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POSTED 9:28 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:13 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2007

SHIELDS RETIRED OVER MONEY?

A league source tells us that Will Shields has announced his retirement for one primary reason -- money.

As in Shields wanted more of it, and the team wasn't inclined to give it to him.

Per the source, Shields recently said that he is willing to play at least two more seasons.

It remains to be seen whether Shields' retirement results in more money, or whether the Chiefs will let him walk.

COWBOYS' DRAFT NEEDS ARE UP

It's 22 down, and 10 to go with the 2007 team-by-team draft needs.

Freshly posted are the Cowboys, and the full complement can be seen right here.

POSTED 9:00 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2007

CHIEFS LINE TAKES ANOTHER HIT

The Kansas City Chiefs will enter the 2007 season with another piece of a once-dominant offensive line now completely gone.

Last year, left tackle Willie Roaf retired on the eve of training camp. This time around, Pro Bowl right guard Will Shields has opted to call it quits.

Shields made the announcement on his web site, willtosucceed.com. We learned of the announcement via a head's up from our friend Tom Curran of NBCSports.com.

Said Shields: "The decision to hang up my cleats has not been an easy one to make for me but one I knew I would eventually have to make. Today, I am letting everyone know that I am putting away my pads."

Shields spent his entire career with the Chiefs. He was drafted in 1993 and started 15 of 16 games. From 1994 on, he started in every single game that the Chiefs played.

The 36-year-old walks away from a contract that would have paid him (per NFLPA records) a considerably-below-market $1.2 million salary in 2007, $1.59 million salary in 2008, and $1.98 million salary in 2009. The Chiefs will be entitled to seek reimbursement for 75 percent of the signing bonus that Shields received as part of the contract he signed prior to the 2006 season.

POSTED 12:44 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2007

GRIFFIN GETS BUSTED

A couple of readers tell us that KFAN radio in Minnesota is reporting that Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

The incident supposedly occurred outside the Spin Nightclub in Downtown Minneapolis.

Though we have not yet been able to confirm the report via listening to the KFAN live stream, we found via the Hennepin County Sheriff's jail roster that a Cedric Leonard Griffin, born on November 11, 1982, was arrested for disorderly conduct on April 15. He was booked on one misdemeanor count and posted bail in the amount of $50. He has an April 20 court appearance.

Griffin is the first player to be arrested since the league unveiled a new Personal Conduct Policy on April 10.

More importantly, the incident will prevent the "days without an arrest" counter from hitting double digits. Since launching the ticker last month, it has yet to hit 10. Also, the Vikings get three points on Turd Watch.

And the incident has spawned a new PFT nickname. From this point forward, Griffin will be known as "Cedric the Misdemeanor."

POSTED 12:25 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2007

CULPEPPER GETTING CUT?

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Dolphins soon will be making another run at acquiring quarterback Trent Green from the Chiefs.

And Marvez writes that, if/when a deal goes down, it likely means the end of the failed one-year experiment with Daunte Culpepper.

Culpepper was acquired from the Vikings for a second-round draft choice in 2006, less than five months removed from suffering the torn knee ligament trifecta. He was rushed into the starting lineup prematurely -- perhaps because coach Nick Saban knew he was going to call it quits after the 2006 season -- and later benched when it was clear that Culpepper wasn't the same guy that he had been in Minnesota.

So his rehab, which never should have ended, continued.

Green is under contract with the Chiefs, at a salary of $7.2 million. The Chiefs want a second-round draft pick for his rights, but if push comes to shove they will cut him before owing him that much money. Green already worked out a financial package with the Fins during earlier trade talks.

If the Chiefs wants to get a draft pick that they can use in 2007, they need to get a deal done before the draft. Per Marvez, the deal will entail a second-day draft pick.

POSTED 9:59 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:21 a.m. EDT, April 15, 2007

PACMAN'S "HADN'T BEEN CHARGED WITH NOTHING" EXCUSE GAINING TRACTION

Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones explained on Friday night that he believes that his one-year suspension from Commissioner Roger Goodell is excessive because Jones is, as he said, "a guy that hadn't been charged with nothing."

As one member of PFT Planet pointed out, the butchered grammar is, technically, accurate. Jones has been charged with something. With multiple crimes. But he has never been convicted of anything. There's a big difference.

Still, the "hadn't been charged with nothing" routine is catching on. On Saturday, a CNN sock puppet parroted Pacman's version without correcting it. Moments ago, Falcons running back Warrick Dunn mentioned the same concept on ESPN's Outside the Lines, and host Bob Ley didn't remind Dunn that Jones' basic contention is simply not accurate.

As a result, this notion that Jones "hadn't been charged with nothing" could be creeping into the collective subconscious, making an inherently unlikable figure seem sympathetic. Instead of just pathetic.

SUNDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

More from former Texans QB David Carr on his departure from Houston: "That whole last season, it was a tough place not only for me but for my teammates and the coaches. I think it was time for us to change, time for me to move on." (Or move out.)

David Climer of the Tennessean thinks (as do we) that Pacman Jones should not have been hanging out at a casino three days after getting a one-year suspension.

Especially since, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean explains, the Commish advised Jones to stop hanging out in clubs and to be in each night by 1:00 a.m.

The pissmen goeth.

The Texans have plenty of options with the No. 10 overall pick -- but none are named Vince Young or Reggie Bush.

Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey calls Calvin Johnson a once-in-a-lifetime guy.

Falcons LB Keith Brooking is moving to the middle.

Change is coming for the Cardinals. (And since they can't get much worse, that can only be good news.)

Some folks in the Eagles' draft room wanted Akili Smith instead of Donovan McNabb in 1999.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden calls South Bend "God's country," which is one of Gruden's only phrases that doesn't include any expletives.

Ohio State QB Troy Smith is getting upset.

Denzel's son is getting plenty of attention in Europe.

The NFL Europa season is underway. (Wake us up when it's over.)

Drew Sharp sees the Lions going 3-13. (He's way out on a limb with that one.)

Raiders QB Andrew Walter is ready to compete -- even if he's competing with the No. 1 overall pick.

POSTED 5:56 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:39 p.m. EDT, April 14, 2007

COVER-UPS CAN'T CONTINUE

The NFL's new Personal Conduct Policy potentially holds teams responsible for having players who repeatedly get in trouble. This reality places an even greater emphasis on the decisions made when new players are selected.

Most significantly, teams now must exercise extra discretion in the use of draft picks.

For many incoming NFL players, their history of actual and/or alleged misconduct is either known or, with the application of reasonable diligence, knowable. But there are still too many college and high school programs that try (often successfully) to cover up these potential embarrassments.

In order for the NFL's new approach to be successful, the cover-ups must stop.

But how can the NFL make this happen? One way would be for the league to discreetly lobby the NCAA to impose potentially stiff penalties on programs that brush incidents under the rug. Though one of the few collections of butts for which the powers-that-be on Park Avenue will pucker reside on the backsides of college coaches, the NCAA should show some appreciation for the fact that the NFL successfully enforced a rule that forces players to wait three years after graduating high school to enter the league. One way to do so would be to require college teams to own up to the transgressions of their players. (And if there's already such a rule on the books, our guess is that it isn't enforced; over the years, we've heard rumors of all sorts of college cover-ups, ranging from aiding and abetting drug use to taking a "boys will be boys" approach to matters such as the brandishing of a gun in the locker room.)

The media has a role in this as well. The problem, however, is that in many markets the local college football team is in a position of dominance -- and "real" journalism that in any way makes the program look bad is grounds for a Schrute-style Amish shunning.

