METAIRIE – Jonathan Vilma backpedaled about five yards before breaking to his left towards the line of scrimmage.

No grimace on his face.

No brace on his knee.

No problem.

The only thing holding New Orleans’ newest linebacker back is, well, head coach Sean Payton.
“It felt good. Obviously, limited in practice,” Vilma said. “But me and coach worked out a nice little bargaining agreement. He’s letting me do a couple of things outside. Letting me work with the team a little bit, work with the linebackers. It’s exciting to come from the rehab and come from the surgery to get to this point.”

Several months after having a bone spur removed from his knee – the result of a previous injury – the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker is getting ever closer to being 100 percent.

But with so much at stake, his doctors and coaches are wary of him doing much during OTAs – Organized Team Activities – or during the Saints upcoming minicamp.

“I had to make the first move,” Vilma said. “I had to initiate the conversation. It’s good. I feel good out there.”

“His progress has been good and very encouraging,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said. “There haven’t been any setbacks. It’s been very positive.”

A few years ago, Vilma said, he likely wouldn’t have understood how or even why needs to come along slowly.

“Probably if I were five years younger, I’d go out there and ignore what the coaches say,” Vilma said. “Right now, I have to take care of my body and we’re all on the same mission.”

He added, “I feel like I can do the whole practice. Is that the best thing for me? Probably not. The best thing for me is to gradually get into it.”

For the move to work for both the Saints and Vilma, though, he’ll need to at least get back to the way he produced in his sophomore campaign with the New York Jets.

As a rookie, he started 14 of 16 games and compiled 107 tackles. But in his second season, he started all 16 contests and recorded 169 tackles – 124 solo – and forced four fumbles.

But then Eric Mangini took over the Jets and changed defenses, going from a 4-3 with three linebackers to a 3-4 with four linebackers. Vilma’s production went down.

Now in New Orleans, Vilma will again play in a 4-3, and that’s making his transition to the South that much easier.

“A lot of the concepts are the same,” Vilma said. “I’m just learning a different language now.”

It’s likely Vilma will sit out of most of the heavy contact drills during the Saints’ minicamp, which begins May 30 at the team’s Airline Highway facility.

The question is whether he’ll be ready for training camp, which starts in late July.

“We’ll see,” he said.

(wwltv.com)

Bucs rookie CB Aqib Talib will need to have an exceptional training camp, similar to the one FS Tanard Jackson had a year ago, if he's going to break into the starting lineup and unseat Phillip Buchanon, the way we hear it. Talib is penciled in as the team's nickel back, but coaches have been very careful about what they say concerning the competition between the rookie and Buchanon for a starting spot. The Bucs don't want Buchanon to get too comfortable and are hoping that Talib will push him in the next few months. Word out of Tampa is that coaches have been pretty pleased with what they've seen from Talib thus far in workouts, but they have not forgotten about how well Buchanon played in 13 starts last season after Brian Kelly went down with a groin injury. For now, sources envision Talib lining up on the same side of the field as SS Jermaine Phillips in the nickel package, which is intended to free up CB Ronde Barber to be more aggressive and make plays on the ball, while Buchanon remains the starter.

(profootballweekly.com)

Danny Graves didn't pitch in the majors last year after posting a 6.52 ERA in 2005 and a 5.79 ERA in 2006, so when the Twins signed the 34-year-old former All-Star to a minor-league deal he looked like Triple-A roster filler. Instead, with a 3.24 ERA and 14-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 25 innings in the minors he reportedly may soon be a bullpen option. Lots of washed-up relievers have gotten chances in the Twins' bullpen over the years, but expect him to be more Jesse Orosco than Mike Jackson.

(minnpost.com)

Reggie Wayne reflection keeps evolving.

Once as the best complimentary telephonist to Marvin Harrison, Wayne has carved out his own rightful state among the NFL’s best.

His total has increased in each of seven NFL seasons, and Wayne is set for the hardest part - refining those all over again in 2008 after a career-best year in which he caught 104 passes and produced a league-high 1,510 unloading.

It’s a challenge that Wayne, as predictable, .

“It’s definitely standard to be exacting,” he said Saturday as the Colts held their following day of binding mini-camp. “I feel like I must be able to do that, that I have a duty to be able to take advantage of it.”

Wayne emerged last season as Peyton Manning’s chosen target when Harrison went down with a left knee damage.

At times, he was Manning’s only reliable option.

Harrison missed 11 regular-season games, key-round flow pick Anthony Gonzalez was hobbled by injuries throughout the season and Manning even lost tricky end Dallas Clark for one game in November.

That’s when Wayne excelled.

Forced to play against a petitions of coverages to slow him down, an occasion usually taken for Harrison - the Colts’ career groundbreaker in every single main receiving classification, Wayne unremitting catching passes and turned into full-fledged believers.

“It was shutting up the ,” Wayne said. “They were always talking on the order of could I do it, could I do it. They always said it was because Marvin was there, which is true. But I was still able to do it when he wasn’t there.”

Still, Wayne knows it be enhanced for Indianapolis to work in tandem.

The eight-time Pro Bowler is two bad knees, and finds himself part of an inquiry into an purported firing incident in his of Philadelphia. Harrison has been interviewed by police but has not been exciting with any illegality.

Agent Tom Condon Harrison was concerned, and Colts officials have declined to comment exactly until they receive more credible report.

The Colts better disquiet is construction sure Harrison is healthy. He had surgery on his in shape knee following Indy’s playoff loss to San Diego and has been rehabilitating an swollen capsule in his left knee, the wrong that kept him out a career-high 11 games last year.

Coach Tony Dungy said Harrison is in town for camp but is not running out this week because of his treatment. Mini-camp ends Sunday.

“We’ll see where it (the search goes). I’m not indeed up on all the ,” Dungy said Saturday. “The doctors are adage he (Harrison) should be fine. Last season, he had a skillful opening day and was on the way to having the type of year we count on from Marvin. So we ruminate he’ll be OK.”

Wayne, who may be the closest to Harrison, said he’s not concerned of the order of the recce, only Harrison’s vigor.

And he can’t to get him back. In fact, Harrison can’t wait to get back on the field.

“You can tell it’s undeniably sad him not consciousness out there,” Wayne said. “That’s where I got a lot of my practice help from, because he never takes plays off so when Peyton’s out there, I don’t take off. We feed off each other and I’d much satisfactorily have him out there because the more we’re laid-back, the in good health off we’ll be.”

But getting Harrison back also could power Wayne’s stats.

Of course, that’s not how Wayne sees it. In an era where many receivers are regularly defendant of spirit selfish, Wayne points out that with the two Pro Bowl , the Colts won a Super Bowl. With Harrison at less than full force they were in the local round of the .

“I like it that way because that way they can’t key on me,” Wayne said.

Besides, Wayne has by this time established , put up the colorful numbers and won a Super Bowl ring.

All he truthfully wants now is some more locket, and that’s what Dungy likes to hear.

“He’s gotten restored every year since we got here, manufacture . He made a ton of big plays for us last year,” Dungy said. “That’s in fact not a complete lot unusual than what he did from the aforementioned three years, and that’s what we’d like to see over this year.”

(daymlb.com)

He’s doing a heck of a job. First off, he knows what we’re doing, so that’s an easy transition. It’s a great opportunity for him in his career because he’s a leader of a group from day one when he walked in here and he’s taken command of that. and I think it’s been good that he’s had some buddies on that group that helped him jump in there right away, some guys that he’s played with before. You think that (Rashad) Butler, (Eric) Winston and him all played together. So we are very pleased with where he is right now."

