Extra Points

Analyzing Eli's big deal

2009-08-06T21:18:00.006-04:00

Eli Manning is about to become a very rich -- and very happy -- man. The New York Giants are awfully pleased as well.

Still, the six-year, $97.5 million mega-extension that the Giants and Manning have reportedly agreed to terms on has likely drawn a mixed reaction among the NFL quarterback fraternity, as well as plenty of confusion among insiders and pundits alike.

Counting the $9.4 million he's due to receive this season in the final year of his rookie pact, Manning will average $15.2 million yearly over the life of the deal, will make the 2004 No. 1 overall pick the highest paid player in league history with a multi-year contract. That's more than older brother Peyton, a three-time NFL MVP, will make over the course of the seven-year, $99.2 million deal he signed in 2004 (although Peyton has more guaranted money). It's also greater than the eight-year, $102 million contract the Pittsburgh Steelers handed out to Ben Roethlisberger, a player drafted the same year as Eli who owns one more Super Bowl ring and has been a statistically superior player than his counterpart over their respective careers.

While it's possible Big Ben could be feeling a little bit slighted right now, the news of Eli Manning's new agreement was probably met with hoots and hollers from Philip Rivers and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, as well as concerned scowels on the faces of San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos and GM Alex Smith. The other member of the standout quarterback class of 2004, Rivers will enter unrestricted free agency in an as-of-now uncapped year in 2010 with numbers that even trump those of Roethlisberger, although he's the only member of the trio yet to lead his team to a world championship.

Here's the tale of the tape (note that these are regular-season stats):

Rivers: 62.3 completion pct., 78 TD/36 INT (2.2 ratio), 92.9 career QB rating
Roethlisberger: 62.4 completion pct., 101 TD/69 INT (1.4 ratio), 89.4 career QB rating
E. Manning: 55.9 completion pct., 98 TD/74 INT (1.3 ratio), 76.1 career QB rating

Keep in mind that unlike both Roethlisberger and Manning, Rivers wasn't thrown immediately into the fire as a rookie, which benefits his overall numbers to a degree, and his career playoff stats (3-3 record, 7/7 TD-INT ratio, 56.6 completion pct.) aren't overly impressive. However, if he's able to build upon that postseason resume' and turn in another Pro Bowl season in 2009, odds are we'll be discussing whether or Philip Rivers deserves to carry the mantle of the NFL's richest player at this time a year from now.

Eagles' Bradley tears ACL, out for year

2009-08-03T15:13:00.004-04:00

Bad news out of the Philadelphia Eagles camp this morning, as it appears middle linebacker Stewart Bradley will miss the upcoming 2009 season after tearing the ACL in one of his knees during an open practice session held at Lincoln Financial Field last night.

The Eagles have yet to comment on the severity of the injury, but the Philadelphia Daily News confirmed through Bradley's agent, Eric Metz, that the third-year pro will be undergoing season-ending surgery in the near future.

Tough break for the Eagles, a leading preseason pick to represent the NFC in this year's Super Bowl after reaching the conference title game back in January. The team does have an experienced alternative in Omar Gaither, who started 16 games in the middle during Bradley's rookie season in 2007, although he possesses less athleticism and big-play ability than his injured counterpart.

Bradley led Philadelphia with 108 tackles (86 solo) in his first season as a starter and played a key role in the Eagles finishing 2008 as the NFL's fourth-ranked rushing defense.

Jason Smith signs, Crabtree nowhere close

2009-07-30T22:49:00.004-04:00

St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Jason Smith made good on his pre-draft promise that he wouldn't hold out, as this year's No. 2 overall pick agreed to terms on a six-year contract Thursday afternoon. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Smith's deal has a max value of just under $62 million with $33 million guaranteed, which is slighty above what fellow tackle Jake Long got from the Dolphins as the draft's top selection last year (Long received $57.5 million over 5 years with $30 million guaranteed).

Smith is the second top 10 choice to sign today, joining Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, and the fourth among the first seven picks. As you may recall, the Detroit Lions inked Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford to a landmark six-year, $72 million contract (with over 41 million guaranteed) on the eve of the draft and the Jets locked up USC signal-caller Mark Sanchez with a five-year, $50.5 million pact in June.

Only 10 of the 32 first-round picks have signed so far, with center Alex Mack (No. 21, Cleveland), offensive tackle Michael Oher (No. 23, Baltimore), defensive tackle Peria Jerry (No. 24, Atlanta), linebacker Clay Matthews (No. 26, Green Bay), offensive guard Eric Wood (No. 27, Buffalo) and defensive lineman Ziggy Hood (No. 32, Pittsburgh) all having come to terms in the past week.

One likely explanation for that slow progress is the situation regarding former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, taken 10th overall by San Francisco back in April. A blog entry from the Denver Post's Mike Klis on Monday stated that Crabtree's camp was seeking a contract commensurate with a top-three selection, which clearly would in turn affect the value of those players unsigned from picks 8-20. It's doubtful that the 49ers are going to blink, so an extended holdout could be on the horizon. The Niners hold their first training camp practice on Saturday.

This potentially troublesome scenario certainly won't help dissuade those rumors of a perceived "diva-like" attitude that Crabtree had displayed during his pre-draft visits.

training camp reporting dates

2009-07-24T15:06:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick rundown on when teams will officially be opening their training camps -- the dates listed pertain to when veterans are required to report.

Most camps won't be beginning for about a week, but the Buffalo Bills will be getting an early start this coming weekend (I'm sure ESPN won't be paying any attention there, right?). Also keep on eye on Thursday, July 30th. That's the day Josh McDaniels' Denver Broncos will be breaking camp and when we'll find out if the odds-on favorite for a summer holdout -- Brandon Marshall -- will be showing up.

Saturday, July 25th
Buffalo (Pittsford, N.Y.)

Wednesday, July 29th
Arizona (Flagstaff, Ariz.)
Baltimore (Westminster, Md.)
Dallas (San Antonio)
New England (Foxboro, Mass.)
Oakland (Napa Valley, Calif.)
Philadelphia (Bethlehem, Pa.)
Washington (Ashburn, Va.)

Thursday, July 30th
Cincinnati (Georgetown, Ky.)
Denver (Englewood, Colo.)
Minnesota (Mankato, Minn.)
New Orleans (Metairie, La.)
New York Jets (Cortland, N.Y.)
San Francisco (Santa Clara, Calif.)
Tennessee (Nashville)

Friday, July 31st
Atlanta (Flowery Branch, Ga.)
Chicago (Bourbonnais, Ill.)
Cleveland (Berea, Ohio)
Detroit (Allen Park, Mich.)
Green Bay
Houston
Kansas City (River Falls, Wisc.)
Pittsburgh (Latrobe, Pa.)
San Diego
Seattle (Renton, Wash.)
St. Louis (Earth City, Mo.)
Tampa Bay

Saturday, August 1st
Miami (Davie, Fla.)

Sunday, August 2nd
Carolina (Spartanburg, S.C.)
Indianapolis (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Jacksonville

Monday, August 3rd
New York Giants (Albany, N.Y.)

Just like Michael Vick...

2009-07-23T11:33:00.003-04:00

...we have returned.

My apologies to those loyal followers of this blog (a very select group, I must admit) who have been waiting with baited breath for us to return from our two-month hibernation. In all honesty, there hasn't been a whole lot to write about since our last entry, but that's surely about to change. With training camps on the verge of starting up, Vick's possible return, Ben Roethlisberger's recent legal issues and the continued flirtation between the Minnesota Vikings and a certain retired quarterback, there won't be a lack of topics to cover in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, those in need of an immediate fix can check out the first wave of Tony Moss' training camp previews on our NFL news page.

Favre at it again?

2009-05-04T14:41:00.003-04:00

Now that the draft has come and gone, looks like it's time once again to speculate as to whether or not Brett Favre will play football again this fall.

I happened to catch a very interesting article from New York Daily News NFL insider Gary Myers over the weekend, in which he speculated that Favre is ready to come out of retirement #2 (or is it three?) now that the legendary quarterback has been granted his official release from the Jets.

Logically, the team linked to Favre is the Minnesota Vikings, the ever-waffling one's preferred destination of choice when he forced the Green Bay Packers' hand with last summer's drama-filled return to the league just four months after supposedly calling it quits. As we all know, good 'ol No. 4 never got his wish and instead reluctantly agreed to be dealt to the Jets in August.

Myers quoted a league source as saying that Favre still harbors a great deal of resentment towards the Packers for not welcoming him back with open arms last summer, and is determined to make his former employers pay for his perceived mistreatment. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago and the Lions just handing out $41 million to No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford, the quarterback-starved Vikings provide the best (and only viable) opportunity for Favre to achieve those goals.

"He wants to play Green Bay and say, 'I told you so'", the source said. I think he's calling Minnesota. I think Minnesota is talking about this as we speak. You haven't heard the end of Favre."

The Vikings haven't done anything to prevent the latest Favre rumors from spreading, either. Head coach Brad Childress admitted recently that the team would likely discuss the possibility of bringing Favre on board if the future Hall of Famer does indeed decide he still wants to play. Moreover, team owner Zygi Wilf offered a curious "no comment" when approached of the subject by the St. Paul Pioneer Press over the weekend, two months after emphatically denying the Vikes would have any interest in acquiring Favre.

Apparently, the lure of obtaining a soon-to-be 40-year-old with a torn biceps tendon in his throwing shoulder who led the NFL in interceptions last season is simply too hard to ignore.

Here we go again.

The Top 10

2009-04-25T17:17:00.003-04:00

Before we talk about the Top 10, I need to point out that Sports Network Associate NFL Editor Scott Garbarini nailed Darrius Heyward-Bey to the Raiders at No. 7. Scroll down for proof. Wow, amazing call Scott. Got tonight's lottery numbers?

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1. Lions - Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia (6-2, 225)

The Lions took the big gamble after all, staking their future, and in all likelihood the Jim Schwartz coaching era, to Matthew Stafford. He looks the part, but will have a lot to prove to a Detroit fan base that would have preferred the pick be used on a defender like Wake Forest's Aaron Curry.

2. Rams - Jason Smith, T, Baylor (6-5, 309)

Those murmurs about the Rams selecting Mark Sanchez turned out to be unfounded, as the team instead filled its most glaring void and selected the left tackle Smith. If he's as consistent as Orlando Pace was before injuries begin to rear their ugly heads, the development of the St. Louis offense should follow.

3. Chiefs - Tyson Jackson, DL, LSU (6-4, 296)

The first shocker of the first round was pulled off by Kansas City, which selected Jackson, a player many had projected below the Top 10, at No. 3 overall. The hope is that Jackson can become a Richard Seymour-like lynch pin in the Chiefs' new 3-4 scheme, though he certainly needs some polish.

4. Seahawks - Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest (6-2, 254)

The Seahawks brain trust of GM Tim Ruskell and head coach Jim Mora had to be doing cartwheels when the Chiefs passed up Curry at No. 3, as he fits an immediate need for a team that recently shipped Julian Peterson to Detroit. Many believed Curry was the best defensive player in the Draft.

5. Jets (from Browns) - Mark Sanchez, QB, USC (6-2, 227)

The Jets moved up from No. 17 to No. 5 in order to pick Sanchez, who will immediately be saddled with immense expectations. Sanchez, who had just 16 games of starting experience at USC, will not have a great number of first-rate weapons at his disposal if he plays in 2009.

6. Bengals - Andre Smith, T, Alabama (6-4, 325)

The Bengals had better hope Smith outplays Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe, who was widely evaluated to be more of a "sure thing" than the apparently immature Smith. Still, if he matures off the field and stays in shape on it, Smith should have opportunity to be a franchise left tackle.

7. Raiders - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland (6-2, 210)

For the second straight year, the first receiver taken was not the player predicted by anyone to fit into that role. Last year, Houston's Donnie Avery was that guy, selected by the Rams in the second round ahead of the likes of Devin Thomas, DeSean Jackson, and Malcolm Kelly. This year, the speedster Heyward-Bey, who scored just 13 touchdowns in his entire college career, was a shocking Top 10 pick. Raiders fans will be closely monitoring the production of not only Heyward-Bey, but also Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, and Percy Harvin, wideouts that Oakland passed over.

8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia (6-5, 309)

It was somewhat surprising that the Jaguars selected a tackle after ponying up free agent bucks for Tra Thomas earlier this offseason, but getting Monroe at No. 8 represented good value for Jacksonville. Whether Monroe orThomas starts at left tackle this year remains to be seen.

9. Packers - B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College (6-1, 337)

The Packers had several needs in moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensively, and pass rusher and lineman were prominent among them. Raji projects as a space-eating nose tackle, though he may initially line up at end next to incumbent Ryan Pickett.

10. 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech (6-1, 215)

Crabtree may have been the steal of the Draft, falling all the way to No. 10, presumably because of injury and/or character issues. The 49ers still don't know exactly who's going to be pulling the trigger this year, but whoever it is has a bona fide No. 1 receiver at his disposal. Will be interesting to watch Crabtree compete with Darrius Heyward-Bey across the Bay in Oakland.

Scott's mock draft -- Picks 22-32

2009-04-24T15:57:00.002-04:00

Well, here it is -- my final 11 first-round predictions for this weekend's draft. I can't wait until this is all over with.

22) Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
I woke up this morning planning to put Arizona offensive tackle Eben Britton, who would potentially solve one of the Vikes' biggest problems on the right side of the line. However, it doesn't seem as if Minnesota is too scared off by the recent revelations of Harvin's failed drug test or the dynamic ex-Gator's durability concerns. With Bill Parcells and the Dolphins (who pick at #25) also still on Harvin's trail, the Vikings would have to grab him here.

23) New England Patriots -- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
Most observers have the Pats targeting a defensive player at this spot, but with four selections among the first 58 picks, New England will have opportunities to fill those needs in the second round if there's a player it can't pass up. Pettigrew, the clear-cut top tight end available, would fit the bill for a team that loves to draft tight ends and has two on the roster (Ben Watson and David Thomas) set to be free agents at season's end.

24) Atlanta Falcons -- Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
By acquiring Tony Gonzalez from the Chiefs yesterday, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff can turn his attention to adding pieces to a defense that was the team's sore spot last season. Atlanta's biggest holes to fill may be at outside linebacker, where 2008 starters Keith Brooking and Michael Boley both left free via agency. Matthews, who wowed scouts at the Combine after a breakthrough season at USC, wouldn't be a reach pick based solely on need, however.

25) Miami Dolphins -- James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
It's tough to get a read on what the Dolphins might do here. Wide receiver is the team's biggest need, but the draft is deep at that position and Parcells probably would be hesitant to use a high pick on what would be a developmental player. Miami's pretty-well set at inside linebacker after re-signing Channing Crowder over the winter, but Laurinaitis' combo of intensity, physicality and field smarts would likely appeal to the Big Tuna.

26) Baltimore Ravens -- Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
Maybin is projected to go as high as the lower teen's in a lot of mocks, but could slide into the lower half of the first round because there's some risk involved with taking a player who's the classic defensive end/outside linebacker "tweener" and started only one year in college. The Ravens would jump at the chance to snare the Maryland native here, however, and there's a good chance Maybin's off the board before they pick.

27) Indianapolis Colts -- Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
The Colts had the smallest set of defensive tackles in the league last year and were often overpowered by smash-mouth running teams such as fellow division-members Tennessee and Jacksonville. Jerry's not the space-eating behemoth type, but possesses exceptional quickness and has drawn comparisons to Booger McFarland, a valuable cog in Tony Dungy's previous defenses in Tampa Bay and Indy. Would be a no-brainer pick for the Colts if he lasts this long.

28) Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia) -- William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
After trading disgruntled left tackle Jason Peters to the Eagles for this pick last week, it's imperative that Buffalo finds a suitable replacement to protect Trent Edwards' blind side on the first day. The Bills may be able to get their man with the #11 overall pick, but Beatty's a good prospect who figures to still be around at this point.

29) New York Giants -- Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
It's almost certain that the G-Men are going to come away with a wide receiver, preferably one with size, on Saturday, either by trading for a veteran or taking one somewhere in the first two rounds. It's looking more and more that the long-rumored deal with Cleveland for Braylon Edwards isn't happening, so New York's going to have to turn to the draft to find someone to fill the shoes of departed starters Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. The six-foot-three Robiskie gets the nod over North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks here, but don't be surprised if the Giants trade up to snare Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey if he's around in the middle of the first round.

30) Tennessee Titans -- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
This selection of the fast-rising Ayers would not only please Titans fans who double as Volunteers' supporters, it's one that make sense as well for depth and future purposes. Ends Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse and tackle Tony Brown are all in the final year of their contracts, and Ayers' ability to play both inside and outside would make him an attractive option for Jeff Fisher's team.

31) Arizona Cardinals -- Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
Anquan Boldin's possible departure makes wide receiver an area of interest for the surprising defending NFC champs, but the Cardinals also sorely need a second back who would replace the aging and unhappy Edgerrin James and serve as a complement to second-year pro Tim Hightower. Brown's easily the best on the board at this point, and his intelligence and pass-catching skills make the former Huskie a good fit for the Arizona offense.

32) Pittsburgh Steelers -- Alex Mack, C, California
The reigning Super Bowl winners have depth issues to address across the offensive line, and bringing aboard the technically-sound Mack would be a good first step in solving those concerns. The Cal product, who won the Draddy Trophy honoring college football's top scholar-athlete following his senior season, could step right in and start immediately for the Steelers at guard and would make a solid replacement if the team decides not to re-sign center Justin Hartwig after this season.

Scott's mock draft -- Picks 11-21

2009-04-23T15:31:00.004-04:00

Here's my second installment of my mock first round for Saturday's NFL draft:

11) Buffalo Bills -- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
With Aaron Schobel missing most of last season with a foot injury, the Bills had no one who could consistently pressure the quarterback in 2008. Brown might be the best pure pass rusher in this year's class and has garnered some comparisons to Indianapolis All-Pro Dwight Freeney for his explosive first step and array of moves. Some teams view the 6-2, 255-pounder too small to hold up as an every-down end, but he fits well in Buffalo's undersized, speed-based defense.

12) Denver Broncos -- Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
The Broncos could look to trade up and grab either B.J. Raji or Tyson Jackson for their revamped 3-4 defense, but staying put and selecting the draft's top defensive back in Jenkins makes some sense as well. The Thorpe Award winner could step in and contribute immediately as a nickel back and down the road as free safety Brian Dawkins' heir apparent.

13) Kansas City Chiefs -- Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas (projected trade)
Not too sure if Orakpo will still be around at this point, especially if the recent whispers that the Browns have soured on Michael Crabtree and are seeking defensive help with the #5 pick turn out to be valid. If he is on the board, the Chiefs probably won't hesitate to take a player who can instantly upgrade a defense that produced an NFL-low 10 sacks last year.

14) Philadelphia Eagles -- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia (projected trade)
There's a lot of talk that the Eagles have Moreno as their top target, and considering Brian Westbrook's age (will be 30 in September) and the way he broke down physically last year, there's definitely a need for a backfield complement. The Birds may have to trade up to obtain the former Georgia star, with San Diego (#16) and Denver (#18) other possible landing spots, but have the ammo to do so. The Saints, who presently own this pick, are without both second and third-round choices and would seem to be willing partners.

15) Houston Texans -- Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
For a team that's never had a winning season in its seven years of existence, the Texans really don't have a whole lot of pressing needs and can afford to wait for a player who can bolster a defense that ranked 22nd overall in yards allowed last season to fall to them. Cushing is considered the most complete of the Trojans' awesome stable of linebackers and should help out an area where both projected starters on the outside, Zach Diles and Xavier Adibi, are still rather unproven.

16) San Diego Chargers -- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
Smith's memorable meltdown at the Scouting Combine and obvious maturity issues could cause the wonderfully-gifted lineman to slide out of the top 10, but the Chargers would likely have an interest if he fell this far. The team feels incumbent right tackle Jeromey Clary may be best suited to play inside and may be willing to overlook Smith's red flags and take a risk on a player with definite All-Pro potential.

17) New York Jets -- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Jets would be elated if the game-breaking Maclin slipped into this slot, and a deep crop of receivers plus the Missouri speedster's slender build and durabililty issues could make it a possibility. A popular train of thought has the Jets taking Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman if he's available here, but if the Redskins can nab Mark Sanchez, Gang Green may be willing to make a play for Jason Campbell and add an experienced signal-caller to its roster.

18) Denver Broncos (from Chicago) -- Evander Hood, DL, Missouri
The Broncos' primary focus will be to add pieces to the front seven of its new-look defense, particulary across the front line. Hood's stock is on the rise due to a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and the 300-pounder's versatility, and Denver will take a long look at the hard-working ex-Tiger as a end for its 3-4 scheme.

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
There are few players in this year's crop who generate as many polarizing opinions as Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound end who ran a blistering 4.61 second 40-yard dash at his pro day last month. Johnson's on-field achievements haven't always matched his elite physical gifts, however, and some teams view him as a second or third-rounder due to a questionable motor. The Bucs are reportedly one of those clubs that are sky-high on Johnson, and he could be the pick here if Tampa can't trade down and stockpile an additional choice or two.

20) Detroit Lions (from Dallas) -- Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
The Lions haven't had a difference-making middle linebacker since Stephen Boyd suffered a career-ending injury in 2001, but that could change if the team brings the ultra-physical Maualuga into the fold. There's some concern on how the All-American will fare in third-down passing situations, but his perceived coverage limitations aren't as much of an issue in Detroit, which has two good every-down outside 'backers in Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims.

21) New Orleans Saints -- Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State (projected trade)
The Saints are said to really like Malcolm Jenkins, but with the Ohio State defensive back off the board in this scenario, they'd be happy to trade down if they can snare another Buckeye in Wells at this spot. The 235-pound tailback would give New Orleans a physical presence in the running game the team has lacked since Deuce McAllister tore up his knee two years ago. Wells' toughness has come into question due to a host of nagging injuries as a collegian, but the Saints have enough backfield depth where he wouldn't have to carry the load alone.

Tomorrow: Picks 22-32

Another mock (ery) draft -- Picks 1-10

2009-04-22T12:50:00.004-04:00

Here's my stab at trying to figure out what's going to happen in the first round of this weekend's draft. For a bit of fun, I've made the added attempt of predicting a few trades with the potential of taking place.

You can also view our esteemed NFL editor Tony Moss' latest mock here.

1) Detroit Lions -- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
It appears as if the lowly Lions have zeroed in on Stafford and have made some inroads into reaching a contract agreement with the Georgia quarterback. I wouldn't be surprised if a deal is announced prior to Saturday's proceedings. Detroit should be able to fill holes at middle linebacker and offensive tackles with its two other high picks (#20 and #33).

