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Not Old School...Old Testament...
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Former Washington Commanders linebacker LaVar Arrington continued to negotiate with the New York Giants yesterday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Arrington, who negotiated his release from the club before the start of free agency last month, has stated his desire to remain in the NFC East, and he is the highest-profile free agent remaining on the market. Jacksonville, Miami and Cincinnati have made efforts to sign him as well.
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Hold off on anointing Joey Harrington as Daunte Culpepper's backup for now. In an e-mail, a Lions official said today he would not be surprised if Harrington wound up somewhere other than Miami or Cincinnati, the two teams seemingly most interested in the Lions quarterback.
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If things don't change in the stagnant contract negotiations, however, agent Bus Cook said yesterday he believes it might be best for the Titans to just set Steve McNair free. "He is under contract, so they have to do what they have to do,'' Cook said. "But if we can't agree on a new deal that compensates him for 2-3 years on his existing deal, the right thing to do is release him. But that is their choice.'' Titans General Manager Floyd Reese did not return a phone message from The Tennessean seeking further comment on the matter. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher was not involved in the decision to ban McNair from the team's training facility.
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Nick Harper has been the most productive member of the Indianapolis Colts' secondary the past three seasons. The veteran cornerback wants to be paid accordingly. When the team's voluntary offseason workouts began Monday, Harper didn't show. He's dissatisfied with a contract that will pay him $1 million in 2006 and wants nothing to do with the team until the situation is rectified. "Something's got to give, 'cause I'm not happy,'' said Harper, who has started 42 of a possible 48 regular-season games the past three seasons. "They know they've got a starting corner dirt cheap. "If they can't give me the money I deserve, release me and somebody else will.'' Harper has expressed his displeasure with team president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy.
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The Seahawks’ long-rumored visit with Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law is scheduled to begin today and continue Thursday. Law picked off 10 passes for the New York Jets last seas
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Green Bay is still in the running for Oakland free agent cornerback Charles Woodson, who visited Monday but hasn't received an offer from them yet. The Packers are competing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Woodson's services and have the ability to offer a better contract, but Woodson's familiarity with Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden could be the deal-breaker. If Woodson doesn't get a big-money offer, he might wait until after the draft to see if other teams become interested.
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Quincy Carter, the last quarterback to lead the Cowboys to the playoffs, on Tuesday said that marijuana use played a role in his abrupt release from the team before the 2004 season. Carter, who did not play football last year, spoke to The News after signing a one-year deal with Montreal of the Canadian Football League. "I made a mistake in the past. That mistake was for marijuana. I'm excited about getting a fresh start with Montreal, and I want to put the things in the past behind me," said Carter, who spent a portion of last year at John Lucas' treatment center in Houston. "When you walk around and people think you're on cocaine or bipolar, it hurts. None of that was the case. "I had some issues, but I've worked on them, and I'm happy about the way I've picked myself up and faced my situation."
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It appears the NFL has a sense of humor after all. When Terrell Owens signed with Dallas last month, the Cowboys and Eagles seemed destined to meet in Philadelphia for a matchup in Week 1. But that didn’t turn out to be the case. Neither of the two Eagles-Cowboys games will take place in the season’s opening week. And neither will occur on Thanksgiving, either. Instead, a source has told Comcast SportsNet that Owens will play his first game at Lincoln Financial Field as a Cowboy ... on Christmas Day.
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For all the public talk of Southern California running back LenDale White sliding in the draft, there also is just as much behind-the-scenes talk of him getting drafted just where many predicted. One team in the 20s recently encouraged White not to run before the draft so it can pounce on him with its selection in the first round. Another team in the mid-teens already has told White it plans on drafting him.
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The Dolphins will add depth to their secondary this morning when former Jaguars safety Deke Cooper arrives in town to sign a contract. Cooper, 28, chose Miami over the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders.
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The Packers currently have $19 million of salary cap room, second most in the National Football League behind San Diego's $19.46 million, but probably won't use much of it because the market is almost dry.
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The Jets will hold a private workout with USC QB Matt Leinart the week of April 17. The club, however, is still believed to be leaning toward selecting either Virginia OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and N.C. State DE Mario Williams with their fourth selection overall in this month's NFL Draft.
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Commanders safety Sean Taylor's three charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon each could carry a three-year mandatory minimum sentence. Prosecutor Mike Grieco said he has waived such minimums in past cases in exchange for probation and other contingencies, but he added that in this case the defense has made it known that it would only accept a plea bargain that lowered the offenses against Taylor to misdemeanors. That is not something Grieco is currently considering, and he said the chances of a pre-trial settlement are bleak at this point.
