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| Chris Simms told the Tampa Tribune that he can "never" forgive coach Jon Gruden for the way Gruden treated him last year while he was attempting to come back from his spleen injury. "And that's hard for me to say," Simms said. "It kills me to say that because the Bucs have been great to me. The fans there are great. I love being in Tampa; my family loves being in Tampa. It's an awesome sports town, a town that loves football. But the relationship between me and coach Gruden, it's broken. It just is, and I don’t see any way it's going to get better again." |
Our View: Simms, who hasn't played since Week 3 of the 2006 season, hasn't reported to the team's voluntary camps and wants out of Tampa. The Bucs would like to give him his wish, though it remains to be seen which teams might be interested in the signal caller.
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| Lofa Tatupu was officially charged with a DUI Monday, according to the Seattle News Tribune. He was arrested on May 10. |
Our View: Tatupu isn't likely to be suspended, though it's possible he could be facing a fine.
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| Donovan McNabb practiced on a "very limited" basis Monday due to concerns about his shoulder, according to ProFootballTalk.com. |
Our View: The quarterback told Brian Seltzer of ESPN Radio 950 in Philly that he's not concerned about the shoulder and is confident it will improve. The fact that he says is will improve means that there is, in fact, something wrong with it. Anyone who drafts McNabb is aware of the injury risk he brings, but he's usually not already injured going into a season. It might be wise to knock him down a few spots in your cheat sheets.
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| Matt Forte had already received a boost in value with all the hoopla surrounding Cedric Benson. But now that Benson has been given his release, Forte is officially "the man" in Chicago. |
Our View: The Bears coaching staff has raved about Forte so far in minicamps. The team might bring in a veteran for some depth, but expect the rookie from Tulane to receive the bulk of the carries in Chitown this season.
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| The Bears have placed Cedric Benson on waivers, according to ESPN.com's John Clayton. Benson had a second DUI arrest over the weekend, which was apparently the last straw for the Bears. |
Our View: This seemed to be a foregone conclusion at this point. Matt Forte's value shoots up with this news.
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| The Cardinals have inked fourth-round pick Kenny Iwebema (Iowa), according to AZCentral.com. Length of the deal and financial terms were not disclosed. |
Our View: The 6-4 270 pound defensive end is a strong athlete with solid quickness, and has a good burst to beat offensive tackles on the inside. He struggles to hold his ground and needs work on his technique, namely footwork, however. He could develop into a quality NFL starter, but his fantasy value will be limited as a rookie.
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| Terrell Owens will be tested for steroids and PED's more often going forward, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. |
Our View: He has been placed in the "reasonable cause" testing program for performance-enhancing drugs. Owens was placed in the program because he missed telephone calls to set up random tests. A player that misses a test can be subject to disciplinary action, but because Owens had a "plausible" explanation, league administrators decided he would not be suspended or fined. Instead, Owens can now be randomly tested for performance enhancers up to a maximum of 24 annual screenings.
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| Cedric Benson did not report to Monday's OTA, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Bears' GM Jerry Angelo stated that the team will comment on the matter later, likely today. |
Our View: It is unclear if that means Benson is going to be released. Angelo is believed to be deeply disappointed with Benson, following his second arrest of the off-season.
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| New head coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with third-year safety Dawan Landry, according to the Baltimore Sun. Harbaugh said, "He has been tremendous this spring. He’s playing fast and he’s all over the field. He’s taking charge of that secondary back there."
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Our View: Landry is the only starter in the secondary that has attended all of the off-season camps. Landry racked up 82 tackles (67 solo) in 2007, and it sounds like he will have a shot to challenge 100 this season. He was slowed by a sprained right knee last season as well.
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| Clinton Portis remains excused from the Redskins' OTA sessions, according to the Washington Post. Coach Jim Zorn said he is very comfortable with Portis being away right now and that it's the right thing for him to do. |
Our View: His situation has not been disclosed, but Zorn confirmed it is nothing serious, and is more of a "celebration." Regardless of what that means, Portis could miss a few more days.
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| Lee Evans commented on his contract and a potential extension, according to ESPN.com. Evans noted that there was nothing new in contract talks with Buffalo, but he hopes he can get a deal done soon. He also said that his goal is to finish his career with one team. |
Our View: Evans is among the most dangerous receivers in the NFL, and would rack up strong numbers if the Bills can just find consistency at quarterback. He is well worth a long-term investment by the team.
