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According to agent Chuck Price, Leinart “is still buzzing about his trip to Nashville last week, and the Titans remain high on his priority list.” Meanwhile, other teams are spending time with the Southern Cal QB this week, including New York Jets officials on Monday and Tuesday, a trip to New Orleans on Wednesday and Thursday, and a Thursday night/Friday visit now with the Oakland Raiders. While the other teams pick in the top four, the Raiders, at No. 7, might be interested in trading up. “They called and asked if Matt was available after he finished in New Orleans,” Price said. “I’m going to assume from that that they might have some interest in trading up for Matt.”
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The Bengals, Green Bay, Miami, Jacksonville and New York Giants are in the running for outside linebacker LaVar Arrington, who was scheduled to have a $12.045 million salary cap number before being released by Washington. He paid back $4.4 million to the Commanders in order to get his release and become a free agent, then reportedly asked for a seven-year, $54 million contract from the Giants. "We have an interest in LaVar," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said.
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There is speculation in Green Bay the Packers will grant Javon Walker his wish and deal him. If Walker is traded, is it likely to happen draft week or during the draft. Denver has talked to Green Bay about the disgruntled receiver. The Broncos, along with the Eagles and the 49ers, are expected to make a strong push for Walker. Green Bay has maintained it expects Walker to stay. But if a good enough offer comes along, including a draft pick, it might be tempting for the Packers to rid themselves of the distraction Walker is sure to create. If Denver is the trading partner with Green Bay, the deal likely would happen on draft day.
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USC running back LenDale White, who was once considered a top-15 selection, is scheduled to visit the Cowboys on Tuesday at Valley Ranch, according to a source.
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It still looks as if the Vikings will try to trade their No. 17 overall pick in the April 29 NFL draft to Atlanta for backup quarterback Matt Schaub.
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USC offensive guard Fred Matua blocked for three Heisman Trophy award winners, creating pathways for Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Now, the junior all-conference lineman would like to extend his football career in the NFL, possibly with the Baltimore Ravens. Matua, who visited the Ravens' training complex Sunday, is one of the fastest offensive linemen available in the upcoming NFL draft. At 6-foot-3 and 306 pounds, he ran the 40 yard dash in 5.06 and 4.98 seconds at the Trojans' Pro Day which was attended by Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta along with personnel from every NFL team.
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Ron Jaworski has a very strong opinion as to who he would take if he had the Tennessee Titans’ No. 3 overall pick in the April 29-30 draft. And it might surprise you. “It’s not my decision, obviously. It’s a tough decision,” Jaworski said. “I have studied all the quarterbacks, and I like [Jay] Cutler the best of them.” Jaworski says his preference for the Vanderbilt star is not to belittle the accomplishments of the more heralded Matt Leinart and Vince Young. He just believes that the Commodore quarterback is NFL-ready because of the circumstances he played under. “I think Matt Leinart is going to be very good, and I think Vince Young is going to be very good. … Everyone has different opinions. What I like about Cutler is that he threw with pressure on him,” Jaworski said. “His offensive line wasn’t that good, and I saw throws that you have to make at the NFL level, people around him, bodies, throwing from different platforms, around people, sidearm, over the top, and taking hits looking down the gun barrel. “I didn’t see a whole lot of separation from his wide receiving corps, so he was throwing through tight windows. He had to throw accurately with pressure on him. That projects well in the National Football League.”
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Dominic Rhodes made a strong first impression in 2001 as Edgerrin James' temporary replacement. The prevailing question is whether the Indianapolis Colts' perennial backup running back can make a lasting impression in '06 as James' successor. "I'm ready to go out there and roll,'' Rhodes said. "I'm ready to help this team reach what we didn't reach last year. "I'm getting ready to have a very productive season and show everybody who thinks because Edge is gone we're going to have a vulnerable spot at running back, (show) that I'm here to stay.''
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Ricky Williams impressed Dolphin teammates recently by getting up in a meeting and apologizing for bringing negative publicity to the team. He didn't elaborate on his failed drug test.
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Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens will visit the Ravens today, according to his agent. Clemens is a potential second- or third-round draft pick. The three-year starter completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games last season before fracturing his ankle. Clemens has had individual workouts or visited the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. He's scheduled to work out for the New York Jets this week.
