HEAV
06-22-2005, 04:56 PM
Ricky Williams is closer to rejoining the Dolphins — about 25 miles,
actually. Williams returned to South Florida on Tuesday and has taken up
residence in Miami Beach, a league source said. Williams had been living in
northern California and traveling abroad since he abruptly retired last July.
The Chiefs moved to address their depth at cornerback by arranging visits with
veterans Dewayne Washington, Aaron Beasley, Ashley Ambrose and Terrance Shaw.
All were scheduled to be at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday. Absent from the list
is Ty Law, who first met with the Chiefs in March. The Chiefs have maintained a
discussion with Law’s agent but have yet to schedule a follow-up visit to
inspect the progress of his surgically repaired foot.
Terrell Suggs acted in self-defense. That's what two U.S Air Force airmen said
Monday and Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court where Suggs, a Pro Bowl
linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, is on trial for aggravated assault. And on
Monday, Judge Michael O. Wilkinson threw out the more serious of two felony
counts against Suggs because he ruled that the prosecutor had not provided
substantial evidence for the jury to make a decision. Although he still faces
one felony count of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor, Suggs no longer faces
a mandatory prison sentence if convicted. Two of the four defendants in the case
were dismissed, although Suggs' younger brother Donald still faces two
aggravated assault charges that could put him in prison.
According to two Eagles officials, the team, including Andy Reid, has had no
conversations with Drew Rosenhaus regarding Terrell Owens' desire to rework the
seven-year contract he signed before last season. It is true that Rosenhaus
called Reid recently, but one Eagles official said the conversation lasted
"a matter of seconds." "Drew called Andy on his cell," the
official said. "Andy didn't realize it was Drew and he answered the
phone." Rosenhaus told the Daily News that he did not want to discuss or
categorize his conversation with Reid. "There's no discussion, there's no
change, there's no dialogue," the Eagles' official said. In other words,
the Eagles' position remains that Owens must decide if he's going to play for
them or sit out this season. Reid did say during the Eagles' minicamp earlier
this month that he has had some conversations with Owens, but the coach added
that he did not know what the wide receiver's plans were.
The Pats reached an agreement with Chad Morton on a one-year, $600,000 contract
yesterday, according to Morton's agent, Leigh Steinberg. The deal also includes
$600,000 worth of incentives. The 5-foot-8, 203-pound Morton, who turned 28 in
April, was released by the Redskins on June 3 in a salary cap move. He had
visits with the Giants, Vikings, Raiders and Patriots, and Steinberg said the
final decision came down to the Vikings and Patriots. ``My advice to him was
that 10 years ago if you could play for the 49ers or Cowboys, you ought to take
it - and now that same adage is true for the Patriots,'' Steinberg said last
night. ``If a player has an opportunity to play for the Patriots and they want
him and a role is there, why not enjoy that experience? In the contemporary
National Football League, they are the state-of-the-art franchise.''
If Ronde Barber was going to make a statement, this was the perfect time. If the
All-Pro cornerback was going to express his disgust over being the 27th
highest-paid player at his position when free agency began, this was the perfect
place. The Bucs began their mandatory minicamp with two practices Tuesday, and
all Barber had to do was not show up to get his point across. The absence would
have been unexcused but not unexpected. While Barber has two seasons left on a
six-year contract that averages $3-million per year, the top players at his
position make about $10.5-million. Instead, Barber sent a message: He plans on
being at work today, tomorrow and every day this season.
Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor yesterday gave a voluntary statement
through an interview with the Miami-Dade state attorney's office, accompanied by
his attorney, Edward Carhart . Taylor gave the statement in hopes that
prosecutor Mike Grieco will drop two felony charges of assault with a firearm
and a misdemeanor count of simple battery before Friday's scheduled arraignment,
Carhart said.
