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Whispers
Sept. 22, 2007
Updated as of 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23
Sept. 22, 2007
Updated as of 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23
- Now that the Titans have signed head coach Jeff Fisher to a contract extension, the focus turns to the players next in line for new deals. We’re hearing DT Albert Haynesworth and OLG Jacob Bell remain the top priorities for contract extensions, though it appears Haynesworth — who’s off to a great start this season — is inclined to play out his deal and test the market.
- Word out of Miami is that there are a few people wanting to see rookie QB John Beck but that head coach Cam Cameron has absolutely no intention of benching starter Trent Green.
- One pro personnel director told PFW that Joe Gibbs’ decisions to fire LB coach Dale Lindsay after last season, replacing him with Kirk Olivadotti, and add more talent to that unit — namely the signing of MLB London Fletcher — have provided crucial upgrades on a defense that ranked near the bottom in nearly every category last season but has shown up well so far in 2007.
- Is Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald really looking to leave Arizona after his rookie contract expires, as was reported Sept. 20 in a widely read national Internet site? According to Fitzgerald himself, we highly doubt it. “Coach (Ken) Whisenhunt has really built team chemistry, not to say we didn’t have it before,” Fitzgerald told PFW in a phone interview two days before the Internet rumor that he was unhappy in the desert was posted. “It’s been a lot of fun so far (under him). I realize I’m being counted on as one of his horses, and I’m totally aboard his ship.”
- The best guess on Bears MLB Brian Urlacher’s 2007 sack total in the wake of his first sack in eons in the Week Two win over the Chiefs and then two more in Week Three vs. the Cowboys? With many more opportunities expected in new coordinator Bob Babich’s more blitz-oriented unit, team sources wouldn’t be surprised at all with a number in the 7-8 range.
- So far, the Lions have not lost anything with TE Dan Campbell, their best blocking tight end and a solid red-zone alternative, out with an elbow injury. Sean McHugh, a Mike Martz favorite, has earned praise for his receiving ability and is improving as a blocker.
- It is not clear when Vikings DRE Erasmus James will be ready to play again, as he recovers from a knee injury he suffered last season, but the longer he’s away, the less likely he is to regain a starting job. Replacements Ray Edwards and rookie Brian Robison have fared very well to date and have a firm grip on the position.
- The word out of Green Bay is that Packers V.P. of administration/corporate counsel Jason Wied is the front-runner to replace the departed John Jones as the team president. A local product, Weid made a very positive — and lasting — impression with the speech he delivered at the team’s last stockholders’ meeting.
- There’s no denying the impact that offseason acquisition Sean Morey is delivering to the Cardinals’ special teams. Daily team observers tell us Morey, who previously excelled on special teams with the Steelers, is an astute student of his craft who goes out of his way to teach his new teammates the many nuances he has picked up over the years. Morey deflected a punt by Seattle’s Ryan Plackemeier in Arizona’s Week Two win over the Seahawks after intently studying Seattle LS Derek Rackley’s snapping cadence during pregame warm-ups.
- Although the Cardinals’ special teams are starting to show improvement overall, their punt-return situation doesn’t appear to be the greatest, with rookie Steve Breaston looking tentative much of the time. Despite the fact Breaston has only one decent return through the first three games, we hear there are no plans to make a change just yet.
- After watching Cardinals C Al Johnson labor mightily on his injured knee all week leading up to Arizona’s visit to Baltimore last Sunday — we hear he was very stiff-legged and was still unable to bend the knee — team sources think he’s a good bet to miss at least two more games.
- The Rams are saying that CB Tye Hill is probably 2-3 weeks away from returning to action from the combination rib/back injury he suffered after colliding with teammate O.J. Atogwe in practice. But the way we’re hearing it from team sources, it may actually be closer to 4-6 weeks before he’s able to get back on the field.
- The fact that Niners TE Vernon Davis didn’t make a scene that would have shown up his coaches — a la the Rams’ Steven Jackson — over his lack of receiving opportunities through two games, and then went out of his way to talk privately about the situation with head coach Mike Nolan is considered a positive development by team insiders. Nevertheless, the body language of the volatile Davis remains worth watching closely.
- After playing quite well as the Niners’ starting nose tackle in place of the injured Aubrayo Franklin, Isaac Sopoaga was a bit put off by the team’s decision to return him to second-string status once Franklin was deemed ready to return to the lineup. That said, both Franklin and Sopoaga are seeing plenty of action, occasionally playing alongside one another, with Sopoaga moving to end.
- We hear a big reason the Seahawks decided they could live without DE Bryce Fisher is the continuing development of fourth-round rookie Baraka Atkins. Word is the team has really been impressed with Atkins’ great natural tools (he ran a 4.7 40 at the last Combine, weighing 271 pounds) and physical presence.
- Word out of Atlanta is QB Joey Harrington doesn’t feel threatened by QB Byron Leftwich, who signed the same two-year, $6 million contract as Harrington this week. But our sources believe Harrington should be worried. We hear Leftwich could be in the starting lineup as soon as Week Five if Harrington continues to struggle.
- QB Bruce Gradkowski has moved ahead of Luke McCown to claim the No. 2 QB job on the Buccaneers’ depth chart. McCown was demoted after he struggled while filling in for Jeff Garcia, who left the game after getting his bell rung in a Week One loss to the Seahawks. We hear head coach Jon Gruden was particularly disturbed by how reckless McCown was with the ball in Seattle.
- Undrafted rookie OLT Renardo Foster had a solid debut after replacing starter Wayne Gandy, who left the Falcons’ Week Two loss to Jacksonville with a hamstring injury. We hear Foster knows more about Bobby Petrino’s offense than any other Falcons O-lineman after playing for Petrino at Louisville, and he has the trust of the coaching staff, as RB Warrick Dunn ran behind Foster for Atlanta’s first TD of the season.
