HEAV
04-28-2005, 07:54 AM
The Cowboys are close to completing a trade that would send cornerback Pete Hunter to the New York Jets in return for 32-year-old cornerback Ray Mickens, according to Hunter's agent, Ray Savage. Mickens would join former Texas A&M and Jets teammate Aaron Glenn, who was signed Wednesday, to add depth to a secondary that was devastated by injury last season. Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones could not be reached for comment.
The Troy Brown situation could resolve itself within a week, according to word from Brown's camp. While Brown's representatives would not offer specifics as per their client's request, they expect a resolution on his status with the Patriots soon. Bill Belichick said last week that he has spoken with Brown this offseason and that it was ``possible'' the Pats would bring him back. It appears that Brown, who was released just prior to the free agency period, is looking for a firmer answer.
He won't be at minicamp this weekend, but Brian Westbrook will sign the Eagles' 1-year restricted free-agent tender if there is no long-term deal, and will report to training camp on time, agent Anthony Agnone said yesterday. Agnone said talks continue toward Westbrook's goal of a long-term contract. Team sources have indicated the sides are far from agreement, but Agnone said Westbrook's desire for more than a 1-year accord shouldn't be taken as any sort of campaign to get out of town. "He's not interested in that,'' Agnone said, when asked about the possibility of Westbrook holding out to dramatize his plight or force a trade. "Brian Westbrook will be in an Eagles uniform this year. Brian feels very strongly that he's part of the Eagles organization, and he hopes that he will get a long-term deal.''
The Browns are laying low on Reuben Droughns' request for a new contract. The team's stance is pretty simple: Droughns, a running back acquired from Denver via trade last month, is signed for two more years and he has yet to hold out from anything. Since he's not required to be present until the full-team minicamp June 13-15, the team isn't commenting on the situation. Droughns has two years left on a deal he signed while playing fullback. It calls for him to make $950,000 this season and $1.15 million in 2006. Droughns switched to running back last season and gained 1,240 yards. It was his first season as the main back, and his first gaining 1,000 yards.
The Steelers want to sign veteran linebacker Chad Brown, and he said he wants to come here in the worst way, but there remains one small matter standing between them: A contract. Yet Brown sounded as if he would take less money to rejoin the Steelers than he might elsewhere. "The level of interest is very high," Brown said during his visit with the team yesterday. "It's tough to replicate the Steelers' experience anyplace else. This is a very special place to play, and to come full circle and end my career here would be awesome."
The Eagles also have publicly acknowledged interest in Buffalo running back Travis Henry. If they were to trade for Henry, sources have indicated the Eagles would sign him to a long-term deal, which might preclude reaching such an agreement with Westbrook. Since Henry remains untraded, it seems possible the Eagles' stated interest really has to do with gaining leverage in the Westbrook talk.
The Packers have yet to examine Javon Walker and see the extent of a head laceration he suffered in a jet-skiing accident several weeks ago, but members of the organization don't think he's absent because he's hiding the injury. Walker specifically hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to help him secure a long-term deal and holdouts are one of the tools Rosenhaus has used in the past to get what he wants. Thompson said it was too early to panic about Walker's absence and didn't even characterize it as a holdout because he hadn't missed a mandatory practice yet. But he admitted his absence draws attention to a situation that normally both sides prefer to keep private.
Shelton Quarles agreed to a $1.5-million reduction in salary to remain with the Bucs, one day before the team used its second-round pick in the NFL draft on his likely replacement. Quarles, who turns 34 in September, will earn $1-million in 2005 instead of the $2.5-million he was scheduled to make under the terms of his old contract. The new deal was signed Friday, the eve of the NFL draft. The next day, the Bucs selected Nebraska middle linebacker Barrett Ruud 36th overall.
For the moment, the Cowboys are passing on safety Brock Marion, who was released by the Detroit Lions on Monday. Marion, a seventh-round choice of the Cowboys in 1993, started 43 games in five seasons in Dallas.
Fullback Richie Anderson's two-year career with the Cowboys appears to be over. He underwent neck surgery last week and faces a five-month rehabilitation. Anderson hasn't announced his intentions for next season, but the 12-year veteran is expected to retire. Since Anderson's injury occurred last season, the Cowboys are responsible for his 2005 salary until he passes a physical. Jerry Jones said Anderson will not join the team's coaching staff.
Ted Thompson used all the time he had, but in the end there was little doubt that the Green Bay Packers were going to match the offer from the Minnesota Vikings and retain the rights to defensive end Aaron Kampman. And now comes word that the two sides have been engaged in talks on a long-term contract that will replace the one-year, $1.2-million contract that the Packers matched. That doesn't appear to be imminent, but the two sides now have some time to get together. Until the Packers matched the offer, they were under the gun.
