NFL Truth & Rumors
Sources confirm the Chargers still have interest in obtaining Billy Volek and have inquired about him in a trade. However, the Titans currently are unwilling to part with him. The Kansas City Chiefs have also inquired about Volek. Their starter, Trent Green, is out after a concussion Sunday that landed him in the hospital for two days. Negotiations could heat up in the next couple of days, though the Titans might wait until after Sunday’s game to pull the trigger on any sort of deal with San Diego. The Chargers could use a backup to Philip Rivers. They are currently carrying only two quarterbacks with rookie Charlie Whitehurst at No. 2. San Diego also has only 52 players on its roster at present.
Although Brad Childress continued to call him an "option," the Vikings did not sign Quincy Morgan and it appears the receiver and kick returner could be headed to Denver. Morgan's agent, Brian Overstreet, said his client is scheduled to have a visit with the Broncos in the coming days. "He may get a deal," from the Broncos, Overstreet said. "But nothing is imminent." Overstreet made it clear the Vikings remain Morgan's top choice but feels the team's interest has cooled since it signed receiver Maurice Mann off Seattle's practice squad last week.
The Dolphins entertained wide receiver Charles Rogers for a workout Tuesday but didn't offer the ex-Lion a contract. "When we bring guys in, we're evaluating not only for right now but also the future," Saban said. "It's no more or less than that."
Carolina LB Dan Morgan was unavailable for interviews Wednesday, but teammate Adam Seward said Morgan indicated he has no plans to retire despite sustaining his fifth head injury as a pro. Morgan has suffered at least four concussions since coming into the league, including Sunday against Atlanta. He will not play Sunday against Minnesota. John Fox said the team will continue to monitor Morgan’s progress, but gave no indication as to how many games he’ll miss. However, given his past, it’s possible Morgan could miss two to four games while recovering from concussion-related symptoms.
Former Dolphins OL Wade Smith worked out for the Jets yesterday and may be signed as early as today, The Star-Ledger has learned. With veteran G Pete Kendall (hamstring) being limited in practice and veteran OL Trey Teague (ankle) not yet back at practice, Smith is on the Jets' short list in case they need to sign a veteran.
Mike Holmgren isn't sure whether Deion Branch will play in Sunday's home opener against the Arizona Cardinals. The just-acquired wide receiver put on a pretty persuasive performance Wednesday in his first practice with the Seahawks. Branch looks quick, explosive -- and short -- while beginning his crash course in Holmgren's complex passing game. This was his first practice since mid-January, when the Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs by the Broncos. "We'll go right down to the wire on that one," Holmgren said, meaning Branch is likely to be a game-day decision.A leading anti-doping expert ramped up his call Wednesday for the NFL to begin blood testing for human growth hormone and challenged comments made a day earlier by the head of the NFL Players Association. "I think for them to have any opportunity for detection or deterrence with respect to human growth hormone, it's necessary for them to employ blood testing," said Dr. Gary Wadler, an advisor to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Wadler said blood testing for HGH is an accepted practice for elite athletes elsewhere in the world, but isn't used in the U.S. by the NFL, NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball. The NFL and NFLPA have said they are open to considering changes to their steroids testing program and want to develop a test for HGH, preferably a urine test. The league and players association have said they consider current HGH blood tests unreliable and overly invasive.
Jets coach Eric Mangini and Patriots coach Bill Belichick haven't spoken in months, Mangini said, straining a relationship that saw them work and socialize together for a decade. The Patriots coach has treated Mangini like a virtual stranger when they've bumped into each other at NFL events and has made it clear to the Jets coach that he's now the enemy, despite their once strong bond. Belichick's focus and single-mindedness is what has made him the future Hall of Fame coach he is. If you're not with him, you're against him, especially if you play in the same division.
RB LenDale White says he is poised to make his debut back near familiar turf, as the Titans visit Southern California to face the San Diego Chargers. “I’ve got so many family and friends there that I consider family,” White said. “There are a lot of people there that support me. I’ve got a lot of phone calls and a lot of text messages. All my college buddies are hanging around the dorms waiting to come to the game, they’re hitting me up. I’m going to try to make everybody happy and get them to the game.” One text message came from rapper Snoop Dogg, of whom White said, “That’s my guy.” The aforementioned Mr. Dogg and fellow rapper Warren G. are supposedly bound for Qualcomm Stadium to watch White’s NFL debut this Sunday.
