February 2009 Archives

And like that, poof, he's gone.  Florio is back at his rightful home, and we sincerely hope for him that the servers hold up well this time. 

We'll go back about our business of reporting the NFL right here, here, and here.  Florio has also been nice enough to let us post some of his entries here so that confused readers coming back don't get withdrawal. 

We'll also start to wonder if Laveranues Coles' agent is getting nervous.  After passing up $6 million guaranteed from the Jets, he's made exactly one visit - to Buffalo.  Miami's lack of interest thus far is a red flag for the rest of the NFL. 

If Bill Parcells isn't that interested, why should anyone else be?  Coles must be wondering if he's going to make his money back.

We scared Tom Curran away after only a brief cameo appearance this afternoon.  (Apparently, he didn't like the big neon beer sign we put up in the dining room.)

But Curran hasn't been sitting on his couch doing nothing.  Instead, he's been sitting on his couch typing about football, which as we've learned requires roughly the same amount of exertion as sitting on the couch doing nothing.

Anyway, Curran bluntly asks the question that has been nagging at us all day -- Why did the Pats do it?

Click here to find out more.

Safety Darren Sharper spent eight years with the Packers, and then four with the Vikings.

If the pattern holds, he'll spend two with the Bears and then one with the Lions.

Step three could be coming.  Though it widely has been presumed that Sharper will sign with the Saints, Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Bears are "seriously" interested in Sharper.

On the surface, the fact that the Bears use the same Tampa Two defense that the Vikings employ makes the fit more obvious.  But in recent comments to Jensen, Sharper suggested that it's not his ideal defense.

“Looking back, I was upset I didn’t get as many chances as I would have liked,” he said.  “But I had to take a backseat, to help us out as a defense.  Sometimes, you have to do things for the betterment of the team, and that’s exactly what I did.”

He said that the Tampa Two requires safeties to be "protectors," and he considers himself more of a "playmaker."

If there was any doubt about safety Brian Dawkins' feelings for the Eagles or the city of Philadelphia, there should be none now.

In an interview with Derrick Gunn of Comcast SportsNet in Philly, an audibly emotional Dawkins had to end the segment after less than two minutes.  (Hat tip to SportsRadioInterviews.com.)

Dawkins, who whipped himself into a frenzy before every game and whose "Can you feel that?" bit from the beginning of Madden '08 still gives me chills just thinking about it, is the kind of guy every football player should be.  (This one is pretty good, too.)

Think of it this way -- if every football player were wired like Dawkins, every game would be a truly memorable event.  Even the ones in the preseason.

The good news is that Dawkins will still be playing.  And we've got a feeling that some blue, white, and orange jerseys with his name and number will be popping up at Eagles' games in 2009.

Especially when the Broncos come to town for their once-in-every-eight-years visit.

It has been a little while since Florio posted one of his semi-regular PFT state of the website posts, so I thought I'd try to clear up any confusion for readers again. 

Profootballtalk has not been swallowed by a hostile takeover of corporate overlords.  We're just letting him crash here temporarily while he waits for his shipment of hamsters to arrive and his servers are back up and running.

Look, we are huge fans of Florio; that's why we are happy to help him out.  (Not to mention the traffic.) But we are also friends, and hope for everyone's sake the real PFT is back up and running as soon as possible.  Then we'll all have the true rumor mill back, and you won't have to read anything else by me.  Everybody wins.

(And if that didn't clear things up, just check out this post.) 

Despite an effort by the team to explain that it wasn't and isn't trying to trade him, quarterback Jay Cutler considers himself on the block.

"My understanding at this point is they're trying to trade me," Cutler told Mike Klis of the Denver Post.  "We'll see where I end up at.  I liked it here, I liked playing with these guys but obviously they're not going to let me have that opportunity."

Past tense.  I liked it here.

And there's more. 

"I'm upset," Cutler said.  "I mean I'm really shocked at this point.  I could see why they want [Matt] Cassel.  I don't know if they think I can't run the system or I don't have the skills for it.  I just don't get it.  Or if they don't think they can sign me with my next contract.  I just don't know what it is.  I've heard I'm still on the trading block."

Coach Josh McDaniels questions the accuracy of Cutler's sources. 

"We don't want to trade Jay," McDaniels told Klis.  "We never did.  He's our quarterback.  We're excited about this season.  And excited about what we're doing here in free agency to improve our team."

But, really, what else could McDaniels say?  If they can't trade Cutler, they need to move forward.

And Cutler seems to be willing to give it a try.

"Anything can be mended," he said.  "I'll always play with the guys we've got.  I love playing for those guys.  Obviously, Josh and I's relationship has taken a few steps backward.  I don't play for the coaches anyway, I play for teammates.  As long as we keep the guys we've got I'll go out there and play.  I love those guys."

And Cutler offered a warning regarding the potential reaction of his teammates to a trade.

"I know they love playing for me and I love playing for them," Cutler said.  "There's going to be a lot of problems if they try to trade me.  Well, they've already tried to trade me, but if they trade me for sure."

 

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is spending Saturday night visiting the Vikings, but he plans to keep his free agent tour rolling Sunday.

Adam Schefter reported on NFL Network's Total Access that Housh plans to visit the Bucs Sunday.  ESPN's Michael Smith, in a report scrolling across ESPN's bottom line, says that Houshmandzadeh will visit the Bucs and Eagles. 

Philly's involvement would be quite surprising considering previous developments from Houshmandzadeh's wild weekend.

Whether the possession receiver takes those trips remains to be seen.  Schefter's NFL Network colleague Steve Wyche reported that the Vikings planned to do everything possible to close a deal before Housh left town. 

Houshmandzadeh previously said he would make a decision by Sunday night.  If that is still the case, Houshmandzadeh may be the only person who had a more hectic weekend than Florio.

UPDATE: Within 30 minutes of both national reports going out, the Tampa Tribune says Houshmandzadeh isn't visiting there.  More misinformation coming from Housh's camp?

45 minutes ago, we relayed a report that the Giants were closing in on a deal with Rocky Bernard. Mike Garafolo confirms that it's now closed. 

The terms are unavailable, but the Giants will have enviable depth with the addition of Bernard and the return of Osi Umenyiora.  Linebacker Michael Boley, signed earlier in the day, can also provide pressure.  If the Giants add Chris Canty later, well, that's just not being fair.

Deposed AFC East tight ends are not struggling to find work inside the division.  On Friday, former Jet Chris Baker landed on his feet with the Patriots.  On Saturday night, Newsday reports that recently dumped Bills TE Robert Royal met with the Jets.

Royal doesn't offer the same receiving ability as Baker, but he's known as a good blocker.  He would make sense as a complement behind Dustin Keller, who figures to be a huge part of the Jets passing game. 

The Giants have already wrapped up one of the most underrated players in free agency: LB Michael Boley.  Now they are closing in on another - DT Rocky Bernard. 

Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Bernard has spent all day at Giants Stadium after having dinner with the team last night.  He quotes a source that talks are reportedly "heating up."

Bernard may not be an every-down player, but he's the rare defensive tackle who can pressure the quarterback.  He would look good in a rotation with two other underrated tackles: Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield. It's unclear if a potential deal with Bernard would effect their pursuit of DE Chris Canty. 

Free-agent quarterback Kurt Warner is taking it up a notch.

Since no one believes (including the Cardinals) that he'd actually leave the Cardinals and sign with another team, Warner is making a visit.

According to Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Warner plans to check out the 49ers, perhaps on Monday.

Per Maiocco, some in the San Fran organization think that the team has a realistic chance to swipe the quarterback of the 2008 NFC champions.  Others believe (as do we) that the Niners are the equivalent of that girl you went out with in high school in order to make your ex-girlfriend jealous in the hopes she'd reconsider her official position that you're a hipster doofis.

Then again, it could be that G.M. Scot McCloughan has agreed to participate in the charade as a favor to Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, who desperately needs to recapture the leverage Warner squandered with his constant "I'll play for the Cardinals or no one" routine.  Even if the Niners don't land Warner, Bartelstein will be indebted to McCloughan -- and McCloughan would be able to seek a return favor at some point in the future.

After picking up the rights to cornerback Lito Sheppard via a trade with the Eagles, the Jets have given Sheppard a new contract.

Per a league source, it's a two-year extension to a contract that has three remaining years.

He'll get $3 million in 2009, his prior base salary.  Thereafter, it's a four-year, $21 million deal.

On the fifth day of the 2010 league year, Sheppard receives a $10 million option bonus.

If Sheppard participates in at least 39 percent of the plays in 2009, Sheppard's salary escalates by $1.55 million per year for 2010 through 2013, making the four-year package after this season worth $27.2 million.

Of course, the Jets could cut Sheppard before the fifth day of the league year, but he'd be an unrestricted free agent.

If, in the end, he stays for all five years (and participates in at least 39 percent of the snaps this season), he'll make $30.2 million.

So instead of having the three-year, $10.95 million contract that previously applied, he's got a five-year deal worth $30.2 million -- if he meets the play-time trigger.  (Otherwise, it's five years and $25 million.)

The bad news for Sheppard is that, if he wins the starting job across from up-and-coming star Darrelle Revis, Sheppard might find himself in a hail storm of footballs, like DeAngelo Hall last year across from Nnamdi Asomugha in Oakland.

With his free-agency visit to Cincinnati completed, running back Derrick Ward is on his way to Denver, according to a league source.

Ward will meet with Broncos officials on Sunday.

He's regarded as one of the top running backs on the market, and several teams have expressed interest.  His age (28) could be impacting the magnitude of any offers he has received.

Well, the farewell statement from the Falcons now makes sense.

Though not yet announced, Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that veteran linebacker Keith Brooking has signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys.

The move likely confirms that the Cowboys won't be making a play for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, and it reunites Brooking with former Falcons defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who's now the head coach and defensive coordinator in Dallas.

With the fireworks from day two of free agency dwindling, NFL teams are starting to make plans for next week, when prices may be more reasonable.  To that end, the Saints have set up a visit with free agent safety Darren Sharper. 

The Saints may have all 22 starters back, but they have lacked a quality free safety for a long time. 2005 second round pick Josh Bullocks never panned out, and is entering free agency.

Kevin Kaesviharn was New Orleans' starting free safety last season, but he would likely lose snaps if Sharper is brought on board.

With linebacker Keith Brooking voiding the final year of his contract with the Falcons, he's now a free agent.

And while some free agents remain with their prior teams, it sounds like the Falcons have told Brooking, in polite and positive terms, not to let door hit him in the hind end.

“Keith defined the Falcons in so many ways: his tenure, his leadership on and off the field, his commitment to excellence and his many resulting accomplishments, his love for Atlanta, and so much more," owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.  "He will always be a Falcon in the hearts of his teammates and our fans.  We wish him the very best in his future NFL endeavors, and we extend best wishes to his wife, Holly, and their children, Logan and Juliette.”

Translation?  Brooking, the last link to the team's unlikely Super Bowl appearance a decade ago, won't be back.

UPDATE:  Moments after posting this one, we learned of Alex Marvez's report that Brooking has signed with the Cowboys.

Though it's easy to criticize the Lions (and fun, too) whenever something involving the team goes wrong, it's only fair to point out that, as it relates to the failed trade for former Bills (and now Redskins) guard Derrick Dockery, the Lions didn't screw it up.

Our buddy Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange explained the situation to us.

To facilitate the trade, Dockery was going to delay by five days a $4.5 million roster bonus due on February 27, the first day of the 2009 league year.  But the Bills failed to get the paperwork regarding the roster bonus -- not regarding the trade -- submitted by 4:00 p.m. EST on February 26. 

As we pointed out earlier, the trade couldn't have occurred until the next day at the earliest.

If the roster bonus had been delayed by five days, then the two sides would have had ample time to get the trade accomplished.

So, in this case, the Lions didn't screw the thing up.  For a change.

Free-agent receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has visited the Seahawks.  Next up, the Vikings.  The Bengals remain in play.  The Giants could still get involved.

Regardless of how it all turns out, Houshmandzadeh tells Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer that Houshmandzadeh will be deciding on Sunday evening whether to stay wih the Bengals or sign with a new team.

An offer reportedly is on the table in Cincinnati, and it could be that Houshmandzadeh is realizing that, despite the Bengals' reputation for being extremely careful with money, the offer to stay where he has played his entire career could be the best one.

Defensive tackle Colin Cole took his first visit of free agency Saturday, meeting with the Seahawks.  Cole isn't a star, but he's one of the few young defensive tackles available with the potential to start. 

The Packers are still hoping to retain the 330-pounder to play nose tackle in their new 3-4 defense, but their chances appear to be dwindling.

Cole looks more likely to stay in a 4-3 defense: Seattle or Tampa.  On Friday, the Bucs were mentioned as the most likely destination for Cole.  If Seattle closes the deal, Cole will likely get many of the snaps that went to Rocky Bernard last year.  Bernard visited with the Giants Friday.

The Bucs have been very active in free agency, acquiring Kellen Winslow, and just missing out on Albert Haynesworth and Jonathan Vilma.  They even tried to get involved in the Matt Cassel sweepstakes. 

Their loyal fans probably aren't excited about all these near misses, and Tampa's latest transaction probably won't help calm them down: The St. Petersburg Times reports that the have re-signed safety Will Allen to a one-year contract with a maximum value of $2.35 million.

It's not a headline grabber, but Allen will stabilize a safety group that looks likely to lose starter Jermaine Phillips.  The Bucs are also reportedly eager to bring back cornerback Philip Buchanon. 

The Buffalo Bills have announced via their web site that veteran center/guard Geoff Hangartner has agreed to terms.

“I’m really excited,” Hangartner told Chris Brown of the Bills' official web site.  “There’s a great owner here in Mr. Wilson in the Hall of Fame.  I’m really appreciative of him and all the staff, Coach Jauron.  Really excited to be here.”

Hangartner, a fifth-round draft pick in 2005, started eight games in 2008 for the Panthers, and appeared in all of them. 

He says that he prefers playing center, and is expected to do so for the Bills.

Dan Orlovsky entered free agency, in part, because he didn't like how Daunte Culpepper, "just got given the job," in Detroit.  That stance has plenty of merit until you considered that Orlovsky was far from guaranteed to get a quality gig elsewhere. 

His gamble may have paid off.

The Texans hosted Orlovsky Saturday to start a two-day visit.  He's the second quarterback to visit Houston after Sage Rosenfels was sent to the Vikings. Patrick Ramsey, who was last with Denver, visited Friday in hopes of landing the backup job behind Matt Schaub. 

Texans fans are probably groaning because of memories of this play, but Orlovsky actually showed some promise in his seven starts for the Lions - if you squinted hard.  Texans coach Gary Kubiak is a great developer of quarterbacks, so Orlovsky's decision to leave Detroit could prove a wise one.

Two days after cutting veteran Brad Johnson and one day after watching Brooks Bollinger become a free agent, the Dallas Cowboys have addressed their needs at the quarterback position by swinging a deal for Jon Kitna of the Lions.

The Cowboys announced the move moments ago.

Kitna, a 12-year veteran, landed on injured reserve during the 2008 season under circumstances suggesting that he really didn't have a season-ending injury.  The fact that the Lions got anything in exchange for Kitna is a positive, given that they undoubtedly would have cut him at some point.

In return, the Cowboys have given up starting cornerback Anthony Henry, who started all 16 games in 2008.

Both players are in the last years of their deals.  Kitna is due to earn a base salary of $1.95 million, and Henry will receive a base salary of $2.6 million.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network and Vic Lombardi of CBS4 in Denver report that the Broncos have been shopping quarterback Jay Cutler.

Per both reports, the Bucs and Broncos were trying to swing a three-way deal pursuant to which Matt Cassel would have been traded from the Pats to the Broncos, Cutler would have gone from Denver to Tampa, and the Patriots would have been compensated presumably by the Buccaneers.

According to Schefter, the Lions also approached the Broncos about a trade for Cutler.

And here's where it gets interesting.  Schefter's version creates the impression that the Broncos didn't initiate the talks, and merely responded to the offers presented.  Vic Lombardi's version suggests that the Broncos were and are shopping the eleventh overall pick in the 2006 draft.

"I've heard the rumors," Cutler told Vic Lombardi.  "I know what they're trying to do.  Even though I love Denver and I'd love to remain a Bronco, I know how this business works.  If they want me to play somewhere else, so be it."

Despite Cutler's generally P.C. comments, Schefter contends that Cutler was angered by the news.

There's a consensus in league circles that Cutler has plateaued after showing some improvement early in the 2008 season.  He has been criticized in some circles for having a nonchalant demeanor.

The reality is that, whenever there's a new coach, there's a chance that he'll want to pick his own quarterback.  Regardless of whether the Broncos initiated the trade talks, the fact that the Broncos said anything other than "hell no" suggests that new coach Josh McDaniels wants to go in a different direction.

With Florio covering all the stories you care about, let's get caught up on the ones you don't.

The Saints have agreed to a five-year deal to bring back right tackle Jon Stinchcomb.  Once considered an injury-prone second-round bust, Stinchcomb turned his career around in 2006 under Sean Payton.  After starting no games in his first three seasons, Stinchcomb has started 48 straight since.

The somewhat surprising move means that former Jaguars tackle Khalif Barnes' scheduled Sunday trip to the Big Easy will be scuttled or pointless. (Update: Barnes has canceled his trip.)

The Seahawks, who showed interest in Stinchcomb, would be a logical suitor for Barnes.  He's the next best player available in a weak crop of free agent tackles.

One can question the Saints' depth, but you can't question their continuity.  With Jonathan Vilma and Stinchcomb back in the fold, Payton will get back all 22 starters from his 8-8 squad. 

A league source tells us that free-agent defensive end Antonio Smith has signed with the Houston Texans.

Per the source, it's a five-year, $35.5 million deal. 

Smith, a part-time starter in Arizona, will earn $15.5 million in the first year, $19.4 million in the first two years, and $24 million over the first three.

He joins a defensive line featuring three first-round picks -- Travis Johnson, Amobi Okoye, and Mario Williams.

UPDATE:  According to the Houston Chronicle, $12.5 million of the money is guaranteed.

In the wake of the Jets' decision to sign linebacker Bart Scott instead of linebacker Ray Lewis, a league source tells us that Lewis actually had the first crack at doing a deal.

The problem?  The Lewis camp was making demands that the Jets viewed as unreasonable.  And so the Jets passed on Lewis and moved on to Scott.

Though Lewis, as we hear it, wanted to play in New York and Jets coach Rex Ryan, as we hear it, wanted Lewis on the team and (more importantly) in the locker room, the team viewed Scott as an acceptable alternative, especially since he can play inside and outside.

