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| Cleveland LB Willie McGinest has announced he will retire after the 2008 season comes to an end, according to SI.com. |
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| Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting that the Chiefs believe Tyler Thigpen is good enough to challenge Brodie Croyle for the starting job this summer. |
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| The Washington Redskins report WR Antwaan Randle El has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery today and should be fully recovered by the start of training camp, according to the Associated Press. |
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| Tom Nalen, C, Denver Broncos | Tuesday 5/6, 7:53 PM CT |
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| The Denver Broncos have named Jim Goodman vice president of football operations and player personnel, also hiring former Atlanta Falcons executive Brian Xanders to serve as assistant general manager, according to CBSSports.com. |
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| Rob Sims, G, Seattle Seahawks | Tuesday 5/6, 6:23 PM CT |
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| Seattle OG Rob Sims has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today and is expected to miss up to six weeks of practice as a result, according to the Associated Press. |
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| Former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Darrion Scott has been charged with assault and accused of holding a plastic dry cleaning bag over the head of his 2-year-old son, according to the Associated Press. |
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| The Bears released Adam Archuleta on Tuesday, ESPN.com confirms. |
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| Jeb Putzier was seen limping on Tuesday and is not participating in minicamp practices, the Tacoma News Tribune reports. |
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| Cedric Benson met with team officials at Halas Hall on Tuesday, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. |
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| Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit Lions | Tuesday 5/6, 4:04 PM CT |
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| Jon Kitna is feeling bold, again. The Lions quarterback told the AP on Tuesday that he expects the club to win 10 games in 2008. "Our expectation is we will be disappointed if we don't win 10 games," Kitna says. "Because that will mean we're not in the playoffs and that sucks. I can't make it any simpler than that. Anybody who says that's not their expectation level is not much of a competitor." The passer made a similar prediction in 2007, and the Lions went 7-9. |
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| The New York Jets have re-signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Hank Poteat, according to NewYorkJets.com. |
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| Linebacker Antonio Pierce said he believes New York Giants’ teammate Michael Strahan has played his last snap in the NFL, according to the New York Post. "My inside tells me that Strahan played his last game with the New York Giants as a champion and that's not a bad way to go out," Pierce said when asked on WFAN about Strahan coming back this season. |
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| Replacing Luke Petitgout as the New York Giants left tackle, David Diehl proved he was the real deal and helped the team win Super Bowl XLII. Diehl's reward is a new deal that compensates him for the importance of protecting Eli Manning's blindside. The Giants recently ripped up the former left guard's old contract and rewarded him with a new six-year, $31 million contract, according to ESPN. The key to the deal is annual escalator clauses that increase Diehl's salaries between $750,000 and $1.1 million a year as long as he plays offensive tackle. |
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| Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit Lions | Tuesday 5/6, 2:10 PM CT |
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| Detroit offensive coordinator Jim Colletto has indicated that there will be competition for the starting quarterback job, which Jon Kitna has held the last two years. Colletto will spread the practice time in training camp between Kitna and backups Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton, according to the Detroit News. No matter how the practice time is divided, Kitna, who has started 32 games in the past two seasons, believes he will continue as the starter. "When Dominic Raiola is in the game, I'll be in the game," Kitna said, referring to the starting center. "That's how I know when I'm up. When I see '51' go in, that's when I go." |
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| Running back Chris Johnson, the Tennessee Titans’ first-round pick, showed off his speed during the team's rookie orientation, while the coaching staff began experimenting on different ways they can use him, according to the Sporting News. The Titans envision Johnson lining up in the slot and catching plenty of balls, but he also will line up wide and in the backfield. Johnson has blazing speed -- he clocked at 4.24 in the 40-yard dash -- and the team will look to get him involved in the running game, but think he will be especially dangerous catching the ball on screens or in the flat on short passes. Johnson is not only fast, but he also is quick and very elusive in avoiding would-be tacklers. The fact that Tennessee selected Johnson in the first round indicates they are not happy with Chris Henry as the primary backup to LenDale White. |
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| Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El underwent arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday and is expected to return for the Washington Redskins' second session of organized team activities that start in June, according to the Washington Post. Randle El, who sat out the start of organized team activities on Monday because of his knee injury, had what head coach Jim Zorn described as a "fairly minor" procedure to remove floating cartilage in his knee. "He'll be here for the next set of OTAs," said Zorn. ”This should be a three to four-week deal, I think. I haven't heard any report. This is just what the preliminary thoughts were when they went in." |