The Browns on Wednesday declined to comment on running back Reuben Droughns' contract situation. Droughns said Tuesday he wants a new deal and is prepared to hold out if it doesn't happen. He's under contract for $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2006. A team source said Droughns is under contract and is expected at the full-squad minicamp June 13. The source said Droughns was not promised a new contract when the Browns acquired him in a trade with Denver on March 30 for Ebenezer Ekuban and Mike Myers.
Vikings coach Mike Tice is in a cast after major surgery this week to replace a tendon in his left ankle. The surgery was to repair an old football injury from his playing days. Tice will be on crutches for two weeks and will use a golf-type cart to run minicamp this weekend.
With Pittsburgh, Denver and New England in the mix, the Packers appear no longer interested in free agent linebacker Chad Brown. The Packers aren't willing to get in a bidding war.
Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman asked Brett Favre to stay home and put his feet up for this post-NFL draft minicamp, which began Wednesday. The absence of Favre was eerie, a rare glimpse of what life eventually will be like when Favre decides he's played long enough. It was the first minicamp Favre did not attend in Sherman's six-year tenure and totally out of character for the competitive quarterback who hasn't just started 225 games dating back to 1992, but who doesn't like to share repetitions in practice, either.
Eagles RB Brian Westbrook and defensive tackle Corey Simon, who was offered a 1-year franchise tender of about $5.13 million, can't attend minicamp unless they sign their tenders. Simon's agent, Roosevelt Barnes, has indicated Simon won't sign his tender any time soon and won't attend minicamp or training camp.
The Ravens agreed to terms with 17 undrafted free agents, including North Carolina quarterback Darian Durant, who will compete with Derek Anderson, whom the Ravens drafted in the sixth round, to be the team's third-string quarterback. Durant started for three seasons for the Tar Heels.
Ted Tollner's connection with the University of Southern California gave him a good line on wide receiver Mike Williams before the Lions made him their first-round draft choice. Tollner, the Lions' new offensive coordinator and a former head coach at Southern Cal, did research on Williams as part of the Lions' predraft preparation. One of Tollner's sources was Norm Chow, former offensive coordinator at Southern Cal and receivers coach at Brigham Young when Tollner was BYU's play-caller. What Tollner learned convinced him, that on paper, Williams would be a good fit for the Lions' offense.
Place-kicker Doug Brien, who is all but certain to be released after the Jets selected Mike Nugent in the second round of last weekend's draft, is not expected at the Jets' minicamp Saturday and Sunday; teams officials have refused to discuss the timing of his release.
The Troy Brown situation could resolve itself within a week, according to word from Brown's camp. While Brown's representatives would not offer specifics as per their client's request, they expect a resolution on his status with the Patriots soon. Bill Belichick said last week that he has spoken with Brown this offseason and that it was ``possible'' the Pats would bring him back. It appears that Brown, who was released just prior to the free agency period, is looking for a firmer answer.
He won't be at minicamp this weekend, but Brian Westbrook will sign the Eagles' 1-year restricted free-agent tender if there is no long-term deal, and will report to training camp on time, agent Anthony Agnone said yesterday. Agnone said talks continue toward Westbrook's goal of a long-term contract. Team sources have indicated the sides are far from agreement, but Agnone said Westbrook's desire for more than a 1-year accord shouldn't be taken as any sort of campaign to get out of town. "He's not interested in that,'' Agnone said, when asked about the possibility of Westbrook holding out to dramatize his plight or force a trade. "Brian Westbrook will be in an Eagles uniform this year. Brian feels very strongly that he's part of the Eagles organization, and he hopes that he will get a long-term deal.''
The Browns are laying low on Reuben Droughns' request for a new contract. The team's stance is pretty simple: Droughns, a running back acquired from Denver via trade last month, is signed for two more years and he has yet to hold out from anything. Since he's not required to be present until the full-team minicamp June 13-15, the team isn't commenting on the situation. Droughns has two years left on a deal he signed while playing fullback. It calls for him to make $950,000 this season and $1.15 million in 2006. Droughns switched to running back last season and gained 1,240 yards. It was his first season as the main back, and his first gaining 1,000 yards.
The Steelers want to sign veteran linebacker Chad Brown, and he said he wants to come here in the worst way, but there remains one small matter standing between them: A contract. Yet Brown sounded as if he would take less money to rejoin the Steelers than he might elsewhere. "The level of interest is very high," Brown said during his visit with the team yesterday. "It's tough to replicate the Steelers' experience anyplace else. This is a very special place to play, and to come full circle and end my career here would be awesome."
