News & Info/Headlines

While the pre-training camp/preseason lull is almost over, we're not quite there yet. Meaning this week's Fantasy Notebook will once again focus primarily on follow-ups to ongoing stories. We'll get the ball rolling this weekend by revisiting the week's top story -- Travis Henry's future employer -- and the cover the changes taking place since my last report. ...

The latest on this one, as initially reported by ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli -- who happens to be fairly well connected with Henry's agent, Hadley Engelhard -- is the Titans have reached agreement in principle on a trade to acquire the disgruntled Buffalo running back and, barring unexpected complications, the deal will be announced early this coming week.

In an article published late Saturday, Nashville Tennessean staffer Paul Kuharsky reported that Henry's sister said from the family's Florida home Saturday afternoon that her brother has been traded to the Titans from Buffalo.

"Yeah, it's happened," she said. "His agent gave him a phone call and said as of now, he's a Titan. He feels great, he's excited."

Henry starred at the University of Tennessee before he was drafted by Buffalo.

"Travis is obviously excited to come play in Tennessee," said Engelhard, who told Kuharsky earlier Saturday that he had heard the deal was happening -- but not from an official with either team involved. "He has a lot of roots there."

Pasquarelli (who may well have been Engelhard's source on this story) added that the trade is contingent on the 26-year-old Henry passing a Tennessee-administered physical exam. However, the paperwork for the trade, which is not contingent upon the Titans reaching a contract extension agreement with Henry, has been forwarded to the league offices.

Henry is entering the final season of his contract and is scheduled to have a base salary of $1.25 million for 2005. If he does not sign an extension, Henry will become an unrestricted free agent next spring.

Despite the reports indicating the Jaguars were close to acquiring Henry, they apparently did not make a trade offer to the Bills until Friday night. The Jags also offered a third-round choice.

As ESPN's Chris Mortensen suggested, the Jags were a day late rather than a dollar short.

Indeed, the Jaguars had actually completed a crucial element in a potential acquisition of Henry, when they reached agreement in principle with Henry on a multi-year contract extension earlier this week. Engelhard told Florida Times-Union beat man Bart Hubbuch that contrary to his situation with the Jaguars, he has not had any specific talks with the Titans about an extension.

"We're not anywhere near where we were with the Jaguars,' Engelhard said.

But as Pasquarelli noted: "The Jaguars lagged in the second half of the equation: satisfying the price tag of Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe, who had all along been seeking a third-round draft pick in return for the four-year veteran back."

By the time Jacksonville finally made a proposal to Buffalo, the Bills were apparently more inclined to accept the Titans' offer.

According to Kuharsky, some Jaguars insiders believed all along that Buffalo would rather deal Henry to Tennessee than Jacksonville, because the Jaguars are more likely to be competing with the Bills for an AFC playoff spot this season.

Mortensen, during a Saturday morning appearance on ESPNews, advised viewers the only reason the deal hadn't already been officially consummated was because Titans general manager Floyd Reese was busy preparing for his son's (Saturday) wedding; Donahoe is said to be on vacation.

Engelhard told Kuharsky on Saturday that he expected to talk with Reese in the next 24 to 48 hours. ... Stay tuned. I'll post final confirmation on this one shortly after it becomes official. We'll also begin the more serious business of speculating on how this move impacts Fantasy owners, current Titans starter Chris Brown and the rest of Tennessee's offense. ...

Moving on to the Jets. ... It would appear the questions about Chad Pennington's surgically repaired shoulder are starting to disappear. In an article published Monday, NFL Network insider Adam Schefter reported that Pennington has been consistently throwing the football 30 yards without any problems over the last couple weeks.

In an article published June 29, Pasquarelli reported that head coach Herman Edwards gauged Pennington at "around 89 percent" rehabilitated from a procedure that was more extensive and invasive than doctors originally felt it would be.

Pennington termed the rehabilitation the "biggest challenge I've ever faced as a football player."

The former Marshall standout added: "It was such an invasive surgery. I had to start all over. I couldn't brush my teeth with my right arm for two months. It really breaks you down."

