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| The Browns are expected to take a look at Al Wilson, according to ProFootballTalk.com. The Lions checked him out last month but passed on his services. Wilson missed last season due to a neck injury, but maybe the Browns will give him a chance. |
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| The Falcons re-signed Joey Harrington to a two-year contract on Tuesday after being cut just a week ago, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He'll compete with Chris Redman in training camp to start, though the Falcons could bring in a rookie to spice things up. |
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| The New England Patriots have re-signed SS Raymond Ventrone , according to the Associated Press. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. |
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| The Panthers released Justin Hartwig from their roster on Tuesday, according to the AP. Hartwig, who ended last season on injured reserve with a sprained MCL, will be replaced at center by second-year player Ryan Kalil. |
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| Chartric Darby formally signed a three-year contract with the Lions on Tuesday, according to the AP. They had agreed to terms about a week ago, but it took them some time to iron out the details. The Lions hope that Darby will be able to fill the hole left after Shaun Rogers was dealt to the Browns. |
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| The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are planning to move second-year defensive end Greg White from the right to left side on the defensive line, because the organization wants Gaines Adams to line up exclusively on the right side in 2008, according to the Sporting News. White started only two games in 2007, but notched eight sacks in his rookie campaign, while Adams posted six sacks in eight starts. Neither is particularly effective against the run, but those of you in sack heavy IDP scoring systems should keep an eye out for how these promising second-year linemen respond to switching roles in 2008. |
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| The Chiefs signed free agent Devard Darling to a contract on Tuesday, according to the AP. He caught just 18 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns for the Ravens in 2007, but he'll give the Chiefs some depth at wide receiver after releasing Eddie Kennison. |
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| Lennie Friedman has agreed to a one-year contract to stick with the Browns, according to SportsTicker. Friedman played all 16 games for the Browns last season, performing on special teams and both guard and center. |
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| The woman who obtained a restraining order against Randy Moss earlier this year in a domestic violence case wants the case dismissed, according to the AP. "There has finally been acknowledgment that the injuries were not intentionally inflicted," Moss' attorney Richard Sharpstein said. Assuming the case is dismissed, Moss should be free from punishment from the league. Moss recently agreed to re-sign with the Patriots for the next three seasons. |
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| New head coach John Harbaugh wants to establish and build team chemistry during his watch, according to the Sporting News. Last season, the players developed into cliques under former head coach Brian Billick, and it tore the team apart. Harbaugh has already begun the effort by shifting around the locker room. Players are no longer grouped by position, instead Harbaugh basically drew names out of a hat, and that's how the players were situated in the locker room. For instance, Samari Rolle is no longer next to another cornerback, but tight end Todd Heap. Billick lost the team last year en route to an organizational implosion, so a fresh approach is definitely in order. |
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| Veteran free safety Ryan Clark is expected to return to full health after having his spleen removed during the middle of last season, and should easily reclaim his starting position, according to the Sporting News. Clark plays the position with more patience than Anthony Smith and even though he is an aggressive hitter, rarely lets a player get behind him in deep coverage. Clark was sorely missed in the Steelers’ defensive backfield last season. |
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| Dave Rayner has signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins, according to the Sun Sentinel. Jay Feely remains on the roster. |
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| The Houston Texans will take a close look at running back Chris Taylor during the offseason, with hopes that he can help shoulder some of the rushing load, according to the Sporting News. Taylor, who spent all of last season on injured reserve due to a knee injury, should be healthy for the start of the offseason program. Head coach Gary Kubiak reportedly likes Taylor, and with the godfather (Alex Gibbs) of the zone-blocking scheme on board, we expect the Texans ground game to be improved in 2008. Keep an eye on Taylor as the offseason progresses. |
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| The Jacksonville Jaguars have discussed making significant changes to their defensive backfield, according to the Sporting News. Step one was hiring Donnie Henderson to coach the defensive backs, who struggled making tackles towards the end of last season. Henderson brings a drill-sergeant approach focusing on fundamentals. With the addition of free-agent cornerback Drayton Florence, the Jags have discussed moving starting right corner Brian Williams to strong safety. The Jags are also exploring the possibility of moving second-year free safety Reggie Nelson to corner. If Williams switches to strong safety it would allow Gerald Sensabaugh to move back to his more natural free safety position. That would leave an opening at right corner, where Florence and Nelson would likely battle for the starting role, with the loser assuming the nickel spot. Del Rio and the coaching staff are still in preliminary discussions about such moves, so there's a chance that nothing could change, but it’s clear that the secondary will have a different, more agressive attitude in 2008. |
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| Wide receiver Biren Ealy will get a long look this spring due to his good size and speed, according to the Sporting News. Ealy played some down the stretch in 2007, but spent most of the season on the practice squad. Ealy, who has excellent chemistry with quarterback Vince Young, still needs to work on understanding various defenses, but has displayed good hands during practice and is physical enough to win the ball in traffic. |
