HEAV
03-25-2005, 11:15 AM
Last year, Giants punter Jeff Feagles gave up his No. 10 to Eli Manning for a trip to Florida. This year, Feagles is relinquishing his No. 17 to WR Plaxico Burress.
After Feagles' negotiated with Burress' agent Drew Rosenhaus, Burress will help pay for an outdoor kitchen at Feagles' home in Arizona.
Joe Jurevicius could be a Seahawk by the end of the weekend — if not by the end of the day. The Seahawks and Jurevicius' agent, Neil Cornrich, have been involved in contract discussions since the former Tampa Bay receiver visited the team last week. "I'm optimistic about working something out with the Seahawks," Cornrich said yesterday. "Joe views the Seahawks' system as very compatible with his talents, and he's excited about the opportunity to contribute to that offense."
The structure of Tom Brady's $24-million signing bonus is holding up completion of the three-time Super Bowl champion's new six-year contract. Brady, who has two seasons left on his contract, agreed with the Patriots on the parameters of a deal nearly a month ago. Although the six-year, $60-million deal would put Brady in the top tier of quarterbacks, it would still be less money than Peyton Manning and Mike Vick signed for in the last year. Even though he's won three titles and neither Manning nor Vick has been to a Super Bowl, Brady was fine with the Patriots' overall offer. But late in negotiations, the Patriots explained that they wanted to pay Brady his $24-million signing bonus in four installments. More than half of the bonus money would come in the first two years of the deal, but unpaid bonus money in the later years of the contract would not be guaranteed. That would mean if Brady got hurt after a few years, portions of the $24-million bonus would never be realized.
Kansas City coach Dick Vermiel is hinting the Chiefs will warm up their talks with the agents for Patrick Surtain and Ty Law in the hope of getting one of those players before the draft. ''We'd like to get one more [free agent]. We'd like to get a corner before we go into the draft,'' Vermiel said. ``We're interested in Surtain, we're interested in Ty Law. There's just a chance. It would all have to fit.'' The Chiefs and the agency representing Surtain, Premier Management, have had conversations in recent days. A fit with Surtain would have to include a contract averaging approximately $7 million per season with $12 million to $14 million in guaranteed money. The Chiefs also would have to compensate the Dolphins with a ''first-day'' draft pick, meaning Miami is seeking a second- or third-round pick for the Pro Bowl cornerback.
Defensive end Courtney Brown kept his suitors in suspense for another day by informing them yesterday he needed more time, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos are considered the front-runners, although Brown has not ruled out the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fullback Rob Konrad is hoping a new address will make football fun again. Konrad, who is expected to sign a one-year, $700,000 contract today with Oakland, said he considered retiring this offseason following last year's 4-12 finish with the Dolphins. "I was just miserable the whole year for a lot of different reasons," said Konrad, who was released last week by the Dolphins after six seasons. "I enjoyed being with the organization. But I was talking to [former Dolphins quarterback] Jay Fiedler about a football change of scenery. He's all fired up to be out there [with the New York Jets].
The Redskins are reportedly interested in wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who didn't play last season after being released by the San Diego Chargers during training camp.
Former Dolphins defensive end Jay Williams has contract offers from Kansas City and St. Louis, agent Ron Del Duca said. Williams, who was released last month after three seasons with the Dolphins, also has received interest from Atlanta and Seattle.
Pats LB Tedy Bruschi has had surgery to repair the hole in his heart. It's not clear whether that condition was directly related to the stroke he suffered last month. Meanwhile, a decision on whether he'll play in 2005 or at all still may be months away.
With much less fanfare, wide receiver Torry Holt renegotiated his deal in a move to help free salary-cap money for the Rams. But while Faulk took a pay cut, Holt simply converted most of his 2005 base salary into signing bonus. He still gets the same amount of money, but nearly $2.1 million of it gets spread out over the remaining five years of Holt's contract for cap purposes. The move saves the Rams nearly $1.8 million in cap space for this year.
Here's a lingering rap new Browns cornerback Gary Baxter hopes to erase this season: whispers that his old team, Baltimore, often adjusted defensive schemes to have him cover the opponent's third-best receiver - rather than one of its top two threats.
The Broncos are trying to deal Trevor Pryce, who was informed of their plans nearly two months ago, to create salary cap room. Denver wants a draft pick in return for Pryce and would likely be open to trading its No. 25 overall pick and Pryce to move up significantly in the first round, as it did last year in a trade with Cincinnati that included cornerback Deltha O'Neal. Dallas could land Pryce if it doesn't trade for New Orleans defensive end Darren Howard.
