POSTED 2:57 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

McNABB X-RAYS NEGATIVE

The Eagles' official web site reports that x-rays on the ankle of quarterback Donovan McNabb were negative.

McNabb sprained the ankle in the first half of Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

His return was officially listed as questionable.

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POSTED 2:35 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:39 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

REPLAY MALFUNCTION IN BALTIMORE

Now we've heard it all.

For the first time (as far as we know) in the history of the league's replay challenge system, a call has been upheld because the referee was unable to review the video evidence.

As explained in the NFL.com Game Center, a completed pass by the Brown was upheld "because of a system malfunction."

The Ravens challenged the play.  They were not charged a time out due to the apparent equipment failure.

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FLORIO JR. LEARNS NEW WORDS

After the second half kickoff during the Chiefs-Colts game on Sunday, someone could be heard yelling the "F" word.

It was clear, and it was loud.

Fortunately, Florio Jr. wasn't home to hear it.  Instead, he'll be learning that word, and a few more, as he sits a few rows behind coach Bob Huggins during this afternoon's WVU basketball game.

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POSTED 2:19 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

McNABB OUT

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is out of Philly's home game against the 0-9 Dolphins with an apparent ankle injury.

McNabb's return is listed as questionable.

The Dolphins currently lead, 7-3.  Needless to say, if the Fins were to get their first win of the season over the Eagles, the fine folks in Philly might be a tad disgruntled -- and might be inclined to express their feelings.

McNabb is getting X-rays on his leg.  A.J. Feely replaced McNabb, and promptly threw an interception.

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POSTED 1:35 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:38 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

COLTS HIDING VINATIERI LEG INJURY?

A reader tells us that, after Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 49-yard field goal attempt against the Chiefs in the first quarter of Sunday's game, one of the guys handling the CBS broadcast (either Gus Johnson or Steve Tasker) said that Vinatieri has an undisclosed injury to his plant leg.

Assuming that Johnson and Tasker have the journalistic skills to secure disclosure of undisclosed information regarding injuries, why doesn't the Vinatieri injury appear on the team's official injury report?

Surely, no team coached by Tony Dungy would ever break the rules.  If Johnson and/or Tasker are right, it truly would be a sad day for the NFL.

UPDATE:  Vinatieri missed another one, and Tasker continues to talk about the injury to Vinatieri's plant leg.  Vinatieri's name appears nowhere on the injury report for Week Eleven.

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POSTED 1:22 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

COLTS PLAN TO BRING BACK KLECKO?

There's talk in league circles that the Indianapolis Colts plan to re-sign defensive lineman Dan Klecko, if he clears waivers.

In fact, some league insiders believe that the Colts already have a wink-nod-burp-fart understanding in place with Klecko.   Technically, such deals are against the rules.  As a practical matter, however, the rule is never enforced.

Still, a team hoping to disrupt the Colts' locker room a bit could put in a claim for Klecko.  Waiver claims for weekend releases are due by Monday at 4:00 p.m. 

The Colts cut Klecko on Saturday to make room for extra help on the offensive line.

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POSTED 12:29 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 1:11 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

LEFTWICH RETURNS TO STARTING LINEUP

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that the Falcons will turn back to Byron Leftwich at quarterback, over Joey Harrington.

Glazer says that the official line is that Leftwich throws a better deep ball.  Glazer also says that, unofficially, the reason is that the team has yet to take to Harrington.

In contrast, the Falcons respond to, and will play hard for, Leftwich.

It's been that way for Harrington in Detroit and Miami, and it tells us that, eventually, his NFL career will consist of being a guy who holds the clipboard, and plays only when absolutely necessary. 

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EMMITT EITHER CAN'T OR WON'T BE COACHED

Several weeks ago, Emmitt Smith's young broadcasting career hit a low point when he used the term "blowed out" not once but twice in the same sentence.

That statement, and others like it, has made Emmitt the butt of jokes both inside and outside of Bristol.  The guys on PTI recently used the term "blowed up," as an apparent homage to Emmitt.

Apparently, Emmitt is oblivious to the criticism.  Or no one has bothered to share it with him.  Or there's been no effort at all to get him to do a better job.

Because he did it again.  Today. 

While discussing whether the Steelers can beat the Patriots, Emmitt said:  "This kind of inconsistency play against a team like New England will get you completely blowed out."

It's sad.  It really is.  Because if Emmitt can't or won't accept that the proper term is "blown out," imagine how hard it must be to get him to understand slightly more challenging concepts.

