Bengals’ trio of WRs will pose problems for opposition

Posted: July 28th, 2010 | Brian Baldinger | Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Cedric Benson, Terrell Owens, Brian Baldinger, Antonio Bryant, Chad Ochocinco

If history is any indication, Terrell Owens in the Bengals offense makes a lot of sense.

As recently as the 2007 season, the Bengals had their most success under offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski using a three-receiver attack. The trio of Chad Ochocinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry were nearly impossible to defend. Watching the tape, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was completely flummoxed on some Sundays on how to defend them. Teams simply couldn�t double-team everyone, and the ball usually went to the receiver who faced single coverage.

The Bengals haven�t had that luxury the last two seasons, but they will with Owens. Cedric Benson has the ability to pound the ball into the belly of defenses behind what I believe is an improved offensive line. It�s the offensive line, which is much better now than in 2007, that could make the spread even more affective.

I believe Ochocinco and Owens will operate mainly on the outside, with Antonio�Bryant in the slot. The Bengals are now one of the few teams in the league that can go into a spread formation and present a formidable trio of receivers that will pose problems for defenses.

This can work, and work well.

Are there enough footballs to go around? That�s my biggest question.

Divas don�t win championships, teams do. If the Bengals think team-first, they can go far. T.O. should be smiling, and Bengals fans will learn to love him. Forget the popcorn. It�s time to forget about selfishness and think about rings. It�s the one thing missing from their resumes.

� Brian Baldinger

Posted in: NFL Network �

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Madden: Tatum’s reputation took on a life of its own

Posted: July 28th, 2010 | Chris Bayee | Tags: Oakland Raiders, John Madden, Jack Tatum

Hitter, yes. Assassin, no.

That is John Madden�s assessment of the late Jack Tatum, whom the Hall of Fame coach tutored as a Raider during the 1970s.

The safety co-wrote a book titled �They Call Me Assassin� after his NFL career ended, but he was never called �The Assassin� during his playing days, Madden said.

�After the book, people started to call him �The Assassin� and say that was his nickname, which was never true, and that he called himself an assassin, which he didn�t,� Madden said. �The story is that he�s a high school All-American and he�s recruited to Ohio State as a hitter. And he�s praised to be a hitter. And he plays at Ohio State and he�s an All-American, because he�s a hitter. And he goes to the pros and is a first-round draft choice because he�s a hitter.

�And then he hits a guy, the guy doesn�t get up, and they call him an assassin.�

Madden also said the hit that left Patriots WR Darryl Stingley paralyzed affected Tatum for the rest of his life.

�He never talked about things, and you couldn�t get him to talk about it,� the coach said. �It was something that ate on him for his whole life.�

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Players’ take on Dez’s defiance: It’s the principle

Posted: July 26th, 2010 | Simon Samano | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant, Keith Bulluck, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Roy Williams

Know your role and shut your mouth.

That seems to be the attitude that many former NFL players-turned-TV analysts have taken to Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant, who refused to carry Roy Williams� shoulder pads after Sunday�s practice. Even though Williams later downplayed Bryant�s refusal to participate in the rookie hazing ritual (a minor one, at that), you can still count NFL Network�s Marshall Faulk among those ex-players perturbed by the rookie�s defiance.

�When I look at what Dez Bryant did, it�s just disrespecting the tradition and kind of questioning the leadership of the Dallas Cowboys,� Faulk said.

You see, it�s not about the actual act of carrying the pads; it�s about the principle. Even veteran LB Keith Bulluck, who just signed with the Giants and has been around the block, wonders what Bryant�s problem is.

�It could be the fact that they may be giving him star treatment already down there,� Bulluck said. �He�s wearing Playmaker�s (Michael Irvin�s) number; that�s a big thing in itself. � It�ll tell a lot about the Dallas Cowboys as a team to see how they handle that, their No. 1 draft pick acting the way he�s acting, being defiant.�

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The Big Ten might make itself at home at Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field, historic home to the Green Bay Packers, might also soon be home to the Big Ten's title game. Big Ten officials will meet in early August to talk about it, and Packers president Louis Murphy(notes) said he'd be on board.

The Big Ten is a "conference" in the NFL's minor league, which calls itself "college football." College football is very similar to the professional game we're all familiar with, except receivers only need one foot inbounds to make a catch, players don't get paid, and they don't bother to crown an actual champion in any given year.

There are other sites under consideration, all of them also pro venues: Ford Field, home of the Lions, Soldier Field, home of the Bears, and Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Go with Lambeau, Big Ten. I say this as a completely uninterested observer, too. I'm not a Packers fan, and I don't care if the Big Ten lives or dies. But if you want your game to seem special, like a truly unique college football event, then Lambeau's your place.

I don't expect it to happen, because the people in charge will probably put a pretty high value on the accommodations and appeal to tourists held by a city like Chicago or Detroit (I think Detroit still has some appeal, though I'm not sure). And I get that. I'm not saying it's a bad reason.

But if the goal is to make the Big Ten championship game a unique and special event, you have to go with Lambeau. Even on television, and even in the NFL, where corporate interests have sucked most of the uniqueness out of everything, Lambeau still retains a special kind of old-school football charm.

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Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb are total BFFs

Michael Vick's(notes) biggest supporter out there might also be his competition for a starting job: fellow Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes).

Birds' Eye View passes along some comments from Kolb on Vick and his recent situation, in which someone got shot at a party he was hosting.

"I just told him that it was unfortunate what he had to go through," the Eagles' new starting QB said recently. "I just said, ‘If there’s anything I can do, whatever is I don’t care, just holler.’ And, of course, he said, ‘I appreciate it.'"

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Supplemental Draft Preview: Harvey Unga

What? There's an NFL draft on July 15? In a manner of speaking, yes. The 2010 Supplemental Draft gives players who didn't participate in the actual draft for whatever reason. In the past, such players as Cris Carter, Mike Wahle(notes), Jamal Williams(notes), and the "legendary" Brian Bosworth have been plucked from the Supplemental Draft, bound for greater things (or, in Boz's case, really bad movies.)

Four players are eligible for the draft this year, and with the help of Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com, we're going to give you the basics. First up is BYU running back Harvey Unga, who ran for 3,455 yards on 696 carries in his collegiate career, and caught 102 passes for 1,085 yards as well. He has 45 career touchdowns, and at least 12 in each of the last three seasons.

Here's Rob on Unga's pro prospects.

The reason he's in the supplemental draft ... as part of being a player at BYU, he had to adhere to a strict honor code. He had failed that code and was released from the team

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Supplemental Draft Preview: Joshua Price-Brent

What? There's an NFL draft on July 15? In a manner of speaking, yes. The 2010 Supplemental Draft gives players who didn't participate in the actual draft for whatever reason. In the past, such players as Cris Carter, Mike Wahle(notes), Jamal Williams(notes), and the "legendary" Brian Bosworth have been plucked from the Supplemental Draft, bound for greater things (or, in Boz's case, really bad movies.)

Four players are eligible for the draft this year, and with the help of Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com, we're going to give you the basics. The only defensive player in this year's draft is defensive tackle Joshua Price-Brent from Illinois. In his two years as a starter, Price-Brent amassed 71 tackles, five sacks, 17 ½ tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He was declared academically ineligible this spring.

Here's Rob on Price-Brent's pro potential.

It's not just the academics - about a year ago, he spent 30 days in jail for a DUI. So, this is one of those guys where there is some off-field stuff as well. Teams will want to do their due diligence to make sure they're not taking too much of a chance. But he is a talented player - measures in at just a shade under 6-foot-2, 318 pounds at the recent private workout he had for clubs. 18 teams were present at the workout, and several sent their directors of player personnel. He has the size to hold up inside, but he doesn't have great strength - he only had 21 reps at the 225-pound bench press at his private workout, and that would have been the worst of any defensive tackle over 295 pounds that was invited to this year's scouting combine.

But you see some athletic ability and some "want-to" on the field. He's a productive player - not a superstar, but a guy who makes you think he's coming around to being something special. He's moving up on a lot of charts, because he's an established player in the Big 10, and a lot of teams are starting to warm up to him. He's probably the safest of the four players.

I asked Rob about the tradeoff between strength and speed - if he doesn't have the upper-body strength to hang in as a true nose tackle, and lacks the explosiveness to be a legitimate three-tech, does that make him a one-tech specialist?

