HEAV
04-26-2005, 07:31 AM
A source close to Aaron Glenn said the Patriots are one of three teams the Houston Texans cornerback has been given permission to talk to about a possible trade. Glenn, who has played 11 years in the league, spent the first eight years with the New York Jets, including three with Belichick as his secondary coach. Both of Glenn's Pro Bowl appearances came in that three-year stretch. Glenn, 32, started all 16 games last year for the Texans, the seventh time in his career that he started every game in a season. He has 35 career interceptions, including five last season. The Houston native has become expendable because of the Texans' trade with the Raiders for Phillip Buchanon and Glenn's estimated salary cap number in excess of $5 million. If no team trades for Glenn, it is likely the Texans will release him, and he would be an unrestricted free agent.
Longtime Bears nemesis Brett Favre is unlikely to retire for at least another two years, depending on the health of his wife, Deanna, who is battling breast cancer. Also, the future Hall of Fame quarterback wants 16-year-old daughter Brittany to be able to finish high school in Green Bay. Favre doesn't believe she was challenged enough academically in the Mississippi school system, where the family resides during the off-season.
The Bills remain optimistic they can move their one-time starter, get decent value, and avoid the potential for a hurtful sideshow should Travis Henry become a training camp holdout, or worse, a team cancer were he to show up to collect on his $1.25 million contract but project the wrong attitude. The Bills hold a mandatory three-day mini-camp starting Friday and Henry, who lost his starting job to Willis McGahee last fall, is not expected to show. His agent, Hadley Englehard, did not return messages Monday. At this juncture, it may be in Buffalo's best interest to wait until summer when teams suffer training camp injuries and may be forced to find another back. That could give the Bills some negotiating leverage in a league now crawling with running backs.
Houston is expected to release veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn, perhaps as soon as today, according to published reports. Glenn became expendable when the Texans traded draft picks to Oakland for cornerback Phillip Buchanon last week. Glenn had 63 tackles and five interceptions as a starter for Houston last season, has three years remaining on his contract and was scheduled to earn $4 million this season. Three sources said the Cowboys would have interest in signing the 11-year veteran out of Texas A&M. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, who represents several Cowboys and coach Bill Parcells, could not be reached for comment. Glenn played for Parcells and secondary coach Todd Bowles with the Jets.
Receiver Anquan Boldin's absence Monday could foreshadow a summer of discontent between the Cardinals and their star receiver. The Cardinals opened three days of voluntary workouts Monday and will hold their only mandatory minicamp Friday through Sunday. It's unknown whether Boldin plans to attend. Boldin and his agent are seeking a new contract, something team officials have talked about since 2003, when Boldin made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. It is believed little, if any, progress has been made.
Nick Saban's first draft went just fine until he emerged from his, um, bunker, to recap it. "I got asked the question yesterday, what the difference in being involved in the draft is relative to college recruiting," the Dolphins' new coach said. "So I gave it some thought and came up with this analogy. You do all this planning if you are going to be involved in a war. Oh ... no. "If there's a war you plan the battle, you plan, you plan, you plan." He's not going there, is he? "We've probably spent -- our scouting department -- planning this war basically for six, eight months, all the way from last year. Our coaches are really involved in the planning of it, and just like every other war, though, as soon as the first shot is fired, there's a lot of chaos and things you can't control. And that's the draft. And that's the way it is. It's an interesting scenario." Sure, just like Fallujah. Does that make the Patriots the insurgents? Or the insurgents patriots? "The one thing about the war is the people that have the most firepower usually are the ones that win."
Backup DT Josh Evans, 32, who re-signed with the Jets a few weeks ago, is strongly considering retirement, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Evans' surgically repaired back, which caused him to miss virtually the entire 2004 season, is giving him trouble, one person said. Evans' uncertainty prompted the club to re-sign backup DT James Reed, who appeared out of their plans until a week ago. The Jets also drafted Utah's Sione Pouha in the third round
The location of the 2006 NFL draft has not been decided, but one possibility is Disney World in Orlando. Will Mickey Mouse be a first-round pick? Is Donald Duck a reach in the second round? What player will be the Cinderella story? Over the weekend, the draft was held for the first time at the Javits Center after the NFL ended its 10-year run at Madison Square Garden, prompted by Cablevision's opposition to the Jets' attempt to build a West Side stadium. The league had a one-year agreement with the Javits Center and will consider returning next year. Disney World has made a presentation to the league. The fact Disney-owned ESPN televises the draft gives the NFL a natural tie-in to move it to the world of make-believe. The league considered Philadelphia this year and it remains a possibility for next year, as well as Chicago. The most intriguing concept the league is considering: Conducting the draft each year in the city whose team has the first overall pick.
