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Blacknbengal

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Bucs release Pro Bowl DE Rice


As training camps begin, a surprise name has suddenly been added to the open market.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday released Pro Bowl defensive end Simeon Rice, FOXSports.com has learned. In a meeting between Rice and Tampa management, the team asked the 12th-year player out of Illinois to take a pay cut. When Rice refused, the team released him.
The timing is odd, to say the least, as Rice showed up and checked in to Bucs training camp before being called in to the meeting.

The Bucs left open the option for Rice to return, though that does not seem likely at this point.

Hours before cutting Rice, Tampa inked first-round draft pick Gaines Adams to a six-year, $46 million contract.

Adams became the highest pick in this year's draft to sign a contract. The 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive end was the fourth selection behind Oakland's JaMarcus Russell, Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Cleveland's Joe Thomas. The Bucs are counting on him to help revitalize their pass rush.

"I wanted to come in on the first day, get acclimated and let them know I'm here with them," Adams said.

General manager Bruce Allen said Rice, who missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, failed a physical when he reported to camp earlier in the day.

"He needs more time to recover" Allen said of Rice, who was scheduled to earn $7.25 million in the final season of a five-year, $41 million contract extension he signed after helping the Bucs win the Super Bowl in 2002.

"We felt now was the time to make the move," said Allen, who insisted it had nothing to do with Rice's salary or the fact that Adams was drafted fourth overall with an eye on eventually replacing the 33-year-old Rice. "You let it drag on for weeks, it might not be fair to him."

Allen said Rice is confident the injury will heal and he will be able to play for another team this season.

"I don't think there's any doubt he'll get better in time," Allen said. "I don't think the last chapter of Simeon Rice's NFL career has been written."

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Bengals LB will miss another season

CINCINNATI (AP) - Odell Thurman's petition for reinstatement was denied Thursday by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who decided that the Cincinnati Bengals middle linebacker should miss another season because of his ongoing problems.

Thurman was suspended for all of last season after skipping a drug test and later being arrested for drunken driving. He asked Goodell to reinstate him for the 2007 season, but was turned down.
Thurman will be allowed to ask for reinstatement again after the season.

Goodell's decision left the Bengals with two suspended players as they opened training camp. Receiver Chris Henry will miss the first eight games for repeatedly violating the league's conduct policy - he has been arrested four times.

Thurman's teammates had expected him back and wondered what made Goodell turn him down. The Bengals were not given a reason for his decision.

"I thought he was going to be reinstated, and if that's the direction the league is going to take, that's pretty hard-core," defensive end Justin Smith said, after reporting for training camp in Georgetown, Ky.

The Bengals are the league's prime example of misconduct, with 10 players arrested over a 14-month span. Thurman and Henry have been repeatedly suspended by the league.

The team had no comment about Thurman's extended suspension. League spokesman Greg Aiello said the NFL wouldn't comment because of privacy provisions in its substance abuse policy.

"I'm disappointed for Odell, but it is part of life," coach Marvin Lewis said.

At a media luncheon on Tuesday, owner Mike Brown supported Thurman, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia who led the team in tackles as a rookie in 2005.

"Odell has been through a difficult time," Brown said. "He's worked hard to bring himself back. It's the call of the league (about reinstatement). I know one thing: If he can get back, he's a good player."

Thurman was suspended for the first four games of last season because he skipped a drug test. He was arrested for drunken driving last September, prompting Goodell to extend the suspension to the full season.

The Bengals finished 8-8 last season, when their defense dragged them down again. Cincinnati's pass defense was tied for worst in the league.

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Giants' no-show Strahan mulling retirement


ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan failed to report to the New York Giants training camp on Friday, and he is mulling retirement, his agent told the team.

"He is not here," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said after Strahan failed to report with veterans and rookies to the University at Albany. "Last night I talked to his agent (Tony Agnone) and his agent said to me at seven o'clock last night that he is contemplating retirement. That's all I know right now."
Neither Reese nor coach Tom Coughlin has been able to contact Strahan, although the 35-year-old who holds the NFL single-season record for sacks (22 1/2) left a message for Coughlin around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday night.

Coughlin did not see the message until Friday morning. He left a telephone message for Strahan, but it was not immediately returned.

"Obviously I am disappointed that he is not here," said Coughlin, who said that Strahan left no message other than to call him. "He is a very important part of our team as we have talked all along. We are just going to have to wait for more information.

Angone did not immediately return a telephone message left at his office by The Associated Press.

Strahan, whose 132 1/2 sacks are tops among active players, was not immediately available for comment.