As the source explained it, Ryan was able in his role as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore to protect Lewis, allowing him to avoid the kind of side-to-side movement that his 34-year-old joints might not be able to perform as efficiently.

So with the Jets out of the running and no one else stepping up, it'll be new coordinator Greg Mattison's job to put Lewis in position to continue to succeed.

If, as expected, Lewis returns to the Ravens.

We continue to get e-mail messages from PFT readers who are confused by the fact that entering "profootballtalk.com" brings them to "blogs.nbcsports.com/home."

So, because we realize that scrolling can be quite a demanding exercise, we need to mention from time to time how we got here.

On Friday, most if not all of our 1.3 million unique monthly visitors showed up simultaneously, like Wal-Mart on the day after Thanksgiving.  So the servers crashed.  And we couldn't get back online, because as most if not all of our 1.3 million unique monthly visitors weren't able to get inside the Wal-Mart, they kept knocking on the door. 

When we eventually pointed PFT to the safe haven at SportingNews.com, five servers instantly crashed.

So NBC graciously offered to absorb the 1.3 million million unique visitors who were by this point banging on their door with their fists, kicking it with their feet, and shouting profanities at the old ladies in the blue vests.

The good news is that our sister site, CollegeFootballTalk.com, is back online, unburdened by the 1.3 million unique visitors who eventually busted the doors down at PFT. 

So, please, we ask that all of you don't check out CFT at once.

Anyway, we thank NBC and SportingNews.com for their support during these difficult (but, in reality, encouraging) times.  It's been a watershed moment in the seven-plus-year history of the site -- and we'll savor it once we pull the site out of the cesspool.

Jim Kleinsasser was a second-round draft pick of the Vikings way back in 1999, the same year they selected in round one Daunte Culpepper (not bad) and Dimitrius Underwood (no comment).

Kleinsasser, though largely anonymous, has been a fixture on the team ever since.  And in the press release announcing that he'll be staying with the team, the Vikings included an interesting tidbit.

Of the six top single-season rushing performances in franchise history, Kleinsasser was a member of the offense, with his hard-nosed blocking helping to clear a path.

And if Chester Taylor had managed 51 more yards in 2006, Kleinsasser would have been a part of each of the top five single-season rushing performances.

Said coach Brad Childress:  “We’re excited to have Jim back.  We wanted him back and we’re glad he took time out from ice fishing to come in and sign his contract.  Jim’s an important part of our offense and the kind of guy you want in your locker room.”

Who said free agency isn't for old guys?

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins, a 13-year veteran who's 35 years old, has gotten a five-year, $17 million deal in Denver, according to Adam Schefter of NFL Network.  The deal includes $7.2 million in guaranteed money.

Per Schefter the deal would be worth as much as $27 million.  It also could be voided by the team to a two-year, $9 million package.

Dawkins is one of several free agents whom the Broncos have added in less than 40 hours of free agency.

UPDATE:  Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has commented on the departure of Dawkins.  "Brian Dawkins has been one of the pillars of this franchise for 13 years," Lurie said in a statement.  "He helped lead us to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.  Brian embodies everything you look for in a professional athlete and human being.  I have been fortunate to witness his impeccable character, his passion for the game of football and his commitment to being the best player he could be.  I look forward to continuing a close relationship with him once his playing days are over.  His legacy as an Eagle will last forever and will ultimately land him in Canton as a Hall of Famer.”

The Chiefs have formally announced the trade that will bring linebacker Mike Vrabel and quarterback Matt Cassel from New England to Kansas City.

The announcement confirms that both players were obtained in exchange for the Chiefs' second-round draft pick in 2009.

“I have a long history with both players,” G.M. Scott Pioli said in a release. “Mike and Matt are men that I respect both personally and professionally. I look forward to having them as new members of the Chiefs family.”

The Patriots also have issued a release announcing the deal.  And coach Bill Belichick gushed about both players.

"When Mike arrived in 2001, we knew we were adding a solid outside linebacker,” Belichick said.  “But where Mike took it from there exceeded our highest hopes. Mike Vrabel epitomizes everything a coach could seek in a professional football player: toughness, intelligence, playmaking, leadership, versatility, and consistency at the highest level. Behind the scenes, Mike's wit and personality is one of the things we have all enjoyed about coming to work every day.

"The toughest aspect of my job is the day I stop coaching people like Mike, who did everything in his power to contribute to team success. Of all the players I have coached in my career, there is nobody I enjoyed working with more than Mike In the same way people recognize guys like Troy Brown, we appreciate and thank Mike Vrabel. He is one of the very special Patriots champions."

Belichick also praised Cassel: "It is very easy to root for guys like Matt Cassel, who do everything the right way and flourish as a result. As much as we would have loved to continue working with Matt, we wish him nothing but the best as he takes this next step forward in his career."

So, again, why did they give up both guys for only a second-round pick?

The Lions have had a taste for first-round receivers.

And they've added another one.

A league source tells PFT that Bryant Johnson has agreed to terms on a three-year, $9 million deal.

Johnson was a first-round selection of the Cardinals in 2003, but he was overshadowed by 2003 second-rounder Anquan Boldin and 2004 first-rounder Larry Fitzgerald.

Johnson joined the 49ers via free agency in 2008, under a one-year deal.  He and Isaac Bruce were the starters last season.

According to Peter King of SI.com, the final terms of the trade between the Chiefs and the Patriots include the movement of both quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel in exchange for a second-round pick.

As a practical matter, then, the connection of Vrabel to the deal decreases the likelihood (in our view) of a third team crashing the party and bagging Cassel.

Meanwhile, we're hearing rumblings that the Buccaneers are the undisclosed mystery team, and that if they can't land Cassel they'll make a play for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, the incumbent starter in Kansas City.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that another unknown team has attempted to crash the Pioli-Patriots party involving the rights to quarterback Matt Cassel.

It's unknown whether the move came before the deal was finalized, and whether the Pats would be inclined to renege on an agreement in principle with Kansas City.

If they do, it would be an interesting development in the relationship between the Patriots and their former V.P. of player personnel.

Under the deal between the Chiefs and the Pats, the 34th overall selection in the draft goes to New England.  As Peter King of SI.com (and NBC) points out, it gives the Patriots three second-round picks in the 2009 draft.

I previously was convinced that the Patriots wouldn't be able to work out a trade sending quarterback Matt Cassel to the Chiefs because I believed that new Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli and his former colleagues in New England feared the perception that one side got snookered.

There was no such fear, but it won't change the perception that one side got snookered.

Peter King of SI.com (who also does some work for NBC, and pretty much every other media company on the planet) reports that the Chiefs gave up only a second-round draft pick for Cassel.

Wow.

A second-round pick, for a guy who merited a $14.65 million, one-year contract based on his play in 2008.

Let's consider that for a second.  Daunte Culpepper with blown-out knee was traded for a second-round pick.  A.J. Feeley was traded for a second-round pick.

So, with all due apologies to the Patriots, the current score is Pioli 1, Pats 0.

With Bryant Johnson a free agent and Isaac Bruce possibly retiring, the San Francisco 49ers took steps to shore up the receiver position on Saturday by signing free-agent Brandon Jones, according to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com.

Jones, a former Titan, has agreed to a five-year, $16.5 million deal, with $5.4 million in guaranteed money.

A third-round pick in 2005, Jones appeared in 16 games last season, starting seven.  He caught 41 passes for 449 yards, both career highs.

Turn my back for just a second and look what happens in here. Anyway, interrupting the PFT Invasion, I wanted to drop a nugget of info on the Cassel to KC deal. The Chiefs first round pick (No. 3 overall) is not part of this deal.

I'll have a more fleshed out story up on the site shortly.

Florio, back to you. Don't you people use coasters?!

Wow.

Less than a week ago, I opined at SportingNews.com that the Chiefs and the Patriots wouldn't be able to work out a trade for quarterback Matt Cassel because each side would be overly concerned about the perception that the other got the better side of the bargain.

So much for that.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the deal is done -- Cassel has been traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs.

The terms are not yet known. 

It's easy to assume that the Chiefs gave up the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, but the Pats aren't the kind of team that would want to pay the kind of huge-money contract that the third overall slot commands.

That said, the Patriots could try to trade down from No. 3, continuing their practice of stockpiling draft picks and getting them at lower slots and thus cheaper contracts.

The move also means that the Patriots are confident that starter Tom Brady will be available for 2009.  Or that 2008 third-rounder Kevin O'Connell (or O'Donnell, can't ever get it straight and too lazy to look it up) is ready to go in the event that Brady can't.

Once the trade goes through, the Pats will immediately clear $14.65 million from their 2009 cap space.  Per Schefter, the trade is occurring without a new deal, which means that the Chiefs will have Cassel under contract for only one year at $14.65 million until a new deal is reached.

In many cases of this nature, the team trading a franchise player works out a new contract with a lower cap number before trading his rights.  But since the Chiefs have more than enough room to carry Cassel's eight-figure one-year pay, there's no need to extend the deal before the trade goes through.

It also remains to be seen whether the Chiefs have protected themselves against Cassel declining to sign a long-term deal with trade terms that tie the final compensation to whether the Chiefs extend his contract. 

Then again, Cassel and G.M. Scott Pioli likely will forge an acceptable middle ground; Pioli found Cassel in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, and Cassel returned the favor by making Pioli look like even more of a genius when Cassel finally was called upon to play.

But the best news is that I've already locked up a prominent presence in Gregg Easterbrook's "Bad Predictions Review" for 2009 with this one:  "So, in reality, Cassel has a better chance of becoming the starter at USC than he does in Kansas City."

[Editor's note:  Eating humble pie is a lot easier to do after going forty hours with only three 20-minute Kramer catnaps as all hell was breaking loose at PFT headquarters.]

If you're looking for evidence that things have changed in Detroit, keep looking.

Though a tango such as the one described below requires two teams, the fact that one of them was the Lions really isn't much of a surprise.

According to the Washington Post, the Lions were poised pull off a trade for guard Derrick Dockery, but the paperwork didn't get filed in time.

That said, the account provided by Jason La Canfora of the Post is a bit confusing.  He writes that the paperwork didn't make it to the Management Council before 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 26.  But since no trades can happen until the first day of the league year (this year, February 27), nothing could have been done on the 26th.

Another confusing fact is that word of Dockery's release by the Bills broke well before the 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday.

It's therefore possible that, once the Lions heard that Dockery was being cut, they tried to swing a trade in order to get Dockery before he hit the open market -- and thus could decline a luxury cabin inside the fractured, sunken hull of the Titanic.

If that's the case, the Lions knew what they were doing.  Because even though they made a run at signing Dockery once he was free, Dockery took $3.5 million less over the life of the deal to return to D.C.

With the Redskins, Dockery signed a five-year, $27 million contract with $8.5 million in guaranteed money and $11.5 million paid out over the first two years.

And what a difference two year makes.  In 2007, Dockery inked a seven-year, $49 million deal with $18 million in guaranteed money.

With the New York Jets signing former Ravens linebacker Bart Scott and then basically saying (without saying) that they're not interested in pursuing his former teammate, Ray Lewis, it looks like Lewis will be back in Baltimore.

Per a league source, Lewis could re-sign with the Ravens as soon as Monday.

The question becomes whether any of the "dogs in the house" will lose respect for Lewis if he tucks his tail between his legs and takes the offer that the Ravens have put on the table.

It was a three-year, $24 million deal, and as we hear it Lewis simply didn't respond.

The problem for Lewis is that the Cowboys haven't shown interest, and the Jets were the only realistic alternative to Lewis.

As a league source told me yesterday, it's the first time Lewis has ever been slapped in the face.

Our own Aaron Wilson also has given us a nugget regarding one of the 36 free-agent contracts already collected by the Broncos.

Per Wilson, the contract for defensive tackle Darrell Reid is worth $6.8 million over three years.

A league source tells Wilson that it's the biggest current contract for a special-teams specialist.  But since there aren't many/any reference tools that provide such precise detail, it's sort of hard to verify it.

If there's another special-teams specialist with a bigger deal, we have a feeling that we'll be hearing from his agent.

When free-agency opened on Friday morning, receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh gushed on ESPN about the possibility of playing with running back Adrian Peterson.

In such a situation, with eight defenders focused at all times on stopping Peterson, Houshmandzadeh would enjoy single coverage -- and he declared that he'd win that battle "98.6 percent of the time."

Houshmandzadeh might be getting his wish, to the chagrin of the guy who makes the name plates for the backs of the jerseys.

According to Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Houshmandzadeh is wrapping up a visit with the Seahawks and will make his way to Minnesota.

But Houshmandzadeh might have to temper his expectations.  The market simply hasn't been there, likely due in part to his age (he'll turn 32 this year) and the concern that he's another Alvin Harper or Peerless Price -- a No. 2 wideout who can't become the No. 1 guy.

Houshmandzadeh also has been trying to generate interest in Philly.  On Friday night, Derrick Gunn of Comcast Sports Net reported that talks collapsed once the team realized that the bargain supposedly being offered by Houshmandzadeh was actually more money than he was seeking from other teams.

So don't be surprised that the Vikings pass, unless Houshmandzadeh is willing to take less than whatever it was that he'd been hoping to earn.

Our own Aaron Wilson, who currently is patiently awaiting the resurrection of PFT as we continue to borrow space from our friends at NBC, reports that the Denver Broncos have agreed to terms with linebacker Andra Davis.

Davis, formerly of the Browns, was the longest-serving member of the team. 

He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2002, the same year the Browns created considerable confusion for their fan base by selecting receiver Andre' Davis in round two.

Though progress has been made, there's still a long way to go between the Cardinals and quarterback Kurt Warner.

According to the Arizona Republic, the gap currently sits at $4 million annually, if not more.

Coincidentally, Warner's entire base salary for 2008 was (you guessed it) $4 million, according to NFLPA records.

The Cardinals are offering something in the neighborhood of $10 million per year, and Warner's camp wants a whopping $29 million.

Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, tells the Republic that not one but two other teams have contacted him about Warner.  Describing the communications as "recruiting calls," Bartelstein said Warner will "have to decide" whether he wants to listen.

Implicit in this statement is a recognition that Warner also will "have to decide" whether he's actually interested in leaving Arizona, or whether this is all part of an ongoing effort to apply leverage to the Cardinals after squandering it via weeks of saying that he won't play for another team.

The Philadelphia Eagles officially have announced that free-agent tackle Stacy Andrews has joined the team.

Andrews, who spent five years in Cincinnati and played in 2008 under the franchise tag, signed a six-year deal.

Terms have not been disclosed.  Though we heard on Friday that the deal averages $7 million per year, it remains to be seen whether the Eagles have protected themselves against the possibility that Andrews' late-season ACL tear will impact his ability to play at a high level.

Our guess was/is that the first-year compensation will be modest, and that a significant option bonus appears at the outset of the 2010 league year.  (Though the 30-percent rule could be an issue in this regard, it's our understanding that option bonuses don't fall within the scope of the provision that limits salary growth between a capped year and an uncapped year.)

The move reunites Stacy Andrews with his brother, Shawn.  As the Eagles point out, they are only the third set of brothers to play on the same offensive line since 1951, joining Jay and Joel Hilgenberg of the 1993 Saints and Dave and Doug Widell of the Broncos circa 1990-92.

The other potential benefit in this specific case is that the presence of Stacy Andrews could help revive Shawn's career.  He missed most of training camp due to clinical depression, and then the rest of the year after suffering a Week Two back injury against the Cowboys.

In the old days, newspapers turned up their noses at Internet rumor-mongering.  But as the era of Internet rumor-mongering has continued to blossom, newspapers have a choice -- continue to ignore the information that the readers want and eventually be forced to utter in the break room, "I . . . declare . . . bankruptcy," or embrace Internet rumor-mongering and possibly survive.

The folks at the Tampa Tribune are choosing solvency (albeit reluctantly), and thus writing about an Internet rumor suggesting that the Patriots might trade quarterback Matt Cassel to the Buccaneers.

It is just a rumor, an old-school Internet rumor with no one reporting that any unnamed league sources are claiming that the trade can happen.  But as Bucs fans scour the Internet for any shred of evidence that their favorite team is going to actually spend some of that $60 million-plus in 2009 cap space, a rumor is better than nothing.

That said, our take is that any team interested in drafting a quarterback in round one should be considering trading that first-round pick to the Patriots for Cassel.  Why take a coin-flip chance on a first-round rookie when you can get a guy who has shown he can play?

Last year, the gamble worked for the Falcons (Matt Ryan) and the Ravens (Joe Flacco).  As to the year before, the jury is still out on the Raiders (JaMarcus Russel) and the Browns (Brady Quinn).  The year before that, the Titans (Vince Young) and the Cardinals (Matt Leinart) would likely pounce on a shot at a do-over.

Of course, Cassel's specific strengths and weaknesses would have to fit his new team's scheme, or his new team would have to be willing to adjust its philosophy to suit Cassel's specific skill set.  But assuming that a team believes it can make use of Cassel, the safest use of that first-round pick isn't to use it on Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez or any other quarterback (Pat White?) but to use the pick on Cassel by shipping it to the Pats.

At 11:40 a.m. EST, we'll be pressing pause on the NBC blog software and spending a few minutes with our old pal Jody McDonald, who supplements his weekday work at ESPN Radio in Philly with weekend shifts on ESPN 1050 in New York City.

If you're not in New York City or if you're in New York City and don't own a radio, you can listen to it right here.

Of course, if you're in New York City and you don't own a radio, you probably also don't own a computer.  And you probably used to work on Wall Street.

The Denver Broncos continue to collect new players via free agency.

Capping a day on which they added former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, former Dolphins safety Renaldo Hill, and former Patriots receiver Jabar Gaffney, the Broncos agreed to terms with former Colts defensive tackle Darrell Reid, according to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com.

Earlier this month, Reid was arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing.  The charges were later dropped.

Marvez also mentions that agreements have been reached with former Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington and former Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter.  At one point on Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether they had indeed signed.

But we're in disagreement with Marvez on one point.  He says that Dawkins hasn't signed; we've heard from someone who has seen the contract that he has.

Bottom line?  As Gregg Rosenthal of NBC/Rotoworld points out, new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels seems to be taking a page from the original Bill Belichick/Scott Pioli approach in New England, signing a lot of second-tier players and letting them battle it out to see who sticks.

So why hasn't quarterback Kurt Warner re-signed with the Cardinals?  The problem possibly traces to the dynamics between Warner and his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

For weeks, Warner has been saying he plans to play for the Cardinals or no one.  More importantly, Bartelstein has allowed him to do so.

That's where the seeds for the current mess were planted.  Either Bartelstein didn't explain to Warner the realities of leverage, or Bartelstein did and Warner failed to understand or heed the advice.