Chad Brown is said to have a ``yearning'' for some Super Bowl jewelry. Just how bad that yearning is could be determined over the coming week, as the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker begins a free agent mini-tour. The tour began yesterday in Foxboro, where Brown met with the Pats brass and checked out the facilities at Gillette Stadium. Free agent visits also typically include a physical, which may turn out to be the most important factor of all when it comes to the oft-injured 34-year-old. Brown's agent, Peter Schaffer, said last night that Brown will continue with visits to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Denver. If Brown is going for familiarity, the Steelers (his former team) and the Broncos (he has a home in Denver and is an alum of the University of Colorado) would have the edge. But if his first priority is his first Super Bowl championship, then the Pats would probably come in first. Brown left New England without a contract offer.
The Eagles still had room for 10 undrafted rookies and a free-agent punter, bringing the roster total to 88 heading into the team's first minicamp this weekend. It also includes five wide receivers, a good indication that the Eagles don't expect Terrell Owens or Freddie Mitchell to be at the NovaCare Complex catching passes from quarterback Donovan McNabb this week. Owens is expected to stage a holdout because he is unhappy about his contract, and Mitchell is likely to be either traded or released by Friday.
Wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim and free safety Brock Marion were released Monday as the impact of the Lions' draft and free-agent signings was felt by the two veterans. The Lions drafted wide receiver Mike Williams of Southern California in the first round Saturday and signed free-agent receiver Kevin Johnson last week. Marion's job was in jeopardy when the Lions signed free-agent strong safety Kenoy Kennedy of Denver. That allowed Terrence Holt to concentrate on free safety. He was a reserve most of his first two seasons.
Doug Brien is making the long cross-country trip to New York from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area in the coming days, but he won't be anywhere near the three-day minicamp the Jets are conducting this weekend. "I'm done," Brien said by phone yesterday in an exclusive interview with The Post. "I'm just coming to town to collect my belongings." Brien, who's been a solid, productive kicker for the Jets for the two years, is in search of another team because of two minutes really a disastrous minute and 57 seconds, to be precise.
Coach Joe Gibbs held a meeting with Rod Gardner's agent, Joel Segal, yesterday morning at Redskins Park about the wide receiver's status. Although both sides described the meeting as positive, Gardner remains in limbo. "We're trying to craft what we think, going forward, is best for the team and for Rod," Gibbs said. Gibbs indicated that Washington wouldn't release Gardner, and Gibbs expects him to attend minicamp in June. "He has a contract," Gibbs said.
Jason Campbell posed with Joe Gibbs for photographers while holding a jersey bearing No. 17, which has been worn by former Redskins quarterbacks Doug Williams and Billy Kilmer. Campbell said he would seek permission from Williams -- a personnel executive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- who recently described Campbell as the best quarterback in the draft. Campbell said he did not choose No. 17 because Williams was the first black quarterback in Redskins history and the first to start in the Super Bowl.
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams drives a Cadillac Escalade, bought last month as an early celebration of the eight-figure windfall he expects with his rookie NFL contract. He has had the nickname sincehigh school, when a reporter wrote that he ran smooth, like a Cadillac. Now, the moniker could lead to a more lucrative relationship. "We've had conversations with a couple of people at Cadillac, both in Tampa and on the national level," said Mark Heligman, Williams' marketing representative. "It's unusual to have such a natural fit. I'd think at some point in the next few days we'll have more discussions with them about it."
Bucs coach Jon Gruden said Monday that he would have no trouble starting the season with Cadillac Williams as the featured back. "There's no question about that," Gruden said. "You don't pick a guy this high to make him a nickel back or make him an exclusive role player. This guy can play in any situation. I think he can handle the pounding, and he's got durability. He'll play hurt, practice hurt and that's important also.
University of Tennessee star offensive tackle Michael Munoz, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Anthony Munoz the greatest Cincinnati Bengal has decided to walk away from the game after going undrafted. Anthony confirmed Monday the Bengals were among several teams that attempted to sign Michael as a college free agent in the draft aftermath, but to no avail. Michael and his wife, Emily, a Tennessee nursing student, are ready for life outside the cut-throat world of pro football.