The Giants placed Strahan on their reserve-did not report to camp list, Reese said, adding that Agnone did not say why Strahan was considering retirement.

Neither Coughlin nor Reese would say whether Strahan would be fined for missing camp until they spoke with him.

Coughlin hoped the incident would not distract the team with its first practices scheduled for Saturday.

"We've had enough of those," Coughlin said of distractions which plagued the Giants during an 8-8 campaign in 2006. "At least we've dealt with it. Put it that way."

There have been recent reports that Strahan, who was scheduled to make $4 million this season, was going to hold out because he felt he was being underpaid.

However, many felt that Strahan was looking for more money after losing a bitter divorce this past summer to his former wife, Jean. She was awarded $15.3 million along with child support for their twin daughters at $18,000 a month.

Agnone did not talk about renegotiating Strahan's contract with Reese, who added that Strahan might be tired after 14 seasons.

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Giants consider signing DE Rice



ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - With Michael Strahan holding out and considering retirement, the New York Giants plan to give recently released defensive end Simeon Rice a physical on Wednesday.

Strahan, 35, stunned the Giants on Friday when he failed to show up for training camp at the University at Albany. His agent said that Strahan was considering retirement after 14 NFL seasons.

Rice will arrive in New York on Tuesday and be examined the next day, Giants spokesman Peter John-Baptiste said after the team finished its second practice on Sunday.

Rice, whose 121 career sacks rank second to Strahan (132 1/2) among active players, was released by Tampa Bay last week after the Buccaneers signed first-round draft pick Gaines Adams.

Rice had failed a physical earlier in the day after reporting to camp. The 33-year-old started the first eight games of last season before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.

After being released, Rice was confident his injury would heal and that he would play this season.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin has been playing telephone tag with Strahan since Friday.

"I have nothing to report on those lines," Coughlin said Sunday.

Strahan has been critical of Rice in recent years, claiming that he gets sacks but doesn't play the run well.

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Ellis' status to be resolved soon


SAN ANTONIO (AP) - One way or another, Greg Ellis, the Cowboys' injured and disgruntled linebacker, could be a few days from ending the drama that's surrounded his relationship with Dallas the last year and a half.

Or maybe he's just adding to the drama.
Ellis said Saturday that an announcement about his status is coming by the end of the week. He stuck by that Sunday, explaining the announcement will "clarify the air and know what we can expect the rest of the season."

"I think by that time in training camp it should be, 'This is what we're going to do and this is how we're going to do it,"' Ellis said.

Nobody has been on the Cowboys longer than Ellis. A captain the last two seasons, Ellis is among the most respected guys in the locker room.

Yet in the last year, only Terrell Owens has raised more of a ruckus.

Ellis began worrying whether the team still wanted him before last season, when Bill Parcells moved him from defensive end to linebacker. He did just fine until tearing an Achilles' tendon in mid-November.

Ellis' concerns resurfaced in April when the Cowboys used their top pick on someone who plays his position.

"People can say, 'He's not going to take your job.' But that's the nature of this beast," Ellis said. "You don't draft a first-rounder to sit on the bench."

So Ellis wants his contract restructured as proof of the team's commitment. If not, he's asked to be released or traded. He went 0-for-3 on the same requests last year.

Think about it from the team's perspective.

Owner Jerry Jones already has given Ellis a $4.2 million signing bonus in 2003 as part of a contract that pays him $2.5 million this season with two years remaining.

The Cowboys want him at linebacker for two reasons: He was tied for the team lead in sacks when he was hurt and the defense sagged without him. In fact, the drop-off contributed to the Cowboys spending the 26th overall pick on Anthony Spencer, a defensive end from Purdue being converted to linebacker.

Having both isn't just a luxury, it's logical - fewer snaps will help preserve Ellis, who turns 32 on Aug. 14, and the rookie can be brought along slowly.

No wonder then that coach Wade Phillips said Sunday he's expecting to open the season with Ellis on the roster.

"I've expected that the whole time. I don't know why he wouldn't be," Phillips said. "He's got a contract for a while. We want him here. I think he fits in the scheme well. He's got an opportunity to do well. As a coach, you want players like Greg Ellis - guys who can make plays, that work hard, that have the right character, great people."

Ellis' only options are retiring or walking out of camp. He's ruled out retirement.

"I still want to play football," he said. "So you've narrowed that one down."

The team's choices are trading him, cutting him or keeping him. Considering there aren't many teams looking for players of his age and salary who are coming off a serious injury, that leaves two possibilities. And why would the Cowboys cut someone they expect to contribute once he's healthy?

Adding to the confusion is Ellis' recovery.


