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Hache Man · Jul 28, 2006

Bears should consider trade

posted: Friday, July 28, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Chicago Bears

One of the more interesting position battles going into training camp was set to take place in Denver, where Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne are vying to start for the Broncos at tailback -- a coveted position that has paid off well for nearly everyone who's had it. Word on the street was that if Bell could learn how to hit the hole harder in short yardage situations, it was his job to lose, considering how he proved himself as a legit big-play threat out of the backfield.
But now comes ESPN's Len Pasquarelli with this report that Denver called Chicago recently and offered ticked-off receiver Ashley Lelie in exchange for tailback Thomas Jones. You'd think it would be a wise deal: Denver gets Jones, a 1,300-yard rusher a year ago, and ups the ante on its tailback competition.
Chicago gets Lelie to play opposite Muhsin Muhammad, giving the Bears more aerial options, which they badly need. Plus, it gives Cedric Benson, who the Bears liked enough to draft in the first round last year, the opportunity to handle the load.
Pasquarelli reports it was the Bears who didn't want to pull the trigger. While I think Len is right on that Denver looking into this trade indicates a sign of uncertainty in its backfield, I think it speaks more about the Bears. For one, the Broncos have never had a problem running the ball. While Jones might be better than Bell or Dayne, the Broncos are still the best team in the AFC West without him. Denver needs to part ways with Lelie, and is looking to get the best deal it can get.
Chicago might have had a first-round bye last year, but was anemic offensively. Even though Rex Grossman helped rectify that, he didn't turn the Bears into the '99 Rams. Chicago did prove last year it can run the ball well no matter who's at quarterback.
Considering the deep threat Lelie can be - he's not a No. 1 receiver right now but is one of the league's best long-ball options - it seems like a good deal to ship Jones, who is going to be seeking a raise if he produces again this year, stick with Benson, who after all is a top-five pick, and give Grossman more weapons.
That deal looked good over the summer. And it looks even better now that Jones has injured his hamstring.
Random Stuff
I was watching NFL Live the other day and Merril Hoge was praising LaVar Arrington's playing style. I remember the tone of his comments, but didn't TiVo it, so I'm relying on the New York Daily News for his comments:
"When you think of Coughlin, you think of discipline. When you think of LaVar Arrington, that's one thing he lacks. One thing about LaVar Arrington -- he has energy, he's explosive, he's dynamic. But in the structure of a defense, he breaks down a lot mentally, makes a lot of mistakes and exposes the defense because he does his own thing or he doesn't do what he's supposed to do ... When he starts playing all kinds of (complex) defenses, he makes a lot of mistakes."
That hit Arrington hard. During Thursday's session with the media, Arrington called that "uncalled for" and said: "I think that is the worst. When somebody that I've had so much admiration for and respect for over the years, to sit there and for the sake of being able to say something on camera, that's what you do?"
I don?t blame Arrington for defending himself, but I didn't realize that what Hoge said was so newsworthy; I think a lot of people said that and thought that after Arrington was let go and signed with New York.
It's interesting that Bill Belichick has coached 525 NFL games, including the playoffs. It's less interesting when you ask Belichick to talk about it, as Tom E. Curran of the Providence Journal did.
Greg Ellis is not too excited about playing in Dallas this year, at least as long as the Cowboys are going with a 3-4 front. "I still don't want to be here," the defensive end told the Morning News.
"I'm not looking forward to it. It's still disappointing to me. I'm going to go and play as hard as I can, but I'm a 4-3 guy, and I really don't want to be in a 3-4. I've tried to take the high road, but it really hasn't worked. It is what it is. It isn't anything against Bill or Jerry, but I don't want to be here."
Dallas brass has said Ellis won't be traded. Watch this situation as the season goes on. If Ellis, who will play linebacker at times this year, decides to mail it in hoping to get shipped, Dallas won't have the pass rush it's counting on in a pass-happy division.
Another training camp, another look at how [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5448"]Michael Vick[/URL] has grown up and is ready to reach another level as an NFL quarterback.
Mailbag
Mad Mike (Houston): Seth, although they denied it publicly, maybe signability was an issue for the Texans to draft Bush. I do think one thing now makes sense. Do you want to pay 24-26 mil in guaranteed money to a guy who plays every down on defense and could become dominant, or do you want to pay $24-26 mil for a guy who may get 15-20 touches per game? Your thoughts?
Seth: You're right on. I think that signability was an issue, but more so, Houston simply saw more bang for its buck in a 21-year-old defensive end with unreal physical potential, rather then a 205-pound tailback who was electrifying in college, but brings some baggage. I dove into all of this in my cover story on Mario Williams for ESPN The Magazine a few weeks ago. While I think Houston made a sound pick, I'm still not sure the controversy surrounding it is something Williams will overcome anytime soon.
Aaron (San Jose): How can you side with New Orleans in the Bush holdout? He's an NFL running back. He needs to sign for as much as possible before his career-ending injury.
Seth: I think Bush is crippling his reputation as a savior for the Saints by holding out. He thinks he should get more money than the top pick because in his mind everyone thinks he should have been the top pick. My call: Tough. That mentality won't go very far at the bargaining table, nor will it win many fans. (However the Saints might be the one organization that will fall for it.)
Luke (Sacramento, CA): Some foolish radio show host on another network said that Bush is just trying to take care of his family! I laughed so hard when I heard that, I mean didn't his family get a nice deal on a $700, 000 + home? Reggie Bush needs to be smart and sign now. People in New Orleans are struggling to stay happy, and if this guy holds out over a couple million bucks, he will look bad, very bad. Seth: I agree that he'll look very bad if he holds out for Mario money. Vince Young's new deal will help Bush's cause, though.

Hache Man · Jul 28, 2006

Bears should consider trade

posted: Friday, July 28, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Chicago Bears

One of the more interesting position battles going into training camp was set to take place in Denver, where Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne are vying to start for the Broncos at tailback -- a coveted position that has paid off well for nearly everyone who's had it. Word on the street was that if Bell could learn how to hit the hole harder in short yardage situations, it was his job to lose, considering how he proved himself as a legit big-play threat out of the backfield.
But now comes ESPN's Len Pasquarelli with this report that Denver called Chicago recently and offered ticked-off receiver Ashley Lelie in exchange for tailback Thomas Jones. You'd think it would be a wise deal: Denver gets Jones, a 1,300-yard rusher a year ago, and ups the ante on its tailback competition.
Chicago gets Lelie to play opposite Muhsin Muhammad, giving the Bears more aerial options, which they badly need. Plus, it gives Cedric Benson, who the Bears liked enough to draft in the first round last year, the opportunity to handle the load.
Pasquarelli reports it was the Bears who didn't want to pull the trigger. While I think Len is right on that Denver looking into this trade indicates a sign of uncertainty in its backfield, I think it speaks more about the Bears. For one, the Broncos have never had a problem running the ball. While Jones might be better than Bell or Dayne, the Broncos are still the best team in the AFC West without him. Denver needs to part ways with Lelie, and is looking to get the best deal it can get.
Chicago might have had a first-round bye last year, but was anemic offensively. Even though Rex Grossman helped rectify that, he didn't turn the Bears into the '99 Rams. Chicago did prove last year it can run the ball well no matter who's at quarterback.
Considering the deep threat Lelie can be - he's not a No. 1 receiver right now but is one of the league's best long-ball options - it seems like a good deal to ship Jones, who is going to be seeking a raise if he produces again this year, stick with Benson, who after all is a top-five pick, and give Grossman more weapons.
That deal looked good over the summer. And it looks even better now that Jones has injured his hamstring.
Random Stuff
I was watching NFL Live the other day and Merril Hoge was praising LaVar Arrington's playing style. I remember the tone of his comments, but didn't TiVo it, so I'm relying on the New York Daily News for his comments:
"When you think of Coughlin, you think of discipline. When you think of LaVar Arrington, that's one thing he lacks. One thing about LaVar Arrington -- he has energy, he's explosive, he's dynamic. But in the structure of a defense, he breaks down a lot mentally, makes a lot of mistakes and exposes the defense because he does his own thing or he doesn't do what he's supposed to do ... When he starts playing all kinds of (complex) defenses, he makes a lot of mistakes."
That hit Arrington hard. During Thursday's session with the media, Arrington called that "uncalled for" and said: "I think that is the worst. When somebody that I've had so much admiration for and respect for over the years, to sit there and for the sake of being able to say something on camera, that's what you do?"
I don?t blame Arrington for defending himself, but I didn't realize that what Hoge said was so newsworthy; I think a lot of people said that and thought that after Arrington was let go and signed with New York.
It's interesting that Bill Belichick has coached 525 NFL games, including the playoffs. It's less interesting when you ask Belichick to talk about it, as Tom E. Curran of the Providence Journal did.
Greg Ellis is not too excited about playing in Dallas this year, at least as long as the Cowboys are going with a 3-4 front. "I still don't want to be here," the defensive end told the Morning News.
"I'm not looking forward to it. It's still disappointing to me. I'm going to go and play as hard as I can, but I'm a 4-3 guy, and I really don't want to be in a 3-4. I've tried to take the high road, but it really hasn't worked. It is what it is. It isn't anything against Bill or Jerry, but I don't want to be here."
Dallas brass has said Ellis won't be traded. Watch this situation as the season goes on. If Ellis, who will play linebacker at times this year, decides to mail it in hoping to get shipped, Dallas won't have the pass rush it's counting on in a pass-happy division.
Another training camp, another look at how [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5448"]Michael Vick[/URL] has grown up and is ready to reach another level as an NFL quarterback.
Mailbag
Mad Mike (Houston): Seth, although they denied it publicly, maybe signability was an issue for the Texans to draft Bush. I do think one thing now makes sense. Do you want to pay 24-26 mil in guaranteed money to a guy who plays every down on defense and could become dominant, or do you want to pay $24-26 mil for a guy who may get 15-20 touches per game? Your thoughts?
Seth: You're right on. I think that signability was an issue, but more so, Houston simply saw more bang for its buck in a 21-year-old defensive end with unreal physical potential, rather then a 205-pound tailback who was electrifying in college, but brings some baggage. I dove into all of this in my cover story on Mario Williams for ESPN The Magazine a few weeks ago. While I think Houston made a sound pick, I'm still not sure the controversy surrounding it is something Williams will overcome anytime soon.
Aaron (San Jose): How can you side with New Orleans in the Bush holdout? He's an NFL running back. He needs to sign for as much as possible before his career-ending injury.
Seth: I think Bush is crippling his reputation as a savior for the Saints by holding out. He thinks he should get more money than the top pick because in his mind everyone thinks he should have been the top pick. My call: Tough. That mentality won't go very far at the bargaining table, nor will it win many fans. (However the Saints might be the one organization that will fall for it.)
Luke (Sacramento, CA): Some foolish radio show host on another network said that Bush is just trying to take care of his family! I laughed so hard when I heard that, I mean didn't his family get a nice deal on a $700, 000 + home? Reggie Bush needs to be smart and sign now. People in New Orleans are struggling to stay happy, and if this guy holds out over a couple million bucks, he will look bad, very bad. Seth: I agree that he'll look very bad if he holds out for Mario money. Vince Young's new deal will help Bush's cause, though.

Hache Man · Jul 28, 2006

Updated: July 28, 2006, 3:02 PM ET
Rookie Huff key to Raiders

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
For years the Oakland Raiders have put a premium on straight-line speed and athleticism, but often haven't paid much attention to playmaking and production on the field.
Their secondary is a perfect example of this philosophy. The Raiders have a bunch of gifted athletes who look great in shorts, but when they put the pads on they don't make enough plays. In 2005 Oakland's defense intercepted a paltry five passes, an all-time NFL low for a 16-game season. Even though the secondary features a lot of speed and youth, it simply doesn't produce enough. With Charles Woodson headed to Green Bay and Derrick Gibson a disappointment, the Raiders will have a young secondary that needs to grow up fast.
The key to this unit will be rookie free safety Michael Huff, who the Raiders selected with the No. 7 overall pick. For all of their past mistakes drafting defensive backs, the Raiders may have gotten this one right. Huff is a great athlete, with speed and size, but he's also a football player. He has good instincts and reactions versus the pass along with the aggressiveness and toughness to play the run. Huff is already signed and in camp and he could be an impact player.
However, after Huff, there are a lot of question marks, with players who pass the "eye test" but don't produce enough on the field. The starting corners likely will be youngsters Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington. Both started in 2005, but they had their problems. Asomugha has yet to record an interception in three seasons, and opposing offenses target him in the passing game. Washington has great speed but it's mostly straight-line, and he has some problems in transition with his hips. The Raiders play a lot of man-to-man coverages, and these guys must hold up on an island and make more big plays.
Stuart Schweigert will line up at safety with Huff, who hasn't officially been named a starter. Schweigert has some potential playmaking abilities but is also prone to giving up big plays. Gibson, the team's 2001 first-round pick, is a backup safety and has been a major disappointment. Last year's second-round pick, cornerback Stanford Routt, has speed and athleticism, but the question is whether he has the instincts to play in the nickel package. Veteran castoffs Tyrone Poole and Duane Starks could compete for a role in the dime package at corner, but neither is a long-term answer.
This secondary likely will feature four starters with three years or less experience, and these guys will be asked to mature quickly. Oakland will play a combination of 3-4 and 4-3 defensive fronts, and when they play the 3-4 they will blitz a lot. That means that Oakland's young secondary will have to play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Without help over the top, the Raiders may also play some two-linebacker and five-defensive back schemes as part of their base defense, and they will really change their fronts a lot, which puts additional pressure on the secondary.
You have to give the Raiders some credit for at least addressing their secondary in past drafts. Four first-round picks (Huff, Washington, Asomugha and Gibson), one second-round pick (Routt) and one third-round pick (Schweigert) are playing in this unit heading into 2006. But that's a lot of high draft picks with marginal production so far.
When you break down this secondary, it's easy to go either way when predicting its success or failure in '06. On the negative side, you see straight-line speed guys with marginal instincts and marginal ability to adjust and make plays, and it becomes easy to classify them as a group of athletes who aren't very good football players. On the positive side, you see youth, speed and athleticism in a talented young group that can grow and mature together. The Raiders have a terrific young prospect in Huff, who could pull everything together if he lives up to his ability. There is something about this unit that intrigues me, and I think it will play better than most people expect. And I predict that Michael Huff will be the NFL's defensive rookie of the year.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 28, 2006

Updated: July 28, 2006, 3:02 PM ET
Rookie Huff key to Raiders

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
For years the Oakland Raiders have put a premium on straight-line speed and athleticism, but often haven't paid much attention to playmaking and production on the field.
Their secondary is a perfect example of this philosophy. The Raiders have a bunch of gifted athletes who look great in shorts, but when they put the pads on they don't make enough plays. In 2005 Oakland's defense intercepted a paltry five passes, an all-time NFL low for a 16-game season. Even though the secondary features a lot of speed and youth, it simply doesn't produce enough. With Charles Woodson headed to Green Bay and Derrick Gibson a disappointment, the Raiders will have a young secondary that needs to grow up fast.
The key to this unit will be rookie free safety Michael Huff, who the Raiders selected with the No. 7 overall pick. For all of their past mistakes drafting defensive backs, the Raiders may have gotten this one right. Huff is a great athlete, with speed and size, but he's also a football player. He has good instincts and reactions versus the pass along with the aggressiveness and toughness to play the run. Huff is already signed and in camp and he could be an impact player.
However, after Huff, there are a lot of question marks, with players who pass the "eye test" but don't produce enough on the field. The starting corners likely will be youngsters Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington. Both started in 2005, but they had their problems. Asomugha has yet to record an interception in three seasons, and opposing offenses target him in the passing game. Washington has great speed but it's mostly straight-line, and he has some problems in transition with his hips. The Raiders play a lot of man-to-man coverages, and these guys must hold up on an island and make more big plays.
Stuart Schweigert will line up at safety with Huff, who hasn't officially been named a starter. Schweigert has some potential playmaking abilities but is also prone to giving up big plays. Gibson, the team's 2001 first-round pick, is a backup safety and has been a major disappointment. Last year's second-round pick, cornerback Stanford Routt, has speed and athleticism, but the question is whether he has the instincts to play in the nickel package. Veteran castoffs Tyrone Poole and Duane Starks could compete for a role in the dime package at corner, but neither is a long-term answer.
This secondary likely will feature four starters with three years or less experience, and these guys will be asked to mature quickly. Oakland will play a combination of 3-4 and 4-3 defensive fronts, and when they play the 3-4 they will blitz a lot. That means that Oakland's young secondary will have to play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Without help over the top, the Raiders may also play some two-linebacker and five-defensive back schemes as part of their base defense, and they will really change their fronts a lot, which puts additional pressure on the secondary.
You have to give the Raiders some credit for at least addressing their secondary in past drafts. Four first-round picks (Huff, Washington, Asomugha and Gibson), one second-round pick (Routt) and one third-round pick (Schweigert) are playing in this unit heading into 2006. But that's a lot of high draft picks with marginal production so far.
When you break down this secondary, it's easy to go either way when predicting its success or failure in '06. On the negative side, you see straight-line speed guys with marginal instincts and marginal ability to adjust and make plays, and it becomes easy to classify them as a group of athletes who aren't very good football players. On the positive side, you see youth, speed and athleticism in a talented young group that can grow and mature together. The Raiders have a terrific young prospect in Huff, who could pull everything together if he lives up to his ability. There is something about this unit that intrigues me, and I think it will play better than most people expect. And I predict that Michael Huff will be the NFL's defensive rookie of the year.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 30, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Jones on the move?
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Saturday, July 29</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Thomas Jones
Bears
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Jones on the move?
<Jul. 29> With the Broncos seeking help at RB, Jones has emerged as a potential trade target, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Denver is reportedly offering disgruntled wide receiver Ashley Lelie in exchange for Jones.
Head coach Lovie Smith doesn't seem interested in the prospect of losing Jones, who led the offense with 1,335 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season.
"You heard me talking about Thomas a little while ago and what he means to our team and can't wait to get him on the field," Smith said. "There was nothing about we can't wait to get him out of here. Thomas is a valuable part of our team, and I'm sure a lot of teams would like to have Thomas Jones. We're one of them." Trading Jones would leave unproven Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson to handle the load for a team with Super Bowl hopes.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Chris Brown
Titans
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Brown changing tune
<Jul. 29> Brown is looking to distance himself from a trade request made by his agent last week, the Tennessean reports.
"I have my agents try to do what's best for me," he said. "They're taking care of business. I have to come out here because I have a job to do. I have to help this team try to win. I'm going to go out, work hard in training camp and try to help us win. I want to be in Tennessee. I want to be in Nashville and I want to stay here."
Brown is projected to be the starter this season, but figures to share carries with a pair of newcomers -- Travis Henry, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills prior to last season, and second-round pick LenDale White. The crowded depth chart prompted Brown's agent to ask for a trade to a team where his role would be better defined. Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said the Titans would not honor the request.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Lelie shopped around
<Jul. 29> According to the Chicago Sun-Times reports, the Broncos are looking to deal Lelie to the Bears in exchange for running back Thomas Jones. The receiver is holding out of camp and is signed only through the remainder of this season. The Broncos are believed to be seeking help at running back to go with Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne. Jones, who would be a great economic fit with two years left on his contract for $2.25 million each season, might be worth more than Lelie.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 30, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Jones on the move?
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Saturday, July 29</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Thomas Jones
Bears
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Jones on the move?
<Jul. 29> With the Broncos seeking help at RB, Jones has emerged as a potential trade target, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Denver is reportedly offering disgruntled wide receiver Ashley Lelie in exchange for Jones.
Head coach Lovie Smith doesn't seem interested in the prospect of losing Jones, who led the offense with 1,335 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season.
"You heard me talking about Thomas a little while ago and what he means to our team and can't wait to get him on the field," Smith said. "There was nothing about we can't wait to get him out of here. Thomas is a valuable part of our team, and I'm sure a lot of teams would like to have Thomas Jones. We're one of them." Trading Jones would leave unproven Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson to handle the load for a team with Super Bowl hopes.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Chris Brown
Titans
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Brown changing tune
<Jul. 29> Brown is looking to distance himself from a trade request made by his agent last week, the Tennessean reports.
"I have my agents try to do what's best for me," he said. "They're taking care of business. I have to come out here because I have a job to do. I have to help this team try to win. I'm going to go out, work hard in training camp and try to help us win. I want to be in Tennessee. I want to be in Nashville and I want to stay here."
Brown is projected to be the starter this season, but figures to share carries with a pair of newcomers -- Travis Henry, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills prior to last season, and second-round pick LenDale White. The crowded depth chart prompted Brown's agent to ask for a trade to a team where his role would be better defined. Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said the Titans would not honor the request.

