POSTED 10:10 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:36 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

SEGAL PLANNING A BAYOU POWER PLAY

A league source tells us that agent Joel Segal plans to take the position that tailback Reggie Bush will not play for the New Orleans Saints.

The move, the source surmises, is aimed at allowing Segal to save some face after blowing Bush's shot to be the first overall pick in the draft.

The source also tells us that the Texans opted to tab defensive end Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall pick due to Bush and Segal's sky-high monetary demands.  Segal, we're told, wanted $30 million in guaranteed money -- a 25 percent increase over the $24 million in guaranteed money that quarterback Alex Smith received as the No. 1 overall pick in 2005.  Although Bush's recent P.R. problems didn't, we hear, play a role in the Texans' decision, word is that the multiple issues regarding Bush and his family caused the Texans to conclude that the fan base would be more likely to accept the decision to draft Williams.

As to the Saints, the thinking is that they are more than happy to fall out of the No. 2 spot, and the financial commitment that it requires.  The Jets are an obvious choice to make a move, and they've got the No. 29 overall pick to throw into the mix.

Under the trade value chart, however, the Jets would still need 160 points to justify the transaction.  The No. 2 pick is worth 2,600 points, the No. 4 selection is worth 1,800, and the No. 29 pick has a value of 640.

If a trade goes down between the Jets and Saints, New Orleans would draft tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson or linebacker A.J. Hawk at No.4.

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that the Packers and the Raiders have contacted the Saints about a possible trade up, as have the Cardinals.  The Cardinals, interestingly, would make the move not to draft Bush -- which would drop him to at least No. 3.

The Cardinals, we figure, would make the move in order to nab Ferguson.  Then the question becomes whether the Titans stick with Vince Young, or whether they select Bush.

The most intriguing landing spot for Bush is Green Bay, where he would provide the kind of Reggie White impact for which Lord Favre recently has been whining.  Ironically, Favre wrote off in his press conference about nothing from April 8 the possible impactof any rookie in 2006. 

Brett might feel differently if the rookie they end up with is Reggie Bush. 

And the Saints could still slide to the five hole and get Ferguson or Hawk.  New Orleans also would be slotted one spot lower, meaning less money required to sign the player.

PFT FLASHBACK:  JANUARY 8, 2006

We like ESPN's Chris Mortensen.  A lot.  But we knew that Mort was flirting with disaster when he spoke in absolute terms way back in January regarding the decision of the Texans to draft Reggie Bush.

And, in the end, we were right.  For a change.

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POSTED 9:29 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:39 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

USC'S UNDISPUTED TITLE SUDDENLY IN DISPUTE?

Profootballtalk.com has learned that Michael Michaels and New Era Sports and Entertainment contend that the first payments made to LaMar Griffin, the stepfather of Reggie Bush, occurred in 2004.

A press release issued on Friday night claims that Michaels gave $28,000 to Griffin to "clear up some debt."  The payment was made at Griffin's request so that he could "focus" on the new business enterprise aimed at profiting from Bush's marketing potential.

Brian Watkins, counsel for New Era, tells us that the payment was made in 2004. 

If the allegations of Watkins and Michaels in this regard are accurate, Bush's ineligibility first arose in the 2004 season.

And if it  can be shown that the folks at USC knew or should have known about Bush's status, that crystal football the Trojans won in January 2005 might be smashed into a million little pieces.

We're not saying that USC ultimately will be required to forfeit its 2004 national title.  But losing the championship after the fact is now squarely within the range of potential consequences that the Trojans face, in light of the revelation that Griffin allegedly began to get paid for his stepson's potential during the season in which the championship was secured.

WALKER GOES HOME

After trips to New Orleans and Denver, receiver Javon Walker is heading home.

Opting not to follow through on a visit to New England after the Broncos previously persuded him to delay his visit, Walker is (we're told) tired or traveling.

Meanwhile, we hear that the Saints, Broncos, and Pats are each offering up a second-round pick for Walker.  Green Bay is still insisting on a first-rounder.

POSTED 9:03 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

MARIO IS A TEXAN

Wow.  What a week.