UPDATE:  An industry source tells us that ESPN has multiple people working with Emmitt in an effort to improve his performance.  If that's true, a certain line from a certain classic movie comes to mind.

 

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POSTED 12:19 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

PETERSON ON TRACK FOR QUICK RETURN?

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson could indeed be returning quickly from a torn LCL.

Peterson, per Glazer, will run on an underwater treadmill on Monday, and if all goes well his rehab will continue.

We're still suspicious, however, of the extent to which coach Brad Childress is pushing Peterson's return in order to save his own bacon.  And even if Childress isn't the guy making this happen, Childress will face the wrath of the team's fans, and the media, if Peterson's knee gets blowed up in the garbage portion of a lost season.

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POSTED 12:09 p.m. EST, November 18, 2007

SMITH INACTIVE FOR WEEK ELEVEN

NFL.com reports that Panthers receiver Steve Smith is among the inactive players this weekend.  Smith missed practice this week with a shin injury.

Other highlights from the early games include these:  Bengals receiver Chad Johnson (knee) is active and will start; tight end Bubba Franks in active for the Packers; Jags receiver Matt Jones is active; Fins linebacker Zach Thomas is inactive; Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is active and will start; and Chargers defensive lineman Luis Castillo is inactive.

Also inactive is Jags defensive end Bobby McCray.  Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com says that "[t]here are alarm bells attached to the move."

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POSTED 11:59 a.m. EST, November 18, 2007

COLTS TOO CONSERVATIVE WITH INJURIES?

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that some members of the Indianapolis Colts are grousing about the team's ultra-conservative approach to injuries.

Indy apparently is keeping players like Marvin Harrison on the shelf under circumstances where, if it were a playoff game, they would play.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio says that players are starting to doubt the team's ability to win in Foxborough without defensive end Dwight Freeney and, possibly, without Harrison.  Paolantonio also says that coach Tony Dungy has stressed that the Colts need to continue to focus, despite the injuries.

Frankly, we're not sure that the Colts will even get another crack at the Patriots.  They might have to run the table in order to nudge out the Steelers for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.  Otherwise, the might have to go to Pittsburgh and win in the elements before getting another shot at New England.

Tight end Dallas Clark (concussion) will play on Sunday.  Harrison is out, as is left tackle Tony Ugoh.

And as Emmitt Smith said, "All those things messes with the mentality of the ball club, and the chemistry of your ball club."

Fortunately, however, it has no real effect on your golf club.

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POSTED 11:45 a.m. EST, November 18, 2007

JAMARCUS DEBUT COMING DECEMBER 2?

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, could make his pro debut on December 2, against the Broncos.

The move won't happen if current starter Daunte Culpepper plays "lights out" in the next two games.  Assuming that Culpepper won't be experiencing a change of form from his performances since the start of the 2005 season, Russell's time is coming.

Mort says that the light came on for Russell a couple of weeks ago, and that Russell is down to a svelte 259 pounds after being in the 270s earlier in the year.

Russell has yet to take a snap in the NFL; he missed all of the preseason in a holdout.

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POSTED 11:40 a.m. EST, November 18, 2007

CONDON INJECTS HIMSELF INTO NOLAN-SMITH FEUD

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that agent Tom Condon is blaming the 49ers for causing tendinitis in quarterback Alex Smith's arm as a result of treatment given to Smith by the team for his separated shoulder.

We realize that it's Condon's job to represent the interests of Smith, but it would make a lot more sense for Condon to either deal with these matters privately -- or to pursue the matter through the union.

Though it's possible that someone from the 49ers leaked Condon's complaint to Mortensen, it's equally likely that Condon is leaking the information as part of a P.R. attack against the team.

If that's the case, it's unfortunate.  And it's risky.  Just ask Scott Boras. 

Meanwhile, it's starting to look like Smith and the 49ers are heading for a divorce.

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POSTED 11:29 a.m. EST, November 18, 2007

DRIVER ON PACKERS' OFFENSE:  THERE'S "NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP US"

Bob Holtzmann of ESPN reports that Packers receiver Donald Driver has boasted that, as to the team's offense, there's "nothing you can do to stop us."

That's a bold statement from Driver.  But he's probably right.

Still, not everyone believes in the Packers' offense.  ESPN's Emmitt Smith doesn't have faith in the running game, led by (as Emmitt called him on Sunday morning) "Brian" Grant.