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If Vince Young or Jay Cutler were available with the No. 8 overall pick in the April 29 NFL college draft, should the Buffalo Bills select one of them? Yes, unless the Bills are confident that J.P. Losman or Craig Nall are more likely to be the team's long-term starting QB. Quarterback is by far the most important position in football and if I thought Young or Cutler were significantly better than Losman and Nall, I'd pick one of them without hesitation. If Buffalo GM Marv Levy honestly believes that QB is not a problem — and Young or Cutler were available at No. 8 — the Bills could trade down with a team that desperately wanted one of them.
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Ernie Accorsi, general manager of the New York Giants, quoted the league's ultimate wise man, Vince Lombardi, on the perils of drafting quarterbacks. When general managers make draft mistakes, their teams lose games. When they make a mistake on a quarterback, they lose their jobs, Lombardi said.
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Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said while he and his scouts look to avoid landmines, sometimes there is simply no way to predict how a player will pan out. "When Tony Mandarich was drafted, I don't care what personnel people tell you, 99.9 percent of the GMs in the league would have drafted him at exactly the same spot," Reese said. "He was that impressive coming out. History will tell you what happened. But for people to say they saw it coming, that's a lie. He was an awesome football player."
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A little birdie said former Vikings tight ends coach John Tice, brother of former Vikings coach Mike Tice, interviewed for a position with the Vikings recently.
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When Colts quarterback Peyton Manning visited D-1 Sports in Franklin, a facility where he is part owner with Will Bartholomew, he told The City Paper that Steve McNair, who is barred from the Titans facility, would be welcome at D-1. “We’d be honored to have Steve McNair come over here and work out. Believe me,” Manning said. According to reports, the Titans have asked McNair to work out elsewhere, and the D-1 facility has again surfaced as a possible site for him to train.
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At 6 feet 6 inches and 295 pounds, D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the biggest saxophone soloist at the Baptist church he attended in Charlottesville, Va. But he is considered undersized for the N.F.L., in which offensive linemen tend to be north of 325 pounds. There are people who wonder if Ferguson is too light and too lighthearted to excel at the next level. With his stable home life, his overt spirituality and his affability, he comes across as a model of quiescence. At least with players who have an edge, there is tangible evidence of a mean streak.
____________________________________________
The Bengals, Green Bay, Miami, Jacksonville and New York Giants are in the running for outside linebacker LaVar Arrington, who was scheduled to have a $12.045 million salary cap number before being released by Washington. He paid back $4.4 million to the Commanders in order to get his release and become a free agent, then reportedly asked for a seven-year, $54 million contract from the Giants. "We have an interest in LaVar," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said.
____________________________________________
There is speculation in Green Bay the Packers will grant Javon Walker his wish and deal him. If Walker is traded, is it likely to happen draft week or during the draft. Denver has talked to Green Bay about the disgruntled receiver. The Broncos, along with the Eagles and the 49ers, are expected to make a strong push for Walker. Green Bay has maintained it expects Walker to stay. But if a good enough offer comes along, including a draft pick, it might be tempting for the Packers to rid themselves of the distraction Walker is sure to create. If Denver is the trading partner with Green Bay, the deal likely would happen on draft day.
____________________________________________
USC running back LenDale White, who was once considered a top-15 selection, is scheduled to visit the Cowboys on Tuesday at Valley Ranch, according to a source.
____________________________________________
It still looks as if the Vikings will try to trade their No. 17 overall pick in the April 29 NFL draft to Atlanta for backup quarterback Matt Schaub.
____________________________________________
USC offensive guard Fred Matua blocked for three Heisman Trophy award winners, creating pathways for Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Now, the junior all-conference lineman would like to extend his football career in the NFL, possibly with the Baltimore Ravens. Matua, who visited the Ravens' training complex Sunday, is one of the fastest offensive linemen available in the upcoming NFL draft. At 6-foot-3 and 306 pounds, he ran the 40 yard dash in 5.06 and 4.98 seconds at the Trojans' Pro Day which was attended by Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta along with personnel from every NFL team.