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Young punches teammate in practice


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Hopefully for the Tennessee Titans, Vince Young learned a very important lesson Wednesday in training camp. Never - ever - throw a punch again with his throwing hand.

Luckily for the 2006 offensive rookie of the year and the Titans, the punch thrown at safety Donnie Nickey glanced off his helmeted head.
"The guys stick up for the quarterback, and he sticks up for his teammates," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Enough said."

Young has never hid his competitive spirit, whether back in college at Texas or since being drafted last year by the Titans. During training camp last year, he leveled defensive tackle Randy Starks after having a pass intercepted.

Nickey, who primarily plays special teams and played at Ohio State, had knocked down receiver Joel Filani earlier when the rookie ran the wrong route, a post when the defense was defending against the post.

Trainers helped Filani to the side, then Nickey broke up the pass by taking receiver Courtney Roby to the ground on the very next play by putting his right arm around Roby's neck in a chokehold move. Young, who had thrown the pass, erupted.

He yelled at Nickey and asked him what he was doing, telling him to quit that stuff. Young ran over as Roby stayed on the ground. Nickey put his right hand on Young's chest before the quarterback shoved back and took a swing at the safety.

Tight end Bo Scaife came in and helped push Nickey away from the fray, and 13-year veteran center Kevin Mawae got in front of Young, pushing him clear. Young took several minutes to cool off and continued yelling back.

Fisher pulled his team together at midfield and reminded them to cool it. After practice ended, Nickey met with Roby and shared a half hug, and Young hugged Nickey. Fisher then made the three stand behind him as he talked with reporters.

"My preference is not to see my quarterback throwing punches with his throwing hand. Secondly, we need to avoid the stuff on the field, and hey, it happens. Everything is OK. Right?" Fisher asked of the trio.

They all said yes.

Young said the incident was over, families fight and they all got it off their chest. Asked about throwing a punch with his throwing hand.

"That's bad. That's bad. That's real bad," Young said.

Nickey, a three-year veteran, said he understands that would have been a great play on Sunday in a game but that he shouldn't have done that to his own teammate. He apologized to Roby and realized it wasn't a clean hit.

"Someone comes at me, I'm not going to back down. I don't care if it's Vince, President Bush. That's just instincts that come out. But I respect him for it. I didn't want that to happen. I think it's over. We put it to bed," Nickey said.

However, he did have some advice for Young in the future if he does decide to start swinging again.

"At least not with your right hand man. Jab with the left and wait for the cavalry," Nickey said.

Notes: Running back LenDale White took part in non-contact drills Wednesday but not team drills. Coach Jeff Fisher said he had a sore shoulder and White wanted to practice. But Fisher said it was the coaches' decision to hold him out. ... Veteran right guard Benji Olson missed practice because he was meeting with a specialist about his lower back. He has missed a couple days because of his low back. ... Defensive end Travis LaBoy and defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona sat out with tight hamstrings. Offensive lineman Leroy Harris missed with a mild knee strain, and defensive tackle Rien Long was given the practice off after lightning forced the team to the indoor practice field before coming back outside.

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Mara: No new contract for Strahan


ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The New York Giants are not going to renegotiate Michael Strahan's $4 million contract to persuade the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end to stop mulling retirement and play this season.

"I don't want to get into negotiating in the media," co-owner John Mara said Wednesday as Strahan's holdout entered its sixth day. "He is under contract and I think you all know what our position is on that. I don't want to make any statements on that."
In his gut, Mara said he feels the 35-year-old Strahan would eventually decide to play, but he said the team was prepared to move on without him.

Veteran defensive end Simeon Rice took a physical for the Giants in New York on Wednesday and met with coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese here after practice. Rice was to have dinner with team officials Wednesday night.

There was no immediate word on whether Rice, who is No. 2 in sacks among active players behind Strahan, would be offered a contract.

Mara downplayed a report that Strahan felt betrayed because the Giants were fining him $14,288 for each day of his holdout.

"He hasn't expressed that to us," said Mara, who said the team had no choice but to dock Strahan. "I'm not sure I believe that."

Strahan's surprising absence has dominated the training camp at the University at Albany since players reported on Friday.

The team knew the recently divorced veteran was looking for more money, but was stunned when his agent said he was mulling retirement.

Had the Giants known that the NFL single-season sack record holder was considering retirement, they might have made moves in the free agent market or drafted differently in April.

"We would have liked to have gotten a little more notice," Mara said. "I understand the fact that he is just undecided about what he wants to do. Sometimes these things happen."

Mara insisted that the holdout has not been a distraction for a team trying to rebound from an 8-8 season that was good enough to get a playoff berth.