In Emmitt's mind, Grant apparently doesn't compare to great running backs of yesteryear like Larry Sanders, John Brown, and Eric Nicholson.

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POSTED 11:22 a.m. EST, November 18, 2007

NEAL OUT FOR PATS

The New England Patriots downgraded guard Stephen Neal from questionable to out on Saturday night.

Neal, who has a shoulder injury, had been expected to play.

Also out for the Pats are safety Eugene Wilson and linebacker Eric Alxander.

New England has a habit of downgrading players on the night before road games, since at that point it's obvious that the players in question won't play, given that they didn't make the trip.

Russ Hochstein is expected to place Neal in the Pats' starting lineup.

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POSTED 4:53 p.m. EST, November 17, 2007

COLTS CHOP KLECKO

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Indianapolis Colts have cut defensive lineman Dan Klecko, in order to create space for offensive lineman Corey Hilliard, whom the Colts signed from their practice squad.

Klecko, who once played for the Patriots, caught the game-tying touchdown pass against the Pats in the 2006 AFC championship game.

The son of former Pro Bowl lineman Joe Klecko, Dan Klecko will first pass through waivers.  If unclaimed, he'll become an unrestricted free agent.

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POSTED 4:37 p.m. EST, November 17, 2007

WESTBROOK MIGHT NOT GO

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook missed two days of practice this week with a knee injury, and might not play on Sunday against the winless Dolphins.

Westbrook reportedly experienced swelling in the knee after lifting weights following practice on Wednesday.  He missed practice on Thursday and Friday.

In one of his best seasons, Westbrook has more than 1,200 yards from scrimmage.  He missed one game with an abdominal injury.

"I think he'll be ready to go," coach Andy Reid said Friday.  "It's not bad.  There's a little swelling."

Earlier in the week, Westbrook hinted that his contract might require an adjustment come 2007.  He inadvertently was paid an extra $3 million in 2006, and has been required to pay the money back -- and at the same time to attempt to obtain a refund for the taxes that he previously paid.

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POSTED 9:44 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:25 a.m. EST, November 17, 2007

HENRY DECISION LOOMING

With a formal appeal hearing before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell now in the books, it's time for Broncos running back Travis Henry to wait for a ruling as to whether he'll be suspended for a full year, at a minimum.

The hearing occurred on Friday in Phoenix, and the team excused Henry from practice so that he could attend.

Henry told the Rocky Mountain News that he has a "good feeling" about the appeal. 

Maybe it was something he smoked.

Seriously, why does Henry think he's going to prevail?  The league's substance-abuse policy is under attack from Henry in a court of law, and it's under attack from Henry's coach in the court of public opinion.  If Goodell were to find that Henry should not be suspended for a year, Goodell would essentially be admitting that the drug-testing policy is flawed -- opening the door for every other player who tests positive to launch a similar challenge against it.

One of Henry's arguments apparently is that the threshold for marijuana is too low, potentially resulting in a positive after merely being exposed to second-hand smoke.  But what in the hell was a guy who is one strike away from a one-year suspension doing hanging out with someone who was smoking pot?

Besides, the threshold was accepted and agreed to by the union.  If Henry doesn't like the fact that the union has put him in a bad position, Henry should take it up with Congress. 

And we can only wonder how hard the NFL smacked the knuckles of Coach Kevlar behind the scenes for his recent proclamation that Henry passed a lie-detector test and a hair-sample test.  There's no way that the league would air that laundry publicly, since to do so would be to embarrass owner Pat Bowlen.  Still, we strongly suspect that Coach Shenanigan got dressed down over the fact that his effort to curry favor with his players put his ultimate employer in a very bad light.

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ALEXANDER OUT FOR SUNDAY

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander will miss another game, due to a knee injury he suffered two weeks ago against the Browns.

"I told Shaun, until he can practice the whole week, then I'm not going to put him in the field," Holmgren said recently.

"I tried to explain, with running backs, that you need to be able to do what you do, and if you're worried about an injury or something's sore . . . you really are open to more injuries.  So I'm not going to put him on the field until he can do what he does."

Holmgren's comments could be interpreted as an implicit slap at Alexander due to the perception that, before suffering the knee injury, he was playing too tentatively, possibly setting the stage for the knee to be sprained.