____________________________________________
Ron Jaworski has a very strong opinion as to who he would take if he had the Tennessee Titans’ No. 3 overall pick in the April 29-30 draft. And it might surprise you. “It’s not my decision, obviously. It’s a tough decision,” Jaworski said. “I have studied all the quarterbacks, and I like [Jay] Cutler the best of them.” Jaworski says his preference for the Vanderbilt star is not to belittle the accomplishments of the more heralded Matt Leinart and Vince Young. He just believes that the Commodore quarterback is NFL-ready because of the circumstances he played under. “I think Matt Leinart is going to be very good, and I think Vince Young is going to be very good. … Everyone has different opinions. What I like about Cutler is that he threw with pressure on him,” Jaworski said. “His offensive line wasn’t that good, and I saw throws that you have to make at the NFL level, people around him, bodies, throwing from different platforms, around people, sidearm, over the top, and taking hits looking down the gun barrel. “I didn’t see a whole lot of separation from his wide receiving corps, so he was throwing through tight windows. He had to throw accurately with pressure on him. That projects well in the National Football League.”
____________________________________________
Dominic Rhodes made a strong first impression in 2001 as Edgerrin James' temporary replacement. The prevailing question is whether the Indianapolis Colts' perennial backup running back can make a lasting impression in '06 as James' successor. "I'm ready to go out there and roll,'' Rhodes said. "I'm ready to help this team reach what we didn't reach last year. "I'm getting ready to have a very productive season and show everybody who thinks because Edge is gone we're going to have a vulnerable spot at running back, (show) that I'm here to stay.''
____________________________________________
Ricky Williams impressed Dolphin teammates recently by getting up in a meeting and apologizing for bringing negative publicity to the team. He didn't elaborate on his failed drug test.
____________________________________________
Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens will visit the Ravens today, according to his agent. Clemens is a potential second- or third-round draft pick. The three-year starter completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games last season before fracturing his ankle. Clemens has had individual workouts or visited the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. He's scheduled to work out for the New York Jets this week.
____________________________________________
If Vince Young or Jay Cutler were available with the No. 8 overall pick in the April 29 NFL college draft, should the Buffalo Bills select one of them? Yes, unless the Bills are confident that J.P. Losman or Craig Nall are more likely to be the team's long-term starting QB. Quarterback is by far the most important position in football and if I thought Young or Cutler were significantly better than Losman and Nall, I'd pick one of them without hesitation. If Buffalo GM Marv Levy honestly believes that QB is not a problem — and Young or Cutler were available at No. 8 — the Bills could trade down with a team that desperately wanted one of them.
____________________________________________
Ernie Accorsi, general manager of the New York Giants, quoted the league's ultimate wise man, Vince Lombardi, on the perils of drafting quarterbacks. When general managers make draft mistakes, their teams lose games. When they make a mistake on a quarterback, they lose their jobs, Lombardi said.
____________________________________________
Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said while he and his scouts look to avoid landmines, sometimes there is simply no way to predict how a player will pan out. "When Tony Mandarich was drafted, I don't care what personnel people tell you, 99.9 percent of the GMs in the league would have drafted him at exactly the same spot," Reese said. "He was that impressive coming out. History will tell you what happened. But for people to say they saw it coming, that's a lie. He was an awesome football player."
____________________________________________
A little birdie said former Vikings tight ends coach John Tice, brother of former Vikings coach Mike Tice, interviewed for a position with the Vikings recently.
____________________________________________
When Colts quarterback Peyton Manning visited D-1 Sports in Franklin, a facility where he is part owner with Will Bartholomew, he told The City Paper that Steve McNair, who is barred from the Titans facility, would be welcome at D-1. “We’d be honored to have Steve McNair come over here and work out. Believe me,” Manning said. According to reports, the Titans have asked McNair to work out elsewhere, and the D-1 facility has again surfaced as a possible site for him to train.
____________________________________________
At 6 feet 6 inches and 295 pounds, D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the biggest saxophone soloist at the Baptist church he attended in Charlottesville, Va. But he is considered undersized for the N.F.L., in which offensive linemen tend to be north of 325 pounds. There are people who wonder if Ferguson is too light and too lighthearted to excel at the next level. With his stable home life, his overt spirituality and his affability, he comes across as a model of quiescence. At least with players who have an edge, there is tangible evidence of a mean streak.
