NFL Rumors & Notes by Ben Maller 04/12/06...

trickblue

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While the Dolphins and Bengals wait for the Lions to agree to either of their trade demands for the services of quarterback Joey Harrington, their respective contingency plans may be falling through. Rams veteran quarterback Jamie Martin, who has spoken to the Bengals and Dolphins, visited the Seahawks on Tuesday. "Miami is still waiting on Harrington," said Tom Mills, Martin's agent. "There may be something to report [today], if the visit in Seattle goes well." The Lions reportedly are seeking a fourth-round pick for Harrington, who also is planning to visit the Broncos.
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The Green Bay Packers insist their interest in free-agent linebacker LaVar Arrington is genuine and isn’t a ploy simply to convince quarterback Brett Favre to play another season. Arrington visited Lambeau Field and met with General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy on Monday, two days after Favre suggested the Packers should be more active in free agency. Arrington was the second high-profile defensive player to visit Green Bay in the last week. Arrington reportedly was encouraged by his visit to the Packers and wanted to speak with Favre, but neither McCarthy nor Thompson said Arrington expressed that to them. It’s unknown whether Arrington made an attempt to reach Favre on Tuesday. Arrington’s agent, Carl Poston, could not be reached.
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Kurt Warner has been actively recruiting Az Hakim to come play in Arizona, and it looks like the wide receiver is ready to follow his lead. By the end of this week, Hakim is expected to sign a two-year deal in Arizona that would provide the Cardinals with another speedy wide receiver -- someone to help complement Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
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According to a report in Seattle, the Patriots, Seahawks, Titans and Browns are talking with free agent cornerback Ty Law.
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Jordan Woy, the agent for free agent linebacker Keith Adams, said five teams remain in the mix to sign the veteran, including the Commanders. Washington is not the front-runner at this point, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, but has maintained interest and brought Adams in for a visit Friday. Adams also has visited Arizona, Oakland and Carolina, according to sources, but thus far has been seeking a signing bonus exceeding what Washington is offering.
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While LenDale White cringes when compared to Maurice Clarett, there's one similarity White wouldn't mind: being drafted by the Broncos. White said he has had limited contact with the Broncos, who have the No. 15 and No. 22 picks in the first round and are in the market for a running back. "I think I'd fit in Denver great," White said. "The Broncos run a zone attack all day, and that's what I did at USC. Being in Denver would be great with me."
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Southern Cal quarterback Matt Leinart had never been to Nashville before Tuesday. Now, he wouldn’t mind making it his home. Leinart spent Tuesday with the Tennessee Titans at Baptist Sports Park, meeting and greeting and getting a first-hand look at Music City. “Nashville is a great place. I had absolutely no expectations beforehand. Being from the West Coast, I thought Nashville was just about country music, but I talked to some people, and they said it’s so much more,” Leinart said. “It’s a great city. The people were awesome. I spent most of the day at the facility. But then we went down to Brentwood and saw some of the nicer homes out there, and it was great.” After the visit, the Titans, who pick third overall, are high on Leinart’s wish list.
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The Vikings played host to one of this year's leading quarterback prospects Tuesday when Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler visited Winter Park, and another is on deck. Texas' Vince Young, considered one of the top three quarterbacks in the April 29-30 NFL draft, along with Cutler and Southern California's Matt Leinart, will be in town to meet with the Vikings on Monday, according to his agent, Major Adams. The Vikings, looking for a quarterback of the future behind starter Brad Johnson, are slated to pick 17th, but Adams said Young's scheduled one-day visit isn't based on signals that the team is seriously considering moving up in the first round.
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Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson has gotten most of the publicity this spring and almost certainly will be the first offensive lineman chosen when the NFL holds its annual draft April 29-30. But Southern California's Winston Justice, who yesterday began a visit with the Eagles that was to continue today, isn't conceding anything to that other offensive tackle, though some experts feel Ferguson might be the top overall talent available in the draft, at any position. "All my tests are better. I think I'm a better player,'' said Justice, whose dominant performance at USC's pro day April 2 could push him beyond the Eagles' grasp when they choose 14th overall. "Personally, I believe I'm a top-10 talent. I can't really predict how the draft will go.''