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| Ebenezer Ekuban, who recently re-signed with Denver, is about 85 percent healed from the ruptured Achilles that cost him the entire 2007 season, according to the Sporting News. Ekuban has already has started running and cutting, but isn't in complete football shape. He should be ready to participate in mini-camps, and Denver could definitely utilize his presence on the edge to help against the run, which was a consistent problem last year. |
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| The Oakland Raiders signed offensive tackle Kwame Harris as a potential replacement for Barry Sims on the left side of the line, according to the Sporting News. Offensive line coach Tom Cable will reportedly make Harris one of his pet projects during offseason workouts and throughout training camp. The Raiders are hopeful that Cable can capitalize on Harris' intelligence and speed and make him an effective player in his zone-blocking scheme. Harris is a proven run blocker, but he tends to struggle in pass protection. |
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| The Buffalo Bills still value quarterback J.P. Losman, partly because starting quarterbacks rarely make it through 16 games in the NFL, according to buffalobills.com. New quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt likes what he currently has in reserve at the position. "I'm excited to have him," Van Pelt said. "I've always liked J.P. Physically he's one of the most gifted guys I've been around. He just does some great things athletically with his arm and legs." Only 10 signal callers started all 16 regular season games in 2007, so it’s imperative to roster two solid quarterbacks these days. Regardless, Losman, who is in the final year of his contract, could still be moved prior to or during the NFL draft. |
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| The Tennessee Titans have had preliminary conversations with agent Joel Segal, who represents receiver Bryant Johnson, according to the Tennessean. Currently, there are no plans to bring Johnson in for a visit, but he is clearly one of the best receivers remaining on the open market. For awhile it looked like Johnson would sign in Buffalo, but it appears he’s expecting a substantial deal before signing on the dotted line. |
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| The San Francisco 49ers are negotiating a contract extension with tight end Delanie Walker, according to the Press Democrat. Walker, who is signed through the 2009 season, started 10 games last year, posting 21 receptions, 174 yards and one score. |
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| Wide receiver Deion Branch is in Birmingham, Alabama going through intensive rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, according to USA Today. The Seattle medical staff expects Branch to miss training camp, but anticipate him contributing during the season. Branch had the surgery in January ’08, and the normal rehab time for such an injury is between nine and 12 months, which makes it possible that he could be available sometime towards the end of September to the middle of October, if all goes well with his recovery. |
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| The Minnesota Vikings have held preliminary contract discussions with defensive lineman Ellis Wyms, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Wyms visited Winter Park last week, but no agreement has been reached at the current time. Wyms, who played last season in Seattle, has also visited Tennessee. |
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| The Pittsburgh Steelers have little room under the salary cap, but will meet with free agent linebacker Keyaron Fox today, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fox is a former third-round draft choice, who would be a backup linebacker and special-teams player. |
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| The Arizona Cardinals have reached a four-year, $40 million contract agreement with All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, according to Pro Football Talk. Fitzgerald will reportedly receive $33 million over the next three years including $30 million in guaranteed money. This transaction will give the Arizona front office some wiggle room under the salary cap. |
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| The Tennessee Titans will likely address the running back position during the 2008 NFL draft, according to the Tennessean. The organization wants to complement LenDale White’s power style, with a change-up running back capable of turning short passes into first downs and long gains. This report appears to cast a shadow on back-up running back Chris Henry, who displayed a lack of natural instincts during his rookie campaign. There is likely some trust issues as well, considering Henry also served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on steroids and related substances. |
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| New Tennessee running backs coach Earnest Byner is enamored with running back LenDale White, according to the Tennessean. Byner said he's impressed with the third-year pro's vision, ability to gain yards after contact and the way he protects the ball in the pile. "I like what I have seen," Byner said. "I'd like to talk to LenDale and find out what some of his goals are and see how I can best assist him in that process." White recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the knee that bothered him last season, but he’s expected to be fully recovered in time for mini-camps in May. |
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| The Atlanta Falcons have signed free agent offensive center Alex Stepanovich, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Stepanovich played in 12 games last season for Cincinnati, starting four. He was drafted out of Ohio State in the fourth-round (2004) by Arizona. |
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| The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed defensive tackle Tim Anderson, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Anderson, who will provide depth on the interior line, played in five games with Atlanta in 2007 after signing as a free agent last November. |
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| The Minnesota Vikings crafted a salary cap-friendly contract with wide receiver Bernard Berrian that allows more than half of his guaranteed money to count against their 2008 salary cap, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Berrian's $16 million in guarantees includes a $5 million signing bonus and two roster bonuses: $8 million this year and $3 million in 2009. Therefore, his 2008 cap number is at least $9.44 million - the sum of the first roster bonus, his $605,000 base salary and the prorated portion of the signing bonus. Berrian, who spent his first four NFL seasons with Chicago before joining the Vikings as a free agent, will receive $23 million over the first three years of the contract. |