The prospect of Utah gaining an NFL team came to light this week in an article
published in the Brownsville Herald that said the Rio Grande Valley is a
possible NFL site. Proponents note that 7 million residents live in South Texas
and North Mexico. Never mind Brownsville has only 139,000 in the immediate
vicinity. (Isn't that a little like including Las Vegas and Denver in Salt
Lake's metro population?) The article said other cities showing interest are
Salt Lake, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Toronto and Los Angeles. Let the posturing
begin. That Salt Lake's name would arise among aspiring NFL cities isn't
necessarily surprising. Ever since it hosted the 2002 Olympics, it has been
pining for more big time events. That's why Real Salt Lake is here and thriving
— at the box office, if not on the field. Of the aforementioned U.S. candidates,
only L.A. has higher bank deposits than Salt Lake, according to the Herald. Salt
Lake's 92 billion in deposits is 3 1/2 times as much as San Antonio and roughly
10 times that of Albuquerque and the Rio Grand Valley. So there's money in Utah
waiting to be spent.
Free-agent wide receiver Johnnie Morton signed with the 49ers on Tuesday,
primarily because he wanted to be reunited with wide receivers coach Jerry
Sullivan. An 11-year NFL veteran, Morton had one of his best statistical seasons
in 2001 with Detroit, where Sullivan was an assistant, catching 77 passes for 1,
154 yards and four touchdowns. In his career, Morton has had four 1,000-yard
seasons. "He (Sullivan) really made my career,'' Morton said. "He
taught me everything about receiving, from what you should be thinking walking
to the line of scrimmage to how to run the routes.''
Over the last two months four rookie quarterbacks — Marcus Randall of LSU, Jason
White of Oklahoma, Shane Boyd of Kentucky and Gino Guidugli of Cincinnati — have
participated in the Titans minicamps. All are vying for the No. 3 position
behind entrenched veterans Steve McNair and Billy Volek. Yesterday, Randall was
moved from quarterback to defensive back, helping relieve some of the congestion
at the quarterback position. But even that move, which could be temporary, still
leaves three young players competing for one position. There is always the
possibility that the Titans will sign a free agent veteran to fill the No. 3
position. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said it is "unlikely" that all four
rookie quarterbacks will participate in training camp, which begins July 29.
Veteran left tackle Wayne Gandy has declined a request by Saints officials to
take a pay cut, his agent said Tuesday. However, Saints general manager Mickey
Loomis disputes those claims, saying the team has not asked Gandy to agree to a
salary reduction. According to Gandy's agent Neil Schwartz, Saints officials
want to cut the $5.25 million base salary that's due Gandy this season. He
signed a six-year, $25 million contract in 2003. Gandy's original base salary of
$4.5 million increased $750,000 when he triggered an escalator clause last
season by meeting minimum playing time incentives. Schwartz said Saints
officials cited "non-productivity" as the main reason for the pay cut.
Schwartz and Gandy declined the request during meetings with Saints officials at
the team's minicamp June 10-11.
Bucs tackle Todd Steussie, who has not attended voluntary workouts the past few
weeks, has essentially been told by the team to remain at home. The Bucs need to
clear room for their $6-million rookie salary pool to sign 12 picks, and cutting
Steussie will save about $2-million. "We excused (Steussie) for personal
reasons," coach Jon Gruden said. "That's really all I can comment on
right now."
DE Simeon Rice held court with the media Tuesday, unveiling not only his
aspirations to break the NFL's sack record, but a desire to exit the league on
his terms. "It's something ... to glorify from an individual
standpoint," said Rice, 31, entering his 10th season and fifth with the
Bucs. "From the team standpoint, it's just chasing the big one, putting
another nugget on my finger." As the Bucs opened a three-day mandatory
minicamp, Rice, who will chase Michael Strahan's record of 22 1/2 set in 2001,
admitted he's at a point in his career when he thinks about when he'll leave
football.
The Jaguars are narrowing the window of opportunity for their fans to see
training camp this year. They plan to open camp to spectators -- and the media
-- for only the first two weeks, July 31 through Aug. 12, the day before the
first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Alltel Stadium. They'll
remain in what coach Jack Del Rio called a "training camp mode'' for
another week until Aug. 19, the day before the second preseason game at Tampa
Bay, when camp will end.
Quarterback Aaron Rogers, the Green Bay Packers' first-round draft pick out of
the University of California, visited Brewers players and coaches in the dugout
during batting practice. Rogers, who was joined by teammates Garrett Cross and
Chris Samp (a Green Bay native), received special attention from Jeff Cirillo, a
USC fan.
