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| When the Steelers tabbed OT Max Starks as their transition free agent, most figured the team was making a strategic choice to pursue a long-term contract with Starks rather than chase a deal not likely to happen with OG Alan Faneca. As it turns out, it appears the team had strategy in mind but had planned on different results, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Steelers gambled, putting the tag on Starks in exchange for a one-year deal at $6.9 mil for 2008, expecting no other team would offer Starks a deal and negotiations would swing in their favor. Thus far, almost one month later, the Steelers are winning. Starks has not received any offers and negotiations on a long-term deal will now be done on the terms of the team rather than by Starks and his agent. |
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| T.J. Houshmandzadeh is expected to join teammate Chad Johnson in skipping offseason workouts and move forward with a holdout until the Bengals agree to a new contract or relieve him from his obligations with the Bengals, according to Adam Schefter of NFL.com. Houshmandzadeh is in the final year of four-year contract that is scheduled to pay him a base salary of $2.525 million. He failed to show up to the Bengals' offseason conditioning program last season and, without a new deal before this year’s offseason conditioning program, Houshmandzadeh will take the same approach this season. This is why the Bengals do not expect Houshmandzadeh to attend conditioning sessions this coming Monday, or any day soon for that matter. The team has refused to acknowledge that they might consider trading fellow WR Chad Johnson, but there has been no public statement on Houshmandzadeh at this time. Stay tuned. |
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| Fernando Bryant visited the Patriots on Wednesday, according to ProFootballTalk. New England needs to fill the void left by Randall Gay and Asante Samuel, and this would be a good move for him. |
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| Ndukwe Kalu has re-signed a one-year deal with the Texans, according to the Houston Chronicle. He had three sacks last season and will be entering his 13th pro campaign. |
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| Limas Sweed had his "Pro Day" workout, according to NFL.com. He notably ran the 40 in 4.50 and 4.51, had a 37.5 inch vertical jump, 4.33 short shuttle, and reportedly looked good catching the ball.
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| Matt Lehr inked a one-year deal with the Saints, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. He can play both guard and tackle, and will add depth to the Saints line. |
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| Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was rewarded with the added title of assistant head coach, head coach Brad Childress announced this afternoon, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I think it's something that's a natural progression for him," Childress said in a conference call. "He's done a tremendous job." Childress highlighted Frazier's leadership among his staff and his players. Childress also said ownership supported the decision. |
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| DeAngelo Hall met up with Hall of Famer Willie Brown at the Oakland Airport, hopped into a waiting limousine and is on his way to Raider headquarters in Alameda, according to the Sacramento Bee. Hall, who has been in negotiations with Oakland for about two weeks, made the trip at the request of owner Al Davis. Hall said he is looking forward to being a part of one of the “greatest secondaries ever” when paired with Nnamdi Asomugha at cornerback. After the contract details are finalized, Hall will be traded from Atlanta to Oakland for second and sixth round draft picks in the 2008 NFL draft. |
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| Benny Sapp is visiting the Browns on Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms. Sapp was previously a backup with the Chiefs. |
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| Brandon Chillar and the Green Bay Packers have agreed on a two-year contract worth $5.2 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Chillar, who will battle incumbent Brady Poppinga for the starting strong side linebacker job, also has an incentives clause in the contract, which could raise the value of the deal above $6 million. |
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| There are rumors circulating that the ankle injury, which prematurely ended running back Cedric Benson’s 2007 season, might be serious enough to threaten his career, according to Pro Football Weekly. Chicago is being extremely tight-lipped regarding Benson’s rehabilitation. Benson has reportedly been a regular at Halas Hall this offseason, but team insiders haven’t actually seen him working out. The true verdict on Benson will remain out until he actually tests the ankle for the first time in training camp. In the meantime, the Bears are said to have every intention of addressing their need for RB help in the draft — but probably not until the third round, where they think they could still find quality help. |
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| There’s talk in some NFL circles that the Indianapolis Colts might unload wide receiver Marvin Harrison, according to Pro Football Weekly. Although Harrison is a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame, his injury prognosis is a dubious one. General manager Bill Polian has stated that Harrison should be ready for the start of the regular season, but there’s a suspicion that at his age he’ll never be the same dominating player he was prior to the knee injury. Harrison signed a seven-year, $67 million contract extension in December 2004, and the prospect of doling out at least $7.6 million each of the next four years is not an attractive one for Indianapolis. There's no evidence that the Colts are contemplating a move with Harrison any time soon — although they might persuade the veteran to restructure the remaining years of his contract — yet it's a topic that has aroused the interest of league observers. |