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The Bengals apparently are discussing both one- and two-year contracts with Joey Harrington. David Dunn, who represents both Harrington and Palmer, had no comment Tuesday. Harrington is due to receive a $4 million roster bonus June 15 and a $4.45 million salary in 2006. If he is unwilling to renegotiate his contract, the Lions will cut him to avoid paying the bonus. Harrington was the third pick in the 2002 draft.
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Three-time Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson said he shared a flight over the weekend with Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens and that they discussed the league's new restrictions on end-zone celebrations. "I don't celebrate. I entertain," Johnson said Tuesday. "We talked about how they're trying to stop us." The NFL adopted new rules last week that will penalize players who use the ball as a prop and who go to the ground to celebrate. Violations will draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Johnson said he, Owens and Carolina's Steve Smith - Johnson's junior-college teammate - were forming their own committee to study the new rules. "All they will do is make me dedicate more time to thinking up ways to entertain," Johnson said.
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Mike Holmgren wants to make one thing clear regarding his future with the Seahawks. "I'm not trying to be coy or cute with anybody," Seattle's head coach said Tuesday. Holmgren wants an additional two or three weeks before deciding whether he will sign an extension to his contract, which runs through the 2006 season. "I'm still working through some stuff," Holmgren said. "This is not going to go on forever. I should have things cleared up in a couple, three weeks in my own mind."
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Broncos offensive lineman Dwayne Carswell said his comeback from an auto accident has made him appreciate the remaining time in his career. Carswell, 34, has been cleared to play and is participating in the team's offseason program. He was lost for the season last October after the accident, in which he suffered several injuries. "The accident threw a monkey wrench into my playing career, but it also made me realize that I have to take advantage of the time I have left in the NFL," Carswell said.
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After repeatedly speaking with Pat Tillman's family in the months since, Jake Plummer said he has grown increasingly frustrated about the family's search for answers surrounding Tillman's death. The Pentagon announced earlier this year it was launching a criminal investigation into a shooting the Army had said, after two previous investigations, was an accidental, friendly fire shooting. Plummer plans to contact NFL players - he said he already has spoken with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe - in each of the league's cities in hopes they will get in touch with members of Congress in those states to try to push for answers. "It's just for his family after all they've been through," Plummer said. "They want to know; it's been two years. Seeing Pat's brother, talking to his parents, I've just been thinking a lot about that."
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The deadline for the roster bonus Brett Favre is due has been moved back to April 15, an NFL source familiar with the deal confirmed. Favre doesn't have to make a decision by then, but the Packers are hoping he does. The Packers and agent James "Bus" Cook changed the deadline from April 1 to April 15 on Friday, a day before the bonus was due.
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Victor Green, arguably one of the best safeties in Jets' history, signed a one-day contract with the club yesterday with the intent to retire. Green, who signed with the Jets as a rookie free agent out of the University of Akron, played with the Jets from 1993 through 2001. He broke into the starting lineup midway through the 1994 season and stayed there until his departure.
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The Dolphins haven't budged off their offer of a late-round pick, and the Lions insist they will not trade Joey Harrington for a sixth- or seventh-round draft choice. So there is the reason for the stalemate, which could be prolonged. The Dolphins even have begun inquiring about free-agent quarterback Jamie Martin, whom the Bengals also have been speaking with the past couple of weeks. Now it looks like Martin could land in Miami or Cincinnati, whichever team does not land Harrington. And should Harrington land in a surprise city such as Kansas City, Arizona or Denver, then Martin might have even more bargaining power.
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Asked when he thought there might be an announcement from Brett Favre regarding the Packers quarterback's future, Bus Cook said, "I would think we would have something relatively soon -- within the next couple of weeks, I'd guess. But I don't know, I really don't." Cook also said he thought Favre had not seen the critical comments that his former Packers teammate, Mark Chmura, leveled at him over the weekend for being selfish. "I don't think he'd have any comment about what Mark said," Cook said.
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The Dolphins started to make backup plans by showing interest in former Rams quarterback Jamie Martin. The Bengals also have reached out to Martin. "It's looking like which ever team doesn't land Harrington is going to go after Jamie," a league source said. "He's just waiting to see what happens."
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Steve McNair's agent, Bus Cook, wondered aloud whether his client would be willing to restructure his deal for a team that acted the way it did April 3. "I would think the way this whole thing was handled, it's going to be pretty difficult for Steve to walk back through those doors," Cook said. "After (Monday), I'm not sure that anything with (the Titans) is going to make sense for Steve. He's disappointed. He doesn't understand why this happened and even if there's a reason why that's his problem, his question is, 'Why did you handle it the way you did?' "
____________________________________________
Hold off on anointing Joey Harrington as Daunte Culpepper's backup for now. In an e-mail, a Lions official said today he would not be surprised if Harrington wound up somewhere other than Miami or Cincinnati, the two teams seemingly most interested in the Lions quarterback.
