motife
10-25-2006, 05:33 PM
After the Rams failed to make much progress last week in efforts to extend the contract of DE Leonard Little, it looks more likely that Little, an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, is destined to receive a franchise tag late next February.
We’re hearing that Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, who had been out of coaching since 1999 before being brought back by Art Shell, is way too predictable and lacking in imagination in his play-calling. Two opposing defenders recently called Walsh’s schemes “high school stuff.â€Â
Don’t be surprised to see RB Cedric Benson getting more carries earlier in games when the Bears return from their bye. In two tight games against the Vikings and Cardinals, Benson has gotten lost in the flow of the game and totaled only one carry. Meanwhile, we hear starter Thomas Jones had trouble getting to the edge and making even one defender miss vs. Arizona.
During the bye week, Saints QB Drew Brees headed back to Birmingham, Ala., where he had offseason shoulder surgery and completed his grueling rehab. Rest easy, Saints fans, Brees says his shoulder “feels great.†Brees told PFW he was in town to visit some family and “just say ‘Hey‘ to some of those people that helped me with the shoulder.â€Â
Sources in New Orleans tell us TE Ernie Conwell’s latest knee injury, a medial meniscus tear suffered in Week Six, is to the same knee he injured Oct. 30 of last year. That knee injury sidelined Conwell for the rest of the season. Conwell had arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus tear during the Saints’ bye week, and he should miss only a few games.
We hear the toe injury that has been bothering Buccaneers CB Brian Kelly all season is similar to the injury that forced CB Deion Sanders into an early retirement. Kelly, 30, will almost certainly need surgery on the toe at some point, we’re told, but the 30-year-old is holding off for now and hoping rest can heal the injury enough to let him return to the field this season. But we hear the Buccaneers are growing impatient and could decide to put Kelly on the injured-reserve list any day.
We’re told Panthers WR Steve Smith is finally healthy after suffering injuries to both hamstrings in the preseason. Sources tell us Smith has his extra gear back to sprint past defenders, and his confidence has returned.
Panthers CB Reggie Howard has left the team for “family reasons.†While details of Howard’s departure have not been released, we hear he could miss the rest of the season. But we’re told from an on-the-field standpoint, Howard’s loss isn’t a very big blow. Howard was a modest free-agent signing who was beat out by rookie Richard Marshall for the nickel CB job. Howard played mostly on special teams.
We hear the Falcons aren’t too worried about replacing starting OLG Matt Lehr, who was suspended four games for violating the league’s steroid policy. Our sources indicated Lehr is the weakest O-lineman of the starting five, but he does have a fan in QB Michael Vick because the two played together at Virginia Tech. Tyson Clabo, a practice-squad player last year, has taken Lehr’s starting spot. We hear the Falcons have been grooming Clabo for the past two seasons to eventually replace Lehr.
Our Niners sources believe a hamstring problem that has kept CB Shawntae Spencer from getting down in his normal crouch is primarily responsible for his shaky play so far this season. Spencer had one of the worst games of his career in Week Six against San Diego, but we hear he remains entrenched as a starter because the drop-off in talent behind him is so severe.
When Mike Nolan indicated last week that second-year OL Adam Snyder could possibly challenge Jonas Jennings for the starting OLT job, in addition to pushing the erratic Kwame Harris at right tackle  a potential change that’s been in the making for a while now, according to our sources  we’re told the Niners’ head coach was basically sending a message to Jennings, who has started only 7-of-23 games because of assorted injuries, including a wrenched right pinkie that wasn’t even broken.
There are some daily observers of the Niners who believe C Eric Heitmann has quietly played well enough so far this season to warrant Pro Bowl consideration.
Wondering why the Seattle defense has been giving up the deep ball more frequently after seeming to fix that problem last season? We hear one reason is the free-agent departure of Marquand Manuel, who was considered a first-rate on-field communicator who almost never made assignment mistakes.
We’re told the Cardinals are excited over what the future holds for CBs Antrel Rolle and Eric Green, who had their best game as a professional tandem against the Bears, combining for six tackles and four passes defensed. Said one team insider: “I doubt very strongly that you’ll find two better corners in terms of tackling.â€Â
With fourth-round rookie Gabe Watson holding his own in a starting role,
and reserve Chris Cooper proving to be just as reliable as he was in his previous stint in Seattle, we hear the Cardinals hardly feel compelled to rush back regular starting NT Kendrick Clancy from his ankle injury.