The NFL also should be prepared to take action against any of its own teams who try to conceal evidence of incidents involving players. Now that franchises can be flogged for having too many turds, there's a strong incentive to, for example, persuade a police officer (via, say, a couple of prime tickets to Sunday's game) to exercise a little discretion. More generally, generous donations can be made by the team and/or key members of the front office to the local F.O.P. or other fund-raising arm of the force.

Surely, some cops have looked the other way in the past regarding issues of player misconduct. Moving forward, NFL teams have all the more reason to use any legitimate (or otherwise) means necessary to secure lenience before an arrest is finalized or formal charges are filed. We hope that the NFL has taken this reality into account -- and that the new Personal Conduct Policy isn't intended to send a subtle message to NFL and college teams that one way to reduce the perceived problem of criminal conduct is to find a way to get guys out of trouble before the trouble ends up being reported somewhere.

ESPN.COM EDITOR HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR?

Anyone who has been frequenting this site over the past several months knows that our friends at WFNZ radio in Charlotte sent us a clip of a truncated appearance from ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli, in which Len goes ballistic because one of the hosts refers to former NFL receiver Todd Pinkston as "Todd Stinkston."

The less-than-a-minute melee ends with a pissed-off Pasquarelli proclaiming, twice, "Move on or move out."

Since then, whenever the phrase "move on" appears in this page, we follow it up with "or move out" -- and we add a link to Len's rant.

So when we saw on ESPN.com's NFL page the following graphic, we suspected that it was a backhanded slap at Len from an editor whom he might have bullied or berated in the past.

If this was intentional, we say "bravo" to the guy or gal who pulled it off.

Anyway, it's time to move on. (Or listen to the clip again.)

POSTED 10:34 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:03 p.m. EDT, April 14, 2007

JONES IS TAKING HIS PUNISHMENT LIKE A (PAC)MAN

After his April 3 hearing before Commissioner Roger Goodell, Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones said that he was prepared to accept whatever sanction was imposed on him.

"I know there is going to be a punishment and whatever the punishment is I am going to be a man and I am going to take responsibilities and own up to whatever the punishment is," Jones told NFL Network.

But now that he has been booted out of the league for the entire 2007 season (with a snowball's chance on the surface of the sun of getting back after 10 games), Jones isn't taking his medicine like a man.

He's taking it like a Pacman.

"I think it was a little bit harsh," Jones said on Friday night, according to the Associated Press. "I expected the suspension, but for a whole year for a guy that hadn't been charged with nothing? I really didn't agree with it. But for the most part, I'm taking it like a man.

"Clearly -- you know, for a guy that hadn't been charged -- I'm clearly made to be the poster boy," Jones added.

Um, first of all, someone needs to explain to Jones the difference between being charged and being convicted. He hasn't been convicted, but he has been charged plenty. For example, he is facing felony charges arising from allegations that he went Pacman on a policeman, biting the officer's hand. The fact that Jones never disclosed the arrest to the Titans was a big factor, we believe, in the ultimate suspension.

Second, someone needs to explain to Jones that his chances of winning on appeal are slim and none. The appeal, as we've previously explained, goes to the Commissioner and not to an outside arbitrator. Roger Goodell is surely not going to change his mind. So why not say, "In order to show that I accept responsibility for my actions, I will not appeal the Commissioner's decision"?

Jones' latest statements make us even more convinced that he won't be able to stay out of trouble. The fact that he made his remarks while attending ESPN's Friday Night Fights in Tunica, Mississippi only three days after the suspension was imposed reinforces our belief that this man -- this Pacman -- doesn't get it.

And he never will.

BUCS ALREADY VIOLATING OFFSEASON RULES?

The CBA between the NFL and the NFLPA make it clear that there should be no contact during offseason workouts.

Every year, however, there is evidence that the rule is being broken. Actually, it's not being broken; it's simply being ignored.

The first piece of proof in this regard comes from the mouth of Bucs quarterback Chris Simms, who is back on the field for the first time since his spleen was removed following a September loss to the Panthers.

Simms acknowledged that he took some hits during the team's three-day voluntary minicamp. "I'm not supposed to get hit, but I guess they wanted to test the spleen, or wanted to test the space where it used to be," Simms said. "So far, it's holding up good."

Hey, we love the kid's attitude. But the reality is that the space where Simms' spleen used to be shouldn't be tested until training camp.

It might be a good idea for the union to finally stand up on this point. Maybe they can use it as leverage to get, say, an independent appeal of suspensions under the Personal Conduct Policy.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The extra money paid to RB Brian Westbrook came in the form of a $3 million roster bonus that was paid twice. (In unrelated news, LB LaVar Arrington wants to sign with the Eagles.)

The Giants have signed QB Anthony Wright, along with DT Marcus Bell and DB Michael Stone.

Fins coach Cam Cameron says that the future of QB Daunte Culpepper is a "work in progress."

Fins DT Manny Wright is glad that the Nicktator is gone.

As part of his Friday workout with the Bucs, WR Calvin Johnson stood behind coach Jon Gruden and caught passes all around him.

Edgerrin James at a voluntary offseason minicamp? What time is the massive asteroid due to strike the earth?

The Cardinals signed CB Ralph Brown, DE Joe Tafoya, and DE Rodney Bailey.

The Cards also added DT Ross Kolodziej.

POSTED 9:56 a.m. EDT, April 14, 2007

BUSH FAMILY PAID MORE THAN $200,000

Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports report that Michael Michaels of New Era Sports & Entertainment received between $200,000 and $300,000 from Reggie Bush and/or his family to settle claims arising from allegations of free rent and other alleged benefits given to Bush and/or his family in anticipation of representing him once he got to the NFL.

The report contradicts an AP story indicating that Michaels was simply walking away, and implying (in our view) that Michaels' claims had no merit. ESPN.com, which posted the AP story while at the same time ignoring a San Diego Union-Tribune item that made clear the fact that money changed hands to settle allegations that money had changed hands, has pulled a Tribune-Review, modifying the AP report to reflect the new info reported by Yahoo! Sports.

Robinson and Cole also report that the deal contains a confidentiality clause, which is a very common term in the settlement of civil claims. If, however, New Era partner Lloyd Lake follows through on lingering threats to sue, Michaels could be compelled to testify.

Rachel Newman Baker, the NCAA Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities told Yahoo!: "The NCAA is aware that Mr. Michaels has agreed to a settlement with the Bush family. We continue our efforts to obtain cooperation from those involved with the case, including Reggie Bush and his family. Hopefully, the settlement agreement will encourage individuals who previously refused to cooperate due to concerns about potential litigation to now come forward with information that may assist with our on-going investigation."

Bush recently told the Los Angeles Times: "They [the NCAA] haven't tried to contact me. If they did I wouldn't answer the phone."

As we noted on Thursday night, the fact that the NCAA has no subpoena power makes it easy for players who are no longer at NCAA institutions to thumb their noses at requests for information. We think that, in such cases, the NCAA should automatically impose sanctions on the institution that the player attended.

Such a penalty is even more appropriate in a case like this, where a payment in excess of $200,000 means that this was anything other than a nuisance-value settlement aimed at making a weak case go away at minimal expenditure. If, as Bush insisted last year after the news of the allegations that he and/or his family received benefits in violation of NCAA rules, the family did nothing wrong, common sense suggests that they wouldn't have paid that much money to one of the guys whose claims kept Reggie from being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.

POSTED 9:42 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:18 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

CARR TAKES SHOT AT TEXANS

Former Texans quarterback David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft and the first draft pick in franchise history, is happy to be with the Panthers, even as a backup.