"I don't think any of us are that troubled by it," Mara said. "We'd like to have him come in. If he decided to come in, that's great. We will be a better team with him in here. If he doesn't, we'll move on."

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Structure of Russell deal is the holdup


The prevalent thinking is that the Raiders are prepared to give No.1 pick JaMarcus Russell about $29 million in guaranteed money, possibly the bulk of it in signing and option bonuses. That figure is a decent bump over what Houston paid last year's top pick, defensive end Mario Williams.

So, what's the holdup?
Well, there is the talk of forfeiture clauses when referring to option bonuses and multimillions of dollars. Ever since Ashley Lelie's victory over the Broncos, when he was not required to repay the team his bonus money even after he walked out on them, NFL clubs have been very reluctant to give away huge sums of money without any protection to recoup the money should a player decide to quit or retire prematurely. Remember, the Detroit Lions were successful in getting some signing bonus money back Barry Sanders.

Currently, the Carolina Panthers' biggest conflict with holdout linebacker Jon Beason is that they will not give him an option bonus because of the forfeiture issue. And agents know the Panthers tend to be a very generous outfit. Every player signed in the top 10 of this year's draft agreed to specific team protection issues regarding bonuses and guaranteed money.


JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders still have some issues to work out. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

Consequently, it makes good sense that the Raiders want protection. The difficult part for Oakland negotiators is that the agents ? Eric Metz and Ethan Lock ? have not exchanged a single proposal with the team and here it is almost a week since training camp opened. To outsiders, it is obvious that the agents don't like the financial structure of the deal the Raiders have presented to Russell.

The Raiders, one of the NFL's lowest-revenue franchises, also have certain constraints. They have roughly $2.975 million in rookie pool room left with which to sign Russell. The Raiders believe they can get to $29 million in guaranteed money, maximizing that pool number.

But what will the structure of that deal be? That's what is critical to Russell's agents, who definitely want as much dough as they can get up front rather than, say, accepting guaranteed contracts through the 2012 season. Right now, the Raiders can't give all of the guaranteed money in the form of bonuses, be it signing, roster or option bonuses.

Basically, there are significant issues on both sides. From Oakland's perspective, there are the necessary forfeiture issues. But from Russell's side, the difference in structures could mean less in guaranteed money and present-value income. One general manager told me today that the Raiders are being questioned on Russell's deal because many teams thought they overpaid by giving $1 million more in guaranteed money to second-round pick Zach Miller based on deals around him. Some teams are already calling it the worst contract done this year with any draft choice.

Of course, the Raiders should have had much of this contract with Russell completed prior to selecting him in the draft ? something most teams with the No. 1 overall pick have done of late. For example, last year the Texans had a deal in place with Williams before they actually picked him. Oakland should have done the same with Russell or negotiated with Calvin Johnson or whomever. Last year, the Texans switched from Reggie Bush to Williams because they felt they couldn't sign the running back.


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Finally....

Lions ink No. 2 pick Johnson to 6-year deal


ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - Rookie wide receiver Calvin Johnson signed a six-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Friday, ending the No. 2 overall pick's eight-day holdout.

Johnson's signing allowed him to get into camp for workouts, where he was out catching passes Friday morning. Fellow wideout Roy Williams said a day earlier that "the rookie needs to get in here."
Johnson was regarded by some as the best player in the draft after catching 78 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns during his All-America junior season at Georgia Tech. He won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top college receiver.

The Lions, 3-13 last season, in April made Johnson the fourth receiver taken with their first pick in the past five drafts.

"He's going to be a big part of getting us to where we want to go," Lions president Matt Millen said after Johnson was drafted.

The Lions are 24-72 and have missed the playoffs every season since Millen joined the front office in 2001. The soft-spoken Johnson figures to get ample opportunities in offensive coordinator Mike Martz's pass-happy scheme.

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The only people I know left is Russell and that "crazy" Brady Quinn (who wants to be paid like a top 5 pick).
 
Quinn agrees to 5-year deal with Browns


The Brady Quinn saga is now officially over.

The rookie quarterback has agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. The deal is worth $20.2 million, and could reach a total value of $30 million with escalators. The contract contains $7.75 million in guaranteed money.
The deal, which was agreed to Tuesday morning, has not yet been signed, but Quinn was en route to Cleveland to join his teammates on Tuesday.

The No. 22 pick in this year's draft out of Notre Dame, Quinn had been working out in Tempe, Ariz. at Athletes Performance Institute, and last week said he was hoping his holdout would end soon.

His hopes have now been answered.

Quinn's absence, however, has all but ensured he will not win the Browns' starting job, which has become a two-man contest between Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson.


