POSTED 10:08 p.m. EST, March 16, 2006

 

REPORT OF T.O. SIGNING IS "BOGUS"

 

Reports originating from a Lubbock, Texas television station that receiver Terrell Owens has signed with the Cowboys are "bogus," a league source with knowledge of the situation tells us.

 

KLBK 13 says that sources with the Cowboys have told the station that Owens already has been signed, and that the move will be announced on Monday.

 

On one hand, we could envision the Cowboys intentionally leaking misinformation in order to scare off other potential suitors while owner Jerry Jones wraps up a vacation.  On the other hand, why in the hell would the leak be made to a television station in Lubbock?

 

Bottom line -- there's no deal, and the reports are erroneous.

 

POSTED 7:59 p.m. EST, March 16, 2006

 

DID FAVRE GET ROSTER BONUS?

 

One of the key issues that has been lost in the shuffle during one of the busiest weeks in any NFL offseason is the $3 million roster bonus that was, or wasn't, paid to Lord Favre on Wednesday.

 

Favre's contract calls for Him to receive the bonus on the fifth day of the league year.  That was Wednesday.

 

A few weeks back, Packers brass feigned ignorance as to the precise due date of the bonus.  Favre's agent, Bus Cook, suggested at one point that Favre might postpone the thing as He ponders what He'll do in 2006.

 

Since then, there's been nothing said about it.  Nothing.

 

So what happened?  If the thing wasn't moved, then Favre got $3 million in what could end up being free money, if He decides to retire.

 

And Favre still hasn't decided whether to retire.  Earlier this week, He said that He's monitoring the team's activity in free agency in conjunction with the question of whether He'll be back.

 

We know that the front office fears the wrath of the Cheeseheads if it creates the appearance that Lord Favre isn't receiving the respect He deserves, but this is getting ridiculous.  Favre ain't the coach, and He ain't the G.M.  The organization needs to know whether He'll be back, sooner before later, so that the team can decide what to do.

 

If, in the end, the team handed Favre $3 million with no guarantee that He's going to play this year, that should anger the Packers faithful far more than cutting Favre ever would.

 

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

 

The Dolphins aren't interested in WR Keyshawn Johnson or WR Terrell Owens.

 

The Ravens have released OT Orlando Brown.

 

Another day, another e-mail from Daunte Culpepper.

 

It sounds like Jackie Chiles has a new client, and his name is Carl Poston:  "The suspension is wrong, irresponsible, and in violation of the NFLPA rules.  We intend to vigorously contest this using all appropriate legal remedies. These charges are utterly without merit."

 

The Steelers have re-worked the contract of C Jeff Hartings, creating $2.1 million in cap space.

 

PewterReport.com says that the Bucs will meet on Friday with WR Kevin (not Keyshawn, but Kevin) Johnson and WR Marc Boerigter on Friday.

 

Broncos LB Patrick Chukwurah will visit with the Bucs next week.

 

The Chiefs have signed QB Damon Huard.

 

The Pats have spit in the face of CB Tyrone Poole.

 

The Falcons have "virtually no interest" in trading QB Matt Schaub.

 

The Broncos have signed LB Nate Webster to a two-year deal with a $200,000 signing bonus.

 

The Broncos have contacted QB Gus Frerotte regarding a possible return stint.

 

Meshawn wants to play for the Panthers.

 

Buh-bye, Aaron Brooks.

 

CB Walt Harris has signed with the 49ers.

 

Kevin Poston says that 12 teams are interested in LB Julian Peterson (and three of them actually play in the NFL).

 

Fins K Olindo Mare isn't happy with the team's request that he cut his pay.

 

The Fins are interested in WR Kelly Campbell, who was out of football in 2005.

 

The Dolphins might take a run at CB Ty Law.

 

LB Peter Sirmon wants out of Tennessee.

 

The Raiders have signed LB Henri Crockett, who hasn't played since 2003.

 

Miami might be interested in re-signing the recently released QB Gus Frerotte.

