HEAV
03-26-2005, 09:08 AM
Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil said his team still has interest in a potential trade for cornerback Patrick Surtain, who was given permission to shop his services to other teams last month. Vermeil also said the Chiefs are considering ex-New England cornerback Ty Law, but he is still rehabilitating a leg injury that prematurely ended his 2004 season. "We'd like to get a corner before we go into the draft," Vermeil said earlier this week at the NFL's annual meeting in Maui. "There's just a chance. "It would all have to fit."
According to Titans General Manager Floyd Reese, the agent who represents Carlos Hall recently called to ask if Tennessee would be interested in trading the defensive end. Hall, a restricted free agent, has visited with Kansas City. If the Chiefs or another club sign Hall to an offer sheet, the Titans can match it and keep him, or decline to match it and receive draft pick compensation for losing him. Because Hall was a seventh-round pick, the compensation would be a seventh-round pick.
The National Football League has scheduled a special meeting for April 19 in Atlanta, but no vote is expected on Reggie Fowler's bid to buy the Vikings from Red McCombs. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday the purpose of the meeting is to continue discussions on extending the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players association. As for the Vikings' sale, Aiello said, "We don't expect that to be on the agenda for that meeting." Owners aren't expected to vote on Fowler's bid until their May 24-25 meeting in Washington, D.C.
Defensive end Jay Williams, an unrestricted free agent, will visit the Rams on Tuesday, agent Ron Del Duca said. Williams has visited the Chiefs and has been in contact with them, but has not yet received an offer. ... The Chiefs are the favorite to land Dolphins cornerback Patrick Surtain, but the two teams continue to spar over the trade parameters.
The trial of Rams defensive end Leonard Little on allegations of drunken driving and speeding in Ladue is set to begin Monday with jury selection that may take as long as the presentation of evidence and arguments. To the sports fan, Little is the stalwart who has anchored the left side of the Rams' defensive line and made the Pro Bowl. Beyond the sports pages, Little was the obscure rookie linebacker who in October 1998 drove his Lincoln Navigator through a red light downtown and collided with a car driven by Susan Gutweiler, 47, of Oakville, who was killed. In June 1999, Little admitted he had been drunk that night and pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation. That prompted a public debate over whether the penalty was enough - and whether Little got favored treatment. It is the Gutweiler death that makes this week's prosecution of Little in St. Louis County Circuit Court a major case. A Missouri law passed in 2001 says a person accused of drunken driving can be charged as a persistent offender if there is a prior manslaughter conviction. So instead of facing a municipal ordinance violation or a state misdemeanor charge, which are common in DUI cases, Little is charged with a felony that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
Titans Coach Jeff Fisher has faced a lot of questions about the potential for the Titans to draft former USC wide receiver Mike Williams in the first round. The obvious connections are Tennessee's needs at wide receiver and Williams' relationship with Norm Chow, the former USC offensive coordinator now with the Titans. ''He's excited about Mike Williams,'' Fisher said at the NFL owners meetings in Hawaii. ''He (Chow) thinks Mike can play in this league, and so do I.''
The Dolphins are reportedly taking a long look at two of the higher-regarded quarterback prospects entering April's draft. According to the NextLevel Scouting draft service, based in Louisiana, the team held a private workout Thursday with Akron's Charlie Frye and will soon having a private meeting with Auburn's Jason Campbell.
The biggest question facing the Bengals is this: Do they give defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan a lineman, linebacker or defensive back and wait on a wideout, or do they go ahead and grab a speed receiver in the first round and address defense in the second round? If defensive tackle Travis Johnson, defensive end Shawne Merriman, strong safety Thomas Davis and cornerback Antrel Rolle are off the board, the club could take the offensive because quarterback Carson Palmer can always use another weapon.
Deuce McAllister already has a crowded resume as an NFL running back, car dealer, real estate developer and philanthropist. He might be a natural for yet another -- politician. The New Orleans Saints leading rusher and former University of Mississippi player mixed with lawmakers and officials Thursday at the Mississippi state Capitol of Jackson, shaking hands and briefly speaking to the House of Representatives to rally support for his Jackson-area business endeavors. ''People get to see the football player, but now they get to see the person outside of football,'' McAllister said. McAllister grew up in Morton and became a household name in Mississippi when he set two Ole Miss rushing records from 1997-2000. He chuckled when asked about future political aspirations. ''I don't know, I know a lot of people already up here, so it's just good to get back and see some of them,'' McAllister said.
