NFL Jabber 6/16/07

The NFLPA is working overtime this week. They feel the Raiders are "too committed." The Raiders will be punished...they must be dealt with.

"I was notified that the (NFL) Players (Association) believes our total commitment to improving our football team has resulted in some violations of rules regarding practice standards," Lane Kiffin said in a statement released by the club. "The union has complained about the high level of intensity, player aggressiveness and fast pace of our practices and as a result, has taken away the final week of our offseason program."

It's all fun and games until someone gets shot in the nuts. Cheesy I know but I couldn't resist. Redskins rookie D-Back, LaRon Landry could not practice on Friday do to a paintball to the groin. His injury occurred while some of the gang went out to play Wednesday after work.

"I didn't know paintball was that dangerous," linebacker Marcus Washington said. "I hope it wasn't friendly fire."

San Antonio officials are looking to cash in on the Hispanic roots of Tony Romo when he and the boys come down for training camp this summer. They are hoping that people from the place that used to be Mexico will flock from miles around to see a successful Hispanic athlete. I don't usually pay attention to ethnicity but this is news...I would have guessed by the name that he was Italian.

"That's the way I would write the story line if I could," said John Solis, the bureau's executive assistant director of sales and marketing.

"Coming down to a city with 60 percent Hispanic population, (Romo) will have a lot of people surrounding him positively," Solis added. "We are looking forward to being tied to a class act."

Jeff Garcia "felt snubbed" by the Eagles. I think it's time you can quit crying and be happy that a team paid for you to be it's starter. When the Eagles do finally get rid of McNabb, he will be replaced by someone young enough to get away with having a MySpace page (I can say that because I'm only 36).

"I think there was a lot of anger within myself," the 37-year-old Garcia said, describing his feeling when the Eagles waived him goodbye after he led them into the playoffs last season as the very capable fill-in for the injured McNabb. "Here was finally a situation where I felt so comfortable and I felt like I had a good home and a good place, and I wanted to be able to experience more of that and, hopefully, not have to relocate all over again. That opportunity wasn't presented to me."

A few minutes later, Garcia gave a more abbreviated version: "I felt personally snubbed."

Technorati : buccaneers, bucs, cowboys, football, garcia, hispanic, landry, nfl, nflpa, paintball, players, practice, raiders, redskins, romo, sports
Ice Rocket : buccaneers, bucs, cowboys, football, garcia, hispanic, landry, nfl, nflpa, paintball, players, practice, raiders, redskins, romo, sports

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NFL Jabber 6/5/07

The Chargers have signed TE Scott Chandler to a four-year deal. Could make for some dangerous two TE sets if they want to use them.

"It was kind of surprise that it got taken care of so quickly but I'm really glad to have it done," Chandler said. "I didn't think it would happen until just before training camp but everything came together smoothly and I can just focus on getting settled and playing football."

First step for new Raiders coach, Lane Kiffen? Do the opposite of Art Shell in every way.

David Patten is looking to get his career back on track in New Orleans. Good place for him as the Saints won't expect him to be a superstar and they spread the ball around similar to his old team in New England.

The BIG news in Denver is that Sam Adams has been signed to join the new D-Line.

With Darrell Jackson gone somebody has to step up at WR in Seattle.

"Darrell has been a great part of our offense for seven years, and we will miss him," receivers coach Nolan Cromwell said. "But there's always changes -- people move on and retire. So other people have got to step up and make plays."

Porn Star, Lisa Ann Taylor (aka Mellisa Wolf) thinks that Tom Brady's boy next door looks make him the Sexiest Athlete. Do I smell a film career for Tom beyond SNL?

Kendrick Clancy and Milford Brown are going to be asked to take paycuts.

So some Bucs are going to be walking off the starters plank this year. Stephen F. Holder at www.sptimes.com rounds up the possible victims.

Technorati : broncos, buccaneers, bucs, cardinals, chargers, darrell jackson, david patton, football, lisa ann tayolr, nfl, patriots, porn, raiders, saints, sam adams, scott chandler, seahawks, sports, tom brady
Ice Rocket : broncos, buccaneers, bucs, cardinals, chargers, darrell jackson, david patton, football, lisa ann tayolr, nfl, patriots, porn, raiders, saints, sam adams, seahawks, sports, tom brady

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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 5/17/07

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 4/25/07

For some reason our society loves to look back on those that have failed. Not a jab there, for some reason I'm one of those although I think of myself as someone who likes to see people succeed. It's like rubber necking at a car accident. You don't want to see anyone hurt but you can't help but look. Charles Robinson at Yahoo! Sports! Has outlined a list of the worst all-time first round picks for your rubber necking pleasure.

Jerry Jones has come to terms with the fact that sometimes you just have to move up in the draft.

