TheDailyBlitz.com: August 2009 Archives

The Monday Blitz

Patriots coach Bill Belicheck said of linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who retired after 13 seasons, "He's a perfect player."

Free-agent safety Lawyer Milloy turned down an offer from the Detroit Lions.

The Cowboys have released rookie tackle Andre Douglas.

The Cowboys made a waiver-wire claim on DB DeAngelo Willingham from Tampa Bay and have signed CB Jeremy Haynes, who had spent time with Tennessee this training camp.

The Raiders cut five players today -- center Jonathan Compas, wide receiver Shawn Bayes, receiver Will Franklin, defensive tackle Joe Cohen and offensive guard Marcus Johnson.

It must be the shoes. Bills receiver Terrell Owens said of his toe injury, “I’ve come to find out that it was really due to the shoe I had on."

The Lions have released four players -- receiver D.J. Boldin, safety LaMarcus Hicks, linebacker Robert Francois and defensive end Ryan Kees -- and have placed cornerback Dexter Wynn on injured reserve.

The Falcons aren't worried about TV blackouts this year.

The Panthers have released three players -- WR Ryne Robinson, T Gerald Cadogan and DT Lorenzo Williams -- and have placed G C.J. Davis on injured reserve.

Brett Favre jerseys were the best-selling jersey from NFLshop.com from August 1st to August 28th. Mike Vick jerseys were fourth.

The Browns have released offensive lineman Ryan Tucker, a 13-year veteran.

Bengals tight end Ben Utecht was placed on injured reserve with a concussion, which will end his season. Thefefore, the Bengals have named Daniel Coats as their starting tight end.

The Colts have waived four players -- CB Michael Coe, DE Rudolph Hardie, DE Curtis Johnson and TE Colin Cloherty.

The Saints have released three players -- defensive tackle Rod Coleman, cornerback Greg Fassitt and wide receiver D'Juan Woods.

Tim McMahon of the Dallas Morning News takes a glass-half-full look at Tony Romo's interception on Saturday.

Cardinals receiver Early Doucet will miss a couple weeks with fractured ribs, according to Kent Somers of Arizona Republic.

The Steelers have placed Darnell Stapleton on injured reserve and have waived center Alex Stepanovich, wide receivers Martin Nance and Steven Black and safety Derrick Richardson.

The Titans may carry three quarterbacks -- Kerry Collins, Vince Young and Patrick Ramsey.

"I was stunned," [DT Travis] Johnson said about being traded from Houston to San Diego. "I'm not mad at the Texans because I know this is just business, but, man, I'm still stunned. I didn't see it coming."

The Steelers signed Brett Keisel, who had one year left on his contract, to a four-year extension.

With Darrell Revis on the other side, Jets cornerback Lito Sheppard should see lots of passes come his way.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer practiced today and may play against the Colts on Thursday.

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk may see his playing time cut considerably if Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar are used as the inside linebackers in the nickel defense.

Contrary to other reports, Zach Thomas is not retiring.

Cardinals QB Matt Leinart said, "Whatever it is that's happening to me right now, it's a positive thing. There's a positive perception out there of me again, which is good, because I've worked hard to get to this point."

The Bucs have cut speedy receiver Dexter Jackson, who was the team's second-round pick last year.

Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman will return some punts in 2009.

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald believes the Dolphins should go after Broncos suspended receiver Brandon Marshall.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sparano takes team to see GI Joe

Even I could have handled the Dolphins' practice today.

After a walkthrough of 25 plays, coach Tony Sparano decided to cancel the practice and take the team to the movies to see G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, according to Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"The reason I like doing those kinds of things is I like to make sure the guys, first of all, get a chance to know that I have a heart somewhere under there," Sparano said, "and second of all that you appreciate what those guys have done. This group has worked really hard."

Last year, Sparano took the team to see The Express, which was about Ernie Davis of Syracuse.

The reason Sparano chose G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?

"This thing here, I just figured there'd be a lot of things blowing up and people doing all those things, so I thought it was pretty good," Sparano said. "And it had a nice-looking woman in it, too, for 'em."

Good thinking coach. If it weren't for the movies, where else would professional football players in Miami see a "nice-looking woman"?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chan Gailey no longer offensive coordinator

Chan Gailey is no longer the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, per Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. The question remains whether or not he is anything (else) for the Chiefs.

Head coach Todd Haley, who was offensive coordinator for the Cardinals last year, was directing the offense today. And Gailey was not at practice.

“There’s never great timing for situations like this. However, Todd has to do what’s best for the team and for the future of the Chiefs," Gailey said in a statement. "I respect that. It didn’t work out for us, but I certainly think that he has a very fine offensive mind and I feel very fortunate to have worked for the Chiefs these past two years."

In three pre-season games, the Chiefs have only scored two offensive touchdowns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cassel's status for season opener in jeopardy

According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel may miss up to four weeks with a strained medial collateral ligament (MCL).

That puts Cassel's status for the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens in jeopardy. If Cassel can't play, the Chiefs would likely turn to Tyler Thigpen, who has been the subject of trade rumors, or Brodie Croyle.

According to ESPN, Thigpen took 80 percent of the snaps with the first team Monday.

"To me, it seems like deja vu five times over," running back Larry Johnson said. "It happened with Trent [Green in 2006], it happened with Brodie, it happened with Damon [Huard]."

Regardless of whether Cassel or Thigpen or Croyle is the quarterback on September 13th, it's unlikely that the Chiefs will go to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and leave with a victory over the Ravens.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Osi skips practice without telling Coughlin

Giants defensive end Osi Umyeniora, who was at the team's facility today, left without talking to coach Tom Coughlin and he didn't practice today, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

“Osi was here this morning earlier and there must have been something of a personal nature, left,” Coughlin said. “I haven’t personally talked to him. He did respond to Jerry, evidently by text. That’s all I have. I haven’t seen him so I can’t tell you. I can’t indicate to you what the reason was or anything, because I don’t know.”

The text to Reese was to inform him that Umyeniora was o.k., but he didn't provide a reason why he left, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Per Vacchiano, it's not believed that Umyeniora left due to injury or contract concerns.

Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger writes that Umyeniora was upset with new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan for criticizing him for a mistake in Saturday's game.

Umyeniora, the Giants' second-round pick in 2003, missed the entire 2008 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury last August.

Stay tuned...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There's a proud new owner of The Whizzinator

Per Sean Jensen the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a sports bar owner won the auction on Friday to purchase "The Original Whizzinator" for a cool $750.

Former Vikings running back Onterrio Smith made the Whizzinator famous when he was caught with one at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in May 2005. He was suspended for the 2005 season by the NFL and released by the Vikings in April 2006.

So, why did the sports bar owner bid on the Whizzinator?

To put it in a display case next to jerseys of Adrian Peterson and Justin Morneau, of course. What else would you do with it?

"I want to be the new training camp headquarters for the Vikings," said Matt Little, the owner of Buster's Sports Bar & Grill in Mankato (MN). "I got a guy who knows Onterrio, so we want to do a reunion. How classic would that be?"

According to Wikipedia, "the Whizzinator comes as a kit complete with dried urine and syringe, heater packs (to keep the urine at body temperature), a false penis (available in several skin tones including white, tan, latino, brown, and black) and instruction manual."

As owner of the Whizzinator with the last name Little, it seems like the possibility for jokes is endless.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pats release QB Kevin O'Connell

According to Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, the Patriots have waived back-up quarterback Kevin O'Connell.

The Patriots now have three quarterbacks on the roster -- Tom Brady, Andrew Walter and rookie Brian Hoyer.

O'Connell, the Patriots' third-round pick in 2008, was expected to back up Brady.

It's possible that the Chiefs could claim O'Connell off of waivers and if they do (as pointed out by Pro Football Talk), the Chiefs would have all three non-injured QBs from last year's Patriots' roster -- Matt Cassel, Kevin O'Connell and Matt Gutierrez.

In Friday's pre-season game, O'Connell completed almost as many passes to Redskins' defenders (two) as he did to Patriots' receivers (three) in his ten pass attempts.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sunday Blitz

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer still wasn't practicing with the team.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said of WR Roy Williams, "Roy said he was OK. I don't know for sure, but I think he probably could have played."

Lions rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew said of the first pass thrown to him (which was overthrown), "I was licking my chops because they came down in man coverage. I knew it was going to come to me."

Giants receiver Sinorice Moss was frustrated by his lack of playing time in the team's third pre-season game against the Jets.

Chargers right guards Kynan Forney and Louis Vasquez may continue their battle to start into the regular season, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said, "We're spending 60 percent of revenues on player salaries. That does not work. It's not where any one of the 32 teams want to be. And so the labor problem is a big problem. That's not just a Denver Bronco problem."

The Bucs named Byron Leftwich the starter and Raheem Morris might carry four QBs on roster.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was upset with Joey Porter for missing two tackles and Porter said yesterday, "I could have made both of those tackles. No excuses there. Just tackle the guy. I tell my son the same thing. You don't have to make the prettiest tackle."

Jets receiver Chansi Stuckey made a strong case (4 catches, 69 yards, 1 TD) for the second-receiver spot last night. David Clowney had no balls thrown his way.

The Seahawks have waived four players -- DT Kevin Brown, FB Dan Curran, LB Shane Simmons and TE John Tereshinski.

Titans center Kevin Mawae had 30 plays against the Browns, which was twice as many as he was supposed to have.

Broncos receiver Jabar Gaffney has a broken thumb.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 15 of 19 in his return Saturday night.

The 49ers have released five players -- K Alex Romero, CBs Carlos Thomas and Jahi Word-Daniels and WRs Chris Francies and Mark Bradford.

The Jets have released four players -- QB Chris Pizzotti, WR Huey Whittaker, LB Craig Kobel and S Nate Ness.

Tom Kowalski of MLive.com believes that Lions' rookie safety Louis Delmas needs to slow down and not try to always make a big play.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tom Cable "embarrassed" by ass-whooping

Last night, the New Orleans Saints came into the Oakland Raiders' house and smacked them around with a 45-7 beatdown.

As the victim of the beatdown, Raiders coach Tom Cable was "embarrassed," according to Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News.

"Obviously, I'm embarrassed by that effort," Cable said. "It was not very good in terms of the third preseason game. It just seemed like early in the game we could not make a play on either side of the ball."

The Saints had 532 total yards, 30 first downs and converted eight of 16 third downs. Meanwhile, the Raiders had only 289 yards, nine first downs and converted one of ten third downs.

On a positive note, Cable did not punch any coaches in the jaw (allegedly) on his team -- or the other team.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hakeem Nicks has big night against Jets

In last night's pre-season game against the Jets, Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks, the team's first-round pick, put up big numbers against the Jets' third-team DBs.

