POSTED 8:25 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:51 p.m. EST, February 15, 2006

 

TITANS TO BAG VANDEN BOSCH

 

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Tennessee Titans are close to an agreement with defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch on a four-year deal.

 

Per Glazer, Vanden Bosch will receive roughly $15 million in guaranteed money, once the deal is done.

 

The Titans have been working hard to get Vanden Bosch under contract.  He signed a one-year deal with Tennessee a year ago, earning a merely $540,000.  An impressive 12.5 sacks later, Vanden Bosch is in line to do slightly better in 2006 and beyond. 

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

One-time Heisman winner Eric Crouch will play for the one of the last remaining football leagues from which he hasn't quit.

 

Clemson defensive line coach Vic Koenning has accepted a position with the Saints.

 

Dolphins OT Damoin McIntosh has been arrested on a charge of domestic violence against his wife (maybe they were arguing about whether the show Playmakers was a realistic depiction of life in and around the NFL).

 

Aspiring NFL WR/KR Jeremy Bloom left Torino without a medalino.

 

Former Packers coach Mike Sherman took a job as an assistant with the Texans, apparently because Mrs. Sherman didn't want his big ass hanging around the house for a year.

 

The Giants apparently are willing to let CB Will Allen and LB Nick Greisen hit the market.

 

Vincent Brown is the new middle linebackers coach in Dallas; Paul Pasqualoni moves from tight ends to outside 'backers.

 

The Bus is looking for a network gig.

 

The Fins have begun construction of an indoor practice facility.

 

The Vikings have added FB Joey Goodspeed.

 

Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is glad that he opted to stick with coaching over television, after spending 5.5 hours taping a one-hour show during Super Bowl week.

 

Rams RB Marshall Faulk is still on the fence as to whether he'll return for another season.

 

The Chargers are keeping QB A.J. Feeley through the 2007 season.

 

Former sideline reporter Armen Keteyian will be the chief investigative correspondent for a new investigative unit at CBS.

 

Veteran QB Kelly Holcomb is listed as the first-stringer in the Bills' first interactive depth chart of the offseason.

 

POSTED 2:46 p.m. EST, February 15, 2006

 

VIKINGS SHOPPING CULPEPPER

 

Roughly a year ago, we broke the news that the Vikings were in the process of trading Randy Moss.  Now, we're told that the Vikings actively are shopping quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

 

Per a league source, the Vikings are contacting all of the teams perceived to be in the market for a quarterback in order to gauge interest for a trade.  The initial asking price, per the source, is a second-round draft pick.

 

The Vikings undoubtedly would be looking for much more if Culpepper hadn't suffered tears to three ligaments in his right knee on October 30, at the end of the first quarter of a game against the Panthers.  The Vikings also would be looking for much more if Culpepper's play hadn't collapsed from 2004, in which he put together one of the best seasons ever at the position, to 2005, in which his performance was mediocre at best. 

 

Tensions recently have climbed between the Vikings and Culpepper.  After suffering the injury and undergoing surgery, Culpepper essentially became a stranger to the organization.  After the season ended, Culpepper tried to resume talks aimed at restructuring a contract that runs through the 2013 season.  (In 2005, the Vikings agreed to push $8 million in future money forward.)  Culpepper since has fired agent Mason Ashe, and Culpepper might end up representing himself in connection with any future efforts to finagle more money.

 

For the Vikings, the bigger question (as we'd previously heard it) was whether Culpepper would be able to perform effectively in new coach Brad Childress's offense.  Childress, we'd heard, was concerned that Culpepper couldn't pull it off.  Coupled with the fact that Daunte won't be available to get on the field through the offseason program and training camp, there's no way he'd be effective as the team's quarterback this season.

 

So, apparently, the team has decided that the best thing to do is to make a move now, before Culpepper becomes even more of a distraction than he already is.

 

The problem, of course, will be finding a trade partner.  Teams with possible needs at the position in 2006 include the Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Lions, Packers, Saints, and Rams.  

 

Former Vikings offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is the head coach in St. Louis.  Linehan was calling the plays in Minnesota when Culpepper put together his MVP-caliber performance in 2004.  Moss publicly has indicated that he would welcome Daunte in Oakland.  And although the Vikings are unlikely to do a deal within the NFC North, new Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz surely could draw up a playbook suited to Culpepper's unique size and deceptive speed.

 

We assume that the Cardinals aren't in the mix for Culpepper, given that Kurt Warner recently was signed to a three-year deal worth at least $18 million.  We likewise assume that the Vikings made a call or two to Arizona in order to see whether Denny Green, who used the first-round pick obtained from the Redskins for Brad Johnson in 1999 to draft Culpepper, would be interested in a reunion.  

 

Culpepper's health is the primary impediment to any possible trade.  If he's never the same guy that he was due to the injury, the second-round pick is wasted.  That's why we think the Vikings will be able to move him only in exchange for one or more conditional picks in 2007 or, possibly, 2008.  Then, the ultimate value surrendered by the new team would be determined by the extent to which Culpepper can perform following the completion of his rehab.

 

Another significant glitch that needs to be addressed is Culpepper's $6 million roster bonus, due in early March.  Given the uncertainties of the CBA negotiations, it will be hard for any team to justify devoting $8 million in 2006 cap dollars to a player who might not be available to play at all during the coming season.    

 

In the end, the Vikings might not be able to justify it, either.  And we wouldn't be shocked if decided to release Culpepper, if they can't get what they want for him in trade.   

 

POSTED 8:40 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:22 a.m. EST, February 15, 2006

 

CBA UNCERTAINTY COULD SCREW UP FREE AGENCY

 

There has been talk of possibly bumping the start of the 2006 free agency period from March 3 to April 1, and for good reason.  As the NFL and the NFLPA continue to negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, both sides are beginning to realize that free agency conducted in 2006, the last year prior to the uncapped year of 2007, could be a nightmare for everyone.

 

The two biggest impediments are the rules regarding incentives and the so-called "30 percent rule."  For incentives, any amounts achieved in 2006 automatically hit the salary cap in 2006, and cannot be nudged into 2007.  Thus, teams using incentives for players like Terrell Owens, who might need a big, fat carrot in order to achieve his highest level of performance, could find themselves having to dump players later in the year as certain incentives are reached.

 

The more confusing issue -- and one on which we've seen very little elaboration -- is the 30 percent rule.  This means that a player's "Salary" (i.e., everything except signing bonus) cannot increase by more than 30 percent from the last capped year of the CBA (i.e., 2006) into the uncapped year (i.e., 2007) and any future years. 

 

So if a player signs, for example, a four-year contract with a $1 million signing bonus and a base salary of $550,000 in 2006, the player's compensation in 2007 can be no more than $715,000 -- including base salary, roster bonus, workout bonus, etc.  The 2008 maximum compensation is then $880,000.  And so on, with a maximum increase each year of only $165,000.

 

The problem is that, if/when the CBA is extended, a different system will be in place, which undoubtedly will allow for greater increases from year to year.  The biggest losers here are the players who sign free agent deals before the CBA is extended, since the existence of a salary cap in 2006 will limit the baseline from which future salaries can expand.  The teams also will have problems in this regard, since anyone who signs a deal before the CBA extension undoubtedly will be clamoring for a new contract if/when a new CBA is in place.   

 

So even if the league and the union don't agree to pause the start of free agency pending further discussions, the smart move for the high end free agents very well might be to refrain from signing a contract until the CBA is extended.  Although this might cause some players to miss out on the big money that usually flows in the first few days of free agency, we've got a feeling that the big money simply won't be there this year -- unless and until the teams have sufficient certainty regarding the future of the CBA.