2) St. Louis Rams -- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
As Tony mentioned in his most recent column, there's not a whole lot of thinking to do about this one. The Rams sorely need a blind-side protector for Marc Bulger and have a choice between two terrific prospects in Smith and Virginia's Eugene Monroe. Smith gets the nod here due to his superior athleticism and possible concerns about Monroe's previous knee problems.

3) Washington (from Kansas City) -- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC (projected trade)
Chiefs GM Scott Pioli desperately wants to trade out of this slot, and no team is more willing to mortgage its future than the Redskins, who were open to dealing this and next year's first-round picks when Jay Cutler became available. Sanchez is Daniel Snyder's newest object of desire, and the feeling here is the impulsive Redskins owner will do whatever it takes to land the talented (and marketable) young signal-caller.

4) Seattle -- Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
There's been a lot of talk that the Seahawks are targeting Sanchez to groom as Matt Hasselbeck's eventual successor, but that may just be a smokescreen to ensure they get the player they really want in Curry. The Butkus Award winner, considered by some draftnicks as the most complete player in this year's class, would be a perfect replacement for the departed Julian Peterson in Seattle's 4-3 alignment.

5) Cleveland -- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
The Browns have tons of holes to fill and a dearth of picks at their disposal. By taking the glue-fingered Crabtree, Cleveland would be able to ship the stone-handed Braylon Edwards in exchange for some additional choices. Even if the Browns decide to hold onto Edwards, there's a real need for more playmakers with Kellen Winslow and Donte' Stallworth no longer on the roster.

6) Cincinnati -- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
The Bengals have plenty of needs and options here, but Monroe would be the safest and most sensible pick. The team lost right tackle Stacey Andrews to free agency and left-sider Levi Jones has started only 28 games the last three years due to injuries. Cincinnati has got to find healthy and able bodies to protect Carson Palmer.

7) Oakland -- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
The first real curve ball here, but it wouldn't be that surprising if the always-unpredictable Raiders grab the talented but raw Heyward-Bey, considered a mid first-rounder in most circles, to bolster a weak wideout corps. The early-entrant certainly fits the Al Davis profile (he led all WR's by running a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine), and the Raiders privately worked him out earlier this month. Ideally, Oakland would trade down and make this pick in the teens, but the team may have trouble finding a partner willing to move into the top 10.

8) Jacksonville -- B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
The Jaguars' run defense really suffered when the team traded Pro Bowler Marcus Stroud to the Bills prior to last season and Raji, the premier interior stuffer among this year's crop, would go a long way in solving that problem. The 337-pound tackle does have some character concerns -- and the Jags have been burned by off-field player problems in recent years -- but Raji's unique and unquestioned talent will probably keep him in the top 10 picks.

9) Green Bay -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
The Packers are switching to a 3-4 look on defense and need big bodies up front for the new scheme, and the fast-rising Jackson would be a perfect fit. Although the 6-foot-4, 296-pounder doesn't have the overwhelming athleticism or explosion typically found in a top 10 pick, he's viewed as a safe selection and a good character guy that should appeal to conservative Packers' GM Ted Thompson.

10) San Francisco -- Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
Although the 49ers will surely entertain the thought of grabbing a pass rusher such as Texas' Brian Orakpo, Florida State's Everette Brown or Penn State's Aaron Maybin here, the word is the team is really high on Oher and wouldn't hesitate to grab the gifted tackle at this spot. Although he's far from a finished product, there's little debate among scouts that the former Ole Miss star certainly has an elite, albeit unpolished, skill set.

Tomorrow: Picks 11-21

2009-04-14T11:54:00.003-04:00

After a brain-lock on my last mock draft, which failed to recognize the Jay Cutler-to-Chicago trade, here's how the new, improved marginally professional Tony Moss sees the first-round going:

1. Detroit Lions (0-16) - Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia (6-3, 228)

2. St. Louis Rams (2-14) - Jason Smith, T, Baylor (6-5, 305)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest (6-3, 247)

4. Seattle Seahawks (4-12) - Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia (6-6, 315)

5. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech (6-3, 214)

6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) - Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas (6-4, 260)

7. Oakland Raiders (5-11) - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri (6-1, 200)

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) - B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College (6-1, 323)

9. Green Bay Packers (6-10) - Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State (6-4, 252)

10. San Francisco 49ers (7-9) - Mark Sanchez, QB, USC (6-3, 225)

11. Buffalo Bills (7-9) - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU (6-5, 290)

12. Denver Broncos (8-8) - Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State (6-3, 250)

13. Washington Redskins (8-8) - Michael Oher, T, Ole Miss (6-6, 325)

14. New Orleans Saints (8-8) - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State (6-1, 201)

15. Houston Texans (8-8) - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois (6-0, 204)

16. San Diego Chargers (8-8) - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia (5-11, 207)

17. New York Jets (9-7) - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland (6-3, 206)

18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago) (8-8) - Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss (6-2, 300)

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida (5-11, 195)

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas) (0-16) - Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC (6-2, 260)

21. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) - Andre Smith, T, Alabama (6-4, 330)

22. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) - Alex Mack, C, Cal (6-3, 316)

23. New England Patriots (11-5) - Clay Matthews, LB, USC (6-3, 240)

24. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) - Brian Cushing, OLB, USC (6-3, 255)

25. Miami Dolphins (11-5) - Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut (5-10, 183)

26. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee (6-3, 272)

27. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) - James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State (6-3, 240)

28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina) (9-6-1) - Hakeem Nicks, WR, NorthCarolina (6-2, 210)

29. New York Giants (12-4) - Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers (6-4, 215)

30. Tennessee Titans (13-3) - Evander Hood, DT, Missouri (6-3, 300)

31. Arizona Cardinals (9-7) - Beanie Wells, RB, Ohio State (6-1, 235)

32. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) - Eben Britton, T, Arizona (6-6, 309)

Bubbling Under:

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State (6-5, 265)

Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech (6-7, 260)

Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest (5-9, 193)

Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State (6-6, 250)

Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut (5-10, 210)

Larry English, OLB/DE, Northern Illinois (6-2, 255)

Louis Delmas, DB, Western Michigan (5-11, 200)

Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia (6-3, 256)

LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh (5-10, 198)

Max Unger, OL, Oregon (6-5, 309)

More Mocking

2009-04-10T12:57:00.002-04:00

The latest installment of my 2009 mock draft for your perusal:

1. Detroit Lions (0-16) - Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia (6-3, 228)
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14) - Jason Smith, T, Baylor (6-5, 305)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest (6-3, 247)
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-12) - Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia (6-6, 315)
5. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech (6-3, 214)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) - Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas (6-4, 260)
7. Oakland Raiders (5-11) - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri (6-1, 200)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) - B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College (6-1, 323)
9. Green Bay Packers (6-10) - Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State (6-4, 252)
10. San Francisco 49ers (7-9) - Mark Sanchez, QB, USC (6-3, 225)
11. Buffalo Bills (7-9) - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU (6-5, 290)
12. Denver Broncos (8-8) - Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State (6-3, 250)
13. Washington Redskins (8-8) - Michael Oher, T, Ole Miss (6-6, 325)
14. New Orleans Saints (8-8) - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State (6-1, 201)
15. Houston Texans (8-8) - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois (6-0, 204)
16. San Diego Chargers (8-8) - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia (5-11, 207)
17. New York Jets (9-7) - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland (6-3, 206)
18. Chicago Bears (9-7) - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida (5-11, 195)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) - Brian Cushing, OLB, USC (6-3, 255)
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas) (0-16) - Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss (6-2, 300)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) - Andre Smith, T, Alabama (6-4, 330)
22. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) - Alex Mack, C, Cal (6-3, 316)
23. New England Patriots (11-5) - Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC (6-2, 260)
24. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) - Clay Matthews, LB, USC (6-3, 240)
25. Miami Dolphins (11-5) - Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut (5-10, 183)
26. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee (6-3, 272)
27. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) - James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State (6-3, 240)
28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina) (9-6-1) - Hakeem Nicks, WR, NorthCarolina (6-2, 210)
29. New York Giants (12-4) - Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers (6-4, 215)
30. Tennessee Titans (13-3) - Evander Hood, DT, Missouri (6-3, 300)
31. Arizona Cardinals (9-7) - Beanie Wells, RB, Ohio State (6-1, 235)
32. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) - Eben Britton, T, Arizona (6-6, 309)

Bubbling Under:

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State (6-5, 265)
Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech (6-7, 260)
Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest (5-9, 193)
Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State (6-6, 250)
Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut (5-10, 210)
Larry English, OLB/DE, Northern Illinois (6-2, 255)
Louis Delmas, DB, Western Michigan (5-11, 200)
Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia (6-3, 256)
LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh (5-10, 198)
Max Unger, OL, Oregon (6-5, 309)

Cutler saga reeks of familarity

2009-03-16T12:46:00.003-04:00

By now, you've probably already heard of Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler's recent trade request, the latest episode in a long-simmering feud between the petulant young signal-caller and new head coach Josh McDaniels. And if you're thinking this on-going soap opera sounds a lot like last year's overpublicized breakup between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, there's plenty of reason to trust those instincts.

Favre and Cutler just happen to be represented by the same agent, Bus Cook, who's had his hand in plenty of other high-profile run-ins between clients and teams in the past. Cook not only brokered last summer's trade of Favre to the New York Jets, but attempted to pull the strings on a deal that would have sent then-Raider Randy Moss to the Pack in 2007 -- a move that helped trigger the acrimonous split between #4 and the organization. He was also instrumental in moving Steve McNair from Tennessee to Baltimore in 2006 and served as the architect of a nasty holdout between first-round washout William Joseph and the Giants back in 2003.

An excellent chronicle of Cook's rather controversial past business dealings can be found here at The Mile High Report, a well-run independent blog covering all things Broncos.

The general consensus of Cutler's public outrage (clearly driven by Cook) is that both quarterback and agent are posturing for a new contract that would make the soon-to-be 26-year-old Cutler the NFL's highest-paid player, and neither believes that the more cost-conscious new regime of McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders will be willing to fork over that kind of cash -- especially for a player they didn't draft. Although Cutler still has three years remaining on his rookie deal, remember that the league is currently headed for an uncapped year in 2010.

FYI, The Denver Post reported today that as expected, Cutler did not report for the first day of the Broncos' voluntary offseason training program.

T.O. to the Bills...surprising or not?

2009-03-07T22:09:00.002-05:00

If you read this space yesterday you saw the Buffalo Bills ranked third, behind the Raiders and Bears, on our list of eight possible destinations for Terrell Owens. If you heard yours truly on one of various radio programs around the country in the past few days, you know that I thought there was a distinct possibility that T.O. would sign a one-year deal with the highest bidder/most aggressive suitor in order to rejuvenate his career, clear his name, and try to cash in for a bigger deal prior to 2010.

Well, Buffalo is the destination, and you can draw a straight line between our feeling that the lights aren't bright enough in Western New York to suit Owens and the fact that he indeed signed a one-year deal with the club. Whether he has a great year or continues his career descent in 2009, you'd have to call it an upset at this point if Owens plays more than a season with the Bills.

On paper, it's a decent fit for both parties. No one on the Bills staff has any negative past associations with Owens, Buffalo has long needed a target to offset the underrated Lee Evans, and Trent Edwards is a promising young quarterback who can get Owens the ball. And, just as it's a marriage of convenience for Owens, it is worth noting that Bills head coach Dick Jauron, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, and the rest of the team's embattled staff had to set up this potential dance with the devil heading into a year in which they must win.

We bet Owens will have a good season, because he came in with a lot of energy and had strong numbers in year one of previous stops with Philadelphia and Dallas. But we also bet that the Bills won't win enough in a division that includes the ascending Dolphins, mighty Patriots, and new-look (and high-payroll) Jets in order for Jauron to last into a fifth year. And if and when Buffalo makes its next head coaching hire - whether Owens is set to break the bank in free agency or not - the odds are strong that the new regime will include someone from the Parcells, Reid, or Walsh trees, and that "the player" won't be part of the next Bills program.

So get your Owens No. 81 jerseys while you can (if Owens can get the number away from current Buffalo No. 81 James Hardy, that is). They might not be on the shelves long.

As we see it, eight possible destinations for T.O.

2009-03-06T11:19:00.003-05:00

When evaluating the possible NFL matches for recently released wide receiver Terrell Owens, first throw out any team employing a coach with direct ties to the Bill Parcells, Andy Reid, or Bill Walsh trees. Owens' name is mud in all three camps. Rule out places like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and San Diego, where the likes of the Rooney family, Bill Polian, and A.J. Smith, respectively, aren't having any of T.O.'s shenanigans. Finally, eliminate (with some hesitation, based on the way GMs and coaches have been known to mislead) those who have explicity stated they have no interest in Owens since he hit the waiver wire. (Though Owens was reportedly spotted in Nashville this morning, we'll take the Titans at their word that they're not interested, at the moment.) Here's what you're left with, in order of most likely to least likely destinations:

1. Raiders - Did Owens wear out his welcome in the Bay Area? We may soon find out, because the Raiders need receiving help in a major way and don't generally care about a) overpaying declining players or b) character issues. Owens may not be thrilled with catching balls from JaMarcus Russell, but the Silver and Black could end up as his highest bidder/most interested suitor.

2. Bears - Some in the Chicagoland media have immediately dismissed the notion of Owens in a Bears uniform as ridiculous, but it's somewhat telling that we've yet to hear from GM Jerry Angelo or head coach Lovie Smith on the subject. This team perpetually needs receiving help, the lights would be bright enough in the Chicago media market to suit Owens, and Angelo and Smith don't have such job security that they can afford to dismiss the notion out of hand.

3. Bills - Other than maybe Green Bay, there wouldn't be a more incongruous match than the City of Buffalo and Terrell Owens. But the Bills are another target-challenged team with a coach and offensive coordinator on the hot seat, so they may try to get involved. Whether Owens would listen remains a major question, however.

4. Lions - Calvin Johnson is the main man in Detroit, but there's not much to complement him. Neither head coach Jim Schwartz nor offensive coordinator Scott Linehan have any direct links to Owens or his former troubles, and remember that Linehan once worked generally well with Randy Moss in Minnesota. Would Detroit throw a great deal more money at the wide receiver position? Would Owens consider moving to a rebuilding team? Two big questions.

5. Bengals - Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens on the same team? They would have to widen the doorways at the team's facility in order to accomodate both heads. But we know the Bengals don't care much about character, and we also know they just lost T.J. Houshmandzadeh to free agency. Of course, Cincinnati also isn't big on breaking out the checkbook.

6. Buccaneers - There is a loose tie between new Bucs OC Jeff Jagodzinski and some former T.O. troubles (Jagodzinski coached under former Atlanta OC Greg Knapp, who was a target of some Owens tirades while in San Francisco), but Tampa is not exactly rich in receiving talent and has a ton of money to spend. It looks like the team is set with Antonio Bryant as their No. 1 receiver, but you never know.

7. Panthers - Carolina appears pretty well set at receiver with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, but John Fox needs to win this year and doesn't have any close links to Owens and his past problems. A long shot, but you can't rule it out as of yet.

8. Cardinals - This would never have been a possibility had former T.O. nemesis Todd Haley not left for Kansas City, and is still a major long shot. Why would Arizona pay T.O. when they don't want to pay Anquan Boldin? Well, if they end up moving Boldin, inking Owens to a one-year "show-me" deal doesn't seem out of the question. And, for the chance to play with Kurt Warner in a pass-heavy offense, Owens just might take less money to rejuvenate his career.

Also, watch out for those Titans, who would have been high on this list had The Tennessean not reported that the team was uninterested.

Cassel trade puts Peppers in forefront

2009-03-03T15:48:00.002-05:00

With the New England Patriots' trade of quarterback Matt Cassel to Kansas City over the weekend, the attention now turns to the other franchise player believed to be on the trading block, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers. And apparently it wouldn't surprise anyone if the Pats are involved in another blockbuster deal that would somehow bring the disgruntled All-Pro to Massachusetts.

The idea was floated around in a recent column by the Boston Herald's John Tomase and actually makes a lot of sense. The Patriots now have three second-round picks in addition to their first-rounder (#23 overall) for the upcoming draft after shipping Cassel (New England also has San Diego's second-rounder as part of a draft-day deal last April). With the Panthers currently minus their first-round pick, there seems to be a match between the teams.

Also remember that New England sent veteran Mike Vrabel to Kansas City as part of Saturday's trade, leaving a void at one of the team's outside linebacker positions. Peppers has publicly stated his desire to play as a pass-rushing OLB in a 3-4 defense, so there's another possible link in the chain.

Of course, it's still uncertain as to whether the Patriots are one of the four teams Peppers and his agent recently submitted to the Panthers as desired destinations, even though many are speculating that's the case. And there's also the matter of Peppers agreeing to a contract. As a franchised player, the four-time Pro Bowler must sign his one-year tender (as Cassel did) in order to be traded.

Right now this is all simply conjecture, although there is some reason to believe such a transaction could conceiveably take place.

On a final note, we here at The Sports Network offer our hearts and prayers to the families of Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and ex-Lions defensive end Corey Smith. As I write this post, the two players remain missing of the Florida coast following a boating accident over the weekend.

Those free-spending Redskins

2009-02-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

Hopefully, fans of the Washington Redskins are good multitaskers. Because on the first day of free agency, the team's supporters find themselves both rejoicing and scratching their heads.

The long-rumored deal with Albert Haynesworth got done, with the All-Pro defensive tackle inking a contract reportedly worth $100 million over seven years, with $41 mil guaranteed. There are questions about how much desire Haynesworth will bring to the table after being paid so handsomely, but there's little question that if he plays up to his potential, he'll live up to the contract as much as any player could.

Meanwhile, NFL observers from coast to coast are doing a collective spit-take over the money the Skins gave DeAngelo Hall...reported as $54 million over six years, including a whopping $22.5 million guranteed. This for a guy that couldn't even last the 2008 season on a Raiders team that paid a major price tag just to be rid of him. Yes, Hall played better football in a half-season with Washington last year, but he's a terrible teammate, has a notoriously bad attitude, and is prone to being beaten deep as any cornerback in the league. Mark my words...the Redskins will live to regret this move.

Bucs land TE Winslow in trade

2009-02-27T12:33:00.004-05:00

Save for Albert Haynesworth's expected signing with the Redskins, the first day of free agency hasn't generated a whole lot of big buzz so far. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just added some spice to the mix, however, acquiring talented tight end Kellen Winslow from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a package of yet-to-be revealed draft choices.

The trade not only provides a dangerous weapon for whomever replaces Jeff Garcia at quarterback, but Winslow's addition also gives a needed boost to a Tampa fan base that's still in shock over Wednesday's massive player purge that included franchise icon Derrick Brooks.

It also signals a change in philosophy for the Browns under new GM George Kokonis and further illustrates that head coach Eric Mangini means business. Winslow's maturity issues and penchant for nagging injuries during his rocky five-year tenure in Cleveland clearly didn't sit well with the no-nonsense Mangini, who's reportedly already clashed with nose tackle Shaun Rogers, the Browns' best defensive player.

With more than $60 million of salary cap room, the Bucs were expected to be major players in free agency. It's now almost certain that some of that money will be used towards working out a new deal for Winslow, who's signed through 2010 but has grumbled to Browns management in the past about his contract status.

Speculation now will exist as to whether these teams will be making another big trade in the near future, with the Buccaneers having an unresolved situation at quarterback and Derek Anderson seemingly on the block.

Haynesworth a Redskin?

2009-02-24T16:32:00.006-05:00

I'll have a full recap on the Scouting Combine, which finally wraps up this afternoon, sometime tomorrow. But with free agency about to begin on Friday, the rumor mill is beginning to churn out in full force and I thought I'd share some of the things I've read.

One very interesting story just came out in today's Houston Chronicle concerning Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. According to columnist Lance Zierlin, the All-Pro lineman will sign a mammoth deal with the Washington Redskins in the coming days that would make him the league's highest-paid defensive player. Zierlin reports the deal would average somewhere between $15 and $16 million per year and eclipse $100 million in total value, which would dwarf the six-year, $72.4 million pact defensive end Jared Allen signed with the Vikings last summer.

With the Redskins releasing oft-injured linebacker Marcus Washington on Monday and reportedly restructuring the contracts of Chris Samuels, Antwaan Randle El and Andre Carter, there's some reason to believe the team is gearing up for a run at Haynesworth. And when Dan Snyder sees something he wants, you know he's going to do everything in his power to try to get it.

The Chronicle also delivered an interesting bit of information on Monday, reporting that the Texans and Vikings have reached an agreement that would send veteran quarterback Sage Rosenfels to Minnesota in exchange for a fourth-round pick in this year's draft. Per league rules, the teams cannot officially consummate the trade until the free agency period begins on Friday.

Look for the Vikes to work out a contract extension with Rosenfels, who figures to supplant the erratic Tarvaris Jackson as the team's starting signal-caller, sometime soon. The seven-year pro is currently signed through the 2009 season.

Combine news and notes -- Feb. 21

2009-02-21T15:26:00.003-05:00

It's been quite an eventful day so far at the NFL scouting combine, here's a few highlights:

Of course, the biggest news out of Indianapolis today concerns Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, the consensus choice as the top wideout among this year's draft class. NFL.com reported this morning that the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner has a slight stress fracture in his left foot and will soon undergo surgery that will likely prevent him from working out prior to the draft.

Crabtree's recovery time is initially expected to be at least 10 weeks, which shouldn't hurt his availability for training camp provided all goes well. Whether the talented 21-year-old's draft stock -- he had been considered a lock as a top-five overall pick before the news -- is affected will hinge on his progress from the surgery.

The news comes one day after Crabtree was measured at 6-feet, 1 3/8 inches, shorter than his 6'3" listing in the Texas Tech media guide.

Some other tidbits:

*The Dustin Keller award goes to South Carolina's Jared Cook. The early entrant tight end was officially clocked in a blazing 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash while also producing the top vertical jump ('41) and broad jump (10'3") at his position. Cook, a converted wide receiver who's bulked up to 246 pounds, also hoisted an impressive 23 reps of 225 pounds in Friday's bench press and is the hands-down star of today's activities. His performance could land him in the first round and possibly make the ex-Gamecock the first tight end taken.

*Other tight ends who helped their stock on Saturday with strong 40 times were Southern Miss' Shawn Nelson (4.56) and Cal junior Cameron Morrah (4.66). Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, considered the top tight end prospect entering the combine, was timed in a disappointing 4.85 seconds, although he'll have a chance to redeem himself at the Cowboys' pro day next month.