(battleredblog.com)

Houston, TX - Pat Burrell hit a go-ahead pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies edged the Houston Astros, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game set.

Ryan Howard continued to heat up from his season-long slump, going 3-for-5 with a solo homer, two runs batted in and three runs scored for the Phillies, who won their third straight. Chad Durbin (1-1) got the win for a scoreless inning of relief after Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick gave up eight hits and five runs in five-plus frames.

(ap.com)

Calais Campbell was starting at left defensive end for Darnell Dockett. Campbell also played with the second team.




(azcentral.com)

Bubba Franks’ practice wasn’t nearly as electric as the one we saw last week when he caught touchdown passes from Pennington, Clemens and Brett Ratliff. Franks did make a sliding 12-yard reception today on an underthrown Clemens pass but he also flinched several plays later and had to run a penalty lap.

(blogs.trb.com)

Check out our latest Wallpaper of Santana Moss! Click here or click above on proCanes Wallpapers to download it onto your desktop. Enjoy and let us know of any other players you would like to see. We have more on the way!

ESTERO — Magic Benton knew to keep his distance.

He hadn't attended a Florida Firecats game since he announced his retirement. He hadn't even listened to one over the Internet.

"I was trying to stay away," Benton explained.

It worked, too -- for about eight weeks.

But just as most of his teammates had predicted, the 32-year-old Benton, the most decorated receiver in arenafootball2 history, eventually found his way back.

He practiced with the Firecats on Tuesday for the first time, running routes and catching passes on the turf where he set records the past seven seasons.

"You could tell he wanted to be part of it," said Firecats veteran Brent Burnside. "He never really left."

How could he?

When the Fort Myers resident reported to work at the YMCA, Benton was often approached by people who knew his history -- his supervisor, among them -- and asked how long it would be before he got back to burning rival DBs on Saturday nights in Germain Arena.

When he helped coach the Florida Christian Institute football team, he'd rub elbows with Firecats quarterback Chris Wallace, the FCI head coach, and Burnside, another assistant on Wallace's staff. You can guess what kind of conversations would break out.

"Finally got him out here," Burnside said. "I've been just chipping away at him."

Benton makes it four Firecats mainstays to return since the start of the season, joining wide receiver Ethenic Sands, defensive end Alfred Peterson and linebacker Quincy Sorrell.

But Benton is different.

Benton, a University of Miami product, has long been a face of the Florida franchise, the only player to have played a down for the team in each of its first seven seasons.

When he retired last fall following Florida's loss in the first round of the playoffs, he held af2 records for receptions, receiving yards, TD receptions, most points by a non-kicker and most touchdowns.

Boise Burn receiver George Williams has passed him in the latter two categories. But Benton still has the big three -- receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions.

Not that it drives him.

"It's about winning a ring," Benton said, "and having a fellowship with these guys. That's the fun part -- the locker room, the road trips."

Benton kept himself away from it, he said, so he could spend more time with his family, and this past spring he coached his daughter's youth basketball team.

But he found himself exiting Interstate 75 in Estero about a week ago, when he showed up at a Firecats practice for the first time and met with coaches afterward.

He told them he was ready.

"We are always looking to upgrade," Firecats coach Kevin Bouis said. "The main thing is making sure the older guys -- the ones who weren't here from the beginning -- can come in and just gel. We've got a new thing going, a new environment, and we don't want that to be disrupted."

The timing of Benton's comeback seems about perfect, considering Matt Burstein, Florida's leader in receiving yards, has been battling a tailbone injury the past two weeks.

But after watching Benton in practice Tuesday, Bouis still wasn't sure how soon the receiver would be back in uniform. Florida would have to sign Benton by Thursday if Bouis plans to use him against South Division rival South Georgia, which plays in Germain Arena on Saturday night.

"We'll have to see," Bouis said. "He's right in the mix."

For his part, Benton, who hasn't caught a touchdown pass in more than nine months, doesn't envision himself having the kind of impact he's always had.

Not right away, at least.

"It's not my team -- I'm not one of the leaders of this team," Benton said. "I'll just stay in the background until the time is right."

(naplesnews.com)

In football, spring accomplishments and evaluations come with an asterisk and a warning.

*These statements and observation might not hold true this fall, when regular-season games begin.

The Cardinals know that in May every team is undefeated and no player has failed. With that caveat out of the way, everyone seems confident that switching Antrel Rolle from cornerback to safety could be one of the key moves of the off-season.

"As far as purely playing the safety position, he's looked very comfortable and very confident," coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

It's a move many expected the Cardinals to eventually make when they took Rolle with the eighth overall pick in 2005. Some scouts back then thought Rolle would make a better safety than corner, and Rolle struggled at times during his three years at cornerback.

But Rolle appears to have all the tools to succeed at free safety: He's a good tackler, has good instincts, runs well and has the ability to intercept passes and run with them afterward.

As the team's third corner last year, he returned three interceptions for touchdowns, including two in one game.

Now, it appears Rolle will have the best of both worlds. He'll play free safety in the base defense and move to cornerback in some nickel situations.

"I think it was a good move," Rolle said. "I wanted to move back there. I felt like I could help the team more back there, roam around, pretty much freelance and be a deep safety."

Some cornerbacks resist such a move, and in his first three years, Rolle always maintained he would prefer to play corner. After last year, however, it didn't make much sense to keep him there.

Rolle had lost a starting spot to Eric Green and Rod Hood, and the club had cut last year's starting safety, Terrence Holt.

So the Cardinals moved Rolle and drafted cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round.

"I think the biggest thing for Antrel is he wants to be a starter, he wants to be a great player in this league," secondary coach Teryl Austin said. "I think he'll do whatever it takes to be that kind of player."

There is much to learn, however. Cornerbacks have to know just one side of the field, while safeties must take in the whole field and the entire offensive formation.

There are signals to be called, information to be passed on to linebackers and corners. The pursuit angles are different, as is the time he has to react to plays.

"The main thing I have to work on is reading the quarterback from that depth," Rolle said, "just slowing down a little bit. I'm used to being at corner, so my instincts are a whole lot faster. You have more time, and you can't get too antsy."

With the plan to keep him responsible for the slot receiver in nickel situations, Rolle will keep one foot in his old world.

"That's one of the things I mentioned that no matter what happened, I never wanted to move from the slot," he said. "That's a natural fit, being that I played there in college and I fit in pretty good there last year. It's a great position for me."

But it's only May and Rolle hasn't won the free safety job yet.

He's running with the first team, but he'll be pushed in training camp by Aaron Francisco and possibly Matt Ware.

"He looks like a natural for the position," Whisenhunt said. "I'm excited to see what he does in the preseason games and when we get the pads on."

(azcentral.com)

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has looked very good this week as the team goes through its organized drills, according to several people with the team. But Coach Sean Payton noted they are bringing the newcomer along slowly after knee surgery.

Vilma, the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, was acquired from the New York Jets in a trade for a fourth-round draft pick this year and either a second- or third-round pick next year, depending on Vilma's performance.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder looked solid in third-down and nickel drills, working mostly with the second unit. Vilma had a bone chip removed from his knee last year and missed seven games.

"He's participating in half a practice, seven-on-seven drills, and it's been very good," Payton said. "It's been real positive so far."

The Saints hope Vilma, 26, will prove to be the kind of inside playmaker the defense can build around for years to come.

Vilma said the scheme he's mastering with the Saints is similar to that run by the Jets in his first two years in the league. Vilma said he feels ready to go full speed full time, but that would be ahead of schedule. The limited action to date is the result of an agreement he reached with Payton.

"It's been exciting, to come from rehab and the surgery and get to this point," Vilma said. "We're being cautious, of course, that's to be expected, but it looks pretty good at this point."