</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Lelie shopped around
<Jul. 29> According to the Chicago Sun-Times reports, the Broncos are looking to deal Lelie to the Bears in exchange for running back Thomas Jones. The receiver is holding out of camp and is signed only through the remainder of this season. The Broncos are believed to be seeking help at running back to go with Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne. Jones, who would be a great economic fit with two years left on his contract for $2.25 million each season, might be worth more than Lelie.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 30, 2006

Taking rookie deals to the max

posted: Saturday, July 29, 2006 | Print Entry
filed under: NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Vince Young, Mario Williams, Reggie Bush, LeCharles Bentley, Braylon Edwards, Ryan Tucker, Carolina Panthers, Steve Smith

Even though Vince Young signed a six-year contract with the Titans that could be worth up to $58 million, Mario Williams is still the highest-paid player in the 2006 draft. Young's contract did not surpass the value of the Williams deal.
According to those who are getting their first look at Young's deal, Williams will make more money than Young, who was taken third by Tennessee. The difference is the interpretation of the numbers.
Williams' contract was announced as a six-year, $54 million deal on draft day. Those are the numbers he could realistically make. Young's numbers are between $49 million and $51 million.
There are escalation and bonus clauses in most top picks that give them a chance to "max out" these lucrative deals. To do so, though, the player would have to go to multiple Pro Bowls or achieve the highest possible totals. Williams' deal, for example, maxes out at $62.1 million for six years. Young's contract maxes out at $58 million.
Williams' contract contains more in guarantees than Young's -- $26.4 million to $25.7 million. Now that it is known Williams received more than Young, it could speed up negotiations for Reggie Bush, whom the Saints are not going to pay more than Williams.
Injury watch: Don't expect Steve Smith's scary hamstring injury to cost him more than two or three weeks -- if that. Smith's injury is just a strain. It may not be as bad as the hamstring strain that sidelined him for two to three weeks back in 2003.
? Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears could be out two or three weeks with a knee injury, and that's a little bit of a setback to Bill Parcells' 3-4 defense. Spears, who missed a good portion of last year's training camp with three leg injuries, is expected to have surgery for a meniscus tear. It doesn't necessarily move Greg Ellis back into the starting lineup.
? Ben Roethlisterger will be monitored but he appears ready to do just about everything in training camp. Steelers coach Bill Cowher isn't expected to put too many restrictions on Roethlisberger, who has made an amazing recovery from his motorcycle accident. He's weighing about 236, down about 10 to 15 pounds from last year. ? At least there was some good news Saturday from the Browns, who lost center LeCharles Bentley for the season. Braylon Edwards, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury, practiced Saturday in the afternoon. There was some thought he might not be ready to play until October. Meanwhile, starting right tackle Ryan Tucker did not suffer a major injury to his knee.

Hache Man · Jul 30, 2006

Taking rookie deals to the max

posted: Saturday, July 29, 2006 | Print Entry
filed under: NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Vince Young, Mario Williams, Reggie Bush, LeCharles Bentley, Braylon Edwards, Ryan Tucker, Carolina Panthers, Steve Smith

Even though Vince Young signed a six-year contract with the Titans that could be worth up to $58 million, Mario Williams is still the highest-paid player in the 2006 draft. Young's contract did not surpass the value of the Williams deal.
According to those who are getting their first look at Young's deal, Williams will make more money than Young, who was taken third by Tennessee. The difference is the interpretation of the numbers.
Williams' contract was announced as a six-year, $54 million deal on draft day. Those are the numbers he could realistically make. Young's numbers are between $49 million and $51 million.
There are escalation and bonus clauses in most top picks that give them a chance to "max out" these lucrative deals. To do so, though, the player would have to go to multiple Pro Bowls or achieve the highest possible totals. Williams' deal, for example, maxes out at $62.1 million for six years. Young's contract maxes out at $58 million.
Williams' contract contains more in guarantees than Young's -- $26.4 million to $25.7 million. Now that it is known Williams received more than Young, it could speed up negotiations for Reggie Bush, whom the Saints are not going to pay more than Williams.
Injury watch: Don't expect Steve Smith's scary hamstring injury to cost him more than two or three weeks -- if that. Smith's injury is just a strain. It may not be as bad as the hamstring strain that sidelined him for two to three weeks back in 2003.
? Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears could be out two or three weeks with a knee injury, and that's a little bit of a setback to Bill Parcells' 3-4 defense. Spears, who missed a good portion of last year's training camp with three leg injuries, is expected to have surgery for a meniscus tear. It doesn't necessarily move Greg Ellis back into the starting lineup.
? Ben Roethlisterger will be monitored but he appears ready to do just about everything in training camp. Steelers coach Bill Cowher isn't expected to put too many restrictions on Roethlisberger, who has made an amazing recovery from his motorcycle accident. He's weighing about 236, down about 10 to 15 pounds from last year. ? At least there was some good news Saturday from the Browns, who lost center LeCharles Bentley for the season. Braylon Edwards, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury, practiced Saturday in the afternoon. There was some thought he might not be ready to play until October. Meanwhile, starting right tackle Ryan Tucker did not suffer a major injury to his knee.

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006
Merriman making presence felt

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
SAN DIEGO -- Here are five observations on the San Diego Chargers, based on camp practices of July 30:

1.
For years, head coach Marty Schottenheimer opened training camp with the old Oklahoma drill, a physical eye-opener in which a defender has to beat a blocker and tackle a running back within an area lined off with pads. As the drill processed Sunday, the true competitive nature of the defense emerged. If tapes get back to opposing offenses, they might get a little scared.
Linebacker Shawne Merriman blew up a blocker, made a hit and kept getting in the faces of his offensive teammates. Linebacker Carlos Polk implored the offense to run the ball between the pads. The Chargers showed they are an in-your-face defense that defies you to run the ball. The more success they have stopping the run, the more vocal they get. Clearly, the Chargers have one of the most physical defenses in football. They limited teams to 3.5 yards a carry and 84.3 yards a game on the ground last season.
Remember how much fun Chargers fans had watching Junior Seau celebrate each time he made a big play? Well, the players on this defense feed off one another and collectively come together after stops. The longer the drill went, the noisier it became. The hits grew louder. The taunting rose in volume. The Chargers' defense doesn't settle for just stopping an offense. The players like to punish in a clean, hard-hitting way.

2.
Merriman has established himself as one of the defensive leaders on this team. The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year only looks better this summer. Merriman always has been known as a tireless worker in the weight room. He's dropped his weight from 273 to 266 and doesn't have much body fat.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Shawne Merriman</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>Linebacker
San Diego Chargers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>54</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"I'm really moving," Merriman said. "I just tried to better myself."
His leadership started to emerge late last season as he put together a 10-sack season. Schottenheimer talks about the time late in the season that Merriman, still only a rookie, stood up in a meeting and started spouting off what the defense needed to do to be good. His words became deeds.
Merriman quickly is becoming one of the game's most dominating defensive players. He's got the strength to blow up blockers and the moves to sack quarterbacks. His closing speed is exceptional. His aggressiveness and intimidating ability is even better.

3.
Even though he's widely considered the sport's best running back, LaDainian Tomlinson uses the offseason to improve certain aspects of his game. For a couple years, Tomlinson worked on core training, trying to strengthen his stomach muscles and improve his balance and maneuverability moving at full speed. His latest effort has been in the tape room.
"I think I've become a smarter player this offseason," Tomlinson said. "I watched a lot of tape of myself during the offseason. I worked on my pre-snap reads. I always studied what I do well."
Tomlinson is an automatic. He's had no fewer than 1,335 yards and as many as 1,883 in the past four years. Tomlinson considers his vision the best part of his game. He thrives on making quick decisions while on the run, eluding tacklers and running to daylight. He's worked a lot this offseason with his coaches on getting an edge in recognition of defenses.

4.
The Chargers' secondary has a chance to reach its potential. Cornerback Quentin Jammer is coming off his best season and is playing with confidence. Drayton Florence finally is established as a starter after the Chargers traded former first-rounder Sammy Davis to the 49ers.
An interesting addition is Antonio Cromartie, the team's first-round choice. Knee problems limited Cromartie to only 25 games at Florida State. He has no problem running. His ability to stay with receivers on long routes is impressive. He's a little lost on slant rounds and stopping receivers with moves, but that's only natural. He's a rookie learning the techniques. Still, he has a chance to be a good coverage asset of the future. He'll likely win the job as a third cornerback with hopes of challenging for a starting job by mid-season.
The defensive back creating the most excitement is safety Marlon McCree. He's played with Carolina, Houston and Jacksonville. The defensive coaches like his smarts and playmaking ability. They've been looking for a McCree-type for the past three offseasons.

5.
As it is with most teams, the biggest question mark is the offensive line. With the transition at quarterback to Philip Rivers, the line can't have breakdowns to slow the development of the offense. Left tackle Roman Oben is still hurting from last year and you wonder how much he'll be able to contribute. Leander Jordan is the best athlete along the line and has the starting left tackle job. Third-round choice Marcus McNeill is raw and probably more of a player being developed for the future. Nick Hardwick has come into his own as a solid center, and Kris Dielman did a decent job at guard. Shane Olivea is solid at right tackle. Mike Goff is a force and leader at right guard. It would help if Oben is healthy by September, but there is no guarantee. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006
Merriman making presence felt

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
SAN DIEGO -- Here are five observations on the San Diego Chargers, based on camp practices of July 30:

1.
For years, head coach Marty Schottenheimer opened training camp with the old Oklahoma drill, a physical eye-opener in which a defender has to beat a blocker and tackle a running back within an area lined off with pads. As the drill processed Sunday, the true competitive nature of the defense emerged. If tapes get back to opposing offenses, they might get a little scared.
Linebacker Shawne Merriman blew up a blocker, made a hit and kept getting in the faces of his offensive teammates. Linebacker Carlos Polk implored the offense to run the ball between the pads. The Chargers showed they are an in-your-face defense that defies you to run the ball. The more success they have stopping the run, the more vocal they get. Clearly, the Chargers have one of the most physical defenses in football. They limited teams to 3.5 yards a carry and 84.3 yards a game on the ground last season.
Remember how much fun Chargers fans had watching Junior Seau celebrate each time he made a big play? Well, the players on this defense feed off one another and collectively come together after stops. The longer the drill went, the noisier it became. The hits grew louder. The taunting rose in volume. The Chargers' defense doesn't settle for just stopping an offense. The players like to punish in a clean, hard-hitting way.

2.
Merriman has established himself as one of the defensive leaders on this team. The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year only looks better this summer. Merriman always has been known as a tireless worker in the weight room. He's dropped his weight from 273 to 266 and doesn't have much body fat.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Shawne Merriman</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>Linebacker
San Diego Chargers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>54</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"I'm really moving," Merriman said. "I just tried to better myself."
His leadership started to emerge late last season as he put together a 10-sack season. Schottenheimer talks about the time late in the season that Merriman, still only a rookie, stood up in a meeting and started spouting off what the defense needed to do to be good. His words became deeds.
Merriman quickly is becoming one of the game's most dominating defensive players. He's got the strength to blow up blockers and the moves to sack quarterbacks. His closing speed is exceptional. His aggressiveness and intimidating ability is even better.

3.
Even though he's widely considered the sport's best running back, LaDainian Tomlinson uses the offseason to improve certain aspects of his game. For a couple years, Tomlinson worked on core training, trying to strengthen his stomach muscles and improve his balance and maneuverability moving at full speed. His latest effort has been in the tape room.
"I think I've become a smarter player this offseason," Tomlinson said. "I watched a lot of tape of myself during the offseason. I worked on my pre-snap reads. I always studied what I do well."
Tomlinson is an automatic. He's had no fewer than 1,335 yards and as many as 1,883 in the past four years. Tomlinson considers his vision the best part of his game. He thrives on making quick decisions while on the run, eluding tacklers and running to daylight. He's worked a lot this offseason with his coaches on getting an edge in recognition of defenses.

4.
The Chargers' secondary has a chance to reach its potential. Cornerback Quentin Jammer is coming off his best season and is playing with confidence. Drayton Florence finally is established as a starter after the Chargers traded former first-rounder Sammy Davis to the 49ers.
An interesting addition is Antonio Cromartie, the team's first-round choice. Knee problems limited Cromartie to only 25 games at Florida State. He has no problem running. His ability to stay with receivers on long routes is impressive. He's a little lost on slant rounds and stopping receivers with moves, but that's only natural. He's a rookie learning the techniques. Still, he has a chance to be a good coverage asset of the future. He'll likely win the job as a third cornerback with hopes of challenging for a starting job by mid-season.
The defensive back creating the most excitement is safety Marlon McCree. He's played with Carolina, Houston and Jacksonville. The defensive coaches like his smarts and playmaking ability. They've been looking for a McCree-type for the past three offseasons.

5.
As it is with most teams, the biggest question mark is the offensive line. With the transition at quarterback to Philip Rivers, the line can't have breakdowns to slow the development of the offense. Left tackle Roman Oben is still hurting from last year and you wonder how much he'll be able to contribute. Leander Jordan is the best athlete along the line and has the starting left tackle job. Third-round choice Marcus McNeill is raw and probably more of a player being developed for the future. Nick Hardwick has come into his own as a solid center, and Kris Dielman did a decent job at guard. Shane Olivea is solid at right tackle. Mike Goff is a force and leader at right guard. It would help if Oben is healthy by September, but there is no guarantee. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006
Schottenheimer on the hot seat

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
The biggest story in San Diego this season may actually have nothing to do with the players on the field. Much attention will be paid to the relationship between head coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith.
It is no secret that these two are not friends, but they should be capable of coexisting without becoming a distraction for an organization with high hopes for the upcoming season.
Schottenheimer is a veteran coach with 186 career regular-season victories, placing him seventh on the all-time list. However, he is 5-12 in the playoffs and has yet to reach a Super Bowl, despite having Super Bowl-caliber teams in Cleveland, Kansas City and now San Diego.
Schottenheimer knows coaches are judged by championships. He also knows that last season's 9-7 record won't be good enough in 2006. However, he is very resilient and unwavering in his beliefs. If the Chargers don't go deep into the playoffs, he will likely take the hit.
Let's look at some issues that could negatively affect the relationship between Schottenheimer and Smith.
1. Schottenheimer will be working with young quarterback Philip Rivers, who has thrown a total of 30 passes in two years and will be asked to grow up in a hurry. Scottenheimer likes experienced players and would probably like to still have Drew Brees around, but Smith made the decision to let Brees leave in the offseason.
The Chargers have a lot of money invested in Rivers and it is almost impossible to pay two quarterbacks huge salaries. There were also real concerns about Brees' arm strength after shoulder surgery. However, if the young QB struggles, you can bet Schottenheimer won't have a lot of kind thoughts about his general manager.
2. The Chargers were very cautious in free agency and gambled on a couple of players in the draft. Free safety Marlon McCree was the only noteworthy acquisition and San Diego has now been conservative in free agency two years in a row.
Schottenheimer loves veteran players and probably wishes he had an upgraded secondary, more insurance at left tackle and obviously a battle-tested QB. But Smith believes he already has a Super Bowl-caliber roster. He also believes free agency is overrated and a lot of NFL teams overpay for pedestrian players. Smith believes you build through the draft, which is what the Chargers are doing.
First-round pick CB Antonio Cromartie and second-round LT Marcus McNeill are both gambles because of injury concerns, but both have huge upsides. If Smith hits on these guys, he will look like a genius. This is a clear case of different philosophies. Schottenheimer needs to win now, while Smith is building the roster for the future.
3. Is ILB Donnie Edwards still on the block? The 33-year-old is a free agent after this season and may be too expensive for the Chargers. Smith is not afraid to make a tough decision. He simply doesn't believe in paying players now for what they have done in the past.
He will likely move Edwards in the preseason if he gets a solid offer. Schottenheimer has a relationship with Edwards dating back to their Kansas City days. He loves his production and leadership, and will not be very happy if Edwards is gone on Opening Day. It is clear that Smith is calling the shots and Schottenheimer will have to go along with his decision.
Team president Dean Spanos sat down with Schottenheimer and Smith in the offseason to iron things out, but don't expect their relationship to improve. Nevertheless, many organizations have enjoyed success, despite featuring rocky relationships between the head coach and general manager, including the Chargers. Bobby Ross and general manager Bobby Beathard did not have a smooth relationship, but they won plenty of games. Both Schottenheimer and Smith are very good at what they do. This relationship may continue to be a hot topic in the media, but you can bet the two men won't let their personal differences affect the performance of the team in 2006.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006
Schottenheimer on the hot seat

