells' words demonstrate an intolerance in the game of football for Asian players.



To find out, all anyone would have to do is interview one of Parcells' current players, linebacker Dat Nguyen.



WARD WANTS NEW DEAL, TOO



Some members of the Pittsburgh media believe that the Steelers have a habit of timing their announcements in an effort to overshadow (or, at a minimum, compete with) significant developments for the town's other pro sports teams. So it was with a certain degree of cynicism that some in the media regarded the announcement of the contract extension given to Tommy Maddox, which came on the same day that the Pirates selected local product Neil Walker with the 11th overall pick in the draft.



And if the Steelers were indeed looking for ways to crowd out the Pirates' decision to fulfill a hometown boy's dreams, they unexpectedly generated a separate source of news via the Maddox signing.



According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, receiver Hines Ward openly is wondering why he isn't getting a raise, too.



"Tommy got an extension. Why Tommy and not me?" Ward said. "I get paid good money, I can't deny that. But I'm in the same situation Tommy is."



The Steelers characterized Maddox's new contract as an "rare exception" to the team's rule that extensions won't be given to players with more than a year remaining on their deals.



Ward is slated to earn more than $1.6 million in 2004 under a deal that was negotiated before he became arguably one of the best receivers in the league. He'll make nearly $2.2 million in 2005. Clearly, Ward is worth more than that.



And Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette, who by all appearances is jockeying for a piece of Ward's new deal, raises an intriguing point -- since the Steelers haven't been bashful about ripping up the contracts of guys who are underperforming in comparison to their salaries (see Mark Bruener and Jerome Bettis), perhaps they should be willing to reward players who have exceeded their expectations.



The easy answer, Ed, is that it's the nature of the system. Guys outplay their deals all the time. If the team chooses to reward him, so be it. If the team instead chooses to risk a problem in the locker room or (worst-case scenario) a guy who simply wants out, like Mike McKenzie in Green Bay, it's the team's prerogative.



If it were up to us (and Steelers fans everywhere should be glad it's not), we would've held firm both as to Maddox and Ward. Why give a guy an eight-figure contract when you just drafted a quarterback in round one for the first time in a generation? Really, if it's a question of investing dollars in the future, we would've been more inclined to give the money to Ward.



But the Steelers have a method, even if to some it appears to be madness. They need Maddox to accept his role of short-term starter and long-term insurance policy. And his contract, as the quarterback market goes, is still fairly small.



Ward, as we see it, will grumble from time to time, but then he'll have another solid season in 2004 and he'll get his reward next year, in the form of a long-term deal that reflects his worth.



And the Steelers know that Ward is smart enough to realize this is the nature of the free-agency-based environment the players wanted for decades.



"It's part of the business and I just have to live with it," Ward said. "I have to play this year out and see what happens. It's out of my hands now; I have to let them deal with my agent and see where it goes from there."

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:05 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:45 a.m. EDT, June 9, 2004



KEYSHAWN LIVING IN THE PAST?



Word out of Big D is that receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who was traded to the Cowboys after getting sent home in November by the Bucs last season, isn't looking very good in offseason drills.



In the opinion of one league source, Johnson appears to be "living off of his hype."



It remains to be seen whether and to what extent coach Bill Parcells will tolerate Johnson if he doesn't step it up. Their history together, including several successful seasons in New York, suggests to us that the Tuna will be patient -- at least until the regular season starts.



And Johnson's spot in the starting lineup is by no means etched in stone, given that holdovers Terry Glenn and Antonio Bryant are looking sharp to date.



Of course, reports that Bryant and coach Bill Parcells got into an altercation at practice on Tuesday won't do much to elevate Bryant's status on the team. The Dallas Morning News openly speculates that the incident could get Bryant released from the team.



We're also hearing that quarterback Vinny Testaverde has looked great in his short time with the team, and that his presence apparently has prompted incumbent starter Quincy Carter to step it up.



The 'Boys will need a solid passing game to create running lanes for rookie Julius Jones, who currently is perched atop the depth chart in the backfield.



YOKO FOR HIRE



People ask us from time to time why we give Kurt Warner's wife Brenda a/k/a Yoko such a hard time.



Our standard response: Because she deserves it.



