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POSTED 11:51 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:58 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

CORNRICH CONNECTION PAYS OFF FOR GRANTHAM?

A league source tells us that the contract extension signed by Browns defensive coordinator Todd Grantham with the Cleveland Browns will pay him $1 million per year.

That's not a bad chunk of change for a guy who works under a head coach who is a defensive specialist, and who presides over a generally crappy defense.

The move also is causing raised eyebrows among league insiders because Grantham is represented by Neil Cornrich, who also happens to represent Browns General Manager Phil Savage. So, to the extent that Savage was the person in charge of the deal, an agent was negotiating with one of his clients about another client. So Cornrich had a duty to get the best possible deal for one of his clients -- even if it meant creating the perception that his other client got raked over the coals.

So, in other words, it's another example of the kind of conflict of interest that the NFL needs to eliminate.

LARON GETS SHOT IN LA DONG

From the "Okay, Now We've Really Heard Everything" file, Redskins first-round rookie LaRon Landry missed the first day of a full squad minicamp because he recently was shot by a paintball. In the groin.

On the bright side, he can now sing like Mariah Carey.

The injury happened after coach Joe Gibbs ended OTA workouts prematurely on Wednesday. Some of the players decided to play paintball.

"I didn't know paintball was that dangerous," linebacker Marcus Washington said. "I hope it wasn't friendly fire."

POSTED 7:19 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

RAIDERS GET KNUCKLES RAPPED FOR OFFSEASON CONTACT

Finally, the NFL Players Association has taken action against one of the league's 32 teams for violating the rules regarding offseason workouts.

And, ironically, the franchise on the wrong end of the ruling is the same team for which NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw once played.

Per a league source, the Oakland Raiders have been disciplined for violating the prohibition against offseason contact found in Article XXXV of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to the source, the problem arose from the intensity and tempo of the team's offseason practices.

But the penalty is minimal. Since all so-called Organized Training Activities have been completed in Oakland, the team will lose only one week of player workout time. Specifically, players will be prohibited from lifting weights or conducting any conditioning work at the club's facility during the week of June 18. Players otherwise would have been allowed to spend up to four days at the facility.

Despite language in the CBA indicating that coaches can be fined for violations of the offseason workout rules, we're told that no fine will be imposed on first-year coach Lane Kiffin.

It's unclear whether the issue arose because of a player complaint or because the NFLPA decided to act on its own. If a player complains, the union must investigate; the NFLPA otherwise has discretion as to whether an inquiry may be launched.

We're told that the process began with a letter from the union requesting video of certain practices. On Friday, the ruling was issued.

Moving forward, the question is whether this was an isolated incident, or whether the NFLPA will begin to do something about blatant violations of the no-contact rules. Just this week, there was clear evidence in the media that the Seahawks have been engaging in bump-and-run pass defense during offseason workouts. (The bump-and-run technique is listed in the CBA as one of the banned practices.) Also, Browns rookie tackle Joe Thomas said that the contact during offseason workouts in Cleveland has been more intense than the in-season practices with pads that he attended at Wisconsin. On Thursday, the Giants placed fullback Jim Finn on injured reserve after suffering a torn labrum while delivering a block during a practice in which there should have been no blocking.

As a matter of basic fairness, then, the union should start investigations in any city where there is reason to believe that the rules have been violated. We've got a feeling, quite frankly, that violations likely have occurred in every city.

POSTED 4:14 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:19 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

NO CHARGES FOR HENRY

WLWT-TV reports that Bengals receiver Chris Henry will not be charged with assault arising from allegations made earlier this week by a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old witness.

The alleged victim and his family reportedly have stopped cooperating with police. Also, two other suspects have been identified in the assault.

Florence, Kentucky police told the station that Henry is no longer considered a suspect. Teammate Reggie McNeal likewise has been exonerated.

Henry currently is on probation resulting from two prior incidents. An arrest likely would have sparked efforts to revoke probation and put him in jail.

He also has been suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. It is believed that any further incidents from Henry will result in his banishment from the league.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Steelers have fired the team doctor who was linked to HGH. (Offensive line coach Larry Zierlein sent us an e-mail about it.)

Lord Favre has a sore shoulder.

Packers WR Robert Ferguson is practicing at all of the receiver positions: X, Y, and Z (not to be confused with the initials of W, T, and F, which usually are uttered whenever Ferguson drops a pass).

Fins QB Daunte Culpepper got rear-ended. (If you're expecting a smart-ass remark, it ain't happening. But feel free to insert your own. . . . Remark, that is.)

Rams WR Torry Holt is on schedule after offseason knee surgery.

The Colts are talking to DE Dwight Freeney about a long-term extension; after July 15, he can only sign a one-year deal.

Jets G Pete Kendall wants to be traded or released.

RB Chris Brown will sign with the Bears or the Titans.

Five people have inquired about the gig of president of the Packers; four of them currently work in pro football.

Giants DE Michael Strahan says that he's the best at what he does. (If that's the case, there's no way he's happy about making only $4 million this year.)

POSTED 4:02 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

TITANS LOOKING INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY TO REPLACE SNEAD

A league source tells us that the pool of finalists to replace former Titans director of player personnel Rich Snead is down to five. Two are from outside the organization, and three come from within.

The external candidates are John Schneider of the Packers and 49ers scout Trent Baalke (Bartokomous). The in-house guys are National Coordinator of College Scouting C.O. Brocato, Director of Pro Personnel Lake Dawson, and Director of College Scouting Mike Ackerley.

There also are rumblings that Baalke has withdrawn his name from consideration.

Snead left after his contract was not renewed. He accepted a position with the Raiders, presumably as the replacement for Mike Lombardi.

In the end, Snead might not be the only front-office guy who needs to be replaced. Rumors persist that G.M. Mike Reinfeldt is a potential candidate to become the next president of the Packers. It's unclear whether Reinfeldt could make the move to Green Bay without the consent of the Titans. If, however, the president of the Packers has the authority to hire and fire the G.M. there, it could be enough to constitute the kind of vertical front-office move that cannot be blocked, regardless of the number of years remaining on Reinfeldt's contract.

POSTED 10:33 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 12:09 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

WINSLOW MAKES AGENT CHANGE

Multiple league sources have informed us that Browns tight end Kellen Winslow has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus. Winslow previously was represented by Carl and Kevin Poston.

Carl Poston was summarily suspended by the NFLPA in 2006 due to alleged delays in the resolution of Poston's appeal of a two-year suspension resulting from his admitted failure to read the final draft of a new contract for then-Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington. The contract allegedly was supposed to pay two separate $6.5 million roster bonuses in 2006, and Poston claimed that the team pulled one of the roster bonuses from the last version of the deal. He said that he didn't notice the omission because he didn't read the contract. A league source tells us that the hearing on the original suspension will be conducted in September.

It's unclear whether Winslow made the change because of Carl Poston's status, or whether there were other factors. We've previously pointed out that Winslow's rookie deal contained a multi-million-dollar bonus tied to minimum playing time, but that it applied to his rookie season only. Most contracts of this nature allow for the payment to be triggered by reaching the 35-percent threshold in any year of the deal. Because Winslow broke a leg while playing special teams in 2004 and did not qualify for the payment, it was forever lost.

The hiring of Rosenhaus could be a sign that Winslow wants a new contract. However, it was only a year ago that the Browns and Winslow resolved the unfortunate "vroom-vroom, smash" incident by taking back some bonus money, adding a year to the deal, and giving him the opportunity to earn back the lost bonus money via incentives.