Browns coach Romeo Crennel noted that Quinn looked lost when he practiced with the team in May and has a long way to go.

"He'll get here early and he'll stay late. I know if you put those kind of hours in and study, you'll have a chance. Plus, I believe he's a smart kid also ? on reports by some people I know," a grinning Crennel said, referring to Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. The two worked together as assistants with the New England Patriots.

"It's unfortunate that it took this long to get done," Browns GM Phil Savage said. "I feel like it's a deal that we potentially could have done at the start of camp."

Quinn, a four-year starter at Notre Dame, was projected as a top 10 pick in April's draft. When he slipped deeper into the first round, the Browns traded a 2008 first-round pick to Dallas and selected the Ohio native and childhood Browns fan at No. 22.

During Quinn's holdout, Crennel coldly referred to him as "the quarterback" and not by name. He continued to refer to him that way Tuesday.

"We're going to put him at the bottom of the chart and see where he is," Crennel said. "We'll let him compete, but I'm not putting him on the first team tomorrow."

The Browns have only two practices before their first preseason game Saturday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Maybe in the fourth quarter we might want to give him a snap," Crennel said.

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Raiders not saying which QB will start


NAPA, Calif. (AP) - Lane Kiffin isn't saying yet who the Oakland Raiders starting quarterback will be for Saturday's preseason-opener against Arizona.

The only thing for certain is that it won't be JaMarcus Russell, the unsigned No. 1 draft pick who remains at his mother's house in Mobile, Ala.
Daunte Culpepper, Josh McCown and Andrew Walter are all listed together on the depth chart put out by the team Tuesday.

"The thought was that we're obviously in a competition at that spot (and) no one of the three has emerged as a clear-cut guy by any means," Kiffin said. "We don't need to have the starter (named) right now so we're going to let them play, and to the best that we can, they'll have equal reps in the game."

As they have throughout training camp, McCown and Walter split reps with the Raiders' first-team offense Tuesday and figure to get the majority of work against the Cardinals. Culpepper - who became the favorite to win the starting job after signing with a one-year deal with Oakland on July 31 - practiced with the second-team offense and will have a limited package of plays against Arizona while he tries to get up to speed with Kiffin's offense.

"We're not playing a real game yet so we'll just keep pushing him as hard as we can push him along and see how far he comes," Kiffin said.

In his brief time with the Raiders, Culpepper has proven his arm is fine. During passing drills, his throws are sharper and more crisp than either McCown's or Walter's. But there are still questions about Culpepper's mobility after he missed most of last season due to lingering problems in his right knee.

There are reservations about McCown and Walter, as well.

McCown was part of a draft-day trade with Detroit and hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 2005. He spent all of last season as a back-up to Jon Kitna with the Lions and was hoping to parlay a starting job this year into a big payday next offseason when he becomes a free agent.

Walter was 2-6 as a starter for the Raiders last season and was the lowest rated quarterback in the NFL after throwing 13 interceptions and completing 55.8 percent of his throws. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the offseason and wasn't able to practice until the team opened camp.

Meanwhile, Russell remains unsigned and is one of only two first-round picks without a contract. His representatives have yet to speak publicly on the matter, and Marc Badain - the Raiders' chief negotiator with Russell - declined to comment after attending practice Tuesday.


Kiffin, who has maintained contact with Russell throughout negotiations, didn't sound optimistic when asked if an agreement with Russell was close.


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August 7, 2007


Bears trade Wesley to Patriots, claim Hill
By Larry Mayer


BOURBONNAIS, Ill. ? The Bears on Tuesday traded cornerback Dante Wesley to the New England Patriots in exchange for an undisclosed 2008 draft pick.

The Bears told Wesley a few days ago that he no longer figured in their plans in part because some of the team?s young cornerbacks have shown promise in training camp, proving capable of providing depth behind veterans Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher and Ricky Manning Jr.

Wesley signed with the Bears as a free agent in March 2006 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

The 6-1, 210-pounder from Arkansas-Pine Bluff appeared in 13 games last season, registering 13 tackles on special teams and two stops on defense.

The Bears on Tuesday also claimed fullback Quadtrine Hill off waivers from the Patriots. Hill entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans last year and was briefly with the Bears in training camp last summer before being released.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3672
 
Cardinals Still Have An Edge

James certain he remains an elite NFL back
By DARREN URBAN

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Running back Edgerrin James, having put 2006 in the rear view mirror, expects to have a big 2007 season. (Photo by Peter Vander Stoep)

FLAGSTAFF ? For a man who gained 1,159 yards rushing, Edgerrin James saw most of his 2006 season as a disappointment.

And so did many others.