According to our Colts sources, there was absolutely no denying the extra spring in the step of every Colt defender in practice last week after the acquisition of DT Anthony “Booger†McFarland from the Bucs.
Broncos WR Javon Walker may be looking to get even more involved in the offense, but his presence in Denver after coming off major knee surgery is earning notice around the league. “I don’t know if he’s all the way back (from the injury), but he looks pretty darn good to me,†one AFC assistant coach told PFW. “You are definitely aware of that guy. He’s a lot bigger, more physical than you might think. He’s a big rascal.â€Â
One major issue that goes under the radar with all of Jake Plummer’s passing woes in Denver is how little the tight ends have been involved in the offense. Entering Week Seven, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler had a combined seven catches for a team that has generally had a heavy reliance on the position. Scheffler, an athletic rookie who had everyone excited in training camp, isn’t separating from defenders as well as expected.
One NFL source close to the action labeled the current situation in Oakland “as disjointed as any Raider team I’ve ever been around.â€Â
While a lot is made about how they don’t have a No. 1 option, the Chargers appear content with their assortment of solid No. 2-type wide receivers, especially Eric Parker, who has emerged of late and easily earned the trust of QB Philip Rivers with his sharp routes, great hands and fearless approach to going after the ball.
Despite months of speculation, Chargers LB Donnie Edwards was not dealt before the trade deadline. But there is virtually no chance he’ll be back with San Diego next season. Edwards’ complaints about being underpaid (despite a $3.55 million base salary in ’06) have worn thin on general manager A.J. Smith, who knows he has quality LB depth and isn’t about to shell out a hefty extension for a 33-year-old linebacker.
With SS Mike Brown on the sideline, the Bears went 4-10 in 2004 and got torched by Steve Smith in the 2005 postseason. However, we hear the Bears are a lot more confident they can weather this year’s season-ending injury. They believe they have enough playmakers elsewhere on defense and enough depth in the defensive backfield to withstand this significant loss.
The Packers are aware that they’ll need their backup running backs to play a role in keeping Ahman Green healthy, but we’re told Vernand Morency is firmly in the doghouse due to his propensity for putting the ball on the turf. Noah Herron remains No. 2 on the depth chart.
WLB Ernie Sims was seen screaming in pain due to a Week Six elbow injury and was sent for an MRI early in the week, but the impressive rookie was back on the practice field Wednesday with a simple brace. We’re told head coach Rod Marinelli gushes about the way the No. 9 overall pick handles himself, playing all out on every snap.
Detroit may be a different team when it takes the field after its Week Eight bye. The Lions could potentially have five starters back from injury, including two on the offensive line.
It appears WR Mike Williams is all but done in Detroit. Despite brief flashes of effort that earned him limited activity in Weeks Three and Five, he has been otherwise deactivated on game day. We’re told offensive coordinator Mike Martz and QB Jon Kitna both refused to comment on the situation last week.
Word is Jets WR Laveranues Coles’ underrated toughness is keeping him on the field as he battles a painful wrist injury that was originally hurt on the last play of the Week Four loss to the Colts. Coles has been on the Jets’ injury list with a calf injury, but we hear that’s a smokescreen for his aching wrist, which will likely be a problem for the rest of the season.
We hear that Dolphins first-round draft pick Jason Allen is still not ready to step onto the field. In fact, he may not play anything more than special teams this season. Allen has yet to make up for the time he lost during his contract holdout in training camp and had a further setback in the preseason when coach Nick Saban bounced him back and forth between safety and cornerback. For now, he’s strictly learning the safety position.
Now that C Dan Koppen has been signed to a long-term contract extension, the only other free agents of note for the Patriots are CB Asante Samuel and TE Daniel Graham. However, we hear that Samuel’s and Graham’s agents haven’t heard much of anything from the team and there are no plans to talk about new deals any time soon.
The Bills jumped at the chance to pick up ex-Rams DE Anthony Hargrove for a 2007 fifth-round pick, believing that they got great value for the former 2003 third-round pick, our sources tell us. Hargrove reunites with Bills DL coach Bill Kollar, who coached him into a starter who had 6 1⁄2 sacks last year in St. Louis. Buffalo believes Hargrove will help maximize the effort of all four players in the team’s DE rotation.
Browns head coach Romeo Crennel indicated that C LeCharles Bentley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first practice of training camp, might not be ready for the start of the 2007 season. Crennel said he’s been told that “this is an injury that is going to take some time. It is going to be at least a year before we know anything. On that patellar tendon, the way they did the reconstruction, the flexion in the knee had to be immobilized for a while. … Now, they are working on getting the flexion back. That is one of those things that's slow. Gradually, it comes along. He hasn’t been able to run or anything like that. I can’t say if it is on schedule or not. They just said it’s going to be a long process.â€Â
Bengals OL coach Paul Alexander spent Cincinnati’s Week Five bye teaching Eric Steinbach on the finer points of playing center, but Steinbach is now back at left guard after an injury to OLT Levi Jones forced the Bengals to shuffle their line. Nevertheless, Alexander is intrigued by Steinbach’s potential in the middle. “I think he’s a wonderful guard,†Alexander told PFW. “He could be just as good or better at center.â€Â
The way we hear it, the Steelers want rookie WR Santonio Holmes to keep playing with confidence. We’re told the team is downplaying Holmes’ two fumbles on punts vs. Kansas City in Week Six. The Steelers are using Holmes more and more, and they do not want him doubting himself.
Bengals LB Ahmad Brooks made his debut in the middle in Week Six, and we’re hearing his teammates were very impressed with his play. Brooks, who was a star middle linebacker at Virginia, notched 11 tackles filling in for Brian Simmons, who was out with a neck injury. However, a source close to the club notes that the coaching staff was more restrained with its praise of the rookie.
The way we hear it, the Ravens are hoping CB Samari Rolle steps up his play after the bye. Rolle has been picked on by opposing offenses early this season. While Rolle has perhaps lost a little speed to age, there’s a sense around the club that he’s still an above-average player.
Titans WR Brandon Jones told PFW that a lot more teams have been playing man coverage since QB Vince Young took over. “That’s what you want to see (as a receiver),†Jones said. â€ÂI think (teams) think they can get away with it because of Vince (being green), but he is starting to show what he can do.â€Â
Regarding who might replace Ernie Accorsi as Giants general manager, Accorsi told PFW last week: “They asked me my opinion. I have made my recommendations, and I am sure they will again. George Young taught me that when he was the general manager  and I succeeded him: ‘Stay out of it.’ That’s their decision.â€Â
Sources in New York say the Giants really have been impressed by NT Barry Cofield, who at 303 pounds isn’t ideal for the position. He has been exceedingly professional for a rookie, something head coach Tom Coughlin clearly loves, and has handled one of the toughest positions on the defense well.
We’re hearing that Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, who had been out of coaching since 1999 before being brought back by Art Shell, is way too predictable and lacking in imagination in his play-calling. Two opposing defenders recently called Walsh’s schemes “high school stuff.â€Â
Don’t be surprised to see RB Cedric Benson getting more carries earlier in games when the Bears return from their bye. In two tight games against the Vikings and Cardinals, Benson has gotten lost in the flow of the game and totaled only one carry. Meanwhile, we hear starter Thomas Jones had trouble getting to the edge and making even one defender miss vs. Arizona.
During the bye week, Saints QB Drew Brees headed back to Birmingham, Ala., where he had offseason shoulder surgery and completed his grueling rehab. Rest easy, Saints fans, Brees says his shoulder “feels great.†Brees told PFW he was in town to visit some family and “just say ‘Hey‘ to some of those people that helped me with the shoulder.â€Â
Sources in New Orleans tell us TE Ernie Conwell’s latest knee injury, a medial meniscus tear suffered in Week Six, is to the same knee he injured Oct. 30 of last year. That knee injury sidelined Conwell for the rest of the season. Conwell had arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus tear during the Saints’ bye week, and he should miss only a few games.
We hear the toe injury that has been bothering Buccaneers CB Brian Kelly all season is similar to the injury that forced CB Deion Sanders into an early retirement. Kelly, 30, will almost certainly need surgery on the toe at some point, we’re told, but the 30-year-old is holding off for now and hoping rest can heal the injury enough to let him return to the field this season. But we hear the Buccaneers are growing impatient and could decide to put Kelly on the injured-reserve list any day.
We’re told Panthers WR Steve Smith is finally healthy after suffering injuries to both hamstrings in the preseason. Sources tell us Smith has his extra gear back to sprint past defenders, and his confidence has returned.
Panthers CB Reggie Howard has left the team for “family reasons.†While details of Howard’s departure have not been released, we hear he could miss the rest of the season. But we’re told from an on-the-field standpoint, Howard’s loss isn’t a very big blow. Howard was a modest free-agent signing who was beat out by rookie Richard Marshall for the nickel CB job. Howard played mostly on special teams.
