News & Info/Headlines
Indeed, I believe a soothing dose of actual Fantasy intelligence chocked full of (mostly) non-draft related info before the selection festivities -- and our coverage of the offensive skill player selections in the News & Views section of the site -- crank up tomorrow morning is just what the doctor ordered.
So let's get busy, eh?
We'll start in New York, where for the first time in his career, Chad Pennington is working through an offseason without having to worry about rehabbing a potentially career-threatening injury, or about the status of his starting job.
And as New York Post staffer Mark Cannizzaro pointed out, for the first time in his career, Pennington is attending the team's off-season workout program after having started an entire 16-game schedule.
"It's great to feel normal," Pennington, speaking publicly for the first time since the end of the 2006 season, told Cannizzaro this week. "The greatest thing about playing the full regular season is the feeling of knowing that I was available for my team week in and week out."
In case you missed it, Pennington spent the previous two offseasons rehabbing the rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
"The injuries were certainly things that were totally out of my control, but at same time it was a helpless feeling knowing you couldn't help your team on the field," Pennington said. "That's hard to deal with."
Cannizzaro went on to note that one element of this offseason that was easy to deal with for Pennington was the Jets' trade for Thomas Jones, who immediately upgraded what had been a weak link on offense -- the running game.
"It just put a smile on my face," Pennington said. "I just said, 'Wow, what a great pickup; what a great pro to help us get better.' It made perfect sense for us. To have Thomas really solidifies that position."
If you believe Rex Grossman, Pennington is understating things a bit.
As noted in a previous update, the Bears' QB shared his thoughts on Jones with reporters shortly after the veteran halfback was dealt to New York.
"As a young quarterback, the hardest thing to pick up are protections and protection responsibilities, and he's just done an amazing job to help my development and clean up some of the mistakes and blocking some of the guys he's not supposed to block," Grossman explained. "Not only that, but just being a tough, physical runner and having an emotional attitude in the huddle, he was a great leader."
Based on what Pennington accomplished last season -- without a truly effective rushing attack -- Jones' presence as both a runner and (given Pennington's injury history) perhaps even more so as a blocker will provide a boost.
As for his own position, Pennington believes a second year in head Eric Mangini's system will make him significantly more consistent than he was a year ago.
After not publicly endorsing Pennington as the 2007 starter at the end of last season, Mangini anointed him publicly in February.
"It didn't surprise me at all," Pennington said of Mangini's initial reticence to name him. "It's clear that coach Mangini came in from Day One and wanted everyone to compete."
And as Cannizzaro summed up, Pennington, who was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2006, surely earned the right to start in 2007. He is just glad that award is something he won't be eligible for this season. ...
Meanwhile, I'll also remind you that Pennington's receiving corps -- or more specifically the starting duo of Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery -- were a major factor in the quarterback's 2006 campaign.
And according to New York Newsday staffer Tom Rock, we can expect more of the same, especially from Cotchery, this fall.
A year ago, Cotchery was an underused, virtually unknown commodity preparing for his third NFL season sitting behind two steady, well-paid veterans.
This time around, though, he's an established player coming off a season in which he caught 82 passes for 961 yards and earned a five-year, $19-million contract extension a year before he was eligible to become a free agent.
Rock went on to note that general manager Mike Tannenbaum touted that long-term commitment as one of the keys to this offseason and pointed to Cotchery as an example of "guys taking advantage of great opportunities."
Being at the head of the race for playing time is a lot different than chasing. But although the incentive and motivation may be different, Cotchery also said the continuity from a remarkable 2006 season makes this prep work easier.
"I'm a lot more comfortable," he said. "Other offseasons I was trying to catch the eye of a coach, trying to get established. This year a lot of things are still in place and I can build off of what I started."
And if you're wondering just how motivated Cotchery might be heading into 2007, look no further than his determination to repeat an honor that put him on the path toward all he achieved: Off-season MVP.
According to Rock, the young wideout has already won one of the weekly awards the Jets dangle as incentives for their players and is quickly carving a reputation as a ferocious, non-stop worker among his teammates and, surprisingly for such a quiet man, a leader.
"His work ethic did come to the forefront in the offseason," Pennington said recently. "Our young people saw how hard he worked and then they were able to see how it correlated to success during the season. He's a great example for our young guys to have."
And, Rock added, Cotchery is even looking forward to Mangini's training camp, one that quickly gained a reputation as exhausting.
"I think we were caught off guard with a tough situation," he said of the culture shock last August. "No one could have expected how tough it was going to be. But now we know, and you can get your mind right. ..."