And, of course, Bartelstein didn't help the situation by declaring prior to the start of free agency that Warner will play in 2009.

The logic is simple, then.  If Warner says he's playing for Arizona or no one and Bartelstein says Warner is playing, then x equals pi and Warner is playing for Arizona.

That's why the Cardinals won't go any higher than somewhere between $10 million and $12 million per year for an aging quarterback who has only one or two years left.  Warner says he wants "market value" -- but that's his market value because the other teams in the market know that he's not leaving.

And even though ESPN.com is throwing Bartelstein a bone by pushing the notion that the 49ers are in play, a league source assures us that the 49ers know exactly what's going on.

Said the source, "Warner wants to re-sign but the agents are really pushing this [49ers] thing."

(Coincidentally, ESPN.com did the same thing a year ago when Randy Moss didn't want to leave New England but wanted to squeeze the Patriots with a better offer from another team, promoting the ridiculous suggestion that Moss and Daunte Culpepper were shopping themselves as a package deal.)

It's a common phenomenon in situations like this.  Bartelstein and company want to be able to trumpet to current and future clients their ability to get a graybeard paid like a Manning.  But, in their quest to enhance their own wall of pelts, the interests of their current client -- Kurt Warner -- could be suffering.

Things could get very interesting if the Cardinals were to begin decreasing their offer, but that could be the kind of thing that would spark a market for Warner by making other teams think that he'd possibly leave.

And that's the only easy way out of this maze -- something needs to happen to persuade another team that an offer for Warner wouldn't be taken straight to the Cardinals in the hopes they'd match it.  Unless Arizona does something to alienate Warner (like decrease the current offer $100,000 per hour until it's accepted), the 49ers and every other team will continue to believe that, in the end, Warner is going nowhere.

Despite adding free-agent tackle Frank Omiyale on Friday, the Chicago Bears remain very interested in bringing back John St. Clair.

"[T]his has nothing to do with how we feel about John St. Clair,'' Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo said during a Friday afternoon press conference, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

"Really when you go into negotiations you can't tell the timetable of when you're going to get them done," Angelo said.  "We would have liked to have gotten John St. Clair done first.  This doesn't do anything for how we feel about John."

With veteran John Tait retiring, the Bears had only one tackle under contract before Friday -- 2008 first-round draft pick Chris Williams.

The Bears offered St. Clair a three-year deal earlier this month, but St. Clair decided to become a free agent.

We take a short break from the ongoing free-agency coverage to explore one of the other issues currently residing well below radar.

Two weeks ago in Denver, Titans running back LenDale White allegedly was involved in an incident that allegedly resulted in White allegedly beating a man with an alleged belt and buckle during an argument between White and his friends and a second group of men.

White wasn't and won't be charged.  As we pointed out over at PFT in the salad days before the site went to garbage (and we're not just talking about the name of a cat), the fact that the alleged victim (a boy named Leslie) landed in the hospital with lacerations raises questions about what precisely occurred.

As it turns out, there's apparently video evidence reflecting part of all of the incident, courtesy of a camera mounted atop a traffic light.  As it also turns out, video from the so-called "HALO" camera supposedly contradicted part or all of the alleged victim's story, contributing to the decision not to charge White. 

And here's the kicker.  The media in Denver is trying to get its mitts on the video, and the authorities are refusing to disclose it.

"Pursuant to that policy, 'information obtained from HALO use will be used exclusively for public safety and law enforcement purposes,'" Mary Dulacki of the Denver Department of Safety wrote to CBS4 in Denver.  (Is it OK to say CBS here?  Or should I just say "a Denver television station" like ESPN would do?  Is there a handbook or something on this?)  "Because you are not affiliated with a public safety or law enforcement agency, your request for access to any videotapes obtained from a HALO camera is accordingly denied."

We've got a feeling that this isn't the end of it.  Is that Stone guy still on the payroll? 

Before the PFT servers exploded in a dazzling display of color and sound, we posted an item regarding the potential destinations of Cardinals free-agent defensive end Antonio Smith.

Smith drew immediate interest from the Buccaneers, Giants, Eagles, Texans, and Falcons. 

Smith's first stop?  Houston, for a visit with the Texans.

A fifth-round pick in 2004, Smith has spent five seasons with the Cardinals.  He started 39 games over the last four seasons, and three of the four postseason games in 2008.

In Houston, Smith would likely compete with Tim Bulman for playing time at the left defensive end position.

On the same day that veteran safety Brian Dawkins left the Eagles after 13 years with the team, another lesser-known safety jumped from Philly to Jacksonville.

The Jaguars announced on Friday evening that Sean Considine has signed with the team.

The 27-year-old Considine was a fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, and he spent all four seasons with the Eagles.  He started nine games in 2006 and eight in 2007 as an injury replacement.

The move didn't cause Jags fans to pop any corks; as one member of the local media said to us, "Who the heck is Sean Considine?"  But he has been a solid, reliable presence over the past several years in Philly.

In article confirming (as first reported by PFT at the SportingNews.com safe haven site on Friday) that Bengals tackle Stacy Andrews has agreed to terms with the Eagles, Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer unwittingly has obtained an admission from agent Harold Lewis that one or more teams -- including the Rams -- had contacted him to express interest in center/guard Jason Brown before the free-agency period officially opened.

Addressing the inability of the Eagles to get in on the bidding for Brown, Lewis said:  "The Eagles showed some really strong interest in Jason, but we had no inkling until midnight passed.  Who knows?  Maybe if they'd have called first, they'd have had the first chance to talk.  Jason is not the kind of guy who wants to take a tour."

Maybe the real news here is that an NFL team actually waited until midnight passed to express interest in a free agent.  Given that no one else does this, the Eagles' decision to act honorably necessarily put them at a competitive disadvantage.

And that gives me an idea that likely will be ignored but that I nevertheless need to express.  Under the NFL's current Anti-Tampering Policy, only the team who held the player's rights can make a claim of tampering.  But why shouldn't, in a case like this, a team that had a legitimate interest in a free agent and that waited until the clock struck 12 to inquire be able to file a complaint that another team actually landed the player because the other team cheated?

Please do not be alarmed.  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  ProFootballTalk.com has neither been sold to nor hijacked by NBC.

To put it bluntly and simply the intense demand from the first day of the 2009 league year overwhelmed our capacity.

At one point, we tried to point the PFT domain name to the blog created by SportingNews.com for the free-agency rush:  profootballtalk.sportingnews.com.  And the load instantly blew out five servers.

So NBC has rescued us, and for that we are incredibly grateful.

It's a temporary fix.  We're working round-the-clock to come up with a configuration that will withstand the unprecedented traffic.  In the interim, we'll continue to post dozens of stories every day.

Thanks for bearing with us, and thanks to NBC for giving PFT Planet a place to hang out.  Now, please, try not to break anything.

And to those of you who found this page via navigation of  MSNBC.com or NBCSports.com, this is the place to get all of the latest news, rumors, and analysis regarding the launch of the NFL's annual free-agent shopping spree.

Steelers left tackle Marvel Smith has been hampered by a back problem for an extended period of time.  After two surgeries in two years, he's now a free agent at the age of 30.

And though it remains to be seen whether he receives the type of offer that goes to a high-end left tackle who makes it to free agency, multiple franchises already are interested, according to Albert Breer of SportingNews.com.

The two interested teams are the Raiders and the Ravens.

In Oakland, Kwame Harris recently was released, so Smith makes sense.  In Baltimore, Smith could result in the displacement of Willie Anderson, who was signed after being dumped in the final preseason roster cuts by the Bengals.

It is widely believed that the New York Jets would be signing Ravens linebacker Bart Scott or Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but not both.

At a Friday night press conference, G.M. Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan addressed the question of whether, now that Scott has joined the team, the Jets might pursue Lewis.

The duo said all the right things, but the space between the lines suggests strongly that the Jets won't have a space for Lewis.

Said Ryan on whether Lewis will be pursued:  "If that opportunity presented itself and certainly if we thought it would be in our best interest, then we would definitely look at it.  I would think Ray Lewis is going to have plenty of opportunities.  He is one of the premier players in this league and I am sure Ray is not going to have any problems finding a job out there."

Possible translation?  "If no one else wants him and he asks us for a job we'll consider it.  Because he scares the crap out of me sometimes.  But we sure hope he finds another job so we don't have to tell him no.  Because he scares the crap out of me sometimes."

Tannenbaum was similarly ambiguous in his lack of interest.   "I don’t know Ray nearly as well or at all for that matter.  I think he is a great player.  We will always evaluate opportunities as they present themselves.  We look at this as a continuum over a long period of time and we are going to try to add players into August and September.  I never thought we would add Brett Favre last August.  Right now, we are going to take each day one at a time [and] look at opportunities.  We will not rule in or out any player.  We will take it one day at a time."

And given that on the first day of free agency they signed Scott to a rich deal, the chances of pursuing Lewis on any subsequent days of free agency are slim, barring an injury to Scott.

Ryan also addressed the reasons for pursuing Scott instead of Lewis at the outset of free agency. "I think he is going to be more effective, even moreso now with the Jet defense because we are going to have some flexibility with him and David [Harris] that we quite honestly never really had with Ray.That is not taking anything away from Ray, but Ray was always the ‘mike’ backer," Ryan said.

"I think now we can switch Bart and David in and out and I think it’s going to give some identification problems to offenses.  I think that is going to be a good thing, but you are going to see that this guy is a very passionate player and a guy that plays with great temperament.

"He is called the ‘mad’ backer because he basically hates the guys in the other jerseys.  After the game, [he] is really a personable young man.  He has a great personality.  He does so many good things off the field, but when he is on the field and he’s playing against somebody, he plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played and that is a very violent and physical game."

Free-agent cornerback Pacman Jones has been available to be signed by any team for nearly a month.  Not surprisingly, he has found no takers.

But Jones has found a job.  A part-time gig.  It might represent an implicit concession that his NFL playing days are over.

Jones will be a participant in Spike TV's Pros Vs. Joes, an athletic competition between washed-up pro athletes and washed-up non-pro-athletes.

Other former NFL players include Tim Brown, Rich Gannon, Priest Holmes, Steve McNair, and Simeon Rice.

The show will be hosted by our pal Jay Glazer and his FOX NFL Sunday cohort Michael Strahan.

Taping begins on March 3, which would cause Pacman to miss part of the offseason workout program, if any team were actually interested in signing him.

Like we've said time and again when it comes to these big-money contracts, the number that gets reported carries a lot of fluff aimed at making the deal look better, presumably to help the agent leverage the transaction into attracting further clients.

In the case of the contract signed on Friday by defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth with the Redskins, the headlines regarding a seven-year, $100 million deal with a maximum value of $115 million sound a lot better than something like, say, four years and $48 million.

But Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that, in reality, the contract is worth $48 million over four years.

In the fifth year of the deal, Haynesworth is due to receive a whopping $29 million in salary and bonuses.  And since he'll be 32 when the 2013 season begins, the Redskins likely won't pay those amounts.

Still, $41 million of the $48 million is genuinely guaranteed, which is the true significance of the contract.  Moving forward, look for a greater percentage of the actual base value of these contracts to represent guaranteed money.

The New York Jets tried to buy a playoff team in 2008.  They failed.

And coach Eric Mangini paid for it with his job.

This year, the Jets are at it again.  On the same day that they signed linebacker Bart Scott and re-signed right guard Brandon Moore, the Jets are completing a trade for Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Jets will surrender a fifth-round pick in 2009 and a conditional draft pick in 2010, which can range from a second-round pick to a fifth-round pick.

The specific 2010 selection that the Jets ultimately send to Philly won't matter to G.M. Mike Tannenbaum if the Jets again miss the playoffs.  Because Tannenbaum likely won't be presiding over the team's draft next year if the coming season ends without a playoff game.

And until they get a quarterback who can throw the ball in the Meadowlands winds, any other moves that they make simply won't matter.

After some conflicting reports on whether veteran safety Brian Dawkins had done a deal with the Denver Broncos, we're told that Dawkins finally has signed a contract to join the Broncos.

Dawkins was drafted by the Eagles way back in 1996, and he spent 13 seasons in Philly.

Seeing him in anything other than an Eagles uniform will be as bizarre as seeing Brett Favre as a Jet or Mike Vick as a member of the Mean Machine.

A day after cutting starting right guard Brandon Moore and swinging and missing on Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu, the Jets have turned back to Moore.

According to Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News, the Jets have re-signed Moore.

It's a four-year, $16 million deal, with $10 million in guaranteed.

The Jets cut Moore before having to pay him a $7 million roster bonus.

Earlier in the day, we reported at the temporary PFT safe haven site at SportingNews.com that center/guard Jason Brown had a little problem.

He was holding a significant offer from the Rams, in the range of $7 million per year, but he didn't want to play for the Rams.

Unfortunately, no one else was offering Brown the kind of money that the Rams put on the table.

In the end, Brown apparently opted for the money.

According to Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, Brown has agreed to terms with the Rams.

As we'd heard it, Brown was hoping for the Ravens to match the St. Louis offer.  But the Ravens never were inclined to do so.

UPDATE:  Albert Breer of SportingNews.com reports that Brown signed a five-year deal.  We're assuming that the deal will be worth at  least $35 million.

SECOND UPDATE:  Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times reports that the deal is worth $37.5 million over five years, with $20 million in guaranteed money, paid out in the first two years.

Receiver T.J Houshmandzadeh has said that he'd like to play for the Eagles.

But, as it turns out, the Eagles might not be interested.

According to Derrick Gunn on Comcast SportsNet, the Eagles didn't react kindly to an effort by Houshmandzadeh to dupe the team into thinking that he was offering Philly a discount.  After checking around, the Eagles reportedly learned that Houshmandzadeh's agent was actually asking for more money from the Eagles than from other teams.

Per Gunn, the Eagles previously had little interest in Houshmandzadeh.  The alleged bait-and-swtich routine ensured that the Eagles won't make a play for him.

Meanwhile, league observers continue to believe that Houshmandzadeh won't strike it as rich as he'd prefer.  As Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange pointed out to me earlier in the day, Houshmandzadeh will be 32 later this year. 

To put it bluntly, guys in their 30s rarely get rich in the early days of free agency.

The New York Giants are closing in on their first free-agent signing of the 2009 offseason.

According to Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News, the Giants have agreed on the "basic parameters" of an agreement with Falcons linebacker Michael Boley.

The Giants also are hosting Giants defensive tackle Rocky Bernard.  Tomorrow, Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty arrives.

Canty was supposed to visit the Redskins on Friday, but the arrival of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth left the 'Skins with insufficient cap room.  Or maybe they feared that Haynesworth would try to eat Canty.  Or a little of both.

Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the contract between the Vikings and tight end Jim Kleinsasser is for $6 million over two years.

Kleinsasser opted to stay in Minnesota despite interest from a half-dozen teams.

“I love it here. I love the people,” he said. “My family is close.  And I think to stay here, with one team, throughout your career is great.”

Kleinsasser was a second-round pick ten years ago.

A year after the arrival of cornerback Asante Samuel prompted Lito Sheppard to crow for a raise or a trade, he could finally be getting both.

First, the trade.  According to Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News and Tim Graham of ESPN.com, the Eagles are talking with the Jets about a trade for the two-time Pro Bowler.  Sheppard will visit the Jets' facility on Saturday.

Sheppard's departure seemed inevitable once the Eagles recently re-signed cornerback Joselio Hanson to a new deal with an annual average putting him ahead of both Sheppard's and Sheldon Brown's current deals.

If/when a trade is done, Sheppard likely will be getting a new contract.  He's signed through 2011 at a base salary of $3 million this season.

With one Ravens defender in the bag, the New York Jets have turned their attention to another one of coach Rex Ryan's former pupils.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Jets will host Baltimore safety Jim Leonhard on Saturday.

Per Schefter, most people believe that Leonhard will sign with New York.

The versatile Leonard is regarded as a luxury in Baltimore, since Dawan Landry is expected to be available after missing most of the 2008 season with a neck injury.

Meanwhile, the Jets have yet to show interest in Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.  Conventional wisdom is that the Jets would sign either Bart Scott or Lewis.

After a looooong and frustrating day featuring ongoing attempts (unsuccessful) to deal with a crushing demand, our friends at NBCSports.com have let us crash on their couch.  (We're even allowed to use the facilities, as long as it's only "number one.")

We'll be posting content here on a temporary basis until we solve the issues with our normal online digs.  Which could be like a year.

So thanks, NBC, for hooking us up.  We promise to make references to NBC shows only.  (Then again, we pretty much already do.)

Thanks also to SportingNews.com, which continues to host the PFT safe-haven page at profootballtalk.sportingnews.com.  We've authorized SportingNews.com to use any/some/all of the posts we drop here, and the page also has news and analysis from Albert Breer, Clifton Brown, and Vinnie Iyer of SportingNews.com.

Finally, a minor housekeeping matter, unrelated to cleaning up after misadventures with "number one."  There's no "continue" button at the bottom of the page, so to get the stuff beyond the last entry, you'll need to hit the February archives link.

Contrary to reports linking free-agent Eagles safety Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos, Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the deal "definitely" isn't done.

"He's in the air, on plane, not even in Denver yet," Schefter says.

Earlier in the day, David White of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that an agreement was reached.

The Denver Broncos continue to re-shape the roster under new G.M. Brian Xanders and new coach Josh McDaniels.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, former Pats receiver Jabar Gaffney and former Dolphins safety Renaldo Hill signed with the Broncos on Friday.

Each guy signed a four-year, $10 million deal, with $3 million in guaranteed money.

If the Saints had signed linebacker Jonathan Vilma a day ago, they would have owed the Jets a second-round pick as a result of last year's trade that sent Vilma to New Orleans.  In turn, the Saints would have lost their 2009 first-rounder to the Giants as part of the Jeremy Shockey trade.

By signing Vilma on Friday, the Saints' second-rounder goes to the Giants (along with a fifth-rounder) for Shockey.  And the Saints won't lose a first-round pick.

And sign Vilma on Friday they did.  According to NFL.com (via the New Orleans Times-Picayune), the Saints and Vilma have agreed to terms on a five-year, $34 million contract, which includes $17 million in guaranteed money.  The deal also pays out $23 million in the first three years.

Under the trade that shipped Vilma to the Saints, the compensation would have increased to a second-round pick if Vilma had participated in 85 percent of the snaps on defense (he did) and if the Saints had re-signed him before the start of the 2009 league year.

In turn, because the Saints' second-round pick wouldn't have been available to send to the Giants, New York would have gotten New Orleans' first-round selection.

