ProFootballTalk.com -- The Best Pro Football Scoop on the Internet

POSTED 11:02 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2006

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

A marketing foof from video game company Midway, which makes the Blitz game, claims that it ditched the NFL, not vice-versa.

From the "How Not to Secure Sympathy from the Jury Pool" file, Steve Atwater said on Friday that losses due to the alleged negligence of the NFL and the NFLPA might limit his ability to take his family on vacations to Cancun.

Here's the full soundtrack for Madden '07 (and, as usual, we've never heard of any of the artists or their songs . . . why can't they just put Rock and Roll All Nite on there . . . every year?).

The Steelers have cut RB Mike Jemison.

Are the Fins ahead of schedule?

POSTED 12:57 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:14 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2006

SAINTS' PATH OUT OF BIG EASY GETS EASIER

Lost in an AP report regarding the $15 million that the State of Louisiana will save by cutting subsidy payments to the NFL's New Orleans Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Hornets is that the reduction of the Saints' annual chunk of charity change from $15 million to $2.5 million constitutes a potential breach of the ten-year agreement signed in 2001 to keep owner Tom Benson from moving his football team.

The real story here is that, once the State of Louisiana puts the Saints officially on notice of the $12.5 million haircut, all hell could break loose.

But there's no mention of that possibility in the AP account, which reads, frankly, like an adroitly-crafted effort to win public support for the notion that Louisiana is doing nothing wrong by shorting the Saints and that, if the Saints balk, they'll look like insensitive a-holes.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the team has declined comment on whether it will accept the reduced payment.

Though the folks who run the Superdome seem to think that the Saints can get the lost money from their business interruption insurance policy, our experience with insurance carriers is that they don't like to give money away unless they absolutely have to. (Even then, they still are inclined at times to try to find ways to avoid paying up.) In this case, if the insurance carrier concludes that the State of Louisiana owes the money to the team and that the reduced payment isn't justified by any fine print in the contract, there's no way that the insurance company will cough up a dime.

So then the question becomes whether the Saints will eat the $12.5 million loss, sue the State of Louisiana for the money, or declare a breach and move the team out of town.

That's the news item that the AP should be pimping. Even though the NFL has successfully managed to keep a muzzle (and perhaps a straitjacket) on Benson for most of calendar year 2006, getting stiffed on his money might be all that it takes to get him to affix a "For Sale" sign on the fleur-de-lis -- raking in a cool billion or so from an L.A. ownership group that would bring not only pro football back to L.A. but also, more importantly, Reggie Bush.

AMPHETAMINE CHANGES NO BIG DEAL

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that amphetamines would be moved from the substance abuse policy to the steroids policy, resulting in stiffer penalties for any positive tests.

But as at least one league source tells us, amphetamines aren't much of a problem in the NFL, so thus the change in the rules isn't causing much consternation for players.

Why, then, did the NFL change the rule? Though we've yet to fully develop the ability to, you know, read minds, our semi-edumacated guess is that the timing of the release was not coincidental. The last week of June is traditionally the ssssslowest news week on the NFL calendar. As a result, the announcement of the change in the policy was sure to get maximum exposure, thereby creating the impression that the NFL is serious about keeping the sport clean, thereby placating (hopefully) the folks in Congress, who seem to always manage to find something else to do other than the things that really need to be done.

And by creating the impression that everything is under control when it comes to substance abuse in the NFL, the league can continue to keep its head in the sand regarding the very real Human Growth Hormone problem that will continue to exist until the league implements some type of testing aimed at detecting it. Most recently, the NFL and the NFLPA have indicated that the league won't be using Olympic-style blood testing for HGH, based on the notion that the test isn't reliable. But if/when Congress decides to stick its nose into the situation, Congress will be far more likely to conclude that if it's good enough for the Olympics, it's good enough for pro football, too.

WHAT ABOUT DEION?

We got a kick out of a Thursday item on the Bengals' official web site in which ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli, notorious trader of slurping for scoop with NFL agents, gives an on-the-record quote in conjunction with a story that surely will be included within the materials used by Jason Chayut of Sportstars in his ongoing efforts to sign more and more college players.

The article creates the impression that Chayut and his colleagues get deals done early, rarely holding out their clients. That dynamic is of particular relevance to the Bengals this year, since they selected Chayut client Johnathan Joseph in round one of the draft.

"Our game is not to hold out guys," Chayut said.

But Chayut and his firm apparently use a separate playbook when dealing with their veteran clients. Chayut, after all, represents Patriots receiver Deion Branch, who recently skipped out on a mandatory minicamp -- which often is a harbinger of a training camp boycott.

And there's a big difference. Players who have yet to sign a contract have every right to holdout until they get the deal that they like; players like Branch who have signed a contract need to honor it.

Of course, mentioning the Branch situation would have reduced the puff factor in the piece, which in turn could have disrupted the mood that the Bengals' official web site is trying to set before negotiations commence in earnest between Chayut and Mike Brown's band of penny pinchers.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Here's one from the Michael Irvin/Randy Moss/Greg Brady line of excuses -- Pats DT Johnathan Sullivan says that the marijuana found in his car wasn't his.

Sullivan's agent promises to "rigorously defend" his client against the criminal charges. (Um, we think he meant to say "vigorously," unless the plan is to hire Al Gore or John Kerry to handle the case.)

Shame on the folks at the Tampa Tribune for omitting reference to PewterReport.com as the source of the news that Bucs TE T.J. Williams has a ruptured Achilles tendon, pointing instead to "Internet reports."

Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer seems to realize that he got his contract extension due in part to the refusal of LB Lance Briggs to take the team's best long-term offer.

Mike Ornstein's 10-point plan for bolstering Reggie Bush's image before he holds out of training camp would make Karl Rove proud.

The Bucs have cut WR Ben Nelson and OT Stefan Rodgers.

By picking a string of stoopid fights with Packers LB Nick Barnett, Green Bay officials are giving the other 31 NFL teams great ammunition for the future recruitment of African-American free agents.

How can we blame the Cardinals for missing out on a clear revenue stream like parking charges when they've never really had many cars at the stadium in the past?

New Panthers director of college scouting Don Gregory spent three years working with G.M. Marty Hurney in San Diego.

Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks visited the 49ers on Thursday; Niners coach Mike Nolan was the only NFL head coach present for Brooks' recent Pro Day workout.

Hopefully, Bengals QB Carson Palmer won't be doing any cornholing on the golf course.

POSTED 7:41 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:52 p.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

QUINN CAMP FEARS THE FAT MAN

A source with knowledge as to the dynamics regarding the Brady Quinn agent search process tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has a big hand in the elimination of candidates because, put simply, the Quinn camp is afraid of pissing Weis off.

The source confirms that Weis has told multiple seniors (including Quinn) to get the decision "narrowed down" over the summer, so that the agent search won't be a distraction once the season starts.

Initially, Quinn's people -- his mom, dad, and two uncles -- interviewed 15 agencies over a two-day period. When the time came to narrow the list, they submitted names to Weis, who told them to eliminate various of the agents that they otherwise liked.

Weis told them (we're told) that Quinn needs a "power broker," and that they opted not to risk alienating the coach who has put Brady in position to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

So the list of finalists was crafted in large part with the influence of Weis, due in large part to the fact that the kid who'll earn a large bonus owes a large amount of his profile to the large man who has helped to put him in the "living large" position he now enjoys.

WEIS TOLD SENIORS TO BE CAREFUL

The source for the story posted above tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has impressed upon quarterback Brady Quinn and other seniors the importance of avoid the making of even a verbal commitment to a prospective agent.

Per NCAA rules, even an oral agreement between a player and an agent that the agent will represent the player in the future is enough to render the player ineligible.

As several of our sources accurately have surmised, then, Weis was smart enough to advise his players as to the risks of narrowing down the list of potential agents before the season.

Though there's talk in league circles that Quinn has settled on agent Don Yee, the source says that the party line is that nothing has been decided.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The 49ers formally have added P Tom Rouen, and have released rookie P Tom Malone, who did more peeing than P-ing during his time with USC.

The Buc have signed TE Matt Kranchick.

The Bears have signed LB Hunter Hillenmeyer to a five-year extension.

The Fins' 2006 training camp schedule features plenty of night practices. (Dual benefit -- keeps the players cool and otherwise occupied during prime spouse-slapping hours.)

Lesley Visser will be the first woman recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (What's next? A gay former player invited to speak at the rookie symposium?)

Bengals WR Chris Henry is scheduled to be tried on charges of giving booze to underaged girls on September 26.

Len Pasquarelli apparently is now regarded as a source for on-the-record agent slurping.

Michael Silver of SI.com has compiled an impressive ranking of the NFL's 32 owners. (Even more impressive is that Silver wrote an article about NFL owners without mentioning Eddie DeBartolo one time. Or seven.)

The Panthers have gone outside the building for the replacement to Tony Softli.

MasterCard is forgetting the Alamo. (We know it's technically an item for our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, but since Joe Collegio is grinding away with those two updates per week we thought we'd help lessen his load.)

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the NFL and NFLPA will meet with the media on Friday.

The Jags have released DE Omari Hand and TE Greg Estandia.

The message of the new Peyton Manning commercial for DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket is basically this -- "If you get Sunday Ticket you'll have options when the games pumped into your home viewing market suck."

POSTED 10:20 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:35 p.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

SULLIVAN SECURES HIS ALL-TURD TROPHY

Although Patriots defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan isn't the guy who recently asked for a trophy to commemorate his addition to the PFT 2006 All-Turd Team, we're now in the market for a bronzed pile of poo in light of Sullivan's recent arrest on charges of marijuana possession, running two stop signs, not wearing a seat belt (does the fact that it doesn't fit him constitute a defense?), and playing his music too loud.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Sullivan was busted on those charges Sunday morning in Griffin, Georgia.

Per the report, an officer saw Sullivan drive through two stop signs, without stopping. After pulling him over, the officer asked Sullivan if he had any weapons. Sullivan said "yes," and he gave a handgun to the officer. The officer then asked whether there was anything illegal in the car. Sullivan said "no" -- and then he gave the cop permission to search the car.

To borrow a line from one of the best movies we've seen in years, "Tractors is so dumb."

We say that because, while searching the car with Sullivan's permission, the officer found a bag of marijuana.

Earlier this month, the Patriots acquired Sullivan, the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft, from the Saints for receiver Bethel Johnson, a second-round selection that same year. Though Johnson was a bust and it made sense for the Pats to move him, the team now faces the relatively unusual problem of having on the roster a bona fide turd.

Our guess is that he won't be on the roster for very long.

In adding Sullivan to our All-Turd Team earlier this week, we wrote: "Ate his way out of New Orleans. Will surely find a way to squander his second chance in New England."

So thanks, Johnathan, for making us look like we know what we're doing. It might be your biggest accomplishment since joining the NFL, which based on your overall body of work doesn't mean much.

NINERS TO ADD ROUEN

A league source tells us that the 49ers have agreed to terms with veteran punter Tom Rouen, who recently was released by the Seahawks.

Per the source, the Niners will announce the acquisition later today.

Rouen has spent 13 seasons in the NFL, with the Broncos, Steelers, and Seahawks. He punted for two Super Bowl championship teams in Denver. He averaged 41.6 yards per punt in 2005.

The other punters on the team's roster are Andy Lee, who has held the job for the past two seasons, and rookie Tom Malone, who didn't incur much wear and tear while serving as the punter for the USC Trojans.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

PewterReport.com reports that the Bucs have signed QB Jay Fiedler to a one-year deal.

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues that an arrest of a player should result in a one-game suspension; the only problem is that there's a little thing called "the presumption of innocence." (But we generally agree with the idea that there needs to be tougher penalties for turdish behavior.)

The Bears have booted a guy who got burned by Steve Smith in the playoffs last year. (Of course, if that was the standard for getting cut, there wouldn't be many cornerbacks with jobs in the NFL.)

Giants DE Michael Strahan allegedly has had some type of cosmetic surgery. (Unless the intent of the procedure was to make him uglier, he should demand a refund.)

Lord Favre is learning new phrases this year. (Yeah, like "We really suck" and "If we win five games this year I'll eat my own poo" and "That linebacker we drafted really does look like the guy from the movie Mask.")

More efforts by Reggie Bush to get people not to pay attention to the questions still swirling in San Diego.

Here's a new twist -- Titans RB LenDale White has put $26,000 worth of something in his mouth that won't be swallowed and digested (unless, of course, he gets really hungry).

The Bills have released DB LaShaun Ward.

POSTED 8:57 a.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

BUSH BLEW OFF TEXANS

As we continue to catch up on some of the stories that have gone generally quiet over the past few weeks, a league source tells us that the decision of the Texans not to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft was fueled by the fact that, when the team first tried to contact Bush for an explanation regarding rumors that his family had received free rent from a San Diego firm that wanted to handle his marketing rights and, via NFLPA-certified agent David Caravantes, his football contract, Bush ignored the Texans for three days.

Previously, we reported that the Texans ultimately opted to turn tail on the Trojan tailback because, when he finally talked to them about the situation, they concluded that he was not being truthful.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear rumblings in league circles that cause us to believe that, if the NCAA, the Pac-10, and/or the "real" media continue to dig, they'll find that the situation involving Bush is far more complex than what already has been reported.

Said one source: "[It] makes you wonder what all the West Coast scouts, General Managers and so on were doing when scouting Bush. They make such a fuss on character, but really have no clue when it comes down to it at times. This was as clear as day."

So keep digging, "real" media. You've done a nice job so far -- don't let the trail go cold.

CORNWELL BROUGHT IN THE FEDS

In another twist regarding the ongoing Reggie Bush saga, we're told that the FBI has gotten involved in the matter at the behest of Bush family lawyer David Cornwell. Apparently, one of Cornwell's cronies is a former FBI agent, and he got with some of his old friends on the federal payroll after the situation with New Era Sports & Entertainment started to turn uglier than the love child of Ben Roethlisberger and A.J. Hawk.

It appears, however, that the FBI situation is going nowhere, at least for now. Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on June 28 that, as of June 27, New Era had not been contacted by the FBI. Moreover, it's our understanding that Cornwell specifically leaked the FBI story, and it's starting to look like Cornwell was merely trying to scare off the New Era folks.

Though there's been no lawsuit filed yet for $300,000 in expenses incurred by New Era in connection with the agency's alleged belief that Bush was going to hire it, New Era's lawyer told Trotter that suit will be filed in late July.

If late July comes and goes and no suit is filed, it might be time to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, Cornwell's efforts to defuse the problem (which came way too late for his client's own good) were effective.

HEROCK DRAFTED, TRADED FAVRE

In the wake of our criticisms of recent statements made by former NFL exec Ken Herock regarding his former "Pro Prep" client Santurdio, we've been reminded by several readers of one of the more memorable (or, as the case may be, forgettable) chapters in Herock's football career was that he drafted, and then later traded, a certain quarterback known in this neighborhood as Lord Favre.

As legend has it, Herock blames then-Falcons coach Jerry Glanville for the decision to trade Favre, and Glanville blames Herock. In an excellent piece penned by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2005, the clear impression created is that Glanville forced Herock's hand by refusing to use Favre.

But even Herock -- who had once seen his hometown Steelers give up on Johnny Unitas -- seems to recognize that it was a mistake: "Maybe I lost sight of the thing," Herock told Silverstein. "Everyone was telling me how bad he was. That's all I kept hearing. And there was a possibility we could recover a first for a guy we drafted with a second. There was nothing there that said, 'Ken, you're right and they're wrong.' Everything was working against me."

The story of how Favre came to be a Packer is intriguing, if you can get past the perfunctory Ron Wolf "I am the greatest personnel man in sports history" sound bites. Wolf had Favre (as Wolf claims) rated as the top player in the 1991 draft. (Actually, we tend to believe Wolf's contention in this regard, given that the players taken in round one of the 1991 draft included Hall-of-Shamers like Bruce Pickens (who went third overall to Herock's Falcons), Mike Croel, Charles McRae, Antone Davis, Mike Pritchard (taken by Herock's Falcons at No. 13), Leonard Russell, Huey Richardson, Dan McGwire, Bobby Wilson, Vinnie Clark, Randal Hill, and Todd Marinovich.)

But Wolf's Jets didn't have a first-round pick in 1991, and Herock's Falcons plucked Lord Favre one spot in front of Wolf's Jets, with the sixth pick in round two.

When Wolf was willing to give up a first-round pick a year later for a guy on which his Jets didn't have a chance to pass in 1991, Herock should have sensed that something was up. Then again, the Falcons were riding a wave of momentum in early 1992, driven by a rare playoff appearance in 1991 and the presence on the bandwagon of M.C. Hammer. (I mean, with a guy like Hammer on board, this franchise was destined for greatness, right?)

Besides, King Doofis was coaching the team at the time, and he apparently wasn't going to use Favre unless and until every other guy on the depth chart was eating fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches with Elvis in that great Greasy Spoon in the Sky.

So we're not going to smack Herock too hard for trading Lord Favre. What Herock said recently about a guy who had paid for Herock's service was a more clear reflection of stupidity -- so we'll just rely upon that in support of our conclusion that he's a numbskull.

POSTED 10:41 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:36 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

INJURED ROOKIES STILL GET PAID

Our pals at PewterReport.com were the first to report that Bucs rookie tight end T.J. Williams popped an Achilles tendon during a minicamp practice on June 22, and he likely will miss the entire 2006 season.

The injury has prompted several readers to ask us whether Williams will still be paid in 2006, even though he had not yet signed a contract with the team.

The simple answer is yes. The more complex question is the amount of money that Williams will receive.

Here's how it all works. Unsigned rookies sign injury protection letters prior to engaging in offseason workouts. But the contents of the letter are often a matter of negotiation.

Typically, the team promises to pay the player a signing bonus based upon the amount received by the guy taken in the same spot in the prior year's draft. The question of whether that means the same round and selection or the same overall spot (due to compensatory picks) is also subject to bargaining between team and player.

The agents need to be sharp in this regard. Generally speaking, it's better to base the bonus on the spot in the round if there are more compensatory picks in front of the player in the current draft than there were in the prior year's draft. But another factor that will influence the final decision is the quality of the deal that the player taken in that specific spot received in the prior year. Sometimes, a player's hands are tied by a crappy deal done in the corresponding spot in the prior year.

Other issues for discussion include the length of the deal in the event of a season-ending injury. Sometimes, teams will convert a three-year deal to a four-year deal in the event that the player's rookie season is wiped out.

Similarly, teams will at times insist that a player who has not received a credited season due to injury will be paid at the rookie minimum in year two.

Sometimes, players balk at the notion of signing an injury protection letter. Although the guy gets a signing bonus, the fact that it's based on the prior year's contracts makes the bonus amount lower.

In 2005, for example, Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman refused to participate in offseason workouts due to the contents of the team's standard injury protection language. The team refused to deviate, so Merriman refused to participate.

In this case, Williams will still get paid notwithstanding his injury. The specific amount he'll get depends on the outcome of the dickering that was done between his agent and the team before the injury protection letter was signed.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Steelers LB Larry Foote is trying to get custody of a 10-year-old son that he didn't know he had until two years ago. (Hey, it's better than watching her get lipo-wit-yo-money.)

The Bears have signed RB Adrian Peterson to a three-year extension.

The Bears have inked former Seahawks WR Alex Bannister.

There will be no negotiations on a contract for Coach Chin once the season starts.