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| With the trade of CB Leigh Bodden to Detroit, Brandon McDonald and Daven Holly will compete to start opposite Eric Wright at cornerback for Cleveland, according to Pro Football Weekly. Retaining Holly, a restricted free agent who has yet to sign his tender, is one of the last orders of business for the Browns as the free-agent market slows to a crawl. The 5-10, 185-pound Holly has proven one of the truly shrewd finds by the Browns' pro personnel staff. Released by Chicago in June 2006, Holly has played in 29 games in the last two seasons, starting 18. |
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| Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is infatuated with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, according to SI.com. This comes as no major surprise as most mock drafts around the nation have the Raiders selecting McFadden with the fourth pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Davis always has been blinded by speed, and McFadden often leaves a vapor trail when he finds a crease. Last season, Justin Fargas, LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes combined for only two touchdown runs of 10 or more yards and none beyond 19 yards. McFadden is a threat to go the distance each time he touches the ball. He covered the 40-yard dash at the combine in a blistering 4.33 seconds, and in his final two seasons at Arkansas he had at least nine carries of 50 or more yards, including two of 80. |
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| The fact that the Denver Broncos remain interested in dealing for New York defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson is indicative of their dire need at the position, according to Pro Football Weekly. New York insiders don't understand why teams would have much interest in Robertson, given the degenerative bone-on-bone knee condition, which was at the root of the Jets’ failure to finalize a deal last month with the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Jets are able to work out a deal with Denver, it won't be for more than a late-round draft pick. If the trade falls through, Robertson will likely be cut before June, when the team owes him a $3 million roster bonus. |
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| Brandon Meriweather could be moved from safety to cornerback, according to Pro Football Weekly. A quick glance at the Patriots' depth chart at cornerback reveals just how poor the situation is. The two players penciled in as starters, Ellis Hobbs and Buffalo castoff Jason Webster, are undersized, injury-prone and marginal players. Meriweather hasn’t provided the expected physical impact at safety, so it’s likely that he will be moved to corner due to his exceptional quickness. |
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| Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, said that the Packers plan on retiring Brett Favre's number sometime this coming season, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Murphy said he had had a preliminary discussion with Favre, and that both Favre and the organization agreed that his No. 4 would be retired in 2008. "Our plan and his is to retire his number sometime this season. And we will make a decision after the schedule comes out," Murphy said. These plans are in the “preliminary” stages, but if the organization retires his number during a game, it will obviously be a hot ticket. |
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| The Cincinnati Bengals have announced that offensive tackle Stacy Andrews has signed his franchise tender, according to Pro Football Talk. “We’re happy Stacy is signed in advance of our offseason work,” coach Marvin Lewis said, “and this does not preclude our continuing to talk to Stacy and his representatives about reaching a longer-term agreement.” Andrews is now under contract with the Bengals through 2008, and his one-year salary of $7.455 million is fully guaranteed. |
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| The Baltimore Ravens have signed defensive tackle Amon Gordon to an undisclosed contract, according to BaltimoreRavens.com. Gordon is a journeyman type who will provide depth to the interior defensive line in Baltimore. |
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| The Tennessee Titans hosted free agent defensive end Kalimba Edwards earlier this week, according to the Tennessean. Edwards, who is regarded as a great athlete that lacks instincts, posted 26 sacks in seven seasons with Detroit. Edwards could be attractive to the Titans, who are looking to patch the hole left by the departures of Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy. The Titans have added Jevon Kearse, but are still looking to add depth to the defensive line rotation. |
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| The Tennessee Titans visited with free agent safety Chris Crocker earlier this week, according to the Tennessean. Crocker has visited with several teams including Pittsburgh and Houston during the offseason, but thus far has failed to ink a deal. |
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| Steve McNair has nearly regained full range of motion in his left shoulder and has gotten in better condition while significantly increasing the amount of time he spends at the Baltimore Ravens’ training complex, according to the Carroll County Times. McNair, who is attempting to revive his career following an injury-plagued 2007 season, is rehabbing from December surgery to repair the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. The Ravens have made it clear that McNair remains the frontrunner to start under center with caveats including his health status, conditioning and performance. |