 

Another possible strategy for a high-end free agent who wants to sign in early March and doesn't want to wait for the CBA extension would be to negotiate a one-year contract with an agreement that he won't be subject to the franchise or transition tag upon expiration.  This will allow the player to hit the open market in 2007 -- and if the CBA isn't extended by then, there will be no salary cap to limit his next contract.  (Assuming, of course, that he will have six years of service come 2007, since players with five years or less are not eligible for unrestricted free agency in the uncapped year.)

 

Confused?  So are we.  The bottom line here is that both sides need to work together to get the CBA done.  Now.  Since 1993, the threat of an uncapped year has been used to get the parties to work out a new contract at least a year before the current deal expires.  Because the CBA never has come so close to hitting the uncapped year, both sides are gradually beginning to understand that the presence of the uncapped year is an incentive to get the new deal done not one year early, but two.         

 

OPTION BONUSES GO BYE-BYE, TOO

 

Another complication of the looming uncapped year is that teams won't be able to use so-called option bonuses in order to reduce the cap hit resulting from the first year of a player's contract.  In previous years, the player's signing bonus often would be split into two accrual dates -- one as of the date on which the contract is executed and another early in the following league year.  Thus, the cap charge in the first year would reflect only the proration of the actual signing bonus, along with any other compensation paid that year.  Then, in the next year, the proration for the option bonus would begin to hit the cap.

 

Based on a memo circulated by the NFLPA regarding the uncapped year, any fully guaranteed payments in 2007 or beyond are treated as a 2006 signing bonus.  Likewise, any "off-season roster bonus" or "off-season reporting bonus" or "off-season workout bonus" paid in 2007 is treated as a 2006 signing bonus.   However, it's presently unclear whether a non-guaranteed option bonus due in 2007 will count as a signing bonus in 2006. 

 

Even if a 2007 option bonus isn't part of the 2006 signing bonus calculation, the broad definition of "Salary" contained in the CBA means that any option bonus paid in 2007 or beyond will fall within the scope of the 30 percent rule.  Thus, it will be impossible -- absent a multi-million-dollar base salary in 2006 -- for a team to push a multi-million-dollar option bonus in 2007.

 

This glitch will wreak the most havoc on the signing of draft picks at the top of round one.  The rookie pool limits the total amount of money that can be spent under the 2006 cap on draft picks.  For the folks who get those big cash bonanzas, devices such as option bonuses and so-called "not likely to be earned" incentives based on minimal play time apparently won't be available in 2006 when the time comes to circumvent the rookie pool.

 

As a result, it will be even harder to negotiate contracts that secure for the first few picks in the draft the kind of windfall that they are accustomed to receiving.  And unless someone comes up with a way to squeeze those millions within the year one rookie pool, the windfalls simply might not be there in 2006. 

 

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

Jets DE John Abraham reportedly "wants to get the hell out of New York" (hey, John -- if you complain loud enough, maybe they'll trade you to the Chiefs for a second-day pick).

 

Seahawks exec Mike Reinfeldt has withdrawn his name from consideration for a high-level front office position with the 49ers.

 

Steelers RB Duce Staley claims that he recently was robbed of $100,000 in jewelry (now he knows how the Steelers have felt the last two years, every time they've given him a game check).

 

From the "Things Not To Do When Preparing For The NFL Draft" file, police found two rifles, including an AK-47, in the apartment of Florida CB Dee Webb.

 

A federal judge is trying to find former Rams LB Mike Jones.

 

Titans coach Jeff Fisher wishes that QB Vince Young and QB Matt Leinart would throw at the combine.

 

Dolphins LB Zach Thomas is ahead of schedule in recovering from shoulder surgery.

 

The surgeons also apparently performed a partial lobotomy on Thomas, since he says that he wouldn't mind having T.O. for a teammate:  ''He's a lot nicer guy than most people know,'' Thomas said.  "All that TV stuff is just for show.''

 

The Giants plan to add a quarterback who can compete for the No. 2 position on the depth chart.

 

Falcons owner Arthur Blank could be buying the Atlanta Braves (heck, we didn't know Mike Vick wanted to play some baseball).

 

DT La'Roi Glover could be done in Big D.

 

WR Antwaan Randle El wants to sign with a team that will allow him to be both the punt returner and a starting receiver (maybe we're missing something, but isn't that the arrangement he already has in Pittsburgh?).

 

The 49ers have hired Johnnie Lynn to coach defensive backs.

 

The Chargers apparently are keeping QB A.J. Feeley.

 

POSTED 10:07 p.m. EST, February 14, 2006

 

KURT GETS CARDS' CASH

 

A year after signing a one-year, $4 million deal to join the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Kurt Warner has re-upped for three more seasons.

 

John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that Warner's deal has a base value of $18 million over three years, and that the value could end up rising to more than $20 million.

 

The fact that Warner finagled another three seasons is a mild surprise, given that an injury he suffered during the season opened the door for Josh McCown to take back his former position as the starter.  The thinking at the time was that McCown was the more likely of the two to re-sign with the team. 

 

As it turns out, Warner is the holdover -- and McCown, a free agent as of March 3, likely will be headed elsewhere.

 

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

Saints owner Tom Benson said on Tuesday that the team will be in New Orleans through at least 2010 (and as soon as he finished, the Commish released the pliers that had been attached to Benson's ballsack).

 

New Bills coach Dick Jauron says that the starting quarterback job will be up for grabs.

 

Jerry Rhome is the latest addition to Team Starry, Starry Night.

 

Former first-round bust Ryan Leaf will be the quarterbacks coach at West Texas A&M (psst, players -- be sure not to ask him any questions).

 

The son of Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is showing off his bitches at Madison Square Garden.

 

In the hopes of filling up the Black Hole, the Raiders are offering eight levels of ticket prices (for you math buffs out there, that two levels for each of the team's four wins in 2005).

 

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is taking the place of former Rams coach Mike Martz on the Competition Committee.

 

POSTED 9:05 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:52 a.m. EST, February 14, 2006

 

JETS GAUGING INTEREST IN ABRAHAM

 

Though we've yet to attach any validity to those rumors of a trade that would send defensive end John Abraham to the Chargers for quarterback Philip Rivers, a league source tells us that the New York Jets are calling teams in order to gauge interest in a possible deal for their 2005 franchise player.

 

This means that the Jets will slap the franchise tag on Abraham, again.  Based on his 2005 salary of $6.67 million, use of the tag in 2006 will require the Jets to offer him a one-year salary of $8 million -- and the team will need to devote that much money to him under the cap unless and until he is traded, or the tag is removed.

 

By rule, a non-exclusive franchise player can negotiate with other teams.  If the franchise player strikes a deal with another team, his current team has seven days to decide whether to match the offer.  If the offer is not matched, the new team must send two first-round picks to the player's former team.

 

Ironically, the Jets drafted Abraham with one of two first-round picks they obtained upon trading receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the Buccaneers prior to the 2000 draft.  With that said, the chances of the Jets getting two No. 1's for Abraham are slim and none.  Our guess is that he yields at most a one and a four, or a player of Rivers' ilk and maybe a three.

 

HOW ABOUT SENDING GIANTS TO ENGLAND?

 

The issue of the NFL playing a regular-season game in England has generated plenty of e-mail, with more than a few folks objecting to the notion of any team other than the attendance-challenged Cardinals, Jags, and Saints being required to give up 12.5 percent of their home schedule.  But since, if every team is required to play a home game on foreign soil, they'd only be sacrificing one home contest every 32 years, we think that the powers-that-be will be able to sell it.  (Perhaps the reward will be a home game the following season as part of the NFL's new Turkey Day tripleheader.) 

