Hostile
The Duke
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Could a visit to the Tennessee Titans be in Keyshawn Johnson’s future? Johnson’s agent, Jerome Stanley, would neither confirm nor deny that his client was scheduled to visit the Titans in the near future. But there are indications that a visit to Tennessee could be forthcoming. Stanley declined comment when asked about any contract negotiations between the Titans and him regarding Johnson. Titans coach Jeff Fisher when asked if Johnson had a visit scheduled said, “That’s news to me. I have not talked to Keyshawn in a few weeks.”
The Chiefs' organized team activities will kick off May 21, and Trent Green is adamant that, unless he is traded to Miami before then, he will be attending. The Chiefs do not want Green there as much as he doesn't want to be there, which could provide an impetus to consummate a trade by May 21. There also are other factors working to facilitate a trade for Green. In recent days, in the continuing conversations the two teams have conducted, the Dolphins have shown a willingness to budge off their offer of a sixth-round draft pick to the Chiefs. It has not been enough to get the deal done yet, but soon could be. The question now, as it has been for weeks, is when and how does Green get to Miami? There is little question Green will be quarterbacking the Dolphins this season, but the hangup in getting him there continues.
The Broncos have had internal discussions regarding veteran defensive tackle Sam Adams, but they will gather more information before deciding whether to bring him in for a visit. Adams and Broncos defensive line coach Bill Johnson go way back - to 1993, when both were at Texas A&M. Nearly 14 years later, Adams was released Monday by the Cincinnati Bengals after an unproductive season in which he struggled with his conditioning.
In an interview with Sirius satellite radio on Wednesday, defensive end Alex Brown revealed he had requested permission from the Bears to explore trade options. "We're just trying to see what's out there," Brown told Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots. "That's what we're trying to do. It's not the Bears. They don't want to get rid of me. "It's just that I want to see what else is out there. I think I'm a very good guy. It's just sometimes you kind of want to test to see if there's something else out there for you." Brown has three years left on his contract, and the Bears, at this point, aren't willing to negotiate a new deal at a higher rate. Also, they just chose defensive end Dan Bazuin in the second round of the NFL draft. Brown said the Bears' initial reaction was that they didn't want to deal him.
The Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, which is investigating dogfighting at a property that was owned by Michael Vick, does not have a videotape of the Falcons quarterback at a dogfight. Kathy Strouse, the lead investigator, said informants indicated that a tape exists of Vick at a dogfight. "Let's be very accurate here, because some of the reports out there are not accurate," Strouse told the Journal-Constitution on Tuesday. "We have information from informants that a tape exists of a dogfight and that Michael Vick is present. Whether that tape exists, we do not know that it exists." Strouse, the animal-control coordinator for Chesapeake, Va., noted that the Humane Society of the United States offers rewards of $2,500 for evidence that leads to the prosecution and conviction of animal cruelty. Gerald Poindexter, the commonwealth's attorney in Surry County, said a meeting was set for Monday to review evidence in the case. As of Wednesday morning, Strouse had not been contacted but was expecting an invitation.
Patriots QB Tom Brady has spent nearly every weekend gadding about the Big Apple with his new paramour Gisele Bundchen. But apparently No. 12 still logs enough quality time at Gillette Stadium to hold onto his primo parking perks! See, Brady has been No. 1 in team’s off-season conditioning regime every year since his rookie year - a distinction that means he gets a front-row spot for his Porsche all season long. And even though Brady spends lots of quality time in the Big Apple with his Brazilian babe, and even though he spent eight days in Africa on a humanitarian mission with Bono’s ONE organization, we hear Tommy is still the man to beat. “He has been a constant in the off-season conditioning program,” said team spokesguy Stacey James. “He leads by example and he’s a great captain for this team.” “The boy’s been conspicuous by his presence,” said one stadium snoop. “Even on his day off, he’s around.” Which ought to answer those critics who wonder whether Gi will be a “distraction” for Brady as the team locks and loads for the 2008 season.
Agent Bus Cook indicated that Brett Favre's anger with the team for not acquiring Randy Moss had subsided. "Just to make ourselves clear - nobody has ever demanded a trade," Cook said. "Brett has never asked to be traded and he doesn't want to be traded." Not only will Favre attend the minicamp, but Cook also said his client expects to participate in all practices, despite the offseason ankle surgery.
Washington quarterback Jason Campbell is said to look especially good. After two years in the league as an understudy, and four hours each day this winter and spring in Washington's training facility simply studying, Campbell is said to look like a different quarterback, Commanders officials said this week. One observer even predicted, boldly, that Campbell would go to the Pro Bowl this season.
Browns WR Braylon Edwards briefly addressed football after the ceremony and said that Charlie Frye is the team's quarterback. ``I want to go on record. Charlie is our guy,'' Edwards said. The competition with Brady Quinn, the second of two first-round draft picks, will be ``a great one,'' but Edwards added: ``Charlie is our guy, and with the new (offensive) system, Charlie could be looking at a big year.''.