Defensive end Kenny Mixon headed a list of three players the Vikings released Monday. The others were linebacker Mike Nattiel and receiver Blake Elliott. Mixon, who earlier this offseason agreed to cut his salary from $3.6 million to $750,000, became expendable when the Vikings drafted Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James in the first round Saturday. Mixon started 46 games during the past three years but also was arrested three times for alcohol-related offenses. He served a two-game suspension last season after a drunken driving conviction figured as a backup in 2005.
Carl Eller, a member of the Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters, on Vikings first-round draft pick Erasmus James being unaware of the former foursome: "That's not unusual. We're probably at an age now that I've been out of football longer than he is old. But let's hope he learns real quickly."
With Fred Smoot's departure to the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent, Carlos Rogers has a good shot at becoming a starter opposite Shawn Springs. But Rogers starts the process behind nickel back Walt Harris. "If you look at Gregg Williams's history as a coordinator, none of his first-rounders came in as a starter," said cornerbacks coach DeWayne Walker. "Even though we drafted him for a reason -- with Shawn [Springs] and Walt [Harris] you have two veterans and two 30-year-olds -- we're going to be patient with him and when the time is right he'll get in there. "For Carlos, it's a pretty good situation for him. It gives us a chance on defense to really develop him. May the best man win."
Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson didn't expect contract negotiations to be a problem. He said he isn't concerned with the money details and plans to be in training camp on time. The sooner the better, he said. The main thing is getting out there and producing. Johnson is scheduled to leave Kansas City today but will return Thursday for this weekend's camp. Johnson announced that he'll probably wear No. 56.
First-round draft choice Cedric Benson has worn No. 32 through high school and college and would like to wear it in Chicago. But for now it belongs to safety Todd Johnson. Look for Benson to offer Johnson some compensation to switch numbers. "We'll try to work it out, but if doesn't work out ... I never thought about another number," Benson said. "I've been wearing No. 32 a long time."
The Lions' new players already know which uniform numbers they will be wearing when they report Thursday to minicamp at Allen Park. Mike Williams will wear 85 and Shaun Cody No. 75
The Green Bay Packers picked up some depth at linebacker by signing Michigan's Roy Manning and Alabama-Birmingham's Zac Woodfin to free-agent contracts. Manning, 6 feet 1" inches and 251 pounds, received a $15,000 signing bonus, a significant amount for an undrafted free agent. "The Packers said I was their top (free-agent) choice," Manning said. "My agent had calls from 13 to 15 different teams. It came down to Green Bay, Philadelphia and San Diego. Green Bay called me so much it was hard for anybody else to get in. I fell in love with coach (Mark) Duffner. He seemed like a real genuine person."
Ryan Grant, the former Don Bosco Prep RB who signed with the Giants as an unrestricted free agent, was pursued by nine other teams. But Grant and agent Alan Herman decided the Giants were the best spot.
Running back Kay-Jay Harris, who set a West Virginia record with 337 yards rushing in the Mountaineers' opener last season against East Carolina, went to the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers selected Fred Gibson (6 feet 4, 202 pounds) with the 131st overall pick because they were looking to increase their depth at wide receiver. But they also got a player who is similar in stature to Plaxico Burress, who left in free agency, though Burress is nearly 30 pounds heavier. Gibson might be faster and is better gaining yards after the catch than Burress.
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said that there are no developments regarding wideout Santana Moss and safety Sean Taylor, who have missed voluntary workouts because of contractual reasons. Last week, tailback Clinton Portis defended Taylor's absence, "As long as he's not getting in trouble, let him go out and have fun."
Boomer Grigsby is about to become Kansas City's favorite football player. He has the perfect football story. He's a small-town Midwesterner, born and raised in Canton, Ill., pop. 14,000. He was barely recruited out of high school an Illinois State recruiter happened to see him working out in the weight room and started to call Boomer every week. Nobody else called. The Boomer didn't know that you are allowed to send other colleges your tape and resume. He says when Illinois State called to offer him a scholarship, he thanked the coach, said he'd think about it, and then went to school. You didn't commit? his Canton High coach asked. No, Boomer said. Are you crazy? the coach asked. What if they take it back? So the Boomer skipped first period to call Illinois State to take the scholarship. I don't have any regrets, he says. It worked out great for me. But, man, I was naοve then. I was just dumb.