*Another Gamecock who showed well in this weekend's drills is offensive tackle Jamon Meredith, who bench-pressed 31 reps of 225 lbs. on Friday and had the third-best 40-time (5.04) at his position. With Alabama's Andre Smith's value on a major free-fall, Meredith could find himself among the glut of linemen receiving first-round consideration.

*Cal's Alex Mack, a candidate to be the first center chosen in April, has pulled out of the combine after spraining his ankle while preparing earlier in the week. The injury isn't serious and shouldn't affect Mack's status as a late-first to second-round pick, as he gets high marks from scouts for his intelligence (he won this year's Draddy Award honoring college football's top scholar athlete) and technical skills. He expects to be ready for Cal's pro day on March 18.

Tackling the Combine

2009-02-21T12:06:00.003-05:00

The nation's most highly-publicized job fair -- AKA the NFL Scouting Combine -- officially began on Thursday, but the real action of the week-long event gets underway today, when players start participating in physical drills. The offensive lineman and tight end groups will be on display today.

The offensive tackles figure to take center stage in this afternoon's sessions. Remember that eight tackles were selected in the first round of last year's draft, with six of them earning starting jobs on the coveted left side in 2008. This year's crop appears just as talented, with Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Baylor's Jason Smith, Mississippi's Michael Oher and Alabama's Andre Smith all considered potential top-20 picks, while Arizona's Eben Britton and Connecticut's William Beatty could jump into the first round as well with strong showings.

One player who's already seen his stock plummeting is Andre Smith. Once viewed as a candidate for the No. 1 overall selection, the former Crimson Tide standout showed up in Indianapolis overweight and out of shape, then balked at participating in the combine drills to cast further doubt on an otherwise questionable work ethic.

Jason Smith, on the other hand, appears to be a player on the rise. A former tight end, he hoisted an impressive 33 reps of 225 lbs. in Friday's bench press, the most of the elite tackle prospects (Monroe put up 23 and Oher 21 in their workouts), and will be a lock to be taken among the top five overall picks if he excels in the agility drills.

A pretty good group of tight ends is headed by Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, a likely first-rounder. The 40-yard dash, scheduled to be run later today, will reveal whether there's a Dustin Keller among this year's contingent. I'm referring to the former Purdue tight end who entered last year's combine viewed as a third or fourth round choice, then blew everyone away by running a 4.53 in the 40 and wound up being taken by the Jets with the 30th overall selection.

One of the most intriguing prospects in this year's class is Rice tight end James Casey. He spent three years pitching in the Chicago White Sox system before coming to the Owls and will be 25 years old in September, but has terrific hands and caught 104 passes this past season. He's also a bit undersized for the position at 6'3, 246-pounds, but showed great strength in benching 28 reps yesterday.

Check back later on for further updates on today's proceedings.

Franchise Frenzy

2009-02-19T11:43:00.004-05:00

Finally.

The annual lull following the Super Bowl has begun to subside, with the Scouting Combine about to take place in Indianapolis over the coming days and the free-agency period soon to follow. And with today being the deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players, we're finally starting to see some worthwhile news emerge that doesn't involve Brett Favre.

A few more teams got into the act on Wednesday, with the Baltimore Ravens slapping the tag on pass-rushing terror Terrell Suggs for a second straight year, San Diego designating running back Darren Sproles as its franchise player, Tampa Bay taking wide receiver Antonio Bryant off the market and the Rams doing the same with emerging free safety O.J. Atogwe.

Five others -- Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby, Bengals kicker Shayne Graham and Falcons punter Michael Koenen -- had previously been deemed franchise players by their respective teams.

A few more should come before today's 4 p.m. (et) deadline, with The Contra Costa Times reporting last night that the Raiders are expected to apply the franchise tag on All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and the Titans about to choose tight end Bo Scaife, according to NFL.com's Adam Schefter.

Scaife's retainment isn't the biggest news coming out of Nashville, however. The Tennessean reported on Wednesday that the Titans and Albert Haynesworth are far apart in contract talks and that the game-changing defensive tackle will almost certainly enter the market when the free agency period begins on February 27. Due to an agreement put in place after Haynesworth was franchised by Tennessee last year, the team was not able tender him this time around after certain performance-related conditions were met.

This greatly reduces the Titans' chances of retaining the two-time All-Pro, who could be the most coveted defensive player of this year's free-agent class. Haynesworth is reportedly seeking a contract that would eclipse the six-year, $72-million deal defensive end Jared Allen got from the Vikings last summer, and there already are rumors that the Buccaneers, who have a ton of cap space at the moment, will make a strong play for the interior anchor.

There's also quite a situation brewing regarding another star defensive lineman in Carolina, where impending free agent Julius Peppers has publicly declared his intentions of playing in another city in 2009. The Panthers have the option of franchising Peppers and subsequently trading him in order to not come away empty-handed, the exact same tactic Kansas City did to Allen a year ago, when the Chiefs shipped the disgruntled pass rusher to Minnesota for first and third-round draft picks.

There are two potential wrenches in that scenario. First off, Peppers has an undisclosed list of only four teams he'd be willing to sign a long-term contract with, as The Charlotte Observer reported on Wednesday. Secondly, the Panthers still need to work out a deal with All-Pro offensive tackle Jordan Gross very soon or run the risk of losing him to free agency as well.

Carolina is reportedly close to an agreement with Gross, and if the parties can reach an accord by today, that would allow the team to franchise Peppers with the intention of dealing him.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE (2:25 p.m.): Gross and the Panthers have agreed on a six-year contract. Also, NFL.com has just reported that the Raiders and Asomugha have agreed on a three-year deal worth at least $45 million.

Breaking down the (Patriots) game

2009-02-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

The New England Patriots fired the first salvo of the pre-free agent period by placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel on Thursday, the first day the team was able to do so.

While the move was hardly unexpected, it does reveal a couple of things. First off, the Patriots are clearly concerned about Tom Brady's slow recovery from major knee surgery and the superstar signal-caller's availability for the 2009 season opener. Second, it's a pretty clear sign that New England will attempt to capitalize on Cassel's sky-high value in an offseason market devoid of desired quarterback options by trying to work out a trade in the coming months.

Cassel will earn a salary of $14.65 million as the Pats' designated franchise player. Combine that number with Brady's $14.62 million cap charge in 2009, and New England would have over $29 million invested in two players at the same position next season, not to mention little flexibility to sign free agents. If Brady isn't quite ready to go by September, and there have been conflicting reports as to whether or not that will be the case, then the Patriots have a nice insurance policy and the luxury of giving the former league MVP all the time he needs to heal. If Brady is 100 percent by the opener, however, that leaves the team stuck with an overpaid and unused asset on the bench.

How this situation plays out naturally depends on how Brady's rehab progresses over the next few months, so don't expect the Patriots to be making any hasty decisions. As draft day approaches, however, expect plenty of rumors -- many involving the Chiefs and Vikings -- to be flying around regarding Cassel's future.

Before the Game

2009-02-01T16:35:00.003-05:00

We're a little less than two hours from game time at Super Bowl XLIII, and there's not a heck of a lot to report at the moment.

I'm sitting in the media tent at Raymond James Stadium, and have just enjoyed a delectable early dinner of chili cheese dogs and chicken fingers. This should tell you everything you need to know about the NFL's attitude toward the media...they want us to die where we're sitting. Just kidding, they only want non-TV rightsholders to die where they're sitting.

I will soon be making my way to my seat, which if the past four Super Bowls I've covered are any indication, will be covered by a game program, complimentary boxed lunch/dinner, and a ton of other useless promotional garbage that will clutter the space from which I'm attempting to work. I know, "Whaaaaaaaaaa, I have to cover the Super Bowl for a living, woe is me". You're right, I'm too young and haven't endured nearly enough pay cuts to be this jaded. I am indeed grateful to be here, and am looking forward to an entertaining game.

And hey, even if the game stinks, I did get to hang out with boyhood idol Cal Ripken. Jr. at an otherwise empty Tampa bar last night. True story. See you after the game.

Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe Snubbed for Hall

2009-01-31T14:39:00.005-05:00

The story on Saturday was less about who was named to the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, and more about who wasn't.

Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe, and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue were the biggest names who didn't make the class of six to be enshrined in Canton on August 8th.

Those who were - Vikings offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr., and Steelers/Ravens defensive back Rod Woodson and senior committee inductee and Cowboys wide receiver "Bullet" Bob Hayes - are difficult to argue with in terms of their candidacy.

But the fact that Sharpe, who was eliminated from contention when the field was reduced from 10 to 5, was perhaps the most head-scratching omission of the bunch. Sharpe, who retired with 815 receptions, 10,060 yards, and 62 touchdowns - all-time bests for a tight end at the time of his retirement - won three Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and Ravens, and arguably changed the position to the high-profile part of the offense that it is today. If Sharpe isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then no tight end ever should be.

Then there's Carter, who was passed over for the second straight year, and, like Sharpe, eliminated when the field was reduced from 10 to 5. Carter retired with 1,101 catches, 13,899 yards, and 130 touchdowns in a 16-year career spent with the Eagles (1987-89), Vikings (1990-2001), and Dolphins (2002), and was named to eight straight Pro Bowls from 1993 through 2000. He continues to rank third on the league's all-time receptions list, fourth in touchdown catches, and seventh in receiving yards.

In addition to Sharpe, Carter, and Tagliabue, the following candidates were not named to the class: Steelers center Dermontti Dawson, Bears defensive end Richard Dent, Redskins o-lineman Russ Grimm, Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey, Seahawks defensive end Cortez Kennedy, Dolphins tackle Bob Kuechenberg, Vikings tackle John Randle, and Bills receiver Andre Reed. Of that group, Dent, Grimm, and Randle made the cut from 15 to 10 but not 10 to 5.

On a happier note, the great Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, who died as the result of a car accident in 2000, was finally named to the Hall of Fame in his fourth attempt. Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, posted 126.5 sacks, 41 forced fumbles, and 19 fumble recoveries in just 11 seasons as a pro.

Perhaps the most-debated inductee will be Woodson, who played 17 seasons with the Steelers (1987-96), 49ers (1997), Ravens (1998-2001), and Raiders (2002-03), winning a Super Bowl with Baltimore and playing in two more with Pittsburgh and Oakland. Woodson finished third all-time with 71 interceptions, but was repeatedly dismissed by wide receiver Michael Irvin as "soft" in a radio interview with ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh earlier in the week.

Should be interesting when Woodson and Irvin share the Hall of Fame stage on August 8th in Canton.

Radio Row fracas!

2009-01-30T16:38:00.002-05:00

At about 2:00 this afternoon, just after I had finished a radio segment for WNST in Baltimore back at my Tampa hotel, Sports Network MLB editor Chris Ruddick texted me to see if I had heard anything about the fight that occurred on "Radio Row" this morning. Though I was apparently mere feet from Radio Row when the incident occurred, I knew absolutely nothing about it, and pressed for any details Ruddick had.

Strangely enough, the incident involved WNST owner and sometimes-radio personality Nestor Aparicio, who reportedly choked Dallas radio personality Gordon Keith in what we'll hope is the culmination of an ongoing battle between the two.

The police were called, and a source at WNST told me that Aparicio was charged with battery, though not arrested.

Not real sure what the feud is all about, but I can tell you that mere minutes before the incident reportedly took place, at 8:45am, I was talking to Aparicio on the shuttle ride that departed at 8:30am from our hotel to the Super Bowl XLIII media center. Aparicio told me that he and his wife went to see The Eagles at the St. Pete Forum last night, and he told me he was tired after staying up too late after the show. Perhaps he encountered Keith before his morning Starbucks kicked in.

Bizarre.

Friday SB XLIII highlights

2009-01-30T13:19:00.002-05:00

In reverse order, here are some highlights of Friday's spate of press conferences surrounding Super Bowl XLIII, here in (suddenly chilly) Tampa.

Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference before a packed room of media and various NFL luminaries, adressing a variety of topics including the state of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the player's union, the league's current approach to international play, and the possibility of changes to the overtime rules.

Goodell's tack on the CBA issue does not bode particularly well for negotiations, though we have been down this road before. The commissioner characterized the study released yesterday by the NFLPA and conducted by the independent group Chicago Partners, titled "The Economics of NFL Team Ownership," as "fiction." Specifically, Goodell took issue with the study's analysis that NFL teams make an average annual profit of more than $24 million each, though he also didn't volunteer to open up the books to reveal where those inaccuracies might lie. Essentially, Goodell is getting behind the owners who are crying poor, which is what commissioners - who work at the behest of the owners - always do. Stay tuned for a showdown.

The NFL Man of the Year finalists held a press conference, with Vikings center Matt Birk, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner - represented by wife Brenda - all facing the media to discuss their thoughts on being named finalists for the award, which honors charitable works within the community. The winner of the award will be named on NBC on Sunday, prior to the start of Super Bowl XLIII.

The day began with press conferences from head coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Tomlin, who - as expected - played it relatively close to the vest. Whisenhunt discussed the fact that the crowd at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday will be decidedly pro-Steelers.

"I don't think that we're under any illusion that there's going to be a number of Steelers fans here. I've seen that. I've experienced it on the other side. I know what kind of group of fans that that is. I know how they travel. We're preparing with that thought in mind. It's not going to be a lot different for us (than) going into Carolina like we did. I don't know if it's going to be that hostile, if there's going to be that many fans, but ... we've been able to do that once in the playoffs. We have gone into a situation where there's been a lot more fans than our fans there, where it was a little bit noisy, but we were able to still keep our focus. That's something that this team hasn't always been able to do. So I feel comfortable in the fact that we're prepared, that we know what it's going to be like. We're ready to handle that."

Tomlin, in a new revelation (at least to me), discussed the one-time possibility that he would leave coaching to attend law school.

"It is true. Like a lot of other young people, I considered things that other people thought were appropriate for me as opposed to what I thought was appropriate for me. I knew right away that coaching was something that I was meant to do – something that I wanted to do. But, I didn’t give some consideration to law school. It didn’t require much bribing from [then-Memphis] coach [Rip] Scherer to pull me in that direction. As a consolation prize, I could tell my parents that I was going to graduate school...It was just on the radar. It was something, again, that I thought I was supposed to do. Maybe the people that were around me and the people that were influential in my life wanted to see me do great things, my mother being central in that. But I think in hindsight, she likes what I’m doing right now.”

Tomlin also talked about the injury status of Ben Roethlisberger (back) and Hines Ward (knee).

"Ben is fine, he is going to play. Hines looked pretty good yesterday. We will see where he is at today and continue to push forward towards Sunday. As for the mentality regarding Hines, it has not changed. He is intent on playing in the football game. I have been here with this guy before under these circumstances through the injury he had to deal with last year in the playoffs. It was questionable whether he could perform in the game. We didn’t win the game, but he went out and played great football. I have a level of expectation for him to deal with this situation. It is not going to be an excuse for us, it is not an excuse for him, and I really expect him to be Hines Ward on Sunday.”

more press conferences

2009-01-29T16:19:00.002-05:00

We know many of you don't care about the vagaries of labor strife, but the possibility of an impending lockout, and the possible elimination of the salary cap in 2010, made today's NFLPA press conference a must-attend for those of us who cover the league.

In a word, the first NFLPA presser since the sudden death of former Union leader Gene Upshaw this past August was something of a disappointment.

NFLPA president Kevin Mawae and acting executive director Richard Berthelsen failed to say much of consequence, other than to reiterate their long-standing points that the current collective bargaining agreement is fair to the players, that the union does plenty to compensate retired players, and that the union is working to elect a new Executive Director to succeed Upshaw on a full-time basis. Nothing we didn't know on any of those fronts. Former players Trace Armstrong and Troy Vincent are the top remaining candidates for Upshaw's former position.

One element of note was a study distributed by the NFLPA showing the (high) profitability of each NFL franchise. Once we have time to parse some of these facts and account for spin, we'll fill you in on some of the highlights of the study.

The NFLPA press conference overlapped with the end of the (much better attended) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band press conference, which was, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, Bruce's first full-fledged press conference since 1987.

Bruce's presser was not especially noteworthy either, although he did reveal that he last played football in his Freehold, NJ back yard in the summer of 1958.

Also, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, a resident of Scottsdale, AZ, is a Cardinals fan.

Otherwise, not too many of the inane, cringe-worthy questions that are generally asked of the Super Bowls halftime performers.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for me to ask obscure questions about outtakes from the Tunnel of Love album.

My guess at the Bruce setlist for Sunday: 1) Born to Run 2) My Lucky Day (new song) 3) Glory Days...if he has time to play a fourth, I'm calling either "Badlands" or "Hungry Heart."

Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year

2009-01-29T13:04:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Tampa, where it's 73 degrees and sunny today. Sorry to my friends from the Northeast.

Just covered the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year press conference, won by Joe Flacco of the Ravens ahead of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (who won the more credible Associated Press Rookie of the Year honor), and three running backs - the Titans' Chris Johnson, Texans' Steve Slaton, and Bears' Matt Forte'.

The main difference between the AP honor and Diet Pepsi honor is that the former is voted on by writers, the latter by fans. Also, voting was open through the Championship round of the playoffs, as opposed to the AP Award, which is impacted by regular season performance only.

The fact that Flacco was to win the honor was a poorly-kept secret, as scout.com's Adam Caplan had reported on Tuesday, citing a league source, that the Ravens signal-caller was to win it.

We don't have a major problem with Flacco winning the award, since his two playoff wins (as opposed to zero for all of the other candidates) deservedly carried some weight. But Ryan had better numbers, a less talented supporting cast, and arguably more pressure given his status as the No. 3 overall pick for a team that had endured the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino controversies.

And for the record, we rate the three rookie running backs up for the honor this way: 1) Johnson, 2) Slaton, 3) Forte'.

Curse of the Dethroners?

2009-01-19T13:25:00.005-05:00

Surprised that the Arizona Cardinals were able to knock off the Philadelphia Eagles in yesterday's NFC Championship game? Well, recent history says you shouldn't be.

Since the 1985 season, 10 teams have defeated the defending Super Bowl champion in either the Wild Card or Divisional round of the following year's playoffs, and all ten have gone on to lose the following week. The Eagles became the latest victim of that wild trend on Sunday, falling to the Cards one week after overtaking the reigning world champion Giants.

For those interested, here's the breakdown:

1984 49ers lost to Giants ('85 NFC W/C) -- Giants then lost to Bears (NFC Div.)
1985 Bears lost to Redskins ('86 NFC Div.) -- Redskins then lost to Giants (NFC Champ.)
1991 Redskins lost to 49ers ('92 NFC Div.) -- 49ers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1994 49ers lost to Packers ('95 NFC Div.) -- Packers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1995 Cowboys lost to Panthers ('96 NFC Div.) -- Panthers then lost to Packers (NFC Champ.)
1999 Rams lost to Saints ('00 NFC W/C) -- Saints then lost to Vikings (NFC Div.)
2000 Ravens lost to Steelers ('01 AFC Div.) -- Steelers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2004 Patriots lost to Broncos ('05 AFC Div.) -- Broncos then lost to Steelers (AFC Champ.)
2006 Colts lost to Chargers ('07 AFC Div.) -- Chargers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2007 Giants lost to Eagles ('08 NFC Div.) -- Eagles then lost to Cardinals (NFC Champ.)

By the way, of those nine teams who defeated the club that beat the previous year's world champion, seven of them went on to win the Super Bowl (although last year's Patriots failed to do so).

Coaching Updates

2009-01-09T12:55:00.005-05:00

Here's a rundown on what the teams currently in need of a head coach have been up to recently. As most of you already know, the Cleveland Browns filled their vacancy with Thursday's hiring of ex-Jets sideline boss Eric Mangini. At the moment, that leaves five teams still on the job hunt.

*There seem to be strong indications in Oakland that interim coach Tom Cable will soon become Al Davis' whipping boy on a permanent basis. The Contra Costa Times reported that Cable and Davis had a four-hour meeting on Wednesday, presumably to construct next year's coaching staff and discuss a replacement for departed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who's off to join Mangini in Cleveland. The Raiders are set to talk with Packers assistant Winston Moss in the coming days for the head coaching spot, but it's speculated that the interview may be only to satisfy the Rooney Rule.

*As for Mangini's old job with the Jets, there seems to be no clear front-runner with Bill Cowher taking himself out of the mix. The team has interviewed Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Cardinals assistant Russ Grimm, ex-Boston College head man Jeff Jagodzinski (who, as you may have heard, lost his job for meeting with the Jets) and two holdovers from Mangini's staff, Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan. Newsday has reported that Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks will be brought in on Friday, and the club also has Ravens DC Rex Ryan (Rob's brother) high on its wish list.

*In Denver, The Rocky Mountain News wrote on Thursday that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, a University of Oklahoma graduate, may target Bob Stoops as a potential successor to Mike Shanahan, although there are no signs that the Sooners head coach has any interest. New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems to be the early leader in the clubhouse to replace Shanahan, with Spagnuolo, Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Vikings DC Lezlie Frazier and Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles also under consideration.

*The Detroit Lions seem to be zeroing in on Garrett, Frazier and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be the guy who hopefully reverses the woe-be-gotten team's recent fortunes, according to the Detroit Free-Press. Schwartz has already been asked to come back for a second interview, while Garrett -- a former NFL quarterback and QB coach -- makes sense for for a team that could be very well drafting a signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick this April. Bowles and Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray, both ex-teammates of GM Martin Mayhew, have also interviewed.

*Finally, an interesting name has popped up in the St. Louis Rams' coaching search. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday that Mike Martz, the team's head man from 2000-05 who guided "The Greatest Show on Turf" to Super Bowl XXXVI, has an interest in re-joining the franchise as offensive coordinator if interim head coach Jim Haslett is retained. Martz was recently let go as the OC in San Francisco after just one season. The Rams also interviewed former Giants head coach Jim Fassel on Thursday and are set to meet with McDaniels and Rex Ryan in the coming days.

Week 17 Playoff Scenarios -- NFC

2008-12-23T09:31:00.002-05:00

Here's a glimpse of the playoff picture in the NFC entering the regular season's final week. It's a little more muddled situation than the AFC, especially with the Bears' pulling out a win in Monday's game.

The New York Giants (12-3) have clinched the #1 seed with Sunday's victory over Carolina.
The NFC South champion (either Carolina or Atlanta) will be the #2 seed and have a first-round bye.

The Panthers (11-4) can secure the division with a win over New Orleans this weekend or if Atlanta (10-5) loses to St. Louis on Sunday. If the Falcons beat the Rams and Carolina loses, Atlanta gets the bye on the basis of a better conference record.

