HEAV
01-29-2006, 11:08 AM
Asked whether the Packers would consider trading QB Brett Favre, coach Mike McCarthy said no. "I've never been party to any discussions like that," he said. "I don't think so at all. You're talking about a Hall of Fame player. He has to retire a Green Bay Packer."
One Raiders source said to keep your eyes on two head-coaching candidates who had yet to interview for the Raiders job at press-time Jim Fassel and Rick Neuheisel, both Baltimore assistants. While all the recent talk surrounds Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, the source said Whisenhunt is far from a sure thing.
Rams coach Scott Linehan is on record as saying he wants running back Marshall Faulk back in 2006. But Faulk told reporters in New Orleans this past week that he's still thinking it over. "I'm still a Ram; I'm still under contract," Faulk told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We'll see. It's hard to say. I haven't made any decision yet. "When I play isn't a question. It's if I play. I'm going to play with St. Louis if I play." Faulk still has three years remaining on a four-year contract extension he signed last February. If he retired, was released, or was traded, the Rams would absorb a cap hit of about $4.1 million in 2006.
A sports talk radio station in Dallas this week reported the Houston Texans and Vikings are working on a trade involving receiver Troy Williamson. The Texans were interested in drafting Williamson last year and reported to be high on his potential.
DeShaun Foster, if he can be re-signed. Foster's late-season surge was enough to convince the coaching staff and front office he can handle 20 carries a game. Whether fans like it or not, a strong attempt will be made to re-sign Foster. The broken fibula he suffered in the playoffs was his third major injury in four seasons, and could hold his price tag down a bit. However, he would likely be a hot commodity on the open market, and the Panthers will make an offer before the start of free agency. Their hope is to pair Foster with Eric Shelton, a second-round pick last year, who missed his rookie season with a foot injury. The Panthers won't break the bank for Foster. If he tests free agency and the price tag gets too high, the Panthers will take their chances in free agency or the draft.
The Eagles don't usually re-sign players over 30. With T Jon Runyan, a pending unrestricted free agent, they might have no choice. While T Tra Thomas (back) has injury issues, Runyan has started 144 consecutive games and provides stability on an offense that needs it. If the Eagles don't sign him, Houston might.
Mike Alstott may not have played his last game. There are increasing indications the fullback is leaning toward returning if the Bucs will have him. Before embarking on an offseason to contemplate retirement, Alstott asked running backs coach Art Valero for an honest assessment. No player wants to overstay his welcome, certainly not a six-time Pro Bowl player and a beloved icon like the A-Train. Valero didn't hesitate when he told Alstott he could still get it done.
Don't be surprised if former Vikings coach Mike Tice soon receives an offer to coach tight ends or the offensive line for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Chargers QB Drew Brees wanted to make clear that his rehabilitation is three weeks ahead of schedule. Since that day marked three weeks since the surgery to repair the torn labrum in Brees' throwing shoulder, quick math indicates he is doubling time, essentially cutting his projected recovery in half. Heck, he should be throwing a football by Valentine's Day. Alas, you cannot hasten healing. No amount of work will get Brees throwing before the end of April. General Manager A.J. Smith reiterated this past week that he plans to decide whether to designate Brees as the Chargers' franchise or (more likely) transition player at least a week before the Feb. 23 deadline to do so. That means that the two sides
Expect the Patriots to hold on to running back Corey Dillon, who has $6 million in guaranteed money coming his way next year.
Donovan McNabb is ahead of schedule in his recovery from hernia surgery, and he's already working out daily at the Eagles' training facility. Team sources tell me he'll be ready to begin the team's offseason conditioning program in March and will be at full strength for minicamps.
Seahawks front-office officials decided by the middle of the season that Shaun Alexander was worth a huge long-term investment, and they embarked on a serious effort to sign the running back to a big contract extension. Still no deal. NFL execs around the league wonder why Alexander hasn't already agreed to a contract, especially with such uncertainty looming regarding the league's labor situation. "You have a guy who's close to 30 looking for money like that, and he's not going to get as much action as he thinks," one NFC personnel executive said of Alexander's situation. "I'm surprised he let it get this far. He should have signed already."