Anthony Simmons reportedly is a candidate for the Bears' opening at strongside linebacker. The Seahawks cut the former first-round draft pick earlier this month.
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick averaged eight rushing attempts per game last season, which is just 5.6 per game fewer than Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. While coach Jim Mora wants to see Vick develop more as a passer next season, he's made it clear he'll never discourage him from running. "We just tell him to get down or out of bounds,'' Mora said. "But we're encouraging him to take the next step as a quarterback. We don't want to limit his ability as a creator. I tell Mike, 'Just be you.' ''
It stands to reason that the Eagles might be thinking about trading up in the first round next month to grab one of the draft's two first-round-worthy interior linemen - Travis Johnson, of Florida State, or Shaun Cody, of Southern California. Said Eagles coach Andy Reid: "My track record says that I like looking at offensive and defensive linemen, so I can't say no with a straight face. But is it necessarily because of [Simon's and Thomas' situations]? No. But I'll always look at those positions [early in draft].''
Cowboys safety Roy Williams clearly was the impetus behind the proposal to outlaw horse-collar tackling, which was tabled here but is expected to be passed at the league's spring meeting in Washington. Williams seriously injured three players with horse-collar tackles last season, including Terrell Owens. While the league's competition committee stressed that it was not "singling out'' Williams, several coaches here said that Williams is the only player who uses the technique regularly. "It's one guy doing it,'' an NFC coach said. "He is so big and strong. He's 240 pounds. He can make the tackle [another way]. He just purposely hogties them.''
Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder has persuaded the NFL to take a hard look at the connection between the rise in foot injuries in the league and the lighter, less rigid cleats being made by NFL-licensed shoemakers Reebok and Nike. The possible link between foot injuries and the shoes the players are wearing was the subject of a Daily News investigation last spring. Burkholder, who was quoted extensively in the story, has been lobbying the league for a while now to take a closer look at the connection and put pressure on the shoe companies to examine the issue. Well, the league plans to do just that. While it says it still doesn't have enough data to positively conclude that the new, lighter shoes are behind the rise in foot injuries, it is urging the shoe manufacturers to re-examine the design of their shoes.
Safety Shaun Williams knows he's at the Giants' mercy right now. The $3 million-plus he's owed this year isn't a guarantee. Neither is his presence on the team's roster one week from now. A former first-round pick, Williams was vital enough to the Giants' future plans in 2002 that he was able to secure a six-year deal with an option for a seventh year. If Williams and the team cannot agree on a pay cut before he's due a roster bonus one week from today, the Giants will do just that. "I knew I had to restructure this year, coming off of last year's injury," Williams said yesterday at the Giants' off-season workouts. "It was something that had to be done. I don't take it personal. I was injured last year and I got injured the year before. So that's why I was open to talk." Two other reasons why Williams has considered a restructured deal are the Giants' releasing injury-prone players and the emergence of rookie Gibril Wilson last year.
New Vikings safety Darren Sharper will team with former Wild television play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg to work two NFL Europe games in May.
Tom Brady's galpal, Bridget Moynahan, will have to wrap up her jaunt to Europe with No. 12 pronto. That's because Bridg is slated to start filming a new flick ``Unknown'' with James Caviezel, aka Jesus from ``The Passion of the Christ,'' in L.A. Monday. It's the story of a kidnapping gone bad and the ``I, Robot'' gal plays the wife of the victim. Another homegrown talent, former Boston Film Commission cheese Kevin Chapman, plays a cop who tries to help rescue Moynahan's man after a chemical spill in the warehouse where he's being held. ``Sopranos'' veteran Joe Pantoliano rounds out the cast of characters.
Cablevision, which has spent a year and tens of millions of dollars trying to block the Jets and the city from building a stadium over the West Side railyards, has bid $760 million for the property, topping the team's competing offer by $40 million, according to an executive who works with the company. The executive said that Cablevision, unlike the Jets, submitted an "all cash, noncontingent" offer to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday for the 13-acre parcel along 11th Avenue between 30th and 33rd Streets. Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden and regards the proposed stadium as a threat to its business, has not disclosed many financial aspects of its proposal to buy and then develop the site, but it has indicated that its plans include apartment towers, a hotel, a five-acre park, a school and a performing arts enclave on a platform over the railyards. Cablevision estimates that its project would take 12 years to complete.
QB Jared Lorenzen reported for the Giants workouts as scheduled. Lorenzen, an undrafted rookie free agent in 2004, did not show up for training camp last year and failed to give the organization an excuse for his mysterious absence. He said yesterday that he stayed in Kentucky to attend to a situation involving his family, but declined to give specifics. Lorenzen also refused to disclose his current weight. The Giants currently list him at 275 pounds. Lorenzen did say he is in good shape and that he has been "moving weight" from his midsection to his upper body in the form of muscle.