 

POSTED 2:58 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:12 p.m. EST, March 16, 2006

 

'HAWKS WILL MATCH MOST OF OFFER SHEET

 

A league source tells us that the Seattle Seahawks plan to match the seven-year, $49 million offer sheet signed by guard Steve Hutchinson.  On Sunday, the Vikings and Hutchinson reached agreement on the deal, which includes a cap number of more than $13 million in 2006 and a poison pill provision that will make the full contract guaranteed if Hutchinson is not the highest paid member of the team's offensive line.

 

The Seahawks, however, will not match this provision, which would result automatically in a full guarantee of the Hutchinson deal, due to the long-term contract signed a year ago by left tackle Walter Jones.  Instead, the Seahawks will take the position that the guarantee is not a "Principal Term" of the offer, and that the term need not be matched in order to permit the Seahawks to retain their 2006 transition player.

 

Under the relevant provisions of the CBA, a provision guaranteeing the contract appears to be a "Principal Term."  The Seahawks, however, might be able to argue that, as a procedural matter, a guarantee provision only is a "Principal Term" if the guarantee is reflected by a modification or addition to the offer sheet made by the player.  Indeed, Article XIX, Section 3(e)(ii) seems to indicate that a guarantee becomes a "Principal Term" only if the player asks for the guarantee, and if the new team agrees.

 

The battle could, in the end, elevate form over substance, with the Seahawks arguing that the Vikings proposed the guarantee in order to defeat Seattle's ability to match the offer, and the Vikings arguing that it wasn't their idea and that Hutchinson and his agent asked for the guarantee.

 

Regardless, there most likely will be a battle, similar to the legal brouhaha that unfolded three years ago between the Redskins and the Jets regarding the rights to Chad Morton.  In that case, the Jets failed to match one of the provisions of the offer sheet.  Arbitrator Richard Bloch found that the unmatched provision was a "Principal Term," which meant that the Jets had not matched the offer, which meant that the Redskins received the rights to Morton.

 

This time around, the Seahawks are willing to take their chances as to the question of whether the guarantee is a "Principal Term."  If they prevail, the Seahawks keep Hutchinson, without the guarantee.  If the Seahawks lose, the Vikings will be awarded Hutchinson, with the potential guarantee in place (but with the guarantee meaningless since Hutchinson will be the highest paid offensive lineman on the team).  Per Article XIX, Section 4 of the CBA, the arbitrator will be required to resolve the dispute within 10 days after the grievance is filed.

 

The Seahawks will receive no compensation for Hutchinson, if they fail to match the offer sheet.

 

Our initial impression?  If the terms of the CBA are applied literally, and if there is sufficient evidence that Hutchinson asked for the guarantee, the Seahawks will lose.  But if the arbitrator looks beneath the surface, he or she will realize that the guarantee has little or no chance of being activated if Hutchinson lands in Minnesota, especially if the reports that it applies only in 2006 are accurate.  Under that scenario, the arbitrator could be inclined to find that the Seahawks had matched all of the "Principal Terms" that had any realistic bearing on his status with the Vikings.  

 

NOTHING FOR JOEY

 

We reported earlier on Thursday that the Lions would trade or release quarterback Joey Harrington within the next four days.  By signing quarterback Josh McCown, the Lions virtually have guaranteed that they will get nothing for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

 

Even if someone were inclined to throw a second-day pick to the Lions for a chance to get Harrington before someone else signs him on the open market, too much needs to happen too soon.  Though many league insiders suspected that Harrington might not be on the Lions' opening day roster in 2006, few expected the end to come in March.  Thus, any team that might have had an interest in Harrington likely hasn't had a chance to do a full evaluation of him, and won't have the time to do it now.

 

His contract also will need to be renegotiated.  In addition to a $4 million roster bonus due in June, his salary for 2006 is $4.45 million.  

 

That's a cap number of $8.45 million.

 

The cap charge easily can be reduced by covering most of the bonus and salary into a guarantee, as the Fins did on Wednesday with Daunte Culpepper.  But that's a lot of money to decide in a day or two to pay up front to a guy who hasn't done much of anything in four NFL seasons.

 

So in the end the Lions will simply have to close the book on one of the biggest draft-day busts in recent history, with absolutely nothing in return.    

 

POSTED 10:16 a.m. EST, March 16, 2006

 

HARRINGTON WILL BE GONE BY MONDAY

 

We've learned that the Detroit Lions will part ways with quarterback Joey Harrington by the end of the coming weekend.