Vilma is a welcome addition because the Saints find themselves thin at linebacker. The retirement of Dan Morgan earlier this week leaves the team with just eight at that position. And that number, which includes two free-agent rookies, has been trimmed further with a hip injury that has kept Mark Simoneau out of practice.

Payton said the team will bolster that spot soon, predicting it would acquire a player.

He said he didn't necessarily think that would be an experienced veteran.

"I think that the key is finding the right guy, and it could very well be a young player," Payton said.

(nola.com)

Jim Salisbury, of The Philadelphia Inquirer, reports Philadelphia Phillies OF Pat Burrell went 0-for-4 with a walk on May 21 against the Washington Nationals. He is hitting .143 (7-for-49), with one homer and two RBI, in his last 15 games. His average has dropped from .330 to 271. "He has the same stance and setup," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's just going through a period where he's not hitting. The only thing I see him doing wrong is he's starting to chase bad breaking balls. He's pulling off the ball a little."

(kffl.com)

"Vilma's doing well. He's participating in half a practice. He's not taking part in any of the team reps, but he's working in the individual and seven on seven sessions. I have been encouraged with his progress. There have not been any setbacks. It's been real positive."



(blog.nola.com)

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) Bryant McKinnie is back with the Vikings, hoping he won't have to leave.

After attending a court hearing in Florida the day before, McKinnie joined his teammates in Minnesota. He took part in Wednesday's offseason workout, one of the voluntary-but-expected spring practices known as "organized team activities." McKinnie has pleaded not guilty to charges one felony and three misdemeanors stemming from a fight outside a Miami nightclub in February.

He declined to discuss his legal situation after practice, but said it's been a "learning experience" for him.

McKinnie said he wouldn't "make any speculations" about whether he'll face a suspension from the NFL, but that he's hoping to be with the Vikings all season.

(ap.com)

One of the keys for Denver as it tries to turn around from a 7-9 season will be linebacker D.J. Williams. He has been moving around more than any NFL player in recent seasons.

Williams came into the league in 2004 and he had instant success as a weakside linebacker. The first-round pick was a runner-up for the defensive rookie of the year. When Denver brought back Ian Gold in 2005, Williams was moved to the strongside for two seasons. Last season, Williams was moved to middle linebacker to replace the waived Al Wilson.

Williams started the season slowly and was often out of position. But he finished strong. Williams had 141 tackles, which was second in the NFL.

Still, the Broncos thought he'd be better off at his first NFL position. Thus, Williams is at the weakside again in wake of Gold being cut. Williams is a fine player but he deserves to have some stability. He was probably at his best on the weakside so it'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to yet another move.

(espn.com)

Michael Eisen, of Giants.com, reports New York Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope said the team anticipates TE Jeremy Shockey to report to the team's minicamp. "We anticipate him being here for the mini camp and we anticipate him being a part of this team as has been stated by the head coach and the general manager," Pope said.

(kffl.com)

Kellen Winslow Jr's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says that his client will be attending the June mini-camp in Cleveland, and will be attending training camp.

Rosenhaus, appearing on Sprint's Youtube channel, declared that Winslow would not miss any of the full camps which follow the OTAs (Organized team activities).

"These are voluntary activities.", Rosenhaus said on the short video. "They are not mandatory, and a player has a right to train on his own. Kellen is coming off of an off-season knee surgery, and he is doing his rehabilitation and his training with a very fine trainer in his hometown of San Diego.

He will be at the Browns mandatory mini-camp and he will be at the mandatory training camp."

Rosenhaus also took some of his time to lecture the Cleveland media a bit.

"What's the big to-do? Guys have the opportunity to choose whether they want to go to these voluntary functions, and there shouldn't be so much scrutiny on players who choose to work out on their own."

It should probably be noted that players missing OTAs are relatively rare, and that Rosenhaus himself created some of the confusion with his responses to questions from the News-Herald's Jeff Schudel last February.

Rosenhaus' comments should be re-assuring to Browns fans however:

"Kellen's going to be ready to go and everything should be just fine with him", the agent concluded, "We're looking forward to him getting back to Cleveland for the mandatory mini-camp later on this month".  

(cle.scout.com)

Chris Perez, RP, Cardinals: Perez was recalled May 16 after the team placed former closer Jason Isringhausen (hand) on the 15-day disabled list. Perez had been closing for Class AAA Memphis, where he recorded eight saves and struck out 22 batters in 17⅔ innings. Perez has been throwing consistently in the mid-90s while hitting 98 mph on the radar gun.

He has struggled with his control at times, but Perez figures to be the Cardinals future closer and could receive some opportunities early on.

(usatoday.com)

Devin Hester, this is ridiculous.

Sorry to borrow Bears play-by-play man Jeff Joniak's favorite adjective in reference to the All-Pro kick returner, but that best describes one way Hester's agent could have told the player how Tuesday's NFL labor impasse might affect his contract talks with the Bears.

Before the league's 32 owners voted unanimously to opt out early from the collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association that was to have run through 2012, Hester had two years left on his rookie deal before he could have attained free agent status.
That unfathomable option—a potential Hall of Fame player being allowed to sign with another team, even for compensation—gave Hester unspoken leverage during ongoing negotiations to extend his contract.

Now it has vanished as quickly as Hester through the wedge on a kickoff return. If the 2010 season takes place without a salary cap, maybe the biggest result of Tuesday's vote, then an oft-overlooked provision written into the original agreement in 1993 extends the amount of required service for potential free agents in an uncapped year from four seasons to six.

That means Hester wouldn't be permitted to test free agency until after the 2011 season at the earliest—in essence buying the Bears two more years of highlights from Hester and more time to work out a long-term deal.

The most underpaid athlete in Chicago is scheduled to make $445,000 this season and $530,000 in 2009. He signed a four-year, $2.61 million contract in 2006 after he was the 57th overall pick in the second round. It should be filed under Hester Heist in a Halas Hall drawer.

Hester has made it known he isn't happy with the terms of his deal and the Bears began addressing the matter with agent Eugene Parker in February at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Though less vocal about his contract status than fellow stars Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs have been, Hester confided in mentor Deion Sanders last month, surely knowing Sanders would share the news with his NFL Network audience.

One view: While still unclear and reversible, Tuesday's CBA development lessens the urgency for the Bears, who don't like redoing contracts with two years remaining anyway.

Another immediate result of playing 2010 without a salary cap and a potential work stoppage looming a year later could be teams showing more reluctance to commit big money beyond the next three years. That could factor into discussions involving Tommie Harris, who is looking for the richest deal ever awarded a defensive tackle.

Harris already has turned down an offer from the Bears one source said was richer than the record-setting seven-year, $50.5 million deal the Raiders gave Tommy Kelly. Why would the Bears up the offer amid labor uncertainty?

That's a question Harris might want to ponder, not that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will persuade him to settle for anything other than a historic contract.

On the other hand, Harris might have gained a slight bit of leverage because he now can make the argument he is served best over the long haul by signing nothing if the Bears won't match his price.

Even if Harris and the Bears don't come to terms in the next two months and he technically becomes a free agent before the final capped season of 2009, expect the Bears to apply the franchise tag to keep him in Chicago. That would guarantee Harris around $7 million in 2009 (the tag value for defensive tackles in 2008 was $6.3 million).

Then after the 2009 season, Harris would stand to be the most hotly pursued free agent in a market that has no ceiling because of the absence of a salary cap. Can you imagine the potential bidding war between Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for a 27-year-old defensive tackle who could be coming off five straight Pro Bowl appearances?

Forget Harris donating equipment to a children's center in Killeen, Texas. He could buy Killeen.

