HEAV
04-09-2005, 10:23 AM
His Eagles career all but over, Freddie Mitchell took stock of the last four years yesterday, and he didn't like what he saw. A quarterback who had no confidence in him. A team scared of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. An organization that buried him. And now he sees the writing on the wall. He'll likely be traded or released before the season, his mercurial run in Philadelphia coming to a disappointing end. "I've been thrown so many curveballs on 2-0 counts when everyone else is getting damn fastballs down the middle," he said. "If people knew what I've gone through and had to adapt to, they'd probably feel sorry for me. You have to know my story to know my glory."
In a move that could be a precursor to a Travis Henry trade, the Buffalo Bills welcomed free agent running back Garrison Hearst to Ralph Wilson Stadium. Hearst visited the Bills along with two other free agents Thursday, Arizona defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and Washington tight end Fred Baxter. Hearst is a 12-year veteran who ranks sixth in rushing among active NFL players with 7,966 yards. He saw only spot duty in seven games for Denver last season, carrying just 20 times for 81 yards. However, he is someone the Bills had targeted since the start of free agency, and they had been waiting to invite him for a visit.
Jamie Sharper and his agent, Tony Agnone, wrapped up their visit, and the two sides will continue to talk through the weekend as the Seahawks look to acquire a player who would help upgrade a defense that ranked 26th in the NFL last season. Before meeting with club officials and coaches yesterday, Sharper took a tour of Qwest Field and also was given a physical. Thursday night, he and Agnone went to dinner with president of football operations Tim Ruskell and linebackers coach John Marshall. Sharper, 30, became a free agent last week when the Houston Texans released him to clear nearly $5 million under their salary cap. If the Seahawks sign Sharper, it might mean they will have to release linebacker Chad Brown, who is scheduled to make $4.2 million this season and has been reluctant to restructure the remainder of the five-year, $28.5 million contract he signed in 2002.
Jerome Bettis has decided he'll suit up for the Steelers in 2005. Bettis, making an appearance in Philadelphia yesterday, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he plans to play this season after wavering since the end of last season. Bettis could not be reached for further comment, but the Steelers begin their unofficial workout sessions Monday in Pittsburgh, and they expect he will attend. Bettis likely will remain the backup to Duce Staley, who started the first seven games at running back before a hamstring injury prompted Cowher to turn the job over to Bettis.
Steve McNair now considers himself a year-to-year player. He said he hasn't thought about a $50 million bonus his contract calls for in early 2006. That number practically guarantees he would have to agree to a new deal to stay with the Titans beyond this season. McNair first had significant sternum trouble in 2000, at which time it was discovered he had a small gap in the bone that protects the chest cavity.
Kelly Campbell, the Vikings wide receiver who was arrested in Atlanta last month for possession of a stolen gun and marijuana, is signed for next year and will be back with the club.
Free agent defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch visited the Titans at Baptist Sports Park yesterday. The 6-foot-4, 278-pound veteran was a second-round pick (34th overall) of Arizona in 2001. He played in 16 games for Arizona last season but sat out 2003 after tearing his left ACL in a preseason game. He missed most of the 2001 season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. He started all 16 games in 2002 and had four sacks. Vanden Bosch played under former Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis, who is now linebackers coach with the Titans. He also visited the Buffalo Bills.
It appears the draft stock of Auburn running back Carnell "Cadillac'' Williams is rising fast -- at least in the estimation of the Bears, who hold the No. 4 pick. Williams is preparing for a private workout next week for the Bears. General manager Jerry Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner will travel to Alabama to meet with Williams. The move is significant because most teams, the Bears included, have been bringing in potential draftees for interviews. The fact the Bears have chosen to travel to Auburn and meet with Williams indicates they are taking a different approach to a guy who could fit the criteria they are looking for with the No. 4 pick.
The Packers are in the process of setting up a private visit for Michigan defensive back Marlin Jackson, a potential first- or second-round pick in the draft April 23 and 24. Jackson's agent, Mike Sullivan, said Jackson would probably visit the Packers next week for an interview. He is one of around 20 draft prospects the Packers will have interviewed at their facility by the end of next week. A cornerback his senior season, Jackson lacks blazing speed and is projected as a safety by many NFL scouts.
