Ben Maller's NFL rumors
by FOXSports.com
Raiders expect Asomugha at June minicamp
Lane Kiffin said he expects Nnamdi Asomugha to attend the June minicamp even if he has not yet signed his tender as a sign of solidarity. With Asomugha out, Stanford Routt still got most of his work as a slot corner, indicating the Raiders are planning on having Asomugha around. -- Oakland Tribune
Chargers, Raiders or Saints to Los Angeles?
The San Diego Chargers' stadium lease deal expires this year. Stadium leases for the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders expire after the 2010 season, a year before the Vikings' Metrodome lease expires. And the owners of all three teams have been in the NFL much longer than Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. They all would be expected to receive preference over the Vikings for a move to Los Angeles, or elsewhere. -- Pioneer Press
Giants Michael Strahan: $8M or goodbye
Michael Strahan doesn't appear to be close to announcing his future plans, but there is something the Giants could do to push things along. They could give him $8 million. That's the amount Strahan hopes to get from the Giants for what would likely be his final season with the team - and possibly in the NFL - if he decides to return to play in 2008, according to two sources familiar with his situation. That would be double the $4 million salary he's due this season in the final year of the seven-year, $46 million deal he signed in 2002. In a meeting with Giants' officials in March, Strahan was told, "We'll take care of you" financially, according to a source, but the Giants weren't specific about those plans. According to one source, Strahan has been told the team is willing to go as high as $6 million for one season. The $8 million Strahan is seeking isn't an arbitrary number, either. It's the 2008 salary of Miami's Jason Taylor, a defensive end in a comparable situation. -- NY Daily News
49ers to pass on Trotter
The 49ers say they are not interested in signing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who visited with the team on Wednesday. Trotter started just one game last year for Tampa Bay and there is a sense that at age 31 -- and pushing 260-plus pounds -- he may be past his prime. However, the 49ers are still pursuing another 31-year-old linebacker, Takeo Spikes. -- Sac Bee
Jets could ask Pennington for pay cut
Chad Pennington is well aware that, should Kellen Clemens win the job, his status could be tenuous - much the way his friend and fellow Marshall grad Bryon Leftwich was when David Garrard beat him out for the QB job in Jacksonville. Leftwich was released before last season. Because Clemens is unproven, if Pennington were to lose out for the starting job it's unlikely he'd be released, but the Jets would almost certainly demand he take a pay cut from the $6 million he's scheduled to earn in 2008. -- NY Post
Peterson not a lock for Jags future?
LB Mike Peterson said when offseason workouts started in March the Jaguars "stepped up to the plate" and showed they wanted him this year when they paid his $1.6 million roster bonus. But Peterson is 31, has been sidelined with injuries parts of the past two seasons and the Jaguars have three promising young linebackers in Daryl Smith, Clint Ingram and Justin Durant, so his future with the Jaguars could depend on how he plays this year. "I know how the business works," Peterson said when the offseason program began in March. "If they want a guy, they sign him, If they don't, they let him go. I can handle both sides." -- Jacksonville Times-Union
Bears Grossman stays mum on Urlacher's situation
Rex Grossman expressed his gratitude toward the Bears for giving him another opportunity with a one-year deal. But in terms of weighing in on his teammates' contract situations, Grossman kept his words to a minimum. Grossman was one of many Bears to attend Jason McKie's charity bowling outing in Vernon Hills Wednesday night. The quarterback was asked about a guy such as Brian Urlacher holding out of voluntary workouts and likely mini-camp. "That doesn't affect me at all," he said. "I'm going about my business. I'm doing everything I can to make sure I'm the best football player I can be. In the end, it will all work itself out [for them]. That has nothing to do with me. I'm at Halas Hall working hard." -- Chicago Tribune
Browns adding to Joshua Cribbs' workload
Browns return specialist Joshua Cribbs might soon get his long-held wish of being more involved in the team's offense. "We're putting in a nice package just to utilize more of my skills as well as everyone else's," said Cribbs, who made the Pro Bowl last season as a kick returner. "Last year, we put in one or two plays a game, but this year, it will be on a more consistent basis. It's going to be more of an elaborate package for a change of pace." Cribbs, who was used creatively in organized team activities Wednesday, said defenses better beware. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikes Booty to be surprise of NFL Draft?