 

On Monday, the Lions launch their offseason program.  And the organization has decided that Harrington should not and will not be part of the equation at that time.

 

The Lions, we're told, will try to trade Harrington before cutting the cord.  But it's highly unlikely that anyone will offer anything of value for the guy who was selected behind only David Carr and Julius Peppers in the 2002 draft, especially since Harrington is due under his current contract to receive a hefty roster bonus in June.

 

So look for Harrington to hit the market very soon.  And don't be shocked if he ends up visiting with the Lions' NFC North rivals in Minnesota, given that the Vikes are now looking for a quarterback of the not-too-distant future.

 

POSTED 10:54 p.m. EST, March 15, 2006; UPDATED 8:29 a.m. EST, March 16, 2006

 

PFT TEN-PACK:  FREE AGENCY WINNERS, LOSERS

 

Now that the first wave of free agency has thrown millions of new money into the pockets of plenty of players, let's take a time out and look at the biggest winners and biggest losers after five full days of activity.

 

First, the winners:

 

1.  Antwaan Randle El:  35 catches in 2005.  $11.5 million in bonus money in 2006.  Should anyone be surprised when T.O. wants $18 million to sign? 

 

2.  Arizona Cardinals:  Finally, the Bidwills realize that sometimes you've gotta spend money to make money. 

 

3.  Edgerrin James:  He learned everything he knows about grabbing the most coin from Peyton Manning.

 

4.  Miami Dolphins:  Daunte Culpepper for a second-round pick?  In 17 states, that constitutes rape.

 

5.  Adam Archuleta:  No offense intended, but if this guy can get $10 million in guaranteed coin, we've still got a chance to catch on somewhere for the league minimum.

 

6.  Cleveland Browns:  With John Collins counting beans somewhere other than in the team's front office, Phil Savage finally can put his imprint on the frnachise.

 

7.  Uncle Sam:  Perhaps the biggest winner in this process, the Internal Revenue Service scored millions in tax dollars after the CBA extension pushed the salary cap above nine figures.

 

8.  Drew Brees:  Though his contract is only a one-year arrangement, $10 million for a guy with a bad shoulder and a mixed track record ain't too shabby.

 

9.  Jon Kitna:  The former Bengals starter who was bumped out of a job by the No. 1 overall pick in 2003 gets a chance to start again after bumping out the No. 3 overall pick in 2002.

 

10:  Steve Hutchinson:  An interior offensive lineman gets a $49 million contract?  What's next?  $45 million for a kicker?

 

Now for the losers:

 

1.  Indianapolis Colts:  Edgerrin James, Larry Tripplett, and David Thornton are gone for good.  Do you think Bill Polian might be having second thoughts about his decision to tie up so much money in his second and third receivers?

 

2.  The Postons:  They overpriced their clients who were hitting the market, and as a result none of them got a sniff when the money was flowing like liquid from an elephant with IBS.  To add insult to ignorance, Carl is now facing a two-year unpaid vacation.

 

3.  Washington Redskins:  We suggest that Dan Snyder satisfy his insatiable hunger for collecting NFL players at an unjustifiable premium by searching for McFarlane figures on eBay.

 

4.  Jamal Lewis:  The guy who pouted for a couple of years regarding the lack of a long-term, blockbuster deal stays in Baltimore for what amounts to a one-year, $6 million contract.

 

5.  Oakland Raiders:  To address the various holes in its roster, the Raiders have done . . . absolutely freakin' nothing.

 

6.  Kris Jenkins:  With Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu added to the rotation at defensive tackle, Jenkins' days as a Panther could be numbered.

 

7.  Green Bay Packers:  All that cap space, and no significant additions.  To make matters worse, Lord Favre is now trying to play G.M.

 

8.  Eric Moulds:  By sitting on his rights when everyone knows they'll eventually cut him, the Bills blocked Moulds' shot at getting one last solid payday.

 

9.  New York Giants:  First they let Kendrick Clancy slip away.  Then they sign every washed up defensive back that's on the market.

 

10.  Jon Runyan:  The guy decides to take a vacation to the Caymans at a time when NFL teams are working overtime to give money away.  Who's he getting advice from, Ross Verba?