Regardless of the level of competition, Nicks caught six passes for 144 yards and two scores (22 and 71 yards, respectively), which is impressive.

Mario Manningham was the team's only other receiver to have more than two catches for 25 yards last night. Manningham caught four passes for 41 yards.

Whether or not Nicks is named a starter, he's focused only on what he can control saying that he "can't control the depth chart. All I can do is keep on competing and we'll go from there."

"He made some plays," [coach] Tom Coughlin said. "He created opportunities for us to see him and his contributions and how we might be able to utilize him."

The team's most glaring weakness is receiver.

And, as Dan Graziano of FanHouse points out, if Nicks has a strong performance in the team's final pre-season game, he may help put an end to rumors about any interest the Giants may have in Broncos' disgruntled -- and suspended -- receiver Brandon Marshall.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Andre Smith signs, Crabtree only first-rounder unsigned

The Cincinnati Bengals have reached a deal with offensive tackle Andre Smith, the sixth overall pick in this year's draft, according to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Smith's deal could be worth as much as $42 million.

Smith was the 31st first-rounder to sign leaving San Francisco's Michael Crabtree as the only unsigned first-round pick.

“We’re excited to have Andre with us now,” coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement. “He has a lot of work to do, but he knows the challenge ahead of him to make an impact on our team as soon as possible. Our vision of him is simply as a physically dominating player on our offensive line, and we know that this guy wants to be very, very good.”

The Bengals can use a two-week roster exemption for Smith, which would keep him eligible to practice but make him ineligible to participate in games including the team's season opener against the Broncos on September 13th.

The Bengals also play in the Colts in their pre-season finale on Thursday.

Before Smith's holdout, he was pegged to start at right tackle. If Smith doesn't win the job, Anthony Collins will remain as the starter on the right side.

“Andre is a very powerful man,” said offensive line coach Paul Alexander. “He can knock ’em back better than anyone who was in the draft, and that’s why we took him. And it was a very good year for offensive linemen.”

While many believe Smith had the most talent of all offensive lineman in the draft, he made some poor choices in the six months leading up to the draft that caused his draft stock to fall.

Smith's dealings with an agent made him ineligible for the Sugar Bowl as Alabama faced Utah. And then he chose to not workout at the NFL scouting combine in February and he went missing in action from Indianapolis that weekend.

If it weren't for those poor choices, Smith would have likely been a top two draft pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brady hurts shoulder, Ochocinco tweets "he's fine"

After a hit by Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered a sore shoulder and didn't play in the second half of last night's pre-season game at FedEx Field.

“Just any time you see your quarterback get hit you’re concerned or any of your guys on the ground,’’ said [TE Chris] Baker, who helped Brady up. “It was that. He’s a tough guy. I’ve seen him take hits before and obviously he gets back up. It was just one of those things where it was, ‘Let me go get him up and let’s get off the field.’’’

As Josh Q. Public points out, Chad "Esteban" Ochocinco has provided a status update for Brady, via his Twitter account: "Just got a call back from Tom Brady, says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about."

Before getting hit (and hurt), Brady completed 12 of 19 passes for 150 yards and two scores (both to Randy Moss).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Greg Jennings knocked out "for a second or two"

In the Packers' pre-season game last night against the Cardinals, receiver Greg Jennings suffered a concussion from a hit where he was sandwiched by Cardinals' defensive backs Aaron Francisco and Bryant McFadden, per Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazzette.

The injury doesn't appear to be serious as Jennings said, “Got hit, got a concussion. But I’m good now.” However, he was knocked out "for a second or two."

Despite being knocked out briefly, Jennings remained on the sideline afterwards and was joking around with teammates, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Jennings, Green Bay's second-round pick in 2006, finished with 80 receptions for 1292 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008.

In our consensus rankings (an average from various sources), Jennings is #23 on our Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet behind five receivers - Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, Houston's Andre Johnson, New England's Randy Moss, Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marshall suspended until September 5th

Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall, dubbed "Baby T.O.," now shares something else with Owens. Both receivers have been suspended by their teams for conduct detrimental to the team.

At practice Wednesday, Marshall walked while the team ran, swatted a ball instead of catching it, and punted a ball that he should have given to a ball boy.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels warned Marshall on Wednesday, but McDaniels said "his actions didn't really change after that warning."

"This morning we made the decision as an organization to go ahead and suspend Brandon," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said yesterday. "That suspension would last through Sept. 5. We look forward to having him back here Sept. 6 as we begin our preparations for Cincinnati."

Marshall is due to make $2.198 million in the final year of his contract and he is unhappy about the Broncos not giving him a contract extension and his requested to be traded.

“Me punting the ball was definitely frustration,” Marshall said on Thursday. “It was an error in judgment. There was a lot of frustration (Wednesday) coming out of a meeting.”

Granted, Marshall has outperformed his contract as he has posted back-to-back 100-reception seasons. But if it weren't for his childish behavior and run-ins with the law (mostly stemming from domestic battery charges), the Broncos would have tried to extend his contract already.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roy Williams has shoulder sprain

Cowboys receiver Roy Williams suffered a shoulder injury that, at first, was feared to be a broken collarbone after a collision with cornerback Orlando Scandrick during Thursday night's practice, according to a source of Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

Per Tim McMahon of the Dallas Morning News, however, X-rays revealed that Williams has a sprained shoulder -- not a broken collarbone, which would have taken six to eight weeks to heal.

The Cowboys are expected to provide an update of Williams' timetable on Friday, according to McMahon.

Williams and quarterback Tony Romo have had different views on their timing and chemistry established this off-season and in camp.

Earlier in the week, Williams said of their chemistry, “He threw a ball that was on time and right at the landmark where it was supposed to be. I think that's the second or third time that's ever happened where I was in the right spot, and the ball was in the right spot, and it just clicked and looked real pretty on film. We want to get to that 100 percent of the time. So far, we've only had three or four of those.”

Last year, Williams joined the Cowboys via a trade with Detroit when Tony Romo suffered an injury and missed three games.

In ten games with Dallas in 2008, Williams had 19 receptions for 198 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 8/27: Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 6.8, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.6, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 9.0, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.4, High: 4, Low: 16)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.0, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 11.8, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.8, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 15.6, High: 13, Low: 17)
16. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.0, High: 12, Low: 22)
17. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 16.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
18. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
19. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.8, High: 14, Low: 24)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 18.6, High: 15, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Also, you can follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook's Networked Blogs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jets name Mark Sanchez as opening day starter

The Jets have named rookie Mark Sanchez as the team's starting quarterback for the season opener against the Texans in Houston on September 13th, according to Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News.

Neither Sanchez nor Kellen Clemens played very well against the Ravens' defense on Monday night. As coach Rex Ryan indicated, however, these quarterbacks aren't likely to face a tougher challenge that what they faced in Baltimore.

As Gary Myers of the NY Daily News points out, there are going to be some bumps along the way as Sanchez learns on the job with a tough schedule against their first five opponents. After opening in Houston, the Jets face the Patriots, Titans, Saints and Dolphins.

With the Jets investing $50 million on Sanchez after they traded up to draft him fifth overall, it seemed inevitable that the Jets would start Sanchez at some point this season. And through training camp and the pre-season, Clemens didn't give the Jets a compelling reason to delay the inevitable.

As a junior at USC last year, Sanchez threw for 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns as well as ten interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jags receiver changes name

Like Cincinnati's Chad Ochocinco (who was Chad Johnson), Jacksonville receiver Mike Walker (who wears jersey #81) has changed his name and the league has approved it.

According to Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union, however, he changed his name to Mike Sims-Walker (in honor of his late father) -- not to Mike Ochouno.

Sims-Walker's father passed away at 51 years old in December from colon cancer.

"It was hard because you're in meetings, and you really don't want to be there because you've got so much on your mind," Sims-Walker said. "My dad was probably the biggest man, biggest person in my life impact-wise. I know my dad is looking down on me and just happy for me to be in this position."

Sims-Walker, who was the Jaguars' third-round pick in 2007, had 16 receptions for 217 yards in 2008.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ryan to copy Ravens' three-back system

If immitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Ravens and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron should be flattered.

According to M.A. Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger, Jets coach Rex Ryan intends to duplicate what the Ravens did last year for his three backs - Thomas Jones, who led the AFC in rushing in 2008, Leon Washington and rookie Shonn Greene, the Jets' third-round draft pick.

The Ravens led the NFL in rushing attempts averaging 37 per game with their three-headed rushing attack of Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice. They finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (148.5 yards per game).

"Hopefully, we'll have a lot of carries for all of them," Ryan said. "Keep them fresh, rolling them in there. I'm excited about it. You can't have too much depth at running back in this league."

From a football perspective, that is a smart move. Jones is 30 years old, Washington provides versatility and Greene is a rookie.

From a fantasy football perspective, however, draft a Jets running back at your own peril (with the exception of keeper leagues).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Monday Blitz

Saints running back Reggie Bush expects to play in the team's next pre-season game against the Oakland Raiders.

The Jaguars have signed linebacker Adam Seward and re-signed rookie wide receiver Maurice Dupree today.

The Chiefs acquired C/G Andy Alleman and G Ikechuku Ndukwe from the Dolphins in exchange for a pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Also, the Chiefs have waived C/G Brian De La Puente.

The Niners have activated DL Ray McDonald from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis will receive the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy on Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bucs have placed Angelo Crowell on injured reserve and they have signed Bo Ruud, the younger brother of Barrett.

Per Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger, Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie expects a 'smooth transition' into snapping for field goals as well.

The Chiefs have waived LB Vince Redd.

The Associated Press calls the Patriots' TE race "too close to call."

The Saints will start Jermon Bushrod at left tackle again in their pre-season game against the Raiders on Saturday.

Lions kicker Jason Hanson may not be ready for season opener.

The Cowboys and the agent for DeMarcus Ware haven't communicated recently, according to Tim McMahon of the Dallas Morning News.

Seahawks center Chris Spencer suffered a torn left quadriceps and likely will be out four to six weeks.

Speaking of only getting three balls thrown his way during the pre-season, "I'd rather do it in the season when it really counts and matters," said [Cowboys receiver Miles] Austin.

Calling the rookie payscale "crazy," Colts president Bill Polian said: "In a game where people have to earn things on the field on merit, we should not pay the wrong people."

The Dolphins have terminated the contract of Earnest Wilford.

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason is going to miss a few weeks with a sprained MCL.

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters may play against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Per Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News, Giants rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks had his best practice ever as a Giant.

The Cowboys will start Orlando Scandrick at cornerback in the team's third pre-season game.

The Titans have released receiver Chris Davis, who was charged with DUI on Friday.

Panthers safety Charles Godfrey is day-to-day with a broken hand.

