Just being a fan today...

So I'm trapped at my mother's house today without my usual tools I use to wander around the web for NFL Jabber. Oh I could still do it, I really just don't feel like it. Instead I have decided to just be a sports fan today and browse around some of my favorite sites. Which leads me back here to The Bloghouse because I feel I have to share.

A couple of things I wanted to share are Sports by Brooks new girl, Teressa. Yep, that's both of them...Click on the link to see Teressa and here reasons.

Elsewhere on the net...Kissing Suzy Kolber does a fine literary piece on Sarah Shahi (with hot video) and the new Dolphins cheerleader, Ashley White...yummy.


Sara Shahi

Could you imagine the response from the Browns fans if Derek Anderson started the season as the QB? Michael David Smith discusses that being likely in The Fanhouse. (Straying from today's chick theme now...)

Mixing football and females... I stumbled across an interesting concept this week. A Librarian that loves fantasy football...and takes the time to blog about it. Stop in and check out the Fantasy Football Librarian.

The ProFootballTalk.com Turd Watch is celebrating 28 days without an arrest...the record keeps climbing. The Jax Jags are still holding a solid lead with 41 points.

tag: nfl, football, pro football talk, pfw, turd, alert, babes, browns, fantasy, fanhouse, kissing suzy kolber, ksk, sports by brooks, sara shahi, video, ashley white, cheerleader, dolphins, turd alert

NFL Jabber 6/13/07

Laurence Maroney is set to be the star back in New England. I like this kid. Reading this, it doesn't sound like he has a cocky bone in his body.

J.T. O'Sullivan threw for four TD's in NFL Europe this weekend. How long before the Bears fans get wind of this and call for him to get Grossman's spot?

Thomas Jones has been running with a chip on his shoulder since the Bears drafted Cedric Benson. Makes me wonder how that chip is going to make him run in New York since the Bears traded him away.

The Raiders are going to be playing more of a "left safety and right safety" defensive backfield than the traditional "strong safety and free safety" sort.

Kellen Winslow is taking the Shoeless Joe approach to practice.

Technorati : bears, browns, football, jets, maroney, nfl, o'sullivan, patriots, raiders, sports, thomas jones, winslow
Ice Rocket : bears, browns, football, jets, maroney, nfl, o'sullivan, patriots, raiders, sports, thomas jones, winslow

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More NFL Jabber 6/5/07

Odell Thurman accused of assault over the weekend. Just when things start to look up for the kid...

Alot of people thought that the Giants were getting the same guy as Sinorice Moss when they drafted Steve Smith. Moss doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

The Saints know they are not going to sneak up on anyone this year. Drew Brees isn't worried about it. "I pretty much know what this situation feels like," Brees said.

"Oh-four, oh-five with the Chargers we went from a surprise team to a team that everybody was ready for and that didn't turn out the way we wanted." (It didn't turn out the way Brees wanted, either; the Chargers lowballed him in the offseason, leading to his signing with the Saints, the classic blessing-in-disguise that was painful at the time). I realize it's harder to repeat success than to be successful the
first time," said Brees. "It's going to be hard to do what we did last
year."

Lee Evans is making it easy to watch Bills practice.

Jerry Angelo did some Q&A with Bears fans.

What type of season would Rex Grossman have to have for the Bears to re-sign him, and would you consider signing him to an extension during the season if he meets your expectations?

Gurleen B.
Northbrook, Illinois

"We wouldn't rule anything out in terms of when we would talk to Rex. All Rex has to do is keep doing what he's doing: developing as a quarterback. He had a very good year last year. We were disappointed as he was with the inconsistent play at times. But we feel good about Rex's future. We want Rex to be our quarterback for a long time. He's got to continue to go out and improve. He knows that. We need to see that obviously, but we feel real good about the direction he's going in."

Jerry Angelo

You got 16 games to become an NFL QB Rex.

Coach Crennel says Charlie Fry has the leg up on the Browns QB job right now. Not a very glowing endorsement though

..."Because he has the most experience," Crennel said Tuesday after the Browns went through another practice as part of their organized team activities (OTAs). "That's the edge that he has."

Technorati : bearsodell thurman, bengals, bills, browns, charlie fry, crenell, drew brees, football, giants, jerry angelo, lee evans, moss, nfl, rex grossman, saints, sports, steve smith
Ice Rocket : bearsodell thurman, bengals, bills, browns, charlie fry, crenell, drew brees, football, giants, jerry angelo, lee evans, moss, nfl, rex grossman, saints, sports, steve smith

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NFL Jabber 5/30/07

Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller are priding themselves with giving second chances...(Sorry Ricky, all the "Chance" cards are gone for you).