49ers LB Julian Peterson still could be franchised by the team, for $8.7 million, to keep him from hitting the market. If he does become available, he won't come cheaply. Peterson turned down a multiyear deal that included a $15.5 million signing bonus in 2004, before he tore his Achilles' that season.
Look for Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El to get plenty of action on the free-agent market. The Steelers want to re-sign him, but they typically don't invest in more than one highly used player at any position. The team extended Hines Ward's contract before the 2005 season.
Steelers linebacker Larry Foote has heard the same thing over and over since the conclusion of the AFC Championship game: Running back Jerome Bettis will retire after Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. Foote isn't so sure. He is also holding out hope. "Bussie really hasn't said he's retiring yet," Foote said. "There's still a small chance he might be back." For his part, Bettis hasn't made his intentions public, though indications are that he will not be back for his 14th NFL season.
Free-agent running back Michael Bennett, who hopes to be re-signed by the Vikings, has rented a property just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so he can train in extremely hot weather with mountains to run.
The Bucs have asked for permission to interview Falcons assistant defensive backs coach Gill Byrd, who is a candidate to replace Mike Tomlin as secondary coach. But Tampa Bay, which routinely denies its assistants permission to speak with other teams, is getting a dose of its own medicine.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen was not penalized or fined for his playoff hit on Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in the teams' first-round playoff game. But the hit, which forced Palmer to have major surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, will be reviewed by the NFL this offseason. A rule is in place that allows defensive linemen coming off a block to hit quarterbacks below the knees. But that could change pending the review.
An NFL person in contact with Nick Saban expects Miami to aggressively explore moving up from 16th in the draft to select a quarterback (which will be very difficult). That person said Saban would be willing to open next season with Gus Frerotte if he can somehow achieve that.
Only six teams have failed to reach the Super Bowl, but only one has neither appeared in nor hosted one: Cleveland. Houston, New Orleans, Arizona, Detroit, and Jacksonville can at least claim the latter. Then again, where do we put the Colts? Sure, the Baltimore Colts appeared in two Super Bowls and won one, but the Indianapolis version is 0 for 21 years since relocating.
NFL owners agreed to put $20 million of league money toward rebuilding the shuttered Superdome in New Orleans. That would seem to be another signal that Saints owner Tom Benson is not going to easily get his franchise out of flood-ravaged New Orleans and on to Los Angeles or San Antonio.
Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith caught 26 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in two games at Soldier Field. The Bears' Muhsin Muhammad caught 31 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns in nine games at Soldier Field.
One major reason Charlie Frye the Browns quarterback wants to gain 10 to 20 pounds during the off-season is he's realized that while having mobility to avoid hits is great, it's not as important as having the durability to keep playing when you do get pounded. And Frye should have the latter in 2006, thanks to the added weight.
Word out of Seattle is that NFL MVP Shaun Alexander is almost definitely going to hit the open market. The free-agent-to-be has already turned down two contract offers from the Seahawks that were nowhere near what he was looking for. Believe it or not, Seattle didn't even offer him one long-term deal during the 2004 season.
The best single position group in Mobile, Ala., was defensive end. Penn State's Tamba Hali, Louisville's Elvis Dumervil, N.C. State's Manny Lawson, Virginia Tech's Darryl Tapp and Florida State's Kamerion Wimbley all impressed.
Without a doubt, the MVP of the Senior Bowl practices was Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. He was like a man among boys during the week and has probably landed himself in the draft's Top 5, and could quite possibly go to the Jets at No. 4.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin was watching the defensive backs like a hawk. Usually the only head coach carrying a notebook and watching up close instead of sitting in the stands, Coughlin spent serious time talking to, among others, Georgia cornerback DeMario Minter, Boston College cornerback Will Blackmon and NC State safety Marcus Hudson.