And Carr is making it known that he's glad he's out of Houston.

"I've been on an expansion team and it's not fun,'' Carr said. "I've been on teams that aren't winning and it wasn't exciting. Football is a hard enough game when you go out there and you're battling everything and you go out and lose it makes it hard. I wanted to be on a team that was fun and exciting and whether I had a chance to play right away, it didn't matter to me.''

Carr also took a backhanded swipe at the Swiss cheese offensive lines that protected him in Houston: "If I learned anything in the last five years, that's where football games are won and lost," he said.

"I need to take a deep breath and be around a good environment and just start enjoying the game again,'' Carr said. "In the last week or two, it's brought back a lot of excitement that I had when I was younger."

Apparently, the fact that Carr was the starting quarterback for each of the Texans' first five seasons played no part in the team's sruggles.

BRONCOS' DRAFT NEEDS ARE UP

The Broncos' draft needs are up.

We're serious.

Really. We are.

POSTED 9:05 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

STEINBERG BUSTED FOR DUI

Agent Leigh Steinberg was arrested on Friday morning for DUI after driving his Mercedes SUV into three parked cars.

Steinberg provided a blood sample that showed his alcohol concentration to be above the legal limit.

He previously was arrested for DUI in 1997.

The lead character in the film Jerry Maguire was based on Steinberg. And that fact prompted the following observation from a member of PFT Planet regarding the apprehension of Steinberg: "They had him at 'hello.'"

POSTED 7:33 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

WESTBROOK OWES EAGLES $3 MILLION

It's time to add another page or two to the "there's a first time for everything" file. According to ComcastSportsNet.com, the Eagles inadvertently paid running back Brian Westbrook an extra $3 million in 2006, and that Westbrook has yet to pay it back.

Westbrook reportedly intends to refund the money. Because he has yet to cut the check, the Eagles have filed a grievance in order to ensure that the money will be paid.

But why in the world didn't Westbrook say something about the overpayment sooner? At a minimum, his agent should have noticed it. Did Westbrook simply regard the payment as free money? Like a $20 bill that he found in the parking lot at the Olive Garden?

We've got a weird feeling that there's more to this story. The Eagles, with one of the best and the brightest front offices in the league, don't make mistakes like this.

POSTED 3:02 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

BRONCOS TO RELEASE WILSON

A league source tells us that the Denver Broncos will be releasing linebacker Al Wilson.

That's the gist of the press conference that Wilson has called for 4:00 p.m. EDT Friday; Wilson will announce the news, and will express his appreciation to the Denver fans.

We're told that Wilson will not be retiring. Instead, the plan is to get healthy, and to continue to play football.

Wilson, 29, has spent his entire eight-year career with the Broncos.

POSTED 1:44 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 2:04 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

BUCS DOING THEIR HOMEWORK

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a delegation to Atlanta for a Friday morning workout with receiver Calvin Johnson. Specifically, coach Jon Gruden, G.M. Bruce Allen, quarterback Chris Simms, and receivers Michael Clayton and David Boston made the trip.

Noticeably absent was presumed starter Jeff Garcia.

From there, the caravan will head to South Bend for a Saturday workout of quarterback Brady Quinn, and then to Baton Rouge for a look-see at JaMarcus Russell.

Receiver Maurice Stovall, who played with Quinn at Notre Dame, will participate in the quarterback workouts. Simms won't.

Our take? The Bucs are preparing for the possibility that one of these three players will be available when Tampa picks at No. 4. It could be, however, that their real target is left tackle Joe Thomas, and that the powers-that-be are hoping that both quarterbacks will be gone in the first three picks, given that the Bucs already have 17 signal-callers under contract.

TITANS STILL WANT TURNER

Jim Wyatt of the Nashville Tennessean reports that the Titans are still talking to the Chargers about running back Michael Turner, a restricted free agent.

"Nothing is imminent at this point and time, but nothing is dead either," G.M. Mike Reinfeldt said. "The fact that we both agreed to stay in touch leans toward optimism.''

The Chargers have tendered Turner at the highest possible level, requiring a first-round pick and a third-round pick as compensation. But it's possible that the Chargers will accept a lesser amount via trade, as the Falcons did last month for the rights to quarterback Matt Schaub.

Turner also has visited the Bills, and there have been rumors of a potential trade to the Packers.

WILSON HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY

The agents for Broncos linebacker Al Wilson have announced that the Pro Bowler will conduct a press conference on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EDT, at which time he will discuss his future.

It could be that Wilson has opted to retire. He suffered a neck injury late in the 2006 season, but was cleared to play. A pre-trade physical conducted by the Giants reportedly raised red flags regarding the neck injury.

In theory, Wilson could have surgery to repair any lingering neck problem and then attempt to continue his career.

The Broncos had been trying to trade him, in order to get out from under his 2007 salary of $5.2 million.

POSTED 8:09 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:12 a.m. EDT, April 13, 2007

BURGESS WANTS MORE BUCKS

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the absence of Raiders defensive end Derrick Burgess from the first minicamp of the 2007 offseason is directly connected to his displeasure with his contract.

And that's directly connected to the huge paydays that have been given in the past six weeks to lesser players.

Burgess has more sacks than any other NFL player over the past two seasons. But under the contract he signed two years ago as an unrestricted free agent, Burgess is due to earn $1.5 million in salary in 2007, $2 million in 2008, and $2 million in 2009.

On one hand, it would be easy to say that Burgess should honor the contract that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, presented to him. On the other hand, the unprecedented increases in the salary cap triggered by subsequent CBA adjustments have resulted in other players with objectively lesser credentials getting paid much more money.

Schefter, for example, points to defensive end Patrick Kerney, who received $19 million in guaranteed money last month from the Seahawks.

Then again, defensive end Grant Wistrom got $14 million in guaranteed money from the Seahawks a year before Burgess got his $15 million over five.

The real problem here is that Burgess has outperformed his contract. He had 8.5 sacks in four seasons with the Eagles, and based on those numbers both Sexton and the Raiders surely concluded that $15 million over five was a fair approximation of his value moving forward. But Burgess has exploded in the two seasons since, with 27 total sacks.

It would be easy to criticize Sexton for not inserting triggers into the deal aimed at pumping up the money based on performance. But the reality is that Sexton likely got the best deal he could given the four-year track record that Burgess had established in Philly.

And Sexton and Burgess could have insisted on a shorter-term deal, but the player usually wants to maximize the available signing bonus, and that usually requires the team to tack more years onto the deal so that the cap hit can be properly spread out over multiple seasons.

So while the Raiders are fully within their rights to say "a contract is a contract," it makes far more sense to recognize great performance and encourage more of it by giving him a more fair piece of the pie.

Where would the money come from? Well, there's another guy they picked up two years ago who has been a complete bust to date, and who is due to make $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. Once he is traded or released, much of that money can and should be given to Burgess.

SPRINT GOING TO THE WiMAX

Our official telecommunications sponsor, Sprint together with Nextel, provides more than mobile phone products and service (which we encourage all PFT readers to purchase).

Sprint also is a leader in wireless Internet access, and Sprint is at the forefront of a move to upgrade Wi-Fi to a much more powerful product.

Specifically Sprint is in the process of building a $3 billion (with a "b") network that will dramatically increase the reach of its wireless Internet services. The WiMAX system will stretch the current Wi-Fi coverage from several hundred feet to several miles.

Chicago, Washington, and Baltimore will have the new service by the end of the year, and more cities will be added in 2008.