The Fins gave Cleo Lemon $1.3 Million.

.We know it is a version of sitting in a corner with a dunce hat on at the most but Braylon Edwards got to practice with the 3rd team for playing hooky.

Yep, Pete Prisco said it...J.P. Losman-Star QB.

Realfootball365 seems to think this may be Losman's year as well.

The Colts are feeling the turnover reality of the NFL. Only 11 remain from when Dungy took the team over.

The Panthers have kicked off minicamp.

The Texans are trying some new things at Free Saftey.

"They all have to improve at getting turnovers," defensive backs coach Jon Hoke said. "We have not been very good at that. With Glenn and C.C., you have two guys that are physical guys and can tackle and will hit people and those types of things. But they both understand we need to find ways to get our hands on the ball and create more turnovers."

Word is the union of Jeff Garcia and Jon Gruden has been in the works for a while according to Garcia's Daddy.

"This has been in the works for three years," said Garcia's father, Bob, a former junior-college football coach. "There was always something in the way. The money. The salary cap. This and that.

"Now Jeff has the opportunity he always wanted, to play for this coach. I can't wait. As far as I'm concerned, I say, 'It's about time.' "

Technorati : bills, braylon edwards, browns, buccaneers, bucs, colts, dolphins, dungy, football, fuden, garcia, losman, minicamp, nfl, panthers, prisco, sports, texans

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NFL Jabber 5/24/07

A small Seattle soda company has beaten out Coke to be served at Seahawk games.

The Saints discovered one draft pick in a bar having beers.

Drew Rosenhaus wants to remind everyone that Kris Jenkins may be available in a trade.

"I don't have any insight on it, but what I've heard is he's definitely still on the market and for the right price, they would trade him," Rosenhaus said before speaking at a Charlotte Touchdown Club luncheon. "So it'll be interesting to see what happens."

Chad Greenway is ready to go for the Vikings this season.

"It's great to be back out here just running around and playing again," Greenway said Wednesday. "These first two (days) have really actually been pretty good considering I've been out for eight months."

I could not find the article they are using as a source but KFFL reports that Cory Dillion has not yet filed his retirement papers.

NFL | Dillon has not filed papers yet

Karen Guregian, of the Boston Globe, reports unrestricted free-agent RB Corey Dillon (Patriots) has not filed his retirement papers with the league yet. Dillon's agent said he is leaning toward retirement, but would like to wait until summer to make a decision.

Braylon Edwards has made it to workout with the Browns.

Mike Ditka is not impressed with the NFL's effort to help retirees.

"I say this honestly, I don't know if 'a committee to explore' is going to cut it," Ditka said.

tag: nfl, football, sports, seahawks, saints, panthers, vikings, browns, patriots, ditka, braylon, cory dillon, chad greenway, kris jenkins, rosenhaus, coke

NFL Jabber 5/22/07

Steelers line coach Larry Zierlein accidentally sent porn to...

"...to multiple high-level team employees and their secretaries throughout the NFL, including commissioner Roger Goodell."

Dallas gets the big win.

"The 2011 Super Bowl will be played at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas, where more than 100,000 fans will be able to watch the NFL's showpiece game."

T.J. Duckett is practicing breaking off the big run.

A.J. Nicholson learned you can only break the law in Cincy and keep your job if your a starter.

Braylon Edwards missed the first minicamp.

"Braylon was not here today,'' said coach Romeo Crennel. "He contacted us early this morning and said he wasn't going to be here. He should be here (Wednesday). This is a voluntary camp. They don't have to be here.

"I would like them to be here and I told all of them today I would like them to be here, but it's voluntary and he doesn't have to be here.''

Yep, Trent green is still a Chief. He isn't liking it much either.

“I’m still holding out hope that the deal gets done,” Green said. “I’m still banking on what they said back in March, that they’d get the trade done.”

Green was with the Chiefs for the start of organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, splitting reps with Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle and Casey Printers. But he reiterated that he has no plans to be with the team this fall.

“I don’t anticipate (being a Chief),” Green said. “But I still have a responsibility to get ready to play, wherever that is. It’s my job as a professional football player. It doesn’t do me any good to go to Arizona or Florida or California, wherever all those workout facilities are, and spend time doing what you can do right here.

