The NFL Rumor Mill
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The Falcons are exploring trade possibilities for a pair of disgruntled but productive veteran wide receivers: Oakland's Jerry Porter and Denver's Ashley Lelie.
A representative of Tennessee Titans tailback Chris Brown wants the Dolphins to know his client is interested in a change of scenery. Agent Ryan Morgan said Wednesday that the Dolphins are on Brown's list of teams where he would like to be traded. Brown's representatives have asked Titans management to deal him because the team has expressed no immediate interest in tendering a contract extension.
With negotiations essentially stalled on a contract extension for Bill Cowher, Ken Whisenhunt goes from somebody's-head-coach-before-too-long to the heir apparent in the Noll-Cowher lineage that's made winning football and
Tony Gonzalez continues to talk to the Chiefs about renegotiating his contract. The 30-year-old, seven-time Pro Bowler signed a seven-year, $31 million contract in 2002.
Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and team chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie agree on one thing: That Dawkins, a five-time Pro Bowler, should have the opportunity to finish his career as an Eagle. However, unless the team increases its initial contract offer -- a two-year deal believed to be worth $4.5 million, with close to $3 million guaranteed -- Dawkins likely will leave town following the season after telling Comcast SportsNet in a tearful, on-camera interview taped Tuesday that he "has so much left to give that it hurts," and that he "still has a lot left in the tank."
There have been rumblings that team officials are concerned about Mark Clayton's condition and could be looking at other possibilities at receiver, including a trade for disgruntled Denver Broncos receiver Ashley Lelie. Asked if the Ravens were interested in Lelie, general manager Ozzie Newsome said, "Not at this time." Clayton, who was the Ravens' third-leading receiver last season, has injured his left hamstring on two previous occasions before tweaking it again on Monday.
Cardinals starting right tackle Oliver Ross, suffered an injury to his right knee during Tuesday morning's practice and likely soon will undergo surgery. An MRI exam revealed no ligament damage but there is torn meniscus. Ross will undergo more tests and an examination when the swelling subsides. Coach Dennis Green said Ross could miss three to 10 weeks, depending on the severity of the injury. The Cardinals will look for help, but there aren't many, if any, competent offensive tackles currently unemployed. Veteran Lincoln Kennedy reportedly is trying to make a comeback after not playing the past two years.
It doesn't sound like Jeff Lurie is interested in getting a receiver for the Eagles who doesn't pass the "character test." On Wednesday, the topic of the Birds' owner's annual State Of
Two people with knowledge of the situation yesterday rebutted a radio report that the Eagles and unsigned first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley had agreed to a deal, only to see agent Gary Wichard have second thoughts and back out. The defensive tackle missed his 23d and 24th practices yesterday at Lehigh. A source familiar with negotiations said that one of the big hang-ups remains the number of years in the deal. The Eagles would like to sign Bunkley to a six-year contract, while Wichard reportedly is seeking a five-year deal.
The Jets are exploring the running-back market, according to sources, an indication the club might not think Curtis Martin will be ready for the opener, if at all. Two veteran backs could end up on the trading block - Chris Brown (Titans) and Thomas Jones (Bears). Brown already has formally requested a trade, but it was denied by
Former Panthers running back Stephen Davis, a
Paul Edinger, a free-agent kicker admired by the Packers, was in town for a workout on Wednesday morning. Edinger, 28, made 12 of 14 field-goal attempts, and one of the misses was attributed to an inferior hold. He also kicked off well. The Packers appear relatively satisfied with free agents Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner. The visit with Edinger apparently was set up before the start of training camp.
Brian Kelly wondered aloud why the Bucs organization hasn't approached him about a similar deal to Ronde Barber. "Let's start off with this: I'm excited, extremely happy for Ronde," Kelly said. "Well-deserved. But Batman always showed up with Robin. "It's a two-way street here. Hopefully, that will be recognized. Hopefully, that will be accepted. But like I said, all praises to him. Great job. It looks like a great deal."
The most important season of Donté Stallworth's career has been off to a shaky start. The fifth-year receiver, in the final year of his contract, has been running mostly with the Saints second-team offense in training camp, behind Devery Henderson. The 25-year-old receiver is not trying to put too much pressure on himself, but he knows this season is pivotal. He said he still feels like he has something to prove to himself, in addition to his teammates and new coaches.