The deeper question, as we see it, is that Alexander could be sealing his fate in Seattle.  He scored a big-money contract in early 2006.  Though he was poised to hit free agency during a 2005 season for the ages, the team resisted signing him to a long-term deal because the organization feared that, once the fire was quenched, it would be extinguished.

But after leading the team to the Super Bowl and securing the MVP award and the single-season touchdown record (which stood for all of a year), the team had no choice but to embrace Alexander for the long haul.

Now that the locals are booing him openly, it'll be far easier for the team to pull the plug.  And we have a feeling that, unless he takes a steep pay cut, 2007 will be his last year in cobalt blue and fluorescent vomit green.

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MORE ON DIXON INJURY

In response to our item regarding the dangers posed by allowing NFL and college coaches to be less than truthful about a player's injury status, a tipster tells us that at least one member of the Oregon athletics department was privately saying that Dixon spent a lot of time with the trainers in the days leading to Thursday night's game against Arizona, even as coach Mike Bellotti was putting out false information about the status of Dixon, who tore an ACL on November 3 against Arizona State.

Sure enough, the betting line was moving toward Arizona, even as more and more folks were taking Oregon.

Clearly, the boys in Vegas knew that Dixon wasn't as healthy as advertised, and they enticed more money to be bet on Oregon by reducing the point spread.

Meanwhile, the rest of us had to rely upon the official information being provided by the team.

"It was just a mild knee strain, and he had a thigh bruise on that same leg from earlier in the game," Bellotti said after Dixon initially suffered the injury.  "I think he could have gone back in, but we are comfortable with our depth at that position.  He would have gone back in if we felt he was needed."

Then, after Dixon declared himself "totally 100 percent" after a week of practice, Bellotti said this:  "I watched him run around on Friday [November 9] and was really, really extremely pleased.  He did a lot of change-of-direction stuff, a lot of stop-start stuff and took part in some drills.  That's very exciting, and obviously very positive for all of us."

So what's Bellotti's excuse for not being honest?  "[Dixon] asked us on behalf of himself and his family to keep that quiet."

Yeah, because Dixon and his family wanted to be able to bet the farm on Arizona.  (Okay, we're kidding.  But that's exactly the kind of thing that could happen in situations like this.)

Bellotti also has attempted to pre-empt any criticism of his decision to allow Dixon to play with a torn ACL by suggesting that Dixon was trying to put his teammates' interests ahead of his own.  "While he certainly had some personal goals at stake, anyone who is familiar with Dennis knows that any decisions he made were purely in the interest of his teammates and not motivated by any personal gains."

Look, the player is always going to want to keep playing.  And the player isn't going to consider the long-term consequences of, for example, delaying reconstructive ACL surgery for two full months.  It's the coach's job to think broadly, and to help steer the kid in the right direction.  But because Bellotti knew that he had no chance of winning a national championship without Dixon, Bellotti opted to let the kid keep playing.

Fortunately for Dixon, the knee crumbled without contact in the first game after the injury.  So now he's only two weeks behind where he would have been if the injury had been disclosed at the appropriate time.

Besides, the broader point here is that the NCAA needs to take meaningful steps toward preventing the concealment of injuries, because it will serve only to invite gamblers and other shady characters to cozy up to guys who are playing football for free.  If in light of the Dixon situation anyone doesn't think it's happening, then they're just plain naive.

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POSTED 9:00 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

INJURY SECRECY INVITES TROUBLE

Though this site is focused exclusively on pro football, there are at times stories relating to other levels of the game that illustrate one of the points on which we harp from time to time.

And as anyone who comes to this site knows, we often get queasy about the misinformation that NFL teams propagate regarding their injured players.  Not because we want to see the rules followed (though we do) but because we recognize that gamblers and organized criminals are smart enough to see that the injury reports don't tell the whole story, and that there might be folks on a team's payroll who know some of the things that haven't been disclosed.

But it's not just the guy who washes the jock straps for $9.15 an hour who might be willing to share what he has heard in exchange for an envelope containing multiple portraits of former presidents.  It's family members and friends of players, who might see no harm in picking up some lunch money in exchange for passing along to the guy from the health club with one eyebrow the things that the player said about his ankle when he called after practice last night.

We mention this because there's a stunning report regarding Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who apparently suffered a serious knee injury on Thursday night.  Video of the incident suggested that he tore an ACL.

As it turns out, he didn't tear an ACL.  No, the ACL was already torn.

Dixon suffered the injury on November 3.  But coach Mike Bellotti said that Dixon had rested the injury and was ready to play.