We hear the Falcons aren’t too worried about replacing starting OLG Matt Lehr, who was suspended four games for violating the league’s steroid policy. Our sources indicated Lehr is the weakest O-lineman of the starting five, but he does have a fan in QB Michael Vick because the two played together at Virginia Tech. Tyson Clabo, a practice-squad player last year, has taken Lehr’s starting spot. We hear the Falcons have been grooming Clabo for the past two seasons to eventually replace Lehr.
Our Niners sources believe a hamstring problem that has kept CB Shawntae Spencer from getting down in his normal crouch is primarily responsible for his shaky play so far this season. Spencer had one of the worst games of his career in Week Six against San Diego, but we hear he remains entrenched as a starter because the drop-off in talent behind him is so severe.
When Mike Nolan indicated last week that second-year OL Adam Snyder could possibly challenge Jonas Jennings for the starting OLT job, in addition to pushing the erratic Kwame Harris at right tackle  a potential change that’s been in the making for a while now, according to our sources  we’re told the Niners’ head coach was basically sending a message to Jennings, who has started only 7-of-23 games because of assorted injuries, including a wrenched right pinkie that wasn’t even broken.
There are some daily observers of the Niners who believe C Eric Heitmann has quietly played well enough so far this season to warrant Pro Bowl consideration.
Wondering why the Seattle defense has been giving up the deep ball more frequently after seeming to fix that problem last season? We hear one reason is the free-agent departure of Marquand Manuel, who was considered a first-rate on-field communicator who almost never made assignment mistakes.
We’re told the Cardinals are excited over what the future holds for CBs Antrel Rolle and Eric Green, who had their best game as a professional tandem against the Bears, combining for six tackles and four passes defensed. Said one team insider: “I doubt very strongly that you’ll find two better corners in terms of tackling.â€Â
With fourth-round rookie Gabe Watson holding his own in a starting role,
and reserve Chris Cooper proving to be just as reliable as he was in his previous stint in Seattle, we hear the Cardinals hardly feel compelled to rush back regular starting NT Kendrick Clancy from his ankle injury.
According to our Colts sources, there was absolutely no denying the extra spring in the step of every Colt defender in practice last week after the acquisition of DT Anthony “Booger†McFarland from the Bucs.
Broncos WR Javon Walker may be looking to get even more involved in the offense, but his presence in Denver after coming off major knee surgery is earning notice around the league. “I don’t know if he’s all the way back (from the injury), but he looks pretty darn good to me,†one AFC assistant coach told PFW. “You are definitely aware of that guy. He’s a lot bigger, more physical than you might think. He’s a big rascal.â€Â
One major issue that goes under the radar with all of Jake Plummer’s passing woes in Denver is how little the tight ends have been involved in the offense. Entering Week Seven, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler had a combined seven catches for a team that has generally had a heavy reliance on the position. Scheffler, an athletic rookie who had everyone excited in training camp, isn’t separating from defenders as well as expected.
One NFL source close to the action labeled the current situation in Oakland “as disjointed as any Raider team I’ve ever been around.â€Â
While a lot is made about how they don’t have a No. 1 option, the Chargers appear content with their assortment of solid No. 2-type wide receivers, especially Eric Parker, who has emerged of late and easily earned the trust of QB Philip Rivers with his sharp routes, great hands and fearless approach to going after the ball.
Despite months of speculation, Chargers LB Donnie Edwards was not dealt before the trade deadline. But there is virtually no chance he’ll be back with San Diego next season. Edwards’ complaints about being underpaid (despite a $3.55 million base salary in ’06) have worn thin on general manager A.J. Smith, who knows he has quality LB depth and isn’t about to shell out a hefty extension for a 33-year-old linebacker.
With SS Mike Brown on the sideline, the Bears went 4-10 in 2004 and got torched by Steve Smith in the 2005 postseason. However, we hear the Bears are a lot more confident they can weather this year’s season-ending injury. They believe they have enough playmakers elsewhere on defense and enough depth in the defensive backfield to withstand this significant loss.
The Packers are aware that they’ll need their backup running backs to play a role in keeping Ahman Green healthy, but we’re told Vernand Morency is firmly in the doghouse due to his propensity for putting the ball on the turf. Noah Herron remains No. 2 on the depth chart.
WLB Ernie Sims was seen screaming in pain due to a Week Six elbow injury and was sent for an MRI early in the week, but the impressive rookie was back on the practice field Wednesday with a simple brace. We’re told head coach Rod Marinelli gushes about the way the No. 9 overall pick handles himself, playing all out on every snap.