Bill Cowher has averaged 10 wins per season. Only two coaches in the Hall of Fame - Don Shula (10.5) and Bill Walsh (10.2) - have higher averages.
How volatile has head coaching in the NFL become? Consider that Chicago's Lovie Smith, who will be in his third season, will face only three head coaches next season who have been on the job longer.
Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch picked an opportune time to cobble together his best of five seasons in the league. Vanden Bosch, who had five career sacks coming into the season and played for the veteran minimum of $540,000 in 2005, erupted for 12 1/2 and soon will be become an unrestricted free agent. Tennessee wants to sign him to a new contract before the bidding begans. In either case, Vanden Bosch figures to cash in big time. "My football career has changed so much in the last year, and this is the peak so far," he said. "It's a special moment and I want the people with me the whole way to share in it. I'm going to take as many people as I can; there's room for additions."
In a telephone interview Saturday night, Mike Martz said he enjoyed his interview session with Raiders owner Al Davis and said working for Davis would have been a blast. But he said the overall situation in Oakland just didn't feel right, so he no longer is a candidate. "It was fun visiting with Al Davis," Martz said. "But the situation's probably not for me right now." Martz declined to elaborate.
Mike Ditka, former Bears coach and Aliquippa football star, picked the Steelers to win the Super Bowl when he appeared last week on "The Tony Danza Show" to promote his new book, "In Life, First You Kick Ass, Reflections on the 1985 Bears and Wisdom From Da Coach." He told Danza: "Well, I grew up in Pittsburgh, I was raised there .... I love Seattle, I love Mike Holmgren, but I got to go with Pittsburgh."
Mike Utley never let the paralyzing injury that ended his NFL career and put him in a wheelchair in 1991 crush his spirit, and the ex-Lion believes he will one day walk again. Utley, a Seattle native, is going back to Detroit, just not the way he had always hoped. This is how he hoped it would happen: It's halftime of Super Bowl XL. The Rolling Stones have finished playing. The stage smoke is dissipating from the air at Ford Field, which replaced the Silverdome as the Lions' home in 2002, and as the players begin to emerge from the tunnels for the start of the second half, the public-address announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, 14 1/2 years ago . . ." And there, on the biggest stage in the world, at the 50-yard line, Mike Utley rises, kicks away the chair and walks off the field -- the only act, in his mind, that would constitute closure. "To do that at halftime of the Super Bowl, man, that would be the cat's meow," Utley says. A pause. He shifts his weight in the chair. "But I'm not ready yet."
Making my annual plea in hopes the committee of 39 selectors (mostly writers) elect former Redskin Art Monk on Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Monk is one of 15 finalists, along with former teammate Russ Grimm (now on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers). Monk played 14 seasons for the Redskins from 1980 to 1993, finishing his career playing one year with the Jets and one with Philadelphia. His 940 receptions for 12,721 yards and 68 touchdowns don't even measure his true value to those four Redskins Super Bowl teams. "He has the numbers and the body of work in his career to get in," said retired Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, a Hall of Famer. One prominent voter who isn't likely to support Monk -- Peter King of Sports Illustrated -- said last week that when he covered the New York Giants, that team feared Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Washington's running game more than Monk. "I see him as a good NFL player" -- maybe "not a Hall of Famer," King said.
The Steelers' offense has been a scoring machine in the playoffs, but there is one potential problem brewing. Starting tailback Willie Parker has fumbled four times in his last eight games, including once in the AFC Championship Game. That's compared with just one fumble in his first 10. Coaches screamed at Parker on the sideline after his fumble during the AFC championship, and they won't have patience for another in the Super Bowl. If it happens early enough, the Steelers might use a bigger dose of Jerome Bettis.
The Miami Herald reports people are buzzing about Lawrence Taylor's bizarre behavior at Prime 112 last week. He reached for a bottle from the wrong table, approached Michael Jordan's table and loudly yelled, ''Ladies and gentleman, Michael Jordan!'' An embarrassed Jordan put his head in his hands. Charles Oakley tried to settle down L.T.