So, bottom line, the Saints kept Vilma -- and the Saints kept their first-round pick.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his ten-year career, Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser didn't stay on the market for long.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kleinsasser and the Vikings agreed to terms on a new three-year deal.

Terms have not yet been disclosed.

Kleinsasser, a second-round pick in 1999, has been an unsung member of the team's offense, getting limited touches but making a major impact with his ability to block.

With tackle Jon Stinchcomb now on the market, the New Orleans Saints are lining up possible replacements.

Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that free-agent Jaguars tackle Khalif Barnes will be visiting the Saints.

Barnes started all 16 games at left tackle in 2009, after winning the job in training camp.

He can play left tackle or right tackle, and he also is drawing interest from the Raiders and the Buccaneers.

If my primary online hangout hadn't blown up under the unprecedented user demand not long after 8:30 a.m. EST on Friday, I'd be resetting the "days without an arrest" meter to double zero right now.

Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams has continued the franchise's tradition of illegal extracurricular activities (allegedly) via an arrest for driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, according to MyFOXHouston.com.

The arrest came in Houston on Friday morning.

So I suppose that I'm not the only guy who's had a bad day.

Then again, how bad can any day that doesn't involve being photographed from the front and then from side really be?

A league source tells PFT that the Houston Texans have agreed to terms with tight end Joel Dreessen.

Dreessen, a three-year veteran, has accepted a three-year, $3.6 million contract.

He appeared in 16 games last year, starting three of them.

The bigger target at tight end, obviously, is Owen Daniels.  The Texans have tendered the restricted free agent at the highest possible level, requiring any team that signs him to surrender a first-round and third-round draft choice.

It smells like there might be a lot more to the Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs deal than simply a benign "undisclosed" draft pick.

New England is locked up tight as a drum this afternoon. There is no conversation going out which is a sure harbinger that there are bigger dominoes wobbling.

My speculation? Since Vrabel is only in KC and his acquisition hasn't been officially declared, he is merely a sidebar in the deal. The holdup - and silence - is being caused by something else that's taking place and my guess is that the something else is negotiations between Matt Cassel's agent David Dunn and the Chiefs GM Scott Pioli.

Cassel, of course, is the franchised Patriots quarterback who's due to make $14.6 million this year if he stays with the Patriots. If New England deals Cassel, he comes off their books, clearing cap space.

And that has me thinking the undisclosed pick is the third overall pick in this draft.

So it may well be Cassel and Vrabel to the Chiefs for the third overall pick and - likely - another later round pick. The financial end of this is what makes it a solid deal for the Pats. Between Cassel and Vrabel, there's almost $20 million in cap space getting cleared. Vrabel would have been a free agent after this year so the Pats are going to get something for him they wouldn't have otherwise.

Wouldn't the Pats want to avoid the third overall pick and the money outlay for an unproven player that comes with it? Not necessarily. They will still win financially in 2009 even adding the third overall pick because of the money they clear with Vrabel and Cassel leaving. And they'll have a good player from that spot going forward (presumably).  

So who replaces Vrabel? Hmmmm. The Patriots liked Jonathan Vilma coming out of Miami. He's on the market. And so is Ray Lewis. Would they be fits at outside linebacker where Vrabel played predominantly? It will be interesting to see. And to see if this goes down as I'm suspecting.

In the least surprising news of the day, the Titans have re-signed Kerry Collins.  The numbers are a little more surprising, courtesy of NFL Network's Adam Schefter.  Collins will get $15 million over two years, with $8.5 million guaranteed.  (Perhaps that's the first year pay.)

Kurt Warner might wish those numbers were higher to help his bargaining, but frankly we're surprised Tennessee gave Collins that much.  It was unlikely that another team would have seen Collins as a potential starter.

This helps stabilize the Titans on a day they lost Albert Haynesworth, but their quarterback situation remains year-to-year.  With money that big, Collins will have to play at an extremely high level to stick around in 2010.  They have to play Vince Young eventually, after all.  Right? 

Free-agent safety Chris Crocker made it to the market.  And then decided to stay with his most recent team.

The Bengals announced on Friday that Crocker has re-signed. 

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, it's a four-year, $10 million deal, with $3.5 million in guaranteed money.

"He's respected there, he's wanted and he's comfortable in the system," agent Tony Paige told Hobson.  "There were other teams interested, but he felt the best fit was going back to Cincinnati."

The Bengals also announced that running back DeDe Dorsey, a restricted free agency who didn't receive a tender offer, signed a one-year deal to stay with the team.

A wild day is only just getting started.  Bart Scott's move to the Jets apparently isn't a done deal.  Mike Vrabel has been traded to the Chiefs.  More on those moves later, but I thought I'd use this space to update some other minor moves and free agent visits. 

• Laveranues Coles is in Buffalo visiting the Bills.  He would be a huge addition to a receiver poor team.
  
• The Steelers re-signed G Chris Kemoeatu.  The run blocker also looked at the Jets.
• Steelers CB Bryant McFadden is visiting the Cardinals Sunday
• The second-best defensive end available, Chris Canty, is visiting the Giants Saturday. 
• Another Steeler, Nate Washington,  is visiting the Lions.  He's expected to sign eventually.
• Yet another Steeler, G Kendall Simmons, is in Buffalo.
  
• Multiple reports have T.J. Houshmandzadeh visiting the Seahawks first.  
• The Jaguars re-signed C Brad Meester despite injuries in recent years.
• Dominique Foxworth got $16.5 million guaranteed to be Baltimore's new starting cornerback.  Amazing money for a player who has had an up-and-down career.
• Eagles stalwart Brian Dawkins will surprisingly visit the Broncos.
• Cardinals starting defensive end Antonio Smith is going to visit the Texans Saturday. 
  

It took three coaching staffs and front office regimes, but the Browns have finally decided Kellen Winslow is not worth the trouble.  Coach Eric Mangini and GM George Kokinis dealt Winslow to the Bucs for an undisclosed group of draft picks. 

The move is a curious one for the Bucs.  Clearly in the middle of a rebuilding effort, it's surprising to see them give away golden draft picks.  Winslow is young, but he's got the knees of a veteran in decline after an insane amount of serious surgeries.  He always plays through pain, but he missed six games last season and was only able to average ten yards-per-catch because of the injury.  The Bucs were possibly stung by just losing out on Albert Haynesworth and wanted to show their fans they are still trying. 

It's difficult to comment much further on the deal until we know what the picks were involved, but I would guess they include a first or second-rounder, along with a mid-round pick.  The fans may dislike the move, but the organization is probably thrilled to recover draft picks dealt by previous GM Phil Savage. 

Winslow is a reception machine that will help Tampa's shaky quarterbacks in the short term, but he doesn't figure to age well because of his knees.   That's why Cleveland finally got rid of him after five tumultuous seasons filled with motorcycle drama, contract complaints, and absolute 100% effort.  His health was no longer worth the risk for one rebuilding team.  The Bucs disagree. 

Bill Belichick loves acquiring at least one accomplished veteran per off-season that is hungry for a championship. Following in the footsteps of Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau, and Randy Moss, Fred Taylor will be the next NFL great to wind down his career in New England. 

It's a perfect fit for Taylor.  The Patriots won't ask him to do too much in a backfield already stocked with Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.  Taylor isn't great on passing downs or in short-yardage situations, so they will likely get his maximum effort on running downs for 5-10 carries a game.  This is an injury-prone group, so Taylor gives them quality depth and leadership.  This being the Patriots, however, Taylor will have to earn any role he gets.

New England was expected to be quiet in free agency because of all the money they are paying their quarterbacks, but that hasn't been the case.  Adam Schefter reports that they have reached agreement with Chris Baker, formerly of the Jets. Baker and Ben Watson figure to share the tight end job, but Baker is a better blocker. Plus he shares a distaste for Eric Mangini, which is worth a few brownie points with Belichick.

Finally, Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports that the Patriots are hosting cornerback Leigh Bodden for a visit.  The promising young cornerback would likely cost more than Baker and Taylor combined, but New England is awfully thin in the secondary.   

How many of this year's free agents would be recognized by Common Man as they walked down the street?

Not the, "Hey, I think that guy plays football..." kind of recognized but the, "That's Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and formerly of the St. Louis Rams. He used to stock shelves at the Piggly Wiggly" kind of recognized.

Well, there's Warner. And Ray Lewis. Maybe Jeff Garcia and Darren Sharper. But Common Man, even if he watches his share of the NFL, probably wouldn't know Michael Boley from Bertrand Berry and each of them is in the upper crust of this year's class.

In short, this is not a Five Star crew of available players. Don't get me wrong. There's plenty of talent but the star power is lacking. That being the case, the first 11 hours of free agency draws a, "Meh..." when it comes to thrills.

Does anyone think Albert Haynesworth was the missing piece that puts Washington over the top? Or that T.J. Houshmandzadeh's scheduled visit to Seattle tips the balance of NFC power toward the Northwest? I mean, it's interesting and noteworthy but it doesn't alter the NFL's competitive landscape. (Although it does change the finances...think Julius Peppers eyes bugged out on hearing Angry Albert's numbers?) 

More interesting to me than the individual players and where they're headed are the decisions teams are making that signal where they're headed in 2009. Tampa, for instance, made a big push for Haynesworth and lost out. Kinda puts their cost-cutting from earlier in the week in a different and not so flattering light. If they lopped all those players from the roster and the hoped-for signing of Haynesworth was part of the thought process at all, they swung and missed. The Eagles, meanwhile, get tackle Stacy Andrews. Is that a move to appease Donovan McNabb, affording him a better line? And does that mean fixtures Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are definitely headed elsewhere? The Patriots sign Fred Taylor giving the classy back a chance at a ring after years of toiling in relative anonymity in Jacksonville. The Jets and new head coach Rex Ryan grab Bart Scott from Baltimore. Where's that put the Jets in terms of shoring up a disappointing defense loaded with names and not production? Where's that leave the Ravens? And who's going to take a run at Ray Lewis? Is the relative quiet in the first 12 hours a signal that Lewis' dominant play and persona is seen as mythical rather than real around the NFL?

Those are the things that are catching my eye early. No offense, Michael Boley.

 

Last year, the Jets quietly made one of the best signings in free agency when they quietly signed Calvin Pace.  It looks like they have done it again, although this time it wasn't quiet.

The National Football Post is reporting that Bart Scott has agreed to terms with New York, joining his old coach Rex Ryan.  NFL Network's Adam Schefter says the deal is "expected" to be signed later Friday for roughly $8 million a year.  If you are going to overpay in free agency, this is the way to go.  Scott is versatile, smart, and in his prime.  He's a low risk move because Ryan knows exactly how he'll fit in his defense.

In Scott and Pace, the Jets now have two players he can use in a variety of ways.  Scott is equally adept at rushing the passer, dropping in pass coverage, and tacking on blockers.  He can play inside and out.  These are the type of players Ryan knows how to use better than anyone outside of Pittsburgh and Foxborough.

In signing Scott, the Jets were also crippling an AFC rival and apparently passing on Ray Lewis.  Ray Ray is reportedly determined to leave Baltimore, but I seriously doubt any other team will match their three-year, $24 million offer for him.  The Jets clearly won't after giving Scott similar per-year money.  The Jets are often accused of chasing the headlines, but they were smart to go after the younger, lesser-known Raven.  

A rumor that supposedly came from the lips of Pat Kirwan on Sirius NFL radio had the Patriots and Panthers considering a swap of their respective franchised guys, Matt Cassel and Julius Peppers.

I checked into it late last night. Nothing had been discussed internally or between the teams about that being a possibility.

One month ago, I spent a few minutes talking to Clinton Portis at the Super Bowl. What went wrong, I asked, with a team that was 6-2 and finished 8-8? What happened with Jason Campbell, the Redskins quarterback who didn't throw a pick until week nine?

Protection for Campbell and open holes in the running game, was the reply. It was that simple.

And now, in the first eight hours of the 2009 free agent period, the Washington Redskins have written contracts worth $170 million to a pair of defensive players. As free agency began at midnight, the Skins signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a six-year, $54 million deal with $22.5 guaranteed (he spent the end of last season in Washington after being released by Oakland). And they've now agreed to a seven-year, $100 million deal with Albert Haynesworth with $41 million guaranteed.

Neither player carries with him the reputation of being a real winner. Hall pissed and moaned his way out of Atlanta, went to Oakland last year, got paid, and now has cashed in again. Haynesworth is a dominant player who is smart but not terribly mature. And he gets hurt a lot.

Hall has played in two career playoff games, both in his first year in the league. Haynesworth's played in six playoff games and hasn't been to a conference championship since 2002 with Tennessee.

Now Jim Zorn, who was taking on water at the end of his first season as Redskins head coach, has been afforded the most expensive defensive weapon on the market, another guy who's making $30 million in the first three years of his deal and he has to keep peace and succeed in a locker room where guys like Portis can be a pain in the posterior.

And, oh yeah, that offense that averaged 16.6 points and finished 28th out of 32 teams? It still may need some help.

If the silly season of rumors hadn't officially started before Thursday afternoon, it has now.  The National Football Post, former GM Mike Lombardi's site, has a whopper.  Now we'll just have to see if they are right. 

They say there is a 70% chance T.J. Houshmandzadeh returns to the Bengals, as the two sides are nearing a deal.  That would rob the market of our top-rated wide receiver.  I suspect Housh could get a bigger payday if he waits, but it just goes to show that all the disgruntled talk in the world doesn't matter. 

Houshmandzadeh seemed unhappy with the organziation before, during, and after the Bengals season.  He could certainly find a more successful organization elsewhere.  But as re-signing Raiders Nmandi Asomugha and Shane Lechler already proved: money talks.  Duh. 

Baltimore's big three free agents are linebackers Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, and guard/center Jason Brown.  Scott figured to be the best value of the three, and he appears to be the one most likely to re-sign. 

The Baltimore Sun reports that Scott is only $400,000-$700,000 apart with Baltimore in contract negotiations.  That tells me he's unlikely to fly the coop.

Brown, on the other hand, is reportedly far apart in discussions.  Brown is my top offensive lineman available, and one of the top-five at any position.  It's rare to see difference making offensive lineman available at any position, and he has versatility. 

Any team serious about the running game will want him.  Washington, Miami, St. Louis, and Kansas City have been mentioned as suitors for Brown. 

If Scott re-signs today, one has to wonder if Ray Lewis will start taking free agent trips this weekend.  Even if he doesn't sign elsewhere, visiting a team like the Jets would increase Lewis' leverage. 

With free agency starting at midnight, many believed there was pressure on Chargers GM A.J. Smith to complete a re-structured deal with LaDainian Tomlinson by the end of the day or possibly release the franchise legend.  No such pressure exists. 

Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post points out that the Chargers are under no timetable to get a deal done with Tomlinson.  Unlike the Marvin Harrison and Derrick Brook cases, the Chargers truly want to keep their player. They have plenty of cap room available and there is no pending roster bonus coming up. 

The longer this negotiation goes on, the greater the chance Tomlinson returns to the Chargers at a reduced salary.  Tomlinson's options will diminish as other teams fill their needs in free agency and the draft.  The Chargers will also see their options go down.   A backfield of Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Jacob Hester, and a potential rookie to be named later looks more likely by the day. 

Darren Sharper's quietly put together a 12-year career that may one day land him in Canton. The four-time Pro Bowler (with one All Pro) is tied for 18th in career picks with 54 (four picks will get him tied for ninth with Emmitt Thomas) and is the only active player in the top 20.

And now, at 33, he's about to become a free agent. After four years with the Vikings, Sharper will become a free agent at midnight.

"My first wish was always to stay where I was," Sharper told me recently. "If it's not in the plans, I'm looking forward to free agency and being able to be utilized in a way that suits what I can do. I know I can help a team win."

Sharper was asked whether he felt it was unanimous among the braintrust that he move along.

"I think it was a split jury over there as far as me coming back," he theorized. "Some guys think they need to have a veteran guy back there. Other people say, 'Maybe it's time to move on.'

"I know last year I was healthy but I wasn't feeling I had the opportunities," he said (Sharper had one interception, his lowest output since 1998 when he went pickless for the Packers). "I could have gotten more chances to make more plays. Now I want to go somewhere we can win and I can contribute. Whether it's schemewise or  just more opportunities with the ball coming to me, I like to be more aggressive and used a little differently."

Given the New England Patriots penchant for seeking talented, older players looking for a grab at a title, a push by Bill Belichick to find out what Sharper's got left can't be ruled out. 

There aren't many above-average defensive starters available in free agency that are still in their prime.  There are even fewer after the Dolphins signed two of them in the last 24 hours.

The Parcells/Sparano/Ireland triumvirate continued their aggressive overhaul of the Dolphins by re-signing inside linebacker Channing Crowder and signing Gibril Wilson, formerly of the Giants and Raiders. 

Crowder is 26 and was the best young inside linebacker available, along with Bart Scott.  Wilson is 28.  There are differing opinions about his skill level, but he's a thumper in the run game.  Miami's defense will be big and tough to push around. 

Wilson's signing makes it likely that Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell will hit the open market as the best safety available.  But Bell is 31 and the Dolphins decided Wilson was a better value, which makes you wonder about Bell's skills. 

The Dolphins are smartly not resting on their 11-5 laurels, and they continue to get younger.  Bill Belichick is probably wishing his old boss had opted out of his Miami contract when he had the chance.

Update: I'm an idiot.  The Dolphins signed Bell later Thursday.  Wilson will move to free safety.  

NFL teams already were set to enter free agency with a record amount of salary cap space.  Now they each have an extra $4 million to spend.  A little known rule in the Collective Bargaining Agreement triggered the increase because teams didn't spend as much as they were supposed to in the last three years.

From Adam Schefter: "The collective bargaining agreement calls for cap adjustment down if teams spend over the cap in cash and adjustment up if they don't spend up the cap."

The additional room is great news for teams that were tight against the cap like Washington and Carolina.  Most teams won't spend all their room.  The few players that are worth it will get unprecedented money, recession or not. 

The Jets offered placekicker Mike Nugent a contract but he's decided to test free agency, reminding us of what a stinker of a draft the Jets and then-GM Terry Bradway had in 2005. The year before, the Jets should've been in the AFC Championship game had it not been for mind-blowingly bad clock management and hands-around-the-throat kicking from Doug Brien. On the verge of greatness, right?

Well, Bradway did his best to kill all momentum for the club and hamstring the future on a couple of days in late April. First, he traded away the Jets' first-rounder to the Raiders for Doug Jolley, who might best be described as looking like an awkward an extremely uncool football player because he didn't wear gloves or tape or wristbands or anything. Then he went out and started only seven games in 2005, caught 29 passes for 324 yards and one TD, got shipped off to Tampa Bay, and caught only one more pass the rest of his career. At least Kyle Brady, another Jets tight end synonymous with Draft Day Blunder, could block a little.

