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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, concerned that quarterback Michael Vick could be suspended by the NFL, has had another meeting with his embattled star where "I could not have been more stern." Blank spoke to Vick in person about a series of recent off-the-field incidents, most recently an ongoing investigation of illegal dog fighting at a property he owns in Virginia. Blank said he did not know if Vick has any involvement but, "from the facts we have so far, it's not a pretty picture. It's clearly an issue and we'll wait and see what revolves around it. I'm not a prosecutor or an attorney so I'm not going to sit in judgment of Michael." ... Blank has been criticized for being too close to Vick. Blank did not deny the relationship with Vick, but said it has allowed him to be firm with Vick when needed. "If it sounds like I'm talking stern, like to a child of mine, I am," Blank said. "He needs to take some personal responsibility." Blank said he also reminded Vick that he could lose his lucrative endorsement deals if he continues to garner negative publicity. Vick has several endorsement deals, the biggest with Nike and AirTran. "I told him that if, 'You think [Nike chairman] Phil Knight is going to have the image of his company tarnished you're wrong. They have a lot of athletes that represent them and represent them well. Michael, I'm telling you they're not going to sit by, just like the NFL won't sit by.' He told me he is aware of that."
Ounce upon a time, training-camp holdouts by NFL veterans were as common as jock itch. But the advent of free agency changed that. So did the harsh financial penalties a team could levy on a player if he played hooky from camp. But revisions in last year's collective bargaining agreement, which dramatically reduced the financial consequences of a holdout, combined with some of the ludicrous free-agent contracts that were handed out this offseason, could trigger a rash of veteran holdouts this summer. "You're going to see an upsurge in holdouts of players under contract," Eagles president Joe Banner said. "I think [it will be] dramatic. And it's mainly because of the gutting of the signing-bonus language." Previously, a club was able to write language into a player's contract that allowed it to recover the remaining portion of the player's signing bonus if he held out or failed in any way to honor his contract. But the amendments that were added to last year's CBA extension changed that. Now, if a player holds out, a team can only reclaim 25 percent of the prorated portion of the signing bonus amount for 1 year. In other words, if a player signed a 5-year contract that included a $10 million signing bonus, a team only can take back $500,000.
Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio, who isn't one of quarterback Byron Leftwich's biggest boosters, wanted to take Brady Quinn with the team's first-round draft pick, according to a source. But vice president of player personnel James Harris, who makes the final call on personnel decisions, decided to take safety Reggie Nelson instead. Leftwich has missed 15 of the last 21 regular-season games with injuries and is entering the last year of his contract.
The Raiders have called around about Fran Foley, though it is unclear about how serious they are about hiring him. Foley was the vice president of player personnel that the Vikings fired about a year ago for falsifying his résumé and alienating some in their organization. Foley embellished the titles he held during his coaching career and the length of his playing days. But the Raiders thrive on giving second and third chances to players and other individuals. Foley certainly has qualified credentials. Foley served nine seasons in Jacksonville, working under then-Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin, and he spent three seasons as San Diego's director of pro scouting.
There have been reports that NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is being considered for the Raiders job. But Mayock said there's nothing to it. "Al Davis had expressed an interest in me a year ago," Mayock said. "At that point, I told him the timing was not good for me and kind of backed out of it early. So I don't know what [the job] could have been or couldn't have been. Why it's surfacing now I have no idea." Mayock, who lives in Newtown Square, is a single dad with full custody of his two children. His daughter is a college freshman and his son is a high school sophomore.
The Bears should know within the next two weeks how severely jailed defensive tackle Tank Johnson will be punished by the NFL. ... Speculation is that the Bears will be without Johnson for eight games. Roger Goodell could take into account that Johnson has served jail time, but since his incarceration did not prevent him from playing in any games, it might not be much of a factor in the commissioner’s ruling.
In two years, Donovan McNabb's contract status becomes an issue. If he plays well, stays healthy, wins, and is willing to re-work his contract, there's every chance he'll still be here. If McNabb takes the Eagles to the Super Bowl, is there anyone who thinks the Eagles will cut him and play the untested new guy? And now, right now, McNabb is the quarterback. The rest is all drama, just soap opera, only theater. The key for the Eagles is to hold it to that, to keep real news from breaking out.