Due to Michael Strahan's very public divorce case, the Giant star's proposed variety show on the YES Network is on hold, NYP TV Sports has learned. The weekly show would feature Strahan opining not only on football, but on politics, pop culture and other topics. Interview subjects could range from Derek Jeter to Bruce Springsteen. Ideally for YES, the program would begin in September.
Now sources out of New York are hinting the national spotlight might shine on the Chargers once and perhaps even twice on Monday Night Football. While final schedules have yet to be announced, it appears officials at ABC would like to feature the Giants-Chargers game in San Diego on a Monday night. There are two reasons for that. One is it would give the network a great East-West match up. It also pits the Chargers against quarterback Eli Manning, the player they drafted No. 1 overall last spring and subsequently traded to the Giants after he publicly stated he didn't want to play in San Diego. The game could make for great theater as well as tremendous ratings. The Chargers also have some very attractive road games against Indianapolis, New England, Philadelphia and the New York Jets.
Some sort of RB Travis Henry for OL L.J. Shelton deal has a chance at happening around draft time. The Bills are on record as saying they want more than just a player for player deal but Henry's value may have diminished with his recent comments that he will not report if he's not traded. The report states that the Bills will do the deal if Arizona agrees to swap 2nd round picks as well. That would move the Bills up 11 spots from 55 overall to 44 overall. That would be ideal since they don't have a first round pick. So far the Cardinals have balked at that provision but they remain hot for Henry so they don't have to use their first round pick on a running back.
The Tampa Tribune reports Tampa Bay's severe salary-cap problems prevented WR Joe Jurevicius, who has agreed to sign with Seattle, from fulfilling a desire to finish his career in a Bucs uniform. ``There was a significant difference in the offers,'' said Jurevicius' agent, Neil Cornrich. ``We had good dialogue with Tampa Bay from Day One, but unfortunately we were unable to bridge that gap.'' Tampa Bay fans will forever remember Jurevicius' performance in the Bucs' 27-10 victory against Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game in January 2003. He arguably made the biggest reception in Bucs history when he hauled in a 71-yard catch-and-run late in the first quarter, which shifted the momentum in Tampa Bay's favor and set up the go-ahead touchdown.
According to Titans General Manager Floyd Reese, the agent who represents Carlos Hall recently called to ask if Tennessee would be interested in trading the defensive end. Hall, a restricted free agent, has visited with Kansas City. If the Chiefs or another club sign Hall to an offer sheet, the Titans can match it and keep him, or decline to match it and receive draft pick compensation for losing him. Because Hall was a seventh-round pick, the compensation would be a seventh-round pick.
The National Football League has scheduled a special meeting for April 19 in Atlanta, but no vote is expected on Reggie Fowler's bid to buy the Vikings from Red McCombs. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday the purpose of the meeting is to continue discussions on extending the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players association. As for the Vikings' sale, Aiello said, "We don't expect that to be on the agenda for that meeting." Owners aren't expected to vote on Fowler's bid until their May 24-25 meeting in Washington, D.C.
Defensive end Jay Williams, an unrestricted free agent, will visit the Rams on Tuesday, agent Ron Del Duca said. Williams has visited the Chiefs and has been in contact with them, but has not yet received an offer. ... The Chiefs are the favorite to land Dolphins cornerback Patrick Surtain, but the two teams continue to spar over the trade parameters.
The trial of Rams defensive end Leonard Little on allegations of drunken driving and speeding in Ladue is set to begin Monday with jury selection that may take as long as the presentation of evidence and arguments. To the sports fan, Little is the stalwart who has anchored the left side of the Rams' defensive line and made the Pro Bowl. Beyond the sports pages, Little was the obscure rookie linebacker who in October 1998 drove his Lincoln Navigator through a red light downtown and collided with a car driven by Susan Gutweiler, 47, of Oakville, who was killed. In June 1999, Little admitted he had been drunk that night and pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation. That prompted a public debate over whether the penalty was enough - and whether Little got favored treatment. It is the Gutweiler death that makes this week's prosecution of Little in St. Louis County Circuit Court a major case. A Missouri law passed in 2001 says a person accused of drunken driving can be charged as a persistent offender if there is a prior manslaughter conviction. So instead of facing a municipal ordinance violation or a state misdemeanor charge, which are common in DUI cases, Little is charged with a felony that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
Titans Coach Jeff Fisher has faced a lot of questions about the potential for the Titans to draft former USC wide receiver Mike Williams in the first round. The obvious connections are Tennessee's needs at wide receiver and Williams' relationship with Norm Chow, the former USC offensive coordinator now with the Titans. ''He's excited about Mike Williams,'' Fisher said at the NFL owners meetings in Hawaii. ''He (Chow) thinks Mike can play in this league, and so do I.''