Former Lions safety Bennie Blades appeared in 36th District Court in Detroit last month facing charges related to failing to pay child support. Blades, whose career ended in 1997, has been a focal point in the state attorney general's bid to clamp down on deadbeat dads.
Longtime Bears nemesis Brett Favre is unlikely to retire for at least another two years, depending on the health of his wife, Deanna, who is battling breast cancer. Also, the future Hall of Fame quarterback wants 16-year-old daughter Brittany to be able to finish high school in Green Bay. Favre doesn't believe she was challenged enough academically in the Mississippi school system, where the family resides during the off-season.
The Bills remain optimistic they can move their one-time starter, get decent value, and avoid the potential for a hurtful sideshow should Travis Henry become a training camp holdout, or worse, a team cancer were he to show up to collect on his $1.25 million contract but project the wrong attitude. The Bills hold a mandatory three-day mini-camp starting Friday and Henry, who lost his starting job to Willis McGahee last fall, is not expected to show. His agent, Hadley Englehard, did not return messages Monday. At this juncture, it may be in Buffalo's best interest to wait until summer when teams suffer training camp injuries and may be forced to find another back. That could give the Bills some negotiating leverage in a league now crawling with running backs.
Houston is expected to release veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn, perhaps as soon as today, according to published reports. Glenn became expendable when the Texans traded draft picks to Oakland for cornerback Phillip Buchanon last week. Glenn had 63 tackles and five interceptions as a starter for Houston last season, has three years remaining on his contract and was scheduled to earn $4 million this season. Three sources said the Cowboys would have interest in signing the 11-year veteran out of Texas A&M. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, who represents several Cowboys and coach Bill Parcells, could not be reached for comment. Glenn played for Parcells and secondary coach Todd Bowles with the Jets.
Receiver Anquan Boldin's absence Monday could foreshadow a summer of discontent between the Cardinals and their star receiver. The Cardinals opened three days of voluntary workouts Monday and will hold their only mandatory minicamp Friday through Sunday. It's unknown whether Boldin plans to attend. Boldin and his agent are seeking a new contract, something team officials have talked about since 2003, when Boldin made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. It is believed little, if any, progress has been made.
Nick Saban's first draft went just fine until he emerged from his, um, bunker, to recap it. "I got asked the question yesterday, what the difference in being involved in the draft is relative to college recruiting," the Dolphins' new coach said. "So I gave it some thought and came up with this analogy. You do all this planning if you are going to be involved in a war. Oh ... no. "If there's a war you plan the battle, you plan, you plan, you plan." He's not going there, is he? "We've probably spent -- our scouting department -- planning this war basically for six, eight months, all the way from last year. Our coaches are really involved in the planning of it, and just like every other war, though, as soon as the first shot is fired, there's a lot of chaos and things you can't control. And that's the draft. And that's the way it is. It's an interesting scenario." Sure, just like Fallujah. Does that make the Patriots the insurgents? Or the insurgents patriots? "The one thing about the war is the people that have the most firepower usually are the ones that win."
Backup DT Josh Evans, 32, who re-signed with the Jets a few weeks ago, is strongly considering retirement, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Evans' surgically repaired back, which caused him to miss virtually the entire 2004 season, is giving him trouble, one person said. Evans' uncertainty prompted the club to re-sign backup DT James Reed, who appeared out of their plans until a week ago. The Jets also drafted Utah's Sione Pouha in the third round
The location of the 2006 NFL draft has not been decided, but one possibility is Disney World in Orlando. Will Mickey Mouse be a first-round pick? Is Donald Duck a reach in the second round? What player will be the Cinderella story? Over the weekend, the draft was held for the first time at the Javits Center after the NFL ended its 10-year run at Madison Square Garden, prompted by Cablevision's opposition to the Jets' attempt to build a West Side stadium. The league had a one-year agreement with the Javits Center and will consider returning next year. Disney World has made a presentation to the league. The fact Disney-owned ESPN televises the draft gives the NFL a natural tie-in to move it to the world of make-believe. The league considered Philadelphia this year and it remains a possibility for next year, as well as Chicago. The most intriguing concept the league is considering: Conducting the draft each year in the city whose team has the first overall pick.
