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POSTED 10:55 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

BENGALS TAG SMITH

The Cincinnati Bengals have slapped the franchise tag on veteran defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith, the team's first-round pick in 2001, would have been an unrestricted free agent in March.

The franchise tag gives the Bengals the ability to match any offers extended to Smith. If the Bengals opt not to match, they receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

It's rare, however, that a team gives up two first-rounders for a franchise player. It's far more common for the player to be traded from under the franchise tag.

If Smith accepts the tender, he'll receive a guaranteed one-year salary of $8.6 million. If he doesn't sign the tender, the tender can be revoked at any time.

The Bengals last used the franchise tag two years ago on running back Rudi Johnson, and subsequently signed him to a long-term deal.

POSTED 9:40 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

BLANK IS A BOZO

We're generally big supporters of the NFL and we don't want to gratuitously piss off any of the 32 owners, but we have to call it like we see it.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank is, by all appearances, a doofis.

If the porn star moustache wasn't evidence enough, take a gander at his effort to 'splain away Mike Vick's misadventures with a water bottle with a secret compartment that allegedly smelled of marijuana but, fortunately for Vick, contained none of it at the time.

"The incident in Miami was unfortunate," Blank said, "but as we found out it was a water bottle. It might have been a trick water bottle, but it was a water bottle and it was filled with water and that's what it was filled with."

Oh. My. Favre.

Either Blank thinks we're all stupid, or Blank himself is stupid. Or a little of both.

Hell, it sounds like something Michael Scott would say.

"It was a water bottle and it was filled with water and that's what it was filled with."

Of course, Blank concedes that it was a "trick" water bottle, making it sound like an Aquafina container that when you turn it upside down it makes a farting noise. (Wow. Not a bad idea.)

It wasn't a "trick" water bottle. It was a water bottle for concealing substances and it is marketed on the Internet as a way to conceal pot and this specific bottle smelled of pot.

And by offering up a naive explanation, Blank is enabling what could be a very real marijuana habit by his star quarterback.

We're not saying that Vick has a marijuana habit, but if he was our employee we don't think we'd be quite so cavalier about the possibility.

POSTED 7:30 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

JAMMAL GETTING OFF ON A TECHNICALITY?

Saints left tackle Jammal Brown, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2006, likely will avoid any criminal penalties for an incident from last year in which his wife alleged that he roughed her up.

Brown's estranged wife, Megan, now lives in California and is unwilling to testify against him. On Thursday, a judge ruled that prosecutors will not be able to use the audiotape of a 911 call that she made, during which she accused Brown of abuse.

During the call to 911, Megan Brown said that Jammal Brown grabbed her by the throat, pushed her, and struck her in the head with a cap.

Jammal Browns says that none of it is true.

Megan Brown has filed for divorce, and she has not alleged abuse in those proceedings.

Here's our take on it. We're always skeptical when the wife or significant other of a football player retracts allegations of abuse. Why? Because if the football player is playing for the Mean Machine, who'll be making the payments on the Mercedes?

In Brown's case, the absence of a victim and the inability to use the tape of her phone call leaves the prosecution only with photos of Megan Brown after the incident.

"And in my opinion, they don't show anything," said Brown's lawyer.

POSTED 3:42 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

THE CHIN IS IN

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher wasn't unemployed for long.

As it turns out, Cowher will be back to work later this year, as the newest member of The NFL Today on CBS. And here's the kicker -- no one is getting the boot to make room for the Chin.

But how can that be? Will CBS use a five-man set? Or will one of the guys currently with a seat at the grown-ups' table be "reassigned" to handle interviews or features or something else that will remove him from the regular discourse?

Our guess? (And it really is just a wild guess.) Shannon Sharpe (a/k/a Sharparo) was in real danger of being "outplaced," but CBS opted not to make Shannon the second Sharpe brother in less than 72 hours to be fired from a network gig. When NBC hired TiVi Barber (nod to reader who suggested the nickname), Sterling's career was, well, tarnished.

Ironically, it was Sharparo who jokingly tried to talk Cowher out of taking a TV gig when he did what apparently was an on-air audition for the job, during a segment of the four-hour Super Bowl XLI pregame show. Sharparo reminded Cowher that talking on the boob tube doesn't pay the same as being a coach or a player. In response, Cowher said, "I can't lose a game up here."

If they don't move one of the guys from the big desk, then the move affects all of the analysts (Cowher, Sharparo, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason) equally, because it will give each one less time to hear himself talk.

POSTED 9:09 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:21 a.m. EST, February 15, 2007

FLETCHER-BAKER TO BE IN DEMAND

In what's either a sign that the free-agent market will be lighter than usual in 2007 or that there's a sudden demand for thirtysomething linebackers who are a couple of inches shy of six feet, London Fletcher-Baker of the Bills is already on the shopping list for at least two teams.

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that the Redskins plan to make a play for both Fletcher-Baker and Bills teammate Nate Clements, a cornerback. We've also heard that the Lions intend to take a flyer on Fletcher-Baker in the early stages of free agency.

The winner in the process will be Fletcher-Baker. We don't want to knock the guy's abilities, and we're impressed that he has never missed a game in nine NFL seasons. But the apparent fact that two teams who are notorious for overpaying in the early days of the Super Bowl supermarket plan to make a run for him means that he'll likely end up with far more money in his pockets than he objectively would merit.

Statistically, Fletcher-Baker had one of the best years of his career in 2006, his fifth season with the Bills. He registered 104 tackles, 42 assists, two sacks, four interceptions, seven passes defensed, and a touchdown. He also spent four seasons with the Rams, and started all 16 regular season games as St. Louis made an improbable run to the NFL Championship.

USC RECRUITS ARE SOL?

Several readers have asked us whether the kids who signed letters of intent to play football at USC have any recourse if coach Pete Carroll skedaddles for San Diego in the coming days and/or weeks.

Though we initially believed that the recruits were out of luck, the outlook might not be so bleak for players who believe that they were hoodwinked into thinking that Carroll would be there.

Here's how the process works. An incoming freshman recruit signs a letter of intent. The letter of intent process is not governed by the NCAA itself, but by a separate organization to which most if not all of the NCAA schools belong.

By signing a letter of intent, the student agrees to attend the school for one year, and the school agrees to provide certain financial aid (usually, for the guys who sign on the first day of the process, a full ride). The penalty for a player who does not honor the letter of intent is the loss of one year of eligibility, plus a requirement that the player sit out a year (it's technically known as a "year in residence").

If, then, running back Joe McKnight decides to rescind his letter of intent with USC and attend LSU, he would not be able to play in 2007, and as of 2008 would only have three total years of eligibility.

But there's also an appeals process, which potentially allows a player to revoke the signed letter of intent with reduced penalties, or no penalties at all. Relief may be granted based on proof of "extenuating circumstances." Typically, this involves illness of the student, illness or death of a parent, or financial hardship.

So what if the player alleges that his head coach had a secret intention of leaving the university after the letters of intent for the coming year were signed, and that the player would not have signed the letter of intent if he had known the truth? If something like that could be proven, it's possible that the player would be able to get out from under the obligation, without penalty.

And that's another reason why Pete Carroll needs to stay under the radar for as long as possible, if he ultimately plans to take the Chargers job. Given the timeline, with Marty Schottenheimer fired only five days after the blue-chippers signed their letters of intent, things could get very interesting if one or more of the incoming recruits decide to file an appeal in an effort to attend other schools.

