NFL Report Thursday

[HEAV]

Carl Peterson was back in his office Wednesday, rested from a short
vacation and mildly amused over the late-summer hubbub about a free-agent
cornerback he hasn’t seen since March. Or is annoyed a better word? “I wouldn’t
worry about Ty Law at this point,” the Chiefs’ president/general manager said.
“You’re talking to the horse’s mouth here. We have had no conversations with Ty
Law or with his agent specific to a contract. Never have. We haven’t made a
contract offer to him. I won’t make a contract offer to a player until I get to
see him really actually work out. That’s what my job is, and he hasn’t been able
to do that yet.”

The Chiefs start training camp in River Falls, Wis., next week, and Carl
Peterson said he doesn’t anticipate any other roster moves. At least two other
teams are believed to be heavily in pursuit of Ty Law — the Jets and the
Jaguars. Reports out of New England this week have suggested that the Patriots
might want Law to return. “If Ty Law, once he gets well, has an interest in the
Chiefs for a contract that makes sense to us, then I’m happy to talk with him,”
Peterson said. “But right now my understanding is he’s looking for a big
contract, but he’s not even physically well yet.”

We can start calling Tony Gonzalez “Hollywood.” Tony G, who already has appeared
in sitcoms such as ABC’s “Married to the Kellys” and HBO’s “Arli$$,” now can be
seen as the host of “Super Agent,” a reality-based TV show about players and
agents that makes its debut at 9 p.m. Friday on Spike TV. Anyway, the show’s
storyline goes like this: USC defensive lineman Shaun Cody is in need of an
agent and must pick one of nine prospective agents before the NFL draft. Each
week, one prospective agent is eliminated. Cody, by the way, was drafted by the
Detroit Lions. Tony G’s role as the host also includes offering Cody some
advice, such as perhaps staying away from one team of agents that referred to
the “Baltimore” Colts.
-----------


The Redskins also are expected to release wide receiver Rod Gardner , which
would create $2.1 million in cap space. Gardner, a former first-round pick, was
granted permission to seek a trade shortly after the season ended. He did not
train with the team and Coach Joe Gibbs has said he would not participate in
training camp if still on the roster. An NFL source said Carolina has expressed
some interest in Gardner, but with most clubs expecting the wide receiver to
eventually be released there have been no substantial trade offers.

The Washington Redskins have granted veteran linebacker Mike Barrow permission
to seek a trade, according to a league source, another sign that could point to
his departure from the organization without ever playing a game. Barrow has not
played in a regular season game in nearly two years and the Redskins have
stocked up on linebackers this offseason. Washington declined to release Barrow
in June, when teams can begin seeking salary-cap relief, surprising many
executives around the NFL, but he does not appear to be in the team's long-term
plans.
-----------

[HEAV]

Mike Sherman's 53-27 regular season record during his five-year run as Packers'
coach is surpassed only by Philadelphia's Andy Reid (59-21). Pittsburgh's Bill
Cowher and New England's Bill Belichick have identical marks. Among all-time
Green Bay coaches, Sherman's .663 winning percentage trails only Vince Lombardi
(.746) and Mike Holmgren (.670). Those don't sound like the numbers of a man
fighting for his coaching life. But that's exactly the position Sherman finds
himself in heading into the 2005 season.

A letter agent Drew Rosenhaus received last week from Green Bay Packers general
manager Ted Thompson stating that the team would not address a contract
extension for receiver Javon Walker or allow him to seek a trade solidified the
Pro Bowl receiver's decision to boycott training camp. Rosenhaus said Wednesday
that after he received the letter from Thompson, he and Walker decided their
best option was to continue to withhold the receiver's services from the
Packers. Veterans aren't scheduled to report until Wednesday and take the field
for the first time two days later, but Rosenhaus didn't see much hope for Walker
being there on time. "We were very disappointed with the team's decision
and when they memorialized that with a letter, it basically limited our options
to this point to either being traded or deciding what our other options
are," Rosenhaus said. "For right now we don't intend to report to
training camp." Rosenhaus said in a Fox Radio interview on Wednesday that
he and Owens had not decided whether he would attend Eagles training camp, which
opens next week.
-----------

Eddie George said he was watching the running back situations in Jacksonville,
Minnesota and with the New York Giants. He'd happily field a call from any team
looking for help during training camp or even after the season starts. "The
bottom line is, I have a deep desire to play football. All I need is to land my
feet somewhere," he said. "It's going to take a situation where a
coach needs a guy like myself, they believe in me whether as a situational guy,
one of the two backs that they can rely on. "I believe in my heart I have a
few good years left in me."
----------------

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Thanks Heav

[HEAV]

Terrell Owens has said he wants a new deal so he can "take care of my
family." The Eagles hope those same familial concerns will make him think
twice about holding out. Because if he does, it will cost him money. For
starters, he'll be fined from $9,400 to $9,600 a day for each day he stays away
from training camp. More significant, according to an NFL Players Association
source familiar with Owens' contract, if he misses even the first day of
training camp, the Eagles would have the right to reclaim five-sixths, or $1.87
million, of the $2.25 million signing bonus they gave Owens last year when he
was traded to the Eagles. Right now, your guess is as good as Joe Banner's as
far as which choice the five-time Pro Bowler will make. "If we were dealing
with somebody who was looking at this logically and was going to come to a
common-sense conclusion, you'd say [he'll report to camp on time]," Banner
said. "But you're dealing with two people here who, frankly, don't think in
common-sense terms. "Anything can happen. They're not going to necessarily
do what makes sense."