“I have guys that I’ve had a relationship with for six years. Guys I’m used to throwing with and an offense that’s somewhat similar to what we’ve done the last six years and is similar to what they do in Miami. There are a lot of reasons to be here.”

tag: nfl, trade, football, sportschiefs, dolphins, browns, steelers, lions, bengals, Super bowl, porn, arlington, texas, goodell, duckett, nicholson, braylon edwards, trent green

NFL Jabber 5/17/07

Let's hear it for the king! Commish Goodell may suggest shorter time limits for the draft selections.

Braylon Edwards is in a giving mood...$1 Million worth of giving in scholorships.

The Oct. 28th game between the Dolphins and Giants sold 40,000 tickets in 90 minutes showing that they are tired of NFL Europe too.

The media is going to have to become more creative when talking about Adrian Peterson's durability. The Dr.'s have said his collarbone is fine.

Jerramy Stevens is grateful for the job the Bucs have given him.

"It's a new start, a fresh start," Stevens said after Wednesday's voluntary workout at One Buc Place. "That's why it would be a mistake for me to dwell on [the past]. That's why my focus is on going forward."

New Bronco MLB, D.J. Williams is getting jiggy with it in mini-camp...

Lord Favre will indeed attend mini-camp afterall.

tag: nfl, sports, football, buccaneers, broncos, packers, vikings, browns, dolphins, giants, Jerramy Stevens, roger goodell, commissioner, braylon edwards, adrian peterson, brett favre, d.j. williams

NFL Jabber 5/15/07

The Bears are under the same illusion that the Chief were for a few years. They think kick returning is going to translate to running routes, catching the ball and taking hits by moving Hester to WR.

The Saints scrubs have to be the most optimistic in the league after the emergence of Marques Colston last season. Sean Payton lets them know they should be.

“My message to them is last season’s team had guys from all three groups,” Payton said. “In other words, we had draft picks who certainly contributed. We had guys contribute who were free agents and players who were in here on a tryout basis.

“Once we get them here, how they arrive is not as important to us as what we see once they are here. That message is important to all those players in that room.”

Braylon Edwards says the Browns need 10 wins to be viewed as a success this season....I agree.

Brett Favre is backpedaling on his comments of wanting to be traded now. (Hey Brett...a trade now would not get you to a team with a better chance for a Super Bowl anyway).

"I was frustrated a couple weeks back when Randy Moss was traded to New England," the veteran quarterback said on the Packers' Web site. "I never wanted to be traded and I don't want to be traded. ... I want to finish my career as a Packer."

Marvin Lewis says there is an "opportunity" for Odel Thurman to return to the Bengals.

"I have been in contact with Odell and he has an opportunity to be reinstated. He'll have had to have really followed the very strict NFL guidelines in order to get to that point, and then obviously if he is reinstated to go forward. And if that happens, he'll have an opportunity," Lewis said. "We're still probably a couple of months away from that, and we'll see what happens toward the middle of July."

tag: nfl, trade, football, sports, browns, packers, bengals, saints, bears, devin hester, sean payton, marques colston, braylon edwards, brett favre, marvin lewis, odel, thurman

NFL Jabber 5/8/07

Philip Rivers and Norv Turner seem to have a mutual man-crush on each other.

“After being on the field, I'm even more excited,” Rivers said following one of Saturday's workouts. “We think a lot alike. He's just a ball coach. He just coaches guys. He's just out there.

“It's my style – just take it and throw it to him. Yeah, all the technique is there, and it gets coached up, but it's a real simple approach. That's how I've always played.”

Although not a glamorous pick, the Browns Joe Thomas fills a long time need on the O-line.

Jamarcus Russell is pleasing Lane Kiffen in Oakland.

"We're pleased where he's at and as soon as we can get him back here, we've got a lot of work to do with him,'' Kiffin said.

The Colts have given the boot to LB Gilbert Gardner.

Trent Green is still awaiting his fate in Kansas City.

Lovie Smith waits along with the rest of the football world to see if Lance Briggs will show for minicamp in two weeks.

"I have no idea," Smith said at the conclusion of the weekend's rookie mini-camp. "That's the first thing we've done that's mandatory, so I assume he'll be there. But if not, we'll go from there."

tag: nfl, trade, football, sports, chargers, bears, chiefs, dolphins, raiders, browns, colts,jamarcus russell, trent green, lance briggs, philip rivers, joe thomas

NFL Jabber 5/4/07

With Matt Hasselbeck still on the mend, Seneca Wallace and David Green will get the reps in minicamp.