The rest of the picks? A nice mix of serviceable, injury-prone, and underachievers. Only one of the picks turned into a good player, and only two remain with the Jets. For pain and anguish, read on ...

2nd Round (47th overall): Mike Nugent, K, Ohio State. 75/92 (81.5%) on field goals, including 17/22 between 40-49 yards and 3/9 from 50+. Clutch field goals? Other than a couple OT field goals in the lost season of 2007, he made a 30-yarder in the rain in Miami on Christmas night in 2006 to provide the winning margin. On kickoffs, he routinely popped them up to the 10-yard line. Touchbacks were rarely a possibility. He had his first double-touchback game in year three.

We knew we'd miss the Great Jason Giambi, or Sirloin as he's referred to around these parts, when he re-signed with Oakland in the offseason. It's a shame that New York never fully embraced a guy who, by all accounts, was easily the most likeable person in the Yankees clubhouse, plowed through every respectable chophouse in the city, and clearly had a wild party side to him that was begging to be unleashed.

But with the Yanks, he seemed to fight his true personality with the bland "Yankee Way" nonsense that has sucked the life out of numerous characters the past few seasons. (Well, that and the steroids stuff. That was kinda big.) Towards the end of his stay here we saw glimpses with the gold thong and the mustache campaign, but I'll always feel cheated when it comes to what sort of entertainment Big Jay could've offered.

So it wasn't surprising that he seems relieved to be back in Oakland, where he can be the hedonistic chop-consuming smuthound that we love.

Giambi's best line of the day came when he was asked how much longer he wants to play. He responded as he often does that they'll have to tear the uniform off him, and he added, "What else am I going to do? Seriously. Maybe bouncer at a strip joint. That's about all I'm qualified to do."

Sirloin, we miss you. All steakhouses in the Bay Area: you've been warned.

So sources are telling ESPN's Michael Smith that Donovan McNabb won't deign to sign a contract extension until he sees what the Eagles are going to do to improve the team around him?

Eagles GM Joe Banner and head coach Andy Reid should be high-fiving until their palms bleed.

McNabb looking for an extension with the Eagles at 32 always seemed to be more of a threat than a boon for Philly.

Consider this. McNabb's got two years left on his current contract at very manageable money because all of his signing bonus has already been counted against the cap. All Philly has to do is pay him his salary the next two years then part ways with him at the ripe old quarterbacking age of 34. Or, if he's still usable, try and get a new deal done then.

Signing him to a new deal now means you have to first figure out what's a reasonable offer without "insulting" McNabb, his handlers and his sycophant NFL alumni friends in the media. Undeniably, he'll be looking for something that gets him damn close to $40 million in the first three years with large amounts of guaranteed money. Between figuring out what to do with the last two years of his deal and figuring out his extension with an uncapped year looming ... please.

And this isn't even getting into performance. McNabb did play brilliantly after getting benched against the Ravens in November.

On the NFL Network, Warren Sapp had this to say about the Jets' first round pick from last year, Vernon Gholston:

"Vernon didn't like contact."

Yuck. Curious to know what Sapp has as evidence here. Just a wild statement based on looking at his numbers and production this year? Something he saw while watching practice? Inside info from other players on the team?

Regardless, that quote seems like the perfect capper to Gholston's rookie year. Missed some time during OTA's because he had to graduate, contract holdout, no sacks, didn't dress for the Buffalo game ... pretty much a waste. Few rookies make an immediate impact, but you're also hoping for more than 13 tackles from the 6th overall.

On the bright side, you'd like to think that if anyone can squeeze production out of the guy, it's Rex Ryan. If he can turn Jim Leonhard into a useful player, maybe the same can go for Gholston.

According to DeMarcus Ware, legendary Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has done everything but send flowers and furs to the Cowboys front office in hopes of fleeing to Dallas in free agency.

Ware, speaking to the Cowboys official website, said  Lewis told him playing for Dallas was his dream. The first instance of that came, according to Ware, when the teams met during the regular season. The second occasion was at the Pro Bowl.

"He came at me every day," Ware said of Lewis at the Pro Bowl. "He's trying to get down where the star is. He told me he needed me to get him (owner) Jerry Jones' phone number for him. I just busted out laughing."

I'm not sure how much stock to put in this story. I don't doubt for a second that Ware is recounting exactly what Lewis said. But I could also see Lewis saying, "You're so fat, when you cut yourself you bleed Haagen-Dazs."

In other words, the man could be exaggerating. It's not beyond the realm. Strange as Lewis sometimes seems, he does seem a little more discreet than to boldly announce to another player what his actual intentions are.

That's probably not going to cheer up jilted-feeling Ravens fans this week, though. In the past month, Lewis has made his love and loyalty to the city of Baltimore one of his talking points as he approaches free agency at the end of this week for the first time in his 13-year career.

If this is indeed the end of his Baltimore days, his dalliance with Dallas will cast a minor and temporary pall over things. It will also make it harder for anyone to believe the tears he'll no doubt shed at an exit press conference over leaving Baltimore.

 

Usually not a fan of a coach who rails on a reporter, but that dude had it coming (you can hear the other reporters' embarassment about halfway through). Good job by Calhoun.

The new Indianapolis Colts head coach, on wide receiver Marvin Harrison:

"I saw a guy who's as quick as he's been. (He's) still a guy with the outstanding hands that he's always shown, still with the same ability to create some space for himself and get open. What we did not see (was) any diminishing in terms of his skills and ability."

Harrison finished the year with 60 receptions, 636 yards, and 5 TDs in 15 games. His highest single-game total was 83 yards in week 6 against the Ravens.

Perhaps it took a while for Harrison to recover from a knee injury suffered in 2007, and maybe he and Peyton Manning never clicked because they didn't have any practice time in the preseason. Does that explain the numerous missed chances - 5 or 6, according to president Bill Polian - on long passes that fell incomplete? What about the cornerbacks - and there were several - who were sitting on Harrison's shorter routes and basically daring him to go deep?

Has Harrison lost a step or were the two simply out of synch?

Some stats to consider from the last five years:

2004: 139 targets, 86 catches (61.9%)

2005: 132 targets, 82 catches (62.1%)

2006: 148 targets, 95 catches (64.2%)

2007: 32 targets, 20 catches (62.5%)

2008: 107 targets, 60 catches (56.1%)

Pretty stark dropoff in that completion rate. By comparison, Reggie Wayne caught 63.1% of his targets, Anthony Gonzalez caught 72.2%, and Dallas Clark 72.0%. Manning finished the season with a completion percentage of 66.8 - his highest since 2005 and above his career mark of 65.0. Did Manning just stink at throwing to Harrison and was crazy accurate to everyone else? Remember, Manning didn't have preseason sync time with anyone.

Obviously Caldwell is sticking up for his player, a smart thing to do. But we'd love to know what the Colts really think of the state of Marvin Harrison. We'll know the real answer when the Colts decide whether to keep Harrison and his $13.4 million cap number.

It's nice to finally talk about some good news in baseball this week: Seattle has just signed Ken Griffey, Jr. to a one-year deal worth $2 million.

Will Griffey be a difference-maker for Seattle? Probably not. He's 39 now, and in 490 at bats last year with the Reds and White Sox he hit only 18 homers and had a .777 OPS. Plus, Safeco is not nearly as hitter-friendly as Great American or US Cellular, and there isn't a lot of protection with the likes of Russell Branyan and Jose Lopez in the middle of the lineup.

But who cares - from a nostalgic standpoint, Griffey belongs back in Seattle. It always seemed wrong that he left back in 2000, and while you can't disregard the last nine years, people will remember his Mariner days above everything else.

The people in Seattle deserve this, too. They've been through enough the past couple years; finally there's something to get pumped about. And even if there are only a few moments left for Griffey, it'll be worth it for both him and the fans.

Back in 2003, David Cone was clearly washed up, but after a year off from baseball, he was trying a comeback with the Mets. They had traded him away 11 years earlier after five-and-a-half excellent years with the team, and a lot of people forgot that as he won four World Series with the Yankees. Still, seeing a 40-year old Coney in a Mets uniform was a cool sight. And during the first week of the season, he gave us one last goose-bump moment.

Just in time for the Oscars, we've got our own awards show - The Fixies, celebrating the best and worst of the fantasy football season. Enjoy ...

Part One

Part Two

From the Washington Post:

The career of Smiley González, as it turned out, created a problem far greater than the one his signing attempted to solve. As Kasten acknowledged Wednesday, González falsified both his identity and his age, all part of what Kasten called a "deliberate, premeditated fraud." The player's true identity: Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo. His true, current age: 23, or four years older than the Nationals believed.

The age falsification shouldn't come as much of a surprise - it's been documented how much that kind of stuff has gone on in the past. But to change the name ... so sketchy.

You'd have hoped that the Nats could get their act together once they moved out of Montreal, and some positive signs are there: classy uniforms, nice new stadium, well-respected managers. Unfortunately, they've failed to field a full roster of Major League talent. The baseball fan in me hopes this changes, the Mets fan does not.

Also, this quote from a teammate was amusing:

"The way that he carried himself and stuff like that -- teenagers didn't do that. At 19, he was kind of bald in the front. I was suspicious."

I guess the main question is, if you had to change your name in order to make the Major Lagues, what name would you pick? Leave ideas in the comments below...

"I don't know why they worry so much about the New York Mets. They are the ones to win the World Series, not us, and we don't say nothing about them. We just say congratulations to the Phillies. They always seem like they're talking something about us. I don't know why. I mean, they have to be happy because they win the World Series. Why are they focusing on us? If they don't like us that's OK."

That's courtesy of Jose Reyes in Newsday today.

On one hand, it's good that the Mets and Phillies have this little rivalry going. Spices things up, gives the regular season meetings a little extra juice, makes it fun to play the "I root for two teams - the Mets and whoever is playing the Phillies" card.

Conversely, it's rather brutal when your rival has kicked your butt the last two years, embarrassed you in the process, won the World Series, and took every opportunity to rub it in. Even worse, the Phils seemed to rub it in even when the opportunities weren't there. Hence, Reyes' above comment.

For example, there's really no logical reason for Jimmy Rollins to take a shot at the Mets during their celebration parade. Seemed like an unnecessary cheap shot. Not that there are ground rules for trash-talking, but just saying.

Maybe it's because they just absolutely despise the Mets, and that's a basis for their motivation. Fair enough. I'd probably hate the Mets too if I played for another team. Besides, I'm all for some raw hatred and 18 tension-filled games where every clutch situation seems just a little more important than the rest.

Just hope that the outcomes start to change a little bit. Or a lot.

1. In high school, A-Rod used to be able to bench 310 lbs.
2. He benched that much because all he wanted was that varisty football jacket with the white sleeves.
3. He has a "cousin" who he sent to the Domincan Republic to find over-the-counter substances and then allowed him to stick needles in his butt.

The insane blackballing and criticism of Manny Ramirez continues, this time from San Francisco Giants special assistant and former first baseman Will Clark:

"Manny's a great hitter, but we do not need a one-dimensional player. We don't need a guy who just hits. I'll deal with a player in the minors and teach him to hit the other way and play defense. Manny's a great hitter, but as far as Manny being Manny, throw that out the window."

Think of the gall and the short-sightedness that statement exudes. With apologies to the guys over at the now-defunct Fire Joe Morgan (who perfected this sort of thing), let's break that statement down...

Manny's a great hitter

Yes, he's a great hitter. His .593 career slugging is 8th all-time, better than Mays, Mantle, Joe D, Aaron, and Musial, among others. His OPS is 9th all-time at 1.004, and his OPS+ is 155 (100 is average for the league). He's got 527 career dingers, including nine years with 35+. Last year he finished .332/.430/.601 with 37 homers and 87 walks at age 36.

but we do not need a one-dimensional player. We don't need a guy who just hits.

Last year the Giants scored 640 runs, good for 29th in the Major Leagues. They hit 94 home runs, which was dead last. That's 17 behind the next team in line and 69 less than the league average. Their team OPS barely eked over .700, and they had only three starters with an OPS+ over 100. This was a team that won 72 games. Considering they gave up 759 runs and had a 4.38 team ERA (both middle of the pack), it's fair to say that a pathetic offense was the main culprit for the lousy season. If there was ever a team that needed a guy who just hits, it would be the San Francisco Giants. Unless they're happy with leftfield options like Fred Lewis or Dave Roberts.

When an injured thumb ended Fred Taylor's 2008 season with three games remaining, he took stock of what awaited him.

"The organization has to do what is best for them," Taylor said while talking to the Jacksonville media . "I am an investment and I have to do what is best for myself and what is best for the organization. So we'll try to come to a conclusion with the financial part of it, and how we're going to handle my entire situation," he said.

Jacksonville handled the situation with the 11-year-veteran on Monday by cutting him. Speaking to the Florida Times-Union, the 33-year-old Taylor didn't overdramatize the move. "I’m sure it’s a complete shock and surprise to some right now. But I’m just thankful they gave me an opportunity instead of dragging their feet to try to trade me or something like that. Now I have the opportunity to go into free agency for the first time in my career, ever. I’m excited about it.”

Taylor's been one of the NFL's best running backs since coming into the league out of the University of Florida in 1998. .

He was scheduled to make about $6 million in 2009, and while he was amenable to a modest pay cut in December, the Jags - according to Taylor - just wanted to go young.

Taylor is 16th on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 11,271 yards. He had 556 yards on the ground last season and only went over 100 yards once (121 against the Colts in September).

Great as he could be, Taylor's never really gotten the national love he was due. Part of it was playing in Jacksonville. Part of it was the fact he got hurt. A lot. He's played in every game in just two of his 11 NFL seasons (2002 and 2003). And while he did play in 43 of the Jags last 48 regular-season games, making his first Pro Bowl in 2007, he's actually been supplanted by Maurice Jones-Drew as the Jags "face of the backfield."

Even though the Jags did him a favor by putting him on the market before free agency begins, Taylor could spend a long time on the shelf if he doesn't prepare himself for a low-grade, incentive-laden contract. He is, at this point, a back who must be part of a two-back rotation. In his past four seasons, he's carried 194, 231, 223 and 143 times. That's 14.6 carries per game.

A team like New England, which uses a running back rotation and hasn't gotten bang from oft-injured Laurence Maroney since drafting him, could be interested.

In August of of 1995, in his first fight out of prison, Mike Tyson fought Peter McNeeley. The 1.55 million pay-per-view purchases are still the fifth-highest total number of PPV purchases in boxing history. Four of the top five and six of the top 10 PPV boxing events were Tyson fights.

Mike Tyson went to jail for rape in 1992. Sentenced to six years, he served three. And when he came out, there was a market for him.

Which brings us to another jailed sports star, quarterback Michael Vick. Heinous as organizing and subsidizing dog fighting is (not to mention drowing, electrocuting and beating dogs to death), rape of a human is a far worse crime.

Vick, who may be released from prison in July, faces a far different situation than Tyson did, of course. In order for Vick to ply his trade, he will have to get a franchise to take a chance on him. Tyson's franchise was Tyson. If Vick eventually winds up with, say, the Raiders, the Oakland franchise - and the NFL as a whole - will have to deal with the fallout of hiring a person who did something heinous and then presenting that person to the public as a member of their team.

There may be advertising fallout. There may be some fallout in the fanbase. But - as the Tyson PPV numbers show - there will be interest.

On Friday, the Falcons stated their intentions to try and trade the contractual rights to Vick. Now, no team is going to trade for Vick. Trading for him means that the destination team assumes Vick's contract. He's due to make $9 million in base salary in 2009 and his contract runs through 2013. And, even if he's released in July, he still has to be reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell could opt to throw another year's suspension on top of Vick just to monitor how contrite he truly is and whether he's committed to changing.

The likely scenario is that Atlanta will ultimately have to release Vick and take a hit on their salary cap for the signing bonus money they agreed to pay him.

Said GM Thomas Dimitroff, "There are a number of scenarios that could play out, so it’s difficult to say.  However, as long as Michael is suspended, his salary is tolled, but his signing bonus money would be part of the cap."

Atlanta has tried and failed to recoup Vick's bonus money which would, in turn, have wiped it from their salary cap.

There are a lot of hurdles remaining before Vick is even on the threshold of playing in the NFL again, but the notion that he won't generate interest and - by extension - money, isn't realistic.

Let's start off by acknowledging that Roger Goodell isn't soon going to be living in an appliance box under an overpass. The NFL commissioner is freezing his salary at a robust $11 million. But the fact he made sure he wasn't just included in the NFL's wage freeze but also will take a cut in salary and bonuses that amount to 20 to 25 percent of his earnings shows he gets it. You can't be taking more while people are getting lopped off the rolls elsewhere in the company.

We can have a long and winding talk about the appropriateness of an $11 million salary. But we won't. Suffice to say, if the NFL owners couldn't afford it, they wouldn't have agreed to it. Theirs is the country's most powerful and lucrative professional team sport.

Then there's Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball, a sport whose playoff game are regular losers in the TV ratings to preseason NFL games. He earned $18.35 million for the fiscal year 2007. He got a new three-year deal last January that, according to Sports Business Journal, calls for salary increases.

It will be interesting to see if Selig - who's presided over an era in which his sport's hallowed records have been forever besmirched - makes a salary concession similar to Goodell's.

 

The best young quarterback available? According to draft guru Mel Kiper of ESPN, it's Matt Cassel.  And we're not even sure Mel's seen the pics or performance from Cassel at Larry Izzo's annual karaoke night (Cassel pictured at left getting his Tom Jones on).

Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald talked to Mel about the best bet for a horrendous team in need of a quarterback. Kiper said that,

“If I were Detroit or Kansas City, I would make that move in a heartbeat,” Kiper said. "If you’re asking me if I would rather have Matt Cassel or Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez, I’d rather have Matt Cassel."

Kiper went on to say that he believes Cassel's better than Denver's Jay Cutler at this point as well. Here's the rub, though. While most can agree right now that Cassel - with 15 games of regular season experience and four training camps under his belt - is miles ahead of Stafford and Sanchez, the cost to pry him from New England is onerous.

If you're Detroit and you draft Stafford you give up just one pick and have to pay a boatload of cash. If you're Detroit (poor you), and want to extract Cassel, you give up perhaps the 20th and 33rd overall picks and have to pay a boatload of cash. For those teams at the top of the draft, giving up picks to secure one player when many spots needs attention is a dice roll. But for those teams as well, drafting a kid who was getting off a school bus four years ago is just as nervy.