After staying away from the Steelers this offseason as a sign of protest over his current contract, perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca will report to a minicamp that will kick off May 11. Faneca was considering staying away, which would have subject him to a fine in the vicinity of $12,000, and the Steelers also could have pursued other bonus money they've given him.
Cowboys guard Marco Rivera's future is in doubt because of back surgery. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he wanted to meet with Rivera before making a decision. Rivera, the starting right guard the last two years, would count about $1.2 million against the salary cap if he is cut.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has upheld the one-year, one-day sentence of Dr. James Shortt for illegally distributing steroids and human growth hormone to Carolina Panthers players and other patients. In an opinion published today, 4th Circuit Judge Paul V. Niemeyer wrote on behalf of a three-judge panel that "Shortt's conspiracy subverted professional sports as an institution and the roles that professional athletes play in this country."
Indianapolis appears to have a slight lead over Dallas in the bidding for the 2011 Super Bowl. The league's owners will select the site for the '11 game at its spring meeting in Nashville on May 22. Indy, Dallas and Phoenix are the three finalists, but a league insider said Phoenix, which will host this season's championship game, is running a distant third. Indianapolis, whose new stadium will open in 2008, is believed to have the support of many of the owners of the league's midmarket teams. There also is an anti-Jerry Jones faction in the league that would rather play the game in Saskatchewan than see the Cowboys' owner get it. Jones has pointed out to his fellow owners that former commissioner Paul Tagliabue promised the '11 Super Bowl to Arlington (the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb where the Cowboys' stadium is being built) if the city helped fund a stadium.
The Giants, who badly need a left tackle to protect Eli Manning's blindside, talked to Cleveland before the draft about its starting left tackle, Kevin Shaffer. But the two sides couldn't work out a deal. The Browns signed Shaffer away from the Falcons in '06 and gave him $12 million in signing and option bonuses. But he was a bust last season. If he sticks around, it won't be at left tackle, where the Browns already have plugged in first-round pick Joe Thomas. The Giants are expected to take another run at Shaffer before they open training camp.
Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron has not discussed Ricky Williams, nor reached out to him, something that former Miami head coach Nick Saban did. Right now, Williams is not on the Dolphins' radar screen. If he gets reinstated -- and the decision will be handed down in the next seven days -- then he will have to be. But right now, based on the body of evidence the Dolphins have presented, it's hard to envision a scenario under which Williams is back in Miami next season.
Even if the Eagles aren't able to sign tight end L.J. Smith to a new contract between now and next February, that doesn't mean he won't be playing for them next season. The team always can use the franchise tag on Smith. The '07 franchise number for a tight end is just $4.371 million. The only position with a lower franchise number is punter/kicker ($2.078 million). Would they be willing to pay Smith $4.37 million next year if they weren't able to re-sign him and really wanted to hang on to him?
When the Cowboys begin a three-day minicamp Saturday, signifying the first official team activity of the Wade Phillips coaching era, they will do so with star receiver Terrell Owens largely as a spectator. Owens is rehabbing after two off-season surgeries to repair a torn tendon in his right ring finger. But, according to Phillips, it might not be long before Owens gets back on the field. Phillips said doctors have indicated that Owens is ahead of schedule in his rehab and might start catching passes before the Cowboys head to training camp in San Antonio in July. "I don't know [when he will catch passes] yet," Phillips said. "But we are closer to being able to do that."
Bears GM Jerry Angelo has stated, optimistically, that he hoped Tank Johnson had paid a stiff enough price by serving 60 days in jail but most league observers expect Johnson to receive a suspension for as many as eight games. Some fear that Johnson, who spent time in jail unlike Jones or Henry, could be suspended the entire season. Johnson is scheduled to leave jail Sunday and the Bears full-team mini-camp is set to begin next Friday.
Washington Commanders Coach Joe Gibbs expressed surprise and dismay yesterday that neither starting free safety Sean Taylor nor starting cornerback Shawn Springs attended the first week of voluntary workouts. Springs said yesterday he plans to join the workouts the first week of June. Taylor's absence was predicted days ago by some of his defensive teammates, who said they did not believe he would be in attendance. Part of the reason, some teammates believe, is that Taylor, 24, has been unhappy with his contract, which expires following the 2008 season. "With Sean Taylor, I've had no contact whatsoever," Gibbs said. "I'm not aware of anything there. That's about all I can say about it. I've had no contact."