If 2010 ends up being an uncapped year, it also could end up being significant in stabilizing the Bears' quarterback position if Kyle Orton beats out Rex Grossman and goes on to enjoy two seasons' worth of success. Orton redid his deal to run through 2009, but that would complete only his fifth season in the league and the new caveat requires six years of service before free agency.

Under that scenario—no guarantee for a guy who hasn't proved he's a bona fide NFL starter—Orton could face the prospect of negotiating with the Bears before the 2010 uncapped season with a work stoppage looming. That would be less than ideal for Orton or any player looking for a long-term deal amid so much short-term uncertainty.

Tuesday's news probably has no impact on Urlacher's contract impasse, which he maintains is more about respect than salary cap space. If he and the team find a middle ground before training camp on July 23, as expected, it likely will be the last contract Urlacher signs.

John Tait and Adewale Ogunleye each might have one deal left in them, but they will be 35 and 33, respectively, before the 2010 season. Each player's contract is to expire at the end of 2009.

Interest in either player may depend on where the Bears are in their rebuilding project. And where they are in the rebuilding project might depend on how happy and productive they keep core players such as Harris and Hester, two stars whose talks got more interesting Tuesday without either saying a word.

(chicagosports.chicagotribune.com)

The best news of the entire offseason came Monday night.

Linebacker Dan Morgan retired after seven NFL seasons. This isn't going to be your typical column talking about how sad it is to see a player walk away from the game.

This is going to be celebratory in tone because retiring now is what's best for Morgan and his family. In fact, the only thing that slightly dampens Morgan's walking away now is that he should have done it a year sooner.

After covering Morgan from the day he was drafted in the first round by the Carolina Panthers in 2001, there came a point -- and I can't remember exactly when -- that it became obvious he was a walking time bomb. Was it the third documented concussion? Or maybe the fifth?

During that time, stories kept popping up about retired players and the problems they were having later in life as the result of concussions they'd had as players. The stories were gruesome, and the last thing anybody who has ever met Morgan would want to see is his ending up like that.

Reporters and the players they cover aren't supposed to be friends. It's just the rules of the business. You don't get too close to them so you're not in an awkward position if they screw up and you have to write about it. They don't get too close to you because -- well, you're in a different tax bracket.

But of all the guys I dealt with as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Panthers, Morgan made that line the most blurry. He was just a very regular guy. The kind of guy who'd take a cell phone from a reporter in a Spartanburg, S.C., pizza place and wake another napping reporter and tell him to get over there.

The kind of guy you'd like to grab a beer with if the rules for reporters and athletes weren't in place and if Morgan didn't have his own set of rules. The guy took pride in the fact that alcohol had never touched his lips.

That's how dedicated Morgan was to football and his body. The game was sacred. He grew up as the son of Dan Marino's former bodyguard. The body was sacred. Nobody's conditioning program was more strenuous than Morgan's. A columnist I worked with in Charlotte went down to South Florida soon after Morgan was drafted to watch him work out.

Morgan plowed through sand dunes for an hour in May heat. He stopped … to throw up and, then, went right back to running.

But that's the irony of it all. Once he got to the NFL, Morgan's body betrayed him. The injuries started right away, with Morgan going down with a broken leg in his rookie season. Weird things kept happening and Morgan never was able to play a full season with the Panthers.

When he did play, he was spectacular. It gets overshadowed because the Patriots won, but Morgan made 25 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII. There were a few other outstanding games through the years and, at his best, Morgan stacked up with any linebacker in the league.

But the injuries kept coming, and then the concussions started piling up. There was one in the 2006 preseason followed closely by another in that season's opener. The Panthers shut Morgan down for the season, and some pretty important people in the organization tried to tell him it was time to walk away.

Morgan couldn't. He went to numerous concussion specialists and the consensus was he could return to play in 2007. The Panthers had a huge decision to make. Could they even let Morgan back on the field?

Owner Jerry Richardson knew if Morgan didn't play in Carolina, he'd play somewhere. If Morgan was going to play anywhere, Richardson decided, it should be with the team that drafted him. Reporters and fans rolled their eyes and hoped they weren't about to see a worst-case scenario.

But that became moot three games into last season, when Morgan went down with an Achilles tendon injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year. In the meantime, rookie Jon Beason showed he was a healthy version of Morgan. The Panthers again suggested to Morgan that he retire and he declined. They released him and Morgan signed with the New Orleans Saints in March.

Sometime in recent days, Morgan began seeing what the rest of the world had seen for the past couple of years. He has a lovely wife and two beautiful children. He's 29 and has all the money he'll ever need. He still seems to have reasonable health.

Watching Morgan the past couple of years, you couldn't help but get the feeling that things were going to end horribly if he kept playing. Maybe one more concussion would be one too many.

That's why it's time to celebrate. A guy, a truly good guy, who seemed to have tunnel vision only for football, finally looked around and saw a great life outside of football. Then, mercifully, he walked away while he still could.

(espn.com)

Saying his body "looks like a little sculpture", arenafootball2 record-setting wide receiver Magic Benton is returning to the Florida Firecats this season.

Benton said he hasn't signed but plans to after talking to Florida coach Kevin Bouis last week.

"I was hoping to slide back in there," Benton said. "After I talked to coach Bouis after practice, some of the players asked if I was coming back and I said, 'No, no, no.' I kept myself away because if I came around, I knew that would be trouble.

"I had the bug and I talked with a couple of guys and (offensive coordinator) Ken Mastrole and the new offensive line coach (Dominic Bramante). I went out there last Wednesday."

Benton, who played collegiately at Miami, would like to gradually work himself into football shape this week and play in his first game on May 31, but he may not have that long. Firecats receivers Matt Burstein (tailbone) and Bruce Gordon (back) are bothered by injuries. Benton would have to sign by Thursday to play Saturday.

"I hate to throw him out there," Bouis said. "But he looks good. I assume he's in ideal shape."

From playing basketball three days a week as well as being involved with a variety of activities at the YMCA, Benton said he's fine physically.

"My body looks good, like a little sculpture," he said. "But (playing) depends on how I feel at practice and how my body reacts. You can't get in shape unless you're out there."

Benton is the af2's career leader in receptions (584), receiving yards (7,698) and TD catches (165).

(news-press.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - Reggie Wayne stands among those who want Marvin Harrison back to full health, making stunning catches rather than dealing with surgeries and suspicions.

Wayne had his best year as an Indianapolis Colt, in terms of numbers, in 2007, when Harrison missed most of the season.

But the ending was unsatisfying.

“We feed off each other; I would much rather have him out there healthy,” Wayne said during the Colts three-day mini-camp, which ended Sunday. “As an example: He was healthy, I was healthy and we went to the Super Bowl. Our offense was - what do they say? - potent. As close as he can be to 100 percent, the better I'll be.”

Wayne makes it a point to try to drive his production up each season, a goal that turns tougher as he gets better. He set career bests in 2007 in catches (104) and yards (1,510) and had his second-best touchdown total (10, two short of 12 in Peyton Manning's record-setting 2004 season).

Driving him are his critics, real or perceived.

“There was always talk about, ‘Could I do it?' ” Wayne said. “A lot of times I would hear I'm good because of Marvin, which I am because he's helped me get better. But at the same time, I know what I can do, and I was able to prove it last year.”

Wayne, 29, enters his eighth season in the NFL, and he's added the role of elder statesman and role model to his resume. He's now the one who'll have to mentor the younger receivers, such as Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall. With Wayne's outgoing, vocal personality, he's better suited for the task in many ways than Harrison.

He credits Harrison with teaching him the finer points of pro football work ethic, including never missing a repetition during practice unless sidelined by injury.