"We are not building another cellular voice network," says Sprint Chief Technology Officer Barry West. "Our killer application for this new network is mobile access to the Internet."

The service will instantly become an effective replacement for in-home wired Internet service, since customers will be able to pick up juice -- and not lose the link to it -- as they carry their laptops to school or to work or to the airport.

Or to the local Denny's. As long as Ricky Manning Jr. isn't in there.

PACMAN HEADING BACK TO MORGANTOWN?

We've been among the most vocal critics of Adam "Pacman" Jones since he embarked on a string of alleged criminal incidents after being selected by the Titans as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 draft. Jones played college football at West Virginia University, which is right up the road from PFT headquarters. So, to the extent that Jones was engaged in actual, alleged, and/or perceived bad behavior, he was tarnishing the image of WVU, and of the many West Virginians who take pride in the positive accomplishments of the institution.

At one point, Jones tried to contact yours truly to discuss the situation, but after the trading of a few messages the efforts fizzled out.

Now, Jones is contemplating a return to Morgantown during his one-year suspension from the NFL. (In an unrelated development, we are contemplating a move to Atlanta.)

Per the Nashville Tennessean, Jones would attend classes and work out in Morgantown during his temporary (for now) banishment from the NFL.

"He said he's trying to iron a few things out,'' WVU strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis told the Tennessean. "I think he is trying to do the right thing. I think he is trying to get himself in an environment that is going to help him.

"I think Pac wants to be in a situation where he's working. I don't think — contrary to what some people have stated — that he is a kid who wants to be in a situation that is negative and wants to cause problems," Barwis said.

Our first reaction was to question the sanity of Barwis and Mountaineers football coach Rich Rodriguez. But then we thought about it some more, and we concluded that this might actually be a good idea. Barwis and Rod are partially responsible for the current mess; Barwis was blindly touting Jones (we've been told) in the run-up to the 2005 draft, and Rodriguez brought Jones to Morgantown in the first place. To the extent that Jones is looking for a shot at redemption, Barwis and Rodriguez are the best people to preside over the process, if they are willing to boot his butt out the door at the first sign of evidence that he hasn't changed.

We realize that Jones is the product of a difficult upbringing, and that he has not had the same influences and guidance that most of us take for granted. We think that his decision to seek further education in a familiar place is better and wiser than, say, heading to Canada for a season.

It's evidence of a genuine desire to change his life and we wish him the best, if this is his true intention. But we'll also be ready to call upon the powers-that-be in Morgantown to eject him permanently from the city limits if he does any of the stuff that has resulted in his current predicament.

POSTED 11:14 p.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

BUSH FAMILY SETTLES WITH NEW ERA OWNER

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the family of former USC running back Reggie Bush has reached a settlement with one of the principals of New Era Sports & Entertainment for unpaid rent and other losses resulting from an alleged commitment by Bush to hire New Era to represent him once he entered the NFL.

The settlement was struck between the Bush family and Michael Michaels, one of the New Era owners. Another owner, Lloyd Lake, has not settled his own claims.

Lake's lawyer, Brian Watkins, says that suit will be filed soon. Watkins has been saying this for nearly a year.

On the surface, the mere settlement of the claims made by Michael Michaels implies that Bush and/or his family received improper benefits while Reggie was still eligible to play college football. Why else would they have settled? But the problem is that the NCAA can't force anyone to cooperate with its efforts to investigate the situation. So if all of the claims are resolved before any factual record is developed and all parties thereafter refuse to talk to the NCAA, the NCAA won't be able to take any action even if the rules were clearly violated.

The problem is that the Bush brouhaha involves no person or entity who is subject to NCAA discipline for failure to cooperate with the investigation. At a minimum, then, the NCAA should revise its rules to allow penalties to be imposed on the institution that the player who is the subject of the investigation attended if that player refuses to talk to the NCAA after his or her career at the school has ended.

Otherwise, the player has no incentive to cooperate -- and the institution has no incentive to attempt to persuade the player to do so.

POSTED 10:08 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:00 p.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

LIONS WOULD DRAFT-AND-TRADE JOHNSON

As Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports, the Raiders are wrestling with the question of whether to take quarterback JaMarcus Russell or receiver Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Owner Al Davis reportedly wants Russell, but offensive coordinator Greg Knapp -- who knows all too well the struggles relating to the development of a high-profile quarterback -- wants Johnson.

We're now told that, if the Raiders don't pick Johnson, the Lions plan to snare the Georgia Tech wideout with an eye toward promptly trading him.

It's a potential move that conjures memories of the deal that sent Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick in 2004, from the Chargers to the Giants for Philip Rivers, the No. 4 pick, and other picks that yielded linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.

Possible trade partners include the Buccaneers, the Redskins, the Vikings, and the Falcons. It's unlikely, however, that the Lions would swap Johnson to another NFC North team.

As to the Falcons, there is increased talk that the Atlanta football franchise would like to keep Johnson close to home.

FORNEY COMPLAINS ABOUT FORMER COACH

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons guard Kynan Forney is sounding off about former offensive line coach Alex Gibbs' tactics.

But Forney isn't complaining about the injury-inducing tendencies of the cut-blocking system that Gibbs used. Forney is upset because Gibbs wanted the linemen to weigh less than 300 pounds.

"Everybody's glad that you don't have to sit around and be starving yourself all week to make some weigh-in on Friday morning because somebody likes the way it looks on paper," said Forney. "They would tell you that you have to weigh 295 so you'd be sitting up Wednesday and Thursday night starving sometimes.

"Sometimes you've got 330-pound, 340-pound [defensive linemen] across from you and as the season goes on, that can weigh on you. You had different guys starving themselves. That's crazy to me. We're not naturally sleek and lean. We were made to be sleeker and leaner."

At a time when we constantly hear about the health problems that can arises from linemen who are too fat for their own long-term good, Forney's complaints ring a little hollow to us. For anyone who is less than seven feet tall, we don't think it's unreasonable to weigh less than 300 pounds.

More importantly, Forney signed a five-year extension with the Falcons on August 26, 2004 -- not long before the commencement of the first regular season with Gibbs on the staff. So when Forney added his name to the last line of the deal, he did so knowing full well that the new bosses wanted him to get and stay under 300 pounds.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Saints have signed WR David Patten.

Steelers WR Lynn Swann lost his bid to become the Governor of Pennsylvania; he might now try to aim a little lower.

The Broncos have re-signed WR David Terrell.

Broncos CB Domonique Foxworth supports the penalties imposed on Pacman and Pukeman.

Vikings S Darren Sharper is getting a head start on his next career.

WR Charles Rogers (who reportedly ran a 4.9 for a team last year) met with the Giants on Thursday.

RB John David Washington, son of Denzel, is playing in NFL Europa.

The Texans have signed WR Andre' Davis.

The Super Bowl could play host to plenty of presidential ads.

POSTED 8:25 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:00 p.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

FAVRE CERTAIN THAT MOSS WILL BE A PACKER

It's been a while since the rampant rumors linking Raiders receiver Randy Moss to the Green Bay Packers died down. But that doesn't mean that the issue is dead.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that Packers quarterback Brett Favre is "100 percent certain" that Moss will be a Packer by the time the 2007 season starts.

The only problem is that the Raiders and the Packers haven't been able to strike a deal for compensation. Our guess is that the logjam will break once the draft approaches; otherwise, any picks necessarily would be deferred into 2008. Plus, if the Raiders choose to take receiver Calvin Johnson with the first pick on April 28, their leverage in subsequent trade talks will surely drop, since the chances of the Raiders letting Johnson get anywhere close to the malcontented Moss are slim and none.

