Shockey scratched
Jan/27/07 02:47 PM
| Jeremy Shockey
| Permalink
Jeremy Shockey pulled
out of the Pro Bowl on Friday, nearly a month after a
sprained left ankle forced him to miss the Giants'
regular-season finale against Washington. Dallas'
Jason Witten will take his spot on the NFC roster.
Shockey was injured on a fourth-quarter hit from Jay
Bellamy in the Dec. 24 loss to New Orleans. But the
tight end fought off the injury to catch three passes
in the first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia,
although he hobbled off the field several times. He
also battled an injured left ring finger, dislocated
during a pre-game workout in Tennessee on Nov.
26.
Shockey was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl in his first
five seasons after registering a team-high 66 catches
for 623 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Giants' off-season program begins March 19,
although it is unknown whether Shockey will
participate or continue with his annual spring
workout in
Miami.
(northjersey.com)
Brett Romberg Update
Jan/26/07 08:15 AM
| Brett Romberg
| Permalink
Brett Romberg was a
late-season surprise who plays with good leverage and
savvy. Romberg emerged from the practice squad and
started the last three games, and rookie Mark
Setterstrom, a seventh-round pick, finished the year
as the starter at the guard.
(stltoday.com)
Frank Gore Update
Jan/25/07 03:07 PM
| Frank Gore | Permalink
The Niners realize it
would behoove them to give ace RB Frank Gore a
healthy raise before his contract expires after the
2007 season. However, the way we hear it,
negotiations with Gore's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will
hardly be cut and dried, since, regardless of Gore's
great success, they still consider him a 24-year-old
running back in a 30-year-old's body. Another valued
young Niner with the same contract situation as Gore,
starting ORG Justin Smiley, is a good bet to be
re-signed first.
(pfw.com)
Robert Hite Update
Jan/25/07 09:18 AM
| Robert Hite
| Permalink
Hite's development has
come at the team's confidence in him combined with
his natural talent. Being given a chance, if you
will. Opportunity is missed by most people because it
is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
But, this young kid from Cincinnati, Ohio has never
been afraid of hard work to achieve any task or
obstacle thrown at him. People said he was too small,
not strong enough, that he couldn't handle the rock.
That same detracting mentality is why Gilbert Arenas
wears the number '0' ... and pops 60-point games on
bona fide superstars.
Hite will get there someday. he's certainly in the
right support network. "I've just been trying
to prove people wrong my whole life," he said. "All I
can do is just play hard and keep working and
hopefully everything works out for me."
It will for Hite and it will for the Heat, because of
the way this team embraces one another and moves
forward. It's respectable, to say the least. And
thought it's not measurable on paper, in the end,
they'll win more games because of it.
(hoopsworld.com)
Devin Hester's Impact on the Super Bowl
Jan/24/07 06:42 PM
| Devin Hester
| Permalink
This is where Devin
Hester could pull Chicago’s fat out of the
fire. He has become a household name in his own
right, scoring six return touchdowns – one more
TD than wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Hester was
also second in the NFL with 12.8 yards per punt
return, while Indianapolis’ Terrence Wilkins
was a mediocre 9.2 yards. Hester also topped Wilkins
in kick returns by 26.5 yards to 24.5. Those yards
add up over the course of a game and take pressure
off the unproven shoulders of Bears QB Rex Grossman.
Yet even with Hester, there is a hidden story that
should make Bears supporters pause before laying down
their cash. Hester committed 12 fumbles this year on
returns. It’s not uncommon for returners to let
the ball slip through their hands – Wilkins did
so 13 times this year – only to pick it up
right away and start heading downfield.
Hester, though, has suffered his share of
embarrassing moments. For example, in Week 9, Eddie
Jackson of the Miami Dolphins recovered a Hester
fumble at the 10-yard line to set up a Marty Booker
touchdown in a 31-13 Miami romp, spoiling any hopes
for an undefeated season in Chicago.
(sportsedge.vip.com)
Santonio Thomas Update
Jan/24/07 06:41 PM
| Santonio Thomas
| Permalink
The
Patriots yesterday signed Santonio Thomas off their
practice squad earning a promotion.
(boston.com)
Quadtrine Hill Update
Jan/24/07 06:39 PM
| Quadtrine Hill
| Permalink
The
Patriots yesterday signed Quadtrine Hill off their
practice squad earning a promotion.
(boston.com)
NFL Network's Coverage of the Senior Bowl
Jan/23/07 11:50 AM
| The U | Permalink
Two potential new
proCanes, Kareem
Brown and
Brandon
Merriweather are
participating in the Senior Bowl this week. Below is
a list of the NFL Network's coverage of the Senior
Bowl where hopefully we can get a glimpse of Brown
and Merriweather.