In Miami. ... Following up on a previous update, Daunte Culpepper now realizes the Dolphins are expected to soon trade or release him and said in a statement Thursday he would like to be told of the team's intentions.
"Since I am a player/agent and there are discussions about my career taking place, I expect to be included in those discussions sooner rather than later," Culpepper said in a statement e-mailed to media outlets. 'As it pertains to being traded or released, I don't get to make that call so I will await the Dolphins' decision."
Culpepper has been recovering from two surgeries on his right knee -- a recovery that limited him to four games in 2006. He said his recovery is on schedule and that by Tuesday, he hopes to increase his activity level.
But as Miami Herald staffer Armando Salguero noted this morning, whether Culpepper will be with the team on that date is hard to predict as the Dolphins still intend to acquire Kansas City quarterback Trent Green to be their starter in 2007.
In fact, ESPN insider John Clayton reported this afternoon that the Chiefs have dropped their demand for a first-day pick for Green. This means that the Chiefs, who don't have a fourth-round pick, would take a fourth-round pick to get the deal done.
As Profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio suggests, that would be a fair price.
The Chiefs have maintained that Miami should give up something equivalent to what Green, who would likely be their starting quarterback, is worth to them. The Dolphins, realizing Green will be cut if he's not traded, don't believe that's a first-day pick.
Florio went on to remind readers that last year the Titans and Ravens were in the same position with Steve McNair.
They ultimately settled on a fourth-round pick. Sounds like a reasonable compromise in this case, too.
Which brings us back to Culpepper. ... Last week it was reported that the Dolphins intend to cut or trade the former Viking sometime following the acquisition of Green and the likely selection of a quarterback during this weekend's NFL Draft.
According to Salguero, one reason the Dolphins seem intent on breaking ties with Culpepper is coaches don't believe having Green and Culpepper on the roster would be good for the chemistry of the team.
Salguero went on to explain that Miami head coach Cam Cameron has talked to St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan, a former Dolphins offensive coordinator and the offensive coordinator at Minnesota when Culpepper was with the Vikings, about such a scenario.
Cameron asked how Culpepper would react to competing for a job with Green, and Linehan said it would not be a comfortable situation.
Based on this, Culpepper's inability to keep weight off and the uncertainty of him producing in a new offensive system, the Dolphins have all but made their decision to go in another direction if Green is acquired.
And that is something Culpepper this week started to realize.
Hence the e-mail outlining his knee issues -- and more importantly, insisting he'll be good to go in short order.
After all, Culpepper does serve as his own agent. As such, it makes sense to begin pitching the rest of the league. ...
Also of interest in Miami. ... According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel staffer Alex Marvez, the Dolphins aren't finished trying to dismantle their roster from last season, with a source telling Marvez on Thursday that wide receiver Marty Booker is on the trading block.
It's unknown what compensation the Dolphins are seeking, but the willingness to part with Booker could mean the team has targeted a receiver with the No. 9 pick. Marvez also suggested that Booker could figure into trade talks being held between the Dolphins and Chiefs for Green, although only draft choices are being discussed at this point.
Booker, who will be 31 entering the season, has caught 144 passes for 2,071 yards and 10 touchdowns in three years with the Dolphins since being traded from Chicago. He is due to make $3.1 million in base salary this season and is under contract through 2008.
The Dolphins have jettisoned two of their top four leaders in receptions from 2006 by releasing tight end Randy McMichael and trading wideout Wes Welker to New England for second- and seventh-round picks.
According to those who follow the team closely, Booker could be released if a suitable trading partner can't be found. ...
Also according to Marvez, the reason Cameron fired running backs coach Bobby Williams last Thursday remains unclear. But it's believed Ronnie Brown didn't help Williams' cause by being over his target weight at last weekend's mini-camp and fumbling during one of the sessions.
Along those lines, receiver Chris Chambers was yanked from the first-team offense at one point during mini-camp because Cameron was unhappy with his performance.
Marvez advised readers that was an eye-opener for Chambers, who should be better utilized by Cameron. The Dolphins already are trying to find mismatches by calling plays with Chambers in the slot, which is something former offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey didn't do last season. ...
And one last note here. ... Ricky Williams, who missed last season because he violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy for the fourth time, officially became eligible today for reinstatement by the league, agent Leigh Steinberg said.
Commissioner Roger Goodell will decide Williams' fate after reviewing the case file, including reports from medical personnel. Williams, who turns 30 on May 21, said recently he has taken league-mandated drug tests and undergone weekly counseling.
Goodell could decide to meet with Williams before making a decision.
If Williams is reinstated, Steinberg said in an e-mail that the former Pro Bowler "will return to Miami for off-season conditioning whenever the team desires."