The Jets' struggling placekicker finally received a vote of confidence from coach Eric Mangini, who said yesterday, "Mike's our kicker. He'll be kicking this weekend." It wasn't exactly a long-term endorsement, but it was more than Mangini had offered on Monday, the day after Nugent's season-opening nightmare. He missed two chip-shot field goals and an extra point against the Titans, prompting the Jets to audition three free-agent kickers on Tuesday - Paul Edinger, Owen Pochman and Tyler Jones.
The Vikings asked the NFL on Wednesday to investigate a sudden disruption of their wireless communications system early in Monday night's 19-16 victory over Washington, a failure of unknown origin that forced them to send in plays manually rather than by radio. Coach Brad Childress asked Ray Anderson, the NFL's senior vice president of football operations, to "take a peak at" the problem.Quincy Morgan, who finished eighth in the NFL last season by averaging 25.3 yards on kickoff returns for Pittsburgh, has drawn strong interest from the Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. "We're probably going to Denver," said Brian Overstreet, Morgan's agent. A visit is expected first, and if there is a deal, it's not expected to be finalized until early next week.
Falcons defensive end John Abraham did not practice Wednesday because of a groin injury, the severity of which is not being disclosed by the team. He suffered the injury in the season-opening victory at Carolina and was listed as questionable on the team's injury report for Sunday's home opener against Tampa Bay. Abraham was named the NFC's defensive player of the week Wednesday, but it remained unclear whether he'd be able to earn the honor a second consecutive time.
With shiny, new Broncos rookie quarterback Jay Cutler taking his first regular- season steps at Invesco Field, Jake Plummer will have the heat beating on him. One Plummer misstep Sunday and the Cutler Chorus is likely to begin. "I can't go tell the fans what to say or who to cheer for," Plummer said. "If I could tell them anything, it's that I'm playing as hard as I can. I'm going to go out there and try to win for this team."
Colts WR Brandon Stokley remains 50-50 for being able to play Sunday against the Texans. Stokley has been recovering from a high ankle sprain that he suffered during training camp. He did not practice Monday or Wednesday.
Giants rookie WR Sinorice Moss said he thought he was going to be active Sunday night, but Tom Coughlin said he was not even close to letting him play. Moss, who missed most of training camp with a strained quad, was healthy enough to play, but had not been back at practice long enough to contribute. Moss said his quad feels "fine" and he expects to play in Philly.
Kellen Winslow is not giving up on the season -- even if people outside the Browns are. ``We're 0-1,'' he said. ``(Fifteen) other teams are 0-1. A lot of good teams are 0-1. If they want to write us off or whatever, that's fine. It just puts more fuel in our fire.'' Winslow guaranteed the Browns would be a winning team, so a reporter asked whether he was guaranteeing a win this weekend against the host Bengals. Winslow snickered. ``You want some bait?'' he said. ``I'll give you some bait. We gotta win. It's a must-win game.''Saints rookie Reggie Bush discovered in his first NFL action that he will have to adjust his game in a way to which he is unaccustomed: He has to become a singles hitter instead of swinging for the fences. "But that's hard. Very hard," Bush admitted Wednesday. "Because every time I touch the ball I want to score. I'm fighting myself every play. It's tough. Every time I touch the ball, I feel like I can score. I want to. But at the same time I know that sometimes that can actually hurt my team, as opposed to helping my team."
Wide receiver Charles Rogers was suspended by the NFL, cut by the Detroit Lions, unclaimed on waivers by every other team, and so what does he do? He goes and fires his agent, Kevin Poston. Go figure. Rogers has hired Jason Fletcher, an up-and-coming agent who landed a solid deal for San Diego's first-round pick Antonio Cromartie. Fletcher already was burning up the phones Wednesday in his usual aggressive fashion, trying to find Rogers work. But Fletcher could find what Poston did -- there's not a lot of interest around the league right now in Rogers.
Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson gently chided a handful of reporters Wednesday at the start of his weekly news conference. "No birthday cake?" Johnson said, smiling. "No rocking chair?" Johnson turned 38 Wednesday, extending his lead as the NFL's oldest starting quarterback. Next in line is Washington's 36-year-old Mark Brunell, whom Johnson outplayed in Monday night's 19-16 victory. Johnson, who compiled an 88.6 rating while completing 16 of 30 passes for 223 yards, said he hopes he won't be known as "38-year-old quarterback Brad Johnson" all season.Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, appearing as a guest on Fox Sports Radio, asked about the Seahawks trade for Pats WR Deion Branch: "I can probably say I wasn't the happiest guy to see Deion Branch go to Seattle. I was hoping he would stay out there in the AFC."