The Cardinals? running back arrived in Arizona owner of a four-year, $30 million contract and as savior to a moribund running game. It didn?t quite work out that way, especially when the team struggled through the first half of the year. He left some wondering if ? despite just turning 29 Wednesday ? James has what it takes to remain an elite back.

Those are the questions that burn James, mostly because he feels critics are missing the point.

?For the situation I was in, for what I was working with,? James said, ?I did pretty good to hold up.?

For James, he has not changed. Only his circumstances.

Last season, the circumstances were a constantly rotating offensive line and an offensive philosophy that seemed to waver. This season, under new coach Ken Whisenhunt, neither of those things should be an issue.

The 3.4 yards a carry James averaged last season? Edge believes it means nothing, instead looking at his stretch run once the offensive line was readjusted and left alone.

In the last eight games of the season, he averaged 4.2 yards a carry. And his season would have been more prolific yardage-wise if he hadn?t carried the ball 16 times or less in half of those games.

That?s the back Whisenhunt saw when he arrived and looked at video of Edge. While running back Adrian Peterson was available for the Cardinals in the draft, the organization decided it was more important to rebuild the offensive line and the team spent its top pick on tackle Levi Brown.

If James didn?t earn Whisenhunt?s trust as good enough going forward, the decision might have been different.

?(Former Steeler) Jerome Bettis once told me great running backs have that vision,? Whisenhunt said. ?Jerome was a fullback in college who became a good tailback. He had that gift. What I saw of Edgerrin on tape last year, he had that vision and a great ability to finish runs.

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Cardinals Finally Agree With Levi

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FLAGSTAFF ? It took almost a week of training camp and it will cost him at least seven practices, but Levi Brown is finally a Cardinal.

The team?s No. 1 draft pick agreed to a six-year contract Thursday, although now he must play catch-up and prove he is ready to get on the field.

The problem is he has a player in front of him at right tackle on the depth chart ? veteran Oliver Ross ? who himself has something to prove.

?I probably feel this year the best since I have been here,? said Ross, the 2005 free-agent acquisition that has had two disappointing seasons with the Cardinals.

Whether Ross can actually fend off Brown long-term is questionable, no matter how well Ross plays. While the Cardinals declined to comment on the financial details of Brown?s contract, it is believed the fifth overall pick in the draft received around $18.1 million in guaranteed money.

For that kind of money ? and that high of a pick ? Brown will almost certainly start. It?s a question of when.

Brown, flying from Virginia to Arizona, won't land in the Valley until late Thursday night and is expected to take his physical in Phoenix Friday morning before driving to Flagstaff. The Cardinals have two practices scheduled for Friday and Brown will likely miss the first one.

Brown will play right tackle, but as he was in the offseason, he is currently with the second unit behind Ross.

?I?m not saying you expect your first-rounder to not be in camp, but it is becoming the norm more and more every year,? guard Reggie Wells said. ?Obviously, you want to be with the guys one way or the other and you don?t want to miss any time so the sooner you get here the better.

?But that is part of the game. He will catch up.?

Wells said Brown showed flashes of talent in the offseason work.

?But yeah, he better be ready to go,? Wells added with a smile.

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Holmes ready to step in

RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) - Kansas City running back Priest Holmes has a message for holdout All-Pro Larry Johnson: If you don't want the job, I'll take it.

Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler, turns 34 in October and has been out of football since 2005 after suffering what many figured was a career-ending injury. The Chiefs are not planning on him being anything more than a situational back, if he returns to the field at all.
But he created a stir in July with his surprise return, and said this week his comeback attempt is going well as he works himself back into game shape.

He's still on the physically unable-to-perform list while veteran Michael Bennett and rookie Kolby Smith take most of the snaps at running back. But on Tuesday, he was on the practice field in pads, taking handoffs and absorbing hits from assistant coaches using blocking pads.

Afterward, he said he's ready to fill the 27-year-old Johnson's shoes - at least financially.

"Somebody has to get the money," he said. "Hey, if L.J. wants to leave the money out there, guess I'm going to take it. If he wants to come get it, it's rightfully his to take. He's earned it. But if he chooses not to come back, well, somebody has to take it. Why won't it be me?"

Johnson has been a no-show at camp as he seeks an extension to the seven-year contract he inked in 2003, which he can void down to a five-year deal after the final game of the 2007 season because of playing time incentives.

Both head coach Herm Edwards and Chiefs president Carl Peterson have said Holmes will not be their feature back.

"If he's able to come back, he understands and accepts the fact that he would have a different role than when he was the starter," Edwards said.