Kiper also gave a nod to the notion that's been gaining ground: Cassel stays with the Patriots. I've believed that for a while, given the uncertain 2009 prognosis for Tom Brady's availability/performance. Brady should be ready to go Week 1, but how much of training camp or preseason will he be able to participate in as he slogs through his rehab? And will he be able to go full speed - or at all - in the team's preseason passing camps? Trade away Cassel before the draft and you may well be spending your summer watching Kevin O'Connell and Matt Gutierrez getting the team ready for Brady to take the reins when the year starts.  

The Jets have a noon conference call scheduled with GM Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson presumably to discuss the retirement of their Golden Goose (aka, Brett Favre).

It's kind of funny the way the sides have flipped in this situation. Financially, the Jets were more dependent on Favre than he was on them.

For them, it was about the bottom line. How his merely being in New York was going to pump up interest, ticket sales, PSLs in their new stadium, ad revenue, you name it. There was the element of making the football team better but that wasn't a pure end either.

A better football team made a more marketable football team. And money, to the Jets, was never more important than it was in 2008.

When the Jets courted Favre and cast off Chad Pennington, they did so knowing they could score big off his presence as they worked toward moving into their new stadium shared with the Giants.

The Jets held a personal seat license auction in October. With 2,000 seat licenses available, they hoped to score large with the big-monied Jets fanbase, individual and corporate.

Favre - a legend and the most productive passer in league history - was a tremendous selling tool. But the economy cratered and the PSLs never moved the way they hoped. Only 620 of the 2000 auctioned PSLs sold.

And with the Jets missing the playoffs, the economy getting worse and Favre now retiring, a high-monied PSL for the right to watch Kellen Clemens or Erik Ainge run the Jets offense seems even less attractive.

A few thoughts on this Alex Rodriguez stuff:

• Since he came to the Yanks in 2005, there has not been a Spring Training where A-Rod's arrival wasn't surrounded by some kind of drama. It's probably a safe bet that this spring trumps the whole "I don't sleep over Derek Jeter's house as much as I used to" story.
• Once again, the poor guy doesn't seem to get it. He admits his guilt and apologizes and seems sincere ... and then screws it up. He says that the years 2001-2003 are "pretty accurate." Which would imply "not entirely accurate."
• Then he says he didn't know he had failed a drug test until Selena Roberts approached him this past Thursday. This was right after he said he's relieved to get the monkey and burden and guilt off his back. But if he didn't know he used a banned substance, then where did the guilt come from?
• He dropped a few other groaners, with some lines seeming rehearsed and coached, while other times he seemed genuinely upset and regretful.  But ultimately, you were left unsatisfied. The admission was necessary and it's good that he told some semblance of the truth. The vagueness and holes in his story won't be left alone though.
• Speaking of being coached, you'd think his handlers would be smarter than to let him go on national TV with bright orange skin and hot pink lips.
• Had hoped we wouldn't be hearing from Curt Schilling again until he failed to get into the Hall of Fame and whined about it. But now he wants the other 103 names to be released, otherwise everyone else from that era will be guilty by association. No, Curt. The only reason you want those names released is because you know you didn't test positive in 2003, and it'll improve your legacy when other big names get outed. But what about your World Series teammates from the D-Backs and Red Sox who'd get screwed? And all the other major leaguers who were a part of the Union and were supposed to be protected by this anonymous test? Purely a selfish move by Schilling, but would you really expect anything else?

There's this ...

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum (sorry, I can't type the name without linking to this) says he hopes to get "initial feedback" from Brett Favre regarding his 2009 plans before the NFL Combine starts on Feb.18 in Indianapolis.

Gary Myers from the New York Daily News has the poop.

Talk about tiptoeing through the landmines semantically. "initial feedback?" Yeah, that's something you can plan a season around.

New coach Rex Ryan: "Say, Mike ... what's Brett's initial feedback on playing in 2009?"

Tannenbaum: "Well, I didn't want to pin him down on anything so I'd say it was ... still in it's developing stages. His feedback was still developing. But it's initial, so that shouldn't be a shock."

Ryan: "Well, tell him to take his time. We're just going to be over here kicking the tires on quarterbacks at the combine and wondering if we need to make a run at any of the guys on the free agent market when that opens for business on March 1. If he's not comfortable making a call on this stuff before then, that's fine. Quarterback's not even a big deal position anymore. You seen that "Wildcat" formation? I know when the time comes, Brett'll be decisive and sure of his decision. Like always."

The Favre occupational death toll already includes one head coach, Eric Mangini. Now, given Tannenbaum's pussyfooting, it's pretty clear that his GM life expectancy is diminishing as well.

If Shakespeare was still around and looking for contemporary fodder, he'd have to start with the Jets. The layers of backstabbing, posturing, handwringing and irony never seem to end down in Gotham. And does anyone think this issue's going to be buttoned up by Favre's initial feedback by Feb. 18?

Two words were uttered Friday  that should send a shudder down the spine of the NFL.

Extremely. Cooperative.

That's how a judge described Dana Stubblefield's approach in the past year since pleading guilty to perjuring himself during a steroids investigation that grew from the BALCO case.

Because of that cooperation, Stubblefield - an 11-year-vet whose glory days came as a Niners defensive lineman - avoided house arrest and will instead serve two years probation.

But Stubby's extreme cooperation included "the names of players, trainers, and others associated with the NFL who may be involved in ongoing activities with illegal drugs in professional football.." according to U.S. District Judge Susan Illston.

Given that Stubblefield's been out of the league since 2003, the names he named might not be terribly current. Still, when those names come out - and it's impossible to guess when they will - there will be some mud splattered on some legacies. And questions will be raised about the ways in which team successes were gained.

But if you haven't noticed by now, when it comes to the court of public opinion, the judge is a lot more lenient when it comes to the NFL as opposed to MLB.  

Somehow it seems that, in the NFL, chemically enhancing your body ultimately helps the product. Bigger, stronger bodies produce more more violent collisions, promote greater speed, greater explosiveness, a greater visual experience. There's never any great hue and cry about cheaters.

Shawne Merriman and Rodney Harrison - nabbed for steroids and HGH respectively in the past 24 months - are sought-after talking heads. 

Mark McGwire and Raffy Palmeiro in the studio? Not hardly.

The difference? In baseball, the records are sanctified and to break them through chemical enhancement is an affront to the republic. Football has none of the same "timelessness" that baseball did. Anyone wondering how the '72 Dolphins would do against the '07 Patriots or Giants need only take a physics class to get their answer. They'd get obliterated. But it's not foolish to imagine the Big Red Machine still being a force in 2010.

Yet even though the Average Joe may not be care how NFL players come to be so big exactly and the NFL itself would prefer to deal with this bit of dirty business quietly and behind closed doors, the federal government isn't likely to be as unconcerned. And that should make the NFL sweat.

With another miserable sports year wrapping up for my favorite sports teams/personalities (Mets choke, Jets choke, Isles suck, Federer hands over the throne, Mike & The Mad Dog split, etc), it dawned on me that this is becoming a regular thing. Or at least more regular than I'd like. But was 2008 the worst sports year of my lifetime? Actually, no. It's tough to top all of the misery of 1994. And I'm not even including the fact I was finishing up middle school, at the height of my obnoxiousness, and couldn't get a female to look or talk to me.

Even 15 years later, a lot of it still stings. Dark October. The concurrent disasters at The Garden. 40 Minutes of Hell. Let's re-live the badness in detail, shall we?

BASEBALL STRIKE

By far, the worst summer and fall ever. The Mets weren't going anywhere (18.5 games out of first), but two of my favorite players, Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr., were having unreal seasons. Everyone was threatening to assault the record books. The Yankees were making a push for the playoffs and despite being a Mets fan, it was still an exciting thing in New York for a local team to be in the playoff discussion (and this was before the Evil Empire stuff).

Then on August 11th, the players strike. After about a month of more bickering, right before the final deadline to resume play, a report comes out that there's a new deal on the table! The two sides are gonna settle! Turns out, the proposed deal was the low-ball to end all low-balls. Poor Bud Selig cancelled the rest of the season and the World Series on September 14th. Contrary to what many people thought and wrote, baseball did recover (although it's been undeniably - and sadly - passed by football in terms of popularity) and the fans came back. Still, just an awful, awful, awful time to be a baseball fan.

KNICKS FALL SHORT

Once Michael Jordan retired, every other NBA team now had a shot, particularly the Knicks. After a CRUSHING loss to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals the season before (damn you Charles Smith!), the Knicks were primed to take it this year. They had the coach (Pat Riley), the superstar (Patrick Ewing), the toughness (Oak, Mase), the spunk (John Starks), an improved point guard (Derek Harper), and range off the bench (Hubert Davis). Plus, they had those hot Knicks City Dancers and a cool (at the time) song, "Go New York, Go New York, Go!"

Now that the Chiefs have hired former Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley, it's worth wondering how he and GM Scott Pioli will get along. League sources who know both men noted that the two have forceful personalities that probably haven't lessened much since they worked together with the Jets a decade ago.

It's a reasonable question. Haley is a guy who will strongly voice his opinions on issues, as he explained during Super Bowl week.

Pioli, meanwhile, is one of the hardest-working front office men in the NFL. And once he reaches a conclusion on something, it's not easy to move him off his mark.

In New England, Bill Belichick and Pioli had a relationship where, when there was a significant difference of opinion on a player for instance, the two sides would move on to another player rather than get into a peeing contest.

Now, with Pioli in the "final say" position and Haley taking charge of his first team, it will be interesting to see how both men approach the uphill climb of getting the Chiefs on track.  

Additionally, neither guy seems to suffer fools (or perceived fools) well. In a rebuilding climate where they have no immediate track record, they are both going to be subject to frequent questioning either directly or, if they aren't available for comment, indirectly. 

The first order of business for the pair may be deciding if they want to pursue Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, franchised by New England on Thursday.

The Chiefs hold the third pick in the draft. Extracting Cassel from New England will cost two first-rounders if KC goes about signing him conventionally. If they work a deal, it could easily cost a first and a third or better.

For a team with multiple issues and grumbling stars at tight end and running back, that could be a lot to expend.

 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN:

• I know U2's show in 2002 was great, but that kind of gets put in its own category because of the circumstances. This past Sunday night, The Boss absolutely killed it. Love him, like him, hate him, don't care ... just admit that THAT is how a show is done.
• Tremendous open with Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (the same song he opened with back in July at the Meadowlands), and the whole "Step away from the guacamole, put the chicken fingers DOWN, and turn that television ALL THE WAY UP!" bit was great. Although Bruce needs to know that most people are eating wings, not fingers.
• Everything about the knee slide / crotch slam into the camera is legendary: his face during the spint, Bruce not expecting the stage to be so slick, the dead-on impact of Bruce's junk with the center of the camera, the initial shock/horror followed by the "oh well" smile as he tumbled backwards. Just incredible. My buddy Handsome Gabs said he played it back in slo-mo about 20 times.
• Good job playing Born To Run and Glory Days. The former was a no-brainer; the latter makes sense since it's probably he most often-played bar song.
• Wasn't crazy about playing Working On A Dream, but understand why. Still, great job adding the choir and keeping it to about 1:30.
• My buddy Sica, normally a Boss-hater, was scrounging for something negative to say. He came up with, "You can't tell me that all 13 guitarists are actually playing." Fair.
• Only complaint: the referee throwing the flag was beyond cheese whiz.

BERN'S STEAKHOUSE:

The Fighting Irish have committed their first holding penalty of 2009, as I have been on hold for the Charlie Chat for 31 minutes now. It was supposed to begin at 1 p.m. local time; but, I'm assuming because Charlie is still high-fiving people or because of the sheer volume of callers -- now that Te'o has signed -- we're on a delay.

Best names of Signing Day so far (five of the top 18 names on the Rivals 100 list, by the way, are alliterative: Bryce Brown, Rueben Randle, Jelani Jenkins, Janzen Jackson and Garrett Gilbert) :

-- Christine Michael, Texas A&M ... who is not to be confused with Christine Daniels of the L.A. Times, who IS to be confused with Mike Penner of the L.A. Times.

--Ray Ray Armstrong, Miami ... instantly becomes Stuart Scott's favorite college gridder.

-- Nick Kasa, Colorado ... I've seen this kid. He's huge. The next Ted Hendricks. Su Kasa es un chalet.

-- Shayne Skov, Stanford ... It's as if someone stole the first six letters of a Russian's surname.

-- Zeke Motta and Carlo Calabrese, Notre Dame ... Both are linebackers and both should be characters on any follow-up to The Sopranos.

-- Donavan Tate, North Carolina ... Hey, wasn't he the unstable dad on "The O.C."?

-- Barkevious Mingo, LSU ... Barkevious Walters. I like the sound of it. There's my first son.

-- Storm Klein, Ohio State...In Columbus, make it a Snowstorm.

-- Justin Cabbagestalk, Vanderbilt ... 

-- Nubian Peak, Virginia Tech ... Most popular sorority bumper sticker in Blacksburg: "This car climbed Nubian Peak".

-- Still holding for Charlie. At 1:45 p.m. So that's what it's going to be like now?

****************

While we're waiting, did you see that Keith Olbermann defended NBC colleague Alex Flanagan on his "Worst Person in the World" segment earlier this week? Bully for him, as Alex was only making a salient point and using a literary legend to do so. However, just as I am disclosing that I know and like them both--although Keith infrequently has e-mailed to provide, um, critiques--he might have fully disclosed on this segment that Alex started out as a reporter for him at "The Keith Olbermann Evening News".

***************

Okay, it was early, but did I hear correctly that Bryce Brown is on a family vacation in Nebraska? Nebraska, for vacation? In February? What was their backup? Elizabeth, New Jersey?

*****************

1:53 p.m. And, at last, we begin ... 

Manti Te'o just became the easily most celebrated Mormon student ever to matriculate at Notre Dame.

Big, BIG get for the Irish. Notre Dame finally wins a hat dance.

Now the question becomes when/whether Te'o will take his two-year mission. He just told Mo Galindo of ESPNU that he'd take his mission after playing one season, if he takes it. Suddenly, the Irish's recruiting class is a Top Ten class:

 

1) LB Manti Te'o

2) RB Cierre Wood

3) DT Tyler Stockton

4) WR Shaquelle Evans

5) LB Zeke Motta

6) OL Chris Watt

 

Four of them on the Rivals 100 list and the other two, Stockton and Evans, right near. What Notre Dame followers should be most enthused about is that two of those players, three, really, are from Pete Carroll's backyard: Te'o, Wood and Evans. Motta is from Florida. Only Watt, from suburban Chicago, is a Midwest kid.

With the signing of Te'o, and no major decommits, this class approaches last year's class in terms of quality, if not quantity. Most important for Weis is that he got two starters for his front seven, the weakest link of the Irish chain.

Someone will ask Weis -- we speak to him in half an hour -- just how important that 49-14 Hawaii Bowl victory was to the recruitment of Te'o.

OK, one worrisome observation for Irish fans: Did you notice how much taller the mayor of Honolulu was than Te'o?

By the way, you do realize that all those Hawaiians were gathered at that meeting at 7 a.m. local time?

 

Final thought before I phone in to the Charlie Weis presser: Is this the biggest day all year for this apparatus?

 

Be back witchu after Charlie's chat...

Earlier this morning a wide receiver decommitted from Southern California to commit to South Carolina. So he decommitted from USC to go to USC.

Other famous decommits...

1) John Cusack in Serendipity ... Bizarrely, he decommits from Bridget Moynahan (that poor girl; Bridge, baby, I'm here for you) to be with Kate Beckinsale.

2) Katharine Ross in The Graduate, who leaves her groom at the altar to be with Dustin Hoffman.

3) Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, which was written by Notre Dame alumnus Nicholas Sparks, which segues perfectly into our Manti Te'o announcement, which is now upon us... Te'o just announced that he is going to play for....THE CLEVELAND BROWNS!!!! Wait, I'm watching a LeBron commercial.

Te'o is a student at Punahou High School, which also happens to be the alma mater of one Barack Obama. Can you imagine trying to study for tests growing up in Hawaii? As smart as The Prez is, can you imagine just how much of a genius he'd be had he grown up in a cold-weather clime such as, say, Connecticut or Alaska. Wait a minute ... scratch that.

12:06 It's Te'o time. All the Hawaii prospects are together in Honolulu at a civic function with the mayor. The civic function being ... Signing Day. Hey, it's cool. It's not as if the state legislature has to discuss what to do about snow days.

12:08 I don't know if it's my own school ties or just the contrarian in me, and I shouldn't even type this, but as much of a favorite that USC should be for Te'o, the more time that elapses before Te'o signs, the more I feel that he will sign with Notre Dame. Why? Because it would seem that USC should be a lock, and if so, then why hasn't he ended this drama sooner?

I mean, Todd McShay just forsoothed that all three starting linebackers from USC's 2008 squad will be taken in the first round of April's NFL draft -- Clay Matthews didn't get as much pub as Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, despite having a dad named ... Clay Matthews, but he was a monster in the Rose Bowl.

So you're telling a kid that your three starting linebackers are first-round NFL draft picks, and that you want him to play linebacker. What's the delay? Maybe there's another aspect to it. Maybe Te'o wants to play right away. Maybe he wants to be a pioneer of sorts -- the last great Hawaiian player at Notre Dame was a walk-on: kicker Reggie Ho ... who today is a surgeon.

The Fighting Irish obviously do well in recruiting: 13 Rivals 100 players from 2006-2008. But they seem to perennially whiff on Signing Day. To lose every last hat dance, from Lorenzo Booker a few years back to Byron Moore and Jelani Jenkins today.

Signing Day announcements are impulse buys, and Notre Dame is not an impulse buy. It's a prudent decision. Schools such as Florida or USC are ice cream. Notre Dame is vegetables or salmon. Good for you, but not as tasty. And that's why they always seem to lose the hat dance decisions.

If the Irish can lock up Te'o in an hour or so, it would be a huge boon for not just the program but for the culture. It would be a five-star stud announcing his desire to play for Notre Dame in front of the entire nation. That would influence future recruits. If he chooses USC ... more of the same.

The biggest two points in Notre Dame's favor: 1) Academics, and 2) the chance to start immediately.

The biggest two points in USC's favor: 1) Climate, both meteorological and winning, 2) Pete Carroll, 3) recent dominance of the Irish, 4) tradition of Samoan linebackers, 5) closer to home 6) F-U-N

OK, that is more than two. It's a long shot for the Irish, and even moreso when you consider that Te'o visited South Bend for the Syracuse game, which was the coldest game I can remember attending there as well as a truly dispiriting loss to a 2-8 team that had already fired its coach.

