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Saturday notebook
Humble Long holds court
By Dan Arkush, Mike Wilkening, Matt Sohn and Dan Parr
Feb. 23, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — Defensive end or outside linebacker? That was the question of the day in Indianapolis, as Virginia’s Chris Long took center stage. As one of the few blue-chip prospects to play in a 3-4 scheme in college, Long’s familiarity with a system that’s far more common in the NFL has helped propel him up draft boards. But Long was quick to point out that his perceived versatility is rooted more in speculation than in evidence.
“People talk about what a transition it would be for me to be a 3-4 outside linebacker,” Long said. “But let’s not forget that I never played in a 4-3 in college, either. I was a base defensive end in a 3-4. (Playing 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end) would be a fresh start for me.”
Similar to Boston College QB Matt Ryan yesterday, Long was very measured with his words, hesitant to divulge any information that could be perceived as self-promotion. But unlike Ryan, who initially appeared a bit nervous addressing the large contingent of reporters, Long had a commanding presence at the podium, looking completely at ease with his celebrity.
Measuring in at 6-3, 272 pounds, Long has been talked about as being the prototypical cornerstone of Bill Parcells’ restoration job in Miami, though the Dolphins’ pressing needs at quarterback and along the offensive line keep Ryan and Michigan OT Jake Long in the mix to be the top draftee in April. But when it came to questions directly about the prospect of playing for the Dolphins — as well as the Rams and Falcons, for that matter — Long answered only in generalities about playing for any NFL team.
While Long credited his father — Hall of Fame DE Howie Long — for much of his success, he gave even more credit to his college teammates.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for (current Jets OLT) D’Brickashaw (Ferguson) and guys like Branden Albert, who’s here now, and Eugene Morrell, who will be here next year,” Long said. “It’s humbling when you get beat every day in practice.”
Cardinals fit to be tied with Fitzgerald
Cardinals GM Rod Graves and head coach Ken Whisenhunt can be forgiven for looking more than a little bleary-eyed Saturday morning. Clearly, trying to negotiate a new contract for star WR Larry Fitzgerald is taking its toll on both of them, but they appear determined to burn the midnight oil for as long as it takes to restructure a deal that will, in effect, set the table for the rest of the team’s offseason activity.
Both Graves and Whisenhunt firmly believe that they have a great core of young leaders developing in the desert, and when Whisenhunt was asked to name names, the first one he mentioned was Fitzgerald’s.
But with this year’s free-agent period fast approaching, it appears the Cardinals haven’t made much significant progress with Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, on a new deal for the highly regarded 24-year-old wide receiver.
As it now stands, Fitzgerald remains in the fourth year of a six-year deal that is scheduled to earn him a whopping $31.7 million in salary next season — a lavish figure that must be reduced significantly in order for the Cardinals to have enough money under the cap to take care of other business, most notably signing free-agent LBs Karlos Dansby, who was given the franchise tag last week, and Calvin Pace.
The Cardinals are believed to have made Parker an offer that, as expected, will make Fitzgerald the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, but as of Friday morning, they remained far apart with Parker on both the length and amount of a new deal. But the Cardinals insist there’s absolutely no way Fitzgerald will split the scene.
“There is no question in our minds that Larry will be back,” Graves said.
Graves doesn’t regret the way Fitzgerald’s current contract was structured.
“When you look at the deals for the top five players at any position, it’s not uncommon to see significant escalators come into play, as opposed to voided years, which we wanted to avoid,” the Cardinals’ GM told PFW. “It was a good contract for us. We knew that if we reached this point in the deal, we would be back at the bargaining table.”
Parker is said to be seeking more than the $27.2 million that WR Calvin Johnson got from the Lions in the six-year deal he signed as a rookie last year. Apparently, that’s a little bit too much for the Cardinals to stomach, although they might not have a choice.