Our fallback position: Because it's fun.



The latest piece of proof to justify our pattern of picking on Mrs. Warner came from a reader who e-mailed to us a link that offers Yoko's services -- as a keynote speaker -- for up to $5,000 a clip.



Confirming that she has no independent basis for peddling her speaking skills (or lack thereof), the page prominently explains beneath her name that she is "married to NFL two-time MVP Kurt Warner."



It's literally unprecedented for any wife of any NFL player (two-time MVP or otherwise) to try to craft for herself some sort of fame and fortune based solely upon the fact that she's married to a guy that plays football. Really, we can think of no other NFL wife who has spent so much time mugging for the camera and/or publicly insinuating herself into her husband's football career.



And the pattern dates back to 1999, when Kurt Warner took the NFL by storm -- and the cameras regularly found Yoko in the crowd, usually wearing some attention-grabbing blue and yellow outfit.



As another reader recently told us, his reaction when he first saw Brenda during a game was that "Kurt's mom looks young." Yet another reader's initial reaction was (no disrespect intended) "Lesbians like football?" (No disrespect to lesbians intended.)



(Editor's Note: We've decided in light of recent events that prefacing statements that potentially insult a specific segment of society with a "no disrespect intended" disclaimer and immediately reiterating the statement after uttering the insulting phrase will avoid any untoward consequences.)



Along these same lines, we need to clarify that we're not knocking Brenda because of her apparent faith. Still, it's our belief that folks who wear that stuff on their sleeves sometimes have ulterior motives -- and we've suspected for a couple of years now that Kurt and Brenda possibly are wrapping themselves in self-professed Christianity to boost their own images within the NFL world and beyond.



And if the Christian thing is indeed for show, the facade will completely crumble, once Yoko and Kurt gets a taste of the fans and the media in New York.



WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS



Eagles WR Terrell Owens is grousing about the fact that he's required to wear shorts over his tights at practice (yeah, he's gonna work out just swell in Philly).



The Giants have hired former Bills offensive line coach Pat Ruel to assist Pat Flaherty, who learned recently that he has colon cancer.



The Lions are pleased with the work ethic of RB Kevin Jones.



DT Daryl Gardener was in Cincinnati on Monday for a physical; a tentative 4-year, $9.3 million contract has not been finalized due to concerns regarding his back.



Jaguars WR Troy Edwards says he won't hand over his starting job to rookie first-rounder Reggie Williams: "I'm a former first-rounder also," Edwards said, "and I've got some skills." ("Some" is the operative term, given that he was poop-canned by both the Steelers and the Rams before landing in Jacksonville.)



The guy who allegedly was assaulted by three Vikings players last weekend has a shoe imprint on the side of his face.



The Vikings have signed LB Keith Newman, but coach Mike Tice insists that LB E.J. Henderson and LB Mike Nattiel won't be demoted for their arrests.



The plan for DE Tony Brackens is to increase "his repetitions and his role," said coach Jack Del Rio.



LB Kendrell Bell practiced for the first time since May 7, when he injured a groin.



QB Joe Hamilton has signed a one-year deal with the Colts.



Panthers FB Brad Hoover is recovering from April hernia surgery.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 8:37 p.m. EDT, June 9, 2004



NINERS MAKE BIG OFFER TO PETERSON



The San Francisco 49ers have made a jaw-dropping contract offer to linebacker Julian Peterson, which includes the highest signing bonus ever paid by the franchise.



But G.M. Terry Donahue still doesn't think that the $15.5 million in bonus money will be enough to lure Peterson, who is represented by the increasingly notorious Poston brothers.



Donahue said that the offer will make Peterson the second-highest paid linebacker in the league, trailing only Ravens All-Pro Ray Lewis. Because, however, Donahue has offered no other details regarding the deal, it's impossible at this point to verify whether the offer exceeds the deals signed last year by Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher or by Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington.



Technically, negotiations cannot resume until after July 15, given Peterson's status as a franchise player. (If he were to sign a long-term deal before July 15, the 49ers would lose the franchise tag for the life of the contract.) But even after July 15, Donahue doesn't expect a protracted back-and-forth.