In the five days since Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports and Jason Cole of the Miami Herald put a name to the rumor that we floated on April 15 regarding a first-round prospect and a house owned by a member of an Indian tribe, Reggie Bush has gone from being the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick in the draft to, at best, No. 2.

Instead, the No. 1 overall pick is defensive end Mario Williams, a defensive end from a basketball school that suddenly can't find a basketball coach.

And although it's still not clear whether the events of the past 120 hours contributed to the Texans' decision to pass on Bush, something prompted the team to embrace the guy who originally was nothing more than a source of leverage for Bush's contract.

In the end, it could be that Bush's financial demands killed the deal.  But even if the snowballing story that started with a San Diego house and grew into a crossfire of claims of extortion and fraud had no impact on the thinking of Houston owner Bob McNair, it's very possible that agent Joel Segal felt compelled to play hardball in order to avoid subsequent whispers from rival agents that he went light at the bargaining table in order to get a deal done.

We've heard that it was indeed McNair who personally authorized the efforts to sign Williams, even as the football guys in the organization continued to press for Bush.

Bottom line -- Bush will be No. 2 at best, and given the difference in pay from the first spot to the second, it looks like karma has found a way to ensure that the Bush family paid the rent. 

And then some.

POSTED 8:25 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

NEW ERA LAWYERS LASH OUT AT BUSH, GRIFFIN

At a time when reports that the family of Reggie Bush received benefits in violation of NCAA bylaws might have cost him the No. 1 overall spot in the NFL draft, lawyers for the sports marketing firm at the center of the storm are lashing out in response to suggestions that New Era attempted to extort money from the Bushes.

"We find Reggie Bush's statement that he did 'absolutely nothing wrong' to be absolutely false," writes the law firm of Watkins & Pavone in a press release disseminated early Friday evening.  (We actually were on the distribution list.)

"We find these statements to be shameless falsehoods," the release states.  "In point of fact, Lamar [sic] and Denise Griffin, Reggie Bush's parents, with Reggie's knowledge, defrauded our clients out of large sums of money by holding out the carrot of Bush's future football career in order to entice our clients to invest in their sports and entertainment company."

The release claims that the relationship between Michael Michaels and LaMar Griffin began in October 2004.  Griffin, it is alleged, approached Michaels at a Chargers game with an "investment opportunity."  Griffin, it is contended, wanted Michaels to finance Griffin's proposed sports marketing enterprise.

"In November 2004 in San Diego, Reggie Bush, recruited by his stepfather to validate Mr. Griffin's company, convinced our clients of its viability.  Our clients in good faith devoted their energy and financial resources."

And then it gets really interesting.

As time passed, Griffin "began to reveal that Reggie's continued participation came with conditions."  Per the press release, Griffin asked for $28,000 from Michaels and Lloyd Lake in order to "clear up some debt," which would allow Griffin to "focus" on the new endeavor.  After inspecting an accounting of the Griffin debts, Michaels and Lake complied.  

Next, Griffin tried to use his connection with Michaels to persuade the financially succesful Sycuan tribe to invest in the project.  Griffin supposedly attended the meeting with the Sycuan tribe wearing a Reggie Bush jersey.

In April 2005, Griffin told Michaels and Lake that the family was experiencing housing problems.  So Michaels leased the house that started this whole ordeal to them, but they never paid rent. 

Eventually, Bush signed with Mike Ornstein to handle his marketing.  Thereafter, Michaels and Lake sought legal counsel.

"The Bush family cavalierly defrauded Mr. Michaels and Mr. Lake out of approximately $300,000 in out-of-pocket costs alone, over a span of 1-1/2 years. . . .  The suggestion that Reggie Bush did not know how his parents were financing their new life in an upscale residential home is preposterous."

The press release claims that, once the relationship began to sour, Bush himself sent a text message to Michaels:  "Nobody is trying to screw u," Bush wrote.  "We're not [trying to screw] Lloyd."

Here's our take.  The fact that LaMar Griffin specifically solicited payment from prospective agents, who apparently were not previously inclined to get into the business, makes this whole thing look and feel a lot uglier.  This isn't a situation of a slick-talking huckster trying to dupe Mom and Pop.  This is, by all appearances, Mom and Pop trying to dupe the would-be agent into coughing up a ton of money -- and then not delivering on the promises that allegedly were made.

