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Titans General Manager Floyd Reese and agent Carl Poston have arranged for Ty Law to visit Baptist Sports Park next week, though the exact date has not been decided. "What we'll do is bring him in, give him a physical and let him visit with the coaches and see exactly where we are,'' Reese said. "I don't know what our chances might be (of signing Law), but it's worth an attempt. We'll spend some time with him and see.'' Law is considered the best free- agent cornerback currently on the market. During his 11-year NFL career he's been on four Super Bowl teams and led the league in interceptions twice — including last season, when he had 10 his first year with the Jets. His first 10 seasons were with the Patriots. Law visited the Seahawks last month. The Browns, Chiefs and Patriots are also interested in him.
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If Maurice Drew, drafted in the second round out of UCLA, can prove he can combine with Greg Jones to form the Jaguars' 1-2 running back punch, the Jaguars could decide they don't need Fred Taylor and his $2.55-million salary. Taylor, 30, also said at the start of the Jaguars' offseason program last month that pro football is a business, an "unloyal'' one at that, and he could wind up "on the street'' if the Jaguars found somebody better.
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The Ravens might suspend further trade talks with the Tennessee Titans, knowing there is a possibility that quarterback Steve McNair could become a free agent in a couple of weeks. A hearing between the NFL players union and the Titans is set for May 16, when an arbitrator will decide if the team breached its contract with McNair by barring him from working out at its facility. The union contends that the Titans must allow the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback into the training complex or release him.
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The Dolphins pulled a trade offer to Detroit for quarterback Joey Harrington and will instead wait for his release to sign him, ESPN reported Tuesday night. The Lions are expected to release Harrington by June 15 to avoid paying a $4 million roster bonus to a player who doesn't figure into Detroit's plans. Harrington has already agreed to terms to become the backup to starter Daunte Culpepper.
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Receiver Ashley Lelie's situation has taken another turn with news he has fired his agents, Michael Sullivan and Doug Hendrickson. It will be his next representation's chore to work out a trade or convince Lelie he would be better served playing out the final year of his contract instead of following through on a holdout threat. The Broncos say they expect Lelie to honor the contract .
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Ex-Jet QB Jay Fiedler (shoulder) is expected to begin throwing later this month, according to his agent, Brian Levy. The Giants have "remained in contact," Levy said. "(But) at this point we are waiting until Jay is able to begin throwing to give him a better opportunity to impress his potential suitors." The Giants are interested in bringing Fiedler to camp to compete with Tim Hasselbeck for the backup QB job.
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Titans general manager Floyd Reese acknowledged Tuesday he has had conversations with the agents for the top two cornerbacks remaining on the free agent market — Ty Law and Ahmed Plummer. The Titans landed only seventh-rounder Cortland Finnegan in the draft. The recent loss of Michael Waddell due to injury leaves the team thin at the position. “It’s going to be a while before we can do anything, but I’ve spoken with Law’s people, and I talked to Plummer’s guy,” Reese said, pointing to Tennessee’s current snugness against the salary cap. Rumors connecting Law to the Titans have been out there for a while. Tennessee’s interest in Plummer is tied to how healthy he is.
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Suspended Dolphins running back Ricky Williams might soon add Canada to his list of places he has called home. Agent Leigh Steinberg said Tuesday night that Williams said he would consider playing for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League next season. Steinberg also said he would begin negotiations with the team shortly. ... Steinberg said the economic benefit could be limited. He said Mohns told him that the general limit for player salaries is $150,000, although quarterbacks often make more. The CFL has a salary cap of $3.8 million per team, although it is not a hard cap and is in the process of being implemented. ... Williams' salary potential could impact the Dolphins' decision, because they understand he has financial responsibilities, including support of three children and another on the way. Williams has a paternity settlement with one of the three mothers that requires him to pay $50,400 annually.
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are awaiting word from Onterrio Smith's representatives on whether the former Vikings running back is interested in playing in the Canadian Football League this season. Blue Bombers general manager Brendan Taman said he would want to meet with Smith before deciding whether to offer a contract to the three-year NFL veteran, who was released by the Vikings last week and is serving a one-year suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Taman said the Blue Bombers need to decide on Smith by the end of next week, with CFL teams scheduled to open training camp later this month.
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The Chiefs were looking for a high-impact wide receiver on the first day of the draft after all. Well, that’s according to nfl.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, who said on Sirius radio that before the Denver Broncos acquired Packers wide receiver Javon Walker for a second-round pick, the Packers turned down an offer, believed to be lesser, from the Chiefs. The Chiefs on Tuesday would neither confirm nor deny the report.