As I said, it would be HUGE for the Irish if Te'o signs with them. Unlikely, but huge. Then again, it's down to just two schools: USC and ND. 

11:28 USC-bound outside linebacker Frankie Telfort shares the story of how, during his recruiting visit to Stanford, he got to sit in on an open-heart surgery. I wonder if the patient had any idea he was donating his organ, so to speak, to Jim Harbaugh's cause.

And I think this is 100 percent opposite the experience Jamarkus McFarland had on his Big 12/SEC recruiting trips.

 Telfort is only 5-11, but you have to be impressed that he's a kid from Miami who has chosen to go all the way across the country to play at USC.

What you notice so far: USC and Florida rule in recruiting--there's a reason that I wanted to see those two play for the national championship last month.

Also, even though they haven't had anyone sign on-air today, one school that keeps getting mentioned (by Telfort, by Jenkins) is Stanford. Considering how average or sub-par they've been since Ty Willingham left (yes, you read that correctly), you have to give Jim Harbaugh plenty of credit.

 Then again, consider what Stanford has to offer: perfect weather, the most prestigious academic institution west of the Mississippi, and some of the wealthiest alums on the planet. And a major conference.

When I was down at the Army All-American Bowl, one linebacker who impressed me is Palo Alto-bound Shayne Skov. Remember that name -- it's not difficult, after all.

10:56 a.m. Darren Myles, Jr., located in Atlanta, just signed with Lane Kiffin's wife's husband and Tennessee. Myles is a safety and Tommy Tuberville, part of the ESPNU set, just said that he'd be "just as good" as incumbent safety Eric Berry.

Um ... Eric Berry is the best safety in America. That's quite a statement, Coach T.

Props to young Mr. Myles for 1) wearing a suit on television and 2) not waiting until the 3rd ballcap to pick his school. He went with his second cap, Tennessee. The Alabama cap was just there to fill out the scene.

Here's what I'd like to see: recruits, when choosing between a trio of Big Ten schools, using snowmasks of the three schools.

************************

Earlier, defensive end Sam Montgomery of South Carolina selected LSU. The ESPN hair guy mentioned to Sam that he'd heard someone say, "If you want to recruit Sam Montgomery, the most important thing is to know video games." (or something approximate to that).

That's the state of the world today: these teens are about to make the most important decision of their young lives, and it comes down to being fluent in Wii and promising them their desired uniform number.

If you have time, read a book I've touted before, The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis. Inside he chronicles, from what seems a first-hand look, the home visits of then high school offensive tackler Michael Oher (now entering the NFL draft and sure to be taken in the 1st round). The visits from Nick Saban and Phil Fulmer are both hilarious and extremely telling.

************************

11:05 a.m. Jelani Jenkins, nation's No. 2 outside linebacker, about to announce. "Hi, I'd just like to make a speech first before I do this."

Grrrrreat.

Jenkins is down to Penn State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida and USC. I love that his uniform front says "Good Counsel". It's like a team of lawyers.

Jenkins is sounding and looking very impressive. Easily the most mature young man on ESPNU thus far -- and he's only 16. And Jenkins has chosen the Florida Gators. He did open his speeck with a few words about God, after all. Tebow, you've got a new bud in Bible study.

"Jelani, what were the biggest factors in your choice?"

( What he didn't say: "The chicks, baby!").

Give Jenkins credit. He actually used spread sheets, different metrics for pitting each school against one another...and then it came down to "great weather" and of course Urban Meyer being the nation's most successful football coach the past five seasons. And the fact that these two are both Gator alums.

I like Jenkins. This is a precocious young man. Keep an eye on him.

************************

Have you noticed that the four schools these guys have chosen so far are USC, LSU, Tennessee and Florida? Schools such as Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State can offer a lot, but they cannot offer cargo shorts-climate most of the academic year. And that matters to these kids.

All of which begs the question I've been asking for three decades: How come Arizona State isn't a perennial Top 20 program? 

Signed, sealed, delivered I'm yours ...

10:09 a.m.  Byron Moore, out at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., is a defensive back. It's time for him to choose a cap. And it was quite an awkward hat dance. He had his coach do the "diss the other two caps" deal, dissing first Colorado and then Notre Dame. Moore chooses USC, a school that he had decommitted from just a couple weeks ago.

Moore and linebacker Manti Te'o are two prime, prime players that have basically winnowed their choices down to Notre Dame and USC. If the Irish lost Te'o to Pete Carroll as well, it won't be a happy day at the Gug (Guglielmo Athletic Complex). Signing those two could turn a good class into a terrific class. Te'o is the player the Irish covet more than ... Moore.

The odd thing about Moore is that he lives in USC's backyard and claimed that he wanted to get away from home and experience new things. Then he chose the Trojans. From Harbor City to the Harbor Freeway, I guess.

10:25 a.m. The nation's most highly prized running back recruit -- and in some views, overall recruit -- is on vacation this week. You have to love that. Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., graduated high school in December. This week he is visiting an uncle in Nebraska, so he likely will not be signing with anyone today. Brown had committed to Miami a year ago -- his brother Arthur was a highly pized recruit a year ago who signed with the Canes -- but now it's back up in the air. Keep an eye on Oregon on this one.

10:27 a.m. Watching all of this on the ESPNU. They just aired a shot of the Scouts, Inc. "war room" where nine grown men with lap tops are seated at a conference room, apparently not on Twitter (as if I know what Twitter is). Anyway, my "war room" involves a couch, a pot of coffee and a stray cat. So, yeah, they may have more resources at their disposal.

Yeah, but I played high school football. Did they? OK, probably some of them.

***********

Just saw an ad for my favorite new product: The Snuggie Blanket. "It's the blanket with sleeves!" Or, as my brother has noted, "A robe!" I'm actually sitting here typing under a blanket and my arms are a little chilly, so maybe they have a point. The Snuggie may not actually be as stupid as it sounds, but here's my problem with it: when you're wearing it you look like a member of the Heaven's Gate cult.

"Is that a Snuggie you're wearing?"
"No, I'm just off to catch a comet."  

Signing Day is here...and I'll be here with you most of the day as the nation's best high school football players give the most important autograph of their young lives...

 

Watch as the kiddies play a shell game with their baseball caps. I still have no idea why they don't use football helmets for this maneuver.

Here's a look at some of our final videos from the Super Bowl...

1) Here's a parody of NFL Films, courtesy of the NFL Experience Theme Park right outside of Raymond James Stadium. Matty B did most of the writing (hilarious alliteration), as well as the John Fazenda impersonation. Yours truly does the "radio call" of the missed kick, plus a couple of other cameos within the piece.

The NFL Experience is actually a really cool thing, especially if you're a kid who's into sports or a guy like Uncle Rico who's trying to impress his girlfriend by re-living his glory days and showing off his arm. In fact, we saw one of those guys at the long toss. He was clearly a juice monkey who kept rolling up his sleeves to show off the guns, and reveling in the fact he could throw the ball more than 40 yards. Getting cocky, he called his shot ("Right between the X in the net!") and promptly took out one of the overhead flood lights 25 yards down the field, causing a 10-minute delay.

After we were done shooting, I decided to see how much left was in the right arm. The good news: the ball made it past the 50-yard mark. The bad news: every ligament in my shoulder made a terrible noise, and a shooting pain shot from there, through my elbow and foream, and somehow doubled-down across the oblique. Not quite sure of the physics of that, but it was not good. Anyway ...

2) Props to the Madden Party - the PR staff couldn't have been more helpful, and the players all seemed willing to talk. After Mark Sanchez was done, I told him I hoped that the Jets would draft him in April. He responded with, "Man I would LOVE that." He said it in such a way where he was either completely serious or a phenomenal liar. And two things passed through my head: 1) Now I really did want the Jets to draft him, and 2) this guy has to be out of his f-ing mind if he wants to play for that team.

Wait a minute ... yes, there is. Kinda.

I opened with that because yesterday one of sports' greatest cliches -- "There's no 'I' in "team" -- came to mind. Why? Because as we sit here, one day past Groundhog Day (quickly, do you realize that two of Bill Murray's greatest roles involve rodents? What up?) and on the eve of Signing Day, it occurred to me that there is both an "i" and a "team" in Manti Te'o.

In fact, you can spell "No I in Team" using nothing but the letters in the Hawaiian-bred linebacker's name, though you'd have to double up on the "i" and "n". Te'o, as you know, is considered one of the best linebacking prospects in the nation (No. 3 on Rivals 100, and No. 12 player overall) and has supposedly winnowed his choices down to UCLA, Notre Dame and USC.

In Notre Dame's favor: South Bend's world-famous temperate climes and swaying ocean breezes; the reputation of graduating roughly 98 percent of its football players from a Top 20 academic institution; in-dorm pizza sales; the Irish Guard have promised to incorporate the Haka Dance into their pregame routine; the No. 1 ranked hockey team in the nation; the fact that the Fighting Irish desperately need linebackers and pronto.

In USC's favor: Te'o is Polynesian, and the Trojans seem to do OK with Polynesian linebackers: Junior Seau (arguably the most aptly named linebacker in history, when you think of it phonetically), Lofa Tatupu and Marina del Rey Maualuga, to name a few; all three USC starting linebackers from this past season started -- started! -- in the Senior Bowl, which translates to "USC knows how to develop linebackers" and "plenty of space available on the two-deep chart"; Ron Burgundy occasionally shows up at practice (and he's kind of a big deal); the Trojans are "reserving" a No. 55 jersey for Te'o; in the past five seasons USC has won 13, 12, 11, 11 and 12 games ("Southern California: Where 9-3 Really Is Not Good Enough").

Notre Dame fans being who they are, they're inclined to believe that someone as all-around good as Te'o (he's a very good student and an Eagle Scout as well) must be destined to don a gold helmet, because that's where the nation's best and brightest and most decent come to play football. But this isn't 1977.

Given all the factors involved -- USC's gridiron success, Pete Carroll's charisma, the school's being half as far from Honolulu as South Bend, etc., you've got to believe the Trojans have the inside track. It would be quite the pleasant surprise were Notre Dame to win this recruiting battle. The School's-Namesake's-Son knows they need him more than the Trojans do.

So on Saturday afternoon I'm watching a little of the Providence-UConn men's game on the Big East Network. The announcer starts talking about the following day's big event, and then about the Super Bowl in general. "They should just go ahead and make it a national holiday," he says.

I thought, He does know it always falls on a Sunday, doesn't he?

****************************

1) Admit it: You were hoping Andrea Kremer or Alex Flanagan would provide a post-halftime injury update on Bruce Springsteen and that cameraman into whom he belly-slammed. No?

2) "I want you to step away from the guacamole dip...I want you to put the chicken wings down!...And turn the television all the way up!...Is there anybody alive out there?!...Is there anybody alive out there?!?"

Does anyone in rock-and-roll have a better sense of humor than the Boss?

"I'm goin' to Disneyland!"

To the uninitiated--are there still uninitiated Springsteen fans??? Besides my mom, that is?-- he opened with, in reverse order, the first two songs from his '75 classic, "Born To Run", which I'm proud to say is the first album I ever bought (truth serum update: Ray Stevens' "Everything is Beautiful" is the first 45 I ever bought; but Born to Run was the first album...and I've been waiting to buy a better album ever since, but I've given up believing it will happen).

And, yes, you did hear Ken Whisenhunt say, "Booty shakin'". Whoever had that idea to use the players and coaches to give Bruce's trademark intro of the past tour deserves a raise. Won't get one, but deserves one.

 

3) I'm still trying to figure out how Larry Fitzgerald caught that first touchdown pass.(I have no idea, by the way, how long until NBC tells YouTube to take this off the web, which would then mean it won't be here, even though I'm NBC...Lawyers). When they show the replays, watch his hands. One of them is inverted, as if he's using the back of his hand to clutch the football. Amazing, amazing play.

4) I want to look like Dick LeBeau when I'm 61, much less 71. Okay, when I'm 51.

5) Brilliant call by Todd Haley on the second Fitz TD. He had two wideouts run down-and-out routes, which lured both Steeler safeties outside the hashmarks, then had Fitz run a quick slant-in route. Watch the replay and notice that the Steeler safeties were lined up 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage on the snap. That's too safe, even for a safety. And James Harrison, who gave chase, was still gassed from that first half pick-six, I imagine. You had two of the very best players in the NFL in a footrace there. And how surreal for Fitz, racing toward a potential game-winning TD and able to look up at the Jumbotron and see himself doing it?

5) Did you think, as I did, when you first saw it that Big Ben was simply tossing that game-winner out of bounds to avoid a sack? It looked as if even one of the Card DBs gave up on the ball as it sailed over his head. Incredible throw, incredible catch by the Rabbit Killer.

6) It didn't change the complexion of the game or anything, but that first quarter pass in which Big Ben (can you tell I just don't feel like typing "Roethlisberger" today?) eluded the pressure, then threw it across the field to tight end Heath Miller? The next time they show the play, watch the Cardinal cornerback on Ben's left when the play begins. He has the tight end, notices Ben is in trouble, and races all the way across the field to make the sack. Then, just as he arrives, Ben tosses it across the field to the spot where the corner had been moments earlier. That's got to kill you.

7) Darnell Dockett was a monster last night.

8) I've got to watch the play yet again, but it looked to me as if Edgerrin James got pushed from behind--or clipped--on James Harrison's 100-yard interception return? Okay, I just saw it...the Edge got clipped (watch closely...he's chasing from the outside...it happens at around the 30-yard line) Still, has there been a better run in Super Bowl history, offense or defense?

Also, kudos to the ref who is right there at the pylon less than a second after Harrison tumbles into the end zone. That's some serious wheels for a middle-aged man, considering he's trying to keep up with some world-class athletes. 

9) Nobody asked me to direct the telecast--duh--but I would have shown an "Evolution of Brenda Warner Hairdos" gallery at some point in the game. From her first Super Bowl 'do to last night's. Looks as if someone has been spending some time at Biltmore Fashion Park.

10) So, for clarity's sake, the MVP of the Super Bowl was busted for marijuana possession late last October, which was within a month of when Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year" was demonstrating this "regrettable" error in judgment (in fact, both photos were likely taken within a week or two of one another). You have to imagine Mr. Phelps is sooooooooo grateful that this photo came out on the eve of the Super Bowl, as opposed to, say, next week.  

 

1. Someone needs to do a spot-shadow tracing of Larry Fitzgerald's route on the James Harrison interception return. It's amazing. He started 4 yards deep in the end zone, got blocked, sidestepped more blockers, went out of bounds to get clear, ran into a TEAMMATE WATCHING THE PLAY ON THE SIDELINES at the 30! and caught up to Harrison a second time but about 12 inches too late. Imagine that. In a 305-foot odyssey, he only needed to make up a foot to have saved the touchdown.

2. Marshall Faulk made a great point on the NFL Network. Santonio Holmes used the ball as a prop in his post-touchdown celebration on the climactic play. It should have resulted in Jeff Reed kicking off from the 20. That, coupled with the lack of an earnest replay after the Warner fumble/incompletion shows that the game got too madcap for the officials at the end.

3. Also, if you go by the letter of the law, Cardinals defensive tackle Bryan Robinson should have been ejected for throwing a punch in the first half during a scrum. It was blatant. And what James Harrison did to poor Aaron Francisco (a guy who was on the scene for almost every negative play for Arizona in the final quarter) was not a penalty. Period.

- Curran

TAMPA BAY - What does "best" Super Bowl mean to you? Most cleanly played? Most important? Most exciting? It's a very broad definition, isn't it?

I mean, this year's game was more exciting than the Patriots-Giants Super Bowl, but that one was more important given the history on the line for New England.

And the Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl was probably more cleanly played and nearly as explosive. But if you had to say which game had the most "Are you &%%*(@ me?" moments, it was this one.

I talked to Dan Patrick from NBC, his own show and whoever else will have him (kidding, Dan).

He said, "You could make an argument that it rivals or surpasses last year. Last year only had a great six or seven minutes to it. This game had...the longest return in Super Bowl history, a couple of questionable replay calls and then, that final quarter, that was dramatic football. I think sometimes we look at a game and call it great because it had a great finish. This wasn't a great game because I don't think the Cardinals played very well and Pittsburgh didn't put Arizona away when they should have. But when there were times for big plays, the marquee guys made plays. Roethlisberger, Holmes, Warner, Fitzgerald. So if you were tuning in to see the Cardinals, you got your money's worth. And if you tuned in to see the Pittsburgh Steelers you got your money's worth as well."

* * * * *

These are my "most exciting" Super Bowls.  

1. Cards-Steelers

2. Patriots-Panthers

3. Titans-Rams

4. Patriots-Giants

5. Patriots-Rams

6. Bills-Giants

7. Niners-Bengals II

8. Steelers-Rams

- Curran

I'm back at my hotel for a quick stop before a morning flight.  I'm not thinking straight enough to put together coherent thoughts on how the Steelers won, but here are a few stray things I learned after the game that I'd like to record before my goldfish-like memory forgets it all. 

• I stood right next to Dan Rooney as we both tried to get into a packed locker room well after the game. Even the owner of the team was having trouble going where he wanted.  I’ve never met Rooney before, of course, but I said congratulations.  I asked if championships were like kids or if you are allowed to have favorites.  I hate that question, but it just came out.  He said all championships are good, but the first one is the most special. 
• James Farrior said earlier in the week that he wasted too long with the media and missed a lot of the celebration  the last time they won.  This time, he made sure to finish up the minimum time on his podium, then run like hell out of the room while screaming in joy.
•  Gary Russell, despite being a second-year player, seemed as overwhelmed and happy as any Steeler.  Just beaming, continuing to say, “It’s better than I thought.  And I’m speechless.”  He said he didn’t get too caught up in his touchdown run because he had to get right back on the field for special teams. 
• I didn’t go into the locker room until after most of the podium speeches.  It’s a strange place to be, with so many happy players trying to enjoy their moment while out-numbered by media.  Chris Hoke and all the defensive linemen took turns taking pictures with the Lombardi trophy.  Some players dressed and bolted as fast as possible to the team buses.
• The most awkward scene in a locker room full of them was seeing ten people surround Ben Roethlisberger as he had a tearful conversation on the phone.  Everyone was maintaining a respectful 5-10 feet, but it was like we were watching the “Ben Roethlisberger Show.”
• Hines Ward teared up at the podium while holding his son and talking about what the Rooneys meant to him.  He said he “couldn’t describe” the pain he played in.  He said the injury was a 5-6 week injury.  He held up well early, but blocking wore him down.  Ward’s teammates have taken to calling him Papa Smurf.  My wife calls him Hinesy. 

Best Super Bowl ever?

Is Big Ben better than we thought...like all-time kinda?

Should Ben or Holmes be the MVP?