 

For the first foray off of the continent, one reader offered a great idea.  Why not send the New York Giants to England to host a game in 2006?  After all, the Giants were the team who picked up an extra "home" contest when the Week Two game "at" New Orleans was moved to the Meadowlands.  In all fairness, the Giants should now be willing to take the "home" show on the road to London.

 

With the Colts scheduled to visit the Giants in 2006, we think it would be more than appropriate for the NFL to send the Brothers Manning to Britain.  

 

We can hear them now. . . .  

 

"Blimey, look at his square head.  Bloody hell, what an ugly bloke.  Are you sure he's the one they say that little cowboy wants to bugger?"  

 

Elsewhere on the scheduling front, there are published reports that the season opener will be played in Pittsburgh, in keeping with the recent trend (i.e., the last two years) of giving the Super Bowl champs a home game to launch the new campaign on the Thursday night after Labor Day.  (Actually, a reader advises that page 219 of the Super Bowl XL program indicates that the 2006 season will open at the stadium of the winner of the game.)  

 

Our guess is that the Steelers will host the Broncos in a rematch of the AFC title game.    

 

CARDS FOCUSING ON WARNER

 

With the market for veteran quarterbacks on the thin side (again), we're hearing that the Arizona Cardinals are continuing to try to re-sign quarterback Kurt Warner.  Acquired a year ago after he was released by the Giants, Warner signed a one-year, $4 million deal, in the apparent hopes that he would play at a sufficiently high level to make him a darling of free agency.

 

The strategy didn't quite work, but Warner performed well enough in Arizona to keep the Cards very interested in bringing him back for another go.

 

Perhaps Warner will dip his toe into the free agency pool before inking a new deal in 'Zona.  The Dolphins might be looking for a new starter, and there's an opportunity to take the reins in Cincy and Minnesota until their franchise quarterbacks with blown out knees are ready to return.

 

Warner's best bet to hold onto the job, however, is with the Cardinals.  Especially if the team pumps up its running game.  Recently, Warner said that he plans to lobby the organization to sign tailback Edgerrin James.  So it sure sounds to us as if, in the end, Warner will be wearing the white helmet with the pissed-off parakeet on the sides. 

 

We're also told that the Cardinals are less likely to keep on-and-off starter Josh McCown, who apparently wants more money than his play to date otherwise justifies.

 

And as to a tip we received that Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna recently was seen on a flight out of Phoenix, the chances that Kitna were meeting with the Cards are slim and none.  First, they're currently focused on Warner.  Second, the free agency period hasn't launched yet, meaning that any visits or discussions between players and possible new teams is forbidden.

 

We're not saying that talks don't occur prematurely.  When the scouts and agents gather in Indy next week for the combine, you can bet that there will be plenty of discussions regarding the hypothetical market for certain hypothetical players who might be interested, hypothetically, in changing teams.  But few, if any, teams would blatantly invite to the facility a guy who won't technically be free to talk to other teams until March 3.

 

CHAD COULD GET CHOPPED

 

With the Jets $26 million over the 2006 cap and two weeks from the deadline for dumping the fat, the Jets have approached quarterback Chad Pennington regarding the possibility of taking a significant pay cut.

 

Scheduled to make $9 million in wages this season, Pennington reportedly has been asked to cut his pay down to $1 million.

 

Pennington's career has been marred by injury of late, with a shoulder problem causing him to miss most of the 2005 season.  With a new coaching staff and a new G.M. in place, the Jets understandably are skittish about Pennington's ability to return to a high level of performance.

 

Because Pennington's contract includes a $3 million roster bonus due on March 3, the issue most likely will be resolved sooner rather than later.  

 

(Note to any inexperienced agents:  When dealing with a roster bonus, insist it come due as early as possible in the league year.  This will force the team to make a decision on the player before all of the free agency money is spent.  Pennington's deal is an example of good negotiations by the agent; Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington's contract -- with a $6.5 million roster bonus due in July -- isn't.)

 

Although it was wise for agent Tom Condon to include that $3 million roster bonus with an early March due date, we have a feeling that Condon's next maneuver won't be quite as deft.  We predict that Condon will advise Pennington to hold firm at his $9 million in expected income.  Not because it's in Pennington's best interests to force a release (it isn't), but because it's not in Condon's best interests to be associated with such a significant haircut.

 

Then again, we don't think the Jets really want Pennington to eat $8 million in salary and bonus money.  It's an opener, in our view, aimed at allowing Pennington and Condon to save some face by working the number back up to $4 million or so for 2006, with a $1.5 million roster bonus and a $2.5 million salary.  

 

Even under those circumstances, we're not sure that Condon will allow Pennington to budge.  Instead, our guess is that Condon would rather take Pennington to the open market, where he would sign a contract that will look like another blockbuster on paper, even if it really isn't. 

 

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis didn't like the fact that WR Chad Johnson played cornerback at the Pro Bowl:  "I have a thought on that, which I'll keep to myself," Lewis said.  "I don't think it was right."

 

Former Packers head coach Mike Sherman is close to joining the Texans.

 

The start of free agency could get pushed back to April 1, if it appears that sufficient progress has been made on getting the CBA extended (man, that sure sounds familiar).

 

The Commish made his third visit to New Orleans in less than three months (he'd better back off a bit or people will start saying he's got a goomah down there).

 

Steven Wilks is the new defensive backs coach in Chicago.

 

The Wisconsin Badgers might play a game at Lambeau Field (hey, it might be the only way the Packers actually win one there in the foreseeable future).

 

T.O. could be the centerpiece of a reality show (which makes no sense, since "reality" is a concept that Owens has proven he's unable to grasp). 

 

Falcons QB Mike Vick will finally have a realistic chance to get his hands on a Lombardi.

 

Former Jets coach Herm Edwards should feel right at home in Kansas City, given that the Chiefs' salary cap is nearly as big of a mess as the one he left behind.

 

The Broncos are negotiating with DE John Engleberger, whose contract has voided and who otherwise will become a free agent on March 3. 

 

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf will unveil plans Thursday to develop land around the proposed site of a new stadium.

 

Cowboys DE Greg Ellis might not be finished in Dallas, after all.

 

Former Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, 58, is filing for retirement:  "I don't want to retire," he said.  "I'm being forced into retirement."

 

Although WR Koren Robinson is a free agent, the Vikings wisely finagled the right to match any offer he receives from another team.

 

Tom Walsh is expected to be named the offensive coordinator in Oakland (man, that sure sounds familiar).

 

The Bills plan to slap the franchise tag on CB Nate Clements.

 

USC defensive backs coach Rocky Seto has declined an offer to coach linebackers in Buffalo.

 

POSTED 10:27 p.m. EST, February 14, 2006

 

VINCE CHOOSES NOT TO THROW?

 

Less than a month after agent Major Adams said that Texas quarterback Vince Young will throw at the upcoming scouting combine, Adams now says that Young might not throw, after all.

 

"We want to make sure it's something we want to do and something that's best for Vincent," said Young's agent, Major Adams.

 

Asked why it might not be in Young's best interests to throw at the combine, Adams said, "Unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar receivers."

 

Adams denies that the decision is linked in any way to Young's poor showing in a college skills competition aired by ESPN the day before the Super Bowl.

 

Elsewhere on Team Starry, Starry Night, legendary Houston litigator and major UT booster Joe Jamail reportedly will advise Young during contract negotiations.  Though Jamail will be required to walk a fine line lest he have his knuckles rapped by the NFLPA, Jamail apparently has helped other former Longhorns.

 

Said Jamail, according to The Dallas Morning News:  "I've helped a lot of former Texas players by reviewing their contracts before they sign them -- Roy Williams, Cory Redding, there's a lot of them, Cedric [Benson], Derrick Johnson. . . .  I'm not an agent and I don't try to be, I just look them over to make sure they're not getting tricked or fooled."