Just how soon he gets back is the question. Vikings coach Brad Childress said in March that Erasmus James is a candidate for the physically unable to perform list when training camp begins in July. James knows he won't be ready for the June 1-3 minicamp but is hopeful he can avoid the PUP scenario. Besides rehabilitating at Winter Park, James also is taking trips every six weeks to Vail, Colo., to be examined by Dr. Richard Steadman. He performed the initial surgery on James' knee in November and then did some minor follow-up work in February. James is able to run in a pool of water -- he hasn't started doing on-the-field running or cutting yet -- and his next appointment with Steadman is in about "three to four weeks." While having to undergo a second procedure might have been considered bad news, James actually feels that helped with his recovery.
The long road back for Tennessee Titans wide receiver David Givens has gotten even longer. Givens, who suffered a devastating knee injury last year in a November game against Baltimore, underwent a second surgery on his left knee six weeks ago and now says his goal is to be back sometime before the 2007 season is over. “They just had to clean my meniscus,” said Givens, who walked with a noticeable limp Thursday at Baptist Sports Park. “There were some loose bodies in there, and the process of the bone growing back, they kind of had to shave that down a little and get it back to where it should be.”
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he has done his best to reassure Greg Ellis that he remains part of the team's plans, despite Purdue pass rusher Anthony Spencer being drafted in the first round. "Sometimes players don't understand, but we are just trying to get the best players," Phillips said.
LenDale White’s offseason this year has started out just like year — with a hamstring injury. Last year, a hamstring injury played a role in White slipping to the second round where the Titans took him with the 45th overall pick. On Tuesday, White, who reported for offseason work at around 260 pounds, suffered a strained hamstring and was having it checked out on Thursday, causing him to miss practice. “He had a minor episode with the hamstring in Tuesday’s OTA,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s getting it checked … and that’s why he wasn’t here. We don’t expect it to be severe, and he may or may not miss time next week.”
New Titans defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil has decided to completely shuffle the deck, declaring every spot in the secondary, except for the strong safety spot occupied by Chris Hope, as open for competition. That means that two-year starters like safety Lamont Thompson and cornerback Reynaldo Hill, as well as free-agent pick up Nick Harper and first-round Michael Griffin and a host of others will have to fight for whatever playing time they get. “Basically every position is up for grabs right now,” Cecil said. “There’s no corner spot that’s solid. I’d say Chris Hope is pretty much a lock at the strong safety position, but the other three spots, we’re just rotating guys around and let the chips fall where they may. The best guys are going to play.” Harper, brought in as a free agent from the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, says it is nothing new for him to have to fight for a spot.
A former quarterback and head coach at the University of Alabama, Mike Shula now is in charge of tutoring the Jaguars' quarterbacks, who bear the brunt of responsibility for the team's anemic 24th-ranked aerial attack of 2006. So, how will the performance be remedied? By emphasizing solid fundamentals, Shula says. After reviewing film of last season's games, Shula says he didn't notice an abnormal amount of technical errors from Byron Leftwich and David Garrard. Rather, the decision to focus on fundamentals is simply Shula's coaching philosophy.
"Please don't judge my son by his appearance. When you see this black guy with dreadlocks and gold in his mouth, don't put him down as some thug. Get to know Marshawn and you'll know he's a much different character.' - Delisa Lynch on her son Marshawn, who was the Bills' first-round pick.
Bill Belichick was the first to speak with Randy Moss. Then Tom Brady got the wide receiver’s ear as the trade that rocked Day 2 of the NFL draft last month was consummated. Any guesses as to the identity of the next Patriots player to race to the phone and dial up Moss to officially welcome him to the three-time Super Bowl champions? “Yeah, I called him the (day) after the trade,” Kevin Faulk said yesterday. “I just wanted to greet him, and let him know how much the team appreciated having him - his great pair of hands - and that we were going to have fun together.”