Fortunately, those who have seen him recently say that Pennington looks sharp, and though his workload likely will be scaled back during training camp, he will be ready when his teammates report on July 29.

Best of all, according to Schefter: "At this point, there is no doubt that Pennington will be ready for the Chiefs in Kansas City for the season opener on Sept. 11."

Further proving his eagerness to start strong, Pennington arranged for each of his top four wide receivers -- Laveranues Coles, Justin McCareins, Jerricho Cotchery and Wayne Chrebet -- to travel to Florida for extended workouts together.

The quarterback and receivers have been spending time getting their timing down, learning the Jets' new offense and trying to get as far ahead as they before camp opens.

According to published reports, Pennington wants the Jets' offense to rank in the top five in scoring with at least 24 points per game. The Jets are hoping that too, which is why they dumped the conservative Paul Hackett for the more wide-open and forward thinking Mike Heimerdinger.

Pennington will be asked to throw deep more often, something he says his surgically-repaired shoulder is ready to do, but his most important throws might be over the middle of the field as Heimerdinger utilizes the tight end position.

Jets tight ends had just 31 catches last year while the Titans, Heimerdinger's former team, had three tight ends with at least 25 receptions apiece. The inactivity led to Anthony Becht's departure as a free agent after five seasons so the Jets engineered a trade with the Raiders for Doug Jolley just before the draft.

According to the Sports Xchange, the Jets think Jolley -- known more for his skills as a receiver and not a blocker -- is capable of a 50-catch season and serving as a legitimate red zone threat, something Becht could have been if he hadn't dropped so many balls in his career.

But more importantly, the presence of a weapon in the middle of the field like Jolley not only gives defenses something else to contend with but also takes the pressure off Coles and McCareins.

For what it's worth, some observers believe Chrebet might be another Jet worth watching.

According to Schefter, the veteran feels so healthy, so fresh, so excited about the new offense that he now is expecting numbers more in line with the ones he put up during the 2002 season, when he caught 51 passes for 691 yards and nine touchdowns.

In a semi-related note. ... As an insurance policy against the possibility that Pennington might not be recovered by the start of camp, and a reaction to his past injuries, the Jets signed former Miami starter Jay Fiedler as an unrestricted free agent earlier in the offseason.

And in an article published Thursday, SportsLine.com senior writer Clark Judge expressed the belief that Fiedler is the perfect fit for the team.

He's from Long Island; he needed a change of scenery; and he's a winner, leading the Dolphins to two playoff appearances and winning twice as many games as he lost (35-17) before last season.

As Judge summed up: "There are a couple of things to consider here: 1) The Jets made the playoffs three of the past four years, and 2) Pennington has yet to play an entire season, missing nine games the past two years to injuries. ..."

And one last note on the Jets. ... Heimerdinger likes to use a rotation of receivers or running backs and receivers, which means backup running back Derrick Blaylock will get up to 10-15 carries a game and the Jets third and fourth receivers won't be such afterthoughts.

But as New York Daily News beat man Rich Cimini noted last week, Blaylock isn't a short yardage specialist and the Jets would like to save Curtis Martin as many beatings as they can. That's why second-year fullback B.J. Askew -- who had just six carries for 23 yards last season -- could see more time in those situations.

Martin is still an effective option on the goal line but the Jets may look to Askew, who at 6-3 and 233 pounds has the size needed to move the pile -- on occasion. ...

In San Francisco. ... According to InsideBayArea.com staff writer Roger Phillips, 49ers director of football operations Paraag Marathe, the team's chief negotiator, said on Monday that he remains optimistic about the chances of getting this year's No. 1 pick, quarterback Alex Smith, signed in a timely manner.

"I'm operating under the assumption he'll be there for the first day of camp," Marathe said.

Marathe said that he and Smiths' agent, Tom Condon, have been in contact 3-4 times a week, by phone, fax and e-mail, and characterized communication as "cooperative and productive." At some point in the next week or two, Marathe said Condon will visit the Bay Area for face-to-face meetings, but nothing has been scheduled.

Most of what ultimately will be a 60- or 70-page document has been written, Marathe told Phillips, which will speed the finalizing of a deal once all issues are resolved, foremost of which is the size of Smith's signing bonus.