Chad Brown is said to have a ``yearning'' for some Super Bowl jewelry. Just how bad that yearning is could be determined over the coming week, as the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker begins a free agent mini-tour. The tour began yesterday in Foxboro, where Brown met with the Pats brass and checked out the facilities at Gillette Stadium. Free agent visits also typically include a physical, which may turn out to be the most important factor of all when it comes to the oft-injured 34-year-old. Brown's agent, Peter Schaffer, said last night that Brown will continue with visits to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Denver. If Brown is going for familiarity, the Steelers (his former team) and the Broncos (he has a home in Denver and is an alum of the University of Colorado) would have the edge. But if his first priority is his first Super Bowl championship, then the Pats would probably come in first. Brown left New England without a contract offer.
The Eagles still had room for 10 undrafted rookies and a free-agent punter, bringing the roster total to 88 heading into the team's first minicamp this weekend. It also includes five wide receivers, a good indication that the Eagles don't expect Terrell Owens or Freddie Mitchell to be at the NovaCare Complex catching passes from quarterback Donovan McNabb this week. Owens is expected to stage a holdout because he is unhappy about his contract, and Mitchell is likely to be either traded or released by Friday.
Wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim and free safety Brock Marion were released Monday as the impact of the Lions' draft and free-agent signings was felt by the two veterans. The Lions drafted wide receiver Mike Williams of Southern California in the first round Saturday and signed free-agent receiver Kevin Johnson last week. Marion's job was in jeopardy when the Lions signed free-agent strong safety Kenoy Kennedy of Denver. That allowed Terrence Holt to concentrate on free safety. He was a reserve most of his first two seasons.
Doug Brien is making the long cross-country trip to New York from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area in the coming days, but he won't be anywhere near the three-day minicamp the Jets are conducting this weekend. "I'm done," Brien said by phone yesterday in an exclusive interview with The Post. "I'm just coming to town to collect my belongings." Brien, who's been a solid, productive kicker for the Jets for the two years, is in search of another team because of two minutes really a disastrous minute and 57 seconds, to be precise.
Coach Joe Gibbs held a meeting with Rod Gardner's agent, Joel Segal, yesterday morning at Redskins Park about the wide receiver's status. Although both sides described the meeting as positive, Gardner remains in limbo. "We're trying to craft what we think, going forward, is best for the team and for Rod," Gibbs said. Gibbs indicated that Washington wouldn't release Gardner, and Gibbs expects him to attend minicamp in June. "He has a contract," Gibbs said.
Jason Campbell posed with Joe Gibbs for photographers while holding a jersey bearing No. 17, which has been worn by former Redskins quarterbacks Doug Williams and Billy Kilmer. Campbell said he would seek permission from Williams -- a personnel executive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- who recently described Campbell as the best quarterback in the draft. Campbell said he did not choose No. 17 because Williams was the first black quarterback in Redskins history and the first to start in the Super Bowl.
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams drives a Cadillac Escalade, bought last month as an early celebration of the eight-figure windfall he expects with his rookie NFL contract. He has had the nickname sincehigh school, when a reporter wrote that he ran smooth, like a Cadillac. Now, the moniker could lead to a more lucrative relationship. "We've had conversations with a couple of people at Cadillac, both in Tampa and on the national level," said Mark Heligman, Williams' marketing representative. "It's unusual to have such a natural fit. I'd think at some point in the next few days we'll have more discussions with them about it."
Bucs coach Jon Gruden said Monday that he would have no trouble starting the season with Cadillac Williams as the featured back. "There's no question about that," Gruden said. "You don't pick a guy this high to make him a nickel back or make him an exclusive role player. This guy can play in any situation. I think he can handle the pounding, and he's got durability. He'll play hurt, practice hurt and that's important also.
University of Tennessee star offensive tackle Michael Munoz, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Anthony Munoz the greatest Cincinnati Bengal has decided to walk away from the game after going undrafted. Anthony confirmed Monday the Bengals were among several teams that attempted to sign Michael as a college free agent in the draft aftermath, but to no avail. Michael and his wife, Emily, a Tennessee nursing student, are ready for life outside the cut-throat world of pro football.