Finally, the schools have the option of releasing the letters of intent, and if Carroll is coaching the Chargers by the end of the month we think that it would be the right and fair thing for USC to do. But terms like "right" and "fair" don't always get honored in an industry that involves millions of dollars flowing to the institution in exchange merely for a free education that plenty of the "students" don't really want, anyway.

TIKI HAS HIS FACTS WRONG

Our good friend Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange and ESPN Radio in St. Louis has raised an interesting point regarding Tiki Barber's recent rant about his former field boss, Tom Coughlin.

Said Barber earlier this week, regarding Coughlin's demanding ways: "There'd be days where I couldn't move on Tuesday or Wednesday at practice, and he'd get mad at me for going half-speed. And I told him, 'Coach, I can't do it. I'm gonna be out here, I'm never gonna miss a practice, but I can't give you what you want all the time.' And he understood."

Said Balzer to us in response: "Hmmm. Wonder if Tiki can give us a review of those Tuesday practices, since that's the players' day off."

Great point.

Though Tiki surely would conjure an excuse (maybe it was just a Joe McKnight-style misspeak), he said what he said. And for a guy who now plans to try to become a "real" journalist with NBC News, accuracy is almost as important as not fumbling all the time.

Maybe, in time, Tiki will publicly criticize the executive at NBC who teaches him that lesson, in the same way that he's now disrespecting the guy who tought him how to hold onto the damn football.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

It's Players v. Players, Inc.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says that there's no way QB David Carr will be a Texan when the season starts.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy wants FB William Henderson to return.

The Jets are bogarting Pats assistant coach Brian Daboll.

Lions CB Dre' Bly says it wasn't his idea to leave Detroit.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, citing an unnamed Chargers source, says that Pete Carroll won't be the next coach of the team. (Unless the unnamed source is named "Dean" and "Spanos" -- in that order -- we're not ready to pull the plug on the possibility.)

The man accused of killing Tank Johnson's bodyguard says he didn't do it. (And the sun will set in the west today.)

Here's some potentially ominous news for one or more Steelers veterans: "We were an 8-8 team," director of football operations Kevin Colbert said Wednesday. "For us to think we can stand pat and be any better than that, I think would be naive on our part."

WR Donte' Stallworth wants to stick with the Eagles.

Big Sexy thinks the Chiefs should consider trading L.J. (for Jeff George).

Former Cowboys S Charlie Waters won't return as a radio analyst for the team's games.

The Ravens might not have the cap room to slap the franchise tag on LB Adalius Thomas.

The Chargers still haven't asked the Lions for permission to interview offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

POSTED 8:52 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:54 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

LIONS TO LET HALL, BELL SHOP AROUND, TOO

A member of PFT Planet has alerted us to media reports that the Lions, who have invited cornerback Dre' Bly to find a trade partner, have likewise asked defensive end James Hall and defensive tackle Marcus Bell to do the same.

Bell is signed through 2007, and he is scheduled to earn a base salary of $950,000.

Hall is signed through 2008, at salaries of $2.75 million in 2007 and $3 million in 2008.

Permission to seek a trade is often a precursor to a guy getting cut.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Attention, Raiders -- WR Calvin Johnson recently ran a 4.33.

The Raiders have re-signed DT Terdell Sands to a four-year, $17 million deal.

Packers QB Brett Favre will undergo ankle surgery to clean out bone spurs.

Lions RB Kevin Jones thinks he'll be ready for the 2007 season opener, despite surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his foot.

The Browns won't make a run at Marty Schottenheimer.

The Giants have cut RB/KR Chad Morton.

4-3 or 3-4 in the 'Burgh?

The Fred Smoot era is likely to end in Minnesota.

Nepotism is in the air in Dallas.

Iowa defensive line coach Ron Aiken is heading to Arizona.

The Packers gave CB Al Harris a new deal, but with no guaranteed money.

The 'Skins are expected to target LB London Fletcher and CB Nate Clements in their annual effort to overpay a handful of guys who won't be on the team in two seasons.

To make it happen, QB Mark Brunell will have to take a haircut.

POSTED 4:38 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

SCHEFTER GIVES LIFE TO OUR SMITH PREDICTION

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the San Diego Chargers might part ways with G.M. A.J. Smith after the April 2007 draft.

This reports meshes with our prediction that Smith will be let go for his role in the dysfunction that resulted in the termination of coach Marty Schottenheimer.

It also bolsters the mounting speculation that USC coach Pete Carroll is being, or has been, privately courted by the Chargers. Carroll most certainly would want final say over the roster, and if Smith couldn't get along with a head coach who didn't have final say, he'd never be able to work for one who does.

Still, if Carroll gets the job, the biggest challenge will be for him to hire a personnel guru who can do the job right. It's no coincidence that college coaches who have made the leap to the NFL in the post-salary cap era have struggled. It's one thing to recruit 25 blue-chippers every year and line 'em all up three deep on the depth chart. It's quite another to engage in the Peter-robbing, Paul-paying world of the NFL, where there are only so many quality players that can be signed without going over the total spending limit.

Though Carroll surely has Pat Kirwan on speed dial, Kirwan's specialty is cap and contracts. Besides, he has been out of the league for a while now. Carroll needs someone with the skills to find the right players at the right price, and then Carroll will be required to take that talent and coach it up in a way that will allow the team to overcome a playing field far more level than the raw talent gap Carroll has enjoyed in at least seven or eight games per year at USC.

POSTED 4:00 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

THE CHIEFS ARE ON THE BOARD

It's been a slow few days for Turd Watch, which is good for the NFL but bad for our traffic. (We'll gladly do without the extra traffic if it means less guys getting arrested and/or copping pleas.)

On Wednesday, however, the Chiefs have jumped into the fray, courtesy of defensive end Jared Allen.

Allen pleaded no contest to a charge of drunken driving, and received a two-day jail sentence.

If there's any good news to report, it's that none of the Turd Watch entries to date are the result of arrests occurring since the game started on the Monday after the Super Bowl. Instead, all of the teams "earning" points did so due to the resolution of criminal charges that were filed prior to the commencement of the inaugural standings.

POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

RUMORS SPREAD THAT CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS IS A DONE DEAL

There is increasing talk in league circles regarding suspicions that the San Diego Chargers already have a secret deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll.

Folks are pointing to some of the same facts we outlined on Monday night, after word broke that Marty Schottenheimer had been fired. Some think that the most convincing proof was/is USC assistant Steve Sarkisian's abrupt about-face with the Raiders, followed days later by the decision of his former Trojan colleague, Lane Kiffin, to take the job.

Why else, the theory goes, would Kiffin take a job that Sarkisian didn't want unless they both knew that Carroll wasn't long for the USC gig, and that Sarkisian, not Kiffin, had been hand-picked to replace him?

Others are pointing to the fact that the first guy to be interviewed is Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who has no head-coaching experience but who helps the Chargers satisfy the Rooney Rule quickly, in the event that the Pete Carroll cat gets out of the bag prematurely and none of the minority candidates agree to sit for the job. (See Detroit Lions and Steve Mariucci.)

We're also told that there is worry among the incoming class of USC recruits regarding the possibility that Carroll is leaving. But Pete has opted not to even address the situation publicly.

If he were not going to be the San Diego coach, he could easily say so. The fact that he has said nothing at all speaks volumes, in our view. Especially since he now has a couple dozen nervous high school seniors who signed papers seven days ago under the assumption that the head coach would be sticking around for at least the next month.