“When I got here, I looked at Marv and he was taking every rep,” Wayne said. “I said, if that's what I have to do to be great, I'm going to take every snap, too. So whenever Peyton's out there, I'm out there. Hopefully, (Harrison) can come back. I think he'll be back and ready to go and I'm looking forward to it.”

Wayne said he has not talked to Harrison about the shooting in Philadelphia that remains unresolved. Police questioned Harrison and it has been reported that Harrison's gun was used in an incident in which a man was injured by a bullet, and a broken window from the same incident injured a child. Harrison assured Colts officials he was not involved in the incident.

Harrison attended the Colts mini-camp, the Colts said, but did not participate because of offseason knee surgery. Several other Colts, including Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders, Gary Brackett and Ryan Lilja, did not participate for health reasons.

“Knowing Marv for eight years, I can tell you he's definitely hurting not being able to be out there,” Wayne said. “The only thing I've talked to Marv about is his health. That's the only thing that concerns me. I just want him to be healthy.”

Wayne, meanwhile, is the picture of perfect health.

Between now and training camp in July, he'll be staying in shape and figuring out how to raise his receiving standards once again.

(news-sentinel.com)

He'll be working for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years, but what's that mean for Frank Gore? Gore became the first rookie in 15 years to lead the 49ers in rushing under Mike McCarthy in 2005, became a Pro Bowl starter the next year under Norv Turner, then had another productive season last year under Jim Hostler. But now that Mike Martz is in charge, Gore says the best is yet to come.

Gore admitted this spring that it's not the optimum situation for a running back of his pedigree and skill to have to start over again and learn a new offensive system with a new coordinator, which is something Gore has had to do in each of his four seasons since entering the NFL with the 49ers.

But there is starting over, and then there is starting over with a guy such as Martz running the show.

"It's tough," Gore said. "But working with a guy who's had a lot of success in this league, that's been a head coach in this league, it make you really want to work for him and listen to him. Because you know that he really knows what's going on."

Gore, like most of San Francisco's offensive players, never had that feeling last year with Hostler, who was unable to build upon - or even maintain, for that matter - the momentum the offense carried into 2007 after a year of rising promise under Turner's direction. Instead, the San Francisco attack took a nosedive south, finishing last in the NFL in eight offensive categories with historically bad numbers.

But while the 49ers were finishing last in the NFL in total offense, last in scoring and last in the eyes of analysts everywhere, Gore was quietly fighting through an ankle injury that forced him to miss one game and hampered him in others to assemble a fine season - particularly considering he was the only thing the offense really had going right for it the entire year and truly was a marked man every time he stepped on the field.

Gore doesn't see that happening now that Martz is at the controls.

"I mean, this is going to be a fun offense," Gore said. "We're going to be spreading the ball around. We have a lot of sets, doing two backs, motion everybody out, we go empty (backfield). This year, we won't see eight, nine men in the box no more. I like it like that, you know?

Yes, Frank, we know.

Even with defenses stacked to stop him with multiple defenders crowding the line because they had absolutely no respect for San Francisco's anemic passing game, Gore still finished fifth in the NFC with 1,102 yards rushing last year, averaging a respectable 4.2 yards a pop. He also led the 49ers in receptions with 53 and produced 1,538 yards from scrimmage.

This came a year after Gore had captured the attention of defensive coordinators throughout the NFL with a breakout 2006 season during which he led the NFC with a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing and led the 49ers with a career-high 61 receptions.

With the progress both he and the offense made during Turner's one season as 49ers offensive coordinator - Turner left the team in February of last year to become head coach of the San Diego Chargers - Gore boldly stated goals of challenging for NFL records and breaking the 2,000-yard rushing barrier in 2007.

After the humbling experience of last season in Hostler's extremely rocky debut as a NFL coordinator, Gore uses no numbers in talking about his goals this season. But that's not to say his goals aren't big.

"I don' t want to put no numbers out there," Gore said. "I just want to go out there, have fun, play hard and try to win some games, hopefully go back to the Pro Bowl. And that's what this offense is about. It's going to be a fun offense."

And, just like he has been in the past two incarnations of San Francisco's offense, Gore will be the main man in that attack.

"The potential to build that offense around Frank Gore is pretty exciting," Martz said. "He's really a complete player, and that's hard to find in this league anymore. I think you can put him as the centerpiece and build around that."

Gore looked like the centerpiece during the 49ers' spring minicamp earlier this month, lining up as the single back in a variety of formation and slashing through the line with the ball cradled in his chest.

But that was just the half of it. Gore also could be seen going in motion to leave an empty backfield, lining up in the slot and in wing positions along the line, and even splitting out wide in some formations.

In other words, he's not just going to be a running back in the Martz offense. He's also going to be a pass-catcher.

And Gore, for one, is all for that.

"I'm touching the ball more in the passing game and getting out in the slot running routes and showing people I can run routes, showing them I can catch the ball very well running routes out of the backfield," Gore said. "People don't know I can do that. It's going to be a surprise to a lot of people."

The natural comparison observers make is that Gore is Martz's new version of Marshall Faulk, and naturally that's all right with Gore. Gore already has spoken with Faulk several times, with Faulk offering Gore help any time he needs it, even saying he was willing to meet up with Gore when Gore is training at the 49ers facility in California or at his home in Miami.

Gore is soaking up whatever tips he can get from Faulk, because that's the prototype for the position he's now playing.

"(Martz) will use me in the same way," Gore said. "All the success that he's had with other guys, like Marshall … I want to be a guy that one day (Martz) can go tell other people that he once coached Frank Gore."

(sfo.scout.com)

Giants TE coach Mike Pope and the rest of the assistants were made available to the media today. Obviously, the hot topic was Jeremy Shockey, which made Pope a popular guy.

Pope said he hasn't spoken to Shockey "most recently." Apparently that means within the past few weeks because he did say he talked to Shockey around draft time. But Pope still had a pretty good feel for the situation and indicated there are some rough patches that need to be smoothed over, though he downplayed Shockey's frustrations with the offense. The vibe Pope put out there was that any player who misses a Super Bowl victory feels removed from the team and needs to feel welcome again.

"We spoke about that right before the draft and through the winter a little bit, yeah," Pope, who has been an assistant for all of the Giants' Super Bowl championships, said of his chats with Shockey. "A good way to look at that is the picture of Phil Simms in the tunnel out here. We all remember that shot. And Phil has said how difficult that was for him. I don't think you can individualize this. Any player who's a big part of the team and gets out of the roster for a period of time, it's a terrific shock because that's what they do. He had a lot to do with us getting there and it's every player's goal to play in that game and win the game. I know he was very, very upset about not being able to finish what we collectively started. I'm sure there was a lot of disappointment."

There have also been plenty of rumors and reports that this situation could result in a divorce. Pope doesn't expect that to occur and he anticipates Shockey's arrival in time for mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.

"I don't think he's any different than other players. Once the team gets back together and they get involved together, those things - whatever they have been - tend to become less of a factor and they eventually disappear," Pope said. "You start playing together, you start winning and the upside of the game is what you're looking at, then things usually run fairly smoothly."

As for the rumblings his teammates don't want Shockey around, Pope quickly dismissed them by saying, "I haven't spoken to anyone who hasn't texted him or talked to him. He's very close to several of our players. ... These guys are all about winning and if players are here that can help us win, they're usually favorably looked on."

And then of course there are the suggestions Eli Manning was better in the postseason because Shockey wasn't around. Not so, said Pope.