One Raiders source said to keep your eyes on two head-coaching candidates who had yet to interview for the Raiders job at press-time Jim Fassel and Rick Neuheisel, both Baltimore assistants. While all the recent talk surrounds Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, the source said Whisenhunt is far from a sure thing.
Rams coach Scott Linehan is on record as saying he wants running back Marshall Faulk back in 2006. But Faulk told reporters in New Orleans this past week that he's still thinking it over. "I'm still a Ram; I'm still under contract," Faulk told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We'll see. It's hard to say. I haven't made any decision yet. "When I play isn't a question. It's if I play. I'm going to play with St. Louis if I play." Faulk still has three years remaining on a four-year contract extension he signed last February. If he retired, was released, or was traded, the Rams would absorb a cap hit of about $4.1 million in 2006.
A sports talk radio station in Dallas this week reported the Houston Texans and Vikings are working on a trade involving receiver Troy Williamson. The Texans were interested in drafting Williamson last year and reported to be high on his potential.
DeShaun Foster, if he can be re-signed. Foster's late-season surge was enough to convince the coaching staff and front office he can handle 20 carries a game. Whether fans like it or not, a strong attempt will be made to re-sign Foster. The broken fibula he suffered in the playoffs was his third major injury in four seasons, and could hold his price tag down a bit. However, he would likely be a hot commodity on the open market, and the Panthers will make an offer before the start of free agency. Their hope is to pair Foster with Eric Shelton, a second-round pick last year, who missed his rookie season with a foot injury. The Panthers won't break the bank for Foster. If he tests free agency and the price tag gets too high, the Panthers will take their chances in free agency or the draft.
The Eagles don't usually re-sign players over 30. With T Jon Runyan, a pending unrestricted free agent, they might have no choice. While T Tra Thomas (back) has injury issues, Runyan has started 144 consecutive games and provides stability on an offense that needs it. If the Eagles don't sign him, Houston might.
Mike Alstott may not have played his last game. There are increasing indications the fullback is leaning toward returning if the Bucs will have him. Before embarking on an offseason to contemplate retirement, Alstott asked running backs coach Art Valero for an honest assessment. No player wants to overstay his welcome, certainly not a six-time Pro Bowl player and a beloved icon like the A-Train. Valero didn't hesitate when he told Alstott he could still get it done.
Don't be surprised if former Vikings coach Mike Tice soon receives an offer to coach tight ends or the offensive line for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Chargers QB Drew Brees wanted to make clear that his rehabilitation is three weeks ahead of schedule. Since that day marked three weeks since the surgery to repair the torn labrum in Brees' throwing shoulder, quick math indicates he is doubling time, essentially cutting his projected recovery in half. Heck, he should be throwing a football by Valentine's Day. Alas, you cannot hasten healing. No amount of work will get Brees throwing before the end of April. General Manager A.J. Smith reiterated this past week that he plans to decide whether to designate Brees as the Chargers' franchise or (more likely) transition player at least a week before the Feb. 23 deadline to do so. That means that the two sides
Expect the Patriots to hold on to running back Corey Dillon, who has $6 million in guaranteed money coming his way next year.
Donovan McNabb is ahead of schedule in his recovery from hernia surgery, and he's already working out daily at the Eagles' training facility. Team sources tell me he'll be ready to begin the team's offseason conditioning program in March and will be at full strength for minicamps.
Seahawks front-office officials decided by the middle of the season that Shaun Alexander was worth a huge long-term investment, and they embarked on a serious effort to sign the running back to a big contract extension. Still no deal. NFL execs around the league wonder why Alexander hasn't already agreed to a contract, especially with such uncertainty looming regarding the league's labor situation. "You have a guy who's close to 30 looking for money like that, and he's not going to get as much action as he thinks," one NFC personnel executive said of Alexander's situation. "I'm surprised he let it get this far. He should have signed already."