Now there are some in the league who believe that Minnesota's fifth-round pick, former USC quarterback John David Booty, could have the chance to prove he was another player who slipped further than he should have. Booty is known more for his accuracy and decisions than his arm strength, which could play perfectly in Minnesota. -- NFL Network
Colts owner says Indy is perfect Super Bowl site
Jim Irsay has attended more than two dozen Super Bowls, none more special than Super Bowl XLI. That's the one his Indianapolis Colts captured Feb. 4, 2007, in a steady downpour in Miami. Next week's goal is to bring the game home. For the second time in as many years, Irsay has added his clout as an NFL owner to Indy's bid to host the league's pre-eminent event, this time in 2012. The city makes its formal proposal to league owners Tuesday in Atlanta. "First and foremost that we can do a great job. That we're in a centralized location, we have the hotels, we have an outstanding stadium. We don't hide the fact that we (don't have) the weather of South Florida or Southern California or wherever. "We have a tremendous bid, as competitive and as good of a bid as any city has had." -- Indy Star
Hayward and Ingram Jags free agents after '09
The Jaguars have two defensive players, Reggie Hayward and Clint Ingram, whose contracts expire after the 2009 season. Hayward's five-year free-agent deal that he signed in 2005 season expires then. So does Ingram's rookie contract. But if 2010 winds up being an uncapped year, Ingram won't be a free agent because the eligibility for free agency will jump from four to six years of service. -- Jacksonville Times-Union
Chiefs will start rebuilding offensive line right away
The Chiefs will have no more important job than resetting their offensive line, which after years of being among the best in football crumbled into severe decay last season. Coach Herm Edwards said he plans on wasting no time in getting to that once offseason practice begins on Monday. "After the (offseason practices) and the minicamp, you've got to have the five starters," Edwards said. "You've got to know who the five are going into training camp. Really, you've got to know who the seven (including the two top reserves) are. They've got to work together. I was talking with Brian (Waters) last week and he told me that's what killed us last year. We never seemed to practice together. "You've got to have the five guys playing together. That's how the good offensive lines play. That's why they're good. They know each other and have a feel for each other." Edwards wouldn't talk about his plans, but the Chiefs will probably line up with rookie Branden Albert at left tackle, Waters at left guard, Rudy Niswanger at center, Adrian Jones at right guard and Damion McIntosh at right tackle. Albert, Niswanger and Jones are new starters. McIntosh is moving from left tackle. Only Waters is a familiar face in his same place. -- KC Star
Ex-Raider Culpepper expecting better season
Former Raiders QB Daunte Culpepper -- convinced he will be better this season now that he is two seasons removed from his knee surgery -- has been in contact with a handful of teams. But he is being selective, waiting for the right opportunity with the right team. -- NFL Network
Former Texas great Earl Campbell criticizes Cedric Benson
Earl Campbell, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas, basically agrees with Bears general manager Jerry Angelo that Cedric Benson is responsible for putting himself in the wrong place at the wrong time before being arrested May 3. Campbell told the Austin-American Statesman in Thursday's editions that Benson, facing misdemeanor charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, made a "dumb mistake." "I think at some point you have to stand up and take responsibility and realize that you not only represent Cedric Benson and the Chicago Bears and your family," Campbell told the newspaper. "It's bigger than that. You represent the university family. You as a man should have some pride in what you do." -- Chicago Sun-Times
DE Wynn works out for Jags
Veteran DE Renaldo Wynn, who was a first-round draft pick of Tom Coughlin's Jacksonville Jaguars in 1997, worked out for the Giants on Wednesday. Though he has not signed yet, the Giants did clear room for him by cutting DE Antonio Reynolds, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee. -- NY Daily News
Dolphins don't alllow live blogging
The Dolphins aren't allowing live blogging at offseason practices and training camp but won't stop reporters from taking notes and reporting everything once practice is over. So what is the difference? For competitive reasons, ''We don't believe in any live transmission of any part of our practice through any means,'' Dolphins representative Harvey Greene said. ``In the past, that included outlets such as TV cameras and radio broadcasts. Now, with the advent of new technology, it includes blogs.'' Greene polled teams about their policy, and 13 of the 15 that responded don't allow live blogging. -- Miami Herald
Raiders Javon Walker compares JaMarcus to Favre
Raiders WR Javon Walker said his injury problems last season occurred because he came back too soon from arthroscopic knee surgery and that he is healthy now. As for playing with JaMarcus Russell, Walker compared it to his early years in Green Bay when the quarterback was Brett Favre. "He has a good arm. I've been fortunate enough in my career to play with a quarterback who had a strong arm, and that's something I developed into, catching a fast ball," Walker said. "He's one of those guys that has that ball. The more and more we work together, the better that we're going to be." -- Oakland Tribune
Packers have decisions to make on Driver and Clifton?
Some difficult and uncomfortable decisions loom for Packers general manager Ted Thompson. After the 2009 season, 12 key veterans will hit free agency. Among them are two battle-tested and popular longtime Packers: left tackle Chad Clifton and wide receiver Donald Driver. When Driver's contract expires, he'll be one month shy of 35 and almost certainly the team's career leader in receptions (his 503 trails Sterling Sharpe's 595). Clifton will be 33, and will have turned 34 if he's re-signed after that season. -- Scout.com
Kiffin: Raiders all about JaMarcus
Coach Lane Kiffin made no pretense about the fact that the Raiders are all about JaMarcus Russell , his comfort level with the system and his relationship with his teammates. "We really feel good about JaMarcus's shape and the way he's throwing the ball," Kiffin said. "Now we've got to get all the pieces around him to come together and working with him at his OTA days. As important as anything out here, as far as the rest of our team, is getting that chemistry." -- Oakland Tribune
DT Rogers having fun with Browns
Browns NT Shaun Rogers, acquired in the trade with Detroit, worked on a dance with his fellow defensive linemen after practice, and they were all joking around. Apparently, the change of scenery already has done him a world of good. In Detroit, he became a symbol for all that was wrong with the team. Here, the pressure's off and he's happier than he's been in awhile. "I thought [fitting in] would be a lot harder than it is," he said. "These guys have welcomed me with open arms. I knew a few guys prior to this, and it's been real fun." Rogers, 29, acknowledged that it will take time to adjust to the 3-4 scheme and that he's working on his new stance, the new system and the terminology. Because of that, he said, he'll focus primarily on nose tackle before trying end. "Right now, I'll take baby steps and learn one position at a time," he said. "They're all a challenge because it's not a 'get off and get 'em defense' like I'm used to playing in. It's more being patient and unselfish." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer
Colts Harrison at camp today?