BROWNS BENT ON BRADY

There's increasing evidence, we're told, that the Cleveland Browns are locking in on Notre Dame quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Quinn most likely will be available when the Browns use the third pick on April 28; however, the Lions have been doing their damnedest to try to get the powers-that-be in Cleveland to believe that Quinn will be taken with the No. 2 pick.

The strategy is to get the Browns to flip-flop picks with the Lions. It worked three years ago, when the Lions got the Browns to move from No. 7 to No. 6 in order to get tight end Kellen Winslow.

The Browns' decision likely is coming down to Quinn and running back Adrian Peterson, both of whom are represented by CAA. Taking Quinn could give both G.M. Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel more time to turn things around, since it usually takes more time for a rookie quarterback to have an impact on a team than a running back.

GIANTS DRAFT NEEDS ARE UP

We missed a couple of days with our draft needs, um, thing.

We're back, with No. 20. The Giants.

Enjoy.

ALL THE BUCS NEWS YOU CAN HANDLE

Our friends at PewterReport.com, who routinely break more Bucs news than any of the newspapers who follow the team, have compiled an impressively thorough update on the team's current offseason workouts.

The entire report is right here. Here are the highlights:

1. Quarterback Chris Simms got the bulk of the reps, while quarterback Jeff Garcia spent time learning the Jon Gruden version of the West Coast offense.

2. The Bucs are now using the shotgun.

3. Bruce Gradkowski has give up No. 7 to Garcia, apparently for a fee. "Bruce and I are working something out," said Garcia. "He's not giving it up for free, that's for sure. But I wouldn’t expect him to do that."

4. Second-year receiver Maurice Stovall could be the No. 2 "X" receiver, behind Joey Galloway.

5. Gruden said the "F" word 289 times on Thursday. (Okay, we're making that one up but we'd be willing to bet that our number is within 50 of reality.)

POSTED 4:50 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:14 p.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

RAMS TO SIGN FINS PUNTER TO OFFER SHEET

A league source tells us that the St. Louis Rams are poised to sign Miami punter Donnie Jones, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet.

The contract is worth $5.585 million over five years. It includes a signing bonus of $1.175 million and salaries of $510,000 in 2007, $700,000 in 2008, $1 million in 2009, $1.1 million in 2010, and $1.1 million in 2011.

The Dolphins will have seven days to match the offer, from the date of the signing of the sheet. (Contrary to reports elsewhere, the offer sheet has not yet been signed.) If the Fins choose not to match, they will receive the Rams' seventh-round draft pick as compensation.

The Rams are coached by former Fins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. That connection has resulted in the recent addition of tight end Randy McMichael and running back Travis Minor, both of whom played for Linehan in 2005, his only season as offensive coordinator in Miami.

The deal does not include a so-called poison pill aimed at making the Fins pay a bunch of guaranteed money if they match. If the Dolphins opt to match the offer, the Rams will have provided free contract negotiation services to the Miami franchise.

FAREWELL TO THE I-MAN

The Associated Press reports that CBS Radio has fired Don Imus. On Wednesday, MSNBC dropped the simulcast of the Imus show.

It's a stunning development. On one hand, the comments made last Wednesday by Imus took on a life of their own, becoming a flash point for discourse regarding the state of race relations in America. On the other hand, similar comments from Imus have been tolerated over the years, and the chickens finally came home to roost. Still, just as ESPN shouldn't have been surprised that Rush Limbaugh acted like, well, Rush Limbaugh when he was hired to appear on the network's NFL pregame show, it's hard for CBS or NBC to say that they didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

Another problem here is that Imus kept talking about the issue, bouncing back and forth between contrition and defiance. His best bet would have been to move on. (Or move out.)

Moreover, we think that the rush to dump Imus was fueled by the influence of media figures and politicians on whose heads the I-man urinated over the years. Shtick or not, he was a miserable person, and folks who inhabit the public eye have long memories.

Meanwhile, his only support came predictably from portions of the nucleus of "I-faves" -- regular guests who benefited greatly from the relationship with Imus and from the exposure his show gave the guests and the books, music, etc. that they were selling. Moving forward, who will pay any attention at all to Tom Oliphant or Levon Helm?

Meanwhile, we hope that the African-American community will use this incident as the impetus for cultivating new leaders who will step forward at times like these. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have way too much baggage of their own, and it's high time for them to step aside for folks who do not have a history of racially divisive words and deeds.

Anyway, this is our last and final word on the matter. Really, there's nothing else to say.

POSTED 12:08 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:27 p.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

WERE PACMAN AND PUKEMAN ALMOST BANNED FOR LIFE?

NFLPA president Troy Vincent tells the Buffalo News that Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and Bengals receiver Chris "Pukeman" Henry might have gotten off lucky with their suspensions in the amount of one season and eight games, respectively.

Per Vincent, there was talk of suspending them for life.

Though it's unclear whether the league ever intended to go so far -- or whether the union had a role in negotiating a lower penalty -- the reality is that the league could have kicked them both out, without recourse.

As we've previously explained, the appeal rights under the Personal Conduct Policy are limited to review by the Commissioner "or his designee." So unless the Commish simply changes his mind, the decision made the first time around likely won't be any different than the decision made the second time around. Though some might regard a reduction in penalty on appeal as an act of mercy, others would view it as evidence of wishy-washiness. Thus, we'd be shocked if the Commish were to ever shorten as part of the appellate process a suspension imposed under the Personal Conduct Policy.

The problem, to our increasing amazement, is that the NFLPA has done nothing to secure a genuine appellate review process as part of the negotiations culminating in the revised Personal Conduct Policy.

Said one league insider: "How do they approve a new policy that gives the Commissioner the ability to suspend the players and then he hears the appeals on the same issue? This is exactly what the NFLPA is supposed to protect the players from. The NFLPA accepted new rules outside of the CBA and not only did not receive any concessions but they do not have a true appeal process. The NFLPA's current appeal process was bad enough with everything going to [Roger] Kaplan, and you would have thought they learned something going in front of Congress to defend their kangaroo court."

The final sentence of that paragraph is a reference to the efforts last year of suspended agent Carl Poston to apply political pressure to the NFLPA in an effort to get the union to adopt new procedures for disciplining agents. Poston's connections resulted in a hearing before a House subcommittee.

"While Pacman and Henry aren't exactly the poster boys to address this issue," the source said, "you better believe at some point this will become an issue and the player will have no true recourse. [Roger] Goodell is judge, jury, and executioner and the NFLPA gave him that right. Now they will have to negotiate to change it and give a concession in return. Perhaps it is the NFLPA's leadership who should be suspended and appear before Kaplan. I doubt any of the suspended agents would have let something like this pass. To me, this is beyond incompetence."

We wish that the folks who talk to us would tell us what they really think. . . .

Meanwhile, Vincent's comments to the Buffalo News contain no indication as to whether the union will take advantage of the hollow appeal rights embedded in the Personal Conduct Policy. The NFLPA otherwise has been silent in this regard, even though 48 hours have now passed since the suspensions were announced.

Maybe the union realizes that pursuing an appeal would only result in more attention being given to the fact that the process to which the union agreed is the equivalent of a 15-year-old kid who has been grounded for taking the car for a 4:00 a.m. cruise asking his parents, "Are you sure?"

EYEBALL SUGGESTS "HO" IS A TERM OF ENDEARMENT

ESPN host Stuart Scott, appearing Thursday on ESPN Radio's Man-Girl & Meatball in the Morning, explained away the use of terms like "nappy" and "ho" in rap lyrics by suggesting that rappers mean such words "in an affectionate way."