The Titans first rounder, Michael Griffen, will be moving from Safety to CB.

After what some think the best draft in the league, the Browns stay at work with rookie free agents. They are bringing in nine of them.

The Cards could top that as they look to bring in 20.

The Bengals will have 14 at minicamp.

Greg Ellis isn't a fan of the 1st round pick of the Cowboys.

"This was not some generic thing -- the guy came to my house," the Cowboys linebacker said. "It's the next step. Everybody's assuming I'm gone."

As hard as the Chiefs try to replace him, Eddie Kennison just won't go away.

Cam Inman of the Contra Costa Times has some sour grapes about Randy Moss. He thinks it won't be such a steal for the Pats come playoff time...at elast they will have to worry about playoff time, right?

Yes folks, Curtis Martin is still in the league...

Roy Williams and Mike Furrey went to bat telling the Lions they wanted Calvin Johnson.

The Packers are one of the teams looking into Keyshawn Johnson.

tag: nfl, draft, free agency, football, packers, lions, raiders, patriots, jets, cowboys, bengals, cardinals, browns, titans, seahawks, matt hasselbeck, seneca wallace, david green, michael griffen, greg ellis, eddie kennison, randy moss, curtis martin, calvin johnson, keyshawn johnson

Mandatory Brady Quinn post

Ironic, Brady Quinn has become the talk of the draft because he wasn't a top pick. Had he went even at #9 to the Dolphins he wouldn't be the story today. Because he fell to the other side of round one, the Browns #1 pick, Joe Thomas, will be second on the headlines for the team.

After yesterday Brady Quinn likely wishes he had left a "Gone Fishing" sign on his door like his new teammate Thomas. It was actually a little uncomfortable to watch after a while. The media praised his composure as he fell past the Browns...then the Vikings...then came the #9 pick. You could see in this kids eyes that he KNEW he was going to Miami. He and Suzy Kolber were chatting before that like it was just formality to wait until the pick came up.

I wish I had a count of the dropped jaws when the Dolphins picked Ted Ginn. Quinn appeared like the sensitive kid who thought he was accepted into the "in" crowd only to be ignored when everyone leaves for the party. Despite the forced smile you could see that he was crushed. Each pick had his girlfriend seeing shopping sprees disappear before her eyes.

I don't look too far into the fact that he kept slipping after #9, that is a non-story in my eyes. Teams just did not need a QB. Once the trades started happening it was obvious that one of the teams at the top of the order would trade up sooner or later.

Another bit of irony. When the Commish allowed Brady and his family to get out of the greenroom and away from the cameras, ESPN continually pointed attention to it. Trying to sound sympathetic to his situation, they continually drew attention to the fact that his situation is "embarrassing." Showing the empty table, repeatedly saying he was in with the Commish to escape the cameras ("But he can't escape us talking about him....BAHAHAHAHA..."). They should have acknowledged it and then left it be if they were sympathetic. I found it classless that they continually brought it up. And who did Suzy Kolber have to kiss to get in there?

I said some time ago that I though that Brady Quinn would be the Matt Leinhart of this draft, dropping further than most thought. There was no guessing it would be that far, but as mentioned before, it's not a surprise after #9 given the teams needs at QB.

Strange, I became a Brady Quinn fan yesterday. I'm kind of ashamed to say that yesterday morning I wanted to see him fall. Media hype tends to turn me off. I have always pulled for the underdog and as the picks went by and they showed his face, the golden boy was becoming an underdog. I really wish that Quinn had the "I'm going to make them pay for passing on me" in him but I don't think he does.

A message was sent to future prospects invited to the draft. Where do you want to be on draft day?



tag: nfl, draft, football, browns, dolphins, brady quinn, joe thomas, espn, fall, slip, pick, suzy kolber, ted ginn

More NFL Jabber 4/26/07

The Saints have locked up tagged DE Charles Grant.

The Colts have lost both of their starting CB's from the Super Bowl run. Nick Harper is a Titan and now Jason David is a Saint.

Browns GM Phil Savage is not scared of what the media calls "Damaged Goods" (AKA Adrian Peterson).

The Ravens could be looking for the guy that comes in at QB when they are done with Steve McNair. "

With Steve McNair projected to be the starter for the next two seasons, the Ravens are looking at developing one of the second-tier quarterbacks that includes Houston's Kevin Kolb, Stanford's Trent Edwards, Michigan State's Drew Stanton and Brigham Young's John Beck."

Daunte Culpepper is asking that the Dolphins let him know their intentions now.

