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| Cedric Benson's recent run-in with law enforcement could be the final straw for him in Chicago, according to ESPN. Per John Clayton, the former first-round pick started walking the plank when the Bears selected Matt Forte in the second round. And the Bears aren't too tolerant of players with off-the-field issues. To make matters worse for Benson, Forte was the star of Bears rookie camp. Benson plans to attend voluntary workouts Tuesday but knows management won't be happy to see him. |
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| Rob Sims, G, Seattle Seahawks | Monday 5/5, 4:01 PM CT |
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| Rob Sims, expected to be the Seahawks' starting right guard this season, will not participate in the four-day veteran camp that began this morning because he is having arthroscopic knee surgery, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. |
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| Adding James Hardy to the Buffalo Bills receiving corps has safety Donte Whitner excited. He believes that a receiver with the size and ability of Hardy will force opposing defenses to make tough choices when it comes to coverage, according to BuffaloBills.com. "Any time you have a guy [Hardy] that's 6'5" or 6'6" with the speed that he has and with Lee (Evans) on the other side and guys like Roscoe (Parrish) and Josh (Reed) in the slot, you have a dangerous receiving corps," Whitner said. "So now when we get down in the red zone we don't have to come up with little schemes or tricks to try to get in the end zone. You can just throw the ball up to him and if he's double covered that means Lee is probably singled up. And I'm taking Lee 95 percent of the time against any corner in the league one-on-one. If you try to double both of them you have a guy like Roscoe in the slot. And I don't believe that anybody can cover him one-on-one in the slot in true man to man. I truly don't believe it. So now you have a very dangerous receiving corps." |
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| University of Illinois star running back Rashard Mendenhall -- who was just drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers -- was robbed at gunpoint early Monday along the South Side Chicago lakefront, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Mendenhall, 20, was walking along the lake near 39th Street at 2 a.m. with another person when two people robbed him of his phone, cash and wallet, sources familiar with the investigation said. "It was obviously a scary moment," said his agent, Mike McCartney of Priority Sports. "But he is fine. He is doing great. He said he doesn't have anything that is worth his life." |
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| LaDainian Tomlinson suggested that he might walk away from the game in a recent interview with Colleen Dominiguez of ESPN. The topic came up after Dominguez estimated that L.T. is roughly five solid seasons away from toppling Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing mark. “It comes a time where you gotta walk away from the game,” Tomlinson said. “I really would like to walk away from the game on top. I dont want to be a player that’s declining and have to be kicked out of the league and not getting picked up by a team.” |
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| Geno Hayes, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Monday 5/5, 2:54 PM CT |
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| Sixth-round draft pick Geno Hayes (Florida State) hopes to make an impact with the Buccaneers, according to the AP. Hayes said, "Everybody says they are going to come in with a chip on their shoulder. I don’t do the chip thing. I’m happy to be here. If you play with anger, you’re going to mess up some kind of way." He also thinks he has the tools to be a great NFL player, and Coach Jon Gruden said, "He has athletic ability. He’s what’s advertised. He’s going to be a good contact player, I think, when we start putting the pads on. He’s instinctive. He has good functional speed. He appears natural and comfortable in this defense. We’re excited by that. But for all these guys, it’s a big learning curve."
