trickblue
Not Old School...Old Testament...
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Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones dismissed rumors that Julius Jones was on the trading block on draft day. He also wouldn't call his running back injury-prone -- although that label is dangerously close to sticking. He has played in 21 NFL games in two seasons. When he was a rookie, Jones injured his shoulder, keeping him out of seven games. Last year, he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 5 that kept him out of three games. Only once last season did he crack the 100-yard barrier. "He has something to prove to himself, as well," Parcells said. "Now durability is a big deal at the running back position. So he's had a little tough luck. A couple of times. But I think things will get better for him."
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Shawne Merriman continues to stay busy with business ventures, television appearances and even a possible foray into acting. ... The Chargers brass has acknowledged there was concern, or at least an unknown and uneasy feeling, about Merriman's diverse interests last year. No more. It is clear he loves football and is dedicated to making himself the best. “That's what I love to do,” he said. “You have to remember what got you here. You can't lose sight of your passion, your love. No matter how much money I make, how many cars I have, how many houses I buy or whatever else I do, football is No. 1. I can't wait to turn it up this year.”
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Browns sixth-round pick Baba Oshinowo is out to make the team forget they ever thought about drafting top-rated nose tackle Haloti Ngata. "I don't feel like the Browns lost anything by drafting me instead of Ngata," Oshinowo said at the recent rookie minicamp. "In my mind, we're on the same level. He's an amazing talent that attracts a lot of coaches, but I feel like, put in the same situations, I can do just as good a job."
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As Benji Olson begins his eighth season as a starter, he will also be playing alongside a new starting center for the sixth time and a new starting right tackle for the fourth time. While offensive line play is generally formed around cohesion and familiarity, Titans coach Jeff Fisher says he doesn’t foresee any problems with all the off-season shuffling.
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Even if Koy Detmer remains, there probably will be a practice-squad berth available for a young QB, and that just about has to be either Matt Nordgren or former Hawaii star Timmy Chang, who just joined the Eagles from NFL Europe. Chang, listed generously at 6-1, 207, was in camp with Arizona and Detroit last season.
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Some of the reasons Brodrick Bunkley emerged as the 14th overall pick in this year's NFL draft are as obvious as the Eagles' need for a better pass rush. Bunkley, 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, is quick, strong and talented. He can bench-press 525 pounds, and during Florida State's stretch run last fall, it seemed as if he was spending as much time behind the line of scrimmage as the opposing team's running backs. Those things tend to capture the attention of NFL scouts.
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The NFL understandably is bragging about these results from the 16th annual poll of young readers by Sports Illustrated for Kids: Favorite sport to play: football 30 percent, basketball 27 percent, baseball 23 percent and soccer 9 percent; favorite TV sport to watch: football 61 percent, baseball 13 percent and basketball 12 percent; favorite athlete Peyton Manning; favorite uniform Cincinnati Bengals; and favorite sports all-star game: NFL Pro Bowl 36 percent, NBA 29 percent and baseball 27 percent.
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Natasha Spencer recently set a milestone for Derrick Brooks' charity, which literally has taken Bay area children around the world, including trips to Africa, New York and Washington, D.C. On April 29, she became the first Brooks Bunch member to graduate from college. Following in Brooks' footsteps, Spencer earned a bachelor's degree from his alma mater with a 3.6 grade-point average, and now plans to attend medical school. Along the way, Brooks inspected every report card, making sure she stayed on the right path.
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There is nothing new to report on Deion Branch and his contract negotiations with the Patriots, but the time is approaching when it might become a front-burner issue. Branch, who has one year to run on his rookie deal, said last month that ‘‘my job is to finish my (current) contract.” His agent, Jason Chayut, refused comment last week. According to one source, Branch has told friends he’s looking for bonus/guaranteed money in the range of $12 million, while the Pats are telling Chayut they aren’t responsible for how other teams pay for their players.
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Two Cincinnati Bengals — defensive tackle John Thornton ($2.75 million this year) and outside linebacker Brian Simmons ($2.84 million) — fit the criteria of big salaries and lengthy contracts (both through 2008). But neither player should worry about feeling the knife, because both play critical roles for the defense.
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This year, we hear the Dolphins are intrigued by Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who is expected to be available in the July 13 NFL supplemental draft. Two other linebackers also could warrant a look: Iowa State's Jason Berryman and Hutchinson (Kan.) Junior College's David Dixon. Brooks and Berryman have had off-field issues, but that hasn't stopped Nick Saban before. Kicked off Virginia's team in January for an undisclosed reason, Brooks can play inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, which Miami will use at times. NFL.com's Gil Brandt said he could be a Julius Peppers-type defensive end.
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Panthers rookie DeAngelo Williams, the team's first-round draft pick in last April's college draft, impressed coaches with his quickness and elusiveness in his first minicamp. He knows that DeShaun Foster will get the first crack at being the featured back, but he will do everything he can to push Foster for the job - and to prove to coaches that he's durable enough to handle it.
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The Panthers are sorting out who is going to be the third wide receiver behind starters Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson, and it could come down to Drew Carter vs. Keary Colbert.