Marathe acknowledged that the failure to this point of the NFL and the NFL Players' Association to agree on an extension of the collective bargaining agreement has complicated the negotiations.

"The biggest holdup we have is the numbers," Marathe said. "Do we both see a deal? Yes, I think we do. Right now, there's not enough urgency, but as we get closer to training camp, the urgency will increase at an exponential rate."

I'll remind you, however, that after a meeting with Condon held late in May, Marathe told reporters, "We're reading from the same book and we're on the same chapter. We're only a few pages apart."

But as San Jose Mercury News columnist Ann Killion put it, "Tolstoy must be the author, because that's one heck of a long book. Seven weeks later the contract still isn't done."

Killion went on to suggest there must be a reason the negotiations are plodding along. If it was simple, the 49ers would have gotten Smith signed in June to deflect attention from the embarrassing training-video scandal.

Among the more plausible explanations for the delay might be the fact that Condon -- one of the established professionals in the agent business -- is going up against a novice negotiator in Marathe and a front office that has yet to establish much in the way of authority. The cagey rep understands he has the upper hand and the longer he waits the better his position gets.

I'm with Killion, who summed up by reminder readers: "Condon has a history of delivering his man. But he's probably waiting for the 49ers to tighten up a little and feel a bit more desperate -- which will happen with every day that camp draws closer and Smith still isn't signed. ..."

As noted in last weekend's Fantasy Notebook, it will be difficult for prospects like Ronnie Brown, Braylon Edwards and Cedric Benson to get their deals done until Smith signs.

In fact, with Brown unlikely to sign his contract before the Dolphins report to training camp on July 24 -- and with Ricky Williams facing a four-game suspension, Schefter suggested on Friday that Lamar Gordon could emerge as a candidate for opening day starter.

While I agree that Gordon, who is completely recovered from the season-ending shoulder injury he suffered last season against Pittsburgh, might be an option if Brown misses significant time, I'm not sold on the notion that Brown will miss enough time to hurt his development.

As the No. 2 pick overall, his deal should get done fairly early.

I'd be more worried about Benson -- the fourth pick overall -- in Chicago, who has to wait for three dominoes -- Smith, Brown and Edwards -- to fall before his negotiations can get serious. I'm slightly less worried about the fifth pick overall, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.

In case you missed it, Williams got in an early week of indoctrination under Jon Gruden when he worked under his Bucs head coach on the squad in the Senior Bowl. If nothing else, he got a nice head start in Gruden's scheme and complex terminology -- an understanding he was able to build on in mini-camps. ...

A few more follow-ups from last Sunday.

In Seattle. ... Once the Seahawks were allowed to re-open contract negotiations with franchise running back Shaun Alexander, they wasted little time before picking up the phone.

According to Seattle Times staff reporter Jose' Miguel Romero, Mike Reinfeldt, the Seahawks' vice president of administration, spoke with one of Alexander's agents, Jim Steiner on Friday. The conversation was characterized as the Seahawks letting Alexander know they still want to talk about re-signing him to a long-term contract.

From mid-March until Friday, the team could not negotiate with Alexander, as stipulated by NFL rules governing teams' use of the franchise tag.

Romero went on to advise readers, "With training camp less than two weeks away, Alexander is almost certain not to be there." He is seeking an agreement to a long-term contract and told Romero earlier this month that he does not intend to sign the team's one-year franchise tender.

The tender would set his salary at $6.32 million. The Seahawks would like Alexander to sign the tender and report to the team. Then the team could presumably begin more serious negotiations with his agents.

The Seahawks explored trade possibilities involving Alexander before April's draft, but could not find a team with a suitable offer. They also reportedly called the Bills to inquire about Henry shortly after Alexander's claim he wasn't interested in signing the tender.

I would suggest once again, however, that it's easy to say the tender isn't sufficient in July. I also suspect that will change drastically in September when the regular season cranks up. That's when it would start costing Alexander his weekly paycheck of $370,000 to make good on his threat.

That ain't going to happen. ...