The Vikes have waved buh-bye to CB Marvin Ward.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that QB Kerry Collins plans to play in 2006, and that his likely destination is Tennessee.

Asked one attendee at the rookie symposium of former NFL defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo: "Is it offensive if I call you a faggot if you are a faggot?" (Yeah, pro football is really ready for an openly gay player.)

The Dolphins have claimed WR/KR Jamall Broussard on waivers from the Bengals.

The best highlight show starting in 2006 will be on the NFL Network.

The Fins are auctioning off a Randy McMichael practice jersey. (The winning bidder also gets the cell phone that he threw at his wife in 2005.)

The Chiefs have signed WR Kyle Brown to a two-year contract (which is roughly the amount of time it will take for us to figure out who in the hell Kyle Brown is).

POSTED 5:15 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

WHAT ABOUT CHAD?

As more and more folks are expressing concern regarding the decision of the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft, via a trade up from No. 32 to No. 25, receiver Santurdio in round one of the 2006 draft, more and more folks are asking why the Steelers didn't sit tight and take Florida receiver Chad Jackson.

Instead, Jackson went to the Patriots (who traded up with the Packers) at No. 36.

If the Steelers had stayed at No. 32 (and assuming that the Pats wouldn't have traded into the bottom of round one to get Jackson), the Steelers could have had Jackon instead of Santurdio -- and kept the third-round and fourth-round picks that were sent to the Giants for the ability to move up by seven spots.

At first blush, the reason for picking Holmes over Jackson is simple: Holmes has superior punt-return and kick-return credentials, and the Steelers needed a replacement for Antwaan Randle El. But the fact that the Steelers took return specialist Willie Reid in round three suggests that Holmes was selected primarily for his potential contributions to the passing game.

Though Jackson wasn't regarded as a choir boy, the Pats obviously concluded that he'll respond well to strong on-field and off-field leadership from guys like quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. Jackson has proven himself worthy of the team's trust so far, in light of his strong performances during the helmets-and-underwear practices of May and June.

And perhaps the real difference between Jackson and Santurdio is that, because Jackson didn't attend a school that finishes its classes in June, he was able to join his NFL team early enough for said strong leadership to slap him upside the head, if necessary. For Santurdio, isolation from the team through early June due to the stoopid rule aimed at placating college coaches might have contributed to his Memorial Day weekend arrest, which in turn might have contributed to the overall stress that resulted in him allegedly roughing up one of his baby mamas.

But shouldn't the Steelers, who apparently were aware of potential concerns regarding Santurdio, have considered the fact that he'd be off limits (but for one weekend minicamp) well into June? Our guess is that some members of the organization took that into account, and that others either chose to ignore it -- or to disregard it.

In the end, the best play for the Steelers might have been to address another position at No. 32, or to trade out of the spot. It's not as if the Steelers in the Cowher era have found high-quality, high-character receivers in round one (see Troy Edwards, Plaxico Burress).

At this point, any strategy other than the one on which the team embarked would have been a better one, especially in a town that has low tolerance for turds.

HEROCK IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Several league sources have sounded off regarding the decision of former NFL executive Ken Herock to talk publicly -- and negatively -- about one of the players to whom he provided consulting services in preparation for the 2006 draft.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Wednesday (scroll down for the story), Herock said that Steelers receiver Santurdio was "ready to explode."

"He was dirt poor, all of a sudden he's got a little money, you get a little rambunctious," Herock said. "Add it up -- no money, poor family background, three kids already -- something's going to happen."

Said one league source in response to Herock's comments: "What an absolute idiot."

"He's got a good gig working and he screws it up by mouthing off about one of his clients," said the source. "It's not like he's the only person providing this type of service. Why he'd speak publicly about one of his players is beyond reason. I can't believe agents would use Herock anymore to prep their player. Holmes' agent [Joel Segal] has got to be pissed beyond measure."

How good of a gig is Herock jeopardizing? As another league source opined to us, "He finally found a job that he can be successful at because the results can never be disputed. He sure as f--k could not put an NFL roster together or evaluate talent."

Though we know nothing about Herock's abilities as a personnel exec, we agree with the notion that it was incredibly stupid for Herock to say anything negative about one of the guys he was paid to help get ready for interviews and other interactions prior to the draft. Our guess is that Herock got caught up in the notion that his efforts helped Holmes to be selected despite his flaws at a high spot in the draft, and that Herock didn't think that his candor might not be appreciated by Holmes or by Segal.

Another league insider suggested that perhaps Herock is retaliating against Santurdio because Herock either was fired or stiffed out of his fee. Still, Herock's words send a very bad message to players and agents who might use his services in the future -- and he has given his competitors plenty of ammo to convince others not to.

POSTED 10:14 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

MORE BAD PRESS FOR SANTURDIO

Though he hasn't been arrested or pulled another muscle this week, there continues to be a stream of bad press for Steelers rookie Santurdio, who recently was busted twice in a three-week span.

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former NFL personnel executive Ken Herock says that he believed Santurdio was "ready to explode."

"I had an impression of the kid, where he was from, such a tough area, but soon as he told me he had three kids I knew it was going to be a problem," Herock said. "He was dirt poor, all of a sudden he's got a little money, you get a little rambunctious. . . . Add it up -- no money, poor family background, three kids already -- something's going to happen."

Herock, who previously worked for the Raiders, Falcons, and Packers, now has a service called "Pro Prep." He helps players prepare for pre-draft interviews, and he worked with Santurdio in January.

(Is it just us, or does Herock's decision to talk publicly -- and negatively -- about a guy who paid for Herock's services reflect incredibly poor judgment? Maybe Herock's inability to realize that he should have been a bit more discreet also traces to "no money, poor family background, three kids already.")

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Pittsburgh Women's Center and Shelter is asking the Steelers not to provide a financial windfall to a guy accused of roughing up the mother of one of his children.

"I would suggest the Steelers slow down and look at the whole issue before they sign the guy, allowing for due process to take place," Shirl Regan said during a Monday appearance on ESPN 1250 in Pittsburgh. "What kind of example will Bill Cowher, the Rooney family and the Steelers set if they invite Santonio Holmes to sign a contract?"

Apparently, she's not alone. In a recent poll conducted by ThePittsburghChannel.com, 71 percent of the respondents said that the Steelers should cut Santurdio loose. (Amazingly, the guy who'll wear No. 10 for the Steelers already has become even more despised in Pittsburgh than the last guy to wear that jersey.)

Though such an extreme outcome is unlikely unless Santurdio gets busted again before signing his contract, his problems apparently have renewed debate in the front office regarding whether he should be a member of the team. As we've recently explained, there were some members of the organization who didn't want to draft him -- and there likewise are some now who are advocating a hard line for a guy who has shown that he doesn't yet "get it."

Adding to the frustrations of some members of the Steelers front office is the fact that Holmes recently has pulled a hamstring. We reported the injury on Sunday, and there's been no mention of it by the "real" media, apparently because so many of them are taking well-deserved vacations. (We keep hearing people use this word "vacation," but we don't quite understand what it means.)

But have faith, PFT readers. Word of Santurdio's bad hamstringio will come out soon enough, even as the powers-that-be in Pittsburgh rack their brains trying to figure out how we got our mitts on the info.

MORE INFO ON AGENT SELECTION PROCESS

In response to our recent string of stories regarding the unusually early agent selection process of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, an NFL source with knowledge of the manner in which college players pick agents has shared with us some more information regarding how it all happens.

And since it was news to us, we figured it might be news to some of the readers, too. (Besides, the flow of offseason news and information has slowed to less than a trickle from pap-pap's pomegranate-sized prostate, so we're glad to be able to fill the space.)

The source tells us that, at several major colleges, the coach will bring in agents during slow times in the season (such as a bye week). In some cases, three or four agents -- hand-picked by the coach -- will be available to meet with the players. This gives the coach greater control over the process, and likewise helps the coach feel more confident that the agents who get special access won't do anything to screw up a kid's eligibility.

For example, Neil Cornrich has gotten access in the past at Iowa and Wisconsin, and Tom Condon has gotten access at Boston College.

"This has been going on for years," said the source. "It seems like Notre Dame is starting earlier, but [coach Charlie] Weis is probably trying to avoid the spotlight that his program is going to receive this year. They have a lot of good senior players and their visibility is going to be off the charts."

Another source tells us that, even if Weis and the Irish are accelerating the selection process before the season starts, Weis is smart enough not to do anything that would jeopardize a player's eligibility. And in the case of Quinn, who we've heard has selected agent Don Yee, the source believes that both the Quinn camp and Yee are smart enough to keep the thing from blowing up.

Still, all it takes is one screw-up to cause a big problem. Maybe said screw-up never happens. Regardless, we'd be far more inclined to do things the way that they've been done in the past by many other schools. Acting in a manner out of the ordinary usually attracts attention, and this seems to be a subject on which as little attention as possible is preferred.

ALL-TURD TEAM A HIT

We've received dozens of e-mails from readers regarding our 2006 All-Turd Team -- and most of them are positive. We've also received solid feedback regarding the list during several of our regular radio appearances.

Most intriguingly, we've received a request from one member of the inaugural team for a trophy.

Unfortunately, trophies aren't in the budget, especially since the costs of a custom-made plastic dude in gold paint taking a dookie would likely be significant, what with the price of gasoline and everything.

Still, we appreciate the inquiry, and we're glad to know that at least one of the guys has taken the thing in stride. (Our preference would be that inclusion on the team would have prompted him to, you know, change his ways, but we prefer nonchalance to other possible reactions, such as blowing up our car.)

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Vikings S Willie Offord has pleaded guilty to DUI; he'll get 32 hours of community service, pay a $600 fine, and receive strong consideration for belated addition to the All-Turd Team.

Titans seventh-round CB Cortland Finnegan apparently has a taste for Hennigans.

Lord Favre sees the glass as half empty? (Or is he merely continuing to sandbag regarding his team's chances in the piss-poor NFC North?)

QB Jay Fiedler will pick from one of three teams -- the Bucs, the Giants, and a club that wishes to remain anonymous (for fear of facing public ridicule for actually being interested in him).

Our guess is that the Steelers are keeping Fiedler on standby as they monitor the progress of QB Ben Roethlisberger and his busted face.

Speaking of Big Ben, his future endorsements won't include motorcycle companies. (We're still waiting for that Chiclets deal to come through.)

The Cowboys have a meatball hoagie in their pockets for rookie TE Anthony Fasano.

Saints RB Reggie Bush still has nothing to say about allegations that he and/or his family received benefits from a prospective agent in violation of NCAA rules. (Only two months ago, Bush said of the brouhaha, "We have nothing to hide.")

The Giants and Jets are looking to get a whopping $25 million per year for the stadium naming rights; the current leader is the Texans, which receive $10 million per year for Reliant Stadium.

The Pats reportedly are $15.5 million under the salary cap.

POSTED 9:29 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:00 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

TAZ SEEING GREEN AFTER REED DEAL?

As an astute reader pointed out to us on Tuesday night, the new contract signed by safety Ed Reed with the Ravens could spell trouble for the Pittsburgh Steelers come 2008.

In March of that year, the team's supremely talented Tazmanian Devil, Troy Polamalu, will become an unrestricted free agent, unless he signs a long-term deal before then or the team applies to him the franchise or transition tag.

Polamalu, the team's first-round pick in 2003, is under contract for the next two seasons at salaries of $827,000 and $1.088 million.

Meanwhile, a league source tells us that Reed's new deal is believed to pay a total of $13 million over the next year, via a $7 million signing bonus and a $6 million roster bonus due in 2007, most likely in March.

And with Reed's six-year extension worth a reported $40 million, the question becomes whether the Steelers will venture into that same ballpark for Polamalu and, if not, whether Polamalu will play for less in order to stay with the team that has helped make him into a star.

If the Steelers intend to use the franchise tag in 2008, they might have trouble deciding whether to slap the tag on Taz -- or whether to use it on tailback Willie Parker, who'll likewise be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2007 season.

Throw in Coach Chin's contract, which expires after the 2007 season, and Big Ben's rookie contract, which expires after the 2008 campaign, and things could get very interesting in the 'Burgh over the next few years.

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Dan Marino and Mark Cuban might buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The penalty for a second violation of the steroids policy will be increased from six games to eight games. (As if the shrunken ballsack wasn't sufficient deterrent.)

Another former NFL turd might be signing with the Blue Bombers.

Bonnie Bernstein has officially joined ESPN and ABC to do pretty much the same thing she was doing before she left CBS, but only for lesser-profile sports.

Anheuser-Busch will continue to have exclusive commercial rights for the Super Bowl broadcast.

POSTED 6:02 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

OTHER NCAA PROGRAMS TELLING PLAYERS TO SELECT AGENTS EARLY

Though we get a real kick out of all of the nasty and profane e-mails we've received from fans of the highest-profile Catholic university in the world, we've learned that Notre Dame isn't the only institution that is advising its football players with NFL aspirations to start the process of selecting agents sooner rather than later.

A source with knowledge of the trends regarding the recruiting of college players by NFL agents tells us that decision of Irish quarterback Brady Quinn to narrow his list from an initial cut of 15 down to "a few" with more than two months to go before the start of his senior season will eventually become the rule and not the exception.

The key for any player inclined to make an agent selection early is for the player to not tell the agent about the selection. Otherwise, the player could be ruled ineligible for reaching a verbal agreement with the agent for future services -- even if no agreement is signed an no money or other thing of value changes hands.

As a practical matter, most players will know to stop short of actually tapping the agent on the shoulder and saying "you're the one I'm going to later hire." And even those who make the mistake of telling the agent that he or she is the guy or gal who'll get the gig won't get in much trouble, since it'll be very hard for the NCAA to prove ineligibility if the player and the agent deny once an investigation has been launched that any such agreement was made. For both parties, there's zero incentive to 'fess up.

So even though Weis and any other coach who tries to minimize the in-season distractions that can arise from a player getting countless phone calls from potential agents is nudging their guys closer to the line of ineligibility by instructing them to narrow the field and/or make a "tentative" selection by August, it appears that Weis and his coaching comrades realize that, unless someone says or does something incredibly stupid, it will be hard to show that the player has picked an agent.

Even if he really has.

POSTED 5:25 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

REED GETS PAID

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have signed safety Ed Reed to a six-year contract extension, which reportedly will pay him $12 million to $15 million in guaranteed money. Per the Sun, Reed will be the highest-paid safety in the league.

Reed was scheduled to make $1.983 million in 2006, the final year of his rookie contract.

Reed was the team's first-round pick in 2002, and he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He has been politicking for a new deal since then, but was stuck behind guys like Todd Heap and Jamal Lewis (who never got a long-term deal and re-signed with the team only after no one else offered him big money).

Reed's contact is likely to cause even more tension between linebacker Ray Lewis and the team, since Lewis has been campaigning for more money even longer than Reed. Indeed, there have been rumors in the past that Reed's success has created a quiet rift with Lewis, since Reed was in line to get more money before him.

POSTED 12:23 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:20 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

QUINN CAMP CONCEDES NARROWING AGENT LIST TO "A FEW"

In another story sparked by recent reports originating right here regarding whether and to what extent Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has told his seniors with NFL aspirations to pick agents before the start of the season, the South Bend Tribune reports that quarterback Brady Quinn has cut his list of potential representatives from 15 to six to "a few."

(We've previously heard that Quinn has cut his list a "a one" -- agent Don Yee.)

The overriding point to all of our reports on this topic is that the process of meeting with agents and narrowing the field months before the start of a player's senior season is risky, because it puts the player closer to the line of potential ineligibility. Obviously, no one from the Quinn camp will be dumb enough to say that they've settled on Yee, or that Yee has been given a wink-nod indication that he's the guy (so that, for example, he won't try to recruit another top-ten quarterback prospect for 2007).

Likewise, we don't expect Weis or anyone from Notre Dame to admit that players like Quinn were told to pick their agents now.

But what Weis and Notre Dame can't control are statements made to prospective NFL agents like "we're talking to you now because Coach Weis told us to pick our agents before the start of the season."

Of course, neither Notre Dame nor the Quinn camp will give any credence to the possibility that we might be onto something, since if we are onto something it creates a distraction even bigger than the distraction Weis was trying to avoid by telling the kids to get their agents picked before the season starts.

So instead we get attacked.

"Typical freaking Internet," said Notre Dame associate athletic director in charge of compliance Mike Karowski. "It's a joke."

Karowski took the "kill the messenger" thing a step farther, mocking us for relying upon the very kinds of NFL sources who are in position to hear from players that Weis has told them to pick their agents now. "My sources in the NFL," Karowski said. "Yeah, great, what sources? First of all your sources should be with the kid, the agent and the university. We're the ones who know what's going on."

But, as mentioned above, none of those sources can be relied upon to tell the truth if the truth were to trigger a finding that Quinn has lost his eligibility by selecting Yee to be his agent.

(And thanks to the reader who pointed out to us the possible slip committed by Karowski when speaking of "the kid, the agent, and the university." Karowski's quote implies that there's only one agent to talk to, which possibly implies that one agent has been chosen.)

Weis clearly has, at a minimum, encouraged Quinn to get a long head start on picking his agent. We hear that other players have been told to do the same thing. Whether they are doing so remains to be seen.

The fact is that Quinn's efforts, at a minimum, to get a long head start on picking his agent have prompted credible sources within the NFL agent community to conclude: (1) that the process is more widespread than Quinn; and (2) that Quinn already has picked Yee. Whether Notre Dame chooses to react to this reality by taking potshots at us for exposing it or by hiding under the bed and hoping nothing comes of it doesn't really matter to us.

Nevertheless, we figure that the whole "we're Notre Dame, so the NCAA won't mess with us" mentality made Weis and the athletic staff willing to let guys like Quinn take steps toward potential premature ineligibility -- and that guys like Karowski are reacting negatively because someone has dared to acknowledge the possibility that Emperor Charlie might be riding down the street butt-naked on a burro.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

It's been 20 years since Browns DB Don Rogers died from a cocaine overdose.

Titans QB Billy Volek plans to get together with his receivers in Arizona.

The guy who allegedly cut the arm of Fins DE Jason Taylor with a screwdriver has pleaded not guilty.

Pats CB Asante Samuel has been training with Eagles DE Jevon Kearse.

The Rams requested permission to interview Tom Dimitroff of the Patriots for the position filled by Tony Softli, but the Pats declined.

Amphetamines and meth have been moved from the league's substance abuse policy to the steroid policy, triggering greater sanctions.

The Vikings have had preliminary discussions with each of the team's six draft picks.

Giants DE Michael Strahan testified that he was embarrassed when his now-estranged wife cussed him in front of his father. (Why didn't he just handle the situation like other NFL players and punch her in the face?)

Titans coach Jeff Fisher says that rookie DT Jesse Mahelona is "flashing" -- which apparently doesn't mean that Mahelona is showing off his "my bologna."

The agent for LB Ahmad Brooks says that his client is "drug-free and 100 percent healthy." (Just once we'd love to hear one of these guys say something like, "My client has more crack than bus full of plumbers.")

Mike Ditka likes Ozzie Guillen . . . and pretty much anyone else who is working hard to develop mainstream acceptance of the word "fag."

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News lists some of the menu selections at the smoothie franchise opened by Raiders WR Randy Moss.

"I wonder if anyone can tell that I pissed in this."