And it is, if true, the receipt of benefits from an agent, in violation of NCAA rules.  If true, Reggie was ineligible for all of 2005.

POSTED 7:36 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

MORE CONFIRMATION OF WILLIAMS-TO-HOUSTON

Although the latest source linking defensive end Mario Williams to the Houston Texans at No. 1 hasn't said that the deal is "done," we're told that Williams and the Texans are extremely close to a contract.

Meanwhile, we hear that Joel Segal is pooping Pop Tarts regarding the apparent fact that his client, Reggie Bush, won't be the first overall pick in the draft.  Bush's first order of business after the draft, we believe, will be to fire Segal.

Unreal.

POSTED 6:22 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 6:39 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

MARIO TO HOUSTON A "DONE DEAL"

A league source tells us that the Houston Texans have informed Joel Segal, the agent for Reggie Bush, that the team has a "done deal" with defensive end Mario Williams.

The only question at this point, as the source explained, is whether the Texans are simply making a last-ditch effort to squeeze Segal into taking a more friendly deal.

If this isn't just a marketing ploy, it represents a stunning turn of events.  On Thursday, we heard that Bush was a "done deal."  And even though the team denied it, another source told us that the team's interest in Williams was merely a smokescreen, aimed at leveraging Bush into wanting less money.

If, in the end, the Texans pass on Bush, the question is whether the team decided to make the move based on merit, money, or mischief.  Our guess is that it's a mixture of all three, and that the most recent round of ugly news reports regarding Reggie, his family, and the dudes of New Era was the thing that made the Texans decide to move on.

Still, we've re-confirmed that, earlier in the week, the Texans' interest in Williams arose solely from their desire to drive down Bush's price tag, and that the Texans viewed Williams as the guy whom Bush's camp would most likely regard as a legitimate alternative.  So if the Texans have indeed locked on to Mario, it represents a complete 180 from their earlier position.

We're still chasing this on.  For now, this has got to be the craziest run up to the draft that we've ever seen.

POSTED 7:13 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

NOW WHAT FOR BUSH?

If the rumors that the Texans plan to pass on Reggie Bush are accurate, what does it mean for the 2005 Heisman winner?

For starters, and as one league insider predicts, look for Bush to fire agent Joel Segal. 

Immediately.

Beyond the housekeeping issues, the Saints suddenly are holding all of the cards.  And although there have been reports that the Saints would jump on Bush if he's there at number 2, they just paid a ton of money last year to running back Deuce McAllister. 

Of course, they drafted Deuce at a time that they also had Ricky Williams on the roster.  Williams was traded a season later.

Even if the Saints are inclined to bring Reggie to town, they'd surely listen to trade offers before scribbling his name on the card.

The broader question is whether other teams will be scared off by Bush's sudden baggage.  The Jets, we'd heard last week, were one of the teams that called the Texans regarding a possible trade up to No. 1 in order to get Bush.  But how would the Jets feel about the entire New York media being unleashed on an ugly story in San Diego, which seems to be chock full of low-hanging fruit?

Our guess?  The Jets are more concerned about winning games.  And Bush gives them an instant upgrade to an anemic offense.  So they'll make the trade, we believe, and New York will have its first sports superstar named Reggie since a dude with the last name of Jackson was heaving the horsehide into the heavens 30 years ago.

POSTED 6:19 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

BRONCOS HOLD WALKER IN DENVER

A league source tells us that the Broncos persuaded receiver Javon Walker not to hop a plane on Friday afternoon to New England in the hopes of striking a deal that would send the 2002 first-rounder to Denver.

Per the source, however, the Packers are still holding out for a first-round pick.

There also are reports of a possible three-team deal that would deliver Walker to Denver, but in our view there's simply not enough time to make it happen, especially with Walker wanting a new deal worth $10 million to $12 million in guaranteed money, as we hear it.

