POSTED 10:32 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

BREES OVERPRICING HIMSELF?

 

There's talk in league circles that very-soon-to-be-free-agent quarterback Drew Brees could be looking for too much money.

 

Word is that he's looking for a deal that carries more than $10 million in guaranteed money in the first year.  We've heard elsewhere that Brees wants a deal that will average $9 million a year.

 

It's a lot to ask for a guy who is recovering from shoulder surgery, and who may or may not be ready to participate fully in offseason workouts in his first year with a new team.

 

Brees is a solid quarterback, when healthy.  But he's not yet at the level of the elites, and we've got a feeling that agent Tom Condon is going to try to erase the memory of the $6 million haircut that Chad Pennington recently took by striking it rich with Brees.

 

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

The Packers have re-signed DE Aaron Kampman.

 

The Bucs have cut QB Brian Griese, LB Jeff Gooch, and OL Matt Stinchcomb.

 

The Redskins released five players, and re-signed RB Rock Cartwright.

 

Former NFL QB Heath Shuler just might have found something he's even worse at.

 

The Colts have made a tender offer to S Gerome Sapp, a restricted free agent.

 

POSTED 9:10 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

MORE EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING

 

Bernie Wilson of The Associated Press has uncovered even more proof that tampering is occurring throughout the league in an article regarding the prospects of Chargers quarterback Drew Brees.

 

"We've already got things lined up, and we'll be rocking and rolling the minute the clock strikes midnight," Brees told Wilson.

 

"We've already got things lined up" means "we're already taking to teams" means "teams are talking to us" means "teams are tampering with me."

 

Although it's generally difficult if not impossible to prove tampering, the league eventually is going to make an example out of someone.  So if we were the Commish, we'd tell Brees that his first trip will be to the league office to 'fess up fully and completely as to all of the "things" that have been lined up.

 

POSTED 7:45 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

RAIDERS CUT COLLINS

 

Five days after reportedly dumping quarterback Kerry Collins and his enormous 2006 cap number, the Raiders have made it official, chopping the veteran signal-caller from the roster.

 

The move creates $9.2 million in salary cap space.

 

But the move isn't a precursor to Daunte Culpepper's arrival in Oakland.  As we reported earlier on Friday, the Raiders are not in the hunt for the Vikings quarterback, who'll likely be traded within the next several hours.

 

POSTED 7:38 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

BUCS TO BUMP BRIAN?

 

According to our friends at the PewterReport.com, agent Ralph Cindrich expects that the Tampa Bay Bucs will release quarterback Brian Griese on Friday night.

 

Griese is due to receive a $2.6 million roster bonus, which will bump his cap number for 2006 to $7.083 million.  Cutting Griese would create $4.5 million in cap room.

 

"I've talked with [Bucs general manager] Bruce [Allen]," Cindrich said.  "We have a proposal and we're talking.  If they follow what was indicated, Brian will be a free agent tonight.  We're scheduled to talk with Tampa Bay tomorrow.  It's also quite possible we’ll be talking with other teams."

 

The likely reality, of course, is that Cindrich already has talked with other teams, in order to "gauge the market" for Griese's services.  How else can an agent know whether to tell a player's team to pound cannon powder unless the agent knows what the market will bear?

 

It's tampering, sure.  But it happens.

 

Our guess is that Cindrich has something else lined up that will pay more than what the Bucs are offering to Griese.  And if Cindrich doesn't, he should.  Until the league gets serious about cracking down on tampering, smart agents will know what's behind door number 2 before telling Monty Hall to stick door number 1 in his anal cleft.

 

ARRINGTON VISITS FINS

 

Alex Marves of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that free-agent linebacker LaVar Arrington met on Friday with the Dolphins.

 

"They had expressed an interest and Miami is a great place to live and play football," agent Carl Poston said.  "I think they need a linebacker, especially since they released Junior [Seau].  That's all I know so far." 

 

If that's really all that Poston knows, then shame on him for letting LaVar walk from a $6.5 million guarantee and $4.4 million in deferred bonus money.  Following up on the whole tampering theme, it would have been malpractice in our view for the Postons to allow LaVar to walk from nearly $11 million without having another deal in place, giving the currently rampant nature of the practice of "gauging the market."

 

Maybe, of course, Arrington and his next team are moving slowly in order to throw the league office off of their scent.  Heck, maybe the visit to Miami itself is a smokescreen.  Either way, if Arrington doesn't get more than $10.9 million to sign in his new city, he made a grievous error in buying his way out of Washington.