"We do have our bases covered so if there were a player we could reach -- big if, big if -- that could come in and make the obvious impact, then that should be a consideration," Jones said Monday in a 60-minute session with the media.

The Colts took a hit in Free Agency this year. They have to wait until the end of the first round and have their work cut out for them fixing needs in the draft.

After the Pro Bowl injury to his elbow, Drew Brees is back at work.

“I had to go into rehab mode again for about eight weeks,” said Brees, who spent all of last season rehabilitating from major surgery on his throwing shoulder. “That’s frustrating. It’s another offseason where you have to do some rehab. I guess that’s kind of the business we’re in. I came out of it stronger.”

One of the most dominant headline subjects of the offseason has been quiet for some time. For now Lance Briggs is still a Bear.

"To me, Lance's situation is that he's a part of our ball club and I assume Lance Briggs, No. 55, will be out there the first game," coach Lovie Smith added. "Once he has to be here, he'll be a part of it. That's how I'm looking at Lance Briggs."

Meanwhile, the Bucs are the latest team tied to trade talk rumors with the Bears for Briggs.

Rumor has it that the Chiefs are talking to teams about a possible trade for Larry Johnson.

tag: nfl, draft, sports, football, trade, chiefs, buccaneers, bears, saints, colts, cowboys, Charles Robinson, jerry jones, drew brees, lance briggs, lovie smith, larry johnson

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 4/15/07

Saints fans can be grateful that Marques Colston realized he had to work to make the team. Who knows what would have happened had he had the sense of entitlement that some players have. This guy is one that I want on my team.

"I was working out a little bit. . . . Obviously, not as much as I should have been," said Colston, who admits he was in poor physical shape when he arrived for his first minicamp in New Orleans, two weeks after being selected with the 252nd pick in the draft. "When I survived the first rookie minicamp, I realized something had to change. I had to come back in much better shape," said Colston, who indeed made an incredible transformation over the summer.

Anquan Boldin would like to take some of the rushing attempts for the Cardinals this season.

"I don't have to throw the ball, just put me in the backfield a couple of times and let me run it, I'll be OK," Boldin said with a smile.

Reports are that the Bengals are looking into the Bucs Tim Rattey for the backup QB job.

Mike O'Hare at detnews.com is calling for the head of Mike Williams.

At 33, Olindo Mare reminds John Carney how old he is.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for John,” said Mare, who will turn 34, nine years younger than Carney, before training camp. “He’s one of the best. He’s one of the guys that all us young guys, compared to John, I guess, want to be. Who doesn’t want to do what John has done in this league?”

There is a debate starting already less than a week into Drew Bledsoe's retirement...Hall of Fame? Playing a long time and racking up numbers are not enough unless your Dan Marino. Despite one Super Bowl appearance (not counting the Super Bowl on the bench)in an embarrassing loss to Green Bay, many are going to say Bledsoe didn't do enough in his career. Adam Schien of NFL Radio and FoxSports.com is one of those guys.

tag: nfl, free agency, draft, trade, football, sports, saints, cardinals, bengals, buccaneers, drew bledsoe, marques colston, olindo mare, john carney, mike o'hare, mike williams, tim rattey, adam schien

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

PFT Annual April Fools Day Headlines...

Some people that don't catch the fine print often set themselves up to be slammed by posting the April 1st Pro Football Talk content on their favorite message board.

Below are some samples of today's content...

clipped from www.profootballtalk.com McNABB TO RETIRE? Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is contemplating retirement, a source close to McNabb tells us. Per the source, McNabb has grown weary of rehabbing the ACL that he tore last season, and he has decided that he has had enough. MORE PARTS FOR PEYTON? Lorne Michaels, the producer and creator of Saturday Night Live, is pondering the possibility of making Manning a mid-season addition to the cast after Manning's football season ends in 2008. SNYDER TO SELL IF 'SKINS STUMBLE AGAIN? After eight years of trying to take the Washington Redskins back to the Super Bowl, owner Dan Snyder could soon be admitting that he's not cut out for the role. Bucs coach Jon Gruden was offended by Coughlin's Hitler comparison; "He's a f--king creampuff," Gruden said of Coughlin. "If anybody's a f--king Adolf Hitler, it's f--king me." Cowboys WR Terrell Owens has called a press conference to talk about the fact that no one has been talking about him very much in the offseason.

tag: nfl, sports, football, eagles, buccaneers, cowboys, pro football talk, terrell ownes, jon gruden, donavan mcnabb, retire, april fools

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.’’