''Since I am a player/agent and there are discussions about my career taking place, I expect to be included in those discussions sooner rather than later,'' he said in a statement e-mailed to The Miami Herald. 'As it pertains to being traded or released, I don't get to make that call so I will await the Dolphins' decision.

``I am sure that they will do what is in the best interest of the team. While those decisions are being made, I am continuing to do everything I can to prepare to play at the level of expectations of the Dolphins [if they keep me], the NFL fans, and most importantly myself. Until this week, it never entered my mind that I wouldn't be the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins this coming season.''

Trent Green's agent, Jim Steiner, wants to know where his guys stands as well. Steiner may be trying to bully the Chiefs into a trade with the Dolphins...

"If it goes past draft day, then I think eventually the Chiefs will be in a position where they have to release Trent Green," Steiner said. While that has been speculated in the media for weeks, Steiner's words amount to a threat to Kansas City president Carl Peterson.

tag: nfl, draft, agent, football, sports, browns, saints, colts, chiefs, dolphins, ravens, charles grant, adrian peterson, jason david, kevin kolb, trent edwards, drew stanton, john beck, daunte culpepper, Trent green, steiner

Peterson could make 1/2 of scary duo

Last season the Saints had no choice but to take Reggie Bush when he fell to the #2 spot the night before the draft. Bush made the perfect sidekick to Deuce McAllister in the new Saints offense. The pairing worked perfectly because Bush did not take away from the bread and butter running of Deuce. He was used more to spell McAllister, decoy, and in the passing game.

This season a team that seems to have their #1 running back could face a decision if Adrian Peterson falls to them. Peterson is a different type of RB but teams are leaning more toward the running back by committee approach. Peterson has been projected to go anywhere from 3# to the Browns all the way to #12 with the Bills. The reason for the big gap is that many of those teams appear to be set, or at least manageable at the RB position. Let's have a look at what kind of pairings could develop if someone did pull the trigger. (No, I'm not always addressing teams needs, I'm talking about if it were to happen.)

Raiders
With the glaring needs in other positions it won't happen. Beyond the other needs, the signing of Dominic Rhoads and the current starter LaMont Jordan would make it too crowded.

Lions
It could have happened here but the Lions went out and got T.J. Duckett and Tatum Bell to carry the rock while Kevin Jones is recovering.

Browns
Easily the first place it could happen. Don't let the Jamal Lewis signing fool you. He is not the long term, or possibly even the short term answer. It may be the perfect situation for Peterson to share the load with Lewis in his first season. Many rookie RB's run out of gas toward the end of their first season.

Bucs
This would be a long shot since the Bucs have Caddy Williams on the squad and he was picked just two years ago. Granted, he had somewhat of a bomb of a season last year but two top 5 RB's in three drafts isn't likely. It could make for a nice pairing though.

Cardinals
The Edge would not be happy but this is a tasty scenerio as well. James is getting older but thinks he is going to play forever so it wouldn't make for a pretty locker room. If they got past that though you could have another reason to think this will be the breakout year for the Cards offense.

Redskins
Another crowded backfield. The Skins like Ladell Betts but could move him on draft day if they wanted to make room for Peterson. Don't think it will happen but Peterson and Portis would make a nice pairing.

Vikings
This is actually another projected spot for Peterson to fall. Chester Taylor had a decent season but he isn't the home run hitting franchise back that Peterson will be. The Vikings have not had THE guy since Robert Smith retired.

Falcons
Jerious Norwood had a decent rookie campaign last season. Peterson coming to Atlanta would give them the significant threat at the position though. They say they want to pound the ball and this could do it.

Dolphins
Like the Bucs, you don't take two RB's in the top 10 in three years. Pairing Peterson with Ronnie Brown could be interesting. Ricky Williams coming back could make for a crowded backfield but trading him away could make room for Peterson. Longest shot since the raiders in my eyes.

Texans
Another landing spot for Peterson on many mock drafts. Like the Browns, the Texans went out and got an RB in free agency in Ahman Green. Call me crazy but I think that Kubiak guy has been know to use more than one RB in Denver. I would love to see this be the place for Peterson to fall and that is because I want to see the Texans succeed.

49'ers
Frank Gore came out like a warrior last season. Not a logical choice at all but what a scary duo it would make .