On November 5, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said that Dixon wasn't seriously hurt.

"I just saw him out in the hallway and he was doing jumping jacks," Kelly said.  "He has been working with our trainers and he'll be fine."

Yeah, he'll be fine.  With no ACL.

And so much for Bellotti helping Dixon position himself to be ready for his rookie NFL season.  But why would an NCAA head coach care about one of his player's future career when the National Championship is within reach -- if only the kid's ACL-less knee doesn't buckle without contact on a choppy grass field?

As it now stands, Dixon is done for the year, and his stock come April 2008 has plummeted.  More importantly, that guy from the health club with one eyebrow is eating caviar and drinking champagne from a bottle without a screw top because he was able to find out the true extent of Dixon's injury, and to act accordingly.

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POSTED 8:34 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

GRUMPY OLD MEN AT LAMBEAU

When 38-year-old Brett Favre looks across the field at the guy who'll be starting at quarterback for the Panthers, he'll feel young.  For a change.

Because starting for the Panthers will be 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde.

Vinny gets the nod over a healthy David Carr, who has been a huge disappointment in his first season in Carolina.  Coach John Fox says that the quarterback job will be determined on a week-by-week basis.

For the Panthers, the time to win some games is at hand.  If this team doesn't make the playoffs, coach John Fox and G.M. Marty Hurney could be looking for work.  Involuntarily.

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POSTED 8:25 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

GREEN OUT AGAIN

On the day that the Texans will welcome to Houston the running back over whom they passed at the top of the 2006 draft, the team won't have their big-money free-agent tailback . . . again.

Ahman Green will miss another game due to a knee problem.  "He has not responded here over the course of the last couple of weeks in the rest we have given him," coach Gary Kubiak said Friday.  "He came out, did a little bit yesterday.  It did not respond.  The knee swelled this morning, so he will be down and we'll work from there."

Green, a long-time Packer who got his start in Seattle, has rushed for only 260 yards on 70 carries this season for Houston.

Ron Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, will start in Green's place.

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POSTED 8:10 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

HORSE COLLAR FUND KEEPS GROWING

Week Ten brought a couple new fines for violation of the rule against so-called horse collar tackles.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, Cards safety Adrian Wilson was slapped with a $10,000 fine for pulling the horse collar maneuver.  Ditto for Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who will have $7,500 less to purchase non-tainted supplements as a result of slapping a horse collar on a Colt.

The fact that the horse collar play continues to occur despite the fines tells us that the fines aren't working.  At some point, the league needs to start suspending players.

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POSTED 2:52 p.m. EST; UPDATED, 3:16 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

NOT SO FREAKY ANYMORE

Eight years ago (has it been that long?), defensive end Jevon Kearse exploded onto the NFL scene as a stud rookie with the Titans.

"The Freak" took the league by storm, but injuries soon limited his playing time.

When he qualified for free agency, he bolted for the Eagles.  He played well at first, but a serious knee injury ended his season prematurely in 2006.  This year, Kearse is plagued by ineffectiveness.

How bad has he been?  Bad enough to get benched.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, poor play in a Sunday night game against the Cowboys nearly two weeks ago caused the team to reduce Kearse' role.   On Sunday against the Dolphins, Kearse might not play at all.

"I haven't decided that yet," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said when asked about Kearse's role for Sunday.

Taking Kearse's place at the left defensive end position will be Juqua Thomas.

Thomas and Trent Cole have eclipsed Kearse and Howard, both of whom were big-money free-agent additions of the Eagles.

As to Kearse, one league source told us on Friday that he "might be the biggest bust of all time in free agency."

But teammates are defending Kearse, who still is recovering from that knee injury.  "No one wants to talk about Jevon being on the football field playing one of the toughest positions [coming] off knee surgery," cornerback Sheldon Brown said.  "No one wants to talk about that.  They want to talk about his money.  He's undersized, so he needs to be 110 percent."

Cornerback Lito Sheppard knows that the salary of Kearse and Howard, coupled with their positions on the depth chart, will lead to a parting of the ways after the season.

"When you talk about that stuff, you're talking about money," Sheppard said.  "The only thing Jevon could have done to stay here is make the Pro Bowl.  He'll get straight once he gets healthy.  They're both going to go somewhere else and sign and play well next year."

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EMMITT TO GET EVEN MORE EXPOSURE?

Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that Emmitt Smith and his wife have signed with IMG for representation "individually and as a pair."

Smith is the NFL's all-time leading rusher, but (in our view) he also is the all-time worst athlete-turned-high-profile-broadcaster.  We're not sure what "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" plan to do together, but we hope that it has less and less to do with football and the discussion thereof.

And since Emmitt apparently thinks he's actually good on television, he might be under the impression that he can become, say, an actor.

The Smiths apparently hope to capitalize on Emmitt's victory in Dancing with the Stars.  Emmitt already has parlayed that success into a role as pitchman for the Arthur Murray Dance Studios.

But how long can the fading fumes of a victory in a popular series that continues to crank out new winners last?  Emmitt needs to find another way to make a name for himself, or the star will quickly fade.

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NO. 2 SEED FOR STEELERS?

Don't look now, but the Pittsburgh Steelers could disrupt the plans for a Pats-Colts reunion in January.

With the Steelers going strong and the Colts stumbling, the road to Foxborough could end up going through Pittsburgh. 

For more on this possibility, have a listen to the PFT guys.

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YOUNG'S CAREER STUCK IN NEUTRAL

Some Internet hack from a disreputable web site has made a halfway-decent argument on SportingNews.com regarding the development of Titans quarterback Vince Young.

You can read what said Internet hack has to say on the matter right here.

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POSTED 1:32 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

BILLICK NONCOMMITTAL ABOUT QUARTERBACKS' FUTURE by Michael David Smith

Ravens coach Brian Billick has said that Steve McNair's shoulder injury is the reason the team is turning to Kyle Boller as its starting quarterback.

But when asked if Boller could keep the job even once McNair has made a complete recovery, Billick said it could happen.

"Sure, that's always a possibility," Billick said, per Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun.  "It has to do with Steve's strength, as well, and how we're doing as a team."

If Boller plays well enough that Billick decides to keep him in the lineup even after McNair is healthy enough to play, it would signal the end of McNair's tenure in Baltimore, and maybe the end of his career.

As for McNair's long-term future in Baltimore, Billick said, "That's a question that I really can't answer.  Only time will tell that.  My admiration for Steve McNair -- the champion he's been, the grit, the toughness, the professionalism -- is something that I will continue to value.  I don't know that anybody can answer that question right now."

Hensley reports that the Ravens would take a $3.35 million salary cap hit in 2008 if they released McNair after the season.  McNair signed a five-year, $32 million deal in June of 2006, after trading a fourth-round draft pick to pry him loose from the Titans.

POSTED 12:17 p.m. EST, November 16, 2007

L.J. SAYS HE'LL PLAY THIS YEAR by Michael David Smith

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is saying publicly that he will return this season, contradicting reports that a foot injury will end his season.

"I'm able to walk fine without using a boot," Johnson said Thursday night on the weekly radio show hosted by Chiefs president Carl Peterson.

Although Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star reports that Johnson still won't give details about the exact nature of his injury, Peterson suggested that Johnson has made faster progress in rehabilitation than the team expected.

"This guy has made unbelievable progress," Peterson said. "It was a significant injury."

Johnson did not play last weekend against the Broncos and has been ruled out of this weekend's game against the Colts, but the fact that he has not been put on injured reserve indicates that the Chiefs -- who at 4-5 are only a game out in the AFC West -- still think he can play this season.

Fox 31 in Denver reported shortly after Johnson injured his foot in a loss to the Packers that he was out for the season.  Other media reports have given conflicting accounts of the seriousness of the injury.

POSTED 8:55 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:59 a.m. EST, November 16, 2007

BRANION SUSPENSION REVERSED

Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that arbitrator Roger Kaplan has scuttled a one-year suspension imposed by the NFLPA upon agent Joby Branion of Athletes First.

Kaplan upheld a one-year suspension leveled against agent Zeke Sandhu.

The case arose from the alleged efforts of Sandhu to leave the firm of Lock, Metz, and Malinovic and to take with him 49ers tight end Vernon Davis.  Branion became caught up in the situation because Sandhu tried to get hired by Athletes First.

Earlier this year, Branion told us that he initiated no contact of any kind with Davis.

"There is no question that in this case there was interference," NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen told Mullen.  "The only issue was whether it was by both Sandhu and Branion or only by Sandhu.  The disciplinary committee thought it was both.  Kaplan disagreed and said it was only Sandhu and his decision is final."