Minnesota (9-6) can clinch the NFC North by beating the Giants on Sunday or if Chicago (9-6) loses to Houston. The Vikings have the tiebreaker on the Bears by virtue of a better conference record (if both finish 10-6) or a better mark against common opponents (if both are 9-7).

NFC West champ Arizona (9-7) is locked into the #4 seed regardless of this weekend's play, as the Cardinals lost to the Vikings back in Week 15.

If the Panthers don't win the South, they will be no worse than a #5 seed. The Falcons can also clinch the first Wild Card with a victory on Sunday. However, if Atlanta loses and Dallas (9-6) beats Philadelphia, the Cowboys would be the #5 and the Falcons seeded sixth. Dallas would have a better conference record than Atlanta in that scenario.

The Cowboys will clinch a Wild Card berth if they beat the Eagles on Sunday, but are eliminated with a loss. Philadelphia (8-6-1) can still get the #6 seed with a win over Dallas combined with losses by both Tampa Bay (9-6) and either Chicago or Minnesota.

The Buccaneers need to beat Oakland this weekend and have the Eagles defeat the Cowboys to get in as the #6 seed. The Bears will make it as the final Wild Card (if Minnesota wins the Central) with a win on Sunday and losses by Tampa Bay and Dallas.

The Vikings cannot make the playoffs as a Wild Card if they lose to the Giants.

Week 17 Playoff Scenarios -- AFC

2008-12-22T10:53:00.002-05:00

Here's a brief look at how the playoffs will sort itself out in the AFC depending on the outcome of the Week 17 games:

Tennessee (13-2) has clinched the #1 seed with Sunday's victory over Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh (11-4) is locked into the #2 seed and will have a first-round bye.

The AFC East champion will be the #3 seed -- Miami (10-5) will clinch the division if it beats the Jets (9-6) on Sunday, as the Dolphins will win the tiebreaker with New England (10-5) on a better conference record.

The Patriots would win the East with a victory over Buffalo on Sunday and a Jets win over Miami. The Jets can still win the division if they beat Miami and New England loses to the Bills. That would bring about a three-way tie, with New York having the best head-to-head mark (the Jets will have swept the Dolphins) among the teams.

The winner of the Denver (8-7)-San Diego (7-8) game on Sunday will clinch the AFC West and the #4 seed. The Chargers would win the tiebreaker based on a better division record if both teams finish 8-8.

Indianapolis (11-4) locked itself into the #5 seed with Thursday's win over Jacksonville.
Baltimore (10-5) can clinch the #6 seed with a victory over the Jaguars on Sunday, or if New England loses.

The Patriots can still get the final wild card with a win on Sunday and a Baltimore loss, in the case that Miami beats the Jets. The Jets can also get the wild card with a win over the Dolphins and a Baltimore loss, in the case that New England wins the division.

Miami cannot make the playoffs if it loses on Sunday, as it will lose out to the Jets in a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Will update the NFC situation on Tuesday, following tonight's Bears-Packers matchup.

One man's Pro Bowl team -- NFC

2008-12-12T15:37:00.002-05:00

Quarterback
Starter: Kurt Warner, Cardinals
Reserves: Drew Brees, Saints; Tony Romo, Cowboys
Apologies to: Aaron Rodgers, Packers

A tough call for the starting spot, but Warner gets the edge over Brees for his consistency and because the Cardinals have been the more successful team. Romo still ranks among the NFC leaders in many categories despite missing three games, and his value to the offense was underlined when he was out.

Running Back
Starter: Adrian Peterson, Vikings
Reserves: Clinton Portis, Redskins; Matt Forte, Bears
Apologies to: Michael Turner, Falcons; DeAngelo Willliams, Panthers; Brandon Jacobs, Giants

Peterson was the only easy choice here. Portis was a dominant player when healthy earlier in the year and is well-deserving, while Forte just makes the cut in a deep pool due to the rookie's talents as a receiver.

Fullback
Starter: Mike Sellers, Redskins
Apologies to: Madison Hedgecock, Giants; Brad Hoover, Panthers

One of the few choices that the Redskins faithful and I agree on. Sellers is a punishing lead blocker with a tad more versatility than the other candidates.

Wide Receiver
Starters: Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
Reserves: Roddy White, Falcons; Steve Smith, Panthers
Apologies to: Greg Jennings, Packers

It's hard to leave Jennings off the list here, but how can you dispute the top four choices? Smith doesn't have quite the overall numbers as the rest of this group, but remember that he missed the first two games.

Tight End
Starter: Jason Witten, Cowboys
Reserve: Chris Cooley, Redskins

T.O.'s going to be even more jealous when Witten receives his fifth straight trip to Honolulu.

Offensive Tackle
Starters: Jordan Gross, Panthers; Jammal Brown, Saints
Reserve: Tyson Clabo, Falcons
Apologies to: Kareem McKenzie, Giants; Walter Jones, Seahawks

Gross has flawlessly handled a shift from the right to left side in the Panthers' rebound year, while Brown's protection skills are a big reason why Brees throws for 320 yards every week. The Falcons deserve at least one player from a line that's been sensational, and Clabo's been a mauler at right tackle who's held his own as a protector. Jones' streak of Pro Bowl trips may end due to an injury-plagued year and Seattle's horrendous team.

Guard
Starters: Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Chris Snee, Giants
Reserve: Leonard Davis, Cowboys
Apologies to: Harvey Dahl, Falcons

With Shawn Andrews out of the picture, Snee should finally get a long-overdue selection. Hutchinson had another standout year paving the way for Peterson, while Davis was one of the few bright spots on an underachieving Dallas front wall.

Center
Starter: Matt Birk, Vikings
Reserve: Shaun O'Hara, Giants
Apologies to: Eric Heitmann, 49ers; Olin Kreutz, Bears

Birk continues to play at a high level and is worthy of a seventh career nod. O'Hara, the anchor of a Giants' line some consider the best in football, deserves to go too.

Defensive End
Starters: Justin Tuck, Giants; Julius Peppers, Panthers
Reserve: Jared Allen, Vikings
Apologies to: John Abraham, Falcons

Both Tuck and Peppers have been relentless for the NFC's two best teams. It's really hard to leave out Abraham, who's been sensational for the surprising Falcons, but Allen's been equally as good in his first year in Minnesota.

Defensive Tackle
Starters: Kevin Williams, Vikings; Jay Ratliff, Cowboys
Reserve: Pat Williams, Vikings
Apologies to: Fred Robbins, Giants; Tommie Harris, Bears

No team is harder to run up the middle against than the Vikings because of the two Williamses, and Kevin has excelled as a pass-rusher as well. So has Ratliff, one of the few Cowboys who can be considered overlooked.

Outside Linebacker
Starters: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Lance Briggs, Bears
Reserve: Chad Greenway, Vikings
Apologies to: Karlos Dansby, Cardinals

Ware, who has a sack in all but one game this year, is a lock, while Briggs has been more of a factor than his more-heralded teammate Brian Urlacher. Flip a coin between Greenway and Dansby, both of whom have been real playmakers for their teams.

Inside Linebacker
Starter: Patrick Willis, 49ers
Reserve: Jon Beason, Panthers
Apologies to: Barrett Ruud, Buccaneers; Bradie James, Cowboys; London Fletcher, Redskins

One of the deepest spots in the conference, as Ruud, James and Fletcher have all made strong cases. I went with the two second-year studs that could be dominating this position for a long time.

Cornerback
Starter: Charles Woodson, Packers; Asante Samuel, Eagles
Reserve: Carlos Rogers, Redskins
Apologies to: Corey Webster, Giants; Antoine Winfield, Vikings

Woodson has been terrific despite playing through a turf-toe problem since September, while Samuel has lived up to the huge free-agent deal he signed with the Eagles in March. Both Rogers and Webster have had breakthrough campaigns as stoppers on excellent defenses.

Safety
Starters: Adrian Wilson, Cardinals; Nick Collins, Packers
Reserve: Quintin Mikell, Eagles
Apologies to: LaRon Landry, Redskins; Jermaine Phillips, Buccaneers; O.J. Atogwe, Rams

Collins goes as the most productive free safety in the league this season, although Atogwe has made a lot of plays on a horrible St. Louis defense. Mikell has supplanted the aging Brian Dawkins as Philadelphia's impact safety.

Kicker: Jason Hanson, Lions
Punter: Brad Maynard, Bears
Kick Returner: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers
Special Teamer: Chase Blackburn, Giants
Apologies to: Ryan Longwell, Vikings (K); Josh Brown, Rams (K); Donnie Jones, Rams (P); Allen Rossum, 49ers (KR)

The Lions actually have a deserving player in Hanson, who has nailed 19-of-20 three-pointers and is an awesome 7-of-7 from beyond 50 yards. Smith started the year on the practice squad but has scored two return touchdowns in just six games. Maynard has been a wizard at pinning opponents deep.

Most Selections: Vikings (7)
Shut Out: Seahawks, Rams

One man's Pro Bowl team -- AFC

2008-12-12T14:15:00.010-05:00

With the rosters for this year's Pro Bowl to be announced on Tuesday, here's my take on who should be in and out. I would expect my teams to vary from the once released by the NFL, thanks to the tireless work of thousands of Washington Redskins fans.

It's nice to see Jason Taylor being rewarded for his sack back in Week 2, and Shaun Suisham being recognized for his league-leading nine missed field goals. But at least the Redskins are in first place in something, right?

Anyway, here goes the AFC version:

Quarterback
Starter: Philip Rivers, Chargers
Reserves: Chad Pennington, Dolphins; Peyton Manning, Colts
Apologies to: Jay Cutler, Broncos

Cutler's leading the conference in passing yards and is tough to leave off, but Pennington and Manning have been a little more consistent.

Running Back
Starter: Chris Johnson, Titans
Reserves: Steve Slaton, Texans; Thomas Jones, Jets
Apologies to: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

No controversy here, with Jones and the two rookie sensations the top three rushers in the AFC by a large margin.

Fullback
Starter: Ahmard Hall, Titans
Apologies to: Le'Ron McClain, Ravens

McClain is having a great year but has spent most of his time as a lead back. Hall deserves recognition for his blocking, receiving ability and tremendous leadership.

Wide Receiver
Starters: Andre Johnson, Texans; Wes Welker, Patriots
Reserves: Brandon Marshall, Broncos; Reggie Wayne, Colts
Apologies to: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals

Johnson has been the best WR in football this year, while Welker may be the Patriots' MVP.

Tight End
Starter: Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs
Reserve: Antonio Gates, Chargers
Apologies to: Owen Daniels, Texans

Gonzalez is a no-brainer. Daniels' numbers are superior to those of Gates, but the latter's a better all-around player.

Offensive Tackle
Starters: Michael Roos, Titans; David Stewart, Titans
Reserve: Ryan Clady, Broncos
Apologies to: Joe Thomas, Browns; Ryan Harris, Broncos

The two Titan tackles have been rock-solid performers on the AFC's best offensive line. The rookie Clady should make the first of many trips to Hawaii.

Guard
Starters: Logan Mankins, Patriots; Alan Faneca, Jets
Reserve: Robert Gallery, Raiders
Apologies to: Jake Scott, Titans

Faneca has been as good as hoped for the Jets since signing a huge free-agent deal in March. Gallery, a colossal bust as a left tackle, has found his niche inside and quietly put forth a strong season.

Center
Starter: Kevin Mawae, Titans
Reserve: Nick Mangold, Jets
Apologies to: Jason Brown, Ravens; Samson Satele, Dolphins

The 37-year-old Mawae has been instrumental to the Titans' great success running the ball. Mangold has been a stalwart since entering the league three years ago and gets an overdue nod.

Defensive End
Starters: Mario Williams, Texans; Richard Seymour, Patriots
Reserve: Dwight Freeney, Colts
Apologies to: Aaron Smith, Steelers; Shaun Ellis, Jets

Seymour's been another savior for the Pats with possibly the best season of his decorated career, while Freeney is back to terrorizing quarterbacks after a couple of down years. Williams should have made it last year.

Defensive Tackle
Starters: Albert Haynesworth, Titans; Kris Jenkins, Jets
Reserve: Haloti Ngata, Ravens
Apologies to: Shaun Rogers, Browns; Jamal Williams, Chargers; Vince Wilfork, Patriots

The most important newcomer to the Jets this year wears #77, not #4. Ngata, an essential element to Baltimore's run-stopping prowess, gets a slight edge over Rogers, one of the few Cleveland players that hasn't underachieved.

Outside Linebacker
Starters: James Harrison, Steelers; Joey Porter, Dolphins
Reserve: Terrell Suggs, Ravens
Apologies to: LaMarr Woodley, Steelers; Keith Bulluck, Titans; Calvin Pace, Jets

Harrison has gone from key special-teamer to a possible Defensive Player of the Year in just two years since replacing the ex-Steeler Porter, who's played even bigger than his mouth.

Inside Linebacker
Starter: Ray Lewis, Ravens
Reserve: James Farrior, Steelers
Apologies to: D'Qwell Jackson, Browns

Lewis got to Honolulu the past couple of years on reputation, but the perennial participant has earned it this time around. Farrior's steady consistency sometimes gets overlooked on the league's best defense.

Cornerback
Starter: Nmandi Asomugha, Raiders; Cortland Finnegan, Titans
Reserve: Darrelle Revis, Jets
Apologies to: Ike Taylor, Steelers

Asomugha has supplanted the injured Champ Bailey as the conference's premier shutdown corner. Although the rest of the Jets' secondary can't cover anyone, Revis has blanketed receivers all year long.

Safety
Starters: Troy Polamalu, Steelers; Ed Reed, Ravens
Reserve: Yeremiah Bell, Dolphins
Apologies to: Chris Hope, Titans; Michael Griffin, Titans

The top two NFL icons are as easy a choice as you'll find. Bell gets the nod as one of the difference-makers of a Miami defense that's been terrific this year.

Kicker: Rob Bironas, Titans
Punter: Shane Lechler, Raiders
Kick Returner: Leon Washington, Jets
Special Teamer: Anthony Madison, Steelers
Apologies to: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (K); Mike Scifres, Chargers (P); Leodis McKelvin, Bills (KR); Josh Cribbs, Browns (KR)

Bironas is an excellent 14-of-17 from beyond 40 yards and has been strong on kickoffs, while Lechler is averaging nearly 50 yards per punt. Washington's excellence on both kickoffs and punts gives him a slight edge over a strong field of returners. The Steelers have the AFC's best coverage units, and Madison was the team's designated player on the ballot.

Most Selections: Titans (8)
Shut Out: Bills, Bengals, Browns, Jaguars

A look back...and a look ahead

2008-12-08T09:27:00.004-05:00

A few observations from Sunday's games of Week 14 of the NFL:

*Oh, those Detroit Lions. For an instant, it appeared as if the still-winless club's flirtation with a dubious place in history may have been coming to an end. Order was restored during the fourth quarter of yesterday's battle with rival Minnesota, however, and the Vikings pulled out a 20-16 win to send the Lions to an 0-13 mark. With a road date with red-hot Indianapolis next weekend, Detroit seems assured of becoming the first team since the infamous New Orleans 'Aint's' of 1980 to lose their first 14 games of a season. The 1976 Buccaneers are the only team of the modern era to go winless throughout a year, losing every game of a then 14-game slate.

Here's a great note courtesy of STATS, Inc. The Lions are 31-94 since 2001, the worst winning percentage in the NFL (.248) over an eight-season span since 1950.

*The initial word on the injury to Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte, who sat out the entire second half of the Detroit game, was that the veteran journeyman suffered a lower back bruise. It's too early to say whether he'll be ready for this week's key matchup at Arizona, although maligned backup Tarvaris Jackson was sharp in leading Minnesota's comeback win yesterday. Then again, he was facing the Lions.

*There were a few notable injuries to running backs yesterday as well, with San Francisco standout Frank Gore's ankle sprain the most significant of the lot. The workhorse back's ailment could be of the high-ankle variety, which would sideline Gore for at least a couple of weeks. Denver's Peyton Hillis is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after pulling his hamstring in Sunday's win over Kansas City, although there's a chance the versatile rookie could return when the AFC West-leading Broncos are in the playoffs. Selvin Young, who's had one carry since Week 6 due to a lingering groin injury, will likely return to the front of the line in Denver's running-back carousel until then. Lastly, Giants bulldozer Brandon Jacobs sat out the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the inspired Philadelphia Eagles after apparently aggravating a mild knee sprain to his left knee, although early indications say it's nothing too serious.

*Mike Singletary is making it an easy choice for 49ers ownership to remove the interim tag from his head coaching label. San Francisco improved to a respectable 3-3 since the Hall of Fame linebacker replaced Mike Nolan at midseason with Sunday's 24-14 upset over the erratic New York Jets, while Singletary's decision to elevate Shaun Hill to the starting quarterback position has clearly turned out to be a wise move. The Niners' impressive improvement has almost made us all forget about Mr. Intensity's amusing head coaching debut back in late October, when he reportedly dropped his pants at halftime of a loss to Seattle and did his best audition for a Coors Light commercial during the postgame press conference.

Week 15 Games to Watch

New Orleans (7-6) at Chicago (7-6), Thursday: For all intensive purposes, an elimination game in the NFC.

N.Y. Giants (11-2) at Dallas (8-5): This Sunday night showdown between NFC East heavyweights would have loomed even larger had the Cowboys been able to hold on against Pittsburgh yesterday. It's still a huge game for Dallas and now has increased importance for the Giants, who are dealing with the most tumultuous period of their season.

Tampa Bay (9-3) at Atlanta (8-5): Any time two members of the competitive NFC South get together, it's a big deal.

Minnesota (8-5) at Arizona (8-5): Could decide who gets the #3 seed in the NFC Playoffs.

Pittsburgh (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4): I'll be attending this one and frankly, I can't wait until Sunday. With two of the NFL's premier defenses, expected cold weather and a ton on the line, it'll be a playoff-like atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium. The Steelers will clinch the AFC North with a win, but the division race is wide-open should the surging Ravens prevail.

Denver (8-5) at Carolina (9-3): The stakes are obviously higher for the Panthers, who are in a dogfight in the NFC South while the Broncos have virtually sewn up the AFC West. The Broncos have been terrors on the road as of late, having notched eye-opening wins at Atlanta and the Jets over the past month.

What to look for -- Week 14

2008-12-07T11:53:00.003-05:00

The playoff picture should become at least a little bit clearer at the end of Sunday's play, with a number of teams having the opportunity to secure postseason spots this afternoon.

The Giants, Titans and Cardinals all can clinch their respective divisions with victories today. New York and Tennessee also can sew up first-round byes with some help -- the Giants need to beat Philadelphia and have Dallas lose at Pittsburgh, while the Titans get theirs with a win over battered Cleveland coupled with a Jets' loss at San Francisco.

Pittsburgh can also clinch a playoff berth if it defeats Dallas and both Miami and New England lose today.

For those who haven't heard, the Cowboys won't have factor back Marion Barber available for their marquee matchup with the Steelers. With the forecast calling for single-digit wind chills and gusts of up to 20 mph at Heinz Field, that's a significant blow to a Dallas club that's going up against the NFL's top defense.

If it ended right now...

2008-11-25T08:02:00.003-05:00

A quick glimpse at the playoff scenarios in both conferences:

AFC
1. Tennessee (10-1)
2. Pittsburgh (8-3)
3. N.Y. Jets (8-3)
4. Denver (6-5)
5. Indianapolis (7-4)
6. Baltimore (7-4)
OUT: New England (7-4)

Pittsburgh has the edge over the Jets for the #2 seed by virtue of a better conference record (Steelers are 7-1, Jets are 6-3). Indianapolis and Baltimore also make it over the Patriots on conference record -- Colts are 6-2, Ravens are 6-3 and Pats are 5-4.

NFC
1. N.Y. Giants (10-1)
2. Tampa Bay (8-3)
3. Arizona (7-4)
4. Chicago (6-5)
5. Carolina (8-3)
6. Washington (7-4)
OUT: Atlanta (7-4), Dallas (7-4), Minnesota (6-5)

Tampa Bay is currently in control of the NFC South due to its victory over Carolina in Week 6. Same goes for Chicago in the North, because of a win over Minnesota in Week 7. Washington is in front of the pack for the final Wild Card on conference record -- Redskins are 6-3 vs. the NFC, compared to 5-3 for the Falcons and 5-4 for Dallas.

The Day After -- Week 12

2008-11-24T09:38:00.004-05:00

For those who may have spent their Sunday getting a jump on their holiday shopping, all you missed from yesterday's action was the NFL's remaining unbeaten team going down in flames, the re-emergence of Terrell Owens to fantasy football relevance, the Oakland Raiders actually winning a meaningful game on the road, and a certain superstar quarterback enduring the first non performance-related benching of his long and decorated career.

And plenty of scoring. Eleven teams put up 30 points or more during yesterday's slate, with Buffalo, New England and Atlanta amassing at least 45 in their Week 12 victories.

As expected, there are now a few questions in need of answering in the wake of the league's latest wild weekend:

Are the Jets the best team in the AFC? Certainly appears so, the way Brett Favre & Co. took apart the previously-unbeaten Tennessee Titans on the road yesterday. The win was the fifth in a row for the Jets, who with a relatively soft schedule the rest of the way, have a legitimate shot at wresting away the AFC's number one seed from the Titans with the tie-breaker advantage gained by Sunday's 34-13 triumph. May the premature talk of the ultimate dream Super Bowl scenario, where Gang Green would face its fellow Meadowlands tenant Giants, the unquestioned favorite in the NFC, begin as well.

Who needs Tom Brady? Matt Cassel has now accomplished a feat even Cover Boy has yet to achieve during his illustrious tenure as a Patriot, which is to throw for 400 yards in back-to-back games. Brady's understudy backed up his breakout 400-yard, three-touchdown effort against the Jets a week ago by torching Miami for 415 yards and three scores on 30-of-43 passing to trigger New England's 48-28 rout of the Dolphins on Sunday. Not only has Cassel helped keep the Pats afloat in the playoff race, but the previously-unknown quarterback may have made himself the most coveted signal-caller among the 2009 free-agent class, assuming Kurt Warner remains in Arizona for next year and beyond. Sorry Gisele, but Matt's married.