That's the concern I have for him. He's not a natural pass-rusher and he doesn't have the lateral quickness to make it as a three-technique tackle. I see him in a 4-3, but not as a true nose tackle. He's a one-gap player; he just doesn't have the strength to be a two-gap guy at this point. He can contribute even as a rookie as a rotational player, but I don't know if he'll ever be a standout.

Rob also mentioned that he probably doesn't project well as a 3-4 end, though some teams may look to put him there because of his optimal size for the position - he may not have the wingspan to be a classic Steelers/Ravens end. The buzz is pretty strong on Price-Brent, and he could go in the fourth or fifth round.

Price-Brent and BYU running back Harvey Unga are the feature players in this draft. The other two players, Northwestern State running back Quentin Castille and Truman State running back Vanness Emokpae, do not project as draft picks, which means that they will likely be picked up by an NFL team as undrafted free agents. You can read Rob's take on Castille and Emokpae right here.

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Is it collusion that's keeping Terrell Owens unemployed?

Free agent wide receiver and possible ex-turd (we'll get to that in a minute) Terrell Owens expressed some confusion and frustration yesterday over the fact that he's still unemployed. Owens feels like he was a choir boy last season in Buffalo -- and a productive one at that -- but that no one noticed. From the AP's Rachel Cohen:

“There were a number of times where prior I probably would have reacted, said something I wasn’t supposed to say,” Owens told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “I really had some restraint, very patient.”

Did any owners notice?

“It’s almost like I didn’t play last year,” he lamented.

Perhaps it is. But the important thing is that, at this time next year, Owens isn't saying, "It's almost like I didn't play last year again. In fact, it's exactly like that, because no one ever signed me to a contract."

So what's keeping that from happening? Could it be ... the c-word? CBS Sports' Mike Freeman threw it out there on Twitter.

I really am starting to believe there is collusion between teams with Terrell Owens(notes). It's payback for him acting like a turd.

Turd-like behavior or not, though, collusion among teams and/or owners would still be a major violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement. It would be awfully hard for anyone to prove, though, and even if they did, what's the league going to do about it? Fine someone? How would that help Owens?

I believe there are teams out there that could, and probably should, bring Owens aboard. Not many, but some. These are the questions a team has to ask themselves before they'd consider inviting the VH1 star into their delicate little ecosystem:

1. Is Owens going to produce like a 1st receiver, 2nd receiver, 3rd receiver or lower?

2. If his role is as a 3rd receiver (which is where I think most teams would land on the first question), how much of an upgrade is he over your current 3rd receiver?

3.  Does that upgrade justify taking on the media attention that Owens attracts and/or the risk that he'll do something to destroy your locker room?

4. And finally, can you get him at a price that makes sense?

And as I said, I think there are teams out there who could give Owens-positive answers on all those questions, except maybe the last one. I don't know how much money Owens is looking for, but at this point, surely he realizes that he's not going to get Nate Burleson money. He's probably not even getting Arnaz Battle money.

The big question, though -- and what Owens feels like is preventing him from getting a contract -- is the third one. He thinks his past behavior is being held against him, despite the fact that he was a good boy in Buffalo.

And I think he's probably right. I also think that, eventually, someone will have some injuries and/or other problems, and find themselves needing Terrell Owens. In the meantime, though, he'll probably be jobless a little while longer, and if he's looking for answers, Freeman's is probably the best one he's going to get.

Related: Players Your Sucky Team Can Buy

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Heroic Charles Woodson shuts down a house fire

Okay, so maybe he didn't completely shut it down -- the fire did manage to reduce a gigantic house to a pile of dirty ashes -- but Packers cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) did help to ensure that the only damage done was to property, not people.

A fellow named Rick Ruiz, Woodson's wine-making partner, is calling Woodson a hero after he helped him escape a house fire over the weekend. From a report at Cheesehead TV:

“He’s a hero if you think about it,” said Rick Ruiz, director of operations for TwentyFour wine. “He actually woke me up, told me to get up.”

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Favre shows off healthy ankle by fleeing from reporters

As far as Brett Favre(notes) updates go, this one is pretty much like all the others. He's still coming back. He's still not telling anyone about it. He still just wants to miss training camp, but doesn't want to say that out loud, because he thinks we are all very, very dumb.

But his ankle appears to be fully functional.

Favre's been practicing with a high school team in Mississippi, because that's what you do when you're like a little kid and you just like to have fun out there. According to a very brief AP article on the subject, the recently repaired ankle looks just fine.

Brett Favre looks like he’s getting along just fine on that surgically repaired ankle.

Favre worked out with some youngsters at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Monday, then eluded reporters looking to ask him about his future by running to his truck and driving away.

As you likely know, I'm not a Favre fan, but I will say this. After last week's shameful display from ESPN, LeBron James and society, I'm happy to see any athlete moving away from reporters. It's a nice change of pace from LeBron running towards reporters, screaming "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE I'M TAKING MY TALENTS?"

Of course, there's no such mystery with Favre. It's become pretty clear that he'll be taking his talents back to NFL fields this fall.

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CFL fan using a wheelchair rolls onto the field

By MJD

Here in America, we have a certain way of handling things when a fan bursts onto the field of play. Either security or an actual player will tackle/clothesline/assault the unruly fan, we'll all have a good laugh, then go on with the game.

But what happens if you try it in Canada? And the fan is a gentleman using a wheelchair? Let's see.

Oh. You get politely wheeled away, and all the pretty cheerleaders smile at you.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. If you can elude security and get onto a field of play (let alone while doing it in a wheelchair), I think you've earned the right to get tackled by someone.

You've also earned some attention from police, and possibly a fine or a small amount of jail time, sure. But you've also earned a story, and that story isn't complete without a climax like, "And then (insert name of fierce Canadian linebacker here) came out of nowhere and drilled me, breaking three of my ribs and destroying my wheelchair. It was awesome."

You need to rectify this, Canada. Get that guy back out there, and have someone blast him. He deserves it, just like anyone else.

Gracias, Deadspin, via Orlando Kurtenblog.

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Upon Further Review: Is Kevin Kolb ready to take over?

In the first in a series of specific scouting reports, Shutdown Corner investgates whether the Philadelphia Eaglas are in good hands with new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes). With Donovan McNabb(notes) in the nation's capital and Michael Vick(notes) possibly on the outs, how can the Eagles insure the success of the man they have designated as the the future of the franchise?

There were several things that prevented the Philadelphia Eagles from going to the Super Bowl last season. A torn ACL cost linebacker Stewart Bradley(notes) his entire 2009 season, and replacements were hard to come by until the team traded for ex-Rams defender Will Witherspoon(notes) in October. Whatever plans the offensive brain trust had for Michael Vick seemed to go awry; for the most part, Vick was less a "Wildcat" option and more a speedbump for every offense drive in which he took part. Depending on what happens with Vick's current legal issues, he may not be on the team in time for the 2010 season. The Eagles scored just seven rushing touchdowns in the red zone (as many as little-known Cardinals running back Tim Hightower(notes) did all by himself), continuing a longstanding issue with short-area conversions.

Most of the blame for a season that ended in a 34-14 wild-card loss to the Dallas Cowboys fell on the shoulders of quarterback Donovan McNabb, which is something McNabb got used to a long time ago (Perhaps the Eagles should have looked harder at a defense that allowed five straight scoring drives in the second quarter of that game). Despite his status as the best quarterback in franchise history (and a 2009 season that saw him throw 22 touchdowns and just nine interceptions), McNabb had seen the writing on the wall for a while. First, when the team drafted Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb in the second round of the 2007 draft, and second, when head coach Andy Reid benched McNabb in a Week 12 loss to the Ravens in 2008. Eventually, the Eagles wanted to see what they had in Kolb, and they cut bait with McNabb after the 2009 season in order to move forward with the man they perceive to be their next franchise quarterback.

But did the Eagles move too quickly in going to Kolb full-time? He was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards in his first two starts when he took the helm early in 2009 as McNabb recovered from a rib injury. But in those two games, Kolb faced the moribund Kansas City Chiefs defense (in Week 3) and the defense of the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (in Week 2). The word on Kolb is that he will present more short-level accuracy than McNabb, but against New Orleans, he looked better throwing longer to his own receivers on a first-quarter touchdown to DeSean Jackson(notes) than he did throwing short on a fourth-quarter interception to Darren Sharper(notes).

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Nike 7ON brings high school stars to higher prominence

Now that this year's Nike 7ON Tournament is all wrapped up, it's time to introduce you to a few players I found especially interesting throughout the two-day event. With this kind of football, where you're going five-wide against nickel-plus defenses and there are no linemen on either side, it's not always easy to project performance from 7-on-7 to the "real thing".