"There really isn't a whole lot to discuss," Donahue said. "We've gone where we can go. We've made a very, very competitive offer."



Though the number falls short of the $30 million bonus that the Postons supposedly requested in February, statements made by the Postons regarding the ongoing Orlando Pace negotiations suggest that they intentionally aimed high, with an eye toward moving downward. The question is whether they'll take $15.5 million to sign -- and whatever other terms are in the offer.



It'll also be interesting to see how the offer compares to the deal signed in December by Postons client Arrington. As we reported several weeks back, the 49ers clued the Postons in to the allegedly missing $6.5 million roster bonus in the Arrington contract, presumably because the Postons were looking for something in the same ballpark for Peterson.



If a long-term deal can't be reached, Peterson probably will report on the eve of the regular-season opener and sign his one-year franchise tender, which is worth more than $6 million in 2004 salary.

[POJO_Risin]

Pittsburgh shouldn't have given Maddox that contract...

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 7:34 a.m. EDT, June 11, 2004



COWHER CHANGING HIS TUNE ON BURRESS?



After weeks of taking a kid-glove approach to AWOL receiver Plaxico Burress (and before any of you send us e-mails explaining that the minicamp practices he's been missing since May 18 technically aren't "mandatory," we all know by now that the "voluntary" label is meaningless), Steelers coach Bill Cowher finally is suggesting that Burress has hurt himself by not being involved in offseason workouts.



Cowher on Thursday refused to confirm that Burress is guaranteed a starting job with the Steelers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.



The feeling around the league is that recent statements of discontent by receiver Hines Ward, who is busting his butt under a contract that he has outplayed, might have been triggered by the contract given to starting quarterback Tommy Maddox, but that the root of the problem is that Burress has by all appearances gotten a pass for essentially telling the team to shove it over the past month.

"The one thing I said is these aren't like the days of old when you had three or four weeks to get ready," Cowher said. "I mean, you have to come ready to hit the ground running."

Further complicating matters is that new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt plans to move Ward and Burress around this year, in lieu of starting them from the same receiver position on every play. To get ready for the regular season, the receivers need to be working together in these new formations now.

Still, Cowher's suggestion that Burress has hurt himself likely was a calculated response to recent hints by Hines Ward that he might express his displeasure with his contract status by staying away from training camp.



Ward likely also realizes that any money that he might receive after the 2004 season, when only one year will be remaining on his contract, could be diverted to Burress, especially if (as we've recently explained) Plax's recent behavior causes teams to shy away from him when he hits the market -- and the Steelers begin to realize that they might be able to afford him.



Even if the Steelers can, in the end, afford Burress, any long-term investment in him surely will affect the money available for Ward.



Though we don't know whether Cowher's comments on Burress indicate that the team has decided to consider seriously the possibility of trading Burress, the coach's comments are noteworthy based solely on the fact that, in our recollection, it's the first time he has said anything remotely negative in public regarding the team's first-round pick in 2000.



FINAL THOUGHTS ON OBEN



In a strange way, we're glad to see that there are so many of you who are willing to put down the sushi plate and pick up the fight for your beloved San Diego Chargers. In response to our two recent dissings of a franchise that somehow made it to the Super Bowl a decade ago, we've received many e-mails from fans and assorted nitwits who take great issue with our comments regarding their beloved 'Bolts.



Many of these e-mails question our report that the Chargers got fleeced out of a fifth-round pick for left tackle Roman Oben. But the fact that the guy has been (key words: "has been") a starter for a team that won a Super Bowl doesn't mean that he merits a job in San Diego, or that a draft pick should be sacrificed to get him. The suggestion that Oben automatically merits such consideration reminds us of Steve Spurrier's concession from last season that the Redskins signed Byron Chamberlain based essentially on the fact that they'd heard of him.



One of the communications we received on Thursday confirmed the accuracy of our report, and it came from an NFL scout, who probably has the credentials to comment on matters of this nature.



As the scout said: "If the NFL cannot find 32 left tackles that are worth a shit, why do the Chargers feel Tampa had two of them?"



That pretty much sums it up, in our view. Should they have tried to sign Oben if/when he was cut by the Bucs? Sure. Should they have given up a fifth-round draft pick to get him? Probably not.