POSTED 8:36 a.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

NOTRE DAME DENIES THAT WEIS TOLD PLAYERS TO PICK AGENTS

According to the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, Notre Dame denied on Monday that coach Charlie Weis has told his senior players with NFL aspirations to select agents prior to the start of the 2006 football season.

After reporting last week that quarterback Brady Quinn has honed in on agent Don Yee (at, as we've heard, the urging of both Weis and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady), we were told by a league source that Weis has given his guys the directive to pick their agents before the season begins, in order to minimize distractions. The mere fact that Quinn, who potentially will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, has spent time (as reported elsewhere) narrowing the universe of potential agents to six (and as we've heard unofficially cutting the list to one) tends to support the notion that Weis has put out such an edict.

But Notre Dame associate athletic director for compliance Mike Karowski says that any such suggestion is "far-fetched."

"Did I find it a little ridiculous? Yeah," Karowski told the Journal Gazette. "No one from the site has called me or Charlie or anyone else asking how anything is handled."

But so what if we haven't called Charlie or Karowski? Either Weis has told his guys to pick agents early or he hasn't. The fact that we haven't dialed up someone for a self-serving perfunctory denial doesn't mean that what we've heard isn't true.

Says Karowski: "We told them they can't make the final decision or any overtures. Are some of our kids working with a list of 10 as opposed to 30, sure, it’s permissible."

"We have every confidence that Charlie knows the rules, has communicated the rules and that our compliance people are in complete concert as to what can be done and what can’t be done," added Notre Dame associate athletic director for media relations John Heisler.

The issue likely has become a sore spot in South Bend because (as we realized after hearing that Weis is telling the kids to pick agents) even a verbal agreement to retain the agent upon completion of the player's eligibility renders the player ineligible.

And it's obvious that something out of the ordinary is happening, given that Karowski has conceded at least "some of our kids" have narrowed the list of potential agents more than two months before Touchdown Jesus settles in with His popcorn for the first game of the year. If any one of those kids makes a final decision, communicates the decision to the agent, and the agent explicitly or implicitly accepts the representation, the kid technically has rendered himself ineligible.

That's why the entire notion of narrowing the list of potential agents before the start of the season seems like a bad idea to us. First of all, the flow of news is pretty slow right now for the folks who cover college football, and the fact that some Notre Dame players are whittling down their list of potential agents could prompt all sorts of sniffing around that wouldn't happen if the lists was being narrowed in October or November when the journalists are otherwise consumed with, you know, covering football games. Second, the wisest approach in any endeavor requiring compliance with rules is to figure out where the "line" is -- and to stay the hell away from it. Third, USC's experiences from April and May suggest that more and more folks are now inclined to pay attention to potential rules violations that previously were ignored.

Of course, the real question here is whether the NCAA would ever take action against its golden child. Barring blatant misconduct, we seriously doubt that the Irish would ever find themselves on the short end of an investigation -- and our guess is that the school took that reality into consideration when advising players as to the do's and dont's for getting a head start for picking an agent.

POSTED 11:23 p.m. EDT, June 26, 2006

NFL, NFLPA SUED IN CONNECTION WITH HEDGE FUND FAILURE

Margaret Cronin Fisk of Bloomberg News reports that seven current and former NFL players have sued both the league and the NFL Players Association, alleging that both organizations approved unfit financial advisors that cost the players $20 million in losses.

In a suit filed in federal court in Atlanta on June 23, the players alleged that the NFL and the NFLPA approved Kirk Wright and Nelson Keith Bond, heads of the bankrupt hedge fund International Management Associates LLC, without conducting background checks.

The plaintiffs are Steve Atwater, Blaine Bishop, Marco Coleman, Ray Crockett, Clyde Simmons, Al Smith, and Carlos Emmons. Of the group, only Emmons is still playing.

Though we've yet to eyeball the complaint, our guess is that the primary claims are that the NFL and the NFLPA negligently failed to gather information that would have suggested a problem with Wright and Bond. The key to making such allegations stick is the existence of a legal duty to exercise due care.

In other words, is the NFLPA or the NFL required by law to undertake a reasonable investigation of the financial advisors?

For the union, it might be easier to establish a duty of due care, since the NFLPA "certifies" financial advisors and requires players to select one from the approved list. Indeed, NFLPA-certified agents who use non-approved advisors for their clients face the possibility of discipline from the union.

As a result, as the argument likely goes, the NFLPA has undertaken a duty to exercise reasonable prudence in screening the financial advisors. It might not be enough to simply collect the certification fee and gather basic information; by restricting the universe of potential financial advisors, the union arguably has assumed a responsibility to the players to ensure that the eligible advisors know what they're doing.

As to the NFL, it might be harder for the players to establish a legal duty. After all, the union not the league is the exclusive agent of the rank-and-file. Although it is alleged that several of the plaintiffs asked the NFL for information about the advisors and that the NFL reported that there were no "red flags," we're not sure that this is enough to give rise to a legal duty on the part of the NFL to find red flags.

Moreover, the NFL could argue that the negligence of the NFLPA in certifying the advisors supersedes any actions of the NFL in, by all appearances, gratuitously providing information to the players. Thus, by pointing the finger squarely at the union, the NFL and its army of high-priced lawyers could end up being a powerful ally for the players by helping them prove out their case against the union.

POSTED 10:56 a.m. EDT, June 26, 2006

EAGLES TICKET SCALPING CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

Dave Davies of the Philadelphia Daily News reports on an issue of which we first caught wind earlier this month, when multiple disgruntled Eagles fans who tried to purchase single-game tickets found that the seats were sold out nearly instantaneously -- but that plenty of seats were available (at a premium) via RazorGator.com.

The problem, as Davies observes, is that the team's web site openly pimps for RazorGator, even though some of the tickets offered via the "brokerage" are priced at more than 25 percent above face value, which violates the Pennsylvania anti-scalping law.

"When this happened, we got a flood of calls from people who said the ticket sales [from the Eagles web site] were closed in a matter of seconds, literally seconds," WIP-AM sports-talk host Angelo Cataldi told the Daily News.

Although Eagles president Joe Banner labels as "crazy" speculation that the organization funnels seats that otherwise would be sold to the general public to RazorGator.com, the team has invited such speculation by hopping into bed with a high-class, high-tech ticket scalping operation.

What's next? Partnerships between pro football teams and dot-com escort services?

And the circumstantial evidence doesn't help the team's cause, in our view. "What's difficult to believe is that hundreds and hundreds of Eagles fans independently would decide to sell their tickets for the Cowboys game, the biggest of the year, and by coincidence sell them through RazorGator," WIP host Glen Macnow told the Daily News.

Banner deftly avoids the real issue by castigating those who would dare to raise a rather obvious question regarding the real link between an NFL team and a ticket scalping agency. "The cynicism and distrust in that question is offensive," Banner said, "and I wonder why it's not asked of anyone else."

So let's get this straight. It's okay for the Eagles to set up a partnership with a company that sells tickets to its games at well above face value, it's okay for the Eagles to direct members of the general public who can't get tickets to Eagles games at face value to the team's ticket-scalping "partner," but it's not okay for anyone to complain about the appearance that this creates unless they're also going to crack down on every guy who owns a laminated "I NEED TICKETS" sign?

The NFL is obsessed with its image, yet the Eagles are creating the kind of issue that'll make the white collars at Park Avenue cringe like a kid who caught his parents making out. So we're amazed by the fact that the league allows this kind of stuff to go on, given that it causes plenty of average fans to conclude that their favorite teams are up to something shady.

Even if they really aren't.

ALL HAIL THE ALL-TURD TEAM!

After weeks (okay, hours) of careful thought and deliberation, we've unveiled the first annual PFT All-Turd Team.

And before you ask why guys like O.J. Simpson and Rae Carruth have been omitted, keep in mind that this is only the list of current NFL players who qualify for a spot on the squad. We're presently compiling the All-Time All-Turd Team, which we plan to release on July 4.

We're still taking nominations for the All-Time Team.

We'll also induct the charter class into the All-Turd Hall of Fame on the weekend of the NFL's Hall of Fame game.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Former NFL DE Dexter Manley underwent an 11-hour surgery to remove a cyst from his brain that had been there since 1986.

Thanks to Tom Brady, every team that drafts a quarterback in round six thinks they've found a keeper.

Bucs QB Chris Simms, on Big Ben's decision to commandeer a crotch rocket: "That's just dangerous."

Titans QB Vince Young has made "monumental" progress . . . now if he could only figure out how to put on the team's helmet.

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow tells Vince Young: "Son, the facemask goes in the front."

From the "Is It Too Late To Publicly Fund That Stadium?" file, a study shows that NFL games actually reduce sales tax revenues.

POSTED 6:22 p.m. EDT, June 25, 2006

SANTURDIO PULLS A HAMMY

A league source tells us that Steelers receiver Santurdio (known elsewhere as Santonio Holmes) has pulled a hamstring. As the source remarked, "He apparently wasn't running fast enough from his police or his significant other."

The source characterized the injury as something that "should be the last straw, but won't be" for the troubled rookie, who has been arrested twice in the past four weeks. Most recently, 22-year-old Santurdio was busted for allegedly busting up the mother of one of his three children.

As we've recently reported, there was a difference of opinion in the front office as to whether Holmes should be selected with the 25th overall pick in the draft. We've also heard that Santurdio is on "thin ice" with the Steelers, who (we're told) were warned about him prior to the draft.

But Santurdio still has the favor of folks in high places with the club (i.e., Coach Chin), and there won't be (for now) an effort to cut ties with Holmes or to make him a low-ball offer that he'd be likely to refuse, forcing him to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft.

Look for his agent, Joel Segal, to wait until the guys in front of him and behind him in round one have been signed -- and then to argue that Santurdio should get something right in the middle. But if Santurdio screws up again between now and then, he might have to take a one-year, $275,000 deal or otherwise not play at all this year.

POSTED 12:15 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:08 p.m. EDT, June 25, 2006

WEIS, IRISH FLIRTING WITH DISASTER?

A league source with intimate knowledge of the applicable NCAA regulations tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis might have rendered quarterback Brady Quinn and other incoming seniors ineligible if, as we previously have reported, Weis has directed the seniors with designs on pro football to pick their agents before the start of the 2006 season.

Rule 12.3.1 of the NCAA bylaws states that "[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she ever has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport." Rule 12.3.1.1 elaborates on the general principle set forth in Rule 12.3.1: "An individual shall be ineligible per Bylaw 12.3.1 if he or she enters into a verbal or written agreement with an agent for representation in future professional sports negotiations that are to take place after the individual has completed his or her eligibility in that sport." A screen shot of the relevant page from the on-line NCAA manual appears below.

So what does it all mean? If Quinn or any other of his teammates actually pick a football agent before the completion of their eligibility, their eligibility might be completed far sooner than they realized.

The key is that eligibility evaporates per Rule 12.3.1.1 even if there's only a verbal agreement between, for example, Quinn and agent Don Yee that Yee will represent Quinn, and that a written agreement for the representation will be signed later. Although it might be difficult for the NCAA to prove that there's a violation if Quinn and Yee mutually agree to claim that there was no agreement, the fact that Quinn is going through the process of interviewing agents and narrowing the field before his final season of college ball is strong circumstantial evidence of an intention to pick his agent while still otherwise eligible. The fact that Yee and others are participating in the process is likewise circumstantial evidence of an implicit agreement that they'll agree to represent Quinn, if picked to do so.

The broader question is whether the NCAA will dare to do anything that might result in killing the goose that lays beneath the golden dome. Our guess? The powers-that-be will stick their heads in the sand on this one, content in spewing the party line that no final selections have been made by any of the Notre Dame seniors.

Still, it's a risk that Weis would have been wise not to take, in light of the plain language of the relevant bylaws (unless, of course, he got advance approval from the NCAA that it's okay to tell his guys to pick their agents if they merely don't tell the agents they've been picked).

And what does Weis really gain by forcing the players to pick agents now? Although some league insiders think it's a brilliant strategy for minimizing distractions, it's also a possible means for fomenting resentment from players who would have preferred not to be rushed. Many factors still need to be determined, and an agent who looks to be the right choice in June might not ultimately be a player's best bet come January.

As one league insider told us on Sunday, "Weis isn't doing the kids any favors by sheltering them. He instead should be educating them so that they can make good decisions at the right time."

Indeed, the only college players who talk to agents during the seasons are the college players who want to. Really, why should Weis or any other coach tell the players that they can't use what little free time they have talking to potential agents?

Stay tuned. At a time when the media ripped ferociously into various scandals that emerged in April regarding USC, we figure that there's enough blood in the water to prompt a few of them to take a hard look at whether the efforts of Charlie Weis to minimize distractions have inadvertently created a big fat one.

NEW ERA BROCHURE SHOWS CARAVANTES AS KEY PLAYER

Speaking of the USC scandals, we've gotten our mitts on the marketing brochure used by New Era Sports & Entertainment in connection with its efforts to recruit new client. New Era, as you might recall, is the agency that wanted to secure the representation of former Trojan tailback Reggie Bush, and that allegedly funneled money and free rent to Bush's family in an effort to make it happen.

One of the issues that arose in the immediate wake of the Bush scandal was whether and to what extent NFLPA-licensed agent David Caravantes was involved in the agency. Predictably, Caravantes took a hands-off approach to New Era, since any association with a group that was potentially giving money or other things of value to a prospective client could get Caravantes in hot water.

If the New Era brochure accurately describes Caravantes' relationship with the agency, he's well on his way to taking a skinny dip in a steaming lobster pot.

For starters, the brochure identifies Caravantes as the "Chief Executive Officer" of New Era, calling him the "nucleus" of the agency.

New Era, a firm that supposedly was in its infancy, claims in its brochure that it has a "track record of success in negotiating NFL contracts," that it has "built a reputation for negotiating superior contracts structured to receive maximum compensation and guaranteed payment," and that it has "negotiated some of the richest contracts in the NFL, including contracts for the top three draft picks and record-breaking free agent deals."

The brochure also creates the impression that New Era negotiated big-money deals for players like Antonio Freeman, Darren Sharper, Gerard Warren, Rod Gardner, T.J. Duckett, William Joseph, Tony Parrish, Mark Roman, Todd Pinkston, Rogers Beckett, Jerry Porter, and Pino Tinoisamoa.

But most if not all of these players were represented not by New Era, but by Joel Segal, with whom Caravantes previously worked.

Coincidentally, Segal ultimately was hired to represent Bush.

Bottom line? Just because the story has gotten quiet over the past few weeks doesn't mean it's gone away. And unless Caravantes can persuade the NFLPA that the folks at New Era cobbled together the brochure without his knowledge, input, and/or approval, and if there's ever a determination that money was given by New Era to the Bush family, it might be time for Caravantes to consider a new career.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Pats WR Chad Jackson has looked good in offseason workouts; as Mike Felger of the Boston Herald points out, the team needs him to carry his helmets-and-underwear performance into the 2006 season.

It shouldn't be surprising that a guy who got a six on the Wonderlic would have trouble reading traffic signs in Tennessee.

Does Jake Plummer have an ulterior motive for his charity work?

"Dude, you wanna check out my ride? Honda Element, baby."

Says Titans coach Jeff Fisher: "There are going to be some players under lock and key throughout training camp."

Elizabeth Merrill of the Kansas City Star posits ten questions about the Chiefs. (No. 11 -- "Does anyone give a sh-t?")

Let the Wade v. Marino debate begin in South Florida. (And even if Dwayne comes out on the losing end, keep in mind that he's already won something that Dan could never muster.)

New Packers coach Mike McCarthy is "very personable." (Man, we'd hate to see how many guys would have stayed away from voluntary workouts if Mike was a "real prick".)

Deion Branch will only be getting "Reggie Wayne money" if he starts cutting Reggie Wayne's grass.

Is K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune just figuring out now that "voluntary" doesn't really mean "voluntary"?

Bucs RB Michael Pittman has auctioned off his motorcycle. (But does he still own the Hummer that he used to bash his wife's car . . . while his wife was in it?)

POSTED 3:32 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 6:44 p.m. EDT, June 24, 2006

STEELERS NOT INCLINED TO PAY COWHER BIG MONEY?

A source with knowledge of the intentions of the Steelers organization regarding the salary of its head coach has indicated to us that the team won't increase Bill Cowher's salary to the range of $7 million per year.

The bar was set at that level when Microsoft gazillionaire Paul Allen signed Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren to a two-year extension worth a reported $7.5 million to $8.5 million per year.

Cowher has two years left on his current deal. In the past, his contract typically has been extended before he embarks on the next-to-last season of the deal. This time around, an extension presently is looking like a long shot.

Complicating matters are indications that Cowher might retire after either the 2006 or the 2007 season. Some league insiders believe that Cowher's current year-to-year stance coupled with the relocation of his wife to a $2.5 million home in North Carolina is part of an elaborate leverage play by the veteran coach. Others think he's laying the foundation for a graceful exit, which won't create the appearance that he's making a run for the big money. After all, hard-core blue-collar Steeler fans don't quite comprehend the difference between $4 million and $7 million per year.

On the other hand, we're all "worth" precisely that which someone will pay us, and if a high-revenue team like the Redskins is willing to throw $8 million, $9 million, $10 million or more at Cowher come 2008, it'd be hard to fault him for securing his family's future.

In the end, the question for Cowher is whether he really wants to continue grinding it out and, if so, whether he's willing to take less to do it in a place where his legacy could only be tarnished only by an ugly separation.

SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Packers have signed seventh-round DE Dave Tollefson.

Rams RB Marshall Faulk might be having more knee surgery, sitting out the 2006 season with pay, working for the NFL Network, and returning for another season of football in 2007.

Former Titans QB Steve McNair made a surprise appearance at Jeff Fisher's charity softball game.

Says Titans coach Jeff Fisher: "Steve, take me with you. Please."

Titans G.M. Floyd Reese won an award from the Pro Football Writers Association for making the jobs of NFL journalists easier (he always gives us something to write about by doing something stoopid).

A criminal case against Chiefs S Greg Wesley has been dismissed.

Jason Cole of the Miami Herald reports that LB Ahmad Brooks was dismissed from the Virginia football team after failing multiple drug tests.

The Fins are nevertheless interested in Brooks (hey, they've got plenty of experience with guys who like the ganja).

Can Brian Billick get his edge back?

The Cardinals plan to extend the contracts of certain veteran players (given a mandatory salary floor that will hit at least $95 million in 2007, the team needs to either pay them now -- or pay them later).

POSTED 12:38 a.m. EDT, June 24, 2006

BLUE BOMBERS BOTTLE UP BONG BOY

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers held Toronto running back Ricky Williams to 14 yards on eight carries in a 16-9 defeat of the Argos on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Blue Bombers' tailback Charles Roberts carried 32 times for 133 yards.

Roberts said before the game that he wanted to gain more yards than Ricky. He did it by a ratio of 9.5 to 1.

BONNIE IS BACK?

The Los Angeles Times reports that former NFL sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein is close to signing with ABC/ESPN. Bernstein left CBS earlier this year without another job lined up.

She was believed to be looking for something in hard news, or a talk show. Instead, she'll work Sunday night baseball games and college football in the fall.

A spot with the sister networks opened when Sam Ryan left for CBS.

Meanwhile, Bernstein's official web site continues to pimp her consulting services via the entity known as "Velvet Hammer Media." Perhaps, for $1,250 an hour, she can explain to aspiring broadcasters why she gave up a gig covering the most popular sport in the country with no plan B in place, only to surface months later covering B-level sports.