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| Marshawn Lynch missed his second straight practice on Monday because he revealed that he underwent eye surgery, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Lynch had Lasik surgery on Friday and expects to be cleared to return to practice by Wednesday, when the Bills open a three-day mandatory mini-camp. He did not comment on the hit-and-run incident involving his car.
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| Dan Klecko has been moved back to defensive tackle, according to ProFootballTalk.com. Klecko has been tried out at fullback, but the team signed Luke Lawton to vie for the job, and Klecko was sent back to his natural position on defense. |
Our View: Klecko will have to compete for playing time at defensive tackle in a talented group that includes Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley, Trevor Laws, and Montae Reagor.
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| Osi Umenyiora commented on the retirement of Michael Strahan, according to the Newark Ledger. Umenyiora said, "You just never expect him not to be here until he's not here. I think he himself was a little conflicted on the issue. He might not miss the football, but he's going to miss us. It's pretty much a sad day for me and the New York Giants."
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Our View: Umenyiora is now the leader of the Giants' defensive line, and will be up to the challenge. He registered 52 tackles (40 solo) and 13 sacks in 2007, with five forced fumbles and two recoveries.
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| Arnaz Battle reported to the 49ers OTA on Monday, as expected, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
Our View: He missed the first week of voluntary workouts (due to personal reasons), but the veteran still has plenty of time to learn Mike Martz's new offense before the new season kicks off in September. He is projected to be the number three receiver in the slot role behind starters Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson.
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| Matt Jones has not been working among the top five receivers with Jacksonville during team OTA practices, according to Jaguars.com. |
Our View: Jerry Porter and Reggie Williams are working as the starters, and Mike Walker is battling Dennis Northcutt for the slot role. Troy Williamson is working behind them, which means Jones could be in jeopardy of not making the team, assuming the team won't carry six receivers.
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| Pierre Thomas sat out Monday's OTA due to a groin ailment, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. |
Our View: The team did not reveal the severity of the injury. Thomas was working to share some of the load with Reggie Bush on third-downs. He has also spent time working with the first-team offense.
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| Marques Colston was a no-show at the Saints' OTA session on Monday, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Colston has been looking for a new contract, but is not bickering with the team, as he has been a regular participant in the Saints' off-season conditioning program, which started in mid-March, and was at the mandatory mini-camp, and at the rest of the OTA practices. Coach Sean Payton noted that Colston has done well so far in practice, and will call him up to see what the deal was regarding his absence. |
Our View: Colston should not be a distraction, and the missed OTA on Monday was voluntary.
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| Michael Strahan has decided to retire, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. Strahan said, "It was important that my teammates knew which way I was going before they got on the field to start the work to defend our title. It's time. I'm done. It's a tough decision but I wanted to be fair to the Giants and fair to my teammates."
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Our View: He has hung up his cleats, which will find their way to Canton in the Hall of Fame. He is the Giants' all-time sack leader, and went out on top following their upset win over New England in the Super Bowl, which ended their bid for a perfect season.
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| Linebacker Rian Wallace has been waived at the beginning of June, but the Redskins have decided to re-sign him, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: He was competing for a spot as a special teams contributor, and will hold no fantasy value if he manages to stick with Washington heading into the new season.
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| Wide receiver Marcus Robinson has announced his retirement, according to the AP. |
Our View: He signed a one-day deal with the Bears on Monday to retire with his original team. Robinson played in 107 career games, while notching 325 receptions for 4,699 yards and 43 touchdowns. Robinson had 84 receptions for a team-record 1,400 yards and a career-best nine scores with Chicago back in 1999.
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| The Texans have released quarterback Quinn Gray, according to the Houston Chronicle. Gray looked good at times while operating the Jaguars' offense, but looked lost in Houston, and didn't adjust well to their offense. |
Our View: He was competing for clipboard duty behind starter Matt Schaub and top backup Sage Rosenfels. Shane Boyd and rookie Alex Brink will now battle for the number three spot.
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| Larry Johnson sat out of Sunday's practice, but fully participated in the first two days of mini-camp, according to Chiefs.com. |
Our View: The team is just being cautious, and he has reportedly recovered favorably from his foot injury. He practiced for four-straight days prior to Sunday.
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| Jason Peters has been absent since the start of voluntary OTA sessions, which is believed to be due to a contract dispute, according to the Buffalo News. Coach Dick Jauron expects him to attend this week's mandatory mini-camp, however. |
Our View: Peters ranks among the top left tackles in the NFL, and is the lone bright spot of an unstable Bills' line. It should be a top priority to lock him up with a new deal.