Eagles rookie RB Ryan Moats showed excellent quickness in the team's spring
minicamps and is expected to be used in a rotation at running back with starter
Brian Westbrook and veteran Correll Buckhalter. Westbrook is still under his
one-year restricted tender of $1.43 million, and Buckhalter, who has missed two
of the last three seasons with knee injuries, is on a two-year deal.
-------------------

Despite a recent letter from Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver to Jacksonville Mayor
John Peyton that contains lease-breaking language, the team and the city insist
it's not a threat to move the National Football League franchise. In the July 14
letter, Weaver outlined his concerns about the Jaguars and the city reaching a
resolution in current negotiations over several issues. "So that there is
no question, I am informing you that we have 'suffered a pre-tax loss' in two of
the last three fiscal years and did not 'in one of the two ensuing years realize
pre-tax earnings equal to at least the median pre-tax earnings of the then
member clubs of the NFL,''' Weaver wrote.
---------

[HEAV]

Think Don Shula. Think Jimmy Johnson. Think about their chilly relationship that
a handful of years still hasn't thawed. Shula made that clear Wednesday during a
conference call to discuss Marino's enshrinement. It began innocently when a
reporter attempted to ask Shula if Marino benefited by playing for only two head
coaches in the NFL. Shula initially thought Marino and Dave Wannstedt overlapped
slightly, bringing the total to three, but when everyone agreed that Marino
retired before Wannstedt made his head-coaching debut in 1999, that meant Marino
played for only Shula and Johnson. "You mean he had one coach," Shula
said. "Look at the numbers. They speak for themselves." Marino enjoyed
his greatest success with Shula, playing 13 seasons, averaging 262.5 passing
yards per game and 27 touchdowns per season, including his injury-shortened
1993. They also won more games than any coach/quarterback combination in NFL
history, 116. Marino turned 35 as the 1996 season began with Johnson, and things
never were the same. Marino's stats dropped by 39 yards per game and his
touchdown passes fell to 17 per season. It goes beyond numbers.

Former Dolphins tailback Eugene "Mercury" Morris is suing the NFL
pension plan in hopes of collecting disability benefits for injuries he suffered
while playing, NBC 6 (WTVJ-TV) reported. Morris, 58, claims a slew of serious
physical ailments that he is currently afflicted with -- including chronic
shoulder, back, knee and wrist injuries -- make him eligible to receive
increased pension benefits. NBC 6 reports the NFL has filed to dismiss the case,
arguing Morris relinquished his right for disability benefits by accepting a
$295,000 lump-sum payment in 1991.

Barring a change of stance from the Ricky Williams camp, contract issues are not
expected to keep Williams from reporting for the start of training camp with the
Dolphins on Sunday. What happens by the start of the season is another matter.
Williams' contract for the upcoming season will count as the veteran minimum of
$540,000 when he reports. There had been discussion this offseason about whether
agent Leigh Steinberg would press for Williams' previous base salary of $3.7
million, but a source indicated that is unlikely, for now. ''I really have
nothing to say about his contract situation,'' said Steinberg, who confirmed
Williams has been reinstated by the NFL after a year of retirement. Steinberg
likely will ask the Dolphins to work on some type of incentive package for
Williams. That package could include a bonus for how many games he is on the
roster, for how many carries he gets and/or how many yards he gains. If the
Dolphins don't agree to an incentive package, Steinberg might press the issue of
whether Williams is entitled to his $3.7 million base salary.

Agent Peter Schaffer said he hasn't had any talks with the team regarding
supplemental draft pick Manuel Wright, a defensive tackle from USC, because the
NFL Management Council has yet to assign the Dolphins a salary cap slot to
accommodate Wright's contract.
---------

[HEAV]

Peter Boulware, 30, missed all of last season recovering from knee and toe
surgeries, and was ultimately released by the Ravens on May 11. But the Steelers
came away intrigued with the four-time Pro Bowler after observing Boulware
during an individual workout July 14 in Tallahassee, Fla. The Steelers, who
don't yet consider Boulware completely recovered but believe he'll play in the
NFL this season, envision a more salary-cap friendly compensation package.
Should they secure Boulware on their terms, they would employ him as rotating
substitute for outside linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans in pass-rushing
situations. The Browns, Texans and Seahawks also observed Boulware's personal
audition.
---------------