He currently is signed through 2010, and is due to earn a salary of $2 million in 2007. Rosenhaus will be eligible for no fee unless and until a new contract is negotiated.

But Winslow has bigger issues than his contract. He is recovering from microfracture surgery, and there are indications that he will be limited at the start of training camp. Still, he played well in 2006 and, if his knee allows him to play, he likely will continue to perform at a high level.

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER NEW SPRINT PHONE

It's never hard for us to come up with something to share with PFT Planet regarding our official telecommunications sponsors, Sprint and Nextel, because there's always something good to talk about.

Last week, we took a closer look at the UpStage, a two-sided phone/music player combination that could end up being better than a certain product that won't even be on the market for two weeks, and that likely will be hard to come by until, coincidentally, the Christmas shopping season.

This time around, there's a new phone that combines the best of the Sprint services with the Nextel walkie-talkie features. It's the Motorola Deluxe ic902, and it has full access to Sprint TV, the Sprint Music Store, and the rest of the Power Vision network. Meanwhile, the ic902 also offers Nextel's Direct Talk, Group Connect, and Direct Send features.

A full description of the capabilities of the ic902 can be seen right here. Put simply, it's the perfect combination of the push-to-talk concept and all of the entertainment capabilities available exclusively to Sprint customers.

So if you don't have a Sprint phone, consider the ic902. Or the UpStage. Or one of the other in a broad range of devices that can be purchased by clicking the links on this page.

You know the drill. Sprint supports us. We provide free content. Everyone has a mobile phone. Thus, if you like the content on this site, you can support us by supporting Sprint.

POSTED 9:22 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:52 a.m. EDT, June 15, 2007

VILMA FUMBLES FOR A MULLIGAN

Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma has tried to clarify (i.e., make go away) his recent remarks comparing dog fighting to horse racing.

Said Vilma on Thursday: "I was definitely not comparing the two, dog fighting to horse racing."

Said Vilma on Wednesday: "Of course, dog fighting is much more extreme, but you can equate it to horse racing."

We agree, Jon. You weren't comparing dog fighting to horse racing. You were equating it to horse racing. Thanks for the clearing that up.

FEDS WISELY AREN'T SHARING INFO WITH POINDEXTER

There has been an eerie silence for the past week or so regarding the Mike Vick dog-fighting investigation. A big part of the reason, in our view, is that the federal authorities are smart enough to realize that nothing positive flows from talking to the media about the inner workings of the case.

So it should surprise no one that the first update in the past several days comes not from the feds, but from Surry County, Virginia prosecutor Gerald Poindexter, who has shown no restraint when it comes to talking to the media (often out of both sides of his mouth) regarding the investigation.

Per the Virginian-Pilot, Poindexter says that the federal officials have recently been in touch with him. But Poindexter said that the feds didn't say whether they had found dead dogs on the property during a June 7 search.

"I don't know if they found the carcasses or not," Poindexter said. "They didn't tell me."

Why would they? So that Poindexter could call a press conference to announce it?

Frankly, we're surprised that the feds are having any contact with Poindexter. Our guess is that their goal is to keep an eye on his "work" without telling him anything about the federal investigation that he then could blab to the press.

As to the investigation being conducted by Surry County authorities, Sheriff Harold Brown says that he still has three or four persons to interview.

The fact that the flow of information has died down doesn't mean that the case is languishing. If anything, this period fairly could be characterized as the calm before the coming storm.

RETURN OF THE PODCAST

Back by popular demand (if "popular" is broad enough to cover three e-mails in six months), it's the PFT Podcast.

We've resurrected the thing after a temporary (if "temporary" is broad enough to mean six months) hiatus, and we've got big plans for this technology that we've neglected (i.e., completely ignored) since the end of the 2006 season.

First, the PFT Podcast will be the new platform for our "E-Mails We Like" feature. Instead of updating the "E-Mails We Like" thing once every couple of weeks, we'll do a short PFT Podcast every couple of days focusing on our favorite e-mails, and (at times) offering up our responses.

Also, we'll be doing some of the traditional Podcasts in our more traditional format, with the Poobah and Michael David Smith debating the issues of the day.

Where's Dante, you ask? We're not sure. It's quite possible that he was finally shot and killed by one of the many random strangers he routinely insulted at the grocery store, the mall, in restaurants, and/or in church.

Finally, we plan to bring back the Fantasy Podcast when the season begins, hopefully with Gregg Rosenthal of Rotoworld.com, our new fantasy partner. Rotoworld.com is exclusively powering our Fantasy Mill, which features real-time news updates and player information. It should be a regular stop for everyone who visits the Rumor Mill.

So let us know what you think of the new Podcast, and keep the e-mails coming.

And if you see Dante, try not to shoot him if/when he tells you to "move your fat ass" in the communion line.

POSTED 10:49 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

FOR CONCUSSIONS, THREE APPEARS TO BE THE MAGIC NUMBER by Mike Florio and Larry Mazza

One of the concepts that will be discussed at the June 19 concussion summit in Chicago is the clearer-than-ever link between multiple concussions and chronic changes in the brain that can cause depression and other problems for former athletes.

And the magic number, one leading expert in the field believes, is three.

On June 13, Dr. Julian Bailes, the Chair of the West Virginia University Department of Neurosurgery, explained to us new findings linking multiple concussions to significant changes in the brain. Dr. Bailes, the only physician from a non-NFL city who has been invited by the NFL to provide expertise regarding the issue of traumatic brain injuries, explained that autopsies performed on former pro football players like Steelers center Mike Webster revealed apparently normal brain tissue. After applying a certain type of test, however, changes that could cause serious cognitive problems were discovered.

Three concussions is the threshold, Dr. Bailes explained, for problems like depression and dementia after retirement from the game. "They've got really strive to not get that third concussion, because based on our data, which is the only thing out there, that's where the threshold is."

Per one of the studies in which Dr. Bailes was involved, it was found that a player who has sustained three or more concussions is five times more likely to have "MCI," or mild cognitive impairment. Thirty percent of all persons who develop MCI are later diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Per another study, three or more concussions resulted in a triple incidence of depression.

Dr. Bailes will be sharing his opinions and findings at the meeting in Chicago. "I want to make a contribution. Hopefully, I will still be optimistic when I leave [Chicago] on Tuesday night.

"For the first time, the new Commissioner has invited outside experts to meet with the committee," Dr. Bailes said. "Under Commissioner [Paul] Tagliabue it was rather closed. So what our reception is going to be in Chicago, I'm not certain. I hope they have the best motives. But this is troubling, troubling evidence. And there's more to come."

As to the notion that the NFL might eventually conduct its own study of retired players in order to show that there is no long-term consequence of concussions, Dr. Bailes said, "Well, I hope they do, and I hope they prove us wrong for the sake of the sport. But I'm not optimistic that real research will do that. . . . If they do their own study, it's going to take them two to three years to do it, another year to get published. Who suffers in the interim if we're right?"

A big part of the problem is the common failure of players and teams to acknowledge that a concussion has occurred. "There's a lot of concussions that go unrecognized," Dr. Bailes said. "Players don't quite still understand. If you're seeing stars, if you don't quite feel right, if your memory's a little off or if you're confused about your assignment, that can be a concussion. Only five to ten percent of the athletes who get a concussion get knocked out, so 90 to 95 percent of the time they're walking around talking. So I think education [is important], and that will trickle down to the 1.3 million playing high school football."

Dr. Bailes also advocates a more conservative game day approach, along with a strong effort to ensure that a player doesn't get that third concussion.

