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POSTED 9:19 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:30 p.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

SURRY COUNTY "INVESTIGATION" COULD BE WRAPPING UP

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the Surry County, Virginia investigation regarding apparent dog fighting on the property owned by Falcons quarterback Mike Vick could be ending this week.

Doesn't something have to actually start before it can end?

And to the extent an investigation ever started, the investigation was by all appearances abandoned once the feds showed up unexpectedly at the property on June 7 and executed on a search warrant that reportedly resulted in the recovery of 10 dog carcasses.

Evidence could be presented next week to a Surry County grand jury. But if prosecutor Gerald Poindexter applies to the grand jury process the same degree of zeal that he has demonstrated to date, the end result could be a declaration by the grand jury that the corrupt kennel was in reality a petting zoo.

The status of the federal investigation is unknown. Authorities returned to the property and executed a second warrant earlier this month, but the investigators have otherwise been tight-lipped about their efforts.

PFT IS POP UP FREE

As you might have noticed over the past few weeks, we no longer use those ads that take over the site and require the reader to click a separate button to continue to our content. Though these ads were lucrative, we decided that we did not want to disrupt any longer the overall PFT experience -- even though the ads only appeared once per day per IP address.

In the place of these full-screen pitches are in-text search boxes that appear only upon scrolling over any of the words that are highlighted in green, with two lines beneath them. And the search boxes actually are useful, since they present the reader with an option to instantly obtain more information regarding topics relating to the words that are highlighted.

Scrolling over "San Francisco 49ers," for example, allowed us to access a Windows Live Search result with link after link relating to the San Francisco 49ers.

So it's not really an ad -- it's more like a tool to help enhance your visit to PFT. And we hope that you'll use it, a lot.

NO. 11 IS UP

We're now only one spot away from cracking the Top 10 in our list of the best 25 NFL players of the past 25 years.

For now, No. 11 is ready for your scrutiny.

And as to folks who complained about our placement of Marvin Harrison at No. 11 because, as several readers argued, Harrison is "too soft," any of us should wish to be as "soft" as Harrison, who weighs a mere 175 pounds, supposedly is.

MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Bears and franchise-tagged LB Lance Briggs did not work out a long-term deal.

Ditto for the Patriots and CB Asante Samuel.

Vikings DT Pat Williams is gonna get paid in March, if not sooner.

Mike Mayock of NFLN has been hired to work as the analyst for the Vikings' preseason games.

Madden 08 players who achieve certain goals will be able to purchase actual rings. (They can wear them in the spot where a wedding ring . . . will . . . never . . . go.)

The Jets have signed one Juan Wong.

"American Gladiators" could be making a comeback.

The Panthers have signed third-round DE Charles Johnson.

From the "Lo, How the Mighty Have Fallen" file, former Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt could be resurfacing as the owner of a pro lacrosse team.

The Redskins have signed most of the few draft picks that they had this year.

The case against Fins WR Chris Chambers has been continued until August 15.

Does the NFL's 45-second daily limitation apply to the web site that will be airing video of Nashville night court?

POSTED 5:09 p.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

NINERS NAB STALEY

Multiple league sources tell us that the San Francisco 49ers have struck a deal with first-round tackle Joe Staley, the 28th overall selection in the 2007 draft.

Though we don't yet have the numbers, we're told that the deal represents an 8.2 percent increase over the package given to the 28th overall pick in the 2006 draft, Jags tight end Marcedes Lewis.

Stay tuned for more.

POSTED 2:35 p.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

REDDING GETS PAID LIKE A GUARD

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Detroit Lions have signed defensive tackle Cory Redding to a seven-year, $49 million contract, including more than $16 million in guaranteed money. The contract will pay out more than $20 million over the first three years of the deal.

The seven year, $49 million maximum total is identical to the top value of deals given over the past 15 months to offensive linemen like Steve Hutchinson, Leonard Davis, Eric Steinbach, and the guy who signed with the Bills. You know, the guy who was so well known that we currently can't remember his name without looking it up? (We looked it up -- he's Derrick Dockery.)

The Lions had applied the franchise tag to Redding, and Monday at 4:00 p.m. EDT is the deadline for working out a long-term deal.

No offense to Redding, whose name is actually more recognizable than that of the guy who signed with the Bills, but that's a lot of money for a guy who has a total of zero Pro Bowls on his resume. And, in our view, the $16 million in guaranteed money and $7 million annual average will serve only to fan the flames that are likely raging now in the wake of the $72 million signed last week by Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney.

POSTED 12:55 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:11 p.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

BRIGGS DEAL NOT EXPECTED

Though there are some reports suggesting that the Patriots and cornerback Asante Samuel might work out a long-term deal before 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, there is no reason to believe that the Bears will work out a multi-year contract with linebacker Lance Briggs.

Both players have been limited by the franchise tag, and neither player will be permitted to sign a long-term deal with their current teams if such a contract isn't finished by 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday.

Thus, Briggs' only option will be to sign, at some point the one-year franchise tender, which for linebackers carries a salary of $7.2 million. The amount becomes guaranteed as soon as the player signs the tender offer.

Until the tender is signed, the team has the right to rescind it. Doing so would make Briggs an unrestricted free agent, with no compensation of any kind flowing to the Bears if/when he signs elsewhere. Since the Bears turned down a trade offer from the Redskins in order to continue to hold the rights to Briggs, who plays weakside linebacker in Chicago's Tampa Two defense, it's highly unlikely that the Bears would let him walk away for nothing.

Briggs can wait until Week 10 of the regular season to sign the franchise tender. If he chooses to do so, however, he'll give up ten game checks at roughly $423,000 each. If he shows up after Week 10, the Bears would be able to franchise him again in 2008 at the same $7.2 million figure. If he arrives before Week 10, the cost of the franchise tag in 2008 would be $8.64 million.

HELLO, LOUISVILLE

Though we've got some misgivings about doing live radio in the town that houses one of the chiefs rivals of the West Virginia Mountaineers, we've reluctantly agreed to do a Tuesday morning spot with former Cardinals and NFL quarterback Dave Ragone on 1570 The Zone in Louisville, a Sporting News Radio affiliate station.

On Tuesday morning at 8:05 a.m. EDT, we'll chew the fat with Ragone and co-host Scott Clark.

On Tuesday night at 10:25 p.m. EDT, we'll make our weekly visit with Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio. The full list of our weekly radio spots is right here.

POSTED 8:57 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

CHAMBERS PASSED BREATHALYZER TEST

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers passed a breathalyzer test after his Saturday arrest in North Carolina.

Chambers passed the test after being arrested and taken to the police station.

The report does not indicate the concentration of alcohol found in Chambers' blood. Technically, his BAC could be as high as 0.079 percent, since 0.080 percent is the legal limit.

In some states, however, drivers can be prosecuted (and convicted) without "failing" the breath test. Obviously, however, it's slightly more difficult to show that the driver was impaired without a BAC reading of 0.08 or higher.

For our Turd Watch scoring purposes, the passing of the breathalyzer test doesn't change the fact that Chambers was arrested on multiple charges, which (once we get a chance to tally the points) will put the Fins in the lead, again.

POSTED 7:47 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:39 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2007

NINERS COULD BE SECOND TEAM TO SIGN A FIRST-ROUNDER

There's talk in league circles that the San Francisco 49ers are closing in on a deal with offensive tackle Joe Staley, the 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Only one first-round selection has signed a contract (tight end Greg Olsen of the Bears, at No. 31), even though training camps begin to open next week.

But we expect the pace to pick up quickly, as it does every year. Thus, we'll be tracking the signings in round one and comparing the deals to the contracts signed at the same spot in 2006.

MIXED SIGNALS FROM SAMUEL CAMP

We've heard that the Patriots and franchise-tagged cornerback Asante Samuel aren't close to reaching a long-term deal. The only thing that we know with certainty is that we'll all get a clear answer by 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, since it's the deadline for any franchise player to sign a multi-year contract. After 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, the player and the team can get together on a one-year arrangement only.

Regardless of what happens, there are mixed signals coming from the Samuel camp.

On Saturday, the Patriot-Ledger indicated that a deal was close, based on quotes from Glenn Toby, who holds himself out to be one of Samuel's agents despite not being certified by the NFLPA.

"We're a lot closer than we were before," Toby said, later adding, "There's been a great deal of progress."

But, on Sunday, one of Samuel's "real" agents painted a much different picture to the Boston Herald. "I wouldn't go as far as saying we've made progress," said Alonzo Shavers.

As as to any supposed "indications" that the two sides were on the verge of a deal, Shavers said, "I haven't said anything remotely close to that. You got it from the horse. The horse can’t speak no louder." (So, technically, the horse can speak louder?)

We tend to put more stock in what Shavers says, since he's the one who is permitted to talk directly to the team on Samuel's behalf. Also, the fact that Toby apparently handles marketing opportunities only for Samuel suggests to us that Toby would like to allow Samuel to avoid any public blame for the failure of a deal to get accomplished.

But overstating the chances of getting a deal done would be an effective P.R. strategy only if everyone on the representation team is saying so. In this case, the quotes from Toby and Shavers suggest that the right hand doesn't know where in the hell the left hand is.

VAN PELT GETS IN ON THE FUN

We haven't been troubled as much lately by the whole "Who's Now" thing on ESPN's SportsCenter, primarily because we think we've grown dry-ice-and-Novacaine numb to it.

(An article in Newsweek says that "[e]verything about the segment is so artificial, from concept to execution, that watching it is like chewing Styrofoam.")

But the thing manages to bring a smile to our face every time we hear an anchor mention the upcoming results of the "Who's Now" vote by saying "Who moves on? Who moves out?", or some variation thereof.

Previously, we'd heard it only from Steve Levy. On Monday, Scott Van Pelt got in on the act.

Though we prefer to underestimate the reach of this site within the sports journalism and broadcasting industry, we're going to assume for these purposes that Van Pelt and Levy know the internal significance of the phrase, even if in reality they don't.

POSTED 10:55 p.m. EDT, July 15, 2007

SAMUEL, PATS NOT CLOSE

A league source tells us that, despite a Saturday report suggesting that the New England Patriots are making progress toward a long-term deal with franchise-tagged cornerback Asante Samuel, the two sides are not close on a multi-year contract, and no talks are occurring.

Per the source, the Patriots made Samuel a bottom-line offer "months" ago, and there has been no substantive dialogue since then.

The source also said that the Patriots currently plan to use the franchise tag again on Samuel in 2008.

Stay tuned. The deadline for finalizing a long-term contract is 4:00 p.m. EDT on Monday.

POSTED 10:06 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:23 p.m. EDT, July 15, 2007

ALLEN SUSPENSION REDUCED

In a surprise move, the four-game suspension imposed on Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen has been chopped in half. Allen will now miss only the first two games of the season.

Frankly, we're confused by this development. Suspensions under the substance-abuse police begin at four games, minimum. However, the reduction could be due to the fact that discipline for DUI charges is now meted out pursuant to the personal conduct policy.

The timeline fits this theory. Allen's suspension was announced on April 27, after the personal conduct policy was revised to bring criminal offenses related to substances of abuse within its scope.

Thus, the rest of the story here apparently is that Allen appealed the four-game suspension handed down under the personal conduct policy, and the guy who issued the suspension -- Roger Goodell -- opted to cut the suspension on appeal by 50 percent.

Alternatively, perhaps the suspension was for two games, with an opportunity to reduce it to two games if Allen stays out of trouble through the first half of July. But if that's the case, Allen's quotes suggest that he wasn't aware of the potential reduction.

If it's true that the suspension was reduced on appeal, there are two items worth pointing out. First, it's not as useless as we previously believed to appeal suspensions under the personal conduct policy, even though a reduction is an implicit admission of wishy-washiness on the part of the Commissioner's office, since the same person makes the decision at both levels.

Second, the league's decision to reduce a suspension for a white player opens the door wide open for criticism of suspensions imposed on black players, if those suspensions also aren't reduced.

Really, why should Allen get only two games for not one but two DUI charges? Despite his various warts, Pacman Jones has never been charged with climbing behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.

Look, we're not saying that any type of racial bias is at play here. But absent a full explanation from the league as to how and why this happened, we suspect that more than a few folks will be pointing out the obvious superficial differences between Allen and other players who have been suspended of late.

NO. 12 IS UP

We've posted the guy who is, in our opinion, the twelfth best player of the past 25 years.

Some might be surprised by the selection. After reading our case for his spot at No. 12, some might believe he should be even higher.

Eventually, he will be. Eventually, he might be No. 1.

Intrigued? Click here for more.

POSTED 11:46 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:34 p.m. EDT, July 14, 2007

LIONS CLOSE TO DEAL WITH REDDING

With the deadline for signing franchise players to long-term deals a day away, the Lions reportedly are close to working out a multi-year contract with defensive tackle Cory Redding.

According to Mike O'Hara of the Detroit News, negotiations between the team and Redding are continuing, and there is optimism that a deal can be worked out before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 16.

When the Lions used the franchise tag on Redding, they were required to tender to him a one-year deal worth $6.77 million. By rule, the amount becomes fully guaranteed when the player signed the franchise tender.

Other franchise players who have not signed their one-year tenders are Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel and Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

SCOUT DISSES OUR PLACEMENT OF DEION AT NO. 13

We've put cornerback Deion Sanders at No. 13 on our list of the top 25 players of the past 25 years, three spots higher than he landed on the USA Today list that inspired us to make a ranking of our own.

But we've received a complaint from an NFL personnel guy regarding our decision. Here's what the source had to say:

"I can't believe you guys put Deon Sanders as the No. 13 player of the past 25 years. Do you mean to tell me that you wouldn't draft Prime Time (in his prime) with one of the top 5 picks in a draft consisting of players from the 1981 through 2006 NFL drafts? The guy could take away an entire side of the field.

"He wasn't 'invisible' in run support. He would tackle when he had to, albeit only if he had to. If he didn't have to he would only 'get out of the way' as to assure himself of not getting hurt. Most of his coaches agreed with this technique because he was so valuable as a player. He was not only amazing as a returner, but he was also deadly as a third receiver when he wanted to be and was a hell of a decoy wideout."

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Lenny Walls and Jonathan Wade could push Ron Bartell as the four-game replacement for to-be-suspended Rams CB Fakhir Brown.

Says Rams coach Scott Linehan regarding the recent arrest of DT Claude Wroten: "Some of the particulars are still a little gray with that whole situation. I think it'll all be worked out before camp starts."

The Titans sellout string has been extended to 93 games.

Fins coach Cam Cameron lives two doors down from his boss.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that the Ravens drafted Maryland OT Jared Gaither last week?

Bucs coach Jon Gruden is looking for big things from WR Maurice Stovall.

The Texans are giving away free tickets to training camp.

Jake the Snake just wants to be left alone.

How did Scott O'Brien go from being the Nicktator's right-hand man to a highly-regarded special teams coach?

New Orleans wants to host the NFL Draft.

POSTED 11:02 p.m. EDT, July 14, 2007

OUR TOP 25 LIST PASSES HITS THE TURN

We're closing out a ssssslow football Saturday with the latest name in our list of the top 25 players over the past 25 years.

No. 13 is up.

We're continuing to knock them off, one day at a time, until we get them finished. No. 12 is coming on Sunday.

POSTED 5:01 p.m. EDT, July 14, 2007

A DOLPHINS DUI

Just as the "days without an arrest" counter was approaching an uncharacteristic return to double digits, a member of the Miami Dolphins has allowed us to re-set the meter to "00".

And as an added bonus (hooray?), he has allowed his team to re-take the Turd Watch lead.

Receiver Chris Chambers was arrested in North Carolina on Saturday, and charged with driving while impaired, reckless driving, and speeding. He was released on $1,750 bond.

The development will likely result in no internal discipline, given Chambers' overall importance to the team. If he was a scrub at the bottom of the roster (like former Dolphins defensive tackle Fred Evans, who was dumped after being arrested last month), Chambers might be in danger of getting cut. Instead, he's more likely to get the Joey Porter treatment, who suffered no consequence after being charged with battery and eventually pleading no contest to the charges.

POSTED 9:54 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 3:31 p.m. EDT, July 14, 2007

LONG-TERM DEAL COMING FOR SAMUEL?

Saturday's Boston Herald reports that Pats cornerback Asante Samuel could sign his one-year franchise tender and report to the team early in training camp. This report implies that Samuel and the team won't strike a long-term deal before Monday's deadline for doing so.

But Saturday's Patriot Ledger reports that a long-term deal could be coming soon.

"We're a lot closer than we were before," agent Glenn Toby told the Patriot Ledger. "We're not adversaries; we're not fighting [the Patriots]. We're fighting to get it done collectively.

‘"There's been a great deal of progress," Toby added. "We respect Coach [Bill] Belichick -- he's a visionary; he's got a great system. We don't want to disrespect the system by any means. We want to do something that works.

"I think we're going to get something done because I think this could be an amazing year."

In our view, Toby's words are nothing short of amazing, given that there previously has been no indication of any progress being made between the two sides. If anything, the indications were that a long-term deal would not get accomplished, primarily because Samuel wants to get the kind of money that he'd only get on the open market from another team.

Then again, we're not so sure that Toby is in a position to speak with confidence about the situation. Though there is evidence on the Intergoogle of a relationship between Toby and Infinite Sports Management, the firm that represents Samuel, Toby is not listed by the NFLPA as a registered contract advisor.

In fact, the only registered NFL agents at Infinite Sports Management are Alonzo Shavers, Marcus Ross, and Jay Bianco. Among them, they are listed as having negotiated a total of six active contracs.

But in a clip from the now-defunct ESPN offering Quite Frankly that appears on Toby's MySpace page, Toby is introduced as "a sports agent who represents more than 25 NFL players."

And in the "Clients" section of his personal web site, Toby says that "Terra Firma Sports Agency" represents "over 30 NFL Players," including Asante "Samuels." (In his online bio, Toby says that he represents more than 25 NFL players, including "Assante Samuels.")

Our goal here isn't to knock Toby. It's obvious that he is a successful figure in the world of sports and entertainment. But the fact remains that he is not authorized to negotiate a football contract on behalf of Samuel. Thus, it makes it hard for us to put a lot of stock in his characterizations of the progress of any talks, given that the Patriots are prohibited under the Collective Bargaining Agreement from talking to Toby or any other person not licensed by the NFLPA to negotiate contracts about what it will take to get the deal done.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Pats have signed fifth-round OL Clint Oldenburg to a four-year deal.

Here are 10 questions for the Cowboys.

Will the Raiders incorporate Donovin Darius into three-safety packages?

Maybe God prefers football without the hole in the roof.

Is former Alabama RB Kenneth Darby better than the seventh round, where he was drafted?

The Raiders have dumped RB Curtis Brown.

It's always good to hear from Myron Cope, even when you can't actually hear him.

So how does the role of RB Shaun Alexander as a spokesman for an organization aimed at getting kids not to quit on school mesh with Alexander's decision to quit on trying to convert that YMCA in Florence, Kentucky into something other than a complete eyesore?

So will Bud Selig be present when Brett Favre passes Dan Marino in touchdown passes?

The Texans have finally found a position at which DE Mario Williams can perform effectively.

POSTED 7:36 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:21 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

SAMUEL SHOWING UP EARLY IN CAMP?

Citing a source close to Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that Samuel could end a coming holdout early in training camp, signing his one-year, $7.79 million tender and reporting for duty.

The thinking is that Samuel would be able to better showcase his abilities over a full season if he works his way into top shape through training camp and the preseason.

Tomase also reports that, if Samuel shows up during camp, he would try to persuade the Pats to agree not to use the franchise tag on him in 2008. Two years ago, the Seahawks and Shaun Alexander came to such an agreement. Last year, the Bills and Nate Clements did the same thing. In the former case, the move resulted in a long-term deal after the season in question ended; in the latter case, Clements walked away.

In our view, Samuel might ultimately sign the tender without a promise that the tag won't be used in 2008 if he fears that the Patriots will remove the franchise tag, making him an unrestricted free agent at a time when the kind of big-money deal he would get in March, when some NFL teams spend like drunken Snyders, isn't available.

Another possibility is for Samuel to sign the tender just before the start of the regular season, since this would entitle him to the full amount of the $7.79 million, without requiring him to participate in camp or the preseason. Regardless of whether practicing and playing with the team will better prepare him for the regular season, doing so creates more opportunities for the kind of injury that could destroy his marketability in 2008.

GONZO FINDS WEDDING LOOPHOLE

Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is getting married on Friday, but without, you know, getting married.

Instead, Gonzalez and his girlfriend, October Russell, will conduct a "formal commitment ceremony" on July 20 in California.

"We're not signing any papers,” Gonzalez recently told the Kansas City Star, "but I wanted the world to know that I love her and want to spend my life with her. I did it the best way for me."

Possible translation: "Did you see how much money Mike Strahan had to pay to his ex-wife? I'm not playin' that game."

Presiding over the ceremony will be Vikings fullback Tony Richardson, who played with Gonzalez in Kansas City through 2005. We don't know whether Richardson has any power vested in him by the State of California to do so, but another benefit of a non-wedding wedding is that he doesn't need it.

VANDERJAGT BACK TO CANADA?

A year after he was exiled from the Colts and less than a year after he was unexpectedly dumped by the Cowboys, kicker Mike Vanderjagt is finding no takers in the NFL.

So he could be heading to Canada.

A reader who attended Thursday's game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts eyeballed Vanderjagt on the sidelines with Argonauts G.M. Adam Rita.

The Argonauts recently signed former NFL kicker Steve Christie to replace injured kicker Noel Prefontaine. So if there was interest in Vanderjagt, why didn't the Argonauts sign him instead of Christie?

It could be that Vaderjagt is still hoping to get a call from an NFL team, and thus doesn't want to commit to a CFL team for the balance of the 2007 season. At some point, however, Vanderjagt might have to decide to make the move north if he hopes to continue his football career at all.

Vanderjagt played for the Argonauts in 1996 and 1997, winning a Grey Cup with the team each season. He signed with the Colts in 1998.

SATURDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Here's further proof that jails aren't full of geniuses.

The Colts say that they didn't activate DT Corey Simon on Thursday.

Rams CB Ron Bartell is the most likely candidate to replace CB Fakhir Brown.

The Rams have signed some more draft picks.

Some Titans tickets will be available today.

The suspension of Broncos S Sam Brandon will cost him more than $76,400.

Who does Vinny Testaverde think he is? George Blanda?

We wonder what Coach Kevlar will do if the guy who passed the polygraph test is ultimately convicted?

The Raiders have signed third-round OL Mario Henderson, the 91st overall pick in the draft.

Are there any two words more oxymoronic than "celebrity" and "bowling"?

Former NFL QB Jim McMahon recently hit a golf ball 319 yards, which is eight yards more than the 1985 Bears surrendered in both games of the NFC Playoffs.

Though we've been trying to keep politics off of this page, we're having a hard time understanding how the White House could legitimately block an investigation of the cover up that followed the death of Pat Tillman.

POSTED 11:11 p.m. EDT; UPDATED; 11:39 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

WILL FREENEY FALLOUT BE A RASH OF HOLDOUTS?

Now that Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney has signed a six-year, $72 million contract with a whopping $30 million signing bonus, what will it mean to other teams with other sack specialists who regard themselves as equal to or better than Freeney?

The first name to consider in this regard is Julius Peppers of the Panthers. Signed through 2008, the achievement of escalators has put him in position to earn base salaries of $5.535 million in 2007 and $6.5 million in 2008. Not bad, but not what he'd get on the open market. At what point does Peppers take a stand?

In New York, defensive end Osi Umenyiora recently dumped the agent who snared for him a huge contract little more than 18 months ago and hired Tony Agnone, who represents Michael Strahan. (Amazingly, the ever-probing and relentless New York media has completely ignored this intriguing development, even though we reported it weeks ago and even though it can be readily confirmed in the media section of the NFLPA web site.)

Umenyiora wants more money, and Strahan wants more money. Strahan recently declared that he's still the best in the business. If so, then $4 million per year is a slap in the face in comparison to the average of more than $12 million per year on which Freeney will feast over the next three. At what point do Strahan or Umenyiora -- or both -- take a stand?

Then there's Terrell Suggs of the Ravens. He's scheduled to become a free agent in 2008, and the Ravens supposedly don't like to use the franchise tag. So he'll either get a $30 million signing bonus of his own from the Ravens, or from someone else, such as the Redskins. (If Suggs gets that kind of cash from Baltimore, the reaction of Ray Lewis, who has been lobbying for another $20 million signing bonus of his own for several years now, could be interesting.) At what point does Suggs take a stand?

And what about the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year? In little more than four months, Fins defensive end Jason Taylor has seen Freeney get paid, and Taylor's own team hand over $20 million in guaranteed money to a loud-mouthed linebacker whom many regard as washed up. At what point does Taylor, who's represented by the same agent who represents Freeney and Suggs, take a stand?

Looking farther down the road, when will Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman start banging the drum for more money? He had more sacks than any of the above in 2006, despite missing four game dues to the one unfortunate drug test out of 20 that didn't turn out the way he had hoped.

We're not advocating holdouts by players who are under contract. But, as a practical matter, the money is getting too big not to expect one or more of these guys to withhold services in order to cash in.

NO. 14 IS UP

We've actually been pretty good about posting every day a new player on our list of the best 25 of the past 25 years.

We're cutting it close for Friday, but at least we got it in before the wire. Here it is.

No. 13 is coming Saturday.

POSTED 5:45 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:05 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

LEAGUE TELLS RAMS TO GET THE FAKHIR OUT

Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

He'll be eligible to participate in training camp and all preseason games. The suspension kicks in on August 31, and he can return to the roster on October 1.

Brown, a seven-year veteran, joined the Rams in 2006. He started 14 games for St. Louis last season.

UPDATE: We've got exclusive audio of Brown's meeting with the Commish!

POSTED 4:55 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:25 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

ROGERS WON'T FACE SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

A prosecutor announced on Friday that Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers will not face charges arising from an exotic dancer's claim that Rogers touched her inappropriately last month.

When the story first broke, there was a suggestion that Rogers was trying to persuade the dancer, through an offer of cash money, to drop the whole thing. It's apparent, however, that the decision had nothing to do with a change of heart by the alleged victim.

"I'm very upset," she said. "They let this go on for over a month. I guess they gave them a chance to get their story straight. A lot of things don't add up."

Said the prosecutor: "We have taken the time to interview witnesses and review the evidence. In all cases, we must look at the evidence in a fair and consistent manner. The standard is whether we can prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. After an extensive investigation we have determined there is insufficient evidence to file any charges against Mr. Shaun Rogers."

If the alleged victim still desires to pursue justice, she can file a civil suit against Rogers. In such matters, the standard of proof is much lower.

In our view, this case could be an example of a new hesitation by prosecutors to pursue sexual assault charges absent smoking-gun proof of guilt, thanks to the misadventures of Mike Nifong, who handled the Duke lacrosse case.

THE REAL MEDIA WAS WR-WR-WR-INCORRECT ABOUT SUPPLEMENTAL ROOKIE POOL

Several readers have asked us to address the conflict between our Thursday night report that the teams who exercise picks in the supplemental draft will receive additional space in their rookie salary pools to account for the extra picks and reports from the "real" media indicating that any team that uses a supplemental pick must find a way to pay the guy from their current allocation.

Our response to the e-mails we received on this topic was simple: "We're right and they're wrong."

Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that, indeed, the others (including our pal Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com) were mistaken to suggest that no extra rookie allocation would flow to teams adding more picks via the supplemental pool of players.

As NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Pelissero (man, this business attracts a lot of Eye-talians), "The amount is equal to the formula allotment for the corresponding choice in that league year's college draft. In the subsequent league year, after formula allotments have been established for each selection position in the college draft, the amount of the formula allotment for the selection used in the prior year's supplemental draft is deducted from the club's rookie allocation."

The rule reflects basic common sense. Really, why in the hell would anyone think that any other rule applied? If you use a 2008 pick now, then you receive an extra rookie pool allocation in order to get the pick signed. Since you also lose the corresponding 2008 pick, the total allocation is necessarily lower in 2008.

The other rule (i.e., the incorrect one) would potentially force teams who intend to pick a guy in round one of the supplemental draft to relinquish the rights to one or more draft picks in order to get the supplemental first-rounder signed.

With all that said, the team that uses one or more supplemental picks still must comply with the overall salary cap; the availability of additional rookie pool space does not result in additional cap room.

POSTED 2:22 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 2:40 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

COLTS FINALLY SIGN FREENEY

John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that the Indianapolis Colts have signed defensive end Dwight Freeney to a six-year, $72 million contract, which includes a $30 million signing bonus.

The deal makes the Colts the first team in NFL history with two players who received signing bonuses of $30 million or more. The other Colt who broke the bank is quarterback Peyton Manning.

"It's great to see the Colts are paying a guy who stops a quarterback like a quarterback," Freeney said.

But Freeney didn't stop the quarterback as much in 2006 as he had in previous seasons. Last year, Freeney notched only 5.5 sacks, a career low.

Clayton reports that Freeney will be paid $37.72 million over the first three years of the contract, and that the Colts will create $3.68 million of 2007 salary-cap room, since Freeney previously counted for $9.43 million against the 2007 cap.

Freeney had been designated as the team's franchise player, and the Colts had used the "exclusive" version of the tag, which prevented him from negotiating with other teams. The deadline for franchise players to sign a multi-year deal is July 16.

Freeney's contract arguably sets the floor for Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, the next high-profile lineman who in due course will be getting a new deal, either from his current team or from a new team. And don't forget about Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs, who is due to become a free agent in March -- and who shares and agent with Freeney.

POSTED 12:42 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

BRANDON BUMPED FOR TWO GAMES

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports that the NFL has imposed a two-game suspension on Broncos safety Sam Brandon, for violation of the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

The suspension follows domestic violence arrests in 2004 and 2005. Though, as Williamson notes, the 2004 charges were dismissed, the 2005 charges resulted in a separate arrest in 2006 for violating a restraining order and violating bond restrictions. (We're currently trying to determine the specific incident or incidents that triggered the suspension.)

Brandon reportedly plans to appeal. Because, however, the union has granted the Commissioner the power both to make the decision and to review it on appeal, a reversal is unlikely.

Still pending is the question of whether and to what extent Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter will face discipline for pleading no contest to battery, which resulted from an altercation in March between Porter and Bengals tackle Levi Jones. Other players who recently have pleaded guilty or no contest to criminal charges, and thus who face discipline under the conduct policy, are Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker and Jags tackle Khalif Barnes.

POSTED 11:42 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 12:09 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

AKILI SMITH STILL SUCKS

When quarterback Akili Smith, the third overall pick in the 1999 draft, ended up being a dud for the Cincinnati Bengals, some league observers speculated that Smith's struggles were not the result of his capabilities (or lack thereof) but of the overall ineptitude of the team that drafted him. Indeed, it was suggested at one point that, if the Eagles had selected Smith at No. 2 and the Bengals had picked Donovan McNabb at No. 3, Smith would have become a star and McNabb would have been a bust.

Well, if the Bengals are to blame for Smith's performance, then they gave him a full-body suck tattoo. Eight years after he was drafted, Smith still is playing poorly. And now he's doing it in Canada.

On Thursday night, Smith entered the game between his Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts in relief of another one-time NFL prospect, Henry Burris. Smith threw 10 passes, completed six, . . . and was intercepted three times.

Smith was yanked at halftime, and Burris was re-inserted. The Stampeders nevertheless got stampeded, 48-15.

In our view, Smith's pro career further illustrates how inexact the NFL draft really is. No one knows how a player who excelled in college or who has impressive measurable physical attributes will perform when thrust into the pro game.

And this isn't an indictment of the Bengals' shoddy scouting resources (although shoddy they were, and are). Smith was widely regarded as a blue-chip prospect, and no one complained when the Bengals took him, passing over guys like Edgerrin James and Torry Holt and Champ Bailey.

Of the five quarterbacks selected in round one of the 1999 draft, only one (McNabb) is still a starter in the NFL. Tim Couch, the No. 1 overall pick, is long gone, as is Cade McNown. Daunte Culpepper still might have something left, if he can show that his blown-up knee has healed, and if he can find a team that is willing to give him a shot at winning the starting job in 2008.

JAGS, FINS IN A TURD WATCH TIE

The recent no contest plea entered by Jacksonville tackle Khalif Barnes on DUI charges gave the Jags one more point in Turd Watch, pushing them to 42 for the "season."

The additional point also puts them in a deadlock with the Miami Dolphins for first place in the Turd Watch standings.

Here are the leaders: Jaquars 42; Dolphins 42; Titans 31; Buccaneers 30; Steelers 24; Bengals 22; Broncos 20.

The AFC is crushing the NFC by the score of 234 to 86. The entire NFC East has zero points, and nine other NFC teams have six points or less.

POSTED 9:37 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:01 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

JETS ACTIVATE CURTIS MARTIN by Michael David Smith

Thanks to the Jets Blog for pointing out that the NFL's official transactions page now lists running back Curtis Martin as activated from the team's physically unable to perform list.

Much like the Colts' activation of defensive tackle Corey Simon, which happened on Thursday, it could be the first step toward officially ending Martin's career with the Jets.

Unlike Simon, of course, Martin has been a tremendous player for the Jets whose tenure with the team will be celebrated when his departure becomes official. Martin played eight seasons with the Jets, which followed three with the Patriots, who drafted him in 1995. With 14,101 career rushing yards, he has a good chance of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Martin re-worked his contract with the Jets last month, which freed up some salary cap space for the team. Few people seriously expected him to return in 2007, as he turned 34 in May, had his least productive season in 2005, and missed all of 2006 with a knee injury.

SMART MOVE CLEARS SPACE FOR RESPONSIBLE CUSTOMERS

Much has been written and said over the past week or so regarding the decision of Sprint Nextel to part ways with roughly 1,200 customers who spent too much time clogging customer service phone lines. We initially had planned to steer clear of the controversy in our weekly entry regarding the official telecommunications sponsor of ProFootballTalk.com, but then we decided to read up on the issue. After doing so, we came to the conclusion that it was a great business move.

Since we don't expect anyone to expect that we'd come to any other conclusion, allow us to explain.

Companies like Sprint and Nextel put certain resources in place for the benefit of all customers. When a handful of said customers abuse these resources, by for example calling customer service 40 or 50 times per month (and some as many as 300 times per month), it reduces the ability of Sprint to respond promptly to folks who call far less frequently.

Sprint spokesperson Roni Singleton recently said that the customers in question often were calling over and over again about issues that Sprint believed had been resolved. Also, some of the callers were repeatedly seeking information about the accounts of other customers, even after being told that the information can't be disclosed.

"These accounts have been researched very carefully," Singleton said. "We feel strongly [about] the decisions we made, we stand by them. These decisions weren't made lightly."

So, as a result, Sprint has opted to end the relationships, at no financial cost of any kind to the customers. They will be permitted to simply walk away. As we see it, if the people in question were so dissatisfied with their wireless experience that they felt compelled to call 40 to 50 times per month, they should be happy about the development.

And the rest of the Sprint customers -- you know, the ones who don't tie up the customer service lines -- should be happy, too. The move means that, when we have to call customer service with a legitimate question or concern, it will be easier to get through because one or more of those 1,200 former customers won't be chewing on the ear of the employee who would otherwise be talking to us.

So keep that in mind when you're selecting a wireless service provider. If you choose someone other than Sprint, your ability to get through to customer service might be delayed because the employees are dealing with customers who for whatever reason see fit to call in on average more than once per day.

POSTED 8:49 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

BRIAN URLACHER ORDERED TO PARENTING CLASSES by Michael David Smith

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has such a bad memory that he's capable of forgetting something as seemingly memorable as whether or not he sent a series of profane text messages to the mother of his two-year-old son.

Now a judge in Will County, Illinois, is hoping that parenting classes can remind Urlacher that referring to your son as a "pussy" isn't the best way of earning a Father of the Year award to put on your mantel next to the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. The judge has ordered Urlacher and ex-girlfriend Tyna Robertson to attend a three-hour parenting class by Sept. 10

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Urlacher will likely learn not to ask his son questions like, "Was mom's boyfriend there?" and "Who do you love more? 'Mommy' or 'Daddy'?"

The boy lives in Joliet with Robertson and visits Urlacher at his home in Lake Forest. Both parents have accused the other of violating court orders about who gets to spend time with the son, where, and when.

"I'm glad she ordered parenting classes because Brian needs it," said Robertson, who currently faces a lawsuit in which "Lord of the Dance" Michael Flatley claims extortion, fraud, and defamation. "Based on his actions, he's not a good role model, and I pray that he changes."

POLICE STILL WAITING ON PACMAN by Michael David Smith

Titans cornerback Pacman Jones still hasn't talked to Georgia police who want to question him about an incident at a strip club on June 18 that led to a shooting nearby, Paul Kuharsky of the Tennessean is reporting.

"Adam Pacman Jones has not talked to DeKalb County Officers," Keisha R. Williams, deputy director of the communications office of the DeKalb County police, wrote in an e-mail to the paper on Wednesday. "He has refused to meet with us. And yes we are still trying to talk to Jones."

Jones is not a suspect in the shooting but might have information that would assist in the investigation, police have said.

Jones' attorney, Manny Arora, says Jones is willing to talk, but not to travel to DeKalb County to do so. Per Kuharsky, Arora says he told the DeKalb police they could come to Nashville to meet with Pacman, or they could talk to him when he is at his other home, in the Atlanta area. The police declined that offer, Arora said, and that means the issue is over, as far as Arora is concerned.

"It's highly inappropriate for the police to be commenting on whether somebody talks to them or not," Arora told the Tennessean. "All they are doing is fanning the flames in the press. This has more to do with publicly embarrassing him than talking to him for the investigation."

And we all know Pacman is perfectly capable of publicly embarrassing himself without any help.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE LINERS by Michael David Smith

Does Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell really deserve to make so much more money on his rookie contract than top NBA draft pick Greg Oden?

The Ravens, Buccaneers, and Falcons are looking for events to fill their stadiums during the 355 days a year when they're not hosting football games.

Pat Summerall plans to call a few NFL games for Fox this season.

Former Redskins WR Art Monk isn't particularly bothered that he's not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Steelers' offense may be mimicking the Chargers this season.

The Dolphins will start training camp practices earlier in the morning than they have in the past. (Maybe that means they won't stay out as late at night, and some other team can take a lead in the PFT Turd Watch.)

NFL Network is making gains in Kansas City, but still doesn't reach subscribers of the area's biggest cable outlet.

Ravens QB Steve McNair thinks Titans QB Vince Young needs a good running back behind him.

The Seahawks have signed their seventh-round pick, OL Steve Vallos.

The Manning Passing Academy is underway in Louisiana. (Eli demonstrates what young quarterbacks look like before proper instruction, and then Peyton shows the right way to do it.)

POSTED 7:33 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 7:54 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

BETTIS THINKS COWHER WILL COACH GIANTS IN '08 by Michael David Smith

Last year, former Steelers running back turned NBC commentator Jerome Bettis created a stir when he said his old coach, Bill Cowher, would leave the Steelers at the end of the 2007 season. Cowher said he was "very disappointed" by what Bettis said.

Bettis's report turned out to be true.

So Bettis has a little more credibility than most other players-turned-broadcasters when it comes to offering such predictions. And in an appearance on NFL Network's Total Access, Bettis offered another prediction: Cowher will coach the Giants in 2008.

"I really think he'll be coaching next year, and I think he'll be coaching in New York," Bettis said. "That's my take on it and just thinking about the type of team he fits in good with, the Giants are definitely one."

There's a widespread perception that Giants coach Tom Coughlin is heading into his last season with the team and that the Giants' front office wants a coach with proven credentials to replace him. Cowher would be the most obvious choice.

POSTSCRIPT: One possible complicating factor in all this is the relationship between the Rooney family, which owns the Steelers, and the Mara family, which owns the Giants. The families have been friends for almost as long as the NFL has existed, and Tim Rooney’s daughter Kathleen (Dan's niece) is married to Wellington Mara's son Chris (John's brother). Thus, the Maras likely wouldn't touch Cowher without approval from the Rooneys.

POSTED 7:03 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2007

COLTS ACTIVATE SIMON

The Indianapolis Colts have shifted defensive tackle Corey Simon from the physically unable to perform list to the roster of active players, according to the Indianapolis Star.

"This is the first I've heard of it," Simon said. "It's news to me."

The reason for the move is unclear. But, as Phil Richards of the Star suggests, it could be the first step toward terminating Simon's contract.

Simon was placed on the non-football injury/illness list last season following knee surgery, a controversial move that prompted a grievance from the player, since the move cut off his wages.

The Colts handed Simon a big-money deal in 2005 after the Eagles removed the franchise tag from him late in the offseason. He has received more than $14 million despite playing in only 13 regular-season games.

POSTED 9:56 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:22 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

DARIUS DEAL HAS LOW RISK FOR RAIDERS

A league source tells us that the contract given by the Raiders to safety Donovin Darius includes a signing bonus of (drum roll, please) nothing. Zero dollars, zero cents.

But the deal contains $600,000 in guaranteed base salary for 2007, which means that Darius has some protection against getting cut -- and the team has some protection in the event that it needs to cut him, since a decision that Darius no longer has it means that the team will have spent (wasted) only $600,000.

Also, the absence of a signing bonus means that there will be no cap consequences in 2008 or 2009 if the team decides to move on. (Sorry, but we're not in the mood tonight.)

In all, the deal has base salaries of $1.6 million in 2007, $2.5 million in 2008, and $3 million in 2009. And the fact that the 2007 and 2008 compensation is entirely in the form of base salary means that the team can squat on Darius until the eve of the regular season, and drop him with no consequence.

The better approach for Darius would have been for $1 million of the base salaries in 2008 and 2009 to have been pushed into roster bonuses, due on the first day of each league year. This would have forced the Raiders to make a quick decision each year as to his status. And if the decision would be to move on (still not in the mood), Darius would have had plenty of time to land elsewhere.

Then again, the deal Darius signed simply might be the best one he could get, and that the Raiders refused to move any of the base salaries in 2008 or 2009 into roster bonuses. It's not as if any other team was beating down the door to sign him.

RAVENS, CHARGERS WILL GET EXTRA ROOKIE POOL ROOM

Several readers have asked us to explain the procedure for getting players selected in the supplemental draft under contract.

Although the Ravens and Chargers will lose a fifth-round and fourth-round pick in 2008, respectively, for their selections of tackle Jared Gaither and Paul Oliver, respectively, the players will be paid out of 2007 cap dollars, and the rookie pool maximums for both teams will be adjusted to reflect the addition of these players.

And, as one league source explained it to us, the process of adjusting the Ravens' and Chargers' rookie pools will give agents a rare glimpse into the manner in which the NFL management council values individual picks. Usually, the rookie pool numbers are handed out in a lump sum, with no per-pick allocation.

Okay, everyone can wake up now.

NO. 15 IS UP

Another day, another guy identified on our list of the 25 best players of the past 25 years. No. 15 is now up.

The list is right here.

Check back Friday for No. 14.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The NFL could have franchises in Mexico, Toronto, and London within 10 years.

The Raiders have signed a linebacker whose name we're not even going to try to spell.

Lambeau Field is getting a European makeover.

L.T. won four ESPY Awards . . . he's so NOW!

Somebody swiped Frank Winters' Super Bowl ring.

NFLN and Comcast have worked out a deal to show regular-season games, but apparently on terms far less favorable than the league wanted. [Editor's note: This is a link to an old story that somehow ended up back in circulation.]

The Steelers have signed RB Larry Croom.

POSTED 9:39 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

TEAMS, AGENTS AFRAID TO MAKE FIRST-ROUND LEAP

With camps opening in two weeks, only one first-round pick has signed a contract with his team.

On July 3, the Bears reached an accord with tight end Greg Olsen, the 31st overall pick. Since then, nothing. Not a peep.

The problem, we're told, is that teams and agents alike are afraid to take the plunge, for fear of doing what turns out in hindsight to be a bad deal.

"It's like a junior-high dance," said one league insider. "The boys and the girls and standing on opposite sides of the room and staring at each other."

Even though the teams and agents can look to the contract given in the same slot last year and go from there, the spots in front of and behind each pick are of primary concern.

For example, if an agent does a deal for the No. 15 pick and then the agent for the No. 16 pick gets a better deal, the agent for the No. 15 pick looks bad. Indeed, Redskins safety Sean Taylor, the No. 5 overall pick in 2004, fired his agents because he believed (as legend has it) that "U" teammate Kellen Winslow got a better contract at No. 6.

With all that said, things will get rolling soon. We think.

POSTED 2:46 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

PACKERS EYEBALLING L.J.

A couple of weeks ago, former Packers linebacker George Koonce hinted on his way out of a front office job with the team that the Pack could be making a significant acquisition on offense.

The player in question could be Chiefs running back Larry Johnson.

WTMJ in Milwaukee reports that the Packers are "keeping a very close eye" on Johnson's situation. With one year remaining on his Kansas City contract, at a salary of $1.7 million, Johnson has made it clear that he wants a new contract before he endures another 400-carry season. The Chiefs discreetly dangled their Johnson (we couldn't resist) prior to the draft, but found no takers.

The problem is that anyone who wants L.J. will have to satisfy his contractual demands, and bow to the trade expectations of G.M. Carl Peterson. We think that, at a minimum, it'll take $25 million in guaranteed money to make Johnson happy, and a first-round pick and a third-round pick to get the Chiefs to bite.

If Johnson was worth that kind of a total investment, the Chiefs would be making it.

The reality here is that Johnson already has a lot of miles on the tires, and that it's still unclear whether Johnson is a truly great running back. Also, the fact that he carries the ball a lot puts him at greater risk of the kind of injury that would make the investment in his services look foolish in hindsight.

Absent a trade, there could be a nasty and protracted holdout. Johnson and Peterson have heads of solid rock, and we could envision both sides digging in, even if it's in no one's best interests to do so.

POSTED 2:30 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

POLLACK OUT FOR 2007

Despite optimism from several months ago that Bengals linebacker David Pollack might be able to return to the NFL after undergoing surgery to repair a broken neck, coach Marvin Lewis has acknowledged that Pollack won't play in 2007.

It's possible that Pollack will return in 2008.

Pollac's teammate in Cincinnati and Georgia, linebacker Odell Thurman, is still waiting to hear from the league about his application for reinstatement following a one-year suspension for multiple violations of the league's substance abuse policy. Prior reports indicated that a decision could come by Wednesday; a ruling isn't expected until next week at the earliest, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

POSTED 1:59 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

RAVENS GATHER GAITHER

A league source tell us that the Baltimore Ravens have selected former Maryland tackle Jared Gaither in round five of the supplemental draft.

No other players are expected to be selected.

POSTED 1:47 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

CHARGERS TAKE OLIVER

A league source tells us that the San Diego Chargers have selected cornerback Paul Oliver in round four of the supplemental draft.

The process is now in round five.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 1:45 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

BARNES GETS PROBATION

The Florida Times-Union reports that Jaguars tackle Khalif Barnes has received six months of probation after pleading no contest to DUI charges.

Barnes also must pay a $650 fine, perform 50 hours of community service, and participate in a drunken driving class and victim impact panel. A prosecutor told the Times-Union that this is a standard penalty for a first offense DUI.

The team's starting left tackle also wrote a letter of apology to the arresting officer, whom Barnes had called a "KKK Devil" during the arrest. Barnes likewise referred to Jacksonville as a "hick town."

"The stress of the situation led me to say things which I do not believe," Barnes wrote. "I want you to know that was out of character for me."

POSTED 1:34 p.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

NO PICKS THROUGH FIRST THREE ROUNDS

A league source tells us that, through three rounds of the supplemental draft, no players have been picked.

The process began at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Teams send in an e-mail each round indicating whether they intend to use a pick or pass. Priority was determined via a weighted lottery.

Stay tuned for more updates.

POSTED 10:56 a.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

GAITHER GOING IN ROUND FIVE?

A league source with knowledge of the evaluation of Maryland tackle Jared Gaither believes that Gaither will be selected in the fifth round.

The source says that, if Gaither were in the April draft pool, he possibly would be a first-day (i.e., round one, two, or three) selection.

The word on Gaither is that he's immature, and that he doesn't fully appreciate his physical gifts. He lost his academic eligibility because he hated school. And given that teams didn't have time to do their due diligence, teams will be less willing to take a chance on him.

Another source says that Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver likely will be drafted, but possibly as late as round seven. The source says that Oliver is believed to be too slow to be an effective corner and too small to be an effective safety. A couple of other eligible players are expected to be signed as free agent.

POSTED 10:40 a.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

URLACHER SHOULD HAVE USED THE CONCUSSION DEFENSE

This is a story that we fully intended to post on Wednesday, but we didn't get around to it. In such instances, we'll usually move on (or move out -- man, that never gets old, just like the "Helloooooo" voice) with the next wave of news.

The more we think about this one, however, the more perturbed we get.

On Tuesday, Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher testified in connection with an ongoing custody battle relating to the two-year-old son that he fathered with Tyna Robertson, a former exotic dancer who once claimed that Michael Flatley of "Lord of the Dance" fame had raped her.

In paperwork submitted in response to the petition, Robertson accused Urlacher of sending her numerous profane and abusive text messages, including one message in which he said that she is turning their child into a "pussy."

When asked about the messages on the witness stand, Urlacher said that he didn't remember sending them.

"I don't remember" is the classic safe harbor for folks who are under oath. It happens all the time. People who don't want to tell the truth in situations where the truth might be adverse to their interests but who know that if they deny doing or saying the thing that they are accused of doing or saying, they'll be walking right into a perjury trap.

The problem is that the folks who offer up this lame-ass excuse when testifying don't realize that the lawyers and the judges involved in the proceeding have heard the same bogus crap time and again. And the fact that folks like Urlacher choose to use "I don't remember" as a crutch make it harder for people who truly don't remember certain facts or details to be believed by folks who have become jaded by those who abuse it.

Brian, be a man. If you sent the messages, say so. In your specific case, "I don't remember" is for, well, pussies.

POSTED 7:57 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:25 a.m. EDT, July 12, 2007

ELI MANNING SHOWS SIGNS OF A PULSE

We get annoyed at times with the histrionics (thanks, ironically, Tiki) of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning when he's barking out an audible or demonstrating his dismay with the bad outcome of a play. But we have far greater concerns about the milquetoast demeanor of Peyton's little brother, Eli, who is the quarterback of one of the two teams in the media capital of the U.S.

There are signs, however, that Eli might be changing.

According to the New York Daily News, Eli has taken a couple of public shots at former teammate Tiki Barber, who provided an enormous in-season distraction last year by proclaiming his intention to leave the team for TiVi.

Asked how things would go without Barber, Manning said, "I don't think we're concerned. We're excited by the players that we have who wanted to return for this season, and who wanted to be a part of the Giants and play."

Though it's not quite catfight content, it's the kind of thing that will begin to help Manning become the leader that he hasn't been.

In his defense, however, it's not as if Eli has had a chance to lead. With loudmouths like Michael Strahan and Tiki and Jeremy Shockey on the team, Manning really hasn't had the opportunity to assert himself.

With Tiki gone, Manning can now step forward. And now that he's popped off about a guy who no longer is there, his next order of business should be to pull a Moe Howard and clunk together the heads of Shockey and Burress.

And while the Giants definitely will miss Barber's production, we think that his departure is a wash, given that his appetite for attention seemed to compel him to constantly run his mouth, whether by criticizing the coaching staff after a key loss or calling out Strahan for wanting more money than what the team was offering.

BEAMER SAYS VICK'S HEART IS TOO BIG

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer thinks that the problems currently engulfing former Hokie and current Falcons quarterback Mike Vick arise from the fact that he cares too much about people.

"The thing I'll say about Michael, he's a very caring person, [with a] big heart," Beamer said, "I think he understands he's got to be very specific about who's around him, who he's involved with. I think he understands that more than ever.

"I told him, 'If you're around, you're involved,'" Beamer said. "People don't care about those other people. They're not going to write about them, but they'll write about you. I think that's just him. He's a very caring person about people, and he's got a big, big heart.

"I know Michael. If it's a negative, the negative is he cares too much about people and tries to help too many people around him."

Sure, Frank. Did Vick care so much about his girlfriend that he (allegedly) gave her herpes? And how can someone care so much about people but have no regard for his dogs (if, of course, he knew about or was involved in the kennel from hell that was housed on his property).

Then again, Mike says that he "love[s] [his] dogs" in this Nike spot from a couple of years ago:

So if Mike loves people as much as he really loves his dogs, maybe his ex should be glad that all she ever got from him was an STD.

PACMAN'S LAWYER SAYS POLICE PICK ON HIM

The attorney for Titans cornerback Pacman Jones says that police are picking on his client.

Ya think?

Look, if Pacman is a target for Cooter and his pals in Tennessee, it's Pacman's fault for making himself a target via more than two years of notoriety. And maybe the cops genuinely think that if Pacman knows they're watching and waiting for him to screw up again, then maybe Pacman will stay on the right side of the line.

Specifically, attorney Worrick Robinson told the Nashville Tennessean that the officer who arrested Jones last month "made claims in the past that he was going to pull over Adam Jones the first time he got occasion to, that's exactly what he had been bragging about around other people in Williamson County."

Sheriff Ricky Headley admitted that Jones wasn't pulled over for having the wrong license plate on his orange Lamborghini, but that the officer stopped Pacman because the officer had prior knowledge that Jones didn't have a valid driver's license. Robinson claims that this isn't enough to justify pulling a car over.

Again, this kind of stuff goes with the territory that Pacman has marked out for himself. And if Pacman doesn't like it, he should move out of Tennessee. (Or move on.)

POSTED 9:13 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:53 p.m. EDT, July 11, 2007

THE MEAN MACHINE BECOMES THE GUARDS?

Perhaps the most bizarre item we've seen in . . . in . . . hell, ever comes from the Southern, which is touted as "Southrn Illinois' Homepage."

In an item regarding a local controversy over a four-day concert by the group Insane Clown Posse, Captain Harry Masse of the Illinois State Police District 22 says that security will be provided at the event by "30 members of the Cincinnati Bengals football organization."

Hoo boy this could get interesting.

But we can't help but be skeptical. Extremely skeptical. The event is scheduled for August 9 through 12. However, the Bengals are scheduled to play a game at Detroit on August 9, and to practice on August 11 and 12.

NO. 16 IS UP

We're working our way up the list of the top 25 NFL players of the last 25 years.

The latest entry -- No. 16 -- is now up.

No. 15 is coming Thursday.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Rams QB Marc Bulger won't rule out a holdout if he doesn't have a new contract by the start of camp.

Giants DE Michael Strahan has a new TV gig.

The AAFL won't allow players who don't have college degrees. (Before anyone directs "attaboys" to the new league, keep in mind that its chances of setting up a series of pro teams in college stadiums would have been somewhere between "none" and, well, "none" if the franchises were providing first-hand enticement for NCAA players who aren't getting paid.)

Boomer Esiason to replace Imus? Ugh.

Pacman is giving advice to kids on how to avoid trouble. (Why are we thinking of the Seinfeld episode where George does the opposite?)

Hey, did anyone catch the picture today of Mike Greenberg on ESPN.com's front page? (If you saw it, you know why we are mentioning it.)

The Ravens have signed third-round OL Marshall Yanda.

POSTED 8:22 p.m. EDT, July 11, 2007

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ORANGE LAMBORGHINIS?

As reported widely on Wednesday, Pacman Jones was pulled over last month for driving an orange Lamborghini with a mismatched license plate.

One of our astute readers recognized that this combination of words, which goes together about as naturally as "Brett Favre" and "disco," had been mentioned once before in connection with an NFL player.

Specifically, when former 49ers receiver Antonio Bryant was arrested last year for driving under the influence, he was driving (you guessed it) an orange Lamborghini.

Oh, and Texans defensive end Mario Williams has one, too.<

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