And why in the hell did the Packers wait so long to try to kick-start trade discussions?  It's not as if the various interested teams don't have other things to worry about.  Frankly, it makes us wonder whether Walker is behind schedule in rehabilitating his torn ACL, and that the Packers wanted to compress the total amount of time that teams would have to poke and prod the thing.

POSTED 3:54 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

REGGIE NEEDS A QUARTERBACK

We laughed until we nearly peed our pantaloons when we learned that Reggie Bush had canceled an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show because Reg will be saying nothing more to anyone in the media until after the draft.

Great idea, Team Bush.  Too bad it wasn't implemented on, say, Monday.

Instead, Reggie and his handlers have talked themselves into an even bigger mess than the Bush family otherwise would have faced.  Does it mean that the Texans will pass?  Even in the wake of the most recent developments, the answer likely is no.

But why tempt fate?  And why make the week before Reggie's official entry into the NFL not something to remember, but something to forget?

The problem here is that there's apparently no one calling the shots on a comprehensive basis for Bush.

Joel Segal?  Nope.  Mike Ornstein?  Nuh-uh.  David Cornwell?  Invisible man. 

All of them, in our view, share in the blame.  Segal has kept his head in the sand (or up his own butt).  Ornstein's recent comments regarding a supposed longstanding relationship between the Bush family and Michael Michaels apparently prompted Michaels to go public with his plans to sue Bush's family for fraud, per published reports.

And Cornwell's performance has been horrendous, in our view.  Despite any messes that were created by others before he was added to the team, Cornwell should have taken control of the situation immediately. 

All three of them knew or should have known about the looming storm of negative P.R., yet they did nothing to minimize it.  Instead, they all opted, by all appearances, to brace for the inevitable.

What could they have done differently, you aks?  First, someone should have paid Michaels in full for the rent and then gotten the Bush family out of Michaels' house.  Second, once the marketing group in which Michaels is involved began sending demand letters to Cornwell, the veteran lawyer who seems to us to be more style than substance should have pounced.

By sitting on his hands (thumbs pointing north), Cornwell blew his chance to get out ahead of the first wave of reports regarding this matter by disclosing, for example, the alleged efforts of New Era to extort money by revealing "embarrassing personal information about Bush."  Now, the story of threats being made (allegedly) by New Era and/or agent David Caravantes looks more like a thirteenth-hour reaction to overwhelming evidence pointing toward a finding that Bush's family did something to cause Reggie to lose his eligibility.

But not all lawyers are skilled or trained in matters of public and/or media relations.  In our view, Cornwell should have had the foresight to convene a crisis management meeting for the purposes of hiring a P.R. firm and anyone else necessary to participate in the stategery regarding the handling of this issue.

As a result, there was no overriding plan.

Actually, there was a plan.   Just not a very good one. 

Step one, hope it goes away. 

Step two, do nothing at all even when it becomes clear that it's not going away. 

Step three, completely discount the possibility that the media might catch wind of this one before New Era makes good on its threat to take the thing public. 

Step four, once the poop hits the fan, fly by the seat of our pants.

The irony here is that, while Reggie likely didn't go with New Era and Caravantes because they were regarded as bush-league novices, what Reggie has gotten to date from the team he ultimately hired is bush-league service. 

POSTED 2:54 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

DREW NOT IMPLICATED IN GRAND SLAM BREAKFAST CAPER?

A league source tells us that, with the draft starting in less than 24 hours, the rumor making the rounds in league circles is that UCLA running back Maurice Drew will not be implicated in the assault of a Denny's patron last weekend in Los Angeles.

Word is that neither Drew nor any other UCLA players were involved in the incident, although it's not disputed that Drew was present at or about the time that the beating-and-kicking of a laptop-using patron went down.  Bears cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. is facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon for his alleged role in the incident.

Assuming that Drew is clean (and we've got no reason to believe he isn't), the incident might have actually been a good thing for him, since it kept his name in circulation at a time when he'd kind of become a forgotten man.

POSTED 2:44 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

MORE PLAYERS FALLING, RISING

Here's our latest update as to who's moving up and who's moving down in the coming draft, based on our discussions with multiple league sources.