By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
The biggest story in San Diego this season may actually have nothing to do with the players on the field. Much attention will be paid to the relationship between head coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith.
It is no secret that these two are not friends, but they should be capable of coexisting without becoming a distraction for an organization with high hopes for the upcoming season.
Schottenheimer is a veteran coach with 186 career regular-season victories, placing him seventh on the all-time list. However, he is 5-12 in the playoffs and has yet to reach a Super Bowl, despite having Super Bowl-caliber teams in Cleveland, Kansas City and now San Diego.
Schottenheimer knows coaches are judged by championships. He also knows that last season's 9-7 record won't be good enough in 2006. However, he is very resilient and unwavering in his beliefs. If the Chargers don't go deep into the playoffs, he will likely take the hit.
Let's look at some issues that could negatively affect the relationship between Schottenheimer and Smith.
1. Schottenheimer will be working with young quarterback Philip Rivers, who has thrown a total of 30 passes in two years and will be asked to grow up in a hurry. Scottenheimer likes experienced players and would probably like to still have Drew Brees around, but Smith made the decision to let Brees leave in the offseason.
The Chargers have a lot of money invested in Rivers and it is almost impossible to pay two quarterbacks huge salaries. There were also real concerns about Brees' arm strength after shoulder surgery. However, if the young QB struggles, you can bet Schottenheimer won't have a lot of kind thoughts about his general manager.
2. The Chargers were very cautious in free agency and gambled on a couple of players in the draft. Free safety Marlon McCree was the only noteworthy acquisition and San Diego has now been conservative in free agency two years in a row.
Schottenheimer loves veteran players and probably wishes he had an upgraded secondary, more insurance at left tackle and obviously a battle-tested QB. But Smith believes he already has a Super Bowl-caliber roster. He also believes free agency is overrated and a lot of NFL teams overpay for pedestrian players. Smith believes you build through the draft, which is what the Chargers are doing.
First-round pick CB Antonio Cromartie and second-round LT Marcus McNeill are both gambles because of injury concerns, but both have huge upsides. If Smith hits on these guys, he will look like a genius. This is a clear case of different philosophies. Schottenheimer needs to win now, while Smith is building the roster for the future.
3. Is ILB Donnie Edwards still on the block? The 33-year-old is a free agent after this season and may be too expensive for the Chargers. Smith is not afraid to make a tough decision. He simply doesn't believe in paying players now for what they have done in the past.
He will likely move Edwards in the preseason if he gets a solid offer. Schottenheimer has a relationship with Edwards dating back to their Kansas City days. He loves his production and leadership, and will not be very happy if Edwards is gone on Opening Day. It is clear that Smith is calling the shots and Schottenheimer will have to go along with his decision.
Team president Dean Spanos sat down with Schottenheimer and Smith in the offseason to iron things out, but don't expect their relationship to improve. Nevertheless, many organizations have enjoyed success, despite featuring rocky relationships between the head coach and general manager, including the Chargers. Bobby Ross and general manager Bobby Beathard did not have a smooth relationship, but they won plenty of games. Both Schottenheimer and Smith are very good at what they do. This relationship may continue to be a hot topic in the media, but you can bet the two men won't let their personal differences affect the performance of the team in 2006.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006, 12:00 PM ET
Owens should help Jones and Barber

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
OXNARD, Calif. -- Here are five observations on the Dallas Cowboys, based on camp practices of July 29:

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Marion Barber</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>138</TD><TD>538</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>115</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1.
The addition of Terrell Owens, believe it or not, could make the biggest impact in the running game, which struggled last season at 3.6 yards an attempt. Whether he likes it or not, Owens will be a decoy on most early down plays, drawing the safeties away from stopping the run.
Expect an expanded role for Marion Barber, who backs up Julius Jones and is the third-down back. Parcells also plans to move fuillback Lousaka Polite into different positions, including H-back. Jones had 993 yards on 257 carries, while Barber had 538 yards on 138 carries last season. With a plan to use more two-tight end sets, the Cowboys continue to evolve into more of a power team under Parcells, and that certainly isn't a bad thing. It also doesn't hurt that Owens is a good downfield blocker on running plays.
Bill Parcells believes the days of having one halfback who gets all of the carries are fading, and he says the colleges are one of the reasons why. His theory is that colleges are rotating more backs into games and sending backs who aren't used to taking a heavy pounding to the NFL. "Eventually, whatever colleges do gets to the pros," Parcells said. "You've got to work a long time in college to find a big back. It's really a different deal from the Earl Campell days."
Jones is the starter but Barber is expected to be more involved in the rotation.
2.
How good is the Cowboys' offensive line? The Cowboys really don't know at the moment, and it could be the difference between making the playoffs or finishing at the bottom of the tough NFC East. Despite the addition of veteran Jason Fabini, Rob Petitti will remain the starter at right tackle. Hard work during the offseason has given Petitti a new and improved body. He plays next to steady right guard Marco Rivera. The Cowboys are OK at center with Al Johnson.
The big question marks are on the left side. Can Kyle Kosier replace Larry Allen and his physical play at left guard? Can left tackle Flozell Adams return to Pro Bowl form? He's coming off a knee reconstruction and he's starting camp on the physically unable to perform list. Parcells says better depth and better competition for some of the positions will make the line better.
Another hope is that Owens' threat as a pass receiver will take some of the pressure off the line. Drew Bledsoe was sacked 45 times and the Cowboys want to become more of a play-action team to get bigger plays from Owens and Terry Glenn. The development of the offensive line will probably dictate whether this team makes the playoffs.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>DeMarcus Ware</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>58</TD><TD>47</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
After three years of building, Bill Parcells has the type of defensive players he likes. He loves the youth and playmaking ability of his 3-4 defense. DeMarcus Ware is a stud pass-rushing linebacker who should be a Pro Bowl player for a long time. The linebacking corps might be so deep that Parcells can't find playing time for everyone. In different packages, Parcells can rotate Ware, Al Singleton, Kevin Burnett and first-round choice Bobby Carpenter on the outside. On the inside, he has Akin Ayodele, Bradie James and Rocky Boiman.
The defensive line had a setback Saturday when end Marcus Spears tore a meniscus and was lost for two to three weeks. Spears had surgery Sunday. Parcells feels he's solid at nose tackle with Jason Ferguson and he likes the youth he has at defensive end with Jay Ratliff, Chris Canty and rookie Jason Hatcher.
Where does that leave veteran Greg Ellis? Still unhappy. Ellis is a 4-3 defensive end struggling for playing time in Parcells' 3-4. La'Roi Glover struggled with the adjustment at nose tackle last year and he ended up being cut after the season. . "He has to play here or he can retire if he wanted to," Parcell said of Ellis. "Those would be his two choices right now.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Jason Witten</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Tight End
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>66</TD><TD>757</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>11.5</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>277</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>4.
From Mark Bavaro to Ben Coates, Bill Parcells loves tight ends. His latest star is Jason Witten, who made the Pro Bowl last year and was just rewarded with a $28 million contract extension. "The good news is that he loves the tight end position," Witten said. "But his expectations are really high. He's very demanding on the tight end position. First off, you better be able to block."
Parcells is particularly high on his tight ends this year because he wants to use more play-action passes. The tight end is critical on those plays because he could block or be a receiver. Not only did the Cowboys add Anthony Fasano of Notre Dame in the second round of the draft, they also paid good money to sign Ryan Hannam from the Seahawks. Expect the Cowboys to use a lot of two-tight end sets this year.
Witten is now one of the leaders on the offense, but he still can't escape Parcells' talk about his former tight ends. "I've heard every Bavaro-Coates story there is," Witten said.

5.
While offensive line is Parcells' biggest concern, the other big worry is at safety. There's no problem with Roy Williams. He's hitting everyone, and it won't be too long before Jerry Jones tries to lock him into a contract extension. Keith Davis is back despite being recently shot while driving his car. It's the second time in his career he's been shot.
"My father used to have an expression for things like that," Parcells said. "He said, 'Hey Parcells, it's never your fault but you are always there.'" Davis' return is important because he's a solid safety and a valued special teams player. Without Davis, the Cowboys would have to rely on veteran safety Marcus Coleman. It's not out of the question for the Cowboys to look for a good, young safety toward the end of camp. It's one of the team's thinnest positions.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Jul 31, 2006

Updated: July 31, 2006, 12:00 PM ET
Owens should help Jones and Barber

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
OXNARD, Calif. -- Here are five observations on the Dallas Cowboys, based on camp practices of July 29:

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Marion Barber</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>138</TD><TD>538</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>115</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1.
The addition of Terrell Owens, believe it or not, could make the biggest impact in the running game, which struggled last season at 3.6 yards an attempt. Whether he likes it or not, Owens will be a decoy on most early down plays, drawing the safeties away from stopping the run.
Expect an expanded role for Marion Barber, who backs up Julius Jones and is the third-down back. Parcells also plans to move fuillback Lousaka Polite into different positions, including H-back. Jones had 993 yards on 257 carries, while Barber had 538 yards on 138 carries last season. With a plan to use more two-tight end sets, the Cowboys continue to evolve into more of a power team under Parcells, and that certainly isn't a bad thing. It also doesn't hurt that Owens is a good downfield blocker on running plays.
Bill Parcells believes the days of having one halfback who gets all of the carries are fading, and he says the colleges are one of the reasons why. His theory is that colleges are rotating more backs into games and sending backs who aren't used to taking a heavy pounding to the NFL. "Eventually, whatever colleges do gets to the pros," Parcells said. "You've got to work a long time in college to find a big back. It's really a different deal from the Earl Campell days."
Jones is the starter but Barber is expected to be more involved in the rotation.
2.
How good is the Cowboys' offensive line? The Cowboys really don't know at the moment, and it could be the difference between making the playoffs or finishing at the bottom of the tough NFC East. Despite the addition of veteran Jason Fabini, Rob Petitti will remain the starter at right tackle. Hard work during the offseason has given Petitti a new and improved body. He plays next to steady right guard Marco Rivera. The Cowboys are OK at center with Al Johnson.
The big question marks are on the left side. Can Kyle Kosier replace Larry Allen and his physical play at left guard? Can left tackle Flozell Adams return to Pro Bowl form? He's coming off a knee reconstruction and he's starting camp on the physically unable to perform list. Parcells says better depth and better competition for some of the positions will make the line better.
Another hope is that Owens' threat as a pass receiver will take some of the pressure off the line. Drew Bledsoe was sacked 45 times and the Cowboys want to become more of a play-action team to get bigger plays from Owens and Terry Glenn. The development of the offensive line will probably dictate whether this team makes the playoffs.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>DeMarcus Ware</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>58</TD><TD>47</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
After three years of building, Bill Parcells has the type of defensive players he likes. He loves the youth and playmaking ability of his 3-4 defense. DeMarcus Ware is a stud pass-rushing linebacker who should be a Pro Bowl player for a long time. The linebacking corps might be so deep that Parcells can't find playing time for everyone. In different packages, Parcells can rotate Ware, Al Singleton, Kevin Burnett and first-round choice Bobby Carpenter on the outside. On the inside, he has Akin Ayodele, Bradie James and Rocky Boiman.
The defensive line had a setback Saturday when end Marcus Spears tore a meniscus and was lost for two to three weeks. Spears had surgery Sunday. Parcells feels he's solid at nose tackle with Jason Ferguson and he likes the youth he has at defensive end with Jay Ratliff, Chris Canty and rookie Jason Hatcher.
Where does that leave veteran Greg Ellis? Still unhappy. Ellis is a 4-3 defensive end struggling for playing time in Parcells' 3-4. La'Roi Glover struggled with the adjustment at nose tackle last year and he ended up being cut after the season. . "He has to play here or he can retire if he wanted to," Parcell said of Ellis. "Those would be his two choices right now.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Jason Witten</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Tight End
Dallas Cowboys

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>66</TD><TD>757</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>11.5</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>277</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>4.
From Mark Bavaro to Ben Coates, Bill Parcells loves tight ends. His latest star is Jason Witten, who made the Pro Bowl last year and was just rewarded with a $28 million contract extension. "The good news is that he loves the tight end position," Witten said. "But his expectations are really high. He's very demanding on the tight end position. First off, you better be able to block."
Parcells is particularly high on his tight ends this year because he wants to use more play-action passes. The tight end is critical on those plays because he could block or be a receiver. Not only did the Cowboys add Anthony Fasano of Notre Dame in the second round of the draft, they also paid good money to sign Ryan Hannam from the Seahawks. Expect the Cowboys to use a lot of two-tight end sets this year.
Witten is now one of the leaders on the offense, but he still can't escape Parcells' talk about his former tight ends. "I've heard every Bavaro-Coates story there is," Witten said.

5.
While offensive line is Parcells' biggest concern, the other big worry is at safety. There's no problem with Roy Williams. He's hitting everyone, and it won't be too long before Jerry Jones tries to lock him into a contract extension. Keith Davis is back despite being recently shot while driving his car. It's the second time in his career he's been shot.
"My father used to have an expression for things like that," Parcells said. "He said, 'Hey Parcells, it's never your fault but you are always there.'" Davis' return is important because he's a solid safety and a valued special teams player. Without Davis, the Cowboys would have to rely on veteran safety Marcus Coleman. It's not out of the question for the Cowboys to look for a good, young safety toward the end of camp. It's one of the team's thinnest positions.
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Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006
Leinart holdout hitting Cards where they hurt

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Here are five observations on the Arizona Cardinals, based on camp practices of July 31:
1.
Cornerback Antrel Rolle looked like a Pro Bowler in his first day of practice. With fearless anticipation, he stepped in front of a John Navarre sideline pass for an interception that went for a touchdown. On another play he swatted the ball out of the hands of Larry Fitzgerald, coming from behind him in the middle of the field. Rolle has a chance to emerge as the third or fourth star on the Cardinals' defense.
Safety Adrian Wilson is already a star with his range and blitzing ability. Defensive end Bertrand Berry is an established Pro Bowl pass rusher. Linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett are getting recognition leaguewide as the next of the young defenders on the rise.
The Cardinals need Rolle to become a shutdown cornerback and playmaker. He missed 11 games as a rookie because of knee troubles. Even though he had some knee procedures in the offseason, Rolle started camp with confidence and looked as though he was never hurt.

2.
The Cardinals are concerned about not having quarterback Matt Leinart in camp because of a holdout. Although they are willing to give him a contract well above the value of a No. 10 pick, Leinart is trying to secure a deal equal to the value of a potential franchise quarterback. Leinart doesn't want to be slotted slightly above Denver's Jay Cutler, who was one pick behind him.
Naturally, Leinart would like to recoup some of the money he potentially lost by staying at USC for his senior year. Had he come out as a junior, Leinart might have been the first pick in the draft. Mario Williams got the best money in this draft, securing a six-year, $54 million deal that could max out at $62.1 million if he hits all his incentives and escalators.
Settling for a contract in the $20 million to $30 million range that maxes out in the area of $40 million might not work for Leinart. There is no doubt the Cardinals need him in camp. Navarre is still a work in progress. Rohan Davey is nothing special as a backup. Leinart is the backup of this team and the future starter. It hurts having him out of camp, and the longer he is, the more it hurts.

3.
Tight end Leonard Pope is an interesting addition as a third-round pick. He's tall at 6-foot-8, but he moves well on the field. He's an ideal target for Kurt Warner throwing into a zone, but his true value could come in the red zone, the Cardinals' weakest area last season.
Last year, the Cards tried to get by with undrafted players at tight end. Pope is an offensive threat and talented athlete. They won't know until the exhibition season what they have with him as a blocker. That could be a problem. It looks as though the Cardinals will work him into the lineup gradually, first as a backup and then use him in subpackages. If he does well, he should be expected to move into the starting lineup during the regular season.

4.
The Cardinals are starting to get concerned about the injury history of Dansby. The linebacker is currently sidelined as he recovers from thumb surgery. He has had another finger surgically repaired. He's missed four games over the last two seasons because of other injuries. The Cardinals lack the depth at linebacker for Dansby to be hurt. He's a playmaker and could emerge as one of the leaders on the defense.
The Cardinals have some of the most aggressive schemes in football. They love to blitz. Dansby is one of the players needed to put pressure on the quarterback. He has nine sacks in his first two years. Filling in for him while he recovers is former first-round defensive end Calvin Pace. Pace, a disappointment the past couple of years, has drawn the praise of coach Dennis Green, but replacing the team's best linebacker with a converted end isn't going to upgrade the defense. Getting Dansby healthy is going to be one of the keys to training camp.

5.
Overall depth is one of the Cardinals' biggest concerns. Green and general manager Rod Graves have brought in enough quality starters to give the Cardinals hopes of getting to .500 or better. But they are thin at a lot of positions (linebacker, offensive line, cornerback) and won't be able to handle too many injuries. The Cardinals could have between 15 and 20 undrafted players as backups. Although undrafted players can become good players and Green has a history of finding gems from those who were bypassed in the draft, it could hurt if too many move into the starting lineup because of injuries. The Cardinals could be a .500 team or better if they can stay away from injuries, but depth is a worry.
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Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006
Leinart holdout hitting Cards where they hurt

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Here are five observations on the Arizona Cardinals, based on camp practices of July 31:
1.
Cornerback Antrel Rolle looked like a Pro Bowler in his first day of practice. With fearless anticipation, he stepped in front of a John Navarre sideline pass for an interception that went for a touchdown. On another play he swatted the ball out of the hands of Larry Fitzgerald, coming from behind him in the middle of the field. Rolle has a chance to emerge as the third or fourth star on the Cardinals' defense.
Safety Adrian Wilson is already a star with his range and blitzing ability. Defensive end Bertrand Berry is an established Pro Bowl pass rusher. Linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett are getting recognition leaguewide as the next of the young defenders on the rise.
The Cardinals need Rolle to become a shutdown cornerback and playmaker. He missed 11 games as a rookie because of knee troubles. Even though he had some knee procedures in the offseason, Rolle started camp with confidence and looked as though he was never hurt.

2.
The Cardinals are concerned about not having quarterback Matt Leinart in camp because of a holdout. Although they are willing to give him a contract well above the value of a No. 10 pick, Leinart is trying to secure a deal equal to the value of a potential franchise quarterback. Leinart doesn't want to be slotted slightly above Denver's Jay Cutler, who was one pick behind him.
Naturally, Leinart would like to recoup some of the money he potentially lost by staying at USC for his senior year. Had he come out as a junior, Leinart might have been the first pick in the draft. Mario Williams got the best money in this draft, securing a six-year, $54 million deal that could max out at $62.1 million if he hits all his incentives and escalators.
Settling for a contract in the $20 million to $30 million range that maxes out in the area of $40 million might not work for Leinart. There is no doubt the Cardinals need him in camp. Navarre is still a work in progress. Rohan Davey is nothing special as a backup. Leinart is the backup of this team and the future starter. It hurts having him out of camp, and the longer he is, the more it hurts.