TROTTER STILL WAITING



Despite rumors linking veteran free-agent linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to the Bengals, Giants, and Seahawks, the former Pro Bowl and Philly franchise player is waiting for a new home, ten days after hitting the free-agent market.



Word around the league is that concerns about Trotter's weight and knee are keeping interest in him relatively low. Though he's still young at 27, he has taken a beating in his career, and the concern is that he's got not much tread left on the tire.



Our guess is that he'll stay on the shelf until he realizes that he won't be getting a $35 million contract. Instead, our guess is that he'll get a short-term deal from a team willing to let him prove that he still can play.



FRIDAY ONE-LINERS



Bucs QB-for-now Brad Johnson is still trying to fend off rumors that Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen are looking to replace him.



Vikings CB Eric Kelly wants to be released after getting bumped off of the second team by Rushen Jones.



By all appearances, the Packers are hoping that CB Mike McKenzie eventually will decide to re-join the team.



Chargers C Jason Ball wants to be traded.



POSTED 10:38 p.m. EDT, June 10, 2004



TEXANS TALKIN' TURD-KEY WITH TUNA



A league source tells that the Houston Texans have contacted the Dallas Cowboys regarding disgruntled receiver Antonio Bryant. We're also hearing that several other teams have inquired about the third-year receiver. "Every team that needs a receiver has called," another source said.



Though the 'Boys and the 'Xans are geographic rivals, their placement in separate conferences causes them to meet on the field only once every four years. Thus, the 'Boys would be more likely to ship Bryant to Houston than, say, to Philly or D.C., both of which teams the Cowboys see twice per year.



And a trade of Bryant to Houston would represent the second Texas two-step that these two franchises have danced this spring, with the Texans sending quarterback Drew Henson to the Cowboys for a third-round draft pick.



Our guess is that the Cowboys initially will try to recoup that third-rounder, arguing that the Texans surely would have traded Henson for Bryant straight up, if that were the deal on the table at the time.



Meanwhile, Bryant reportedly is in Miami as the team wraps up minicamp sessions. Following the Tuesday altercation, Bryant has not been at practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and he won't be present on Friday.



Bryant's mother, Irene, is trying to talk some sense into her prodigal son. "I talked to Antonio for an hour last night," Mrs. Bryant said. "I told him that respect has to be given before it is received. I'm hoping and praying for the best."



Yet another league source tells us that the episode is the result of resentment on Bryant's part regarding newcomer Keyshawn Johnson, whom Bryant believes is the recipient of favoritism on the part of coach Bill Parcells. Before the Johnson-for-Galloway trade, it widely was assumed that Joey Galloway would be dumped, permitting Bryant to crack into the starting lineup.



We've confirmed that the situation turned ugly on Tuesday when Bryant threw his jersey in Tuna's face. Bryant also tried, we're told, to continue his assault on Parcells as Bryant was being thrown out of the team's practice facility.



The players, we're told, are behind Parcells on this one, which indicates that Bryant likely won't be back, under any set of circumstances.



The irony in all of this, as we see it, is that Bryant was third on the depth chart behind two veterans who know a thing or two about falling out of favor -- and getting run out of town. Though we're hearing that the league in general is becoming less willing to give second chances to guys who have demonstrated turdish behavior, both Keyshawn and Terry Glenn have made the most to date of their second chances.



The question at this point is whether Bryant will.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



POSTED 9:46 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:16 a.m. EDT, June 12, 2004



CHARGERS DUO IS AWOL



A pair of starters along San Diego's offensive line didn't show up for the team's final mandatory minicamp of the offseason.



Center Jason Ball and guard Toniu Fonoti were AWOL from Friday's opening session, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Ball is unhappy with his contract, and Fonoti reportedly has checked into a weight-loss clinic in the hopes of leaving behind more than a few of his 400 or so pounds.



"It's a setback, no question," G.M. A.J. Smith said. "But we'll move on. There's nothing else we can do."



Smith apparently is also applying that shoulder-shrugging attitude to the roster in general. Though he promised several weeks back that the team would be looking to add players via trades and free agency, he now says they'll likely go into the season with the guys that they currently have.