49ers LB Julian Peterson still could be franchised by the team, for $8.7 million, to keep him from hitting the market. If he does become available, he won't come cheaply. Peterson turned down a multiyear deal that included a $15.5 million signing bonus in 2004, before he tore his Achilles' that season.
Look for Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El to get plenty of action on the free-agent market. The Steelers want to re-sign him, but they typically don't invest in more than one highly used player at any position. The team extended Hines Ward's contract before the 2005 season.
Steelers linebacker Larry Foote has heard the same thing over and over since the conclusion of the AFC Championship game: Running back Jerome Bettis will retire after Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. Foote isn't so sure. He is also holding out hope. "Bussie really hasn't said he's retiring yet," Foote said. "There's still a small chance he might be back." For his part, Bettis hasn't made his intentions public, though indications are that he will not be back for his 14th NFL season.
Free-agent running back Michael Bennett, who hopes to be re-signed by the Vikings, has rented a property just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so he can train in extremely hot weather with mountains to run.
The Bucs have asked for permission to interview Falcons assistant defensive backs coach Gill Byrd, who is a candidate to replace Mike Tomlin as secondary coach. But Tampa Bay, which routinely denies its assistants permission to speak with other teams, is getting a dose of its own medicine.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen was not penalized or fined for his playoff hit on Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in the teams' first-round playoff game. But the hit, which forced Palmer to have major surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, will be reviewed by the NFL this offseason. A rule is in place that allows defensive linemen coming off a block to hit quarterbacks below the knees. But that could change pending the review.
An NFL person in contact with Nick Saban expects Miami to aggressively explore moving up from 16th in the draft to select a quarterback (which will be very difficult). That person said Saban would be willing to open next season with Gus Frerotte if he can somehow achieve that.
Only six teams have failed to reach the Super Bowl, but only one has neither appeared in nor hosted one: Cleveland. Houston, New Orleans, Arizona, Detroit, and Jacksonville can at least claim the latter. Then again, where do we put the Colts? Sure, the Baltimore Colts appeared in two Super Bowls and won one, but the Indianapolis version is 0 for 21 years since relocating.
NFL owners agreed to put $20 million of league money toward rebuilding the shuttered Superdome in New Orleans. That would seem to be another signal that Saints owner Tom Benson is not going to easily get his franchise out of flood-ravaged New Orleans and on to Los Angeles or San Antonio.
Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith caught 26 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in two games at Soldier Field. The Bears' Muhsin Muhammad caught 31 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns in nine games at Soldier Field.
One major reason Charlie Frye the Browns quarterback wants to gain 10 to 20 pounds during the off-season is he's realized that while having mobility to avoid hits is great, it's not as important as having the durability to keep playing when you do get pounded. And Frye should have the latter in 2006, thanks to the added weight.
Word out of Seattle is that NFL MVP Shaun Alexander is almost definitely going to hit the open market. The free-agent-to-be has already turned down two contract offers from the Seahawks that were nowhere near what he was looking for. Believe it or not, Seattle didn't even offer him one long-term deal during the 2004 season.
The best single position group in Mobile, Ala., was defensive end. Penn State's Tamba Hali, Louisville's Elvis Dumervil, N.C. State's Manny Lawson, Virginia Tech's Darryl Tapp and Florida State's Kamerion Wimbley all impressed.
Without a doubt, the MVP of the Senior Bowl practices was Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. He was like a man among boys during the week and has probably landed himself in the draft's Top 5, and could quite possibly go to the Jets at No. 4.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin was watching the defensive backs like a hawk. Usually the only head coach carrying a notebook and watching up close instead of sitting in the stands, Coughlin spent serious time talking to, among others, Georgia cornerback DeMario Minter, Boston College cornerback Will Blackmon and NC State safety Marcus Hudson.
Bill Cowher has averaged 10 wins per season. Only two coaches in the Hall of Fame - Don Shula (10.5) and Bill Walsh (10.2) - have higher averages.