What in the world is going on in Philadelphia? Speculation of Donovan McNabb's departure from the Philadelphia Eagles has existed for two years now, but the events that unfolded during yesterday's pitiful 36-7 loss at Baltimore have clearly enhanced the possibility that No. 5 will be playing in some other city next season. McNabb was benched by head coach Andy Reid at halftime after committing three turnovers (2 interceptions, 1 fumble) and completing just 8-of-18 throws for 59 yards against the Ravens' strong D. It's the second straight weekend that Philly's longtime field general has stunk it up and had to endure some serious heat from the press afterward. McNabb threw a trio of picks in last Sunday's infamous 13-13 tie at lowly Cincinnati, then created plenty of talk-show debate with the revelation that he wasn't aware that NFL regular-season games can end in a stalemate at the conclusion of the 15-minute overtime period. Reid's reputation seems to be taking a hit as well after his hand-picked heir apparent to McNabb, second-year man Kevin Kolb, was completely ineffective after taking over in the second half.

Player purge in the works for Raiders?

2008-11-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

The NFL's longest-running sitcom, better known as the Oakland Raiders, apparently will be soon debuting a brand-new episode to keep us all entertained.

According to a report in Tuesday's Contra Costa Times, the Raiders are contemplating a major roster shakeup that would include two of the team's primary offseason acquistions, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and wide receiver Javon Walker. NFL Network insider Adam Schefter recently wrote on his blog that Hall could be released as soon as this afternoon.

Cutting Hall loose would be a stunning development, even by Al Davis' standards. After all, Oakland sent Atlanta an early second-round pick in last April's draft to acquire the talkative cover man, then promptly signed him to a lavish seven-year, $70-million deal in which $24.5 million is guaranteed.

Hall has been a major bust so far, however, and it seems like Davis wants to cut his losses as soon as possible after finally seeing the error of his ways.

As foolish as Hall's signing has proven to be, Oakland's inking of the injury-prone Walker to a six-year, $55 million contract (with $16 million guaranteed) probably takes the cake as the single worst move of this past offseason. The washed-up wideout has contributed just 13 catches for 169 yards so far, although having JaMarcus Russell throw him passes hasn't helped Walker's cause.

Somewhere, Lane Kiffin is probably having a good chuckle.

Monday injury updates

2008-11-03T10:05:00.010-05:00

Those of you who had been sorely missing the opportunity to watch Rex Grossman play quarterback (and I'm guessing the majority are Packers, Vikings and Lions fans), your wait appears to be over.

Grossman, the much-maligned former first-round pick who was under center for the Bears' Super Bowl run two years ago, will be back in the saddle for what appears to be the team's next four games following Kyle Orton's injury in Sunday's tussle with Detroit. The Chicago Tribune reported last night that Orton has a high ankle sprain that will keep the steady signal-caller out for around a month.

Steady isn't usually the first adjective used to describe the star-crossed Grossman, whose six-year tenure in the Windy City has been wrought by injuries and inconsistent play. The former University of Florida star did lead the Bears to a comeback win over the woeful Lions on Sunday, although he completed just 9-of-19 passes for 58 yards with one TD pass and an interception.

If the timetable on Orton's injury holds true, Grossman would start Chicago's next four games, three of which are on the road. The Bears visit NFC North rivals Green Bay and Minnesota during that stretch and will host the undefeated Tennessee Titans this coming Sunday.

The news seems to be a little better out of Houston, where early indications are that Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has averted serious injury to his left knee. The fifth-year pro, who sat out the second half of Houston's 28-21 loss to Minnesota yesterday, has been initially diagnosed with a knee sprain and will undergo an MRI on Monday.

Obviously, it's too early to tell whether Schaub will be healthy enough to go when the Texans host Baltimore this Sunday. The team does have a capable backup in veteran Sage Rosenfels, who put up 224 yards and two scores against Minnesota's shaky secondary in just two quarters of action.

In running back news, Kansas City's Kolby Smith suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee during the Chiefs' overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. With the Chiefs to be without primary ball-carrier Larry Johnson for at least one more week due to suspension, speedy rookie Jamaal Charles will get an extended audition to showcase his skills. The 2008 third-round selection was impressive in the Tampa loss, piling up a career-best 106 yards on just 18 carries.

UPDATE (2:30 p.m. EST): FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer has just reported that the MRI revealed a torn MCL in Schaub's left knee. Although the injury won't require surgery, it will sideline him for likely at least a month.

The QB shuffle

2008-11-02T18:03:00.004-05:00

As expected, the Cowboys finally pulled the plug on the Brad Johnson experiment. The aging quarterback was benched when Dallas began the second half of what's turning into an ugly loss to the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Johnson's replacement, quintessential journeyman Brooks Bollinger, then promptly threw an interception on his first pass attempt as a Cowboy. The pick, which came from Giants safety James Butler, has just been converted into a Brandon Jacobs touchdown run for a commanding 28-7 New York lead.

Johnson was intercepted twice in the first half and completed just 5-of-11 throws for 71 yards in his latest ineffective showing in place of the injured Tony Romo.

In case you had not heard, a pair of starting signal-callers had to leave their respective games earlier in the day, both because of injuries. Chicago's Kyle Orton was carted off the field after hurting his right ankle late in the first half of the Bears' 27-23 win over Detroit, while Houston's Matt Schaub sat out the second half of the Texans' 28-21 loss at Minnesota with a gimpy left knee.

There's no word yet on the severity of either player's injury, although Orton's certainly looked pretty bad.

Witten to go for Cowboys

2008-11-02T15:24:00.004-05:00

Just received word up here at the Meadowlands that Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will be active for today's upcoming showdown with the rival New York Giants. The Cowboys' leading receiver had been a game-time decision after he fractured a rib in his team's 13-9 victory over Tampa Bay last Sunday.

As for some of the injury news concerning some of the other 4 p.m. (et) games, looks like Michael Pittman (ribs, quest.) will be Denver's starting running back for the Broncos' battle with Miami. Backfield mate Selvin Young (groin) is inactive, however, which likely means rookie Ryan Torain will share ball-carrying duties with Pittman today.

Jones: Romo "very likely" for Sunday

2008-10-17T14:08:00.005-04:00

It's looking more and more like Tony Romo will be under center for the Dallas Cowboys in this Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.

According to an article in today's Dallas Morning News, Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones proclaimed in a radio interview that he expects Romo to play on Sunday despite breaking the pinkie finger on his right hand during the club's 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona last week.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was initially expected to miss around four weeks due to the injury, but has reportedly been able to take snaps and throw without incident during recent practices after being fitted with a splint. Romo was listed as having limited participation in Thursday's session.

If Jones can be taken at his word, it reveals two things about the Cowboys' current state. First off, risking further injury to his team's franchise signal-caller further illustrates how much Jones is willing to turn to desperate measures to quench his insatiable thirst for a Super Bowl title this season, as if forking over a king's ransom to acquire wide receiver Roy Williams earlier this week to fortify what wasn't a real area of need wasn't enough of an obvious indicator.

It also shows who's really calling the shots amongst the Dallas brass when it comes to on-field decisions.

All indications are that Jones has been feverishly pushing for Romo to play, while head coach Wade Phillips and his staff would rather have their invaluable triggerman at 100 percent before throwing him back into the fray. When told of Jones' comments at his Friday press conference, Phillips remarked: "Whatever Jerry says, I'm going with."

The way I see it, if the Cowboys are worried that they can't beat the wayward Rams with a still-serviceable Brad Johnson directing the offense, the consensus preseason NFC favorites may have a few more problems than we outsiders are all led to believe.

Stay tuned.

Romo has broken finger

2008-10-13T12:20:00.003-04:00

The Dallas Cowboys' nightmare of a week just got even worse this morning, as news is filtering out of Big D that star quarterback Tony Romo has a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand and is expected to be sidelined around four weeks.

Romo is believed to have suffered the injury on the first play of overtime of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona, when he was sacked by the Cardinals' Chike Okeafor. The Pro Bowl signal-caller had thrown for 321 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.

If the initial prognosis is correct, Romo would miss three games and return to action for a key showdown at division-rival Washington, which dealt the Cowboys' a stinging two-point loss last month, on November 16. Dallas has a bye the week prior to that game.

However, the standout triggerman appears likely to miss a crucial clash with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants at the Meadowlands in Week 9, as well as what should be a tough home test with 4-2 Tampa Bay the previous Sunday.

For the time being, Dallas will roll with 40-year-old Brad Johnson under center and journeyman Brooks Bollinger as the backup. With the league's trade deadline coming on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones makes a move to bolster the quarterback position, although the chances of acquiring an impact player appear to be slim.

Romo's injury comes one day after the Cowboys gave up two touchdowns on special teams to suffer a deflating loss in Arizona, and less than a week after trouble-making cornerback Adam Jones' latest escapades provided an unnecessary distraction to the league's most-scrutinized team.

Rosenfels looking just fine

2008-10-05T13:42:00.002-04:00

Sage Rosenfels' unexpected start at quarterback for the Houston Texans is going quite well so far. The capable veteran, subbing for an ill Matt Schaub, has completed his first five passes and just led the Texans on a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. Houston still trails the Indianapolis Colts, however, by a 10-7 count early on.

Schaub spent Saturday night in a local hospital due to a virus, but is active for today's game and would be available if needed.

Rodgers, Westbrook to start

2008-10-05T11:46:00.004-04:00

As the first wave of inactives for today's early games filter in, a resolution has been reached on the status of two of Week 5's most significant injury concerns.

In Green Bay, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start the Packers' matchup with the Atlanta Falcons after apparently making it through a pregame workout okay. Brett Favre's successor was a 50/50 shot to play after spraining his throwing shoulder in last week's loss at Tampa Bay.

In Philadelphia, the Eagles will have star running back Brian Westbrook at their disposal for today's pivotal divisional clash with the surging Washington Redskins. As most of you know, the versitale All-Pro has been dealing with an ankle sprain that kept him out of last Sunday's loss at Chicago. FYI, the Redskins won't have a key member on defense available, as cornerback Shawn Springs is inactive with a strained calf.

Davis Flogs Kiffin Back to the Stone Age

2008-10-01T00:29:00.004-04:00

After watching Al Davis' bizarre press conference explaining the Lane Kiffin firing on Tuesday, Scott Linehan must have felt as lucky as a Titanic survivor.

A day earlier, Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom had praised Linehan as a hard worker, said he was a good man, and took personal responsibility, along with his deposed head coach, for the team's struggles.

Not quite the tack Davis took in removing Kiffin. The 79-year-old owner reading the warning letter he had sent to Kiffin weeks earlier was akin to a teenager breaking up with his girlfriend, then going to the schoolyard to read his Dear John letter to the whole class. It's one thing firing someone, it's another one humiliating them in such a public way. Davis took that route for a couple of reasons. One, he needed to publicly emphasize the reasons for firing Kiffin as part of his legal justification for not continuing to pay him. Second, Davis just isn't the classiest guy in the world, and doesn't really care that this kind of spectacle is not the way business is typically conducted in the NFL circa 2008.

My jaw was on the floor listening to all this, but there is little disputing that it made for great theater. The revelations about Kiffin wanting the Arkansas job in 2007, Bobby Petrino leaving the Falcons with three games left in order to block Kiffin from getting it (bet you didn't think Bobby Petrino could ever look like MORE of a scumbag), and Kiffin not wanting to Draft JaMarcus Russell were the juiciest tidbits, but there was a whole lot to choose from.

Oh yeah, Davis also called ESPN's Chris Mortensen a "professional liar," which probably trumps him calling NFL Network's Adam Schefter a "false rumor mongerer" a couple of years ago.

The best part of the press conference, by the way, may have been Davis' get-up. Autumn is here, and I too am donning my burlap hoodie underneath garish silver and black jacket.

Weighing in on Linehan

2008-09-29T10:13:00.005-04:00

To the surprise of no one, the St. Louis Rams officially fired Scott Linehan today, after four straight drubbings to start the season. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was promoted to interim head coach, mostly because someone had to be. Haslett was head coach in New Orleans from 2000 through 2005, but his defense is giving up 36.8 points per game this year. The most viable alternative would have been offensive coordinator and former Chargers head coach Al Saunders, whose offense is scoring just 10.8 per game. Man, the Rams are bad.

To pat ourselves on the back again, we saw this coming last year. You just don't come back from 3-13 in the NFL, as Linehan had lost the respect of his players, not to mention the fans.

You can feel bad for Linehan today, even though he did a generally poor job in his two-plus years with the Rams. It's not fun to lose a job, and most of us can only imagine what it's like to be fired in such a public way. But Linehan will get himself a nice severance package, and if recent cases like Bobby Petrino, Mike Sherman, and Dave Wanntedt are any indication, he'll have some BCS-level university throwing a wad of money at him in the very near future. Before becoming offensive coordinator with the Vikings in 2002, Linehan coached at Louisville (1999-2001), Washington (1994-98), UNLV (1991), and Idaho (1989-90, 1992-93).

Stay tuned later this afternoon - Lane Kiffin might be queuing up up right behind Linehan on the firing line.

Pre-game notes, late games

2008-09-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

I'll make this quick, before somebody else scores again in the Jets-Cardinals game.

Not much to report as far as inactives for the 4 p.m. (et) games. As expected, LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) and Antonio Gates (hip) are active for the Chargers against lame-duck Lane Kiffin's Raiders. Oakland will have Darren McFadden (toe) in the starting lineup as well as shutdown corner Nnadmi Asomugha, despite his fractured elbow.

No major injury surprises in the Buffalo-St. Louis game, AKA Scott Linehan's not-so-grand finale. As was reported earlier in the week, the Redskins' Jason Taylor will sit out today's game with Dallas after recently undergoing emergency calf surgery.

As for tonight's Eagles/Bears clash in Chicago, all signs point to Donovan McNabb (bruised chest) starting for Philly, but RB Brian Westbrook (ankle) figures to be a last minute decision as to whether he'll go.

Of course, somebody did score as I was writing this. Favre's 4th TD pass of the day, this one to Jerricho Cotchery, puts the Jets up 41-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Pre-game notes: Week 4

2008-09-28T12:29:00.003-04:00

I'm here at a soggy Meadowlands awaiting the kickoff of today's Jets-Cardinals tilt. As if any of us had any doubts, Brett Favre (ankle) will be making his 257th consecutive start for the Jets. Actually, I should say Titans, as in the New York variety. The Jets will be wearing throwback uni's from their original AFL days of the early '60's, when the franchise was then known as the Titans.

Favre will be facing a banged-up Arizona defense that will be minus standout strong safety Adrian Wilson, out with a hamstring injury. Nose tackle Gabe Watson (knee) and DE/OLB Bert Berry (groin) also inactive for the Cards.

Some updated injury information for the other early games:

* As I mentioned previously, QB Carson Palmer (elbow) will be the Bengals' 3rd QB for their matchup with division-rival Cleveland, with the pride of Harvard -- Ryan Fitzpatrick -- to start for Cincy. Browns to be without WR Donte' Stallworth (quadriceps) for a fourth consecutive game. Guard Eric Steinbach, who missed last week with a separated shoulder, is surprisingly active for Cleveland, although it's unclear as to whether he'll start.

*In New Orleans, the Saints' hurting receiving corps will consist of Lance Moore and Devery Henderson as the primary wideouts for their home game with San Francisco. Marques Colston remains out with an injured thumb, while normal No. 3 guy David Patten likely will see limited action with an ailing groin. New Orleans is also minus Jeremy Shockey after the colorful tight end underwent groin surgery earlier in the week. 49ers will have WR Bryant Johnson (hamstring, questionable) in the lineup today.

*In Tampa, Brian Griese will be taking aim at a Green Bay secondary without two key starters in Pro Bowl corner Al Harris (ruptured spleen) and hard-hitting safety Atari Bigby (hamstring). The Bucs will be missing top receiver Joey Galloway (groin) for a second straight week, with Antonio Bryant and Mark Clayton designated as today's starting wideouts.

Palmer out for Bengals

2008-09-28T11:41:00.003-04:00

Here's the first big bit of news on the morning of Week 4 -- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will be the team's #3 quarterback for today's game against division-rival Cleveland. Palmer has been dealing with soreness in his throwing elbow over the past few days, and apparently the injury is serious enough to keep him out. Looks like the 0-3 Browns catch a much-needed first break of the season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the start today for the also-winless Bengals, with Jordan Palmer (yes, that's Carson's little bro) to serve as the backup.

I love me some underdogs

2008-09-26T14:40:00.003-04:00

We're not big proponents of gambling on NFL games, first because it's illegal in most places and second because the talent level from team-to-team is so close that it's difficult to wager in an educated way. Anyone who saw the Bucs erase that 24-14 Bears lead last week knows how temporary leads, even big ones, can be in this league.

That said, I do participate in The Sports Network's "Pigskin Prognosticators" competition, so I pay some attention to the weekly Vegas line on each game. For amusement purposes only, of course.

And some of the lines I saw this week were pretty absurd, prompting me to circle the underdog in 10 of the 13 games on my sheet. Here's some stuff that caught my attention:

Houston +7.5 at Jacksonville - I know the Jaguars beat the Colts last week and rushed for a lot of yards, but this is still an injury-riddled roster and I refuse to believe they'll be able to win a lot of games decisively. The Texans haven't looked great in 2008, but they've played two road games against physical defenses (Pittsburgh and Tennessee) and are going to come out of their shell at some point. This one will be close, and I won't be shocked to see the Texans (7-5 against the Jaguars all-time) win it.

San Francisco +5.5 at New Orleans - The Saints must be coasting off reputation here, both theirs and that of the 49ers. Two of the key cogs in the New Orleans offensive machine - Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey - are both out, and an already-suspect defense has major injury problems in the secondary. If J.T. O'Sullivan (a one-time Saint) has the time to throw that he should, the 49ers are going to score some points and keep this one interesting. This is a field goal game in my opinion.

St. Louis +8.5 vs. Buffalo - Yes, the Rams have been terrible with a capital T, and have been blown out in three straight games. But no team in NFL history has been blown out in 100 percent of their games, and at some point St. Louis is going to catch a lucky break that allows them to stay in a contest or two. The Bills are a great story and all, but they should have lost to a poor Raiders team at home last week and are hardly a shoo-in to win by two scores on the road.

Washington +11 at Dallas - Huh? The Redskins are on a two-game winning streak after beating the Saints and Cardinals, two teams that still harbor realistic playoff aspirations. The defense they'll bring to Dallas is nearly identical to last year's generally solid unit, and I simply don't see them allowing the Cowboys, their hated division rival, to run up and down the field. I also think Jason Campbell is good enough to keep Washington within striking distance, at the very least.

Pittsburgh +8 vs. Baltimore - This line has everything to do with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who a lot of folks are expecting to be flustered in his first road game, which is also a primetime contest to be played out before a national television audience. And I don't discount that obstacle, but the Ravens are 2-0 because they have been able to run the ball and play good defense, two factors that have mitigated any minor struggles Flacco has experienced. Pittsburgh is banged up defensively and will also be without Willie Parker, so I think Baltimore will be able to hold the nation's interest here.

For the record, the three favorites I like out of 13 are the Jets (-1 vs. Arizona), the Chargers (-7.5 at Oakland), and the Eagles (-3.5 at Chicago).

The still-standing Pats

2008-09-14T19:34:00.005-04:00

For those anticipating a sudden changing of the guard in the AFC's East Division in the wake of Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury, the defending division and conference champions New England Patriots gave a response to that notion. And for all we know, it didn't involve any sort of chicanery or shady covert operations.

This afternoon's 19-10 victory over the New York Jets in the first meeting between the rivals here at the Meadowlands since last year's infamous "Spygate" episode proved, at least for now, that the Patriots are still the standard-bearer in the division -- and possibly the entire AFC as well -- Brady or no Brady.

New England won partly because stand-in Matt Cassel (16-of-23, 165 yards, 0 INT) made one fewer mistake in his first NFL start than Brett Favre (18-of-26, 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) made in his 255th, and because a defense that was supposed to be past its prime played like a championship unit for most of the game. The Jets went three-and-out on four of their nine possessions during the afternoon and were held to 256 total yards by the Patriots' determined D.

With the next two games on the ledger coming against Miami and San Francisco, teams that combined for a total of six victories a year ago, a 4-0 start for Bill Belichick's bunch could be in the works.

New England is currently one of four AFC clubs that currently stand at 2-0, a group that could grow by one if Pittsburgh wins at Cleveland later tonight. Two of those teams, Buffalo and Denver, got there today by knocking off to the conference's preseason darlings. The Bills made their case for legitimacy by going into the tough environs of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and coming away with an impressive 20-16 win over the Jaguars. The Broncos put AFC West favorite San Diego in an 0-2 hole with a thrilling 39-38 decision at Invesco Field, in which Mike Shanahan's gutsy decision to go for a two-point conversion with 24 seconds left paid off when quarterback Jay Cutler delivered a strike to rookie receiver Eddie Royal for the game-winning points.

Cutler, by the way, has racked up 650 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air following today's 350-yard, four-score masterpiece.

Quotable from Patriots-Jets

-"It's not ever about the doubters, it's always about the belief in yourself, and I've always had that belief in myself that I could go out there and do it," -- Cassel

-"(The Patriots) are well coached and well-disciplined, and every victory is going to have to be earned. We had a lot of positive things today, but there were too many missed opporuntities and too many things that we could have controlled, whether it be penalties or putting overselves in a bad position, that we didn't do a good enough job of." -- Jets head coach Eric Mangini

halftime thoughts from the Meadowlands

2008-09-14T17:28:00.003-04:00

I'm sitting here from the press box of the Patriots-Jets showdown, and while the first half (a 6-3 New England lead) may not have provided the thrills many of us were seeking, it had to be an assuring 30 minutes if you're a Pats fan.

The Patriots may have scaled the offense down for Matt Cassel in the previously-unknown quarterback's first NFL start (and as I'm sure you've all heard from anywhere to 50-100 times this week, his first start at any level since 1999), but it's pretty apparent the team has a fair share of confidence in Tom Brady's successor. That was evident on New England's opening drive, when the offense lined up in shotgun formation on a key 3rd-and-2 from the Jets' 34-yard line and let Cassel throw the ball (he completed the pass to running back Sammy Morris for a first down). Cassel completed a very respectable 9-of-13 throws for 96 yards in the first half while looking very comfortable in the pocket.

The same probably can't be said for Matt Ryan. Atlanta's $72 million investment threw nine straight incompletions with two interceptions to begin his first NFL road start today. At last check, the rookie was 3-of-15 for a mere 36 yards and the Falcons were trailing Tampa Bay, 17-3, late in the first half.

By the way, the player picked right below Ryan in April's draft, running back Darren McFadden, put up an impressive 164 yards and a touchdowns in Oakland's 23-8 victory at Kansas City earlier in the day. McFadden's performance may have been to the chagrin of mercurial owner Al Davis, who now has to keep head coach Lane Kiffin on the payroll for at least one more week.