Stay tuned. We predict that the Chargers will go through the motions with several candidates, and that Carroll will then swoop in out of the blue as the guy.

If that happens, look for Pat Kirwan to soon follow him -- and for G.M. A.J. Smith to definitely get the boot after the draft.

MARTZ TO GET AN INTERVIEW, MAYBE

Word out of San Diego is that Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz is pushing hard for an audience with team president Dean Spanos regarding the vacant head-coaching gig.

Though, as we hear it, the lower-level staffers are telling Martz's people that Martz will get a shot at the job, the Chargers have yet to request permission to talk to him.

There's no way, in our view, that Martz could ever co-exist with G.M. A.J. Smith. And Martz, in our view, doesn't presently have the juice to make the Chargers decide to turn the keys over to him.

POSTED 10:13 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

TIKI TEES OFF ON TOM

If you're sick and tired of Tiki Barber, raise your hand.

We'll now try to type the remainder of this item with only five fingers.

On Tuesday, Tiki Barber used the press conference introducing his arrival at NBC to blame his former boss for his premature retirement from the NFL.

"Coach Coughlin is very hard-nosed, and I didn't get a lot of time off, couldn't sit down and rest myself, and so it was a constant grind -- a physical grind on me that started to take its toll," Barber said. "The grind took its toll on me and really forced me to start thinking about what I wanted to do next. And that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing, for me at least. Maybe not for the Giants, because they lose one of their great players, but for me, it is."

What an ass.

Look, Tiki. You played football. Football is a physical sport. Plenty of guys see their bodies get battered. Just ask Jerome Bettis next fall, when you're watching games with him at 30 Rock and you're using words like "bloviate" and he's thinking to himself, "Does that mean 'fart'?"

We do not feel sorry for you at all, Tiki. You chose to sign a contract extension when Coughlin was the coach. So you chose to stay in New York (and to continue to lay the foundation for your new career) instead of landing with a team that wasn't coached by Coughlin.

Here are more of Tiki's quotes from Tuesday:

"There'd be days where I couldn't move on Tuesday or Wednesday at practice, and he'd get mad at me for going half-speed. And I told him, 'Coach, I can't do it. I'm gonna be out here, I'm never gonna miss a practice, but I can't give you what you want all the time.' And he understood.

"We were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You just physically don't want to be out there when your body feels the way you do in full pads. And while it probably doesn't have a really detrimental effect on how you practice or how you play, it does on your mind. And if you lose your mind in this game, you lose a lot. And that's something that he has to realize. And I think he does [now]."

Just the other day (scroll down), we posted a blurb reporting that, throughout the 2006 season, Barber was pissing and moaning about Coughlin to the players in the locker room and to management.

And it's possible that Barber even tried to suggest to ownership that, if Coughlin were to get fired, Tiki might stick around.

Or maybe he didn't -- and maybe this is all just a way for Tiki to make himself seem even more sympathetic (instead of just pathetic), so that the New York fans won't blame him for leaving early . . . and so that he might be able to politick his way into the Hall of Fame with less than Cantonesque credentials.

WE GOT BUMPED IN BEANTOWN

Our apologies to any members of PFT Planet who tuned in to WEEI in Boston at 9:05 a.m. EST for the Poobah's guest spot.

The good folks at EEI had former Pats linebacker Ted Johnson in the studio for an extended interview, so they asked us to move the spot.

We'll be on Thursday at 8:40 a.m. Unless Roman Phifer or Andy Katzenmoyer show up.

POSTED 9:35 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

TEXANS TRYING TO BUILD MARKET FOR CARR?

Texans G.M. Rick Smith says that David Carr is still the team's starting quarterback. But Smith also says that he has fielded inquiries from other teams about Carr's availability.

Of course, Smith isn't saying who has called, so for all anyone knows, no one has called.

Our take? The Texans want to dump Carr but they desperately need to get something of real value in exchange for him, especially since their decision a year ago to pay an $8 million option bonus that kept him from becoming a free agent took them out of the market for perhaps the real Michael Jordan from the 2006 draft class, Titans quarterback Vince Young.

Already, the locals who love Uncle Rico, a Houston native, have plenty of ammunition to complain about the move, given that Young was the first rookie quarterback to ever play in a Pro Bowl. (Dan Marino was named to the AFC team in 1983, but did not play due to an injury.) If, one year removed from essentially picking Carr over Young, the Texans throw the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft out the door with nothing in return, Bob McNair might need to install a moat at Reliant Stadium.

If the Texans trade Carr before June 1, they'll take a $4 million cap charge. If the Texans cut Carr before June 1, they can process the move as a June 2 transaction, which would result in a $2 million charge in 2007 and a $2 million charge in 2008. Trading him as of June 1 will also split the cap hit between 2007 and 2008.

TODAY'S CBA LESSON: TRADES AND RELEASES

The Houston Texans' options for handling quarterback David Carr provide us with yet another opportunity to wax ineloquently regarding certain important but mundane aspects of the Collective Bargaining Agreement -- details which, frankly, some members of the "real" media don't fully understand.

Under the old CBA, a trade at any time of the year resulted in a full acceleration of any remaining bonus payments that had been spread over time. If, for example, a player was traded in the second year of a four-year contract that paid a $4 million signing bonus, the remaining $2 million allocation for years three and four hit the cap in year two, pushing the total bonus allocation for year two to $3 million.

The same result occurred under the old CBA if the player was cut on or prior to June 1.

For players cut after June 1, the cap hit was (and still is) divided into two seasons. For the current year, the team would carry only the portion of the payment that applied to the current season. Then, the rest of the hit would be taken in the following cap year.

In the above example, a termination after June 1 of the second year of the deal triggers a $1 million cap charge for the current year (which the team would have taken anyway if the player were still on the roster) and a $2 million charge in the next cap year.

Under the new CBA, there are two significant changes. First, trades after June 1 are now treated like cuts made after June 1. As a practical matter, this provides a greater incentive for teams to explore trades as the season approaches and unfolds, since they won't be handcuffed by a huge cap hit in the current league year.

Second, up to two players per team (per year) can be released before June 1, and the move will be processed, for cap purposes, as of June 2.

But here's the catch. The team still carries the player's base salary on the books until June 2. So if a team is trying to get under the salary cap before the start of the league year and hopes to dump a player's salary while at the same time maximizing the net cap savings by pushing part of the bonus acceleration into the next league year, this new device won't get the job done, because the team will still carry the player's full salary until June 2.

We know it's confusing. But here's how it would work. If the player in the above example has a $5 million base salary, cutting him before June 1 of the second year of the contract would result in a new cap savings of only $3 million. Why? Because the $1 million bonus allocation applies regardless of whether he's on the team or not, and the remaining $2 million that accelerates into the current year offsets the $5 million salary that was dumped.

Cutting him after June 1 would result in a $5 million cap savings for the current year, and $2 million in dead money the next year.

The bottom line is that there's absolutely no financial benefit to the team for having the ability to do post-June 1 cuts before June. So if there's no benefit to the team, why would a team ever do it?

In David Carr's case, would the Texans cut him early enough in the offseason to master a new offense with a new team, so that the Texans would look like even bigger morons for: (1) keeping Carr last year; (2) not taking Vince Young; (3) cutting Carr this year and getting nothing in return; and (4) watching him become an instant Pro Bowler elsewhere?

Unless and until the CBA is further revised to allow teams to dump the player's salary before June 1 but process the bonus consequences as of June 2, we can envision no circumstances in which a team would cut a player early under this new twist in the rules.