In the meantime, the team continues to make lesser moves to help it open up the purse strings. After convincing veteran DE Bertrand Berry to take a substantial pay cut and releasing three 2007 contributors — disappointing S Terrence Holt, OT Oliver Ross and DE Chris Cooper — the team is about $11 million under the cap. A new long-term deal for Fitzgerald could easily more than double that amount.
But the clock keeps ticking.
In the meantime, both Whisenhunt and Graves feel very good about the direction they believe the Cardinals are headed, the Fitzgerald contract headache notwithstanding.
“We feel we have a bunch of guys who are just on the threshold of becoming top-grade players, guys like Larry, Anquan Boldin, Gerald Hayes, Darnell Dockett and others. I could see that, during halftime of games, and during the week at practice, there was a collective belief that we could have a real good team,” Graves said. “After the last game, in the locker room, most of the guys were chanting about the offseason, saying, ‘Let’s get back!’ Now, we’re not quite to the level of the Giants, with guys like Michael Strahan and others, but we feel we’re moving in that direction.”
Gholston prefers end but will play OLB if necessary
Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston, a surefire top-10 pick, would prefer to play defensive end, but he is open to playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, he said Saturday.
“I did ’em both in college,” said Gholston, who had 14 sacks in his final collegiate season. “It’s really wherever the team puts me. The biggest thing is I’m capable of playing both positions.”
The 6-3, 266-pound Gholston’s athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. He also earns high marks for his play against top competition, as evidenced by a three-sack game vs. rival Michigan in November. One of those sacks was against Michigan OLT Jake Long, the top tackle in the draft. It was one of only two sacks Long surrendered in his collegiate career.
"That was a big battle for me," Gholston said. "I know, going back to the previous year (2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan), he was tough competition. He kicked back in pass protection, and it was tough for me to get around him. So, coming into the game, I really focused on that and learned some new techniques to get better hands on him, and it worked."
Titans trying to bring back key free agents
The Titans have several desirable unrestricted free agents scheduled to hit the market. Evaluators regard DLE Antwan Odom as one of the top defensive unrestricted free agents who hasn't received the franchise tag. Travis LaBoy, who shared the DLE position with Odom last season, is also a free agent. The pass-rush specialist isn't quite as highly regarded as Odom, but after a six-sack season, he is also likely to be in demand.
"They've been productive for us, and they've kind of followed the same path over the last few years from an injury standpoint," said Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, probably referring to Odom missing 12 games in '06 and LaBoy missing time with injury in each of his first four NFL seasons. "Fortunately, last year they both stayed healthy, and we'd like to have both of them back."
The Titans would also like to re-sign WR Justin Gage, who Fisher said was "deserving of a significant raise" after catching 55 passes for 750 yards and two touchdowns last season.
The Titans took a big step toward keeping their most important free agent, DT Albert Haynesworth, by designating him their franchise player earlier this week.
B.C.’s rock on the O-line shows soft side
You’ll never forget a name like Gosder Cherilus, and his steely, menacing stare will be hard to erase from memory, as well.
On the inside, though, the Boston College offensive tackle is all heart.
Born in Haiti, the 6-6, 315-pound Cherilus is playing for more than himself. He hopes to lift up his home country as he embarks on an NFL career.
“I have a lot of pride,” he said. “I love being who I am as a person. Where I’m from, there are some young little kids, especially Haitian kids, who have no leaders, no one to look up to. I want to be that guy to them.
“When somebody comes and tells them, ‘You’re this, you’re that, you don’t have hope,’ they can go, ‘If Gosder did it, so can I.’ ”
Cherilus’ demeanor during his session with the media was in stark contrast to the guy opposing defenders have been getting mauled by on Saturday afternoons the past four seasons.
“What I tell people many times is football is what I do, it’s not who I am,” he said. “Don’t get it wrong; once you step on the field, it’s business.”
Cherilus had a rocky transition from right to left tackle last season with the Eagles, but he said he’s comfortable playing on either side in the pros.