Was the Harrison play the most wacky and wild?

Or the Holmes TD?

Or the Fitz play?

Going down to figure out how and why the Steelers won.

- Curran

 

I'm watching Neil Rackers yelling at the official as the game ends asking for a replay.  The Cardinals deserved one, but it wouldn't matter.  They wouldn't have overturned it. 

The Cardinals waited 60 years to make a Super Bowl.  Here's hoping they don't have to wait another 60, because that is a brutal, heart-wrenching way to lose one that will stick with Kurt Warner, Adrian Wilson, Larry Fitzgerald and the rest for a long, long time.  The defense couldn't get a stop when it counted late.  The offense gave away seven points at the end of the first half.  It was an amazing showing, putting over 400 yards on the Steelers, the playoff Cards we saw all January, but it wasn't enough.   

What a victory by the Steelers.  Once again, they win a game on their last drive.  Congratulations to Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes, Mike Tomlin, and the rest.  They earned it the hard way. 

And they are cranking "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim to a confused group of reporters in the press box.  Time to head down to the locker room.  Thanks for stopping by - we'll have columns up later tonight. 

- Gregg

 

They have come up short a few times tonight, settling for field goals.  Now they get three cracks to win the game.

Ben Roethlisberger has had a sublime drive.  Perfectly thrown passes after buying time. 

What a throw by Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes through three Cardinals!!  And a better catch. 

And Aaron Francisco, once again, seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

After a quiet second half, Pittsburgh goes 8 plays and 88 yards in just over two minutes.  Just an incredible performance when the chips were down by the Pittsburgh offense.   

- Gregg

 

I am on fire for going to classic Super Bowls.  Two-for-two.  I have to give Tom credit - right before that play he said that the Cardinals had to do something to get Polamalu from shading Fitzgerald.  They send Breaston to the corner, while Fitz delays over the middle.  Bingo.  Touchdown. 64-yard touchdown.  The Arizona Cardinals are off the mat again!  What a gutsy team.  This stadium just got quiet. 

And I am officially the loudest member in the press box. 

- Gregg

Big stand by the Steelers after Mike Gandy (The LVP of the game) gets another holding call.   On the punt, James Harrison got a penalty simply for being a badass and dominating Aaron Francisco.   

As my man Curran points out, the Steelers should consider taking a safety on fourth down. 

If they want to go down in history as one of the greatest ever, here is their chance.  Arizona's defense, incidentally, has kept them in the game.  They have given up some loooong drives, but only 13 points. 

There may be no cheering in the press box, but there was a big "WOW" after that Fitzgerald leaping catch.  From me.  Everyone else seemed to take it in stride. 

What strength and hand-eye coordination.  He's been shut down most of the day, but his hands made a big difference on that drive. 

Media is now allowed to go down to the locker rooms.  No one has left. 

The running joke in the press box is to create a new penalty to call on Arizona after every play.  On the last one: throwing the quarterback too hard to the ground.  And no, I don't think the calls have been as bad as they were in Super Bowl XL.  They are just one-sided.  But for the most part, they have been right.  The Cardinals have 10 penalties for 92 yards.  The Steelers have two for 15. 

- Gregg

Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu are doing a great job covering Larry Fitzgerald.  It's very surprising to see Polamalu line up across from Fitz every once in a while.  In the end, Pittsburgh's pass rush has been the best defense.

Even when Kurt Warner gets time, it's like he's spooked.  On that last third-and-13, Warner had all sorts or protection.  But he let go of a shaky short pass to Steve Breaston instead of seeing what developed downfield.  Even if Breaston made that catch, it would have not been a first down. Warner's play hasn't been composed since his fateful pass to James Harrison. 

- Gregg

Pittsburgh missed a great chance to put the game away with a three-score lead late in the third quarter, but that was a very successful drive.  16 plays, 79 yards, and more than half the quarter (8:39) just ticked off the clock. 

That's twice the Steelers have come up short inside the five-yard line, but Arizona is going to need two touchdowns in short order for it to matter.

- Gregg

Seahawks fans were irate when the Steelers got every call three years ago. It's happening again.

On this drive with the Steelers up 17-7, Arizona's now gotten banged with two personal fouls on this drive.

The first was a facemask on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie when both DRC and Santonio Holmes were locked on each others' facemasks. The second came on a shove to the back of Ben Roethlisberger. It was a dicey call but more egregious was the fact that, behind Roethlisberger, a Cardinals rusher was tackled and the official stared at the play and opted to not throw the flag.

Bad. Deal. The officials are officially involved.

Arizona's got 7 penalties for 76 yards. Pittsburgh's got 2 for 15.

- Curran

The Cardinals have won two challenges so they get the bonus third challenge. But if they challenge another play and get it right, they have no additional challenges.

So if the officials screw up against them a FOURTH TIME, they have no more challenges as protection from official ineptitude.

We'll see if this becomes an issue.

- Curran

Will the Harrison play wind up on the cutting room floor when the greatest plays in NFL history are revisited?

We have 30 minutes of football to determine it. But think about it...the Tyree catch wasn't The Greatest Play Ever as many maintain if the Giants lost 14-10.

The Lynn Swann catches in Super Bowl X weren't as remarkable if the Steelers lost. Elway's helicopter, Desmond Howard's kick return and on and on.

Meanwhile, look at the effort by Fitzgerald on that play, being three yards deep in the end zone and getting through the junk to track down Harrison at the goal line.

I'm still a little flabbergasted. Yup. My flabber is still gasted.

- Tom E. Curran

The Cardinals dominated the second quarter like the Steelers dominated the first, but they have nothing to show for it. They out-gained the Steelers 129 to 27 by turning almost exclusively to the pass, which seems like a good idea, despite the final result of Kurt Warner's bone-headed pick.  All nine Cardinals first downs are via the pass. 

Most of the stats are close.  The big difference is that Arizona didn't score off Ben Roethlisberger's interception.  James Harrison scored a touchdown none of us will ever forget. 

The Steelers get a chance to show they really can run the ball now with a two-score lead at halftime of the Super Bowl.  If Willie Parker has a half-way decent second half, it's probably all over.

I've written about Arizona's ability to shake off tough situations, but recovering from that Harrison score would show a whole new level of cajones.

- Gregg

 

That's the most amazing play in Super Bowl history. The Cardinals were 6 feet from going up 14-10 at the half and find themselves down 17-7 as James Harrison has the great read, steps in, picks it off and goes the whole way, weaving, hurdling...man.

All done while the clock had gone to zero.

- Tom E. Curran

Karlos Dansby with his tenth career interception after Bryan Robinson tipped a Ben Roethlisberger pass.  That's a very high number for a young middle linebacker.  Dansby is a great player in the open field, so Mewelde Moore did a terrific job laying the wood on Dansby.  And Dansby did a better job holding on to the ball. 

After two long drives to open the game, Pittsburgh's offense has bogged down on the last two.  Arizona, so used to being in bad spots this year, has responded again in this first half. 

- Gregg

By the letter of the law, the chop block call on Edgerrin James was correct.  It's questionable whether the linemen were engaged though when James hit the defender.  That more or less killed a possible scoring drive for Arizona, with LaMarr Woodley's sack on Levi Brown pushing the Cardinals further backward.   The game is moving very quickly.  Both teams have had three possessions in 27+ minutes.

- Gregg

Kurt Warner did a great job getting the ball quickly against the Steelers pass rush early in Arizona's scoring drive.  His anticipation is amazing to watch in person because the receivers don't look remotely open yet when he throws.   Then Warner gets terrific protection for just one play, and the Cardinals hit a 45-yard crosser to Anquan Boldin. 

So to recap: Game definitely not over. 

- Gregg

Two drives, 20 plays, 145 yards, 12:30 time of possession.  They are already shortening the game.   

My little buddy Tom Curran says if Arizona goes three-and-out this drive, it's over.  

- Gregg

This game has been very chippy thus far, with at least three skirmashes and some late hits.  DT Bryan Robinson definitely threw a punch, but nothing was called.  The officials are letting them play. 

OK, we got the third-and-10 playground play by Big Ben when he ran left, doubled back right (running parallel to the line) then whirled and completed an 11-yard pass to Heath Miller.

Previous to that, rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who electrified with his speed at the combine, tracked down an underthrown bomb to Nate Washington and broke it up.

Now, as the Steelers threaten inside the 5, it's clear that the Cardinals are going to get gassed if they can't put a drive together.

The Steelers have a TOP edge of 11:28 to 3:32.

At the end of one, it's second-and-goal at the 5.

- Tom E. Curran

Arizona needs to stay out third-and-long situations to keep Dick Lebeau's blitzes at bay.  On their third-and-17, James Harrison blitzed without getting touched, ending the play before it started.

- Gregg

Wipe out the Big Ben TD and now the Steelers will settle for a 18-yard field goal. Shorter than an extra point.

Mike Tomlin was likely thinking he didn't want a nine-play, 71-yard drive to yield nothing. Or worse, to have it lead to a 99.5 yard touchdown drive the other way.

Very, very conservative play. On the flipside, it would be interesting to know what Whisenhunt would have done given the potency of the Steelers defense.

- Tom E. Curran

Just like Bill Belichick talked about in pregame, the Steelers use Arizona's aggressiveness against them with a bootleg to a crossing receiver.

That's exactly what the Steelers dial up on the second play from scrimmage for a big gain.

Roethlisberger and Ward look plenty healthy, thank you very much.

-Gregg 

See the nice shots of the players on the sidelines during the National Anthem? Too bad you don't get those during the regular season since the NFL doesn't compel the teams to be on the field during the anthem.

A shame. It'd be nice if the league would make the players be out there for the anthem every week, not just when it suits them to capitalize on an appearance of great nationalistic pride.

(By the way, Jennifer Hudson was tremendous).

- Tom E. Curran

 

Kurt Warner was just named the NFL's Man of the Year and was presented the award by Commish Roger Goodell and Walter Payton's wife. Though it took only a moment, it's something out of the norm. Probably not an ideal time for that, if you're a coach.

-Tom E. Curran

TAMPA - Ben Roethlisberger can be OK to poor and the Steelers can still win because of the Pittsburgh defense.

The Steelers defense can play at a less than optimum level and still be saved by Roethlisberger against a "just OK" Arizona defense.

And the Arizona defense can play poorly but survive if Kurt Warner lights it up.

But if Warner doesn't play well, the Cardinals will lose and this game will turn into a bloodbath. If he gives them the chance, the Steelers won't just force mistakes, they'll score on them. And, in a stadium absolutely loaded with Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans, this is worst-case scenario.

Warner is the most important player on the field tonight.

- Tom E. Curran

No one will ever accuse Neil Rackers of having weak leg.  He just nailed a 60-yarder in warmups, and hit the crossbar from 65.  So we know where he's good from. 

Jeff Reed hit from 55 with at least five yards to spare.  It's always amazing to see the kickers warm-up, because they simply never miss in practice. 

The crowd is picking up, but it's a closed-air press box, so it's hard to get a feel of how loud it really is.  When the Steelers came out, and the place exploded.  The Cardinals came out, and one or two sections cheer.  It sounds pretty loud - the towels are in full effect.  I suspect it's way louder than last year, if only because most of the crowd is for one team. 

Ben Roethlisberger to Jerome Bettis: "It's the Super Bowl.  Everyone should be nervous." 

For the record, I'm not nervous.   

- Gregg

is excellent, if I can give a sideways plug to something else on the site. Roger Goodell could set his sights on jobs more influential than NFL Commissioner before he's done. The guy is impressive.

- Tom E. Curran

Cardinals inactives: NT Alan Branch, CB Eric Green, FB Tim Castille, LB Victor Hobson, OL Elliot Vallejo, OT Brandon Keith, TE Jerame Tuman, and third QB Brian St. Pierre.

Two of the former Steelers on the roster (St. Pierre and Tuman) won't be able to try to beat their former team.  J.J. Arrington will return kicks and play despite being listed as questionable.  Defensive ends Antonio Smith and Travis LaBoy will play, as expected.

Steelers inactives: S Anthony Smith, third QB Dennis Dixon, CB Fernando Bryant, OLB Bruce Davis, OT Tony Hills, OT Jason Capizzi, DL Scott Paxson, and DE Orpheus Roye are out for Pittsburgh.  No major surprises there.  Smith told me about his plans to hit Larry Fitzgerald as much as possible in the game - he won't get the the chance. 

- Gregg

Jerome Bettis got the entire stadium waving terrible towels as he crossed the field.   Upon reaching Hines Ward, the two did an awkward half-jumping chest bump.

• A really terrible-looking slice of pizza costs $9.  An equally poor-looking turkey sandwich costs $15.  A souvenir cup of beer is a relative bargain at $10.  Luckily, we have the "media brunch" up here with some solid tacos.
• Each seat comes with a Bridgeston seat cushion.  Most writers toss them aside.   At 5-feet-5, I can use it with high tables here.  The cushion comes stuffed with odd goodies like doo-rag and an iTunes Gift card for the free purchase of the video to the Super Bowl.  They also come with an earpiece to listen to the game on NBC or Westwood One, although no one does that. 
• Bill Belichick is on the pregame show, doing the x-ways and talking about taking advantage of Arizona's aggressiveness.  Backside runs or rollouts could mean big plays for the Steelers.   The Cardinals do make a lot of big plays, but also give up plenty of big plays. 

Pretty awesome that Belichick went through the tapes and picked out all the plays to break down.  Hearing Belichick, Tony Dungy, and Mike Holmgren talk about each team is pretty cool.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm an NBC employee.

-- Gregg

Three hours before kickoff, the main press box is at least half full.  A lot of writers without a lot to do.   Ken Whisenhunt and Josh Reed are some of the names already roaming the field.  Some impressions from my way in to the game:

• The first thing you see as you approach the stadium is a sea of black and gold.  Everywhere.  Last year, there was a relatively even split of Giants and Patriots fans, probably leaning towards New England.  This year, it's essentially a Steelers home game.  The gold jerseys are already dotting the seats throughout the stadium.
• Most disappointing trend among the few Cardinals jerseys out there: Matt Leinarts are everywhere.  Second oddest jersey trend: I have seen at least three Charlie Batch jerseys this week.  Bad job. 
• The way into the stadium is on George Steinbrenner Way, right next to George Steinbrenner Field.  This is not a good omen for someone raised in Massachusetts.  The Yankees' spring training facility is massive; more impressive than a lot of major league fields. 
• Last year, I was in the auxiliary press box, which is a level up, and in the stands.  This year, I'm fired up to upgrade.  I want to send a special thanks to Alan Abrahamson, our NBCSports.com writer, for covering winter sports and not the Super Bowl, which is responsible for my upgrade. 
• Some of the writers near me: the Dallas contingent - John McClain, Richard Justice, Charean Williams, and Randy Galloway already chomping on a cigar.  I'm surrounded by the Philadelphia Inquirer crew on the left and Don Banks, Michael Silver, and assorted internet writers on the right.   Even big time internet writers like Silver and Banks get slightly lesser seats than their print counterparts.  Only fair - print has been coming longer. 

-- Gregg

TAMPA - Muted.

That's the word I've kept coming back to this week. The anticipation. The pomp. The parties. The matchup. The star power.

It's all been kinda ... eh ...

I've been to seven Super Bowls now and I never remember one where there was less conversation about the actual matchup. Why?

Blame it on the Cards.

A) People aren't familiar enough with their personnel. Name five guys on their defense, quick ... NBC's Al Michaels told me on Tuesday he's covered three Cardinals games in 23 years of broadcasting. 3.

B) They don't seem trustworthy. Given the way they closed the season and their 9-7 record, they give off a whiff of flukiness.

C) No, zero, zilch in terms of national following.

The Cardinals financial impact on this event has been massive. A man from Texas told me last night that the Eagles rented a hotel/restaurant area in Ybor City to serve as their home base for the week. That area was going to bank a ton of dough off the Philly fans who would have swarmed down to see an intrastate matchup. When the Cardinals won, the reservation went poof and the area lost out.

A merchandising guy I'm friends told me that, if the Cardinals win, his outfit will make tens of millions less than they would if the Steelers win. Cardinals stuff doesn't move.

Combine the Cardinals and the economy - which has been far more discussed this week than the game - and you have a perfect storm for a lower-case super bowl.

You can't get away from economy talk. The Commissioner's address on Friday was dominated by it. The NFLPA's address was the same thing. Lines are being drawn, folks. There's going to be a serious fight as the owners try to wrangle back money they agreed to give the players in 2006 with the current CBA and the players aren't going to give it back.

With that, the belt-tightening among the league and their teams has been palpable. Beyond the scaled-down or eliminated parties, jobs within the league are being slashed. And there's a feeling that, once this game's played, even more will go.

Even the halftime act, Bruce Springsteen, was talking about the economy and the mood of the nation this week, saying he hopes his act can spur some optimism for a country going through a hard time.

And while the effort to bring Bruce in began long before the country's economy tanked, he is the perfect entertainment choice. The hardest working man in rock 'n roll, glitz-free, free of high-tech tricks ... this super bowl needs Bruce. And it might not be on his set list, but the song that would capture what this week and the mood's been about is the last song on "Nebraska," called Reason to Believe.

At the end of every hard-earned day, people find some reason to believe.

- Tom E. Curran

Unlike the Cardinals and Steelers, I’ll admit that I’m happy to be here.  That’s what was speeding through my mind as I ran this morning on Bayshore Drive to the best Hold Steady/Lil’ Wayne mix in creation. (Perhaps the only one.) The weather has improved, already in the low sixties, with no wind, and no chance of rain all day.  The Goodyear blimp is already overhead, the amount of fans asking me for tickets is increasing, and everyone in the hotel is checking their watches, seeing if its time yet to head over to Raymond James Stadium.  Finally, it’s gameday.

The first bus to the game leaves at 1:30, and I plan to be on it.  What else is there to do today?  If I ever take this for granted, if the love for football ever wanes, if I ever can’t get excited for the Super Bowl, then it’s time to quit.  It’s a privilege to be here and I’d write a Bob Hayes style list of thanks to everyone who has helped me get here, and who has helped me while here, if I thought anyone would find it interesting.  (Hayes' letter, incidentally, gave a room full of media schlubs chills.  Awesome, memorable moment.)

I get a lot more excited and nervous talking to the other writers here than the players or coaches.  Talking to the team is our job and it’s their responsibility to talk with us. It’s cool to shoot the bull with Mewelde Moore for ten minutes, but that’s the job; he’s required to talk to me.  Getting to know the men and women I’ve read and respected for so long is more surreal.  Maybe it is because I am coming from the fantasy/Rotoworld background, but it’s weird to think of them as colleagues.  I