Defensive end Kenny Mixon headed a list of three players the Vikings released Monday. The others were linebacker Mike Nattiel and receiver Blake Elliott. Mixon, who earlier this offseason agreed to cut his salary from $3.6 million to $750,000, became expendable when the Vikings drafted Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James in the first round Saturday. Mixon started 46 games during the past three years but also was arrested three times for alcohol-related offenses. He served a two-game suspension last season after a drunken driving conviction figured as a backup in 2005.
Carl Eller, a member of the Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters, on Vikings first-round draft pick Erasmus James being unaware of the former foursome: "That's not unusual. We're probably at an age now that I've been out of football longer than he is old. But let's hope he learns real quickly."
With Fred Smoot's departure to the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent, Carlos Rogers has a good shot at becoming a starter opposite Shawn Springs. But Rogers starts the process behind nickel back Walt Harris. "If you look at Gregg Williams's history as a coordinator, none of his first-rounders came in as a starter," said cornerbacks coach DeWayne Walker. "Even though we drafted him for a reason -- with Shawn [Springs] and Walt [Harris] you have two veterans and two 30-year-olds -- we're going to be patient with him and when the time is right he'll get in there. "For Carlos, it's a pretty good situation for him. It gives us a chance on defense to really develop him. May the best man win."
Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson didn't expect contract negotiations to be a problem. He said he isn't concerned with the money details and plans to be in training camp on time. The sooner the better, he said. The main thing is getting out there and producing. Johnson is scheduled to leave Kansas City today but will return Thursday for this weekend's camp. Johnson announced that he'll probably wear No. 56.
First-round draft choice Cedric Benson has worn No. 32 through high school and college and would like to wear it in Chicago. But for now it belongs to safety Todd Johnson. Look for Benson to offer Johnson some compensation to switch numbers. "We'll try to work it out, but if doesn't work out ... I never thought about another number," Benson said. "I've been wearing No. 32 a long time."
The Lions' new players already know which uniform numbers they will be wearing when they report Thursday to minicamp at Allen Park. Mike Williams will wear 85 and Shaun Cody No. 75
The Green Bay Packers picked up some depth at linebacker by signing Michigan's Roy Manning and Alabama-Birmingham's Zac Woodfin to free-agent contracts. Manning, 6 feet 1" inches and 251 pounds, received a $15,000 signing bonus, a significant amount for an undrafted free agent. "The Packers said I was their top (free-agent) choice," Manning said. "My agent had calls from 13 to 15 different teams. It came down to Green Bay, Philadelphia and San Diego. Green Bay called me so much it was hard for anybody else to get in. I fell in love with coach (Mark) Duffner. He seemed like a real genuine person."
Ryan Grant, the former Don Bosco Prep RB who signed with the Giants as an unrestricted free agent, was pursued by nine other teams. But Grant and agent Alan Herman decided the Giants were the best spot.
Running back Kay-Jay Harris, who set a West Virginia record with 337 yards rushing in the Mountaineers' opener last season against East Carolina, went to the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers selected Fred Gibson (6 feet 4, 202 pounds) with the 131st overall pick because they were looking to increase their depth at wide receiver. But they also got a player who is similar in stature to Plaxico Burress, who left in free agency, though Burress is nearly 30 pounds heavier. Gibson might be faster and is better gaining yards after the catch than Burress.
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said that there are no developments regarding wideout Santana Moss and safety Sean Taylor, who have missed voluntary workouts because of contractual reasons. Last week, tailback Clinton Portis defended Taylor's absence, "As long as he's not getting in trouble, let him go out and have fun."
Boomer Grigsby is about to become Kansas City's favorite football player. He has the perfect football story. He's a small-town Midwesterner, born and raised in Canton, Ill., pop. 14,000. He was barely recruited out of high school an Illinois State recruiter happened to see him working out in the weight room and started to call Boomer every week. Nobody else called. The Boomer didn't know that you are allowed to send other colleges your tape and resume. He says when Illinois State called to offer him a scholarship, he thanked the coach, said he'd think about it, and then went to school. You didn't commit? his Canton High coach asked. No, Boomer said. Are you crazy? the coach asked. What if they take it back? So the Boomer skipped first period to call Illinois State to take the scholarship. I don't have any regrets, he says. It worked out great for me. But, man, I was naοve then. I was just dumb.
Former Lions safety Bennie Blades appeared in 36th District Court in Detroit last month facing charges related to failing to pay child support. Blades, whose career ended in 1997, has been a focal point in the state attorney general's bid to clamp down on deadbeat dads.