3.
Tight end Leonard Pope is an interesting addition as a third-round pick. He's tall at 6-foot-8, but he moves well on the field. He's an ideal target for Kurt Warner throwing into a zone, but his true value could come in the red zone, the Cardinals' weakest area last season.
Last year, the Cards tried to get by with undrafted players at tight end. Pope is an offensive threat and talented athlete. They won't know until the exhibition season what they have with him as a blocker. That could be a problem. It looks as though the Cardinals will work him into the lineup gradually, first as a backup and then use him in subpackages. If he does well, he should be expected to move into the starting lineup during the regular season.

4.
The Cardinals are starting to get concerned about the injury history of Dansby. The linebacker is currently sidelined as he recovers from thumb surgery. He has had another finger surgically repaired. He's missed four games over the last two seasons because of other injuries. The Cardinals lack the depth at linebacker for Dansby to be hurt. He's a playmaker and could emerge as one of the leaders on the defense.
The Cardinals have some of the most aggressive schemes in football. They love to blitz. Dansby is one of the players needed to put pressure on the quarterback. He has nine sacks in his first two years. Filling in for him while he recovers is former first-round defensive end Calvin Pace. Pace, a disappointment the past couple of years, has drawn the praise of coach Dennis Green, but replacing the team's best linebacker with a converted end isn't going to upgrade the defense. Getting Dansby healthy is going to be one of the keys to training camp.

5.
Overall depth is one of the Cardinals' biggest concerns. Green and general manager Rod Graves have brought in enough quality starters to give the Cardinals hopes of getting to .500 or better. But they are thin at a lot of positions (linebacker, offensive line, cornerback) and won't be able to handle too many injuries. The Cardinals could have between 15 and 20 undrafted players as backups. Although undrafted players can become good players and Green has a history of finding gems from those who were bypassed in the draft, it could hurt if too many move into the starting lineup because of injuries. The Cardinals could be a .500 team or better if they can stay away from injuries, but depth is a worry.
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Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006, 12:26 PM ET
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Cards must block for James

By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
Archive

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Editor's note: This is an expanded version of a passage that appears in Scientific Football 2006.
When I first learned the Arizona Cardinals had signed Edgerrin James as a free agent, I was a bit perplexed. The Cardinals had easily the worst offensive line in the league last season, and flirted with being statistically the worst running team in NFL history.
Their problems up front weren't limited to one or two players, as evidenced by the blocking success percentage of each lineman last year:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=4>Blocking Success Percentage</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Player</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Position</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Success %</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Nick Leckey </TD><TD width=101>Center </TD><TD width=101>73.4 </TD><TD width=101>34 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Alex Stepanovich </TD><TD width=101>Center </TD><TD width=101>59.6 </TD><TD width=101>43 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Elton Brown </TD><TD width=101>Guard </TD><TD width=101>70.5 </TD><TD width=101>61 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Leonard Davis </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>85.5 </TD><TD width=101>14 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Fred Wakefield </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>72.5 </TD><TD width=101>54 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Oliver Ross </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>60.0 </TD><TD width=101>66 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
To put these numbers in perspective, the median success percentage for offensive linemen is 80 percent, and anything in the low 70s will be near the bottom of the league. All but one of Arizona's linemen were in the low 70s or below.
It wasn't just the linemen who were failing. The median blocking percentage for fullbacks is just over 83 percent and Obafemi Ayanbadejo (71 percent) wasn't close to that number. Tight end Eric Edwards (72.9 percent ) was also more than five percentage points under the median blocking percentage for tight ends.
Some offensive lines are personnel based, meaning they are set up to feature certain blockers. Such teams usually run a lot of counter, isolation and sweep plays. These plays are designed to get the best blockers to the point of attack and let the running back play off their blocks. This was the type of blocking scheme the Cardinals ran last year with very little success, as illustrated by Marcel Shipp's averages in each of seven major run types:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=5>Sinking Shipp</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Run type</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Runs</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds/Att</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Counter </TD><TD width=80>8 </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>2.0 </TD><TD width=80>35 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Dive </TD><TD width=80>17 </TD><TD width=80>65 </TD><TD width=80>3.8 </TD><TD width=80>9 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Draw </TD><TD width=80>23 </TD><TD width=80>93 </TD><TD width=80>4.0 </TD><TD width=80>25 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Isolation </TD><TD width=80>29 </TD><TD width=80>84 </TD><TD width=80>2.9 </TD><TD width=80>28 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Off tackle </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>46 </TD><TD width=80>2.9 </TD><TD width=80>30 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Slant </TD><TD width=80>33 </TD><TD width=80>68 </TD><TD width=80>2.1 </TD><TD width=80>34 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Sweep </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>48 </TD><TD width=80>3.0 </TD><TD width=80>24 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
A big reason for the lack of success was offensive line coach Everett Lindsay. Green thought Lindsay was ready to assume the position, despite having no coaching experience at any level. Unfortunately, the offensive line committed mental mistakes all year long and often looked like it was sleepwalking.
Arizona's linemen showed no explosion, burst or enthusiasm. Green has a lot of faith in his system and probably thought he could get away with taking this huge risk, but it backfired big time. Green realized the mistake and fired Lindsay after the season, replacing him with Steve Loney, his old offensive line coach from his days in Minnesota.
I think Loney will end up implementing a predominantly zone blocking scheme. James is coming from a zone run blocking offense in Indianapolis that predominantly ran the slant/stretch play. Here are his 2005 totals by run type:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=5>In The Zone</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Run type</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Runs</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds/Att</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Counter </TD><TD width=80>7 </TD><TD width=80>6 </TD><TD width=80>0.9 </TD><TD width=80>36 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Dive </TD><TD width=80>28 </TD><TD width=80>68 </TD><TD width=80>2.4 </TD><TD width=80>29 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Draw </TD><TD width=80>32 </TD><TD width=80>167 </TD><TD width=80>5.2 </TD><TD width=80>10 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Isolation </TD><TD width=80>6 </TD><TD width=80>18 </TD><TD width=80>3.0 </TD><TD width=80>25 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Off tackle </TD><TD width=80>51 </TD><TD width=80>239 </TD><TD width=80>4.7 </TD><TD width=80>10 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Slant </TD><TD width=80>180 </TD><TD width=80>769 </TD><TD width=80>4.3 </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Sweep </TD><TD width=80>35 </TD><TD width=80>158 </TD><TD width=80>4.5 </TD><TD width=80>15 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Exactly half of James' runs and just over 50 percent of his yardage last year came on slant plays. The Cardinals will definitely need to master this type of blocking if they want to get maximum production from James, and that is one reason they will change their blocking scheme. However, I don't believe it is the only reason. It's also a sound strategy for a team lacking in talent, because it is much easier to implement a zone blocking scheme than finding a bunch of quality blockers. Loney's offensive line in Minnesota last year wasn't all that talented, but the unit was still able to piece together a solid performance in more than a few games. There is no reason to think he can't do the same thing this year.
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Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006, 12:26 PM ET
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Cards must block for James

By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
Editor's note: This is an expanded version of a passage that appears in Scientific Football 2006.
When I first learned the Arizona Cardinals had signed Edgerrin James as a free agent, I was a bit perplexed. The Cardinals had easily the worst offensive line in the league last season, and flirted with being statistically the worst running team in NFL history.
Their problems up front weren't limited to one or two players, as evidenced by the blocking success percentage of each lineman last year:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=4>Blocking Success Percentage</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Player</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Position</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Success %</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=101>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Nick Leckey </TD><TD width=101>Center </TD><TD width=101>73.4 </TD><TD width=101>34 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Alex Stepanovich </TD><TD width=101>Center </TD><TD width=101>59.6 </TD><TD width=101>43 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Elton Brown </TD><TD width=101>Guard </TD><TD width=101>70.5 </TD><TD width=101>61 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Leonard Davis </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>85.5 </TD><TD width=101>14 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Fred Wakefield </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>72.5 </TD><TD width=101>54 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=101>Oliver Ross </TD><TD width=101>Tackle </TD><TD width=101>60.0 </TD><TD width=101>66 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
To put these numbers in perspective, the median success percentage for offensive linemen is 80 percent, and anything in the low 70s will be near the bottom of the league. All but one of Arizona's linemen were in the low 70s or below.
It wasn't just the linemen who were failing. The median blocking percentage for fullbacks is just over 83 percent and Obafemi Ayanbadejo (71 percent) wasn't close to that number. Tight end Eric Edwards (72.9 percent ) was also more than five percentage points under the median blocking percentage for tight ends.
Some offensive lines are personnel based, meaning they are set up to feature certain blockers. Such teams usually run a lot of counter, isolation and sweep plays. These plays are designed to get the best blockers to the point of attack and let the running back play off their blocks. This was the type of blocking scheme the Cardinals ran last year with very little success, as illustrated by Marcel Shipp's averages in each of seven major run types:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=5>Sinking Shipp</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Run type</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Runs</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds/Att</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Counter </TD><TD width=80>8 </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>2.0 </TD><TD width=80>35 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Dive </TD><TD width=80>17 </TD><TD width=80>65 </TD><TD width=80>3.8 </TD><TD width=80>9 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Draw </TD><TD width=80>23 </TD><TD width=80>93 </TD><TD width=80>4.0 </TD><TD width=80>25 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Isolation </TD><TD width=80>29 </TD><TD width=80>84 </TD><TD width=80>2.9 </TD><TD width=80>28 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Off tackle </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>46 </TD><TD width=80>2.9 </TD><TD width=80>30 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Slant </TD><TD width=80>33 </TD><TD width=80>68 </TD><TD width=80>2.1 </TD><TD width=80>34 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Sweep </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD><TD width=80>48 </TD><TD width=80>3.0 </TD><TD width=80>24 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
A big reason for the lack of success was offensive line coach Everett Lindsay. Green thought Lindsay was ready to assume the position, despite having no coaching experience at any level. Unfortunately, the offensive line committed mental mistakes all year long and often looked like it was sleepwalking.
Arizona's linemen showed no explosion, burst or enthusiasm. Green has a lot of faith in his system and probably thought he could get away with taking this huge risk, but it backfired big time. Green realized the mistake and fired Lindsay after the season, replacing him with Steve Loney, his old offensive line coach from his days in Minnesota.
I think Loney will end up implementing a predominantly zone blocking scheme. James is coming from a zone run blocking offense in Indianapolis that predominantly ran the slant/stretch play. Here are his 2005 totals by run type:
<TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=5>In The Zone</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Run type</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Runs</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Yds/Att</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" width=80>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Counter </TD><TD width=80>7 </TD><TD width=80>6 </TD><TD width=80>0.9 </TD><TD width=80>36 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Dive </TD><TD width=80>28 </TD><TD width=80>68 </TD><TD width=80>2.4 </TD><TD width=80>29 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Draw </TD><TD width=80>32 </TD><TD width=80>167 </TD><TD width=80>5.2 </TD><TD width=80>10 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Isolation </TD><TD width=80>6 </TD><TD width=80>18 </TD><TD width=80>3.0 </TD><TD width=80>25 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Off tackle </TD><TD width=80>51 </TD><TD width=80>239 </TD><TD width=80>4.7 </TD><TD width=80>10 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Slant </TD><TD width=80>180 </TD><TD width=80>769 </TD><TD width=80>4.3 </TD><TD width=80>16 </TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" vAlign=top><TD width=80>Sweep </TD><TD width=80>35 </TD><TD width=80>158 </TD><TD width=80>4.5 </TD><TD width=80>15 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Exactly half of James' runs and just over 50 percent of his yardage last year came on slant plays. The Cardinals will definitely need to master this type of blocking if they want to get maximum production from James, and that is one reason they will change their blocking scheme. However, I don't believe it is the only reason. It's also a sound strategy for a team lacking in talent, because it is much easier to implement a zone blocking scheme than finding a bunch of quality blockers. Loney's offensive line in Minnesota last year wasn't all that talented, but the unit was still able to piece together a solid performance in more than a few games. There is no reason to think he can't do the same thing this year.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Hamlin on road to recovery

posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Ken Hamlin

I knew the trainer would win. The trainer, Minh Luu of Houston's Plex gym, knew he would win, too. He knew it before he started counting, before he pointed Ken Hamlin this way and that, knowing that after two minutes Hamlin would be spinning, twisting and disoriented. This was in April, right before the Seahawks first minicamp.
Luu put Hamlin in the center of a pentagon of short red cones. Each cone was labeled, one to five, in clockwise order. The cones were about six feet apart from each other. Luu stood at the pentagon's peak, right above the cone labeled one.
"You ready?" Luu asked.
Hamlin -- so sweaty from his three-hour workout his white t-shirt was laminated to his chest -- nodded, got low, got ready, and waited for Luu's queue.
"Four!" Luu said. Hamlin broke to touch the cone. Once Hamlin did, Luu sent him another way. "One! Three! Two! Five! Three! One! Four! Two!"
Hamlin was cutting and planting, back and forth, cone to cone, as ferociously as he could. But Luu was winning; he was calling out numbers at such a rapid rate that Hamlin was getting flustered, which was perfect because this drill wasn't designed to test agility, speed or stamina.
Luu wasn't counting to see how quickly Hamlin's legs reacted. He was counting to see how quickly Hamlin's injured brain did. That memory from Houston is on my mind this week as my ESPN The Magazine story on Hamlin hits the stands. The questions regarding Hamlin's football career, after the nightclub brawl last October that nearly killed him, are close to being answered as he trains in Cheney this month.
What I examined in my Magazine story was whether or not he would walk away from a fight next time. After all, he told me that he doesn't regret anything from Oct. 17, even though he had a fractured skill, golf-ball sized blood clots, damage to his brain tissue and a broken hand; even though there are disputes about his version (that he went into the fight to help his older brother) and other versions (that Hamlin was the aggressor).
One thing is clear: Hamlin, who was close to being one of the NFL's best safeties when he got hurt, is dying to hit again. So as he practices in Cheney, he doesn't play any differently than the enforcer he yearns to be. And this spring, he didn't train any differently either. That's why at the Plex training facility in Houston Luu ran Hamlin in the cone drill. Luu wanted to see how Hamlin reacted after Oct. 17, how he calculated, how he processed, how his body and mind were aligned.
When Hamlin walked into Plex after the Super Bowl, he'd lost about 15 pounds, and trip after trip to the Wendy's drive-thru had softened his muscle. Heeding doctors' orders, Hamlin hadn't exercised since October, and he was nervous about doing any sort of workout.
Plex owner Danny Arnold and Luu started Hamlin on a stationary bike that week, and had him doing lunges and stretches with a medicine ball. They wouldn't let Hamlin do any training where he'd be inverted or have any pressure on his neck or head. But by late February, when his blot clots had shrunk to dots and the X-rays showed that his fractured skull had healed, Hamlin started lifting.
During the daily cone drills, as Hamlin zipped this way and that, as Luu tested his reactions under pressure, nothing seemed wrong.
"Our goal was to make him fail," says Arnold. "And he didn't."
Hopefully Hamlin's not failing himself by returning to football.
Random Stuff
? More than 3,000 fans showed up at Jags practice to watch their team do the Oklahoma drill, one of the more brutal -- and rarely used -- drills around. A defensive player has to fight through a blocker and make a tackle on a back, who has to make a cut towards the defender in a defined space. This picture in the Jacksonville Times-Union explains it better.
? Armed with a new contract, folks in Baltimore are wondering whether or not Jamal Lewis is still capable of producing at his former rate.
? Those who know Nick Saban shouldn't be surprised at all that he passed on a dinner with President Bush because it would have meant missing some of training camp.
? It appears it's Chad Pennington's job to lose in New York, especially after Patrick Ramsey took too long to get a play off and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer yelled, "Damn it, get another quarterback in the game."
If Pennington is able to come back and win this job, it's one of the more remarkable stories I've seen in my six years covering the NFL. Remember last year against Jacksonville, when he was heroically risking the rest of his career on every pass, even though he could barely get the ball to his receivers? If Pennington is able to be a solid starter in the NFL again, it'll be one of the feel-good stories in the NFL this year. ? I'm at Chargers camp on Tuesday and Wednesday and will have a report from there.

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Hamlin on road to recovery

posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Ken Hamlin

I knew the trainer would win. The trainer, Minh Luu of Houston's Plex gym, knew he would win, too. He knew it before he started counting, before he pointed Ken Hamlin this way and that, knowing that after two minutes Hamlin would be spinning, twisting and disoriented. This was in April, right before the Seahawks first minicamp.
Luu put Hamlin in the center of a pentagon of short red cones. Each cone was labeled, one to five, in clockwise order. The cones were about six feet apart from each other. Luu stood at the pentagon's peak, right above the cone labeled one.
"You ready?" Luu asked.
Hamlin -- so sweaty from his three-hour workout his white t-shirt was laminated to his chest -- nodded, got low, got ready, and waited for Luu's queue.
"Four!" Luu said. Hamlin broke to touch the cone. Once Hamlin did, Luu sent him another way. "One! Three! Two! Five! Three! One! Four! Two!"
Hamlin was cutting and planting, back and forth, cone to cone, as ferociously as he could. But Luu was winning; he was calling out numbers at such a rapid rate that Hamlin was getting flustered, which was perfect because this drill wasn't designed to test agility, speed or stamina.
Luu wasn't counting to see how quickly Hamlin's legs reacted. He was counting to see how quickly Hamlin's injured brain did. That memory from Houston is on my mind this week as my ESPN The Magazine story on Hamlin hits the stands. The questions regarding Hamlin's football career, after the nightclub brawl last October that nearly killed him, are close to being answered as he trains in Cheney this month.
What I examined in my Magazine story was whether or not he would walk away from a fight next time. After all, he told me that he doesn't regret anything from Oct. 17, even though he had a fractured skill, golf-ball sized blood clots, damage to his brain tissue and a broken hand; even though there are disputes about his version (that he went into the fight to help his older brother) and other versions (that Hamlin was the aggressor).
One thing is clear: Hamlin, who was close to being one of the NFL's best safeties when he got hurt, is dying to hit again. So as he practices in Cheney, he doesn't play any differently than the enforcer he yearns to be. And this spring, he didn't train any differently either. That's why at the Plex training facility in Houston Luu ran Hamlin in the cone drill. Luu wanted to see how Hamlin reacted after Oct. 17, how he calculated, how he processed, how his body and mind were aligned.
When Hamlin walked into Plex after the Super Bowl, he'd lost about 15 pounds, and trip after trip to the Wendy's drive-thru had softened his muscle. Heeding doctors' orders, Hamlin hadn't exercised since October, and he was nervous about doing any sort of workout.
Plex owner Danny Arnold and Luu started Hamlin on a stationary bike that week, and had him doing lunges and stretches with a medicine ball. They wouldn't let Hamlin do any training where he'd be inverted or have any pressure on his neck or head. But by late February, when his blot clots had shrunk to dots and the X-rays showed that his fractured skull had healed, Hamlin started lifting.
During the daily cone drills, as Hamlin zipped this way and that, as Luu tested his reactions under pressure, nothing seemed wrong.
"Our goal was to make him fail," says Arnold. "And he didn't."
Hopefully Hamlin's not failing himself by returning to football.
Random Stuff
? More than 3,000 fans showed up at Jags practice to watch their team do the Oklahoma drill, one of the more brutal -- and rarely used -- drills around. A defensive player has to fight through a blocker and make a tackle on a back, who has to make a cut towards the defender in a defined space. This picture in the Jacksonville Times-Union explains it better.
? Armed with a new contract, folks in Baltimore are wondering whether or not Jamal Lewis is still capable of producing at his former rate.
? Those who know Nick Saban shouldn't be surprised at all that he passed on a dinner with President Bush because it would have meant missing some of training camp.
? It appears it's Chad Pennington's job to lose in New York, especially after Patrick Ramsey took too long to get a play off and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer yelled, "Damn it, get another quarterback in the game."
If Pennington is able to come back and win this job, it's one of the more remarkable stories I've seen in my six years covering the NFL. Remember last year against Jacksonville, when he was heroically risking the rest of his career on every pass, even though he could barely get the ball to his receivers? If Pennington is able to be a solid starter in the NFL again, it'll be one of the feel-good stories in the NFL this year. ? I'm at Chargers camp on Tuesday and Wednesday and will have a report from there.