 

Memo to NFL teams -- don't piss this guy off.  He is regarded in some circles as the best trial lawyer in America, and he does whatever is necessary to represent his client.

 

And sometimes more than what is necessary.

 

In 1994, the Delaware Supreme Court found that Jamail had behaved in "an extraordinarily rude, uncivil, and vulgar manner" due in part to the following excerpt from a deposition in the case of Paramount Communications Inc. v. QVC Network, Inc.:

 

-------------------------------

 

Q. . . .  Do you have any idea why Mr. Oresman was calling that material to your attention?

 

MR. JAMAIL:  Don't answer that. How would he know what was going on in Mr. Oresman’s mind?  Don't answer it.  Go on to your next question.

 

MR. JOHNSTON:  No, Joe --

 

MR. JAMAIL:  He's not going to answer that.  Certify it.  I'm going to shut it down if you don't go to your next question.

 

MR. JOHNSTON:  No.  Joe, Joe --

 

MR. JAMAIL:  Don't "Joe" me, asshole.  You can ask some questions, but get off that.  You could gag a maggot off a meat wagon. . . . .

 

-------------------------------

 

Wait a minute.  Maybe this guy has the right stuff to be an agent, after all.

MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

From the "Even On A Heavy News Day We'd Still Find A Spot For This One" file, Gonzaga has asked its students to stop yelling "Brokeback Mountain" at opposing basketball players (of course, that's the ideal way to get them -- and the fans of every other NCAA team -- to keep doing it).

 

The doctor who juiced up several Panthers has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy.

 

Dick Jauron has added three more assistants to his staff, including former Bills backup QB Alex Van Pelt.

 

Purdue offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is the new assistant offensive line coach of the Rams; new coach Scott Linehan hired three other assistants on Monday.

 

Top Georgia Bulldogs recruiter Rodney Garner has opted not to accept a coaching position with the Saints.

 

CB Deion Sanders has announced his retirement.  Again.

 

Welcome to NFL Europe, Drew Henson.  (If you didn't miss baseball yet, you sure as hell will.)

 

The Soup Nazi has added some new ingredients to his Jambalaya.

 

POSTED 7:09 p.m. EST; UPDATED 7:25 pm. EST, February 13, 2006

 

LONDON GAME A "DONE DEAL"

 

An industry source with knowledge of the contents of a confidential NFL communication tells us that the league already has decided to play a 2006 regular season game in London's Wembley Stadium.

 

"It's a done deal," said the source.

 

The league apparently will hold off on making any announcements regarding the game until more information is obtained regarding ongoing construction at the venue.  The official Wembley Stadium web site promises that the new digs will be ready by the May 13 FA Cup final, but recent published reports peg the chances of the work being completed at only 70 percent.  

 

Though the teams remain undetermined, the England game most likely will involve a matchup far more compelling than the 49ers and the Cardinals, who met in Mexico City in 2005.  We're also hearing that the game is likely to occur the week before both teams' byes, so that they will have ample time to recover from the trip to Europe before playing their next games. 

 

Because London is five hours ahead of New York, the game undoubtedly won't be a prime-time affair in the USA.  Instead, look for either a 1:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. Eastern start on a Sunday afternoon.

 

LAMONTE URGED MARTZ TO TAKE LIONS GIG

 

We're hearing that Mike Martz ended up taking the job as offensive coordinator with the Lions in large part because his agent, Bob LaMonte, saw it as the only way to rehabilitate Martz's image after a messy breakup with his former team, the Rams.

 

Apparently, the Rams were bad-mouthing Martz to anyone/everyone who would listed.  So LaMonte concluded, we're told, that Martz should join a team like the Lions, which desperately needs an offensive enema, and then turn the attack around while at the same time proving that he isn't an asshole.

 

Regardless of whether, you know, he really is one.

 

POSTED 10:54 a.m. EST, February 13, 2006

 

JOHNSON THROWN IN THE TANK

 

Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson is in hot water, again, after allegedly threatening a police officer on Sunday.

 

Johnson was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest after showing high respect for an officer of the law by allegedly uttering the following:  "You ain't the only one with a Glock.  If it wasn't for your gun and your badge, I'd kick your ass." 

 

We kind of like that one.  It can be adapted to so many other scenarios, obviating the need to actually kick someone's ass.

 

"If it wasn't for the fact that you pay my salary, I'd kick your ass."

 

"If it wasn't for the fact that you gave birth to me, I'd kick your ass."

 

"If it wasn't for the fact that you can kick my ass, I'd kick your ass."

 

Alas, modern society now frowns not only on the actual kicking of asses, but also on threats to do the same.  

 

The brouhaha occurred when an officer was ticketing a limo that was double parked (man, that sure sounds familiar).  When the officer tried to arrest Johnson, he refused to be cuffed.  He eventually got Maced, and was overpowered by a group of officers.

 

The bigger problem for Johnson, as we see it, is that he currently is on probation for charges of driving around with a gun in his car.  Judges who give criminal defendants probation usually don't take kindly to this type of behavior, which means that Johnson's probation could be revoked -- and he'll end up behind bars.

 

Johnson also is subject to discipline pursuant to the league's Personal Conduct Policy.  Our guess is that, upon receiving a letter from Paul Tagliabue informing him of the terms of his coming suspension, Johnson will say to himself, "If he wasn't the Commissioner, I'd kick his ass."   

 

Johnson, a 2004 draft pick of the Bears, played in every game during the 2005 season, starting in four.  He finished with 19 tackles, six assists, and five sacks. 

 

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander, less than three weeks from free agency, apparently had Charlotte on his mind while in Honolulu:  "I never really thought I could be with another team.  But it was neat to be with the Carolina guys." 

 

Now for a different kind of "recruiting" -- Super Bowl beer commercials played well with folks not yet old enough to legally buy and drink the stuff.

 

The Fritz Pollard Alliance is going to try to get the NFL to extend the Rooney Rule to key front office positions (the league already "strongly encourages" the inclusion of minority candidates in this regard, but the Bills and Jets apparently didn't get the memo before recently hiring General Managers).

 

From the "Maybe There Were Protection Problems" file, Peyton Manning's passer rating in the Pro Bowl was, by our calculation, 30.78.

 

Bengals WR Chad Johnson took two snaps at cornerback in the Pro Bowl; "He played good," said Coach Kevlar, whose skill at evaluating and coaching up defensive backs is second to none.  (Oh, wait -- we mean second to most.)

 

The Browns are gearing up for the combine and free agency.

 

To any members of the Seahawks who genuinely believe that a victory in the Pro Bowl "takes the sting out" of their loss in the Super Bowl, we have one question:  "Can you please bring back some of that crazy-ass Hawaiian ganja you were smoking last week?"

 

Former NFL linebacker Bryan Cox will again get one chance per year to flip off the Buffalo fans.

 

Broncos CB Champ Bailey, who played most of the season with his shoulder in a harness, says that he won't need surgery on it during the offseason.

 

The Broncos are working to get their cap figure under control before free agency starts.

 

POSTED 8:30 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:58 a.m. EST, February 13, 2006

 

CAP GUYS VS. FOOTBALL GUYS

 

We've written several items over the past few weeks regarding the growing front-office tug-o-war between the "cap guys" and the "football guys."

 

The term "cap guys" refers generally to business types with no experience playing, coaching, or scouting pro football, but who made their mark by navigating the salary cap and negotiating contracts fitting thereunder.

 

"Football guys" are the folks with the experience drawing up X's and O's, breaking down film, and/or crisscrossing the country to eyeball college players.