Quarterbacks don't have to deal with pressure, and can progress through their reads as they like. Receivers can run full routes without breaking off and adjusting to quarterback pressure. And you don't see how well a back blows through a blitz with the right kind of blocking; because those concepts are set aside for this game. It's fast-break football, and it's very interesting, but there are certain things you just can't pick up in any 7-on game. That said, the teams at the Nike function were doing it right, showing incredible athleticism and endurance with their speed and agility in temperatures that pushed past 90 on Thursday and Friday. Here are some of the kids who really stood out to these eyes.

QB Nick Patti, Dr. Phillips High, Orlando, Florida - Patti, who played for the "Zoom Blade" team, will be a member of the class of 2012, and he's already making a name with his abilities. At 5-foot11, he doesn't have ideal quarterback height, but he can make all the throws in a way that goes beyond what you might expect from your average high school quarterback who's just hauling it all over the place. Good carriage in the pocket (again, against no pressure), and he's one to watch for the arm strength and palette of throws. Running back Dee Hart showed off his vertical ability on a jump ball on the first day from one of Patti's passes.

WR/DB Shane Wynn, Glenville, High, Cleveland, Ohio - Class of 2011. Wynn was very impressive in space, especially with his after-catch moves. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound speedster was great at catching the ball out of a quick out or up pattern and twisting his way upfield through defenders. Reports indicate that he's got a lot of big-school offers, and it's easy to see why. The Cleveland team, who suited up as "Hyper Strong", was noted from the start for their speed.

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Northwestern High, Miami, Florida - Bridgewater was the MVP of the tournament as his "Vapor Trail" team took the trophy. He has a big frame (6-foot-3, 192 pounds) with room to fill it out. Not only did he show off his estimable mobility, he picked off a pass against Dr. Phillips High and played a little receiver as well. Bridgewater has been quoted as saying that he'd like to be another Vince Young(notes) - he's certainly got the side-to-side mobility for it. Definitely one to watch, as is receiver Eli Rogers, another 2011 recruit from the same team.

OLB James Wilder, Jr., Plant Senior High, Tampa, Florida - Playing for the Nike "Super Speed" teams, Wilder projects as a possible linebacker, defensive end, or running back at the next level. He showed good speed in keeping up with receivers and impressed with his size (6-foot-2, 216 pounds). He also caught some balls out of the backfield.

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Troy Polamalu runs silent and deep

The first thing you notice when talking with Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu(notes) is that his off-field demeanor couldn't be any more different than the makeup of the scud missile you see on game day. Face-to-face, Polamalu is so soft-spoken, one has to push the microphone closer when interviewing him, and he's far more comfortable talking about others than himself. This week, his first focus wasn't on the knee that is recovering well after costing him 11 games in 2009 (the most in a single season in his seven-year career), nor was it the egal travails of one Ben Roethlisberger(notes). Polamalu was fully about helping to coach and advise the Zoom Blade team from Orlando, Florida in the national 7-on-7 tournament. Polamalu went to high school at Douglas High in Winston, Oregon, about 170 miles south of the games played this week. Polamalu played safety and running back, made All-State in baseball, and All-League in basketball, and had warm memories about his time there.

"It was a small town," Polamalu told me. "I loved how everyone went to school together from kindergarten to the 12th grade; everybody knew each other. I loved that everybody played every sport, and I think those experiences are lost nowadays."

From Douglas High, the heavily recruited Polamalu went to USC, where he learned a great deal from head coach Pete Carroll. But Polamalu didn't see the "rah-rah" side to Carroll that everyone else talks about. To him, "it was more that you loved him as an individual, and you wanted to make him happy, and that's where the motivation was. He was great to play under in college - an awesome coach and a great person. It's going to be weird seeing him on something other than cardinal and gold

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Cris Carter goes old-school at the Rookie Symposium

By Doug Farrar

When former Eagles, Vikings and Dolphins receiver Cris Carter talks about overcoming difficulties and playing in the NFL for a long time, it would behoove young players to listen. Carter, who ranks third in NFL history with 1,101 regular-season catches, may have had the best hands of all time, was unquestionably the best sideline receiver in league annals, and will surely go into the Hall of Fame when the voters get a clue, came very close to missing his chance at greatness.

Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1987 supplemental draft, Carter was eventually cut by Buddy Ryan because he couldn't handle his off-field activities. But he cleaned himself up and went on to have one of the greatest careers among the last generation of NFL players.

Now, Carter gives his life lessons to the next generation every year at the Rookie Symposium. It's a great chance for players coming into the league to learn how important it is to keep their heads on straight, and what awaits them either way. This year's talk was particularly video-worthy:

Carter talked about the need to come into camp looking to "take a dude's job", and that being the first step to a long career. He also discussed the need to keep one's family (including one's momma!) in check once the contract is signed, the need to watch that money (because "ain't nobody taking double teams

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According to Madden, Tim Tebow is tougher than Chuck Norris

Complete team ratings for Madden 2011 are being released, little by little, at ESPN's The Gamer blog this week. So far, the full rosters for all AFC West and AFC East teams have been released, and so far, no football player on earth is tougher than Tim Tebow(notes).

Tebow's got pretty favorable ratings across the board -- 79 speed, 90 acceleration, 62 catching (in case you'd like to move him to tight end), 86 carrying, 88 throwing power and 74 throwing accuracy. Overall, he's a 70, just one point behind Brady Quinn(notes). Kyle Orton(notes), for comparison's sake, is an 80.

Where Tebow really stands out, though, is toughness. In the TGH category -- and I find this wholly appropriate since it's such an impossible thing to rate numerically, but what he hell, seems kind of tough -- Tebow's a 98.

Of all the other players on all eight listed rosters, only four can match Tebow's toughness: Philip Rivers(notes), Logan Mankins(notes), Nick Mangold(notes) and, naturally, Wes Welker(notes). One point down at 97 are Mike Vrabel(notes) and Patriots rookies Zac Robinson(notes) and Rich Ohrnberger(notes). White people, apparently, are very, very tough.

Tebow is also super strong. His strength rates an 84, which is as strong as or stronger than all of the following offensive linemen:

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Randall Cunningham's young son dies in tragic accident

Terrible news for former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham and his family -- Cunningham's two-year-old son Christian drowned Tuesday afternoon in a hot tub in the back yard of Cunningham's Nevada home. Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Dennis Flynn has been quoted as saying that it was an accident. According to initial reports, Cunningham was not at home Tuesday afternoon when the child was found, and that an unnamed woman tried to resuscitate the child after finding him at about 4:30 p.m. She called 911 at 4:45, and the child was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus, where he passed away.

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Marcus mentioned in the 'Guy shot at Michael Vick's party' story

The case involving the shooting of a man outside of Michael Vick's(notes) 30th birthday party has a few new wrinkles in it, one of them possibly involving Marcus Vick(notes), Michael's little brother, himself a former backup quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

The bigger story yesterday, though, was the discrepancy in the timelines of events given by Vick's attorney, and what's shown on security tapes. The AP saw the video yesterday, and according to them, Michael Vick's car doesn't leave the scene until 2:07 a.m. The shooting happened about four minutes later.

That's at odds with what Vick's lawyer had previously said, which is that his client had been gone for 10 or 20 minutes when the shooting took place.

This "discrepancy" was all over ESPN yesterday, but myself, I'm not putting a ton of stock into it. Yes, if you choose to, you can look at it as Vick's lawyer being caught in a fib, which would look bad. But he said 10 or 20 minutes, and it was actually 4. That's a difference of six or 16 minutes. Can you accurately recall the exact events of your Saturday night, in six or 16-minute intervals? I can't recall the last 30 minutes of my life in accurate six-minute intervals.

So the timeline problem, really, isn't something I care about at the moment. As for Marcus, the mention of his name appears to stem from a radio report in which a gentleman named "Bartley Barefoot" said his "sources" were "sure" that Marcus Vick was "involved."

Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk was being interviewed by Mr. Barefoot and his co-host Johnny D., when Barefoot broke in and dropped Marcus Vick's name. Sports by Brooks took it a step further, noting reports that the shooter may have been driving a white Cadillac Escalade, and then connecting that with previous reports that Marcus Vick does indeed own a white Cadillac Escalade.

What to make of that? Again, for me, not much. If it turns out that I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but for the moment, I'm choosing not to put much faith in the sources of Bartley Barefoot. I'm sure Bartley's a wonderful man, but I'm going to choose not to view him with a sense of Cronkite-like integrity. And the fact that Marcus Vick and a potential shooter might drive the same (or similar) cars ... I don't find that terribly compelling, either.