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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

Draft Focus/Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson
WR, Georgia Tech
6-4, 239
40-4.33 (with borrowed shoes)

Calvin Johnson is one of those guys that seems to have everything an NFL scout and team are looking for. Size, speed, and a guy that isn't going to get in the paper for the wrong reasons. In three years at Georgia Tech he racked up 28 TD's and 2927 yards (both school records). he made All-American two out of the three years and gained a Biletnikoff award and ACC player of the year in 2006. although in a losing effort, he capped off his career with nine grabs for 186 yards and a couple of TD's in the Toyota Gator Bowl. He amazed scouts at the combine with a 4.33 with borrowed shoes (he originally said he wouldn't be running), an 11 foot standing broad jump and a vertical leap of 43 inches.

Zero character issues. Describes himself as a cross of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens with Marvin Harrison's demeanor. A big guy and fast. Can leap tall buildings and has great hands. Great blocker and a team player. Can create great separation. Some scouts have said he is the best WR prospect they have ever seen. Highly touted as the best player in the 2007 draft.

Little on the downside with this guy and that is why his stock is soaring. Could be scary to see what happens with a consistent QB. Has had some dropped balls that he shouldn't have dropped but he is young and can be coached. Does not always play at top speed.

Johnson has been compared by many to Arizona WR, Larry Fitzgerald.

Some thoughts on Johnson...

"I think character isprobably one of the biggest contributors to that," Tech coach ChanGailey said. "There are a lot of talented guys, but the character that
he possesses moves him to the top of the list."

Said one regional scout from an AFC franchise:

"For a guy that size to
do the things that he does, and to make it all look so easy ... is
amazing."

“He needed a pair of gloves. That’s all he needed was a pair of gloves,” said Tom Shaw, an NFL performance trainer working with several players in preparation for the NFL Combine. “Nike sent him a box of three gloves and he was in heaven. “He’s going to shock some people, but then again Reggie Bush shocked some people and he fell to No. 2. The word is, everyone’s saying that Tampa Bay is going to take Calvin. Calvin Johnson is the best player, football player, person, athlete, dedicated ...He’s definitely in the top three.”

Who wants Calvin Johnson? Just about everyone. Needs of teams will play a role. He could go as high as #1 to the Raiders but as of now the Raiders are in desperate need of a QB. It is possible the Raiders could take Johnson and still address QB in the 2nd round with Drew Stanton. The is also alot of talk about the possibility of the Raiders making a move for David Carr which would open things up. If Johnson makes it past the Raiders, the Lions would not miss on the Wr selection this time if they pulled the trigger. Johnson should not fall past the Bucs at #4.

Fantasy Outlook: WR rarely make a fantasy impact in their rookie season. The team that lands Johnson in the draft will determine his fantasy draft spot. He will go higher than most rookie WR's usually do in re-draft leagues. In deeper Dynasty/Keeper leagues he could be the first rookie taken.

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tag: nfl, draft, football, sports, fantasy football, raiders, buccaneers, lions, georgia tech, ncaa, acc, pro day, prospect, college, calvin johnson

More NFL Jabber 3/20/07

The Cowboys are showing some love to Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones this weekend.

Gruden's pulling the gun. Looks like he is going to consider giving the shotgun some room in the playbook. “Coach has been talking about it and he’s real serious about it,” Chris Simms said.

The Texans have signed LB Shawn Barber to a three-year deal.

Brandon Stokley is going to be a Bronco. The former Colt came to a one-year agreement with the team.

T.J. Duckett is benefiting from Kevin Jones inability to stay healthy in Detroit. "It's definitely a dream, and an opportunity," said the Kalamazoo native, who signed with Detroit as a free agent March 10. "I'm excited about it."

The Steelers interviewed LB Rocky Boiman. How cool is the name Rocky for a football player? Pretty damn cool!

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tag: nfl, free agency, steelers, cowboys, lions, bucs, texans, broncos, jon gruden, chris simms, shawn barber, brandon stokley, t.j.duckett

NFL Jabber 3/17/07

Daisy the Dairy Cow would beat Matt Leinhart in a class president vote at Navajo Elementary School.

Some NFL players really are good boys. "Everyone hears about the Warrick Dunns and Peyton Mannings, somebody was there to give them some type of inspiration and some type of guidance," Mo Lewis said recently.

"Not every athlete out there has that. They might have been misled, but they ended up going straight. What we are trying to be is the program to be there for those athletes."

Some are not. Tank Johnson joined Randy Ford and 100 other inmates going into the CookCounty jail.

"People was hollering his name, saying, 'Tank why don't you bond us out. Why didn't you win the Super Bowl?," Ford said.

Cheesburger Dayne will be staying in Houston.

The Saints are still planning to meet with Kennan McCardell.

The Bucs apparently are concerned more about what Charles Grant is thinking in the middle of the night than giving him a contract.

"We never intended to discuss a contract with him," Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said of Grant. "We talked about his dreams and discussed his options. We obviously have a leg up on our competition."