After Feagles' negotiated with Burress' agent Drew Rosenhaus, Burress will help pay for an outdoor kitchen at Feagles' home in Arizona.
Joe Jurevicius could be a Seahawk by the end of the weekend — if not by the end of the day. The Seahawks and Jurevicius' agent, Neil Cornrich, have been involved in contract discussions since the former Tampa Bay receiver visited the team last week. "I'm optimistic about working something out with the Seahawks," Cornrich said yesterday. "Joe views the Seahawks' system as very compatible with his talents, and he's excited about the opportunity to contribute to that offense."
The structure of Tom Brady's $24-million signing bonus is holding up completion of the three-time Super Bowl champion's new six-year contract. Brady, who has two seasons left on his contract, agreed with the Patriots on the parameters of a deal nearly a month ago. Although the six-year, $60-million deal would put Brady in the top tier of quarterbacks, it would still be less money than Peyton Manning and Mike Vick signed for in the last year. Even though he's won three titles and neither Manning nor Vick has been to a Super Bowl, Brady was fine with the Patriots' overall offer. But late in negotiations, the Patriots explained that they wanted to pay Brady his $24-million signing bonus in four installments. More than half of the bonus money would come in the first two years of the deal, but unpaid bonus money in the later years of the contract would not be guaranteed. That would mean if Brady got hurt after a few years, portions of the $24-million bonus would never be realized.
Kansas City coach Dick Vermiel is hinting the Chiefs will warm up their talks with the agents for Patrick Surtain and Ty Law in the hope of getting one of those players before the draft. ''We'd like to get one more [free agent]. We'd like to get a corner before we go into the draft,'' Vermiel said. ``We're interested in Surtain, we're interested in Ty Law. There's just a chance. It would all have to fit.'' The Chiefs and the agency representing Surtain, Premier Management, have had conversations in recent days. A fit with Surtain would have to include a contract averaging approximately $7 million per season with $12 million to $14 million in guaranteed money. The Chiefs also would have to compensate the Dolphins with a ''first-day'' draft pick, meaning Miami is seeking a second- or third-round pick for the Pro Bowl cornerback.
Defensive end Courtney Brown kept his suitors in suspense for another day by informing them yesterday he needed more time, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos are considered the front-runners, although Brown has not ruled out the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fullback Rob Konrad is hoping a new address will make football fun again. Konrad, who is expected to sign a one-year, $700,000 contract today with Oakland, said he considered retiring this offseason following last year's 4-12 finish with the Dolphins. "I was just miserable the whole year for a lot of different reasons," said Konrad, who was released last week by the Dolphins after six seasons. "I enjoyed being with the organization. But I was talking to [former Dolphins quarterback] Jay Fiedler about a football change of scenery. He's all fired up to be out there [with the New York Jets].
The Redskins are reportedly interested in wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who didn't play last season after being released by the San Diego Chargers during training camp.
Former Dolphins defensive end Jay Williams has contract offers from Kansas City and St. Louis, agent Ron Del Duca said. Williams, who was released last month after three seasons with the Dolphins, also has received interest from Atlanta and Seattle.
Pats LB Tedy Bruschi has had surgery to repair the hole in his heart. It's not clear whether that condition was directly related to the stroke he suffered last month. Meanwhile, a decision on whether he'll play in 2005 or at all still may be months away.
With much less fanfare, wide receiver Torry Holt renegotiated his deal in a move to help free salary-cap money for the Rams. But while Faulk took a pay cut, Holt simply converted most of his 2005 base salary into signing bonus. He still gets the same amount of money, but nearly $2.1 million of it gets spread out over the remaining five years of Holt's contract for cap purposes. The move saves the Rams nearly $1.8 million in cap space for this year.
Here's a lingering rap new Browns cornerback Gary Baxter hopes to erase this season: whispers that his old team, Baltimore, often adjusted defensive schemes to have him cover the opponent's third-best receiver - rather than one of its top two threats.
The Broncos are trying to deal Trevor Pryce, who was informed of their plans nearly two months ago, to create salary cap room. Denver wants a draft pick in return for Pryce and would likely be open to trading its No. 25 overall pick and Pryce to move up significantly in the first round, as it did last year in a trade with Cincinnati that included cornerback Deltha O'Neal. Dallas could land Pryce if it doesn't trade for New Orleans defensive end Darren Howard.
Anthony Simmons reportedly is a candidate for the Bears' opening at strongside linebacker. The Seahawks cut the former first-round draft pick earlier this month.