Jim Todd, a Nashville-based defense attorney and a former prosecutor, said the state must prove that Ravens QB Steve McNair was in custody or control of the vehicle and that he knowingly turned the keys over to someone who was intoxicated. "Usually, the knowingly part is the difficult part to prove," Todd said. "If his brother-in-law was just over the legal limit, Mr. McNair's lawyers could have a good argument that he didn't knowingly do anything." Todd said that in such cases, it's rare for an officer not to charge the person in McNair's position. But in practice, he said, such charges are usually pleaded down severely or dismissed.
The Falcons cut one-time starting cornerback Jason Webster Thursday, a move that was signaled weeks ago when new coach Bobby Petrino said there would be a new starter opposite Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Webster's release will ease some of the strain on the Falcons' finances as he was owed $7.5 million over the next three seasons — $2 million next season.
Quarterback Brock Berlin was waived Thursday. With the addition of undrafted free agent Matt Moore and Tarleton State's Richard Bartel in for a tryout, the Cowboys will have five quarterbacks at minicamp.
Two years ago, the AFC West's quarterbacks were Kansas City's Trent Green (12th season), Oakland's Kerry Collins (11th), Denver's Jake Plummer (ninth) and San Diego's Drew Brees (fifth). This season, the Chargers' Philip Rivers, who's 25 and has started 17 NFL games, is the old man of the division's quarterbacks ahead of second-year men Jay Cutler of the Broncos (five starts), Croyle of the Chiefs (zero) and Raiders rookie JaMarcus Russell.
The NFL is scheduled on Wednesday to begin selling the first block of tickets to the Dolphins-New York Giants game in London to a group of fans, mostly in the United Kingdom, who won a lottery to buy tickets after registering online. Dolphins season-ticket holders wanting to make the trip for the Oct. 28 game at Wembley Stadium will get a separate opportunity to buy tickets and will receive information by mail about tickets and travel packages later this month, Dolphins Enterprises spokesman George Torres said. Tickets will also be made available to the Giants, he said.
The North Shore casino developer is upset about another delay in the master plan vote by the city planning commission, saying the company has done its best to address concerns, many of which involve traffic. But PITG Gaming LLC isn't the only one upset about the planning for the Majestic Star casino. Steelers President Art Rooney II said yesterday he's unhappy the casino's impact on game day traffic at Heinz Field won't be analyzed as part of an expanded traffic study. In an interview, he said the Steelers would consider a lawsuit if planners approve the casino master plan without studying the impact on events at Heinz Field.
How much did Brady Quinn's first-round nose dive cost him? Well, based on contract figures for the No. 3 and 22 picks in '06, he lost about $20 million guaranteed money by slipping those 19 spots.
Next weekend, Vikings third-round draft pick Marcus McCauley, the former Fresno State standout cornerback, will become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He will graduate from Fresno State on May 19 with his degree in sociology.
Ounce upon a time, training-camp holdouts by NFL veterans were as common as jock itch. But the advent of free agency changed that. So did the harsh financial penalties a team could levy on a player if he played hooky from camp. But revisions in last year's collective bargaining agreement, which dramatically reduced the financial consequences of a holdout, combined with some of the ludicrous free-agent contracts that were handed out this offseason, could trigger a rash of veteran holdouts this summer. "You're going to see an upsurge in holdouts of players under contract," Eagles president Joe Banner said. "I think [it will be] dramatic. And it's mainly because of the gutting of the signing-bonus language." Previously, a club was able to write language into a player's contract that allowed it to recover the remaining portion of the player's signing bonus if he held out or failed in any way to honor his contract. But the amendments that were added to last year's CBA extension changed that. Now, if a player holds out, a team can only reclaim 25 percent of the prorated portion of the signing bonus amount for 1 year. In other words, if a player signed a 5-year contract that included a $10 million signing bonus, a team only can take back $500,000.
Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio, who isn't one of quarterback Byron Leftwich's biggest boosters, wanted to take Brady Quinn with the team's first-round draft pick, according to a source. But vice president of player personnel James Harris, who makes the final call on personnel decisions, decided to take safety Reggie Nelson instead. Leftwich has missed 15 of the last 21 regular-season games with injuries and is entering the last year of his contract.