We'll see what happens, and according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, we might not have to wait long. He said on "NFL Live" that we could expect the shooter to turn himself in to authorities "sometime soon."

Originally, I didn't expect this thing to turn into much of a story. I thought -- and I'm willing to consider the possibility that I gave him too much credit with this -- that Michael Vick, with all the image-rehabbing his done, the fine line he knows he's walking with the commissioner, and everything he's got to lose, would absolutely not, in any way, let himself actually get involved with a shooting.

I still believe that, and I haven't seen enough yet to even consider changing my mind. It's true that Michael Vick doesn't have the best track record in decision-making, and maybe there were some poor decisions made on this night, too. Anything terribly nefarious, though, I'm just having a hard time believing. There's still some unfolding left to happen here, though.

---

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Things are about to get a little Canadian on the NFL Network

Football season starts today. If you're Canadian, that is.

More Americans may be taking an active interest these days, too. The NFL Network announced yesterday that they'll be broadcasting Canadian Football League games this year, starting tonight with the big Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders game.

Not a Canadian football fan? Me neither, really. But it's not because there's anything wrong with their game, it's just because I never really see it. And hey, it's July, and I know a lot of you don't care for the soccer.

The CFL's version of football is pretty similar to our beloved game, but there are some differences. Here's a list of things that might seem a little bit odd to an NFL fan, and I'll be honest with you ... on most of these rule differences, the Canadian version sounds like the better option to me.

Note:

• The Canadian field of play is 110 yards long, and their endzones are 20 yards deep. They put their goal posts right at the goal line, too.

• They play with 12 players on a side. The extra guy is usually a slotback or some kind.

• They only get three downs to achieve a first down. Their first downs are the same ten yards as ours.

• The game isn't over when the clock is at 0:00. They play to the zeroes, and then the offense gets one more play.

• The ROUGE! On a kickoff, if the returner fails to advance the ball out of his own endzone, the kicking team gets a point. They get a ROUGE! Same applies on a punt, and a team can also get a ROUGE! by punting the ball out of the back of the endzone. A kickoff that goes out of the back of the endzone results in nothing special.

• They only get one time-out per half.

• They don't have a two-minute warning. They have a three-minute warning.

• They can go in motion like a group of heroin addicts in the park. Anyone in the backfield can be in motion as much as they want, wherever they want, alongside whoever else they want. Wide receivers, too.

• They don't have fair catches on punts, but the punting team has to allow the returner to catch the ball. If it hits the ground, it's a live ball.

• A guy can try a field goal, literally, any damn time he feels like it. Running down the field, and you don't think you can score, but your leg feels good? Pull up and try a drop-kick. Make it, and a field goal is yours.

• Defensive players have to play a full yard back of the line of scrimmage.

• Defensive backs can only jam receivers within one yard of the line of scrimmage.

• They call ham bacon!

Tonight's game starts at 7 p.m. All I can tell you about is that Avon Cobourne, the star running back for the Alouettes, is going to get buck wild on that Roughrider defense.

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NFL Nightclub contradicts Vick's timeline Cunningham's son dies in hot tub mishap Jets coach Ryan to write book Bengals RB Benson arrested for assault Steelers OT Colon likely to miss season Seahawks sign former Chargers S Ellison Giants' Jones moved for more procedures Bengals' Henry had chronic brain injury NFL to review Lions prez's DUI arrest Rams sign 8 draft picks but not Bradford More NFL News 8 Comments Post a Comment

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Chris Henry was living with brain damage

Some unsettling information has come to light regarding Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver who passed away in 2009. Neurologists have found that before his death, Henry had been living with significant brain damage.

From Peter Keating of ESPN The Magazine:

Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver who died in a traffic accident last year, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple hits to the head — at the time of his death, according to scientists at the Brain Injury Research Institute, a research center affiliated with West Virginia University.

"We would have been very happy if the results had been negative, but multiple areas of Chris Henry's brain showed CTE," said Julian Bailes, Director of BIRI and chairman of neurosurgery at West Virginia. Bailes and his colleagues plan to present results of their forensic examination at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Researchers have now discovered CTE in the brains of more than 50 deceased former athletes, including more than a dozen NFL and college players, pro wrestler Chris Benoit and NHL player Reggie Fleming.

Now, no one can say with certainty that Henry's brain damage was caused by playing football. However, repeated blows to the head are the only known cause of CTE. "Professional football player" is a profession that requires a person to be exposed to repeated blows to the head, and that's what Henry did for a living.

The dots are there. Connect them if you want.

From there, the next question would of course be something like this: Might the brain damage have had something to do with Chris Henry's history of not-so-great decision-making? Again, from Keating's article:

"I think it did," Bailes said. "Superimposed on the acute brain injuries Chris suffered when he died, there was fairly extensive damage throughout his brain that was fully consistent with CTE. This syndrome is expressed not only as changes in the brain, but clinically, as behavioral changes. And starting with Mike Webster, we have seen common threads in these cases: emotional disturbances, depression, failed personal relationships and businesses, suicidal thoughts, sometimes alcohol or drug use."

Read about what happened to former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster here.

What is there to say? There are no easy answers here, and if there were, they certainly wouldn't come from me.

There's a lot to think about, though, from Henry's own personal demons, to the consequences of a career in professional football for anyone. Chris Henry was a wide receiver who caught 119 balls in his career. By NFL standards, this is not a guy whose head took a tremendous beating. If CTE was affecting his brain, then what about the every-down middle linebacker, or the running back who gets 20-plus touches per game?

---

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The Shutdown Corner Interview: Eric Berry (Part 2)

You hear about players being "born" to play their sports, but current Kansas City Chiefs and former Tennessee Volunteers safety Eric Berry(notes) fits the profile better than most. His father James was a three-year starter for the Vols, and the team's 1981 defensive captain. From an early age, Berry took his dad's lessons to heart. At Creekside High in Fairburn, Georgia, he led his team to a 37-5 record as a quarterback and safety, and that was just a warm-up for what he'd do at his father's alma mater.

Berry tore up the NCAA, winning the 2009 Thorpe Award and becoming the best safety in the collegiate ranks. Berry was drawing comparisons to Brian Dawkins(notes) and Ed Reed(notes) even before former NFL defensive genius Monte Kiffin became his defensive coordinator in time for the 2009 season. Off the field, Berry is just as driven — he was a member of the National Honor Society in high school, and interned with a local dentist last year to further his education. I got a chance to catch up with Berry after a recent adidas photo shoot, and here's Part 2 of the interview.

Shutdown Corner: You're so tight when it comes to reading offenses and so disciplined when going downhill fast to make tackles — I know you just work on technique all the time, but at what point do things move so fast in the game, that you have to let your instincts take over?

Eric Berry: I don't think

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Favre admits he's coming back (without actually doing so)

So, as the offseason rolls on, and other stories take the landscape, we're about due for a Brett Favre(notes) update. After all, our favorite retired/non-retired quarterback can't go too long without letting us know of his plans (even if there are none), thus moving the attention back to him, right?

Mercifully, for those who can't go too long without those Favre-isms, we now have an update. In a recent interview with the Biloxi Sun Herald, Minnesota's alleged starting quarterback discussed his thoughts about a return for a 20th NFL season. "I know I can still play at a high level," Favre told the paper. "Last year was a great year, but it could have been better (losing NFC Championship). When (Vikings head coach Brad) Childress came to my home a few weeks ago, he told me to take my time. But the team would need to know at some point."

Of course, when he's talking about the potential for the season to be better, Favre means the Vikings' overtime loss in the NFC Championship game. The league has already changed postseason overtime rules in a retroactive move that disclosed how many wanted that game to turn out differently, and Favre obviously doesn't disagree. "I would love to go beat the Saints," Favre said. "I want to win every game that I play. People tell me all the time to go beat the Saints and redeem yourself." The Saints and Vikings will stage a rematch to open the 2010 season on Thursday, Sept. 9.

"People said the same thing with Green Bay the year before. It was, ‘You have to go back and beat Green Bay.' I don't want to be in my 20th year and hear people say, ‘You have to redeem yourself.' Like I said, I would love to go beat the Saints. But what if that doesn't happen?"