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| Cornerback Fernando Bryant, who was cut last month by the Detroit Lions, could soon be landing in a new city, according to Pro Football Talk. Per league sources, Bryant is in discussions with several teams and could agree to terms within the next 24 hours. Possible destinations include the Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams. |
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| The Arizona Cardinals have released wide receiver Sean Morey, according to the Arizona Republic. Morey, who is primarily a special teams player, was released due to cap issues related to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s contract not being completed. The organization plans to re-sign Morey as soon as Fitzgerald’s deal becomes official. |
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| Larry Fitzgerald's new four-year, $40 million contract extension isn't official yet, according to the Arizona Republic. Arizona general manager Rod Graves said the lawyers are still going over the “nitty-gritty’s” of the contract, which is hindering the organization’s ability to sign other players. The Fitzgerald situation has placed a hold on the team's pursuit of outside linebacker Brandon Chillar. The Cardinals want Chillar but won't have the cap space to sign him until Fitzgerald's deal becomes official. |
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| The Baltimore Ravens have signed running back Cory Ross to an undisclosed contract, according to BaltimoreRavens.com. Ross, who is currently third on the Ravens’ running back depth chart behind Willis McGahee and P.J. Daniels, has played in 10 games the past two seasons with 12 carries for 72 yards and a score. |
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| The Baltimore Ravens have signed fullback Justin Green to an undisclosed contract, according to BaltimoreRavens.com. Green compiled 13 special teams tackles in Baltimore last year. |
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| Zach Thomas recently had surgery to repair a deviated septum, according to the Dallas Morning News. Nothing to see here, as this surgical procedure isn’t expected to impact Thomas’ offseason training regimen. |
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| DeAngelo Hall is scheduled to fly to Oakland and meet with owner Al Davis on Wednesday night, according to NFL.com. Despite earlier reports on ESPN that Hall had signed a seven-year, $70 million deal, it appears there are still significant differences to bridge. Insiders familiar with the situation said talks were progressing, and there was a “50-50” chance that the Raiders and Hall would be able to reach an agreement. |
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| There was a report earlier in the week on Jaguars.com regarding suspicions that defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey had undergone knee surgery, but those rumors are unfounded according to NFL.com. Two sources confirmed yesterday that Dorsey has not had knee surgery, which is consistent with what the defensive tackle told people at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Others have witnessed Dorsey running and training for his March 26 Pro Day at LSU, while exhibiting no signs of a knee injury. To prove his stock has not taken too much of a hit, the two teams that have shown the most interest in arranging private visits and workouts with Dorsey are the St. Louis Rams, who are scheduled to pick second overall, and the Falcons, who are scheduled to pick third. |
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| The New Orleans Saints have offered Tampa Bay unrestricted offensive lineman Matt Lehr a contract, according to the Tampa Tribune. Lehr, who can play both guard and tackle, has been actively pursued by New Orleans and Denver during free agency. Tampa Bay has shown little interest in resigning Lehr for offensive line depth, and at this point he may take the offer in front of him. |
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| The New York Jets flew a contingent of team representatives to Fayetteville, Arkansas to meet with running back Darren McFadden, according to Fan Nation. McFadden, who rushed for 1,830 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, is considered the top player in the draft by many experts. There’s a chance he won't be there when the Jets pick at 1.06 because the Oakland Raiders are reportedly very interested in adding him to their offensive arsenal. |
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| Chris Perry will participate in the Cincinnati Bengals offseason program according to Bengals.com. In a phone interview Tuesday, Perry said this is the best he's felt, literally, in years and is confident that he can follow through on the plan that puts him on the field for spring practices in early May. "I've just been focusing on getting healthy," Perry said. "It's really the only thing I've been thinking about." Except for a few practices, the last time Perry was on the field was 478 days ago. His litany of NFL injuries are almost beyond belief, starting with the sports hernia that wiped out all but two games of his rookie year and the ankle that has eliminated the last 21 games of his third and fourth seasons. |
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| The Redskins are still waiting for Reche Caldwell to make a decision regarding their contract offer, the Washington Post reports. |
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| Brandon Chillar will make a decision today on his next team per his agent Brian Mackler, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mackler provided no further details, but league sources say Arizona, Green Bay and the Rams all have made offers and that the Rams very much remain in the running to retain Chillar.