"That's demeaning to both players. To think that one player has to be out of the picture before another player can surface, that's ludicrous," Pope said. "Eli Manning has been on a constant scale of improvement; that's very obvious. ... (Manning's improvement) wasn't (the result of) the absence of anybody; it was the ascension of some other players. You'd have to be pretty narrow-minded to look at things that way. This was not a situation wher the vice president becomes president because something bad happened to the president."

And finally, when asked about Shockey's recovery from a broken leg, Pope said he heard he's coming along well and is running in the sand pits in Miami to strengthen his legs.

"He gets hurt, but he's a quick healer because he pushes himself," Pope said.

(blog.nj.com)

Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie had his June 2 trial date continued to a June 20 report at a pre-trial hearing today in Miami-Dade County Court.

McKinnie missed Tuesday's OTA to attend a hearing related to the charges he faces after a brawl outside a Miami nightclub in February.

McKinnie's attorney, Larry Kerr, said he hopes to convince the state of Florida to allow the player to enter a pre-trial diversion program.

If the state agrees and McKinnie fulfills the terms of the program, the charges against him would be dismissed.

"I aim to make sure that happens," Kerr said. "But only the state of Florida can let him into the program."

If an agreement cannot be reached before June 20, Kerr said a new trial date would be set.

McKinnie, who was in court for today's hearing and not on had for the second day of organized team activities at Winter Park, faces four charges, including one of felony battery stemming from a Feb. 24 fight outside a Miami nightclub.

He also faces a possible NFL suspension, depending on the resolution of the case.

(twincities.com)

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson will miss the entire month of OTA sessions after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Thursday.

Johnson was having lingering problems with the knee injury that knocked him out of seven games last season. The Texans were hopeful that surgery wouldn't be necessary this offseason, but when it bothered Johnson during mini-camp two weeks ago, the surgery was scheduled.

"We went back and forth with the knee throughout the offseason," Kubiak said. "It wasn't feeling the way (Andre) wanted it to feel. So we tried to do some things, some rest and those types of things, to get it better.

"He wasn't really comfortable coming out of (mini-)camp, so we said, 'Hey, let's go scope it and see if there are any issues. We want you to feel comfortable.' Everything was fine. They cleaned it up. Now he feels good about it. He's not going to be hurt by missing some of these reps, so we'll just get him back to 100 percent and get him ready to go."

Johnson was on the practice field with his teammates for the start of OTAs Monday. He stood with the receivers and was one of the last players off the field. He had a sleeve covering his knee.

All indications are that he will be back and healthy for the start of training camp.

"I feel good right now," he said. "The knee didn't swell up or anything. It has a little bit of swelling, but nothing major. If you looked at my knee, you wouldn't really even be able to tell anything is wrong with it. Other than that, I am feeling fine, just rehabbing every day, doing what I need to do to get back on the field."

(chron.com)

Yes, according to his position coach, Dave Merritt, who’s had a few days to work with the first-round draft pick at safety.

“This kid, in the classroom, has shown unbelievable recall for the defense,” Merritt said. “We put in things back early in the (rookie) minicamp and he’s able to recall it here it is a week or two later. I’m very excited about that.

"As far as his God-given ability mentally, this kid is very good."

Phillips still has some work to do on covering routes and finding proper angles, but Merritt said Phillips’ approach is perfect so far.

He’s also showing some signs of a top-notch ballhawk. Merritt said there was one play in the rookie minicamp in which Phillips was able to get from the middle of the field to the outside edge of the numbers. Phillips didn’t show much of that ability in college; he was mostly an in-the-box safety at Miami.

“Kenny going back and playing the middle post, I would have no problem with that,” Merritt said. “As far as a box safety, he’s got the size of a linebacker. He’s not as heavy as some of the linebackers, but the kid has a nice bone structure to him. I think he’s gonna be able to play both. I know he is. He’s gonna have to.”

Merritt said that right now James Butler is the starting strong safety and Michael Johnson is the starter at free safety. New additions Sammy Knight and Kenny Phillips will be learning both positions.

“Once the season comes along we’ll start to weed it out and put the guys in their position,” he said, “but right now we’d like for these guys to learn it all, both positions.”

(weblogs.newsday.com)

Tavares Gooden may have gone to the same school that Ray Lewis did (University of Miami), played the same middle linebacker position and donned the same immortal No. 52, but his path to the NFL definitely was not the same.

Gooden, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was an elite athlete at St.Thomas Aquinas High School where he excelled at football and track and field. While he was the 2002 state champion in the discus, football was his passion. Gooden was regarded as one of the best football players in Florida and was named a two-time Class 4A All-State selection.

After a distinguished high school career, Gooden moved on to play linebacker at Miami, a school known for breeding many NFL players.

Unlike Lewis who started several games his freshman year, Gooden began his Hurricane career on special teams and had minimal impact. In Gooden’s sophomore year, he cracked the starting lineup and wound up at weakside backer; he finished third on the team in tackles with 83 and also compiled 10 tackles for a loss. His career seemed like it was about to take off , but he was derailed the following year in the season opener against arch-rival Florida St. Gooden suffered a dislocated left shoulder in the first quarter and later underwent surgery to repair the damage. His season was over and he received a medical redshirt.

However, Gooden was undeterred and worked hard in the off-season to regain his starting spot the next fall, but this time, it was at strongside linebacker. Despite thriving in his sophomore season, Gooden struggled in his second attempt at a junior year. His production was nearly cut in half and he ended the year with just 41 tackles.

Gooden bounced back in his senior year and his star high school billing finally came to fruition as he transitioned to the middle linebacker spot at Miami. The Hurricane team had an unsuccessful season, but Gooden was one of the lone bright spots, totaling 100 tackles which led the team and started to make him look more like Lewis.

“He had a great year this year,” said Baltimore Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta. “We think he’s got a lot of potential. He made huge strides from his junior year to his senior year, in terms of improving his play and really taking the next step in becoming an elite college linebacker.”

After finishing his career in college, Gooden demonstrated great physical skills and a strong work ethic at his auditions for NFL scouts. Because of his 6’1 and 235 pound stature, along with great speed and athleticism, the Ravens selected him in the third round of the NFL draft at pick 71. In contrast, Lewis was picked 45 spots earlier in 1996 at pick 26 overall (making him a first round selection).

“The only thing I told him was that he couldn’t have No. 52 when he got here, because it belongs to someone else,” said general manager Ozzie Newsome after the selection of Gooden. “But anytime you get a player from the Miami Hurricanes, you know you get someone who loves the game, who runs to the football, and knows and understands how to play the game.” Gooden knew he would have to change his number, but he was fine with doing so because it was in good hands.

“That’s alright,” said Gooden at this past weekend’s mini camp about changing his number from 52. “A great guy has it. A legendary player. I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps and play just like he did while he was here.”

Emulating Lewis’ career is exactly what Gooden hopes to do, though it will begin differently just like in Miami. Lewis was entrenched as the starting man in the middle of the Ravens defense from day one, but that doesn’t mean that Gooden won’t learn everything he can before he has the chance to fill the shoes of the future hall-of-famer.

“Oh, it’s great,” said Gooden about having Lewis as a mentor. “Small little things that I mess up on, he always tells me,

‘I’m going to teach you that.’ That’s how he is, and I think that’s a great opportunity for me to have – a guy who went to Miami, a guy that I mess up on, he always tell me, ‘I’m going to teach you that.’ That’s how he is, and I think that’s a great opportunity for me to have – a guy who went to Miami, a guy that I followed through my whole career.”

(bal.scout.com)

After Tuesday's storm-shortened organized team activity, Bucs cornerback Phillip Buchanon discussed numerous topics with Pewter Report. At the forefront of the conversation, Buchanon indicated that his representatives are discussing a contract extension with the Buccaneers.