Saying that the situation "has maybe gotten overblown a little bit," Tom Brady yesterday clarified some of the comments that were made in the piece written by Michael Silver. "Sometimes when I speak I do get a little emotional about things, but I love Deion," Brady said following the afternoon practice session at Gillette Stadium. "I love him as a person and as a player. The thing about it is I don't make any decisions here, and I don't lobby for things. I don't go into Coach Belichick's office and mention anything to him. He makes his own decisions and he and [Vice President of Player Personnel] Scott (Pioli), they do probably the best job of anybody in the league."
Retired offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy underwent medical testing at
The late Reggie White has been almost universally praised this week as his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame approaches Saturday. But another Hall of Famer, former Eagles center and linebacker Chuck Bednarik, did not contribute to the praise yesterday. Speaking with reporters after practice at Lehigh, Bednarik was asked if Reggie White was his type of player. "No," the 81-year-old Bednarik said. "I don't know why. There was something about him that distracted me from him." Asked a few minutes later if he was a Reggie White fan, Bednarik reiterated the same thought. "No, not really," he said. "I don't know. At the time there was something about him that I just despised." Then Bednarik added: "My memory is pretty bad, so I don't remember those things."
The Jaguars have a $1.4 million investment in offensive lineman Mike Williams, but it's not paying many dividends early in camp. Williams, who lost close to 40 pounds between the end of the offseason workouts and the start of camp, has missed four of the past five practices and was scheduled to see the doctor Wednesday afternoon because his back is bothering him. "We'll see what the doctor says,''
No one questions anymore whether Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware is one of the best players on the team. He is expected to be a force on the field this year. But if there was one thing missing from his game, it's a mean streak. "I wouldn't mind if he had that," Bill Parcells said. "He's a pleasant kid. I didn't say he was passive, now. He's just a nice kid." Parcells' defensive players usually need a mean streak to flourish. But he said Ware can still achieve greatness without it.
Pats DT Richard Seymour's absence from training camp is strictly physical, and in many ways precautionary. He is attending team meetings. ``He's preparing to play, and that's all I can say about it," said Eugene Parker,
The Bears wrapped up their first week of practice with running back Thomas Jones still on the sideline because of a pulled right hamstring. Jones was injured while running in a physical before the first practice of camp last Thursday, and he probably will be out another seven to 10 days. That will give Cedric Benson more time to show what he can do. Jones might miss the first two exhibition games, and you can bet you will know all about fourth-stringer P.J. Pope by then.
Tom Brady, who turns 29 today, shrugged off any suggestions that he has not participated in a few of this week's practices or was wearing a brace on his left knee because there is something seriously wrong. "Yeah, knee's fine," he said. "Just trying to be a little bit more proactive and try to take care of yourself. You see all of these quarterbacks, whose left knees get hurt -- [Cincinnati Bengals QB] Carson Palmer and [Chicago Bears QB] Brian Griese -- and the last thing you want to do is hurt your knee, so I figured I'm slow enough as it is. This thing (brace) can't slow me down much more."
The Vikings have settled their grievance case with former personnel director Fran Foley, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Terms of the arrangement were undisclosed and apparently still are being finalized. Foley had nearly $1 million remaining on his contract when the Vikings fired him May 2.
The Saints received a fourth-round pick from the Chiefs for RB Michael Bennett, a league source said. General Manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday he preferred not to trade Bennett to an NFC team, even though the St. Louis Rams reportedly had offered a fourth-round pick for Bennett after losing Marshall Faulk for the year to a knee injury. "We had a couple of opportunities," Loomis said, "but ultimately we said the best thing for our team, and the best thing for him was
Bryant Johnson, Antrel Rolle, Troy Walters and Micheal Spurlock are all vying for the Cardinals punt returner's job. Coaches are likely to use Rolle there. The top contender is Walters. Spurlock, a rookie, could contend, although he dropped one Wednesday.
Rookie Darnell Bing, a two-time All-American safety at USC, is making the transition to linebacker at the Raiders' training camp in Napa. The Raiders drafted Bing in the fourth round with the intention to move him closer to the line on defense, taking advantage of his mobility and speed -- to say nothing of the linebacker-like hits he put on opponents during his collegiate career.
The Niners continue to watch the waiver wire closely for a defensive end or cornerback.
Superlatives are swirling through Carolina Panthers training camp about the early practice performances of wide receiver Keary Colbert. Teammates and coaches say Colbert looks more like he did as a rookie in 2004 (47 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns) than he did last season when he was slowed by an ankle injury (25-282-2). "He's a different player already," quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "You can just see the way he runs his routes. He has explosion. He has separation."
The Saints have one roster spot available with Michael Bennett's departure, and several areas that desperately could use quality depth. Linebacker Anthony Simmons has yet to report, and may not, and the offensive line could also use help. The Saints are second in the waiver-wire order because of last year's 3-13 record.