Cherilus’ name figures to be called sometime late in the first round or early in the second.
Quick hitters
Oklahoma MLB Curtis Lofton will likely be the first inside linebacker taken at the draft in April, and his grandma is having a hard time holding back the excitement.
“My grandma, she’s fired up,” he said. “She said she feels like a movie star because there are a lot of reporters calling her.”
Lofton decided to enter the draft after his junior year and relied on several fellow Sooners who have gone pro, including Bears DT Tommie Harris, to help him make the call.
Only one of the players consulted, Lions LB Teddy Lehman, told him to stay for his senior season.
“(Lehman) said the NFL’s always going to be there,” Lofton said. “You only get to have the atmosphere you have now in college one time.”
The thought of coming back and taking a shot a national title was intriguing, but not enough to sway Lofton’s decision.
Though defensive linemen were scheduled for interviews beginning Saturday, LSU DT Glenn Dorsey won’t make an appearance in the media room until Sunday.
His Tigers teammate, OLB Ali Highsmith, gave NFL linebackers a preview of what it might be like to share the field with Dorsey.
"Playing behind him, it’s like you’re freelancing because everybody is trying to figure out how to block him best,” Highsmith said. “Just keeping those offensive linemen off us just let us go and run around and make plays. It helped us out a lot that everybody was scheming him so much because he was so dominant. It just made things easier for everybody else.”
Virginia Tech MLB Vince Hall isn’t among the biggest, strongest or fastest players in Indy, but throughout his college career in Blacksburg, he was one of the best. Hall recorded at least 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons, as he teamed with OLB Xavier Adibi to form one of the most dominant LB tandems in the nation. But his physical limitations will likely keep him from being drafted until the late rounds. He measured in at 5-11, 232 pounds, and while he won’t be working out until his pro day, he runs a reported 5.0 40-yard dash. He spoke openly about a smattering of topics to a small media contingent.
Regarding the campus shooting that claimed the lives of 33 students and faculty last April, Hall said that initially Blacksburg “was like a ghost town. But slowly, things started to get back together. At the home opener, words can’t express the emotion. Walking into Lane Stadium, I thought the bleachers were going to fall down.”
When asked about how he and his college teammates regard former Hokie QB Michael Vick, Hall echoed the sentiment of many of Vick’s Falcons teammates. “We still love him,” Hall said. “He unfortunately made a couple bad decisions, but everyone’s done that. We’d welcome him back with open arms.”
Ravens OLT Jonathan Ogden, who is contemplating retirement, has not told the team whether he will return next season, new head coach John Harbaugh said Saturday, indicating the team had made some contingency plans. “I can say left tackle has been on Cam’s mind the last couple weeks,” Harbaugh said, referring to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Were Ogden to retire, veteran Adam Terry would likely be the favorite to replace him in the lineup. The Ravens are also high on second-year OT Jared Gaither.
The number “55” is a legendary one at USC, with numerous All-America linebackers having worn it. However, the NFL careers of the 55-wearing Trojans have been a mixed bag. Some, such as Junior Seau and Willie McGinest, have flourished, while others, most notably Chris Claiborne, have disappointed. OLB Keith Rivers, the latest USC No. 55 to make the jump to the NFL, talked about the storied jersey.
“After a while you develop a sense of how important (No. 55) is and how important it is to practice hard every day and work hard in the weight room because the number means so much. It’s bigger than you.”
Of the players who once donned the jersey, Rivers is closest to McGinest, whom he talks with often.
Shortly after it was announced Saturday that Bears QB Rex Grossman had signed a new one-year contract, PFW ran into high-profile agent Drew Rosenhaus in the lobby. Rosenhaus, who represents three Bears free agents — WR Bernard Berrian, LB Lance Briggs and LB/special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo — said that all three of those clients “will definitely hit the market” next week. He also indicated, though, that Berrian could still follow in Grossman’s footsteps and reach a new deal with the Bears.