Detroit may be a different team when it takes the field after its Week Eight bye. The Lions could potentially have five starters back from injury, including two on the offensive line.
It appears WR Mike Williams is all but done in Detroit. Despite brief flashes of effort that earned him limited activity in Weeks Three and Five, he has been otherwise deactivated on game day. We’re told offensive coordinator Mike Martz and QB Jon Kitna both refused to comment on the situation last week.
Word is Jets WR Laveranues Coles’ underrated toughness is keeping him on the field as he battles a painful wrist injury that was originally hurt on the last play of the Week Four loss to the Colts. Coles has been on the Jets’ injury list with a calf injury, but we hear that’s a smokescreen for his aching wrist, which will likely be a problem for the rest of the season.
We hear that Dolphins first-round draft pick Jason Allen is still not ready to step onto the field. In fact, he may not play anything more than special teams this season. Allen has yet to make up for the time he lost during his contract holdout in training camp and had a further setback in the preseason when coach Nick Saban bounced him back and forth between safety and cornerback. For now, he’s strictly learning the safety position.
Now that C Dan Koppen has been signed to a long-term contract extension, the only other free agents of note for the Patriots are CB Asante Samuel and TE Daniel Graham. However, we hear that Samuel’s and Graham’s agents haven’t heard much of anything from the team and there are no plans to talk about new deals any time soon.
The Bills jumped at the chance to pick up ex-Rams DE Anthony Hargrove for a 2007 fifth-round pick, believing that they got great value for the former 2003 third-round pick, our sources tell us. Hargrove reunites with Bills DL coach Bill Kollar, who coached him into a starter who had 6 1⁄2 sacks last year in St. Louis. Buffalo believes Hargrove will help maximize the effort of all four players in the team’s DE rotation.
Browns head coach Romeo Crennel indicated that C LeCharles Bentley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first practice of training camp, might not be ready for the start of the 2007 season. Crennel said he’s been told that “this is an injury that is going to take some time. It is going to be at least a year before we know anything. On that patellar tendon, the way they did the reconstruction, the flexion in the knee had to be immobilized for a while. … Now, they are working on getting the flexion back. That is one of those things that's slow. Gradually, it comes along. He hasn’t been able to run or anything like that. I can’t say if it is on schedule or not. They just said it’s going to be a long process.â€Â
Bengals OL coach Paul Alexander spent Cincinnati’s Week Five bye teaching Eric Steinbach on the finer points of playing center, but Steinbach is now back at left guard after an injury to OLT Levi Jones forced the Bengals to shuffle their line. Nevertheless, Alexander is intrigued by Steinbach’s potential in the middle. “I think he’s a wonderful guard,†Alexander told PFW. “He could be just as good or better at center.â€Â
The way we hear it, the Steelers want rookie WR Santonio Holmes to keep playing with confidence. We’re told the team is downplaying Holmes’ two fumbles on punts vs. Kansas City in Week Six. The Steelers are using Holmes more and more, and they do not want him doubting himself.
Bengals LB Ahmad Brooks made his debut in the middle in Week Six, and we’re hearing his teammates were very impressed with his play. Brooks, who was a star middle linebacker at Virginia, notched 11 tackles filling in for Brian Simmons, who was out with a neck injury. However, a source close to the club notes that the coaching staff was more restrained with its praise of the rookie.
The way we hear it, the Ravens are hoping CB Samari Rolle steps up his play after the bye. Rolle has been picked on by opposing offenses early this season. While Rolle has perhaps lost a little speed to age, there’s a sense around the club that he’s still an above-average player.
Titans WR Brandon Jones told PFW that a lot more teams have been playing man coverage since QB Vince Young took over. “That’s what you want to see (as a receiver),†Jones said. â€ÂI think (teams) think they can get away with it because of Vince (being green), but he is starting to show what he can do.â€Â
Regarding who might replace Ernie Accorsi as Giants general manager, Accorsi told PFW last week: “They asked me my opinion. I have made my recommendations, and I am sure they will again. George Young taught me that when he was the general manager  and I succeeded him: ‘Stay out of it.’ That’s their decision.â€Â
Sources in New York say the Giants really have been impressed by NT Barry Cofield, who at 303 pounds isn’t ideal for the position. He has been exceedingly professional for a rookie, something head coach Tom Coughlin clearly loves, and has handled one of the toughest positions on the defense well.