After what undoubtedly has been the most trying offseason in Broncos history, Mike Shanahan told the squad before the opening of camp workouts on Wednesday to never forget Darrent Williams and Damien Nash. Players trotted onto the practice fields at the team's Dove Valley headquarters with memorial decals affixed to the back of their helmets. Each round, white decal frames the numbers 27 and 29, to honor the tragic deaths of Williams (jersey No. 27) and Nash (No. 29). "This season is definitely dedicated to those guys," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. The Broncos will embrace the memories of Williams and Nash and will not be afraid to talk about the tragedies, Shanahan told the media after the two- hour workout. "They were two young guys that meant a lot to this organization that died at an early age," Shanahan said. "We don't understand why. But their memories are with us."
This leaves Kelly Holcomb, whom Philadelphia acquired in an off-season trade from Buffalo, as the fourth quarterback and the apparent odd man out. However, Holcomb always could outplay Feeley this summer. But more likely, another team will lose a quarterback to injury during the preseason and the Eagles will be able to deal one of their quarterbacks -- Holcomb, probably -- to another team.
Conspicuously absent was the Broncos all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns. Rod Smith, fourth among active NFL players in receptions (849) and receiving yards (11,389), underwent offseason hip surgery and likely will miss all the minicamps.
Attorney Lorna Propes, who handled Tank Johnson's probation violation case in Cook County court, accompanied Johnson to New York. "We had a lengthy, informative and productive conversation with the commissioner," Propes said. "It was a full, open dialogue, and everyone's questions were answered." The 90-minute meeting with Roger Goodell was at a site away from NFL headquarters. No decision is expected for at least a few days, based on previous cases before the commissioner, and speculation on possible suspensions have ranged from four to eight games.
At 338 pounds, offensive lineman Damien Woody has lost 40 pounds this off-season but still has 23 to go to reach his goal of 315. He says he’s eating a lot of fruit and vegetables. “I think the most important thing is, I feel good,” Woody said. “I feel good about where I’m at and the direction I’m going. I’m just going to continue to work. “We’re still in the middle of the off-season, even though we’re having minicamp right now. This is still the off-season program. We’ve still got a lot of time before the season. You don’t want to peak right now. You just want to keep moving forward and keep getting better.” Coach Rod Marinelli said Woody had done “a remarkable job so far.” But note the “so far.” Woody needs to keep it up if he wants to stay on the roster.
Sugarman said Vikings defensive end Erasmus James has made "great progress" in rehabilitating the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. "He's showing every indication that he'll be out there for training camp when we go to Mankato," Sugarman said. "That's our goal." James and safety Mike Doss [knee] are expected to be the only players limited during OTAs.
One possible scenario for minicamp is that Brett Favre will attend practices and meetings Friday and Saturday, and return to Mississippi on Saturday evening. There is a final practice Sunday morning, but in past years the head coach has allowed select veterans to miss that workout and return home early.
The Packers signed Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson on Wednesday. Thompson could be very useful this weekend if the Packers decide they want to withhold Favre from practice or limit his on-field work in any way. Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers is rehabilitating from a broken bone in his foot, so the Packers would have been down to just third-string quarterback Ingle Martin for the weekend. So they brought in the athletically gifted Thompson, who could help out right away. He is from Austin, Texas, and has been working out there with former Packers quarterback Ty Detmer since before the combine. Detmer has also been giving Thompson a crash course on the Packers' West Coast offense.
With Jay Cutler playing QB the Denver Broncos will pull out some plays from the playbook John Elway used. "I heard someone saying the other day that they feel like they're going to be able to do things they haven't done since No. 7 was around," Broncos safety John Lynch said. "Every time someone says that I cringe. It is just not fair to Jay. But I think Jay has some special qualities that will allow us to do some special things in terms of pocket passing and the concepts you can do within that." "I don't want to take anything away from Jake Plummer, because he won 70 percent of our games and he did a lot of great things when he was here," Shanahan said. "But it's a new era, and we have a quarterback with different skills." More than the deep ball, Cutler will encourage Shanahan and Heimerdinger to call more passing plays on third downs.
Former NFL defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will continue his role as a special assistant for the team. In addition to adding another set of eyes in the coaching booth on game days, he helps the staff by breaking down film and finding other teams' tendencies. Fangio was hired by the Ravens at the start of the regular season last year. "He's a great resource to tap into," Billick said.
