Nfl Report Monday

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The Vikings have expressed no interest so far in kicker Paul Edinger, whose
request to be released was granted by the Chicago Bears on Sunday at the end of
a three-day minicamp. "When the Bears gave us permission to talk to other
teams a couple of weeks ago, I put calls in to five to seven teams that I
thought had some level of interest," Edinger's agent, Ken Harris, said
Sunday. "The Vikings never called back. I don't know where their interest
is now." Vikings Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski was
not available to comment Sunday. In 2003, the Vikings made Edinger a five-year,
$7 million restricted-free-agent offer.

The Tennessee Titans are expected to make the strongest push to sign Paul
Edinger, who saved the Bears with a tying field goal with 56 seconds remaining
in their Nov. 14 game at Nashville.


Dolphins defensive tackle Tim Bowens is pondering retirement, while the club is
studying how and when to break ties with its longest standing veteran. Bowens,
32, who has played 12 seasons for Miami and is the only player remaining from
the Don Shula era, got bad news last week when he visited a specialist and was
told he has made no progress in recovering from the back ailment that forced him
to miss all but two games last season. The doctor also told Bowens nothing could
be done to cure the problem, short of hoping time would do the trick. A source
close to Bowens said Sunday that the player is frustrated with his condition to
the point where retirement is now a serious consideration.


The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be on the verge of losing yet another player to the
Seattle Seahawks. Seattle, which recently signed free agent wide receiver Joe
Jurevicius and free agent nose tackle Chartric Darby, is believed to be closing
in on an agreement with free agent safety John Howell. The four- year veteran
played in all 16 games in 2004, starting six, and could sign with the Seahawks
as early as this week.


Pat Tillman's family is lashing out at the Army, saying that the military
investigations into Tillman's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan last year were
a sham and that Army efforts to cover up the truth have made it harder for them
to deal with their loss. More than a year after their son was shot several times
by fellow Army Rangers on a hillside near the Pakistani border, Tillman's mother
and father said in interviews that they think the military and the government
created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response
across the country. They say the Army's "lies" about what happened
have made them suspicious, and they are certain they will never get the full
story.


Jets veteran cornerback Donnie Abraham is back -- for now. Abraham, a nine-year
veteran, will report today as the Jets resume their organized off-season
workouts. He says he's still contemplating retirement largely because of family
concerns and feels this week will help him make a final decision. Abraham missed
the team's first round of workouts and the April minicamp.



The straggler in the Los Angeles stadium derby quit Sunday before it could be
cut by the NFL. In a decision that was abrupt but not surprising, Carson City
opted out of the race two days before league owners are to meet in Washington in
part to discuss bringing football back to the nation's second-largest market.
The choice was made during an hour-long emergency meeting of the Carson City
Council called by Mayor Jim Dear. "The timing wasn't right for an NFL
stadium," Dear said. "But the timing is right for a large regional
mall. We looked at the numbers and the mall is much more attractive for the
long-term health of the city."


Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper said that in the team's recent minicamps,
he could see major improvement in the team's defense. The addition of Fred Smoot
and Darren Sharper in the secondary and the rush provided by new defensive
lineman Pat Williams, all signed as free agents, has made a big difference.
"They're very quick, they're very fast and they are guys who really want to
make big plays," Culpepper said.


Thomas Jones will begin training camp as the Bears' No. 1 running back, but he
appears to be anything but secure, and the team may have to deal with his
bruised feelings down the road. Jones repeatedly dodged the media all weekend
during mini-camp, at one point even ducking quickly through a crowd of
autograph-seeking fans rather than talk to reporters. And coaches have talked to
him privately about the franchise's selection of Cedric Benson with the fourth
pick in the draft. For now, Benson is listed third on the depth chart behind
Jones and Adrian Peterson.


The Indianapolis Colts' linebacker corps has taken a hit before the first
official hit could even be delivered on the football field. Rookie Tyjuan
Hagler, one of the team's fifth-round draft picks, will miss at least the next
three months while recovering from recent surgery to address a sports hernia.
Hagler, expected to compete for the backup job at middle linebacker behind
projected starter Gary Brackett, played with the injury during his senior season
at the University of Cincinnati. He participated in the Colts' rookie minicamp
April 29-May 1, and had hoped to put off surgery until after his rookie
season.


The Ravens will hold their second four-day passing camp this week, one that will
include nearly all of the more than 70 players who showed for last week's
workouts. One notable exception will be cornerback Samari Rolle, who will be
unable to attend because of a vacation planned before he signed with the team.
Running back Jamal Lewis, safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis are also
expected to miss the voluntary camp.


Seen at Light (Bellagio) after participating in the club's Easter Seals
celebrity golf shootout where Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Jake Plummer and
Ahman Green.