For the record. ... Tacoma News Tribune beat man Mike Sando reminded readers this week that reaching a long-term deal isn't possible unless Alexander first signs the tender; otherwise the Seahawks would lose the franchise-player designation for the life of the long-term deal. ...

In Green Bay. ... After another round of disparaging remarks from Brett Favre regarding Javon Walker's holdout, Walker's agent suggested that Favre should call him so they can discuss the situation.

According to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel staffer Tom Silverstein, Drew Rosenhaus said Wednesday that he was bothered by Favre's most recent comments, which were made this week during interviews with several ESPN programs.

In addition to taking Walker to task for skipping the Packers' mandatory mini-camp in April, he reiterated his position that the wide receiver is not doing himself any favors in the locker room with his current stance.

"I'd hate to walk into the locker room every day and know I turned my back on the players," Favre said on ESPN's "Cold Pizza." "Ultimately the player has to make a decision. The agent can make a recommendation, but you can say yeah or no.

"If you're going to listen to your agent and let him tell you everything and you go by it, I mean, you have to step up for yourself and your team. The money is out there to be had. When a contract is signed you understand that if you play well, maybe in time they'll renegotiate."

"I wish he would call me so we could talk and I could let him know the facts," Rosenhaus told Silverstein in response. "I think there are a lot of things he doesn't know about our situation. There are a lot of things he needs to know."

Rosenhaus went on to defend Walker's decision to skip mini-camp and said that his client would have attended if the Packers had given him some kind of assurance they would address his contract situation in the near future.

He said the Packers refused to even consider it.

Rosenhaus added that a decision on whether Walker would report for training camp in two weeks hadn't been made. ...

Other Fantasy-specific news and notes of interest from around the league. ...

In Washington. ... Rod Gardner was supposed to be a free man by now, but less than two weeks before the team reports to camp, the veteran receiver remains on the Redskins' roster.

And in an article published Friday, Pasquarelli advised readers that he might be there a little longer, it seems.

After spending the entire offseason -- starting in January -- making it quite clear that Gardner was no longer in their plans, it appear the Skins are going to hold onto Gardner for as long as possible because team officials are still holding out hope someone will offer at least a low-round pick for him.

Club officials have noted that nearly every team in the league will have been on the field for a few days of practice before the Redskins' initial camp session on Aug. 1. If a team suffers an injury to a receiver in the early going, it could create a market for the 27-year-old.

The end result, however, will be the same no matter what: Gardner will be plying his trade somewhere other than Washington in 2005. ...

In Chicago. ... When the Bears signed Muhsin Muhammad, they intended for him to do more than shore up what was arguably the league's worst receiving corps last season.

According to the Xchange, team officials want the veteran to serve as an on-the-field example of how a professional goes about the business of playing wide receiver in the NFL. With a host of young receivers high on potential but, so far, low on production, the Bears needed a steadying influence.

So far, Muhammad has been exactly what the coaching staff wanted.

"He's better than I expected," said receivers coach Darryl Drake. "When I saw him on film, I thought there was no one close as far as the guys that we may have had a shot at (in free agency).

"But I didn't anticipate him even being as good as he is. He just does the little things so subtly. You can tell that he really has been a student of the game. He's picked up so many different things over the years and his work ethic is tremendous. You don't get to where he is unless you have that and I see it each and every day."

More important, young receivers like Justin Gage, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Ron Johnson, Carl Ford and rookies Mark Bradley and Airese Curry see it.

As the Xchange suggested, "It may be that the youngsters who do the best job of emulating Muhammad wind up with most of the playing time."

For now, Gage is running with the first team, but Berrian has shown vast improvement since his rookie season of 2004, and he adds a speed dimension that is otherwise absent.

Wade was a starter last season and finished tied for second on the team in receptions.

"It's very competitive right now," Drake said. "You've got Gage and Berrian and it's kind of been going back and forth. Neither one has backed down. Justin had the first shot, (but) Bernard hasn't backed down. In fact, he's raised his level of play. Justin has done the same, and that's what you want.

"You want those guys to have that competition, but you also want those guys to raise their game to a different level."

Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that any of them are truly capable of doing so. ...