Buchanon is in the final year of his contract with Tampa Bay. He is scheduled to hit free agency next February. Sources have indicated to Pewter Report that the contract discussions are ongoing.

"Yeah, there are talks going on. Right now they're just talking," said Buchanon. "Right now I'm just playing football and doing what I do, but hopefully we'll get something done. I got one year left on the deal and I'm going to play it out, so hopefully we get something done cause I like being here in Tampa."

After extending fullback B.J. Askew last week, the Buccaneers have been attempting to retain some of their players for seasons to come. One player who has been in negotiations with the team is Jeff Garcia. The Pro Bowl veteran quarterback has been displeased with the pace of the contract talks, and expressed that to the media. Buchanon shared his view on handling his contact, and Garcia's potential new deal.

"Personally for me, if I was younger I would speak out," said Buchanon. "Now I'm more mature, and now I'm just one of those guys that feels that things will work out [with a new contract]. If it doesn't work out, well, it's a business. Sometimes things work out for the best and sometimes they don't. I'm just approaching this season as hopefully it's not my last, but on my deal it says it's my last. I'm going to go out there and give it my all, and play hard, and focus on the things I need to focus on because I only control so much.

"The whole thing with Jeff Garcia, I sure hope they come to a deal, because Jeff is definitely a good quarterback, hopefully they work it out. I'll just focus on me."

Last season, Buchanon started 13 games at left cornerback. He made 63 tackles with three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and one forced fumble. As a punt returner, Buchanon fielded 16 balls and averaged 3.4 yards per return. His longest return was 24 yards against Jacksonville on Oct. 28.

Entering 2008, Buchanon will have competition at the starting left cornerback position opposite Pro Bowl corner Ronde Barber.

Tampa Bay has many players competing at cornerback. The Bucs used their first-round pick on cornerback Aqib Talib, signed free agent Eugene Wilson, and re-signed Sammy Davis. In the 2007 NFL Draft, the Bucs selected cornerback Marcus Hamilton in the seventh round, who will also compete for a roster spot.

"It's definitely a big competition," said Buchanon. "I going to go out there and do what I do, and get better, and focus on the things that I can focus on. We got Talib, Eugene, Sammy Davis, we got a lot of guys out here working trying to make things happen."

Buchanon harbored no bitterness to the organization for drafting a player at his position. In fact, Buchanon was eager to help Talib with the transition to the NFL.

"I was pretty much aware that they were going to draft a corner, so I knew it," said Buchanon. "It wasn't a surprise to me it's a business, and the Bucs, they draft on what they need.

"I'm just going to take him in and embrace him. If he has any questions that he wants to ask me on film or anything. I was a first-rounder too, so I'll definitely be able to help him. At the same time I'm going to go out there and do what I do, and I have to play better than I did last year. That's what I'm focused on."

Buchanon entered the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, 17th overall. Bucs general manager Bruce Allen was part of the Oakland front office that selected Buchanon. After three seasons with the Raiders, Buchanon was traded to the Houston Texans for second and third-round picks in the 2005 draft.

The Texans released Buchanon during the 2006 season, and he was signed by the Buccaneers in mid-October of that year. With Tampa Bay, Buchanon has turned his career around and has become a dependable starter. After experiencing some of the hardships of the NFL, Buchanon views the situation with the Bucs to be exceptional for young players like Talib and Hamilton. The organization has a legendary defensive coordinator in Monte Kiffin, and a highly regarded defensive backs coach in Raheem Morris.

"I personally think this is one of the better systems for a corner to come up in, to come up under Monte Kiffin and Raheem," said Buchanon. "When I was in Oakland it was more of me just being me and doing my thing. I made mistakes, but playing in Tampa, man, I won't even lie to you, these guys [Talib and Hamilton] are blessed to even come into this situation. I think the coaching here is just better. The quality of coaches is better. Just the other day I was talking to him and I said ‘Man Talib, you're in a good situation, just listen and learn, and do your thing.'"

For Buchanon, not only have the young cornerbacks come into a great organization, but the veterans have as well. Buchanon discussed one of the reasons why he enjoys the offseason workouts, and how Wilson is looking as a Buc.

"Eugene is looking good," said Buchanon. "He's still learning, so he's taking it day to day, so [Morris] is giving him a hard time, but Raheem is definitely one of those coaches that you like because he has personality, and he makes coming to work fun. That's one thing that I like about Raheem. It's rare that you get coaches like that. He makes it fun even during OTA days when some guys don't want to be here. For me its cool to come in, because I know Raheem is going to be here and we can talk and we can joke and we laugh and we have fun, so it's cool to me. Eugene is looking good, he's definitely looking good."

Coming off of a solid 2007, in his first full season with Tampa Bay, Buchanon indicated that he is looking to make a lot of splash plays for the Bucs in 2008. If Buchanon makes good on his goal, the team could possibly save some money by signing Buchanon to a contract extension before he becomes a free agent next February.

With returning starters Buchanon and Barber, and with the additions of Talib and Wilson, the Buccaneers look to be very strong at the cornerback position despite losing long-time starter Brian Kelly in free agency. In the weeks to come the Buccaneers may retain Buchanon with a long-term contract extension, and have him to pair with Talib to be a quick athletic cornerback tandem for years to come.

(pewterreport.com)

R/LB JASON GEATHERS (6-2, 205, Miami) was named Ironman of the Game after recording 3.5 total tackles, one pass breakup and one touchdown rush.





(oursportscentral.com)

Roscoe Parrish also snared some difficult passes outside his body frame. Parrish was also part of what was likely the play of the day as he pulled in a pass over the middle from Trent Edwards. Edwards had accurate placement dropping the pass in between three defenders.


(buffalobills.com)

CB Duane Starks should be happy that he's out of Oakland after learning of his release this week. A mere shadow of his former self, Starks needs to find a job with a winning team even if it's only for the veteran minimum. The 10th pick overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Ravens, Starks was a crafty and scrappy defensive back who stole 20 passes away from his opponents over the course of his four seasons in Baltimore. He even picked off a pass in the Ravens' Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.

But for the past two years, he's been a struggling veteran player attempting to resurrect his career with a struggling team. That rarely works. If he wants to be successful in this league again, he needs to find a defensive backs coach with a winning program who has the talent to spot what's gone awry with Stark's approach to the game both mentally and physically. And he has to surround himself with players who have a winning attitude and who won't accept anything from him but his best effort every day. I hope he finds that opportunity, because when his game was on he was great fun to watch.

(scout.miami.com)

The star of practice was TE Bubba Franks, who shined in a seven-on-seven, red-zone drill. He made a nice, one-handed, falling-down grab in the end zone on a pass from Pennington, and Bubba came back moments later with a TD grab from Clemens. Later, in a full-team drill, he made a diving TD catch from Pennington.

Should no-show Chris Baker be worried? Whoa, let’s not get crazy here. Baker, not here because he’s unhappy with his contract, still is the best tight end on the roster. A few years ago, Franks was one of the best red-zone tight ends in the league - he and Brett Favre had a lot of success together in Green Bay - but one good practice in May doesn’t mean the old Bubba is back.