____________________________________________
If things don't change in the stagnant contract negotiations, however, agent Bus Cook said yesterday he believes it might be best for the Titans to just set Steve McNair free. "He is under contract, so they have to do what they have to do,'' Cook said. "But if we can't agree on a new deal that compensates him for 2-3 years on his existing deal, the right thing to do is release him. But that is their choice.'' Titans General Manager Floyd Reese did not return a phone message from The Tennessean seeking further comment on the matter. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher was not involved in the decision to ban McNair from the team's training facility.
____________________________________________
Nick Harper has been the most productive member of the Indianapolis Colts' secondary the past three seasons. The veteran cornerback wants to be paid accordingly. When the team's voluntary offseason workouts began Monday, Harper didn't show. He's dissatisfied with a contract that will pay him $1 million in 2006 and wants nothing to do with the team until the situation is rectified. "Something's got to give, 'cause I'm not happy,'' said Harper, who has started 42 of a possible 48 regular-season games the past three seasons. "They know they've got a starting corner dirt cheap. "If they can't give me the money I deserve, release me and somebody else will.'' Harper has expressed his displeasure with team president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy.
____________________________________________
The Seahawks’ long-rumored visit with Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law is scheduled to begin today and continue Thursday. Law picked off 10 passes for the New York Jets last seas
____________________________________________
Green Bay is still in the running for Oakland free agent cornerback Charles Woodson, who visited Monday but hasn't received an offer from them yet. The Packers are competing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Woodson's services and have the ability to offer a better contract, but Woodson's familiarity with Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden could be the deal-breaker. If Woodson doesn't get a big-money offer, he might wait until after the draft to see if other teams become interested.
____________________________________________
Quincy Carter, the last quarterback to lead the Cowboys to the playoffs, on Tuesday said that marijuana use played a role in his abrupt release from the team before the 2004 season. Carter, who did not play football last year, spoke to The News after signing a one-year deal with Montreal of the Canadian Football League. "I made a mistake in the past. That mistake was for marijuana. I'm excited about getting a fresh start with Montreal, and I want to put the things in the past behind me," said Carter, who spent a portion of last year at John Lucas' treatment center in Houston. "When you walk around and people think you're on cocaine or bipolar, it hurts. None of that was the case. "I had some issues, but I've worked on them, and I'm happy about the way I've picked myself up and faced my situation."
____________________________________________
It appears the NFL has a sense of humor after all. When Terrell Owens signed with Dallas last month, the Cowboys and Eagles seemed destined to meet in Philadelphia for a matchup in Week 1. But that didn’t turn out to be the case. Neither of the two Eagles-Cowboys games will take place in the season’s opening week. And neither will occur on Thanksgiving, either. Instead, a source has told Comcast SportsNet that Owens will play his first game at Lincoln Financial Field as a Cowboy ... on Christmas Day.
____________________________________________
For all the public talk of Southern California running back LenDale White sliding in the draft, there also is just as much behind-the-scenes talk of him getting drafted just where many predicted. One team in the 20s recently encouraged White not to run before the draft so it can pounce on him with its selection in the first round. Another team in the mid-teens already has told White it plans on drafting him.
____________________________________________
The Dolphins will add depth to their secondary this morning when former Jaguars safety Deke Cooper arrives in town to sign a contract. Cooper, 28, chose Miami over the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders.
____________________________________________
The Packers currently have $19 million of salary cap room, second most in the National Football League behind San Diego's $19.46 million, but probably won't use much of it because the market is almost dry.
____________________________________________
The Jets will hold a private workout with USC QB Matt Leinart the week of April 17. The club, however, is still believed to be leaning toward selecting either Virginia OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and N.C. State DE Mario Williams with their fourth selection overall in this month's NFL Draft.
____________________________________________
Commanders safety Sean Taylor's three charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon each could carry a three-year mandatory minimum sentence. Prosecutor Mike Grieco said he has waived such minimums in past cases in exchange for probation and other contingencies, but he added that in this case the defense has made it known that it would only accept a plea bargain that lowered the offenses against Taylor to misdemeanors. That is not something Grieco is currently considering, and he said the chances of a pre-trial settlement are bleak at this point.