The Raiders have called around about Fran Foley, though it is unclear about how serious they are about hiring him. Foley was the vice president of player personnel that the Vikings fired about a year ago for falsifying his résumé and alienating some in their organization. Foley embellished the titles he held during his coaching career and the length of his playing days. But the Raiders thrive on giving second and third chances to players and other individuals. Foley certainly has qualified credentials. Foley served nine seasons in Jacksonville, working under then-Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin, and he spent three seasons as San Diego's director of pro scouting.
There have been reports that NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is being considered for the Raiders job. But Mayock said there's nothing to it. "Al Davis had expressed an interest in me a year ago," Mayock said. "At that point, I told him the timing was not good for me and kind of backed out of it early. So I don't know what [the job] could have been or couldn't have been. Why it's surfacing now I have no idea." Mayock, who lives in Newtown Square, is a single dad with full custody of his two children. His daughter is a college freshman and his son is a high school sophomore.
The Bears should know within the next two weeks how severely jailed defensive tackle Tank Johnson will be punished by the NFL. ... Speculation is that the Bears will be without Johnson for eight games. Roger Goodell could take into account that Johnson has served jail time, but since his incarceration did not prevent him from playing in any games, it might not be much of a factor in the commissioner’s ruling.
In two years, Donovan McNabb's contract status becomes an issue. If he plays well, stays healthy, wins, and is willing to re-work his contract, there's every chance he'll still be here. If McNabb takes the Eagles to the Super Bowl, is there anyone who thinks the Eagles will cut him and play the untested new guy? And now, right now, McNabb is the quarterback. The rest is all drama, just soap opera, only theater. The key for the Eagles is to hold it to that, to keep real news from breaking out.
After staying away from the Steelers this offseason as a sign of protest over his current contract, perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca will report to a minicamp that will kick off May 11. Faneca was considering staying away, which would have subject him to a fine in the vicinity of $12,000, and the Steelers also could have pursued other bonus money they've given him.
Cowboys guard Marco Rivera's future is in doubt because of back surgery. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he wanted to meet with Rivera before making a decision. Rivera, the starting right guard the last two years, would count about $1.2 million against the salary cap if he is cut.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has upheld the one-year, one-day sentence of Dr. James Shortt for illegally distributing steroids and human growth hormone to Carolina Panthers players and other patients. In an opinion published today, 4th Circuit Judge Paul V. Niemeyer wrote on behalf of a three-judge panel that "Shortt's conspiracy subverted professional sports as an institution and the roles that professional athletes play in this country."
Indianapolis appears to have a slight lead over Dallas in the bidding for the 2011 Super Bowl. The league's owners will select the site for the '11 game at its spring meeting in Nashville on May 22. Indy, Dallas and Phoenix are the three finalists, but a league insider said Phoenix, which will host this season's championship game, is running a distant third. Indianapolis, whose new stadium will open in 2008, is believed to have the support of many of the owners of the league's midmarket teams. There also is an anti-Jerry Jones faction in the league that would rather play the game in Saskatchewan than see the Cowboys' owner get it. Jones has pointed out to his fellow owners that former commissioner Paul Tagliabue promised the '11 Super Bowl to Arlington (the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb where the Cowboys' stadium is being built) if the city helped fund a stadium.
The Giants, who badly need a left tackle to protect Eli Manning's blindside, talked to Cleveland before the draft about its starting left tackle, Kevin Shaffer. But the two sides couldn't work out a deal. The Browns signed Shaffer away from the Falcons in '06 and gave him $12 million in signing and option bonuses. But he was a bust last season. If he sticks around, it won't be at left tackle, where the Browns already have plugged in first-round pick Joe Thomas. The Giants are expected to take another run at Shaffer before they open training camp.
Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron has not discussed Ricky Williams, nor reached out to him, something that former Miami head coach Nick Saban did. Right now, Williams is not on the Dolphins' radar screen. If he gets reinstated -- and the decision will be handed down in the next seven days -- then he will have to be. But right now, based on the body of evidence the Dolphins have presented, it's hard to envision a scenario under which Williams is back in Miami next season.
Even if the Eagles aren't able to sign tight end L.J. Smith to a new contract between now and next February, that doesn't mean he won't be playing for them next season. The team always can use the franchise tag on Smith. The '07 franchise number for a tight end is just $4.371 million. The only position with a lower franchise number is punter/kicker ($2.078 million). Would they be willing to pay Smith $4.37 million next year if they weren't able to re-sign him and really wanted to hang on to him?