- We hear the Panthers don’t trust that rookie WR Dwayne Jarrett, who has been inactive for the first three games, knows the offense, and he won’t get on the field until he gets the offense down.
- We’re told Nick Goings is on shaky ground as the Panthers’ kickoff returner after his fumble led to a momentum-shifting touchdown in Carolina’s Week Two loss to Houston. Goings shared time with rookie Ryne Robinson, who was drafted for his return skills, in Week Three.
- Eagles S J.R. Reed was re-signed a week after being released, more as a backup plan in case Brian Dawkins’ neck pain lingers than it is to have Reed return kicks, team sources say.
- Cowboys ORG Leonard Davis’ fine preseason work has carried over into the regular season to date. His base power and drive blocking remain his calling cards, though Davis has appeared quite agile when getting out into space.
- Going forward, look for Giants rookie CB Aaron Ross to earn more reps on the outside, possibly replacing Corey Webster. The staff likes the fact that Ross, 25, appears more mature than your typical rookie.
- The way we hear it, the Texans’ safety depth may have never been better — and this is after the position lost veterans Glenn Earl and Jason Simmons to season-ending injuries. Former Giant and Raven Will Demps, signed after Simmons was lost in the opener, is already receiving playing time on defense, and ex-Seahawk Michael Boulware is waiting in the wings. Perhaps it’s a coincidence, but SS C.C. Brown — whose play has been scrutinized — had one of his finest games in Week Two at Carolina. What’s more, FS Von Hutchins is also playing well, recording a team-high 11 tackles in Week Two.
- Jacksonville entered Week Three without its top three safeties from a year ago after SS Gerald Sensabaugh was placed on the injured-reserve list with a shoulder injury. The Jaguars plan to replace the rangy Sensabaugh with 32-year-old Sammy Knight, whom they signed Aug. 13. We hear Knight is almost exclusively an in-the-box safety at this point in his career. Rookie FS Reggie Nelson will fill the other starting spot.
- Broncos RB Travis Henry on second-year WR Brandon Marshall: “The first time I met him, I just knew he had all the tools. He’s a freak out there — for real. I’m glad he’s on our team; that’s all I can say. He’s going to be a good one.”
- The play of new slot WR Brandon Stokley is part of what kept TE Tony Scheffler out of the Broncos’ lineup the first two weeks. That and Scheffler’s inconsistent commitment to blocking, we’re told. The Broncos’ use of three-WR sets with Stokley alongside WRs Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall, with Daniel Graham as the tight end, has had success early on and looks to be a regular part of the offense. Scheffler was active in Week Three, but he did not catch a pass.
- The Broncos have been pleasantly surprised by rookie DE Jarvis Moss’ instincts and play against the run, which was perceived to be a weak spot coming out of college. Expect Moss to become more involved in the team’s base defensive alignment as a result.
- San Diego’s secondary, despite having plenty of experience playing together, has suffered some communication breakdowns in the early stages, especially when trying to keep tabs on Patriots WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker in Week Two.
- Word out of Kansas City is that the Chiefs are making an attempt to reduce some of the mental gymnastics for first-round pick Dwayne Bowe and other young receivers like Jeff Webb and Bobby Sippio in an effort to simplify the intricacies of the system. Also worth noting is that when the injured Eddie Kennison returns to the lineup in 1-3 weeks, Bowe will be shifting from the “Z” receiver to the “X” spot in place of Samie Parker in the starting lineup.
- The Chiefs’ defense is doing a better job of not surrendering the big plays (a bomb to Houston’s Andre Johnson in Week One notwithstanding) and often winning the battle of field position despite a struggling offense, which happen to be two keys head coach Herm Edwards prioritized when he was hired.
- This is a key stretch in the career of Ravens DLT Dwan Edwards, who steps into the starting lineup as Trevor Pryce recovers from a broken wrist. Edwards has been a disappointment to date, but this is his fourth season in the Ravens’ system, and the Ravens are hoping he can hold the fort until Pryce returns. Rookie Antwan Barnes will also see more playing time in Pryce’s absence, particularly in pass-rush situations.
- We’re hearing the Browns’ signing of P Scott Player is a sign that Dave Zastudil’s back injury may linger longer than expected. Player is regarded as an upgrade over Paul Ernster, whose dropped snap in Week One helped spark a blowout win by Pittsburgh. Zastudil punted in Week Two, but he was not fully healthy, and the Browns released Ernster and added Player in the week leading up to the Sept. 23 game at Oakland.
- Bengals CB Johnathan Joseph continues to be bothered by a foot injury, a factor that cannot be overlooked when assessing why the Cincinnati defense has struggled early on. Joseph has not been as effective in coverage as he was as a rookie, and his tackling has also left something to be desired.
- We hear that CB-RS Justin Miller’s recent placement on the injured-reserve list will have far bigger implications on special teams than it will defensively. Between David Barrett, Andre Dyson and Darrelle Revis, the Jets have three solid cornerbacks, while they don’t have a kick returner who approaches Miller’s explosion.
- OG Will Montgomery, who was signed Sept. 19 after being cut by Carolina, could soon take over the Jets’ OLG position vacated by Pete Kendall and now being occupied by third-year man Adrien Clarke.
- We hear that more than a few Patriots are clamoring that they’re aiming for a 16-0 season, hoping to stick it to all the critics blasting them for “Spygate.”
- It took a lot longer than expected, but the Bills’ retooled offensive line is finally rounding into shape. OLT Jason Peters is the only star on the line, but the others are starting to perform decently.