Cardinals running back Chris "Beanie" Wells looked good at practice today, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shaun Hill to start season opener

The 49ers have made the right decision in their quarterback competition. Shaun Hill -- not Alex Smith (or rookie Nate Davis) -- will be the starter on opening day against the Cardinals on September 13th, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

"He has a commanding presence about him," [coach Mike] Singletary said [of Hill]. "When he gets in the huddle the guys have learned to rally around him."

When Singletary replaced the outgoing Mike Nolan mid-season last year, he benched J.T. O'Sullivan in favor of Hill, who was 5-3 as a starter.

In his 13 career NFL games, Hill has completed 64 percent of his passes for 2547 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has only thrown nine interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nate Washington has right hamstring injury

Titans number one receiver Nate Washington, who was acquired via free agency this off-season, suffered an injury to his right hamstring during practice today, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

He is scheduled for an MRI Monday night and therefore the extent of his injury is unknown.

“I’ll say it is not season-ending,’’ coach Jeff Fisher said. “With the information I have right now I haven’t ruled him out for the opener. I don’t know. I don’t think Nate is going to practice tomorrow, so tomorrow is going to give the younger guys an opportunity to practice. I am not going to comment beyond that because I don’t know the nature of his injury.’’

“You don’t want anyone to go down, but especially a guy you brought in here to be basically your No.1 receiver,” [QB Kerry] Collins said. “Kenny is going to get an opportunity to get a lot of reps now and I think he’ll respond to it — he’s having a good camp. And guys like Paul Williams and Lavelle Hawkins, draft picks here, they need to step in and show us they can fill that role.’’

Last year, Washington had 40 receptions for 631 yards and three touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team's No. 3 receiver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Edge is heading west to Seattle

According to Pro Football Talk, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a one-year deal with running back Edgerrin James. PFT reports the deal is worth $2 million.

So, in other words, James, who would have earned a $5 million salary with Arizona in 2009, landed himself a cool $3 million paycut.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks are not commenting on the report, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times, but they will do so Tuesday.

The Seahawks currently have Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett as their top two running backs heading into 2009.

James, the 11th all-time leading rusher, needs 619 yards to pass Tony Dorsett, who ranks seventh all-time.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cody Brown out for season

Cardinals rookie Cody Brown will miss the 2009 season after dislocating his left wrist on Saturday, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

According to Somers, the wrist has been put back in place, but Brown will need surgery once the swelling in his wrist subsides.

"At first we thought maybe it was going to be a two-month injury, and then you want to keep him on the active (roster) in the hopes of getting him back so he doesn't lose that year," [Cardinals coach Ken] Whisenhunt said.

Brown, who was attempting to transition from DE at UConn to OLB in the Cardinals' 3-4 defensive scheme, will be placed on injured reserve.

"He was very early in his development and he's missing a lot of what he needs the most," said defensive coordinator Bill Davis. "That transition from defensive end in college to outside linebacker in the NFL is a massive one, and it takes a year to develop with your eyes and your stances."

Brown was one of four UConn players drafted in the first two rounds in this year's draft. The other three were Donald Brown (27th overall - Indianapolis), Darius Butler (41st overall - New England) and William Beatty (60th overall - New York Giants).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears Dvoracek now 4-for-4 in season-ending injuries

If it weren't for bad luck, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek wouldn't have any at all.

For the fourth consecutive season, Dvoracek, the team's third-round pick in 2006, has suffered a season-ending injury.

Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times, Dvoracek will miss the 2009 season with a torn ACL.

The loss of Dvoracek increases the chances that Matt Toeaina will make the 53-man roster, according to Biggs. Toeaina, who was drafted in the sixth round by Cincinnati in 2007, played in only one game for the Bears last year.

Dvoracek has played a total of 13 regular-season games including 12 last year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Philip Rivers gets six-year extension, per ESPN

The Chargers and their franchise quarterback Philip Rivers have agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $92 million, of which $38-39 million is guaranteed, according to a source of Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.

Rivers, who was acquired in a draft day trade with the Giants for Eli Manning, was in the last year of his rookie contract.

Forever linked due to the trade on draft day, Manning and Rivers will always be compared. This off-season, Manning signed a six-year extension as well that pays Eli $97 million.

Last year, Rivers led the NFL in passer rating (105.5) and touchdown passes (34).

If I were starting a franchise today, I would prefer Rivers, who earned my respect by playing through a torn ACL in the 2007 AFC Championship game, over Manning, who led the Giants to the Super Bowl that season.

Over the past three seasons in which Rivers has started, Rivers has thrown for more yards (10,549) and touchdowns (77) than Manning (9818 and 68, respectively). However, Manning has thrown more interceptions (48) than Rivers (35) during that span.

Considering the Chargers got Rivers and draft picks that led to the selection of Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding for Eli, the Chargers organization (and their fans) will always be indebted to the Giants organization for making that trade.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LT gets 8 more pre-season carries last night

Before the 2009 pre-season, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball a total of 14 times in pre-season games during his eight-year career.

Now in two pre-season games in 2009, L.T. has carried the ball 12 times -- four in the first pre-season game and eight times last night against the Cardinals.

“That’s how you get into a rhythm,” Tomlinson said, according to Casey Pearce of Chargers.com. “That’s all you could ask for in the preseason.”

In addition to rushing the ball eight times, Tomlinson caught two passes.

While I believe L.T. was going to have a bounce-back season after his sub-par performance in 2008 with or without pre-season action, he has historically struggled in the first couple of games of the year. Getting "into a rhythm" in the pre-season should help him reverse that trend.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

White and Butler fight during warm-ups

Perhaps I was fooled.

But I got the sense that the Detroit Lions were taking steps toward not be the laughing stock in a league where the Oakland Raiders have a franchise.

Granted, there is nowhere to go but up for the first team in NFL history to lose every single regular-season game last year.

That being said, the 2009 Lions did something their 2008 counterparts never did.

Two players -- Dewayne White and Carson Butler -- fought during their pre-game warm-ups as they got ready for their game against the Cleveland Browns last night, per Tom Kowalski of MLive.com.

"You know, I didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad sign. I've never seen that before," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "Obviously, that's something that shouldn't happen and it's something that will be addressed. Actually, it already has been addressed.''

Schwartz might have "addressed" it, but White seems to believe there will be a rematch.

"There's no kissing and making up, what's wrong with you?" asked White (in a response to a question), according to Kowalski. "We'll probably have to go at it one more time -- when we're not playing a game in a few minutes. Next week sometime. ... There's going to be bad blood between us."'

White, a seven-year veteran, has started for the past two seasons. Butler, on the other hand, is an undrafted rookie trying to make the team and he didn't help his chances last night.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Saturday Blitz

Vikings running Adrian Peterson is locker neighbors with 'new' quarterback Brett Favre.

According to the attorneys for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the woman that accused Big Ben of raping her is "disturbed and calculating" in an attempt to extort money from the quarterback, per the AP.

Browns returner Josh Cribbs returned a punt 84 yards for a score in tonight's pre-season game against the Lions.

Browns rookie running back James Davis had a run of 81 yards.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer might not play against the St. Louis Rams in the team's third pre-season game.

As Matt Maiocco of The Press Democrat points out, caving in to Michael Crabtree's demands -- and going outside of the slotting system -- could be disastrous in 2010 when they have two first-round picks.

Redskins running back Ladell Betts tried a new off-season workout program this year.

Dolphin Will Allen describes how he was "jacked up" last season: "I had a torn MCL [in his left knee]. A groin, but it wasn't a normal groin. It was like so big I couldn't even close my legs together. It was just filled with fluid inside of my leg. I had a hip contusion that they had to drain. That I think they got 100 CCs out of it. They had to drain that. I had a mild turf toe?"

Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton tries to roll with the punches when criticism is coming his way.

Jets receiver David Clowney is emerging as the team's No. 2 receiver, per M.A. Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jammal Brown has surgery, out for rest of pre-season

Saints left tackle Jammal Brown had surgery performed by Dr. William Myers, a sports hernia specialist in Philadelphia, according to Brian Allee-Walsh of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Per Allee-Walsh, Brown will definitely miss the remainder of the pre-season although the Saints are hopeful that Brown will be able to return for the regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on September 13th.

However, Jim Mashek of the Sun Herald wrote that Brown could miss up to a month of the regular season if surgery was necessary.

Brown, the Saints' first-round pick in 2005, has earned trips to the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2008.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Collie has inside track for third receiver spot

Indianapolis Colts rookie receiver Austin Collie, the team's fourth-round pick out of BYU, has impressed the coaches with his production and work ethic, according to Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star.

Wilson points out that Collie and Pierre Garcon were expected to compete to be the team's third receiver behind Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. However, Garcon has had a couple of drops in the Colts' two pre-season games.

"He has certainly shown the ability to be a clutch player and catch the ball in tough situations, and can run with it after the catch," [Colts coach Jim] Caldwell said. "He also has a real fine understanding of where he's supposed to be, and I think that's the really important thing, particularly when you're working on your timing with the quarterback."

"He's got an attitude where he's like a gym rat," Caldwell said. "He's in early and stays late. He has a bit of a perfectionist attitude about all of his work and preparation."

Collie leads the Colts with six receptions through two pre-season games. Last year, Collie had 106 catches for 1,538 yards and 15 touchdowns at BYU.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Burress gets prison consultant

New York Giants Plaxico Burress Accidentally Shot Himself in the Leg

Facing sentencing on gun charges one month from today, ex-Giants receiver Plaxico Burress has hired a prison coach, according to the New York Post.

"We are consulting with an expert in the field who will address and advise us, Mr. Burress and his family, on what to expect while incarcerated, and how to use his period of confinement as productively as possible," attorney Benjamin Brafman said.

While Burress accepted a plea deal for a two-year jail term, he could get out of prison after 20 months (May 2011).

I'm not sure what is more distrubing: that Burress is hiring a prison consultant or that the profession exists in the first place.

That being said, Burress could have avoided the need for a prison coach had he hired a consutlant to tell him not to carry a loaded hangun into a New York City nightclub. Or to tell him not to hide his gun in his sweat pants.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No Brandon Marshall in week 2

Playing video games, surfing the web, watching a movie and playing in a pre-season football game.

Three of these are possible activities for Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall tonight. One -- playing in a pre-season game -- is not.

Per Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Marshall did not make the trip to Seattle with the Broncos and therefore won't be playing in the team's second pre-season game tonight.

As Klis points out, Marshall's status seemed to change on Tuesday when his agent reiterated their request to the Broncos that Marshall be traded. That's when Marshall was demoted to the scout team.

Meanwhile, Marshall claims to still not know the playbook yet. And, as the Mile High Report points out, Marshall spent time playing defense -- not offense, but defense -- on the scout team. Perhaps he's learning the plays (roll eyes) by watching Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney run the routes.