"Now maybe there will be some late cuts by other teams and a veteran may become available and we'll look at him," Smith said. "But we're pretty much where we are as a team."



And "where they are" as a team includes having 40 percent of the starting O-line unavailable for the last round of mandatory drills before training camp opens.



Given these realities, Nick Canepa of the U-T isn't bashful about projecting "where they'll be" come January:

"Generally, when you look at an NFL team's schedule, you can scribble a 'W' here and there. . . . Not this time. Try as I might, I can't find one. . . . I'm not saying there won't be one, I just can't see where it is. Going 0-16 in The League is more difficult than getting to 16-0, but it could be easier to find Jimmy Hoffa than a victory among these ruins."

Amen, paisan. Amen.

COWBOYS PLANNING TO TRADE BRYANT?

While some members of the media suggest that the Cowboys won't trade or release Antonio Bryant in the aftermath of his jersey-to-the-face routine with head coach Bill Parcells, the objective evidence suggests that, at this point, it will require some serious begging, groveling, and butt-smooching to bring Bryant back to Big D. And that might not be enough.

Really, it's hard to place any credence in what ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli has to say about the situation, since Pasquarelli was openly miffed about then-ESPN colleague Parcells' failure to gift-wrap to the network scoop regarding his secret meetings with Dallas owner Jerry Jones in late 2002. (The story was broken by CBS.) Pasquarelli at one point said in a radio appearance that Parcells should have been summarily fired for not sharing the info regarding his flirtations with the Cowboys while still getting paid by ESPN.

It's also possible that someone within the organization is feeding misinformation to Pasquarelli, in the hopes of creating the impression that the Cowboys aren't interested in trading Bryant, thereby preventing teams from thinking he can be had for a seventh-rounder and a bowl of chili.

Others think that Bryant's days in Dallas indeed are numbered. We reported on Thursday that the Cowboys are receiving trade inquiries, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms that the team is indeed fielding trade offers for the third-year receiver.

The acquisition of receiver Dedric Ward also fuels the notion that a spot will be open on the depth chart. Ward, a former Parcells draft pick who drew no interest from any other team after a one-catch season with the Pats in 2003, signed a one-year, $600,000 deal on Friday.

"He and coach Parcells had a lengthy conversation about [his role]," said Ward's agent, Stephen Hayes. "Dedric left that meeting feeling very strong about his opportunity in Dallas."

Did we mention that Bryant will earn only $380,000 in 2004?

Bryant's agent, Peter Schaffer, is doing his best to get the situation under control. "Antonio does not want to go anywhere," Schaffer told the Star-Telegram. "He's a Dallas Cowboy. That's the way we view it. His hope is that things can be worked out."

Schaffer also made no requests or demands on Bryant's behalf. "If they want to trade him, they can. If they want to release him, they can. We are not going to ask for those things, but we have no control over that if they do."

The more we think about it, the less we can see Parcells welcoming back into the fold a guy who ventured past a line that never, ever should be crossed. The irony here is that, while Parcells received a fairly quick free pass for his "Jap plays" comments from Monday, he's unlikely to be as charitable to Bryant for launching his own surprise attack with a sweaty jersey rolled into a ball.

Reflecting on the great coaches of the past, would any of them tolerated such behavior? Halas would've killed the guy on the spot. Lombardi would've had Ray Nitchske kill him. Other coaches might have been less violent in response, but of guys like Landry, Noll, Shula, Gibbs, and Walsh, we can't think of any of them that would have kept Bryant around.

After all, great coaches believe in their hearts that they can overcome the absence of a great player. And they can. Bryant, despite having great potential, simply isn't good enough yet to be indispensable. For that reason, we don't think Parcells will give him another chance.

And before Bryant scribbles "shot at redemption in Dallas" on his Christmas list, he needs to think about whether he really, truly wants to go to training camp with a guy like Parcells, after pissing him off. One way or another, Parcells will make an example out of Bryant. If we were Antonio, we wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of the endless grief he'll suffer if he gets a chance to return.

From Parcells' perspective, it'd be smart to ride Bryant endlessly and relentlessly. Like a colt that's been chomping on loco weed, Bryant needs to be broken, once and for all. It'll be easy for Bryant to say that he won't be acting up in the future -- it'll be another for him to bite his tongue (and hold his jersey) with the Tuna in his face constantly from the day camp opens until the final preseason game -- and beyond.