Another issue in this case is that Sandhu's name was on the Davis representation agreement.  Typically, "interferences" arises in violation of NFLPA rules when an agent who is not on the SRA tries to pilfer a client who is represented by someone else.

It's believed in some circles that the NFLPA targeted Branion in part because of the NFLPA's history of battles with Branion's partner, David Dunn.  The ice in that regard should be thawing considerably, given that Andrew Kessler, the son of NFLPA primary outside counsel Jeff Kessler, now works for Athletes First.

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THREE NEW SPRINT PHONES COMING NEXT FRIDAY

Okay, why go out and fight the crowds at the strip mall on the day after Thanksgiving when you can do your Holiday shopping by following the ads on this page?

Everyone has a cell phone, and everyone is almost always looking to upgrade to a new handset.  Come November 23, Sprint and Nextel will offer up three of them.

As of Friday, the RIM Blackberry Pearl 8130, the Motorola Q9c, and the Motorola i335 will be available, exclusively from Sprint.

All are priced under $200, with service plan and rebates.  The i335 is a Nextel product that can be had for $50.

The Motorola Q9c is an upgrade of the Q, and it has all sorts of new features.  The RIM Blackberry Pearl 8130 incorporates more of the now-standard Sprint services into the Blackberry product, such as Sprint TV.  It's also the first RIM product that has a built-in video recorder.

We're hearing from more and more PFT readers who have made the switch to Sprint, and who love it.  So join the rest of PFT Planet this holiday season and become a Sprint customer.  If you already are a Sprint customer, look into getting one of the new handsets. 

Sprint Nextel, by the way, is the official telecommunications partner of ProFootballTalk.

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FRIDAY MORNING ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney wishes his old teammate Corey Dillon would re-join the Patriots.

Bills QB Gibran Hamdan is pretending to be Tom Brady as he runs the scout team offense.  [Editor's note:  So far, Hamdan has gotten three women pregnant.  And a goat.]

The Jets have to get better in the fourth quarter

Dolphins LB Zach Thomas doesn't expect to play Sunday against the Eagles.

Says Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians of QB Ben Roethlisberger's performance against the Browns, "I think he might have had one bad read in that whole ball game."

Browns WR Braylon Edwards isn't convinced that the Ravens can shut down Cleveland's offense the way Pittsburgh did in the second half of Sunday's game.

The Ravens have improved their running game, but they spent a lot to do it.

Bengals return man Antonio Chatman says of getting the punt return job back, "I love it.  It's like losing a dog and you can't find it for a couple of weeks."

With Dwight Freeney out for the season, Colts DT Raheem Brock might move back to defensive end.

When asked if rookie WR John Broussard had moved ahead of Matt Jones on the depth chart, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said, "I don't get into discussions like that."

Titans CB Reynaldo Hill might move back into the starting lineup in place of the injured Nick Harper.

An unnamed former pro personnel director was asked whether the Texans should have drafted DE Mario Williams or RB Reggie Bush last year and answered, "I'd say they would be better off without either one of them."

Despite having 5.5 sacks in nine games a year after having 17 sacks in 12 games, Chargers LB Shawne Merriman says, "I think I'm having my best season."

Says Chiefs coach Herm Edwards of QB Damon Huard going from first team to scout team, "He's a pro.  He knows his job is to help the team."

Broncos S Hamza Abdullah is getting praise from his teammates and coaches.

Raiders P Shane Lechler says the key to his improvement this season is that the team fired last year's special teams coach.

Says Cowboys coach Wade Phillips of forcing his players to sign a pledge that they wouldn't get any personal foul penalties, "It may be silly.  I was serious about it."

Giants LB Antonio Pierce plans to play Sunday, a week after suffering his first concussion.

Eagles LB Takeo Spikes says he likes being in Philadelphia because when he played in Cincinnati he shared a locker room with "a lot of guys who didn't care."

Says Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of CB Shawn Springs, "I think his leadership has been outstanding."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy will talk about a contract extension after the season.

Says Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz, "[W]e certainly have to get the running game going again."

Says Bears third-string QB Kyle Orton of his status with the team, "It's not an easy situation to be in."

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has donated the uniform he wore in his record-setting performance against the Chargers to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Says Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden of the report that a personal trainer distributed steroids to C Matt Lehr, "I got nothing to say other than he's here, he's been stellar for us and I really like Matt."

Saints LT Jammal Brown missed practice for the second consecutive day with a calf injury, but coach Sean Payton is optimistic that he'll play.