Okay, now wake up and keep scrolling.

POSTED 8:08 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:25 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

HANDLING OF STAFF WAS FINAL STRAW FOR CHARGERS

The league grapevine advises us that the ultimate catalyst for the decision of the San Diego Chargers to end their relationship with coach Marty Schottenheimer wasn't the desire of Schottenheimer to interview his brother, Kurt, for the vacant defensive coordinator position, but the refusal of the team to allow two more members of Schottenheimer's rapidly shrinking staff (he must have been in the pool) to interview for positions with the Cowboys, now coached by former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

As we understand it, Marty was trying to take care of his guys by giving them opportunities to get better security elsewhere, since Schottenheimer was signed only through 2007 and the assistants generally were under contract through 2008. But G.M. A.J. Smith and team president Dean Spanos wanted to slam the door on the departures.

With that said, the impasse between Smith and Schottenheimer regarding Marty's desire to interview Kurt was, as several others have reported (and as we surmised on Tuesday without realizing that others had reported on it) a big factor.

Of course, all of this presumes that the recent events weren't used as a pretext by the Chargers to clear out Marty, so that the team could turn to Pete Carroll, who just one week ago formally signed his incoming freshman class.

CHARGERS SEARCH UPDATE

With the San Diego Chargers in an unprecedented scramble to find a new head coach so close to the scouting combine and the launch of free agency, the information is flowing like water from Jack Del Rio's garden hose.

Here's an update as to the latest developments.

USC coach Pete Carroll is not talking about the vacancy. At all. (Which is a much better approach than: "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.")

Former Falcons coach Jim Mora, who in a roundabout way got his wish to get back to Seattle, is a candidate for the job.

Ditto for Mike Zimmer, the new Falcons defensive coordinator who made the jump to Atlanta from Dallas last month.

And two of the California candidates for the Cowboys job that was filled by former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips are also in the mix -- 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner and 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary.

Other candidates, as reported on Tuesday, are Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.

To date, Turner is the only known candidate who specializes in the offensive side of the ball.

POSTED 6:58 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

BLY OUT OF MOTOWN?

The Detroit Lions have given cornerback Dre' Bly permission to seek a trade, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Matt and Rod allowing me the opportunity to find a home for Dre' Bly that is more conducive to his Pro Bowl skill set,” said Kennard McGuire, who represents Bly.

Bly has made it to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2003 and 2004.

The problem is that Bly is a cover corner, but the Lions have installed the Tampa 2 defense, which requires corners to play a lot of shallow zone defense and provide solid support against the run.

Bly signed with the Lions in 2003 after spending the early years of his career with the Rams. In 2007, Bly is scheduled to earn a salary of $4.2 million.

Because 2007 is the last year of his contract, the Lions will take no cap acceleration by trading or releasing Bly.

The one thing that isn't clear is whether this was Bly's idea, or whether the Lions have decided to get rid of him, but are first hoping to get something for him in lieu of cutting him loose.

The Lions went through that same exercise a year ago with quarterback Joey Harrington. He was going to be released absent a trade, but the Lions were able to send him to Miami for a second-day pick.

It's fitting, then, that Bly could be suffering the same ultimate outcome in Detroit as Harrington, given that Bly publicly blamed Harrington for the termination of former coach Steve Mariucci.

"We're all at fault, but I just feel like Joey's been here four years, and being the No. 3 pick in the draft, he hasn't given us anything," Bly told the Free Press at the time. "He hasn't given us what the third pick in the draft should give us."

POSTED 7:49 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

A.J. THE NEXT TO G.O.?

Now that Gregg Easterbook of ESPN.com's TMQ has called us out twice in his annual list of bad predictions, we're ready to give him some fodder for next year's edition.

We predict that, after the draft, the Chargers will fire G.M. A.J. Smith.

Here's all the evidence we need. In his carefully-crafted statement from Monday evening, team president Dean Spanos called the relationship between Smith and former coach Marty Schottenheimer "dysfunctional." That's a two-way street, folks, and the fact that Spanos did not exonerate Smith for his role in the dysfunction does not bode well for him, in our view.

So why wasn't he fired now? Because the scouting combine is a fortnight (thanks, T) away, free agency starts in three weeks, and the draft is looming. Our guess is that Spanos will lead Smith to believe that a solid showing in free agency and the draft will save him.

And then after the draft Spanos, we believe, will cut him loose.

Make no mistake about it. The Monday decision from Spanos was his effort to re-assert control over the franchise, and Smith has been part of the problem. He won't be, in our view, part of the solution.

POSTED 5:43 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 6:04 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

SEAN'S EXIT STRATEGY?

Several readers have pointed out to us over the course of the day that ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury is making a big push for the Chargers to hire former Cardinals coach Dennis Green.

Said Salisbury: "The Chargers have a perfect candidate right in San Diego -- Dennis Green. He's an excellent candidate for a veteran team like the Chargers and probably won't demand the type of power that other more established coaches will try to get from San Diego."

We're compelled to make a few points.

First of all, anyone who believes that Green wouldn't immediately begin trying to get G.M. A.J. Smith and every other member of the current front office fired wasn't paying attention to Green's exploits when he was the coach of the Vikings.

Second, Green isn't going get back into coaching until he cashes out his severance pay from the Cardinals. As it stands, he now gets $2.5 million to do something other than coach football in 2007, and if he takes any other football job paying $2.5 million or less for 2007, he'll essentially be working for free.

Third, what has Green done in the past seven years to persuade anyone that he's still got the tools to be a successful NFL head coach? His mojo evaporated when the Vikings were trounced by the Giants, 41-0, in the 2000 NFC Championship game. From a wins and losses perspective, Green's career has yet to recover.

Fourth, we think that Sean's statements are a not-so-thinly-veiled effort by him to put himself in line for another job offer from Green if/when Green ever becomes an NFL head coach again. When Green was hired by the Cardinals, he offered the position of quarterbacks coach to Salisbury, who opted at the time to stay put. But maybe Sean would be more inclined to entertain the opportunity the next time it comes around, so what better way to ensure that he'll stay on Green's good side than to push him for a job that, as a practical matter, he'll never get?

Why would Sean leave ESPN, you ask? Well, for starters, our guess is that he's holding a quiet grudge regarding the decision to suspend him for a week in 2006, given our impression that Salisbury isn't real big on accepting responsibility for his mistakes. We also suspect that he thinks the boys in Bristol didn't do enough to back him up over that whole "chew or Jew" thing from last month. And maybe Salisbury realizes that, sooner or later, ESPN will have an opportunity to hire someone who is: (1) younger; (2) better; (3) prettier; (4) more articulate; (5) not an aimless loudmouth blowhard (in our opinion); (6) actually played NFL football in the past decade; and (7) actually played in more than a few NFL football games.

CULLEN GETS PROBATION

Lions defensive line coach Joe Cullen, arrested on separate occasions within the course of eight days last summer for driving sober but naked and driving clothed but drunk, has been sentenced to two years probation. He also must attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice per week.

Cullen previously pleaded no contest to the charges of disorderly conduct and impaired driving.

More importantly, the imposition of the sentence does not result in any Turd Watch points for the Detroit Lions. Since the arrests and the pleas of no contest occurred prior to the Super Bowl, the incidents do not count toward year one of our effort to track the actual and alleged criminal misconduct of NFL players and team employees.