Ah ... there's the mystery. What if it doesn't happen? In answering that question, I think it's important to remember that if he were to actually retire for good now, Favre's stints with his last two teams would be remembered for late NFC Championship game interceptions that turned the tide against his squad. There was the pick against the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the 2007 season, and the pick to soon-to-be Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter(notes) in Minnesota's 31-28 loss. In both games, Favre put up a 70-ish quarterback rating and fell short of his ultimate goal.

Favre also hurt his ankle against the Saints, but surgery has apparently been successful. Now, all that's left is for the decision to be made. Favre is well aware that his vacillating on this subject drives people crazy (though not as crazy as the constant media overcooking whenever he makes a non-statement), but he's still making up his mind. Or so he says.

‘‘I just don't know. I do not want to stir the pot. If it (the comment) comes from me, it's a big deal. At my age, all surgeries are major. The three I've had on the same ankle were considered minor, but major to me. It feels fine now. If my body was a wreck, the decision would be made. But that is not the case. I know they (Vikings) want to know.

‘‘Hell, I want to know. But I am not going to press it. If I do not play, it does not cost the Vikings a dime. They keep the $13 million (he would be owed this season). I know they have confidence in the players they have. They had a chance to draft (Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy) Clausen in the first round, but they didn't want (him)."

Probably because the Vikings know, just as the rest of us know, that Favre will come back for another go. In the meantime, he'll be ruled by his need to control the drama he creates with his frequent silence and occasional statements.

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Deep Posts: More good news for the Vikings

--Now that Brett Favre(notes) has kinda/sorta announced that he is still thinking about playing (unless of course, he doesn't), and he might be motivated by an NFC Championship rematch against the New Orleans Saints (unless, of course, he isn't), there is still more good news for the Minnesota Vikings. The Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected the NFL's petition to expedite the StarCaps case of defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams(notes), which virtually guarantees that the Williams Wall will be in uniform for the 2010 season.

The NFL was told that it has not demonstrated that the four-game suspensions for alleged use of the banned StarCaps diuretic should be given special priority, and the league really doesn't have a case here. Remember, this is the same NFL that knew the results of Brian Cushing's drug test in September, and let him play all season through the appeals process. If the Williamses are in need of a precedent (though it doesn't sound like they will be), they could start right there.

--Saints coach Sean Payton has some very interesting recollections of post-Super Bowl celebrations (at least, what he can remember of them) in his new book.

Basically, we were up all night. And why not? There was no next game to worry about. And God knows, we'd waited long enough for this. Four years since I'd gotten to New Orleans - 42 years, five months and 18 days since John Gilliam's opening run. As we toasted the team, the city and ourselves, we knew we still had some celebrating in front of us. No one seemed eager to call it an early night ...

... "Have you ever seen the movie, "The Hangover," where the guy is asking, "How did this lion (actually tiger) get here? Where did my tooth go? Isn't that Mike Tyson? That was (the Monday after the Super Bowl) for me."

In my mind, Payton's the NFL's best coach, and it sounds as if he's a pretty captivating storyteller, as well.

--Props to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio for breaking the story that Panthers receiver Steve Smith was actually playing in an adult flag football tournament when he broke his arm, and not in the camp-for-kids story that was floated by other sources for a while. In the aftermath, Smith explained that his love for the game was at the root of his taking a risk that will not keep him out of the picture through training camp.

"If you get out of your little shallow box, you would understand it's more than just money for me in this game," Smith told radio station WFNZ-AM. "This is what I grew up playing, and it was my offseason. Until freaking Father's Day, nothing had happened."

From now on, the 31-year-old Smith will be more restrained. "I'm going to sit in my bubble. That's what I'm going to do for the rest of my career. That would be better for everybody."

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Giants safety Chad Jones out of surgery after car accident

New York Giants third-round rookie safety Chad Jones(notes) was awake and alert and visiting with family after surgery to repair his left leg that his father has deemed successful, according to New Orleans television station WWL-TV.

"He looked like Chad," said his father, Al Jones, after seeing him the hospital. "The surgery was successful. I want to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers, the numerous phone calls, text messages and e-mails...It just lets you know the type of person Chad is and how well loved he is ... It is just a matter of the healing process right now."

Jones was injured in a serious car accident early Friday morning in Louisiana. He suffered multiple fractures to his left leg, including fractures of his tibia and fibula, and there were arteries and nerves exposed, according to reports at the scene of the accident. The 21-year-old lost control of his SUV at about 6:15 EST Friday morning and crashed into a pole on Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. Two passengers riding with Jones suffered minor injuries and weren't taken to the hospital, WWL-TV reported.

Rocky Arceneaux, Jones' agent, issued this statement through LSU: "Chad Jones was involved in a serious auto accident early this morning. The severity of Chad's injuries up to this point is unknown. At this point, we are praying for Chad and ask that everyone does the same."

Police and fire teams lifted Jones from his SUV and took him to a local hospital, where he underwent hours of surgery to try and promote blood flow to the injured leg. Jones was listed in guarded condition upon arrival at the hospital, and there was concern that he might lose the leg.

Jones was a two-sport star at LSU, excelling in baseball and football. He was thought by most to be the best strong safety candidate of the 2010 draft, and was also drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round.

The WWL report indicates that Jones will charged with careless operation of a vehicle, though there is no word as to whether alcohol was involved.

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Madden NFL 11 likes Drew Brees, Andre Johnson and the Ravens

Quickly, name the two best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Peyton Manning(notes) and Tom Brady(notes)? That's probably the conventional wisdom, and the most popular answer out there. There's Manning and Brady, with Drew Brees(notes) either recently having joined that super-elite group, or at the very top of the next tier below.

Madden NFL 11 flips the script, though. They've got Brees and Manning as the best quarterbacks out there, with a significant drop-off to the next tier of guys, which includes Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers(notes) and Philip Rivers(notes).

Some player ratings for this year's edition of the Madden franchise have slipped out, courtesy of the gang at Operation Sports. They've got the top-10 players at every position, and the top-five quarterbacks look like this:

1t. Drew Brees, 99.
1t. Peyton Manning, 99.
3. Tom Brady, 95.
4t. Aaron Rogers, 94.
4t. Philip Rivers, 94.

As far as teams go, last year's Super Bowl competitors top the list, with the New Orleans Saints at a 92 and the Indianapolis Colts at a 91.

Also feeling the Madden love are the Baltimore Ravens, who have the league's third-best rating with a 90. The Dallas Cowboys are an 87, the best team in their division by a full six points. The Jets are the best team in the AFC East, with their 89 rating trumping the Patriots' 86.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Rams are the game's worst team, rated 66 overall. The Bills are a 67, the Lions are a 68, the Bucs a 69, and the Browns a 70.

No team in the NFC West rises above a rating of 79. Welcome to suckville.

After the jump, see the top-10 players at every position, and the overall ratings for every NFL team.

Again, via Operation Sports ...

Top Players
C. Johnson HB - 99
P. Willis MLB - 99
D. Revis CB - 99
J. Allen RE - 99
D. Brees QB - 99
P. Manning QB - 99
R. Clady LT - 98
A. Peterson HB - 98

Quarterbacks
D. Brees - 99
P. Manning - 99
T. Brady - 95
A. Rodgers - 94
P. Rivers - 94
B. Favre - 92
T. Romo - 90
M. Shaub - 89

Running Backs
C. Johnson - 99
A. Peterson - 98
M. Jones-Drew - 96
S. Jackson - 95
F. Gore - 93
D. Williams - 92
R. Rice - 90
M. Turner - 90

Fullbacks
T. Richardson - 94
L. Polite - 91
L. Weaver - 90
L. McLain - 90
L. Vickers - 89
O. Mughelli - 88
M. Hedgecock - 86
M. Karney - 85

Wide Receivers
A. Johnson - 98
L. Fitzgerald - 97
B. Marshall - 96
R. Wayne - 96
R. Moss - 95
R. White - 93
S. Smith - 92
D. Jackson - 91

Tight Ends
Tony Gonzalez(notes) - 98
J. Witten - 97
V. Davis - 96
A. Gates - 96
D. Clark - 96
H. Miller - 90
C. Cooley - 89
K. Winslow - 89

Left Tackles
R. Clardy - 98
J. Long - 96
J. Thomas - 95
M. Roos - 95
J. Gross - 95
D. Ferguson - 91
J. Brown - 91
B. McKinnie - 90

Left Guards
S. Hutchinson - 97
L. Mankins - 95
B. Grubbs - 94
K. Dielman - 93
C. Nicks - 91
E. Steinback - 91
A. Faneca - 91
T. Herremans - 89