While coach Josh McDaniels, owner Pat Bowlen and/or the Broncos' front office may not want to put up with Marshall, trading their franchise quarterback and their most talented skill player would send the wrong signal to the rest of the team. Granted, that has probably already happened by trading Jay Cutler, but that is already done and can't be reversed.

Instead, they can send a message to Marshall -- and, more importantly, to the rest of the team -- by not caving to Marshall's request to be traded.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Friday Blitz

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger traveled with the team to D.C. for its pre-season game against the Redskins tomorrow despite the injury to his Achilles.

Titans defensive tackles Kevin Vickerson and Tony Brown were fined a total $12,500 for plays in last week's pre-season game against the Bucs.

The Jets have re-signed undrafted Harvard rookie quarterback Chris Pizzotti.

Dolphins receiver Chris Williams says of [not] breaking New Mexico's high school high jump record (seven feet) currently held by Eagles receiver Hank Baskett: "I cleared [7-foot, 1/4-inch], did not touch it. I don't know how it fell. It just fell down. I still remember it like it was yesterday.''

Titans receiver Chris Davis, the team's fourth-round pick in 2007, was arrested on DUI charges Friday morning.

Both Matthew Stafford and Louis Delmas will start for the Lions in their second pre-season game on Saturday.

Jets running back Thomas Jones likes to watch "The Golden Girls."

The Falcons first-team offense looked good against the Rams in tonight's pre-season 20-13 win.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bills sign Aaron Maybin

Now there are only two remaining unsigned first-round draft picks -- Cincinnati's Andre Smith and San Francisco's Michael Crabtree.

The Buffalo Bills have signed Aaron Maybin, the 11th overall draft pick in this year's draft, to a five-year contract and he is expected to begin practicing on Monday, per the Associated Press.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, the deal is worth up to $25 million.

Maybin has missed 23 practices through Thursday and two pre-season games. The Bills play the Packers at Lambeau tomorrow.

"There's a lot of catching up that I have to do. But we still have three weeks to go," Maybin said. "I'm really excited about getting back out there, getting back on the field. And I think I'll be fine."

When Maybin signed the contract, he had a slight mohawk with the numbers 58 (his number) and 78 (Bruce Smith's number) shaved on one side and the Bills logo on the other, per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.

“I’ve got two numbers," said Maybin. “I did carve my number in there but also in respect to Bruce Smith being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, I figured I’d show him so love in the hair cut as well.”

While nobody should expect him to play like Smith, the all-time sacks leader, Maybin should help improve the Bills' pass-rush, which recorded only 24 sacks in 2008. Only four teams had fewer last season.

Maybin, who emerged as a starter in the third game last year, has an exceptional first step and finished last year with 12 sacks and first-team All-American honors.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Plaxico to spend two years in jail

Ex-Giants receiver Plaxico Burress will spend two years in jail, but he could get out in 20 months on good behavior, per Gary Myers of NY Daily News.

He will be sentenced on September 22nd and is expected to begin his jail term on the same day. Therefore, a 20-month sentence would get him out of prison in May 2011.

"I think he will get another chance. Our league is filled with second chances," one general manager told Myers Thursday. "It will be one of those opportunities where he will have to go prove he has something left. The odds will certainly be against him."

Meanwhile, league commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Burress, who can't sign with a team until completion of his jail sentence. Once released from prison, he will be reinstated.

"He was part of the family," [Giants co-owner John] Mara said, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News. "And I know a lot of our players are hurting right now because he was a friend to them. I hope it's a wake-up call to some of them. I hope they all learned a lesson that if you make a bad choice it can cost you a career and cost you having to go to prison."

Even before Burress shot himself in the leg, he was often disciplined (fined and even suspended) by the Giants. Plaxico had a history of making poor choices.

Now he has 20 months (at least) to think about them.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brandon Marshall at a "breaking point"?

Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall says he could reaching a breaking point in his relationship with the Broncos, per Lindsay Jones of The Denver Post.

"Unfortunately, sometimes it gets to that point. There are trust issues on both sides and that's understandable," Marshall said. "We've got to try our best to move forward."

During Wednesday's practice, Marshall played on the scout team. On Tuesday, Marshall practiced with the second team and even was the gunner on punt coverage for the scout team.

However, coach Josh McDaniels says that Marshall and his situation won't become a distraction.

"Our players understand what we're trying to do and get done, and Brandon's out here and performing the way he's capable of performing," McDaniels said. "I don't have a reason to feel otherwise."

What bothers Marshall, who was acquitted last week on domestic battery charges, the most was his claim that his teammates were told to not be happy for him on what he calls "one of the best days of ... the past three years."

"I think the biggest thing was, it was really disappointing hearing that some of my teammates on one of the best days of ... for the past three years, of my life, some of my teammates were coached to say ‘Don’t say you’re happy for Brandon,' " Marshall said.

If it weren't for Raiders coaches (allegedly) sucker-punching other coaches and breaking their jaws, it might seem as though the Broncos were the most dysfunctional team in the league -- or, at least, in the AFC West.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Wednesday Blitz

Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden is out for the remainder of the preseason and his availability for the start of the regular season is in question after he suffered a hamstring injury Tuesday.

The Eagles have cut safety Rashad Baker. The Raiders have signed Baker and cut fullback Lorenzo Neal.

The Bucs have signed cornerback Michael Hawkins, who was released by the Cowboys on Monday.

Lions rookie Louis Delmas lit up fellow rookie Aaron Brown on a swing pass during practice today, per Nicholas Costonika of the Detroit Free Press.

HBO had a significant boost in ratings for the first episode of “Hard Knocks ’09: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals.” The second episode airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

It's a wide-open race in the Arizona Cardinals position battle at tight end.

The Bills have waived long snapper Ryan Neill today.

Per Tom Kowalski of MLive.com, Anthony Henry is likely to start at cornerback for the Lions.

The Lions have put waived-injured status on safety Daniel Bullocks, per Nicholas Costonika of the Detroit Free Press.

According to Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer, fourth-string Panthers QB (and undrafted rookie) Hunter Cantwell "has shown both good arm strength and a savvy for delivering the football."

Giants cornerback Aaron Ross isn't likely to play on Saturday against the Chicago Bears.

Per Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger, Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said, "I know that we weren't his first choice. But he came to play for us and he gave his all to the team. But to know his motives, I don't know. I can't say that.

As part of the Eli Manning mega contract, Manning will earn $1.9 million less than he would have in 2009 without a new contract.

Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard passed his physical this morning and will be removed from the non-football injury list Wednesday, per Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

Per Matt Maiocco of The Press Democrat, Shaun Hill is slightly ahead of Alex Smith in the 49ers' quarterback competition.

Saints QB Drew Brees is expected to be back on the practice field tomorrow.

The Dolphins have cut cornerback Eric Green.

Cowboys linebacker Bradie James says, "This camp has been like two of the other camps put together, you know what I mean? I haven’t heard anyone call this one cupcake."

Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant, who is on the PUP list, has a disk issue in his back, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times.

The Titans aren't interested in free agent receiver Marvin Harrison.

Cardinals rookie running back Chris "Beanie" Wells twisted his ankle, but says he is "fine," per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No more racing DBs for Buehler

While it's not necessarily an important skill for a placekicker to possess, the Cowboys rookie David Buehler is perhaps the fastest kicker in the NFL.

In fact, Buehler, who ran a 4.56 forty at the NFL scouting combine, raced fellow rookie DeAngelo Smith, who will primarily play safety, in a 50-yard dash after practice. And Buehler won. Easily.

"A lot of people were telling him it's all downside," said Buehler, per Tim McMahon of the Dallas Morning News. "If you win, you know, you're supposed to beat a white kicker. It is what it is. I'm just being honest. A lot of players were telling him it's a lose-lose situation, but I just kept getting in his ear and talking. He just got frustrated and wanted to do it."

However, coach Wade Phillips wasn't too amused.

"He's not going to do that again," Phillips said today when asked about Buehler's racing prowess. "It's not very smart to do those types of things. He knows it, and he's not going to do it again."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

T.O. to miss next pre-season game

The Buffalo Bills will be without receiver Terrell Owens in their pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.

Bills coach Dick Jauron said after Wednesday's practice that, “we probably won’t put him on the field until next week some time” as they allow his sprained toe to heal.

Owens practiced on a limited basis Monday night, but he didn't practice last week. Jauron said, "We're just following the protocol that we use for that injury ..."

With the regular season being more than three weeks away, the Bills have no need to play him now.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Favre is back

Gotcha. Brett Favre has done it (to us) again.

According to Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Brett Favre has officially unretired (again), has already passed his physical and is already on the practice field with the Minnesota Vikings.

In the process, Favre has snatched the number 4 jersey from back-up John David Booty, who will switch to number 9, and Favre will start the Vikings' pre-season game on Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I am excited about the opportunity to join this football team," Favre said in a release, per The Star Tribune. "From ownership, to coaching, to the players, it is evident that everyone in the Vikings organization is committed to bringing the fans of Minnesota a Championship. I am eager to join my new teammates and get to work towards that goal."

As Mark Schlereth of ESPN's NFL Live points out, Vikings coach Brad Childress has zero "credibility" with the players on this team. I suppose, Favre is the exception -- but isn't he always?

"The problem you have is, at some point you're going to face adversity. And, at some point, your coach is going to call on you because you're not doing things right or things aren't going right. And you know what you're going to sit there and think?" Schlereth said of players. "This guy is full of baloney. Because there's a credibility issue that has been established by that organization. And that's going to be a problem for the Minnesota Vikings."

Favre's deal is worth $10-$12 million, per ESPN, and he's scheduled for a press conference at 6 p.m. ET.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Irvin to compete on Dancing with the Stars

Several former and current NFL players have competed on Dancing with the Stars. And most of them have done very well.

The league's next representative in the contest will be former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin.

The next season is scheduled to begin on September 21st and Irvin will compete against 15 other stars.

Previous NFL contestants were Jerry Rice (season 2 runner-up), Emmitt Smith (season 3 winner), Jason Taylor (season 6 runner-up), Warren Sapp (season 7 runner-up) and Lawrence Taylor (season 8 - left after week 7).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Monday Blitz

The Saints have waived veteran cornerback Jason David, who was due to earn $2.4 million this season.

Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times writes: "If Jay Cutler being a jerk is going to make or break his career with the Bears, he never should have been here in the first place."

Cardinals rookie Michael Ray Garvin, undrafted out of Florida State, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The Patriots have traded Le Kevin Smith to the Denver Broncos.

The Lions have signed receiver Dane Looker and guard Terrence Metcalf.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin says of second-year quarterback Andre Woodson, "He is definitely a different guy. He's confident, knows the offense, and makes the protection adjustment. He's way out in front of the group he's usually with. I can't say enough about what I've seen out of him."