How volatile has head coaching in the NFL become? Consider that Chicago's Lovie Smith, who will be in his third season, will face only three head coaches next season who have been on the job longer.
Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch picked an opportune time to cobble together his best of five seasons in the league. Vanden Bosch, who had five career sacks coming into the season and played for the veteran minimum of $540,000 in 2005, erupted for 12 1/2 and soon will be become an unrestricted free agent. Tennessee wants to sign him to a new contract before the bidding begans. In either case, Vanden Bosch figures to cash in big time. "My football career has changed so much in the last year, and this is the peak so far," he said. "It's a special moment and I want the people with me the whole way to share in it. I'm going to take as many people as I can; there's room for additions."
In a telephone interview Saturday night, Mike Martz said he enjoyed his interview session with Raiders owner Al Davis and said working for Davis would have been a blast. But he said the overall situation in Oakland just didn't feel right, so he no longer is a candidate. "It was fun visiting with Al Davis," Martz said. "But the situation's probably not for me right now." Martz declined to elaborate.
Mike Ditka, former Bears coach and Aliquippa football star, picked the Steelers to win the Super Bowl when he appeared last week on "The Tony Danza Show" to promote his new book, "In Life, First You Kick Ass, Reflections on the 1985 Bears and Wisdom From Da Coach." He told Danza: "Well, I grew up in Pittsburgh, I was raised there .... I love Seattle, I love Mike Holmgren, but I got to go with Pittsburgh."
Mike Utley never let the paralyzing injury that ended his NFL career and put him in a wheelchair in 1991 crush his spirit, and the ex-Lion believes he will one day walk again. Utley, a Seattle native, is going back to Detroit, just not the way he had always hoped. This is how he hoped it would happen: It's halftime of Super Bowl XL. The Rolling Stones have finished playing. The stage smoke is dissipating from the air at Ford Field, which replaced the Silverdome as the Lions' home in 2002, and as the players begin to emerge from the tunnels for the start of the second half, the public-address announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, 14 1/2 years ago . . ." And there, on the biggest stage in the world, at the 50-yard line, Mike Utley rises, kicks away the chair and walks off the field -- the only act, in his mind, that would constitute closure. "To do that at halftime of the Super Bowl, man, that would be the cat's meow," Utley says. A pause. He shifts his weight in the chair. "But I'm not ready yet."
Making my annual plea in hopes the committee of 39 selectors (mostly writers) elect former Redskin Art Monk on Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Monk is one of 15 finalists, along with former teammate Russ Grimm (now on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers). Monk played 14 seasons for the Redskins from 1980 to 1993, finishing his career playing one year with the Jets and one with Philadelphia. His 940 receptions for 12,721 yards and 68 touchdowns don't even measure his true value to those four Redskins Super Bowl teams. "He has the numbers and the body of work in his career to get in," said retired Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, a Hall of Famer. One prominent voter who isn't likely to support Monk -- Peter King of Sports Illustrated -- said last week that when he covered the New York Giants, that team feared Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Washington's running game more than Monk. "I see him as a good NFL player" -- maybe "not a Hall of Famer," King said.
The Steelers' offense has been a scoring machine in the playoffs, but there is one potential problem brewing. Starting tailback Willie Parker has fumbled four times in his last eight games, including once in the AFC Championship Game. That's compared with just one fumble in his first 10. Coaches screamed at Parker on the sideline after his fumble during the AFC championship, and they won't have patience for another in the Super Bowl. If it happens early enough, the Steelers might use a bigger dose of Jerome Bettis.
The Miami Herald reports people are buzzing about Lawrence Taylor's bizarre behavior at Prime 112 last week. He reached for a bottle from the wrong table, approached Michael Jordan's table and loudly yelled, ''Ladies and gentleman, Michael Jordan!'' An embarrassed Jordan put his head in his hands. Charles Oakley tried to settle down L.T.