Jonathan Vilma, the former Miami Hurricanes star, couldn't care less about the
potential problems that lie ahead for the Jets. The second-year linebacker feels
so good about his team that he's already thinking big. As in Detroit in February
big. "I'm thinking about the Super Bowl," Vilma told Newsday from Los
Angeles, where he was filming a commercial for, appropriately enough, the NFL's
celebration of 40 years of Super Bowls, the "Road to 40." Yes, Vilma
believes the Jets have every right to be in Super Bowl XL. "I think
anything less would be a disappointment," said Vilma.
----------------



Retirement. Tedy Bruschi has not decided that yet, as he and the Patriots left
the door open for a return in 2006. The statement said there was ``no word on
his plans beyond this season.'' This season. Bruschi will be placed on an
inactive list next week. Interestingly, sources indicated yesterday it would
likely be on either the non-football injury list or the physically unable to
perform list, both of which would leave the door open for Bruschi to return late
in the season.

Tedy Bruschi, 32, has been a fixture in the middle of the Patriots defense since
midway through the 2001 season when he moved to middle linebacker after a
November loss to the St. Louis Rams. The Patriots have gone 52-11 since then,
winning three out of the past four Super Bowls, and Bruschi became the most
recognizable member of a somewhat faceless but brilliantly efficient crew.


LB Tedy Bruschi was due to earn $850,000 for the 2005 season. His contract would
be voided if he retired; he would receive his salary if the Patriots placed him
on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
-------------------

[HEAV]

The more owner Jerry Jones thought about it, the more he wanted to induct Troy
Aikman, Michel Irvin and Emmitt Smith into the Ring of Honor on the same day. It
seemed so fitting. After all, they were drafted in successive years. They helped
the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the '90s and earn the title of Team of the
Decade. And they were nicknamed "The Triplets." Jones announced
Wednesday evening at Texas Stadium that Aikman, Irvin and Smith would be the
13th, 14th and 15th players inducted into the club's exclusive Ring of Honor. It
marks the first time the Cowboys have added three players to the Ring of Honor
at one time.
-----------------


Bears QB Rex Grossman married his longtime girlfriend, Alison, on July 9 under a
big tent in the back yard of his parents' home. There were 439 guests in
attendance, including several of his Bears teammates, college coach Steve
Spurrier and his high school coach Myron "Coach Mo" Moriart
------------------


When the Chargers put single-game tickets on sale Saturday, fans wanting to
attend games against four "premium opponents" must also buy tickets to
two other games, including one exhibition. A family of four wanting to attend
the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys – or games against the Pittsburgh
Steelers, New York Giants or Oakland Raiders – will have to spend at least $792.
That's because that family will actually be buying 12 tickets – four tickets to
three different games.

[watermock]

Hey Heav, didn't you know Bob signed Ty Law two weeks ago...oh, im sorry, that was Ashley Ambrose...

[watermock]

Irvin deserves a spot in the "crackwhore" ring of fame along with LT.

[HEAV]

Ya that freaking KC station jumped the damn gun. Drives me nut's when you think you got a hot one and it just fizzeles...........

It's a cool gimmick to have the trips go into the ring at once. Even though it is just that a gimmick.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by HEAV

Jonathan Vilma, the former Miami Hurricanes star, couldn't care less about the
potential problems that lie ahead for the Jets. The second-year linebacker feels
so good about his team that he's already thinking big. As in Detroit in February
big. "I'm thinking about the Super Bowl," Vilma told Newsday from Los
Angeles, where he was filming a commercial for, appropriately enough, the NFL's
celebration of 40 years of Super Bowls, the "Road to 40." Yes, Vilma
believes the Jets have every right to be in Super Bowl XL. "I think
anything less would be a disappointment," said Vilma.

Get ready to get disappointed. Your going to be exposed as a fraud without Ferguson unless Dwayne Robertson is a total beast.

[Sodak]

Originally Posted by HEAV

Terrell Owens has said he wants a new deal so he can "take care of my
family."

I wonder if TO's family can play wide receiver too?

[HEAV]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

Get ready to get disappointed. Your going to be exposed as a fraud without Ferguson unless Dwayne Robertson is a total beast.

Being kinda hard on the former "Cane" aren't ya! Vilma can play, that's just the Hurricane-tude coming out of his mouth.

[-Slap-]

We can start calling Tony Gonzalez “Hollywood.” Tony G, who already has appeared
in sitcoms such as ABC’s “Married to the Kellys” and HBO’s “Arli$$,” now can be
seen as the host of “Super Agent,” a reality-based TV show about players and
agents that makes its debut at 9 p.m. Friday on Spike TV. Anyway, the show’s
storyline goes like this: USC defensive lineman Shaun Cody is in need of an
agent and must pick one of nine prospective agents before the NFL draft. Each
week, one prospective agent is eliminated. Cody, by the way, was drafted by the
Detroit Lions. Tony G’s role as the host also includes offering Cody some
advice, such as perhaps staying away from one team of agents that referred to
the “Baltimore” Colts.

Man, TV just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

Man, TV just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

I think that show was suppose to be called (married to the sister)and tony played the sister.