Rams QB Marc Bulger will miss the next two weeks of the pre-season with a broken pinkie and he'll be replaced by Kyle Boller as the starter.

Titans quarterback Vince Young will likely start a pre-season game for the Titans, but it won't be Friday in Dallas.

The Cowboys have cut cornerback Michael Hawkins. They also cut running back Alonzo Coleman.

Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins returned to practice today.

49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, who hadn't practiced since August 1st, returned to practice today.

Former Saints RB Deuce McAllister, who is suspended for the first four games of the season, says he is healthy and his agent is talking to teams.

In his practices since Saturday night's pre-season game, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has completed only eight of his 26 passes.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is doubtful for Thursday's pre-season game at New England.

Despite having a sore wrist, Cowboys receiver Roy Williams was back at practice today.

Bucs QB Byron Leftwich says of Raheem Morris: "There are a lot of guys in that locker room that will run through a wall for that guy because of the type of person he is on a day-in and day-out basis."

Jets DE Shaun Ellis was suspended without pay by the NFL for one game for his marijuana arrest last year.

Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones left today's practice early and coach Jim Mora said, "Walt wasn't scheduled to go the whole practice anyhow. That wasn't a major deal."

The Chiefs have signed receiver Ashley Lelie.

Bills cornerback Drayton Florence is going to miss "anywhere from 2-5" weeks, according to coach Dick Jauron per BuffaloBills.com.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tom Cable sucker punches assistant coach

Perhaps if this happened at any other team's training camp, this would be a shocker. However, we're talking about the Oakland Raiders.

According to National Football Post, there was an altercation at the Raiders' camp at Napa on August 5th where defensive assistant coach Randy Hanson (no relation to this blogger) was punched in the jaw by another coach.

“Basically, he said he had been assaulted by a member of the staff but refused to identify who that person was," Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern said, per National Football Post. "There isn’t anything we can do if the victim is uncooperative in providing us with any additional information as far as witnesses or suspect information.”

However, that coach, according to Nancy Gay of AOL's FanHouse, was none other than head coach Tom Cable and "that Hanson never saw it coming."

The results of Hanson's X-rays weren't released, but a source of Gay believes that Hanson suffered a broken jaw.

Hanson, who was on Lane Kiffin's staff, was suspended five days by Kiffin for comments he made after a loss to the Broncos in last year's season opener.

Cable, who was going to address the media Sunday and did not, addressed the media (sort-of) after today's practice.

Here's what David White of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted, "Cable: "It's an internal issue, I'm not going to comment on that." Three times, PR guy cuts off follow-ups."

Last year, the Raiders became the first team to lose 11 games in six straight seasons. In addition to breaking Hanson's jaw, Cable will likely break the team's own record and make it seven straight years in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sunday Blitz

Giants rookie linebacker Clint Stintim didn't back down from a confrontation with running back Brandon Jacobs when Jacobs came at him after a play.

Titans owner Bud Adams still has faith in Vince Young being their quarterback of the future, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

“He’s got some poise,” Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said [of back-up QB Matt Flynn]. “He doesn’t rush things, just sits there and goes through his progress with some discipline.”

The Raiders signed cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. yesterday to add depth at the cornerback position.

Bucs defensive end Stylez White got himself out of coach Raheem Morris' doghouse with a solid performance in the Bucs' pre-season opener.

Titans rookie running back Javon Ringer boosted his chance to make the team with his 51-yard performance on seven carries last night.

Saints cornerback Tracy Porter returned to practice on Sunday.

Saints kicker Garrett Hartley tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall and will serve a four-game suspension to start the season.

The Saints placed linebacker Mark Simoneau on injured reserve today.

"The league knows what we'll do. We like to pressure," said Jets coach Rex Ryan, who also gave beat writers a look at how the coaching staff evaluates players.

Titans first-rounder Kenny Britt was impressive in his pre-season debut last night.

The 49ers waived Thomas Clayton and signed Bill Rentmeester.

The Broncos get Brandon Marshall and Brian Dawkins back at practice today.

"I didn't miss nothing," said [Cowboys cornerback Mike] Jenkins, who returned to practice Sunday afternoon after missing eight days. "I didn't miss nothing. I learn the most in the classroom."

With the Cowboys releasing Greg Ellis this off-season, they are expecting big things from Anthony Spencer.

Tom Kowalski of MLive.com says Lions' third-string QB Drew Stanton should continue to use his running ability more when he gets the opportunity to play.

The Jets have signed punter Ken Parrish.

Per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco said of a football move he made based on his boxing training this off-season, “It was a boxing move. It was like I’m standing in the ring, catch the ball and then the dude is coming. It’s like a swim or dodge move where I get myself out of the corner. You’re trapped in the corner, wait for him to swing and ole, you turn around. That’s the same move.”

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roy Williams day-to-day with sprained wrist

NFL: New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys DEC 14

Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams skipped today's afternoon practice to get X-rays and an MRI on his left wrist after hurting it in this morning's practice. However, the X-rays were negative and Williams is day-to-day.

Going after a deep ball this morning, Williams used his left hand to brace himself for a fall when he got tangled up with cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

"That's part of training camp," [Cowboys quarterback] Tony Romo said. "Little nicks here and there. It's nice when it's only a few days and you can come back. He's worked his butt off. If anything, it'll just help him have fresh legs."

Williams has a lot to prove this season after the Cowboys gave Terrell Owens the boot this off-season. While the injury doesn't seem to be anything major, it reduces the amount of time Romo and Williams have to work on their timing as they get ready for the season.

After being acquired for draft picks from Detroit last season, Williams had only 19 receptions in ten games with the Cowboys. He had a career year in 2006 when he had 82 receptions for 1310 yards and seven touchdowns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Alan Faneca may miss rest of pre-season

New York Jets guard Alan Faneca had surgery on his left middle finger and he may miss the remainder of the pre-season, according to Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Faneca broke his finger on Tuesday and didn't play in their first pre-season game against the Rams on Friday.

Their remaining pre-season games are against the Ravens on August 24th (he's out), the Giants on August 29th (he's questionable) and the Eagles on September 3rd.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For now, Eagles' depth chart at QB - McNabb, Kolb, Vick?

Despite being out of the NFL for more than two years, new Eagles quarterback Michael Vick practiced well in his first with the team.

"He throws the ball as hard as anybody I've ever seen," said second-year wide receiver Danny Amendola.

However, that doesn't mean that he automatically will be number two on the team's depth chart. Coach Andy Reid told Kevin Kolb, the team's first draft choice in 2007, that he is still the team's number two quarterback, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"It's just a different situation," Kolb said. "I think different situations will call for either one of us. He's a great talent. I don't think we know exactly what we're going to do with him yet."

Aside from McNabb, Kolb and Vick, there are two other quarterbacks currently on the roster -- A.J. Feeley and Adam DiMichele.

When Reid was asked if Feeley's time in Philadelphia was about to end, Reid responded, "We've just got to see as time goes on, but I wouldn't say that."

In six games last year, Kolb finished with a QB rating 21.8 while throwing no touchdowns and four interceptions. Kolb shouldn't get too comfortable with his back-up role and neither should Feeley with his roster spot.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mark Sanchez named starter vs Ravens

The Jets began the off-season with a quarterback competition between Kellen Clemens and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez although most expected Sanchez to "win" the job -- either by the season opener or during the season. After all, new head coach Rex Ryan traded up to fifth overall to select Sanchez in this year's NFL draft.

After the team's first pre-season game, Ryan has named Sanchez, who completed a 48-yard pass on his first throw in the Jets' first pre-season game, as the starter for their second pre-season game. Facing three blitzes in his first game, Sanchez completed three of four passes for 88 yards.

''I think he showed us everything we needed to see,'' Ryan said [of Sanchez's performance]. ''He completed a vertical route, mid-range pass, he completed everything.''

Previously, Ryan had stated that he wanted to name the team's starter by the third pre-season game.

''The guy is a born leader,'' wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. ''He carries himself the right way. He's very confident. He's a talented player.''

I would be very surprised if Sanchez isn't starting on September 13th when the Jets open the season at Houston.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New consensus top 150 fantasy football cheat sheet (updated 8/16)

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 7.2, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.4, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 8.8, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.6, High: 4, Low: 17)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.2, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.0, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 12.0, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.6, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 15.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
16. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 16.0, High: 15, Low: 17)
17. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.2, High: 12, Low: 23)
18. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 20)
19. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 19.4, High: 16, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Saturday Blitz

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook returned to practice for the first time since having surgery on his ankle.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones isn't worried about depth at the cornerback position behind the top four -- Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball, who will mostly work at free safety.

Although Newman and Jenkins didn't play against the Raiders Thursday, they are expected back at practice on Monday for the Cowboys.

Steelers center Justin Hartwig was scheduled to return to practice after not practicing with the first team since August 1st.

The Cowboys have cut nose tackle Tim Anderson, who was signed on January 26th.

The Jets have signed guard Dennis Conley and waived quarterback Chris Pizzotti and wide receiver Paul Raymond.

Per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steelers punter Daniel Sepulveda, who missed all of last season, said of the "loud roar" when he came on to punt: "I was sitting there thinking, 'Wow, there's enough pressure as it is.' I'm just glad I hit a good one for 'em."

Monday night could be the matchup of Steve Smith's that wasn't. The Giants' Smith won't play due to a knee injury and the Panthers' Smith has been keeping quiet on his status.

"Take it easy. It's just precaution. I'm fine," [Bengals QB Carson] Palmer said to someone seeing Palmer walk with a walking boot.

The Saints have signed kicker John Carney, who played for the Saints from 2001 to 2006.

“Sam [Hurd] makes circus catches every day, and he did the same thing in the ballgame,” [Cowboys coach Wade] Phillips said. “We're going to get him more and more playing time because he deserves it.” Hurd will get some reps with the first team against the Titans on Friday.

In the first game of the pre-season, Vernon Gholston, the Jets first draft pick last year, had only two tackles. With Calvin Pace suspended for four games, the Jets need Gholston to step up.

Panthers linebacker Dan Connor, who hasn't played in 11 months, said: “I can't wait to play again, to put the uniform on. It has felt like forever.”

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Knowshon Moreno to miss only 1-2 weeks

Denver Broncos rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, the first pick of the Josh McDaniels era, suffered a mild medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain during the team's first pre-season game Friday against the 49ers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Moreno had three carries for 18 yards in the game.

“I know that he said he was kind of dinged, but he said he was fine,” said McDaniels. “And then we checked him out and we kept going with him.’’

If Moreno misses two weeks, he'll be able to play in the pre-season finale against the Cardinals on September 3rd. The Broncos open the regular season at Cincinnati.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

York confident about getting deal done for Crabtree

Despite a representative (and cousin) of diva wide receiver Michael Crabtree saying that the tenth-overall pick out of Texas Tech is willing to sit out the entire season, Niners team president Jed York believes that a deal with their top pick is going to happen.