USC offensive tackle Winston Justice, who enjoyed a surge in popularity after the Trojans' pro day workout, is sliding back down from his status as a top ten pick.

Rising is Clemson cornerback Tye Hill, who might end up being the first cover corner drafted on Saturday.

Sliding is Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams.  Once regarded a potential top five pick, Williams might slide completely out of round one.

Also sliding -- possibly off of some draft boards -- is USC defensive end Frostee Rucker.  Details are sketchy, but we understand that each team is aware of the specific thing that is prompting his stock to plummet.

TEAMS "ALL OVER THE PLACE" ON JACKSON

Widely regarded as the top prospect in a receiver-unfriendly draft, Florida wideout Chad Jackson could be taken in the top half of round one.

Or maybe not.

A league source tells us that teams are "all over the place" on Jackson.  Some love him.  Some don't.  We know of at least one team that hates him.

But it only takes one team to draft him high -- even if it's the only team that would do so.

POSTED 6:04 a.m. EDT, April 28, 2006

MICHAELS PLANNING TO SUE BUSH FAMILY FOR FRAUD

The story has finally come full circle.  As we first heard the rumors more than two weeks ago, the owner of the house in which Reggie Bush's family was living planned to go public regarding issues relating to their residence in the house -- and the decision of Bush not to retain the owner of the house to be his marketing representative.

Now, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Michael Michaels claims that Bush's family owes him $54,000 in unpaid rent -- and that Michaels' lawyer is drawing up a $3.2 million lawsuit against Bush's parents, and possibly Bush himself, for fraud.

Michaels, who had nothing to say in the early stages of this story, claims that Bush's parents agreed to pay $4,500 per month in rent.  Given that Michaels alleges that he is owed $54,000 in rent, this means that Bush's parents didn't pay rent for a full year.

Michaels told the Union-Tribune that when Bush's family failed to pay the first few months' rent, they said they would pay when Bush turned pro.

Though it's unclear whether the promise to pay when Bush "turned pro" meant that they'd pay the rent when Bush declares that he's entering the draft or when he actually gets paid, the Union-Tribune reports that the relationship deteriorated because Bush didn't retain Michaels' fledgling marketing firm.  So, on April 3, Michaels' lawyer sent Bush's family a letter demanding that they vacate the premises. 

The family didn't leave until after reporters started asking questions about the arrangement.

But it's one thing to claim that Bush's family stiffed Michaels for rent.  It's quite another to allege fraud, which connotes that Bush's family made an intentional misrepresentation to Michaels, on which he relied to his financial detriment.

A misrepresentation such as, "Yeah, Reggie will hire you to handle his marketing."

Indeed, Michaels' lawyer told the Union-Tribune that Michaels and partner Lloyd Lake have $300,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, and that "Michaels and [Lake incurred additional expenses associated with starting the marketing agency."

Here's the key, in our view -- Michaels claims that "he was approached by Bush's stepfather, LaMar Griffin, and Lake, who is now in federal prison in Victorville, to invest in a sports marketing company they were starting," and that "[t]hey would share ownership in the company, New Era, and Bush was to be their primary client."

So it appears, then, that Michaels believes he was duped by LaMar Griffin into spending money and allowing Bush's family to live in the house owned by Michaels pursuant to an express understanding that the marketing firm founded by Michaels and Lake would later cash in by representing Reggie.

If these allegations are true, Reggie should be spending some quality time with his Heisman, because we're now convinced that he's eventually going to have to give it to Uncle Rico.

BIRK BORROWS OUR LINE

When we interviewed Matt Birk in February, we told him that the Vikings should put real horns on their helmet. 

Birk apparently liked the idea, based on this quote from a story on the team's official web site regarding the subtle re-design of the helmet decal:  "Birk, in a witty exchange with a reporter, joked that he wishes they would put real horns on the helmets."

And as several of our readers accurately surmised, the new horn (courtesy of our friends at Viking Underground) is identical to the horn that first appeared on the team's official web site several weeks back:

Although we don't like the team's new jerseys and pants, we don't mind the minor tweak to the horn, which makes it look less like, well, we'll let you use your imagination as to what the old helmet decal resembled.