Colts QB Peyton Manning said the game, in which he and Eli will become the first brothers to start against each other as NFL quarterbacks, is going to be "unique."
"That's the best word I can (use) to describe it," he said. "You throw in the fact it's in
"I think their philosophy is my mom's going to pull for both of us to stay healthy and my dad's going to pull for a lot of offense," he said.
The answer to some of the Falcons' concerns at wide receiver might not come from a free agent or a player on another roster, or even their own offense, for that matter. The answer might be Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall. The Falcons began the process Wednesday when Hall — the NFL's fastest man — spent a good chunk of practice working with the wide receivers. It was not a gimmick or even an experiment, Hall, coach Jim Mora and receivers coach George Stewart said. The Falcons feel Hall is such a potential game-breaker that they have to find ways to get the ball in his hands — especially since his opportunities for interceptions could diminish as opponents shy away from him.
Charles Rogers stood out in an unwanted way in his bid to strengthen his status on the depth chart. Rogers was not part of the Lions receivers rotation in a walk-through practice Wednesday morning. The receivers have been watched closely since the offseason workout program started in March, with speculation on who might be in and out.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis held his second news conference of training
Bengals QB Carson Palmer was not on the field for practice Wednesday night. He was believed to be inside the training facility working out. Palmer has participated in five of the seven practices as he continues to rehabilitate his surgically reconstructed left knee.
Browns center LeCharles Bentley not only vowed to return next season 100 percent recovered from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, he said he would come back a better player and a better leader. "All great people have to go through something in their life. I believe this is just one of my events that will make me the best," he said. Bentley appeared in front of the media Wednesday for the first time since injuring the knee on the first team drill of training camp on July 27 and having surgery the next day. He was characteristically upbeat and grateful for the "tremendous" support he has received from fans. He even thanked the kitchen staff at the team's facility. Bentley said he'll be "the best cheerleader in the league," even though he knows the Browns' tradition is to have no cheerleaders.
The Packers continue to downplay the sore right knee of Packers left tackle Chad Clifton even though it's forced him to miss parts or all of six practices since camp began.
Former Packers running back Dorsey Levens has been hired as an intern in the personnel department. Levens, who spent eight seasons in Green Bay and re-signed with the club this year so he could retire as a Packer, said he will work for the team this month but was unsure if it will lead to a full-time job.
The Jets are quietly making calls around the league about available running backs and nose tackles. As for running back, the condition of Curtis Martin's right knee is believed to be worse than the Jets are letting on and they're exploring the possibility of acquiring a veteran just in case.
The Saints have three blocking backs on the roster. It's unlikely either Jamar Martin or Keith Joseph will move past Mike Karney to the No. 1 spot. Karney is a barrel of a man, 5 feet 11, 258 pounds, though that might be conservative. The Saints won't set any height records with Karney and Reggie Bush (6 feet) in the backfield at the same time. However, Karney can open holes for any tailback. Because of the Saints' ability to line up tight ends in the backfield as blocking backs, Martin, an offseason free agent acquisition, and Joseph, a practice squad holdover from last year, could have trouble ending up on the roster.
If there is a problem between Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, neither is saying so. Taylor's wife, Katina Taylor, who is Thomas' sister, has filed for divorce. On Monday,
It's hard not to think the Bucs might have stolen a prospect by selecting Bruce Gradkowski in the sixth round of this year's draft. Gradkowski is the
49ers coach Mike Nolan wants to work rookie tight end Vernon Davis in slowly. "My objective is to get him to the point where he can be in there," Nolan said.
Now that CB Ronde Barber's deal is out of the way, the Bucs are expected to get cracking on deals for other players. Tops on the list are QB Chris Simms, DE Dewayne White and P Josh Bidwell. It is believed that preliminary talks aimed at signing Bidwell to a long-term deal have begun.
Colts DT Montae Reagor is expected to miss at least two weeks of practice with the sprained ligament in his knee. “He’s got a sprained ligament in there. It’s going to be awhile, it’s going to be at least two weeks,” Dungy said. “He’ll miss this first [preseason] game for sure, but it’s not anything that should jeopardize the beginning of the season.”
There is no bigger loser on the Giants than G David Diehl. With temperatures in the upper 90s yesterday and a heat index near 110, Diehl said he lost nine pounds at yesterday's morning practice. He lost nine on Tuesday, too, and another eight on Monday. "I can drink about five-six pounds back on," the 315-pound Diehl said, "But it's hard to drink back nine." The rest of the weight was added back, he said, by post-practice IVs.