 

With the promotion of confirmed cap guy Mike Tannenbaum to G.M. of the Jets, the debate has gone to a new level.  Some football guys believe that Tannenbaum's inexperience in the football side of the business will translate to doom for the franchise, since he doesn't and won't have sufficient respect from the scouts or from the coaching staff, as an evaluator of personnel, when he breaks the tie on draft day between the guy the coaches want and the guy the scouts are recommending.

 

But there's two sides to every story.  And the cap guys have a perspective on this, too.  Part of the sense we're getting is that the cap guys think that the football guys might be trying to make what they do seem so specialized and difficult as a defense mechanism.

 

Says one league source:  "Today's NFL is a business as much as it is a game.  An organization cannot be successful without a good coach, a good personnel director, and a good cap/contracts guy.  It seems is the en vogue thing to do is for 'football guys' to trash the 'non-football guys.'  I find it amusing that it's okay for a 'football guy' to want to fool around with the cap and contracts, which is becoming more and more prevalent, but it's taboo for a 'non-football guy' to opine on whether an athlete can walk and chew gum at the same time."

 

And it's possible that, when it comes to being a G.M., the question of whether the guy has a football or cap background is irrelevant.  The bigger issue is the guy's ability to run the operation.

 

"The G.M. . . . has to be an outstanding administrator," said the source.  "The structure can work with a head coach G.M., a football guy G.M., or a non-football guy G.M. 

 

"Every structure, no matter what the structure is, must have . . . the head coach, the top football evaluator, and the cap/contracts/football ops guy.  The key is that people don’t have agendas, work together, and do what they do best and don't try to be what they are not and there are checks and balances.

 

"A 'non-football guy' can be very good in that role as a General Manager…strategic planner, consensus builder, process manager, etc.  If he is working with a head coach (who always has significant input on personnel no matter the structure) and a top football evaluator (whose job is to manage the personnel department and evaluate talent), then the “non-football guy G.M.” doesn't evaluate the talent himself, he listens to those who do the evaluating.  The benefit of this process is you don't have a football guy who falls in love with a certain player, you are relying on multiple opinions on a player instead of the danger of relying on one opinion, and you have somebody who is always focused on the big picture."

 

But the source acknowledges that the cap guys generally should not try to evaluate talent.  (However, there's a school of though that talent evaluation is a skill that can be acquired and learned.)  By the same token, a football guy isn't qualified to be a G.M. when his only skill is talent evaluation, and if he doesn't understand the business of the game and cannot appreciate the bigger picture.

 

As the source said:  "The head coach should coach, the top football evaluator should evaluate talent, and the cap/contracts guy should negotiate contracts, manage the cap, and handle miscellaneous football operations.  Whoever is the best manager, consensus builder, strategic planner, etc. of the three should be the guy who is the G.M.  After that, chemistry, work ethic, good decisions, and a little luck make it succeed or fail." 

 

Before anyone determines that the Tannenbaum experiment in New York will be definitive as to the question of whether a cap guy can be a successful G.M., keep in mind that the Panthers have been utilizing a similar structure for several years, with former beat writer Marty Hurney serving as G.M. 

 

Then again, the system hasn't worked well in New Orleans, where bean counter Mickey Loomis inherited the G.M. gig after Randy Mueller was fired.

 

Even if Tannenbaum succeeds, the debate will continue to rage among league insiders, since it's human nature to carp and complain when guys get hired for key positions, in any setting.  There are only 32 G.M.-type jobs in the industry.  So whenever someone gets one of them, there will be other people who think that he didn't deserve it, whether it's because the guy is too young, like Tannenbaum, or too old, like Marv Levy.  Or that he doesn't have enough experience evaluating personnel, like Mickey Loomis.  Or he doesn't have enough business savvy, like Tannenbaum's predecessor, Terry Bradway.

 

The key, as we've heard time and again from folks who seem to know what they're doing, is to know your limitations. 

 

In other words, to know what you don't know.  To surround yourself with experts in area in which you're not one.  To hire people whose judgment you trust -- and then trust it.

 

It sounds easy.  But not many organizations have quite figured out how to put those principles into practice.  That's because ego and pride inevitably get in the way -- regardless of whether the person calling the shots is a football guy or a cap guy.

 

NFL CROSSING THE POND?

 

One of our readers in England tells us that, during the broadcast of the Pro Bowl on Sky Sports, an NFL official said that talks are nearly finalized to bring two teams to Wembley Stadium for a regular season game in 2006.

 

Per the reader, the person said on the air that the deal is 80-to-85 percent complete, and that the agreement is likely to be reached within the next two weeks, with an announcement coming within a month thereafter.  The teams most likely will come from the AFC.

 

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells us that the NFL is looking at the possibility of playing a regular season game in London, and that no decision has been made.

 

In 2005, the NFL sent the 49ers and Cardinals to Mexico for a game that drew rough three times the paying customers that the game likely would have attracted if it were played in Arizona.  The bigger challenge will be for the NFL to persuade a team that routinely draws a big crowd to give up a home game.

 

POSTED 6:51 p.m. EST, February 12, 2006

 

SHAUN HAS HIS CAKE, EATS IT TOO

 

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander got to spend the week in Hawaii schmoozing with the Panthers' coaching staff, but didn't have to risk injury by actually playing in the game.

 

It's the best of both worlds.  Fun in the sun, while at the same time no chance of having his looming payday get screwed up by actually, you know, earning his trip to Hawaii.

 

Alexander headlines a free-agency class that hits the open market on March 3.  Increasing rumor and speculation have linked him to the Panthers in recent days.  During a live interview with ESPN's Suzy Kolber in the first quarter of the Pro Bowl (which for some bizarre reason the football-averse Florio Jr. actually is interested in watching), Alexander conceded that Panthers receiver Steve Smith has been lobbying him to relocate to Carolina.

 

It wouldn't be the first time that future matches were made at the Pro Bowl.  A couple of years ago, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb commenced the process of recruiting then-49ers receiver Terrell Owens in Hawaii, where Owens was being coached by Andy Reid and the rest of the Philly staff.

 

The bigger issue, as we see it, is the contract that the Seahawks, the Panthers, or anyone else will put on the table.  Alexander likely wants a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $20 million, but that's a number that the market for aging running backs simply won't justify. 

 

Our guess is that, unless the 'Hawks are willing to pay more than another team will put on the table, Alexander is going to relocate for 2006.  The favorites, in our opinion, are the Panthers, Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, and Vikings.

 

POSTED 10:44 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:08 p.m. EST, February 12, 2006

 

LEWIS WANTS OUT OF BALTIMORE

 

Buried in a Saturday story regarding the desire of Ravens safety Ed Reed for a new contract is a startling admission from G.M. Ozzie Newsome.

 

Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis asked for a trade prior to the 2005 season.

 

Per Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have sent out "feelers" regarding Lewis, but have only been offered a second-round pick in exchange.

 

Lewis has been trying for the past couple of years to get a new contract.  He wants, as we've reported in the past, "Peyton Manning" money.  The problem, however, is that Lewis is an aging, undersized linebacker with a growing history of injuries and an expanding string of seasons in which he simply isn't performing like the guy he was four or five years ago.

 

So apart from anything that anyone gives up for Lewis in trade, his new team will be expected to do that which the Ravens haven't -- significantly increase a contract that already pays him $5.5 million in 2006, $6.5 million in 2007, and $6.5 million in 2008.

 

That's already a stiff price to pay for a player who'll be 31 in a few months.  At some point in the not-too-distant future, the Ravens might no longer be able to justify paying him that kind of money.  And he'd be hard pressed to recoup his expected salary on the free-agent market.

 

Our advice to Ray?  Stay put.  Earn your money for the next three years.  Help the team get past the Steelers and the Bengals.  And then retire as an icon in Baltimore, where there will be enough business opportunities to carry you comfortably through the next 30 years. 