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| Cedric Benson appeared drunk when an officer stopped him while boating last weekend, with bloodshot eyes, a "strong" alcohol odor and slurred speech, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Sgt. Leonard Snyder, who pepper-sprayed and arrested the Chicago Bears running back on Lake Travis near Austin, Texas, said he surmised Benson was intoxicated because he was "combative," "cocky," "insulting," and used "profanity." At times, he was "crying" and "cooperative," Snyder wrote. |
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| Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles | Tuesday 5/6, 12:40 PM CT |
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| Tight end Brent Celek was limited in the Philadelphia Eagles recent mini-camp after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
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| Rashard Mendenhall, who injured his hamstring during the recent Pittsburgh Steelers’ mini-camp practices, says he expects to be fully recovered when the team reconvenes for the organized team activity sessions May 20-22 at the team's South Side facility, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. |
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| Paul Oliver, S, San Diego Chargers | Tuesday 5/6, 12:23 PM CT |
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| Paul Oliver worked as a safety on the second team in base defense during the San Diego Chargers recent weekend mini-camp, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. He also saw work at corner in the dime package and will continue to work there. |
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| Chris Henry, WR, Cincinnati Bengals | Tuesday 5/6, 12:13 PM CT |
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| Former Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chris Henry will be allowed to travel to other cities in hopes of reviving his professional football career, a judge ruled today, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Henry’s attorney, Perry Ancona, previously asked Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Rich Bernat if Henry could be released from electronic monitoring and house arrest so he could travel to another city and try out for a National Football League team. The judge denied that request until today, when Ancona repeated that Henry has an offer to try out for an unnamed NFL team and needs to be allowed to travel. “We’re willing to give him some latitude given the fact that he obviously needs to find some employment,” Bernat said. |
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| Deuce McAllister, who is coming back from surgeries on his knees last September, said he feels good about his recovery timetable. He has been running and doing some cutting and planting for about three weeks, and he was able to run full-speed pass routes with teammates for the first time on Monday, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. |
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| Limas Sweed, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers | Tuesday 5/6, 11:57 AM CT |
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| X marks the spot for wide receiver Limas Sweed. In football speak, the X position is the split end and that’s where the rookie receiver will line up, behind Santonio Holmes, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Limas is at X," offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. "We can move Santonio around, which we started doing a lot last year because he plays in the slot very well. Limas can play in the slot, no problem. Hines can obviously play everywhere. Nate [Washington] can play everywhere -- he's had to play every position on the team the last two years; he's lined up at X, F, Y and Z." |
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| Bullets found at the scene of a shooting in Philadelphia last Tuesday came from a handgun owned by Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison, according to reports on ESPN and the Philadelphia Daily News, both citing unnamed police sources. But Philadelphia police are not calling Harrison a suspect, according to the Indianapolis Star. "He's [Harrison] not a suspect at this point," police spokesperson Tanya Little told The Star this morning, declining further comment. |
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| Beau Bell, LB, Cleveland Browns | Tuesday 5/6, 10:28 AM CT |
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| Linebacker Beau Bell's deficiencies in pass coverage were exposed during the Cleveland Browns recent rookie mini-camp, but coaches aren't overly concerned. It was understood when Bell was drafted in Round 4 that he might be limited to playing on running downs, according to the Sporting News. |
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| Kyle Boller, QB, Baltimore Ravens | Tuesday 5/6, 10:19 AM CT |
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| Coach John Harbaugh says there will be open competition for the quarterback position in Baltimore, but veteran Kyle Boller will likely be the starter, according to the Sporting News. Boller has more experience than either second-year backup Troy Smith or rookie Joe Flacco, the Ravens' first-round draft pick. |
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| The New York Jets say the drafting of Purdue tight end Dustin Keller in the first round wasn't a message to Chris Baker, the incumbent at the position who is unhappy with his current contract, according to the Sporting News. Keller has a somewhat different skill set than Baker, who blocks well and has great hands but isn't much of a downfield threat. Keller, a converted wide receiver, could be a seam-splitter who will be quite effective against cover-2 defenses, but he needs major work on his blocking to be an every-down player in the future. |