Raiders RB LaMont Jordan said he would like to get 23-26 carries a game in Art Shell's new offense -- aimed at adding some punch to the running game. Shell wasn't so sure. "I also have to make sure Justin Fargas gets some carries," he said, referring to
The high heat and humidity can cause massive single-day weight loss, especially among Steelers linemen. Guard Alan Faneca lost nine pounds during Tuesday's workout. Tackle Marvel Smith could relate. "I lost 10 the day before," Smith said. "The most I ever lost was 11. For me, it's good, because I can just eat whatever I want to get that weight back on for the next day. I stay up all night and eat whatever I want ... I've got the perfect fat camp."
Terrell Owens won't catch 100 passes, as he did in 2002 for the Niners, and the Cowboys will not radically change their offense to fit his skills, Parcells said. But Owens should see enough action to make Bledsoe and receiver Terry Glenn better.
Former Browns running back Kevin Mack was in town for two days as part of the Browns' new apprenticeship program. He was invited in to learn about different aspects of the organization and might have a chance to work with the team. His first choice? "Scouting," he said. "I think they have a pretty nice system and I think it would be great to try to help get some good players in here." He said he wouldn't mind moving back to
Ask Broncos kicker Jason Elam - if he had his druthers - who he would like to be his holder this year. It doesn't take him long to answer. "Jake,"
Chargers QB Philip Rivers has progressed each day. He is remarkably accurate and does not make a habit of repeating mistakes. Asked if he thought Rivers was where he expected, Marty Schottenheimer said: “He might be a little ahead.”
Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott told the 49ers that players needed to find their own identity, their own way to win. "He stayed away from how the old Niners did it," left tackle Jonas Jennings said. "He said, 'You got to find out exactly what you are getting from each other and find your own niche.' " Lott also said that success on the field isn't about coaching; it's about players and the locker room.
If Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith continues at his recent pace for two more seasons, it could spark debate about his belonging in the Pro Football Hall of Fame from the DENVER POST:
The arguments for Smith
• Could finish top five in receptions, and top 10 in yards.
• Caught 80-yard Super Bowl TD pass in 1999 and has been part of two Super Bowl winners.
• Three Pro Bowl appearances.
• Considered great blocker and all-around player, respected by peers.
The arguments against Smith
• Never considered the best in any single season.
• Playing in an era with inflated passing and receiving statistics.
• Logjam of 11 wide receivers with more receptions than Smith going into this season who have yet to be elected to the Hall.
Chuck Bednarik, who made eight Pro Bowl appearances, the most by any Eagle, recently repaired a rift with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. A devout Catholic, Bednarik said he had received orders from a higher power to patch things up. God "kind of told me to apologize to the guy, and I did," Bednarik said. Bednarik had said he hoped the Eagles would lose the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots in February 2005, but now he says he is an Eagles fan again.
Jared Lorenzen, the Giants No. 3 quarterback all of last season, has looked solid in camp and hopes to ascend to the backup spot behind Eli Manning.
Redskins WR Brandon Lloyd got a quick tutorial with a Canon digital camera from a team intern yesterday morning. "The league sent this to me, and I'm supposed to take pictures of training camp and other things, and they're going to post [them] on NFL.com," Lloyd said. "I'm pretty good at taking pictures. I have a Sony Cyber-shot, so this shouldn't be a problem. I mean, it's just a point and click."
When the
Believe it or not, Saints offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Doug Marrone uses old-fashioned discipline when one of his players doesn't live up to standards. Wednesday morning in the team's one-on-one pass blocking drills, guard Darnell Alford, obtained as an offseason free agent, totally whiffed on one assignment. Marrone made Alford take a lap around the stadium field. "You miss an inside block," Marrone said, "you're taking a lap. I don't want to see him. Asked what professional players thought about such tactics, Marrone said, "What are they going to say?"
There is one reason why the Cowboys are relocating their training camp from
It looked like an Oilers reunion in the Texans' dining room at
The Seahawks players had their first night off of camp Wednesday, but their curfew remained 11 p.m. Coach Mike Holmgren holds, uh, contests of skill to allow the players to earn an extra hour to go to dinner or catch a movie in Spokane or just chill out around the dormitory. Not this time. To earn the extra hour, selected linemen needed to catch four of five punts from rookie Ryan Plackemeier following the morning practice. Only two defensive linemen got it done -- just-signed rookie Alex Guerrero and Craig Terrill. After that, guard Chris Gray, tackle Ray Willis and center Robbie Tobeck couldn't handle Plackemeier lofting long kicks into a crosswind.
As the