One last thought before watch the second half: Isn't Rod Marinelli's speciality supposed to be defense? One week after his Detroit Lions put on possibly the worst tackling display the NFL has seen this century in a loss at Atlanta, the team submitted 447 total yards (324 passing) to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this afternoon. Lions quarterback Jon Kitna gets a share of blame as well for his club's 48-25 loss; he threw three INT's, two of which were returned for touchdowns in the game's final 3 1/2 minutes.

One injury note from the game here -- Patriots running back Laurence Maroney left in the second quarter with a shoulder problem and wasn't on the field when the New England offense came out after the intermission.

Pre-game tidbits, 1 p.m. (ET) games

2008-09-14T11:49:00.005-04:00

Here are a few notes, including updated injury information for each of today's first set of Week 2 games.

Giants at Rams: Rams have WR Drew Bennett (foot), DE Leonard Little (hamstring) and LG Jacob Bell (hamstring) inactive. James Hall will start at RDE, with Chris Long shifting from the right side to Little's LDE spot. Adam Goldberg to start for Bell. Rookie WR Donnie Avery (knee) will play for St. Louis, but newly-signed veteran Eddie Kennison is inactive. For Giants, DE Mathias Kiwanuka (ankle) is active and will start.

Bills at Jaguars: Jags WR Jerry Porter (quest., hamstring) will miss a second straight game. Starting MLB Mike Peterson also inactive for Jacksonville, which is surprising since he wasn't on the injury report. Daryl Smith likely to start in the middle for the Jaguars, who will also be without center Brad Meester (biceps) and WR Troy Williamson (thigh). No major injuries to report for the Bills.

Titans at Bengals: Everyone probably knows by now that Kerry Collins will start for the Titans at QB in place of Vince Young (knee), but Tennessee will have All-Pro DT Albert Haynesworth (concussion) in the lineup. Bengals won't have SS Dexter Jackson (broken thumb), WR Andre Caldwell (toe) and DT Pat Sims (toe).

Bears at Panthers: Panthers will start Geoff Hangartner for Travelle Wharton (knee) at left guard. LB Na'il Diggs (shoulder), CB Chris Gamble (upper arm) and TE Dante Rosario (foot) are all active for Carolina. Bears relatively healthy except for rookie first-round pick Chris Williams (back surgery) at offensive tackle.

Packers at Lions: RB Ryan Grant (hamstring) and CB Charles Woodson (toe) are active and will start for Packers, but Green Bay won't have center Scott Wells (back) or WR Ruvell Martin (finger). Lions will have standout LB Ernie Sims (ankle) in the starting lineup.

Colts at Vikings: Colts to be without All-Pro center Jeff Saturday (knee) and TE Dallas Clark (knee), with rookie Jamey Richard likely to start for Saturday for a second straight week. CB Kelvin Hayden (hamstring, quest.) is active for Indianapolis. For Vikings, Artis Hicks (elbow) is active and will start a second straight game in place of the suspended Bryant McKinnie at left offensive tackle.

Raiders at Chiefs: CB DeAngelo Hall (elbow), SS Gibril Wilson (elbow) and DE Derrick Burgess (shoulder) will all start on defense for the Raiders in what reportedly may be Lane Kiffin's last game. Second-year pro Mario Henderson to start for Oakland at left offensive tackle in place of Kwame Harris (knee). As expected, Damon Huard will be under center for the Chiefs with Brodie Croyle inactive with a separated shoulder.

Saints at Redskins: Injury-plagued Saints to be without three starters in the secondary -- CB Mike McKenzie (knee surgery), SS Roman Harper (hamstring) and CB Randall Gay (hamstring) -- as well as regular SLB Scott Fujita (knee). Veteran Aaron Glenn and rookie Tracy Porter will start on the corners for New Orleans, with rookie Jo-Lonn Dunbar making his first career start in place of Fujita. Saints also missing top WR Marques Colston (thumb). For the Redskins, H.B. Blades will start for Marcus Washington (hamstring) at strongside linebacker and rookie Chris Horton takes the place of Reed Doughty (stomach flu) at strong safety.

You can few all the inactives for these games here.

Yes, I'm picking the Rams.

2008-09-12T14:31:00.003-04:00

Just to prove that you can't put much stock in what happens during Week 1 of the NFL season, I'm picking the St. Louis Rams to beat the New York Giants on Sunday.

It's nothing against the Giants, I think they're a very fine team that will end up in the playoffs. And it's not an endorsement of the Rams who, well, have some problems. The pick is simply a reflection of the parity that exists in the NFL circa 2008. The Rams arguably looked worse than any other team in the league last week (Bengals fans might object to that one), and the Giants, who kept the Redskins at arm's length through four quarters, arrive in St. Louis riding a 10-game road winning streak.

But I've found that one of the worst things you can try to do in picking winners in the NFL is to apply logic to your decision. Also, there are certain to be around a dozen 1-1 teams after Week 2, just as there were last year, which means a bunch of clubs are going to look either much better or much worse than they did last week.

Thus, Rams 23, Giants 20. By the same logic, I have the Bengals beating the Titans and the Browns beating the Steelers this week.

Injury Outlook -- Week 2

2008-09-12T14:01:00.008-04:00

Here's a brief rundown of the key injuries for all the games on Sunday's docket. Looks like four teams will be making quarterback switches following their openers, with Matt Cassel (Patriots), Kerry Collins (Titans), Brian Griese (Buccaneers) and Damon Huard (Chiefs) expected to replace the ailing grouping of Tom Brady (torn knee ligaments), Vince Young (knee sprain), Jeff Garcia (sprained ankle) and Brodie Croyle (separated shoulder).

Buffalo at Jacksonville: The Jaguars' offensive line is a mess right now after starting guards Vincent Manuwai (torn ACL) and Maurice Williams (biceps tear) suffered season-ending injuries in last week's loss at Tennessee, while center Brad Meester is still recovering from biceps surgery and remains sidelined...Jacksonville does get some good news on the receiving front, where veteran Jerry Porter appears ready for Sunday after sitting out the opener with an ailing hamstring...Bills Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters, who ended his holdout just prior to Week 1, looks like a good bet to return to his starting spot on the left side.

Chicago at Carolina: Panthers will be without left guard Travelle Wharton (knee sprain), with Geoff Hantgartner expected to get the start...Tight end Dante Rosario, who led Carolina in catches and yards last week, will be a game-time decision with a sprained foot...Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith to serve the last of his team-issued two-game suspension on Sunday.

Green Bay at Detroit: Packers hurting a bit at the running back spot, where starter Ryan Grant is still bothered by a sore hamstring and backup Brandon Jackson a question mark this week due to a mild concussion...Grant's injury didn't prevent him from putting up 92 yards on just 12 carries in Monday's win over Minnesota, however...Center Scott Wells (back) likely to miss a second straight game, but Pack should get third wide receiver James Jones (knee) after sitting out the opener...Lions could be without their best defender, Ernie Sims, after the linebacker twisted an ankle in last week's debacle in Atlanta.

Indianapolis at Minnesota: Colts will probably be without tight end Dallas Clark (sprained right knee) in this one, so Minnesota can expect more three-receiver looks from Peyton Manning and company...All-Pro center Jeff Saturday, expected to miss up to the season's first six games with a gimpy knee, has been practicing for Indy this week and is a possibility to play...Colts released starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson on Thursday after a drug arrest, with the 274-pound Raheem Brock slated to shift from end to inside...Vikes' left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie still serving a four-game suspension, but replacement Artis Hicks (elbow) expected to be okay for the contest.

New Orleans at Washington: The big news for this game is the ligament the Saints' Marques Colston tore in his left thumb in Week 1, an injury that will sideline the standout receiver from 4-to-6 weeks...New Orleans will also be without three defensive starters in linebacker Scott Fujita (knee), strong safety Roman Harper (hamstring) and cornerback Randall Gay (hamstring/illness)...Corner Mike McKenzie, however, expected to go after sitting out the opener following offseason knee surgery...Redskins' biggest injury concern is strongside linebacker Marcus Washington, considered questionable with a sore hamstring.

N.Y. Giants at St. Louis: Rams shorthanded at wide receiver following Drew Bennett's fractured left foot in last week's disaster in Philadelphia and rookie Donnie Avery still likely out with an ailing knee...St. Louis signed 35-year-old Eddie Kennison on Tuesday, with the veteran wideout slated to play immediately...Rams also expected to be without defensive end Leonard Little (hamstring) and left guard Jacob Bell (hamstring)...Giants' defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who rolled his ankle on the final play of the season-opening win over Washington, should be a game-time decision.

Oakland at Kansas City: Huard finished 8-for-12 for 118 yards with a TD and INT after replacing Croyle in last week's loss at New England...Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker slated to play after missing Week 1 with a hamstring strain...Defensive end Derrick Burgess (shoulder) also expected to suit up for Oakland, but left offensive tackle Kwame Harris is a question mark after spraining his knee in the opener.

Tennessee at Cincinnati: Young is thought to be out up to a month with his knee injury, not to mention a badly-bruised psyche...Titans have a big concern on defense as well, with All-Pro tackle Albert Haynesworth considered 50/50 at best to play due to a concussion...Bengals strong safety Dexter Jackson likely out with a broken thumb, but fellow defensive backfield member Chinedum Ndukwe looks to be ready to return from a knee problem which kept him out of last week's tilt.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Controversy is beginning to brew in Tampa, where Garcia told the Tampa Tribune earlier this week he believes Bucs head coach Jon Gruden's decision to start Griese over him on Sunday was based more on performance than injury...Linebacker Derrick Brooks, who has played in 209 regular-season games without missing a single one and has started 193 consecutive contests, has both streaks in serious jeopardy after the future Hall of Famer strained his hamstring in Tampa's loss at New Orleans last Sunday...Second-year pro Quincy Black would move into the starting lineup if Brooks can't go, with Cato June shifting from the strong to weak side.

Miami at Arizona: Cardinals starting nose tackle Gabe Watson (knee) and backup Alan Branch (ankle) each missed last Sunday's victory at San Francisco, but both have returned to a limited practice this week and could be available against the Dolphins...Veteran Bryan Robinson started in place of Watson in the opener...Miami placed rookie offensive lineman Donald Thomas on IR after he hurt his foot in last week's game against the Jets, with Ikechuku Ndukwe the team's new starter at right guard.

New England at NY Jets: For once, all eyes won't be on Brett Favre with Cassel set to make his first career start as the Pats begin the Brady-less era...Game-breaking wide receiver Randy Moss also missed some practice time for New England this week with a back ailment, but all indications are he'll play on Sunday...Tight end Ben Watson (knee), however, is expected to miss a second straight game and No. 3 wide receiver Jabar Gaffney (knee) is considered questionable for the Patriots...Jets signed veteran kicker Jay Feely on Monday after Mike Nugent pulled a thigh muscle in the opener and is out for Week 2.

San Diego at Denver: Not long after standout linebacker Shawne Merriman announced his decision to undergo season-ending knee surgery this week, there's a possibility the Chargers could be without their offensive star against the Broncos. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a turf toe problem, although the former league MVP insists he'll be ready for the game...Center Nick Hardwick is still recovering from foot surgery, but San Diego's offensive line may get Marcus McNeill back after the valuable left tackle missed Week 1 with a neck injury...Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie (hip) is questionable for the Denver game, meaning rookie first-round pick Antoine Cason could make his first career start...For the Broncos, linebacker Boss Bailey (high ankle sprain) and center Tom Nalen (knee surgery) look to be about ready after sitting out Monday's rout of Oakland.

San Francisco at Seattle: The Seahawks are still hurting badly at wide receiver, with Nate Burleson tearing his ACL in the Week 1 loss at Buffalo and both Bobby Engram (shoulder) and Deion Branch (knee surgery) still on the shelf...Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace may wind up taking Burleson's starting split end spot for Sunday...Julius Jones will get the bulk of the work for Seattle at running back after Maurice Morris sprained his knee against the Bills...Seahawks right tackle Sean Locklear (knee) likely out another week as well...49ers' most notable injury news regards backup quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith, placed on IR on Wednesday with a fractured right shoulder.

Pittsburgh at Cleveland: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger missed some practice time with a sore shoulder this week, but is in no danger of missing Sunday's matchup...Browns figure to be without No. 2 wide receiver Donte' Stallworth (quadriceps strain) for a second straight week, however...Return specialist Joshua Cribbs, who missed Cleveland's loss to Dallas with an ankle sprain, appears ready to play and share snaps with youngsters Syndric Steptoe and Steve Sanders opposite Pro Bowl wideout Braylon Edwards...Browns also without strong safety Sean Jones, who underwent knee surgery earlier in the week and will be sidelined up to a month, and possibly free safety Brodney Pool, who missed last week with a concussion and is questionable to return...Pittsburgh's Bryant McFadden will start on Sunday for the injured Deshea Townsend (heel) at cornerback.

I'll be providing the injury rundown of Monday's pair of games -- in case you haven't heard, the Baltimore-Houston clash has been pushed back a day due to Hurricane Ike -- later in the week. Also, I'll be blogging from the Meadowlands on Sunday with some thoughts on the Patriots-Jets showdown, as well as the rest of the day's action.

Some postgame thoughts

2008-09-04T22:30:00.003-04:00

For those who may have tuned into tonight's Giants/Redskins clash around 8:30 or so (EST), you pretty much missed all there was to see. New York scored on its first four possessions (1 touchdown, 3 field goals), then basically sleepwalked through a scoreless second half. On the Washington side, the official unveiling of new head coach Jim Zorn's West Coast offense was more Edsel than Corvette -- the Redskins' lone score in the 16-7 loss came in the final minutes of the second quarter and probably wouldn't have come about if not for a 50-yard kick return by special teams ace Rock Cartwright into Giants' territory.

Some notes and observations:

-- Plaxico Burress is a happy and healthy camper, and the proof was in the pudding tonight. After missing a good portion of training camp due to a sore ankle which may or may not have been related to a contract squabble, the rangy wide receiver showed his appreciation for the lucrative two-year contract extension he agreed to just prior to Thursday's game by shredding Washington's banged-up secondary for 133 yards on 10 catches. During New York's 11-play, 84-yard touchdown march to open the game, Burress had three grabs totaling 60 yards.

-With 44-year-old kicker John Carney joining 42-year-old punter Jeff Feagles on the opening-week roster, the Giants became the first team in the Super Bowl era to have two players 42 or over at one time. It marks the first time since 1999 that Feagles is not the elder statesman on his team (a great note courtesy of the Giants media relations staff and the Elias Sports Bureau).

-Two rookies, linebacker Bryan Kehl and free safety Kenny Phillips, saw a lot of second-half playing time for the Giants and both impressed. Kehl was unofficially credited with five solo tackles and displayed good speed and instincts in his debut, while first-round pick Phillips made a nifty open-field tackle to end a Redskins drive in the third quarter.

-One young Giant who didn't make an impact was second-year tight end Kevin Boss. Jeremy Shockey's successor finished without a catch and received few looks from quarterback Eli Manning, possibly because Burress was routinely having his way on one-on-one matchups with corners Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot.

-For all the hubbub about Zorn and his innovative play-calling, the Redskins' offense looked an awful lot like the conservative operation predecessor Joe Gibbs favored during his two tenures. Washington rarely took shots downfield through the air and mustered a paltry 100 total yards and five first downs through the first three quarters. Perhaps the six points the Redskins produced over the final two preseason games were more telling than originally thought.

-New Redskins defensive end and accomplished dancer Jason Taylor made his 131st consecutive regular-season start despite being hobbled by a sprained knee, but the injury seemed to have an effect on the perennial All-Pro. Taylor was credited with just two tackles and had little impact on the game as a pass rusher.

-Washington's Chris Cooley extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 56, but the standout tight end didn't make his only reception (a seven-yard grab) until with under four minutes to go.

QUOTABLE

-"I could tell before the game, during our warmup, that he had a lot of energy. He felt good and it showed." -- Manning on Burress

-"To play a Super Bowl defending (champion) team, you can not be as poor as we were on offense and expect to come out and win." -- Zorn

Something Else About Ocho Cinco...

2008-09-04T20:57:00.002-04:00

I know I'm supposed to be watching the Giants/Redskins game, but our Scott Garbarini is there covering it so I'm going to take one eye off the TV to weigh in on the newly-ordained Chad Ocho Cinco. Frankly, I've got no real problem with it. There are dumber names in the NFL. I'm just glad he changed it to something I won't have trouble spelling - Chad Houshmandzadeh would have been a problem.

Anyway, I have a scenario for you. The 2008 season ends with the Bengals in typical disarray, and Chad and Cincinnati decide to part ways. Since he'll be smack-dab in the middle of the six-year extension he signed in April of 2006, Cincinnati will be inclined to move him via a trade.

At the same time, the 2008 season ends poorly for the Rams, and the team decides to trade (as they explored doing this past March) top wideout Torry Holt. Now in the market for a wide receiver, St. Louis and whoever its next coach is decide Chad Ocho Cinco fits their needs.

Bengals and Rams agree to trade. Just one problem though - the man whose name translates in Spanish to "eight, five" has been moved to a team where the No. 85 has been retired in honor of Jack Youngblood (the Lions are the other team for which 85 is retired). What does Chad do now? He either refuses to report to the Rams or changes his name again, I guess. Chad Ocho Seis? Chad Doce? Or maybe back to Chad Johnson. Whatever he does, he looks like a fool, though at this point I'm kind of figuring that doesn't matter to him a whole lot.

I know it's far-fetched, but wouldn't that be fun?

Giants picking up right where they left off

2008-09-04T19:30:00.003-04:00

If the first two offensive possessions of the 2008 NFL season are any indication, the defending Super Bowl-winning New York Giants are looking like champs once again.

The G-Men took the opening kickoff off tonight's clash with the Washington Redskins and promptly marched 84 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown. Quarterback Eli Manning, one of the many heroes during New York's remarkable postseason run last winter, completed 4-of-7 passes for 68 yards on the series and capped it with a one-yard run to paydirt. Wide receiver Plaxico Burress, the proud recipient of a new two-year contract extension, caught three of those strikes for 60 yards.

New York's defense flashed its 2007 form as well on Washington's first drive. On the Redskins' initial play from scrimmage, quarterback Jason Campbell was sacked by end Justin Tuck for an eight-yard loss, leading to a quick three-and-out. Who needs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, anyway?

Jason Taylor to start for 'Skins

2008-09-04T19:13:00.004-04:00

Here are the inactives for tonight's season opener between the Giants and Redskins. Washington defensive end Jason Taylor, considered a game-time decision with a sprained knee, will start and make his regular-season debut as a Redskin. Normal left cornerback Shawn Springs, however, is out with an injured calf. Veteran Fred Smoot is starting in his place.

For the Giants, kicker Lawrence Tynes is still recovering from preseason knee surgery and will not play. John Carney, 44 years young, was signed by Big Blue earlier in the week and will assume those duties.

Here are the rest:

Giants: RB Reuben Droughns, CB Terrell Thomas (hamstring), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia surgery), LB Jonathan Goff (back), OT Adam Koets, DE Dave Tollefson, WR Mario Manningham

Redskins: Colt Brennan (3rd QB), WR Malcolm Kelly (knee), S Kareem Moore (hamstring), OG Chad Rinehart, TE Fred Davis, DE Rob Jackson

The WR formerly known as Chad Johnson?

2008-08-29T13:03:00.005-04:00

As the election season is about to embark into full swing, it looks like Chad Johnson's doing his best to remind us of some of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Like the right to be called whatever ridiculous name you see fit.

According to a report from Miami radio station 790 The Ticket, the colorful Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco. Johnson's latest desperate attempt to call attention to himself actually has a dual purpose -- it will allow him to wear his self-appointed nickname on the back of his jersey without violating the NFL's Big Brother uniform policy.

Everybody knows this guy's not quite playing with a full deck, but you've still got to admit he knows how to entertain.

By the way, here's an interesting sidebar to yesterday's news of Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones' reinstatement by the NFL. According to The Dallas Morning News, Jones -- a noted aficionado of the strip-club scene, was eating lunch at a local Hooters when he received word that his year-long suspension would end.

No one ever said the road to recovery wasn't a long one.

Pacman's back

2008-08-28T14:02:00.004-04:00

Looks like another one of Jerry Jones' gambles is about to pay off.

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to receive word from the NFL later this afternoon that suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will be reinstated by league commissioner Roger Goodell for the 2008 regular season. The NFL has yet to make an official announcement as of now (2 p.m. EST), but a blog entry on the Cowboys' web site reported that the team has been informed of the decision.

While then a member of the Tennessee Titans, Pacman Jones sat out the entire 2007 campaign for repeated transgressions of the NFL's personal conduct policy, the most notable being an alleged involvement in a Las Vegas strip club shooting in February, 2007 that left a bouncer paralyzed. The Titans traded the talented but troubled former first-round pick to Dallas during this past April's draft in exchange for a fourth-round choice.

The standout corner/return man was allowed to participate in this year's preseason games and showed little rust from the layoff. He's expected to play a key role in nickel packages for a Dallas secondary that's shaping up as one of the deepest in the NFL, and should help the Cowboys immensely on punt returns as well. In his two eligible seasons with Tennessee, Jones took back four punts for touchdowns.

Assuming he continues to act on his best behavior, the soon-to-be 25-year-old stands a good chance of becoming the latest problem child to resurrect his career in Big D. The Cowboys brought in noted team-wrecker Terrell Owens during the 2006 offseason and have been rewarded with two straight outstanding seasons from the mercurial wide receiver, while ex-Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson was a steady contributor for the team last year after being signed shortly upon being cut loose by the Bears following a series of legal problems.

The old and new at QB

2008-08-27T12:59:00.003-04:00

The once-cloudy pictures regarding the quarterback position in a host of NFL cities became a whole lot clearer following last weekend's third series of preseason games. Some of the battle winners were expected (Chad Pennington), some a surprise (J.T. O'Sullivan), some more or less insignificant in the overall grand scheme of things (Kyle Orton beating out Rex Grossman).

To me, two of the most intriguing of the recent starting signal-caller decisions involve a pair of players at completely opposite stages of their careers. The Atlanta Falcons will waste no time ushering in the Matt Ryan era, as first-year head coach Mike Smith announced on Sunday that the rookie first-round pick will start the team's September 7 regular-season opener against Detroit. In Arizona, it's looking more and more as if 37-year-old Kurt Warner will begin the year as the Cardinals' top gunslinger and expected franchise face Matt Leinart will be starting off his third professional campaign on the bench.