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| Head coach Mike McCarthy will adjust the offense to mesh with quarterback Aaron Rodgers' strengths and weaknesses as they become more apparent; however, he suggested the changes will be relatively minor, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. His comments about Rodgers' athleticism suggest he might run more bootleg-type passes than he did with Favre. Also, drafting Jordy Nelson with the top pick suggests the spread passing attack with four and five receivers will remain a staple in the offense to take advantage of the team's best playmakers in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and, perhaps now, Nelson. "(The spread personnel) is not the starting point of our offense," McCarthy said. "But we definitely have the players to do that, and it takes advantage of the strength of our perimeter players, because it puts the ball in their hands quickly and gives them the ability to make yards after the catch." |
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| Steve Fifita, DT, New England Patriots | Monday 5/5, 2:42 PM CT |
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| The New England Patriots have signed second-year nose tackle Steve Fifita, according to the Boston Herald. |
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| Alex Smith and Shaun Hill took the majority of plays with the first offense through five practices in the San Francisco 49ers weekend minicamp. But head coach Mike Nolan said J.T. O'Sullivan likely will work with the starting unit some when the team reconvene for a series of organized team activities in June, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "In order to call that a three-man race, some of that has to happen," Nolan said. At this point, offensive coordinator Mike Martz does not profess to have a favorite to run his offense. "He has an excellent chance," Martz said O'Sullivan. "If Mike [Nolan] said any one of the three can be your starting quarterback, I'd be happy. ... They all have a pretty good grasp of what we're doing." Martz added that O'Sullivan is "accurate and quick with the ball," two essential qualities for a quarterback in his offense. |
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| Shaun Alexander is expected to visit the Saints on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. Alexander stated, "I will be playing for another NFL team this fall, and doing everything I can to contribute. I am healthy, energized and looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my NFL career."
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| Fred Davis, TE, Washington Redskins | Monday 5/5, 2:12 PM CT |
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| Rookie tight end Fred Davis has spoken with head coach Jim Zorn, apologizing for oversleeping and missing the team’s final minicamp practice on Sunday. The organization said the matter would be handled internally, according to the Washington Post. After the Redskins completed their first OTA on Monday at Redskins Park, Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, said that Davis got the message. "The biggest thing is, as long as they learn from their mistakes, that's the biggest thing," Cerrato said. "The kid felt awful. Jim got a chance to talk to him and Jim's handling it internally. I've talked to his agents and the kid feels horrible, which he should. Anytime you miss anything, to me it's important. Especially when you're here to ... he's making his first impression. Do what's right. He made a mistake. Now, he's got to fight back from the mistake." |
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| Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans Saints | Monday 5/5, 1:58 PM CT |
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| After months of legal wrangling, running back Reggie Bush finally will have to testify under oath about allegations that he received $291,000 in illegal cash and benefits from San Diego businessman and fledgling sports marketer Lloyd Lake, according to USA Today. Superior Court Judge Joan Lewis has ordered Bush to give his deposition June 23, LaMar Griffin on June 27 and Denise Griffin on June 30. Lewis denied Bush's request to have armed security at the depositions. Furthermore, Lewis denied Bush's request for his deposition to remain confidential, which means it could be released to the NCAA and the news media. If Bush admits wrongdoing while he was a student-athlete, it could have major repercussions for USC's football program. "We're very pleased the judge put a stop to Bush's ducking and dodging," said Brian Watkins, Lake's lawyer. Lake's deposition is scheduled for June 5 and 6. |
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| Jason Campbell fits the profile to be the Washington Redskins quarterback; however, this match is not apparent because of his prototype size or live arm, but due to the fact that he is familiar with the West Coast scheme, according to USA Today. "I ran the West Coast my senior year at Auburn," Campbell said after the first minicamp practice on Friday. "A lot of the things we're doing, I've seen it before." |
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| Despite the rumors, the Carolina Panthers never guaranteed new receiver D.J. Hackett a starting spot to persuade him to sign on the dotted line, according to the Charlotte Observer. "Nah," Hackett said when asked if that had been part of the deal. "That's not my job; my job is just to play, so I don't worry about that." Hackett, who made several fine catches over the course of the five weekend workouts, was talking at the conclusion of Carolina's minicamp practices. He did say that the chance to get considerable playing time figured into his decision. "Definitely, especially when you've got a good quarterback [Jake Delhomme] to throw you the ball. When you go somewhere and you're the only guy and the quarterback's not putting it on the money, he can't really help you." |
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| Eagles' offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that the best thing for the team could be to use Brian Westbrook less, according to the PhillyBurbs.com. Mornhinweg commented, "We really leaned on him hard last year. We had to. We had no choice. We were forced to because of injuries. Donovan McNabb was just coming back, L.J. Smith was hurt, and Brian had such an unbelievable season. Two-thousand yards rushing and receiving. He did everything." Westbrook added, "I wouldn't mind it being the same. I think I've been very productive with the ball in my hands with that many touches. I think I can continue to do that. Of course, with us adding more playmakers like DeSean Jackson and guys like that, you need to get the ball in his hands, and Booker as well. You can try and do some different things that might take the ball a little bit out of my hands."