Ronde Barber might be the most-underpaid star in the NFL. Barber, a first-team
All-Pro selection for the No. 1-ranked pass defense in 2004, headed into the
offseason as the league's 27th highest-paid cornerback, a position deemed so
critical that it now commands the highest average salary of any spot on the
field. Yes, even more than quarterbacks. So how is Barber, who recently turned
30, protesting this monetary injustice in a time when marquee players across the
NFL are staging contract holdouts? He's coming to work. "This is the only
way I know to go about it," Barber said Tuesday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
opened their three-day mandatory minicamp. "It's either this way or do away
with something you really love, and that's playing the game." Barber has
two seasons remaining on a six-year, $20 million deal that included a $3 million
signing bonus that has been restructured twice for salary-cap purposes.
In an effort to make nice with the Jets, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition
Authority has offered to cut the team's rent at Giants Stadium, state officials
said. If accepted, the deal would settle a yearlong rent dispute between the
team and the state agency that operates the Meadowlands Sports Complex but would
not commit the Jets to remain in the Meadowlands beyond their current lease,
which expires in 2008. "We want to settle the rent dispute because we want
to do everything we can to make the Jets feel comfortable that New Jersey can be
their home," said Carl Goldberg, the sports authority's chairman.
Myrone Cope has thrown in the towel after 35 years as the color analyst on
Steeler broadcasts. No more yoi and double yoi, you betcha, hmm-hah and Zounds.
The Steeler Nation will be farklempt on game days this fall. "I'm done,
folks," Cope, 76, said in a scratchy, weakened voice. At a news conference
yesterday, Cope couldn't hear well enough to determine where some questions were
coming from. He also coughed a time or two, audible evidence of recent bouts of
walking pneumonia and a throat condition that required surgery, not to mention
the years of smoking and his taste for a toddy or two. But his anecdotes and
one-liners filled the interview room at the Steelers offices with laughter in
what turned out to be an appreciation for a uniquely Pittsburgh phenomenon
actually. Williams returned to South Florida on Tuesday and has taken up
residence in Miami Beach, a league source said. Williams had been living in
northern California and traveling abroad since he abruptly retired last July.
The Chiefs moved to address their depth at cornerback by arranging visits with
veterans Dewayne Washington, Aaron Beasley, Ashley Ambrose and Terrance Shaw.
All were scheduled to be at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday. Absent from the list
is Ty Law, who first met with the Chiefs in March. The Chiefs have maintained a
discussion with Law’s agent but have yet to schedule a follow-up visit to
inspect the progress of his surgically repaired foot.
Terrell Suggs acted in self-defense. That's what two U.S Air Force airmen said
Monday and Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court where Suggs, a Pro Bowl
linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, is on trial for aggravated assault. And on
Monday, Judge Michael O. Wilkinson threw out the more serious of two felony
counts against Suggs because he ruled that the prosecutor had not provided
substantial evidence for the jury to make a decision. Although he still faces
one felony count of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor, Suggs no longer faces
a mandatory prison sentence if convicted. Two of the four defendants in the case
were dismissed, although Suggs' younger brother Donald still faces two
aggravated assault charges that could put him in prison.
According to two Eagles officials, the team, including Andy Reid, has had no
conversations with Drew Rosenhaus regarding Terrell Owens' desire to rework the
seven-year contract he signed before last season. It is true that Rosenhaus
called Reid recently, but one Eagles official said the conversation lasted
"a matter of seconds." "Drew called Andy on his cell," the
official said. "Andy didn't realize it was Drew and he answered the
phone." Rosenhaus told the Daily News that he did not want to discuss or
categorize his conversation with Reid. "There's no discussion, there's no
change, there's no dialogue," the Eagles' official said. In other words,
the Eagles' position remains that Owens must decide if he's going to play for
them or sit out this season. Reid did say during the Eagles' minicamp earlier
this month that he has had some conversations with Owens, but the coach added
that he did not know what the wide receiver's plans were.