Braylon Edwards came to Allen Park for a visit Friday. And, if it were up to him, he'd be back to stay in two weeks. Nothing against the other 31 NFL teams that might covet him in the April 23-24 draft, but the University of Michigan wide receiver would be more than happy to play for his hometown Lions. "I'm from Detroit, played at Michigan," Edwards said. "So if I went to Detroit, that would be right up my alley, right down the street. "If I play here in front of my hometown, there would be a lot of support and it would be a lot of fun." His family -- including his father, Stanley, who played briefly with the Lions at the end of his own NFL career -- wouldn't have to travel the country to see him play.
West Virginia cornerback Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, one of the top possibilities to replace departed Washington Redskins veteran Fred Smoot, completed a visit to the club's headquarters yesterday in advance of the April 23-24 NFL Draft. Next week the Redskins will play host to Jones' counterpart at the top of the draft's cornerback class, Miami's Antrel Rolle, as the team attempts to shore up a defense that suffered several big losses in the first week of free agency. The other apparent top contender to go to Washington with the ninth overall pick is Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers. However, it is unclear when Rogers might visit Redskin Park.
Thirty-six NFL players were at Wharton this week, and many more, including the Eagles' Freddie Mitchell and Dhani Jones, took part in a sister program at Harvard. The schools get a new kind of prestige in the deal (how many other B-school lectures are covered by ESPN?) and bring the athletes into their alumni networks. The NFL program doesn't earn players credit toward degrees, but teams cover the cost of up to $15,000 a year per player. Not every NFL player is ultra-rich. The minimum salary is $230,000, and the average NFL career is four years. "Football is our job, but it's very finite," said Brian Russell, a free-agent safety who played last season for the Minnesota Vikings. "In a few years, we've all got to do something else." So, at the School of Jock, players learned about the stock market from professor Jeremy Siegel, while former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski talked about business life after football. The curriculum included discussion of balance sheets and debt leverage and, being tailored to players' interests, lots of real estate.
Linebacker Jamie Sharper is all over the field on a run through free agency that probably won’t lead to Cleveland. Sharper spent parts of Wednesday and Thursday in Cincinnati, then flew to Seattle for dinner with Seahawks personnel chief Tim Ruskell. Sharper’s agent, Tony Agnone, isn’t returning calls as to plans for a Cleveland visit, and the Browns aren’t commenting.
Hopefully, the idea to build a new stadium for the Bills in downtown Buffalo is a Hail Mary pass by a politician who wanted to get his name in the news and will be batted down before it has a chance to be completed. After a $100 million renovation in 1999, Ralph Wilson Stadium is a fine NFL facility. It isn't a football Taj Mahal but it doesn't need to be. It is as functional and comfortable as an open-air stadium could be. Buffalo Common Council member Antoine M. Thompson tossed up his stadium trial balloon Wednesday night.
Looking for insurance for Steve McNair and his surgically repaired sternum, the Titans had a protective vest specially built for him. He can wear it under his shoulder pads and count on it to deflect impact away from the middle of his chest. But yesterday, as he revealed that he was finished pondering retirement and would return to play for the Titans, McNair said he's hoping he won't have to use the equipment. ''Right now I'm not going to say it's out of the question,'' he said. ''But if my chest heals up the way I think it's going to heal up, I wouldn't want to wear a vest. I want to be as elusive and mobile as I can to go out and do what I do best and that's make plays on my legs and throw the ball well.''
The Patriots have reportedly reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Monty Beisel on a two-year contract. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Beisel spent the last four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, first as a defensive end and then as a linebacker. He spent all of last season as a middle linebacker, starting nine games. The signing doesn't necessarily confirm that Tedy Bruschi will miss the 2005 season. While that's still a strong possibility, the Pats needed to establish depth in the middle of their lineup, regardless of Bruschi's status. Roman Phifer has been released, leaving Ted Johnson [news] as the only legitimate inside linebacker on the roster. Don Davis and Larry Izzo are technically inside linebackers, but both are primarily special teams player.