Humble Long holds court
By Dan Arkush, Mike Wilkening, Matt Sohn and Dan Parr
Feb. 23, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — Defensive end or outside linebacker? That was the question of the day in Indianapolis, as Virginia’s Chris Long took center stage. As one of the few blue-chip prospects to play in a 3-4 scheme in college, Long’s familiarity with a system that’s far more common in the NFL has helped propel him up draft boards. But Long was quick to point out that his perceived versatility is rooted more in speculation than in evidence.
“People talk about what a transition it would be for me to be a 3-4 outside linebacker,” Long said. “But let’s not forget that I never played in a 4-3 in college, either. I was a base defensive end in a 3-4. (Playing 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end) would be a fresh start for me.”
Similar to Boston College QB Matt Ryan yesterday, Long was very measured with his words, hesitant to divulge any information that could be perceived as self-promotion. But unlike Ryan, who initially appeared a bit nervous addressing the large contingent of reporters, Long had a commanding presence at the podium, looking completely at ease with his celebrity.
Measuring in at 6-3, 272 pounds, Long has been talked about as being the prototypical cornerstone of Bill Parcells’ restoration job in Miami, though the Dolphins’ pressing needs at quarterback and along the offensive line keep Ryan and Michigan OT Jake Long in the mix to be the top draftee in April. But when it came to questions directly about the prospect of playing for the Dolphins — as well as the Rams and Falcons, for that matter — Long answered only in generalities about playing for any NFL team.
While Long credited his father — Hall of Fame DE Howie Long — for much of his success, he gave even more credit to his college teammates.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for (current Jets OLT) D’Brickashaw (Ferguson) and guys like Branden Albert, who’s here now, and Eugene Morrell, who will be here next year,” Long said. “It’s humbling when you get beat every day in practice.”
Cardinals fit to be tied with Fitzgerald
Cardinals GM Rod Graves and head coach Ken Whisenhunt can be forgiven for looking more than a little bleary-eyed Saturday morning. Clearly, trying to negotiate a new contract for star WR Larry Fitzgerald is taking its toll on both of them, but they appear determined to burn the midnight oil for as long as it takes to restructure a deal that will, in effect, set the table for the rest of the team’s offseason activity.
Both Graves and Whisenhunt firmly believe that they have a great core of young leaders developing in the desert, and when Whisenhunt was asked to name names, the first one he mentioned was Fitzgerald’s.
But with this year’s free-agent period fast approaching, it appears the Cardinals haven’t made much significant progress with Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, on a new deal for the highly regarded 24-year-old wide receiver.
As it now stands, Fitzgerald remains in the fourth year of a six-year deal that is scheduled to earn him a whopping $31.7 million in salary next season — a lavish figure that must be reduced significantly in order for the Cardinals to have enough money under the cap to take care of other business, most notably signing free-agent LBs Karlos Dansby, who was given the franchise tag last week, and Calvin Pace.
The Cardinals are believed to have made Parker an offer that, as expected, will make Fitzgerald the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, but as of Friday morning, they remained far apart with Parker on both the length and amount of a new deal. But the Cardinals insist there’s absolutely no way Fitzgerald will split the scene.
“There is no question in our minds that Larry will be back,” Graves said.
Graves doesn’t regret the way Fitzgerald’s current contract was structured.
“When you look at the deals for the top five players at any position, it’s not uncommon to see significant escalators come into play, as opposed to voided years, which we wanted to avoid,” the Cardinals’ GM told PFW. “It was a good contract for us. We knew that if we reached this point in the deal, we would be back at the bargaining table.”
Parker is said to be seeking more than the $27.2 million that WR Calvin Johnson got from the Lions in the six-year deal he signed as a rookie last year. Apparently, that’s a little bit too much for the Cardinals to stomach, although they might not have a choice.