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006, 3:41 PM ET
Offense has plenty of young talent

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here are five observations on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gleaned from the training camp practices of July 30:
1.
When a guy like 11-year veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway makes it a point to stop by and tell you he is "really excited" about his team's offense, you should listen. We did. "I probably said the same thing last year, but I'm not sure I actually believed it myself. But this year, believe me, the sky's the limit," said Galloway, still one of the NFL's fastest players ("Uh, not one of," he quickly corrected) at age 34.
Indeed, there is plenty of justification for the optimism surrounding the Bucs' offense in 2006. It has, at least for much of the team's run of success under Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, been more of a stepsister unit, just trying to stay out of the way and not lose games as the Tampa Bay defense dominated opponents. There is a suspicion in some quarters that the defense, which has been so good for so long now under coordinator Monte Kiffin, could slip a bit this season because of age. We don't know that we buy into the theory yet. It's a whole lot easier, though, to buy into the offense as potentially being the best one the Bucs have assembled in many years.
Part of the reason is that this is an offense that could be together, given its overall youth, well into the future. The current starting lineup averages 26.8 years of age and 4.1 seasons of NFL experience, and even those numbers -- inflated by the presence of Galloway, center John Wade (31) and fullback Jerald Sowell (32) -- aren't a fair indicator of the offensive makeup here.
This is, as Gruden also takes great pains to reiterate, an offense rife with terrific young players. It starts, of course, with quarterback Chris Simms, but also includes tailback Cadillac Williams, tight end Alex Smith, wide receiver Michael Clayton and left guard Dan Buenning. All of those youngsters possess Pro Bowl potential. There are eight starters who are 27 or younger, six who are 25 or younger. And the unit could get younger if three-year veteran Sean Mahan ousts Wade from the No. 1 center spot in what is one of the camp's best head-to-head competitions.
In four of the Bucs' first five practices of camp, the offense ripped up the defense pretty good. That never used to happen, not to the Tampa Bay defense. For all his celebrated genius in scheming up plays, Gruden has yet to have a top-10 offense with the Bucs. In fact, the unit's average statistical ranking in his four years in Tampa Bay is No. 20. Simms and some of the young skill players the Bucs have assembled give the offense a chance to be a whole lot better than that.
2.
In 2000-01, David Boston averaged 84.5 receptions and 1,377 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Over the four seasons since then, when Boston suffered through off-field problems, injuries and some personality conflicts with superiors, he totaled just 106 catches, 1,472 yards and eight scores. Why even bring up the numbers? Because Boston, at this very early juncture of camp, looks like a guy who might be poised to resurrect his onetime Pro Bowl career.
Boston has kept his weight down, which is no easy chore, given that he is so naturally big. And he's worked hard on the field and in the meeting room to learn the offense. The results? "See if they'll let you watch the tapes from the [Saturday] morning practice," Simms said. "I think we hit him, like, six times, for about 300 yards." Perhaps a little hyperbole there. But when asked about the Saturday practice, Gruden gushed over Boston's performance. And in Sunday's two sessions, when some of the other Tampa Bay wide receivers suddenly developed an epidemic case of dropsies, the seven-year veteran Boston consistently caught the ball well. If he maintains this kind of level, Boston could push Ike Hilliard for the No. 3 spot behind Galloway and Clayton. The Bucs have worked hard to upgrade the reserve wide receiver spots and their gamble on Boston might pay off handsomely.
Want a young sleeper? Keep an eye on Chas Gessner, a long guy (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) from Brown University who spent some time with New England and the New York Jets and in the NFL Europe League. He seems to catch everything in sight and his size creates some tough matchups, especially in the red zone. He had a nice grab for a score in a red zone drill on Sunday afternoon, running a skinny-post route.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Michael Clayton</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>32</TD><TD>372</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>11.6</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>175</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Watch out for Clayton, too, who has come to camp with a chip on his shoulder and with a lot to prove after a disastrous drop-off in 2005. As a first-rounder in 2004, Clayton caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season, the former LSU star had just 32 receptions for 372 yards and failed to score. "I got lax," Clayton candidly admitted. "It came too easy and I didn't have the same work habits between my first and second seasons as I did when I was a rookie."
What Clayton won't tell you, unless pressed, is that he had knee and shoulder injuries that subsequently required offseason surgery. Having been through a long but productive rehabilitation, Clayton seems determined to reestablish himself as one of the game's best young receivers, and the early camp results have been positive.
Simms throws one of the best long balls in the NFL, not just in terms of arm strength but also deep touch, a rarity for most young quarterbacks, and it looks like he'll have an excellent receiving corps in 2006 that can help him stretch the field better than the Bucs have done in recent seasons.
3.
What a pleasure it was sharing a couple camps visits, on Saturday at the Dolphins and then Sunday at the Bucs, with good buddy and ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen, the world's best NFL information guy. Beyond the fact he ferried me back to my hotel after the Bucs' practices on Sunday, and we got a good chuckle out of a cell call from agent Tom Condon of CAA, who was getting nowhere with negotiations for Arizona Cardinals first-rounder Matt Leinart, here's why: About halfway through the drive back, Mort just tosses out the fact that Tampa Bay middle linebacker Shelton Quarles is actually older than future Hall of Fame weakside linebacker Derrick Brooks.
And sure enough, he is, by roughly 19 months. So what's the big deal there? Because in typical Mort fashion, he contributes mightily to an observation he didn't even know I was writing. And, once again, made it better. Quarles is just one of those guys who has fallen through the cracks, overshadowed for much of his career with the Bucs by the team's great defenders. He's a player who has never been voted to a Pro Bowl (although he played in the 2002 contest as an injury replacement), and is pretty much anonymous. Until you start talking to Tampa Bay players and coaches about him. I probably would never have even checked Quarles' age had it not been for Mort's comment. But the guy will turn 35 years old the day after the Bucs' season opener against Baltimore, and he keeps getting better every year.
Tampa Bay chose Barrett Ruud in the second round of the 2005 draft to groom as Quarles' eventual replacement, but the former Nebraska standout can't get on the field. That's due in part to the struggles Ruud has experienced at times in absorbing a complicated defense. But more than that, it's because of Quarles, who moved exceptionally well in the Sunday practices. We've hammered home this point in the past, probably to the edge of nauseating, but the middle linebacker in a Cover 2 scheme is incredibly crucial, because in a lot of the coverages, he's got responsibilities that dictate he range 15-18 yards into the secondary.
Quarles looked Sunday like a 35-year-old who hasn't lost a step. And he's not just a cover defender. Over the past four seasons, Quarles has averaged 157 tackles per year (based on the Bucs' statistics). OK, it's not quite there with the mind-boggling average of 161.4 tackles Brooks has posted in his 11-year career, but it's still pretty special.
Ever since they became consistent playoff contenders, the Bucs have always had some terrific defensive players who rarely felt the glow of the limelight. This year's team is no different, with the cornerback tandem of Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly, left end Greg Spires and emerging safety Will Allen.
But Shelton Quarles, it says here, has been overlooked way too long. No one can ever say that about Brooks, who still looks tremendous and continues to provide great leadership. This year's gospel delivered by Brooks to the younger players: "Treat the meeting room like you treat the field. Learn the mental side of the game, too, because that's where the good players become great players and where the great players stay great."

4.
For the last several years, the uncomfortably tight salary cap under which the Bucs operated forced the team to often jury-rig on the offensive line and make some stopgap acquisitions -- like Derrick Deese and Todd Steussie, older players who didn't work out -- in the veteran free agent market.
In the past few drafts, though, Tampa Bay has made a conscious effort to infuse young offensive line blood into the roster, and the result has been a unit that is greener, but deeper, and will feature some terrific competition for starting jobs this summer and into the future. Of the five players who worked as starters on Sunday, just one (Wade) wasn't originally signed by the Bucs. And Wade, acquired in 2003 as an unrestricted free agent, will have a tough time fending off the challenge of Mahan in camp. Mahan started all 16 games at right guard in 2005, but the Tampa Bay coaches feel his best position is center, where he started eight games in 2004, when Wade was injured. The suspicion is that the Bucs really want Mahan, who is now working almost exclusively at center, to bump Wade to the bench. That would allow the coaches to move two-year veteran Jeb Terry into the lineup at right guard.
The left tackle is Anthony Davis, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Buenning, a fourth-round pick in 2005, was a player Gruden turned us on to last summer, predicting in camp he would be tough to keep out of the lineup. The right tackle is former first-round draft choice Kenyatta Walker. But there's more. The Bucs signed massive veteran guard Toniu Fonoti, who was developing into a Pro Bowl-type inside blocker before his weight problems got the better of him. A down-and-dirty mauler, Fonoti has lost weight, and could still be a factor at some point during the season. This spring, the team signed restricted free agent tackle Torrin Tucker, who started 10 games for Dallas last season. And for the second straight draft, the Bucs invested heavily on the line, drafting standout guard Davin Joseph and tackle Jeremy Trueblood with their first- and second-round picks, respectively. It might not take long for Joseph to push for significant playing time. Trueblood is much rawer, but he is a mean son of a gun, and the coaches love his temperament.
Bill Muir is one of the top offensive line coaches in the game, and has been for a long time, and now he's finally got plenty of young talent to work with. It's going to make for some fierce battles on a unit that started the same five players in all 16 games in 2005. That rarity probably won't be repeated in 2006. Oh, yeah, one more O-line "find" for the Bucs might be second-year veteran Scott Jackson. An undrafted free agent in 2005, the former Brigham Young standout is a big, rangy blocker who can play all five line positions. The Bucs have come a long way, indeed, from having to scrounge for decent linemen.
5.
While the rapidly improving Simms is cemented into the starting spot, and should be for a lot of years, the backup quarterback situation merits some monitoring. The projected No. 2 passer, Luke McCown, is out for at least half the season, and maybe the entire campaign, following spring knee surgery. Jay Fiedler, signed as a free agent in June, isn't ready yet to throw at full velocity. Veteran Tim Rattay hasn't looked very sharp early in camp.
It would be anathema for Gruden to entrust the No. 2 job to a callow rookie, but word is that the Bucs' coach really likes sixth-round pick Bruce Gradkowski, who has demonstrated moxie so far in camp. Gradkowski doesn't back down from Gruden, and handles the barbs directed at him better than even some veteran players have in the past. That kind of stuff counts with Gruden, no doubt about it.
This looks, at first glance, like another solid draft for the Bucs, who continue to expand their young talent base. Joseph and Trueblood will be starters some day. The coaches have already conjured up ways to utilize Maurice Stovall, a big wide receiver, as a tight end in some formations. And cornerback Alan Zemaitis, whose draft stock fell because of poor 40-yard times, is a nice fit in a scheme that calls for toughness first, not great cover skills, at the position. Only a few years ago, the knock on Gruden was that he hated having to use younger players, and the criticism was justified. But the lousy salary cap situation has forced the Bucs to draft better, because they couldn't afford to keep making mistakes on high-price veterans, and Tampa Bay has turned the lottery into a strength.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

Updated: Aug. 1, 2006, 3:41 PM ET
Offense has plenty of young talent

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here are five observations on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gleaned from the training camp practices of July 30:
1.
When a guy like 11-year veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway makes it a point to stop by and tell you he is "really excited" about his team's offense, you should listen. We did. "I probably said the same thing last year, but I'm not sure I actually believed it myself. But this year, believe me, the sky's the limit," said Galloway, still one of the NFL's fastest players ("Uh, not one of," he quickly corrected) at age 34.
Indeed, there is plenty of justification for the optimism surrounding the Bucs' offense in 2006. It has, at least for much of the team's run of success under Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, been more of a stepsister unit, just trying to stay out of the way and not lose games as the Tampa Bay defense dominated opponents. There is a suspicion in some quarters that the defense, which has been so good for so long now under coordinator Monte Kiffin, could slip a bit this season because of age. We don't know that we buy into the theory yet. It's a whole lot easier, though, to buy into the offense as potentially being the best one the Bucs have assembled in many years.
Part of the reason is that this is an offense that could be together, given its overall youth, well into the future. The current starting lineup averages 26.8 years of age and 4.1 seasons of NFL experience, and even those numbers -- inflated by the presence of Galloway, center John Wade (31) and fullback Jerald Sowell (32) -- aren't a fair indicator of the offensive makeup here.
This is, as Gruden also takes great pains to reiterate, an offense rife with terrific young players. It starts, of course, with quarterback Chris Simms, but also includes tailback Cadillac Williams, tight end Alex Smith, wide receiver Michael Clayton and left guard Dan Buenning. All of those youngsters possess Pro Bowl potential. There are eight starters who are 27 or younger, six who are 25 or younger. And the unit could get younger if three-year veteran Sean Mahan ousts Wade from the No. 1 center spot in what is one of the camp's best head-to-head competitions.
In four of the Bucs' first five practices of camp, the offense ripped up the defense pretty good. That never used to happen, not to the Tampa Bay defense. For all his celebrated genius in scheming up plays, Gruden has yet to have a top-10 offense with the Bucs. In fact, the unit's average statistical ranking in his four years in Tampa Bay is No. 20. Simms and some of the young skill players the Bucs have assembled give the offense a chance to be a whole lot better than that.
2.
In 2000-01, David Boston averaged 84.5 receptions and 1,377 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Over the four seasons since then, when Boston suffered through off-field problems, injuries and some personality conflicts with superiors, he totaled just 106 catches, 1,472 yards and eight scores. Why even bring up the numbers? Because Boston, at this very early juncture of camp, looks like a guy who might be poised to resurrect his onetime Pro Bowl career.
Boston has kept his weight down, which is no easy chore, given that he is so naturally big. And he's worked hard on the field and in the meeting room to learn the offense. The results? "See if they'll let you watch the tapes from the [Saturday] morning practice," Simms said. "I think we hit him, like, six times, for about 300 yards." Perhaps a little hyperbole there. But when asked about the Saturday practice, Gruden gushed over Boston's performance. And in Sunday's two sessions, when some of the other Tampa Bay wide receivers suddenly developed an epidemic case of dropsies, the seven-year veteran Boston consistently caught the ball well. If he maintains this kind of level, Boston could push Ike Hilliard for the No. 3 spot behind Galloway and Clayton. The Bucs have worked hard to upgrade the reserve wide receiver spots and their gamble on Boston might pay off handsomely.
Want a young sleeper? Keep an eye on Chas Gessner, a long guy (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) from Brown University who spent some time with New England and the New York Jets and in the NFL Europe League. He seems to catch everything in sight and his size creates some tough matchups, especially in the red zone. He had a nice grab for a score in a red zone drill on Sunday afternoon, running a skinny-post route.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Michael Clayton</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>32</TD><TD>372</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>11.6</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>175</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Watch out for Clayton, too, who has come to camp with a chip on his shoulder and with a lot to prove after a disastrous drop-off in 2005. As a first-rounder in 2004, Clayton caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season, the former LSU star had just 32 receptions for 372 yards and failed to score. "I got lax," Clayton candidly admitted. "It came too easy and I didn't have the same work habits between my first and second seasons as I did when I was a rookie."
What Clayton won't tell you, unless pressed, is that he had knee and shoulder injuries that subsequently required offseason surgery. Having been through a long but productive rehabilitation, Clayton seems determined to reestablish himself as one of the game's best young receivers, and the early camp results have been positive.
Simms throws one of the best long balls in the NFL, not just in terms of arm strength but also deep touch, a rarity for most young quarterbacks, and it looks like he'll have an excellent receiving corps in 2006 that can help him stretch the field better than the Bucs have done in recent seasons.
3.
What a pleasure it was sharing a couple camps visits, on Saturday at the Dolphins and then Sunday at the Bucs, with good buddy and ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen, the world's best NFL information guy. Beyond the fact he ferried me back to my hotel after the Bucs' practices on Sunday, and we got a good chuckle out of a cell call from agent Tom Condon of CAA, who was getting nowhere with negotiations for Arizona Cardinals first-rounder Matt Leinart, here's why: About halfway through the drive back, Mort just tosses out the fact that Tampa Bay middle linebacker Shelton Quarles is actually older than future Hall of Fame weakside linebacker Derrick Brooks.
And sure enough, he is, by roughly 19 months. So what's the big deal there? Because in typical Mort fashion, he contributes mightily to an observation he didn't even know I was writing. And, once again, made it better. Quarles is just one of those guys who has fallen through the cracks, overshadowed for much of his career with the Bucs by the team's great defenders. He's a player who has never been voted to a Pro Bowl (although he played in the 2002 contest as an injury replacement), and is pretty much anonymous. Until you start talking to Tampa Bay players and coaches about him. I probably would never have even checked Quarles' age had it not been for Mort's comment. But the guy will turn 35 years old the day after the Bucs' season opener against Baltimore, and he keeps getting better every year.
Tampa Bay chose Barrett Ruud in the second round of the 2005 draft to groom as Quarles' eventual replacement, but the former Nebraska standout can't get on the field. That's due in part to the struggles Ruud has experienced at times in absorbing a complicated defense. But more than that, it's because of Quarles, who moved exceptionally well in the Sunday practices. We've hammered home this point in the past, probably to the edge of nauseating, but the middle linebacker in a Cover 2 scheme is incredibly crucial, because in a lot of the coverages, he's got responsibilities that dictate he range 15-18 yards into the secondary.
Quarles looked Sunday like a 35-year-old who hasn't lost a step. And he's not just a cover defender. Over the past four seasons, Quarles has averaged 157 tackles per year (based on the Bucs' statistics). OK, it's not quite there with the mind-boggling average of 161.4 tackles Brooks has posted in his 11-year career, but it's still pretty special.
Ever since they became consistent playoff contenders, the Bucs have always had some terrific defensive players who rarely felt the glow of the limelight. This year's team is no different, with the cornerback tandem of Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly, left end Greg Spires and emerging safety Will Allen.
But Shelton Quarles, it says here, has been overlooked way too long. No one can ever say that about Brooks, who still looks tremendous and continues to provide great leadership. This year's gospel delivered by Brooks to the younger players: "Treat the meeting room like you treat the field. Learn the mental side of the game, too, because that's where the good players become great players and where the great players stay great."

4.
For the last several years, the uncomfortably tight salary cap under which the Bucs operated forced the team to often jury-rig on the offensive line and make some stopgap acquisitions -- like Derrick Deese and Todd Steussie, older players who didn't work out -- in the veteran free agent market.
In the past few drafts, though, Tampa Bay has made a conscious effort to infuse young offensive line blood into the roster, and the result has been a unit that is greener, but deeper, and will feature some terrific competition for starting jobs this summer and into the future. Of the five players who worked as starters on Sunday, just one (Wade) wasn't originally signed by the Bucs. And Wade, acquired in 2003 as an unrestricted free agent, will have a tough time fending off the challenge of Mahan in camp. Mahan started all 16 games at right guard in 2005, but the Tampa Bay coaches feel his best position is center, where he started eight games in 2004, when Wade was injured. The suspicion is that the Bucs really want Mahan, who is now working almost exclusively at center, to bump Wade to the bench. That would allow the coaches to move two-year veteran Jeb Terry into the lineup at right guard.
The left tackle is Anthony Davis, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Buenning, a fourth-round pick in 2005, was a player Gruden turned us on to last summer, predicting in camp he would be tough to keep out of the lineup. The right tackle is former first-round draft choice Kenyatta Walker. But there's more. The Bucs signed massive veteran guard Toniu Fonoti, who was developing into a Pro Bowl-type inside blocker before his weight problems got the better of him. A down-and-dirty mauler, Fonoti has lost weight, and could still be a factor at some point during the season. This spring, the team signed restricted free agent tackle Torrin Tucker, who started 10 games for Dallas last season. And for the second straight draft, the Bucs invested heavily on the line, drafting standout guard Davin Joseph and tackle Jeremy Trueblood with their first- and second-round picks, respectively. It might not take long for Joseph to push for significant playing time. Trueblood is much rawer, but he is a mean son of a gun, and the coaches love his temperament.
Bill Muir is one of the top offensive line coaches in the game, and has been for a long time, and now he's finally got plenty of young talent to work with. It's going to make for some fierce battles on a unit that started the same five players in all 16 games in 2005. That rarity probably won't be repeated in 2006. Oh, yeah, one more O-line "find" for the Bucs might be second-year veteran Scott Jackson. An undrafted free agent in 2005, the former Brigham Young standout is a big, rangy blocker who can play all five line positions. The Bucs have come a long way, indeed, from having to scrounge for decent linemen.
5.
While the rapidly improving Simms is cemented into the starting spot, and should be for a lot of years, the backup quarterback situation merits some monitoring. The projected No. 2 passer, Luke McCown, is out for at least half the season, and maybe the entire campaign, following spring knee surgery. Jay Fiedler, signed as a free agent in June, isn't ready yet to throw at full velocity. Veteran Tim Rattay hasn't looked very sharp early in camp.
It would be anathema for Gruden to entrust the No. 2 job to a callow rookie, but word is that the Bucs' coach really likes sixth-round pick Bruce Gradkowski, who has demonstrated moxie so far in camp. Gradkowski doesn't back down from Gruden, and handles the barbs directed at him better than even some veteran players have in the past. That kind of stuff counts with Gruden, no doubt about it.
This looks, at first glance, like another solid draft for the Bucs, who continue to expand their young talent base. Joseph and Trueblood will be starters some day. The coaches have already conjured up ways to utilize Maurice Stovall, a big wide receiver, as a tight end in some formations. And cornerback Alan Zemaitis, whose draft stock fell because of poor 40-yard times, is a nice fit in a scheme that calls for toughness first, not great cover skills, at the position. Only a few years ago, the knock on Gruden was that he hated having to use younger players, and the criticism was justified. But the lousy salary cap situation has forced the Bucs to draft better, because they couldn't afford to keep making mistakes on high-price veterans, and Tampa Bay has turned the lottery into a strength.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Lelie paying heavy price
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Tuesday, August 1</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Lelie paying heavy price
<Aug. 1> The Broncos have fined Lelie $70,000 for missing five days of training camp, the Rocky Mountain News reports.
Denver is hoping to deal the disgruntled wide receiver, but no team has met the team's asking price -- a first- or second-round pick or a front-line starter "of equal value." Head coach Mike Shanahan believes the Broncos' leverage might increase as injuries occur around the league. There is increasing financial pressure on Lelie, who is being fined $14,000 a day until he reports. If he stays out until the regular season, that total would top $600,000, close to his base salary for the 2006 season.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 1, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Lelie paying heavy price
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
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and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Tuesday, August 1</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Lelie paying heavy price
<Aug. 1> The Broncos have fined Lelie $70,000 for missing five days of training camp, the Rocky Mountain News reports.
Denver is hoping to deal the disgruntled wide receiver, but no team has met the team's asking price -- a first- or second-round pick or a front-line starter "of equal value." Head coach Mike Shanahan believes the Broncos' leverage might increase as injuries occur around the league. There is increasing financial pressure on Lelie, who is being fined $14,000 a day until he reports. If he stays out until the regular season, that total would top $600,000, close to his base salary for the 2006 season.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

ensign_lee · Aug 1, 2006

Thanks for the articles, Hache.

ensign_lee · Aug 1, 2006

Thanks for the articles, Hache.

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Updated: Aug. 2, 2006
Can Denver take next step?

By Keith Kidd
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
The Denver Broncos look poised to defend their AFC West crown and play deep into January. The burning question in my mind is can QB Jake Plummer lead this team to the Super Bowl?
I was working for the Arizona Cardinals back in 1997 when the franchise selected Plummer in the second round of the NFL draft. From the first time he took the field, it was evident he possessed outstanding intangibles, a competitive demeanor and strong leadership qualities. I loved his upside as a player and thought he would develop into our franchise quarterback of the future. However, two things dogged Plummer in Arizona -- poor decision making and a weak supporting cast.
While he struggled in the AFC Championship Game last season against Pittsburgh, Plummer's impressive year was not a fluke. Plummer completed 277 of 456 attempts (60.7 percent) for 3,366 yards. He tossed 18 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions, and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Finishing the season with a 90.2 QB rating, Plummer led an offense that ranked fifth in the league, turning the ball over the fewest times (16) in franchise history.
Head coach Mike Shanahan and former offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak did an outstanding job last year of putting Plummer in position to succeed with their play selections. The Broncos relied heavily on a zone running game to set up the play-action pass. Kubiak also convinced Plummer to trust his supporting cast and stop taking so many chances, which improved his overall decision making as a quarterback.
Could the loss of Kubiak to the Texans affect Plummer's performance? It could play a small role early in the regular season, as he builds his relationships with new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and assistant head coach Mike Heimerdinger. However, it should be an easy transition for the experienced Plummer, based on his relationship with Shanahan, who will continue to call the plays on Sunday.
The Broncos will be very effective on offense again this season, due in large part to a strong offensive line. All five starters return from a year ago, including center Tom Nalen. The Broncos' offensive line does an outstanding job in the running game, allowing the running back to cut on a dime and be explosive through the line of scrimmage.
Denver also strengthened its passing game by acquiring wide receiver Javon Walker from the Green Bay Packers in a trade. If healthy, Walker could have a major impact opposite No. 1 receiver Rod Smith. Walker's playmaking skills on the outside could help improve a passing attack that finished 18th in the NFL last season.
Plummer is an ideal fit in the Broncos' offense, given his uncanny ability and playmaking style. He is a streaky passer who needs a strong running game, allowing him to get into the flow of the offense when attacking downfield. Plummer has good pocket awareness and excellent instincts. He can make a lot of plays with his feet and arm. He is more accurate and dangerous on the move, attacking the outside edges of the pocket. Look for the Broncos to continue to utilize him on bootlegs and misdirection rollouts.
Nevertheless, Plummer must become a better pocket passer and continue to eliminate mistakes that result in explosive plays for the defense, if the Broncos are going to take the next step. With the first-round selection of QB Jay Cutler in the 2006 NFL draft, the clock is ticking on the Plummer era in Denver. Now is the time to produce in a big way.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Updated: Aug. 2, 2006
Can Denver take next step?

By Keith Kidd
Scouts Inc.
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
The Denver Broncos look poised to defend their AFC West crown and play deep into January. The burning question in my mind is can QB Jake Plummer lead this team to the Super Bowl?
I was working for the Arizona Cardinals back in 1997 when the franchise selected Plummer in the second round of the NFL draft. From the first time he took the field, it was evident he possessed outstanding intangibles, a competitive demeanor and strong leadership qualities. I loved his upside as a player and thought he would develop into our franchise quarterback of the future. However, two things dogged Plummer in Arizona -- poor decision making and a weak supporting cast.
While he struggled in the AFC Championship Game last season against Pittsburgh, Plummer's impressive year was not a fluke. Plummer completed 277 of 456 attempts (60.7 percent) for 3,366 yards. He tossed 18 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions, and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Finishing the season with a 90.2 QB rating, Plummer led an offense that ranked fifth in the league, turning the ball over the fewest times (16) in franchise history.
Head coach Mike Shanahan and former offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak did an outstanding job last year of putting Plummer in position to succeed with their play selections. The Broncos relied heavily on a zone running game to set up the play-action pass. Kubiak also convinced Plummer to trust his supporting cast and stop taking so many chances, which improved his overall decision making as a quarterback.
Could the loss of Kubiak to the Texans affect Plummer's performance? It could play a small role early in the regular season, as he builds his relationships with new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and assistant head coach Mike Heimerdinger. However, it should be an easy transition for the experienced Plummer, based on his relationship with Shanahan, who will continue to call the plays on Sunday.
The Broncos will be very effective on offense again this season, due in large part to a strong offensive line. All five starters return from a year ago, including center Tom Nalen. The Broncos' offensive line does an outstanding job in the running game, allowing the running back to cut on a dime and be explosive through the line of scrimmage.
Denver also strengthened its passing game by acquiring wide receiver Javon Walker from the Green Bay Packers in a trade. If healthy, Walker could have a major impact opposite No. 1 receiver Rod Smith. Walker's playmaking skills on the outside could help improve a passing attack that finished 18th in the NFL last season.
Plummer is an ideal fit in the Broncos' offense, given his uncanny ability and playmaking style. He is a streaky passer who needs a strong running game, allowing him to get into the flow of the offense when attacking downfield. Plummer has good pocket awareness and excellent instincts. He can make a lot of plays with his feet and arm. He is more accurate and dangerous on the move, attacking the outside edges of the pocket. Look for the Broncos to continue to utilize him on bootlegs and misdirection rollouts.
Nevertheless, Plummer must become a better pocket passer and continue to eliminate mistakes that result in explosive plays for the defense, if the Broncos are going to take the next step. With the first-round selection of QB Jay Cutler in the 2006 NFL draft, the clock is ticking on the Plummer era in Denver. Now is the time to produce in a big way.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Updated: Aug. 2, 2006
Shanahan in no rush to develop Cutler

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Here are five observations on the Denver Broncos, based on camp practices of Aug. 1:
1.
Jay Cutler has the look of a top NFL quarterback. He has the strong arm and the smarts. Still, head coach Mike Shanahan won't rush him. Cutler is running the third team behind Jake Plummer and Bradlee Van Pelt.
The thought going around camp is that Cutler won't catch Van Pelt for the backup job until sometime during the season. Everyone knows it is particularly hard for any rookie quarterback to step in and run the West Coast offense. Shanahan doesn't need to do that with Cutler. He can take time to groom him. Cutler has all the tools. His strong arm really shows during goal-line plays and when he rifles the slant pass. From three-step drops, Cutler can step back quickly and fire a throw into the numbers of a receiver.
There's no doubt Cutler will be one of the most-watched players during the preseason. Broncos fans are still spoiled from the John Elway days. They want a young gunslinger. Cutler has the chance to be the gunslinger of the future.
2.
The early star of camp is wide receiver Brandon Marshall of Central Florida. He already is being projected as the potential No. 3 receiver behind Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie. Sure, similar things were being said about Darius Watts, a raw second-round choice from a couple of years ago who hasn't shown the consistent hands to move forward. With Lelie holding out, Shanahan is using Watts as the third receiver, but don't be surprised if Marshall passes him by the end of the exhibition season.
Marshall is 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, and he catches everything. On slant patterns, he has the knack of positioning his body in front of the defender and making the catch. Second-round choice Tony Scheffler also looks good as a backup tight end. He has the speed to stretch the field and shows good hands.
3.
The defense has undergone little change, but it's strange not seeing Trevor Pryce along the defensive line. Whether he played end or tackle, Pryce dominated. The Broncos cut him, and he signed with the Ravens. He already has come out and sounded bitter about the decision. Nevertheless, the defensive line went through an amazing overhaul last year and should only get better.
Think about what Shanahan did last year in winning 13 games. He revamped the defensive line with Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown, Michael Myers, Ebenezer Ekuban and John Engelberger. He gambled and won with three young players in the secondary -- Darrent Williams, Domonique Foxworth and Karl Paymah. He brought back Ian Gold to complete one of the league's best linebacking trios. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer somehow was able to get this group to come together under a very complicated blitzing scheme.
4.
Ron Dayne is playing with the first team at running back, but this has to be Tatum Bell's breakout year. Watching him run, you wonder why it hasn't happened sooner. Bell glides down the field. If he can make the right cut and get past the initial group of tacklers, he can run for touchdowns.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Tatum Bell</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running back
Denver Broncos

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Att</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>173</TD><TD>921</TD><TD>5.3</TD><TD>69</TD><TD>8</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Bell averaged 5.3 yards a carry last season, but he hasn't earned enough carries to be the starter and there is no guarantee he will this year. Bell has been working on his strength to get bigger and stronger on short-yardage and goal-line plays. Shanahan thinks he tends to wear down after about 15 carries, so Bell has to prove to the coach he can hold up and produce beyond that threshold.
The starting halfback job is wide-open. Anything can happen, including an addition by trade. The Broncos also are excited about undrafted rookie Mike Bell, who is showing promise during camp.

5.
Aside from Javon Walker's sheer talent, I also like his attitude. Even though he demanded a trade from the Packers last season, he went about his work professionally. He didn't hold out and worked hard to get ready for the season. Going behind the scenes, you find out Walker is a perfectionist. For the past couple of years, he has worked with a former Florida State teammate on a device called Great Catch. He has been showing it at high school clinics and getting sales. The product is patented. Great Catch is basically a hand strap with a small, tennis ball-like apparatus that fits in the palm. It comes in three sizes -- small, medium and large. The idea is that if the ball hits the tennis ball in the palm of the hand, it's going to bounce out of the hands. This device forces a receiver to catch more with his fingertips. The more he catches with the fingertips, the stronger they become. Soon, Walker plans to show his new product to NFL teams. It looks like a winner
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Updated: Aug. 2, 2006
Shanahan in no rush to develop Cutler

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Here are five observations on the Denver Broncos, based on camp practices of Aug. 1:
1.
Jay Cutler has the look of a top NFL quarterback. He has the strong arm and the smarts. Still, head coach Mike Shanahan won't rush him. Cutler is running the third team behind Jake Plummer and Bradlee Van Pelt.
The thought going around camp is that Cutler won't catch Van Pelt for the backup job until sometime during the season. Everyone knows it is particularly hard for any rookie quarterback to step in and run the West Coast offense. Shanahan doesn't need to do that with Cutler. He can take time to groom him. Cutler has all the tools. His strong arm really shows during goal-line plays and when he rifles the slant pass. From three-step drops, Cutler can step back quickly and fire a throw into the numbers of a receiver.
There's no doubt Cutler will be one of the most-watched players during the preseason. Broncos fans are still spoiled from the John Elway days. They want a young gunslinger. Cutler has the chance to be the gunslinger of the future.
2.
The early star of camp is wide receiver Brandon Marshall of Central Florida. He already is being projected as the potential No. 3 receiver behind Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie. Sure, similar things were being said about Darius Watts, a raw second-round choice from a couple of years ago who hasn't shown the consistent hands to move forward. With Lelie holding out, Shanahan is using Watts as the third receiver, but don't be surprised if Marshall passes him by the end of the exhibition season.
Marshall is 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, and he catches everything. On slant patterns, he has the knack of positioning his body in front of the defender and making the catch. Second-round choice Tony Scheffler also looks good as a backup tight end. He has the speed to stretch the field and shows good hands.
3.
The defense has undergone little change, but it's strange not seeing Trevor Pryce along the defensive line. Whether he played end or tackle, Pryce dominated. The Broncos cut him, and he signed with the Ravens. He already has come out and sounded bitter about the decision. Nevertheless, the defensive line went through an amazing overhaul last year and should only get better.
Think about what Shanahan did last year in winning 13 games. He revamped the defensive line with Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown, Michael Myers, Ebenezer Ekuban and John Engelberger. He gambled and won with three young players in the secondary -- Darrent Williams, Domonique Foxworth and Karl Paymah. He brought back Ian Gold to complete one of the league's best linebacking trios. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer somehow was able to get this group to come together under a very complicated blitzing scheme.
4.
Ron Dayne is playing with the first team at running back, but this has to be Tatum Bell's breakout year. Watching him run, you wonder why it hasn't happened sooner. Bell glides down the field. If he can make the right cut and get past the initial group of tacklers, he can run for touchdowns.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Tatum Bell</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running back
Denver Broncos

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Att</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>173</TD><TD>921</TD><TD>5.3</TD><TD>69</TD><TD>8</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Bell averaged 5.3 yards a carry last season, but he hasn't earned enough carries to be the starter and there is no guarantee he will this year. Bell has been working on his strength to get bigger and stronger on short-yardage and goal-line plays. Shanahan thinks he tends to wear down after about 15 carries, so Bell has to prove to the coach he can hold up and produce beyond that threshold.
The starting halfback job is wide-open. Anything can happen, including an addition by trade. The Broncos also are excited about undrafted rookie Mike Bell, who is showing promise during camp.