Bills
No team needs Peterson more than the Bills. McGahee is gone and Anthony Thomas has not been the answer since his rookie season. The Bills would be blessed if Peterson somehow fell this far.

tag: nfl, draft, free agency, football, trade, sports, saints, raiders, lions, buccaneers, browns, cardinals, redskins, vikings, falcons, dolphins, texans, 49'ers, bills, adrian peterson, thomas, gore, ahman green, ricky williams, ronnie brown, cadilac williams, norwood, chester taylor, ladell betts, portis, edgerin james, jamal lewis, duckett, tatum bell, rhoads, jordan

NFL Jabber 4/19/07

JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn have made stops to see the Lions.

The Plain Dealer has the inside scoop on the Browns draft! Headlines read "Player will be picked." Really? I guess the headlines in L.A. could be "Player won't be picked."

Ahmad Brooks may get his chance to fill the MLB spot for the Bengals. Brooks is a good example that if you get your act straight for a long enough time, your other teammates will screw up and take the focus off you.

"I'm going to take it on," Brooks said after a workout Wednesday. "I'm glad the opportunity is there for me. I want to live up to the expectations."

Rumors about Dallas trading away Julius Jones are starting up again...

"Anything Dallas does regarding Julius Jones has nothing to do with salary-cap space. They have plenty of cap room to do whatever they want. They don't think he's an elite runner. They're likely going to ship him off on draft day."
-- Dallas Morning News

NBC Sports has a cool poll up.

Updated: Apr.18, 2007, 5:08 pm EDT Everyone's an expert on who their team should draft, right? Tell us your opinion. For each NFL team, we've chosen three guys who should be available at their spot in the first round and who would fit a team need. Vote for who you'd want your team to pick.(Note: The Patriots own two first-round picks: No. 24 is from Seattle and No. 28 is their own. To vote for who New England should pick at No. 24 in Seattle's spot, go to the NFC West section.)

A good example of lack of things happening in the NFL right now, NOLA.com has a top story about kickers and punters.

So does The Rocky Mountain News...and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch...

tag: nfl, football, sports, draft, browns, lions, trade, bengals, Jamarcus russell, brady quinn, ahmad brooks, julius jones

NFL Jabber 4/13/07

Charlie Weis is campaigning for Brady Quinn to be in Cleveland."It's a match made in heaven," Weis said Thursday by phone.

"What more can you ask for? It seems to me to make too much sense. Hopefully, common sense will prevail and they'll draft him."

"You can't pick a guy just because he's always rooted for your team, but Brady has everything it takes to be a franchise quarterback for a long time -- and he loves the Browns," said Weis. "He's as passionate about the team as the fans are -- and I've experienced the Dawg Pound, so I know."

Michael Silver at SI.com has a "Ultimate Mock Draft" up. The clever idea has what he thinks each team in the draft would do if they could pick from any NFL player. I have heard of things like this before but they were called "Fantasy Mock Drafts."

Speaking of Fantasy Football, John Juhasz at Foxsports.com goes out on a limb to say that best rookie RB's in the draft to make a fantasy impact are Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch.

Tom Curran at NBCSports.com runs down his thoughts on the top ILB's in the draft.

The Texans continue with offseason moves signing Andre' Davis at WR.

The Saints have signed David Patton. Given the team effort they look for rather than the big name, he could be a good fit in the New Orleans offense.

If you judge by snaps at practice, Chris Simms is the starting QB in Tampa...for now.

"As far as who's starting, I'm not worried about it. It's a competition with myself just to see how good I can be," Simms said. "[But] I have been getting a good amount of the first-team reps."

tag: nfl, free agency, football, sports, draft, browns, texans, saints, buccaneers, david patton, chris simms, tom curran, john juhasz, michael silver, charlie weis, brady quinn, adrian peterson, marshawn lynch, mock draft

NFL Jabber 4/9/07

Former Browns offensive threat, Greg Pruitt, has a Jr. that will be working out in Cleveland next weekend.

"I think he's just as good as I was at this point," said the elder Pruitt, 55. "I was 5-9¾ and 175 pounds when I came to the Browns," Pruitt said. "I guess the heaviest I ever played was 192 - before the game. After the game, I was like 180. My son is 5-9 and 210."

Joey Harrington will back up Michael Vick in Atlanta.

Funny quote on "falcons vent" on AJC.

"I think Richard Simmons would have more fun at a strip joint than Calvin would have being Vick's reciever."

John Murphy at Yahoo! Sports gives his list of the top five rising stocks in this months draft. On top of the list is Stanford QB Trent Edwards.