Johnson is demanding compensation in the range of $28 million guaranteed, insisting he be paid as much as league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. Johnson is scheduled to earn $1.7 million this season, and is being fined more than $14,000 for every day he misses.

One of the NFL's top runners until his injury, Holmes rushed for a team-record 5,933 yards after signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2001. He scored 27 touchdowns in 2003, then an NFL record.

He's been on the physically unable-to-perform list since a devastating tackle by San Diego's Shawne Merriman on Oct. 30, 2005, left him with head and neck trauma. After extensive tests, doctors warned of a possibility of further injury, perhaps even paralysis - a danger that may still lurk.

"This is about perseverance and having a great story to tell," Holmes said. "I think that all the valuable years I've put into my tank, there's a lot in me still."

Some were dubious about Holmes' motives for returning, especially in light of Johnson's holdout.


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Dungy has options for next phase of his life

Colts head coach Tony Dungy will turn 52 in October and there is a slight chance this could be his final NFL season.

"There are so many other things I want to do with life, but I wouldn't be coaching right now if I still didn't enjoy it," Dungy told me on Monday.
"When I started (he was the league's youngest assistant at age 25), I told myself I would coach 25 years, thinking that would be long enough," Dungy said. "Well, I'm over that number now. There are so many speaking engagements that I have to turn down because of coaching. I want to be able to visit prisons and spend a lot more time working with kids. I want to do these things when I'm still relatively young."

Dungy, a devout Christian, wants to help others. At the behest of his wife, his family has three adopted children.

"When our kids went off to school, she said the house was too quiet," Dungy said, smiling.

Despite the tragedy of losing his oldest son, James, Dungy seems almost whole once again.

And now that he has finally won a Super Bowl as a coach, his football career is complete. He earned a ring as a defensive back with the Steelers in 1978, and despite this not being his best Colts' team, he and Peyton Manning finally won a title, beating the Bears in Miami last February.

Not that Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer and his sons care right now (they fired him and ran him out of Tampa), but Dungy is the winningest head coach (90-38 record) in the league since 1999 and the first coach to beat all 32 teams.

To improve ticket sales and boost the stadium bottom line, the Glazers spent four draft picks and $8 million to acquire then-Oakland coach Jon Gruden. But Gruden's team really won a championship with Dungy's defense and now there's talk that the Glazers, if the Bucs don't win this season, could make another dramatic coaching hire to make some money.

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Report: Chiefs, Johnson close to agreement

The Chiefs will leave their Wisconsin practice facility without holdout running back Larry Johnson having run a single play, but that may change by the time the team returns to Kansas City.

Johnson and the Chiefs are nearing a deal, according to a report Monday in the Kansas City Star, that could have the offensive centerpiece back with the team by the end of the week.
The report, citing multiple sources, said the Chiefs and Johnson had "narrowed their once considerable differences" over contract terms and might reach a deal this week. If this timetable is met, Johnson could be suiting up for Kansas City's Aug. 23 preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.

One source told the paper that both sides felt good enough about the situation that Johnson might be in attendance at ? though not playing in ? the Chiefs' preseason game Thursday against the Miami Dolphins.

Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson, though, told the media Monday it was certainly not a done deal.

"I'm cautiously optimistic a deal will get concluded, but exactly when I can't tell you. I really can't," Peterson said, according to the report. "I would say we're still communicating. Are we real close? Not from where I sit.

"The best thing for you to say is that we're still talking pretty much on a daily basis. There are things we're still stuck on, and I can't say how long that's going to take."

Signing Johnson would mean trouble for Priest Holmes, who is likely to be the odd man out in the Chiefs' running back rotation. Michael Bennett and rookie Kolby Smith are expected to join Johnson on the active roster, according to the Star.

"Whether this team has an opportunity for me to remain here, I'm not really concerned with that," Holmes said, according to the report. "Remember, I came into this league without being drafted."


Holmes has yet to practice but hopes to play in the final preseason game on Aug. 30.


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Eagles to release Pro Bowler Trotter

In a stunning move Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles have decided to part ways with one of the stalwarts of their defense from the last several years.

The Eagles are releasing perennial Pro Bowler MLB Jeremiah Trotter, FOXSports.com has learned. Despite recording 113 tackles in 2006, the Eagles feel that Trotter has lost a step.
Coach Andy Reid informed Trotter of his decision Monday night during an emotional meeting. Trotter was a fan favorite because of his intensity, big hits and candor.

"Jeremiah and I have been together for many years and he's played a vital role in helping this team win a lot of football games," Reid said in a statement. "He developed himself into a Pro Bowl middle linebacker through a lot of hard work and desire. In my mind, he will always be a Philadelphia Eagle and I'm sure he feels the same way."