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| Josh Reed sat out Friday's practice due to a sore knee, but the ailment is not considered to be serious, according to the Buffalo News. |
Our View: Reed cannot afford to miss much practice time, as he is being pushed by promising rookie James Hardy for the starting job at receiver opposite Lee Evans.
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| The Bills have been pleased with rookie Steve Johnson, according to the Buffalo News. He has made several nice catches during the Bills' OTA sessions, and team receivers' coach Tyke Tolbert commented that Johnson seems to make a play every day. |
Our View: He was a seventh-round pick out of Kentucky, but has solid size at 6-2 210, and will have a good shot to make the team, when you consider how thin the Bills are at receiver. Johnson will remain on our radar.
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| Bears' offensive coordinator Ron Turner stated that rookie Matt Forte (Tulane) will definitely be an every-down back, according to the Chicago Tribune. Turner said, "I love Matt Forte. He will definitely be an every-down back. He's got the size, he's got the hands. He's smooth as an athlete, very smooth. After nine practices, I'm not afraid to call anything in the offense with him."
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Our View: He is picking up the Bears' offense very quickly, and should continue to climb up draft boards.
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| Jeremy Shockey will not be asked to participate much if he reports to manadatory mini-camps, according to the NY Post. He is recovering from leg and ankle surgery. |
Our View: The three-day mini-camp begins on Wednesday. Shockey is bitter that the Giants did not allow him to watch Super Bowl XLII from the sidelines, as the team at the time stated that would be an unsafe vantage point for a player on crutches. He did mention that he misses his team-mates, and will honor his contractual obligation.
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| First-round pick Branden Albert sustained a left ankle injury during Sunday's OTA practice, according to the Kansas City Star. He limped to a tent, where he had his foot and ankle bandaged. He later walked without help but was carted to the players’ parking lot. Coach Herm Edwards said Albert would be fine.
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Our View: The rookie out of Virgina is huge at 6-7 310 and was drafted to try to solidify a glaring need at tackle. He has been working on the right side.
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| There is belief that Cedric Benson's visit to meet with team officials at Halas Hall this week could be his last, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: The team is very high on rookie Matt Forte, and have lost faith that Benson could be an effective starter. Benson's second arrest of the off-season could have sealed his fate in Chicago.
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| Joe Jurevicius will not participate in mandatory team mini-camps, as he continues to recover from off-season knee surgery in January, according to the Morning Journal. |
Our View: The team remains hopeful the sure-handed 11-year vet will be ready for training camp. Jurevicius is projected to be the Browns' third receiver behind starters Braylon Edwards and Donte' Stallworth, and will hold little fantasy value.
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| Drew Bennett is working as the number two receiver opposite Torry Holt, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He moves into the role following the departure of Isaac Bruce to San Francisco. Bennett said, "It’s very difficult to replace a guy like Isaac Bruce. Hopefully I can just play my own game and do my own things. We got along great, and I learned a lot from him." |
Our View: Bennett was disappointing in 2007, but his production could go back up as a starter this season. Torry Holt also has chronic knee problems, and Bennett could find himself as the top option at times this season as well.
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| Antonio Pittman is among the most improved Rams of the off-season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: He was at a disadvantage with the Rams last season, as he had to learn the offense after being claimed off waivers from the Saints. He did end the season as Steven Jackson's primary backup, and could be worth consideration as a possible "handcuff" for Jackson in 2008.
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| The 49ers envision Justin Smith as their only defender that can reach double digits in sacks this season, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
Our View: The team is taking a look at him at outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. Smith only made two sacks in his final campaign in Cincinnati in 2007, and would not be able to record more than five or six at defensive end with the 49ers, but at outside linebacker, the team thinks he can get 10 or more.
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| Rookie Justin Forsett (California) is considered to be a longshot to make the Seahawks roster this season, according to the News Tribune. |
Our View: Forsett is quick and elusive, but will be limited in the NFL by his 5-7 190 pound frame. The team likes his skills, but is not likely to make the team with Julius Jones, Maurice Morris, TJ Duckett, and Leonard Weaver all firmly set on the roster.
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| Cedric Benson is scheduled to meet with team officials some time this week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. They want to discuss his recent arrest for drunk driving, and are believed to be irritated. |
Our View: This is his second arrest of the off-season, and could face disclipline from the NFL. Matt Forte continues to move up draft boards.
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