In the meantime, the team continues to make lesser moves to help it open up the purse strings. After convincing veteran DE Bertrand Berry to take a substantial pay cut and releasing three 2007 contributors — disappointing S Terrence Holt, OT Oliver Ross and DE Chris Cooper — the team is about $11 million under the cap. A new long-term deal for Fitzgerald could easily more than double that amount.
But the clock keeps ticking.
In the meantime, both Whisenhunt and Graves feel very good about the direction they believe the Cardinals are headed, the Fitzgerald contract headache notwithstanding.
“We feel we have a bunch of guys who are just on the threshold of becoming top-grade players, guys like Larry, Anquan Boldin, Gerald Hayes, Darnell Dockett and others. I could see that, during halftime of games, and during the week at practice, there was a collective belief that we could have a real good team,” Graves said. “After the last game, in the locker room, most of the guys were chanting about the offseason, saying, ‘Let’s get back!’ Now, we’re not quite to the level of the Giants, with guys like Michael Strahan and others, but we feel we’re moving in that direction.”
Gholston prefers end but will play OLB if necessary
Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston, a surefire top-10 pick, would prefer to play defensive end, but he is open to playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, he said Saturday.
“I did ’em both in college,” said Gholston, who had 14 sacks in his final collegiate season. “It’s really wherever the team puts me. The biggest thing is I’m capable of playing both positions.”
The 6-3, 266-pound Gholston’s athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. He also earns high marks for his play against top competition, as evidenced by a three-sack game vs. rival Michigan in November. One of those sacks was against Michigan OLT Jake Long, the top tackle in the draft. It was one of only two sacks Long surrendered in his collegiate career.
"That was a big battle for me," Gholston said. "I know, going back to the previous year (2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan), he was tough competition. He kicked back in pass protection, and it was tough for me to get around him. So, coming into the game, I really focused on that and learned some new techniques to get better hands on him, and it worked."
Titans trying to bring back key free agents
The Titans have several desirable unrestricted free agents scheduled to hit the market. Evaluators regard DLE Antwan Odom as one of the top defensive unrestricted free agents who hasn't received the franchise tag. Travis LaBoy, who shared the DLE position with Odom last season, is also a free agent. The pass-rush specialist isn't quite as highly regarded as Odom, but after a six-sack season, he is also likely to be in demand.
"They've been productive for us, and they've kind of followed the same path over the last few years from an injury standpoint," said Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, probably referring to Odom missing 12 games in '06 and LaBoy missing time with injury in each of his first four NFL seasons. "Fortunately, last year they both stayed healthy, and we'd like to have both of them back."
The Titans would also like to re-sign WR Justin Gage, who Fisher said was "deserving of a significant raise" after catching 55 passes for 750 yards and two touchdowns last season.
The Titans took a big step toward keeping their most important free agent, DT Albert Haynesworth, by designating him their franchise player earlier this week.
B.C.’s rock on the O-line shows soft side
You’ll never forget a name like Gosder Cherilus, and his steely, menacing stare will be hard to erase from memory, as well.
On the inside, though, the Boston College offensive tackle is all heart.
Born in Haiti, the 6-6, 315-pound Cherilus is playing for more than himself. He hopes to lift up his home country as he embarks on an NFL career.
“I have a lot of pride,” he said. “I love being who I am as a person. Where I’m from, there are some young little kids, especially Haitian kids, who have no leaders, no one to look up to. I want to be that guy to them.
“When somebody comes and tells them, ‘You’re this, you’re that, you don’t have hope,’ they can go, ‘If Gosder did it, so can I.’ ”
Cherilus’ demeanor during his session with the media was in stark contrast to the guy opposing defenders have been getting mauled by on Saturday afternoons the past four seasons.
“What I tell people many times is football is what I do, it’s not who I am,” he said. “Don’t get it wrong; once you step on the field, it’s business.”
Cherilus had a rocky transition from right to left tackle last season with the Eagles, but he said he’s comfortable playing on either side in the pros.