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Dolphins coach Nick Saban continued his long-standing support of running back Ricky Williams by testifying on Williams' behalf during an appeal of Williams' latest positive drug test under the NFL's substance-abuse policy. According to a source, Saban spoke for about 30 minutes Monday over the telephone. Saban has consistently said that he will support Williams through this process, that he doesn't believe Williams used drugs in this instance, and that Williams is one of the hardest-working players he ever has coached. Williams' attorney, David Cornwell, declined Tuesday to comment on the hearing, which lasted about seven hours, other than to say he was ''optimistic.''
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Elbert Avery, the agent for Willie Parker, met with Steelers negotiator Omar Khan yesterday afternoon at their offices on the South Side, trying to get a new deal for the running back. Parker's contract expired after last season but because he has only two years in the NFL, he is not a free agent. If he does not come to terms on a long-term deal, he must play for a $445,000 salary this season and would become a restricted free agent in 2007. He cannot become unrestricted until 2008, after his fourth season in the league. Parker led the Steelers with 1,202 yards rushing last season and set a Super Bowl record with a 75-yard touchdown run.
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Winston Justice thinks he'll be a top-10 pick in the April 29 NFL draft. If he's right, the Eagles would have to move up from the 14th spot to get him. All that's known for sure is that the Eagles are interested enough in the giant offensive tackle from Southern California that they brought him in for a visit yesterday at the NovaCare Complex. Justice said he was one of seven draft-eligible players to visit. He will be back today for another meeting with offensive-line coach Juan Castillo. "I left with a great impression," Justice said. "I spent a lot of time with Juan, and the facility was nice." Justice, 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds, said he has visited Tampa Bay and has visits planned with Dallas and San Diego.
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Even though Packers GM Ted Thompson hates hypotheticals, he responded to this one: Brett Favre hasn't made up his mind by draft day, and Texas quarterback Vince Young is still on the board at No. 5. With last year's first-round pick, Aaron Rodgers (No. 24 overall) on the roster and the possibility still there that Favre could come back, would he really take Young? Yes he would, Thompson said - if he decided Young was the right player. After all, remember the parallel Thompson has drawn twice now - once at the NFL scouting combine, and once after watching Young's on-campus workout along with coach Mike McCarthy on March 22 in Austin - about passing on Young being like the Portland Trail Blazers passing on a certain basketball legend in the 1984 NBA draft because they needed a big man, not a guard-forward. "I'll go back to the Sam Bowie situation," Thompson said after Young's workout. "If you have a chance to get Michael Jordan, you get Michael Jordan."
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Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri said he hasn’t spoken to Bill Belichick. “Not yet. I’ve played phone tag,” said Vinatieri. “Mr. (Scott) Pioli called a couple of times and Mr. (Robert) Kraft. I plan on giving them all a call this week. Let the dust settle a little I guess, and wish them all well and good luck and all that stuff. There’s no animosity with me at all. I have nothing but a lot of respect and love for the organization and the ownership and the coaches.”
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Agent Leigh Steinberg remains hopeful of retaining former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, who essentially fired Steinberg on Monday. Under NFL rules, a rookie cannot sign with another agent for five days if he fires the agent within 30 days of the draft. Steinberg received the five-day termination notice Monday. "I haven't had the opportunity yet to talk to Matt or the family," Steinberg said by phone Tuesday. "I felt that we had a positive relationship, that the process has been smooth and fruitful, and that Matt is poised to be selected right at the top of the draft. I'm somewhat at a loss for words."
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Lions Defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson , offensive tackle Jeff Backus and linebacker Boss Bailey were not present Tuesday and are not expected to attend the voluntary camp, which runs through Thursday morning. Marinelli would not discuss any reasons the players were absent, except to say they were excused. Wilkinson apparently is considering retiring. Backus has indicated he is unhappy with his contract situation. The Lions have designated him the franchise player, but he has not signed the one-year tender that guarantees him a base salary of $6.98 million for 2006. No reason was given for Bailey's absence. "It's something we're checking on," Marinelli said of Bailey.