RADIO UPDATE

Though the season is over, there's still plenty of NFL news and nuggets to discuss. And we'll be doing so both in this space and over the airwaves.

Later tonight, we'll catch up with our buddy Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio, at 10:25 p.m. EST

[UPDATE: We previously forgot to mention that we'll also be talking to another one of our long-time radio friends, Brad Riter of WGR at 8:00 p.m.]

On Wednesday morning, we'll chat with Joe Rose of 790 The Ticket in Miami at 8:25 a.m., and Dennis and Callahan of WEEI in Boston at 9:05 a.m. It'll be our second visit in the past month or so with Rose and our very first time with the morning drive-time crew at WEEI.

Earlier today, we re-connected with our pal Dino Costa of the Radio Colorado Network, and we spent some time with Matt Perrault of Big Sports 590 in Omaha.

POSTED 4:03 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

LOWER VOLUME, BIGGER WORDS ON SUNDAY NIGHTS

Lost in the hoopla regarding the decision of former Giants running back Tiki Barber to join NBC, where his duties will include a spot on the primetime pregame show titled Football Night in America (and Per The League's Long-Term Strategic Planning Eventually Mars and Venus, Too), is the fact that Barber's gain is Sterling Sharpe's loss.

The press release announcing Barber's arrival at NBC specifically states that Tiki will join Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis, and Peter King.

There's no mention of Sharpe.

So what does it mean? Well, from our perspective it means that the bloviator will replace the blowhard, with Tiki and his smugly-delivered ten-dollar words filling the seat previously occupied by Sharpe and his "if I feel like I'm losing the argument I'll make up for it by TALKING REALLY LOUD" approach to NFL analysis.

What else does it mean? In our view, the Bus shouldn't get too comfortable. Eventually, another former player with designs on getting paid to sit around with the guys and watch football all day and then talk about it for an hour or so is gonna come along, and NBC will decide that it's time for a fresh face. Sure, Bettis is a likeable guy, but there's nothing special about his on-air performances -- and that means that he's merely keeping the seat warm until the next flavor of the month comes along.

POSTED 3:44 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

CHARGERS TO INTERVIEW RIVERA, RYAN, GIBBS

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Chargers have received permission to interview Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs for the position abruptly vacated on Monday when the Chargers fired coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Rivera will interview for the job within the next 48 hours. He was a finalist for the Steelers job. Word on the street, however, is that he has not been interviewing well.

Also, Glazer reports, citing team sources, that USC coach Pete Carroll is not regarded as viable option "at this point."

We're intrigued by the whole "at this point" thing. If, as we vaguely suspect, a wink-nod deal already has been done with Carroll, and if the team's objective is to keep it all under wraps while a seemingly legitimate interview process unfolds, wouldn't it make sense for the Chargers to put out the word that Carroll isn't in the running until several other candidates have been "interviewed"?

We apologize for being so skeptical. But, the last time we checked, this business was full of people who are full of it. (And we all know what "it" is . . . don't we, Nick?)

POSTED 10:41 a.m. EST, February 13, 2007

REX RYAN A CHARGERS CANDIDATE

One name that quickly has emerged as a potential candidate for the sudden vacancy in San Diego is Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Ryan, the son of former Eagles and Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan and the twin brother of Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, has spent the last eight years with the Ravens. He replaced Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator when Nolan was hired by the 49ers.

Look for Ryan to be one of the first guys interviewed for the job.

POSTED 7:08 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:04 a.m. EST, February 13, 2007

UNION TARGETING DUNN PARTNER

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the NFL Players Association has issued a disciplinary complaint against agent Joby Branion, the most experienced agent at the Athletes First agency other than David Dunn.

Dunn currently is serving an 18-month suspension due to actions taken when he left Leigh Steinberg's firm several years ago.

Branion allegedly interfered with the contractual relationship between 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Lock, Metz, and Malinovic. The charges apparently arise from the failed efforts of Zeke Sandhu to leave the Lock agency and carry Davis to a new shop.

We previously explained that, based on our understanding of the rules, Athletes First was blameless if the contact was initiated by Sandhu, since Sandhu was one of the agents named on the Vernon Davis representation agreement.

The NFLPA, however, apparently views matters differently.

Of course, it's possible that the NFLPA is taking an aggressive position regarding this matter because of concerns that Dunn isn't exactly behaving as if he has been suspended. There have been reports of Dunn participating in the recruitment of players entering the NFL from college.

Also, based on a January 25 item in the Rocky Mountain News, it appears that Dunn is still serving as the agent for Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer. At one point in the article, the News says that G.M. Ted Sundquist has had "preliminary discussions with Dunn" regarding Plummer's future (or lack thereof) with the team.

FRANCHISE TAG VERSUS TRANSITION TAG

As the free agency period approaches, a question from a reader has prompted us to conclude that it would be a good idea to post periodically items regarding some of the key concepts of free agency.

Today's lesson: the difference between the franchise tag and the transition tag.

Both designations are available to teams as a means for limiting the movement of players who otherwise would be unrestricted free agents. (A player becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more years of accrued service, and if his contract has expired.)

The franchise tag gives the team the right to match any offers made to the player and, more importantly, two first-round draft picks as compensation if the team opts not to match. The transition tag gives the team only a right to match any offers, and no compensation.

To use the franchise tag, a team must extend a one-year offer equivalent to the average wages of the five highest-paid players in the league at the same position. Alternatively, the franchise player must receive an offer equivalent to 120 percent of his wages in the prior season, if that number is greater than the average wages of the five highest-paid players in the league at the same position.

For the transition tag, the tender offer is based on the average of the ten highest-paid players in the league at the same position or 120 percent of the player's wages in the prior season, whichever is greater.

Events of the past year have made the transition tag obsolete, as a practical matter. First, the rule previously was that the transition tender did not become fully guaranteed if it were accepted by the player. In contrast, the franchise tender converted to a guaranteed one-year salary as soon as the player signed it.

Now, both tenders are guaranteed fully once the player puts his John Henry Johnson on the dotted line.

Second, and more importantly, the poison-pill device used by the Vikings on the Seahawks (and then the Seahawks on the Vikings) provides an easy way to craft an offer sheet that can't be matched. For example, if the Bears were to put the transition tag on linebacker Lance Briggs, a team like the Vikings could put together a blockbuster deal with a provision that the entire package becomes fully and completely guaranteed if in any year that Briggs is not the highest-paid linebacker on the team (he most certainly would be No. 2 behind Brian Urlacher in Chicago) and/or if Briggs plays at least five games in any season in the State of Illinois.

With no right to compensation, then, it makes no sense to use the transition tag. At all.

One last point on the poison pill. The NFL and the union tried to hammer out a deal that would have gotten rid of the form-over-substance tactic, but an impasse was reached as to what the players would get in return. So if teams in a position to use the poison pill fail to do so, count on the union to make a swift claim of collusion.

Make no mistake about it: the league hates the poison pill. But it's now fair game when it comes to free agency, and since it promotes player movement the union loves it.

And this means that it would be a shock for anyone to use the transition tag, unless and until the poison pill is wiped off of the books.

HELP PFT, GET AN NFL EXTRA POINTS CARD

You've likely noticed by now that ad at the top of the page, which offers up the NFL Extra Points credit card. As we mentioned last week, this is a great way for the loyal members of PFT Planet to help fund the operation . . . AT NO COST.

Just sign up for the card. That's it. There's no annual fee, an introductory annual percentage rate of, um, nothing, and an opportunity to get all sorts of free NFL stuff by earning points through using the thing.