POSTED 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 23, 2006

SANTURDIO ON "THIN ICE"

A source with knowledge of the Pittsburgh Steelers' current attitude toward first-round draft pick Santurdio tells us that the former Ohio State wideout is on "thin ice" with the team.

Though the source didn't elaborate, we interpret this to mean that, if Santurdio screws up one more time before he signs his rookie contract, the team will wash its hands of him.

Another possible strategy for the team would be to stand on the requisite one-year tender for the rookie minimum of $275,000, which every club must extend to every draft pick. If Santurdio refuses to sign it, he can sit out the season and then re-enter the draft.

And that might be a better approach than merely cutting him, since Santurdio likely would end up being claimed via waivers or signed as a free agent if the Steelers wash their hands of him.

Santurdio's best approach, in our view, is to get his contract signed. Now. The only problem is that he's represented by Joel "Escargot" Segal, who refuses to sign any of his first-round clients until the guy immediately in front of his client and the guy immediately behind him has signed.

Of course, the fact that Segal represents Santurdio could be the reason for the team's current stance, since that might get Segal to the table sooner rather than later.

WEIS TOLD IRISH TO PICK AGENTS NOW

A league source tells us that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn has settled on his agent now because, well, Quinn's head coach told him to.

Per the source, Irish coach Charlie Weis told all of his incoming seniors with NFL potential to figure out before the start of the season the person they'll eventually hire to handle their football contract at the next level. We're also told that Weis has offered to provide input for any of his guys who want it.

In return, Weis has told the troops that the agent/NFL issue must not be a distraction once the season starts.

It's thought to be the first time that a college coach has given such a directive to his players, and it's being viewed as a stroke of genius in some circles. As a practical matter, it also gives Weis tremendous influence over whom the players will pick -- and that's good news for any agents whom Weis likes.

Bad news for any he doesn't.

College players are allowed to communicate with agents, but are not allowed to accept anything of value or to sign a representation agreement. Our guess is that Weis also has given his guys strict orders to let him know if any agent offers cash, cars, or catamarans. Given what we've seen and heard of Weis, we think he wouldn't think twice about turning in to the NFLPA any agent who crosses the line.

SAMARDZIJA ALREADY HAS HIS FOOTBALL AGENT?

One of the other first-round prospects in South Bend, receiver Jeff Samardzija, already has an agent. For baseball.

But we've been told (and we've confirmed) that Mark Rodgers also is a certified NFLPA agent, who has negotiated one active contract.

So if Rodgers is also Samardzija's pre-season choice to handle his football contract, does the fact that Samardzija already has signed with Rodgers for baseball purposes screw up his eligibility?

We don't know the answer to the question, but given Samardzija's specific circumstances and the inherently arbitrary and capricious entity known as the NCAA, it might be a good idea for Irish coach Charlie Weis to give Samardzija an exemption to the "pick your agent now" rule, just in case.

POSTED 9:41 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 2:00 p.m. EDT, June 23, 2006

YEE THE FRONT-RUNNER IN QUINN QUEST

A league source tells us that agent Don Yee has emerged as the front-runner in the race to secure the representation of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

Quinn, who for reasons that still aren't clear has opted to get an early start on the selection process, can't sign with Yee or any other agent until he wraps up his college career. So it's possible that, even if Quinn makes a tentative decision to retain Yee, Quinn's mind could change between now and January.

Then again, the purpose of picking an agent now likely is to ensure that Quinn won't be distracted once the season starts with calls, e-mails, and text messages from prospective agents. (Or that no one in his family will end up living rent-free in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.)

We're also told that Irish coach Charlie Weis and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (who is represented by Yee) have been instrumental in pushing Quinn toward the Los Angeles-based agent, who per NFLPA records has negotiated 17 active contracts. Yee negotiated for Brady a team-friendly contract that will pay Brady handsomely, but that won't compromise the Patriots' ability to put a solid roster around their quarterback.

And the influence of Weis and Brady has been strong enough to overcome the fact that Quinn's future brother-in-law, linebacker A.J. Hawk, is represented by Priority Sports & Entertainment of Chicago. Priority Sports was one of the finalists for the representation, but we're told that the firm is now out of the running.

WHERE WILL QUINN LAND?

With (as a league source tells us) a grade of 8.0 in the National scouting rankings, Quinn legitimately has the inside track on being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

So is it too early to project where Quinn might land? Yeah, but we're gonna do it anyway.

The candidates for the worst record in the 2006 season are (in our view) the Jets, the Bills the Titans, the Texans, the Raiders, the Vikings, the Packers, the Saints, the Rams, the 49ers. Of those, the Jets, the Bills, the Raiders, the Vikings, the Packers, the Saints (who owe Drew Brees a $12 million option bonus in March), and the Rams would be the prime candidates to land Quinn.

Other teams who might need a starting quarterback in 2007, and who might be inclined to trade up if a team like the Texans or the Titans hold the first pick, include the Browns, the Ravens (if the Steve McNair experiment is a disaster), the Chiefs, the Cowboys, and the Lions.

RAMS "STUPID" FOR TRADING FOR RAGONE

If the first official move of the Tony Softli regime in St. Louis was to swing a trade with the Bengals for quarterback Dave Ragone, then that Lombardi trophy in the team's case is going to continue to be lonely for a long while.

A league source tells us that it was a "stupid, stupid move" by the Rams, because the Bengals were getting ready to cut Ragone -- and that "everyone" knew it.

Everyone, of course, but the Rams.

The other strange aspect of the move, as our pal Howard Balzer of USA Today SportsWeekly pointed out to us earlier in the week, is that the Rams could have had Ragone for nothing after he was cut by the Texans. Only the Bengals and the Colts had put in waiver claims, and St. Louis would have been awarded the rights to Ragone by virtue of having a 2005 record worse than either of those teams.

Instead, the Rams will owe a seventh-round pick to the Bengals in 2007 if Ragone makes the roster in St. Louis.

And before anyone concludes that Ragone is merely a cap arm whom the Rams will cut come September, consider this -- the Rams (we're told) gave him a $100,000 signing bonus.

CONFLICTING REPORTS ON BROOKS WORKOUT

On Thursday, we reported that all teams except the Bears were represented at the workout of former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks.

On Friday, there are discrepancies in the various reports regarding who was and wasn't there. Gil Brandt of NFL.com reports that 31 teams were present for the workout, but that the missing team was the Vikings, not the Bears.

However, we're now certain that the Bears were not there -- so if Brandt is right that the Vikings weren't present (and we're not yet willing to concede that he is), then there were only 30 teams at the workout.

Brandt's information otherwise meshes pretty well with ours regarding the workout.

According to Albert Breer of the Boston Herald, only 22 teams were present at the workout and that the Patriots were one of the absent teams. Breer got his information in this regard from Brooks' agent, Greg Williams.

We're standing by our report, but we're likewise rolling up our sleeves to find out whether the Vikings, the Pats, or any other teams skipped the workout. The Bears definitely were not there.

SNOOP DOGG, TITANS FAN?

The shifting allegiances of rapper/ex-con/accused murderer/pop culture curiosity Snoop Dogg have worked their way into a new NFL city.

Less than a month after the Steelers received a video message from Snoop, a supposedly long-time fan of the team, the Dogg has a new favorite team.

According to the Nashville Tennessean, Titans rookie LenDale White says that Snoop Dogg has pledged his allegiance to Tennessee's pro team.

Several weeks ago, we addressed the question of whether a real fan of the Steelers would be caught alive or dead in the colors of another team. The resounding response from real Steelers fans was: "F--k no!"

We previously posted a photo of Snoop wearing a Patriots jersey. Thanks to the readers who have sent us snapshots of Snoop paying homage to another one of the Steelers' mortal enemies -- the Oakland Raiders.

"I go way back to '76," Snoop said in 2002, a season in which the Raiders coincidentally returned to the Super Bowl. "I was down with Lester Hayes, the Snake, Marcus Allen -- all of those guys. I could go on all day about them."

A real Steelers fan could go on all day about them, too. The subjects, however, would involve the various ways that the real Steelers fan would like to desecrate their vehicles with a variety of bodily functions.

Snoop Dogg also sucked up to the Broncos, back in the days when Terrell Davis was scoring touchdowns and, more importantly, the team was winning trophies.

And he's got a soft spot for the Giants, it appears.

The Jaguars, too.

Bottom line -- Snoop Dogg can't credibly claim a true, undivided loyalty to any one team. He sucks up to the top dogs, periodically panders to the teams that aren't tearing up the league, and pulls for the franchises for which pals like LenDale and Willie McGinest play. (In that regard, we'll be on the lookout for Snoop in his Browns gear this year.)

Snoop isn't a real fan of any one team, and as a result he'll never know the true, non-chemically induced high that occurs when your one favorite team wins -- or the true, non-chemically induced high that occurs when your one favorite team loses.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Published reports indicate that Saints LT Jammal Brown's altercation with his wife was more than just yelling.

Rams RB Marshall Faulk says he's a "foreigner to [his] own body."

The 'Skins have signed seventh-round OL Kili Lefotu (gesundheit).

Packers president John Jones is continuing to recover from open heart surgery.

Kenyatta Walker is the only offensive starter from the Bucs' 2002 Super Bowl championship team still at the top of the depth chart.

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune digs deep into the cliche' bag for this one: "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Bucs coach Jon Gruden's published quotes from Thursday don't include "Where's my f--king lunch?" . . . but we'd be willing to bet that he said it at some point in the day.

Giants QB Eli Manning pretty much admits that he has no personality or charisma.

The Orlando Predators have extended coach Jay Gruden's contract through 2011.

Veteran Bucs TE Dave Moore, on whether he'd miss the team's outdated practice facility: "Uh . . . no."

Another decade, another Metcalf.

Has Pacman Jones finally grown up?

Agent Jack Bechta apparently needs to slap a muzzle on CB Al Harris.

The Bengals might have a waiting list other than the one for visiting team players in jail.

A limited number of tickets for the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies were available as of 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday (and our guess is that all of them were gone within minutes -- but that plenty are available via RazorGator.com).

POSTED 10:46 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:34 p.m. EDT, June 22, 2006

JAMMAL BROWN GETS BUSTED

A league source tells us that Saints tackle Jammal Brown has been arrested for domestic battery in New Orleans.

Per the source, Brown was arrested after an incident with his wife. Word is that Brown got in Mrs. Brown's face in the presence of one of her family members. After Brown left, the family member pushed Mrs. Brown to call the police.

When Brown returned, the police were in the house -- and then they took Brown to the big house.

It's our understanding that Brown already has been released on bond.

Of course, the best part of all of this is that we've now got another candidate to help beef up a relatively thin offensive line on the soon-to-be-release 2006 All-Turd Team. (We were afraid that we'd have to fatten up some of the receivers in order to fill out depth chart at center, guard, and tackle.)

DID THE BENGALS KNOW ABOUT FROSTEE?

One of the hot topics making the rounds in league circles on Thursday is the question of whether the Cincinnati Bengals knew that USC defensive end Frostee Rucker was facing potential charges of spousal battery and vandalism stemming from an April 2005 incident before drafting him in April 2006.

Rucker is the guy to whom we were referring in our April 27 entry regarding one more potential pre-draft bombshell. Several teams were aware generally of a potential issue involving Rucker that could hurt his draft stock; none of our sources knew what the specific problem was.

What's currently unclear is whether the Bengals drafted him without, or in spite of, the knowledge that he could be arrested for something that allegedly occurred a year earlier. Since several of the teams who knew about the issue had opted to remove Rucker from their draft boards, our guess is that the Bengals were clueless.

Now that they know, and it remains to be seen whether coach Marvin Lewis ever makes an example out of one of his burgeoning flock of turdgulls.

STRAHAN ALLEGATIONS AREN'T STICKING (FOR THE MOST PART)

The general reaction around the league to the allegation by Jean Strahan that her husband Michael embarked on an "alternative lifestyle" with Dr. Ian Smith after Jean kicked Mike out of the house is that the notion of a gay Strahan is a bunch of hoo-hah, caa-caa, and/or doodie. However, one of our regular contacts raises an interesting point regarding the decision of Strahan to bunk up with Smith.

Once Strahan gets booted from the family home, what the hell is he doing moving into a one-bedroom apartment with a dude? Specifically, with this dude?

I loooove me some me.

Strahan made $5.25 million in base salary in 2005. He can afford an apartment. Or a suite at the Ritz-Carlton. Worst-case scenario, it's our understanding that the Giants maintain accommodations for guys who fly in for look-sees throughout the year. Strahan could have hunkered down in one of those rooms until he lined up something more permanent.

This ain't The Odd Couple. (Then again, maybe it is.) Grown men with great jobs don't need to share rent or other expenses.

Meanwhile, the biggest "we're not gay . . . not that there's anything wrong with it" controversy to hit Manhattan since George Costanza complained to that reporter from the NYU newspaper about his "high and whiny" voice continues to percolate. Strahan's parents have spoken out on Mike's behalf, explaining that he's not gay -- and that they'd know if he were. (After all, they never put him in culottes as a child.)

More importantly, Jean Strahan is now backing away from her "alternative lifestyle" comment, explaining that she was referring merely to Strahan chasing women after the marriage dissolved. "This is someone who weeks earlier was committed to two babies and a family life," said Jean Strahan. "So all of a sudden he became a wild bachelor overnight. To me, that was a very alternative lifestyle."

Please, Jean. You knew damn well what you meant. So now she either is backing away because she knows it isn't true, or because she thinks it might be true but knows that there won't be any cocktail dresses with objective evidence to confirm her suspicions.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Raiders DT Warren Sapp has struck a deal to open some HipHopSodaShops in Florida.

Prime Time could be landing with the NFL Network.

ESPN's Steve Young wants to cut back on the cross-country commutes from Cali to Bristol.

Minnesota RB Gary Russell might be a late entry in the Supplemental Draft.

Can you smell what the Rock's been rupturing?

The Cowboys have cut WR Tom Crowder.

The Giants are going Little.

The Bengals have cut WR Jamall Broussard. ("We're sorry, Jamall, but you don't have enough arrests on your record to play here.")

Bears coach Lovie Smith expects that there will be no holdouts at his team's training camp.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is getting his own jersey (and his own matching cell).

POSTED 5:38 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:13 p.m. EDT, June 22, 2006

31 TEAMS ATTEND BROOKS WORKOUT

A league source has given us the lowdown on the Pro Day workout of former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Per the source, every team was represented at the session, with the sole exception of the Chicago Bears.

Another source tells us that the Bears weren't present because they've got no interest in Brooks, due to his baggage.

But despite the presence of 31 teams, only one head coach attended -- Mike Nolan of the 49ers. G.M. Randy Mueller was present on behalf of the Miami Dolphins, which is one of the teams presumed to be most interested in Brooks.

Brooks weighed in at 260 pounds, a number that many scouts considered to be ideal for him. But to get down to 260, Brooks gave up some strength. As a result, he managed only 19 reps in the 225-pound bench press exercise.

In the 40-yard dash, Brooks posted times of 4.68 and 4.72 seconds.

In the three-cone drill and the short shuttle, Brooks' form was regarded as poor. Despite a supposed ten weeks of training for the workout, we're told that he had to be shown how to run the three-cone test.

All things considered, the thinking is that Brooks helped himself in advance of the upcoming Supplemental Draft, and there's a belief that someone will select him in round two. Indeed, we continue to hear glowing accounts from scouts and other league insiders regarding Brooks' performance in 2004 with the Cavs.

Still, there are rumors swirling that his former coaching staff at Virginia hasn't gone out of its way to pimp him at the next level. In this regard, the fact that Brooks was kicked off of the Virginia team by coach Al Groh likely speaks volumes; absent a strong pitch from Groh or his staff, turd-averse teams are likely to pass.

But all it takes is one team to pull the trigger. And in the chess match that is the Supplemental Draft all it takes are two teams with an interest in the player to get him taken a round or two earlier than he'd be selected if lumped in with the full draft pool.

POSTED 4:23 p.m. EDT, June 22, 2006

SAMARDZIJA HAS BLOWN HIS DRAFT STATUS

A league insider with extensive knowledge of the dynamics and realities of the NFL draft process tells us that, in his view, Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija has seriously undermined his status for next April by agreeing to a contract with the Chicago Cubs that promises him $7.5 million if he makes baseball his primary pastime.

NFL teams, the source explained, are increasingly leery about players who don't exude a pre-draft passion for football. Many league insiders and observers believe, for example, that Matt Leinart plunged to No. 10 in the 2006 draft because of the perception that he doesn't love football, and that football is merely a means to an end that involves making a bunch of money by being in the movies or on television.

Regardless of whether Leinart's long-term aspirations include that kind of stuff, the primary objective in the weeks and months prior to the draft should have been to keep under wraps anything that might make front offices unnecessarily nervous about whether the return will justify the investment. Leinart instead embraced the red flag by signing with Creative Artists Agency for his marketing representation and, ultimately, for his football work as well.

By signing the reported "choose baseball and you'll get a truck full of money" deal with the Cubs, Samardzija suddenly has become the 2007 version of the first-round prospect who might not love football -- and it will affect his draft standing unless he takes immediate action to get the situation under control.

First, if as some reports have suggested the accounts of the $7.5 million bonus for picking baseball are not accurate, Samardzija needs to say no. Now. Second, Samardzija should (if possible under the terms of his contract) forego the month or two of minor league ball that he'll play this summer and focus his efforts on prepare for having the football season of his life.

Third, Samardzija needs to have the football season of his life.

Fourth, Samardzija needs to tell anyone and everyone that football is his first love and that he fully intends to play in the NFL.

Even if he does all of those things, we think it's too late for Samardzija to resurrect his draft stock. Surely, he has been sold on the Cubs' deal because it provides him with protection against the evaporation of his pro football career, if for whatever reason Samardzija has a disappointing senior season. But since Samardzija has only a baseball agent and not a football agent, his advice is coming from the perspective of the guy who stands to earn a big fee on that $7.5 million if (when) Samardzija chooses baseball.

Given the magnitude of Samardzija's baseball deal, teams drafting in the slots that would pay to Samardzija more than $7.5 million in guaranteed money are now going to think long and hard about investing a selection that high on a guy who might not play football at all in 2007. Teams drafting in the slots below Samardzija's monetary Mendoza line could shy away from him because he stands to make more guaranteed money by picking baseball.

So if Samardzija is not drafted by a team in the top half of round one, he could fall off of the board completely. And he likely wouldn't be drafted unless and until his baseball career begins to peter out. At that point, a team would take a flyer on him in anticipation of his eventual jump to the NFL, like the Raiders did with Bo Jackson and the Texans with Drew Henson.

Bottom line -- Samardzija's decision to agree to a provision that pays him $7.5 million if he chooses baseball might prompt no football team that would pay more than that up front to choose him. And if the end result is that he won't make more money playing pro football than he will make by playing pro baseball, why should he jeopardize his baseball career by playing another season of college football?

Besides, we're already getting sick of typing the letters "S-a-m-a-r-d-z-i-j-a." So unless he changes his name to something like "Howard Stern" (they actually look alike), we'd be more than happy to not have to spend the next 10 to 15 years banging the keys in that specific order.

POSTED 12:18 p.m. EDT, June 22, 2006

FIEDLER VISITING TAMPA

With reserve quarterback Luke McCown out of action indefinitely due to a torn ACL, quarterback Jay Fiedler is visiting Tampa, according to our friends (yes, we actually have a few) at PewterReport.com.