The draft is so shallow at RB this year that Michael Bush and his broken leg can still go in the first round.

DT Ian Scott left Minny without a contract.

Justin Gage is the newest WR with the Titans.

"Justin is a big, physical and athletic receiver who has a good deal of playing experience with the Bears," Titans General Manager Mike Reinfeldt said. "He gives us a different body type and he will compete for a role with our receiving corps."

Former Bronco owner Edgar Kaiser Jr. is not having any luck trying to bully his way back into the teams ownership.

TINO's Bloghouse
tag: nfl, draft, free agency, football, sports, broncos, titans, buccaneers, saints, texans, bears, falcons, cardinals, matt leinhart, mo lewis, tank johnson, jail, ron dayne, charles grant, michael bush, vikings

More NFL Jabber 3/16/07

Charles Grant visit to the Bucs brings up all sorts of questions.

The Bengals are letting Shaun Smith move on to the Browns.

The Eagles have re-signed RB Correll Buckhaulter.

The Panthers have inked LB Terrence Melton.

TINO's Bloghouse
tag: nfl, free agency, football, saints, bucs, bengals, browns, charles grant, panthers, eagles, shaun smith, correll buckhaulter, terrence melton

NFL Jabber 3/16/07

In an unusual situation, the Bucs are going to meet today with Saints franchise player, DE Charles Grant.

Speaking of Saints, they are moving in on selling out 137 luxury boxes and 68,000 season tickets for the first time in team history.

"We are extremely appreciative of the support we received from fans and local businesses last season and are very encouraged with the response so far in 2007," said Rita Benson LeBlanc, the Saints' owner and executive vice president of administration. "We are hard at work to make sure the Saints are successful, both on and off the field, and look forward to announcing any team milestones when they are achieved."

Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson put on a show at his "pro day" workout. 75 scouts showed up to take it in. "Whatever they wanted to see," said Johnson, "I think I showed them."



The Chargers put on a fashion show to display the new uni's.

The Eagles landed WR Kevin Curtis.

Tank Johnson got 4 months for violating his probation.

Rumors fly about the Jets trading away Jonathan Vilma.

Chiefs gave a four-year deal to DT Ron Edwards.

Dolphins kicker, Olindo Mare doesn't know that people don't care about kickers feelings.

Marcus Pollard says he doesn't "feel" 35. Maybe because he played flag football in college instead of getting hit?

"I played flag football at Bradley," said Pollard, who had been a tight end and defensive end in high school. "I was the most famous flag football player in the world."

Forget about the Rams losing Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis. The air show will be just fine with the addition of Drew Bennett and Randy McMichael.

Adam Schien at Foxsports.com feels that this season is a tryout for Mike Vick with the new staff in town.

The Browns keep on going by signing Robaire Smith to a four-year deal.

Jerry Jones doesn't feel that the Cowboys have any needs going into the draft.

"I don't think we're locked in at any position to come out with," Jones said. "I can see us going secondary, offensive line, whole gamut, and maybe even a young quarterback."

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NFL Jabber 3/10/07

Jake Plummer is making it official. "I wanted to come in and tell you guys on camera and face-to-face that the speculation can stop tonight," Plummer said from the Denver Athletic Club. "You can know by the looking in my face and hearing my words that I am retiring from the NFL. At 32 years old, I'm running away from the game. Not in fear or fright, but health-wise. I'm healthy. I'm happy. I have a lot to look forward to in my life."

Fans booed the idea of the Packers trading for Randy Moss at the yearly Packer Fan Fest. fans are going as far as calling the office of Chairman and CEO Bob Harlen. "I don't want to say it's been overwhelming, but there have been a few fans who (complained)," Harlan said. "And the thing they basically say to me is, "You guys have so much class. Don't lose class now."


The pictures are out of the new Chargers uniforms that were announced yesterday. i thought there was going to be more powder blue. No sign of the new helmet yet although YAHOO! Sports is saying it is going to be metallic white.

T.J. Duckett is going to Michigan to where he played his college ball. The Lions signed him to a one year deal.

The Fins have made an offer to Donte Stallworth. It has not been accepted at this point.

Willis McGahee made his first public appearance yesterday in Baltimore and used it to bash his old teammates. "My situation wasn't that great in Buffalo," said McGahee, who was flanked by General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Coach Brian Billick. "I thank God for getting the 990 [rushing yards last season] to tell you the truth. If you look at it, I missed two games and was facing nine guys in the box a lot. If you get to a better team with receivers, a quarterback, a line helping out, it's going to be hard to stop everybody."

The Eagles have been fairly quiet. They did sign WR/KR Bethel Johnson but that is about it. I would hope they keep looking at WR because that is not quite the Stallworth replacement they are going to need. Coach Andy Reid is still on his leave of absence.

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