1. Stanford senior quarterback Trent Edwards
The 6-foot-4, 224-pound athletic passer rebounded from a season-ending right foot injury to post 40-yard times in the 4.75 range. He then wowed scouts and quarterback coaches with his quick, compact delivery; overall accuracy; and deep ball during workouts. In fact, even some of the all-time best talent evaluators of this position weighed in following his pro day.

Adrian Peterson knows it's a good thing to be compared to Eric Dickerson.

“Man, being compared to Eric Dickerson, that’s crazy,” Peterson said at the combine. “He’s one of the greatest running backs. It’s an honor to be compared to him.”

tag: nfl, free agency, trade, football, sports, draft, browns, falcons, greg pruitt, joey harrington, michael vick, calvin johnson, john murphy, yahoo!, stanford, trent edwards, adrian peterson

Browns and Green make gold?

The Browns have to be driving Mock Drafters crazy. Everyone was sure that Adrian Peterson would be their pick and then they signed Jamal Lewis. That moved Brady Quinn into the number three spot in many mocks. Now it appears after all the rumors that the Browns are going to make a strong run at Trent Green. Even if they did sign Green it does not eliminate either of those picks as Green and Lewis both have their better days behind them.

Mary Kay Cabot at The Plain Dealer reports that GM Phil Savage and the Browns are ready to throw a "ballpark" offer at Green to tempt him to head to Cleveland.

"The attraction for us would be we're gonna run a similar offense to where he has been," Savage said.

The Browns can have some stiff competition from the Dolphins now that David Carr has agreed with the Panthers.

This could surely shake things up for the draft. The Browns have had JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson in for visits already. Other names mentioned for their pick are Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas, although they are not scheduled for visits both are tempting.

So let's look at the scenarios if Green is signed. One is that they still go with the plan to get Russell or Quinn. This depends on if they have given up on Charlie Fry yet or not. It's possible that they still believe in Fry and thought it was too soon for him to go in. They could go another route and still grab a Drew Henson in the second round.

If Fry is still the guy they want in the long run you have the option of taking a franchise RB in Adrian Peterson. Working him in with Lewis could be a perfect combination. Lewis is not the long term answer and the Browns hope to not be picking this early in the next couple of years. Another option at RB is to try and get a Kenny Irons in the second.

With Green under center you better be able to protect him. Joe Thomas could be a staple on the O-Line for years to come.

One move that could give the Browns instant excitement hype on offense is to draft WR Calvin Johnson. Pairing Johnson with Braylon Edwards and then having that Winslow guy at TE gives Green more targets than he has had since his short stint as starter in St. Louis.

I love this time of year. I really cannot wait to see how this plays out. There has not been so much excitement surrounding the Browns in sometime.

tag: nfl, draft, free agency, trade, football, sports, browns, chiefs, dolphins, trent green, jamarcus russell, brady quinn, adrian peterson, joe thomas, calvin johnson, jamal lewis, charlie fry, drew henson, kenny irons, cleveland

NFL Jabber 3/29/07

Levi Jones is finally giving his take on what happened in Vegas with Joey Porter on the Bengals website.

"One versus seven, six from behind,'' Jones told the website. 'The police report came out and told the truth. Joey Porter did not kick Levi Jones' [butt]. Basically what he did was walk up to me, get my attention talking trash while his boys jumped me from behind. They plotted the thing. He was shooting craps. I was playing blackjack. He saw me, there was no exchange before he just came up on me.''

Browns GM Phil Savage is trying real hard to act not interested in JaMarcus Russell. He reportedly asked one member of the media to stop linking the Browns to Russell. Hmmmmm...

Speaking of The Browns and QB...apparently Savage talked with Chiefs GM Carl Peterson yesterday about Trent Green.

“We agreed to talk some more later this week or the first of next week,” Peterson said. “He said he wants to talk some more with his head coach and his offensive coordinator. But he did ask whether this thing was over with. I said, ‘No, not at all.’

“Cleveland would make sense to me because Trent played very well against them last year.”

Rod Marinelli is putting a focus on character with this years top choice. Isn't that the PC thing to say with Pacman and Chris Henry's trip to the Principles office all over the news?

"When you bring somebody in at that level, that's a lot," the Lions coach said Wednesday. "You know them as a player. That's not good enough. The guy can't have holes. The No. 1 thing we look at right now is character."

After throwing a little tantrum about going to Denver, and talks of a trade, Dre Bly came to a deal with the team. He agreed in principle to a five-year deal yesterday.

Micky Loomis is reaping the benefits of the Saints turnaround season. He won The Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year Award yesterday.