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick averaged eight rushing attempts per game last season, which is just 5.6 per game fewer than Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. While coach Jim Mora wants to see Vick develop more as a passer next season, he's made it clear he'll never discourage him from running. "We just tell him to get down or out of bounds,'' Mora said. "But we're encouraging him to take the next step as a quarterback. We don't want to limit his ability as a creator. I tell Mike, 'Just be you.' ''
It stands to reason that the Eagles might be thinking about trading up in the first round next month to grab one of the draft's two first-round-worthy interior linemen - Travis Johnson, of Florida State, or Shaun Cody, of Southern California. Said Eagles coach Andy Reid: "My track record says that I like looking at offensive and defensive linemen, so I can't say no with a straight face. But is it necessarily because of [Simon's and Thomas' situations]? No. But I'll always look at those positions [early in draft].''
Cowboys safety Roy Williams clearly was the impetus behind the proposal to outlaw horse-collar tackling, which was tabled here but is expected to be passed at the league's spring meeting in Washington. Williams seriously injured three players with horse-collar tackles last season, including Terrell Owens. While the league's competition committee stressed that it was not "singling out'' Williams, several coaches here said that Williams is the only player who uses the technique regularly. "It's one guy doing it,'' an NFC coach said. "He is so big and strong. He's 240 pounds. He can make the tackle [another way]. He just purposely hogties them.''
Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder has persuaded the NFL to take a hard look at the connection between the rise in foot injuries in the league and the lighter, less rigid cleats being made by NFL-licensed shoemakers Reebok and Nike. The possible link between foot injuries and the shoes the players are wearing was the subject of a Daily News investigation last spring. Burkholder, who was quoted extensively in the story, has been lobbying the league for a while now to take a closer look at the connection and put pressure on the shoe companies to examine the issue. Well, the league plans to do just that. While it says it still doesn't have enough data to positively conclude that the new, lighter shoes are behind the rise in foot injuries, it is urging the shoe manufacturers to re-examine the design of their shoes.
Safety Shaun Williams knows he's at the Giants' mercy right now. The $3 million-plus he's owed this year isn't a guarantee. Neither is his presence on the team's roster one week from now. A former first-round pick, Williams was vital enough to the Giants' future plans in 2002 that he was able to secure a six-year deal with an option for a seventh year. If Williams and the team cannot agree on a pay cut before he's due a roster bonus one week from today, the Giants will do just that. "I knew I had to restructure this year, coming off of last year's injury," Williams said yesterday at the Giants' off-season workouts. "It was something that had to be done. I don't take it personal. I was injured last year and I got injured the year before. So that's why I was open to talk." Two other reasons why Williams has considered a restructured deal are the Giants' releasing injury-prone players and the emergence of rookie Gibril Wilson last year.
New Vikings safety Darren Sharper will team with former Wild television play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg to work two NFL Europe games in May.
Tom Brady's galpal, Bridget Moynahan, will have to wrap up her jaunt to Europe with No. 12 pronto. That's because Bridg is slated to start filming a new flick ``Unknown'' with James Caviezel, aka Jesus from ``The Passion of the Christ,'' in L.A. Monday. It's the story of a kidnapping gone bad and the ``I, Robot'' gal plays the wife of the victim. Another homegrown talent, former Boston Film Commission cheese Kevin Chapman, plays a cop who tries to help rescue Moynahan's man after a chemical spill in the warehouse where he's being held. ``Sopranos'' veteran Joe Pantoliano rounds out the cast of characters.
Cablevision, which has spent a year and tens of millions of dollars trying to block the Jets and the city from building a stadium over the West Side railyards, has bid $760 million for the property, topping the team's competing offer by $40 million, according to an executive who works with the company. The executive said that Cablevision, unlike the Jets, submitted an "all cash, noncontingent" offer to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday for the 13-acre parcel along 11th Avenue between 30th and 33rd Streets. Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden and regards the proposed stadium as a threat to its business, has not disclosed many financial aspects of its proposal to buy and then develop the site, but it has indicated that its plans include apartment towers, a hotel, a five-acre park, a school and a performing arts enclave on a platform over the railyards. Cablevision estimates that its project would take 12 years to complete.
QB Jared Lorenzen reported for the Giants workouts as scheduled. Lorenzen, an undrafted rookie free agent in 2004, did not show up for training camp last year and failed to give the organization an excuse for his mysterious absence. He said yesterday that he stayed in Kentucky to attend to a situation involving his family, but declined to give specifics. Lorenzen also refused to disclose his current weight. The Giants currently list him at 275 pounds. Lorenzen did say he is in good shape and that he has been "moving weight" from his midsection to his upper body in the form of muscle.