"We'll get it done at some point," York told John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle before Friday's game. "They've had discussions. We'll get it done. We're all in."

Typically, rookies are slotted in based on the contracts of the picks before and after them. The Packers signed B.J. Raji, who was the ninth overall pick, to a five-year contract worth $28 million ($18 million of which is guaranteed).

However, the monkey wrench in the whole process is what Raiders owner Al Davis did. With the seventh overall pick, he selected Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey despite Crabtree being the top receiver on nearly every team's board.

Therefore, Crabtree, his agent Eugene Parker, his cousin, his barber's nephew's little league coach, etc. want a deal that exceeds that of Heyward Bey, who received a five-year deal worth $38.25 million ($23.5 million of which is guaranteed).

Crabtree, who won the Fred Biletnikoff in both of his collegiate seasons, posted gaudy numbers in Tech's spread offense. But he's coming off a foot injury (and surgery) and some question his ability to separate from cornerbacks at the next level.

In addition to Crabtree, Cincinnati's Andre Smith (sixth overall pick) and Buffalo's Aaron Maybin (11th overall pick) remain unsigned.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Plaxico facing (at least) eight-game suspension?

Plaxico Burress Indicted by Grand Jury on Multiple Charges

Former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who faces a minimum jail sentence of 3 1/2 years on gun charges, will be suspended for at least half of the season, according to a source of Gary Myers of the NY Daily News.

As Myers points out, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell isn't forced to make a decision on Burress, who is currently a "free agent" (and I use that term loosely). So, until a team expresses interest in signing Plaxico, the commissioner isn't likely to make a decision about his future.

But if a team is interested, Goodell could suspend Burress for the entire year.

And if Burress is suspended for all of 2009 and then faces jail time, which seems to be a certainty, he will likely have played his last NFL game.

Despite all the tweeting agent Drew Rosenhaus previously did about all the interested teams, there doesn't seem to be much/any interest in Burress, who is 32 years old, and that's not likely to change.

In his career, Burress caught 505 passes for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Friday Blitz

“It’s been almost over a year and a half and I’m just happy that now, legally and emotionally we can move forward and hopefully get past thing,” [Broncos receiver Brandon] Marshall said [of being found not guilty on misdemeanor battery charges]. “For me, I’m excited about the opportunity just to start over. It’s a new life almost.”

Titans tight end Alge Crumpler uses dancing lessons to help with his footwork and mobility.

Giants QB Eli Manning officially became the league's highest-paid player as he signed his $97.5 million contract extension today.

Panthers receiver Steve Smith returned to practice on a limited basis today, but he wouldn't say whether or not he'll play in Monday's pre-season opener against the Giants.

Panthers safety Chris Harris calls Captain Munnerlyn, the team's seventh-round pick, a draft "steal," per Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer.

Daunte Culpepper will be the Lions' starting quarterback in their first pre-season game Saturday.

Giants coach Tom Coughlan said of the Wildcat, “We had planned it all spring. It just so happened it was installed this morning" as the Eagles introduced Michael Vick today.

Both Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich should receive around 12-15 snaps before handing the reins over to first-round pick Josh Freeman.

Bucs RB Cadillac Williams won't play in the Bucs' pre-season opener on Saturday.

Cardinals third receiver Steve Breaston had an MRI on his knee Friday.

Giants rookie running back Andre Brown is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eugene Monroe signs and ends holdout

The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed tackle Eugene Monroe, their first-round pick, to a five-year contract worth up to $35.4 million, according to Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union. The deal includes $19 million in guaranteed money.

After the team's OTAs, Monroe was number one on the depth chart at left tackle. However, he's missed 22 practices during his holdout and Tra Thomas, who was acquired in the off-season, has been playing well.

Monroe was at practice today, but he is unlikely to play in Monday's pre-season opener against the Dolphins, per Wright.

“It’s been proven that guys who miss time suffer,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “You’re talking about a position where you’ve got a lot of volume, a lot of thinking and you need to be part of a cohesive unit.”

“About 75 percent of our offensive system is put in,” Del Rio said earlier this week. “It’s getting to the critical time where realistically how much is he going to help you starts becoming a question you have to ask.”

With Monroe signed, the only remaining unsigned first-rounders are Andre Smith (Cincinnati), Michael Crabtree (San Francisco) and Aaron Maybin (Buffalo).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ESPN reports Vick to Eagles

Michael Vick has found a home.

Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Vick to a two-year contract.

The last time Vick played was on December 31, 2006 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia when the Eagles beat the Falcons 24-17.

Vick, who is a three-time Pro Bowler, was conditionally reinstated by the NFL and he can practice and play in the final two pre-season games. He could play as early as week six unless NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decides to fully reinstate him earlier.

The Eagles play the Jaguars in week three of the pre-season and the Jets in week four. In the regular season, the Eagles play in Oakland in week six and in Washington week seven. Their first home game after week six would be against the Giants on November 1st.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jets up offer to Leon, Ryan denies Jones' trade talks

Jets running back Leon Washington, who is in the last year of his contract, is scheduled to earn $535,000 in 2009. However, Washington's representation and the Jets have been negotiating a contract extension.

According to Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News, the Jets have upped their offer to Washington from $2 million per season to $4.5 million per season. However, Washington is believed to be seeking $6 million per year.

Thomas Jones, who led the AFC in rushing in 2008, is due to earn $5 million this year. Jones contract is up after the 2010 season.

Some rumors have surfaced that the Jets were talking to an NFC West team about Jones. However, Jets coach Rex Ryan calls those rumors "ridiculous."

"I promise you that is ridiculous," Ryan said, per M.A. Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger. "I'm not going to trade that...This guy is huge in our plans. I'm not going to trade the running back that led the AFC in rushing....We ain't dealing him, no way."

Washington rushed for 448 yards on 76 carries and had 47 catches for 355 yards. Last year, Washington averaged 5.9 yards per carry and had nine combined touchdowns (six rushing, two receiving and one returns).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Wednesday Blitz

Browns receiver Braylon Edwards tweaked his ankle at practice today.

The Broncos signed running back Marcus Thomas (not to be confused with their DT Marcus Thomas) -- and released Ryan Torain.

Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, the only kicker on the roster, is currently sidelined with a strained groin.

Bucs punter Josh Bidwell is sidelined with pain in his right hip and the team's awaiting results from Bidwell's MRIs. Bidwell could miss the 2009 season.

Bills receiver Terrell Owens says his toe's feeling better.

The Bills are looking at options to back up starting quarterback Trent Edwards. Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com suggests that Brian Griese and Gus Frerotte -- not Michael Vick -- are good options.

The Eagles have signed quarterback Adam DiMichele (again -- he was originally signed in May).

Today Giants rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks returned to practice, but the Giants second-year receiver Mario Manningham left with an injury.

Lions receiver Bryant Johnson returned to practice today after missing the previous 11 days due injuries sustained during a golf cart accident.

Bills RB Dominic Rhodes thinks a fight during a training camp practice doesn't hurt anybody.

"They've been keeping a 'quote' pitch count for me," [Rams QB Marc] Bulger said Tuesday. "I've only been in the 60s or 70s (in throws) for practices, which has been great for me. I've thrown a lot more, I think, in the past."

New Cardinals cornerback Bryant McFadden is bringing Steelers' mentality to the desert.

When the Niners play the Broncos, 49ers QB Alex Smith won't hold any grudges against his former coach Mike Nolan, who's now the Broncos defensive coordinator.

Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram gives us five things to watch for in Cowboys' pre-season games.

Eagles OL Todd Herremans could miss the entire pre-season with a foot injury.

The New York Jets have signed free agent kicker Parker Douglass and have waived WR Huey Whittaker, according to NewYorkJets.com.

Texans rookie Brian Cushing will miss the first pre-season game -- and maybe the second -- with a sprained knee.

Jets guard Alan Faneca, who has a broken finger, won't play in the Jets' first pre-season game on Friday against the Rams.

Colts safety Bob Sanders, who is on the physically unable to perform list, could miss the regular-season opener.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Derrick Brooks leaves Big Easy without contract

Former Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks, who worked out for the Saints today, left town without a contract, per Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Brooks, who was released by the Bucs in February, and linebacker Derek Smith worked out in the morning, but weren't at the afternoon practice.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Saints told Brooks that they will contact him after the first pre-season game. In addition to the Saints, the Raiders have shown some interest in Brooks.

In 2002, Brooks was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He's made the Pro Bowl 11 times in his career including 2008 and was named First-team All-Pro six times.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Monday Blitz

On the Denver Broncos' depth chart, WR Brandon Marshall was on the second team. On the first team: Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley.

The Bears held defensive tackle Tommie Harris out of practice on Monday.

The Dolphins have added kicker Connor Barth to create some training camp competition with Dan Carpenter.

Cowboys running back Felix Jones was held out of the morning practice on Monday with a sore toe.

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith was carted off the field with a shoulder injury, but the X-rays were negative.

The Lions signed defensive tackle Shaun Smith to a one-year deal, according to Tom Kowalski of MLive.com

He will replace Jared DeVries, who was lost to the season with a ruptured Achilles.

Both back-up Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb (sprained left knee) and linebacker Trent Cole (sprained left shoulder) suffered injuries at training camp.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is happy to have added Greg Lewis in a trade for two draft picks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

L.T. likely to play in pre-season?

AFC Wild Card Game: Indianapolis Colts v San Diego Chargers

In his eight-year career, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has carried the ball 14 times in the pre-season. In the past three years, he has no pre-season carries.

So, what are the chances that he plays this pre-season?

“From what I've been told, it's pretty encouraging,” LaDainian Tomlinson told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune Monday. “So I'd say it's 85 percent. This year could be different. I wouldn't rule out me playing.”

As Acee points out, Tomlinson has a history of starting the season slowly in the first two weeks. Getting a few carries in the pre-season might help him and the team get off to a quicker start.

Last year, Tomlinson battled a toe injury all season and had the least productive season in his career. He still finished with 1,110 rushing yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Antonio Bryant is out for the pre-season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Antonio Bryant, who tore the meniscus in his left knee, will miss all pre-season games, according to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.

However, Bryant will be ready for the team's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13th.

"We're going to go ahead and work on that knee,'' [Bucs coach Raheem] Morris told Stroud. "We're going to go ahead and scope it, clean that thing out, get him ready for the season. He ran out there. He was ready to go the other day, ran out there and it swelled up a little on him again. "It's just not worth it. Let's get him ready for Dallas. Let's sit him down for three weeks. He probably could come back the last preseason game, but I'm probably going to be mentally weak and not play him and just wait for Dallas and we'll figure that out as we go.''