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According to Adam “Pacman” Jones’ agent, the Tennessee Titans knew last week the cornerback would be leaving the team facility and working out on his own until the next organized team activities session for veterans. In a published report Tuesday, Titans coach Jeff Fisher expressed displeasure at the second-year cornerback for his absence in recent voluntary workouts at Baptist Sports Park. Michael Huyghue, who represents Jones, said he “decided it would be better for Jones to work out on his own” in light of a pair of off-field incidents where the cornerback’s name was linked in recent days. Huyghue said he telephoned Fisher, who understood the decision. “With all the negative publicity and the distractions, I just decided it would be better if he went off-site with his workouts,” Huyghue said. “I called Coach Fisher to tell him this.
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Javon Walker's contract is nearly done. Soon, he'll begin trying to prove on the field he's nowhere close to being finished as an NFL star after a torn right knee ligament ended last season almost before it started. The receiver, who was dealt Saturday by the Green Bay Packers to the Denver Broncos for a second-round draft pick, is completing his yearly training routine in Arizona. He is expected to join his new team Monday to coincide with the return of the coaching staff from vacation. "You've got to realize this kid has a point to prove," Walker's agent, Kennard McGuire, said Tuesday. "And that point is that he's back."
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On Monday, Cardinals running back Edgerrin James joked that he was going to lobby owner Bill Bidwill to get wireless Internet set up in the team's locker room. As it turns out, the team already has it. James was just having trouble configuring his laptop to work with the wireless. One of the team's technology experts helped him Tuesday. Team officials were also measuring his locker for the installation of a television that James is purchasing. That service is available to other players, too.
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Cornerback Ty Law has yet to schedule a visit to Kansas City, and nothing is imminent, president/general manager Carl Peterson said. Last weekend, Peterson indicated he probably would be speaking with agents for Law as soon as Monday. As of Monday night, Edwards said he hadn’t spoken with Law in nearly a week.
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Willie Roaf, who was at Arrowhead Stadium for a workout Tuesday, officially announced that he’ll be back in 2006. It gives the Chiefs their two 11-time Pro Bowl linemen — Shields signed a contract extension earlier this spring — and assures Kansas City that the line that blasted holes for the NFL’s No. 1 offense will stay intact.
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Unable to find a job, Ted Cottrell, 58, filed retirement papers with the NFL in February, but he hasn't given up hope of catching on with another team. "I'm not retired," he said. "That was just to make sure I had some money coming in come August. I still want to work for a few more years." Cottrell, who interviewed for the Vikings' head coaching vacancy before Childress was hired, said he has no real leads at this time but remains hopeful. "Something may happen during training camp where some team decides it needs some help," he said. In addition to his courtesy interview with the Vikings, Cottrell talked to Buffalo and New Orleans about assistant coaching positions after being fired, and he still can't believe his 22 years of NFL experience weren't enough to land him some job.
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Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said Tuesday he's spoken with Steve McNair's agent Bus Cook since the end of the NFL Draft on Sunday and hopes to sit down with him at some point. As for a trade with the Ravens, little has changed since the two sides broke off talks Sunday, Reese said. "The first thing we need to do is sit down with them, throw some thoughts out and see exactly where we are,'' Reese said. "The Baltimore thing, in my mind, is dead. I haven't talked to them in a few days so I assume it was a one-shot deal. Now could that change? Sure. We'll just have to see what happens."
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The Titans and the NFL Players Association have set May 16 as the date to hear the grievance the quarterback filed against the team. Arbitrator John Ferrick will hear the case at the Titans facility that morning. Asked if winning the case would make Steve McNair a free agent, NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen said, “They either need to keep him and let him work out there or set him free. I’ll just leave it at that.”
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We hear Dolphins players have been impressed how quarterback Daunte Culpepper has handled himself, with one noting he has taken time to introduce himself to defensive players, too. ''Some of the guys are feeling me out, which is normal,'' Culpepper said last month. He already has developed a strong relationship with Chris Chambers and Randy McMichael.
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Duce Staley will get first crack at replacing Jerome Bettis in support of Willie Parker, but at this point, anything's possible. "Verron (Haynes) is a good short-yardage runner and a goal-line guy," Hoak said. Bill Cowher is curious to see if Haynes is capable of more. "We're going to let that thing unfold," Cowher said. "I don't have any preconceived thoughts going in. I'd like to let it play out and see where it goes from there."
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Steelers CB Ike Taylor yesterday signed his one-year tender of $1,573,000 the Steelers gave him as a restricted free agent. If he does not sign a new deal by March, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
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Vikings vice president Fran Foley, who is in negotiations to have his contract bought out by the team after personality clashes with his peers, is scheduled to speak today at the Dunkers' breakfast at the Minneapolis Club.
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Ex-Vikings coach Mike Tice, now an assistant with Jacksonville, is participating in a Jaguars football staff weight-loss contest. He started at 301 pounds a few weeks ago and is approaching 290.