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| Keith Davis has inked a deal with the Dolphins, according to The Sun Sentinel. Details of the contract are yet to be released. |
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| Jim Steiner, the agent for Shaun Alexander, will meet with Seahawks’ executives about the future of his client in Seattle, according to NFL.com. "We're going to have some discussions with the Seahawks in the next few days," Steiner said in telephone interview. "It will be about the running back situation there." At his end of the season press conference, head coach Mike Holmgren intimated that he felt Alexander could bounce back, but the recent additions of T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones seem to suggest that Alexander could be released during the offseason. During the past two seasons, Alexander has received $18 million in base salary, along with $13.5 through signing and other bonuses – making it likely that the team will be looking to restructure his contract at the very least. |
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| Dwayne Jarrett has been arrested for driving while impaired, according to Pro Football Talk. The report cites the web site of the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Sheriff's Office, as the source of the information. This is obviously not good news for the much-maligned receiver, who barely made a dent in the stat sheet last year during his rookie season in Carolina. |
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| The Houston Texans have three players: C.C. Brown, Will Demps and Glenn Earl, who can play both safety positions, according to the Houston Chronicle. Brown, who started 16 games at strong safety last year, is expected to be the starter on the strong-side again in 2008, with Demps and Earl likely to battle in training camp for the free safety slot. |
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| The New York Jets hosted Indianapolis free agent tight end Ben Utecht yesterday, according to the New York Post. Utecht, who caught 31 passes for 364 yards last season while backing up Dallas Clark, is a player the Jets have been targeting to complement starting tight end Chris Baker. Utecht is non-compensation restricted free agent, meaning the Colts have the right to match any offer he receives, but will not be awarded compensation if he signs with another team. The Colts aren't believed to be serious about re-signing Utecht, who visited the Bengals last week. |
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| Kassim Osgood, a two-time special teams Pro Bowler, says he will not attend the Chargers' offseason workouts that begin next month, as an act of protest and preservation, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Osgood wants to be utilized in the passing game, and signed his current deal because the organization told him that he would be part of the offense. “There is no reason to come to the (offseason coaching sessions) and run routes all day and run my body down and not be a receiver,” Osgood said. Osgood’s displeasure spiked when San Diego drafted receivers Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee last April. Osgood feels he is being typecast as a special-teams player, but sitting out and pouting about the situation isn’t likely to increase his repetitions at wide receiver. |
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| LaDainian Tomlinson is uncertain whether he will be at full speed for the Chargers’ may mini-camp, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Tomlinson said his left knee is doing "pretty good", but there is still some pain when he engages in certain activities. Tomlinson sprained his medial collateral ligament in the Chargers' playoff game at Indianapolis and aggravated the injury during his limited work in the next week's AFC Championship Game at New England. Tomlinson said he's working hard in rehabilitation and has no worries about being 100 percent for the start of the season. |
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| D.J. Hackett, who is scheduled to visit with the Washington Redskins this week, has been criticized in the past for not practicing hard enough, according to the Washington Post. The article doesn’t cite its sources, but Hackett has spent his entire career in Seattle, so the criticism could have originated from new head coach Jim Zorn, who knows him well from their four years together in Seattle. Hackett's visit with Washington also will be his first as a free agent, and his agent, Kevin Robinson, has blamed the relative lack of interest in his client on the fact he missed 10 games with a pair of sprained ankles last season. |
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| Antonio Bryant signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay worth the veteran minimum of $605,000, according to the Tampa Tribune. Bryant’s career has been marred by run-ins with his coaches, failed drug tests and a league suspension that cost him the last two games of the 2006 season. That suspension would have cost Bryant the first two games of 2007 as well, but the San Francisco 49ers, his third team in six years, cut him last March. Maybe the season long sabbatical will have a positive effect on Bryant’s attitude. If not, this contract is structured so that it’s very easy to cut him at some point during the offseason. |
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| Head coach John Harbaugh and other team officials are scheduled to attend Troy State cornerback Leodis McKelvin’s private workout session today, according to the Carroll County Times. “I’ve gotten a lot of phone calls from Baltimore,” Troy strength and conditioning coach Richard Shaughnessy said. “Baltimore asked him a lot of questions at the combine and showed him some film, and Leodis thinks they’ve shown a lot of interest in him. He’s a quality kid and he’s very talented.” McKelvin, who met with the Ravens at the NFL scouting combine, has been linked to Baltimore in several mock drafts. He is arguably considered the second best cornerback prospect in the 2008 draft, after South Florida’s Mike Jenkins. |
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| The Denver Broncos have opened discussions with unrestricted free agent Cecil Sapp, according to the Denver Post. Sapp, who was the Broncos starting fullback last season, made $1.3 million in 2007. The two sides are reportedly not close to an agreement. |
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| The Cowboys are not allowed to talk to Pacman Jones, according to FanNation.com. Rules prevent any team from talking about him right now and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this, "That's way too early for us. We can't comment on a thing. He's a Tennessee Titan." Dallas has had internal discussions about Jones, and they are one of eight teams interested.
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