 

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

 

The Vikings apparently aren't going to try to restructure the contract of C Matt Birk, who is scheduled to make $3.9 million in 2006.

 

New Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper is changing his jersey from 11 to 8.

 

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf thinks that Culpepper wanted out of Minnesota due in part to a "mid-football life crisis."

 

More details on the arrest of agent Dante DiTrapano.

 

A couple of news cycles have passed now since S Chris Hope signed with the Titans, and still no information regarding the value of his six-year deal.

 

To reduce Daunte Culpepper's 2006 cap number, which would have been $8 million, the Dolphins converted his $6 million roster bonus and $2 million salary into a $7 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary (gee, why didn't Daunte ask for a $10 million raise, like he'd reportedly done in Minnesota?).

 

To the trained eye, it's obvious that the source for the latest story on Lions QB Joey Harrington in The Detroit Free Press is Harrington's agent.

 

Reading between the lines, we think that new Chargers starter Philip Rivers is scared to death that his surname eventually will be synonymous with the word "Leaf."

 

WR Keyshawn Johnson reportedly is interested in the Seahawks.

 

The Seahawks are sniffing around guys like John Abraham, Julian Peterson, Lawyer Milloy, Jamie Winborn, and Nate Burleson.

 

Seattle TE Ryan Hannam will visit the Dolphins and the Cowboys.

 

The Bengals are visiting with WR Antonio Chatman on Friday.

 

The contract signed by DT Ryan Pickett in Green Bay is believed to be worth roughly $3.75 million a year.

 

Packers FB William Henderson thinks he can make a "huge impact" on the Vikings offense (yeah, all it takes is a 35-year-old fullback to make the locals to forget about Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper).

 

Packers QB Craig Nall is visiting the Bills; he's more interested in joining the Vikings now that Daunte Culpepper is gone.

 

QB Josh McCown is visiting the Raiders.

 

G Toniu Fonoti failed a physical in Oakland a day after signing a contract, making him a free agent again.

 

Another gem from Jim Souhan of The Minneapolis Star Tribune, regarding the Culpepper saga:  "Isn't it strange that a quarterback derided for his decision-making abilities by a certain faction of Vikings fans just outsmarted the braintrust of an NFL franchise?"

 

Do you think Jerome Stanley bothered to tell John Tomase of The Boston Herald that Stanley probably shouldn't be answering questions about Keyshawn Johnson in the capacity of his "agent" because Stanley is currently serving a two-year NFLPA-imposed suspension?

 

OT Jason Fabini will be visiting the Pats.

 

TE Jerame Tuman signed a three-year, $4.25 million contract with the Steelers, which included a $900,000 signing bonus.

 

The Steelers are expected to sign DE Rodney Bailey this week, who will back up Brett Keisel.

 

Steelers RB Duce Staley can make back a lot of the money he gave up when he restructured his contract (but to do so he needs to be wearing something other than street clothes on game days).

 

The Steelers have no interest in Keyshawn Johnson or Terrell Owens.

 

The agent for RB Verron Haynes disputes a report that the Patriots are interested in his client (dude, we're not saying you should lie about who's interested in your guy, but you're not required to clarify a mistake that might help create a market for him).

 

The Redskins have signed DT Cedric Killings.

 

Maryland TE Vernon Davis reinforced his standing as a top ten pick at a Wednesday pro day workout.

 

The Packers have re-signed WR Rod Gardner.

 

Titans LB Rocky Boiman has been contacted by the Packers.

 

QB Brian Griese is still looking for a place to land.

 

The Eagles have signed WR Darnerian McCants to a one-year deal.

 

A day after dumping WR Terrell Owens, a Drew Rosenhaus client, the Eagles signed WR Jabar Gaffney, a Drew Rosenhaus client.

 

The Pats could be interested in OT Jon Runyan.

 

The Seahawks aren't likely to pursue tampering charges against the Packers regarding the acquisition of S Marquand Manuel.

 

We weren't able to read the thing word for word (because we didn't have a spare 75 minutes to burn), but we have a funny feeling that the lengthy-ass article written by Ron Borges of The Boston Globe regarding the efforts of agent Brad Blank to get WR David Givens a new contract fails to mention that Blank is Borges's agent, too.

 

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