Bryant, who was designated with the franchise tag, is guaranteed a salary of $9.888 million this year.

Last season, Bryant finished with a team high 83 receptions, 1248 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished strong leading the NFL in receiving yards (512) and yards per game (128.0) in the month of December.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Donnie Avery out 4-6 weeks

The St. Louis Rams have one of the weakest receiver corps in the NFL. For the next four to six weeks, it's going to be even weaker.

Rams receiver Donnie Avery, the team's second-round pick in 2008, will miss the next four to six weeks with soreness in his foot, according to Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo told Coats that an MRI taken Sunday “showed more than we thought.” On Saturday, Avery had an X-ray, which did not show a fracture.

Behind Avery, who caught 53 passes in his rookie season, the Rams top receivers are Keenan Burton, Ronald Curry and Laurent Robinson.

The Rams open the regular season on September 13th in Seattle against the Seahawks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 8/9: 2009 NFL first-rounders still unsigned

With a few first-rounders signing this weekend, here is an updated list of the remaining unsigned first-round draft picks:

6. Bengals - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Packers - B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
10. 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Bills - Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
14. Saints - Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roddy White's holdout is over

NFL NFC Wild Card Game Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals

The Atlanta Falcons and wide receiver Roddy White have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will end his holdout, according to Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“We’re always going to be an organization that rewards players for being productive on the field and good citzens off of it,” said Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. “We are glad to get this contract situation resolved and look forward to a long association with Roddy.”

Per ESPN, White's six-year extension is worth $50 million, of which $18 million is guaranteed. White, the Falcons' first-round pick in 2005, is now the league's third-highest paid receiver behind Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Carolina's Steve Smith.

White had been a holdout since July 31st.

Last year, White earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and set a franchise record for receiving yards (1,382).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Crabtree willing to sit out for the year?

Former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who was drafted by the 49ers with the tenth overall pick, still hasn't reported to training camp. And his advisor and cousin says that Crabtree may sit out the entire year.

"We are prepared to do it," [Crabtree's cousin David] Wells said. "Michael just wants fair market value. They took him with the 10th pick and you have Darrius Heyward-Bey [the seventh overall pick by the Oakland Raiders] getting $38 million? This week is crucial. Michael was one of the best players in the draft and he just wants to be paid like one of the best players. This week is very crucial."

Although Crabtree was widely-regarded as the top receiver in the draft, the Raiders made Darrius Heyward-Bey the first receiver drafted with the seventh overall pick.

Despite Crabtree's cousin blabbing to the media, his agent Eugene Parker tells ESPN that, "... I'm not a guy who makes threats. Nor am I a guy who negotiates in the public. I don't know where this came from but no such threat has been made."

If Parker is telling the truth, Crabtree needs to fire his idiot cousin as an adviser.

Otherwise, Crabtree is setting himself up to fail. After posting gaudy numbers in Tech's spread offense and having off-season surgery, there were already some folks questioning how his collegiate success (he's won two consecutive Fred Biletnikoff awards) will translate to the next level.

Sitting out a year certainly wouldn't be the ideal way to quiet those concerns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vince Young - future Hall of Famer?

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young made news long ago with his level of intelligence as evidenced by his Wonderlic score. And not in a good way.

Out of a possible score of 50, Young allegedly scored a six.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Young is now using his intelligence (in other words, lack of it) to make a bold prediction about his future.

In an interview with Mark Warren of Esquire Magazine, Young says, "I don't know when I'll start again. But I will be the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. And I will be in the Hall of Fame."

Young, the third overall pick in 2006, has had a bumpy road since winning the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

He admitted after his rookie season that he considered calling it quits. Last September, he went missing and Titans coach Jeff Fisher used the word "suicidal" to describe Young's state of mind.

Earlier this off-season, Young issued an ultimatum saying that if he doesn't start that he wants out. He later tried to change his tune.

Now, he's predicting a Hall of Fame career? Are you serious? To me, it seems more likely that Young will be out of the league in three years.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Giants to make Eli Manning highest-paid player

DIRECTVs 3rd Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl - Inside

The New York Giants and their franchise QB Eli Manning, the MVP of Super Bowl XLII, have agreed to a seven-year contract that will make Manning the league's highest-paid player, per Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

Over the seven years, Manning will receive $106.9 million for a record-setting average of $15.27 million per season. The contract reportedly has $35 million of guaranteed money.

Manning, who was the top overall draft pick in the 2004 NFL draft, had one year remaining on his existing contract so the new deal is a six-year extension over the $9.4 million he was due to earn this season.

Although Manning made his first trip to the Pro Bowl last year and won the Super Bowl MVP the prior year, does he deserve to be the highest-paid player in the league? Or even his family?

Giants General Manager Jerry Reese does.

“Sure he does,” Reese said today, according to Vacchiano. “He’s a franchise quarterback. He’s come in, he takes a lot of flak from you guys and he just keeps going. He does what we ask him to do on the field. He does what we ask him to do off the field. He’s a good football player.”

Statistically, Manning had his best year in 2008. He had a QB rating of 86.4, completed over 60 percent of his passes and threw 21 touchdowns while only throwing ten interceptions.

And Manning has been a winner getting the Giants to the post-season in four of his five seasons including the 2007 championship season.

However, without the weapons (no pun intended), he's just an average quarterback. Without Plaxico Burress in the final six games counting playoffs, Manning threw three touchdowns and five interceptions.

This type of contract should be given only to a special quarterback. Not one that is only good -- not great.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chiefs sign Amani Toomer to one-year deal

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free-agent receiver Amani Toomer to a one-year contract, according to the Associated Press.

Toomer was one of three free agents to work out for the Chiefs yesterday. They also worked out D.J. Hackett and David Terrell.

"I definitely thought I was going to play, I kept working out like I was going to play," Toomer said Tuesday after his first practice with his new team. "It bothered me ego-wise, but I kept going, kept doing my thing and I'm here now."

With a lot of young receivers on the Chiefs roster, Toomer should provide veteran leadership to the receiving corps.

Toomer, who was the Giants second-round pick in 1996, played all 13 seasons of his career with the New York Giants. Toomer needs just 503 receiving yards to reach the 10,000 yards for his career.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 8/4: 2009 NFL first-rounders still unsigned

Here is an updated list of all unsigned first-round draft picks:

3. Chiefs - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
4. Seahawks - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
6. Bengals - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Packers - B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
10. 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Bills - Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
12. Broncos - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
14. Saints - Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State

I will continue to update this list daily.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eagles sign first-rounder Maclin

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Jeremy Maclin, their first-round pick, to a five-year contract. The contract is worth $15.5 million, of which $9.5 million is guaranteed.

Maclin was the third receiver drafted behind Darrius Heyward-Bey (Oakland) and Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech). However, most rated Maclin as the second-best receiver in the draft behind Crabtree.

The Eagles are hoping that Maclin will work out better than the last receiver they drafted in the first round -- Freddie "The People's Champ" Mitchell, who was drafted in 2001.

But Eagles QB Donovan McNabb suggests caution with expectations for Maclin.

"He's a rookie. You all act like he's been in the league for five or six years," McNabb said. "You don't know what he's going to do anyway. All we ask of him is to catch the ball and get up field and score. That's all we ask. He's a receiver."

At Missouri, Maclin caught 182 passes for 2,315 yards in two seasons while rushing for an additional 668 yards. He returned five kicks (three punts - two kickoffs) for scores there.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Monday Blitz

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is encouraging his teammates to grow a beard to show their unity during training camp.

Steelers cornerback William Gay says "welcome to the NFL" by lowering the boom on rookie Frank "The Tank" Summers in practice.

The Patriots have cut linebacker Vince Redd.

Chargers coach Norv Turner says of safety Steve Gregory: “Steve's an outstanding football player, and he's very versatile and sometimes doesn't get credit for being able to do the things he can do.”

Ravens (now) unretired receiver Derrick Mason attributes his family as being the reason for the comeback -- not the desire for a new contract as some might believe.

Rams defensive lineman Leonard Little, who's 34 years old, says, "I think it's the hardest I've worked out in the offseason before training camp," per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who left Friday's practice early with cramps/dehydration, returned to practice today.

Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking isn't conceding third downs to Bobby Carpenter.

Oakland's Greg Ellis says of his new (younger) teammates: "Obviously, I'm the old man. But that's how it goes. One thing they give me is their energy. It's a young team, so I need to pull off them for that."

Bucs reciever Antonio Bryant, who led the NFL in receiving yards in December, missed this morning's practice after he "banged [his] knee and it swelled up.''

Bengals tight end Reggie Kelly may be done for the season with what may be a torn Achilles.

Bucs defensive coordinator Jim Bates has been impressed with cornerback Ronde Barber.

The Cowboys are one of the latest teams to participate in a state lottery to generate revenues.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times says that guard Frank Omiyale, who's been working with the second team, needs to start given the contract he signed.

The NFL has upheld the three-game suspension of Bills RB Marshawn Lynch and coach Dick Jauron has named Fred Jackson the starter in his absence.

The contract for Broncos first-rounder Robert Ayers includes $9.7 million in guaranteed money.

The Jets have released back-up tight end Richard Owens and have claimed Kevin Brock off waivers.

Lions rookie QB Matthew Stafford led the first-team offense to a score against the first-team defense in a two-minute drill to conclude today's practice.

Bears inside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is bringing his physical presence to the Bears.

Earlier in the day, Antonio Pierce was not indicted in the case involving gun charges against Plaxico Burress. He won't be suspended by the NFL either.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Broncos sign Ayers, only Moreno left to sign

The Denver Broncos have reached an agreement with Robert Ayers, their second of two first-round picks, on a five-year contract, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Ayers is expected to practice with the team this evening.

Per Klis, the Broncos are hopeful that they can have Knowshon Moreno, their other first-round pick, signed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

At the University of Tennessee, Ayers played defensive end and was named first-team All-SEC last year. In Denver, Ayers will be a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Plaxico indicted, Pierce not indicted

Former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress leaves court in NY

Ex-Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was indicted today on gun charges, which carry a minimum of sentence of 3 1/2 years.

Burress, who shot himself in the leg at Latin Quarter nightclub last November, faces two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment, per the NY Daily News.

Giants captain Antonio Pierce, who was with Burress that night and helped conceal the weapon, was not indicted.

"Antonio is gratified that the grand jury determined that the evidence did not support an indictment," Michael Bachner, Pierce's attorney, wrote to Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger in an e-mail. "Once the grand jurors were able to hear Antonio, see him and understand the workings of his mind on that extraordinary evening, they concluded, as they should have, that the acted as any reasonable person would have."

The possibility of an indictment for Pierce threatened to create a significant distraction for the Giants, who opened training camp in Albany today. At a minimum, the Giants would have been barraged with questions from the media on the topic.