 

POSTED 5:56 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

RAIDERS NOT IN THE HUNT FOR CULPEPPER

 

A league source tells us that, despite increasing reports and speculation that the Vikings are poised to ship quarterback Daunte Culpepper to the Oakland Raiders, the Raiders are not in the hunt for Culpepper.

 

Although it's believed that the Raiders made an inquiry at some point after word of the Vikings' initial efforts to trade Culpepper came to light, the Raiders have not made an offer and are not among the "finalists" to land the three-time Pro Bowler with the three torn knee ligaments.

 

At this point, it's not entirely clear who the candidates are.  Obvious possibilities are any team with a potential need at the starting quarterback position -- the Dolphins, the Jets, the Ravens, the Cowboys, the Lions, the Saints, the Rams, and the Cardinals.

 

Our money is still on the Rams, with Culpepper being shipped in St. Louis for current starter Marc Bulger, and maybe a pick or two.     

 

POSTED 2:56 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:44 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

BRONCOS CLOSING IN ON DEAL FOR ABRAHAM

 

A league source tells us that the Denver Broncos are closing in on a deal with the Jets to acquire the rights to defensive end John Abraham.

 

Per the source, the Broncos would send a first-round pick to the Jets for Abraham, and Abraham would then be signed to a deal worth $27 million over the first three years.

 

Published reports also have linked Abraham to the Falcons.

 

Stay tuned.

 

HAWK SOARS IN COLUMBUS

 

Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk continued to push himself higher up the draft board with a stellar pro day effort in Columbus on Thursday.

 

As to his 40-yard dash, various times have been reported.  We've seen it as low as 4.38.  We've independently heard 4.43.

 

But take note that he ran on what's regarded as a fast surface.  The belief is that his actual speed is closer to the rang of 4.55.

 

Not bad for a 240-pound linebacker.

 

Word is that, overall, he had a "great workout" and that he's a "stud."  He'll likely go as high as No. 6 to the 49ers, possibly even No. 5 to the Packers.  

 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

 

WR Isaac Bruce is back with the Rams.

 

The Bus says he lost 67 large in jewelry during Super Bowl practice (hmmm . . . didn't Duce Staley "lose" a bunch of ice a week or so after the game?).

 

Bills owner Ralph Wilson says that teams that might have been inclined to vote against the league's new revenue sharing plan approved the proposal because it was a "panic deal."

 

King Carl says he's sign T.O. to a bare-bones, one-year deal.

 

The Cowboys eventually to a look at the contract of OL Larry Allen.

 

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney concedes that "[e]very team has to look to maximize their revenue."  (And if he really means it, it's time to triple the price of every ticket at Heinz Field, because even with those prices the place would still sell out.)

 

POSTED 1:05 p.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

PANTHERS, VIKES TO LIFT TRANSITION TAGS?

 

There's speculation in league circles that the Carolina Panthers will be removing the transition tag from running back DeShaun Foster, given the rules of the CBA extension that make transition tenders guaranteed, if accepted. 

 

We're also told that the Vikings might remove the transition tag from cornerback Brian Williams, for the same reason.

 

Although the agreement isn't clear as to whether transition tenders used prior to Wednesday fall within this tweak to the rules, it's possible that Foster and/or Williams will accept their respective tenders at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, arguably making the amount of the tenders fully guaranteed.

 

In the end, an arbitrator or a special master would make the final decision, if the tenders are not revoked on Friday, and if they're accepted on Saturday.

 

The thinking is that the Panthers intended to use the transition tag as a way to squat on Foster's rights until the team could search the market for a replacement, and that the team then would rescind the tag upon reaching a deal with someone else.  If Foster accepts the tender, and if the new CBA applies, the Panthers are on the hook for $5.153 million.

 

For the Vikings, Williams is at best a nickel corner, if/when both Antoine Winfield and Fred Smoot are healthy.  The Vikes likely used the tag on Williams primarily as a way to gauge the market for his services, before deciding whether to let him walk.  Under the transition tender, Williams' one-year salary is $4.7 million.

 

The other player wearing the transition tag is Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson and Vikings defensive back Brian Williams.  Hutchinson is likely to be one of the biggest names in free agency, and it's unlikely that the Seahawks will remove his tag.

 

GIANTS STRIKE DEAL WITH SAM

 

A league source tells us that the New York Giants have reached an agreement with former Dolpins corner Sam Madison.

 

Madison will receive a $2 million signing bonus, and base salaries of 900,000 in 2006, $1.2 million in 2007, $1.5 million in 2008, and $1.8 million in 2009.

 

The deal also provides that if Madison has four or more picks in 2006, 2007, and/or 2008, the next year's salary will go up by $250,000 for each year in which he meets the threshold.

 

The deal is expected to be signed later on Friday, or on Saturday.

 

POSTED 10:13 a.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

2008 COULD BE NEXT "LAST CAPPED YEAR"

 

Before we all get too comfortable with the notion of labor peace, we've now confirmed that the league and the union could again be going through  another elaborate song-and-dance-and-sh-t-your-pants in two short years.

 

Per a term sheet that (finally) has been circulated to agents by the NFLPA,  both the league and the union have the ability to opt out of the deal in four years.  To do so, the party looking to opt out must give notice on November 8, 2008 of its intention to terminate the deal two years prematurely.

 

And if either side exercises its prerogative to get out of the deal two years early, then 2009 becomes an uncapped year.

 

Alternatively, either of the parties can cancel the deal a year early by giving notice on November 9, 2009, which would make 2010 an uncapped year.

 

The obvious problem, as we see it, is that the giving of notice will convert the year in which notice is given into the "last capped year," which would then trigger the various pain-in-the-arse provisions that made it critical for a deal to be done before the last capped year under the old CBA hit, and which could then potentially screw up a team's cap planning by suddenly triggering the rules of the last capped year at the midpoint of the regular season.  

 

But perhaps this development means that the league and the union have gotten rid of some of the onerous provisions regarding the last capped year, which would strip away the sense of urgency to do a new CBA two years before the new one expires.  Otherwise, teams would have to presume that 2008 and/or 2009 could end up becoming the "last capped year," and they would be forced to plan for it accordingly.

 

Which means that in two short years teams could be fretting again about the 30 percent rule and other such nonsense.

 

A full breakdown of the term sheet is coming.  For now, though, yours truly has to throw some water and mulch on the law practice.     

 

POSTED 9:21 a.m. EST; UPDATED 10:13 a.m. EST, March 10, 2006

 

BREES ALREADY SHOPPING HIMSELF

 

As the official start of free agency approaches, there's even more evidence to indicate that teams aren't paying much heed to the tampering rules, which prohibit contact of any kind -- including, you know, contract negotiations -- before the player hits the open market.

 

Jason Cole of The Miami Herald reports that the New Orleans Saints are the leading candidates to land Chargers quarterback Drew Brees.

 

"The Saints, Dolphins and Detroit have reportedly been the strongest suitors to date," Cole writes, "but the Saints have guaranteed more money than the other two teams."

 

Though Cole doesn't comment on the significance of this news from a tampering standpoint, the report screams that Brees' agent, Tom Condon, has opened the bidding early on his client, lining up as many suitors as possible and then parsing through the deals.

 

As we understand the rules, there's no prohibition against an agent gauging the market for his client before his client actually hits the market.  It's the teams that are violating the rules by responding to or initiating the inquiries.

 

So maybe the NFLPA should consider implementing a rule that makes it impermissible for agents to listen to or solicit offers for players who are still under contract with a team.

 

Of course, it's not like such a rule would change anything.  Football types are an impatient bunch, and many are likely to justify not following the rules by presuming that, if they sit tight, others will beat them to the punch.

 

It reminds us of the NASCAR adage:  "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'."

 

As to the Saints, the acquisition of Brees likely means that they'll entertain offers to trade down in the draft, unless running back Reggie Bush is available at No. 2.  If they could slide back to No. 4, where the Jets currently are perched, the Saints could nab a guy like left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.  

 

T.O. RULE OVERTURNED

 

Mark Maske of The Washington Post reports that the new CBA contains a provision that prevents teams from deactivating a player for disciplinary reasons.

 

The most notorious example of this phenomenon involves receiver Terrell Owens.  Last season, the Eagles suspended him for four games on an unpaid basis, and then paid him to stay away for the balance of the season.  An arbitrator upheld the move, giving teams a useful tool for dealing with disgruntled players.

 

So now the NFLPA has changed the rule.

 

In 2003, the Bucs sent receiver Keyshawn Johnson home for the balance of the season after continuous clashes with coach Jon Gruden.  After the Owens ruling came down in 2005, the Bengals deactivated receiver Chris Henry following an arrest for possession of marijuana.  Neither player filed a grievance.  

 

Moving forward, it's an open-and-shut case.

 

Though the final language of the provision has yet to be hammered out, we're confused as to what the relief would be.  The player still gets paid, so he hasn't lost any money.  In some cases, a deactivation might keep him from hitting certain incentives, which could provide a specific measure of damages if he can reasonably show that he would have reached the threshold if he had been active.

 

Of course, the rule might raise more questions than it answers.  Smart coaches will now refrain from declaring prospectively that the turd wideout du jour will be deactivated for a set number of games.  Instead, the coach might express concerns each week regarding the player's concentration in practice, or regarding some lingering injury that the guy otherwise could play through.  

 

Then, when the list of inactive players is released on game days, the player's name will be on it.

 

This will expose the coaches to unwelcome second guessing, and to the possibility of further distraction as the player and/or his agent begin to question publicly the motivation for the decision to place the guy on the inactive list.

 

Last season, Lions receiver Charles Rogers was subject to periodic deactivations after he returned from a four-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy.  Though it appeared that the decisions were in part disciplinary -- and in part designed to keep him from getting enough playing time to trigger a significant incentive clause in his contract -- the NFLPA had no basis to argue that the moves were improper, since the coach previously had full discretion to decide who gets activated, and who doesn't.

 

Now, it's gotten more complicated, from everyone's perspective.

 

And we really wonder whether it was necessary.  Disciplinary deactivations are an uncommon phenomenon, affecting primarily certain receivers who think that their ability to run fast and pluck the pig provides periodic license to act like assholes.  But it's an issue that affects a very small percentage of the total union membership.

 

So in light of the give-and-take nature of collective bargaining between management and a union, we don't believe that this issue was sufficiently important to the bulk of the membership.  In our view, the union should have focused its efforts instead on something that would have provided a greater benefit to more players, such as a rookie wage scale that eliminates huge windfalls for unproven players.

 

Besides, our guess is that, in the end, coaches will figure out an effective way to get the message through to players who are a problem in the locker room.  Even if the coach can be forced to activate a player, the coach still isn't required to actually put him in the game.

 

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

Falcons owner Arthur Blank talks to the team's media relations department (a/k/a The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) regarding the new revenue-sharing arrangement.

 

The Giants are close to signing CB Sam Madison.

 

Madison reportedly will be be added as soon as the Giants officially can jettison LB Barrett Green, whose previous waiver was rejected due to the presence of guaranteed money in his contract.

 

Before the Pats let K Adam Vinatieri walk, maybe they should re-check the final scores of each of their three (key word:  "three") Super Bowl wins. 

 

The New York Daily News throws a little water on the Tags retirement talk.

 

S Tebucky Jones visited the Jets on Thursday.

 

The Fins are trying to re-sign C Seth McKinney after being scared off by the price tags for LeCharles Bentley and Kevin Mawae (psst, Kev, that the date on your birth certificate and surgical scar on your arm tells us you should be looking for an 810/425 deal with a playoff team).

 

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen thinks that talk of his team's interest in T.O. is overblown.

 

The Broncos and Falcons are considered to be the leading candidates to strike a deal with the Jets for DE John Abraham.

 

Agent Neil Cornrich tells The New York Times that "[t]his year, free agency will be a more vibrant and robust market for teams and players."  (But it will be crickets and saltine crackers for Cornrich, who's on suspension through August.)

 

Packers QB Craig Nall plans to test the free agent market (and the free agent market will fail that test, since it's never freaking heard of the guy).

 

The crew of the Love Boat will be interviewed by the lawyer for Vikings LT Bryant McKinnie.  (We can only imagine how the transcript will read: "That short guy with the big mouth . . . he had a plastic tallywacker.")

 

The Redskins are interested in 49ers WR Brandon Lloyd.

 

Due to credits from LTBE incentives that weren't reached in 2005, the Eagles have a whopping $26 million in cap space.

 

Former Titans LT Brad Hopkins visited the Bucs on Thursday (meanwhile, yet another guy who gets paid to cover football for a living contributes to fan confusion by implying that Hopkins couldn't be signed by the team until Saturday).

 

The Bucs reportedly have expressed interest in Steelers DE Kimo von Oelhofen (which if true is a clear tampering violation since, unlike Hopkins, von Oelhofen is still the property of another team). 

 

Tampa still might chop QB Brian Griese is a new deal can't be reached on his contract.

 

We wonder how free-agent LB LaVar Arrington feels about the fact that his agents also represents LB Julian Peterson as both players prepare to land new gigs and, more importantly, big money? 

 

The Jets are actively involved in trade talks for Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey.

 

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