 

'PEPPER PLANNING TO GO IT ALONE?

 

Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper recently told Sean Jensen of The St. Paul Pioneer Press that Culpepper still hasn't decided whether to replace agent Mason Ashe with a new agent, or whether to simply represent himself.

 

"I am focusing on being responsible for all of my business affairs, including my contract," Culpepper said.  "I have not decided on if, or when, I may hire a new agent.

 

"No matter what I do, I will be intricately involved in all aspects of any contract negotiations.  Until last summer, I have had a very hands-off approach to my business affairs, and it has hurt me.  I believe that the education process I am in is preparing me to be able to handle this important aspect of my career."

 

Per Jensen, there currently are 29 players who represent themselves. 

 

"It is uncommon, but it's not rare," Mark Levin, the NFLPA's director of salary cap and agent administration, told Jensen.  "It depends on the makeup of the player.  There are some players who are much more mature than others, and some that are more intelligent than others, and some players that are more thick-skinned, because sometimes these negotiations become personal."

 

Culpepper apparently parted ways with Ashe because Culpepper wasn't happy with the lack of guaranteed money in his 10-year, $102 million contract.  "That's a terrible deal, and now he realizes it's a terrible deal, and that's why he fired his agent," former Vikings receiver Cris Carter told Jensen.

 

Although we haven't yet gotten our eyeballs on Culpepper's May 2003 contract, we have a funny feeling that he signed his name to it.  Such an action typically connotes in our society that he, you know, agreed to its terms.  So if he's suddenly smart enough to represent himself without an agent, why wasn't he also smart enough to realize that his agent had negotiated a bad deal?

 

It's because it wasn't a bad deal at the time it was negotiated.

 

Think about it.  Culpepper burst onto the scene in 2000 as the Minnesota starter, after coach Denny Green bent his knee and kissed the ass of Dan Marino in an effort to get Marino to continue his career as the Vikings' No. 1 quarterback.  Culpepper then shocked the football world with a 98.0 passer rating and a trip to the NFC title game.

 

But reality set in.  With seven months to pick apart 18 sets of film, opposing defensive coordinators knocked Daunte down to size in 2001, when his passer rating dropped to 83.3.  In 2002, his rating sunk to a Joey Harringtonish 75.3.

 

So signing a 10-year, $102 million contract with plenty of money pushed into the latter years doesn't look like such a bad deal, given that Culpepper's performance was trending significantly downward when he signed it.

 

Of course, he then turned his career around, pushing his passer rating to 96.4 in 2003 and an uncanny 110.9 in 2004.  So in recognition of the fact that Culpepper had greatly overachieved, the Vikings nudged $8 million of this money forward, with $2 million paid in 2005 and another $6 million due in March 2006.

 

But in 2005, the bottom fell out, again.  In seven games before he suffered three torn knee ligaments, Culpepper had thrown six touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, for a career-low passer rating of 72.2.

 

The fact that Culpepper would still be thinking about getting more money under those circumstances is, frankly, laughable.  The fact that he thinks he's more likely to get where he wants to be without the assistance of an experienced agent is downright hilarious.

 

Of course, not everyone agrees with our assessment.  Broncos linebacker Ian Gold negotiated his own deal a year ago, and he told Jensen that agents are absolutely unnecessary.

 

POSTED 9:56 p.m. EST, February 11, 2006

 

RAIDERS RE-INTRODUCE SHELL

 

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis rolled out the silver and black carpet on Saturday for new/old coach Art Shell with a somewhat lengthy press conference in which Davis talked candidly regarding the decision to re-hire Shell and regarding the overall search for a new head coach.

 

Along the way, Davis said that only one other person had been offered the job, Louisville coach "Bernard" Petrino, and that Petrino ultimately turned the position down because of recruiting considerations.

 

Shell also spoke for several minutes regarding his desire to bring back the Raider mystique, and to fashion a new generation of Raider greats along the lines of Jack Tatum, George Atkinson, and Jim Otto.

 

Davis admitted that the modern team simply didn't have the desire to beat other franchises that have a deep hatred of the Raiders.  The goal, through Shell, is to bring that dynamic back.

 

Davis also seemed to acknowledge that he erroneously departed from an era of stability and continuity following the long-term tenures of John Madden and Tom Flores by hiring Mike Shanahan.  Though Shanahan was replaced not long thereafter by Art Shell, Davis admitted that he made a mistake by not sticking with Shell when the organization moved from Los Angeles back to Oakland.

 

For the full video of the press conference, click here.

 

Regarding rumors that Tom Walsh will be the team's new offensive coordinator, we're learned through the assistance of several of our readers that Walsh was with the Raiders as an assistant for 14 seasons.  He arrived in 1982 as receivers coach, and became offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach five years later.  He left after the 1995 season, and later spent two years as the head coach at Idaho State.  Walsh resigned under pressure in 1998.

 

Since then, he apparently hasn't coached.  Instead, he has worked as an analyst with Westwood One Radio.

 

There's also an unconfirmed rumor that Jackie Slater will be named the team's offensive line coach.

 

POSTED 10:20 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:00 p.m. EST, February 11, 2006

 

RAIDERS HIRE SHELL

 

More than 11 years after he was fired, Art Shell is returning as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

 

It's been so long that the Shell was with the team that he never actually coached the "Oakland Raiders."  Instead, he was the coach of the "Los Angeles Raiders" from 1989 through 1994.

 

Shell will be re-introduced at a Saturday press conference.

 

We've also caught wind of a possible surprise move among the coaching staff.  Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye recently left for the Jets, and there are uncorroborated rumors that the new offensive coordinator will be Tom Walsh.  He was an assistant under Shell during Shell's first stint with the team, but we can find nothing at all regarding any NFL coaching employment of Walsh in recent years.  If any readers know what this guy has been up to over the last, say, decade or so, let us know.

 

PEPPERS PICKS A PROF

 

Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has fired well-known agent Marvin Demoff and has hired in his place . . . .

 

Carl Carey?

 

Okay, who the hell is Carl Carey?  He was Peppers' academic advisor at North Carolina, and he has worked for Peppers in "various consulting roles" over the past few years.  Carey first became a certified NFLPA contract adviser in August 2005.

 

"Carl's been with me for a long time," Peppers told The Charlotte Observer.  "That's basically it.  Carl's someone I can trust, not that I couldn't trust Marvin.  But he's someone I've known for a long time and we're real good friends and he's worked for me for a long time.  It only made sense that I let him be my agent once he got his agent's license."

 

We don't know whether Carey is still employed by UNC (his NFLPA info shows a North Carolina phone number and a Houston address), but if he is we wonder whether he obtained appropriate approvals to attempt to earn a portion of his living off of a guy whom he "advised" in his official educational capacity.  Even if he's no longer employed by UNC, there's something, in our view, that doesn't "feel" right about Carey parlaying an adviser relationship into a business relationship from which he then potentially earns a bunch of money. 

 

Apart from that, the bigger risk to Peppers -- and to other guys who play defensive end in the NFL -- is that Carey will agree to a restructured contract and/or contract extension for Peppers that pays Peppers less than he could get with, you know, an experienced agent.

 

In the end, this appears to be just another example of a guy who hopes to parlay a relationship with one player into a career as an agent.  Though Leigh Steinberg got started in the business that very way in 1975, via his relationship with Steve Bartkowski, the NFL has changed dramatically since then, and we can't imagine a guy with zero experience jumping right into the fray, especially by negotiating the high-stakes contract of a high-end player under a high-complexity CBA.

 

LEINART NEEDS TO LOWER HIS PROFILE

 

A league source tells us that USC quarterback Matt Leinart's heavy presence on television during Super Bowl week, including a Desperate Housewives spot during the game itself, has some players grumbling about his growing profile.

 

"This f--king guy hasn't even taken a snap yet," was one of the quotes uttered in response to Leinart's presence on the TV circuit at a time when, as other league insiders previously have told us, Leinart would be better served in the weight room or on the track improving his speed and arm strength in advance of the upcoming draft.

 

There have been rumors and speculation that Leinart could fall on draft day, due to concerns that he's not as committed to pro football as he could or should be.  Some league insiders, however, insist that there's no way he'll get past the Titans at No. 3. 

 

Regardless, we think his best bet for the next two months is to focus only on getting ready for his pre-draft workouts.  Millions of dollars literally are on the line, since the value of the contracts at the top of the draft diminish significantly with each player taken.

 

SATURDAY ONE-LINERS

 

The Steelers will have $500,000 less in 2006 cap room, thanks to an incentive in QB Ben Roethlisberger's contract for winning the Super Bowl.   (Future incentives of this nature should include a provision that the quarterback's passer rating in the game also must be higher than 25.)

 

Steelers C Jeff Hartings could be gone if his contract isn't restructured by March 2, due to a $750,000 roster bonus.

 

John Elways thinks the Broncos should pass on T.O. (permit us to be more cynical than usual for a moment -- does Elway really want the Broncos to show that they can win a Super Bowl without him?).

 

The more Herm Edwards speaks, the more we hear Jackie Chiles' voice:  “If a player makes a mistake, does that make him a bad guy?  Who's judging that?  You?  Just because your kids make a mistake, do you get mad at them?  No. You try to teach them.  Don’t make the same mistake again. Obviously, if you keep repeating the same thing, then you've got a problem."

 

For all 14 of you who plan to watch the NFL Pro Bowl skills competition, please avert your eyes -- Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall wins the fastest man competition.

 

Broncos S John Lynch says that he plans to play in 2006, contradicting reports that he might be headed to the FOX pregame show.

 

Seahawks G Steve Hutchinson could end up wearing the franchise tag.

 

The Titans are looking closely at draft-eligible linebackers.

 

Fins coach Nick Saban has added a couple of his former LSU assistants.

 

The Ravens want to make Ed Reed one of the highest paid safeties, which entails much less money than paying him as one of the top defensive players in the league.

 

The Cardinals are surprised by the fact that fans are buying season tickets for 2006 (so is the rest of the known world).

 

The NFL and ESPN are seriously considering a doubleheader for the first Monday night on the four-letter network.

 

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson doesn't expect coach John Fox and G.M. Marty Hurney to make a run at T.O.

 

The Giants have extended the contract of OL Rich Seubert through 2009, creating a 2006 cap savings of $400,000.

 

The judge pitched an antitrust lawsuit filed by Hamilton County, Ohio against the Bengals because the plaintiff waited too long to file it.  (We hope that the County's lawyers haven't waited too long to pay their malpractice insurance premiums.)

 

Kentucky prosecutors abandoned a plan to permit Bengals WR Chris Henry to enter a "diversion program" regarding his December marijuana arrest after Henry was busted on gun charges in Florida; Henry goes to trial on the pot possession rap on March 22.

 

POSTED 10:51 a.m. EST, February 10, 2006

 

SHELL BACK IN OAKLAND FOR SECOND INTERVIEW

 

A league source tells us that former Raiders head coach Art Shell is back in Oakland for a second interview to fill the job he once held.

 

Though a hiring is not imminent, we're told that both sides are very interested in working something out, and that Shell very likely could end up with the position in the near future.

 

Shell was 54-38 in his prior stint with the team, and was fired after a 9-7 record in 1994.  

 

Shell spent the next six seasons as an assistant, and he joined the league office in 2001.  He has interviewed for several head coaching positions over the past few hiring cycles.

 

Shell first interviewed with the Raiders last week.  Based on what we're hearing, Friday's session between the Hall of Fame offensive lineman and owner Al Davis sounds a lot more like a process of confirmation than a process of elimination.

 

Left in the cold, if/when Shell gets the job, is Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who believed (as we reported) that he'd be the next coach of the Raiders if Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt didn't receive and accept an offer.       

 

POSTED 9:15 a.m. EST, February 10, 2006

 

"SMALL POSSIBILITY" OF FREE AGENCY DELAY

 

Word is that a series of meetings between representatives of the NFL and the NFLPA has created progress toward an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  We're told that these talks have given rise to a "small possibility" that the free agency signing period will be delayed this year from March 3 until early April.

 

The mere talk of bumping back the opening of free agency confirms that the recent efforts to iron out the issues between management and labor are aimed at getting a new deal in place before the annual shopping spree commences.  As it now stands, signing boni can be spread over only four years, and any incentives earned in 2006 automatically count against the salary cap in 2006.  This will make it harder for teams to add new players and, in turn, less lucrative for the players.

 

A new deal also would undoubtedly increase the salary cap for 2006, giving teams more money to spend on their rosters.  This is good news for teams like the Redskins and Jets, who reportedly are facing some tough salary-trimming decisions under the current '06 cap.

 

But even if the free agency period is pushed back by a month, there still will be some intrigue come March.  For example, Terrell Owens' contract must be terminated by the Eagles on or before March 5.  So if the free agency launch is bumped to April and no new CBA is in place before Owens is released, he'll have to decide whether to take any offers that might be on the table under the current CBA -- or whether to wait until a new deal is in place. 

 

TEXANS KEEP CARR

 

The Houston Texans have exercised an $8 million option payment that will extend quarterback David Carr's contract through 2008.

 

Although, on the surface, the move indicates that the Texans will not select Texas quarterback Vince Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle reports that the decision to keep Carr "has nothing to do with the top pick in the draft."

 

Um, John.  The team's official logo is a starry-eyed bull -- not a steaming pile of bullsh-t.  Of course the move has something to do with the top pick in the draft.  If the Texans were thinking of trading Carr and taking Young, the Texans would have at least tried to re-work Carr's deal in order to make it more tradeable and/or to avoid handing $8 million to a guy who might not take another snap with the team.

 

But we likewise don't think that the move means that the Texans are certain to draft USC running back Reggie Bush with the top pick.  They could still slide down in round one, stockpiling some extra picks and still getting a guy who could help the offense tremendously, such as Virginia tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

 

PETRINO CATCHING FLAK FOR PASSING ON RAIDERS GIG

 

Per published reports, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino has turned down three different offers from the Raiders to become the team's next head coach.

 

ESPN's Chris Mortensen says that Petrino would have received a five-year, $18 million contract.

 

One league source says that Petrino "has to be retarded" for turning down that much money.  (Editor's note:  We didn't realize that Napoleon Dynamite is now working as an NFL scout.)

 

We initially were inclined to disagree, since Petrino basically has made a lifestyle choice.  But after further consideration, we now think that Petrino left way too much money on the table.

 

He received a new contract from Louisville in late 2004, which pushed his salary to $1 million a year.  Under the terms of his current deal, he'll make $6 million through 2010.  Under the offer he rejected, he would have tripled that amount in the same time period.

 

So that's $12 million on which Petrino passed.  We can respect the fact that the guy listened to his family on this one, but there's a point at which deferring to the wife and kids can lead to resentment.  Unless Petrino lands with an NFL team closer to home in the next couple of years, we have a feeling that Petrino will have a hard time forgetting about the $12 million that got away.

 

CHARGERS MAKE OFFER TO BREES

 

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers have made an initial offer on a long-term contract to quarterback Drew Brees.  The offer was sent on Monday, and the team has yet to receive a response.

 

Brees' rookie contract expired in 2005.  The team applied the franchise tag, which extended his stay for a year.  He again is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, but the team likely will not apply the franchise tag this time around.  Given a shoulder injury suffered on January 1, Brees undoubtedly would sign the franchise tender as soon as it is extended, guaranteeing nearly $10 million in 2006 pay.

 

Instead, the Chargers (we think) will apply the transition tag.  The amount of the one-year tender is the same, but the tender can be revoked at any time prior to the start of the 2006 regular season.  Also, the Chargers would have the right to match any long-term offer made to Brees by another team.

 

If Brees' shoulder injury does not fully heal by training camp, for example, the Chargers could revoke the transition tender and then negotiate a long-term deal that takes into consideration his physical condition.  With the other 31 teams at that point set at the quarterback position, Brees would have little or no leverage.

 

ALEXANDER SHOWING HIS TRUE COLORS, AGAIN?

 

A year ago, the eyebrows of many league insiders were raised when Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander lashed out at coach Mike Holmgren after Alexander missed out on the NFL rushing title by a single yard.

 

This year, Alexander has generally quieted such concerns via an MVP season and the single-season touchdown record.

 

But we're troubled by Alexander's stated reluctance to play in the Pro Bowl.  Not because he doesn't want to play -- every year, plenty of mildly injured guys bail on this joke of an All-Star game.  But Alexander, in our view, is trying to have it both ways.

 

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Alexander is "unsure" whether he'll play on Sunday, due to a sprained foot. 

 

"Whenever it's a foot you put a little pressure on it and feel a little pain and hope it doesn't relapse," Alexander said.  "I've done this before, but it's always been a time where I've been training and a couple weeks off and you're 100 percent. You don't get that when you're getting ready to play in the Pro Bowl.  Now that I'm one of the guys that's been here a couple years in a row now, let some of the other guys get in here and rip it up."

 

Fine, Shaun.  Your foot hurts.  And your due to be a free agent.  You don't need to play.  But the you should have stayed home and let someone else take your place. 

 

We're not saying this because we think that the next guy on the list (whoever it might be) is particularly deserving of a week in Hawaii and the $20,000 or $40,000 that goes with it, but because the NFC team needs more than two guys available to carry the football.  Without Alexander, a full 60 minutes of "rip it up" duties will fall to Tiki Barber and Warrick Dunn.

 

Of course, if Alexander hadn't gone to Honolulu, he likewise wouldn't have had an opportunity to suck up to the Panthers coaching staff, who are working the game by virtue of their NFC championship loss.  With Stephen Davis likely done, DeShaun Foster hitting the free agent market with a broken ankle, and Nick Goings' little birdie named Ronnie still telling him he got knocked the f--k out by Lofa Tatupu, the Panthers are one of the teams that could be interested in Alexander.

 

In Alexander's case, however, it might be in his best interests for potential suitors to know less, not more, about the real man behind the facemask.   

 

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

Amid speculation that an $8 million cap number could trigger a release, Falcons coach Jim Mora says that RB Warrick Dunn will be back with the team in 2006.

 

New Bears secondary coach Ron English has bolted to become the defensive coordinator of the Michigan Wolverines; English had been the defensive backs coach at Michigan the past three seasons.

 

Steelers WR Hines Ward is making a two-week trip to South Korea.

 

Attention, established NFL players -- when it's time to take a pay cut to stay with your current team, consider the situation in which Jerome Bettis will now find himself after his football career has ended.

 

POSTED 7:52 p.m. EST, February 9, 2006

 

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

We think that Falcons QB Mike Vick and coach Jim Mora are heading for an eventual divorce.

 

Falcons TE Alge Crumpler senses that Coach Mora will get tougher in 2006.

 

The Steelers have 11 unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents.

 

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney got a call Monday morning from W.  (And the Prez said, "Mickey, I didn't know you owned a football team.").

 

Pats WR David Givens hopes to stay with the team.

 

Another day, another Eagles player scaring away teams that might otherwise be toying with the notion of trading for T.O.

 

Chargers LB Randall Godfrey will play another year.

 

One of the guys who taught Jets G.M. Mike Tannenbaum in law school thinks that lawyers have a leg up in the sports business:  "Lawyers, first of all, are trained in a certain way of critical and analytical thinking," said Gary Roberts.  "It doesn't give you the ability to spot talent, but it does give you an ability to create the methodology in identifying the characteristics of a good player.  You combine the systematic and methodological approach that lawyers are taught in dealing with any type of problem and that is transferred to running a sports club."  (Yeah, but chasing ambulances is still more lucrative.)

 

Vikings P Chris Kluwe (torn ACL) should be ready for the 2006 season.

 

The Vikes are unlikely to pursue tampering charges against former head coach Mike Tice, who recently admitted that he tried to recruit one of the team's impending free agents to Jacksonville.

 

Two USC assistant coaches have bolted for the Bucs.

 

The Niners acknowledge that they are searching for a high-level business type to add to the front office, and that they are considering Seahawks V.P. for football administration Mike Reinfeldt, a rare former player who has focused his post-playing work on the money side of the industry.

 

Agent Ben Dogra believes that Bucs FB Mike Alstott will play another year.

 

Former Jets G.M. Terry Bradway actually got a one-year contract extension for standing down, giving him three more years in New York.

 

Bengals QB Jon Kitna fully intends to hit the open market.

 

Here's the initial list of Pro Day workouts.

 

POSTED 5:00 p.m. EST, February 9, 2006

 

WHISENHUNT STICKING WITH STEELERS

 

Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has opted to stay with the black and gold in lieu of joining the silver and black.

 

Whisenhunt interviewed for the Raiders head coaching position on Wednesday, and left without an offer.  Discussions continued on Thursday, and Whisenhunt ultimately advised the Raiders that he would remain with the Steelers. 

 

Meanwhile, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the Raiders offered the job on Wednesday night to Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, who declined.

 

The situation has become, in our view, a full-blown clusterfudge.  Former Oakland head coach Art Shell is ready and willing to serve, but we have a feeling that an offer won't be extended.  As we reported on Wednesday night, Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel believes that he has a shot at the position.  Now that Whisenhunt is out of the picture, Fassel could get a call. 

 

Meanwhile, Whisenhunt likely will be next year's Brad Childress -- the season-long, no-brainer candidate for any vacancies that will arise come January.  The only glitch is that any team interested in Whisenhunt might have to wait deep into the playoffs to get a chance to make him an offer, since there's no reason to believe that the Steelers won't be in the thick of the AFC postseason race next season.

 

POSTED 1:38 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:12 p.m. EST, February 9, 2006

 

WEBSTER HEADING TO SEATTLE

 

A league source tells us that Tampa Bay director of player personnel Ruston Webster will be heading to Seattle to accept a similar position in a front office run by former colleague Tim Ruskell.

 

Webster was promoted into his current job from director of college scouting a year ago.  In April 2005, he was linked to positions in Seattle and Miami.  

 

The problem is that teams can block front-office moves unless the new position involves "final say" authority, or unless the guy's contract has expired.  Because the Bucs generally apply the rules aggressively to hold guys in place, we can't imagine that they are letting Webster go.  Likewise, since he elevated into his present position only a year ago, it's unlikely that his contract already has expired.

 

Maybe the Bucs traded Webster to Seattle for the 12th Man.  Pros are that he's an All-Pro during the regular season and the playoffs.  Cons are that he doesn't travel well, and that his breath smells of sour grapes.

 

DISNEY GETS VALUE FOR MICHAELS

 

Kudos to the folks at ABC/ESPN for extracting some concessions from NBC in exchange for releasing from his contract a guy who didn't want to work for ESPN anyway.  

 

As it turns out, veteran broadcaster Al Michaels was traded by ESPN to NBC, for the following: