Breaking NFL News, Rumors and Al's Inside Scoop on the NFL Draft and Free Agency
The latest Breaking Football Sports News (free-agent signings, trades, coaching changes etc.) will be posted in this section as they happen, along with the latest rumors and Al's Inside Scoop on the draft and free agency.
We will have all the Breaking free agent signings posted as the market opens at 12:01am est on Friday
Moss and the Patriots...Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting that Randy Moss and the Patriots may already have a deal in place.
Quick Hits...The Titans have re-signed WR Justin Gage and released WR David Givens...the Colts released DT Anthony McFarland and ILB Rob Morris...the Saints have released K Olindo Mare and Tampa gave DE/DT Kevin Carter and DE Greg Spires their walking papers.
Quick Hits...The Lions signed former Vikings FS Dwight Smith...the Bills waived HB Anthony Thomas, LB Coy Wire, OG Aaron Merz and CB Jeremetrius Butler...the Browns have released DE Orpheus Roye.
Carr Released...The Carolina Panthers have released QB David Carr.
Muhammed Signs...Muhsin Muhammed has officially signed with the Carolina Panthers.
Jet Free Agent Targets...The New York Jets are reportedly targeting Steelers OG Alan Faneca and Cardinals DE/OLB Calvin Pace in the upcoming free agent market.
Holcombe Cut...The Minnesota Vikings released QB Kelly Holcombe today for salary cap reasons.
Chiefs release Law...The Kansas City Chiefs released four players including CB Ty Law, ILb Kendrell Bell,
DT James Reed and TE Jason Dunn today to relieve their salary cap.
Al's Draft Scoop...Flacco to Miami?...Talk is cheap these days especially regarding the NFL Draft where smokescreens are a plenty, especially when scouts and NFL personnel talk about their own teams intentions in the Draft, but I have reason to believe that the Dolphins will pass up Matt Ryan with the first overall pick. A very good friend of mine in the scouting industry told me this morning that the talk around the scouting community is if the Dolphins aren't able to trade their first round pick, they will take either Chris Long or Vernon Gholston to play the rush end (or OLB) in their 3-4 scheme or use the pick on OT Jake Long of Michigan. My source also told me that he expects the Dolphins to take a quarterback with their pick in the second round, with that quarterback being none other than Deleware's Joe Flacco. The talk around the scouting community is that Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells is said to be enamored with Flacco, a New Jersey native just like Parcells.
Muhammed a Panther...The Panthers are expected to finalize a contract with Muhsin Muhammed sometime today.
Al's Free-Agency Scoop...The Philadelphia Eagles are targeting CB Asante Samuel and S Gibril Wilson in the upcoming free agency period, with the hopes of landing one of them when the market opens on Friday.
Al's Draft Scoop...Cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie's draft stock is shooting up the boards with another good showing at an NFL event. Cromartie first made a good impression on the scouts during the week of the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, where he showed the scouts he was much more than a small school sleeper prospect from Tennessee State. On Tuesday, Cromartie blew the scouts and NFL personnel away with his performance in everything he did at the Combine. Cromartie turned in the best time (6.74) in the 3 cone, the best time (11.06) in the 60 yd long shuttle, had the best (38.5) vertical jump, the best (10'11") broad jump measurement and ran the third best forty time being clocked at 4.33. To top it off Cromartie displayed outstanding footwork and was very fluid and impressive in the on field drills for the defensive backs. Cromartie wasn't considered to be one of the top four cornerbacks for the upcoming draft when the college season ended, but more of a second to third round prospect with a chance to crack the first round with a good showing at the workouts. But that was then, and as of now, Cromartie is running neck and neck with Leodis McKelvin of Troy for the right to be the first corner to come off the board in April. The other top cornerback prospects were either shorter or slower than originally expected, or in Aquib Talib's case, a little too tight in the hips in the defensive back drills, which will hurt his stock when the NFL teams stack their boards in early April. All in all, Dominique Cromartie has great blood-lines (the cousin of Antonio Cromartie), untapped potential and is considered to have a very high ceiling, which is exactly what NFL teams look for in the first round of the Draft. Since Cromartie has much better ball skills than Leodis McKelvin of Troy, It leads me to believe that Cromartie has a legitimate chance to be the first corner to come off the board in the upcoming Draft. One thing is for certain, Cromartie made himself a ton of money on Tuesday.
Salisbury Axed at ESPN...ESPN hired former Vikings WR Cris Carter and released Sean Salisbury on Tuesday.
Quick Hits...Randy Moss is reportedly close to signing a multi-year deal with the Patriots...The Lions are reportedly the front runners to land LB Jonathan Vilma (a perfect fit for the Lions scheme)...the Niners re-signed NT Isaac Sopoaga to a 5 year deal.
02/26...FA News & Cuts...Arizona Cardinals DE/OLB Calvin Pace has stated that he will sign with either the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins or San Francisco 49'ers in the upcoming free-agency period...the Redskins released WR Brandon Lloyd...Kansas City released WR Eddie Kennison...New England released LB Oscar Lua...and the Jets gave CB Andre Dison and OG Adrian Clarke their walking papers.
Foster to Niners...The San Francisco 49'ers are reportedly on the verge of signing HB DeShaun Foster.
Official 40 times...The official 40 times have been posted for the DB's...Top 10 times...Tyvon Branch 4.31 Orlando Scandrick 4.32...Dom Cromartie 4.33...Tracy Porter 4.37...Michael Grant 4.37...Terrence Wheatley 4.37 Leodis McKelvin 4.38...Jonathan Wilhite 4.38...Mike Jenkins 4.38.
Rogers-Cromartie...Cromartie was very fluid, was able to flip his hips smoothly and displayed outstanding footwork in the DB's on-field drills today...he also ran a 4.33 official forty time today.
DB's 40 times...Tom Zbikowski 4.52 & 4.56, D.J. Wolfe 4.64 & 4.65...Antoine Cason 4.49
Leodis McKelvin...Leodis McKelvin's broad jump results...9'11" and 10'1"...3 cone drill 7.11.
Cromartie...Cromarties second attempt at the 40 resulted in another great time (4.34 -40).
DB's 40 Times...Trae Williams 4.52 & 4.53, Nehemiah Warrick 4.57, David Roach 4.50, D.J. Parker 4.66.
DB's 40 Times...Aquib Talib 4.47 & 4.48, Antuan Molden 4.40, Terrell Thomas 4.49, Tracy Porter 4.45 & 4.44.
Dominique Cromartie...Cromartie ran a lightning fast 4.28 unofficial forty in his first attempt at the Combine.
DB's 40 Times...Kenny Phillips 4.55, DaJuan Morgan 4.52, DeJuan Tribble 4.59.
DB's 40 Times...Tyvon Branch 4.29, Justin King 4.31, Josh Barrett 4.33, Leodis McKelvin 4.40, Marcellous
Johnson 4.43, Brandon Flowers 4.58, Chevis Jackson 4.58.
Al's Draft Scoop...Even though Darren McFadden has been the talk of the town since Sunday when he ran a 4.33 forty, his draft stock still remains a question mark because of his character concerns. The only team that might take a chance on him in the top five is the Raiders because of Al Davis's love for speed. Don't think for a minute that the Falcons would even consider him with their pick, especially after all that owner Arthur Blank has been through with the Michael Vick fiasco. The possibility still exists that McFadden could still fall out of the top 10 altogether, unless the Jets or Bengals take a chance on him with the Bengals being the least likely due to their insistence of cleaning up their act on draft day and passing on the character concern prospects.
Browns and Anderson close...The Cleveland Browns and Derek Anderson's reps have reportedly made significant progress in contract negotiations and could have a deal in place before the FA deadline on Friday night.
Cowboys/Javon Walker..The Cowboys are reportedly interested in acquiring Wr Javon Walker from the Broncos.
Bryant gets axe in Detroit...The Detroit Lions have released CB Fernando Bryant today.
Gholston vs Long...The battle for the right to be the first 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB to be taken in the 2008 Draft was very close between Vernon Gholston and Chris Long with Gholston having a bit of a better day overall...Gholston ran a better 40 time 4.67 to Long's 4.75, was better in the broad jump 10'5" to Long's 10'4" and recorded a better vertical 35.5" to Long's 34"...Gholston also recorded 37 reps at 225 pounds on the bench while Long didn't participate...Gholston also participated in the linebacker drills and did a good job of convincing the scouts that he can drop into coverage while Long skipped that drill as well...Long had a better time in the 3 cone drill being timed at 7.02 to Gholston's 7.12 and had a better time in the short shuttle being timed at 4.21 to Gholston's 4.40.
Highsmith dropping...LB'er Ali Highsmith of LSU ran a pair of super dissapointing 40 times being clocked at 4.96 and 5.02...Highsmith would be a good fit in a Tampa 2 scheme...but not at that speed.
Linebacker 40 Times...Xavier Adibi 4.71, Steve Allen 4.84, Alvin Bowen 4.83, Jordan Dizon 4.70, J0-Lonn Dunbar 4.85, Tavares Gooden 4.53, Larry Grant 4.71, Gary Guyton 4.50, Geno Hayes 4.69, Erin Henderson 4.73, Stanford Keglar 4.63, Jerod Mayo 4.56, Steve Octavien 4.68, Phillip Wheeler 4.73, Wesley Woodyard 4.54.
Chris Long...Chris Long has decided to skip the Linebacker drills at the Combine but will go through the drills at his scheduled pro day....Long ran a very fast 7.02 3 cone drill.
Dan Connors...ILB Dan Connors left the Combine because he came down with a bad case of the flu.
Keith Rivers...OLB Keith Rivers tweaked his ankle and won't be running the forty with his group...the ankle that Rivers tweaked is the same one he had surgically repaired in 2007.
Official 40 Times...Cliff Avril 4.51, Quentin Groves 4.57, Chris Long 4.75, Vernon Ghoston 4.67.
Losman to Chiefs or Dolphins?...Rumors are circulating that both the Chiefs and Dolphins have talked to the Bills about acquiring the services of QB J.P. Losman.
More 40 times...Frank Okam 5.32, Nick Hayden 5.10, Bruce Davis 4.72, Jason Jones 4.77, Carlton Powell 5.04
Atyba Rubin 5.17, Jeremy Thompson 4.73.
Chris Long...Chris Long ran a 4.77 forty in his second attempt.
Gholston ...Vernon Gholston recorded a 35.5" vertical jump and recorded a 4.57 and a 4.64 forty earlier.
More 40 times...Marcus Howard ran a blistering 4.47 forty (the fastest recorded today)...other 40 times... Pat Sims 5.06, Dre Moore 4.88, Derrick Harvey 4.80.
Chris Long - Chris Long ran a 4.72 forty in his first run (unofficial time)...he also recorded a 34" vertical.
More 40 times...Trevor Laws 5.08, Lawrence Jackson 4.81, Kendall Langford 4.97, Frank Okam 5.32.
Vernon Gholston ran a 4.57 and a 4.64 unofficial forty times.
40 times - From group #1 (all times are unofficial)...Calias Campbell 5.03, Shawn Crable 4.56, Sedric Ellis 5.32,
Quinton Groves 4.52, Kentwan Balmer 5.30, Cliff Avril 4.56.
Huff on Block?...Rumors are swirling that the Oakland Raiders are willing to part with S Michael Huff.
Quick Hits...The San Diego Chargers signed former Niners ILB Derek Smith to a 2 year contract...TE Desmond Clark has re-signed with the Bears...San Francisco has signed RS/CB Allen Rossum...Patriots LB Teddi Bruschi is reportedly considering retirement.
Henne and Flacco Shine...The two most impressive Qb's in the passing drills on Sunday were Chad Henne of Michigan and Joe Flacco of Deleware according to one of the scouts in attendance...Brian Brohm of Louisville also threw the ball well, but not with the same velocity and rotation as Henne and Flacco.
Trade Rumors...The Houston Texans have reportedly been in trade discussions with several teams at the Combine to acquire a veteran halfback.
02/24...Chris Johnson - Chris Johnson ran the fastest official time in the RB group timing at 4.24 in the forty.
Darren McFadden - Darren McFadden's fastest official time in the forty was adjusted from 4.27 to 4.33.
Ray Rice - Ray Rice tweaked his hamstring during his first attempt at the forty yard dash and is done for the Day.
Simpson Wow!...WR Jerome Simpson of Coastal Carolina recorded an amazing 11'4" broad jump.
Running backs - Notable forty times from the Combine.....Updated ...Darren McFadden 4.33 & 4.33, Chris Johnson 4.29 & 4.24, Jamaal Charles 4.36 & 4.39, Rashard Mendenhall 4.37 & 4.43, Kevin Smith 4.43 & 4.56, Jonathan Stewart 4.48 & 4.49, Ray Rice 4.44, Felix Jones 4.47, Steve Slaton 4.44 & 4.45, Matt Forte 4.51 & 4.46, Jacob Hester 4.60 & 4.64, Leon Hart 4.67 & 4.69.
Darren McFadden - McFadden ran an unofficial time of 4.27 in his first attempt in the forty yard dash.
Bills interested in Flowers...The Buffalo Bills are reportedly very interested in CB Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech and were the first team to interview him this morning...the general perception is the Bills will invest their first round pick on a big receiver, but the Bills also need to shore up the CB position and Flowers is considered the top Cover 2 Corner in this draft.
Combine Quick Hits - WR James Hardy of Indiana ran a 4.47 forty which is very impressive for a receiver of his size...WR Devin Thomas ran a pair of lightning fast forties clocking in at 4.32 and 4.34...QB Josh Johnson of San Diego ran an impressive 4.40 forty...Limas Sweed of Texas ran a pair of good times (4.46,4.53) for a big receiver.
Woodson/Doucet Shelved - Kentucky Qb Andre Woodson isn't working out today because he tweaked his hamstring..
Doucet isn't working out due to an undisclosed injury.
Nelson Impresses - Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson ran a pair of good forty times for a big receiver clocking in at 4.48 and 4.51...Nelson also recorded a 31" vertical.
Impressive 40 times - WR's - Dexter Jackson 4.29, DeSean Jackson 4.31, Andre Caldwell 4.31, William Franklin 4.32, Devin Thomas 4.34
Manningham Dissapoints...Michigan Wr Mario Manningham ran a pair of dissapointing forty times today clocking in at 4.59 and 4.62...On the Game film, Manningham has much better on-field game speed.
Glenn Dorsey Checks In...Glenn Dorsey finally showed up at the Combine and checked in late after rumors were circulating that Dorsey was planning on skipping the Combine due to a possible injury he suffered in training.
Combine - Quick Hits...Purdue TE Justin Keller stole the show on Saturday perforning well in the receiving drills and had the fastest forty times (4.53, 4.54) at the Combine...he also recorded a 38" vertical...Texas TE Jermichael Finley ran slower (4.85) than expected but was the most impressive TE in the receiving drills...Finley runs much faster than his forty time when you turn on the game tape...Tennessee TE Brad Cottam ran a very impressive forty time (4.63) considering his size 6-7.5 271....The Top 10 performers from Saturdays session.
Quick Hits...Shaun Rogers will reportedly be traded by the Detroit Lions within the next week with the Broncos and Redskins being two of the four teams interested in his services...the Lions are reportedly interested in Bucs CB Brian Kelly...Tampa is reportedly interested in Panthers HB DeShaun Foster and Seahawks WR D.J. Hackett...Lane Kiffin has reportedly been removed from all draft, free-agency and coaching related decisions...the Raiders are reportedly ready to part with K Sebastien Janikowski...the Falcons are reportedly interested in acquiring Broncos HB Mike Bell.
02/23...Chris Long...Chris Long was measured at 6-3 272...Long is an ideal size for a DE in a 4-3 front, but too small to play DE in a 3-4...Long could play OLB or the rush-end position in a 3-4 if he proves to the scouts and NFL personnel in attendance that he has the athletic ability to make the drops necessary at the next level.
Dorsey Injured?...Rumors are flying that the reason Glenn Dorsey is skipping the Combine is because he may have re-injured his knee in training for the Combine or has some kind of medical condition...His Grandmother passed away recently which set him back in his training according to Dorsey, but there was no indication that he would skip the Combine altogether...speculation has begun that Dorsey is skipping the Combine because of a medical condition.
Kearse out in Philly..Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting that the Eagles will release Jevon Kearse.
Sleeper QB Josh Johnson of San Diego was measured at 6-2.6 213 on Friday which was an inch shorter but 15 pounds heavier than what scouts expected...Johnson is a player to watch in his workout on Sunday.
Quick Hits - The New Orleans Saints have re-signed WR Terrance Copper to a 2 year deal...the New York Giants are said to be interested in signing Seahawks CB Marcus Trufant in the upcoming free-agency period...the Minnesota Vikings are reportedly interested in signing Wr Jerry Porter or Wr Bernard Berian...the Washington Redskins are reportedly one of four teams that have shown interest in acquiring DT Shaun Rogers from the Lions.
02/22...Quick Hits - Michigan Ot Jake Long was able to post 37 reps at 225 lbs on the bench today which was the most reps of any of the offensive lineman that lifted today...Oregon Qb Dennis Dixon has decided to run the 40 yard dash at the Combine despite the fact that he is still less than 100%...The Steelers have released Jerame Tuman and Allen Rossum...and...The NFL has notified Pacman Jones that he remains suspended indefinitely.
Wayne Huizenga has sold 50% of the Miami Dolphins to Steve Ross a New York Builder...Huizenga has reportedly assured Bill Parcells that he will stay on as part-owner of the Dolphins for the duration of his contract.
Zach Thomas a Saint?...Rumors are flying that the New Orleans Saints offer to Zach Thomas was bigger then what Thomas expected and has made the Saints the front-runners to land the former Dolphin LB'er...Thomas reportedly flew to the Combine to meet with the Cowboys to see if their offer will be in the same ball park as the Saints.
Malcolm Kelly...WR Malcolm Kelly was measured at 6-3.5 224 and won't be able to participate in the workouts as we first reported back on 02/18 because of a lingering quad injury.
Limas Sweed...WR Limas Sweed was measured at 6-3.7 215 and stated that he will do all the drills at the Combine...Sweed has already met with Tennessee, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and the Oakland Raiders.
Colt Brennan...QB Colt Brennan was measured at 6-2 207 which is 22 lbs heavier then his Senior Bowl weight.
DeShaun Jackson Shocker! - DeShaun Jackson was measured at only 5-9.6 169 which is much smaller than the scouts had expected...the St. Louis Rams were the first and only team to interview the California receiver on Thursday, but Jackson has numerous other interviews scheduled with the teams.
13 teams to interview Flacco - The Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys interviewed Deleware QB Joe Flacco on Thursday night...they were the first two teams to interview Flacco...Flacco has interviews scheduled with 11 other teams this weekend.
Crumpler to meet with Bills & Packers...Alge Crumpler is attending the Combine for self-promotional purposes and will reportedly meet with representatives of the Bills and Packers this week.
Heads or Tails? - The Falcons and Raiders will participate in a coin flip this morning to determine which team will own the third overall pick in the draft...if the Raiders win, they will be picking third, but the Falcons would then have to flip a coin again with the Chiefs for the right to pick fourth overall in the draft.
Al's Draft Scoop - Michigan OT Jake Long was the talk of the Combine on Thursday. Long was measured at 6-7 313 and displayed a very tight-solid build which is rather rare for a lineman his size. Long has 11" hands and his arm measurements were just as impressive being 35 3/4" which is just what NFL scouts look for in a lineman. Even though Long has yet to perform the workout part of Combine, he surely passed the eyeball test on Thursday. My Final Pre-Combine Ratings for the skill position players have been posted.
Quick Hits - The Patriots have named Dom Capers as their Special Assistant Secondary Coach...Rumors are flying that the Seahawks will soon be parting with HB Shaun Alexander...Bills Coach Dick Jauron speaking at the Combine stated that he expects QB J.P. Losman to be back with the Bills and compete with Trent Edwards for the starting QB job in training camp.
02/21...Foster released by the Panthers...The Carolina Panthers have released HB DeShaun Foster.
Combine Notes - DT Glenn Dorsey has decided to pass up the workout part of the Combine and rely on his personal workout for the Scouts at LSU's Pro Day....QB Matt Ryan won't take part in the passing drills at the Combine, but will run for the scouts and NFL personnel in attendance.
Moss not Franchised...The New England Patriots have decided not to put their franchise tag on WR Randy Moss which will enable him to hit the open market if a deal can't be struck before next weekend's deadline...we don't expect Moss to sign with anyone else so the risk the Patriots took isn't as big as some might think.
Niners/Lion Trade Rumors...Rumors are circulating around the league that the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49'ers will be involved in a trade with the Lions sending WR Shaun McDonald out West to the 49'ers...the Lions signed McDonald last season as a free agent because he was a good fit in Mike Martz's offensive system...but Martz has since departed and is now the offensive coordinator for a receiver starved 49'ers team.
Hamlin Tagged - The Dallas Cowboys have used their franchise tag on Safety Ken Hamlin.
Quick Hits - The Giants will allow S Gibril Wilson to test the upcoming free-agent market...the Jaguars have decided to let QB Quinn Gray hit the open market...the Bears are said to be ready to part ways with OG Rueben Brown...the Lions will reportedly be gauging teams interest in DT Shaun Rogers at the the Combine...the Denver Broncos have made DE Ebenezer Ekuban a contract offer.
Al's Draft Scoop - Samuel to Break the Bank!...Asante Samuel will be rewarded with the richest contract for a cornerback in NFL history now that his two main competitors have been taken off the upcoming free-agent market. Marcus Trufant and Nnamdi Asomugha were both franchised by their respective teams on Wednesday, leaving Samuel as the only top-tier cornerback available in the upcoming free-agency period. Six teams (Dallas, Philadelphia NY Jets, Miami, Houston and Jacksonville) are reportedly interested in signing the Patriots Corner, which will certainly drive up his asking price and help Samuel eclipse the $80 million dollar contract that Nate Clements signed just last year. The possibility that Samuel will re-sign with the Patriots before the free-agent deadline is very slim.
Vilma being shopped...The New York Jets will reportedly be shopping LB Jonathan Vilma at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend...Vilma would be a perfect fit for a team that plays a Tampa 2 scheme with a 4-3 front.
The Denver Broncos are considering bringing in FA Zach Thomas for a visit after the Combine.
02/20...The Steelers Tag Starks...The Steelers have placed a transition tag on OT Max Starks, a move that means the Steelers will have to pay Starks the average of the top 10 tackles in the league.
Colts sign Clark...The Indianapolis Colts have signed TE Dallas Clark to a 6 year deal.
Packers Franchise Williams, release Franks...The Packers have slapped their Franchise Tag on DT Corey Williams and have released TE Bubba Franks.
Seahawks Franchise Trufant...The Seattle Seahawks have slapped their Franchise Tag on CB Marcus Trufant.
Asomugha to be Tagged...The Oakland Raiders will use their Franchise Tag on CB Nnamdi Asomugha.
Haynesworth tagged...The Tennessee Titans have used their Franchise Tag on DT Albert Haynesworth.
Thomas to visit the Bills...Former Dolphins LB'er Zach Thomas has a visit scheduled with the Buffalo Bills.
Al's Draft Scoop - One player to keep an eye on this week is OG Branden Albert of Virginia. Albert is considered to be the top rated OG prospect for the 2008 Draft, but the talk around the scouting community this week is that Albert may have enough althetic ability to kick out to the tackle position in the NFL, which would elevate his stock for the upcoming Draft. Albert didn't start playing football until 2002 (his junior year in High School) because he was an outstanding basketball player at Glen Burnie High, but has been a starter for the Virginia Cavaliers since his freshman year of college. Albert will workout on Saturday with the rest of the linemen group.
Quick Hits - Denver Broncos HB Andre Hall was arrested on Tuesday for driving with a revoked drivers license ...the Rams have re-signed Travis Minor...the Colts have re-signed OG Ryan Lilja and the agent for Steelers LB'er Clark Haggans has stated that his client won't re-sign with the Steelers.
NFL Combine - The first group of prospects which includes Kickers, Punters, Tight Ends and Offensive Linemen have arrived in Indianapolis and will go through an Orientation and take their Hospital Pre-Exam today...the prospects will then be interviewed by the NFL teams...On Thursday this group will go through a medical exam, be measured and take the Wonderlic test...they will also be required to participate and be interviewed by the Media... On Friday they will attend an NFLPA meeting and the Kickers and Punters will go through their workout drills...On Saturday the Tight Ends and Offensive Linemen will go through their workout drills.
Rumors are swirling in Chicago that the Bears might slap their Franchise Tag on WR Bernard Berrian.
Browns and Anderson close? -The Browns are reportedly closing in on a deal with quarterback Derek Anderson...the Browns want to sign Anderson to a three year deal before the start of free-agency.
DeAngelo Hall on the Block - Trade rumors are swirling in Atlanta regarding the future of CB DeAngelo Hall....Hall has one year left on his current contract but wants a new deal and won't play next season without an extension...the Falcons appear to be unwilling to commit long-term to Hall and are reportedly shopping him.
Tagged - The Colts placed their Franchise Tag on TE Dallas Clark while the Panthers tagged OT Jordan Gross.
02/19...The Patriots are said to have made a very enticing contract offer to former Dolphin LB'er Zach Thomas.
The Houston Texans have released TE Jeb Putzier and have scheduled a visit with LB'er Zach Thomas.
Suggs can't be a happy camper...The Baltimore Ravens slapped their franchise tag under the linebacker designation on Terrell Suggs today...by tagging Suggs as a linebacker and not a defensive end, it saved the team about 800,000 per year...the Franchise tag salary for an OLB is 8.07 million while a DE is worth 8.88 million.
Quick Hits - The Dallas Cowboys are expected to let OT Flozell Adams hit the open market in the upcoming free-agency period...look for Adams to be high on the Dolphins wish list...Rumors are floating around that Keyshawn Johnson is considering a comeback.....First Round Draft hopefuls Jake Long of Michigan and Chris Williams of Vanderbilt have both decided to be full participants at the Combine in Indy this week.
Derek Smith gets the Axe - The San Francisco 49'ers have reportedly released ILB Derek Smith.
Bills Targeting Wilford?...Rumors are flying that the Buffalo Bills are said to be targeting Jaguars WR Earnest Wilford in the upcoming free agency period...Wilford is a big receiver which is something the Bills are lacking.
Quick Hits - The Chiefs slapped their franchise tag on DE Jared Allen...the Saints are bringing in former Panthers ILB Dan Morgan for a visit...the Eagles are denying a report that they are shopping CB Lito Sheppard and are said to be targeting Patriots CB Asante Samuel in the upcoming free agent period and rumors are flying that the Cowboys are also very interested in Samuel as well and are prepared to break the bank for the Patriots cornerback.
02/18...The New England Patriots have made a contract offer to former Dolphin LB'er Zach Thomas.
Brown extended and Muhammed, Miller released...The Chicago Bears have signed DE Alex Brown to a 2 year contract extension and have released WR Muhsin Muhammed and OT Fred Miller.
Andrews tagged - The Cincinnati Bengals have slapped their franchise tag on OG/OT Stacey Andrews.
Al's Draft Scoop - Keep an eye on the numbers that East Carolina HB Chris Johnson posts this week at the NFL Combine because the talk around the scouting community is Johnson will be this year's workout warrior at Indianapolis and will have a chance to sneak into the bottom of the first round of the Draft ...Johnson ran a 4.25 forty and had a 43.5" vertical in a previous campus visit by NFL scouts.
Malcolm Kelly to pass up the workout part of the Combine...Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly won't be working out at the Combine and will only be there for the physicals and interviews.
Al's Draft Scoop - Rice runs 4.38-40 during pre-combine training...Ray Rice of Rutgers has been training with former NFL HB Earnest Byner at the Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn and has lowered his body fat down from 14.5 percent to 8 percent in prepearation for the upcoming combine. Rice also reportedly run a sub 4.4 forty and is prepared to wow the scouts in attendance at this weeks combine in Indy. Rice carries a mid to late 2nd round grade going into the combine and would be an especially good fit for a zone blocking team looking for a one-cut back.
02/16...Rumors - With the deadline just 12 days away for NFL teams to tender their restricted free-agents, rumors are floating out of Cleveland that the Browns and Derek Anderson won't be able to come to terms on a contract agreement, thus the Browns will place the highest tender on Anderson and let him hit the market...by placing the highest tender on Anderson, any team that signs him would have to relinquish a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick for his services...the Browns would still have the right to match any offer made to Anderson by another team...but as we mentioned back on 02/09, it's risky business for the Browns to take a chance on letting him hit the market...just ask the Seattle Seahawks how they felt after the Vikings stole Steve Hutchinson from under their nose.
Zach Thomas to land in Dallas or New England?...Rumors are swirling this morning that the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys are the two front-runners to land former Dolphins LB'er Zach Thomas...Thomas would prefer playing in a 3-4 scheme and has already stated that he will only be willing to play for a team with a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl Title.
The Denver Broncos have placed WR Rod Smith on the reserve/retired list.
Al's Draft Scoop...QB Battle Brewing at the Combine...With the NFL Combine set for next week, an interesting battle is brewing at the quarterback position for this years draft. It appears that Matt Ryan will be the first quarterback taken off the board on draft day, but there are mixed opinions on which quarterback will be taken next. Three QB's (Brian Brohm, Chad Henne and Joe Flacco) will be battling for the right to be the next quarterback taken after Ryan on draft day. Brian Brohm and Chad Henne are both neck and neck at this time, with Joe Flacco bringing up the rear, but that could change depending on how all three prospects perform at the Combine. Both Brohm and Henne's grades are so similar at this time, that the Combine will be a true test and good indicator of how their final rating will fall in April. How those two prospects perform in their drills and interviews, will go a long way in determining their final draft grade. It will be a great battle to watch for any and all NFL Draft fans. As for Joe Flacco, I've seen his stock rise over the past several months, but I'm not entirely sold on him just yet, despite a pretty good performance during Senior Bowl week. Flacco's play in the Senior Bowl game itself wasn't anything to write home about and the fact that he had to transfer from Pitt because he was unable to unseat Tyler Palko still sticks in my mind. I love Flacco's arm and he has good touch on most of his throws, but he has yet to conquer top competition and the NFL is a different animal then from what Flacco is used to facing. I think Flacco has the tools to work with, but will be a bit of a project for the NFL team that selects him in the draft. All in all, the Combine is a useful source for NFL teams to interview the prospects and get an accurate time on their drills, but it's nothing like putting on the pads and facing the likes of Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, or the fire-zone blitzes that these QB's will face at the next level.
We posted back on 02/11 that DeShaun Foster could be a cap casualty in Carolina and on Thursday rumors had the Panthers shopping Foster in hopes of getting some type of compensation for their starting running back.
The Kansas City Chiefs released OG John Welbourne on Thursday.
The Arizona Cardinals have slapped their franchise tag on OLB Karlos Dansby.
The Buffalo Bills have waived WR Peerless Price.
Miami Dolphins LB'er Zach Thomas has stated that he's not ready to call it a career just yet, but will only be willing to play for a team that's a legitimate contender.
Rumors are floating that the Miami Dolphins are cleaning house and lowering their cap to make a quick strike in the upcoming free-agency period with CB Asante Samuel and OG Alan Faneca sitting at the top of their wish list.
Trade rumors are floating throughout the league that WR Roy Williams is being shopped by the Lions...the Lions are reportedly seeking at least a first round pick in the upcoming Draft as compensation for the former Texas Longhorn receiver...elsewhere...the Denver Broncos are shopping HB Mike Bell and will settle for a 6th round pick in return as compensation...the Houston Texans are reportedly one of several teams interested in Bell's services.
The Raiders have re-signed HB Justin Fargas giving him a 3 year/12 million deal with 6 million guaranteed.
02/13...Al's Draft Scoop - Brohm's arm length to be put under the microscope at Indy...With the Indianapolis Scouting Combine just one week away, NFL teams are preparing themselves to put their targeted prospects under the microscope in the process of their scouting evaluation. Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm is one of the Drafts top rated quarterbacks and is listed at 6-3 which is a good height for an NFL prospect, but his lack of ideal arm length won't go unnoticed by the NFL teams next week. After watching Brohm play over the past few years, I was very impressed with his overall play and had little doubt that he has the ability to make it at the next level, but I also wondered if his release point was the reason he had so many balls (101 in three years) deflected or batted down near the line of scrimmage. After doing a little research, I discovered that Brohm's arm length (29 5/8) is two to three inches shorter than what scouts and NFL teams consider ideal for the quarterback position and the reason for all the pass deflections over the years. Despite being tall enough for the position, Brohm's short arms make his release point that of a shorter quarterback. The NFL team that selects Brohm in the upcoming Draft can work on helping him use a more compact delivery and improve his release point, but there is nothing they can do to make his arms longer than what they are.
The Kansas City Chiefs have claimed OT Anthony Alabi off of waivers after being released by the Dolphins.
Former Panther guard Mike Wahle is in Seattle today for a meeting with the Seahawks organization.
02/12...Redskins interested in Chad Johnson - Following up on our reports on 01/30 and 02/08, the Washington Post is now reporting that the Redskins have interest in acquiring Chad Johnson from the Bengals for Draft picks...we
reported back on 01/30 that league sources told us that Johnson's agent Drew Rosenhaus was gauging teams interest in his client in hopes of working out a trade for Johnson...if the Bengals did decide to part with Johnson, the Redskins first round pick #21 in the upcoming Draft would likely be included in the deal...once again...stay tuned!
The St. Louis Rams have signed former Chiefs kicker Justin Medlock (UCLA).
Rumors are floating this morning that HB DeShaun Foster will be a salary cap casualty in Carolina.
Al's Draft Scoop - Shooting down the McFadden to Dallas rumors - A possible trade between the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys involving the first overall pick in the Draft and the Cowboy's interest in Darren McFadden has been rumored for weeks, but the likelihood of that happening is very slim. The Cowboys have two first round picks in the Draft, but have more than just one hole to fill since the team will be looking for help in their secondary, offensive line and at the receiver position. The Cowboys could target those positions in the upcoming free-agency period, but moving up to take McFadden with the first overall pick in the Draft would be a big risk. McFadden has the ability to become a special player, but he doesn't come without risks. He doesn't have the ideal build that Scouts look for in a franchise back because he has a lean lower body, which brings up the question of whether he will be able to withstand the pounding that an NFL back takes at the next level. He's also had ball-security issues having fumbled 15 times in the 2007 season, and off the field issues dating back to July 2006 when he injured his toe during an off-campus fight, an altercation in January when he was involved in a fight at a piano bar and was placed in handcuffs, but not arrested. On Jan 18 of this year, he was hit with a paternity suit by a woman claiming he was the father of her child. NFL teams are looking for the best no-risk prospects at the top of the Draft because of the guaranteed money at risk and with the Halfback position being as deep a class as I can remember, I seriously doubt if Jerry Jones will give up the ranch and take the risk of moving up in the Draft for a player that comes with risks on the field and one that needs to be more responsible off the field.
02/09...Al's Draft Scoop - The Dolphins are in position to make a play for Anderson - Keep an eye on how the contract talks between the Cleveland Browns and Derek Anderson progress over the next couple of weeks. The Browns have until February 28th to place the highest tender on Anderson, unless the two parties can agree on a contract before then. It's very unlikely that the Browns will place their franchise tag on Anderson at the rate of 10.73 million for the 2008 season. The situation bears watching because the Miami Dolphins who have previously been reported to have some interest in Anderson, are in position to make a play for the former Oregon State Beaver during the free-agency period because they own four picks in the first three rounds of the Draft. If the Dolphins were to sign Anderson to an offer sheet that the Browns felt was too rich for their taste, the Browns would receive the Dolphins first and third round picks in the upcoming Draft, the first round pick being the first overall pick in the Draft. Bill Parcells has already stated that he's not very comfortable with the amount of guaranteed money that the first overall pick in the draft commands, because it's an unproven player getting paid a boat-load of money. Parcells would likely be relieved if the Dolphins were able to sign a franchise type quarterback like Anderson for considerably less than what they would have to pay the first overall pick in the draft. The Dolphins would have to surrender their first and third round picks this year, but would still have two second round picks in the Draft to fill other needs on the team. Although it's unlikely that the Browns wouldn't match any offer sheet presented to Anderson, anything can happen once a player is allowed to test the market, even if he's a restricted free agent. The Seattle Seahawks learned the hard way when they tendered OG Steve Hutchinson, only to see him depart to the Minnesota Vikings because of a poison pill inserted into Hutchinson's contract offer. The Seahawks still regret letting Hutchinson slip away to this day.
The Tampa Bay Bucs think they have a shot at convincing Jake Plummer to come out of retirement and play for them in the 2008 season according to Chris Mortenson of ESPN.
02/08...Johnson has writen his ticket out of Cincinnati...We first reported back on 01/30 that Drew Rosenhaus was gauging other teams interest for the purpose of finding out what type of compensation those teams would be willing to part with for his client Chad Johnson...since then there were several reports out there that disputed our report that Chad wanted out of Cincy and that the Bengals weren't willing to part with their star receiver...on Thursday Johnson backed up our report when he ripped the Bengals team on the NFL Network in an obvious attempt to part ways with his team....the straw that broke the camels back was drawn by Johnson on Thursday when he reached his boiling point and shoved a member of the leagues media relations department after his Pro Bowl practice in Hawaii....the best thing that could happen for both sides at this point, is for the Bengals to deal Johnson to the highest bidder and take the salary cap hit that the trade would bring, because Johnson clearly wants out of Cincinnati and his frustration with the situation has finally come to a head...Johnson would be a huge distraction to the team if he were to remain a Bengal in 2008, so look for the Bengals to begin shopping him in hopes of receiving a first day pick in the 2008 Draft as compensation for their disgruntled star receiver.
02/07...The Philadelphia Eagles slapped their franchise tag on TE L.J. Smith today, taking him off the upcoming free agency market...the Baltimore Ravens are expected to use their tag on DE/OLB Terrell Suggs.
As previously reported, Steve Spagnuolo withdrew his name for consideration for the Redskins coaching vacancy and will return to the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator...the Redskins coaching search will now continue with Jim Fassel and Steve Mariucci being the front-runners for the position...stay tuned!
Lane Kiffin's days are numbered in Oakland...We first posted the story back on 01/15 that Lane Kiffin will be one and done in Oakland and once again the rumors are circulating this morning that it's just a matter of time before Al Davis eats the remainder of Kiffin's contract and sends him packing now that former Chargers receiver coach James Lofton has been added to the Raiders staff...Lofton is a personal favorite of Al Davis and was a finalist for the Raiders coaching job just last year.
Former Falcons OC Hue Jackson was hired by the Baltimore Ravens to be their quarterback coach...Jackson was very highly regarded around the league despite the Falcons woes in 2007.
02/04...Al's Draft Scoop...The emergence of wide receiver Plaxico Burress down the Giants Playoff stretch run has enhanced the stock of several big wide receiver prospects available for the upcoming NFL Draft. Burress's size helped him create a mismatch against most of the opposing cornerbacks that he faced, and was a terrific redzone target for his quarterback Eli Manning. Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers has already made his wish for a big redzone receiver known in public and several NFL teams will follow his lead. Malcolm Kelly, Limas Sweed and James Hardy are three highly regarded prospects that are in the Plaxico mold, because the three are all big receivers that can create a mismatch at the next level and provide a team with a tall redzone target. All three carry a first round grade for the upcoming Draft and several NFL teams will put them under the microscope at the Combine at Indy later this month. Providing they test out well at Indy, I expect all three to come off the board within the first 25 picks of the Draft, because teams like #11 Buffalo, #17 Minnesota, #19 Philadelphia, #20 Tampa Bay and #21 Washington will all be looking for receiver help in the first round.
According to ESPN's Chris Mortenson, the Baltimore Ravens are considering making a play for Eagles QB Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles...the Ravens are also reportedly eyeing Browns QB Derek Anderson.
ESPN 4:00 pm (est)...The College Football All Star classic skills competition will be aired this Saturday on ESPN at 4:00 pm (est) and will include Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Colt Brennen amoung several other NFL draft prospects.
Back on 01/29 we pointed out that the general belief around the league was that Lane Kiffin would be replaced as coach of the Raiders before the April Draft...on Thursday, appearing on HBO's Inside The NFL Peter King stated that there's a 75% chance that Kiffin will be replaced within the next few weeks with Dennis Green being the favorite to be named the next coach of the Raiders.
Al's Draft Scoop - Chad Henne's performance during the week of practice and in the game at the Senior Bowl last week has his stock on the rise. The general consensus among media outlets and draft sites was that Henne was the fourth best quarterback at best, entering the post-season workouts behind the likes of Matt Ryan, Andre Woodson, Brian Brohm and Colt Brennen. Then Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm decided to skip the Senior Bowl week of practices and Andre Woodson and Colt Brennen struggled to adapt to Mike Martz's offensive system, while Henne shined in his chance to impress the scouts in attendance. These post-season all star games and workouts are more revealing to the scouts, then the numerous hours of game tapes that they watch during the season, especially at the quarterback position because it's a position that can be over-rated due to the system that a QB plays in. Colt Brennen is a prime example of that this year, while quarterbacks like Akili Smith, Andre Ware and David Klingler are great examples of system quarterbacks in the past, that ended up being high first round draft picks because they put up great numbers and were productive in the system that they were in. Even though we are nearly three months away from the draft itself, the Senior Bowl being the first of the post-season workouts has already begun to sort out the top of the quarterback class, with the Combine and individual workouts left to finalize the rankings.