Steinberg said Williams weighs a little more than 220 pounds, a shade below his previous playing weight of 228. ...
In Pittsburgh. ... Willie Parker is on the record: The star tailback has no problem with new head coach Mike Tomlin's intent to use more than one back to run the ball next season.
As Pittsburgh Tribune-Review beat writer Scott Brown suggested, Parker could be upset by such a change, considering he rushed for 1,494 yards last season and scored 13 touchdowns.
But Parker sees the league-wide trend of teams using multiple backs to power their running game -- as well as the benefit of lightening the load for someone whose preferred playing weight is right around 210 pounds.
"You can't really turn selfish," Parker said of the probability of his getting fewer than the 337 carries he had in 2006. "I've been with two backs basically my whole career except last year, really. We wanted two backs, but we never really got in that situation where they put a lot of confidence in the other back."
Duce Staley never filled Jerome Bettis' role as the short-yardage complement to Parker, and Najeh Davenport didn't sign with the Steelers until September and spent much of the season getting acclimated with the offense.
As a result, Parker got 72 percent of the Steelers' carries and almost 50 more than he had in his first two NFL seasons combined.
He made the most of them, running up a rushing total that was exceeded only by LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson in the AFC.
As to who might be capable of handling the complimentary role behind Parker, Tomlin said Davenport, who played for the Packers before the Steelers picked him up, could be that second back he is looking for to complement Parker.
"He was part of a rotation in Green Bay when I first broke into the league down in Tampa. He was a guy we were always concerned about when Ahman Green wasn't in there," Tomlin said.
Davenport re-signed with the team and should be much more comfortable in the offense next season. Parker said he also expects the Steelers to pick a running back in this weekend's draft.
If he welcomes the competition that is because no one pushes Parker harder than he does.
"You've got one chance," Parker said, "and I'm going to make the best of it. ..."
In a related note. ... Tomlin hasn't ruled out the Steelers re-signing running back Verron Haynes, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last October in a game at Oakland. Haynes had been the Steelers' third-down back before tearing his ACL. The Steelers released him last month. ...
Also in Pittsburgh. ... Heath Miller was under-utilized last season, even though he caught 34 passes and was second on the team with five TD catches. But Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staffer Gerry Dulac advised readers this week the talented you tight end will probably have an expanded role this season under new coordinator Bruce Arians because Miller is such a good receiver.
Dulac went on to remind readers that Miller is a Pro Bowl-caliber player who runs good routes, has good hands and is tough to bring down after a catch. But he has also developed into a ferocious blocker and is one of the keys to the team's running game. ...
Also according to Dulac, receiver Nate Washington, a backup at flanker to Hines Ward, could have an even more prominent role this season.
Washington, an undrafted free agent in 2005, caught 35 passes last season and averaged a team-best 17.8 yards per catch.
Per Dulac, Washington runs good routes and has the athleticism to make tough, acrobatic catches, but needs to improve his concentration and not drop as many passes. ...
In Tennessee. ... As Denver Post staffer Bill Williamson reminded readers last weekend, a year ago, LenDale White was hoping predictions of his free-fall on the NFL draft board were just part of baseless speculation.
They weren't.
The former Southern California standout tumbled from being a projected top-10 pick to No. 45, where Tennessee grabbed him after an offseason filled with concern over his weight and injuries.
The memory remains fresh for White.
"To be honest, every time I think about it, it makes me upset," White told Williamson last week after participating in the Titans' off-season conditioning program. "But it makes me want to go out and work harder and prove that I should have been picked earlier.
"But I also want to show that coach [Jeff] Fisher and the Titans made the right decision."
At this point, it appears the Titans might have to count on him. White said he has been told he has an opportunity to be the starting tailback this season as a replacement for Travis Henry, who signed with the Broncos.
White says he is mentally and physically prepared to be the Titans' starting tailback. White didn't wait to be asked about his weight in a brief interview. He brought up an Internet report last month that said he came to the conditioning program weighing 260 pounds. He said he reported at 250, and now weighs 245.
"I was not 260, let's go to the source," White said. "I'm good. People like talking about things, but my weight is good. I'm not going to let this opportunity pass by me. I am going to take advantage.
"Even though I fell in the draft, I am in a great situation. I love being on this team. We're a good team, and I hope to make us better."
White rushed for 244 yards on 61 carries as a rookie.
"I'll show everyone I belong," he said. ...
Unless the Titans acquire San Diego's Michael Turner sometime this weekend, it seems quite likely that White will get to do just that.
And Turner?
The Chargers are prepared to Turner in the near future after receiving an acceptable contract offer from another team, ESPN reported this afternoon. According to the report, an unidentified team has offered the Chargers a first-round pick in the 2008 draft, and San Diego is willing to accept the deal.