Okay, Eyeball is just stupid. [Editor's note: We still will call him Eyeball despite our new commitment to decency because he deserves to be called Eyeball. Besides, we mean it in an affectionate way.]

As Michael David Smith of AOL's FanHouse (we often refer to it as a HoHouse, but in an affectionate way) points out, "It's always wrong for a man to call a woman a ho, and for Scott to suggest otherwise is insulting."

The other problem we have with all of this is that we think ESPN has no business debating the questionable statements made by sock puppets at other networks when ESPN management refuses to allow its on-air talent to talk about the questionable statements made by their own sock puppets. On Tuesday, John Seibel of ESPN Radio's The Sports Bash essentially admitted that folks in Bristol were not allowed to talk about Michael Irvin's inflammatory comments regarding Tony Romo's lineage for fear of possible discipline.

Instead, ESPN and its various media outlets ignored the issue in the hopes that it would die over the extended Thanksgiving weekend. When it didn't, Irvin publicly apologized with scant commentary from others at ESPN.

Then there was the Sean Salisbury "Jew or Chew" conundrum. And, of course, Sean's alleged cell phone photography habit. Not a word of either issue was ever addressed on ESPN, to our knowledge.

"I railed against that whole story off the air," Seibel said on April 10. "I didn't say a thing about that on the air. I was never a Michael Irvin fan, not even close. . . . We all have the people that we have to satisfy. We all have to make some kind of concessions to maintain our employment. That is sad. . . . Had I come out and spoke my mind on Michael Irvin, it would have been my last show."

We've complained about many things regarding ESPN over the years, but that quote from John Seibel is perhaps the most pathetic thing we've heard yet regarding the network's prevailing culture. To all of you who work there in non-management positions, please accept our sincerest condolences.

In contrast, NBC didn't sweep the Imus matter under the rug. Instead, NBC has embraced the topic -- in fact, some would argue that NBC is paying too much attention to it.

Regardless, ESPN has no business commenting on the alleged wrongdoing of folks who work for other networks if ESPN is going to continue to be the "Worldwide Leader" for all portions of the world except Bristol, Connecticut.

POSTED 8:20 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:44 a.m. EDT, April 12, 2007

TEAMS LINING UP FOR JENKINS

Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is on the trading block. And, per the Charlotte Observer, the Rams, Chiefs, and Broncos are interested.

Jenkins is currently in Maryland, working out at the school where he played football.

The 2006 Pro Bowler missed most of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, prompting the team to load up on free agents at his position last year. Jenkins surprisingly stayed healthy for the full season and made it back to the Pro Bowl, apparently prompting the Panthers to conclude that his value via trade would never be higher.

Jenkins is signed through 2009, at salaries of $3.2 million, $2.955 million, and $3.71 million.

'SKINS WISE TO BRING IN RUSSELL

Though guys like ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli have tried to make much ado about the decision of the Washington Redskins to host a pre-draft visit with quarterback JaMarcus Russell, we (and others) have pointed out that teams have the ability to bring in up to 30 incoming rookies prior to the draft.

For the Redskins, who typically add most of their new players via free agency, it doesn't hurt to bring these guys in and show them a good time at a first-rate facility. Events like that tend to stay with a young guy, especially if he ends up being drafted by a team that has a lesser building and/or a more careful approach to the spending of money.

So now Russell and the other guys who came to Redskins Park and are later drafted by someone else will become unwitting ambassadors for the organization. NFL players spend plenty of time with each other in the locker room and on the practice field; the 30 guys who came to town in 2007 could end up saying very positive things about the organization in front of teammates who are coming up for free agency in 2008.

In four years some of the players who came to town now will become free agents, too. And if, as we suspect, the 'Skins roll out the red carpet (and the pink shrimp) for the incoming draft picks, those guys will remember fondly their trip to D.C. when the time comes to pick a new team.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

DE Grant Wistrom is ready to move on. And move out. (Hey, we only said we're going to be more careful in light of the Imus brouhaha; we never said we were going to change.)

The Packers get back-to-back Thursday games for the first time ever. (The Cowboys have two straight Thursday games, too.)

Bucs LB Shelton Quarles is still dealing with a neck issue that could force him to retire.

Bucs OL Luke Petitgout says that the leg he broke last season is "back to 100 percent."

The Texans will get an up-close look at Vince Young, Reggie Bush, and David Carr in 2007.

'Skins coach Joe Gibbs never saw a schedule he liked.

Big Sexy offers some great insights on the Imus affair.

The Ravens play the Chargers, Pats, and Colts in successive weeks.

Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks that the Rams will go 9-7. (We agree, but only if their schedule says that they play every CFL team. Twice.)

Ohio State WR Ted Ginn Jr. ran a 4.4 but also couldn't finish his workout due to a lingering foot sprain.

The Steelers and Seahawks will get together again on October 7.

Is the table set for the Lions to win 10 games (in less than three seasons)?

Here are the full numbers on the new deal signed by LB Nick Barnett.

The Lions hosted WR Calvin Johnson on Wednesday.

POSTED 10:22 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:11 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

BLEDSOE CALLS IT QUITS

Quarterback Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement on Wednesday, in a press release issued by Athletes First.

"I feel so fortunate, so honored, to have played this game that I love for so long, with so many great players, and in front of so many wonderful fans," Bledsoe said. "I fulfilled a childhood dream the first time I stepped on an NFL field, and the league did not let me down one time. I retire with a smile on my face, in good health, and ready to spend autumns at my kids' games instead of my own. I'm excited to start the next chapter of my life."

Bledsoe was the first overall pick in the 1993 draft. He spent nine seasons with the Patriots, three with the Bills, and two with the Cowboys. His tenure in New England came to a premature end after an internal injury following a sideline hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis opened the door for Tom Brady.

Bledsoe last appeared for the Pats in the 2001 AFC title game, helping to lead the team to an upset win after Brady injured a knee. Bledsoe won his only Super Bowl from the bench, and was traded to the Bills in the offseason.

He finishes his career seventh in all-time passing yards (44,611), thirteenth in all-time touchdown passes (251), and fifth in all-time completions (3,839). He started in 193 games.

Bledsoe's career ended as a backup for the Cowboys, where he was benched by Bill Parcells, the same guy who made him the No. 1 pick fourteen years ago.

2007 SCHEDULE TEN-PACK IS UP

We've posted our ten takes on the 2007 NFL regular season.

We hope you like them.

Actually, we don't care if you like them. No, wait. That sounds rude and unkind. Since we're now committed to decency in all that we do, we can't say stuff like that.

So we hope that you like them. Even if in our heart of hearts we don't really care if you do.

POSTED 8:02 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

HENRY WILL BE PAID FOR THE BYE WEEK

Despite speculation that the placement of the Bengals' bye week within the first eight weeks of the NFL season will cost receiver Chris Henry, who has been suspended for eight games, a total of nine game checks, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells us that Henry will still lose only the equivalent of eight game checks for his suspension.

Per Aiello, "He'll miss 9 checks and when he comes back he'll get the bye-week netted back over the rest of the year."

So, at the end of the day, Henry will miss nine out of 17 weeks but he also will receive pay for nine of 17 weeks.

Henry is scheduled to earn $435,000 in 2007. He'll earn $230,294 over the last eight weeks of the season.

POSTED 7:45 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

HUMAN JOYSTICK ON THE BLOCK

A league source tells us that the Chiefs are shopping veteran receiver/return specialist Dante Hall.