Our guess is that plenty of you plan to do it, when you "get around to it." But, please, do us a huge favor and get around to it right now. If every card-carrying member of PFT Planet were to be carrying an NFL Extra Points Credit Card, we would suddenly find ourselves in a position where we could justify spending a lot more time pumping more and more stories and rumors and speculation and links onto this page.

WOODY TO GET STIFFED BY LIONS

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the Detroit Lions very soon will be cutting center Damien Woody.

Woody jumped to the Lions from the Patriots in 2004, signing a six-year, $31 million contract with a $9 million signing bonus. His salary is scheduled to jump from $1.75 million in 2006 to $4.5 million in 2007.

He played 16 games in 2004 and 16 games in 2005, but was injured in the fifth game of the 2006 season and did not return.

Woody was fined multiple times for being overweight, and was accused of harassing a 28-year-old woman for whom he'd allegedly promised he'd leave his wife.

NORV TO CHARGERS?

A name we failed to mention last night while listing various potential candidates for the suddenly-vacant Chargers job is 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner. A week ago, Turner had the inside track to succeed Bill Parcells as coach of the Cowboys.

Turner served as offensive coordinator of the Chargers in 2001, and is best known for turning former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman into a Hall of Famer. But Turner also has been fired twice from head-coaching gigs, with the Redskins and the Raiders.

If Norv lands in San Diego, the irony would be that, if Turner had left San Fran for Dallas, new Cowboys coach Wade Phillips wouldn't have left the Chargers, and Schottenheimer would most likely still be employed.

And if it's true that Norv told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that he didn't think Jason Garrett was ready to be an NFL offensive coordinator, and if it's true that this prompted Jones to target Phillips instead of Turner, then the fate of Marty Schottenheimer was sealed when his former offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, opted to allow Garrett to leave the Dolphins for a move that easily could have been blocked.

So, basically, it's Cameron's fault that Marty is unemployed.

ANOTHER INTERESTING CHARGERS THEORY

A reader raised a great point with us this morning regarding the possible manner in which the Marty Schottenheimer termination went down.

Five days ago, the Chargers lost defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. So the team was suddenly scrambling to find a replacement, only a couple of days after no one thought Phillips would be leaving for Dallas.

What if, then, Marty wanted to hire his brother, Kurt Schottenheimer, to make the jump from the Packers to replace Wade?

Kurt has coached with Marty in the past, but had never joined him in San Diego. It could be that G.M. A.J. Smith was staunchly and continuously opposed to Marty's desire to bring his brother to town, and that the issue finally came to a head when Marty found himself without a defensive coordinator, and very much interested in giving his brother a shot at the job.

That's the kind of dispute that might have prompted the kind of camel's-back-breaking knock-down, drag-out between Marty and A.J. that would prompt team president Dean Spanos to finally and permanently separate them.

Or maybe this was an inside job all along, and the Chargers were going to fire Marty after Pete Carroll signed his last class of recruits at USC.

Either way, it's fun stuff to ponder during one of the rare times of the year when things momentarily have ssssslowed down in the NFL.

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't bothered by the fact that G Alan Faneca wanted Russ Grimm.

RB/KR Chad Morton wasn't cut on Monday by the Giants, but will be.

We have a feeling that NBC will eventually regret hiring Tiki Barber. (Or, at a minimum, his co-workers will.)

The Dolphins plan a slight change to their uniforms, and will study broader alterations.

The Chargers denied the Cowboys' request for permission to speak to secondary coach Brian Stewart and assistant linebackers quality control coach John Pagano. (But the Cowboys are now welcome to talk to Marty Schottenheimer.)

How many assistant coaches are the Rams gonna hire?

Titans receivers coach Ray Sherman is meeting with the Cowboys.

Rumors that Super Bowl L will be played at Lambeau Field are not true. (Given the specific Roman numeral of that game, we think the prime candidates to host it should be the Cardinals and the Lions.)

POSTED 11:01 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

CARROLL ALREADY A DONE DEAL?

Early speculation in some league circles is that the Chargers already have a wink-nod deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll to succeed Marty Schottenheimer.

Consider the evidence.

After it was announced that Schottenheimer would return to the Chargers, John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reported that the Chargers would have cut Schottenheimer loose if they could have lined up the guy that they wanted to take his place. Czar didn't name the mystery candidate, but our guess was/is that it is/was Carroll.

Four weeks later, Carroll was able to lock up another class of recruits, who signed their letters of intent on February 7.

Also, remember how Steve Sarkisian abruptly pulled out of the running to coach the Raiders? He said at the time that he wants to be a head coach at the college level, prompting speculation that he'd been given a wink-nod of his own that, if/when Carroll leaves, Sark will get the Trojans' gig.

And that might have prompted USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to look elsewhere so soon after Sarkisian said "no thanks" to the Raiders.

Then there's the looming Reggie Bush mess, which could eventually cause serious problems for USC. But it's generally accepted at the college level that the NCAA doesn't come down as hard on a program if the coach who presided over the mess is gone when the poop hits the propeller.

If the Chargers didn't have a damn good idea who they'd be hiring before firing Schottenheimer so close to the scouting combine and the onset of free agency, then they're just plain stoopid. How in the world can an NFL franchise commence the process of shaping their roster for 2007 without the benefit of knowing who the head coach will be, and what systems he will run?

Still, if the Chargers don't already have an officially unofficial deal in place with Carroll, the other possibilities are intriguing.

How about Jon Gruden? We heard last month that his situation in Tampa is not fully resolved, and the Chargers are just close enough to the top of the mountain to benefit from the short-term jolt he can bring to the table.

Or Ron Rivera? The Bears' defensive coordinator is a California native, and is almost certain to get an interview under the Rooney Rule.

Ditto for 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary. He is widely respected in league circles, and many believe it's only a matter of time before he becomes a head coach.

Other possible candidates (in our view) include Chargers receivers coach James Lofton, former Chargers tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski, former Chargers linebackers coach Greg Manusky, Texans assistant head coach Mike Sherman, former Cardinals coach Dennis Green, and former Giants coach Jim Fassel.

Here's a curve ball -- former Chiefs, Rams, and Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Sure, he's "retired." But we think the lure of taking a 14-2 team to the next level could be enough to coax him to come back.

POSTED 9:12 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:29 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

SCHOTT FIRED

The San Diego Chargers, their coaching staff decimated by the loss of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky, have fired head coach Marty Schottenheimer.

The move comes nearly four weeks after it was announced that Schottenheimer would be back for 2007.

And now that a new crop of recruits have signed on to attend USC, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Chargers court, and land, Trojans coach Pete Carroll.

In a statement issued by the team on Monday night, president Dean Spanos attributed the move to a "dysfunctional situation," and that an "intense search" for a successor will begin.

"Our fans deserve to know what changed for me over the last month," Spanos said. "When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation and create an environment where everyone at Charger Park would be pulling in the same direction and working at a championship level. I expect exactly that from our entire Charger organization in 2007."

Although G.M. A.J. Smith has not yet been fired, keep in mind that the bulk of a front office's work is done in the days leading up to free agency and the draft. Come early May, we've got a feeling that Smith will be sent packing, too.

Back to Carroll, we're not swayed by the fact that Spanos promises an "intense search." If he says now that Carroll is the guy, the Chargers will never be able to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for the job.

Regardless of where the team goes next, the move marks a stunning end to an otherwise stellar season.