(nydailynews.com)

The Giants have great depth and wide receiver and plenty of offensive weapons for Eli Manning going into the 2008 season.  Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Steve Smith are all guaranteed spots on the team.  Rookie Mario Manningham is a deep threat and David Tyree is a Super Bowl hero and special teams standout, both of who should have roster spots.  Michael Jennings is a fan favorite and was coming into his own as a wideout until an achilles injury ended his 2007 season before it started.  Dominick Hixon is a standout return man who dosn’t bring much to the table as a receiver, and Brandon London is still with the team.  Now add undrafted rookie free agent DJ Hall to the mix, and you have to wonder where Moss fits in.  At least six and maybe seven of these ten players will be on the opening day roster.  I think we can cross off London and Jennings right now…we love you Jennings (he is the guy who wore the “Mr. Coughlin, please don’t cut me” T Shirt to camp), but when speed is your game a ruptured achilles is too tough to come back from.  DJ Hall has been impressive, however due to the overall talent we have at receiver, I doubt he makes the final roster.  That leaves the Giants with seven receivers.  Moss has been a major disappointment on the field, and has never proven himself capable in the return game.  If I had to guess right now, I would think Tyree and Hixon will make the team based on their special team skills alone.  This leaves the GMen with Burress, Toomer, Smith, Manningham, Tyree, Hixon as the top six wide receivers.  Sinorice’s best shot would come if he could return kicks, because there is no doubt he brings more receiving skills to the table than Hixon does.  Will we carry seven receivers or the usual six? There are other ways to stash players like Hixon on rosters as well, I think when it comes down to it, Moss gets one final shot. 

(mvn.com)

Rookie closer Chris Perez wiped out the Rays in the ninth, disposing three hitters on five pitches. He got three harmless fly balls and picked up his first big-league win when the Cardinals scored in the bottom of the ninth. Perez throws fastballs in the middle-upper 90s. He has a slider that he can deliver at two different speeds; the slower one serves as a wicked changeup. And he’s a big guy who has an imposing demeanor on the mound. “He’s nasty,” Tampa outfielder Carl Crawford said.  

Manager Tony La Russa is quickly becoming a fan. “If he can repeat what he’s done for the last couple of days for the rest of his career, he’s going to be special,” TLR said. “He’s come in against a very good team, and he’s made pitches. The ball hasn’t been thrown all over the place. It’s been at or near the catcher’s mitt, with good stuff. I mean, that’s a tie game in the ninth and he handled it very well.”

Here’s another cool thing about the Perez outing on Sunday: He fired his first warm-up pitch over the head of catcher Jason LaRue and to the backstop. You don’t think the Rays noticed that? It won’t be comfortable for hitters to step in against this kid. He’s effectively wild.
And it’s a matter of time before La Russa pronounces Perez as ready for ninth-inning save situations. Until then? We’ll, frankly, it’s kind of silly. My pal Brian Stull of KFNS asked Ryan Franklin about pitching the ninth inning with a save on the line, which is a new role. And Franklin said: “I’m just going to pretend it’s the seventh or eighth inning.” And Stull asked Perez about pitching the seventh or the eighth, which he isn’t used to. And Perez said: “I’ll just pretend that it’s the ninth so it feels the same.” So you have Frankling pretending it’s the 8th inning when he pitches the 9th, and Perez pretending it’s the 9th inning when he pitches the 7th. I suppose one option would be to let them pitch where they usually pitch so they don’t have to do all of this pretending, eh?  Just kidding...

(stltoday.com)

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan mentioned Nate Webster when asked who might compete with Niko Koutouvides to start at middle linebacker. It's obvious that the Broncos want Koutouvides to win this battle, and pretty close to a lock that he will. Webster started on the strong side last year, but has been replaced there by Boss Bailey. He's not an effective starter.

(rotoworld.com)

The New Orleans Saints are no longer interested in trading for Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey.

Supposedly.

Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis indicated that the team’s pursuit of the volatile, but talented, tight end has ended in a Thursday interview with Sirius NFL Radio. 

“It’s no secret we had some discussions with them and we just couldn’t come to a conclusion on the right compensation,” Loomis said.  “I understand that.  He’s a very good player and the Giants don’t want to just give him away – unless they feel like they’re getting really good value.  But for the most part that’s dead. . . .  I don’t anticipate that being rekindled.”

Unless, of course, the Giants soften their demands.

But will they?  As we’ve previously pointed out, Shockey is scheduled to make a reasonable $1.9 million base salary in 2008, and if the Giants were to trade him they’d suddenly have little or no depth at the position in the event that Kevin Boss gets injured.

The question will be whether and to what extent Shockey will opt to be a pain in the butt during mandatory minicamps or training camp.  If he disrupts what has become a surprisingly solid locker-room situation, the team might simply decide to get what it can and move on.

And this reality creates a natural incentive for Shockey to be disruptive, especially if the Saints intend to continue to tamper with the relationship between the Giants and Shockey by making public comments confirming their interest in giving Shockey what he reportedly wants — a ticket out of New York.

So, basically, getcha popcorn ready.

(profootballtalk.com)

On a night where fielding took center stage, it only made sense that one of the most noteworthy developments revolved around the Red Sox [team stats]’ defensive plan of attack.

In the ninth inning of the first game in what turned into the Sox’ doubleheader sweep of the Brewers, Alex Cora [stats] came on as a defensive replacement for Julio Lugo [stats]. It is a strategy that evidently won’t be a one-time thing.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke with both Cora and Lugo about the possibility of using Cora as a late-inning defensive replacement at shortstop.

“I’m ready for it,” said Cora, who started and played the entire second game. “You want to be the one making plays when it counts. Obviously, coming into a game, a close game, you want to be making a play. It’s something you have to ready for and the ball will find you.”

The strategy paid off immediately when Cora made a sensational grab on a popup in shallow left field in the ninth inning by Prince Fielder. The shortstop caught the ball basket-style with his back to the plate.

This will be the second time in Cora’s career he filled the role as late-inning defensive replacement. In 2002 with the Dodgers, he shared playing time at shortstop with Cesar Izturis, with either coming in for second baseman Mark Grudzielanek for defense.

Lugo leads all major league shortstops with 11 errors, three more than Florida’s Hanley Ramirez. His fielding percentage stands at .917, lowest among starters at his position.

The Sox’ starting shortstop did collect a hit while scoring a run in the first game, with his batting average standing at .283.

Cora did make an error in the second game, his first of the season, failing to come up with an in-between hop on a Billy Hall grounder in the seventh inning of the Sox’ 7-6 victory.

It would be one of three errors for the Sox in a game that set a new high for most errors by two teams in a single game (seven) this season.

According to a few players, not helping matters was the wear and tear the Fenway Park [map] field endured from a full day of doubleheader baseball.

“It was pretty rough,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia [stats] of the field. “That ball to AC was a do-or-die play. That was a tough play. It was bad. That was the worse it has been all year.”

(news.bostonherald.com)

After failing to land a job with any Major League teams in 2008, Mike Piazza announced his retirement today, reports the NY Post. Piazza ends a 15 year career that included stints with the Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Padres and A's.

'After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it is time to start a new chapter in my life,' he said in a statement released by his agent, Dan Lozano. 'It has been an amazing journey.'

Piazza is walking away from the game almost a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer; his numbers are impressive alone, but from the catcher position, his production should lock him into Cooperstown.

He retires sporting a .310/.377/.545 line with 427 career homers and 1,335 RBI. He hit 40 taters twice, during his last full season in Los Angeles (1997) and his first full season in New York (1999).

Oddly enough, Piazza was the center of a reasonable amount of controversy. What sticks most in the minds of baseball fans was the out-of-nowhere assertion/assumption that he was a homosexual based on some hypothetical media questions. Piazza addressing this issue, needless to say, riled up the media. He was also on the receiving end of Roger Clemens' psychotic bat throw incident during the Subway Series in 1999.

The Post mentions that he hit a home run during the first game back from 9/11, and that seems significant, if only because it shows New York's attachment to the 10 time All Star, and the likelihood that he will hit the Hall in a Met uni.

(aolsports.com)