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Kevin Poston didn't discount the possibility that both LaVar Arrington and Charles Woodson could land with the Packers, but he made it clear that neither would be undersold. The free-agent market has been picked through and it's the opinion of many personnel officials that it's going to be difficult for the Postons to get top dollar for their clients. It could take as much as $14 million in upfront money to get Arrington and $10 million to get Woodson, but the number of suitors for both isn't great and it might be hard for them to hit their numbers. Arrington has drawn interest from the New York Giants, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and Miami, while Woodson's only other serious suitor is Tampa Bay.
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Based on their recent flirtation with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, the Texans may be putting themselves in position to be haunted for years by Vince Young or Reggie Bush. The only thing that could be worse than Young's going to Tennessee would be Indianapolis' pulling off a trade to get Bush. Then four times each season, the Texans could play against one of the stars they passed up.
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What do the Browns do if Texas quarterback Vince Young falls to them at No. 12 on draft day? The possibility exists. That might be why the Browns will visit with Young in Berea on April 21. A source close to Young and agent Major Adams confirmed the scheduled visit on Tuesday. The Browns' policy is not to confirm any pre- draft visits.
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Those who know Brett Favre say the Packers quarterback had no idea that the family's personal assistant, Becky Stuart, told the media that her boss would make a significant announcement regarding his future on the morning of April 8. Favre didn't learn what Stuart had said on April 7 until after he had addressed the media on April 8, in what was his usual, annual charity golf tournament press conference. And Favre, apparently, was none too happy about it. It helps explain why Favre was surprised to see the media turnout be as large as it was, and why he called the whole the circumstances surrounding the press conference "a joke." The joke turned out to be on him. Stuart's statements made Favre look selfish and silly, indecisive and indifferent to the Packers and the fans that follow him. But from all accounts, Favre didn't even know that the masses had assembled to hear something definitive from him, not the "no change" in his plans that he uttered.
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Former Panthers RB Tim Biakabutuka, 32, has stayed in Charlotte since football ended. He dabbled in real estate and now owns and manages two Beya jewelry stores -- one in Birkdale Village, one in the Ballantyne area. "We sell high-end jewelry of all sorts, and we also have a lot of Christian jewelry," Biakabutuka said. "I'm even getting into designing a few of the Christian pieces myself."
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So it's no surprise Miami has shown considerable interest in Florida's Chad Jackson and Ohio State's Santonio Holmes. Jackson recently had lunch with Nick Saban and GM Randy Mueller, and will visit Davie again this week.
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Agents involved said Miami hasn't used any of its predraft Davie invitations on four of the defensive ends or linebackers who could be available at No. 16: Oregon DT Haloti Ngata (whom ESPN's Mel Kiper has going 13th overall), FSU DT Brodrick Bunkley (eighth), FSU LB Ernie Sims (17th) and FSU DE/LB Kamerion Wimbley (whom ESPN.com's Todd McShay projects to the Dolphins). Miami has studied and scouted all four, however.
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The Vikings are scheduled to meet with another quarterback prospect today when Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst visits Winter Park. Whitehurst, the son of former Green Bay quarterback David Whitehurst, is projected as a second- or third-round pick.
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Ted Thompson is done trying to figure out when Brett Favre might have an answer for him regarding his future. "I've gotten to the point where I'm not trying to predict that anymore," the Green Bay Packers general manager said of Favre's impending decision on whether to retire or return for his 16th NFL season. "Every day we do the best we can to make the Packers better. That's all we can do."
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The Eagles might have a more pressing need at defensive tackle, but just as they can't be assured Winston Justice won't get taken earlier, it also is unclear either of the top two d-tackle prospects, Haloti Ngata, of Oregon, and Brodrick Bunkley, of Florida State, will be available at 14.
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Adam Vinatieri, of the Colts, was asked if the Patriots make a last-ditch effort for you? Did they come in with a later offer? "I don’t even want to get into all of that. They’ll be able to tell you what’s done and said. They were along with some other teams that were out there, too. But like I said, I was really happy with the offer and the love Indianapolis showed me."
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Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder promoted longtime senior vice president Mitch Gershman to chief operating officer last month, replacing Dave Pauken, who left the organization for personal reasons. Pauken, who was described by former high-ranking team officials as Snyder's "right-hand man" and confidant, confirmed his departure from the club but declined to comment further.
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trickblue