Now, after 15 years in the league, at the age of 35, with five Pro Bowls on his resume, Buffalo's Troy Vincent must confront the fact that he might never play again. If he doesn't, Vincent will be all right. In March, he was re-elected to a two-year term as President of the NFL Players Association. Vincent is scheduled to be in office through March 2008. For the remainder of this season, Vincent -- one of the sharpest and most well-spoken players in the league -- will be able to take his time to decide what he wants to do with his future.Despite managing just 55 yards rushing in last week’s season-opening win over the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy says that too much is being made of his team’s seemingly sluggish running attack. Dungy maintains that if opposing defenses want to continue playing eight men in the box (at or near the line of scrimmage) and dare the Colts to throw, they’ll be quite happy to do just that.
The Saints added Corey McIntyre (Browns) to their roster Tuesday, placing Keith Joseph (sprained right knee) on injured reserve Wednesday. Joseph will miss the rest of the season. "Keith had a scope (arthroscopy) today," Saints coach Sean Payton said, "and it was a little more involved than we initially hoped. Corey was signed in his spot on the roster, and that's what it is." Payton said he is uncertain how much McIntyre will play Sunday at Green Bay.Raiders QB Aaron Brooks is expected to start Sunday's game at Baltimore, bruised knee and all. "Aaron was fine," coach Art Shell said. "He moved pretty good. He said it was a little sore, but no problem."
Cowboys' first-round draft pick Bobby Carpenter said he might make his debut against Washington. "I would like to hope so," Carpenter said. "But you can never tell with Bill [Parcells]." Carpenter was inactive for the season opener at Jacksonville. Parcells opted to use undrafted free-agent linebacker Oliver Hoyte on special teams.Outside linebacker Karlos Dansby practiced in pads Wednesday for the first time this season, a development that prompted shoulder shrugs rather than high fives. That's because no one with the Cardinals appears to be sure what it means. Will Dansby soon return to the starting job on the strong side? Move to the weak side? Ease back into action as a role player? Play Sunday against the Seahawks in Seattle? "We haven't decided what role he will play," coach Dennis Green said.
Quarterback Kerry Collins confirmed that he spoke with the Chargers before signing Aug. 29 with Tennessee. “I definitely talked with the Chargers quite a bit. I know they were looking for a little bit of experience to back up Philip (Rivers),” Collins said. “It came down to really the ability to have the opportunity to play. That's why Tennessee was the best choice for me.”Teammates and friends who have been to his house say Chargers LB Shawne Merriman is always doing something – sit-ups, push-ups – even when watching TV or playing video games. They note how he often consults with veterans on technique and tendencies. He works out even in hotels the day before road games – and that is unheard of. No matter what time you call him, it seems he is always watching video. Veterans love to tease Merriman about his habit of removing his shirt for post-practice television interviews, and they have admonished him for his bold statements. But he also has earned their respect.
Bucs QB Chris Simms is no longer making any excuses for the alarming number of passes that are being batted down at the line of scrimmage. "I've just got to find ways to throw it around guys and maybe throw it a little quicker here and there," the 6-foot-4 Simms said. "Just things like that where I've got to be more aware when I'm out there on the field to get it around some of these big defensive linemen."Texans RB Wali Lundy will start at Indianapolis on Sunday, and Ron Dayne, signed as a free agent last week after being waived by Denver, moves up a spot to replace Vernand Morency, a third-round pick in 2005. Samkon Gado joined the Texans in a trade from Green Bay. As a rookie, Gado was coached by Mike Sherman, who is in his first season as the Texans' assistant head coach and also in charge of the offensive line. "Sherm knows him well and speaks very highly of him," coach Gary Kubiak said. "We're always trying to improve our team, and we think this deal makes us better.
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who had one catch in the season opener against Carolina, missed practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury. White, a first-round pick in 2005, missed several practices in training camp with a hamstring injury. Coach Jim Mora expected him to return to practice today.Weather reports call for a high temperature of 73 degrees at Green Bay's Lambeau Field, with a chance of showers. Saints rookie tailback Reggie Bush, for one, is happy the game is in September, not December. "I'm glad it's not the frozen tundra or whatever they call it," Bush said. "But it's a historical place; even more so with Brett Favre being on the other side of the field. It'll be special to play on that field and get a chance to see him on the other side of the field," Bush said. "Who knows, maybe I'll get a signed jersey."