SATURDAY ONE-LINERS

Unable to trade TE Mikhael Ricks, the Lions have dumped him; look for the 'Skins to consider Ricks for the pass-catching tight end role they envisioned for potential draft pick Kellen Winslow.

The Vikings were impressed with the "raw ability" of former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar, who worked out for them on Friday, and the Vikes haven't ruled out signing him (but can he pass a pee test?).

Though he could piss-and-moan like many of his NFL brethren, Tom Brady isn't complaining about the fact the market for quarterback deals makes him grossly underpaid; Brady's bigger concern seems to be the eventual departure of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

Cowboys backup RB Erik Bickerstaff torn an Achilles' tendon on Friday and is done for the year.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that QB Tommy Maddox's new contract is still below-average for NFL starting quarterbacks (which in our view is fitting, since Maddox is as below-average starting quarterback).

QB Drew Brees is No. 1 on the Chargers' depth chart, and Doug Flutie is No. 2; but rookie Philip Rivers got the same number of snaps in Friday's practice.

The Pats and LB Tedy Bruschi could be close to an extension.

Rams rookie DB Jason Shivers apparently slipped from round three to round five due to a pre-combine DUI.

The Rams have signed former Giants OL Jeff Hatch.

From the "Disturbing Images that Will Rob Us of Sleep" file, Eagles coach Andy Reid says that WR Terrell Owens can wear tights without shorts at practice if he scores 15 touchdowns this season -- and that if T.O. enters the end zone 15 times, Reid will wear tights to practice, too. (It's still better than the notion of Jon Gruden parading around in a jock strap if the Bucs had repeated last season.)

POSTED 9:25 p.m. EDT, June 11, 2005

LAW GOT SMART ABOUT THE POSTONS?



Anyone remotely familiar with this here site knows that we've been devoting plenty of e-space to the trials and tribulations of the brothers Poston, who have had their mitts in more controversy this offseason than many agents enjoy in an entire career.



But we hardly can be accused of unfairly trumpeting the troubles that the Postons have experienced, due in large part to the fact that they seem to revel in conflict, even when their claims are patently implausible.



And with the stunning about-face that Patriots cornerback Ty Law pulled on Thursday, re-embracing a franchise he not long ago rejected, it's hard for us not to conclude that some of the Postons' clients are starting to realize that the agents' strategies might not be working. Really, the first cracks in the facade appeared several weeks back, when Rams tackle Orlando Pace hinted that the demands made by the Postons to the Rams were higher than what he wanted, and that Pace would've been interested in the bonus ballpark at which the Postons scoffed.



More recently, defensive back Terrell Buckley opted to go his own way in negotiating a one-year minimum salary deal with the Pats -- saving more than $20,000 in agent fees and prompting some league insiders to question whether the Postons' fairly should have been taking a full fee from T-Buck over the past years for similar one-year, no-brainer, veteran minimum contracts.



Regardless of the reasons, the end result was downright uncanny. "A lot of things said about me were taken out of context," Law declared on Thursday. "You know my personality and who I am. I'm all about the Patriots, but at the same time I was concerned that if it didn't work out here I'm a football player that can play anywhere, but I'd like to play here and retire as a Patriot. . . . I'm very happy to be a part of this team."



On behalf of the entire sports media, Ty, we're sorry that your comments such as "Bill Belichick told me a lie" and "I don't want to play for the Patriots" were misconstrued. We now realize that what you really said was that "Bill Belichick bought me a tie" and "I don't want to play for (anyone but) the Patriots."



Oops.



Seriously, though, our guess is that someone whom Law respects (T-Buck, perhaps?) had a long talk with Ty about his future in the NFL, and about his current contract in New England that will pay him multiple millions of dollars this year and next year. And while we continue to believe that NFL players will never acknowledge to having sub-par representation for fear of taking endless grief from their colleagues, it could be that some are realizing that they can exert control over the situation without firing the agents or otherwise conceding to the world that they've gotten piss-poor advice in the past.