Tuesday, Jan. 23
10:30 a.m. - Day 2 Morning Practice (90 minutes)
5 p.m. - Day 2 Afternoon Practice (2 hours)
9:30 p.m. - Path to the Draft: Day 2 Recap (30
minutes)
Wednesday, Jan. 24
10:30 a.m. - Day 3 Morning Practice (90 minutes)
5 p.m. - Day 3 Afternoon Practice (2 hours)
9:30 p.m. - Path to the Draft: Day 3 Recap (30
minutes)
Thursday, Jan. 25
10:30 a.m. - Day 4 Morning Practice (90 minutes)
5 p.m. - Day 4 Afternoon Practice (2 hours)
8 p.m. - Path to the Draft: Day 4 Recap (30 minutes)
Saturday, Jan. 27
3 p.m. - NFL Total Access pregame show (1 hour)
4 p.m. - 2007 Under Armour Senior Bowl, Live (3
hours)
7 p.m. - NFL Total Access postgame show (1
hour)
NFL Conference Championship Weekend Video Highlights
Jan/23/07 08:36 AM
| Permalink
Check out the
Conference Championship Playoffs Video Highlights
featuring Reggie Wayne! Click at the top on NFL U
Video Highlights or click here!
Threat of Hester has Dungy worried
Jan/23/07 08:15 AM
| Devin Hester
| Permalink
INDIANAPOLIS -- New
England has what might be the NFL's premier return
game, and it forced the Indianapolis Colts to labor
in Sunday's AFC championship victory.
Ellis Hobbs returned six kickoffs for 220 yards, a
record for a conference title game. He set up a
touchdown with an 80-yard runback and triggered a
field-goal drive with a 41-yard return.
When the Colts meet the
Bears in Super Bowl XLI, the challenge will be Devin
Hester.
"We covered pretty well
for the most part, and then we let those two [Hobbs
returns] get out," Colts coach Tony Dungy said.
"With a guy like Devin
Hester, that can be catastrophic.
"That's a big part of what they do and how they're
built. They get field position with their defense,
they get field position with their return game and
they've got an offense that really takes advantage of
good field position. That's going to be critical."
Hester set an NFL record with six touchdown returns
in the regular season: two on kickoffs, three on
punts and one on a missed field goal.
(chicagosports.chicagotribune.com)
Robert Hite Update
Jan/23/07 08:14 AM
| Robert Hite
| Permalink
As for rookie guard
Robert Hite, the former University of Miami standout
who was arrested on a DUI charge over the weekend,
he’ll be away from the team foran undetermined
amount of time. The team released a statement from
president/coach Pat Riley saying:
“Because this is a pending legal matter, we are
limited by what we can comment on. That said, Robert
has personally apologized to me, to the team,
ownership and his family to the extent that his
arrest has caused any embarrassment. We feel
confident that Robert is acutely aware of the
seriousness of the incident and understands that his
actions in his personal life have an impact, not only
on himself and his family, but on our entire
organization and set an example for the youth in our
community.
While we stand behind our players, we want to make it
clear in a public forum that the Miami HEAT takes
great pride in being an outstanding community leader
and expects the same of its players. Robert and I
have mutually agreed that he take some time away from
the team to try and get his personal issues in order.
The team will have no further comment on this
issue.”
(palmbeachpost.com)
HESTER EXCITED
Jan/22/07 09:09 AM
| Devin Hester
| Permalink
Bears return specialist
Devin Hester can't wait to get down to South Florida
for the Super Bowl. After all, he's only one season
removed from the University of Miami, where he
starred for the Hurricanes.
Many of his friends still play for UM.
''They were text-messaging me all week,'' he said.
(herald.com)
NFL U Playoffs Update
Jan/21/07 10:18 PM
| Permalink
Still
in the Playoffs: Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Darrel
McClover.
Out of the
Playoffs: Vinny
Testaverde, Vince Wilfork.
Congrats to Those Remaining!
A Bush in hand sure beats McGahee
Jan/21/07 04:44 PM
| Willis McGahee
| Permalink
It's one of those
opinionated Sundays . . .
Allow me to cast another vote urging the Bills to
drop Willis McGahee on his head.
As for his so-called written "apology" for a
Penthouse interview in which he urged the Bills be
moved to Toronto in order to brighten his social
life, I suspect that his opening line - "It has come
to my attention" - was never thought, much less
spoken, by McGahee in his entire life.
Aside from his over-inflated ego, refusal to leave
Miami to work out with his teammates in their
offseason conditioning program and his inability to
distinguish third down from fourth down, there is a
more important reason to replace McGahee. The Bills
need someone to convert on third-and-1 in order to
keep drives alive. He doesn't do it often enough.
It's a pretty good year for running backs in the
draft. If Buffalo wanted to invest a first-round
choice in one of them, the top two, Marshawn Lynch of
California and Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, likely
would be gone before the Bills' turn at No. 12. There
is an off-chance Antonio Pittman of Ohio State or
Kenny Irons of Auburn would last until Round Two, but
the most tempting possibility in Buffalo's top spot
might be Michael Bush of Louisville.
Bush, a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, broke his
leg in the opening game. His recovery would have to
be medically certified, but if he's healthy he's a
6-foot-3, 250-pounder with outstanding speed. He was
recruited as a quarterback.
(buffalonews.com)