Centers
N. Mangold - 97
A. Gurode - 92
J. Saturday - 92
S. O'Hara - 91
M. Birk - 91
R. Kalil - 90
J. Brown - 89
D. Koppen - 88

Right Guards
J. Evans - 98
C. Snee - 96
L. Davis - 89
D. Joseph - 88
B. Moore - 88
B. Williams - 88
H. Dahl - 87
J. Scott - 85

Right Tackles
J. Stinchcomb - 90
D. Stewart - 89
D. Woody - 89
J. Otah - 86
J. Gaither - 86
V. Carey - 86
R. Harris - 85
E. Winston - 85

Left Ends
R. Mathis - 95
J. Tuck - 92
R. Seymour - 92
L. Castillo - 88
A. Smith - 87
C. Campbell - 86
S. Ellis - 86
R. Edwards - 85

Right Ends
J. Allen - 99
D. Freeney - 97
M. Williams - 95
T. Cole - 95
J. Peppers - 95
H. Ngata - 94
D. Dockett - 94
W. Smith - 90

Defensive Tackles
K. Williams - 97
V. Wilfork - 95
J. Ratliff - 94
K. Jenkins - 94
S. Rogers - 93
C. Hampton - 91
A. Franklin - 90
R. Starks - 89

LOLB
L. Woodley - 91
S. Phillips - 91
D. Smith - 89
T. Davis - 87
B. Cushing - 87
J. Peterson - 86
B. Orakpo - 85
R. Maualuga - 85

MLB
P. Willis - 99
J. Beason - 96
R. Lewis - 94
D. Harris - 91
B. Ruud - 91
L. Fletcher - 91
D. Ryans - 90
J. Vilma - 90

ROLB
D. Ware - 97
J. Harrison - 97
E. Dumervil - 93
L. Briggs - 92
T. Suggs - 90
C. Greenway - 88
K. Rivers - 86
C. Matthews - 86

Corners
D. Revis - 99
N. Asomugha - 98
C. Woodson - 97
C. Bailey - 95
A. Samuel - 94
J. Joseph - 93
L. Hall - 92
C. Finnegan -92

FS
E. Reed - 97
A. Bethea - 95
D. Sharper - 94
N. Collins - 93
O. Atogwe - 92
B. Dawkins - 90
T. Jackson - 88
K. Rhodes - 88

SS
T. Polamalu - 97
A. Wilson - 96
B. Sanders - 89
B. Merriweather - 88
L. Landry - 87
T. Branch - 86
J. Leonhard - 85
B. Pollard - 84

Kickers
R. Gould - 95
N. Kaeding - 95
R. Bironas - 93
R. Longwell - 92
S. Gostowski - 91
S. Janikowski - 90
J. Hanson - 89
D. Akers - 89

Punters
S. Lechlar - 98
A. Lee - 94
D. Jones - 94
M. Scifres - 93
M. McBriar - 92
D. Colquitt - 91
B. Moorman - 90
S. Koch - 86

Teams

NFC EAST
Dallas 87
New York Giants 81
Philadelphia 80
Washington 76

NFC NORTH
Minnesota 88
Green Bay 87
Chicago 77
Detroit 68

NFC SOUTH
New Orleans 92
Atlanta 83
Carolina 75
Tampa Bay 69

NFC WEST
Arizona 79
San Francisco 79
Seattle 75
St. Louis 66

AFC EAST
New York Jets 89
New England 86
Miami 78
Buffalo 67

AFC NORTH
Baltimore 90
Cincinnati 86
Pittsburgh 84
Cleveland 70

AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis 91
Houston 78
Tennessee 77
Jacksonville 74

AFC WEST
San Diego 85
Denver 78
Kansas City 71
Oakland 71

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Top Pot uses Golden Tate break-in as marketing opportunity

You remember the story of Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver Golden Tate(notes) and the maple bars he found irresistible enough to steal? Well, Top Pot, the doughnut company that fell prey to Tate's sticky fingers, has turned the crime into marketing time.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Top Pot is also the official coffee and donut company for the Seahawks and Qwest Field, but this window sign snapped by an alert Seattle reader over at Deadspin.com indicates that the company has used good humor about the incident to extend its brand.

"It was kind of a foolish mistake that won't happen again. But if you ever want some maple bars, that's the place to go," Tate said after the incident in early June, when he and a friend used a common door between his condo and a Top Pot franchise in a Seattle suburb to enter the store very early one morning.

Personally, I still think the company needs to rename the pastry; "Golden Maple Bars" just sounds too good. Lest we believe that only the light-fingered members of the Seahawks roster would receive special consideration, there's this picture from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's Twitter account:

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Expanded season revenue: The NFL's math problem

Recently, we detailed the concerns of Ray Lewis and Tom Brady when it came to the idea of an 18-game regular season. Obviously, the players and the NFL Players Association are very concerned about increased injury risks and fair financial compensation should an expanded season become a reality. Unfortunately, in the most recent public statements about how these problems would be solved, the NFL neglected to do a bit of simple math. In a recent conference call with the media, Green Bay Packers team president (and ad hoc league spokesperson) Mark Murphy had this to say:

I think

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Redskins trade for Jammal Brown; reinforce offensive line

In one offseason, the new Washington Redskins brain trust of Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen have done more for the team's offensive line than former VP/Football Operations Vinny Cerrato did over several years. First, Washington selected Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams(notes) with the fourth overall pick, and now Shanahan and Allen have engineered a trade with the New Orleans Saints. The ‘Skins get tackle Jammal Brown(notes), and the Saints get ... well, the compensation is pretty interesting.

The Redskins already owe the Philadelphia Eagles a mid-round conditional pick for Donovan McNabb(notes) (either third- or fourth-round, depending on certain escalators), and they now owe the Saints another conditional mid-rounder (same deal) - basically, the compensation to the Saints is dependent on the compensation to the Eagles. One team will get Washington's third-round pick in 2011, and another will get the team's fourth-rounder. There are other late-round picks involved - a possible 2011 fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-rounder back to Washington from New Orleans, and a 2012 sixth-rounder in the same direction. Again, these are all based on 2010 playing incentives, so we'll have to wait and see how it shakes out. What we do know is that Cerrato probably would have skipped the complicated stuff and just given the Saints Washington's entire 2011 draft for Brown, which is yet another reason it's good that Shanahan and Allen are in charge now.

Why such low compensation for a left tackle who went to the Pro Bowl in 2008 - a player who the Saints slapped with a first- and third-round tender this past offseason? Brown is a talented player, but a pretty serious injury risk - he missed the entire 2009 season after hip surgery, and he's never played a full 16-game season in his NFL career. Still, if Brown comes back from injury as he was, the Redskins made a great trade that reinforces a line that was overwhelmed in 2009 after years of neglect. The question about Brown is how much he's been helped by Drew Brees'(notes) quick release. While the Saints' lines have been highly regarded in overall pass-blocking numbers over the last few seasons, aficionados of offensive line play also note that Brees is virtually unparalleled when it comes to getting rid of the ball in time. Will Brown regress back to the mean with a quarterback who's not quite as quick-twitch?

The next step for Brown, as it still is for McNabb, is to come to terms on a longer deal. Brown is a restricted free agent once he signs his tender, and McNabb is under contract through the end of the 2010 season, as well. For the first time since George Allen (Bruce's dad) created the "Over the Hill Gang" in the 1970s, the Redskins seem to have some real sense behind their trading of draft picks. Initial word has Williams playing left tackle though he played just one college season on the left side; this will be sorted out in a Redskins offseason that just gets more and more interesting every day.

Related: Jammal Brown, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

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NFL DL Seymour signs Raiders' $12.4M tender Feds to investigate former NFLPA leaders Saints deal OT Brown to 'Skins for pick Goodell: No need for 4 preseason games DB Hamlin says he has deal with Ravens Goodell: No decision yet on QB Young Owens named in $12K Alabama lawsuit Titans top pick Morgan facing charges Seahawks release WR Reggie Williams Grand jury will not reopen McNair case More NFL News 11 Comments Post a Comment

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Marvin Harrison still loves his guns

According to ESPN's Shaun Assael, former Indianapolis Colts star receiver Marvin Harrison had a nine millimeter handgun confiscated by police during a recent traffic stop.

Harrison was stopped by police three blocks away from a garage that he owns. The same garage that was the site of a murder 2008.

Harrison, as you'll probably recall, was linked to that murder in north Philadelphia back in 2008. He never faced criminal charges for the incident, but Philadelphia police did determine that multiple shell casings at the crime scene came from a gun belonging to Harrison -- a .50 caliber elephant-killer. A lot of media outlets then painted an unflattering picture of Harrison's off-the-field habits.

Here are the details, again, via Shaun Assael:

The 37-year-old former Pro Bowl receiver was driving the wrong way down the one-way street in a Cadillac Escalade when the patrolman stopped him along with the driver of a second car that was trailing him, the sources said.

According to the two law enforcement sources, the patrolman saw Harrison place something that appeared to be a weapon in the seat console of his car. When the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle, Harrison produced a car registration and a permit to carry a weapon, both of which were in order. When he was asked whether he had a weapon, however, he answered no, the sources said.

At that point, the sources added, the officer said that he had probable cause to search the vehicle and found a weapon.

The gun will undergo some ballistics testing to see if it might match up with some other 9mm shell casings that were found at the original 2008 crime scene. According to a witness, a second gun at the scene was responsible for the 9mm casings, but police never found that weapon.

What's there to say?  The surprise that Marvin Harrison(notes) isn't the quiet little choir boy we all thought he was has long since worn off. It's not illegal for Harrison to have a gun, of course, but why is he lying to police about it? Particularly when he has all the permits and paperwork in order? Legally, he's guilty of nothing, but my goodness ... everything around him seems so shady. If nothing else, I'd classify Harrison as a scary guy.

Related: Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts, NFL Criminal Behavior

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NFL Goodell: No need for 4 preseason games Goodell: No decision yet on QB Young Redskins seek $21M back from Haynesworth NFL, union discuss longer regular season No problems with Favre's ankle surgery Bush pledges to help USC fight sanctions Jags forfeit 2 workouts after complaint Lions lose 2 workouts for breaking rules Jets' Ryan, Revis clear air over protest Titans' Johnson: No comment on contract More NFL News 39 Comments Post a Comment

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The Shutdown Corner Interview: Eric Winston (Part 1)

Welcome to the first in a series of NFL player interviews, in which we'll cover issues on and off the field. Subject No. 1 is Houston Texans right tackle Eric Winston(notes). The Miami grad, taken as part of a 2006 Texans draft that also produced Mario Williams(notes), DeMeco Ryans(notes) and Owen Daniels(notes), has developed into one of the more underrated linemen in the NFL today. He's started 55 straight games for the team and didn't incur a single penalty in 2009. In Part 1 of my interview with Eric, we talk about media futures, former Texans line coach Alex Gibbs (who's now in Seattle), zone blocking, and the team's recent red zone woes. Stay tuned for the interview's conclusion later Thursday.

Shutdown Corner: You have a great website, you do radio ... basically you're pretty active in traditional and social media. Plus, you're filling in for Peter King with an MMQB column while he's in South Africa. Do you have specific media/broadcasting goals after football?

Eric Winston: You know, I honestly have no idea — right now, I want to push it as far as I can. I really do. The radio show is a pretty big hit; I've gotten a ton of positive feedback from it. It's really kind of stunning because when I first started doing it, I didn't know how the fans would react to me. Sometimes you like a guy and sometimes you don't, and I guess the people who don't like me just haven't said much

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Redskins to Haynesworth: We'd like our money back, please

The Washington Redskins have just about it had it with Albert Haynesworth's(notes) unhappy dance, and now they're firing back. According to the AP, their plan of attack is to recover some or all of the $21 million they gave him in bonus money last year.

The Redskins are going to see if they can recoup all or part of a $21 million bonus from the disgruntled two-time All Pro defensive tackle, an official within the league with knowledge of the deliberations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The team decided to take the action after Haynesworth failed to report for a mandatory two-day minicamp.

Haynesworth, as you know, is upset because the Redskins want him to play in a 3-4 defense, as opposed to the 4-3 Albert prefers.

Haynesworth's contention is that the Redskins promised him he'd be playing in a 4-3, and he never would've signed there if he knew his role would be as a 3-4 player. Unless he specifically got that written into his contract, though, I don't think it matters. The Redskins signed him to play football.

So play football, Big Al.

Whenever possible, I try to side with the player in NFL athlete vs. management controversies. I feel like the current collective bargaining agreement is slanted very much in favor of the owners, and players generally get the short end of the stick.

Haynesworth is making that stance difficult, though. He's not a young guy who's outperformed his contract, and he's not someone who isn't going to get the payday he deserves. He just signed with the Redskins a year ago for $100 million.

I don't care if they ask you to return punts on the scout team or clip Rex Grossman's(notes) toenails. You took the money. Now you do what they ask you to do, which, by the way, is not unreasonable.

Unless you're willing to give the money back, in which case I'm sure the Redskins would be happy to release you, and you can go see if someone else will give you $100 million. Heads-up, though: Only one Dan Snyder exists.

Related: Albert Haynesworth, Washington Redskins, Poor Decisions

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NFL Goodell: No need for 4 preseason games Goodell: No decision yet on QB Young Redskins seek $21M back from Haynesworth NFL, union discuss longer regular season No problems with Favre's ankle surgery Bush pledges to help USC fight sanctions Jags forfeit 2 workouts after complaint Lions lose 2 workouts for breaking rules Jets' Ryan, Revis clear air over protest Titans' Johnson: No comment on contract More NFL News 56 Comments Post a Comment

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The Shutdown Corner Interview: Eric Winston (Part 2)

Note: You can find part 1 of my interview with Houston Texans right tackle Eric Winston(notes) here. In the conclusion, Eric talks about myths and misconceptions, the toughest players he faces, what Brian Cushing(notes) has been up to, and what the Texans need to do to hit the next level.

Shutdown Corner: Do you think zone blocking teams get a bad rap when it comes to overall power?

Eric Winston: It's such a fine line - it really is. When you have teams that do some different things ... the thing we've seen, especially from 2008 to 2009, is some very different ways to attack zone blocking schemes. Whether it's pinching ends (inside), or running linebackers over the top, putting guys in different gaps or just taking guys out of the play and just shooting them upfield as hard as they can to set some sort of edge, we've seen some different ways to combat what we're doing. And now, it's our turn to come back and one-up them.

I've seen guys ... if you don't teach the mentality as well as the zone scheme, you do get a little bit soft. Just because you're not always firing right off the ball. You have to be an athlete - you have to go sideways and get those hips squared. You have to know when it's okay to get parallel with the line of scrimmage and get width on a guy. And at what point do you need to push guys forward? When you juggle players in as we did last year - the zone scheme, more than anything else,  is all about playing together and being a part of it. That's something I have learned in the last couple of years; even though it's a great system, I have to understand not just who I have and what combination I have, but what are we really trying to do here? Toward the end of the year, the new guys started to understand that even if the ball was going the other way, they were really still the point of attack and they had to start getting some push. As a result, I think you saw our run stats go up toward the end of the year, more where we like it.

SC: You face the Colts twice a season and you're going up against their speed rushers - is Robert Mathis(notes) your biggest challenge, and who are a few more of the better pass-rushers you've faced?

EW: He's a guy I'm definitely not excited about playing, let's put it that way. I will say that I think I have played him well, and better than most of the right tackles I see playing him on film, but he's a tough guy to play. And the Colts, overall, are a tough team to play. They're like that pitcher you never really see ... they're like Jamie Moyer (laughs). Nobody else in Major League baseball throws 78 miles an hour - and I'm not saying the Colts are soft or anything - but that's how they are. It's so hard to get ready for them, because nobody else does what they do. Nobody else runs his offense like Peyton Manning(notes). Nobody else plays defense like they do, with all those undersized guys just going really fast. That's why I think that us, Jacksonville, and Tennessee - we play them the best. We haven't had a ton of success against them, and nobody else in our division has, but if you look at their toughest games over the last few years, we've given them everything (we could). Knowing them helps, as opposed to, "Holy crap, this defensive tackle is really running - I'd better go wider here!"

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This week's guy who should wash Gilbert Brown's jockstrap

By MJD

Reviving an old favorite, this Friday we look back at some of this week's poor behavior and nominate one gentleman who should has earned the distinctly unappealing task of hand-scrubbing Gilbert Brown's jock strap.

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Vince Young gets in a fight at a strip club, and there's video

By MJD

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young punched a guy at a strip club, and like all strip-club crawls, it started for a really good reason: because someone flashed an upside-down "Hook 'em Horns" gesture.

At least, that's the story we have for now. From various reports, the story seems to go like this: Vince Young(notes) wanted to withdraw some money at the "cash cage," but got upset about a surcharge. Young went back to the strip-club's "office" to complain, and he talked to a guy, and things seemed to end amicably.