In Oakland. ... Add NFL.com national editor Vic Carucci to the list of those expecting big things from LaMont Jordan now that he's a Raider.

According to Carucci, Jordan, who averaged an impressive 4.9 yards per carry while backing up Martin the last four seasons, should be highly effective as a starter -- even if he isn't working behind the best of offensive lines.

Carucci added: "Jordan is built for a workhorse role and he and his blockers will benefit from defenses being stretched by the ultra-dangerous receiving duo of Randy Moss and Jerry Porter as well as the powerful throwing arm of Kerry Collins. ..."

In New York. ... According to the Sporting News, Tim Carter should have emerged as a potent downfield weapon by now, given his impressive speed and powerful build. But his career has been sidetracked by significant injuries in each of his first three seasons.

Carter annoyed head coach Tom Coughlin last summer with his slow recovery from a hamstring strain and can't expect much patience this time around. As TSN summed up: "It would be silly to count on Carter, but he has too much talent for the team to give up on him yet."

Too much talent -- and too much speed. Look for Carter to get every opportunity to prove he's capable handling the No. 3 assignment this summer. ...

In Buffalo. ... The Bills have spent 10 of their 12 draft picks under head coach Mike Mularkey on offensive players -- in part because he believes offense can be a team's best defense.

"I know it looks like we're heavy these last two years on offense, but to me, every time we address an offensive player I think our defense gets better as well," the coach explained. "If we can keep our defense off the field because we're better controlling the football, or better on third down, because we've gotten guys who are playmakers on third down, then our defense automatically is better.

"I look at it as a whole team thing than just an offensive draft. ..."

In San Diego. ... According to Chargers.com staffer Casey Pearce, second-round pick Vincent Jackson has been impressive at the team's offseason workouts.

"He's a terrific athlete and catches the ball very well," head coach Marty Schottenheimer said of the rookie wideout. "He has miles and miles to go in understanding what the National Football League tempo is like, but he's a physical specimen and is going to be a tremendous football player."

The 6-5, 5, 241 pounder is fast for a man of his size and he's confident that his size and athleticism will work in his favor.

"There's no doubt that my size is going to help me in this league," Jackson said. "Particularly in the red zone, I think I can pose some mismatches. ..."

In Dallas. ... According to FOXSports.com, Quincy Morgan will be ready for training camp, despite a recent shoulder injury. He enters camp as the team's No. 3 receiver, but movement up or down the depth chart isn't out of the question.

In fact, the Xchange reported last week that Patrick Crayton, a former college quarterback who some observers compare to Steelers receiver Hines Ward, and Tom Crowder are both receivers worth watching this summer.

Crayton, who came on at the end of last season, could push Morgan for the third receiver spot.

And finally, in Pittsburgh. ... As Associated Press writer Joe Mandak framed it Friday: "Police have flagged a man for an illegal quarterback sneak."

Authorities said Brian Jackson, 31, dated two women by pretending to be Steelers quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Brian St. Pierre.

Jackson, arrested Friday, was charged with harassment for allegedly continuing to contact both women after they learned of the ruses. He was also charged with criminal mischief for allegedly ruining a Steelers jersey owned by one of the women's neighbors when he signed his worthless rendition of Roethlisberger's autograph on it. The jersey was worth $75 before it was signed, police said.

According to Mandak, in the most recent scam, Jackson arrived at the woman's home on July 6, gave her an autographed football and pretended to be Roethlisberger, signing the neighbor's jersey, authorities said.

When she got home from their date that night, the neighbor brought her a newspaper article and told her that the man wasn't Roethlisberger.

Jackson pretended to be St. Pierre, the third-string quarterback, when he met a woman last September. She told police that during the three weeks they were in contact, Jackson often talked of his "teammates" and offered to autograph footballs for neighborhood kids.

Jackson also told the woman to watch Steelers games so she could see him when he went into the game, police said.

When the woman did watch a Steelers game, she saw the real Brian St. Pierre on the screen and realized that Jackson was an impostor, police said. Jackson tried to explain to the woman that he looked "different" on TV. ...

As boxing impresario Don King often says: "Only in America."