Fiedler was seen at the team's minicamp practice on Thursday, and in a pre-practice meeting with Bucs quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett.

McCown's injury originally was reported to be minor, and we've surmised that the team attempted to conceal the severity of the situation in order to secure a replacement on the cheap and/or without competition from other suitors. It has been presumed that the Giants were interested in Fiedler, who suffered a serious shoulder injury during the same game last season in which Chad Pennington re-injured his own shoulder.

Fiedler has spent 12 years in the NFL, playing for the Eagles, Vikings, Jaguars, Dolphins, and Jets. He was the successor to Dan Marino in Miami, and started 59 regular-season games for the Fins in five seasons.

The Buccaneers' starter is Chris Simms. The other quarterbacks currently on the roster are Tim Rattay, Bruce Gradkowski, and Jared Allen.

POSTED 6:58 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:22 a.m. EDT, June 22, 2006

BOOM OR BUST FOR BROOKS

At a time when character for NFL players matters more than ever (at least in 29 or 30 NFL cities ), the fate of former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks is squarely up in the air.

A league source tells us that, if Brooks is healthy and can get his weight in the range of 260 pounds, he will be in demand. Before an injury that limited him to only six games in 2005, some scouts regarded Brooks as the best linebacking prospect in the last 30 years.

Teams will get a first-hand look at Brooks on Thursday in Charlottesville, for an individualized Pro Day session that will be closed to the media and the public. Brooks will be available via the NFL's Supplemental Draft on July 13.

In 2004, Brooks was a second-team All-American as a sophomore for Al Groh's Cavaliers. In March, he and two other players were dismissed from the team. Groh never cited any specific reason for the decision, relying generally on the concept of "violation of team policy."

Surely, though, Groh's old friends in the NFL (such as Bill Parcells) have gotten the real story on Brooks. But it still will be hard to decipher the truth. As we see every April in the days and weeks preceding the draft, the teams interested in Brooks will start spreading bad stuff about him -- and the teams who aren't interested will start singing his praises in the hopes that a competitor will piss away a high pick in the Supplemental Draft, which results in a forfeiture of the corresponding selection in the 2007 draft, and which then automatically pushes the field of available players in April one spot closer to the other 31 teams.

With all that said, we're hearing that the Giants, Dolphins, and Bucs might be interested in Brooks. Whether they really are remains to be seen.

But the Bengals also should be interested, at least in theory. After all, Brooks was arrested in March 2003 for marijuana possession. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to six months' probation.

Given the unusual rules that apply to the Supplemental Draft (which we'll dig up at some point over the next couple of weeks), an odd poker game of sorts can unfold regarding the specific round in which a team puts in a claim for a given player. In 2003, the Cowboys arguably duped the Texans into burning a second-round pick on Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings, a speed back with limited college experience. He was a complete and total bust, and the Texans cut ties with Hollings earlier this year. He signed with the Bears in May.

Over the years, the first-round picks in the Supplemental Draft have been quarterback Dave Brown (Giants) in 1992, receiver Rob Moore (Jets) in 1990, running back Bobby Humphrey (Broncos) in 1989, quarterback Timm Rosenbach (Cardinals) in 1989, quarterback Steve Walsh (Cowboys) in 1989, linebacker Brian Bosworth (Seahawks) in 1987, quarterback Bernie Kosar (Browns) in 1985, and quarterback Dave Wilson (Saints) in 1981.

Since the NFL launched its free agency/salary cap system in 1993, no team has devoted a first-round pick to the Supplemental Draft. And that makes sense. With players available every March at every position via unrestricted and restricted free agency, team needs and wants are filled long before July, reducing the temptation to use a pick merely for the purposes of picking up another player.

UNION INSISTS CBA FORFEITURE LIMITS APPLY TO ALL BONUSES

Earlier this week, we highlighted the fact that, for the most part, the specific bonus forfeiture language from the "Term Sheet" outlining the changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association applies only to signing bonuses.

This means (in theory) that teams and players can still agree to language triggering broad forfeitures of option bonus and roster bonus payments.

A league source tells us that the NFLPA firmly believes that the language in the Term Sheet is intended to encompass option and roster bonuses -- even though "signing bonus" is the only term used.

A significant issue? Yes, especially in light of the fact that many of this year's first-round draft picks will receive no traditional "signing bonus," which would make the new restrictions on the forfeiture of signing bonuses useless. So with the Term Sheet placing tight limits on a team's ability to recoup signing bonus money, teams could insert (for example) a clause requiring the player to give back every penny of his multi-million-dollar option bonus if he ever puts his butt on the back of a motorbike -- if, of course, the Term Sheet only applies to signing bonuses.

With the NFL and the NFLPA currently negotiating the question of whether and to what extent the Term Sheet forfeiture provisions apply to pre-existing contracts, and in light of the perception that as to these portions of the Term Sheet the union cleaned the league's clock (a certain typo in that specific phrase could be extremely problematic), our guess is that there is a battle unfolding behind closed doors regarding the interpretation and application of language that, by all appearances, was slapped together as an afterthought while labor and management -- and management and management -- squabbled over the manner in which the ever-growing pool of revenue would be carved up and distributed going forward.

This lack of attention to detail as to the finer points of the Term Sheet also suggests to us that someone will be pissed off when the text of the CBA is finalized. And this only raises, in our estimation, the likelihood that either the NFL or the NFLPA (or both) will opt to scuttle the final two years of the new arrangement, plunging us all back into CBA crisis mode as early as November 2008.

It would be great for our traffic -- but very, very bad for the game.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Packers coach Mike McCarthy won't comment on the possibility of a holdout by CB Al Harris.

Bucs G Turdiu Fonoti returned to practice on Wednesday after an unexcused absence.

When the NFL offseason slows down, it's puff pieces for all.

Former NFL wideout Theo Bell, who won two Super Bowls with the Steelers in the late 1970s, has died.

Can anyone tell us why criminal charges against former USC DE Frostee Rucker were held for more than a year? (Oh wait, he had one more year of eligibility at Southern Cal. That explains it.)

The Meathead is helping to beef up the Jags' running game.

The Bucs took Wednesday afternoon off to go bowling. (Is that a reward or a punishment?)

POSTED 9:58 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:44 p.m. EDT, June 21, 2006

STEELERS WERE SPLIT ON SANTURDIO

A league source tells us that there was disagreement in the Steelers' front office regarding the question of whether to draft receiver Santurdio, the team's first pick in the 2006 draft.

Instead of standing pat with the 32nd overall choice in round one, the Steelers traded up with the Giants to get Santurdio at No. 25.

Though we don't know who or how many execs were against selecting the former Ohio State Buckeye, it's safe to assume that coach Bill Cowher ultimately made the call to make the move.

And it's also safe to assume that, at a time when Cowher would like to tell quarterback Ben Toothlessberger "I told you so" regarding the decision to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, there's more than a few folks in the front office who'd like to say the same thing to Cowher regarding the acquisition of Santurdio.

So what becomes of Santurdio? Look for Cowher and company to cold-cock some sense into him come training camp. If he gets arrested another time between now and late July, don't be surprised if all he gets from the Steelers is a one-year offer for the rookie minimum of $275,000. His only alternative at that point would be to sit out the year and re-enter the draft in 2007.

NO SPLIT FOR COWHERS

When reports surfaced earlier this month that Steelers coach Bill Cowher could retire within the next two seasons, one key fact mentioned was that Cowher's wife and teenage daughter are moving to the family's $2.5 million home in Raleigh, North Carolina, and that Cowher will stay in Pittsburgh.

Such a development invites speculation that the Mr. and Mrs. Cowher might be going the way of, say, Mr. and Mrs. Strahan.

Not so, insists a league source. All is well within the Cowher clan.

And that, of course, only lends credence to the notion that Cowher might not stay with the Steelers beyond the 2007 season, which is the final year of his current deal.

Our guess? Cowher will stick around, if the Rooneys give him a package with a price tag close to his fair market value.

But with Seattle coach Mike Holmgren getting a two-year extension worth $7.5 million to $8.5 million a year, Cowher's fair market value is in the same ballpark -- and we can't imagine the Rooneys getting there.

So we're sticking with our prediction that someone (such as Redskins owner Dan Snyder) will make Cowher chin-dropping offer come 2008 or 2009.

SAMARDZIJA THE NEXT TWO-SPORTER?

Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija, a likely first-round NFL draft pick in 2007, could end up bypassing football altogether pursuant to the terms of a reported deal with the Chicago Cubs, who selected him in the fifth round of 2006 baseball draft.

As explained on our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, Samardzija reportedly has signed a contract with the Cubs that will pay him less than $1 million over one year. If, however, he opts to make baseball his primary sport, he'll get a $7.25 million bonus.

The record bonus for a baseball draft pick is $6.1 million, which was paid to the No. 1 overall selection in 2005.

A June 21 report in the Chicago Sun-Times disputes the $7.25 million payday for Samardzija, and claims that Samardzija's baseball agent is still working out the terms of the deal with the Cubs.

Under NCAA rules, a player can be an amateur in one sport and a pro in another -- as long as the player doesn't receive endorsement money of any kind.

So why not play both baseball and football? The NFL has changed dramatically since the days of Deion and Bo. Specifically, pro football has become a year-'round endeavor, with offseason camps stretching from April into June. In our view, a guy who hopes to play both baseball and football at the highest levels would have to be a rare talent at a position that doesn't require a high degree of interplay with teammates. A shut-down corner, a two-down running back, a punter, or a kicker are the only ones who could pull it off.

Samardzija doesn't fit into any of those categories, and he likewise doesn't possess the kind of double-take-inducing football talent that would prompt an NFL team to agree to let him show up in October -- or on Sundays only starting in September.

Our advice? As much as we prefer the pigskin to the horsehide, we'd take the $7.25 million and give baseball a try. The risk of a serious, career-ending injury generally is lower, the money generally is better, the career generally is longer.

If hardball doesn't work out, we'd pull a Chad Hutchinson or a Drew Henson in a few years and make the jump to the NFL.

POSTED 11:43 a.m. EDT, June 21, 2006

JEAN STRAHAN HINTS THAT HER HUBBY LIKES A DIFFERENT KIND OF "SACK"

The New York Daily News reports that the estranged wife of Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, who holds the all-time single season sack record, suggested on Tuesday that her soon-to-be-ex-husband is, well, gay.

His alleged partner? Dr. Ian Smith, the medical correspondent for ABC's The View. (Nothing gay about appearing regularly on that particular show, is there?)

After another day of testimony in their ongoing divorce trial, Jean Strahan told reporters that, when the marriage fell apart, "Michael moved into Ian's one-bedroom apartment. And you can say an alternative lifestyle sprouted."

Smith calls the comments "absolutely ridiculous" and "laughable."

"I am a very happily married man," he said. (A sentence which we're guessing had been uttered many times in the past -- but not in the last two years -- by former New Jersey governor James McGreevey.)

"Michael Strahan is one of my best friends and needed a place to stay after he was kicked out of his own home," Smith said. "I let him sleep on my couch as any best friend would do."

If Strahan really is, well, gay, he tried his damnedest to bolster his cover by, among other things, writing a bunch of sappy love letters to his wife, many of which he now claims he doesn't recall. In one letter, he wrote "I love you" 24 times. In another, he said, "Thanks for taking care of me. I promise to always take care of you."

In court, Jean Strahan burst into tears when Michael testified that he didn't know why one of the letters was dated March 22. As it turns out, March 22 is her birthday.

Though we're taking no position as to whether the allegations are true, the issue calls into further question the sack that gave Strahan the single-season record. Was the much-debated tackle of Packers quarterback Brett Favre an effort to break the record -- or was it merely a pre-arranged hook up?

Was Strahan saying "Take that" or "Thanks for helping me set the record" or . . . "I love you" 24 times?

POSTED 8:11 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:14 a.m. EDT, June 21, 2006

ANOTHER BENGAL BLUNDER

Prior to the NFL draft, most scouts would love to get a look-see at another team's draft board. If anyone working for an NFL team were to get a chance to eyeball the Cincinnati Bengals' wish list, the names would be a good indication of guys not to select.

ESPN reports that criminal charges have been filed against yet another Cincinnati selection, with defensive end Frostee Rucker facing allegations of battery and vandalism arising from an incident occurring a year before Marvin Lewis and company scribbled his name on a card in round three of the 2006 draft.

The Los Angeles district attorney has charged Rucker with two counts of spousal battery and two counts of vandalism. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to three years in jail.

Though Rucker isn't married, "spousal battery" charges can arise when violence occurs between boyfriend-girlfriend. (Or, we assume, boyfriend-boyfriend, but there's no indication that the complaining party is, you know, a dude.)

Rucker was regarded generally by league insiders as a turd prior to the April 2006 draft, and yet another player with first-round potential who slipped due in large part to off-field concerns.

As one league insider told us after the Bengals drafted Rucker and linebacker A.J. Nicholson, "What the f--- are they doing? Rucker and Nicholson? Give me a break. They are sabotaging the organization by picking bad players like [Odell] Thurman, [Chris] Henry, and those two."

In hindsight, our source looks like a genius. Since April 30, Henry has been arrested twice, and Rucker and Nicholson have been arrested once each.

HARRIS MIGHT SKIP CAMP

The Packers could be facing their second holdout in three seasons by a cornerback with long-ass hair.

In 2004, it was Mike McKenzie who skipped all offseason sessions, missed training camp, and finally reported early in the regular season. He eventually was traded to the Saints.

That same year, cornerback Al Harris signed a new six-year contract. Two seasons in, he wants more.

And although his agent previously has said that Harris, who has been absent for voluntary offseason workouts, will report for training camp, Harris is now signing a different tune.

"It's not 100%, that's for sure," Harris said, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "I'd like to come and do my job, but everyone's got to be fair, too. It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out.

"I've got to do what's best for me and my family," Harris added. "And now we're on the clock. I'm not getting any younger, so I have to take a business approach to it." (Harris will be 32 on December 7.)

Under his current deal, Harris received $7 million in bonuses. His base salaries over the remainder of the contract are $1.5 million in 2006, $2.2 million in 2007, $2.85 million in 2008 and $3 million in 2009.

Now, he regrets the decision to commit himself to those numbers.

"I should have waited to see what the market dictated," he told the Journal-Sentinel. "But I didn't want to leave Green Bay and there's a lot of times you see guys price themselves right out of the league."

The fact that the Packers gave cornerback Charles Woodson a big-money deal probably has had a role in the current stance of the team's former No. 1 cover man. But, as a practical matter, Harris has little leverage. He's under contract for four more seasons, and he potentially faces a significant bonus forfeiture if he misses even one training camp practice -- depending on the specific language of his contract and whether and to what extent new CBA restrictions apply retroactively. (If Harris doesn't think that could happen to him, he should give his former teammate Mike McKenzie a call.)

So when Harris rolls out current king of the hackneyed cliche' -- "It is what it is" -- Harris needs to be sure he understands what the "is" really "is" before he "is" in position to be paying back a lot of money that already "is" in his bank account.

And if that happens, it won't be long before Mrs. Harris "is" knee deep in Al's ass.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Santurdio says he's sorry. (Yeah, he's sorry that he's screwing up his scratch.)

Big Ben showed up at the Steelers' complex wearing a green hood to conceal his reconstructed face.

"Look away . . . I'm hideous."

Despite apparent efforts by the team to conceal the extent of the injury (possibly in order to help them get a replacement on the cheap), Bucs QB Luke McCown has a torn ACL.

The Rams have sent a conditional draft pick to the Bengals for QB Dave Ragone (as our pal Howard Balzer of USA Today SportsWeekly has pointed out to us, the move reunites Ragone with his college coach, Scott Linehan).

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards thinks that OT John Welbourn could un-retire (which would allow us to put him on the 2006 All-Turd Team).

With Steelers receivers coach Bruce Arians bemoaning the fact that Santurdio has missed 15 practices, it's almost as if the team didn't know that he played college ball for a school that doesn't finish classes until early June.

Congrats to Chris Simms and spouse, who has given birth in a decidedly non-lassiez-faire manner. (The baby girl's name is Sienna, which with due respect to the Simmses calls to mind the classic Seinfeld episode in which George's girlfriend has the same name; "Yeah, he's dating a crayon," said Jerry to Elaine.)

Hurricanes, earthquakes, war, bird flu? The best evidence that the world is coming to an end is that the Jaguars' games won't be blacked out on local television this year.

Jags WR Reggie Williams has climbed back into the first team, bumping Ernest Wilford back to the twos.

Cameras are following Uncle Rico for a six-episode reality series. (Hey -- one show for each question he got right on the Wonderlic.)

Here's a shocker -- Bucs OL "Two-Ton" Toniu Fonoti was an unexcused no-show for practice on Tuesday.

Vikings WR Troy Williamson is practicing again after having surgery in May to remove an abscess from his left hip.

The Panthers plan to look at internal and external candidates to replace Tony Softli. (Fran Foley is dusting off his resume . . . or maybe he has a better chance if he leaves the dust on it.)

Vikes owner Zygi Wilf doesn't think that renovating the Metrodome is an option for the team's long-term home.

The Saints will hold training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.

POSTED 1:46 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:54 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2006

SOFTLI FINALLY HIRED BY RAMS

After a couple of days of uncertainty regarding whether former Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli will land in St. Louis, the Rams have announced that Softli has been named the team's Vice President/Player Personnel.

The team also announced that Charley Armey will remain with the organization. In somewhat of a surprise, however, Armey has relinquished the title of General Manager and will serve at the team's Vice President/Pro Personnel.

Word of Softli's hire broke on Friday, when (as we've been told) Softli began telling folks in Carolina and elsewhere about the move. On Saturday, the Rams denied that a decision had been made, which prompted speculation that Softli would be S.O.L. if the St. Louis job didn't work out, given that (as we were told by multiple credible sources) the Panthers didn't want him to come back.

HENRY'S RIDE GETS PIMPED OUT . . . SORT OF

Troubled Bengals receiver Chris Henry has been ordered to install a breathalyzer into his car, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A judge ordered on Tuesday that an ignition interlock system be added to Henry's car. The device will require him to blow booze-free breath (ostensibly from his own mouth) into the apparatus before the car will start.

The ruling was made in connection with Henry's June 3 arrest on DUI charges. He has been arrested three other times since December 2005.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE ALL-TURD TEAM

Last summer, we toyed with the possibility of compiling an all-turd team, honoring the worst of the worst characters in the NFL. We never got around to it.

A year later, we're finally gonna do it -- and we welcome your input as to the potential candidates for both the 2006 squad of current players and an all-time all-turd team.

The aforementioned Mr. Henry already has secured a spot as one of the captains.

POSTED 8:55 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:03 a.m. EDT, June 20, 2006

SURVEILLANCE TAPES CLEAR JONES-DREW

The Florida Times-Union points out a fact that some other media types previously ad ignored -- felony charges were dropped against Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew because surveillance tapes show that he wasn't involved in kicking the corn poopie out of an Iranian student on April 25.

So forget about the claim that there are statements from three witnesses that Jones-Drew was involved. The objective evidence exonerates him.

And this raises two obvious questions for us. First, where in the hell was the surveillance tape before Jones-Drew was charged? Second, does the video show that Bears corner Ricky Manning was one the guys assaulting Soroush Sabzi?