One reason that Brad Childress has to be a little optimistic about this year's Vikings team is that the second-year coach hopes to get a lot of contributions from three past first-round draft choices who didn't help much last year. Receiver Troy Williamson was healthy in 2006 but didn't have a good year. Defensive end Erasmus James played only two games last year before he injured his knee, underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season. Both Williamson and James were first-round draft choices in 2005. Then you have linebacker Chad Greenway, the Vikings' top pick last year who injured his knee in the team's first preseason game and missed the entire season after undergoing surgery.
The Chiefs' organized team activities will kick off May 21, and Trent Green is adamant that, unless he is traded to Miami before then, he will be attending. The Chiefs do not want Green there as much as he doesn't want to be there, which could provide an impetus to consummate a trade by May 21. There also are other factors working to facilitate a trade for Green. In recent days, in the continuing conversations the two teams have conducted, the Dolphins have shown a willingness to budge off their offer of a sixth-round draft pick to the Chiefs. It has not been enough to get the deal done yet, but soon could be. The question now, as it has been for weeks, is when and how does Green get to Miami? There is little question Green will be quarterbacking the Dolphins this season, but the hangup in getting him there continues.
The Broncos have had internal discussions regarding veteran defensive tackle Sam Adams, but they will gather more information before deciding whether to bring him in for a visit. Adams and Broncos defensive line coach Bill Johnson go way back - to 1993, when both were at Texas A&M. Nearly 14 years later, Adams was released Monday by the Cincinnati Bengals after an unproductive season in which he struggled with his conditioning.
In an interview with Sirius satellite radio on Wednesday, defensive end Alex Brown revealed he had requested permission from the Bears to explore trade options. "We're just trying to see what's out there," Brown told Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots. "That's what we're trying to do. It's not the Bears. They don't want to get rid of me. "It's just that I want to see what else is out there. I think I'm a very good guy. It's just sometimes you kind of want to test to see if there's something else out there for you." Brown has three years left on his contract, and the Bears, at this point, aren't willing to negotiate a new deal at a higher rate. Also, they just chose defensive end Dan Bazuin in the second round of the NFL draft. Brown said the Bears' initial reaction was that they didn't want to deal him.
The Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, which is investigating dogfighting at a property that was owned by Michael Vick, does not have a videotape of the Falcons quarterback at a dogfight. Kathy Strouse, the lead investigator, said informants indicated that a tape exists of Vick at a dogfight. "Let's be very accurate here, because some of the reports out there are not accurate," Strouse told the Journal-Constitution on Tuesday. "We have information from informants that a tape exists of a dogfight and that Michael Vick is present. Whether that tape exists, we do not know that it exists." Strouse, the animal-control coordinator for Chesapeake, Va., noted that the Humane Society of the United States offers rewards of $2,500 for evidence that leads to the prosecution and conviction of animal cruelty. Gerald Poindexter, the commonwealth's attorney in Surry County, said a meeting was set for Monday to review evidence in the case. As of Wednesday morning, Strouse had not been contacted but was expecting an invitation.
Patriots QB Tom Brady has spent nearly every weekend gadding about the Big Apple with his new paramour Gisele Bundchen. But apparently No. 12 still logs enough quality time at Gillette Stadium to hold onto his primo parking perks! See, Brady has been No. 1 in team’s off-season conditioning regime every year since his rookie year - a distinction that means he gets a front-row spot for his Porsche all season long. And even though Brady spends lots of quality time in the Big Apple with his Brazilian babe, and even though he spent eight days in Africa on a humanitarian mission with Bono’s ONE organization, we hear Tommy is still the man to beat. “He has been a constant in the off-season conditioning program,” said team spokesguy Stacey James. “He leads by example and he’s a great captain for this team.” “The boy’s been conspicuous by his presence,” said one stadium snoop. “Even on his day off, he’s around.” Which ought to answer those critics who wonder whether Gi will be a “distraction” for Brady as the team locks and loads for the 2008 season.
Agent Bus Cook indicated that Brett Favre's anger with the team for not acquiring Randy Moss had subsided. "Just to make ourselves clear - nobody has ever demanded a trade," Cook said. "Brett has never asked to be traded and he doesn't want to be traded." Not only will Favre attend the minicamp, but Cook also said his client expects to participate in all practices, despite the offseason ankle surgery.
Washington quarterback Jason Campbell is said to look especially good. After two years in the league as an understudy, and four hours each day this winter and spring in Washington's training facility simply studying, Campbell is said to look like a different quarterback, Commanders officials said this week. One observer even predicted, boldly, that Campbell would go to the Pro Bowl this season.
Browns WR Braylon Edwards briefly addressed football after the ceremony and said that Charlie Frye is the team's quarterback. ``I want to go on record. Charlie is our guy,'' Edwards said. The competition with Brady Quinn, the second of two first-round draft picks, will be ``a great one,'' but Edwards added: ``Charlie is our guy, and with the new (offensive) system, Charlie could be looking at a big year.''.