"It's special to be recognized by your peers," said Loomis, the Saints' executive vice president/general manager who also won the Pro Football Writers Executive of the Year award this year. "I just stood on the shoulders of a lot of people in our building who did a remarkable job during the last 19 months under difficult circumstances.

"I want to thank Tom Benson for giving me the opportunity to work with the Saints and for giving us the resources we needed. And I want to thank Sean Payton for the coaching job he did, but I'm a little more grateful for the courage he showed in accepting the job when we were coming off a 3-13 season and when we didn't know where we'd play or how livable our city was."

TINO's Bloghouse
tag: NFL, draft, free agency, trade, saints, broncos, lions, browns, chiefs, dolphins, steelers, bengals,levi jones, joey porter, jamarcus russell, trent green, phil savage, carl peterson, rod marinelli, dre bly, micky loomis

NFL Jabber 3/27/07

Marshall Faulk concedes that his body just can't do it anymore and officially retires. Heck of a career, huh?

"A very good friend of mind told me, 'There's not that many 34-year-old running backs that come back to play,''' Faulk recalled Monday. "I started thinking about it. It's a tough position to play."

"The (competitive) instinct, it never goes away," Faulk said. "That fire never dies. But in my training — where I wanted to be, how I wanted to feel — those things weren't coming around as fast as I wanted them to."

"If I felt like there was any doubt that I could finish a season, then I shouldn't go out," Faulk said. "Because I would not only be cheating myself, I'd be cheating other guys on that team that were depending on me to do a job. If I couldn't accomplish the task, why even start it?"

Vegas police asked the D.A. to file three charges on Pacman Jones for the Vegas strip club fiasco (hard to keep track of which fiasco).

Browns G.M. Phil Savage says they will take a pass on all the vet QB's available.

"I think we're content with what we're doing, to stay with the direction we're going," Savage said. "We've got six weeks of off-season conditioning and [organized] programs. Chud's putting the offense in, meeting with the quarterbacks, along with [assistant head coach] Rip Scherer. So I think we'll have a pretty good gauge of the two primary competitors, Charlie and Derek, by the time we get to the draft."

The Saints and the Colts will open the 2007 season in Indy on Thursday night.

"The Colts are the Super Bowl champions and New Orleans obviously was a terrific story on and off the field for the league," commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday at the NFL meetings. "We felt it's a great game to highlight during the 2007 season."

The Cardinals and 49'ers will play the second game of a MFL double header to open the season.

Bengals and Ravens will play in the early game.

The Lions DT Shaun Rogers decided to show up for work.

The Redskins are expected to make a move for Bears LB Lance Briggs.

The Eagles got LB Takeo Spikes and Kelly Holcomb from the Bills for DT Darwin Walker and a draft pick next year.

Green Bay Coach, Mike McCarthy doesn't understand all the negative talk around Aaron Rodgers.

"I don't understand and really care, because I don't know where it's being generated from, but the negativity toward Aaron Rodgers . . . usually your backup quarterback is on scholarship for a couple years and everyone loves him," McCarthy said. "For whatever reason, he's had a couple situations where people are trying to get after him. I've been in the position before with young quarterbacks. I'm very pleased where he's at right now. He's getting better."

Jon Gruden is happy with the Bucs offseason and is throwing out the smokescreen that they may move up and select a QB in the draft.

"Our offseason is just beginning, really,’’ said Gruden, coming off a 4-12 season that saw the Bucs tumble from first to last in the NFC South. ‘’We’ve still got the draft and some unattended business, but we’ve got some players in here that we know can play. It’s exciting to have a Jeff Garcia here. Luke Petitgout is a guy who has played left tackle and Cato June is a good football player. Kevin Carter can play a lot of positions and B.J. Askew is an interesting guy. It was nice to sit in quarterback school last week with a healthy Chris Simms, a Bruce Gradkowski, who has played 13 games in this league, plus a veteran guy we like. We’re excited about our quarterback situation, plus we’ve got Jake Plummer to talk about. We’ll see what happens there.’’

TINO's Bloghouse
tag: nfl, draft, free agency, trade, football, sports, bucs, packers, eagles, bengals, ravens, lions, redskins, bears, cardinals, 49'ers, saints, rams, colts, browns, titans, marshall faulk, pacman jones, phil savage, rodger goodell, takeo spikes, kelly holcomb, shaun rogers, mike mcCarthy, aaron rodgers, jon grudenjeff garcia, chris simms, jake plummer