Really, if Law's 180-degree change of course had its origins in the Postons' brains, wouldn't we have heard about the change of heart from them and not from Ty? Instead, the Postons have been conspicuously (and uncharacteristically) silent ever since Law restated his dedication and devotion to the Pats.



COUCH TO GREEN BAY HARDLY A LOCK



Many readers have asked us why we've had nothing to say about the decision of the Browns to release quarterback Tim Couch. We've said nothing about it because we've got nothing to say.



Okay, maybe we do. (Hey, it worked for Ty Law.)



Those who presume that the move enhances the likelihood that Couch will sign with the Packers haven't been following the story with sufficient attention and/or brain power. The biggest stumbling block wasn't the issue of compensation between the Packers and the Browns, but the question of bonus money and salary to be paid to Couch by the Pack.



So the fact that the Packers don't have to give up a mid-to-low-round draft pick has no relevance to the question of whether they'll break the impasse with Couch and agent Tom Condon. Couch doesn't want to sit the bench for more than a season, and he wants to be paid like a starter in 2005. With coach/G.M. Mike Sherman paying Wizard-of-Oz type deference to current starter Brett Favre regarding his retirement plans, the Pack simply don't know whether they'll need a replacement for Favre in 2005, 2006, or 2007.



But with Favre firmly in place for 2004, there's no need for Couch to rush into anything in Green Bay. Instead, we predict that Couch will wait for a starter's ACL and/or Achilles' and/or ankle to go snap and/or crackle and/or pop at some point between the opening of training camp and the start of the regular season. If that happens, someone will be knocking on Couch's door with the promise of a chance to leap frog the No. 2 guy on the roster, giving Couch a chance to put up good stats in 2004 -- and to hit the open market in March, when more than a handful of teams will be willing to overpay for the "hot" free agents.



It's a low-risk gamble for Couch, whose options in Green Bay likely won't disappear even if he calls them as late as September 10 and says he's ready to join the squad. Though the Pack have huffed and puffed from time to time about putting a hard deadline on the discussions with Couch, the truth is that there's no one else out there with the right combination of potential and age to inherit the position of Favre's eventual successor.



VIDEO PRICE WAR COMING?



For folks like us who can only get their offseason fix of football action courtesy of a PS2 or an Xbox, Sega has launched the first strike in a price war that could revolutionize the video game industry.



After days of speculation that the initial $19.99 list price for ESPN Football 2K5 was an error, the number has been confirmed as accurate.



The Sega/ESPN franchise has been trying for the past few years to compete with the EA Sports' Madden juggernaut, and someone at Sega apparently has concluded that the only way to beat Madden is to undercut him.



We're not so sure about the logic, since the price drop will ensure that most hard-core NFL video game aficionados (like us) will buy both Madden 2005 and ESPN 2K5 come August. With Madden likely priced at $49.99, the total expense for both games of $69.98 is a downright bargain.



But it'll be interesting to see whether EA carves away at its price tag for Madden -- and whether Sega will apply the same approach to its other ESPN sports games.



Another factor that the folks at Sega might be overlooking is recent marriage of EA Sports and Xbox Live, which likely will prompt more folks to buy the Xbox version of Madden and the other EA Sports titles. Then again, the looming explosion of EA Sports games on Xbox Live might have been the impetus for the price cut.



Bottom line: Lower prices are a good thing, and the $19.99 tag for ESPN 2K5 guarantees that we'll be checking out this year's version of the No. 2 NFL video franchise, which could eventually end up being No. 1.



And for any of you who'll be trolling the lobbies of Xbox Live looking for a butt-whupping, look for us under a gamer tag that you'll surely recognize.

[POJO_Risin]

Jesus Christ...19.99 for anew game...I hope they kill Madden...and drop that price...sweet as hell....

Fuck Burress...have I said that before?

[Troy]

You need to buy that game then!

I've always liked Sega's NFL games better than Madden. I guess it's like Ford vs. Chevy...

[POJO_Risin]

Is 2005 out yet?

if not...I'm going to get it...

[BrownSound1]

Sega has made constant bad decisions since they won the 16-bit market with the Genesis. I love Sega's games, but they just can't seem to get it together so they can get back to prominence. Plus, their football games, I dunno, just always seemed a step behind EA.