The Titans, Bills and Packers are among the teams who've expressed an interest in Turner, who signed the Chargers tender offer Thursday -- a development that cleared the way for a trade to be completed.
But agent Bus Cook, who represents Turner, told Nashville Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt the story is news to him.
"I have no idea. If (the Chargers) have, they haven't talked to me about it," Cook said. "If it's true, somebody has to call me to tell me about it."
Asked which team it might be, Cook could only speculate.
"I don't have a clue, unless it's the Titans, but I don't know," Cook said. "But they haven't called me about it. I haven't heard from anybody. ..."
Sounds like he might, though. And it sounds like it might happen very soon. ...
In Carolina. ... As Gaston Gazette sports reporter Steve Reed noted this morning, a year ago, the Panthers were virtually a lock to take a running back in the first round.
They filled that need with DeAngelo Williams from Memphis, meaning running back isn't one of the team's concerns heading into this weekend.
But as Reed went on to explain, improved play from that position this year will be vital if the Panthers hope to make the playoffs. Last season the 8-8 Panthers ranked 24th in the league in rushing, averaging 103.7 yards per game on the ground with only seven rushing touchdowns -- only three by starter DeShaun Foster.
As noted in a previous update, the Panthers are hoping that a zone-blocking scheme on the offensive line will cure many of those woes and create more big plays in the running game. The zone-blocking scheme requires backs that are more shifty than your typical power backs, thus playing to the strengths of both Foster and Williams.
Like the offensive linemen, both backs have a lot to learn this year as far as when to cut back against the grain and how to read blocks.
In addition, Reed believes we can expect to see Williams and Foster used more in the passing game.
A year ago Williams finished with 33 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown, while Foster had 32 grabs for 159 yards.
Also as previously noted, new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson loves screen passes and has said they will be an integral part of the team's offense.
In Detroit. ... Booth Newspapers and MLive.com beat writer Tom Kowalski reported on Monday that Kevin Jones, who suffered a Lisfranc dislocation late last season, will soon undergo his final surgical procedure when he has two pins removed from his left foot.
Jones will be in a boot for a week but will then resume his rehab.
As noted in a previous update, Jones had been a couple of weeks ahead of schedule and was already jogging and the Lions hope he can regain his accelerated recovery pace. Jones is hoping to be healthy for the start of camp, but Kowalski was quick to stress the team will put him on the physically-unable-to-perform list and will be very cautious with him.
Jones isn't expected to take part in any of the two-a-days, even if he's medically cleared to do so.
In a related note. ... Also according to Kowalski, when T.J. Duckett was signed as a free agent, the Lions wanted him to be the short-yardage and goal-line runner, but Duckett had different ideas.
Duckett wants to get into the mix in the rest of the offense as well and has raised some eyebrows with his hard work in conditioning and dedication to understanding the offense.
Kowalski concedes that Duckett isn't a burner, but argues the former Falcon and Redskin has good speed and wants to show that off to convince coaches he can do more than just fill a specialty role.
Kowalski added: "A key for Duckett will be to continue to look good catching the ball out of the backfield because coordinator Mike Martz loves backs who are multidimensional."
Other keys, of course, are Jones' health and Tatum Bell's level of motivation. ...
In Dallas. ... With Julius Jones as the featured back last season, the Cowboys used zone blocking on many of their running plays to take advantage of his vision and quick feet.
But Dallas Morning News staffer Jean-Jacques Taylor suggests that could change this season because the Cowboys have significantly increased the size of their offensive line by committing to center Andre Gurode, right guard Leonard Davis and right tackle Marc Colombo.
According to Taylor, the additional size means the Cowboys will use a power-blocking scheme this season, which really doesn't fit Jones' style. He's more of a finesse runner than a slasher -- like Marion Barber -- so the Cowboys are going to have to adapt their offense when he's in the game. ...
In a related note. ... Taylor also reports the Cowboys like Tyson Thompson's approach in the offseason, especially considering he missed the final portion of 2006 with a broken leg. He's a speed back, and the Cowboys want him to compete for playing time with Jones and Barber this season.
The only way he can do that is by getting stronger -- so he can run through arm tackles, something Taylor reminded readers he didn't do often in the preseason.
The Cowboys would like him to add a little more muscle without losing speed so they can try to get him 5-6 carries a game next season, but they don't want to have to give him the ball on the perimeter every time.
With a little more bulk, Taylor believes Thompson might be more effective at running between the tackles, which would make him more versatile. ...