When the Cowboys begin a three-day minicamp Saturday, signifying the first official team activity of the Wade Phillips coaching era, they will do so with star receiver Terrell Owens largely as a spectator. Owens is rehabbing after two off-season surgeries to repair a torn tendon in his right ring finger. But, according to Phillips, it might not be long before Owens gets back on the field. Phillips said doctors have indicated that Owens is ahead of schedule in his rehab and might start catching passes before the Cowboys head to training camp in San Antonio in July. "I don't know [when he will catch passes] yet," Phillips said. "But we are closer to being able to do that."
Bears GM Jerry Angelo has stated, optimistically, that he hoped Tank Johnson had paid a stiff enough price by serving 60 days in jail but most league observers expect Johnson to receive a suspension for as many as eight games. Some fear that Johnson, who spent time in jail unlike Jones or Henry, could be suspended the entire season. Johnson is scheduled to leave jail Sunday and the Bears full-team mini-camp is set to begin next Friday.
Washington Commanders Coach Joe Gibbs expressed surprise and dismay yesterday that neither starting free safety Sean Taylor nor starting cornerback Shawn Springs attended the first week of voluntary workouts. Springs said yesterday he plans to join the workouts the first week of June. Taylor's absence was predicted days ago by some of his defensive teammates, who said they did not believe he would be in attendance. Part of the reason, some teammates believe, is that Taylor, 24, has been unhappy with his contract, which expires following the 2008 season. "With Sean Taylor, I've had no contact whatsoever," Gibbs said. "I'm not aware of anything there. That's about all I can say about it. I've had no contact."
Just how soon he gets back is the question. Vikings coach Brad Childress said in March that Erasmus James is a candidate for the physically unable to perform list when training camp begins in July. James knows he won't be ready for the June 1-3 minicamp but is hopeful he can avoid the PUP scenario. Besides rehabilitating at Winter Park, James also is taking trips every six weeks to Vail, Colo., to be examined by Dr. Richard Steadman. He performed the initial surgery on James' knee in November and then did some minor follow-up work in February. James is able to run in a pool of water -- he hasn't started doing on-the-field running or cutting yet -- and his next appointment with Steadman is in about "three to four weeks." While having to undergo a second procedure might have been considered bad news, James actually feels that helped with his recovery.
The long road back for Tennessee Titans wide receiver David Givens has gotten even longer. Givens, who suffered a devastating knee injury last year in a November game against Baltimore, underwent a second surgery on his left knee six weeks ago and now says his goal is to be back sometime before the 2007 season is over. “They just had to clean my meniscus,” said Givens, who walked with a noticeable limp Thursday at Baptist Sports Park. “There were some loose bodies in there, and the process of the bone growing back, they kind of had to shave that down a little and get it back to where it should be.”
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he has done his best to reassure Greg Ellis that he remains part of the team's plans, despite Purdue pass rusher Anthony Spencer being drafted in the first round. "Sometimes players don't understand, but we are just trying to get the best players," Phillips said.
LenDale White’s offseason this year has started out just like year — with a hamstring injury. Last year, a hamstring injury played a role in White slipping to the second round where the Titans took him with the 45th overall pick. On Tuesday, White, who reported for offseason work at around 260 pounds, suffered a strained hamstring and was having it checked out on Thursday, causing him to miss practice. “He had a minor episode with the hamstring in Tuesday’s OTA,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s getting it checked … and that’s why he wasn’t here. We don’t expect it to be severe, and he may or may not miss time next week.”
New Titans defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil has decided to completely shuffle the deck, declaring every spot in the secondary, except for the strong safety spot occupied by Chris Hope, as open for competition. That means that two-year starters like safety Lamont Thompson and cornerback Reynaldo Hill, as well as free-agent pick up Nick Harper and first-round Michael Griffin and a host of others will have to fight for whatever playing time they get. “Basically every position is up for grabs right now,” Cecil said. “There’s no corner spot that’s solid. I’d say Chris Hope is pretty much a lock at the strong safety position, but the other three spots, we’re just rotating guys around and let the chips fall where they may. The best guys are going to play.” Harper, brought in as a free agent from the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, says it is nothing new for him to have to fight for a spot.