The team scheduled a news conference with Trotter for Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Trotter spent four seasons in Philadelphia before an acrimonious departure as a free agent after the 2001 season. Trotter spent two unsuccessful years with the Washington Redskins, but made amends with Reid and signed a one-year deal with the Eagles following the 2003 season.

He started the 2004 season on special teams but ended up in the Pro Bowl. He had been the starter in the middle since.

The Eagles drafted Trotter out of Stephen F. Austin in the third round in 1998.


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Manning responds to Barber's criticism


ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Tiki Barber wanted a more intense, fiery Eli Manning. The New York Giants quarterback gave Tiki what he wanted in a loud ripping voice on Tuesday.

Two days after being criticized on national television by Barber for a lack of strong leadership, Manning ripped his former teammate and current NBC football analyst for distracting the team last season with his early retirement announcement and his criticism of coach Tom Coughlin.
Also...


NY Post: Eli fires right back



"I guess I'm just happy for Tiki that he's making a smooth transition into the TV world," Manning said. "You know, I'll be interested to see if he has anything to say (about a team) besides the Giants, and what his comments will be on that."

Normally reserved and never one to criticize a coach or teammate, Manning seemed to enjoy going after Barber, the Giants' all-time leading rusher who retired after last season at age 31 to pursue a television career.

Speaking during the halftime show of the Sunday Night Football game between the Giants and Baltimore Ravens, Barber had said that Manning's attempt to lead an offensive meeting in the 12th week of the last season was "comical" at times.



Manning didn't find the comment funny.

"It's just one of those deals. I'm not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say," Manning said. "I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and he's lost the heart (to play).

"As a quarterback you're reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it's about the 10th week," Manning said. "I can see that a little bit at times. But I'm not going to get concerned. I'm going to go out there and play ball."

Speaking on his radio show "The Barber Shop" on Sirius NFL Radio, Barber said he was glad that Manning stuck up for himself, even though he felt his comments were tame and honest.

"Ill tell you this," Barber said. "It was not said maliciously."

Giants teammates came to Manning's defense on Tuesday.

Wide receiver Amani Toomer, who played his entire career with Barber, was stunned.

"I thought Tiki and Eli were pretty good friends," Toomer said. "It's kind of strange to have him say something like that and to make a point of it like that. Maybe he had somebody else in his ear kind of coaxing him into saying stuff, because I don't believe he really believes that. I don't know why he'd say something like that."

Manning's father, Archie, said at a charity bowling event in Indianapolis for his other son, Super Bowl MVP Peyton, that he had not counseled the Giants quarterback on how to handle the situation.

"He talked to me a while ago and said Tiki got after him a little bit the other night, and he said it's not a big deal," Archie Manning said. "He told me a whole lot of people in the Giants organization were proud of what he said.

"Eli's not a controversial guy and he's not going to be. I feel like if Eli did something like that, it would come from his heart."


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Key Pats miss practice as season nears



FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Randy Moss strolled through the Patriots' locker room with a smile and without a limp.

When it came time for the start of Wednesday's practice, though, he was a no-show ? again.
The New England wide receiver is one of several key players who, because of physical woes or contract problems, haven't practiced much, if at all, this summer.

Two former Pro Bowl players, defensive lineman Richard Seymour and wide receiver Troy Brown, have been on the physically unable to perform list since training camp started. Cornerback Asante Samuel has held out since camp began for a new contract.

Not practicing, though, doesn't mean a player won't get into the next game.

"I've been in situations before," wide receiver Donte' Stallworth said, "where a certain guy's been in the offense for at least five or six years and really didn't practice that much because of an injury, but came out and knew exactly what he was doing. But if you're a new guy not really familiar with everything, it will be a little harder."



On Wednesday, Tom Brady wasn't on the field or sidelines for the first 15 minutes of practice that were open to the media.

The quarterback had said Monday he wanted a few days off to attend the birth of his first child. Actress Bridget Moynahan, his former girl friend, is expected to give birth any day, but her spokesperson said Wednesday there was no news.

Brady skipped practice the previous Wednesday and has tried to rest his arm more than in the past.

He and Moss were playing well together before the receiver suffered an apparent leg injury running for a long pass in practice on Aug. 1. Trainers applied ice to his upper left leg and he left the field under his own power.

Coach Bill Belichick turned a question about how much Moss has been set back by missing practice into a general statement about his team.

"There are a lot of things that you can do mentally, in the meeting room and in a film study," he said Wednesday. "The areas of the body that you can train, that are trainable, you train and the ones that aren't, then you rehab them until they are."

He gave no update on Moss.

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