Hall, 28, was the pre-eminent kick and punt returner earlier this decade. In 2003, Hall had 25.9 average yards per kick return and 16.3 average yards per punt return, both career highs. He also scored four total return touchdowns.

Since then, however, his performance as a returner has declined. Still, he possesses a skill that is of high value in the NFL, and with Pacman Jones out for the entire season, we think that one of the first teams who should give the Chiefs a call is the Tennessee Titans.

Hall is signed through 2008, at salaries of $1.5 million this year and $1.9 million next year.

POSTED 7:34 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

LAMONT SMITH CALLS ON COMMISH TO TAKE ACTION ON IMUS

Agent Lamont Smith, who has represented players like Jerome Bettis, Barry Sanders, and Eddie George, has penned an open letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the still-growing Don Imus controversy.

Though the Imus radio program doesn't spend much time talking about football, the connection is that the Imus show appears on CBS Radio and (until just a little while ago) MSNBC. Since CBS and NBC are key broadcast partners of the NFL, the NFL has a legitimate stake in the matter.

Smith's letter was sparked by another connection -- the Imus suspension was the top story in the national news on the same day that the suspensions of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry became the top NFL news item.

"What vexes me about the juxtaposition of these three tales of misconduct," Smith writes, "is how differently they have been treated. The NFL's business partners . . . chose to suspend Don Imus for two weeks for his reference to the Rutgers' players as 'nappy-headed hos' on a national broadcast. On the other hand, you have suspended [Jones and Henry] for a full season in one case and for half of the season in the other. The potential economic impact on these players is huge (potentially $2,000,000). These suspensions will send a serious message to other players in contrast the suspension of Don Imus for a mere two weeks will also send a different message. By the way, does anyone know if Don Imus' two week vacation is with or without pay?

"Don Imus is at least twice the age of the two offending players who were suspended. He occupies a position of influence and power when he is behind a microphone which broadcasts to millions of people daily. Don Imus' statements were racially charged, hurtful, mean-spirited, and beneath the dignity of entities that have the privilege of broadcasting NFL games.

"Individuals like Don Imus are bullies who prey upon the weak who have no voice with which to respond. I might feel less strongly about this matter, had the 19 and 20 year old young women who were the object of his attack had the platform to respond to his pernicious verbal assault. . . . These young ladies do not have this opportunity. As a father of a young African-American girl, I feel compelled to point out the irony of this situation and demand that civility be required on the part of everyone who does business with the NFL. Yes, I understand that CBS pays the NFL $625 million dollars a year through the year 2011, and that NBC pays the league $650 million a year for Sunday night football; however, fair minded corporate citizens like Staples and Proctor & Gamble have taken a stand. Accordingly, I believe that the NFL should hold its corporate partners to the same standards it hold its players.

"I was counseled not to write this letter because I make my living from professional sports, but I could not sit on the sidelines without expressing my concern. As the new leader of the most successful sports league in the world, you have set high standards for the players who earn a living in the NFL. Why not hold the networks that make billions from advertising during these games to the same standards? I am respectfully asking you to join me in requesting of your business partners that Don Imus be relieved of his duties permanently. Such a result would be just and send the message that the NFL does not tolerate misconduct anywhere."

Smith's letter was sent before NBC revealed that the simulcast of the Imus show will no longer be televised by MSNBC. It's presently unknown whether CBS Radio will follow suit. But we agree with Smith's appeal to Roger Goodell, and we think that the time has come for the same kind of strong, courageous action that the NFL has taken regarding Pacman Jones and Chris Henry.

If it was okay for Paul Tagliabue to bully ESPN into pulling the plug on the fictional Playmakers series, it's more than appropriate for the NFL to express a position regarding the present issue.

We say all of this with full appreciation of the fact that we are at times edgy and controversial. But there are lines of decency that we cannot and will not cross. There are ways to get a laugh without being gratuitously insulting, or by poking fun of those who through their actions or words have done nothing to deserve it. But we recognize that not everyone will agree with our efforts at humor, and we realize that some people will believe that future efforts by us moving forward to be funny might cross the same line that Imus violated last week.

With all that said, we are very conscious of the tension between our desire to entertain but, given our growth over the past year, our obligation to help set the right tone. We will be even more cognizant of our responsibilities in this regard going forward. And we will always welcome input from any readers who think that we have not struck a proper balance.

POSTED 1:51 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

NO MOSS AT RAIDERS WORKOUTS

Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com reports that receiver Randy Moss has decided not to report for the first voluntary minicamp of the Lane Kiffin era.

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp and defensive end Derrick Burgess also were absent.

Moss has been the subject of rampant trade rumors, which have subsided over the past few weeks. The Raiders, as we hear it, understand that he wants to get closer to his children, who live in Florida. But there is no urgency for the Raiders to move Moss, given that they owe him no money until the start of the regular season.

Our current gut feeling is that Moss will be traded shortly before or during the draft, and that the Raiders will pounce on Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick.

POSTED 1:09 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

2007 SCHEDULE IS OUT

Now that Pacman and Pukeman have been taken care of, it's time for some football.

And the 2007 schedule is out. Currently, both NFL Network and ESPN are airing special shows aimed at revealing the schedule.

Predictably, ESPN is focusing at the outset on its Monday night games, for which the network pays $1.1 billion per year.

Gloria Vanderbilt is touting the ESPN slate of games as "tremendous." Given his choice of eyewear, we think he should be saying that it's "fabulous!"

We're going to digest the schedule and put together a Ten-Pack of observations regarding it later today and/or tonight.

POSTED 12:52 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

STEELERS GET AT LEAST FOUR PRIME-TIME GAMES

Another team schedule is out before the 1:00 p.m. EDT release time.

The Steelers, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, will play a slate that includes four prime-time games -- two Monday-nighters at home, a Sunday night game at Denver, and a Thursday night game at St. Louis.

Not bad for an 8-8 team breaking in a new coach.

POSTED 12:24 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

CHIEFS SCHEDULE OUT, TOO

Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star has the info on the games to be played by the Chiefs. The full NFL schedule will be released at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

A reader tells us that the information was on the team's official web site for a few moments, and then abruptly taken down.

The slate includes no prime time contests for the 2006 AFC wild card team, with the exception of the December 30 game on NBC. However, the visit by the Chiefs to the Jets is merely a tentative matchup, subject to NBC's flexible schedule rights.

The mere fact that the reported schedule identifies on a tentative basis a late-season NBC game suggests that all of the tentative late-season Sunday nighters will be disclosed. This could engender some rancor from the fans of the teams involved if/when NBC swaps one of the tentative games out for another one.

Last year, tentative games were identified for the late-season Sunday night broadcasts, but the information was not publicized by the league.

POSTED 11:43 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:56 a.m. EDT April 11, 2007

FINS SCHEDULE REVEALED EARLY

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has gotten his hands on the Dolphins' schedule, more than 90 minutes before the official unveiling.

The full list of games is right here.

The highlight is a return by Joey Porter to Pittsburgh for a Monday night game on November 26.

The Dolphins open on September 9 at Washington, and host the Cowboys a week later.

HARTFORD COURANT RIPS OFF TURD WATCH

A reader sent us an image of a page from Wednesday's Hartford Courant, which prominently features a list of all player arrests and guilty pleas since February 6.

The list, appearing on page C8 of Wednesday's edition, looks and reads a lot like the PFT Police Blotter, found only on the PFT Turd Watch.

Hey, we've got no problem with folks using our stuff. But, please, don't credit the thing generally to "wire and internet reports" when it's a nearly verbatim recital of someone else's work product.