Now they can keep 100 percent of their focus on football.

As for the 31-year-old Burress, however, he will certainly face jail time in what should be an open-and-shut case even if he doesn't serve the full minimum of 3 1/2 years. And NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will almost certainly suspend Burress indefinitely even if the trial doesn't begin until after the season.

As Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News points out, this is very likely the end to the football career of Plaxico Burress.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 8/3: 2009 NFL first-rounders still unsigned

With all training camps open, here is an updated list of all unsigned first-round draft picks:

3. Chiefs - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
4. Seahawks - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
6. Bengals - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Packers - B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
10. 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Bills - Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
12. Broncos - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
14. Saints - Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
18. Broncos - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
19. Eagles (via Browns) - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

I will update this list daily.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Colts sign Donald Brown

NCAA FOOTBALL: JAN 03ÊInternational Bowl - Buffalo v UConn

The Indianapolis Colts have signed Donald Brown, their first-round pick out of UConn, to a five-year contract, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Brown was the second running back drafted behind Knowshon Moreno of Denver and one of three running backs selected in the first round.

"With rookies particularly, it's never good to have them miss any time because it's all valuable,'' team president Bill Polian said. "We're happy we got it done. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But the last couple of years we've been able to get it done and that's a positive.''

As a junior running back at UConn last season, Brown led the nation in rushing yards (2,083). In 13 games last year, he rushed for over 200 yards three times and over 150 yards eight times.

While Joseph Addai may be the starter in Indy, Addai has struggled to stay healthy. Last year, Addai only had one game in which he rushed at least 20 times. In 12 games, Addai carried the ball only 155 times and rushed for 544 yards.

In a platoon, Brown should get around ten carries per game and get in the ballpark of 700 rushing yards. However, if Addai can't stay healthy (again), Brown has huge upside in fantasy football leagues.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sunday Night Blitz

The Giants placed three players on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list -- Michael Boley, Fred Robbins and Rocky Bernard, who was the "surprise" of the group.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said of undrafted rookie Jamaal Westerman: "I'll be shocked if he doesn't make a name for himself this year. He is really working good."

Broncos defensive end Jarvis Moss is likely going to return tomorrow according to teammate Marcus Thomas, per the Denver Post.

Panthers receiver Steve Smith wants to be a better leader in 2009.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has indicated that the Pats aren't interested in free-agent Michael Vick.

The Bucs have signed guard Ryan Schmidt today and have released guard Maurice Miller.

The Patriots have signed LB Rob Ninkovich and DB Jamar Love today and have released LB Vince Redd, according to the team's website.

The Dolphins have signed second-rounder Pat White, quarterback from West Virginia.

Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins may be out longer than expected.

Giants receiver Steve Smith is confident in his ability to replace Plaxico Burress as the team's go-to receiver.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is working on his pass-catching abilities.

Dolphins back-up QB Chad Henne will get the majority of snaps in the pre-season and says, "I'm not going to back down. That's just the competitor I am."

Falcons receiver Roddy White continues his holdout.

Sunday was a rough day for the Bucs' quarterbacks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Percy Harvin agrees to five-year contract

NCAA FOOTBALL: JAN 08 FedEx BCS National Championship Game - Florida v Oklahoma

The Minnesota Vikings have signed first-rounder Percy Harvin to a five-year contract, according to the Associated Press.

Although Harvin missed two days (four practices), he was working out with Tim Tebow, his former college quarterback.

"He's probably the best thing other than a pro quarterback," Harvin said Sunday. "Of course he's not a pro quarterback, but I got the best work in I could do without actually being here."

Despite having some pre-draft character concerns, Harvin is an electrifying playmaker. And the Vikings plan on exploiting his versatility.

"Return man. Slot. A little bit in the backfield," Harvin said. "The motions. The screens. I'm looking to be all over."

In his three seasons at the University of Florida, Harvin had nearly as many rushing yards (1852) as he had receiving yards (1929) and he scored a combined 32 touchdowns in 36 career games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sunday Morning Blitz

Colts QB Peyton Manning, 2008 NFL MVP, is looking forward to being healthy for training camp this year.

Dolphins rookie cornerback Sean Smith, the team's second-round pick, is oozing confidence and unable to keep a secret.

After reporting to training camp four pounds under his target weight, Cowboys RB Marion "The Barbarian" Barber is feeling quicker but still hitting others.

Detroit's Bryant Johnson is still not practicing after a golf-cart accident last month due to open wounds.

Here are five keys to the Indianapolis Colts' training camp from the Indianapolis Star.

Despite some minor hamstring pulls, Steelers DBs Troy Polamalu and Deshea Townsend participated more than expected at the Steelers' first two practices.

Panthers QB Jake Delhomme said, "...if fans were disappointed with the extension, the quickest way to make them happy is to go out and play well. I'm not gonna try to talk about it. You win, it takes care of itself.”

Cardinals running back Tim Hightower is looking to break more big plays in 2009. He only averaged 2.8 yards per carry in his rookie season.

Eagles rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram is showing no signs of missing his senior season in college due to injury.

Jets rookie running back Shonn Greene limped off the field, but he returned and appears to be fine, per M.A. Mehta of the Newark Star Ledger.

The Cincinnati Bengals have re-signed cornerback Jamar Fletcher.

Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star Ledger reflects on Jets' QB Kellen Clemens "blowing it" by throwing back-to-back picks in practice after playing well for most of the practice yesterday.

Per Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post, 49ers rookie receiver Michael Crabtree, who was the second receiver drafted after Darrius Heyward-Bey of Oakland, wants to be the highest-paid rookie receiver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 First-rounders still unsigned

With almost all training camps open, here is an updated list of all unsigned first-round draft picks:

3. Chiefs - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
4. Seahawks - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
6. Bengals - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Packers - B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
10. 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Bills - Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
12. Broncos - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
14. Saints - Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
18. Broncos - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
19. Eagles (via Browns) - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
22. Vikings - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
27. Colts - Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

I will update this list daily.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tarvaris Jackson suffers mild MCL sprain

With Brett Favre remaining retired (at least, for now), the Minnesota Vikings starting QB in 2009 will come down to the winner of the quarterback battle between Sage Rosenfels, who was acquired in the off-season, and Tarvaris Jackson, one of the Vikings three second-round picks in 2006.

During practice yesterday, however, Jackson suffered a mild MCL strain. At the moment, he is only expected to miss a few days, according to Chip Scoggins and Judd Zulgad of the Minnesapolis Star Tribune.

With Jackson not likely to miss much time, Childress doesn't expect to bring in an additional quarterback.

"I'll have to see going forward," [coach Brad] Childress said. "I'm not that clairvoyant. He just stayed and treated, and it looks like he'll be just fine."

"For [John David Booty] and I, it always helps to get more reps," Rosenfels said. "You really can't have too many reps. I'm just trying to take advantage of every rep I get."

In nine regular-season games last year, Jackson finished with a QB rating of 95.4 and threw nine touchdowns and only two interceptions. Rosenfels had a QB rating of 79.5 last year and threw six touchdowns and 10 interceptions in six games for Houston.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Saturday Blitz

Derrick Mason has ended his retirement from the Baltimore Ravens and intends to return to practice tomorrow.

Bengals rookie Andre Smith, who is still unsigned, will have an opportunity to win the starting right tackle job once he shows up to camp.

The Raiders want to use more of Darren McFadden, who was selected fourth overall in last year's draft and only averaged 11 touches per game.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said of ~~Barbi~~ Bobby Carpenter, who is penciled in at nickel linebacker: "I think Bobby Carpenter’s done well. He looks good in the run, pass coverage looks good, he knows what to do and that’s a key thing. We put him in one position for a while, he’s been physical, athletic, all the things you’re looking for in a linebacker, so I look for Bobby to have a good year."

Speaking of Cowboys rookie Mike Mickens, Phillips said: “He's got great hands, Everson Walls kind of hands. He's got spectacular hands. I envision him being able to make plays ... because once he gets there, he has a chance to catch it.”

Giants DE after missing all of last season.

Packers rookie B.J. Raji is not likely to be signed soon.

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk took a $1,000 taxi ride from Minneapolis to Green Bay to get to OTAs in June when he was stranded in Minnesota.

Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins will miss a few days with a calf strain.

It was boos in the morning and cheers in the afternoon for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

The Colts have signed defensive tackle Fili Moala, their second-round pick, and wide receiver Austin Collie, their fourth-round choice.

Rookie defensive lineman Sammy Hill, rookie receiver Demir Boldin and veteran tackle Ephraim Salaam failed conditioning tests and were held out of practice Saturday afternoon.

The Patriots released punter Tom Malone.

The Jaguars reached a deal with Eben Britton, their second-round pick, on a four-year deal worth $4.6 million.

Denver Broncos defensive end Jarvis Moss, their first-round pick in 2007, is taking some time away from the team.

The Giants have signed their first-round pick Hakeem Nicks to a five-year deal worth $12.54 million.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Titans sign Kenny Britt to five-year deal

The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms with Kenny Britt, their first-round pick, on a five-year contract believed to be worth a little more than $12 million, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Although he left Rutgers as a junior, Britt finished his career as the Big East leader in receiving yards (3,043) and as Rutgers' leader in receiving touchdowns (17).

Britt is expected to participate in the team's Sunday practice, which begins at 3:30 p.m.

"We're getting closer and closer to the ball game and still don't have a sense of his conditioning level," coach Jeff Fisher said. "When he does come in, we'll evaluate him."

The Titans kick off the pre-season with the Hall of Fame next weekend.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cardinals sign "Beanie" Wells to five-year contract

The Arizona Cardinals have signed Chris "Beanie" Wells, their first-round draft pick, to a five-year contract worth $11.8 million, of which $6.3 million is guaranteed. The last year of the deal is a team option.

"I'm the type of guy that I like to get the ball and I like to get it often," [Wells] said at a news conference. "I haven't thought about sharing carries too much. I'm just going to get here and work hard and hopefully come out of camp that No. 1 guy."

"The only personal goal I've set for myself is to be that guy," he said. "I know we're a passing team but defenses will actually have to focus on the running game with the Arizona Cardinals as well as the passing game."

Tim Hightower, who was the Cardinals' fifth-round pick last year, might have something to say about Wells' goal.

But Wells has shown up to camp much lighter (224 pounds) than when he was drafted, which was requested by the team. After he lost more than 20 pounds, Wells feels "a lot faster and quicker."

At today's practice, Wells rolled his ankle and left the field on a cart. He was scheduled to go for X-rays tonight.

Wells missed three games last year at Ohio State, but he still finished the season with 1,197 yards on 207 attempts.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Daily Blitz discusses NFL rumors and news, NCAA football, Fantasy Football and the NFL draft and is the blog for Eat, Drink and Sleep Football.

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