Also in Dallas. ... Trung Canidate, a former first-round pick of the Rams, has been in contact with several teams in hopes of resuming his NFL career. And while he wasn't offered a contract, Canidate made his first visit -- with the Cowboys -- this week.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys officials said the workout was a "look-see" for the team and didn't rule out signing him in the future.
According to Yahoo! Sports' correspondent and long-time FSP contributor John Murphy, Canidate, who has been out of action since 2003 because of a foot injury, has received a clean bill of health.
The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder has recently been timed in the mid-4.4 range while working out. His pursuit of a return to the league began in earnest last summer after he was able to work out minus any pain or distraction.
As a result, a handful of teams showed interest in bringing him in during training camp, though he was never signed. Canidate rushed for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns on 240 carries in 46 career games with the Rams and Redskins. ...
In Green Bay. ... According to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel beat writer Tom Silverstein, running back Vernand Morency showed up for the off-season program in top condition and is taking his current starting status seriously.
Morency is first on the list to replace Green, but he has to show more patience and better decision-making in the zone system. Silverstein noted, Morency has tremendous ability to make people miss in the open field, but to get there he has to read the cutback lane better and time his cut just right.
Regardless of whether the club drafts a running back, Morency will be in the mix for playing time this season. ...
In New Orleans. ... Even though his career was slowed by two unrelated season-ending injuries in San Francisco, Eric Johnson, who had an 82-catch, 825-yard season in 2004 could, could shine with the Saints.
If nothing else, the former Niner feels like New Orleans is the perfect place to tap back into that potential.
Hard to argue with him there.
Both Sean Payton and Drew Brees have shown love for the tight end in the past and they got a decent amount of production out of some journeymen tight ends last season.
But Johnson, 27, is a better pure pass catcher than anyone the Saints had to work with in 2006.
The 6-3, 252-pounder was a former receiver at Yale who has bulked up and developed into a tight end. He is still only a fair blocker, but as New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Mike Triplett suggested, he'll fit into a nice mix with veterans Mark Campbell and Billy Miller. ...
In New York. ... The Giants have high hopes for the development of Sinorice Moss, who suffered through an injury-plagued rookie season. Although star targets Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress continue to avoid the Giants' off-season program, New York Daily News beat man Ralph Vacchiano noted this week that Moss remains in New Jersey, which gives him more time to develop chemistry with Eli Manning.
Not only are his workouts going well, but Vacchiano added the speedy wideout is a classroom whiz, by all accounts, who has learned as much as he possibly could about the offense and playing in the NFL without actually being on the field.
The hope is that the extra off-season work will increase Moss' role next season. Last year the Giants had many plays designed for him, but he wasn't healthy enough. This year, Vacchiano believes that should change. ...
In New England. ... Boston Globe staffer Mike Reiss reported this morning that tight end David Thomas, who showed promise in his rookie season in 2006, broke his foot this week while participating in the Patriots' off-season program.
The injury will affect Thomas's training, although he is expected to make a full recovery. A timetable for his return is not known.
Thomas, a third-round draft choice out of Texas last April, totaled 11 catches for 159 yards last season. He played in 15 regular-season games with three starts, filling in for the injured Ben Watson late in the season and playing a key role in the team's AFC East-clinching victory over the Jaguars Dec. 24 with five catches for 83 yards, including a diving 22-yard touchdown grab.
As Boston Herald beat man John Tomase suggested before news of the broken foot came to light, opportunity clearly awaits Thomas following the departure of Daniel Graham.
According to Tomase, Thomas' skills make him an intriguing option for Tom Brady going forward because he has excellent hands, knows how to shield defenders from the ball with his body and has exhibited excellent instincts when it comes to finding the soft spots in a zone. ...
And finally tonight. ... In the spirit of all the pre-draft hype, I offer the following from San Jose Mercury News staffer Mark Emmons.
In an article published Wednesday, Emmons noted that as teams dig deeper into the backgrounds of prospective draft picks, they're also discovering more of something else: Disinformation.
Imagine that.
Scot McCloughan, the 49ers vice president of player personnel, told Emmons the team routinely will scan the Web looking for player background.
"But you have to be careful because there's so much stuff on the Internet that's wrong," McCloughan said. "Agents even will put out stuff there that hurts other kids so their guy becomes a higher pick.
"That stuff happens non-stop."
No doubt. ... But my favorite part of Emmons' piece was the headline: "There's bad pre-draft info out there."
You don't say.
The good news? None of it will matter after this weekend. ...
That's it for this week's Notebook. I'll check in again next Sunday. ... In the meantime, keep an eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news and other tidbits of interest. Watch the Headline News section for more in-depth reviews of current events -- including the Fantasy Notebook.