Better helmets aren't the answer. "Helmets cannot prevent this," Dr. Bailes said. "They can mitigate it some. . . . This is what we call an acceleration/deceleration injury. The brain floats in a bath of cerebral spinal fluid. It has about a centimeter or a centimeter-and-a-half of play. And so it's going to continue to go forward. It doesn't matter if there's a lot of padding. It's going at a certain speed and it suddenly stops."

And regardless of any changes to the equipment or the rules, the reality is that "as the cliche goes, players are getting bigger, stronger, and faster," Dr. Bailes said, "as that occurs, there's just going to be higher velocity injuries."

It remains to be seen where this all leads. But if the NFL ultimately agrees that players can't afford to have a third concussion, there could eventually be rules changes aimed at reducing head impacts.

Though we've heard nothing specific in this regard, we could envision an elimination of all low blocks and tackles, which would limit the number of times that a player might be kicked or kneed in the head. A more radical possibility would be the elimination of the three-point stance, which would take out of the game the collisions between helmets that occur as the linemen strike each other.

Regardless of the specific changes that are imposed, some type of change will be necessary if/when the NFL accepts as valid the findings of folks like Dr. Bailes.

POSTED 5:35 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

FINE PRINT SHOWS UPSHAW MADE MORE THAN $6.6 MILLION

Earlier this month, we reported that the NFLPA's federal LM-2 filing reveals a salary to executive director Gene Upshaw of more than $4.2 million for the year ending February 28, 2007.

Thanks to a tipster who studied the thing more carefully than we (or is it us?), it appears that Upshaw's total compensation for the year ending February 28, 2007 exceeded $6.6 million.

The extra $2.4 million appears in one of the notes to the report, at the bottom of the LM-2 document. The relevant excerpt is as follows:

"During the year ended February 28, 2007, the NFLPA and Players Inc entered into a new employment contracts [sic] with the Executive Director and Chairman, respectively, that employs him for the period of January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. The employment agreements stipulate bonuses of $3,600,000 and $2,400,000 from the NFLPA to the Executive Director and from Players Inc to the Grantor Trust, respectively, described below during the year ended February 28, 2007. The bonus amount paid during the year ended February 28, 2007 from the NFLPA is included in Schedule 11, Column (D). The employment contract with Players Inc established a Grantor Trust, which will be funded on an annual basis with the Players Inc salary and bonus amounts. The Grantor Trust assets are included in investments on Schedule 5 and the liability is included in deferred compensation on Schedule 10, Other Liabilities."

In English, this means that a separate payment of $2.4 million has been paid into a trust for Upshaw, and that the trust will be funded by bonuses and salaries from Players Inc. Upshaw's salary from Players Inc isn't revealed in the NFLPA's LM-2.

Hey, we never fault a guy for getting paid. But $6.6 million per year?

We've got a new suggestion for how the NFLPA can take better care of the former players. Cut the total compensation of the executive director to $1 million a year and give the other $5.6 million to those who need it a lot more than Upshaw.

POSTED 4:04 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

FALSE RUMORS CIRCULATE OF WESTBROOK CRASH

Several readers have advised us of rampant rumors that Eagles running back Brian Westbrook has badly injured his leg in a motorcycle accident.

Fear not, Eagles fans. A league source tells us that there was no accident, and that Westbrook is fine.

It's amazing how quickly these things can spread (e.g., Terry Bradshaw is dead) in this age of instantaneous digital information. This time around, we're glad that we checked with someone who knows what's happening before we posted the rumor.

Then again, this is a rumor mill. . . .

POSTED 1:58 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

DAUNTE SAYS "I AM FINE"

Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper has informed the Associated Press via e-mail that he sustained no serious injuries in a Wednesday night auto accident.

"I am fine," he said. "The real problem is that the guy damaged my 1975 convertible Caprice Classic."

Culpepper suffered a bruise to the top of his left hand, and precautionary X-rays were negative. He throws a football with his right hand.

POSTED 12:31 p.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

CULPEPPER INJURES HAND IN CAR CRASH

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper suffered a hand injury in a Wednesday night automobile accident. The crash occurred on the Sawgrass Expressway, and it involved two vehicles. Both cars rolled off of the road.

Culpepper complained of a hand injury to paramedics. It's not known whether he injured his left hand or his right hand. More details are expected to become available later in the day.

The Dolphins have been trying to trade Culpepper, but the quarterback has asked to be released. The NFL Players Association filed a grievance on his behalf earlier this week, due to the refusal of the Dolphins to allow him to participate in team drills during a recent minicamp.

If the hand injury prevents Culpepper from playing football, the team can cut him with no financial obligation or the team could put him on the non-football injury/illness list, and pay him nothing.

POSTED 11:07 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:54 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

JAGS JETTISON DARIUS

The Jacksonville Jaguars have released veteran safety Donovin Darius, according to the team's official web site.

The Syracuse product was the team's first-round draft choice (25th overall) in 1998, and he has spent his entire career with the Jaguars. The latter years of his tenure were marred by contract squabbles and franchise tags and, at one point, a media campaign by Darius to get the Vikings or the Dolphins to trade for him.

Darius had been under contract through 2008, at base salaries of $3.5 million and $4 million, respectively, over the next two seasons. The extra cap money could come in handy, if/when the Jags try to add quarterback Daunte Culpepper to the team.

Darius had not participated in offseason workouts while he was rehabilitating a broken leg suffered during the 2006 season.

Recently, Darius was appointed to a committee of veteran players who have been consulting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Darius likely will continue in that role -- if he can find a landing spot.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Jags QB Byron Leftwich isn't intimidated by the possible arrival of Daunte Culpepper: "I plan on playing every snap. I'm not a bum. I can play."

Pacman's lawyer is mad enough to bite someone.

Giants WR Plaxico Burress thinks he'll be a better player this year after ankle surgery.

Maybe we shouldn't care about the financial problems of former football players.

Redskins G Randy Thomas underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday; he is expected to be ready for training camp.

Hall of Famers like Paul Hornung and Deacon Jones plan to use the annual induction ceremony in Canton as a way to get the word out for their former NFL brethren.

Steelers veterans are removing the sticks from their asses.

Fins DE Jason Taylor is heading to London next week to help promote the regular-season game that will be played there.

Though he'll be attending a mandatory minicamp, Jets G Pete Kendall still might be a training-camp holdout.

Former Giants LT Luke Petitgout needs to move on. (Or, you know.)

Pats first-rounder Brandon Meriweather is still nursing a hamstring injury. (Doctors think it'll be 6-8 weeks until he can stomp on someone's head.)

A decision as to whether Lions DL Shaun Rogers should be charged for sexual assault won't be made soon.

We didn't know that Rams CB Tye Hill used to play for the Browns.

Rumors of Tom Donahoe joining the Rams are apparently untrue.

POSTED 9:44 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

POLICE THINK HENRY ACCUSERS ARE TELLING THE TRUTH

The latest situation involving Bengals receiver Chris Henry and the laws that govern an otherwise free society is getting weirder all the time.

In the wake of Wednesday's story that two yutes accused Henry and teammate Reggie McNeal of assaulting one of them on Friday night, reports emerged suggesting that the allegations were false.

But it now appears that police believe that claims to be anything but false.

Per WCPO-TV, Florence, Kentucky police think that the 16-year-old who was assaulted and his 18-year-old witness are telling the truth.

Henry and McNeal claim that they were in a different part of the city at the time, but it's not yet known whether they admit that they were together.

The investigation is ongoing. If Henry is prosecuted for assault, he likely will face revocation of probation on a Kentucky charge of giving alcohol to a minor and on a Florida weapons charge.

Oh, and his NFL career likely hangs in the balance on this one. He has been suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season based on past transgressions, and if he screws up again he could be banished permanently from the league.

POSTED 8:55 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:30 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

KALU WEIGHS IN ON RETIRED PLAYERS

In a Tuesday appearance on SportsRadio 610 in Houston, Texans defensive end N.D. Kalu shared his views regarding the current controversy between retired players and the NFL Players Association.

Kalu says that more needs to be done to help the players who paved the way for today's six-figure and seven-figure salaries.

He also suggested that he would be willing to give up $10,000 per year in salary to help the former players, and that other players should be asked to do the same in the hopes of creating a fund that would take care of former players who need help. (Hey, if the requisite amount is $10,000, Mike Vick already has cut the check.)

Kalu also made the possible mistake of calling out NFLPA leadership for not pushing something like this to its members.

"It's a shame, and it's actually scary, because I'm gonna be one of these former players," Kalu said. "But I feel with a billion-dollar industry the guys in the '50s, '60s who made it for guys like myself to make the money we make now, you have to take care of them.

"I've never been a big-money guy, but I'll even take a pay cut if it means putting some money to a fund to take care of these guys who made it possible for us to make six, seven digits a year. I just think it's a shame that you got guys who played in the NFL 10, 12 years and they can barely walk or they're suffering depression and they don't have the billion-dollar industry they helped build help them. . . ."

So would other players be willing to give up some money, too?

"I couldn't imagine guys on my teams that I played with, played for who wouldn't. If every player just put $10,000 into a fund I'm sure that would help immensely, and I don't think guys would shy away from doing that . . . . It's a shame that [NFLPA president] Troy Vincent or [NFLPA executive director] Gene Upshaw didn't come to the table and suggest such a thing."

(Uh-oh. Somebody's gonna get his neck broken.)

Kalu's point is a good one. Plenty of guys might be willing to kick in some cash, but someone has to take a position of leadership on the issue before a fund for retired players can ever be created. Such leadership should come, in our view, from the leadership of the union. If it doesn't, someone from the rank-and-file should show some leadership and seek out a change in the leadership. Of the leadership.

POSTED 7:19 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:20 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

MORTON TESTS POSITIVE FOR STEROIDS

The Los Angeles Times reports that a pee sample given by former NFL receiver Johnnie Morton on the day before he got the poop knocked out of him in an MMA fight tested positive for steroids.

Per the report, the levels of the steroid epitestosterone in Morton's system was 10 times higher than the average person.

If Morton doesn't explain his actions by June 19, he faces a revocation of his license, which would be effective in 61 U.S. athletic commissions. Currently, he faces a one-year suspension for the positive result.

Morton also refused to supply a urine sample after the fight, and his $100,000 purse has been withheld.

The Times also points out that, if Morton were to get a spot on an NFL roster in the future, he most likely would be subject to "reasonable cause" testing on a frequent basis. Of course, there's no reasonable cause to believe that any NFL team would be interested in Morton, especially after this latest career development.

OUR DAILY (HOURLY) EXAMPLE OF OFFSEASON CONTACT

We somehow missed this one, which was buried in the bottom of a Wednesday item from Patrick McManamon of the Akron Beacon Journal.

After a minicamp fight between first-round rookie offensive lineman Joe Thomas and sixth-round defensive end Chase Pittman, which presumably resulted from tensions escalated by the players banging on each other in the trenches, Thomas was told that contact in offseason workouts is supposedly verboten.

Said Thomas, laughing: "I think we hit more probably now than we did with pads at Wisconsin during the season."

At a time when retired players are rising up because of the cumulative effects of a career of football contact, none of the current players are complaining about additional contact (without the benefit of padding) to which they are not supposed to be subjected.

So why do we have a feeling that, 10 years from now, some of the retired players from today who currently are saying nothing about these blatant violations of the CBA will be pointing to contact during the offseason as one of the causes of their chronic physical infirmities?

HOW ABOUT STRIKE FUND REBATES?

We've previously argued that the NFLPA could funnel more money to retired players by instituting a rookie wage scale that removes from incoming (and unproven) players the kind of multi-million-dollar windfalls that they might never earn. Guys like Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith and Courtney Brown and Peter Warrick and David Terrell and the list goes on and on reel in truckloads of cash without ever playing a down, and then don't do nearly enough to deserve it.

But since we recognize that the agents who feed off of the fees generated by these lottery prizes will never allow them to go away, another strategy is needed.

One league source has suggested that the strike fund, which supposedly is up to $50 million or more and constantly growing, should start paying rebates to retired players, as current players pay their fair share into the money that will be available in the event of a work stoppage.

We agree. That money was put in place in past years to protect the guys who are playing football if/when there's a strike. But there's something fundamentally unfair about players from past years financing the lifestyles of future players who might someday end up in a fight with the owners over the distribution of the billions of dollars that are being generated, if those future players aren't likewise committed to helping out the guys who built up the strike fund.

As to how the fund can be finagled to help former players, we'll leave the details to folks far smarter than us. But we suspect that there's an easy way to give some of that strike money back to retired players while replacing the cash with contributions from players who would be far more likely to use it than the guys who don't, you know, play anymore.

Really, how big does the strike fund have to be? There's suspicion that NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw would like to grow the thing to nine figures, and then use its size as partial justification for his own eight-figure golden parachute.

It makes far more sense, in our view, to find a way to use the pool of money aimed at protecting future players from the possibility of financial hard times to help out past players who currently are experiencing such tribulations.

POSTED 10:29 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

RETIRED PLAYERS' POSTER BOY HAS ANOTHER WART

The folks who are hoping to compel the NFL Players Association to take better care of retired players have wrapped their arms around former NFL lineman Brian DeMarco, a 35-year-old man who allegedly is financially destitute, and who walks with a cane.

The NFLPA recently explained that it has been providing financial assistance to DeMarco, and ESPN reported that former teammates have questioned whether DeMarco really needs a cane.

There's another problem with using DeMarco as the face of the cause: His face could be on a wanted poster.

A law enforcement source in Ohio has tipped us off to the existence of a warrant for DeMarco's arrest. The warrant was issued in September 2006, after DeMarco failed to appear at a contempt hearing in connection with child support obligations.

The online court docket for the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas shows that DeMarco's current address is in Austin, Texas. DeMarco has been identified in recent media reports as a resident of Austin, Texas.

The docket can be viewed at this address, after inserting case number 01NU059151.

POSTED 9:04 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

KENDALL FIXIN' TO PULL A FANECA

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Jets offensive lineman Pete Kendall plans to go postal on Thursday when he reports for a mandatory minicamp.

The scene will be reminiscent of comments last month from Steelers guard Alan Faneca, who launched into an emotional tirade regarding the team's failure to give him a bunch of money with one year left on his deal.

Kendall is unhappy that the Jets won't give him a raise, especially since a year ago Kendall agreed to cut his 2007 salary by $3.3 million. The problem is that Kendall had a strong performance in 2006, and the free-agent market went even more bonkos in March 2007.

Kendall surely is trying to force a trade or a release. But the Jets can hold firm if they so choose. Kendall is signed through 2009.

POSTED 8:34 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

GARRARD ADMITS CULPEPPER TALK

On Tuesday, Adam Schefter of NFL Network reported that the Jaguars recently brought in backup quarterback David Garrard to tell him that any interest the team has in Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper isn't a reflection on the team's attitude toward Garrard.

On Wednesday, Garrard admitted it.

"I was told [by Jaguars management] we have to bring him in to look at him," Garrard said after practice on Wednesday. "He has a good relationship with [Jaguars assistant head coach] Mike Tice from their days together in Minnesota. If I'm the owner and I can get somebody cheap like that, it'd be dumb [not to consider it].

"The Jaguars said it's not anything directed at me or toward my performance. If [Culpepper] can get back to his Pro Bowl level, that's a top-five quarterback in this league."

Still, Garrard recognizes that the arrival of Culpepper could have an adverse impact on Garrard's career in Jacksonville.

"If my [practice] snaps are diminished, then I have to make business moves myself," said Garrard. "It not like if I was released, I just wither away."

We doubt that Garrard would be released. At a minimum, we think that the Jags could pick up a sixth-rounder or a seventh-rounder by sending Garrard to a team that needs a backup with playing experience.

Culpepper is still under contract to the Dolphins, who are trying to trade him. Culpepper has asked to be released.

POSTED 8:19 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

VILMA ALMOST PULLS A PORTIS

In a Wednesday appearance on WFAN in New York, Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma shared his thoughts about the rash of off-field problems in the NFL.

Initially, Vilma blamed the media (and, specifically, the Internet) for blowing the Pacman Jones situation "out of proportion" and essentially forcing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to come down hard on him.

Yeah, Jon. It's all our fault. We threw the $81,000 in the air at the strip club in Vegas. We bit the cop's hand in Georgia. We waved a gun around with our game jersey on. We gave alcohol to a minor.

Then, Vilma shared his views regarding the Mike Vick woof-woof situation.

Asked about his personal feelings regarding dog fighting, Vilma said: "I never looked at it one way or another. . . . Of course, dog fighting is much more extreme, but you can equate it to horse racing. You have animal activists that don't condone horse racing. They feel that the horses are being tested brutally or whatever the situation is. For me, I'm not an animal activist and it's to each his own."

Which sounds a lot like Vilma doesn't have a problem with horse racing. Or dog fighting.

With all that said, Vilma recognizes that Vick needs to take responsibility for the things that were happening at his house in Virginia, regardless of whether he was directly involved.

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

NOLAN GETS TO WEAR SUITS FOR HOME GAMES

The National Football League and Reebok have relented; 49ers coach Mike Nolan will be permitted to wear a suit and tie for each of the team's eight regular-season home games in 2007.

Nolan wanted to wear the suit every week, but offered the home-games-only option as a compromise.

"Commissioner [Roger] Goodell took a harder look at it and he supported the issue," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, according to Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat . "In recognition of Nolan's desire to salute and honor his father, we expanded [the policy] to meet his request."

Nolan's father, Dick, wore a coat and tie when coaching in the NFL.

Last year, Nolan was allowed to wear a suit for two games. Jags coach Jack Del Rio did so, too. With the rule being expanded, it remains to be seen whether Del Rio makes the same request.

And, ultimately, we're hoping to see a starched collar and a navy blue tie peeking out from the top of the neck of Bill Belichick's hoodie.

POSTED 7:20 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

FINN FELLED BY NON-CONTACT DRILL

We know, we know. A bunch of you are sick of hearing us talk about the extent to which teams are ignoring the rules against contact drills during offseason workouts.

But until the rules are changed to permit contact, we'll continue to point out the fact that the union that is supposed to be policing these practices is doing nothing.

Also, the thing about rules is that, if some of the rules are ignored, it's hard to know which rules are really important.

Today, Giants fullback Jim Finn might think that the rule against contact during offseason practices is fairly important. Finn, you see, is done for the season after suffering a torn labrum due to delivering a block during a non-contact OTA practice session.

As of Wednesday, Finn has been placed on injured reserve, which ends very prematurely his last shot at convincing the team to stick with him beyond 2007.

Of course, the fact that the Giants now don't have a veteran fullback for 2007 might be punishment enough for the transgression. But that won't help Finn, who faces a long rehab, a season with no football, and an uncertain future in the NFL.

POSTED 6:46 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 7:06 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

CONDON SHOULD QUIT DISABILITY BOARD

League and media sources with whom we have spoken agree -- agent Tom Condon should resign his position as one of the six members of the committee that makes rulings as to whether former players are entitled to disability benefits.

A recent item in the Chicago Tribune identified Condon as one of the three representatives from the ranks for former players. But because Condon currently makes his living representing guys who will all eventually be former players, Condon has no business being in position to make determinations as to the question of whether any player (regardless of whether the guy was represented by Condon or one of his partners) should receive benefits.

This isn't an effort to pick a fight with Condon; we think that no agent should be serving on the committee. But Condon specifically should not be a part of it, given that he is also the agent for NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw. With Upshaw and the NFLPA under increasing criticism for the plight of former players whose claims for disability benefits are being denied, Condon's future decisions potentially will be affected by his desire to help Upshaw continue to reel in his $4.2 million salary, of which Condon presumably receives a piece.

And because, as we understand it, Condon doesn't get paid to serve on the committee, he's not losing anything by giving it up. So we hope that he'll do the right thing and resign from the position. At a time when foes of the union are looking (albeit clumsily) for ammunition, it would be wise for Condon to step aside from a conflict of interest that eventually will be raised as part of the attack on Upshaw.

GRIDIRON GREATS RESPOND TO NFLPA ATTACK

The group of former players who are leading the charge to improve the fate of the guys who helped lay the foundation for the current success that the NFL is enjoying has responded to recent claims from the NFLPA regarding money paid to Brian DeMarco, the 35-year-old retired player who is financially destitute and walks with a cane.

In a press release, Hall of Famer Mike Ditka sounded off regarding the NFLPA's position that it has given DeMarco $10,000 in financial assistance: "This is a joke. If they think that $10,000 over the last seven years is meeting this kid's needs, the problems at the NFLPA are worse than we ever imagined. Have you seen this kid? He can't walk, he can't hold a telephone, he can't shave his own face. He certainly cannot work and support his family. I don’t call $10,000 meeting Brian DeMarco's needs. This is about disability. This is about taking responsibility for what happened to this kid while playing the game. This is about doing the right thing."

Added DeMarco: "We need to refocus everyone's attention on the issue at hand. I came to Chicago to raise awareness of what the Gridiron Greats are doing, to kick-off their fundraising drive, and to express my frustration about my attempts to gain disability benefits from the NFLPA. Our press conference was not intended to take issue with the Player's Assistance Trust. . . . But the P.A.T. is only a band-aid. The real issue is disability and the problem is far greater than random bills being paid. I am a broken man who has been dealing with a broken system that needs to be fixed."

With all that said, we continue to have concerns as to whether DeMarco is the right guy to be in a front-and-center position in connection with this otherwise worthy cause. We've talked to several league insiders who believe that the cane DeMarco is using is an embellishment at best, and that he has more responsibility for any financial problems he is experiencing than DeMarco or Ditka will acknowledge.

Our advice to the Gridiron Greats? Get yourself a P.R. expert who can get the message out clearly and concisely. Despite any substantive flaws that the NFLPA might have, Gene Upshaw is very effective at communicating his positions in a manner that seems reasonable to the objective observer. In contrast, Ditka comes off primarily as a grumpy old man who doesn't fully grasp the issues.

In our view, any effort to effect real change won't be successful until the Gridiron Greats develop a strong media strategy that relies on something more than a guy who might not need a cane and a former coach/player who not long ago was pimping boner pills.

POSTED 2:57 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

NO DNA EVIDENCE LINKING PACMAN TO BITE by Michael David Smith

One of the many accusations against Titans cornerback Pacman Jones took a hit today when it was revealed that Jones' DNA was not found on the sock of a Minxx strip club employee whom Jones was accused of biting on the ankle.

The Nashville Tennessean cites "a person familiar with the developments" in reporting today that officials visited Jones in Atlanta to get a saliva sample, and that Jones' DNA did not match the DNA from the strip club employee's sock.

Michael Huyghue, Jones' agent, also told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that there's no DNA match.

Still, Las Vegas Police have requested that the district attorney file criminal charges against Jones for his part in a fight at the strip club during NBA All-Star weekend in February. Shortly after the fight inside the club, three people were shot outside the club. Jones is not accused of the shooting.

Multiple media reports have said the district attorney and the police will meet to discuss the case against Jones today, although Jones is not expected to be charged today. Mortensen quoted a source close to Jones saying this would "actually be the third time the police take this thing to the DA. He's rejected them twice."

POSTED 2:28 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

CHRIS HENRY NOT OUT OF THE WOODS by Michael David Smith

Early this morning, it looked like Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was on the verge of having his eight-game suspension made even longer when the television station WCPO reported that Henry is under investigation for assault of a 16-year-old boy. But then it looked like Henry was in the clear, as another station, WLWT, said that the accusation is unfounded.

But despite that second report, Henry might not want to break out the champagne just yet. WLWT has updated its report, and although the station is not backing away from the unnamed source who said the accusation was unfounded, the station also reports that Florence Police Capt. Linny Cloyd said police have not reached any conclusions and the case remains under investigation.

The Bengals' web site says Henry was at the team's voluntary practice session this morning. It's not clear whether the "league source" cited by WLWT, who said police found that the Henry claims were unfounded, had any contact with Henry at the Bengals' team facility.

If Henry really was falsely accused, it would be the second time this offseason: Last month a prosecutor said he had failed a drug test, but it turned out that he hadn't.

POSTED 2:02 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

BEARS STILL STICKING BY GROSSMAN by Michael David Smith

With competent quarterback play, the Chicago Bears could have beaten the Indianapolis Colts and won the Super Bowl four months ago. But the Bears didn't have a competent quarterback. They had Rex Grossman.

It's a testament to the talent on the rest of the roster (and to the lack of talent in the rest of the NFC) that the Bears even got to the Super Bowl with Grossman under center. And it's surprising how little talk there is in Chicago about the Bears replacing Grossman. The Bears have made no effort to trade for a veteran quarterback, sign a free agent, or draft a potential successor to Grossman, and all the signals out of Chicago suggest that the coaching staff has complete confidence in Grossman and no interest in replacing him with backups Brian Griese or Kyle Orton.

The latest signal comes from the Bears' official web site, where senior writer Larry Mayer gives this answer to a fan question about Grossman's work in minicamp:

"Rex Grossman has looked very sharp the past few weeks in OTA practices," Mayer writes. "I thought Tuesday was one of his best days. He threw the ball with accuracy and authority and made good decisions. He especially impressed me in leading the offense to a touchdown against the first-team defense in a two-minute drill."

The team's official web site isn't the best place to go for a candid assessment of Grossman's performance. But it is the best place to go to find out what the team wants its fans to think of Grossman. And when the team is telling the fans how sharp Grossman looks, that means the fans had better be ready for another year with Grossman at the helm. Maybe this year he'll actually look sharp when he's facing a real, live pass rush, but Bears fans shouldn't hold their breath.

POSTED 12:04 p.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

McCRAY TO SIGN TENDER

A league source tells us that Jaguars defensive end Bobby McCray will sign on Wednesday his restricted free agent tender.

Since he was tendered at the first-round level, McCray will make $1.85 million in base salary in 2007. Unlike the franchise tender, however, the amount is not guaranteed.

McCray's window of opportunity for signing with another team closed on April 21. Any team that signed him to an offer sheet would have been required to pony up a first-round draft pick as compensation, if the Jags had opted not to match the deal.

By rule, the Jags could have significantly reduced the tender after June 15. The Dolphins employed such a tactic several years ago with defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.

McCray will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March 2008. Unless, of course, the Jags apply the franchise tag to him.

POSTED 11:56 a.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

HENRY DODGES ANOTHER BULLET

A few weeks back, a prosecutor in Kenton County, Kentucky announced that Bengals receiver Chris Henry had failed a court-ordered drug test.

The only catch? He hadn't.

This time around, a 16-year-old boy claimed that Henry and teammate Reggie McNeal assaulted him on Friday night in Florence, Kentucky.

It now appears that the claim is false.

WLWT-TV, citing an unnamed source, says that the accusation is unfounded. So, unless the unnamed source is named Marvin Lewis, it looks like Henry won't be facing any further trouble.

But these two situations highlight the trouble with players making themselves into targets.

POSTED 10:00 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:19 a.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

SEAHAWKS CLEARLY VIOLATING "NO CONTACT" RULES

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has provided arguably the most obvious proof this year of a team violating the offseason ban on contact in OTAs and minicamps.

The best evidence? The title of the article: "Seahawks work on bump-and-run in minicamp."

The problem? Article XXXV, Section 5(a) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement specifically lists "bump-and-run" as a prohibited activity during non-contact offseason workouts.

Why is bump-and-run a no-no? The "bump" part is, by definition, contact. Consider the first two paragraphs from Farnsworth's item:

"Marcus Trufant used his right forearm to jostle D.J. Hackett as he broke off the line of scrimmage, disrupting Hackett's route and depriving quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of his primary receiver.

"A few plays later, Pete Hunter missed his jam on Deion Branch, allowing Branch to run past him and take a deep pass from Seneca Wallace."

Though none of the players are complaining, it's clearly a banned technique in the offseason. But the union is, to our knowledge, doing nothing to put it to an end -- even though the Seahawks apparently have spent most if not all of the offseason working on it.

And that's the real problem with the NFLPA's failure to zealously enforce the offseason workout rules. It would have been better for the union to offer to allow contact, and then to ask for something else from the owners. Something that would have been meaningful.

As it stands, the union has negotiated for its members a protection that the union largely ignores. It's no different than getting for the players 60 percent of the gross football revenues and then not complaining when the owners only cough up 55.

WINSLOW WILL BE LIMITED AT START OF CAMP

Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, who is still recovering from offseason microfracture surgery in the knee that was mangled two years ago in a motorcycle accident, most likely will be limited when training camp opens, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Winslow previously said that he'd be available to fully participate in this week's minicamp. As it turns out, he won't be practicing at all.

If he can't practice at the start of training camp, he'll likely land on the "Physically Unable to Perform" list. This allows the team to use his roster spot on another player, until Winslow is ready to go.

We reported several months back that the Browns aren't counting on Winslow to make much of a contribution in 2007, given the recovery from the microfracture surgery. Winslow repeatedly played in 2006 despite being questionable almost every week due to his knee.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Our buddy Jerry McDonald looks at contact during non-contact practices in Raiders camp.

Jets OL Pete Kendall is expected to show up for a mandatory minicamp that opens on Thursday, despite his extreme displeasure with his contract.

Four quarterbacks are sharing the snaps in Cleveland.

The Texans are hoping to get more out of their defensive line.

The Eagles are expecting a big season from DE Darren Howard.

From the "Not That There's Anything Wrong With It" file, the Soup Nazi says that he doesn't want WR Amani Toomer "to be in any bumping and grinding."

New Giants OL Zach Piller could bump (and grind) Rich Seubert out of the starting lineup.

Andy McCollum appears poised to push Brett Romberg for the starting center job in St. Louis.

Former Rams starters Joe Klopfenstein (gesundheit) and Victor Adeyanju (ditto) have slid to the second team.

The Colts are considering a reunion with RB James Mungro.

The Jags canceled Tuesday's OTA practice due to rain. (What are they practicing? Baseball?)

35-year-old TE Marcus Pollard will likely be the starter in Seattle.

Says Hall of Famer Jim Brown regarding Browns RB Jamal Lewis: "The [expletive] will run over you." (Since when is "ex-con" a bad word?)

Bills LB John DiGiorgio could be taking the spot vacated by London Fletcher Baker Robbins Oppenheim and Taft.

POSTED 8:47 a.m. EDT, June 13, 2007

CHRIS HENRY TO THE RESCUE?

As the "days without an arrest" counter continues to creep toward 25, relief could be on the way from one of our old friends.

Bengals receiver Chris Henry.

Per media reports, Henry currently is under investigation for assault of a 16-year-old boy. Henry, teammate Reggie McNeal, and others allegedly beat the juvenile to the point that he needed hospital care.

(Coincidentally, Henry and McNeal were passengers in an SUV driven by linebacker Odell Thurman last year, when Thurman was pulled over for DUI. Thurman claimed he was driving because, of the three, he was the closest to sober. Henry corroborated Thurman's explanation by puking out of the window of the vehicle.)

"It's very obvious," Captain Linny Cloyd of the Florence, Kentucky police department told WCPO-TV. "I've seen the young man. There's no doubt he was assaulted. At this point we're still trying to figure out who is who -– where they were."

The boy claims that he and an 18-year-old friend were walking along Wetherington Boulevard on Friday night at 11:00 p.m., when a black Navigator or Escalade pulled up beside them. A white male jumped out and began beating the 16-year-old.

"From that, the victim tells us another gentleman got out of the vehicle . . . and in their attempt to get away, was shoved to the ground by this African American gentleman," said Cloyd.

Henry and McNeal deny knowing the boy or being in the area at the time of the assault.

Unless there's evidence that Henry and the boy already knew each other, or that Henry was doing something really stupid like wearing his Bengals jersey at the time, this one could be hard to prove without some serious investigative work. Then again, it's not just the 16-year-old's word against that of Henry, McNeal, and whoever might have been with them; the boy had a friend who was there. If the pair tell a convincing story, it might be enough to get the police to act.

And if it turns out that Henry was involved, we won't be surprised. As we've said before, the fact that Henry couldn't stay out of trouble when he had a job will make it even harder for him to keep himself clean during his eight-game suspension for multiple violations of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.

Finally, don't forget that Henry currently is on probation for gun charges in Orlando (where he was wearing his Bengals jersey at the time) and in Kentucky for pleading guilty to giving alcohol to a minor. So while the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt would apply to any new charges filed, a much lower standard will apply if he faces revocation of his probation. In Kentucky alone, that could mean 88 days in jail.

POSTED 11:21 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:57 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

JAGS BRACE GARRARD FOR POSSIBLE CULPEPPER ACQUISITION

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars recently called backup quarterback David Garrard into the team's offices to explain that any interest that they might be showing in Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper is not a reflection on Garrard's abilities.

So what is it then? An acknowledgement that the Jags plan to have four quarterbacks on the roster this year? A proclamation that Garrard will be the starter if Byron Leftwich leaves after 2007 as a free agent?

Actually, we see the Jaguars' interest in Culpepper as a no-confidence vote in the top three quarterbacks on the team, since each of them has had a chance to show that he can be "they guy," but none has delivered.

If Culpepper comes to Jacksonville, we think that the team would entertain trade offers for Garrard, Byron Leftwich, and Quinn Gray. It'd be hard to deal Leftwich after spending most of the offseason praising him, so we think either Garrard or Gray would be available for a second-day draft pick.

DARWIN LIKELY WILL EVOLVE BACK INTO AN EAGLE

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Bills defensive tackle Darwin Walker is likely to revert back to the Eagles as of August 5, the deadline for Walker reporting to the Bills.

Walker wants more money on his current contract, and the Bills want him to show up before they'll consider giving him a raise. Under the deal that in part sent linebacker Takeo Spikes to the Eagles, Philly will send a sixth-round pick to Buffalo and reclaim Walker if Walker doesn't show in Buffalo by August 5.

Whether that means that the Eagles will re-embrace him remains to be seen.

As to the Bills, the most they're willing to do is chop off the last of two years remaining on Walker's contract, which would make him eligible for free agency in March 2008.

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Packers have a couple of guys who have had some weed issues.

The Panthers have five quarterbacks on the roster.

49ers WR Ashley Lelie hasn't been able to make it through practice due to a leg injury.

Niners fans plan to wear suits to the team's home opener.

Formal charges in Las Vegas against Pacman Jones could still be coming.

The Ditka-Duerson feud is escalating.

The Bears have a pair of Ayanbadejos. (Does that beat a pair of aces?)

Former NFL QB Doug Flutie bought a $2.1 million home in Florida.

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald says that Daunte Culpepper is getting a raw deal.

Man, that lawyer they interviewed for this item on Mike Vick sure sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

LB Jessie Armstead will do a sign-and-retire with the Giants on Wednesday.

Panthers DT Jordan Carstens is fighting a nasty kidney disease.

POSTED 5:21 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

SIMMS IS STRUGGLING WITH HIS THROWING

In an interview with PewterReport.com, Bucs quarterback Chris Simms explains that the emergency splenectomy he underwent last September has made it difficult for him to learn how to throw a football again.

Simms was unable to throw at all until December, and it has taken him time to get back his ability to do so effectively.

"I am 100 percent healthy," Simms said, "but I'm not where I want to be from a throwing standpoint. It's not that I feel so bad throwing the football right now, but I have to get my body used to it. You always hear a lot about quarterbacks and timing, and for whatever reason that seems to be taking me more time to get back than anything else. . . .

"It's frustrating. It really is, and on a lot of levels, because not only was my abdomen tight from the injury and surgery, but my arm was tight as well because I hadn't thrown a football in so long."

So what's the problem?

"I think I probably developed some bad habits at first because I was trying to protect my stomach when I was throwing," Simms said. "Right now I’m really more or less trying to get rid of those bad habits so I can get back into my good ones. You know, just throw the ball the way I know how."

So maybe that's why coach Jon Gruden recently declared that newcomer Jeff Garcia is the clubhouse leader in the race to be the starter. It's not that Garcia is blowing anyone way -- it's that Simms simply isn't ready.

POSTED 4:17 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:52 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

NEXT UP? FROSTEE AND J. PEEZY

With Titans cornerback Pacman Jones caving on the appeal of the one-year suspension imposed against him in April by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the next guys who'll likely spend some time on Park Avenue for violation of the league's Personal Conduct Policyare Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker and Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter.

Rucker pleaded guilty on May 4 to misdemeanor charges of false imprisonment and vandalism. Porter pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery charges on May 30. Our guess is that both will end up getting suspended for one game.

And Goodell's new approach is working. It has been a whopping 22 days since a player has been arrested. Though Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers might break the string soon, the thing was sputtering not long ago in its efforts to crack two digits.

As to Jones, the decision to drop the appeal seems odd, given that there was no way that the punishment could end up being any worse -- and that there was a report from Adam Schefter of NFL Network that Goodell might shrink the penalty a bit if Jones wiggles out of pending criminal charges in Georgia. All of the effort was done; it was merely a matter of Goodell issuing his ruling.

So we agree with the assessment of our own MDS that Jones is trying to curry favor with the Commish. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised to learn that the league asked him to back off in exchange for future considerations.

Still, it would have been better for Jones to come to this conclusion a couple of months ago. He wasted a lot of time and effort (and money, of his own) in putting together the presentation based on the argument that he has received disproportionate treatment in comparison to guys who have been arrested over the past seven years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE PLATES IN BIG BEN'S FACE

It's hard to believe that a full year has passed since Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drove his head into a Chrysler New Yorker. (Nod to ESPN's NFL Live for reminding us of it.) Roethlisberger was seriously injured, and underwent surgery to place multiple titanium plates in his face.

The event marred a protracted celebration in the Steel City following the franchise's long-awaited "One for the Thumb," and set the stage for a disappointing season in Pittsburgh.

But the younger-than-he-seems Roethlisberger still has only three full seasons in the NFL, and Ben still has plenty of years left. As long as he leaves the motorcycle at home -- or brings the motorcycle helmet with him.

GIL BRANDT COMES CLEAN, KIND OF

NFL.com's Gil Brandt finally has admitted (technically, "clarified") that he "failed to properly attribute" (technically, "failed to attribute at all") information he had borrowed (technically, "lifted") from the Pro Football Prospectus 2006, published by our friends at FootballOutsiders.com.

Brandt gives no reason for the delay in acknowledging that which was obvious to most folks with reasonable intelligence and/or common sense. And he doesn't address at all the fact that he initially denied knowledge of the research to Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com's Page 2.

Now, Brandt is singing a different song. "I listed the number of college starts for several current and former NFL quarterbacks to illustrate the point. While these numbers are public domain, I had actually seen this information in another source and failed to properly attribute that source."

Though we're not in favor of anyone getting fired (except that bastard who used to scarf up all of the Dolly Madison chocolate pies from the machine in the break room), how does Brandt not get run out the door for what amounts to plagiarism chased by a bald-faced lie?

Looking at this a bit more broadly, why would Brandt even use that information without attribution? And why did he think no one would connect the dots -- especially since the career at the Boston Globe of Ron Borges was derailed by something like this earlier in the year?

Look, Brandt has a long history of service to the NFL. But certain infractions seem to require certain action, even if the guy who committed the violation has been around the business longer than we've been on the planet.

POSTED 3:22 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

ANDRE RISON FACES BANKRUPTCY OVER CHILD SUPPORT by Michael David Smith

Former NFL receiver Andre Rison is facing a court-ordered Chapter 11 bankruptcy to pay more than $105,000 in back child support and other claims, the Associated Press reports.

The 40-year-old Rison was a 1989 first-round draft pick who played 12 years for the Colts, Falcons, Browns, Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Raiders and made five Pro Bowls, but his personal life usually overshadowed his on-field success. He is probably best known for having his mansion torched by his then-girlfriend, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of the musical group TLC.

The AP reports that a bankruptcy court petition shows that Rison owes child support, attorney fees, and court administrative costs. His ex-wife, Tonja Rison, is listed as one of the creditors, with a claim for more than $58,000 in child support. An Atlanta law office is claiming $46,000 in unpaid legal fees for seeking child support from Rison for two children by a girlfriend. Even the Genesee County friend of the court is getting in on the action, requesting $400 in administrative fees.

Rison made several million dollars in his NFL career, including a $5 million signing bonus from the Browns in 1995. Neither Rison nor his attorney have commented publicly on the bankruptcy order.

POSTED 1:09 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:38 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

PACMAN JONES DROPS APPEAL, WILL SERVE SUSPENSION by Michael David Smith

The agent for Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones said today that Jones will drop his appeal and serve the one-year suspension imposed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his repeated off-field misconduct.

Agent Michael Huyghue released the following statement from Jones to the Nashville City Paper:

"Last week I asked for an opportunity to speak privately with Commissioner Goodell. I met with him earlier today to tell him about the steps I have taken to change my life since being suspended from the National Football League.

"I accept the discipline that has been imposed on me, and I told the Commissioner today that I am withdrawing my appeal. I understand my responsibilities to my teammates, the Tennessee Titans, and our fans, and I am committed to turning my life around and being a positive member of the NFL going forward."

It sounds as though Jones' decision to drop his appeal is an attempt to curry favor with Goodell, who has already said he would consider reducing Jones' suspension to 10 games if Jones shows that he is taking positive steps with his life. Perhaps Jones calculated that an appeal was unlikely to be successful and that dropping the appeal would convince Goodell that he was taking responsibility for his actions.

POSTED 12:45 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

WILL ODELL THURMAN GET ANOTHER CHANCE? by Michael David Smith

For a brief time last week, it looked like Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman was in trouble again. Two men initially claimed Thurman had committed acts of criminal trespass, aggravated assault and pointing a gun, but then they quickly withdrew their complaint.

If those allegations had held up, it probably would have been the final nail in Thurman's coffin, as far as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was concerned. Thurman was already serving a one-year suspension, and if we've learned anything about Goodell since he became Commissioner, it's that he's not going to put up with players who continually make the league look bad with their off-field behavior.

But now that Thurman is in the clear as far as those allegations are concerned, he's looking to get back into the league. And Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Thurman has applied for reinstatement.

Schefter reports that the league usually takes four to six weeks to decide whether to reinstate a player, and that the soonest Thurman could come off suspension is July 11. That means Thurman and the Bengals should know before training camp whether he'll be part of the team in 2007.

Even if the league lets Thurman back in for training camp, though, that doesn't mean he'll make the Bengals' roster in September. Although Thurman had a very good rookie year in 2005, he hasn't played football in a year and a half, and during his long layoff, he has presumably had higher priorities than staying in shape, like dealing with drunk driving charges in February.

That means Thurman is no sure thing to be wearing an NFL uniform in three months. But given the raw talent Thurman showed as a rookie before his personal problems got the better of him, it's hard to imagine that some NFL team won't give him a second chance -- as long as Goodell allows it.

POSTED 11:47 a.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

APPARENTLY USA TODAY FORGOT THE NFL EXISTS by Michael David Smith

The NFL is by far America's most popular sports league, and it has been for at least the last quarter-century. So you'd think that when USA Today decided (as part of the paper's own 25th anniversary) to list the Top 25 sports moments of the last 25 years, the NFL would be heavily represented.

Well, it isn't. USA Today's Top 25 list includes not a single story that is directly related to the NFL, and only one (the O.J. Simpson murder trial) that is even tangentially related to the NFL.

Lists like this should never be taken too seriously, but this list is particularly ridiculous. It includes nine entries from Major League Baseball, including four of the top six. The biggest story in sports in the last 25 years, according to USA Today? The Boston Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series.

USA Today could have listed the way the NFL has changed the television landscape, with huge rights contracts, the establishment of the satellite television Sunday Ticket package, or the emergence of NFL Network. It could have mentioned the way the NFL took the lead in putting the sports world aside after 9/11, or the death of former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman. It could have mentioned teams moving from city to city, the owners hiring replacement players when the union went on strike, the NFL's emergence as the victor in a struggle with the USFL, or, if it wanted something on the field, the dynasties in San Francisco, Dallas, and New England.

The paper mentioned none of those things. But at least it found room for the 1999 Women's World Cup.

POSTED 8:43 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:34 a.m. EDT, June 12, 2007

DEMARCO IS THE WRONG POSTER BOY

The name Brian DeMarco recently has surfaced as one of the former NFL players whose on-field injuries have left him disabled and destitute. The folks targeting the NFLPA and executive director Gene Upshaw needed a compelling poster boy to give life to the cause, especially since none of the current NFL players are going to stand up and ask tough questions. And DeMarco seemed on the surface to be as good of a candidate as anyone.

The problem, however, is that a scratch or two at the surface reveals some potential flaws.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the NFLPA produced on Monday night checks reflecting contributions of almost $10,000 that have been made to DeMarco over the past 12 months for rent, utilities, and child support.

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