____________________________________________
The Bengals apparently are discussing both one- and two-year contracts with Joey Harrington. David Dunn, who represents both Harrington and Palmer, had no comment Tuesday. Harrington is due to receive a $4 million roster bonus June 15 and a $4.45 million salary in 2006. If he is unwilling to renegotiate his contract, the Lions will cut him to avoid paying the bonus. Harrington was the third pick in the 2002 draft.
____________________________________________
Three-time Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson said he shared a flight over the weekend with Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens and that they discussed the league's new restrictions on end-zone celebrations. "I don't celebrate. I entertain," Johnson said Tuesday. "We talked about how they're trying to stop us." The NFL adopted new rules last week that will penalize players who use the ball as a prop and who go to the ground to celebrate. Violations will draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Johnson said he, Owens and Carolina's Steve Smith - Johnson's junior-college teammate - were forming their own committee to study the new rules. "All they will do is make me dedicate more time to thinking up ways to entertain," Johnson said.
____________________________________________
Mike Holmgren wants to make one thing clear regarding his future with the Seahawks. "I'm not trying to be coy or cute with anybody," Seattle's head coach said Tuesday. Holmgren wants an additional two or three weeks before deciding whether he will sign an extension to his contract, which runs through the 2006 season. "I'm still working through some stuff," Holmgren said. "This is not going to go on forever. I should have things cleared up in a couple, three weeks in my own mind."
____________________________________________
Broncos offensive lineman Dwayne Carswell said his comeback from an auto accident has made him appreciate the remaining time in his career. Carswell, 34, has been cleared to play and is participating in the team's offseason program. He was lost for the season last October after the accident, in which he suffered several injuries. "The accident threw a monkey wrench into my playing career, but it also made me realize that I have to take advantage of the time I have left in the NFL," Carswell said.
____________________________________________
After repeatedly speaking with Pat Tillman's family in the months since, Jake Plummer said he has grown increasingly frustrated about the family's search for answers surrounding Tillman's death. The Pentagon announced earlier this year it was launching a criminal investigation into a shooting the Army had said, after two previous investigations, was an accidental, friendly fire shooting. Plummer plans to contact NFL players - he said he already has spoken with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe - in each of the league's cities in hopes they will get in touch with members of Congress in those states to try to push for answers. "It's just for his family after all they've been through," Plummer said. "They want to know; it's been two years. Seeing Pat's brother, talking to his parents, I've just been thinking a lot about that."
____________________________________________
The deadline for the roster bonus Brett Favre is due has been moved back to April 15, an NFL source familiar with the deal confirmed. Favre doesn't have to make a decision by then, but the Packers are hoping he does. The Packers and agent James "Bus" Cook changed the deadline from April 1 to April 15 on Friday, a day before the bonus was due.
____________________________________________
Victor Green, arguably one of the best safeties in Jets' history, signed a one-day contract with the club yesterday with the intent to retire. Green, who signed with the Jets as a rookie free agent out of the University of Akron, played with the Jets from 1993 through 2001. He broke into the starting lineup midway through the 1994 season and stayed there until his departure.
____________________________________________
The Dolphins haven't budged off their offer of a late-round pick, and the Lions insist they will not trade Joey Harrington for a sixth- or seventh-round draft choice. So there is the reason for the stalemate, which could be prolonged. The Dolphins even have begun inquiring about free-agent quarterback Jamie Martin, whom the Bengals also have been speaking with the past couple of weeks. Now it looks like Martin could land in Miami or Cincinnati, whichever team does not land Harrington. And should Harrington land in a surprise city such as Kansas City, Arizona or Denver, then Martin might have even more bargaining power.
____________________________________________
Asked when he thought there might be an announcement from Brett Favre regarding the Packers quarterback's future, Bus Cook said, "I would think we would have something relatively soon -- within the next couple of weeks, I'd guess. But I don't know, I really don't." Cook also said he thought Favre had not seen the critical comments that his former Packers teammate, Mark Chmura, leveled at him over the weekend for being selfish. "I don't think he'd have any comment about what Mark said," Cook said.
____________________________________________
The Dolphins started to make backup plans by showing interest in former Rams quarterback Jamie Martin. The Bengals also have reached out to Martin. "It's looking like which ever team doesn't land Harrington is going to go after Jamie," a league source said. "He's just waiting to see what happens."
____________________________________________
Steve McNair's agent, Bus Cook, wondered aloud whether his client would be willing to restructure his deal for a team that acted the way it did April 3. "I would think the way this whole thing was handled, it's going to be pretty difficult for Steve to walk back through those doors," Cook said. "After (Monday), I'm not sure that anything with (the Titans) is going to make sense for Steve. He's disappointed. He doesn't understand why this happened and even if there's a reason why that's his problem, his question is, 'Why did you handle it the way you did?' "