The Rams are believed to be offering a one-year deal, while Arizona and Green Bay are offering multi-year deals. Chillar, 25, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Rams in 2004 out of UCLA. He was a part-time starter in 2004 and 2005 but has been the Rams' starting strong side linebacker the past two seasons. |
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| The St. Louis Rams have expressed some interest in Tampa Bay free-agent running back Michael Pittman, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pittman, who has played the past six seasons in Tampa Bay, has 415 career receptions and is reportedly drawing interest from several other undisclosed teams. |
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| The Eagles and Broncos are two of the team's very interested in Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Bennett set an SEC record with 236 career receptions. He projects as a second-round pick. |
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| Reggie Bush is impressed by fellow New Orleans star Chris Paul, and he is itching to have an MVP-type season of his own. "I've got to come out and have an equal or better year," Bush tells the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "I've had plenty of time to reflect (on 2007). I missed the last four games. That really hurt me because I never really had to miss any games before. I had a lot of time to think and just go through what approach I want to take this year and how I want to go about this year and getting to that elite level of athletes." |
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| Denver police have unfairly portrayed running back LenDale White's alleged involvement in an incident there last weekend, his uncle said, according to the Tennessean. Herman White, who lives in Denver, said he witnessed part of the alleged incident: "If he was resisting arrest, there is no one in the world who is going to get a ticket for that and not go to jail.'' White, who was not arrested, received a citation and has a court date to answer charges of destruction of property and disobedience to a lawful order/interference and resistance. |
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| Offensive tackle Daniel Loper signed a one-year, $927,000 deal with the Tennessee Titans, according to the Tennessean. Loper, a fifth-round pick in 2005, has played in 24 games during the past two seasons for the Titans. |
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| Vikings head coach Brad Childress offered some intriguing words on Tuesday regarding the future of Bryant McKinnie. The left tackle recently pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a February 24 brawl in Miami. "We could face some difficult decisions down the road," Childress tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Some [decisions] are tougher than others." McKinnie has been arrested four times since being drafted in 2002. |
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| Josh Thomas signed a one-year deal on Tuesday and will stick with the Colts, the Indianapolis Star reports. Thomas will once again be a third defensive end in 2008. He'll only have IDP value if Dwight Freeney is slow to recover from left foot surgery. |
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| Gus Frerotte visited the Packers on Tuesday and will meet with the Vikings later this week, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Green Bay and Minneapolis are close, but an old guy like Gus only drives 40 mph. |
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| Casey Wiegmann will visit the Broncos on Wednesday, the Denver Post confirms. |
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| Clark Haggans arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday and will meet with Browns officials on Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Haggans has spent all of his seven seasons with the Steelers. |
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| Chad Johnson will skip the team's voluntary offseason strength and conditioning program that begins on Monday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I will not be there," he says. "There are a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. Nothing has changed." Johnson could earn $250,000 by participating. |
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| Marcus Mcneill underwent shoulder surgery on March 11 and will need two-to-four weeks to recover, the team's official web site reports. |
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| The Panthers sent officials to check out Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey and Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus on Tuesday. Head coach John Fox was among the crew in Florida, while general manager Marty Hurney headed up the Boston College group, the Charlotte Observer reports. Defensive end and offensive tackle top the Panthers offseason wish list. Harvey is a popular pick in mock drafts right now. |
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| Shawne Merriman underwent knee surgery on March 13 and will need four-to-six weeks to recover, the team's official web site announces. Merriman was limited late in the 2007 season due to a sore left knee. |
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| Keith Brooking is expected to be the Falcons middle linebacker again in 2008, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The long-time Falcon prefers to play weakside linebacker, but the club currently doesn't have a better option in the middle. The upcoming NFL draft could change that plan, though. Brooking will remain a tackle machine no matter where he lines up. |
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| Brandon Chillar is expected to sign with the Cardinals, but his contract is on hold while the club finalizes the mega-deal for Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona Republic reports. |
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| Jason Elam will visit the Falcons on Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirms. Elam has spent all of his 15 seasons with the Broncos. |
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