A former quarterback and head coach at the University of Alabama, Mike Shula now is in charge of tutoring the Jaguars' quarterbacks, who bear the brunt of responsibility for the team's anemic 24th-ranked aerial attack of 2006. So, how will the performance be remedied? By emphasizing solid fundamentals, Shula says. After reviewing film of last season's games, Shula says he didn't notice an abnormal amount of technical errors from Byron Leftwich and David Garrard. Rather, the decision to focus on fundamentals is simply Shula's coaching philosophy.
"Please don't judge my son by his appearance. When you see this black guy with dreadlocks and gold in his mouth, don't put him down as some thug. Get to know Marshawn and you'll know he's a much different character.' - Delisa Lynch on her son Marshawn, who was the Bills' first-round pick.
Bill Belichick was the first to speak with Randy Moss. Then Tom Brady got the wide receiver’s ear as the trade that rocked Day 2 of the NFL draft last month was consummated. Any guesses as to the identity of the next Patriots player to race to the phone and dial up Moss to officially welcome him to the three-time Super Bowl champions? “Yeah, I called him the (day) after the trade,” Kevin Faulk said yesterday. “I just wanted to greet him, and let him know how much the team appreciated having him - his great pair of hands - and that we were going to have fun together.”
Jim Todd, a Nashville-based defense attorney and a former prosecutor, said the state must prove that Ravens QB Steve McNair was in custody or control of the vehicle and that he knowingly turned the keys over to someone who was intoxicated. "Usually, the knowingly part is the difficult part to prove," Todd said. "If his brother-in-law was just over the legal limit, Mr. McNair's lawyers could have a good argument that he didn't knowingly do anything." Todd said that in such cases, it's rare for an officer not to charge the person in McNair's position. But in practice, he said, such charges are usually pleaded down severely or dismissed.
The Falcons cut one-time starting cornerback Jason Webster Thursday, a move that was signaled weeks ago when new coach Bobby Petrino said there would be a new starter opposite Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Webster's release will ease some of the strain on the Falcons' finances as he was owed $7.5 million over the next three seasons — $2 million next season.
Quarterback Brock Berlin was waived Thursday. With the addition of undrafted free agent Matt Moore and Tarleton State's Richard Bartel in for a tryout, the Cowboys will have five quarterbacks at minicamp.
Two years ago, the AFC West's quarterbacks were Kansas City's Trent Green (12th season), Oakland's Kerry Collins (11th), Denver's Jake Plummer (ninth) and San Diego's Drew Brees (fifth). This season, the Chargers' Philip Rivers, who's 25 and has started 17 NFL games, is the old man of the division's quarterbacks ahead of second-year men Jay Cutler of the Broncos (five starts), Croyle of the Chiefs (zero) and Raiders rookie JaMarcus Russell.
The NFL is scheduled on Wednesday to begin selling the first block of tickets to the Dolphins-New York Giants game in London to a group of fans, mostly in the United Kingdom, who won a lottery to buy tickets after registering online. Dolphins season-ticket holders wanting to make the trip for the Oct. 28 game at Wembley Stadium will get a separate opportunity to buy tickets and will receive information by mail about tickets and travel packages later this month, Dolphins Enterprises spokesman George Torres said. Tickets will also be made available to the Giants, he said.
The North Shore casino developer is upset about another delay in the master plan vote by the city planning commission, saying the company has done its best to address concerns, many of which involve traffic. But PITG Gaming LLC isn't the only one upset about the planning for the Majestic Star casino. Steelers President Art Rooney II said yesterday he's unhappy the casino's impact on game day traffic at Heinz Field won't be analyzed as part of an expanded traffic study. In an interview, he said the Steelers would consider a lawsuit if planners approve the casino master plan without studying the impact on events at Heinz Field.
How much did Brady Quinn's first-round nose dive cost him? Well, based on contract figures for the No. 3 and 22 picks in '06, he lost about $20 million guaranteed money by slipping those 19 spots.
Next weekend, Vikings third-round draft pick Marcus McCauley, the former Fresno State standout cornerback, will become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He will graduate from Fresno State on May 19 with his degree in sociology.