The Dolphins are reportedly taking a long look at two of the higher-regarded quarterback prospects entering April's draft. According to the NextLevel Scouting draft service, based in Louisiana, the team held a private workout Thursday with Akron's Charlie Frye and will soon having a private meeting with Auburn's Jason Campbell.
The biggest question facing the Bengals is this: Do they give defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan a lineman, linebacker or defensive back and wait on a wideout, or do they go ahead and grab a speed receiver in the first round and address defense in the second round? If defensive tackle Travis Johnson, defensive end Shawne Merriman, strong safety Thomas Davis and cornerback Antrel Rolle are off the board, the club could take the offensive because quarterback Carson Palmer can always use another weapon.
Deuce McAllister already has a crowded resume as an NFL running back, car dealer, real estate developer and philanthropist. He might be a natural for yet another -- politician. The New Orleans Saints leading rusher and former University of Mississippi player mixed with lawmakers and officials Thursday at the Mississippi state Capitol of Jackson, shaking hands and briefly speaking to the House of Representatives to rally support for his Jackson-area business endeavors. ''People get to see the football player, but now they get to see the person outside of football,'' McAllister said. McAllister grew up in Morton and became a household name in Mississippi when he set two Ole Miss rushing records from 1997-2000. He chuckled when asked about future political aspirations. ''I don't know, I know a lot of people already up here, so it's just good to get back and see some of them,'' McAllister said.
Due to Michael Strahan's very public divorce case, the Giant star's proposed variety show on the YES Network is on hold, NYP TV Sports has learned. The weekly show would feature Strahan opining not only on football, but on politics, pop culture and other topics. Interview subjects could range from Derek Jeter to Bruce Springsteen. Ideally for YES, the program would begin in September.
Now sources out of New York are hinting the national spotlight might shine on the Chargers once and perhaps even twice on Monday Night Football. While final schedules have yet to be announced, it appears officials at ABC would like to feature the Giants-Chargers game in San Diego on a Monday night. There are two reasons for that. One is it would give the network a great East-West match up. It also pits the Chargers against quarterback Eli Manning, the player they drafted No. 1 overall last spring and subsequently traded to the Giants after he publicly stated he didn't want to play in San Diego. The game could make for great theater as well as tremendous ratings. The Chargers also have some very attractive road games against Indianapolis, New England, Philadelphia and the New York Jets.
Some sort of RB Travis Henry for OL L.J. Shelton deal has a chance at happening around draft time. The Bills are on record as saying they want more than just a player for player deal but Henry's value may have diminished with his recent comments that he will not report if he's not traded. The report states that the Bills will do the deal if Arizona agrees to swap 2nd round picks as well. That would move the Bills up 11 spots from 55 overall to 44 overall. That would be ideal since they don't have a first round pick. So far the Cardinals have balked at that provision but they remain hot for Henry so they don't have to use their first round pick on a running back.
The Tampa Tribune reports Tampa Bay's severe salary-cap problems prevented WR Joe Jurevicius, who has agreed to sign with Seattle, from fulfilling a desire to finish his career in a Bucs uniform. ``There was a significant difference in the offers,'' said Jurevicius' agent, Neil Cornrich. ``We had good dialogue with Tampa Bay from Day One, but unfortunately we were unable to bridge that gap.'' Tampa Bay fans will forever remember Jurevicius' performance in the Bucs' 27-10 victory against Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game in January 2003. He arguably made the biggest reception in Bucs history when he hauled in a 71-yard catch-and-run late in the first quarter, which shifted the momentum in Tampa Bay's favor and set up the go-ahead touchdown.