The Pats reached an agreement with Chad Morton on a one-year, $600,000 contract
yesterday, according to Morton's agent, Leigh Steinberg. The deal also includes
$600,000 worth of incentives. The 5-foot-8, 203-pound Morton, who turned 28 in
April, was released by the Redskins on June 3 in a salary cap move. He had
visits with the Giants, Vikings, Raiders and Patriots, and Steinberg said the
final decision came down to the Vikings and Patriots. ``My advice to him was
that 10 years ago if you could play for the 49ers or Cowboys, you ought to take
it - and now that same adage is true for the Patriots,'' Steinberg said last
night. ``If a player has an opportunity to play for the Patriots and they want
him and a role is there, why not enjoy that experience? In the contemporary
National Football League, they are the state-of-the-art franchise.''
If Ronde Barber was going to make a statement, this was the perfect time. If the
All-Pro cornerback was going to express his disgust over being the 27th
highest-paid player at his position when free agency began, this was the perfect
place. The Bucs began their mandatory minicamp with two practices Tuesday, and
all Barber had to do was not show up to get his point across. The absence would
have been unexcused but not unexpected. While Barber has two seasons left on a
six-year contract that averages $3-million per year, the top players at his
position make about $10.5-million. Instead, Barber sent a message: He plans on
being at work today, tomorrow and every day this season.
Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor yesterday gave a voluntary statement
through an interview with the Miami-Dade state attorney's office, accompanied by
his attorney, Edward Carhart . Taylor gave the statement in hopes that
prosecutor Mike Grieco will drop two felony charges of assault with a firearm
and a misdemeanor count of simple battery before Friday's scheduled arraignment,
Carhart said.
The prospect of Utah gaining an NFL team came to light this week in an article
published in the Brownsville Herald that said the Rio Grande Valley is a
possible NFL site. Proponents note that 7 million residents live in South Texas
and North Mexico. Never mind Brownsville has only 139,000 in the immediate
vicinity. (Isn't that a little like including Las Vegas and Denver in Salt
Lake's metro population?) The article said other cities showing interest are
Salt Lake, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Toronto and Los Angeles. Let the posturing
begin. That Salt Lake's name would arise among aspiring NFL cities isn't
necessarily surprising. Ever since it hosted the 2002 Olympics, it has been
pining for more big time events. That's why Real Salt Lake is here and thriving
— at the box office, if not on the field. Of the aforementioned U.S. candidates,
only L.A. has higher bank deposits than Salt Lake, according to the Herald. Salt
Lake's 92 billion in deposits is 3 1/2 times as much as San Antonio and roughly
10 times that of Albuquerque and the Rio Grand Valley. So there's money in Utah
waiting to be spent.
Free-agent wide receiver Johnnie Morton signed with the 49ers on Tuesday,
primarily because he wanted to be reunited with wide receivers coach Jerry
Sullivan. An 11-year NFL veteran, Morton had one of his best statistical seasons
in 2001 with Detroit, where Sullivan was an assistant, catching 77 passes for 1,
154 yards and four touchdowns. In his career, Morton has had four 1,000-yard
seasons. "He (Sullivan) really made my career,'' Morton said. "He
taught me everything about receiving, from what you should be thinking walking
to the line of scrimmage to how to run the routes.''
Over the last two months four rookie quarterbacks — Marcus Randall of LSU, Jason
White of Oklahoma, Shane Boyd of Kentucky and Gino Guidugli of Cincinnati — have
participated in the Titans minicamps. All are vying for the No. 3 position
behind entrenched veterans Steve McNair and Billy Volek. Yesterday, Randall was
moved from quarterback to defensive back, helping relieve some of the congestion
at the quarterback position. But even that move, which could be temporary, still
leaves three young players competing for one position. There is always the
possibility that the Titans will sign a free agent veteran to fill the No. 3
position. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher said it is "unlikely" that all four
rookie quarterbacks will participate in training camp, which begins July 29.