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| First-round draft pick Keith Rivers, a linebacker from Southern Cal, worked on the weak-side position - which he played in college - and impressed coaches with his fluid play and work ethic during the Cincinnati Bengals’ three-day (five practice) rookie minicamp this past weekend, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Coaches were impressed, too, with Rivers' natural leadership and ability to call his position players together. "He showed things that are innate," Lewis said. "Every time he was not in a meeting, he was upstairs watching tape on his own. He already gets it." |
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| The San Diego Chargers are concerned enough about center Nick Hardwick not being able to start the season that they are targeting veteran center Jeremy Newberry for a possible signing after June 1, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Hardwick is currently recovering from surgery on his severely sprained right foot. |
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| Leodis McKelvin's first weekend as a NFL player went as smooth as he expected. There was a lot to learn, but he is confident in his ability to handle the transition, according to the Buffalo News. "I feel like I can compete against anybody," McKelvin said. "I feel like I'm getting better every practice and every day. It's been real good." McKelvin reiterated that he's aware of the high expectations of being the 11th overall pick, but he also expects to live up to them. "That's the goal I set for myself coming in, especially being drafted No. 11," he said. "If you're going to draft somebody at No. 11 you don't want him sitting on the bench or waiting for somebody. You want him to come in and play early. I'm going to come in and learn the defense and get better and better." |
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| Antonio Gates, who is recovering from toe surgery (in February), will begin running later this month, according to CBSsports. His recovery was expected to take 4-6 months, so it is unlikely he will be ready for training camp in late July. |
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| The addition of second-round pick Curtis Lofton gives the Atlanta Falcons some flexibility in their linebacker corps, according to Pro Football Weekly. Lofton is perceived as the heir apparent to Keith Brooking at middle linebacker but could also back up Michael Boley on the strong side, where he played for part of his career at Oklahoma. |
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| Rookie tight end Gary Barnidge has a very good shot of unseating Jeff King, as the Carolina Panthers starter if he’s able to grasp the offense quickly, according to Pro Football Weekly. |
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| The addition of fifth-round draft choice, running back Tim Hightower, has Marcell Shipp and J.J. Arrington on the roster bubble in Arizona, according to Pro Football Weekly. |
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| Brandon Jackson is expected to serve as Ryan Grant's primary backup this season, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. |
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| Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers | Monday 5/5, 11:20 AM CT |
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| The more San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz works with QB Alex Smith, the more excited he gets. Martz apparently has told some of his confidantes that Smith could be the best quarterback he’s worked with on the professional level, according to Pro Football Weekly. |
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| The Cleveland Browns biggest surprise on the draft’s second day was their decision to trade up in Round Four to select Missouri tight end Martin Rucker, according to Pro Football Weekly. That trade, which required the Browns to give up their 2009 third-round selection, is a hedge against the uncertainty surrounding Winslow on a couple of fronts. Winslow had another knee surgery in the offseason, and he would like a new contract. General Manager Phil Savage has been in contact with Winslow’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, but no deal is imminent. “We’ve kept open lines of communication in terms of talking through some things,” Savage said. “You’re talking about a player that has three years left on his deal, one year was added after the motorcycle accident, so I guess that would be up for discussion, but there’s no real indication one way or the other. We’re in the offseason, several months away from the real season, so we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” |
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| The decision about the Philadelphia Eagles' linebackers has been made. Stewart Bradley is in the middle and will be calling the signals. Omar Gaither has returned to weakside linebacker, the position he played as a rookie, and Chris Gocong remains the strong-side linebacker, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is excited about Bradley playing middle linebacker after he finished with strong games against New Orleans and Buffalo as a rookie last season. "He's smart," Johnson said. "He's picked things up and done a heck of a job in the off-season. He was here almost every day. The thing I never knew when we drafted him as a [strong-side] linebacker is how good he was going to be inside. All of a sudden we put him inside in that [Saints] game, and he makes a couple of plays. He'll keep getting better." |
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| The Philadelphia police department advises there were no new developments in the case involving receiver Marvin Harrison, according to the Indianapolis Star. Harrison was questioned by police about a shooting near a bar he owns in the North Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up. A man was shot in the hand and a young boy sustained a cut under his eye after a bullet shattered a car windshield. |
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| Donovan McNabb showed up to minicamp in good shape, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said, "There is no comparison he is in better shape. Donovan looks sharp, quick. He's throwing the ball well. Last year at this time, there was still a lot of work to be done physically with his injury."