The Eagles also have publicly acknowledged interest in Buffalo running back Travis Henry. If they were to trade for Henry, sources have indicated the Eagles would sign him to a long-term deal, which might preclude reaching such an agreement with Westbrook. Since Henry remains untraded, it seems possible the Eagles' stated interest really has to do with gaining leverage in the Westbrook talk.
The Packers have yet to examine Javon Walker and see the extent of a head laceration he suffered in a jet-skiing accident several weeks ago, but members of the organization don't think he's absent because he's hiding the injury. Walker specifically hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to help him secure a long-term deal and holdouts are one of the tools Rosenhaus has used in the past to get what he wants. Thompson said it was too early to panic about Walker's absence and didn't even characterize it as a holdout because he hadn't missed a mandatory practice yet. But he admitted his absence draws attention to a situation that normally both sides prefer to keep private.
Shelton Quarles agreed to a $1.5-million reduction in salary to remain with the Bucs, one day before the team used its second-round pick in the NFL draft on his likely replacement. Quarles, who turns 34 in September, will earn $1-million in 2005 instead of the $2.5-million he was scheduled to make under the terms of his old contract. The new deal was signed Friday, the eve of the NFL draft. The next day, the Bucs selected Nebraska middle linebacker Barrett Ruud 36th overall.
For the moment, the Cowboys are passing on safety Brock Marion, who was released by the Detroit Lions on Monday. Marion, a seventh-round choice of the Cowboys in 1993, started 43 games in five seasons in Dallas.
Fullback Richie Anderson's two-year career with the Cowboys appears to be over. He underwent neck surgery last week and faces a five-month rehabilitation. Anderson hasn't announced his intentions for next season, but the 12-year veteran is expected to retire. Since Anderson's injury occurred last season, the Cowboys are responsible for his 2005 salary until he passes a physical. Jerry Jones said Anderson will not join the team's coaching staff.
Ted Thompson used all the time he had, but in the end there was little doubt that the Green Bay Packers were going to match the offer from the Minnesota Vikings and retain the rights to defensive end Aaron Kampman. And now comes word that the two sides have been engaged in talks on a long-term contract that will replace the one-year, $1.2-million contract that the Packers matched. That doesn't appear to be imminent, but the two sides now have some time to get together. Until the Packers matched the offer, they were under the gun.
The Browns on Wednesday declined to comment on running back Reuben Droughns' contract situation. Droughns said Tuesday he wants a new deal and is prepared to hold out if it doesn't happen. He's under contract for $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2006. A team source said Droughns is under contract and is expected at the full-squad minicamp June 13. The source said Droughns was not promised a new contract when the Browns acquired him in a trade with Denver on March 30 for Ebenezer Ekuban and Mike Myers.
Vikings coach Mike Tice is in a cast after major surgery this week to replace a tendon in his left ankle. The surgery was to repair an old football injury from his playing days. Tice will be on crutches for two weeks and will use a golf-type cart to run minicamp this weekend.
With Pittsburgh, Denver and New England in the mix, the Packers appear no longer interested in free agent linebacker Chad Brown. The Packers aren't willing to get in a bidding war.
Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman asked Brett Favre to stay home and put his feet up for this post-NFL draft minicamp, which began Wednesday. The absence of Favre was eerie, a rare glimpse of what life eventually will be like when Favre decides he's played long enough. It was the first minicamp Favre did not attend in Sherman's six-year tenure and totally out of character for the competitive quarterback who hasn't just started 225 games dating back to 1992, but who doesn't like to share repetitions in practice, either.
Eagles RB Brian Westbrook and defensive tackle Corey Simon, who was offered a 1-year franchise tender of about $5.13 million, can't attend minicamp unless they sign their tenders. Simon's agent, Roosevelt Barnes, has indicated Simon won't sign his tender any time soon and won't attend minicamp or training camp.
The Ravens agreed to terms with 17 undrafted free agents, including North Carolina quarterback Darian Durant, who will compete with Derek Anderson, whom the Ravens drafted in the sixth round, to be the team's third-string quarterback. Durant started for three seasons for the Tar Heels.
Ted Tollner's connection with the University of Southern California gave him a good line on wide receiver Mike Williams before the Lions made him their first-round draft choice. Tollner, the Lions' new offensive coordinator and a former head coach at Southern Cal, did research on Williams as part of the Lions' predraft preparation. One of Tollner's sources was Norm Chow, former offensive coordinator at Southern Cal and receivers coach at Brigham Young when Tollner was BYU's play-caller. What Tollner learned convinced him, that on paper, Williams would be a good fit for the Lions' offense.
Place-kicker Doug Brien, who is all but certain to be released after the Jets selected Mike Nugent in the second round of last weekend's draft, is not expected at the Jets' minicamp Saturday and Sunday; teams officials have refused to discuss the timing of his release.