Seahawks WR Deion Branch wore No. 83, the number he had in New England. He looked good in practice, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "He seems like a quick learner, and it looks like a really good addition," Hasselbeck said. "There was some stuff that was just easy [in practice], no big deal at all, and there were a couple of things where I just have to get to know him better. You just kind of learn on the fly in this situation."Pats QB Tom Brady said watching the Jets on film is like looking at a carbon copy of the New England defense. "There are good parts about that and there are bad parts," Brady said. "One part is we know what they're doing and the other part is (Jets coach) Eric (Mangini) knows what we're doing. So it's going to be a little bit of a chess match out there. But it's nice to go out there with some familiarity."
Washington tackle Jon Jansen, who was outspoken about the prevalence of banned substances in the NFL, said he has yet to hear from league officials about a proposed meeting to discuss the topic. "I'm sure I'll hear from them at some time," Jansen said, "and I'm looking forward to the dialogue."Redskins RB T.J. Duckett said he is unsure if he will get his first carry with the team Sunday after being stuck on the sideline Monday night. Duckett was acquired from Atlanta during training camp for a draft pick, and is still learning the system. "We'll find out as the week goes down," said Duckett, a former first-round pick. "You never know what's going to happen."
Fullback William Henderson was listed as questionable on the Packers' injury report Wednesday, but both he and McCarthy indicated he'd be ready to go Sunday. Henderson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 21 but returned to practice Wednesday after being withheld from the Chicago game and limited in practice the week before.Heath Miller stands atop the leader board for the Steelers with 101 yards receiving. No tight end has led the Steelers in receiving yards for a season since Eric Green did so in 1993 and 1994. He does not expect it to happen this season, either. "I don't think it's going to change much, I think we'll take the same approach," said the second-year player. "In cases like that, when teams are concerned bout Hines [Ward], maybe I'll pop up some more like last game."
The Raiders signed wide receiver Leo Bookman to the eight-man practice squad Wednesday, and released former Cal receiver Burl Toler. Bookman was a three-time NCAA champion in the 200 meters at Kansas. He spent training camp with the Packers before getting cut.The health report on Broncos veteran defensive end Courtney Brown was bleak Wednesday. Having missed the entire preseason and season opener after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last month, Brown has been downgraded to doubtful for the Broncos' home opener Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although recent tests have revealed no further structural damage, the oft-injured Brown is not healing as hoped.
After missing much of the preseason because of a groin injury, right guard Steve McKinney could be back in the lineup when the Texans play at Indianapolis, his former team. McKinney came off the bench behind Fred Weary against Philadelphia and played well. The coaches say they haven't determined who will start against the Colts.
Redskins CB Shawn Springs, who says he does not think he can play Sunday while recovering from abdominal surgery, worked hard with trainers during practice, doing lateral-movement and sprinting drills.When the Falcons released Tony Yelk, Michael Koenen was left as the lone kicker with the franchise. With John Abraham and Patrick Kerney listed on the injury report, the Falcons wanted another defensive end on the roster. They signed Josh Mallard to help in practice. "With the practice squad, what you'll see is a lot of shuffling on and off, week to week," Mora said. "It could even be day to day." Yelk may not be gone for long. "Tony could be back here next week," Mora said. "He might be on a week and off a week. We like Tony, so it really had to do with other things."
Selling corporate naming rights to the state-owned Georgia Dome has been a topic of discussion between the Georgia World Congress Center Authority — the state agency that operates the facility — and the Atlanta Falcons. No decision has been made on whether to sell the naming rights, GWCC Authority Executive Director Dan Graveline said, but the authority has hired a consulting firm to analyze the possibility. "It's an open question," Graveline said.Center Jeff Saturday threw his two cents in concerning the apparent problems with the Colts’ run game. “Here’s the deal. If I’m letting the media control what I’m worried about in the running game, I’m in trouble anyway. I really don’t care what the media thinks about our running game,” he said Wednesday.
As a former Green Bay Packer, Panthers guard Mike Wahle is not a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings’ mascot who dresses up like a Viking and rides around the Metrodome field on a motorcycle before games. “When I was up there one year, the guy was driving by and Brett (Favre) hit him with the damn football,” Wahle said. “It was hilarious.”
New Rams coach Scott Linehan's conference call with Bay Area reporters was scheduled during the time reporters interview players. So reporters gave a 49ers public relations assistant a bank of questions for Linehan. The coach was 30 minutes late for the call and then cut off the interview after five minutes.
Source: www.benmaller.com