POSTED 5:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:17 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

REINFELDT FINALLY LANDS IN NASHVILLE

As expected, the Tennessee Titans have hired Mike Reinfeldt to be the team's new General Manager. Reinfeldt replaces Floyd Reese, who resigned at the end of the season.

Not long thereafter, oft-unpredictable owner Bud Adams indicated that the resignation was not voluntary.

Reinfeldt played for the franchise years ago, when it was located in Houston -- and when it was known as the Oilers. He most recently served as V.P. of football operations with the Seahawks.

The fact that Reinfeldt is more of a cap-and-contracts guy (which is somewhat unusual since former players who become front-office types usually gravitate toward scouting) means that someone will inherit some of the authority over personnel that Reese formerly wielded. It could land with coach Jeff Fisher or it could end up with one of the current members of the front office, or the Titans could try to hire someone not presently in the organization.

GIANTS DUMP EMMONS, NOT MORTON

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

We reported a little while ago that the Giants had cut linebacker LaVar Arrington, left tackle Luke Petitgout, and running back/kick returner Chad Morton. As it turns out, the trio of now-former Giants is Arrington, Petitgout, and linebacker Carlos Emmons.

"These are difficult decisions," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said, according to the team's official web site. "But as [G.M.] Jerry [Reese] and I looked at the roster, they are decisions we felt we had to make as we start to compose our team for the upcoming season. Luke has been a tough competitor here, and he was really playing well before his injury last season. Carlos gave us everything he had, but his injuries the last couple years kept him from being the kind of player we know he is. LaVar was only here a short time, but as a coach, I couldn't have asked for more from a veteran player in terms of his desire and his enthusiasm."

So Chad Morton's career in New York is still alive. We apologize for the error.

POSTED 3:47 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:02 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

GIANTS CHOP THREE

A league source tells us that the New York Giants have cut linebacker LaVar Arrington, offensive tackle Luke Petitgout, and running back Chad Morton.

Arrington gave up $4.4 million in earned but unpaid bonus money from the Redskins last year at this time for the ability to hit the free-agent market early. But his agents, the Postons, overpriced him, and he missed out on the early cash rush.

Arrington eventually signed a trumped-up seven-year, $49 million deal with the Giants, which was low on guarantees and high on incentives. A chronic knee problem marred the early stages of the season, and then he popped an Achilles' tendon and was lost for the year.

Petitgout, the team's starting left tackle at the start of 2006, fractured his leg on November 5 against the Bears and didn't return for the rest of the season. The Giants' first-round pick (19th overall) in 1999, Petitgout was under contract for the next two seasons, at salaries of $5 million per year.

Morton tore an ACL late in the season, the second such injury he has suffered in three years. He was signed through 2009, and was scheduled to earn a salary of $720,000 in 2007.

POSTED 10:58 a.m. EST, February 12, 2007

REID TAKING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE

The Philadelphia Eagles have released the following statement: "Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner today announced that Andy Reid will take a leave of absence from his duties as head coach/executive vice president of football operations in order to attend to personal matters involving his family. The leave of absence will last until approximately mid-March, 2007. At that point, Reid will return to his regular duties with the Eagles."

Reid's leave of absence undoubtedly arises from the recent legal troubles of two of his sons, both of whom are in their 20s.

Banner will meet with the media at 1:30 p.m. EST to answer any questions regarding the situation.

Speculation already has begun that the leave of absence is the first step in what could be Reid's resignation from the job. Though there's no hard evidence on which to base such a conclusion, a leave of absence is rare for any NFL coach. The only other leave of absence that we can recall since we've been following this stuff every single day involved Rams coach Mike Martz, who had a bacterial infection in his heart during the 2005 season. Martz was fired after the season ended.

POSTED 9:09 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:52 a.m. EST, February 12, 2007

TIME FOR JAGS TO "CLOSE UP SHOP"

A league source recently pointed out to us a news item in which the Florida Times-Union reported that Tom Condon, who represents Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich, recently met with new Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to have a "football discussion" regarding Leftwich. (We'd run a link to it but the Times-Union site is down as of this posting.)

The source's response to the news that a team is allowing an agent to participate in "football discussions" with the coaching staff?

"The day an agent is telling you or suggesting how you should do business, close up shop, because it's over."

We agree. Indeed, we can't think of any situation in which an agent has insinuated himself into the football discussions with any team. Neither could the source.

[UPDATE: The Times-Union site is now up again, and the story actually says that Leftwich and Koetter met. However, the story also says that Condon will be meeting with Del Rio at the scouting combine. There's no reason, however, for Condon and Del Rio to meet if the purpose is to talk business regarding Leftwich's future. That's why the Jags have a front office.]

And it's a specifically dangerous practice in this case, given that Leftwich plays for the team that has been the top threat to the Colts over the past few years in the AFC South. The Colts are quarterbacked by Condon's prize client, Peyton Manning.

If the Jags opt to go a different way with Leftwich, does anyone think that Condon won't spill the beans to Manning as to anything he picked up while having a "football discussion" with the Jags regarding their plans for 2007?

The Jaguars widely are expected to part ways with Leftwich, their first-round pick in 2003. Though the former Marshall product has played acceptably at times, he is hurt too often and he has not been able to bust through as a premier passer. Also, his relationship with coach Jack Del Rio has been strained of late, and this is the last thing that Del Rio needs as his rear end is squarely atop Del Hot Seat for the coming season.

Other quarterbacks in contention for the starting job in Jacksonville are David Garrard and Quinn Gray. Gray is a restricted free agent, and probably will receive the new second-round tender. Since he was not drafted, the Jags would receive no compensation under the lowest tender, if someone else were to sign him to an offer sheet that the Jaguars chose not to match.

WHERE'S DWAYNE?

Our initial 2007 mock draft already has attracted plenty of attention -- and has resulted in a flood of e-mails to PFT headquarters.

"Where is USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett?" is the question posed by hundreds (okay dozens . . . okay one dozen) members of PFT Planet.

Given that we have six receivers listed in our first crack at the first round, most have presumed that we merely overlooked Jarrett.

Though we've been guilty of such stoopidity in the past, this time around the omission was intentional. Why? Because the network of scouts and league insiders with whom we collaborated in preparing the first crack at the first round believe that Jarrett will run a 4.6 or slower in his Pro Day workout, which will cause him to fall out of the first round.

Obviously, if/when Jarrett runs faster than 4.6, we'll reassess our position. For now, though, we think that Dwayne Jarrett will be this year's version of former Trojan teammate LenDale White.

TIKI WON'T BE MISSED BY TOM

A league source tells us that one of the loudest voices against Giants coach Tom Coughlin this past season was running back Tiki Barber.

Per the source, Barber routinely complained about Coughlin in the locker room, until other players politely told him to shut the f--k up. There's a strong suspicion, however, that Barber continued to bad-mouth Coughlin to the front office.

Barber apparently continued his attack on Coughlin last week in Hawaii, where Barber reportedly told the NFL Network that Coughlin is too "old school" and is out of touch with today's players. Barber also reportedly questioned Coughlin's habit of criticizing players and having the team practice all season in pads.

Hey, maybe the recently-retired Tiki should go into coaching. We have a feeling that he'll connect well with today's players, especially when he starts whipping out all them big words.

THE 'BURGH WENT BONKOS LAST YEAR

A reader recently sent us a couple of telling pictures regarding the difference between the celebration in Indy following the Colts' victory in Super Bowl XLI and the parade in Pittsburgh after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.

First, Indianapolis.