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Being a football agent is more than opening a line of credit for a player or driving a fancy car. Here's what you need to get started, according to the NFL Players Association:
  • A nonrefundable application fee of $1,650.
  • Have undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from accredited university/college.
  • Most states require agents to register and/or pay a fee to represent players from that state.
  • Purchase malpractice insurance of at least $2,500 for new applicants.
  • Pass open-book, multiple- choice test about negotiating and the NFL salary cap.
  • Pay the cost of a player's training ($10,000-$20,000).
  • Must represent at least one player over three-year period or repeat application process.
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Roughly 1,300 agents are registered with the NFL Players Association, according to spokesman Carl Francis, to represent about 1,800 players. "Everybody's got their own spiel, and some guys drive fancier cars and have fancier suits and talk faster," said Pat Dye Jr., who runs Atlanta-based ProFiles Sports Management and counts the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware as a client.​
 

Alexander

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"All my tests are better. I think I'm a better player,'' said Justice, whose dominant performance at USC's pro day April 2 could push him beyond the Eagles' grasp when they choose 14th overall. "Personally, I believe I'm a top-10 talent. I can't really predict how the draft will go.''

No offense to Winston Justice, but he has the sounds of a player who has read too many of his press clippings and is starting to talk crazy. He is a top ten talent because teams fall in love with workouts and not the player's actual achievements. But he is delusional if he thinks he is even in Ferguson's league.

Those who know Brett Favre say the Packers quarterback had no idea that the family's personal assistant, Becky Stuart, told the media that her boss would make a significant announcement regarding his future on the morning of April 8. Favre didn't learn what Stuart had said on April 7 until after he had addressed the media on April 8, in what was his usual, annual charity golf tournament press conference. And Favre, apparently, was none too happy about it. It helps explain why Favre was surprised to see the media turnout be as large as it was, and why he called the whole the circumstances surrounding the press conference "a joke." The joke turned out to be on him. Stuart's statements made Favre look selfish and silly, indecisive and indifferent to the Packers and the fans that follow him. But from all accounts, Favre didn't even know that the masses had assembled to hear something definitive from him, not the "no change" in his plans that he uttered.

Can you say "damage control" boys and girls? I knew that you could.

When your image takes a hit, blame the family publicist.

And you must be kidding me. That story was plastered on ESPN and the internet for several days leading up to the press conference. For Brett to imply he "didn't know" is a big pile of manure. For some reason, I don't think he really cared how much extra money it brought for the charity cause, do you?
 

Hostile

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Alexander said:
No offense to Winston Justice, but he has the sounds of a player who has read too many of his press clippings and is starting to talk crazy. He is a top ten talent because teams fall in love with workouts and not the player's actual achievements. But he is delusional if he thinks he is even in Ferguson's league.
You beat me to it and said it better than I could have.
 

ravidubey

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Alexander said:
No offense to Winston Justice, but he has the sounds of a player who has read too many of his press clippings and is starting to talk crazy. He is a top ten talent because teams fall in love with workouts and not the player's actual achievements. But he is delusional if he thinks he is even in Ferguson's league.

Honestly guys, how do you know? "In his league" is a bold statement regarding a pass-blocking OT that projects to be relatively smallish in the NFL.

The competition at USC was intense-- someone had to be blocking for all those yards and TD's Bush and Leinart made/scored. USC led with their offense, not their defense. Leinart was great, and Bush and White were both fantastic college players-- all highly regarded first round picks. Were they that special, or was there a reason they were so productive? Again ask who was blocking!

Ferguson faced tough competition too, but the difference was his team didn't belong on the same field as the good teams he played against. Who exactly did Ferguson dominate at UVA? I just remember Maryland getting 7 sacks against them last year. How the LT can remain blameless for a fiasco like that I don't know but I'm sure you'll tell me. Against BC, UVA lost and Kiwi got "hurt" (coughEJECTEDcough), but he was up against Butler, not Furguson. Tech utterly demolished UVA with Tapp living in the backfield. Miami had 5 sacks. If anything, Hagans was most effective scrambling for his life like when the Cavaliers defeated FSU. Back in the pocket, Hagans got sacked. Alot. But I'm sure Fergy always shut his guy down, though :rolleyes: .

Yeah I'm mainly being Devil's Advocate here, but there's also that Brick is smallish and admittedly looking to be a pass-blocker first. That doesn't sit well with me; IMO offensive linemen that prefer to pass block vs. run block just aren't right in the head. Justice is a proven run-blocker and pass blocker and I think he's going to have a career equal to or better than Ferguson. Just my take, and apparently several NFL teams are warming up to him, too.
 

dbair1967

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Alexander said:
No offense to Winston Justice, but he has the sounds of a player who has read too many of his press clippings and is starting to talk crazy. He is a top ten talent because teams fall in love with workouts and not the player's actual achievements. But he is delusional if he thinks he is even in Ferguson's league.

he's always been pretty highly regarded, but couple his excellent play on the field with some steller workouts and you get what he is now...probably somebody who's gonna be picked between 10-15

David
 

Alexander

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dbair1967 said:
he's always been pretty highly regarded, but couple his excellent play on the field with some steller workouts and you get what he is now...probably somebody who's gonna be picked between 10-15

David

I don't doubt he will be. In fact, I would be mildly shocked if he gets past Detroit. But he basically said he was the best tackle in this draft. He isn't. Ferguson is. And a left tackle to boot. Justice has only played right tackle and if he is going to be a top choice, you would think the team that takes him that high would have designs on him playing the left side.
 

gbrittain

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Former Panthers RB Tim Biakabutuka, 32, has stayed in Charlotte since football ended. He dabbled in real estate and now owns and manages two Beya jewelry stores -- one in Birkdale Village, one in the Ballantyne area. "We sell high-end jewelry of all sorts, and we also have a lot of Christian jewelry," Biakabutuka said. "I'm even getting into designing a few of the Christian pieces myself."

Now there is some news I could not have lived without.:rolleyes:
 

burmafrd

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The ONLY knock on Ferguson was his weight, and he has bulked up some. Justice has those incidents to overcome, and he is a RT. So frankly he is delusional. Now again he could end up better then Ferguson- but as of this time I have yet to see anyone that has put him above Ferguson.
 

TheHustler

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trickblue said:
Being a football agent is more than opening a line of credit for a player or driving a fancy car. Here's what you need to get started, according to the NFL Players Association:
  • A nonrefundable application fee of $1,650.
  • Have undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from accredited university/college.
  • Most states require agents to register and/or pay a fee to represent players from that state.
  • Purchase malpractice insurance of at least $2,500 for new applicants.
  • Pass open-book, multiple- choice test about negotiating and the NFL salary cap.
  • Pay the cost of a player's training ($10,000-$20,000).
  • Must represent at least one player over three-year period or repeat application process.
____________________________________________

Roughly 1,300 agents are registered with the NFL Players Association, according to spokesman Carl Francis, to represent about 1,800 players. "Everybody's got their own spiel, and some guys drive fancier cars and have fancier suits and talk faster," said Pat Dye Jr., who runs Atlanta-based ProFiles Sports Management and counts the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware as a client.​


That's interesting info.
 

silver

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trickblue said:
Kevin Poston didn't discount the possibility that both LaVar Arrington and Charles Woodson could land with the Packers, but he made it clear that neither would be undersold. The free-agent market has been picked through and it's the opinion of many personnel officials that it's going to be difficult for the Postons to get top dollar for their clients. It could take as much as $14 million in upfront money to get Arrington and $10 million to get Woodson, but the number of suitors for both isn't great and it might be hard for them to hit their numbers. Arrington has drawn interest from the New York Giants, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and Miami, while Woodson's only other serious suitor is Tampa Bay.
:laugh2: :laugh1: :laugh2: :laugh1: :lmao::tongue:
 

dbair1967

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Alexander said:
. But he basically said he was the best tackle in this draft. He isn't. Ferguson is. And a left tackle to boot. Justice has only played right tackle and if he is going to be a top choice, you would think the team that takes him that high would have designs on him playing the left side.

First, he said he thinks he is going to be a top-10 pick...he has a good chance to be...second, who cares if he does think he's the best tackle in the draft? maybe he will be when all is said and done...nothing wrong with a player being confident...it isnt like he is some scrub guy who's a borderline draft pick and said he's better than Larry Allen ever was...

and the main reason he has always been a RT is because of Leinart being left handed...he started as a true freshman (which is rare for USC OL's) and has been their best OL since he has been there

David
 
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