5.
Aside from Javon Walker's sheer talent, I also like his attitude. Even though he demanded a trade from the Packers last season, he went about his work professionally. He didn't hold out and worked hard to get ready for the season. Going behind the scenes, you find out Walker is a perfectionist. For the past couple of years, he has worked with a former Florida State teammate on a device called Great Catch. He has been showing it at high school clinics and getting sales. The product is patented. Great Catch is basically a hand strap with a small, tennis ball-like apparatus that fits in the palm. It comes in three sizes -- small, medium and large. The idea is that if the ball hits the tennis ball in the palm of the hand, it's going to bounce out of the hands. This device forces a receiver to catch more with his fingertips. The more he catches with the fingertips, the stronger they become. Soon, Walker plans to show his new product to NFL teams. It looks like a winner
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Crunching the contract numbers

posted: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 | Print Entry
filed under: NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Kevan Barlow, Mario Williams, Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Denver Broncos, Ashley Lelie

The numbers are in and, no surprise, Mario Williams, the first pick in the NFL draft, ended up coming up with the best contract.
Although the contracts are complicated, it's pretty easy to see how the contracts should be evaluated. The only confusion is how to evaluate how the escalators count. That is done in two ways.
What is considered the true value of the contract is what a player can expect if he plays a minimum amount of the time to trigger those huge clauses. Most contracts require 35 percent playing time as a rookie, and 45 percent in later years.
The confusion in comparing the contracts of Reggie Bush and Vince Young is what is considered the maximum value if they achieve every incentive. Young can make $57.59 million over six years if he hits every qualifier. Bush could make $62.05 million.
Here is a closer look at the numbers:

1. Mario Williams (six years, $54 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $26.5 million; Max value: $62.1 million
2. Reggie Bush (six years, $52.5 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $26.325 million; Max value: $62.05 million
3. Vince Young (six years, $48.04 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $25.74 million; Max value: $57.59 million

Better Barlow: One of the pleasant surprises in 49ers camp is the play of halfback Kevan Barlow. Down 10 pounds to help his quickness, Barlow is running well. The 49ers need a big season from Barlow, who is making $4 million a year and can help the development of quarterback Alex Smith by giving him a solid running game. Barlow is competing for playing time against Frank Gore but should have no trouble getting 20 carries a game.

Lelie trade inevitable: The asking price for holdout Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie is a third-round pick and there are teams willing to give up a fourth-rounder. The situation is stalemated at the moment, but a receiver injury could speed up the process. It's not going to be a matter of if Lelie is traded. It's a matter of when Lelie is traded.
The asking price for Lelie is going to be much less than what the Raiders would take for Jerry Porter, who isn't getting along with coach Art Shell and wants out. Al Davis also wants Porter to pay back some of his signing bonus in order to facilitate a trade.

Sixth sense: The underlying theme for three of the four remaining holdouts in the first round is the sixth-year demands. Teams in the top 16 can ask for six-year contracts. That seems to be a little excessive for Eagles defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (No. 14) and Dolphins defensive back Jason Allen (No. 16). The history of draft choices taken in past years is for them to receive five-year contracts. Bills safety Donte Whitner (No. 8) is surrounded by five-year deals, and the Bills eventually might consent to a five-year contract. Naturally, Matt Leinart wants a five-year deal. If he becomes the Cardinals' franchise quarterback, he'll want a renegotiation after three years. The Cardinals will continue to push for a six-year deal.

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

Crunching the contract numbers

posted: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 | Print Entry
filed under: NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Kevan Barlow, Mario Williams, Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Denver Broncos, Ashley Lelie

The numbers are in and, no surprise, Mario Williams, the first pick in the NFL draft, ended up coming up with the best contract.
Although the contracts are complicated, it's pretty easy to see how the contracts should be evaluated. The only confusion is how to evaluate how the escalators count. That is done in two ways.
What is considered the true value of the contract is what a player can expect if he plays a minimum amount of the time to trigger those huge clauses. Most contracts require 35 percent playing time as a rookie, and 45 percent in later years.
The confusion in comparing the contracts of Reggie Bush and Vince Young is what is considered the maximum value if they achieve every incentive. Young can make $57.59 million over six years if he hits every qualifier. Bush could make $62.05 million.
Here is a closer look at the numbers:

1. Mario Williams (six years, $54 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $26.5 million; Max value: $62.1 million
2. Reggie Bush (six years, $52.5 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $26.325 million; Max value: $62.05 million
3. Vince Young (six years, $48.04 million with minimal qualifications) -- Guarantees: $25.74 million; Max value: $57.59 million

Better Barlow: One of the pleasant surprises in 49ers camp is the play of halfback Kevan Barlow. Down 10 pounds to help his quickness, Barlow is running well. The 49ers need a big season from Barlow, who is making $4 million a year and can help the development of quarterback Alex Smith by giving him a solid running game. Barlow is competing for playing time against Frank Gore but should have no trouble getting 20 carries a game.

Lelie trade inevitable: The asking price for holdout Broncos wide receiver Ashley Lelie is a third-round pick and there are teams willing to give up a fourth-rounder. The situation is stalemated at the moment, but a receiver injury could speed up the process. It's not going to be a matter of if Lelie is traded. It's a matter of when Lelie is traded.
The asking price for Lelie is going to be much less than what the Raiders would take for Jerry Porter, who isn't getting along with coach Art Shell and wants out. Al Davis also wants Porter to pay back some of his signing bonus in order to facilitate a trade.

Sixth sense: The underlying theme for three of the four remaining holdouts in the first round is the sixth-year demands. Teams in the top 16 can ask for six-year contracts. That seems to be a little excessive for Eagles defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (No. 14) and Dolphins defensive back Jason Allen (No. 16). The history of draft choices taken in past years is for them to receive five-year contracts. Bills safety Donte Whitner (No. 8) is surrounded by five-year deals, and the Bills eventually might consent to a five-year contract. Naturally, Matt Leinart wants a five-year deal. If he becomes the Cardinals' franchise quarterback, he'll want a renegotiation after three years. The Cardinals will continue to push for a six-year deal.

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Broncos looking to deal Lelie
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Wednesday, August 2</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Broncos looking to deal Lelie
<Aug. 2> According to ESPN.com's John Clayton, the asking price for Lelie is a third-round pick and there are teams willing to give up a fourth-rounder. The situation is stalemated at the moment, but a receiver injury could speed up the process. It's not going to be a matter of if Lelie is traded. It's a matter of when Lelie is traded.
</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Jerry Porter
Raiders
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Porter on the move?
<Aug. 2> The Raiders are willing to deal Porter, provided he pays back the $4 million bonus he received for this season, and his agent, Joel Segal, is able to find a team willing to give the Raiders suitable compensation, be it in the form of draft picks or established players, the Contra Costa Times reports.
"If someone offers us the (draft) choice we want or a representative player and the $4 million bonus he took from us this year, we'll respond," Owner Al Davis said. "They got to get it done. (Porter's) agent has known this since the draft (in April). Before the draft, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't get it done."
According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers wouldn't mind adding Porter, but a deal appears unlikely unless the Raiders drop their asking price significantly. They reportedly are looking for at least a first-round draft pick. "I don't know what's really on (the Raiders') minds, but I know they want a big-time pick," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 2, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Broncos looking to deal Lelie
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Wednesday, August 2</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ashley Lelie
Broncos
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Broncos looking to deal Lelie
<Aug. 2> According to ESPN.com's John Clayton, the asking price for Lelie is a third-round pick and there are teams willing to give up a fourth-rounder. The situation is stalemated at the moment, but a receiver injury could speed up the process. It's not going to be a matter of if Lelie is traded. It's a matter of when Lelie is traded.
</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Jerry Porter
Raiders
</TD><TD>Trade?
</TD><TD>Porter on the move?
<Aug. 2> The Raiders are willing to deal Porter, provided he pays back the $4 million bonus he received for this season, and his agent, Joel Segal, is able to find a team willing to give the Raiders suitable compensation, be it in the form of draft picks or established players, the Contra Costa Times reports.
"If someone offers us the (draft) choice we want or a representative player and the $4 million bonus he took from us this year, we'll respond," Owner Al Davis said. "They got to get it done. (Porter's) agent has known this since the draft (in April). Before the draft, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't get it done."
According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers wouldn't mind adding Porter, but a deal appears unlikely unless the Raiders drop their asking price significantly. They reportedly are looking for at least a first-round draft pick. "I don't know what's really on (the Raiders') minds, but I know they want a big-time pick," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

Updated: Aug. 3, 2006, 4:10 PM ET
Onus on Delhomme to spread the ball around

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Here are five observations on the Carolina Panthers, gleaned from the training camp practices of July 31 and Aug. 1:

1.
Because of the hamstring injury sustained by wide receiver Steve Smith, a tweak with which Panthers officials will err on the side of caution, we weren't able to see what kind of synergy has developed between the guy who won the NFL's receiving triple crown in 2005 and newcomer Keyshawn Johnson. Coaches and teammates insist the two worked well together in the spring, but there is still a curiosity level we wish we could have addressed. On paper, it's a good fit, the big-play threat and the solid and savvy possession receiver. Unfortunately, games aren't played on paper.
The Smith-Johnson coupling is going to be an interesting dynamic, as is the manner in which quarterback Jake Delhomme works with his two starters. Given his ball distribution the past two seasons -- with Muhsin Muhammad dominating the receiving statistics in 2004, then Smith accounting for 38.3 percent of the completions last year -- there is a suspicion in some NFL quarters that Delhomme is a tunnel-vision quarterback. His critics contend that Delhomme locks on to one receiver too much. Time will tell.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Keary Colbert</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>25</TD><TD>282</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>11.3</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>93</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The most interesting wide receiver subplot worth observing, at least until Smith heals, is the battle for the No. 3 job, which is being waged between Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, a couple of third-year veterans. Colbert caught 47 passes in 2004, when he started 15 games after Smith suffered a broken leg in the season opener, and he looked like a very accomplished young receiver. But his receptions dropped to 25 last season, when he played much of the year on a balky ankle. Offseason ankle surgery seems to have given him back some zip and, although Colbert never is going to wow people with his speed, he looked aggressive going after the football again in the Monday and Tuesday practices. Carter spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve, then made some vertical plays toward the end of 2005, averaging 20.8 yards on five receptions in limited playing time. Carter appears to have added some weight, but the question he will have to answer is whether he can play tough. One pro scout from another team in the NFC South noted last year that Carter "plays like a 140-pounder." Translation: He gets knocked off the ball too easily, does not often venture into the middle of the field and is pretty much a boundary receiver. Of the two, Colbert is clearly the more well-rounded, but Carter, even with his seeming lack of toughness, is an intriguing guy because of his linear speed. Both young players did some good things during our visit. 2.
Defensive tackle has historically been the most difficult position for NFL teams to fill, but if there are clubs out there still looking to upgrade their interior rotations, they might want to sneak a personnel guy into the practices here at Wofford College, one of the best laid-out training camps in the league. There are a lot of big bodies here. And a few gargantuan ones, as well. "It's an area where we made a conscious effort to improve our depth," general manager Marty Hurney said. It looks as though they've succeeded. We're not just talking depth here. This is pretty much "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (I loved that movie, with the steroidal octopus, when I was a kid) type depth, the kind that is rare throughout the league. Kudos to Hurney and coach John Fox for putting together a defensive tackle assemblage that features a half dozen guys who probably will play somewhere in the NFL in 2006.
The team signed two veteran free agents, Maake Kemoeatu (Baltimore) and 2001 first-rounder Damione Lewis (St. Louis), and they will join recuperating Kris Jenkins in the three-man rotation. One of the NFL's most dominant interior players when healthy, Jenkins has appeared in only five games over the past two seasons, suffering a shoulder injury in 2004 and a torn knee ligament in 2005. It's not a good sign that Jenkins is experiencing back spasms early in camp, but the organization seems to think he'll be fine. However, he hasn't logged a lot of snaps and there is some rust. If Jenkins is healthy, he and Kemoeatu will compose one of the biggest tackle tandems in the NFL and the Panthers will be tough to run against. Kemoeatu won't fill up as many notebooks as colorful predecessor Brentson Buckner, but he certainly will clog up a ton of space inside. We had a total mental conception of the guy, visualizing him before camp as a big-bellied Ted Washington sort of tackle. Wrong. Kemoeatu is just big all over. Not blubbery big. Just big. "Wait until he takes off his helmet," cautioned crack Charlotte Observer beat writer Pat Yasinskas. He wasn't kidding. Yow! That is one big melon! Word is that the Carolina equipment men had to order the biggest helmet made, then shave some of the padding out of it to create more room. In the early days of camp, Kemoeatu has been all but impossible for the Panthers' offensive linemen to block. In close quarters, when he gets his hands on a blocker, the guy is done. Lewis was an underachiever for much of his tenure in St. Louis, but he started to make strides last season, and the Carolina coaches think he's a good fit for their system.
You have to wonder how the other tackles -- guys such as Jordan Carstens, Kindal Moorehead and, to a lesser extent, Atiyyah Ellison -- will get on the field. Carstens started 15 games in 2005 when Jenkins went down with the knee injury, posting 44 tackles and four sacks. A good, tough player. Moorehead has started a dozen games in three seasons and played well in stretches. A third-round pick in 2005, Ellison spent his rookie year on the practice squad, but the Panthers think he has NFL skills. Carolina can't keep all six tackles, but there's a good chance all will be playing in the league somewhere.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>DeShaun Foster</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>205</TD><TD>879</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>372</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
Until DeShaun Foster, who entered camp as the starter for the first time in his career, actually plays a full 16-game schedule people are going to continue to question his durability. In four seasons, the former UCLA tailback has averaged just 8.3 appearances and started only 10 games. Foster's track record, or more appropriately his thick medical dossier, compels observers to consider whether he actually will be the starter in November and December. Hey, it's a fair question. The Panthers had little choice but to invest big money to keep Foster off the free-agent market this spring, even though the move might have been a gamble. Foster can be a terrific back when healthy, a different kind of runner from the pounders the Panthers have featured in the past. He glides to the outside effortlessly and, in space, is an elusive runner with wiggle. But the Panthers need Foster to stay on the field for 16 games and, because he hasn't done it yet, the skeptics abound.
Offensive coordinator Dan Henning doesn't like playing rookies, but first-round draft choice DeAngelo Williams, the man some scouts felt was the best pure runner in this year's draft, can't be overlooked. Williams is an explosive runner, tougher inside than people think and pretty stout physically. The former Memphis standout is a mature youngster, a player who carries himself well, but he has had two lapses in camp so far. First, Williams suffered some fumbles in the opening days at Wofford, the worst thing a back can do. The good news is that he doesn't have a history of putting the ball on the ground. Second, in a half-speed drill earlier this week, Williams cut-blocked a defensive lineman, which earned him a reprimand from Jenkins.

It's hard, this early on, to picture how Eric Shelton, last year's second-round pick, figures into the 2006 plans. He spent his rookie year on injured reserve after showing a penchant for fumbling in his first training camp. But at 246 pounds, he is the biggest back on the roster, and the Panthers may yet need him as a short-yardage guy. 4.
For whatever reason, the Carolina cornerbacks don't get much publicity, but Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble make up one of the NFL's best duets, and both are terrific fits for the Cover 2 scheme. Watch them in any kind of drill, from one-on-one coverage sessions to team segments, and they are impressive in all facets of the game. It's especially fun to watch them use their hands and upper-body strength to redirect wide receivers. And both tackle well, a lost art for cornerbacks but one demanded by the Cover 2. Lucas used to get criticized for not being physical enough when he played in Seattle, but his performance in 2005 -- when he had 72 tackles, six interceptions and 12 passes defensed -- was an epiphany for those who hadn't seen him much during his Seahawks' years. "I always felt I was overshadowed [in Seattle], first by Shawn Springs and then by [Marcus] Trufant, and I just wanted to get to a place where I could show people how complete a game I've got," Lucas said.
It might not be much longer, though, before it's Gamble who eclipses Lucas. The first-rounder, who began his college career at Ohio State as a wide receiver, has all the tools. Like Lucas, he comes up against the run, and he is physical in coverage. At 6 foot 1, 205 pounds, Gamble possesses prototype size and has turned potential into production, as evidenced by his 162 tackles, 13 interceptions and 19 passes defensed in two seasons. Sometimes, you have to be a little lucky in the draft and, in the 2004 lottery, the Panthers had some fortune. Carolina really liked cornerback Ahmad Carroll in the draft, but he was taken by Green Bay with the 25th selection. The Panthers, who desperately wanted a young corner, well, gambled a little on Gamble with the 28th choice -- and got the better player by far.
One other observation on the cornerback situation: Reggie Howard, signed as a free agent for a second stint in Carolina, looks as though he will be able to compensate for the defection of nickel corner Ricky Manning Jr. He isn't nearly as good an athlete as Manning but, like everyone in this unit, he's a tough guy. Second-round draft choice Richard Marshall clearly has some skills, but -- to us, at least -- he looks a little lost at this early juncture of camp.

5.
Despite its size, the Carolina defense is still predicated on quickness, and the Panthers definitely had one of the NFL's fastest linebacker corps in 2005. Alas, two of the three starters, weakside standout Will Witherspoon and solid strongside starter Brandon Short, left in free agency. That leaves Dan Morgan, an incredibly fast middle linebacker who can go from sideline to sideline and never wear down, flanked by a pair of newcomers.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Thomas Davis</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Safety
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>28</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The replacement for Short is Thomas Davis, the team's 2005 first-round pick, who actually started last season's opener at strong safety. Everyone seems to agree he is more suited to playing linebacker and he is starting to look more comfortable there. Keith Adams, who grew into a full-time starter in Philadelphia last season after years of being just a special teams ace, is running with the top unit at weakside linebacker. But in addition to Adams, the Panthers also signed former Green Bay starter Na'il Diggs. If he is past the injuries that all but scuttled his 2005 season, Diggs -- a pretty athletic guy with 80 starts on his r?sum? -- will make things interesting.
There is one more potential battle for a starting job on defense, but whether it shapes up depends on how quickly strong safety Colin Branch gets back into practices after blowing up his knee in last year's camp. Former New York Giants starter Shaun Williams is currently the No. 1 strong safety, but although he fits the physical cut of the unit he never has been a guy with many game-changing plays. Branch will have to get up to speed soon, however, if he is to mount a legitimate challenge for the job
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

Updated: Aug. 3, 2006, 4:10 PM ET
Onus on Delhomme to spread the ball around

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Here are five observations on the Carolina Panthers, gleaned from the training camp practices of July 31 and Aug. 1:

1.
Because of the hamstring injury sustained by wide receiver Steve Smith, a tweak with which Panthers officials will err on the side of caution, we weren't able to see what kind of synergy has developed between the guy who won the NFL's receiving triple crown in 2005 and newcomer Keyshawn Johnson. Coaches and teammates insist the two worked well together in the spring, but there is still a curiosity level we wish we could have addressed. On paper, it's a good fit, the big-play threat and the solid and savvy possession receiver. Unfortunately, games aren't played on paper.
The Smith-Johnson coupling is going to be an interesting dynamic, as is the manner in which quarterback Jake Delhomme works with his two starters. Given his ball distribution the past two seasons -- with Muhsin Muhammad dominating the receiving statistics in 2004, then Smith accounting for 38.3 percent of the completions last year -- there is a suspicion in some NFL quarters that Delhomme is a tunnel-vision quarterback. His critics contend that Delhomme locks on to one receiver too much. Time will tell.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Keary Colbert</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Wide Receiver
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">YAC</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>25</TD><TD>282</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>11.3</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>93</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The most interesting wide receiver subplot worth observing, at least until Smith heals, is the battle for the No. 3 job, which is being waged between Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, a couple of third-year veterans. Colbert caught 47 passes in 2004, when he started 15 games after Smith suffered a broken leg in the season opener, and he looked like a very accomplished young receiver. But his receptions dropped to 25 last season, when he played much of the year on a balky ankle. Offseason ankle surgery seems to have given him back some zip and, although Colbert never is going to wow people with his speed, he looked aggressive going after the football again in the Monday and Tuesday practices. Carter spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve, then made some vertical plays toward the end of 2005, averaging 20.8 yards on five receptions in limited playing time. Carter appears to have added some weight, but the question he will have to answer is whether he can play tough. One pro scout from another team in the NFC South noted last year that Carter "plays like a 140-pounder." Translation: He gets knocked off the ball too easily, does not often venture into the middle of the field and is pretty much a boundary receiver. Of the two, Colbert is clearly the more well-rounded, but Carter, even with his seeming lack of toughness, is an intriguing guy because of his linear speed. Both young players did some good things during our visit. 2.
Defensive tackle has historically been the most difficult position for NFL teams to fill, but if there are clubs out there still looking to upgrade their interior rotations, they might want to sneak a personnel guy into the practices here at Wofford College, one of the best laid-out training camps in the league. There are a lot of big bodies here. And a few gargantuan ones, as well. "It's an area where we made a conscious effort to improve our depth," general manager Marty Hurney said. It looks as though they've succeeded. We're not just talking depth here. This is pretty much "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (I loved that movie, with the steroidal octopus, when I was a kid) type depth, the kind that is rare throughout the league. Kudos to Hurney and coach John Fox for putting together a defensive tackle assemblage that features a half dozen guys who probably will play somewhere in the NFL in 2006.
The team signed two veteran free agents, Maake Kemoeatu (Baltimore) and 2001 first-rounder Damione Lewis (St. Louis), and they will join recuperating Kris Jenkins in the three-man rotation. One of the NFL's most dominant interior players when healthy, Jenkins has appeared in only five games over the past two seasons, suffering a shoulder injury in 2004 and a torn knee ligament in 2005. It's not a good sign that Jenkins is experiencing back spasms early in camp, but the organization seems to think he'll be fine. However, he hasn't logged a lot of snaps and there is some rust. If Jenkins is healthy, he and Kemoeatu will compose one of the biggest tackle tandems in the NFL and the Panthers will be tough to run against. Kemoeatu won't fill up as many notebooks as colorful predecessor Brentson Buckner, but he certainly will clog up a ton of space inside. We had a total mental conception of the guy, visualizing him before camp as a big-bellied Ted Washington sort of tackle. Wrong. Kemoeatu is just big all over. Not blubbery big. Just big. "Wait until he takes off his helmet," cautioned crack Charlotte Observer beat writer Pat Yasinskas. He wasn't kidding. Yow! That is one big melon! Word is that the Carolina equipment men had to order the biggest helmet made, then shave some of the padding out of it to create more room. In the early days of camp, Kemoeatu has been all but impossible for the Panthers' offensive linemen to block. In close quarters, when he gets his hands on a blocker, the guy is done. Lewis was an underachiever for much of his tenure in St. Louis, but he started to make strides last season, and the Carolina coaches think he's a good fit for their system.
You have to wonder how the other tackles -- guys such as Jordan Carstens, Kindal Moorehead and, to a lesser extent, Atiyyah Ellison -- will get on the field. Carstens started 15 games in 2005 when Jenkins went down with the knee injury, posting 44 tackles and four sacks. A good, tough player. Moorehead has started a dozen games in three seasons and played well in stretches. A third-round pick in 2005, Ellison spent his rookie year on the practice squad, but the Panthers think he has NFL skills. Carolina can't keep all six tackles, but there's a good chance all will be playing in the league somewhere.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>DeShaun Foster</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Running Back
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rush</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>205</TD><TD>879</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>372</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3.
Until DeShaun Foster, who entered camp as the starter for the first time in his career, actually plays a full 16-game schedule people are going to continue to question his durability. In four seasons, the former UCLA tailback has averaged just 8.3 appearances and started only 10 games. Foster's track record, or more appropriately his thick medical dossier, compels observers to consider whether he actually will be the starter in November and December. Hey, it's a fair question. The Panthers had little choice but to invest big money to keep Foster off the free-agent market this spring, even though the move might have been a gamble. Foster can be a terrific back when healthy, a different kind of runner from the pounders the Panthers have featured in the past. He glides to the outside effortlessly and, in space, is an elusive runner with wiggle. But the Panthers need Foster to stay on the field for 16 games and, because he hasn't done it yet, the skeptics abound.
Offensive coordinator Dan Henning doesn't like playing rookies, but first-round draft choice DeAngelo Williams, the man some scouts felt was the best pure runner in this year's draft, can't be overlooked. Williams is an explosive runner, tougher inside than people think and pretty stout physically. The former Memphis standout is a mature youngster, a player who carries himself well, but he has had two lapses in camp so far. First, Williams suffered some fumbles in the opening days at Wofford, the worst thing a back can do. The good news is that he doesn't have a history of putting the ball on the ground. Second, in a half-speed drill earlier this week, Williams cut-blocked a defensive lineman, which earned him a reprimand from Jenkins.

It's hard, this early on, to picture how Eric Shelton, last year's second-round pick, figures into the 2006 plans. He spent his rookie year on injured reserve after showing a penchant for fumbling in his first training camp. But at 246 pounds, he is the biggest back on the roster, and the Panthers may yet need him as a short-yardage guy. 4.
For whatever reason, the Carolina cornerbacks don't get much publicity, but Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble make up one of the NFL's best duets, and both are terrific fits for the Cover 2 scheme. Watch them in any kind of drill, from one-on-one coverage sessions to team segments, and they are impressive in all facets of the game. It's especially fun to watch them use their hands and upper-body strength to redirect wide receivers. And both tackle well, a lost art for cornerbacks but one demanded by the Cover 2. Lucas used to get criticized for not being physical enough when he played in Seattle, but his performance in 2005 -- when he had 72 tackles, six interceptions and 12 passes defensed -- was an epiphany for those who hadn't seen him much during his Seahawks' years. "I always felt I was overshadowed [in Seattle], first by Shawn Springs and then by [Marcus] Trufant, and I just wanted to get to a place where I could show people how complete a game I've got," Lucas said.
It might not be much longer, though, before it's Gamble who eclipses Lucas. The first-rounder, who began his college career at Ohio State as a wide receiver, has all the tools. Like Lucas, he comes up against the run, and he is physical in coverage. At 6 foot 1, 205 pounds, Gamble possesses prototype size and has turned potential into production, as evidenced by his 162 tackles, 13 interceptions and 19 passes defensed in two seasons. Sometimes, you have to be a little lucky in the draft and, in the 2004 lottery, the Panthers had some fortune. Carolina really liked cornerback Ahmad Carroll in the draft, but he was taken by Green Bay with the 25th selection. The Panthers, who desperately wanted a young corner, well, gambled a little on Gamble with the 28th choice -- and got the better player by far.
One other observation on the cornerback situation: Reggie Howard, signed as a free agent for a second stint in Carolina, looks as though he will be able to compensate for the defection of nickel corner Ricky Manning Jr. He isn't nearly as good an athlete as Manning but, like everyone in this unit, he's a tough guy. Second-round draft choice Richard Marshall clearly has some skills, but -- to us, at least -- he looks a little lost at this early juncture of camp.

5.
Despite its size, the Carolina defense is still predicated on quickness, and the Panthers definitely had one of the NFL's fastest linebacker corps in 2005. Alas, two of the three starters, weakside standout Will Witherspoon and solid strongside starter Brandon Short, left in free agency. That leaves Dan Morgan, an incredibly fast middle linebacker who can go from sideline to sideline and never wear down, flanked by a pair of newcomers.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Thomas Davis</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Safety
Carolina Panthers

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Tot</TD><TD width="17%">Ast</TD><TD width="17%">Solo</TD><TD width="17%">FF</TD><TD width="17%">Sack</TD><TD width="17%">Int</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>28</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The replacement for Short is Thomas Davis, the team's 2005 first-round pick, who actually started last season's opener at strong safety. Everyone seems to agree he is more suited to playing linebacker and he is starting to look more comfortable there. Keith Adams, who grew into a full-time starter in Philadelphia last season after years of being just a special teams ace, is running with the top unit at weakside linebacker. But in addition to Adams, the Panthers also signed former Green Bay starter Na'il Diggs. If he is past the injuries that all but scuttled his 2005 season, Diggs -- a pretty athletic guy with 80 starts on his r?sum? -- will make things interesting.
There is one more potential battle for a starting job on defense, but whether it shapes up depends on how quickly strong safety Colin Branch gets back into practices after blowing up his knee in last year's camp. Former New York Giants starter Shaun Williams is currently the No. 1 strong safety, but although he fits the physical cut of the unit he never has been a guy with many game-changing plays. Branch will have to get up to speed soon, however, if he is to mount a legitimate challenge for the job
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

Updated: Aug. 3, 2006
Bears need TE Clark to fulfill potential

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Here are five observations on the Chicago Bears, based on camp practices of Aug. 2:
1.
Bernard Berrian is an interesting receiving prospect. He has deep speed and he's strong. Berrian lifted with the defensive players during the offseason and added eight pounds of muscle. There is no doubt he will start the season on the other side of Muhsin Muhammad. Mark Bradley is coming off reconstructive knee surgery and won't be near 100 percent until September or October. Bradley is practicing and doing well, but he's not ready to beat out a healthy Berrian.
The other receiver who looked good in practice is Justin Gage. Gage is a big receiver (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and has good downfield speed. The Bears are taking some criticism for not drafting a wide receiver, but they have been drafting receivers for years.
With Rex Grossman hurt last year, the Bears rarely threw the deep ball. Berrian can expect more long throws if Grossman stays healthy. Berrian injured a finger catching a pass Tuesday, but that shouldn't slow him down much.

2.
The Bears are pleased with the offseason of tight end Desmond Clark, but he has to come through this year. Clark caught only 24 passes for 229 yards last year, and the Bears need more from that position. Clark has worked hard during the offseason. He lost about 15 pounds and is moving better at 248.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Desmond Clark</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Tight end
Chicago Bears

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>24</TD><TD>229</TD><TD>9.5</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"Desmond has a tough job," head coach Lovie Smith said. "Everybody slams him at the line of scrimmage as a blocker and then he has to go and catch a pass."
Most people thought the Bears would use one of their top two draft choices on a tight end. That seemed to be the plan early in the offseason. Behind Clark are only journeymen John Gilmore and Gabe Reid. Clark does have potential for a 50- or 60-catch season. Of course, last year's stats don't mean much because the offense was scaled back with rookie quarterback Kyle Orton seeing extended playing time. If the Bears are able to pass, they need about 35-40 catches from Clark.

3.
The Bears look better in the secondary. Charles Tillman is coming off a tough season in which his techniques got out of whack. He tried to be too physical with receivers and ended up getting burned. Coaches worked with him on some things and he's looking solid.
Nathan Vasher is coming off a Pro Bowl season. The Bears like Ricky Manning Jr.'s physical play. Though they don't want him to be too aggressive, Manning was a good addition as a third corner. They also like the play of another acquisition from the Panthers, Dante Wesley. He's a big cornerback who looks decent in coverage and will help on special teams.
Coaches are raving about second-round pick Danieal Manning. He has cornerback skills at the safety position. His range is excellent. Don't be surprised if he challenges for a starting job after the start of the season. A combination of Mike Brown and Manning at safety could be interesting. Second-round choice Devin Hester is currently running as the fifth cornerback, but his main duties will be as a returner. He is expected to be one of the league's most exciting new returners.

4.
Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is head coach-ready. Most people thought he was going to get the St. Louis job, but there is no doubt he will get a head coaching job in the next couple of years. A former linebacker, Rivera is a bright, aggressive coach and players like to perform for him. This will be an interesting season for him. Every team in the NFC North is going to the Cover 2 scheme used by the Bears.
Obviously, the Bears are the team to beat in the NFC North. They have the league's best defense, and the players are in their third year in the system. Rivera plans to add a few different things to the game plan to keep them ahead of the curve in the division. Rivera has worked well this offseason with the cornerbacks on better coverage. That could lead to a few more blitzes. A good season for the Bears and the defense could put Rivera at the top of the hiring list next season.

5.
Those who are criticizing Smith's decision to take Thomas Jones's starting job away from him for not showing up in the offseason program haven't watched Cedric Benson run. Benson looks great. There is no doubt that the Bears will use both backs, but Benson is the lead back for now. He worked hard enough in the offseason to earn the job. The Bears would be crazy to trade Jones unless they get great value. This league almost demands having two good backs. Benson and Jones have potential for a 1,400-yard season. The Bears have 30 carries a game to spread around.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

Updated: Aug. 3, 2006
Bears need TE Clark to fulfill potential

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top>
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Here are five observations on the Chicago Bears, based on camp practices of Aug. 2:
1.
Bernard Berrian is an interesting receiving prospect. He has deep speed and he's strong. Berrian lifted with the defensive players during the offseason and added eight pounds of muscle. There is no doubt he will start the season on the other side of Muhsin Muhammad. Mark Bradley is coming off reconstructive knee surgery and won't be near 100 percent until September or October. Bradley is practicing and doing well, but he's not ready to beat out a healthy Berrian.
The other receiver who looked good in practice is Justin Gage. Gage is a big receiver (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and has good downfield speed. The Bears are taking some criticism for not drafting a wide receiver, but they have been drafting receivers for years.
With Rex Grossman hurt last year, the Bears rarely threw the deep ball. Berrian can expect more long throws if Grossman stays healthy. Berrian injured a finger catching a pass Tuesday, but that shouldn't slow him down much.

2.
The Bears are pleased with the offseason of tight end Desmond Clark, but he has to come through this year. Clark caught only 24 passes for 229 yards last year, and the Bears need more from that position. Clark has worked hard during the offseason. He lost about 15 pounds and is moving better at 248.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Desmond Clark</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Tight end
Chicago Bears

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=5>2005 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" align=right><TD width="17%">Rec</TD><TD width="17%">Yds</TD><TD width="17%">Avg</TD><TD width="17%">Long</TD><TD width="17%">TD</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#999999><TD>24</TD><TD>229</TD><TD>9.5</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"Desmond has a tough job," head coach Lovie Smith said. "Everybody slams him at the line of scrimmage as a blocker and then he has to go and catch a pass."
Most people thought the Bears would use one of their top two draft choices on a tight end. That seemed to be the plan early in the offseason. Behind Clark are only journeymen John Gilmore and Gabe Reid. Clark does have potential for a 50- or 60-catch season. Of course, last year's stats don't mean much because the offense was scaled back with rookie quarterback Kyle Orton seeing extended playing time. If the Bears are able to pass, they need about 35-40 catches from Clark.

3.
The Bears look better in the secondary. Charles Tillman is coming off a tough season in which his techniques got out of whack. He tried to be too physical with receivers and ended up getting burned. Coaches worked with him on some things and he's looking solid.
Nathan Vasher is coming off a Pro Bowl season. The Bears like Ricky Manning Jr.'s physical play. Though they don't want him to be too aggressive, Manning was a good addition as a third corner. They also like the play of another acquisition from the Panthers, Dante Wesley. He's a big cornerback who looks decent in coverage and will help on special teams.
Coaches are raving about second-round pick Danieal Manning. He has cornerback skills at the safety position. His range is excellent. Don't be surprised if he challenges for a starting job after the start of the season. A combination of Mike Brown and Manning at safety could be interesting. Second-round choice Devin Hester is currently running as the fifth cornerback, but his main duties will be as a returner. He is expected to be one of the league's most exciting new returners.

4.
Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is head coach-ready. Most people thought he was going to get the St. Louis job, but there is no doubt he will get a head coaching job in the next couple of years. A former linebacker, Rivera is a bright, aggressive coach and players like to perform for him. This will be an interesting season for him. Every team in the NFC North is going to the Cover 2 scheme used by the Bears.
Obviously, the Bears are the team to beat in the NFC North. They have the league's best defense, and the players are in their third year in the system. Rivera plans to add a few different things to the game plan to keep them ahead of the curve in the division. Rivera has worked well this offseason with the cornerbacks on better coverage. That could lead to a few more blitzes. A good season for the Bears and the defense could put Rivera at the top of the hiring list next season.

5.
Those who are criticizing Smith's decision to take Thomas Jones's starting job away from him for not showing up in the offseason program haven't watched Cedric Benson run. Benson looks great. There is no doubt that the Bears will use both backs, but Benson is the lead back for now. He worked hard enough in the offseason to earn the job. The Bears would be crazy to trade Jones unless they get great value. This league almost demands having two good backs. Benson and Jones have potential for a 1,400-yard season. The Bears have 30 carries a game to spread around.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Brown eyeing Dolphins
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Thursday, August 3</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Chris Brown
Titans
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Brown eyeing Dolphins
<Aug. 3> Brown's agent, Ryan Morgan, said Wednesday the Dolphins are on his client's list of teams where he would like to be traded, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
"[Dolphins coach Nick] Saban has them going in the right direction. They clearly want to run the ball. Chris sees the talent on offense they have in Daunte Culpepper, Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown and he would be fine competing in a two-back system."
Brown is projected to be the starter this season, but figures to share carries with a pair of newcomers -- Travis Henry, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills prior to last season, and second-round pick LenDale White. The crowded depth chart prompted Brown's agent to ask for a trade to a team where his role would be better defined. Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said the Titans would not honor the request.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hache Man · Aug 3, 2006

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>NFL Rumor Central: Brown eyeing Dolphins
</TD><TD align=right width="30%">Other Rumors: MLB | NBA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>You are signed into Insider

and have access to this premium feature.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Thursday, August 3</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Chris Brown
Titans
</TD><TD>Trade
</TD><TD>Brown eyeing Dolphins
<Aug. 3> Brown's agent, Ryan Morgan, said Wednesday the Dolphins are on his client's list of teams where he would like to be traded, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
"[Dolphins coach Nick] Saban has them going in the right direction. They clearly want to run the ball. Chris sees the talent on offense they have in Daunte Culpepper, Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown and he would be fine competing in a two-back system."
Brown is projected to be the starter this season, but figures to share carries with a pair of newcomers -- Travis Henry, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills prior to last season, and second-round pick LenDale White. The crowded depth chart prompted Brown's agent to ask for a trade to a team where his role would be better defined. Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said the Titans would not honor the request.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 7 New Articles Added 11/6/06

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