Also, we think that Jones-Drew should be considering a malicious prosecution lawsuit against whoever pressed the issue of charging him, if the surveillance video was ignored before he was arrested. Regardless of the fact that the charges were dropped, the fact that he was tied to the incident will prompt some folks to still believe that he was in some way guilty, necessarily damaging his image and reputation.

The only good news to come out of this mess is that someone apparently will go to jail for assaulting Sabzi, given the existence of the surveillance tapes.

And it's too bad there weren't surveillance tapes from the night in Atlanta that two guys got butchered during an altercation with the Ray Lewis posse.

SANTURDIO IS OUT ON BAIL

Steelers receiver Santurdio is out of jail after posting a $3,500 bond on Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He had been arrested on charges of domestic violence and assault in Columbus, Ohio. (His legal name is "Santonio Holmes," but we're going to refer to him from this point forward as only "Santurdio.")

Santurdio pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his lawyer requested a trial by jury. (The lawyer specifically asked for the jury that acquitted O.J. Simpson, but he was reminded by the judge that those folks live in, you know, California.)

The person Santurdio allegedly assaulted was Lashae Boone, the mother of Santurdio's youngest child. (He's only 22 and he's already got three of them -- he might not ever match Jerry Rice's records, but he's on pace to shatter Shawn Kemp's.)

Based on a police affidavit, the specific claim is that Santurdio did "knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a family or household member . . . by means of choking, throwing her to the ground, grabbing her arms and slamming her into a door, leaving her with bruises, pain and a torn shirt." (For us, that sentence conjure images of Rain Main writing in his book of major injuries that "Charlie Babbitt grabbed and pulled and hurt my neck in 1988.")

But Santurdio's lawyer apparently disputes the fact that Boone was hurt in the alleged assault. "Nobody's injured," the lawyer said. "There were no injuries." (We feel compelled to make another smart-ass comment in parentheses, but we can't think of anything to say.)

Said Bill Cowher on a radio show on Monday, regarding the incident: "I really don't have any details whatsoever, so I really don't want to comment. It's unfortunate that these types of things are making the news. It's not what you want to be doing at this time of year."

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

From the "What's Wrong With This Picture?" file, a partial screen shot of the NFL page at SI.com as of 10:33 a.m. EDT (it has since been changed):

In a somewhat related story, the Seahawks have cut P Tom Rouen.

Bears CB Nathan Vasher has returned to the team after boycotting six days of voluntary workouts (maybe he finally realized that newcomer Ricky Manning plays corner, too).

The woman who ran her car into Big Ben's face is getting harassed.

The Ravens have sent a conditional 2007 draft pick to Indy in order to get back a guy they cut two years ago.

The Giants and Jets are trying to sell the naming rights to their to-be-constructed stadium.

The Packers continue to practice without 75 percent of their starting secondary.

The Redskins have signed three of their draft picks.

Time is running out for Chiefs DT Ryan Sims to prove that he's more than just a tub of lard. ("Mmmmm . . . lard.")

"This isn't a photo of contact at minicamp," says Titans G.M. Floyd Reese. "The boys were just re-enacting a scene from Brokeback Mountain."

The Bengals will conduct training camp in Georgetown, Kentucky through at least 2007. (It makes Chris Henry's commute from the jail shorter.)

POSTED 8:17 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:44 p.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

SOFTLI HAS AN OFFER, BUT NO DONE DEAL

A league source tells us that the St. Louis Rams have indeed offered to former Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli the position of V.P. of player personnel, but that Softli made the mistake of disclosing the offer to folks within the Panthers organization (and beyond it) before he had a binding agreement on key terms such as, say, how much money he'll be paid.

So word got out before the deal was done, allowing the Rams to plausibly deny (as they did over the weekend) that a hire had been made.

The end result? Softli as a practical matter has no leverage when it comes to hammering out a salary. Though the Rams have no incentive to put the screws to the guy in whom they'll entrust a high degree of authority, if Softli asks for too much and the Rams walk, Softli will be spending the next year on the golf links with Fran Foley (who tells us that he won the U.S. Open in 1995).

And if the Rams' gig falls apart, the bridge is most likely charred in Charlotte. We continue to hear that the Panthers don't want Softli back, and likely won't take him back if he asks for a do-over.

But can the Rams renege on the offer? Yes, in our view. A binding contract for employment requires a meeting of the minds on all material terms -- including compensation. Merely saying "we want you" isn't enough to tie the Rams' horns, and Softli's decision to jibber-jabber has, at a minimum, made an otherwise routine news event into yet another example of unexpected intrigue in the dead of the offseason.

So thanks very much to Softli and Big Ben and Chris Henry and Santurdio Holmes. Without you guys, we would have had to make some stuff up in order the satisfy our word quota over the past seven days.

FREE JONES-DREW

In a surprise turn, criminal charges filed against Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew have been dropped on the eve of a preliminary hearing aimed at determining whether there was enough evidence to go to trial.

The Los Angeles district attorney decided that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with allegations that Jones-Drew had used his fists-feet against a patron of a Westwood Denny's as part of an incident that apparently was sparked by teasing of the victim for using a laptop in the restaurant. (We mean no offense to any "real" restaurants out there by referring to Denny's as a restaurant. But we really don't know what to call it. "Not fast food, Jerry. Good food quickly.")

But Jones-Drew still isn't out of the woods. A civil suit previously was filed against him and others, including Bears cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. And the standard of proof is far lower in the civil system, where the "preponderance of the evidence" test applies in lieu of the demanding "beyond a reasonable doubt" bar.

Previously, the lawyer for the alleged victim has said that he has statements from three witnesses fingering Jones-Drew. It's one thing for a prosecutor to conclude that he won't be able to convince 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that the statements are legit; it's quite another to persuade them under a 51-49 proposition that the accounts are accurate.

Besides, having Jones-Drew as a party to the case makes it easier to get him to point a finger at the truly responsible parties, if he actually saw any of the incident. Someone beat the guy up -- the question is who did it. Jones-Drew clearly was present at some point, and there's nothing like a pending civil suit to coax a guy into telling the truth about what he saw and heard.

POSTED 3:57 p.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

TEAMS THAT USE OLD CONTRACTS ARE FLIRTING WITH TROUBLE

Earlier on Monday (scroll down for more) we reported that NFL teams and agents are getting frustrated by the absence of a unitary document that contains the relevant provisions of the "old" CBA and the revisions to which the league and the union agreed in March.

We're now told that, in the interim, several teams are still using contracts containing broad signing bonus forfeiture language that was crafted under the "old" CBA. Such language goes much farther than the revisions allow, as to subjects such as the amounts that can be recovered and the reasons for which money can be pursued.

To account for the changes, some teams have added to the bottom of their contracts a disclaimer which states (we're told) that, to the extent the signing bonus forfeiture language exceeds the limits of the new CBA, the limits of the new CBA control.

Big mistake, in our view.

The "Term Sheet" setting forth the CBA changes says that the signing bonus forfeitures are permitted in new contracts, but that "player and club may agree" to reimbursement language in only two specific circumstances: (1) the player may agree to a "proportionate forfeiture" if he voluntarily retires; or (2) the player may agree to forfeit the greater of 25 percent of the prorated portion of the signing bonus for the season or 1/17th of the annual allocation for each game missed 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."

Thus, the Term Sheet contemplates an affirmative agreement between the player and the team; in other words, the use of the term "may agree" means that the player and the team "must agree" before the forfeiture provision applies. In our view, then, it easily can be argued that the use of outdated forfeiture language sweeping more broadly than the CBA now allows, with merely a footnote contemplating that the language will be reeled in to match the new limits, isn't enough to constitute a meeting of the minds between player and team as to the two specific areas in which signing bonus forfeiture is now allowed.

Although the NFL and the union are still discussing whether the new forfeiture limits will apply to pre-existing contracts, there's no dispute as to the limits on the permissible forfeiture provisions in new deals. Thus, every team should have revised months ago their standard signing bonus addenda to track the relevant language of the Term Sheet.

And it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out how to git 'r done, since the Term Sheet contains the specific terms that should be used.

Given the potential ambiguity of the phrase "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," we also think that teams should include a provision representing an agreement between club and player as to a list of activities that fall within the scope of this language.

For example: "Club and player agree that the following activities constitute willful action that has the effect of substantially undermining his ability to fully participate and contribute in either preseason training camp or the regular season', if player misses any preseason training camp practice, preseason game, or regular season game as a result of engaging one or more of such activities: refusing to report for training camp, for any reason; leaving training camp, for any reason; refusing to play in a regular season game, for any reason; riding a motorcycle (with or without a helmet); snow skiing; water skiing; bungee jumping; sky diving; hang gliding; rock climbing; race car driving; driving a car while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance; driving a car at a rate of speed above the posted limit; and/or driving a car in any manner that violates one or more applicable laws relating to the operation of a motor vehicle."

We know that things are slow right now for NFL teams, and that plenty of the front office types are taking time off in preparation for an upcoming grind that launches in July and lasts until the draft. But there's no reason that folks who are getting paid good money (especially in the legal departments) haven't taken the time to get the team's player contracts in full compliance with the plain language of the new CBA Term Sheet.

WHAT ABOUT OPTION AND ROSTER BONUSES?

As we continue to study the CBA Term Sheet (yeah, I have no life), a fact that we'd previously overlooked has smacked us upside the head like Santurdnio Holmes at a family reunion.

The new restrictions on bonus forfeitures primarily limited only to "signing bonus" forfeitures. There's nothing in the term sheet regarding the forfeiture of option bonuses or roster bonuses.

In fact, the only two portions of the term sheet that encompass the forfeiture of payments other than the signing bonus are: (1) the provision that says that no forfeitures are permitted for salary escalators or performance bonuses already earned; and (2) the provision that prohibits individually negotiated provisions for forfeiture arising from violations of the substance abuse and/or steroids policy.

What does this mean? At this point, we're not sure, since the league and the union are apparently still negotiating certain aspects of the forfeiture language. But from the perspective of the NFL and/or its 32 member teams, the language that has made its way into the Term Sheet suggests that the limitations on the ability to recover bonus money apply only to the signing bonus.

And if that's the new rule, teams are still in a position to wield some control over players who might be inclined to pull a Roethlisberger, especially since many of this year's contracts for first-round rookies won't include a signing bonus, but most certainly will include healthy option and roster bonus payments.

COLE HEADING TO YAHOO

A reader has alerted us to the fact that veteran Dolphins beat writer Jason Cole is leaving the Miami Herald and accepting a position with Yahoo! Sports.

Cole has confirmed the move in an e-mail sent to us this afternoon. His last day with the Herald is June 30.

Coincidentally, both Cole and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! broke the story regarding the alleged receipt by the family of USC tailback Reggie Bush of free lodging in a house owned by a man who wanted to represent Bush in his marketing deals. Robinson was the first one to post the story, with Cole only a few hours behind. We've previously heard through our industry connections that, at times, Robinson and Cole were literally side-by-side in their pursuit of details regarding the story.

POSTED 12:52 p.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

TEAMS, AGENTS GETTING FRUSTRATED BY ABSENCE OF NEW CBA

A league source tells us that NFL teams and agents are grumbling with increasing frequency and volume regarding the absence of a finished Collective Bargaining Agreement.

When the NFL and the NFLPA negotiated the new CBA in March, they didn't actually hammer out a "new" agreement. Instead, they generated a six-page "Term Sheet" reflecting the revisions to the existing contract, a 300-plus page document that yours truly also uses for bicep curls.

The thinking was that the Term Sheet would be incorporated into the CBA, and that a new CBA would be disseminated within a couple of months.

It's now been nearly three-and-a-half months, and there's still no sign of the new CBA.

It really shouldn't be a difficult process. Most lawyers of reasonable competence should be able to figure out within a couple of business days where and how the text of the Term Sheet should be dropped into the existing collection of Articles and Section and whys and wherefores.

Although (as we reported last week) the league and the union are still dickering over the extent to which the restrictions on bonus forfeitures apply retroactively, the arguments being raised by league insiders are: (1) that this is an issue that should have been addressed a long time ago; and (2) that it's not the kind of thing that should take weeks of ongoing discourse to resolve.

The problem is that teams and agents are in the process of working out new contracts, and everyone prefers to be using a single document that incorporates final language effecting the changes set forth in the Term Sheet.

So who's to blame for the delay? "Blame everyone," said one league insider. "It's everyone's fault. The union, [Jeff] Kessler, the management council. Everyone."

POSTED 11:23 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

BIG BEN CITED IN BIKE WRECK

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be issued two citations in connection with his motorcycle accident of June 12.

Roethlisberger will be cited for not having a license to operate a motorcycle and for not wearing a helmet. As we explained last week, the law in Pennsylvania generally requires that helmets be worn, and that certain motorcycle operators (e.g., persons over 21 who have had a license for at least two years) are allowed to go hatless.

The more significant development, from a legal standpoint, is that the driver of the car into which Ben's brain bucket bashed will be cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. News reports from last week indicated that the driver was turning left at an intersection, and that Roethlisberger's bike struck the car as it was turning.

This means that the police believe the wreck was the driver's "fault" -- and that specific conclusion will go a long way toward enabling Roethlisberger to get reimbursement for his medical bills and pain and suffering from the driver's insurance carrier, either though settlement negotiations or in a court of law.

Although yours truly is still a member of the Pennsylvania bar (inactive status), we don't know at this point whether or not either of the Roethlisberger citations will reduce or eliminate the driver's liability. (We welcome input from any of our bar-license-carrying readers in Pennsylvania on this point.)

The bigger question, as a practical matter, is whether Ben has purchased additional insurance from his own carrier, in the event that the driver has only, for example, $50,000 in liability coverage. Drivers in most (if not all) states have the option to buy from their own insurance companies so-called "underinsured motorist coverage," which then bridges the gap between the insurance coverage that the "at fault" driver has purchased and the limits of "UIM" coverage.

Of course, this presumes that the driver has relatively low liability limits -- and that Ben had the foresight to buy UIM coverage. It also presumes that Ben's insurance company won't try to claim that the UIM payments are blocked because he didn't have a valid license and/or wasn't wearing a helmet.

POSTED 8:29 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

ANOTHER ARREST FOR HOLMES

The Associated Press reports that Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes was arrested early Monday for domestic violence.

The arrest came just after midnight. Holmes was taken to the Franklin County (Ohio) jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday. The police aren't giving out any details as to who has made the complaint or what Holmes allegedly did.

The first-round draft pick out of Ohio State also was arrested in Miami during Memorial Day weekend for disorderly conduct, apparently as part of a local crackdown on folks who act up outside one of the many South Beach clubs.

Said coach Bill Cowher following Holmes' first arrest: "Whatever he did wrong, I don't think he handled it properly. I think he'll learn from it and understand the scrutiny he's under. We have not talked face to face about it. I don't have any long-term concerns."

In April, the Steelers traded up from No. 32 to No. 25 in order to select Holmes, who was the first receiver taken in the draft. The second wideout, Florida's Chad Jackson, landed with New England in round two.

Jackson hasn't been arrested for anything. Yet. Given the position he plays, it's almost statistically certain that, at some point in his career, he'll be dragging a tin cup along a set of steel bars.

POSTED 8:12 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2006

BENGALS DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR HENRY TO HEAL

There's a misconception among some members of the media regarding the ability of the Bengals to sever ties with receiver Chris Henry, who has been arrested four times since December on a smorgasbord of charges. Specifically, some scribes think that the knee injury suffered in the team's playoff loss to the Steelers prevents the team from releasing him until he's healthy.

Not so. If Henry is cut before he can pass a 2006 physical, he is entitled only to the lesser of 50 percent of his 2006 salary or $250,000.

Complications when cutting an injured player arise if he is injured at any point after passing a physical in the current year. Under such circumstances, the player can file an injury grievance for the salary that he would have earned through and until the date on which he otherwise would have been healed. In most cases, injured players who are released reach a settlement with the team for the remaining salary amounts.

In Henry's case, the bigger problem for the team is the appearance that cutting him now would constitute the imposition of discipline, because NFL teams don't have the authority under the CBA to dump a guy based on his inability to comply with the laws that 95.9 percent of the rest of us honor 99.5 percent of the time.

If Henry would be picked up on waivers by someone else at the minimum second-year salary he's due to receive, the issue would be moot since he'd have no financial loss. But even if he isn't picked up, the worst-case scenario of paying Henry's salary for 2006 is a small price for flushing a fella who's had more second chances than Ray Charles at a driving range.

ALTERNATIVE THEORY ON UPSHAW-GOODELL GOLF GAME

Though we've yet to nail down any further confirmation of a rumored June 14 round of golf between NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw and NFL bigwig Roger Goodell, there's a school of thought making the rounds in some league circles that the meeting might have been something other than a get-better-acquainted session between the guy who runs the union and the guy who likely will be running the league after Commissioner Paul Tagliabue retires.

It's possible, as one league insider explained to us, that Upshaw is trying to get Goodell on board with an approach that allows Upshaw to be the Commissioner and Goodell to essentially run the show behind the scenes.

There's been plenty of scuttlebutt that Upshaw wants to be the next Commissioner, but he hasn't been identified by the "real" media as a potential candidate. Instead, recent indications have been that the next Commish will be an "insider" like Goodell, who has worked at a high level in the league office for a long time.

But at a time when the NFL is increasingly conscious of matters of race when it comes to big-time hires, we think that Upshaw or some other African-American candidate will be a finalist for the job. The Fritz Pollard Alliance provided a list of four qualified minority candidates at the outset of the process, and our guess is that Upshaw was one of the names on the paper.

The NFL owners hope to name a new Commissioner by August 9, and it will take 22 of 32 votes to fill the job.

POSSIBLE SURPRISE RETIREMENT NOT HAPPENING

Last week, we said that a veteran player was contemplating retirement, and that the decision would be received as a surprise.

We've now been told that said player has decided to continue to play NFL football this season.

But the player will retire . . . eventually. When he does, we'll tell you that he was the one who almost packed it in prematurely in June 2006.

POSTED 10:13 p.m. EDT, June 18, 2006

STEELERS WON'T PURSUE ROETHLISBERGER BONUS MONEY

On Saturday, we reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers believe they can recover nearly $6 million in bonus money paid to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger if he misses as little as one training camp practice.

We're now told that the Steelers will not attempt to recover any bonus money, if Roethlisberger isn't able to practice or play come August and/or September. In fact, a source says that it's not even something that the team would consider.

It's hardly a shocker, in our view. The franchise finally has found a long-term answer at the quarterback position, and they surely want to sign him to a long-term extension. Trying to take back money that he's already earned surely won't do much to set the mood for the eventual, um, consummation.

PANTHERS HOPING SOFTLI GETS RAMS' GIG

A league source with knowledge as to the dynamics of the Panthers' front office tells us that the team quietly is hoping that supposedly former director of college scouting Tony Softli ends up securing the V.P. of player personnel job with the Rams.

On Friday, multiple league sources told us that Softli was heading for St. Louis. On Saturday, another source advised us of Softli's new title with the Rams -- V.P. of player personnel.

But in its Sunday edition, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Rams have denied that a decision has been made.

From Carolina's perspective, the franchise is hoping that the deal goes through. Per the source, the team is tired of Softli chasing other jobs. We're also hearing indications that the team believes that there no longer is a good fit between Softli and the organization.

Stay tuned. As another league insider observed on Sunday, Softli had a contract in Carolina. The core question is whether he did enough to constitute a termination of any ongoing rights to employment with the Panthers, if the St. Louis situation doesn't work out.

POSTED 11:26 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 12:24 p.m. EDT, June 18, 2006

SOFTLI COULD BE S.O.L.

If the Rams truly have not (as they now claim) made a decision to hire Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli to be the new V.P. of player personnel in St. Louis, Softli could be out of a job altogether if he doesn't land with the Rams.

"Carolina was already looking for his replacement on Friday," said one league source on Sunday morning. "Softli is in a bad spot if he does not get the [Rams] job."

And it's up in the air right not as to whether the Panthers would take him back. As we reported earlier today, the thinking is that the Panthers had grown weary with his efforts to land a G.M. job with another team.

The buzz in league circles is that, if the Rams are indeed telling the truth when they say they haven't hired Softli, one of three things has happened: (1) Softli misled the folks in Carolina as to his status with the Rams; (2) Softli priced himself too high and the deal fell apart after it was supposedly done; or (3) the Rams got a bad report on Softli late in the process, and opted to either pull the plug or bide their time.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

No, Ahmed Plummer isn't the guy we were talking about.

Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post takes a look at the workout routine of Redskins S Adam Archuleta. (The video, by the way, is available by the clicking the ad at the top of the page.)

Revenue for the Packers was up $8 million in 2005, but profits dipped by 29 percent.

The coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is roaring-meowing about the Argos' decision to give the ball to RB Ricky Williams in the final minute and with a 10-point lead.

Scout Matt Russell has left the Patriots and is working for the Eagles.

CB Ty Law's failure to comprehend the strength of the NFLPA's case against agent Carl Poston is further proof that Law falls squarely within the I.Q. demographic to which the Postons appeal.

Good news -- Jets coach Eric Mangini has adopted a new slogan: "Green and Growing." Bad news -- he's referring to the mold in the shower of his private bathroom.

The Jets' two first-round rookies are likely to be at the top of the depth chart on the offensive line when camp opens.

And they might be joined by a certain second-rounder who could be on his way to beating out a former first-rounder.

Warrick Holdman is the front-runner to play weakside linebacker for the Redskins.

Former No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch might need another shoulder surgery.

Time for Dickie V to break out the hankie, again.

Crazy Joe got a crew cut.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis hints that QB Carson Palmer will play at some point in the preseason.

Reuben Droughns has apologized for his recent arrest. Sort of.

It looks like Jerry Rice is going to be saying to hell with the jockocracy. (And good for Jerry.)

POSTED 7:32 a.m. EDT, June 18, 2006

RAMS CLAIM NO DECISION MADE ON SOFTLI HIRE

Even as three separate league sources have informed us that the St. Louis Rams have hired former Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli, with two sources telling us he'll be the V.P. of player personnel, the Rams claim that no decision has been made.

As team president of football operations Jay Zygmunt told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "We're in the process of talking to other people and will make an announcement when we hire someone."

Added team president John Shaw: "Nothing has been decided."

The hiring of Softli was first reported in this space on Friday night. The Charlotte Observer confirmed the report on Saturday.

Our take? Softli has the job. For whatever reason, the Rams want to create the appearance that it's not a done deal.

PANTHERS WERE READY FOR SOFTLI TO GO?

Two league sources have told us that the Carolina Panthers opted not to stand in the way of former director of college scouting Tony Softli because the team had started to grow weary of Softli's efforts to land a G.M. job with another team.

For the past couple of years, Softli has been (we're told) pushing for a top-level front office job, even though he acquired plenty of influence over personnel in Carolina after Jack Bushofky retired in 2003. And even though Softli ultimately wanted to be the General Manager of a team, we hear that he decided in the end to take what he could get in St. Louis.

As we explained on Saturday night, Rams G.M. Charley Armey will finish his contract, which runs through 2006. Thereafter, it's possible that Softli will acquire Armey's old title.

One source told us that the ultimate agreement between the Panthers and Softli was that he'd be permitted to take the job in St. Louis if he agreed not to hire any of the Carolina scouts.

POSTED 11:04 p.m. EDT, June 17, 2006

SOFTLI IS THE RAMS' NEW V.P. OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Multiple league sources tell us that former Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli will become the V.P. of player personnel with the St. Louis Rams.

We first reported Softli's hiring in St. Louis on Friday night, but we didn't know Softli's new title.

One league source tells us that G.M. Charley Armey will remain on the job through the expiration of his current contract, which runs through the 2006 season. Though the talk in league circles is that Softli clearly is replacing Armey, the fact that he is coming in at a different title allows both men to be employed at the same time.

It's highly unusual for a team to have both a General Manager and a V.P. of player personnel. Even though the role of G.M. suggests greater authority than does player personnel veep, the title can be misleading. In Denver, G.M. Ted Sundquist is second fiddle to coach Mike Shanahan. Ditto in Houston, where coach Gary Kubiak will be calling the shots, not G.M. Rick Smith.

It's been the same deal in St. Louis for the past several years, with Armey lacking final say over personnel and the draft.

The real juice currently is held in St. Louis by team president John Shaw, who parses out the power as he sees fit to president of football operations Jay Zygmunt.

POSTED 10:50 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:26 p.m. EDT, June 17, 2006

STEELERS THINK BEN OWES $6 MILLION IF HE MISSES ONE PRACTICE

A league source tells us that the Pittsburgh Steelers believe that the plain language of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's contract requires him to repay up to $6 million if he misses a little as one training camp practice because of injuries resulting from a June 12 motorcycle accident.

Roethlisberger currently is recuperating at home with a series of titanium plates holding together the bones in his face. There is no specific timetable for his return. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Tuesday that he'd miss one preseason game, but our sources close to the situation tell us that it's way to early to know when he'll be ready to go.

Even if he misses at least one training camp practice, we can't imagine the Steelers asking him to give back nearly $6 million. The Cleveland Browns, who had an open-and-shut case against Kellen Winslow after he blew out an ACL in a motorbike accident in May 2005, didn't put it to Evel Kellnievel nearly as hard as they could have, withholding roughly $2 million in earned but unpaid bonus money -- even though, as we reported on May 2, 2005, the team could have recouped $9.4125 million. (Winslow also extended his contract by a year and received incentives that, if reached, would allow him to earn back the forfeited $2 million.)

Moreover, the question of whether the Steelers could successfully recover the money hinges on currently ongoing negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association regarding whether new restrictions on bonus forfeiture apply to existing deals. We explained earlier in the week that the language of the CBA Term Sheet is ambiguous in this regard. If the new rules are found to be retroactive, the Steelers would be able to recover only 25 percent of the bonus allocation for 2006 or 1/17th of the allocation for each regular-season game missed, whichever is greater.

WELBOURN WALKED OVER MONEY

Although our first reaction upon learning that Chiefs tackle John Welbourn had retired "on my own terms rather than somebody else's" was that he'd possibly tested positive (again) for banned substances, a league source tells us that Welbourn retired simply because he wanted more money, and that the Chiefs wouldn't give it to him.

Welbourn was traded to Kansas City in April 2004 after asking for more money from the Eagles, not getting it, requesting to be moved out of town, and then blasting the team on the radio -- which included questioning the quality of the team's recent drafts.

Philly selected Welbourn in the fourth round of the 1999 draft. In 2001, he committed to the team through 2008, and received a $2.5 million signing bonus in the process.

The raise he didn't get in Philly he also didn't receive in Kansas City, where the Chiefs paid him at a base rate of $1 million in 2004 and $1.2 million in 2005.

With three years remaining on his contract (at salaries of $1.4 million, $1.7 million, and $2.0 million), the Chiefs had no reason to give in, especially since he'd done little in two years with the team to merit more coin. Injuries limited Welbourn to only 10 games in 2004, and a four-game suspension for violation of the steroids policy kept him to 12 appearances in 2005.

WELBOURN COULD OWE MONEY TO CHIEFS

In retiring three years prematurely from the Kansas City Chiefs, tackle John Welbourn might not have only walked away from $5.1 million in future salary. He also might have put himself in the position of owing a nice chunk of money back to the Chiefs.

Even though the Chiefs didn't pay Welbourn's signing bonus, the Chiefs have the ability to enforce any language in his deal requiring him to pay back bonus money if he quits the game. Two years ago, for example, the Dolphins successfully enforced signing bonus forfeiture language in the contract Ricky Williams had signed with the Saints.

In this regard, two factors will control: (1) the language of the contract Welbourn signed with the Eagles; and (2) whether the new CBA restrictions on bonus forfeiture apply retroactively.

Under the new CBA, a player who retires prematurely must only repay the remainder of the signing bonus allocation. In Welbourn's case, that amount is $416,666. But if the Eagles beefed up his contract to require a greater repayment obligation -- and if the changes to the CBA ultimately aren't determined to be retroactive, the final bill could be much bigger.

Assuming that, at a mimum, the contract signed by Welbourn with the Eagles contains a requirement that any remaining bonus allocation be paid in the event of a retirement, he's looking at a final price tag of more than $5.5 million for his early exit -- more than $400,000 of which he'd have to come up with out of his own pocket.

And although there's a feeling in light of the Ricky Williams situation that clauses like this are essentially meaningless because team's aren't inclined to throw good money after bad, the Fins know that they'll never get a dime out of a guy whose only other life ambitions appear to be practicing yoga and impregnating women. In Welbourn's case, the amount owed would be much lower, he plans to become a lawyer, and (as far as we know) he's not required by law to finance the rearing of multiple children.

Finally, there could be a way for Welbourn to avoid paying back anything to the Chiefs. If the contract generally requires repayment for a "default" and includes within the definition of the term both retirement and league-imposed suspensions, and if the Chiefs didn't file a grievance against Welbourn after he was suspended for four games in 2005, he might be able to argue that the team has waived its ability to pursue him for repayment now. Whether he'd be successful is another story -- but with more than 400 large riding on the outcome it makes sense to throw out any plausible argument he can muster.

LEN "IS AN IDIOT"

Now that we've sort of embraced this quasi-NFL-media watchdog role thing, we're getting more and more e-mails from readers who point out problems with published work product of guys who cover football as their full-time gigs. And since our own postings have plenty of minor errors from time to time, we've decided not to make an issue out of whether, for example, Mike Minter or Chris Gamble is the guy who turned Daunte Culpepper's knee into a half-eaten plate of chicken lo mein.

So we're looking for things like big, glaring errors and/or obvious instances of bias. But we nevertheless appreciate all of the e-mails we've been receiving, and we pay even closer attention to those that come from the folks who work in and around the NFL.

This time around, we're back to scrutinizing the efforts of ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli, who has some harsh words for Ravens receiver Mark Clayton in the pay-only portion of Len's June 16 Tip Sheet. The P-man writes that the Ravens are miffed at Clayton for missing offseason practice time due to a hamstring problem, and Len says that "[t]he Ravens' first-round choice in 2005 is coming off a disappointing rookie campaign."

Every rookie first-rounder should be so disappointing in his first season. Clayton led all members of the class of 2005 in receptions, and he was named to various 2005 all-rookie teams, including the "official" NFL all-rookie team determined by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Said the NFL source who pointed out to us this most recent gaffe: "The guy is an idiot."

INJURY RULES NEED TO BE REVISED

In the modern NFL, the rule of thumb regarding the concealment of injuries seems that be that, if the injury doesn't come to light until after the season in which it occurred, the team won't get punished for failing to properly disclose it.

For example, when it was revealed after the 2005 season that Pats quarterback Tom Brady played much of the year with a sports hernia, no one (except us) said a thing about the fact that he should have been, at a minimum, listed each week as "probable" on the injury report due to the hernia (he's been listed as "probable" pretty much every week of his career with a shoulder injury), because "probable" actually means (as NFL spokesman Steve Alic told us on October 10, 2005) that there is a "virtual certainty that player will be available for normal duty."

By implication, any bump or bruise or busted ball that nevertheless leaves the player "virtually certain" to play should be disclosed. (Amazingly, much of the "real" media continues to assume that "probable" simply means that there's a 75 percent chance that the guy will play.)

It now appears that the Bengals also played fast and loose with those rules.

Per the Columbus Dispatch, Bengals running back Rudi Johnson tore cartilage in his left knee during the second week of the 2005 season, and was plagued by the injury all year. "When it first happened," Johnson said, "we didn't know if I was going to have surgery during the season and sit six to eight weeks or whatever. So we took it week by week."

Since the injury initially happened during a Week Two thrashing of the Vikings, Johnson was at least listed as "probable" with a knee injury for Week Three, right? Not so, according to the official injury report maintained by the NFL, which does not include any reference to Johnson in connection with the team's September 25 game against the Bears.

Thereafter, Johnson was listed as "probable" (i.e., virtually certain to play) for each week of the season -- with the exception of Week 13, Week 16, and Wild Card Weekend. For each of those games (two of which coincidentally were against the Steelers), Johnson's name appeared nowhere on the injury report.

Says Johnson well after the fact: "I wasn't as powerful with my left leg. There were definitely some times I could have pulled out of some tackles or moved the pile more if I'd been 100 percent."

Based on that statement alone, it appears that he should have been listed as probable (at a minimum) every week from Week Three through the playoffs. In fact, it sounds to us as if it really wasn't a virtual certainty each week that Johnson would be available for normal duty come each and every Sunday.

The core of the problem is that, while "probable" doesn't mean "75 percent likely," the term "questionable" means "50-50." The NFL therefore needs, in our opinion, another category between "probable" and "questionable" that accounts from the percentage points from 51 through 99.

Alternatively, the definition of "probable" should be changed to "75 percent chance," and a term such as "likely" (or something really outside-the-freakin'-box like "virtual certainty") should be used to connote that the player is injured, but nevertheless is virtually certain to be available to play.

This isn't a knock on Johnson, who gutted through the injury to set the team's single-season rushing record. We don't even think that the Bengals should get their knuckles wrapped and/or nutsacks slapped for this one, since our sense is that the abuses are rampant.

Instead, we think it's yet another example of a situation in which the league's written rules don't mesh with reality, and our hope is that the new Commish (whoever it may be) will try to infuse a strong dose of pragmatism into each and every principle governing NFL teams and players.

We hope that practicalities are considered specifically in connection with the rules regarding injury reports, since the overriding goal is to insulate players, coaches, and other league insiders from efforts by gamblers to get the real story on a guy's condition.

In the cases of Brady and Johnson, it's obvious that the real story was concealed by their respective teams. Which means that the real story could have been had by slipping the right denomination of currency into the right hand at the right time.

If we were gamblers (and as far as our wives know we still aren't), we'd bet that, under the NFL's current system of reporting injuries, palms are getting greased on a constant basis.

POSTED 9:35 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2006

SOFTLI SLIDING TO RAMS

Two league sources have told us that Panthers director of college scouting Tony Softli has accepted a position in the Rams' front office. Though we haven't yet heard a specific title for Softli's new gig, it most likely does not involve "final say" over personnel, the draft, and/or the coach.

Several weeks ago, the Rams made a run at former Bucs director of player personnel Ruston Webster. Webster turned down the opportunity and instead accepted a position with the Seahawks, and the No. 2 man in the football operation behind team president and former Tampa colleague Tim Ruskell. Thereafter, the Rams have successfully kept their search under wraps, with no word of Softli's candidacy getting out until after he'd been hired.

Softli is a respected personnel man who has been with the Panthers since 1995, the team's first NFL season. He became Carolina's director of college scouting in 2000. During his tenure, the team has drafted players like receiver Steve Smith, defensive end Julius Peppers, and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.

Softli assumed full responsibility for the Panthers' draft in 2003, after veteran personnel guru Jack Bushofsky retired. Softli generally is regarded as having more juice than directors of college scouting in other cities because the G.M. in Carolina, Marty Hurney, is a converted journalist whose expertise lies more in the area of the salary cap and contracts.

POSTED 5:06 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2006

STEINBERG DENIES LOOMING SPLIT WITH TOLLNERS, ROETHLISBERGER

We've had a chance to speak with agent Leigh Steinberg regarding our report that agents Ryan and Bruce Tollner will be leaving Steinberg's firm, and Steinberg tells us that the rumors of a split are not accurate.

But even after speaking with Steinberg, we continue to hear -- from multiple sources -- that a separation is in the works.

Steinberg concedes that, in the near future, the current group of Steinberg, the Tollners, and Warren Moon "might do something" by way of a restructuring, a name change, and/or the opening of an additional office. But Steinberg says that , if this happens, there will be no change in the identity of the agents listed on the Standard Representation Agreement of Ben Roethlisberger or any other current client.

Though Steinberg offered no hard details as to the form of the new venture, he explained that the Tollners have been handling the traditional day-to-day agenting duties, with Steinberg getting involved in larger-profile negotiations and Moon serving as a mentor for the clients.

Our take? We're hearing from too many people (and from sources who have been dead-on in the past) that the Tollners are leaving, so if the information is accurate it could be that the cat got out of the bag before the Tollners could have a heart-to-heart with Leigh regarding their intentions.

And if the reports of a looming split are indeed accurate, the root of the problem could simply be that the agent industry has become far too duplicitous for a guy like Steinberg, who based on our various conversations with him over the years is very different from the fast-talking go-getters who would tell lies about their mothers if it meant getting a client signed.

If, in other words, the Tollners are indeed leaving, it means that they've completely bamboozled Steinberg into thinking that they were somehow different than David Dunn, whose acrimonious separation from Steinberg sparked years of litigation and still threatens Dunn's ability to represent players in the future.

In our view, there's no sin in being bamboozled. But in a year when Steinberg already has been on the short end of prematurely concluded relationships with players like Winston Justice and Matt Leinart, it would be a shame if the Tollners have pulled the wool over the eyes of the guy who not only blazed the trail for all of the Bluetooth-headset-wearing wannabes currently populating the business, but who also has been instrumental in nudging both the NFL and its players toward the enormous prosperity that they all now enjoy.

POSTED 3:22 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2006

MATHIS GETS $12 MILLION GUARANTEED

When ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli broke the news that the Colts have signed defensive end Robert Mathis to a long-term extension but likewise said that the financial details are not available, we assumed that the deal wasn't a very good one for the player. After all, the agent is Hadley Englehard, who was once so cozy with Len that he got busted for disclosing to the P-man Englehard's password to the proprietary portions of the NFLPA's web site. So if, we concluded, Len doesn't have the numbers it's because Hadley didn't want to talk about the numbers. And agents typically love to talk about numbers when they think the player got a great deal; conversely, they got quieter than a convent screening of the The Aristocrats if/when a deal isn't so good.

Though Len for some reason couldn't pry the numbers out of his pal Hadley, we've been told by a league source that, under the deal, Mathis will get $12 million in guaranteed money. Of that amount, $8.1 million will be paid out as a signing bonus, and $3.9 million comes in the form of a March 2007 roster bonus that is fully guaranteed in the event of injury.

The total deal, we're told, is worth $30 million over five years.

Mathis was a fifth-round draft choice in 2003. He'd previously signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract as a restricted free agent.

And before we get a bunch of e-mails from readers (to which our response will be "go f--k your mother") questioning how the Colts keep finding ways to give money to every quality player on the team (except, of course, Edgerrin James), keep in mind that the franchise was forced to speedily re-do the contracts of Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning when a cap-cutting device in their contracts was found to be invalid not long before teams would have been required to get under a salary cap that was expected at the time to be only (only?) $95 million. Once the CBA was extended, the cap jumped to $102 million, and the Colts also had the extra space that they'd cleared in order to get under the lower number.