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| If there was a clear standout from the New England Patriots’ rookie camp, it was corner Terrence Wheatley, a second-rounder out of Colorado, according to the Sporting News. Wheatley looked like the fastest player on the field, broke up a number of passes during one-on-one coverage drills, and was quick and fluid turning his hips out of his back pedal. |
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| When James Hardy says he'd like to be fellow receiver Lee Evans' little brother, he's referring to age, not size. The distinction is quite apparent because, at 6-5 and change, there's nothing small about Hardy, the Buffalo Bills' rookie second-round pick out of Indiana. The only thing bigger as far as head coach Dick Jauron is concerned might be the expectations the organization has of Hardy. They're counting on him to make an immediate impact on what's been a popgun offense by providing a secondary threat opposite Evans, according to the Sporting News. "He's a 6-foot-5 receiver, and we've got to score," Jauron said referring to an offense that produced 20 touchdowns last year -- a franchise low in a 16-game season. "Hopefully, he'll provide us with a lot more opportunity to score and make more plays, the plays that we need." |
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| David Witthoft finally shunned his Brett Favre jersey for a red shirt for the first time in 1,581 days, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 12-year-old Ridgefield, Connecticut boy wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a Christmas gift in 2003. |
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| Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys | Tuesday 5/6, 9:29 AM CT |
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| Dallas/Ft. Worth CBS 11 Sports has learned that the Dallas Cowboys training camp will be featured once again as part of the NFL films series "Hard Knocks." The show, which will be aired nationally on HBO this summer, documents the day to day process of training camp in the NFL. This will mark the second time the Cowboys will be featured on the show. |
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| Jake Delhomme is almost giddy with the condition of his elbow after Tommy John surgery. He is throwing more pain free than he has in years, according to the Charlotte Observer. |
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| Dwayne Jarrett had a nice performance at the Carolina Panthers’ weekend mini-camp, catching almost everything thrown to him and looking the part of a former 2007 second-round pick, according to the Charlotte Observer. |
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| Mike Hart, RB, Indianapolis Colts | Tuesday 5/6, 8:40 AM CT |
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| The Colts believe sixth-round draft pick Mike Hart could make an impact as a backup this season, according to ESPN Insider. |
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| Bobby Engram, who participated in a mandatory mini-camp that was conducted over the weekend, was absent from the voluntary sessions that started on Monday, according to ProFootballTalk. The team said that Engram was absent for "personal reasons," and he is believed to be unhappy with his contract. Engram is entering the final year of his current contract, and will make a base salary of $1.7 million. Team-mate Deion Branch will earn more than $4 million, and Nate Burleson will score $3.25 million.
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| There is a 50-50 chance that Shaun Alexander will be invited for a visit by the Broncos this week, according to ESPN Insider. |
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| Free agent Dominic Rhodes could be invited for a visit by the Broncos, according to ESPN Insider. |
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| Former NFL defensive end Robert Porcher has been sentenced to 50 hours of community service for assaulting his ex-wife, according to the AP. Porcher also was given one year probation and ordered Monday to have no contact with Kimberly Porcher except through text messages or e-mail.
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| Cedric Benson believes police officers used excessive force against him and he plans to fight charges he operated a boat while intoxicated and resisted arrest on a Texas lake over the weekend, according to the AP. Attorney Brian Carney said, "He denies that he was intoxicated. He denies that he resisted arrest." Benson failed a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat on Lake Travis near Austin and resisted arrest before being hit with pepper spray, Travis County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Roger Wade said on Sunday.
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| Police uncovered more evidence that appears to link Marvin Harrison to a shooting last week in Philadelphia, according to the AP. ESPN reported early Tuesday that six bullet casings found by police after the April 29 shooting came from a gun owned by Harrison. The casings were found near a car wash and garage that Harrison owns in the north side of Philadelphia. According to ESPN, police returned to the scene of the shooting Monday to examine bullet holes in two residences after information was given to police by an alleged third victim of the shooting. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that investigators found three stray bullets in the walls of the two residences and would test those slugs to determine if they also had been fired from Harrison’s gun. Citing police sources, the newspaper said an unidentified 32-year-old man sustained a bullet wound to the hand last Tuesday after a fistfight with Harrison outside Playmakers, a bar owned by the player about a half-mile from the car wash. Gunfire soon broke out, leaving the victim with an injured hand. The victim has refused to identify the shooter.
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