After what undoubtedly has been the most trying offseason in Broncos history, Mike Shanahan told the squad before the opening of camp workouts on Wednesday to never forget Darrent Williams and Damien Nash. Players trotted onto the practice fields at the team's Dove Valley headquarters with memorial decals affixed to the back of their helmets. Each round, white decal frames the numbers 27 and 29, to honor the tragic deaths of Williams (jersey No. 27) and Nash (No. 29). "This season is definitely dedicated to those guys," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. The Broncos will embrace the memories of Williams and Nash and will not be afraid to talk about the tragedies, Shanahan told the media after the two- hour workout. "They were two young guys that meant a lot to this organization that died at an early age," Shanahan said. "We don't understand why. But their memories are with us."
This leaves Kelly Holcomb, whom Philadelphia acquired in an off-season trade from Buffalo, as the fourth quarterback and the apparent odd man out. However, Holcomb always could outplay Feeley this summer. But more likely, another team will lose a quarterback to injury during the preseason and the Eagles will be able to deal one of their quarterbacks -- Holcomb, probably -- to another team.
Conspicuously absent was the Broncos all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns. Rod Smith, fourth among active NFL players in receptions (849) and receiving yards (11,389), underwent offseason hip surgery and likely will miss all the minicamps.
Attorney Lorna Propes, who handled Tank Johnson's probation violation case in Cook County court, accompanied Johnson to New York. "We had a lengthy, informative and productive conversation with the commissioner," Propes said. "It was a full, open dialogue, and everyone's questions were answered." The 90-minute meeting with Roger Goodell was at a site away from NFL headquarters. No decision is expected for at least a few days, based on previous cases before the commissioner, and speculation on possible suspensions have ranged from four to eight games.
At 338 pounds, offensive lineman Damien Woody has lost 40 pounds this off-season but still has 23 to go to reach his goal of 315. He says he’s eating a lot of fruit and vegetables. “I think the most important thing is, I feel good,” Woody said. “I feel good about where I’m at and the direction I’m going. I’m just going to continue to work. “We’re still in the middle of the off-season, even though we’re having minicamp right now. This is still the off-season program. We’ve still got a lot of time before the season. You don’t want to peak right now. You just want to keep moving forward and keep getting better.” Coach Rod Marinelli said Woody had done “a remarkable job so far.” But note the “so far.” Woody needs to keep it up if he wants to stay on the roster.
Sugarman said Vikings defensive end Erasmus James has made "great progress" in rehabilitating the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. "He's showing every indication that he'll be out there for training camp when we go to Mankato," Sugarman said. "That's our goal." James and safety Mike Doss [knee] are expected to be the only players limited during OTAs.
One possible scenario for minicamp is that Brett Favre will attend practices and meetings Friday and Saturday, and return to Mississippi on Saturday evening. There is a final practice Sunday morning, but in past years the head coach has allowed select veterans to miss that workout and return home early.
The Packers signed Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson on Wednesday. Thompson could be very useful this weekend if the Packers decide they want to withhold Favre from practice or limit his on-field work in any way. Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers is rehabilitating from a broken bone in his foot, so the Packers would have been down to just third-string quarterback Ingle Martin for the weekend. So they brought in the athletically gifted Thompson, who could help out right away. He is from Austin, Texas, and has been working out there with former Packers quarterback Ty Detmer since before the combine. Detmer has also been giving Thompson a crash course on the Packers' West Coast offense.
With Jay Cutler playing QB the Denver Broncos will pull out some plays from the playbook John Elway used. "I heard someone saying the other day that they feel like they're going to be able to do things they haven't done since No. 7 was around," Broncos safety John Lynch said. "Every time someone says that I cringe. It is just not fair to Jay. But I think Jay has some special qualities that will allow us to do some special things in terms of pocket passing and the concepts you can do within that." "I don't want to take anything away from Jake Plummer, because he won 70 percent of our games and he did a lot of great things when he was here," Shanahan said. "But it's a new era, and we have a quarterback with different skills." More than the deep ball, Cutler will encourage Shanahan and Heimerdinger to call more passing plays on third downs.
Former NFL defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will continue his role as a special assistant for the team. In addition to adding another set of eyes in the coaching booth on game days, he helps the staff by breaking down film and finding other teams' tendencies. Fangio was hired by the Ravens at the start of the regular season last year. "He's a great resource to tap into," Billick said.
One reason that Brad Childress has to be a little optimistic about this year's Vikings team is that the second-year coach hopes to get a lot of contributions from three past first-round draft choices who didn't help much last year. Receiver Troy Williamson was healthy in 2006 but didn't have a good year. Defensive end Erasmus James played only two games last year before he injured his knee, underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season. Both Williamson and James were first-round draft choices in 2005. Then you have linebacker Chad Greenway, the Vikings' top pick last year who injured his knee in the team's first preseason game and missed the entire season after undergoing surgery.