Although Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt has denied the rumors, which were fueled by a report from ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Sunday, but the writing is clearly on the wall for Leinart. The former Heisman Trophy winner may have sealed his fate with a pitiful 4-for-12, three-interception effort in Saturday's exhibition matchup against Oakland. Whisenhunt has yet to formally announce a starter for Week 1, but the fact that Leinart -- the clear-cut front-runner entering training camp -- has yet to sew up the job at this late stage speaks volumes about the coaching staff's waning confidence in the 25-year-old.

In my opinion, the Cardinals are making the right move here. Warner's got the stronger arm and an obvious better grasp of the offense, not to mention he outplayed Leinart last season. Sure, having the two-time league MVP under center prevents Leinart from progressing as a quarterback. However, Arizona is in a position to win now in a wide-open NFC West division that appears to lack a dominant team, and Warner presents the best chance of doing so in the present.

Atlanta, on the other hand, is in no such position. The talent-deficient Falcons aren't going to contend with the likes of Chris Redman and Joey Harrington at quarterback anyway, so why not get a jump-start on Ryan's development? The argument against throwing the untested rookie right into the fire is the potential long-term damage that losing and struggling can do to a young player's psyche, especially ones that never experienced failure during their college years (like Matt Leinart). With Ryan, I wouldn't worry. I was in Blacksburg, Virginia's Lane Stadium that memorable night last October, watching the then-Boston College quarterback engineer two late touchdown drives in the final 2 1/2 minutes to beat my beloved Hokies after enduring an endless array of bone-jarring hits over the course of the evening.

In other words, Ryan's no basket case like Harrington.

Breaking down the injuries

2008-08-26T14:26:00.005-04:00

And we're back in business.

My apologies to those who may have scouring this blog over the last 10 days or so seeking some new information or insight. Tony and I and the rest of the NFL staff have been feverishly working over the past week on our in-depth season previews, which are now available for your viewing pleasure on our NFL page. Previews for the AFC North, South and West and the NFC East teams were posted on Monday, with the remainder of the divisions now available today.

As I'm sure you all already know, a lot has gone on around the league since our last entry. Injuries have been the most prevalent theme among the recent happenings, many of which will have lasting effects on a number of expected contenders. Here's a quick rundown on the current status of some of the star players who are hurting at the moment, and the possible impact their absences will have down the road.

Osi Umenyiora, Giants (knee): Ouch. There's little question that the Giants' improbable run to last year's Super Bowl victory wouldn't have been possible without the relentless pressure their defense placed on enemy quarterbacks throughout the season. With Michael Strahan retired (we think) and Umenyiora, who led the G-Men with 13 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl nod in 2007, done for the year after tearing his meniscus in Saturday's preseason battle with the Jets, New York's x-factor likely has been taken away. The Giants still have Justin Tuck at one end and will shift Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker into Osi's right-side spot, so the cupboard certainly isn't bare. But depth along the line has now become a huge issue for Big Blue, which will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season's league-best 53-sack total.

Of course, a return to active duty by Strahan would help solve some of those woes. I initially poo-pooed this idea when it first became speculation, believing there's no way the future Hall of Famer would want to leave his forthcoming cushy studio job at Fox and sacrifice the ultimate desire of any athlete -- the chance to go out on top. But now it seems the possibility of a comeback by the Giants' all-time sack king is growing stronger by the minute. The New York Daily News reported on Monday that Strahan's agent confirmed that the Giants have expressed interest in bringing the soon-to-be 37-year-old back and that his client is considering the idea. New York will have to pony up to lure Strahan back into the wars, but there's also no pass-rusher of his caliber currently on the market.

Shawne Merriman, Chargers (knee): The All-Pro linebacker is in Miami today meeting with a fourth doctor regarding his damaged left knee, keeping his fingers that he'll receive a different diagnosis than that of the first three specialists that drew the same conclusion -- that Merriman should undergo season-ending surgery. The 24-year-old is determined to be a part of a Chargers season that has a legitimate shot of ending in a Super Bowl, even if it means jeopardizing his long-term health. It sounds like Merriman is going to try to put off the inevitable for as long as he can, but I give him zero chance of making it through the year without missing any time.

In the meantime, the Chargers are prepping intriguing second-year pro Jyles Tucker for an extended role in 2008. The undrafted free agent showed plenty of promise in spot duty last year, including a three-sack, two forced fumble performance in the regular-season finale against the Raiders. The organization has shown its faith in Tucker by rewarding him with a five-year extension on Monday. He's no Merriman, but San Diego looks to have enough talent to get by if its best defensive player is forced to sit out the season.

Chad Johnson, Bengals (shoulder): Ocho Cinco says he'll be able to play through a partially-torn labrum in his left shoulder, but there are plenty of indicators that the Bengals are greatly concerned of whether the attention-starved wideout will be able to hold up. Warning sign No. 1 was the team's re-signing of problem child Chris Henry last week, just four months after president Mike Brown steadfastly swore that talented but troubled receiver would never don the tiger stripes ever again. Then came Monday's ESPN report that Cincinnati is shopping running back Rudi Johnson with the hope of obtaining a wide receiver in return. Good luck with that one. I doubt teams will be lining up for a player in obvious decline, hasn't been healthy during training camp and is a good bet to be released this weekend with the preseason re-emergence of Chris Perry as a contributor to the Bengals' backfield mix.

Peyton Manning, Colts (knee): Manning's status for the September 7 regular-season opener against Chicago appeared to be in question following Indianapolis' star quarterback's summer surgery to remove an infected bursa sac from his knee, but those fears are beginning to be alleviated. The Colts activated the two-time league MVP from the active/physically able to perform list on Tuesday, and Manning is expected to begin practicing for the first time since the procedure today. That should leave him plenty of time to get ready for Week 1. Remember, Manning hasn't missed a game since joining the NFL in 1998, having started 160 consecutive contests.

Tom Brady, Patriots (foot): Come on. Brady's been listed on the Pats' injury report with a right shoulder problem three years running, and all he's done during that time is throw for nearly 12,500 yards and 100 touchdowns. New England had Randy Moss sit out practices for virtually all of last year's camp with an alleged hamstring problem, and we all remember how that worked out. The master of the cloak-and-dagger, Bill Belichick, is likely taking the same approach with Brady's mysterious foot injury. He won't need much practice time to take apart the Chiefs in Week 1.

Vikings encountering rough seas

2008-08-15T12:19:00.003-04:00

There's one every summer.

I'm referring to the one or two NFL teams that the public latches onto prior to the start of every season and touts as an emerging Super Bowl contender, usually because of exceeded expectations the previous year and/or an impressive harvesting of talent during the offseason. The Minnesota Vikings are the ones wearing that badge in 2008, with the Cleveland Browns this year's chic pick among the AFC crop.

If early preseason events are any indication, the Vikes could be headed towards the same dreaded fate of the 2006 Carolina Panthers or last year's New Orleans Saints, two other buzz teams that failed to live up to their touted billing. Minnesota is enduring a remarkable run of bad luck over the past week, with a rash of injuries befalling Brad Childress' squad to add to the recent rumors of a lengthy suspension forthcoming for valued offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie.

Minnesota's string of misfortune began in last Friday's exhibition opener, when linebacker Heath Farwell and defensive end Jayme Mitchell each suffered season-ending knee injuries in the game against Seattle. The news got worse on Tuesday, when the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that starting free safety Madieu Williams could miss up to six weeks with a neck problem.

Williams was signed away from Cincinnati in February to upgrade a secondary that was statistically one of the NFL's worst in 2007, and his possible unavailability for the first couple of regular-season games immediately throws untested rookie Tyrell Johnson into the frying pan. Because they're reserves, the losses of Farwell and Mitchell don't seem too significant at first glance. But Farwell ranks among the top echelon of special-teams performers in the league, while Mitchell's absence further weakens the depth at an already-thin position for the Vikings. Kenechi Udeze, last season's starter at left end, is recovering from leukemia and also done for the year and pass-rush specialist Brian Robison will sit out most of the preseason after recently undergoing minor leg surgery.

Word broke Thursday that McKinnie, who's had multiple brushes with the law since entering the league in 2002, will be suspended the first four regular-season games for an arrest at a Miami nightclub in February, although the NFL has yet to confirm the report. If that penalty is indeed accurate, the Vikings will be without the massive left tackle for arguably the toughest portion of their schedule. Minnesota opens the campaign with matchups against Green Bay, Indianapolis, Carolina and Tennessee.

For the record, that's a trio of 2007 playoff participants and three of the premier pass-rushing right ends (Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Kyle Vanden Bosch) in the game. Looks like Adrian Peterson will be bracing for a very heavy workload come September.

At least the Vikings don't have to worry about facing Brett Favre twice a year anymore.

O'Sullivan era to begin in San Fran?

2008-08-13T13:53:00.006-04:00

A leader in the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback battle appears to be emerging, and it's not Alex Smith. Or Shaun Hill.

Neither the former No. 1 overall pick nor the guy who filled in quite capably for an injured Smith late last season has emerged as the early preseason front-runner to run Mike Martz's intricate offense. Right now that distinction belongs to J.T. O'Sullivan, a quintessential journeyman with 26 career pass attempts over the course of his nomadic six-year professional career.

A report from Matt Maiocco from our friends at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on Tuesday stated Niners head coach Mike Nolan confirmed O'Sullivan's No. 1 status during an interview on a local radio show. The 28-year-old had been receiving the lion's share of snaps with the first-team offense over the past couple of weeks and started Friday's exhibition opener against the Raiders.

O'Sullivan, who's been on the active roster or in camp with nine teams since entering the league in 2002, didn't exactly distinguish himself in Friday's game, going 5-of-8 for 71 yards and an interception and producing zero points over four offensive series. Smith completed 5-of-9 throws for just 51 yards with the second unit.

O'Sullivan's primary advantage in the competition is his familiarity with Martz's system, not to mention the obvious faith the offensive guru has in the well-traveled quarterback. He spent last season as Jon Kitna's primary backup in Detroit, where Martz previously served as offensive coordinator.

Hill seems to be virtually eliminated from the race, as Maiocco pointed out earlier in the week that the one-time contender hasn't received any practice reps since August 6.

Here's a peek at the early returns at some of the other heated QB camp battles:

Miami: Looks like recently-signed Chad Pennington is the present and Chad Henne is the future. The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero noted on Tuesday that Pennington took 33 of the team's 58 practice snaps in Tuesday's session, with the rookie Henne getting the remainder of the reps. The Dolphins aren't going to keep four quarterbacks on the roster, so either vet Josh McCown or 2007 second-rounder John Beck are going to be somewhere else come September. Beck played a lot in Saturday's preseason game, which lends me to believe the team is showcasing him for a hopeful trade.

You're all probably aware of this by now, but Miami's Week 1 opponent is none other than Pennington's former club, the New York Jets.

Atlanta: Matt Ryan made a strong case to be the Falcons' opening-week starter with a highly-impressive NFL debut over the weekend. The ballyhooed and well-paid rookie hit on 9-of-15 attempts for 113 yards in Saturday's 20-17 loss to Jacksonville, and directed an 11-play, 74-drive that he culminated with a 25-yard touchdown strike to standout receiver Roddy White. That showing has got to be music to the ears of Arthur Blank and the rest of the Falcons' brass that are desperately seeking a new franchise face and image makeover in the wake of last year's Michael Vick saga.

Ryan's status for Atlanta's regular-season opener may hinge on the performance of a shaky offensive line that yielded five sacks to the Jaguars on Saturday. The Falcons aren't about to send their $72 million investment out on the field in a real game without assurances the front wall isn't at least reasonably sound.

Baltimore: Former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith began camp with the inside track on the Week 1 starting job, but the more experienced Kyle Boller seems to be closing the gap. Boller received the opening nod in Thursday's game with New England and was reasonably sharp, while Smith was an erratic 5-for-12 for 74 yards. Boller played most of the first half and completed 11-of-15 passes for 102 yards, but also had two turnovers (one interception, one fumble). Rookie Joe Flacco, the team's first-round selection back in April, is running way behind the top two.

Smith will get a chance to redeem himself this weekend, as head coach John Harbaugh announced after the New England game that the second-year pro will start this Saturday's test with Minnesota.

Chicago: No clear-cut favorite has yet to emerge in the Kyle Orton-Rex Grossman showdown. Orton got the start in Thursday's preseason lid-lifter against Kansas City and was a decent 7-of-10 for 56 yards. Grossman made good on only 4-of-8 throws for 44 yards but did toss a touchdown pass, although it was a dump-off that reserve running back Garrett Wolfe took 25 yards to paydirt.

Grossman will get his crack with the ones when he starts at Seattle this coming Saturday.

Lastly, I'll follow the lead of my compatriots and offer my take on Springsteen's top five albums. As an '80's child, there's arguably a bit of bias from that era on my part, but hey, beauty's in the eye of the beholder.

1. Nebraska -- An understated masterpiece. I like my coffee black and my music dark, and the haunting title track and "State Trooper" are two of the spookiest pieces in the Springsteen catalog. "Atlantic City" and "Highway Patrolman" make my list of all-time favs as well.
2. Darkness on the Edge of Town -- The predecessor of The Boss' melancholy trilogy, this one's so good that some of the unused songs ("Because the Night", "Fire") were turned into big hits by other artists.
3. Born to Run - The definitive Springsteen album, a perfect blend of fist-pumping anthems and somber tales of defeat.
4. Born In the U.S.A. -- Some may dismiss it as a pop album. I tend to view it more as Nebraska with catchier hooks and a lot more sheen.
5. The River -- The title track alone puts this in my top five. Would be higher, but I think there's a little too much filler.

At the half...it's Bruce!

2008-08-12T20:32:00.002-04:00

OK, we're a little late with this one, but we had to chime in on the published rumor (unconfirmed by the league) that Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band have been selected as the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.

As a major Springsteen fan, I'm way more pumped about this than, say, Saturday's preseason matchup between the Cardinals and Chiefs.

So in honor of this thrilling revelation, here are boxing editor (and contributing NFL Editor) Lyle Fitzsimmons' top five Springsteen albums (comments by Lyle).

1. Greetings from Asbury Park -- "Lost in the Flood" might be the greatest song no one knows.
2. Born to Run -- "Born to Run," meanwhile, is the greatest song everyone knows.
3. The Rising -- More than any other wannabe patriot or lyricist, he got it right after 9/11.
4. Born in the USA -- Just a great, fun rock album... period. Even if Reagan didn't get the title track.
5. Tunnel of Love -- If you're 20 and hear it, you say, "ho hum." If you're 35, you say, "damn, this guy's good."

now, here are mine...

1. Darkness On the Edge of Town - Not sure which I like better, the darkness or the cynicism.
2. The River - The first disc of this two-disc set contains anthem after anthem.
3. Tunnel of Love - More darkness, more cynicism.
4. Nebraska - The first song is about a serial killer, after that it gets gloomy.
5. Greetings from Asbury Park - The classic debut. I'm guessing they won't do "For You" in Tampa.

Early prediction on the Super Bowl setlist, "Born to Run," "Glory Days," "Hungry Heart," "Dancing In the Dark."...in no particular order.

Preseason Week 1...Yawn (Mostly)

2008-08-10T21:23:00.002-04:00

Not that Week 1 of the NFL preseason is usually chock full of interesting storylines, but this one was a yawner even by those ground-scraping standards. After the Brett Favre saga of the preceding month, I guess a return to some semblance of normality (I hate the word normalcy) was inevitable. And yes, I know the potentially most interesting game is to come, the Packers/Bengals tilt at Lambeau Field on Monday.

But until then...

The most notable injury of the week came to Steelers backup QB Charlie Batch, who will be out an estimated 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone. Pittsburgh signed Byron Leftwich to take his place on Sunday, and if Leftwich plays well and picks up the offense, don't count on Batch being a Steeler much longer. Otherwise, not a lot of headline-grabbing stuff. Here are some one-line synopses.

Lions 13, Giants 10 - Giants QB David Carr (10-of-13, 104 yards, 1 TD) looked decent, for a change.

Jets 24, Browns 20 - Fourth-round Jets draft pick Dwight Lowery helped his case for a roster spot by intercepting a pass and also returning a punt 62 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Ravens 16, Patriots 15 - Kyle Boller (11-of-15, 102 yards) passed it better than Troy Smith (5-of-12, 74 yards) and Joe Flacco (0-for-3, 0 yards), but Boller also committed two turnovers.

Cardinals 24, Saints 10 - Matt Leinart (7-of-8, 91 yards) and Drew Brees (6-of-7, 40 yards, 1 TD) both looked sharp, but Kurt Warner didn't play for some reason.

Chiefs 24, Bears 20 - Neither Kyle Orton (7-of-10, 56 yards) nor Rex Grossman (4-of-8, 44 yards, 1 TD) was horrible for the Bears.

Steelers 16, Eagles 10 - Rashard Mendenhall (7 carries, 34 yards) and Willie Parker (3 carries, 20 yards) both ran it a little for Pittsburgh.

Seahawks 34, Vikings 17 - The Vikings defense looked sort of clueless, giving up 17 points in the first quarter before the Seahawks went to backups.

Raiders 18, 49ers 6 - None of the 49ers quarterbacks - J.T. O'Sullivan (5-of-8, 73 yards), Alex Smith (5-of-9, 51 yards), or Shaun Hill (10-of-20, 83 yards, 1 INT) - led a touchdown drive.

Redskins 17, Bills 14 - Rookie wideout James Hardy (Indiana) made immediate headlines (the good kind) for Buffalo, catching a 16-yard touchdown pass from J.P. Losman.

Panthers 23, Colts 20 (OT) - Carolina fans must be groaning after Jake Delhomme was just 0-for-1 passing on a pair of series.

Jaguars 20, Falcons 17 - Matt Ryan was a solid 9-of-15 for 113 yards and a 25-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White in his first appearance as a Falcon.

Buccaneers 17, Dolphins 6 - Ricky Williams (5 carries, 31 yards) and Ronnie Brown (3 carries, 4 yards) both played for Miami.

Texans 19, Broncos 16 - Denver's two most notable running backs - Selvin Young (4 carries, 3 yards) and Michael Pittman (5 carries, 13 yards) - had forgettable nights.

Titans 34, Rams 13 - Titans 1st-round rookie Chris Johnson scored on an electrifying 66-yard touchdown run.

Chargers 31, Cowboys 17 - With LaDainian Tomlinson again sitting out the preseason, Chargers rookie Jacob Hester (LSU) carried 13 times for 49 yards and scored two touchdowns.

What to watch for: Thursday

2008-08-07T15:28:00.003-04:00

Lost in the shock and awe emanating from the Brett Favre trade are the five preseason openers on tonight's docket. Here's a brief synopsis of each:

New Orleans at Arizona: I mentioned this game first only because it's the lone nationally-televised one of tonight's crop. In reality, this is one of the least significant matchups of the preseason's first week. Neither team has much in the way of position battles, and both will be sitting any key player who's even remotely less than 100 percent. Those tuning in to see Jeremy Shockey's debut as a Saint will be disappointed -- the brash tight end is sitting out as he recovers from last December's broken leg.

Don't expect to see Shockey double-fisting in a University of Phoenix Stadium luxury box this time around, either.

Baltimore at New England, Kansas City at Chicago: Both of these tilts will provide the initial backdrop for two key training-camp quarterback competitions. New Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced on Tuesday that Kyle Boller will start against the Patriots, although most insiders view that decision as one based solely on seniority. Former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith is considered Baltimore's front-runner to start Week 1 and can cement that status with a good showing tonight. First-round pick Joe Flacco should also see extensive action, but he's running behind in the race at this stage.

In Chicago, Kyle Orton will get the first crack with the starting unit in his bid to wrest the starting job away from the much-maligned Rex Grossman, although both combatants are expected to receive an equal number of snaps against the Chiefs. If neither impresses on Thursday, it would be no surprise if the Bears set their sights on the newly-released Chad Pennington.

The Chiefs, a team that could conceivably be even worse than last year's four-win disaster, will not have either of their two first-round draft choices, offensive tackle Branden Albert (foot) and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (knee), available.

New York Jets at Cleveland: This one clearly lost some of its luster with the Jets' acquisition of Favre, which put an end to the looming battle between Pennington and third-year pro Kellen Clemens before it really even began. There's no QB controversy in Cleveland either, no matter what the Brady Quinn fanatics would like us all to believe. The Golden Dome-backers should get plenty of chances to see their hero under center tonight.

New York Giants at Detroit: There's little preseason intrigue regarding the defending Super Bowl champs now that Shockey has been jettisoned out of town and Michael Strahan's taken his act to the television studios. Fantasy enthusiasts may want to pay close attention to the Lions' offensive backfield over the coming weeks, though. Former Broncos retread Tatum Bell currently tops the team's depth chart at running back but figures to be pushed hard by rookie Kevin Smith, Detroit's third-round pick back in April who enjoyed a prolific career at Central Florida.

So...what'd I miss?

2008-08-07T14:49:00.002-04:00

Had to go out of town for a couple of days, and had a feeling that the second I bolted my front door the Brett Favre situation would finally come to a head. And it did. Murphy's Law.

Late Wednesday night, the Packers dealt Favre to the Jets for a conditional 2009 Draft pick. The worst pick Green Bay will have is a fourth-rounder, the team will receive a third-rounder if Favre plays more than 50 percent of the Jets' snaps in 2008, a second-rounder if he plays more than 70 percent of the snaps and New York makes the playoffs, and a first-rounder if he takes 80 percent of the snaps and the Jets win the Super Bowl. Let's remember that that would be the final pick of the first round.

Also, it has been reported that the Packers will get three first-round picks from the Jets if they turn around and trade Favre to a team in the NFC North. Crafty move there.

On the flip side, the Jets will get either a fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-round 2010 pick from the Packers if Favre plays just one year with the Jets then retires.

The collateral damage here was that the Jets were forced to part ways with Chad Pennington, who replaces Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich as the free agent quarterback of primary interest around the league. Pennington lacks arm strength and is somewhat fragile from an injury standpoint, but the fact that he's smart and you can win with him make him attractive. Look for the QB-hungry Dolphins and Bears to show the most interest. Look for the Vikings and Bucs to stay away, since Pennington would be viewed by their fan bases as a consolation prize following the very public courtship of Favre on the part of both organizations.

So, how do I think Favre will fare with the Jets? My guess is that he'll be good, not great, and certainly better than Pennington or Kellen Clemens would have been. I'll make the comparison to Steve McNair in his first year with the Ravens. McNair, too, had played for one organization for his entire career and was thrown into the fire late after a June 8th trade. McNair's knowledge of Baltimore's playbook was limited, and though he didn't put up huge numbers, he was a tremendous leader and pulled out several games late in a 13-3 campaign for the Ravens. I expect Favre to have the same type of impact.