The Chiefs are still cautious about projecting more from Samie Parker. That's why they met with free agent Kevin Johnson this week and why they might draft a receiver in an early round of the draft later in April. They were planning to meet next week with two receiving draft prospects, Oklahoma's Mark Bradley and Tulane's Roydell Williams. Both are projected as middle- to late-round choices. The Chiefs are moving slowly with Parker because as big a jump as he took last year from oblivion to playmaker, this one from part-timer to full-timer is even larger.
In a move that could be a precursor to a Travis Henry trade, the Buffalo Bills welcomed free agent running back Garrison Hearst to Ralph Wilson Stadium. Hearst visited the Bills along with two other free agents Thursday, Arizona defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and Washington tight end Fred Baxter. Hearst is a 12-year veteran who ranks sixth in rushing among active NFL players with 7,966 yards. He saw only spot duty in seven games for Denver last season, carrying just 20 times for 81 yards. However, he is someone the Bills had targeted since the start of free agency, and they had been waiting to invite him for a visit.
Jamie Sharper and his agent, Tony Agnone, wrapped up their visit, and the two sides will continue to talk through the weekend as the Seahawks look to acquire a player who would help upgrade a defense that ranked 26th in the NFL last season. Before meeting with club officials and coaches yesterday, Sharper took a tour of Qwest Field and also was given a physical. Thursday night, he and Agnone went to dinner with president of football operations Tim Ruskell and linebackers coach John Marshall. Sharper, 30, became a free agent last week when the Houston Texans released him to clear nearly $5 million under their salary cap. If the Seahawks sign Sharper, it might mean they will have to release linebacker Chad Brown, who is scheduled to make $4.2 million this season and has been reluctant to restructure the remainder of the five-year, $28.5 million contract he signed in 2002.
Jerome Bettis has decided he'll suit up for the Steelers in 2005. Bettis, making an appearance in Philadelphia yesterday, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he plans to play this season after wavering since the end of last season. Bettis could not be reached for further comment, but the Steelers begin their unofficial workout sessions Monday in Pittsburgh, and they expect he will attend. Bettis likely will remain the backup to Duce Staley, who started the first seven games at running back before a hamstring injury prompted Cowher to turn the job over to Bettis.
Steve McNair now considers himself a year-to-year player. He said he hasn't thought about a $50 million bonus his contract calls for in early 2006. That number practically guarantees he would have to agree to a new deal to stay with the Titans beyond this season. McNair first had significant sternum trouble in 2000, at which time it was discovered he had a small gap in the bone that protects the chest cavity.
Kelly Campbell, the Vikings wide receiver who was arrested in Atlanta last month for possession of a stolen gun and marijuana, is signed for next year and will be back with the club.
Free agent defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch visited the Titans at Baptist Sports Park yesterday. The 6-foot-4, 278-pound veteran was a second-round pick (34th overall) of Arizona in 2001. He played in 16 games for Arizona last season but sat out 2003 after tearing his left ACL in a preseason game. He missed most of the 2001 season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. He started all 16 games in 2002 and had four sacks. Vanden Bosch played under former Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis, who is now linebackers coach with the Titans. He also visited the Buffalo Bills.
It appears the draft stock of Auburn running back Carnell "Cadillac'' Williams is rising fast -- at least in the estimation of the Bears, who hold the No. 4 pick. Williams is preparing for a private workout next week for the Bears. General manager Jerry Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner will travel to Alabama to meet with Williams. The move is significant because most teams, the Bears included, have been bringing in potential draftees for interviews. The fact the Bears have chosen to travel to Auburn and meet with Williams indicates they are taking a different approach to a guy who could fit the criteria they are looking for with the No. 4 pick.
The Packers are in the process of setting up a private visit for Michigan defensive back Marlin Jackson, a potential first- or second-round pick in the draft April 23 and 24. Jackson's agent, Mike Sullivan, said Jackson would probably visit the Packers next week for an interview. He is one of around 20 draft prospects the Packers will have interviewed at their facility by the end of next week. A cornerback his senior season, Jackson lacks blazing speed and is projected as a safety by many NFL scouts.