Cherilus’ name figures to be called sometime late in the first round or early in the second.
Quick hitters
Oklahoma MLB Curtis Lofton will likely be the first inside linebacker taken at the draft in April, and his grandma is having a hard time holding back the excitement.
“My grandma, she’s fired up,” he said. “She said she feels like a movie star because there are a lot of reporters calling her.”
Lofton decided to enter the draft after his junior year and relied on several fellow Sooners who have gone pro, including Bears DT Tommie Harris, to help him make the call.
Only one of the players consulted, Lions LB Teddy Lehman, told him to stay for his senior season.
“(Lehman) said the NFL’s always going to be there,” Lofton said. “You only get to have the atmosphere you have now in college one time.”
The thought of coming back and taking a shot a national title was intriguing, but not enough to sway Lofton’s decision.
Though defensive linemen were scheduled for interviews beginning Saturday, LSU DT Glenn Dorsey won’t make an appearance in the media room until Sunday.
His Tigers teammate, OLB Ali Highsmith, gave NFL linebackers a preview of what it might be like to share the field with Dorsey.
"Playing behind him, it’s like you’re freelancing because everybody is trying to figure out how to block him best,” Highsmith said. “Just keeping those offensive linemen off us just let us go and run around and make plays. It helped us out a lot that everybody was scheming him so much because he was so dominant. It just made things easier for everybody else.”
Virginia Tech MLB Vince Hall isn’t among the biggest, strongest or fastest players in Indy, but throughout his college career in Blacksburg, he was one of the best. Hall recorded at least 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons, as he teamed with OLB Xavier Adibi to form one of the most dominant LB tandems in the nation. But his physical limitations will likely keep him from being drafted until the late rounds. He measured in at 5-11, 232 pounds, and while he won’t be working out until his pro day, he runs a reported 5.0 40-yard dash. He spoke openly about a smattering of topics to a small media contingent.
Regarding the campus shooting that claimed the lives of 33 students and faculty last April, Hall said that initially Blacksburg “was like a ghost town. But slowly, things started to get back together. At the home opener, words can’t express the emotion. Walking into Lane Stadium, I thought the bleachers were going to fall down.”
When asked about how he and his college teammates regard former Hokie QB Michael Vick, Hall echoed the sentiment of many of Vick’s Falcons teammates. “We still love him,” Hall said. “He unfortunately made a couple bad decisions, but everyone’s done that. We’d welcome him back with open arms.”
Ravens OLT Jonathan Ogden, who is contemplating retirement, has not told the team whether he will return next season, new head coach John Harbaugh said Saturday, indicating the team had made some contingency plans. “I can say left tackle has been on Cam’s mind the last couple weeks,” Harbaugh said, referring to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Were Ogden to retire, veteran Adam Terry would likely be the favorite to replace him in the lineup. The Ravens are also high on second-year OT Jared Gaither.
The number “55” is a legendary one at USC, with numerous All-America linebackers having worn it. However, the NFL careers of the 55-wearing Trojans have been a mixed bag. Some, such as Junior Seau and Willie McGinest, have flourished, while others, most notably Chris Claiborne, have disappointed. OLB Keith Rivers, the latest USC No. 55 to make the jump to the NFL, talked about the storied jersey.
“After a while you develop a sense of how important (No. 55) is and how important it is to practice hard every day and work hard in the weight room because the number means so much. It’s bigger than you.”
Of the players who once donned the jersey, Rivers is closest to McGinest, whom he talks with often.
Shortly after it was announced Saturday that Bears QB Rex Grossman had signed a new one-year contract, PFW ran into high-profile agent Drew Rosenhaus in the lobby. Rosenhaus, who represents three Bears free agents — WR Bernard Berrian, LB Lance Briggs and LB/special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo — said that all three of those clients “will definitely hit the market” next week. He also indicated, though, that Berrian could still follow in Grossman’s footsteps and reach a new deal with the Bears.