Does Favre make the Jets a playoff team? I think he does, but I thought an improved Jets club was going to win 9-10 games and be on the cusp of the postseason even without him. Does he make them a 12-13 win team that can challenge New England at the top of the division? I think not, but he will give Jets fans plenty of hope every time he takes the field. And that has to be worth something.

What's next for Pennington?

2008-08-07T12:30:00.005-04:00

As I'm sure you all know by now, Brett Favre is officially a Jet, which means that Chad Pennington probably soon won't be.

Before I speculate on where Pennington may soon be landing, here's the particulars on the Packers-Jets trade, as reported by the NFL Network's Adam Schefter. Green Bay will receive a conditional fourth-round draft choice in 2009 that will turn into a third if Favre participates in 50 percent of the Jets' plays this upcoming season. If the 38-year-old is involved in 70 percent of the plays and New York makes the playoffs, the Packers will get a second-round pick. And if the Jets somehow reach the Super Bowl and Favre takes 80 percent of the snaps, Green Bay gets next year's first-rounder from New York.

It's a relatively low-cost move for the Jets, who could potentially have an extra second-round selection next year as a result of the Jonathan Vilma trade to New Orleans. It's also a pretty clear signal that the team has serious reservations about third-year pro Kellen Clemens as its quarterback of the future. At the very least, having Favre around for a year or (maybe) two should help convince a few fans to dole out their life savings for the exorbitant PSL's the franchise will soon be charging to pay for its new stadium.

The deal certainly carries greater risk for Green Bay considering the unproven commodity that is Aaron Rodgers, but at least it gets Favre out of the NFC and more importantly -- out of the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.

It's widely believed that Pennington, who when healthy had served as the Jets' regular signal-caller from 2002 until being supplanted by Clements midway through last season, will receive his release -- perhaps as soon as this afternoon. The heady 32-year-old will surely be looking for an opportunity to start, although I'm not sure many teams will be craving an injury-prone guy with questionable arm strength who hasn't been the same player since undergoing two major shoulder surgeries a few years back.

The team probably most linked as Pennington's next destination is Kansas City, where Pennington would be reunited with former head coach Herm Edwards. The Chiefs could use an established vet to compete with youngsters Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen, but keep in mind that KC is committed to a full-scale youth movement and still views Croyle as one of the centerpieces of those long-range plans.

Miami has been mentioned as a possible suitor as well, probably because Bill Parcells drafted Pennington while the Jets' GM back in 2000. The Dolphins do have some QB concerns, but I don't see that as a real good fit. Parcells likes his quarterbacks big and strong (i.e. Drew Bledsoe, Vinny Testaverde), and by all accounts Josh McCown has been pretty solid during camp as the caretaker until the Fish deem Chad Henne ready for action.

Here's an interesting thought: How about Chad Pennington as a New England Patriot?

Obviously, Pennington would have to swallow his pride as a backup in this scenario, but he's a far better insurance policy for Tom Brady than current understudies Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez. Plus he's got a strong connection with Randy Moss, Pennington's former teammate at Marshall who remains a good friend of the quarterback.

Finally, there's the revenge factor. It's hard to envision a better way for Pennington to stick it to his former employer than possibly winning a championship with his ex-club's most hated rival.

UPDATE (4 P.M. EST): The Jets have officially released Pennington to make room for Favre on the 80-man camp roster.

Jets back in Favre mix?

2008-08-06T12:19:00.004-04:00

Buccaneers fans may want to hold off on ordering those No. 4 pewter jerseys for a little while.

Reports now indicate that the New York Jets have re-emerged as a candidate in the Brett Favre sweepstakes. A blog entry in this morning's Green Bay Post-Gazette stated that the Jets and Bucs are now engaged in a "bidding war" for the future Hall of Fame quarterback's services, and that New York has offered Packers GM Ted Thompson the best offer among the two suitors.

As I wrote earlier, the Tampa Tribune had previously stated this morning that a trade between the Packers and Buccaneers was likely and could be completed as soon as today.

Sending Favre to the Jets would make a whole lot more sense for Green Bay, both from a strategic and emotional standpoint. As an AFC team, the Jets wouldn't be in direct competition with the Pack for a playoff spot and they're also not on Green Bay's 2008 schedule. Tampa Bay hosts the Packers in Week 4.

It was initially believed that Favre did not want to play for the Jets, but a recent story in The Sporting News quoted the King's agent, Bus Cook, as saying his client would be open to a trade to either New York or Tampa.

Of course, Favre still has the right to change his mind. We're all well aware of that.

Favre finally jumping ship?

2008-08-06T07:52:00.003-04:00

It appears the Packers are getting closer to trading Brett Favre, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be the likely suitors.

The Tampa Tribune reported early Wednesday morning that a long-anticipated swap between the Packers and Bucs involving Favre will soon become a reality, and that the deal could be finalized as early as sometime today.

We'll have further details as events unfold.

What a weekend

2008-08-05T12:28:00.006-04:00

Although there's still a month to go before the 2008 NFL season kicks off, there's been plenty of news coming out of camps to whet fans' appetites over the past few days. For those who spent their weekend getting away from it all, here's just some of what you may have missed:

First there was Friday's well-documented skirmish between Carolina Panthers teammates Steve Smith and Ken Lucas and the subsequent team-issued two-game suspension levied to Smith for instigating the fracas. As Tony previously mentioned, the Panthers' hard-line stance and harsh edict caught just about all of us observers off guard. I wouldn't expect any lasting repercussions from the incident, however, and don't count on Carolina getting rid of its most dynamic offensive player as a result. Sure, Smith's volatile personality can be a drain on his coaches and teammates, but the wideout's production and playmaking ability far outweigh whatever headaches he may cause.

Saturday was Hall of Fame day, with former Washington Redskin greats Darrell Green and Art Monk headlining the six new entrants into pro football's shrine of immortality. Neither the ceremony nor Sunday's preseason opener between the Redskins and Indianapolis Colts had much to offer the TV viewer, although Jason Campbell's brief performance under center did make an impression on me. The fourth-year quarterback looked sharp and comfortable running the new offense installed by Washington head coach Jim Zorn, which has some similarities to the system Campbell excelled in as a collegian at Auburn. If the Redskins are going to be a factor in the heavy-duty NFC East, they're going to need a big year out of their young signal-caller.

By the way, the 'Skins released safety Stuart Schweigert on Monday, one day after the former Raiders starter was toasted for a long touchdown by Colts' fourth-string receiver Onrea Jones in the Hall of Fame Game. If anything, the move lends some support to my hunch that Washington will take a hard look at the recently-released John Lynch relatively soon.

The Green Bay Packers managed to solve one lingering problem over the weekend, as the club came to terms with holdout running back Ryan Grant on a four-year contract extension. Of course, this bit of info was overshadowed by Sunday's arrival of a certain veteran quarterback to Packers camp.

As for the Favre saga, there are at least two things that are finally beginning to come clear. One is the likelihood that the franchise icon will not be playing football for the Green Bay Packers come September. Don't believe the reports of the forthcoming "open competition" between Favre and the star-crossed Aaron Rodgers during camp -- if the Pack had any real desire of having No. 4 back as their starting quarterback, they would have welcomed him into the fold weeks ago.

What's also becoming evident is that the Packers have backed themselves into a no-win situation from a PR standpoint. The organization took a major hit with the revelation of the reported $20 million dollar offer it gave Favre to remain retired, and the inevitable ridding of one of the most idolized players in team history clearly is not going to sit well with Green Bay's ultra-loyal fan base. Now if Favre does indeed wind up on another team this fall and stinks up the joint like he did in 2005, or if Rodgers shines in his long-awaited opportunity and leads the Pack on a deep playoff run, GM Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy will have at least some measure of vindication in the public eye.

All I know is, with each passing day in this never-ending soap opera, the odds grow stronger that the Waffle King will eventually get what he really wants out of this scenario -- the chance to further his bloated legacy by humiliating his soon-to-be former employers on the playing field in an enemy uniform.

As Exhibitions Go...

2008-08-04T15:51:00.003-04:00

Anyone catch that game last night?

If not, the final was Redskins 30, Colts 16. It was mildly entertaining at times, which is really all you can ask of the preseason. No Peyton Manning or Jason Taylor, though Taylor was at least available for an interview with Adam Schefter on the sideline.

Sixth-round rookie Colt Brennan (9-of-10 passing, 123 yards, 2 TD) played extremely well for the Redskins, and before you denounce his numbers for coming against third-stringers, you should note that the Colts' Jared Lorenzen (12-of-21 passing, 93 yards, 1 INT) fared much worse against similar competition. Based on that performance, don't expect Lorenzen to be a Colt very long.

Not sure what this means, but the Redskins are now 5-0 in the Hall of Fame Game. They also won the event in 1965, 1975, 1989, and 2004. They made the playoffs in none of those previous seasons, but finished with winning records in '75 (8-6) and '89 (10-6).

Don't Count on Me Being Right

2008-08-02T14:10:00.004-04:00

So, how'd that Steve Smith prediction work out for you, Moss?

Hours after I predicted Smith wouldn't miss any meaningful time after his scrap with teammate Ken Lucas, much of the world began reporting that the Panthers have suspended Smith for two regular season games.

I'm extremely surprised, to say the least, based on how similar incidents in the past have been handled by teams (see previous post).

But I have a feeling I know why this one is being viewed differently. The Bill Romanowski and Michael Westbrook incidents occurred during the reign of commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who looked the other way on many matters of law and order around his domain. Roger Goodell has taken a tougher stance, and the Panthers may have feared the league's involvement if the team didn't take a pre-emptive measure such as this one. It's possible that the NFL would have come up with a penalty greater than two games.

There is also the matter of Ken Lucas being a respected veteran player, not a nobody like Marcus Williams. The Panthers organization might have feared a divided locker room if Smith was allowed to walk away from this incident unscathed.

Saturday's move will be billed as sending a message to Smith and the rest of the team about bad behavior, but I believe it had much more to do with pacifying the league and the locker room than anything else.

Don't Count on the Panthers Suspending Smith

2008-08-02T11:16:00.004-04:00

One day after his reported rumble with teammate Ken Lucas came to light, it is being reported that the Panthers are mulling over whether to suspend Steve Smith. Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. The Panthers might make some toothless gesture like suspending the perennial Pro Bowler for a preseason game, but there's little chance he'll miss anything meaningful.

The most prominent NFL teammate fights in recent memory (Bill Romanowski vs. Marcus Williams, Michael Westbrook vs. Stephen Davis) did not elicit suspensions. Laughably, Romanowski was suspended for one quarter of a preseason game (Williams, whose orbital bone was fractured in the fracas, later sued him), while Westbrook was fined $50,000 but missed no time.

And of course, the elephant in the room is that, other than arguably Jake Delhomme, there's not a player Carolina can ill-afford to lose more at this point than Smith. The Panthers won't admit that's a factor, but common sense says that it is.

Ready for some football?

2008-08-01T11:38:00.005-04:00

Although it's tough to label Sunday's Hall of Fame Game between the Colts and Redskins under the category of NFL football, considering the majority of the participants of the league's annual preseason lid-lifter will either likely be searching for real jobs in a month or soon living out the dream of scout-team duty. And with the new 80-man camp roster limitations making coaches even less reluctant to risk injuries to starters, those tuning in this weekend can expect to get a heavy dose of the likes of Jared Lorenzen (pardon the pun), Marcus Mason (that's Washington's fourth-string running back) and Byron Westbrook (that's Brian's little bro, a reserve cornerback/return man for the Skins).

Two guys you won't be seeing on Sunday are Colts quarterback and franchise icon Peyton Manning and Washington's recent big-ticket acquisition, defensive end/Hollywood wanna-be Jason Taylor. Manning's working his way back from recent knee surgery, while Taylor is one of several Redskins regulars who aren't expected to suit up for the contest.

Both of Indy's top two defenders, safety Bob Sanders and end Dwight Freeney, also won't play as they both mend from offseason surgery. Two other starters, middle linebacker Gary Brackett (hip) and guard Ryan Lilja (knee), are also nicked up and will sit this one out. Longtime wideout Marvin Harrison, who's reportedly showed no signs of the nagging knee problems that wrecked his 2007 campaign, is planning to run out with the Colts' first-team offense for the unit's designated one-to-two series.

Running back Clinton Portis (rest), offensive tackle Chris Samuels (elbow), linebacker London Fletcher (rest) and safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) are among a truckload of Redskin vets that won't be in action. Washington has been hit as hard as any team by the injury bug during the early stages of camp.

I was hoping to tune in and see how highly-touted rookie receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas fare in Jim Zorn's newly-installed West Coast offense, but both Washington youngsters will also miss the game because of injured hamstrings.

Should be a very-pro Washington crowd in Canton, as the Burgundy and Gold faithful will no doubt be flocking to witness the enshrinement of legendary former Skins Darrell Green and Art Monk into the Hall on Saturday.

You can check out Tony Moss' preview of Sunday's tilt here.

Prediction: Favre Will Say No to Packers' Blood Money

2008-08-01T10:42:00.004-04:00

If you think the Brett Favre saga is nearing a resolution, you're nuts. Either that, or I am (hopefully my wife doesn't feel compelled to leave a comment here).

It is now being widely reported that the Packers have essentially offered Favre $20 million cash and a lifelong front office role with the team if he agrees to remain retired.

If Green Bay ever had any illusions of winning the P.R. battle in this situation, they're pretty much gone for good. Favre just got a belt-high, 82-mile-per hour fastball, and all he has to do is take a normal swing to hit the game-winning grand slam. (Don't you love sports metaphors that describe sports-related situations?)

Now, all Favre needs to do is leave the $20 million on the table ($20 million he doesn't really need, by the way), and he'll forever be the conquering hero who's just in it for the love of the game. I would be completely and utterly shocked if he takes the money and runs, understanding full well that he'll tarnish his legacy with such a move.

No matter how much Favre claims to be considering the offer, this latest development makes it look to me like he is only closer to becoming a Minnesota Viking, not further away.

Could Garcia Injury Change the Game in TB?

2008-07-31T12:05:00.006-04:00

That Brett Favre-to-Tampa Bay talk looked set to heat up once again when it was reported Thursday morning that Bucs starting quarterback Jeff Garcia had been carted off the field with a leg injury.

The Tampa Tribune is now reporting that the injury, to Garcia's calf, is not believed to be serious, though you have to wonder if it will get head coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen thinking.

Garcia played generally well last season, but he's 38 and missed a handful of games due to injury during his first season in Tampa. Brian Griese, Luke McCown, and Chris Simms are all nominally vying for backup duties behind Garcia, but due to the team's selection of intriguing project Josh Johnson (San Diego) in the fifth round of the April draft, it would seem that two members of the Griese/McCown/Simms triumvirate will be odd-men-out if they fail to nail down backup duties. (Simms, who has publicly fueded with Gruden, has as much a chance of winning a job as I do.)

Thus, though the Bucs might look to be deep at the QB position at present, they could end up with a depth chart including two journeyman 30-something quarterbacks (both of whom have an injury history), and a rookie who isn't ready to play.

Favre might be pushing 40, but he's also more durable and dependable than any QB the team currently employs. Could Thursday morning's events spark a re-evaluation of the depth chart in Tampa?

Forgot about Peters

2008-07-31T11:57:00.005-04:00

My first fumble of the season.

In Tuesday's post where I gave an overview of some of the major camp holdouts, I neglected to mention the absence of standout offensive tackle Jason Peters from the Buffalo Bills' training facility. The fifth-year pro, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season, is seeking a contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the game.

Peters, a former college tight end and practice squad member who has developed into one of the league's premier left tackles, did sign a five-year, $15 million extension prior to the 2006 season, but that's a below-market value for a top-tier player at such an important position. In comparison, the Titans signed Vince Young's personal protector Michael Roos to a six-year, $43 million deal with $15 million guaranteed in April, and Roos isn't quite in Peters' class.

No. 1 overall pick Jake Long got a five-year, $57 million contract, with $30 million in guarantees, by the Dolphins prior to this year's draft before even playing a down in the NFL.

This standoff has the potential to linger deep into August and possibly beyond, as it seems the two sides are far apart in negotiations and the Bills have refused to resume talks until Peters reports. Plus Peters' agent, Eugene Parker, is a very busy man these days, as he's also the representative for current camp no-shows Steven Jackson and Ryan Grant.

On the positive side, Buffalo has shown a willingness to lock up key players this offseason. The club worked out long-term extensions for defensive tackle Kyle Williams and right guard Brad Butler in recent months and has had preliminary discussions with wide receiver Lee Evans on a new contract. The Bills have playoff aspirations in 2008 and are fully aware that Peters is an essential element towards the team reaching those goals.

Meanwhile, there's a controversy brewing in Denver regarding longtime safety John Lynch. The Rocky Mountain News reported that the perennial Pro Bowler skipped out on a team meeting Tuesday night as well as Wednesday's practice, and his four-year tenure with the Broncos may be coming to an abrupt end in a matter of days. The 36-year-old is running behind free-agent signee Marlon McCree and fourth-year pro Hamza Abdullah at the two safety spots during camp, and appears unwilling to embark on a 16th NFL season while playing a reduced role.

Lynch had been mulling retirement before agreeing to a one-year contract at a lesser salary in February. That may be an option for the engaging Stanford grad, who could get a jump-start on an possible broadcasting career. If Lynch decides to keep playing, I wouldn't be surprised if he garners strong interest from the Redskins. Washington could use an in-the-box run stopper in the defensive backfield, and he'd be a perfect tutor for 2007 first-round pick LaRon Landry and fellow youngster Reed Doughty.

I'll have more on the Redskins later on in the day with a look at Sunday's annual Hall of Fame Game, in which Washington and Indianapolis will kick off the 2008 exhibition season.

A Glenn-Parcells reunion?

2008-07-30T12:55:00.005-04:00

Here's a little tidbit from our friends at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

The paper reported on Tuesday that recently-released Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn will likely soon be heading to Dallas East -- aka the Miami Dolphins. The veteran wideout, who's still working his way back from a serious knee injury that limited him to just two games (including Dallas' playoff loss to the eventual champion Giants) a year ago, was finally cut loose by the Cowboys last week following a lengthy dispute over an injury waiver related to his troublesome right knee.

The move comes as no surprise, and not just because the Dolphins are in desperate need of some established depth at the wide receiver position. Glenn, of course, has a long history with Miami czar Bill Parcells that dates all the way back to 1996, when he was a rookie in New England and the Big Tuna was still the head coach of the Patriots. Plus there's the fact that virtually every Cowboys castoff during the offseason has found his way onto the current Dolphins' roster.

Continuing with the Cowboys, there's been plenty of talk that the team is on the lookout for an upgrade over the aging Brad Johnson as quarterback Tony Romo's primary backup. A name that has often popped up is that of former University of Texas star Chris Simms, who's presently buried as the fourth-string signal-caller for the quarterback-heavy Buccaneers. Simms hasn't played since 2006, but he's still young (will be 28 on Aug. 29) and shown he can be a serviceable starter in the past.

Holdout update

2008-07-29T21:13:00.004-04:00

While The Waffle King (what Mr. Favre will be referred as in this and subsequent posts) continues to dominate the headlines, a few other NFL teams are currently dealing with a few camp distractions of their own, primarily in the form of player holdouts. The most significant one is taking place in St. Louis, where Rams running back Steven Jackson's sit-out of training camp reached its fourth day on Tuesday. The fourth-year pro is campaigning for a substantial upgrade of the $1.71 million salary he is slated to receive in the final year of his rookie deal.

Jackson's ploy is similar to the one used by Chicago Bears receiver/return man Devin Hester, who staged a two-day protest that resulted in a four-year, $30 million extension. Interestingly, Jackson and Hester are both represented by agent Eugene Parker.

Rams fans shouldn't sweat this one, as all indications are that there's no acrimony between player and management and the team appears willing to negotiate a long-term agreement. At worst, Jackson will probably play out his final year and hit unrestricted free agency in 2009, where the 25-year-old will surely strike gold on the open market.

The Favre soap opera has overshadowed another brewing controversy in Titletown -- the absence of Ryan Grant from Packers camp. The second-year running back, who's due to make just $370,000 this season, is also seeking a multi-year deal after his breakthrough 2007 campaign. This impasse has the potential to get downright nasty, as Grant and his representative were reportedly quite miffed at Green Bay's proposed signing bonus that apparently was sizeably less than the one the team recently doled out to linebacker Brady Poppinga, a player who isn't even guaranteed a starting job in 2008.

As if Packers GM Ted Thompson doesn't have enough headaches right now, considering the Waffle King's situation and a looming felony drug case hanging over defensive tackle Johnny Jolly's head.

Grant's clearly deserving of a raise after rushing for more than 900 yards over the final 10 regular-season games last year, but he also doesn't hold a whole lot of leverage. He's not eligible for free agency for another two years, and word out of Green Bay is that Brandon Jackson, the Pack's second-round draft pick last year and a more physically gifted player than Grant, has been extremely impressive in the early stages of camp.

The other notable veteran holdout resides in Philadelphia, where All-Pro guard Shawn Andrews remains an mysterious MIA. Andrews' issues don't seem to be financially related -- he signed a seven-year, $40 million extension in 2006 -- but rather some sort of unexplained personal matter. Speculation here is the guy known as "The Big Kid" will get a clear head once the grueling two-a-days reach a close, a la Michael Strahan.

Eagles head coach/vice president Andy Reid is also having to deal with a couple of unhappy campers in running back Brian Westbrook (contract) and cornerback Lito Sheppard (playing time), although both players reported on time.

A trio of top 10 overall choices -- Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (#7), Jaguars defensive end Derrick Harvey (#8) and Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers (#9) -- also remain unsigned in the opening week of camps. All three are viewed by their respective organizations as potential Week 1 starters.

UPDATE: The Saints agreed to terms with Ellis on a five-year contract on Tuesday night. I would expect both Harvey and Rivers to fall in line relatively soon.

Kicking things off

2008-07-29T19:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings, NFL fans! We here at The Sports Network have officially launched our blog for the 2008 season (and beyond), and I've been designated as the primary caretaker of this long-overdue venture. We believe this feature will enhance our expanding NFL coverage and give our readers a more in-depth look at the daily goings-on around the league, along with (hopefully) providing some useful, interesting and informative analysis as well. Believe it or not, the drawn-out saga of a certain now-unretired quarterback in Green Bay isn't the only storyline coming out of team camps right now.

I'll be posting daily with breaking news and offering my commentary on the hot topics from time-to-time as well. Once we get the ball rolling, I'd also love to hear what you all think -- suggestions are always welcome. You can email me at sgarabini@sportsnetwork.com.

Let's get started!