POSTED 1:56 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2006

BIG BEN MAKING AN AGENT AUDIBLE

A league source tells us that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in the process of parting ways with agent Leigh Steinberg. (We've attempted to contact Steinberg for comment, and have not yet been able to reach him.)

Per the source, agents Bruce and Ryan Tollner are separating from Steinberg's agency, and the word is that Roethlisberger is heading out the door with them.

It's not presently known whether the Tollners will start their own shop or join forces with another agency. At one point prior to the draft, there were rumors that the Tollners would team up with Chuck Price, who represents Matt Leinart.

The move is unrelated to Roethlisberger's June 12 motorcycle accident. Instead, indications are that the change has been in the works.

Roethlisberger was the eleventh overall selection of the Steelers in the 2004 draft. According to information available via the NFLPA web site, he technically is signed through 2009. However, we assume that the final year of his contract has been voided via the achievement of play-time thresholds, which would make him a free agent after the 2008 season.

The Steelers typically don't extend contracts with more than one year remaining on them. The two exceptions that the team has made over the past decade involved quarterbacks Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox.

For Roethlisberger, our guess is that he needs to put together a solid 2006 season (especially after slamming his meat melon into an even more solid windshield) before the team will sit down and work out a long-term deal that could entail pretty big money.

But "big money" for the Steelers isn't quite the same as "big money" for other teams. Unless Big Ben is willing to pull a Tom Brady and make less money in order to stay with a winning program, there could be a parting of the ways down the road.

The question is whether Roethlisberger is smart enough to realize that his career likely wouldn't have progressed so quickly if he'd been drafted by the Giants or the Chargers or the Bills or any other team that was looking for a quarterback in 2004. He was in the right place at the right time, and if he wants to be like Tom Brady and win multiple Super Bowls he needs to stay in a program that has shown that, more often than not, it will be in the thick of things in the AFC.

POSTED 9:34 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:59 a.m. EDT, June 16, 2006

FRED GETTING FED UP WITH JAGS?

We continue to hear that veteran running back Fred Taylor is increasingly unhappy with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Apparently, a big stick has gradually found its way into Fred's fudge factory based on the reality that, given his years in the league and the mileage on his tires, the team likely will soon find a way to phase him out.

Taylor turned 30 earlier this year, and he's got a list of injuries longer than Chris Henry's rap sheet. Taylor is due to make $2.55 million in 2006 and $2.55 million in 2007. Though there's been no indication that the team will try to squeeze him into taking a lower base salary this year, the "take a cut or take a hike" routine sometimes doesn't play out until the regular season approaches, when the player has no real leverage because every other team is set at the position.

So it could be that Taylor is trying to jolt the Jags into bringing the potential issue to a head sooner rather than later by staying away from the team's voluntary program. But for attendance at a mandatory minicamp, Taylor has been working out exclusively in Miami, and not even a one-on-one with coach Jack Del Rio could get him to change his venue.

Taylor's stance has prompted speculation that perhaps there's a way the Jags could get themselves into one of the various multi-team scenarios that have been bandied about in connection with receiver Ashley Lelie's eventual exit from Denver. Since the Jags need another receiver about as badly as they need another rookie with an alleged taste for toe-tapping Denny's patrons, such a deal would (in theory) send Taylor to Denver, Lelie to a third team, and something or someone from said third team to Jacksonville.

The problem, as we understand it, is that even though the Broncos would like to beef up their thunder-and-lightning duo of Ron Dayne and Tatum Bell (which is actually more like a spark from a toaster oven and a quick whiff of ozone), the team doesn't want to take on a running back with a big contract.

So Taylor will continue to stew, unless and until the team asks him to take less money in 2006 -- at which time Fred promptly would invite coach Jack to kiss his Del Asso.

MORE TROUBLE FOR FORMER MOSS AGENT

Former NFL agent Dante di Trapano, who represented Raiders receiver Randy Moss for eight years, was jailed on Thursday following a Wednesday indictment on federal gun charges. Eight guns were removed from his home during a raid in April.

In support of the decision to put him in custody, federal authorities argued that he could be a danger to the community, pointing to the fact that di Trapano's former law firm has hired an off-duty police officer as protection against him.

According to the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette, di Trapano was indicted by a federal grand jury for being “an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance” while in possession of guns, and for allegedly lying on a federal form when he purchased a gun February 4, in which he stated that he was not addicted to or using drugs.

A hearing will be held on June 20 as to the question of whether he will be jailed without bond pending trial on these new charges.

Factors that surely won't win di Trapano any bonus points include an arrest on June 11 for driving with a suspended license. When arrested on June 15 in connection with the federal charges, he again was driving with a suspended license. And the U.S. Magistrate Judge assigned to the case says that she saw him driving on June 14.

Di Trapano originally was arrested in March on drug charges in Florida. Moss initially said that he'd stand behind his agent, but several weeks later he quietly dropped di Trapano from a representation team that includes his former law partner, Tim DiPiero.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

From the "So Much Evidence Of Offseason Rules Violations, So Little Sensitivity By The 'Real' Media To The Issue" file, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Eagles OT William Thomas participated in individual drills on Thursday "but not live contact."

But there's still cause for hope -- Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune writes that "[t]he Web site Profootballtalk.com has done an excellent job of late compiling stories, pictures and anecdotal evidence about how loosely enforced the 'no-contact' rules are."

Jets coach Eric Mangini says that every position on the team is open, which apparently includes quarterback.

Pats owner Bob Kraft isn't worried about WR Deion Branch's absence from a mandatory minicamp.

We like the fact that the Pats have in camp a rookie named for the guy who founded Wendy's -- and a kicker who reminds us of the Hamburglar.

The Colts have signed DE Robert Mathis to a five-year contract extension.

Meanwhile, the Colts have yet to engage in any substantive discussions on a new contract for their "other" defensive end. (You might have heard of him. Dwight something.)

The Steelers have cut LB Matt Farrior, the younger brother of LB James Farrior.

POSTED 11:30 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2006

UPSHAW GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH NEW COMMISH?

We've caught wind of a recent meeting so clandestine that, if we were to even generally describe our source on this one, laser beams would emerge from the official PFT laptop and blast our genitals into a pile of smoldering hummus (with a hint of dill).

Rumor has it that, on Wednesday, NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw played a one-on-one round of golf at the Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey with NFL executive V.P. and chief operating officer Roger Goodell.

Though we've got no information as to the purpose of the session, nor confirmation that it even occurred, reasonable minds could readily conclude that the two men were getting better acquainted in the event that Goodell ultimately is named the successor to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Unless Upshaw also plans to hit the links with the other presumptive finalists for the job, the meeting could spark speculation that Goodell's ascension to the top job in the sport is a fait accompli, with only the "i"'s to dot and "t"'s to cross before the owners cast their votes in early August.

And even though Tagliabue has said that he's making no recommendations, the guy wants out and recent news reports have laid the foundation for an "insider" (i.e., Goodell) to get the job. If Tags was able to finesse 30 of 32 owners into agreeing on expanded revenue sharing, which one of the most contentious issues in league history, he surely knows how to press the buttons in order to line up only 22 "ayes" in favor of Goodell, the man who has been groomed for the job. (Not to be confused with Rich McKay, the guy who only thinks he's been groomed for it.)

Stay tuned.

WELBOURN RETIRES FROM CHIEFS

Though it would be very easy for us to claim that the possible surprise retirement to which we were referring earlier on Thursday was Chiefs tackle John Welbourn, who only hours after our story was posted walked away from the sport at the age of 30, we weren't referring to him.

Regardless, the veteran offensive lineman is packing it in, effective immediately. "I decided to retire on my own terms rather than somebody else's," Welbourn told the AP.

Given that Welbourn was suspended for four games in 2005 for violating the league's steroid policy, the "somebody else's" terms to which he refers could be a looming suspension for another violation.

The league's steroid policy requires a suspension of at least four games for a first offense, a suspension of at least six games for a second offense, and a suspension of at least one year for a third offense.

Of course, we're not reporting that Welbourn has committed a second or a third violation of the policy (primarily because we've allowed our liability insurance to lapse). But any time a player with a history of violating either the substance abuse policy or the steroid policy abruptly walks away from the game, there will be speculation that the guy walked before he got run.

POSTED 6:50 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2006

BEN SAYS HE'LL WEAR HELMET, BUT DOESN'T SAY HE WON'T RIDE

In a statement sent by the Steelers to multiple media types (but not, sniff, us) at 5:18 p.m. EDT on Thursday, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says that, if he ever rides a motorcycle again, it will be with a helmet on his head.

Frankly, we would have preferred a more unequivocal declaration regarding the question of whether he'll be getting on anything in the future that has only two wheels -- especially since Big Ben claims that he has gained a "new perspective on life."

Roethlisberger also appears to concede that he didn't have a license to operate a motorcycle and/or that he didn't qualify to not wear a helmet by saying that he "never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws."

He likewise acknowledges the reality that he was guilty of the "bad stuff only happens to someone else" mindset: "I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me."

Finally, we think that the statement was deliberately vague regarding his timetable for a return to action. Roethlisberger says that he is "committed to a complete and timely recovery," and that he looks forward "to being at training camp" (not "participating in" it) and "to winning football games this season" (but not specifically games in early September).

Again, we're not saying that he won't be ready for the start of the season. We believe instead that it's far too early to conclude that he will be, and we think that whoever wrote this statement for him was trying to express optimism without taking a specific position as to when Ben will be ready to go.

POSTED 4:17 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:17 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2006

SURPRISE RETIREMENT COMING?

We've caught wind of strong rumors that a veteran NFL player is considering walking away from the game of pro football, despite prior indications that he will play in 2006.

It's not Lord Favre, but that's all we're saying for now.

(And no, readers, it's not Marshall Faulk. That really wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Sheesh -- we might not proofread our content, but we're at least generally familiar with it.)

More to come. Maybe.

NO BRAINER -- MSNBC SHOULD KEEP KEITH

We pause from our ongoing coverage of all things NFL to ponder the dilemma that has been dropped onto the toupee comb of new MSNBC chief Dan Abrams in his first week behind the camera.

Keith Olbermann hosts Countdown, a show that we watch religiously -- and that we regard as one of the most underrated shows in television history. Recently, the press has gotten its hands on some e-mails that Olbermann has sent, which isn't surprising because the e-mails weren't sent privately to family, friends, or co-workers but to, you know, viewers.

On the surface, it wasn't wise (to say the least) for Olbermann to tell viewers to (for instance) "go f--k your mother." The core of the problem, as we see it, is that we humans often regard e-mail as the equivalent of being behind the wheel of a car -- the rest of the world can see us, but we somehow think that those panes of clear glass on each of our four sides have rendered us suddenly invisible.

Have we sent out our fair share of profanity-laced e-mails to readers who direct to us insulting messages? Heck yes. Would we do so if we were hosting a nightly show on MSNBC or any other cable news network? Probably not.

But, hey, Keith would. And has. So what? Jesus might have advised us generally to turn the other cheek, but He never got an e-mail from a Samaritan telling Him to "walk on this." (We wanted to come up with something funnier than that, but the whole "burning in Hell for all eternity" thing that was beaten into our brains during twelve years of Catholic school wouldn't allow us to take it any farther.)

Bottom line -- Abrams will be making a huge mistake if he determines that Keith's penalty for responding in kind to attack e-mails is to yank Olbermann off of the air for a even a nanosecond. Instead, let him apologize on the air for his actions and then let's move on. If, as Abrams claims, he wants to cultivate the irreverence that emanates from shows like Olbermann's, Abrams needs to realize that folks with the gift (or, as it may be, curse) of smartassedness don't always respond with a smile and a "Thanks for your message!" when someone takes a e-swing at them.

Of course, there's also the minor problem of reconciling Olbermann and fellow MSNBC talking head Rita Cosby, to whom Olbermann referred in one e-mail message as "dumber than a suitcase of rocks."

For the record, we've yet to make an assessment as to Cosby's intelligence because, well, we . . . can't . . . get . . . past . . . the . . . voice. She possesses, without question, the most annoying manner of speaking that we ever have heard. Anywhere. She shouldn't be working in radio or television. Really, she shouldn't be in any job that requires verbal communication, including sentences as simple as "May I take your order?"

If she wants to be a journalist, fine. She should be working for a newspaper or a magazine. And interviewing her subjects via sign language.

So if, in the end, Cosby makes an "it's him or me" power play, the answer is easy. MSNBC would be improving its product more than tenfold by keeping Keith and telling Rita to take her expertly concealed moose caboose somewhere else.

POSTED 9:32 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 12:24 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2006

BIG BEN GOES HOME

WTAE-TV reports that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been released from Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, less than 72 hours after a motorcycle accident that resulted in seven hours of facial surgery.

Roethlisberger, per the report, was "whisked" out a side entrance late Wednesday night, with his sister, a doctor, and a Steelers representative surrounding him.

The move makes sense, since it's certain that photographers would have been staking out the facility all day for a chance to get a shot of Big Ben's bruised and swollen face and head.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Oilers/Titans LT Brad Hopkins officially has retired after 13 NFL seasons.

The Dolphins have signed G Bennie Anderson.

Attention aspiring, industrious college kids looking for a way to add a line to your resumes without having to put much effort into the process: We're looking for a copy editor who will proofread all of our postings and spot any typos. Let us know if you're interested, and we'll send you a sample story with some embedded typos (i.e., basically any one of the stories that we post on the live site) so that you can show us what you can due.

Jags RB Maurice Drew will face a preliminary hearing next week on felony assault charges resulting from an April 23 incident at an L.A.-area Denny's.

Good news for Titans DT Albert Haynesworth -- charges of reckless endangerment in Putnam County, Tennessee were dismissed. Bad news for Titans DT Albert Haynesworth -- they were dismissed only because they'd been filed in the wrong county.

Giants TE Jeremy Shockey says he doesn't ride motorcycles -- he rides horses. (But enough about his love life . . . .)

Giants WR Plaxico Burress joined his team for the first time since skipping out of the final team meeting of the season; the Soup Nazi says he spoke with Plax, but declined to go into details.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak says that QB David Carr is the most improved player on the team (which could mean that he has elevated from "really sucks" to just plain "sucks").

As it turns out, Jags OT Mike Williams remembered to pack his big fat ass when he moved from Buffalo to Jacksonville.

Colts QB Jim Sorgi hasn't thrown in more than a month due to a sore arm.

Two fights broke out during non-contact (wink, nod, fart) sessions at Ravens camp on Wednesday.

RB Reuben Droughns is still No. 1 on the Browns' depth chart.

The Vikings don't intend to ban motorcycle riding. (In fact, the coaching staff actually has encouraged CB Fred Smoot to ride one. Without a helmet. And blindfolded.)

Eagles LB Dhani Jones could be losing his grip on a starting job.

Crazy Joe Davola is knocking the rust off (but no matter how well he performs he still won't be invited to Kramer's party).

Bears CB Nathan Vasher, who made the Pro Bowl in only his second season, has been skipping the team's OTAs because he wants more money.

The Niners have signed three of their low-end draft picks.

No shows for the Ravens' voluntary drills included S Ed Reed, DE Trevor Pryce, LT Jonathan Ogden, LB Adalius Thomas, and DE Terrell Suggs. (Yeah, the addition of Steve McNair has really electrified the team.)

Pats WR Chad Jackson is getting an eye-opening from Pats QB Tom Brady, whose nice-guy demeanor off of the field gives way during practice and games to a guy who curses more than Richard Pryor after getting a pitchfork in the pecker.

POSTED 9:16 a.m. EDT, June 15, 2006

BUCS WERE SNIFFING AROUND McNAIR

A league source tells us that, in the days preceding the trade of quarterback Steve McNair from the Tennessee Titans to the Baltimore Ravens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in the process of entering the fray for the 2003 NFL co-MVP.

Though it's not known whether the Bucs actually made any trade offers for McNair -- or whether Tampa's interest helped to kick-start stalled talks between the Ravens and Titans -- the 2005 NFC South champion was interested in the possibility of adding McNair to the roster.

On June 7, the Titans sent McNair to Baltimore for a fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft.

The Bucs' interest in McNair could raise question regarding the team's long-term plans for current starter Chris Simms. Earlier this year, Simms signed a one-year restricted free agent tender, and he is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2007. If McNair had landed in Tampa, and if McNair had ended up winning the starting job, the chances of Simms moving on after 2006 would have increased significantly.

Even now, it remains to be seen whether the Bucs try to work out a long-term deal with the son of Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms, whether the younger Simms ends up testing the market, or whether the Bucs slap the franchise or transition tag on him.

The other quarterbacks currently on the roster are Tim Rattay, Luke McCown, and Bruce Gradkowski. If Simms leaves after 2006, guys who might (key word: might) be available come 2007 include J.P. Losman, Chad Pennington, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller, Kerry Collins, Jim Sorgi, David Garrard, Matt Schaub, Trent Green, Jake Plummer, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Mark Brunell, Kordell Stewart, Cade McNown, and Akili Smith. (We threw the last three in just to see if you're paying attention.)

SIX TEAMS IN HUNT FOR LELIE

As the Ashley Lelie saga continues to drag on in Denver, we're told that a total of six teams have real interest in the former first-round wideout, and that most if not all of the reports and rumors of potential trade mechanics are off of the mark.

One team that isn't interested in Lelie, but has been rumored to be, is the Patriots.

Lelie has been staying away from the Broncos' offseason program, and he was made expendable by the acquisition of Javon Walker. Most reports indicate that the Broncos would like to get a tight end in exchange for Lelie, but we've heard that the team's bigger objective is to add another running back to a roster that currently has Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne at the top of the depth chart.

TROJANS TRYING TO HOSE THE NFL?

Check out our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, for an interesting story regarding the efforts of the University of Southern California to keep the NFL out of its home stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum.

It seems that the Trojans are concerned that, once "real" football returns to the L.A. area, the sweetheart deal that the school has enjoyed on a venue that otherwise would be hosting ant, roach, and mice conventions could go bye-bye.

Also, kudos to Joe Collegio of CFT for updating the site an impressive (drum roll, please) two days in a row.

BE A FREAK

Since we assume that many of you who spend your time trolling this and other Internet sites don't get much exercise (or natural light), allow us to recommend Adam Archuleta's "Freak of Training" workout video, which will give you all of the information and motivation that you need in order to transform yourself from a keyboard camel to a tempest of testosterone.

Of course, we don't want you to quit spending countless hours in front of the iridescent glow of that 17-inch flat screen that came with your latest computer purchase -- but there's nothing wrong with taking a little time each day to employ some of the training techniques that help Archuleta stay in the kind of shape that prompted the Redskins to pay him $10 million in bonus money.

Since Archuleta has bought ad space on the site for the last three months and since we get e-mails from many of you who say that you want to support the site in any way that you can, one way to put your money where our wallet is is to buy the Archuleta workout tape. With Father's Day just around the corner, it's a great way to let dad know that you want to help him reduce his ass down to the size of a baby elephant.

And stay tuned for more NFL player self-help videos, including Ben Roethlisberger's two-part series on motorcycle safety (it's a blank VHS tape) and how to suck the big-ass potato pieces in Chunky Soup through one of those bendy straws.

Looking for more of the best NFL news, information, and analysis? Then click here for more than four years of rumor archives. (Or you can watch a bunch of skinny guys run around for 90 minutes and not score goals.)

Quick Team Pages