Veteran left tackle Wayne Gandy has declined a request by Saints officials to
take a pay cut, his agent said Tuesday. However, Saints general manager Mickey
Loomis disputes those claims, saying the team has not asked Gandy to agree to a
salary reduction. According to Gandy's agent Neil Schwartz, Saints officials
want to cut the $5.25 million base salary that's due Gandy this season. He
signed a six-year, $25 million contract in 2003. Gandy's original base salary of
$4.5 million increased $750,000 when he triggered an escalator clause last
season by meeting minimum playing time incentives. Schwartz said Saints
officials cited "non-productivity" as the main reason for the pay cut.
Schwartz and Gandy declined the request during meetings with Saints officials at
the team's minicamp June 10-11.
Bucs tackle Todd Steussie, who has not attended voluntary workouts the past few
weeks, has essentially been told by the team to remain at home. The Bucs need to
clear room for their $6-million rookie salary pool to sign 12 picks, and cutting
Steussie will save about $2-million. "We excused (Steussie) for personal
reasons," coach Jon Gruden said. "That's really all I can comment on
right now."
DE Simeon Rice held court with the media Tuesday, unveiling not only his
aspirations to break the NFL's sack record, but a desire to exit the league on
his terms. "It's something ... to glorify from an individual
standpoint," said Rice, 31, entering his 10th season and fifth with the
Bucs. "From the team standpoint, it's just chasing the big one, putting
another nugget on my finger." As the Bucs opened a three-day mandatory
minicamp, Rice, who will chase Michael Strahan's record of 22 1/2 set in 2001,
admitted he's at a point in his career when he thinks about when he'll leave
football.
The Jaguars are narrowing the window of opportunity for their fans to see
training camp this year. They plan to open camp to spectators -- and the media
-- for only the first two weeks, July 31 through Aug. 12, the day before the
first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Alltel Stadium. They'll
remain in what coach Jack Del Rio called a "training camp mode'' for
another week until Aug. 19, the day before the second preseason game at Tampa
Bay, when camp will end.
Quarterback Aaron Rogers, the Green Bay Packers' first-round draft pick out of
the University of California, visited Brewers players and coaches in the dugout
during batting practice. Rogers, who was joined by teammates Garrett Cross and
Chris Samp (a Green Bay native), received special attention from Jeff Cirillo, a
USC fan.
Ronde Barber might be the most-underpaid star in the NFL. Barber, a first-team
All-Pro selection for the No. 1-ranked pass defense in 2004, headed into the
offseason as the league's 27th highest-paid cornerback, a position deemed so
critical that it now commands the highest average salary of any spot on the
field. Yes, even more than quarterbacks. So how is Barber, who recently turned
30, protesting this monetary injustice in a time when marquee players across the
NFL are staging contract holdouts? He's coming to work. "This is the only
way I know to go about it," Barber said Tuesday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
opened their three-day mandatory minicamp. "It's either this way or do away
with something you really love, and that's playing the game." Barber has
two seasons remaining on a six-year, $20 million deal that included a $3 million
signing bonus that has been restructured twice for salary-cap purposes.
In an effort to make nice with the Jets, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition
Authority has offered to cut the team's rent at Giants Stadium, state officials
said. If accepted, the deal would settle a yearlong rent dispute between the
team and the state agency that operates the Meadowlands Sports Complex but would
not commit the Jets to remain in the Meadowlands beyond their current lease,
which expires in 2008. "We want to settle the rent dispute because we want
to do everything we can to make the Jets feel comfortable that New Jersey can be
their home," said Carl Goldberg, the sports authority's chairman.
Myrone Cope has thrown in the towel after 35 years as the color analyst on
Steeler broadcasts. No more yoi and double yoi, you betcha, hmm-hah and Zounds.
The Steeler Nation will be farklempt on game days this fall. "I'm done,
folks," Cope, 76, said in a scratchy, weakened voice. At a news conference
yesterday, Cope couldn't hear well enough to determine where some questions were
coming from. He also coughed a time or two, audible evidence of recent bouts of
walking pneumonia and a throat condition that required surgery, not to mention
the years of smoking and his taste for a toddy or two. But his anecdotes and
one-liners filled the interview room at the Steelers offices with laughter in
what turned out to be an appreciation for a uniquely Pittsburgh phenomenon