Isn't that precisely why Ron Borges is currently on a two-month sabbatical?

POSTED 10:26 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:05 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

LEAGUE SHOULD HELP TEAMS AVOID TURDS

If, as it now appears, the NFL will be holding teams responsible for the presence of players who can't stay out of trouble, we think that the league should give consideration to helping teams make good decisions as to who gets into the NFL, and who doesn't.

Since the CBA doesn't allow teams to cut players due to issues unrelated to performance, the challenge is to spot the problems and keep them out, no matter how talented they are.

As we understand it, the league office gathers information regarding the backgrounds of draft-eligible players. However, the league office does not disseminate this information to the 32 franchises, apparently due to legal considerations.

The league, in our view, should find a way to work through the situation. Though the players affected by the flow of information are not yet members of the union, neither are the kids who are barred from playing in the NFL until they are at least three years out of high school. So, then, there has to be a way to create, via collective bargaining, a reasonably safe procedure for the league to share with the teams any data regarding prior arrests, convictions, investigations, etc.

Would someone challenge it, eventually, in court? Probably. But so what? It's far more important for the league to ensure that bad guys don't get in, and there always will be at least one coach who thinks that he can change a guy who has gone astray in the past.

The other benefit of sharing this information with the teams is that it then puts anyone who might draft or sign him on actual notice of his background. If a player about whom there were red flags later gets in trouble, it is easier to justify taking a draft pick or two from the team that took a chance on him, since it will be obvious that the team has taken a calculated risk -- and that the team has lost.

ANOTHER DRAFT FEATURE COMING

As we hit the homestretch of our team-by-team draft needs, we're also in the process of adding a team-by-team list of all selections available in the draft.

We're doing it because we've learned that the information isn't readily available in the "real" media. (And if it is somewhere on, say, an all-sports web site, good luck finding it.)

We're plugging away on the information now, and we hope to get something posted this week.

MORE WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Pats CB Randall Gay visited with the Jets; next, the Jets must decide whether to try to sign Gay to an offer sheet, or to try to work out a trade for something less than the second-round pick to which the Pats are entitled as compensation.

The NFLPA plans to challenge the Pats' right of first refusal in the Todd Sauerbrun contract from 2006.

Great line from a member of PFT Planet regarding the Todd Sauerbrun situation: "The Broncos were going to use a poison pill but Sauerbrun tried to swallow it."

Lions RB Kevin Jones started jogging on Tuesday.

The Lions have retired retroactively No. 88 in honor of TE Charlie Sanders; WR Mike Williams will switch to No. 81 if/when he ever plays for them again.

Gil Brandt blames the agents for not keeping players out of trouble; Brandt also thinks that the problem of off-field behavior is better today than in the past, but is merely more publicized.

A lot has changed in a year for Jay Cutler.

The Giants are taking a look-see at free-agent QB Anthony Wright.

It sounds like the Jags will host a Monday night game in October against the Colts, based on this clue from Vic Ketchman: "I'm looking into my crystal ball and I'm seeing a Monday night game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in October. The picture is a little cloudy but the quarterback for the other team is a goofy-looking guy who keeps tapping his feet as though he has to go to the bathroom."

QB Joey Harrington will wear No. 13 in Atlanta.

We're not much for writing or reading puff pieces, but this item makes us regard Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in a much different light.

POSTED 4:46 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 6:22 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

PACMAN'S BONUS MONEY ONLY PARTIALLY AT RISK

It's a given that Titans cornerback Pacman Jones will lose $1.29 million in base salary this year, if his 16-game suspension ultimately is upheld.

But how much of his bonus money is at risk?

Recent reports in the Tennessean have presumed that Jones would lose $1.8 million in prorated bonus money applicable to the 2007 season. At one point, the Tennessean seemed to imply that the money hadn't been paid, and that the Titans would simply be able to refuse to pay it to him. But based on a Wednesday item in the Tennessean, it now appears that the money has indeed been paid -- and that the Titans plan to attempt to recover it.

The only potential impediment is the 2006 amendment to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which severely limits a team's ability to pursue reimbursement of bonus money that already has been paid.

Before 2006, teams could insert terms into individual player contracts allowing millions of dollars to be pursued in the event of behavior by the player that in some way renders him unavailable to live up to his end of the deal.

After the 2006 amendment to the CBA, however, the only way that bonus money can be recovered is if the player voluntarily retires, or if the player "willfully takes action that has the effect of substantially undermining his ability to fully participate and contribute in either preseason training camp or the regular season," whatever that means. Though the Pacman camp might argue that his suspension was not the result of willful action, our guess is that a suspension for violation of the Personal Conduct Policy puts him within the scope of this provision.

In such a case, the team can recover the greater of 25 percent of the prorated portion of the signing bonus for the season in question or 1/17th of the prorated value of the bonus for each game missed.

The key here is that the ability to recover bonus money applies only to "signing bonus" money, and not to any option bonus that Jones would have received in, for example, early 2006.

Thus, the Titans apparently will be able to attempt to recover the portion of the Pacman Jones signing bonus that applies to the 2007 season.

Of course, this ability could be worthless, if the money has been spent or if the team doesn't have the desire to attempt to chase him down for it. Given that Jones already was in hot water with the law even before signing his rookie contract, the Titans should have at a minimum deferred the payments so that they would simply be able to refuse to hand over the portion that would have been due for the coming season.

Though it would be easy for the Titans to argue that they didn't realize that the league would cough up the teams' power in this regard, the Titans could have at a minimum kept the cash in their pockets for as long as possible.

And they should have.

WHAT NEXT FOR PACMAN AND PUKEMAN?

With suspensions of 16 games and eight games, respectively, imposed against Adam "Pacman" Jones and Chris "Pukeman" Henry, the next question is what if anything they can do to challenge the penalty.

Thus far, the NFLPA has been conspicuously silent about the matter, possibly because the union realizes that the options are limited -- and not likely to result in a softening of the sanction.

Under the pre-existing Personal Conduct Policy, the players' only recourse is a right to an appeal "before the Commissioner or his designee."

In other words, the guy who already has imposed the discipline will be the guy to determine whether he was right.

As several league insiders previously have commented to us, the NFLPA should have insisted on the use of third-party arbitration procedures to review the penalties imposed under the Personal Conduct Policy. Without an independent look at the situation, any appeal comes down to the question of whether the Commish will be inclined to change his mind.

HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW PERSONAL CONDUCT POLICY

Most media accounts of the NFL's revised Personal Conduct Policy have presented only summaries of key terms of the new rules. We've now had a chance to eyeball for ourselves the newly-minted, four-page policy, and here are our observations on its actual content.

First, the policy opens up with an aspirational statement that "[a]ll persons associated with the NFL are required to avoid 'conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.'" And the policy applies broadly to all persons "privileged to work in the National Football League."

"Illegal or irresponsible conduct," the policy states, "does more than simply tarnish the offender. It puts innocent people at risk, sullies the reputation of others involved in the game, and undermines public respect and support for the NFL."

On the key question of whether discipline may be imposed for conduct that does not result in a criminal conviction, the policy is somewhat vague. Though a broad range of criminal offenses is included, the new policy also lists behavior that is not necessarily criminal.

New to the policy is an express prohibition against the possession of a gun or other weapon in any workplace setting, including stadiums, team facilities, training camp, locker rooms, team planes, buses, or parking lots. The new policy also prohibits (in broad, arguably vague fashion) "[c]onduct that imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person" and "[c]onduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players."

In theory, Jags coach Jack Del Rio could have been disciplined under this policy

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