The Indianapolis Colts will convene this morning for the start of a mandatory three-day minicamp, and as far as coach Tony Dungy knows, that will include Marvin Harrison. Asked if the team's eight-time Pro Bowl receiver would be at the Colts' Westside complex, coach Tony Dungy said, "I'm assuming he will." A Colts spokesman said Thursday the team would have no further comment on the participation of Harrison or any other player. -- Indy Star
Falcons QB Ryan must earn trust of teammates
Falcons QB Matt Ryan will be the starter at some point. Until then, he has to master the playbook and stay in the film room to learn schemes and tendencies of opponents. Most important, he needs to earn the trust of his teammates, especially once he signs his $48 million-or-so contract. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitutio
Rumor: Saints Bush hires Kardashian has entertainment manager
Does Reggie Bush have a new manager ... that's what MediaTakeOut.com is hearing. According to a person close to Kim Kardashian, Reggie has agreed to allow Kim to manage his entertainment career. The insider tells MediaTakeOut.com, "Right nor [Kim's] helping him out with TV ventures and movies - not the sports or marketing stuff. But who knows, that could be next." And don't think she's doing it out of charity either. Kim's pal told MediaTakeOut.com, "She's definitely getting her cut of anything she brings in." -- MediaTakeOut.com
Rams Brian Leonard set for all-purpose duty
As if Brian Leonard didn't already have enough to do, now the Rams plan to deploy him on multiple special-teams units. And Leonard couldn't be happier. "I like it; one of the big reasons they drafted me was to come in and be versatile," said Leonard, the team's second-round draft choice last year out of Rutgers. "I'll be playing a little bit of running back, a little bit of fullback, special teams. I think I'm best when I'm in different roles at different times." The challenge was heightened with the arrival of Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. Now Leonard is toiling in his third offense in as many years. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Cowboy QB Romo drops Jessica
OK, here's the latest on all the Jessica Simpson-Tony Romo splitsville rumors. One of the Dallas Cowboys quarterback's best buddies from his Eastern Illinois college days tells me Romo says it's over -- mainly for two reasons: the intense media scrutiny that comes from being in Simpson's life and the problems he has with her overbearing father, Joe Simpson. Jessica Simpson's representatives continue to insist the duo are still a couple. Plus sources close to both Simpson and Romo tell me the NFL star likely will keep his promise to escort Jessica to sister Ashlee Simpson's marriage this weekend to Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz. Yet, the Romo pal -- part of the posse that hung with the pro-baller during his hard partying in Chicago last weekend (including his off-key singing at Wrigley Field during the seventh inning stretch) -- quotes Romo as saying he and Simpson ''are definitely over.'' The Cowboy apparently explained he had ''really had it'' with being a constant target of the paparazzi and the celebrity press in general, and feels this particular romantic relationship was distracting him from his football career. -- Chicago Sun-Times
Dallas Cowboys reveal pricing plan for reserved seats
Dallas Cowboys fans won't need to be in owner Jerry Jones' tax bracket to afford a seat in his new stadium. The team announced Thursday that the least expensive seats in the new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington will cost $59, just $9 more than the cheapest Texas Stadium seats. Also, those seats – at least 8,000 of them – won't require a one-time seat option, which costs as much as $150,000. -- Dallas Morning News
Ex-Packer a hit in martial arts
Herbert "Whisper" Goodman once took hits as a running back for the Green Bay Packers. Now, he's dishing out punishment as a mixed-martial arts fighter with designs on becoming a world champion. His transition from the National Football League to the cage happened by accident. He attended an MMA show two years ago in Green Bay to support a friend who was fighting and came away unimpressed. "I told him it was a sloppy fight and he said 'Yeah, whatever,'" Goodman said. "I said,'I could whip both of you guys.' So I trained for four weeks and I knocked out my first opponent in 27 seconds." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
NFL sends rookies to Hall of Fame
Last year, Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin suggested that each rookie be required to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The NFL liked the idea so much it adopted it. This summer, each rookie will travel to Canton to see and touch the history of the game. The league believes it will educate each rookie to the type of greatness that can be, and has been, achieved. It will be more of an education than a vacation. And it will be one that the league now will mandate to each of its incoming rookie classes. -- NFL Network
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