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| Further details have been released in Michael Boley's arrest, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Boley has been charged with battery on Saturday for becoming physical with his wife, and is currently out on bond ($1,200). Boley was the primary aggressor in the fight.
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| Competition began on the field this weekend at inside linebacker, where 2007 first-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons is trying to wrest the starting job away from Larry Foote, who has held it the past four seasons, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That potentially could be intense because Lawrence has put himself in position to compete," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "It's been a good weekend for him, it's the difference between night and day between what he showed us this weekend and what he showed us last year. The pedigree is still there, and we're excited about what he brings to the table.” |
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| Robert Royal is safe as the starting tight end this year in Buffalo, leaving rookie Derek Fine to compete with free-agent pickups Teyo Johnson and Courtney Anderson as well as second-year pro Derek Schouman for playing time, according to the Buffalo Bills News. Derek Fine’s receiving numbers at the University of Kansas weren’t jaw-dropping last season. But his 46 catches for 394 yards and four touchdowns weren’t that bad for a tight end playing in a spread offense that used multiple wide receivers and moved him all over the field. |
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| Wide receiver Shaun McDonald had knee surgery after the season and has been rehabbing in Arizona while the Detroit Lions have been going through their off-season conditioning program, according to the Detroit Free Press. Head coach Rod Marinelli said McDonald should be in Detroit this week. "When he comes in, hopefully we'll have a chance to recheck him," Marinelli said. |
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| Cornerback Richard Marshall stepped in and started at cornerback late in 2007 after Chris Gamble was forced to play with a cast on his injured right wrist. Now healthy, Gamble is back with the first team at cornerback along with Ken Lucas, while Marshall returns to being the No. 3 corner. However, that could change, according to the Charlotte Observer. “I think Richard is a fine player,” Fox said. “In our base defense only two of them get to start. We’ll see how that develops. We have great competition there and those guys will settle that.” |
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| Although he won’t say it, it’s pretty clear that head coach John Fox views the acquisitions of veteran wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett as a dramatic upgrade over last year’s twosome of Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, according to the Charlotte Observer. “That’s what you try to do is regroup in the off-season,” Fox said. “That was an area where we felt like we needed to add some depth. Not just good players, but good guys, too. I think we hit on both of those guys.” Muhammad ran with the starters during minicamp while Hackett was the No. 3 receiver. Dwayne Jarrett and Ryne Robinson continue to battle for the No. 4 spot, but the receiver who really impressed this weekend was Jason Carter. Carter spent most of last year on the team’s practice squad before being called up late in the season. He made two nice receptions during Saturday’s practice. |
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| Jake Delhomme continued to look strong throwing the ball on Sunday, even stepping up the length of some of his throws on the final day of minicamp, according to the Charlotte Observer. Delhomme, who’d been mostly limited to 15- and 20-yard tosses during the first two days, made a handful of 30- and 40-yard throws under the watchful eye of trainer Ryan Vermillion. Delhomme’s right arm didn’t seem to bother him at all during the three-day minicamp, leaving coach John Fox feeling optimistic that he won’t have any problems this season. “He’s looked very, very good,” Fox said. “His arm looks stronger than it has ever looked.” |
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| Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans isn't used to hearing voices in his helmet. But that's about to change. When Ryans takes the field next fall, he will be the Houston Texans player designated to wear the new defensive transmitter, which was approved by the NFL's head coaches this offseason, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