Now, Pittsburgh.

Slight difference.

And the more we think about it, the better we understand the funk in which the Steelers found themselves in 2006. The celebration of the Super Bowl championship was a prolonged party in Pittsburgh last year, and the players were constantly greeted with congratulations and praise and worship. Though there were other factors at work (such as Ben Roethlisberger's misadventures with a motorbike and his infected appendix), the players might have lost their edge a little bit in 2006 due to the fact that the Super Bowl win was met with such a profound sense of euphoria and, for the fans who had waited since 1979 for some thumb jewelry, relief.

We're not knocking the fans for enjoying the ride. But the lesson to be learned for future Super Bowl winners is that the extent to which the prize is celebrated locally could make the players a little soft in the following season. The challenge for the coaching staff is to find ways to keep the team focused, and the challenge for the front office is to bring in a couple of veterans who haven't won a Super Bowl of their own, and whose hunger for that same prize will help to propel the team to make a serious run at repeating.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

ESPN has a bulging disc for its 30,000th SportsCenter show.

Former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Terry Shea, who was a disaster as the Bears' offensive coordinator a few years ago, could get both titles with the Dolphins.

This is perhaps the best critique we've ever seen of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. (And we suspect that the writer's designated seat in the press box at the team's new stadium will be inside a bathroom stall. Right next to the fat guy who has been on a chili-only diet.)

The Chargers are trying to make chicken salad out of the fact that so many coaches have flown the coop.

The 12th Man in Seattle apparently thinks that the designation is more than ceremonial.

The Colts aren't forgetting about the Titans.

Is the guy who replaces Bill Parcells doomed to fail?

Bengals QB Carson Palmer had "fun" at the Pro Bowl.

POSTED 8:29 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

STEELERS FEARING PLAYER BACKLASH

In the wake of recent quotes from Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, who said that he wanted Russ Grimm to be the next coach of the team, a league source tells us that the Steelers front office is bracing itself for a backlash from veteran members of the team, who believed that either Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt should have gotten the job.

The concern, as we're told, is that some in the organization fear that the veteran players will not immediately respect new head coach Mike Tomlin, a 34-year-old with only one year as a defensive coordinator.

We're not shocked by this news, and the practical result is that the challenge will be for Tomlin to win their respect.

And we think he will.

The resistance is natural, in our view. Grimm and Whisenhunt were key components on a coaching staff that led the team to a Super Bowl victory just a year ago. The notion that neither of them was the best choice to replace former head coach Bill Cowher fairly could be interpreted as a no-confidence vote as to the players, too.

FIRST MOCK DRAFT OF THE YEAR IS UP

We don't quite understand the whole mock draft fascination, um, thing. Folks love them. No matter how unrealistic or premature or flawed they are.

Just one pick out of place can screw up the whole flow, and the team's plans can change dramatically based on who they sign, and who them lose, during the coming free-agency frenzy.

But, hey, you want it means you got it. We've tapped a portion of our network of sources and have cobbled together our first mock first round of the season. We'll update it from time to time, often with no apparent rhyme or reason.

POSTED 4:29 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:15 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

BENGALS TO TAG SMITH

A league source tells us that the Cincinnati Bengals plan to slap the franchise tag on defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2001, completed his rookie contract during the 2006 season, making a salary of $2.08 million. Under the franchise tag, Smith would be eligible for a one-year deal worth $8.3 million. The total becomes guaranteed if/when Smith accepts the tender.

But accepting the tender puts him under contract and compels him to attend mandatory minicamps and training camp. If he so chooses, Smith could skip all offseason activities and training camp and sign the tender on the eve of the regular season and still make $8.3 million, guaranteed.

Withholding services is the only leverage Smith has to force a long-term deal. The risk, however, is that the team will withdraw the tag after other teams looking for defensive ends address their needs.

Smith, 27, has played in all but one game during his six-year career. He bagged 7.5 sacks in 2006 and has 41.5 for his career, which equates to an average of just under seven per year.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Somehow it's fitting that the former dirtiest player in the NFL would have a guardian angel who swings a golf club. (And who has man boobs.)

Last year, Steelers logos were all the rage in Pittsburgh-area tattoo parlors. (This year, "Mom" has made quite a comeback, but some of those folks up there spell it with a "u".)

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is right to think that the Bucs would benefit from having two running backs carrying the load, but he's nuts if he thinks that the team should invest two top-five picks in three years into one of the most fungible positions in the game.

We like Mike Felger of the Boston Herald, but we have to disagree with his assessment that the franchise tag was meant only for superstars; if that were the case, the union would have severely limited its use a long time ago.

Pats LB Don Davis says that what gets pro athletes in trouble is "nightlife, [hanging out with] buttholes, drinking and fraternizing with women."

Uncle Rico was the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to play in the Pro Bowl. (Meanwhile, Mario Williams played some video games this weekend.)

Incoming Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews recalls what a teammate told him about the Pro Bowl: "'[I]t's pretty relaxed, but once you get into the fourth quarter and some money is on the line and guys start thinking about how much money their families spent during the course [of] the week, it becomes serious.'"

Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a look at what Eagles coach Andy Reid currently is going through.

Ugh. More nice guys coaching NFL teams. (Maybe they'll eventually make the game two-hand touch and replace the ball with a Snickers bar.)

We'll see how nice Wade Phillips is after a year of T.O.

Mike Ornstein is trying to convince the Loozianans that Reggie didn't help persuade a local tailback to ditch LSU for USC.

Chargers S Terrence Kiel will likely soon be free to sign with the Bengals.

POSTED 1:53 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

PACK ANGLING FOR ADALIUS

Regardless of whether the Green Bay Packers eventually make an effort to trade for Raiders receiver Randy Moss, the more immediate objective for the Favre Franchise is to land Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas.

Thomas, a sixth-round pick in 2000, will hit the open market unless the Ravens slap the franchise tag on him. And, as we're told, one of the first teams to ring his phone will be the Packers. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Thomas is the clear-cut top target for the Packers in free agency.

The Pack plan to make Thomas, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end in the Baltimore defense, into a full-time defensive end. And that could be very bad news for current Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, whose star has faded in the years since he was regarded as an up-and-coming sack master. KGB fell behind Cullen Jenkins on the depth chart in 2006, and Gbaja-Biamila's $5 million salary for 2007 could cause him to fall off of the roster entirely.

If the Ravens plan to use the franchise tag on Thomas, they'll need to have the cap room to do it. And that could ensure the release of running back Jamal Lewis, who re-signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent in 2006 and who is owed a $5 million roster bonus next month, and a $5 million salary in 2007.

POSTED 11:36 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:57 a.m. EST, February 11, 2007

CLOSE CALL FOR BREES

Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a dislocated elbow during the second series of the Pro Bowl. Though the injury is expected to be healed in six-to-eight weeks, it was a blunt reminder of the reality that, for those who earn the "privilege" of playing in a meaningless mid-February football game in Hawaii, disaster is lurking like a volcano poised to blow its stack.

What if Brees had torn an ACL or suffered another serious injury to his throwing shoulder? With a $12 million option bonus coming due in a few weeks, the Saints would have faced an unwelcome dilemma.

And Brees, in the end, could have been S.O.L.

Eventually, it's going to happen to someone. Especially with guys like Sean Taylor dishing out Pete Rose-style hits to punters.

For many of the guys who play in Honolulu, it's been six weeks since they've last laced up the cleats. Frankly, we're surprised that more players don't get hurt.</

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