Category: NFL (Page 416 of 1282)

      Progress shown in Merriman contract talks?

      May 21, 2010 /

      According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Shawne Merriman’s new agent met for two hours on Thursday with Charger GM A.J. Smith and chief negotiator Ed McGuire. Given Tom Condon’s (Merriman’s former agent) poor relationship with Smith, this is a good sign for the linebacker as he pursues a long-term deal.

      “We had a meeting with David that was very productive and enlightening on a number of fronts,” Smith said. “Regarding Shawne, I told him we are open-minded regarding his situation. We have many other player situations to ponder in the year ahead.”

      It is all but certain that in Thursday’s meeting the parties addressed the Chargers’ attempts to trade Merriman and the likelihood of a contract extension now and in the future.

      Merriman, like many restricted free agents caught in the NFL’s labor strife, is unhappy with the fact he received a one-year tender offer.

      Additionally, the three-time Pro Bowler is disenchanted with the fact Smith has no plans to give him a long-term contract.

      If it were up to the Chargers, they would love to see Merriman play on his one-year tender and then reassess the situation after the 2010 season. A serious knee injury limited him in 2008 and when he returned last year, he struggled while only posting four sacks.

      It doesn’t make sense for the Bolts to sign Merriman to a long-term deal not knowing how productive he’s going to be in the future – especially considering they drafted his eventual replacement in Larry English last year. That said, if Merriman turns out to be the player he was in his first three years, then the team risks upsetting him and him moving on after the season.

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      External Sports, NFL

      Mike Shanahan needs talking about Albert Haynesworth like he needs another hole in his…

      May 20, 2010 /

      Mike Shanahan seems to be at his wits end talking about defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who continues to be a ghost while the rest of his teammates work out at the Redskins’ OTAs.

      From the Washington Post:

      Shanahan took questions from the audience and was asked this question about his plans for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth: “With all the money we gave Albert Haynesworth, what do you plan on doing with him?”

      Shanahan replied: “I really believe this: You’re either in or you’re out. I don’t like to give people any attention that’s not with us. As far as I’m concerned if you want to talk about the people that work every day, that do the little things the right way, I’ll talk forever. I’m not going to talk about people that aren’t with us.”

      I know it’s the media’s job to keep probing Shanahan about his feelings towards Haynesworth, but what do they want him to say at this point? He hasn’t shown up, so there’s nothing Shanahan can do or say about it.

      “Hey, Mike. I know we’ve asked you this every day for the past three weeks, but what are your feelings about Albert Haynesworth?”

      “Wait here – I’m going to go blow my brains out and when I come back, I’ll tell you.”


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      External Sports, NFL

      Urlacher rips Sayers for criticism of Bears

      May 20, 2010 /

      Brian Urlacher wasn’t amused by the way former Bears’ great Gale Sayers laid into the team a couple of weeks ago and the linebacker decided to return the favor by levying a few parting shots of his own.

      From the Chicago Tribune:

      “Let me ask you a question: ‘How many championships did Gale Sayers win?”’ Urlacher told the Tribune. “How many playoff games did he win when he played? None. None. None.

      “Does it bother me? There are enough people throwing daggers at us right now, why does one of our ex-players have to jump in? There are enough experts talking (crap) about us, so why does a Bear, an all-time great, have to jump in? I just don’t like that.”

      “… Does (Sayers) know how to win football games? Does he? No. How are you going to criticize someone else when you haven’t done it yourself? He’s one of our own, so that’s why it’s so frustrating.”

      What’s ironic is that Urlacher was the same person that criticized the Bears last season while he was injured for “changing their identity.” (He was talking about how the Bears transformed into more of a passing team, instead of one that relied solely on its defense.) Now he’s upset because Sayers is giving his opinion (the same opinion shared by many Chicago fans) about the state of the franchise? Yikes.

      There are many Bear fans that have been long fed up with Urlacher’s attitude and I can guarantee you that this won’t go over well with them. It doesn’t matter who you are – you don’t criticize former Chicago greats. You just don’t; it’s the ultimate sin in the “Windy City.”

      Urlacher is no stranger to controversy and chances are, he couldn’t care less about what people think about him. But he certainly didn’t make any friends with these comments, especially considering he criticized the team last year from the sidelines. He can expect backlash from this and that’s not a threat – it’s a statement of fact.

      External Sports, NFL

      Andre Johnson reports to OTAs

      May 20, 2010 /

      As expected, Andre Johnson returned to the Texans for OTAs on Thursday, ending his brief contract holdout.

      Really, it wasn’t a holdout because the workouts are voluntary. He wanted to make a point that he’s underpaid (which he is) and now he’s ready to go back to work. Johnson is the ultimate professional and wouldn’t do anything to hurt his teammates, so it’s not surprising that he returned to practice after only missing a few days.

      That said, the Texans still have a problem on their hands. Johnson is the best receiver in the league and despite the fact that he has five years remaining on his current contract, he’s vastly underpaid given what other wideouts are making around the league. He signed a team-friendly deal in 2007 and it would be wise for the Texans to give him a raise. Maybe they’ll wait until after the season to actually re-work his contract, but Johnson is showing good faith by showing up for workouts and the Texans should repay him by letting him know that they’re working on a new deal.

      If they don’t, things could get much uglier in the future.


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      External Sports, NFL

      Titans unlikely to re-do Chris Johnson’s contract this year

      May 20, 2010 /

      Chris Johnson wants to be the highest paid offensive player in the league, but based on recent comments made by Titans’ GM Mike Reinfeldt, CJ is going to have to wait a little longer before reaching his big payday.

      From the Tennessean:

      “Given the circumstances, I don’t think there’s the likelihood anything is going to happen,” Reinfeldt said. “You’re asking me definitely if he’s not going to get (a new contract). I’m not making any definitive statements. I just think he’s a pro and we expect him to honor his contract. Chris has always been a pro, and we expect that to continue.”

      Reinfeldt again cited the 30 percent rule, but said the fact that Johnson is just two years into the five-year, $12 million contract he signed in 2008 is also an issue. The Titans haven’t made a habit of re-doing contracts after just two seasons.

      The 30 percent rule, a byproduct of the league’s labor issues, stipulates a 30 percent maximum raise of the previous year’s base salary. Because the base salary would be restricted each year in a new contract, the Titans would be forced to pay Johnson guaranteed signing bonus money in the $40 million to $50 million range as part of a market-rate extension.

      “There’s limitations on what we can do,” Reinfeldt said. “So it’s definitely an issue.”

      Just based on comments made by Reinfeldt and Johnson’s teammates, it doesn’t appear that this will be a big issue. Johnson may wind up holding out until training camp, but you get the impression that he’ll show up later this summer as a sign of good faith.

      But sooner or later, the Titans will have to pony up and pay their best player, who is highly underpaid by the way. They may wait to see if there’s a lockout in 2011, but at some point Johnson’s contract will be addressed.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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