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| League sources indicate the New Orleans Saints' pursuit of New York tight end Jeremy Shockey did not end when a draft-day deal between the clubs could not be reached, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Head coach Sean Payton believes Shockey is a perfect fit for the Saints' offense, and he still desperately wants the player to be wearing a black-and-gold uniform this season. |
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| Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers | Monday 5/5, 8:40 AM CT |
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| Head Coach Mike Nolan said it is possible that the San Francisco 49ers will name a starting quarterback before any exhibition games are played, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "In a perfect world, you'd have a one, a two and a three," Nolan said. "But before you get to the perfect world, somebody has to win the job. And we need somebody to win the job." Before training camp opens in late July, the 49ers will have 12 practices during organized team activities in June. The 49ers have three quarterbacks - Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan - competing for the No. 1 job. |
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| Jay Cutler, QB, Denver Broncos | Monday 5/5, 8:31 AM CT |
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| Jay Cutler will wear an insulin pump during practices and pre-game warm-ups to regulate his blood-sugar level, once he gets back to his 238-pound playing weight and his condition fully stabilizes, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Then he'll take the device off for the three hours he plays in games, keeping a close eye on his glucose levels - either between quarters or at halftime - and drinking Gatorade to give his body a boost rather than letting the machine do the work for him. "We wish we would have caught it towards the end of the season, and that's probably my fault, because we were trying to schedule a blood test but I had a lot of things going on. And once the season ended, everybody kind of scatters around here," Cutler said. "But I think we caught it relatively soon. And talking to the doctors, if I get this under control, there shouldn't be any long-term damage." |
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| Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers | Monday 5/5, 8:22 AM CT |
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| Running back Frank Gore is excited about the changes in store for him in offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s new offense, according to Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Gore looks forward to being a bigger part of the passing game, where he will get an opportunity run routes while lining up in the slot. |
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| Undrafted receiver Davone Bess displayed the best hands of the young receivers at the Miami Dolphins weekend minicamp, according to South Florida Sun-Sentinel. |
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| Derek Smith, LB, San Diego Chargers | Monday 5/5, 7:33 AM CT |
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| Derek Smith spent the weekend working with the first and second team defense, according to Chargers.com. With Stephen Cooper scheduled to miss the first four games of the season, there's a strong chance that Smith will be the starter at the "Mike" linebacker position for the first month. Smith impressed Norv Turner in his first weekend on the field with the Chargers. Turner said, "Veteran players just have a presence about them. He’s come in and picked up what we’re doing. He’s very, very sudden and very, very quick. He’s got a lot of confidence and a lot of experience. It gives us depth at the linebacker position."
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| Antonio Cromartie was practicing as a punt returner during practice over the weekend, but Coach Norv Turner said he won't be used in that role this season, according to Chargers.com. Turner said, "We’ve got good punt returners. We’ve got Darren Sproles and Buster Davis. The fact that Cro can do it, that’s a bonus. He’s done the kickoff returns and he’s always available for that. We’ll let him keep catching and some day he may bail us out."
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| Tony Sparano stated that the feud between Jason Taylor and the Dolphins, namely with Bill Parcells, was "overblown", according to the Sun Sentinel. Sparano added that as long as he and Taylor continue to communicate everything is fine. |
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