That's when a gentleman going by the name of Creiton Kinchen, according to ESPN's report, "insulted Young and made a derogatory sign referencing the University of Texas."

That's when people stopped using their words, and started using their fists. Fortunately for us, it's all on video:

Now, Young hasn't said anything yet, so it's probably a good idea to withhold judgment until we hear his side of the story. But really, what can the man say to convince people that it was a sound and logical decision to get in a fight at a strip club?

Kinchen suffered a bloody lip and required no medical attention. Now, something like this isn't the end of the world — Young received a citation from police and legally, the worst that can happen to him is a $500 fine — but myself, I look at it from the point of view of someone who's interested in Vince Young's growth as a person and a leader. In that sense ... it's not good news.

He's coming off a very good year on the football field, and I was so impressed with his personal efforts to raise money for Nashville flood victims.

And again, this isn't the end of the world. From what I can gather, the only thing that was ever endangered here was Kinchen's lip. I just hate to see any kind of a step backwards for Young.

He's been through some weird things in his career, and has been questioned so harshly along the way. I just want the Vince Young we see on the football field and in public to be the best version of Vince Young that Vince Young has to offer.

Clearly, clocking some guy in the back of a strip club doesn't fit that vision.

Related: Vince Young, Tennessee Titans, NFL Criminal Behavior

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NFL Titans QB Young sorry for role in fight Revis sits out some plays in protest Jets limit Sanchez to morning practices Titans LB McRath suspended 4 games Saints: Bush probe won't be distraction Broncos' Dumervil inks restricted tender Vikings DE Edwards signs $2.5M tender Saints RB Thomas inks tender, wants more Bucs' Winslow expects to be OK for camp Cardinals G Lutui signs qualifying offer More NFL News 192 Comments Post a Comment

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Aikman and Bledsoe have a gizmo to clean up the oil spill

Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe(notes), both former Pro Bowl quarterbacks, are part-owners of a new technology that they claim can help clean up the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Their company, Ecosphere, has had meetings with BP. Bledsoe talked about the technology at a recent press conference. From FS Southwest:

According to Bledsoe, Ecosphere would set its filtration systems on barges in the gulf and on beaches to clean the water.

"This is not technology sitting on the shelf waiting for a disaster," Bledsoe said. "This is technology out in the field satisfying contracts for well over a year, so it's proven. ... When you watch it, it is magic seeing dirty, nasty water go in one end and then crystal, clean water out the other end."

Obviously, I have no idea whether or not the Ecosphere Ozonix Water Treatment Process can actually help in the Gulf, but why not be open to all options? I thought it was weird when Kevin Costner said he had a machine that could save the day, but here we are, and BP's about to deploy 32 of Costner's machines.

Good for Aikman and Bledsoe. I hope they're as good at cleaning up oil as they were at quarterbacking.

Gracias, PFT.

Related: Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Back in the Day

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NFL Titans QB Young sorry for role in fight Revis sits out some plays in protest Jets limit Sanchez to morning practices Titans LB McRath suspended 4 games Saints: Bush probe won't be distraction Broncos' Dumervil inks restricted tender Vikings DE Edwards signs $2.5M tender Saints RB Thomas inks tender, wants more Bucs' Winslow expects to be OK for camp Cardinals G Lutui signs qualifying offer More NFL News 25 Comments Post a Comment

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Aaron Rodgers: Still unimpressed with ESPN

Less than a month ago, we brought you the tale of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) and his Twitter battle with ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. Rodgers opined that McShay should take his challenge and watch some game film with him, ostensibly in order to prove his expertise. McShay was the only guy that Rodgers called out by name, but his shot at "some of ESPN's experts" was merely a lead-in to his most recent comments. On ESPN's own Milwaukee station, Rodgers mercilessly bashed "Monday Night Football" broadcaster Ron Jaworski and former MNF cohort Tony Kornheiser. First, his take on Tony:

You know who was better than Tony Kornheiser? Dennis Miller was ten times better. Dennis Miller was a great comedian, but one of the worst Monday Night Football guys ever. And he was ten times better than Tony Kornheiser. His stuff was actually funny. Tony stuff wasn't funny at all. He did no research. We'd sit in those production meetings and he would add absolutely nothing to the conversation. I'd be like, ‘What are we doing here? This is stupid.'... You get in there with Tony and he's asking you all these dumb questions that have no application to the game you are playing or anything you are doing. He's terrible... I don't think he's funny. I don't think he's insightful. I don't think (he) knows anything about sports.

And Jaworski?

I like him, but, when I was coming out, he did the worst segment in the history of TV about me talking about my fundamentals. It was not even close to anywhere near my fundamentals. The first time I met him, someone introduced me to him and I said, ‘Yeah I know him. He's the guy who ripped me before the draft.' The rest of the night he told me how great I was. I was like, ‘I know your song and dance.' And now he loves me. I like Trent (Dilfer). He does a good job. He's had success at the position. You look at Marcellus Wiley(notes) up there talking about quarterback play. The guy was a defensive end for a few years in the league. He's not any good.

Wow. I get the Kornheiser-bashing — I don't think you could find anyone outside of Bristol, Conn., and Kornheiser's immediate family, who would agree that his time in the booth was a success. And the 2009 hire of Jon Gruden, after Kornheiser cited "fear of flying" as the reason he woudn't continue on the broadcasts, showed that even the execs in charge realized the need for more football-smart announcing. But Jaworski, who watches a ridiculous amount of tape at NFL Films in preparation for his work on "Monday Night Football" and "NFL Matchup," is rightfully perceived to be about as good as it gets when it comes to player breakdowns. I'd be interested to see Rodgers and Jaws discuss their differences and come to an agree-to-disagree compromise — I think he's earned more respect than Rodgers gives him. As for Kornheiser ... well, it's tough to argue Rodgers' point. The only thing I'd say in Kornheiser's defense is that he was hired to be the outsider and the contrary voice, and that's what he did. It was just a bad hire.

Here's a date to mark on your calendars — Monday, Sept. 27. That's when the MNF crew calls the Bears-Packers game from Soldier Field. Should be slightly dramatic, especially since Jaws has been as critical of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) as any pundit in the business. Then again, it's entirely possible that the guys in the booth will spend the entire game talking about Brett Favre(notes).

Related: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers

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NFL Big Ben blames problems on immaturity Bills DE Schobel close to retirement Jets CB Revis will attend minicamp WR Muhammad retiring after 14 seasons Jets QB Sanchez says he's ready to play Palmer: Ochocinco absence makes it tough Rams sign veteran DT Hovan Disgruntled K Dawson at Browns minicamp Former Packers RB Green to play in UFL Pack's Underwood faces sex assault claim More NFL News 123 Comments Post a Comment

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Seahawks rookie Tate involved in donut-related mischief

When I interviewed former Notre Dame and current Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate(notes) for the Washington Post in March, I should have asked him if he had a sweet tooth. Evidently he does, and it seems to have gotten the rookie in a bit of trouble. As first reported by TMZ.com, Tate was given a trespass warning by police in Bellevue, Washington (a suburb of Seattle) when the owner of the Top Pot donut shop below the apartment complex in which Tate lives noticed that there were intruders in his place of business at 3:00 last Saturday morning. The Seattle Times reports that Tate and a friend got in via a common door that was left open.

Tate said that the idea was to go into the shop to grab a few maple bars, which are apparently addictive to the extreme. "They're irresistible," Tate told the media after his pastry caper was made public. "It was kind of a foolish mistake that won't happen again. But if you ever want some maple bars, that's the place to go.

"A buddy made the mistake of going in, grabbing a couple. He came out, we ate them. There's nothing much to the story other than that. I'm very apologetic to it. This is the wrong type of media I want to bring to this organization. I apologized to the team, the coaches and even Top Pot. As of now, I think that's the end of it."

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Video: Ben Roethlisberger's accuser makes statement to police

By MJD

Georgia police on Wednesday released video of Ben Roethlisberger's accuser making her statement to an investigator. They blurred her face (not quite blurred enough, if you ask me) in the released DVD, and you can see and hear her describe every filthy detail.

There's no terrible language, so I guess the only warning that applies is that it feels super uncomfortable and intrusive to listen to someone talk about something so intensely personal. Click the image below to see a Pittsburgh news report, with snippets of the video.

TMZ posted portions of the video earlier, and if you're interested, they've also got video of Roethlisberger chatting and dancing earlier in the evening. Here, at WPXI, you can see the whole, 10

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