Braylon Edwards came to Allen Park for a visit Friday. And, if it were up to him, he'd be back to stay in two weeks. Nothing against the other 31 NFL teams that might covet him in the April 23-24 draft, but the University of Michigan wide receiver would be more than happy to play for his hometown Lions. "I'm from Detroit, played at Michigan," Edwards said. "So if I went to Detroit, that would be right up my alley, right down the street. "If I play here in front of my hometown, there would be a lot of support and it would be a lot of fun." His family -- including his father, Stanley, who played briefly with the Lions at the end of his own NFL career -- wouldn't have to travel the country to see him play.
West Virginia cornerback Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, one of the top possibilities to replace departed Washington Redskins veteran Fred Smoot, completed a visit to the club's headquarters yesterday in advance of the April 23-24 NFL Draft. Next week the Redskins will play host to Jones' counterpart at the top of the draft's cornerback class, Miami's Antrel Rolle, as the team attempts to shore up a defense that suffered several big losses in the first week of free agency. The other apparent top contender to go to Washington with the ninth overall pick is Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers. However, it is unclear when Rogers might visit Redskin Park.
Thirty-six NFL players were at Wharton this week, and many more, including the Eagles' Freddie Mitchell and Dhani Jones, took part in a sister program at Harvard. The schools get a new kind of prestige in the deal (how many other B-school lectures are covered by ESPN?) and bring the athletes into their alumni networks. The NFL program doesn't earn players credit toward degrees, but teams cover the cost of up to $15,000 a year per player. Not every NFL player is ultra-rich. The minimum salary is $230,000, and the average NFL career is four years. "Football is our job, but it's very finite," said Brian Russell, a free-agent safety who played last season for the Minnesota Vikings. "In a few years, we've all got to do something else." So, at the School of Jock, players learned about the stock market from professor Jeremy Siegel, while former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski talked about business life after football. The curriculum included discussion of balance sheets and debt leverage and, being tailored to players' interests, lots of real estate.
Linebacker Jamie Sharper is all over the field on a run through free agency that probably won’t lead to Cleveland. Sharper spent parts of Wednesday and Thursday in Cincinnati, then flew to Seattle for dinner with Seahawks personnel chief Tim Ruskell. Sharper’s agent, Tony Agnone, isn’t returning calls as to plans for a Cleveland visit, and the Browns aren’t commenting.
Hopefully, the idea to build a new stadium for the Bills in downtown Buffalo is a Hail Mary pass by a politician who wanted to get his name in the news and will be batted down before it has a chance to be completed. After a $100 million renovation in 1999, Ralph Wilson Stadium is a fine NFL facility. It isn't a football Taj Mahal but it doesn't need to be. It is as functional and comfortable as an open-air stadium could be. Buffalo Common Council member Antoine M. Thompson tossed up his stadium trial balloon Wednesday night.
Looking for insurance for Steve McNair and his surgically repaired sternum, the Titans had a protective vest specially built for him. He can wear it under his shoulder pads and count on it to deflect impact away from the middle of his chest. But yesterday, as he revealed that he was finished pondering retirement and would return to play for the Titans, McNair said he's hoping he won't have to use the equipment. ''Right now I'm not going to say it's out of the question,'' he said. ''But if my chest heals up the way I think it's going to heal up, I wouldn't want to wear a vest. I want to be as elusive and mobile as I can to go out and do what I do best and that's make plays on my legs and throw the ball well.''
The Patriots have reportedly reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Monty Beisel on a two-year contract. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Beisel spent the last four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, first as a defensive end and then as a linebacker. He spent all of last season as a middle linebacker, starting nine games. The signing doesn't necessarily confirm that Tedy Bruschi will miss the 2005 season. While that's still a strong possibility, the Pats needed to establish depth in the middle of their lineup, regardless of Bruschi's status. Roman Phifer has been released, leaving Ted Johnson [news] as the only legitimate inside linebacker on the roster. Don Davis and Larry Izzo are technically inside linebackers, but both are primarily special teams player.
The Chiefs are still cautious about projecting more from Samie Parker. That's why they met with free agent Kevin Johnson this week and why they might draft a receiver in an early round of the draft later in April. They were planning to meet next week with two receiving draft prospects, Oklahoma's Mark Bradley and Tulane's Roydell Williams. Both are projected as middle- to late-round choices. The Chiefs are moving slowly with Parker because as big a jump as he took last year from oblivion to playmaker, this one from part-timer to full-timer is even larger.