Panthers WR Steve Smith has missed two straight practices with a shin injury.

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino says he told QB Joey Harrington to prepare like he was going to start, even though he told the media that Harrington wasn't going to start unless Byron Leftwich's ankle injury kept him out.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says CB Marcus Trufant is "having a fine year."

Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington is getting the ball more on third down.

49ers WR Ashley Lelie suffered a right quadriceps strain in Wednesday's practice and will miss Sunday's game against the Rams.

Says Rams DE Eric Moore of being promoted to the 53-man roster, "I'm excited; it's a lot better than the practice squad."

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POSTED 11:59 p.m. EST, November 15. 2007

VICK'S HOUSE WILL BE AUCTIONED

The house and the property that housed the Bad Newz Kennels will be auctioned on December 15, five days after its former owner is sentenced on federal conspiracy charges relating to dog fighting.

The deed was filed on Thursday selling the house to Todd Builders, Inc., which will offer the land up for action next month.

The property was sold for $450,000; it had an assessed value of $750,000.

"Only one person can own the most famous house in America today," said real estate agent Kyle Hause, Jr.  "You can ask people from coast to coast which house has the most notoriety in the country today, and it's this house."

Prior reports indicated that "heads would turn" when the buyer of the property was disclosed.  As we understand it, the initial buyer backed off of the transaction for that very reason.

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POSTED 11:41 p.m. EST, November 15, 2007

BROWNS COULD FRANCHISE ANDERSON

Though we've previously advised a few readers -- and a radio audience or two -- that the Browns can't use the franchise tag on quarterback Derek Anderson, they apparently can.

Per Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Browns would be able to use the franchise tag on Anderson, even though Anderson will be a restricted free agent.

Under the CBA, the maximum limitation under the restricted free agency rules is one-year tender that gives the team a right of first refusal and compensation, if the offer is not matched, in the amount of a first-round pick and a third-round pick.

For 2008, the price of the highest possible restricted free agency tag will be $2.562 million.

But, if the team so chooses, its franchise tag can be used on a restricted free agent, bumping the compensation to two first-round draft picks.  The financial difference, however, is enormous; the one-year franchise tender for a quarterback will be roughly $10.6 million in 2008.

So for $8 million extra dollars, the Browns upgrade the compensation from a first-round pick and a third-round pick to two first-round picks.  The bigger issue, however, is that the two-round difference in the second draft pick might be enough to scare away a potential suitor.

We assume that the Browns also could chose to use the "exclusive" franchise tender, which would prevent Anderson from negotiating with other teams -- but which would move the compensation to roughly $14 million for 2008.

Schefter says that the Niners used the franchise tender on receiver Terrell Owens in 1999, even though he was a restricted free agent.  He later signed a seven-year, $34 million contract with a $7.5 million signing bonus.

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POSTED 6:53 p.m. EST, November 15, 2007

FAVRE LEADS PRO BOWL VOTING

With four weeks to go before voting closes on the 2007 Pro Bowl, Packers quarterback Brett Favre is leading the way with 458,837 votes.

It's a testament to the stunning rebirth Favre has experienced in 2007, his best season in years.

In second place is Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, with 441,852.  Pats quarterback Tom Brady is in third, with 440,354.

The leading non-quarterback is Patriots receiver Randy Moss, with 342,250. 

Here are the leading AFC vote-getters at each position:

Pos.	Name, Team	Votes	Pos.	Name, Team	Votes
QB	Peyton Manning, Colts	441,852	DE	Dwight Freeney, Colts	209,272
RB	Joseph Addai, Colts	297,504	IL	Vince Wilfork, Patriots	100,032
FB	Lorenzo Neal, Chargers	194,880	OLB	Shawne Merriman, Chargers	148,287
WR	Randy Moss, Patriots	342,250	ILB	Tedy Bruschi, Patriots	121,099
TE	Antonio Gates, Chargers	199,593	CB	Champ Bailey, Broncos	183,109
T	Matt Light, Patriots	179,054	SS	Troy Polamalu, Steelers	134,868
G	Eric Steinbach, Browns	188,052	FS	Ed Reed, Ravens	110, 412
C	Jeff Saturday, Colts	168,502	P	Chris Hanson, Patriots	52,131
K	Adam Vinatieri, Colts	82,922	ST	Larry Izzo, Patriots	105,147
KR	Wes Welker, Patriots	69,590

And now the NFC: