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Friday, June 29, 2007
Smith could get big payday from Saints
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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
They already rank among the NFL's best young defensive end tandems. Sometime this summer, if things proceed smoothly, the New Orleans duo of Charles Grant and Will Smith might rate among the richest end couplings in the league as well.
Although the negotiations are only in the nascent stages, ESPN.com has confirmed that Saints officials have approached Smith -- the team's first-round pick in the 2004 draft and a player who is quickly emerging as one of the NFL's top two-way perimeter defenders -- about a new long-term contract extension.
It should be emphasized that a deal isn't imminent. The two sides, in fact, haven't even swapped proposals yet.
But the opening bargaining overtures by the suddenly proactive Saints come only two months after the team unexpectedly signed Grant -- who was designated as a franchise player -- to a seven-year contract that can be worth as much as $63 million, and which includes $20 million in bonuses. And they come in the wake of remarks by coach Sean Payton in which he lauded Smith for the manner in which he accepted the good fortune heaped upon his defensive end partner.
Even though most independent observers consider him the superior player of the two, Smith didn't pout or moan, at least publicly, about Grant's megadeal. The former Ohio State star continued to work hard in the offseason and that meant a lot to Payton, who stresses team harmony and common goals above all else.
Will Smith
Defensive End
New Orleans Saints
Profile
2006 Season Stats Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
52 33 19 3 10.5 0
Smith, who turns 26 on July 4, has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $11.95 million contract (actually a six-year deal in which he has already earned the right to void the final season) he signed as a rookie. He is coming off a 2006 campaign in which he registered a career-high 10½ sacks and has now posted 26½ quarterback takedowns in three years. Like Grant, he is adept at the sack-and-strip technique, as demonstrated by 11 forced fumbles. And at 280 pounds, Smith is much stouter versus the run than most weakside ends around the league.
It now seems only a matter of when, not if, Smith cashes in on a big payday.
And by beginning talks now, New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis, who is intent on keeping together the nucleus of a franchise that in 2006 won only its third division title in club history, has removed any mystery as to who will be signing the paycheck.
As was the case with Grant, a player whose motivation and desire some Saints officials questioned in the past, New Orleans isn't going to let Will Smith get away.
Around the league
• Meachem a done deal? While the negotiations with Will Smith could take some time, Saints negotiator Russ Ball shouldn't have nearly as much trouble closing a deal with wide receiver Robert Meachem of the University of Tennessee. The club's first-round choice in this year's draft, and the 27th prospect selected overall, Meachem is already locked into a salary-cap number for the initial season of what will be a five-year contract. How so? Because the Saints have signed the other six of their seven choices from the 2007 lottery. On those six picks, and the undrafted free agents the team signed, New Orleans has expended all but $992,630 of its rookie pool allocation of $2.378 million. And so Meachem's agent will have to strike a deal with a 2007 cap value of $992,630. That shouldn't be too difficult, since the first-rounder in the 27th slot a year ago, Carolina tailback DeAngelo Williams, received a contract with a first-year cap value of $980,000. Assuming that Meachem collects every cent available to him in remaining rookie pool room, it will represent a 1.29 percent bump over the slot from a year ago.
There are, of course, other practical reasons, too, why Meachem needs to get a deal that ensures he is in camp on time. The guy is coming off a fairly disastrous two-month stretch since the draft in which he reported overweight to minicamp, suffered a sprained ankle that kept him from practicing, then subsequently required arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee. In short, Meachem faces tough competition on a young wideout corps that includes guys like Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Terrance Copper, and needs to be healthy and in camp at the outset of practices. One of the fastest-rising prospects overall in the month leading up to the draft, Meachem appeared in 37 games at Tennessee, but started just 15 contests, with all but two of the starts coming in 2006. He finished his college career with 125 receptions for 2,140 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2006, he had 71 catches for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Nathan Vasher
Cornerback
Chicago Bears
Profile
2006 Season Stats Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
45 33 12 0 0 3
• Bears in extending mood: The Chicago Bears clearly have a plan for keeping together the nucleus of the roster that went to Super Bowl XLI last season and they started this week with the five-year contract extension for Nathan Vasher that will pay the standout cornerback $27.8 million in so-called new money. It's a great deal, it looks like, for both sides. The Bears now have the rights to Vasher, only 25 years old, and a far better ball athlete than most cornerbacks perceived as Tampa 2-type defenders, through the 2012 season. And the salary cap charges for the deal, which start at $4.54 million for 2007, never rise above $5.33 million, even at the back end of the contract. For his part, Vasher, who has 16 interceptions in just three seasons and is an emerging star in the NFL, will have banked a whopping $15.6 million by the end of the 2008 season. Not bad, huh, for a former fourth-round draft pick.
So, who is next on the Bears' extension to-do list? Look for the team to try hard to sign its other standout corner, Charles Tillman, to an extension similar to the one Vasher just received. Conventional wisdom was that Chicago would only be able to afford to re-up one of its two starting corners, and then would eventually move free safety Danieal Manning to the outside. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, with the team focused on trying to keep its current cornerback tandem intact. After that, general manager Jerry Angelo and negotiator Cliff Stein want to lock up defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who is only 24 years old and has already been selected to two Pro Bowl games, for the long term. Harris has two years remaining on his original rookie contract, but the Bears know the price tag at tackle only keeps getting higher. And then, here's a surprising name on the extension wish list: fourth-year wide receiver Bernard Berrian, who is entering the final year of his contract in 2007 and can be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring. Berrian still isn't the most durable guy around, but he's gotten better in that regard, and the former third-rounder began to provide quarterback Rex Grossman with a legitimate long-ball threat in 2006. Berrian has a career average of 15.8 yards per catch and averaged 15.2 yards last season. He registered career highs in catches (51), receiving yards (775) and touchdowns (six). Four of his six scores were for 34 yards or more and his average touchdown grab was for 30.8 yards.
How about weakside linebacker Lance Briggs and Grossman in the Bears' scheme of things? Well, the team continues to hold firm to its one-year offer to Briggs for the franchise tender number of $7.2 million. Chicago is already paying five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher more than $6 million per year and does not seem inclined to invest in another long-term, big-money deal at linebacker. As for Grossman, who has started only 23 contests in four seasons, team officials want him to fatten his résumé a bit before considering an extension. It's not that the Bears don't have confidence in the former University of Florida star, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract signed in 2003. Fact is, Chicago management likes Grossman a lot more than the Chicago fans do. But the Bears want a bigger body of work to consider before they start proposing a long-term deal for Grossman, and so they'll wait until sometime during the season to make their determination on how he fits into the future of the franchise.
• What's next for Tank? Whither defensive tackle Tank Johnson, whom the Bears waived early this week after an incident in Arizona in which he was stopped for driving erratically? Well, there are plenty of teams interested in Johnson, a three-year veteran who is only 25 years old, is a pretty decent player, and mans a position that is traditionally difficult to fill. But the consensus is that most teams will wait to see how Johnson's latest legal entanglement is resolved. It may well be that some team simply rents Johnson for the second half of the 2007 season -- remember, he figures to miss half the year because of the suspension that was imposed by the commissioner -- and that he doesn't strike it rich financially until 2008. Johnson was scheduled to earn a base salary of just $510,000 for 2007. Deduct at least eight weeks from that for the suspension and some team might be able to nab Johnson for about $270,000, small price for a guy who might bolster a defense for the playoff run. There have been whispers that a few teams might roll the dice and sign Johnson to a bigger deal, with an eye toward 2008. That scenario, though, isn't likely. Not with potential charges pending in Arizona, and the possibility that his suspension could be extended if he is convicted of any charges tied to the most recent incident.
• Walker out in Buffalo? Buffalo officials are about ready to throw in the towel on negotiations with Darwin Walker, the veteran defensive tackle acquired in the trade that sent linebacker Takeo Spikes to the Philadelphia Eagles in March. According to the trade agreement, the Bills can return Walker to the Eagles, provided he doesn't report to camp by Aug. 5, and take a sixth-round draft pick in lieu of the tackle. Walker has no intention of reporting until he receives a long-term extension and the two sides aren't close on the numbers. Walker has two years left on his Philadelphia contract, at base salaries of $1.3 million for 2007 and $1.4 million for 2008. The Bills have offered to nullify the 2008 portion of the contract, but that hasn't swayed Walker, a penetrating-type tackle the Bills could really use.
As mentioned here in the past, the Eagles don't have any place to put Walker, because their tackle depth chart is already overstocked. It could well be that Walker is released or, perhaps, traded by Philadelphia for the second time in five months. There has been some speculation that the Bears, who are thin at tackle, might consider Walker. But it's unlikely Philadelphia would trade Walker in the conference. Plus, Walker's skill set is similar to that of Chicago star Tommie Harris. What the Bears need more than a penetrator is a nose tackle-type player.
• Healthy debate at rookie symposium: Much has been made this week of how Baltimore rookie quarterback Troy Smith, the former Ohio State star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, took on Roger Goodell during the commissioner's Monday address at the NFL rookie symposium. But according to people with knowledge of Smith's comments, and who have read through a transcript of the exchange between the fifth-rounder and the commissioner, perhaps a bit too much attention has been attached to it. League officials and three players who were in the room and spoke to ESPN.com about Smith's remarks insisted the player was neither disrespectful nor confrontational, and that Goodell regarded the exchange as a healthy give-and-take.
"Trust me, there was nothing planned, scripted or rehearsed about what Troy said," explained one of Smith's representatives. "He just feels there is a need to cast some positive light on some of the guys in the league, that's all." And, apparently, that was the point Smith made to the commissioner: Since he entered the league two months ago, he has noticed an emphasis on the negative, and he feels there are more positive stories to be told. Smith should know and, in truth, he is a shining example of how a player can turn himself around. A foster child as a teen, Smith was once booted off his high school basketball team, was involved in a dorm fight at Ohio State in which he was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct, and was suspended by Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel for accepting money from a booster. Smith worked hard to redeem himself, however, and the Heisman was his big payoff.
People at the rookie symposium noted that, during Goodell's address, which not surprisingly focused on personal conduct, some players were far more pointed than Smith in their comments. Among them were tailback Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois (a third-round pick of Chicago) and Texas-El Paso quarterback Jordan Palmer (sixth round, Washington, and the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer). At one point, in a nonconfrontational and rather rhetorical manner, Wolfe asked Goodell why the rookies should heed his words, since the commissioner had never played in the league. Goodell is said to have welcomed the question, answered with characteristic aplomb, and noted that he revered the league even if he never strapped on a uniform. Goodell added that such exchanges are good for him, because they enable him to gauge the feelings of young players and address their concerns.
As noted in a Thursday story on ESPN.com, this year's symposium marked the third straight with perfect attendance, and in which no players were fined for being absent or leaving early without an excuse. The last player hit with such a fine was safety Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins' first-round pick in 2004, who was docked $25,000 by the league for bolting the symposium early. "This is serious [stuff]," said quarterback JaMarcus Russell of Oakland, the top overall pick in the draft. "And they let you know that straight up."
• Rookies get more class time: The annual four-day symposium was just the first mandatory orientation event that NFL rookies must attend this summer. As part of the new personal conduct policy, Goodell has mandated that every franchise convene a life-skills session of classes before the beginning of training camps this summer. According to the guidelines distributed by the league, that will mean an additional 10-12 hours of presentations by the director of player programs for each of the 32 franchises. And, yes, the league office will ask for verification of attendance from every rookie on every roster.
• The 400-carry man: No running back in league history has ever logged 400 carries in consecutive seasons. In fact, only four tailbacks -- Larry Johnson (Kansas City, 2006), Jamal Anderson (Atlanta, 199
, James Wilder (Tampa Bay, 1984) and Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams, 1986) -- ever carried 400 or more times in a single season. But it's entirely possible that Johnson, given the offensive scheme and the circumstances in Kansas City this year, could be the first back to record consecutive 400-carry campaigns. Assuming, of course, Johnson, who wants a fat contract extension and is in the final season of his current deal, reports to camp.
Coach Herm Edwards is a guy who loves to pound the football and, although he has said he hopes to lighten the workload for Johnson in 2007, he tends to get intrigued by guys with human-wrecking ball characteristics. During his five seasons as the New York Jets' coach, Edwards used to annually insist that workhorse Curtis Martin would log fewer attempts, but it rarely happened. In the four seasons in which he played under Edwards and started more than 12 games, Martin averaged 322.3 carries and twice had more than 330 attempts. Plus, the Chiefs figure to have a first-year starter at quarterback this year, in Brodie Croyle, and Edwards is going to want to afford him the kind of safety net Johnson can provide with a power-based running attack.
• Snag in negotiations? There isn't a single first-round pick in the league who has reached a contract agreement yet, but, of course, the serious business of high-round and high-stakes negotiations usually doesn't get under way until after the July 4th holiday. But one possible sticking point to watch for in first-round deals this year is the size of the option bonuses included in the contract. Several years ago, as a mechanism for dealing with the salary cap and the esoteric permutations of the so-called "Deion Sanders Rule," teams began incorporating guaranteed option bonuses into the second years of big-money deals. It was essentially a second signing bonus in most cases and was characteristically viewed as "upfront" money.
But a ruling last year, which was determined by an arbitrator in a case involving the Denver Broncos and former first-round wide receiver Ashley Lelie, could change the landscape for such option bonuses in negotiations this summer. The arbitrator essentially ruled that although a team could attempt to recoup a prorated share of a player's signing bonus if he failed to show up for camp, held out or retired, it could not try to get payback on roster bonuses. There are a lot of team officials and agents who will be studying that ruling, and its ramifications, during the several weeks of quiet time that now exist in the league before substantive bargaining begins for most of the first-round selections.
• Jackson, Falcons resolve lawsuit: The Atlanta Falcons and Grady Jackson this week quietly resolved the lawsuit that the 10-year veteran defensive tackle had brought against the team earlier this spring for invasion of privacy and defamation. And while both sides would want people to believe money wasn't a factor in making the lawsuit suddenly disappear, it was, even though the Falcons might not have to pay Jackson a cent more than they were scheduled to. As part of the settlement of the case --- in which Jackson alleged that Atlanta staffers had leaked word in some quarters of the media that the defensive tackle had failed a physical exam because of a heart condition -- the team extended his contract by one year, through the 2009 season. But Jackson, who is said to have quickly lost interest in the legal action, won't make a penny more in 2007 than he was scheduled to earn under the three-year deal that he signed with the Falcons as a free agent last summer. Under that deal, Jackson, who felt that in 2006 he outperformed a contract in which he earned a minimum base salary of $710,000, was slated to make a base salary of $1.5 million in 2007. In the new deal, he'll still make $1.5 million, but it will be distributed differently, that's all.
Jackson received $250,000 in upfront money and will get another $250,000 in a roster bonus if he is with the team on Sept. 7. His $1.5 million base salary was reduced to $1 million. So financially, at least for 2007, the deal is a wash. Jackson also reduced his base salary for 2008 from $1.5 million to $1 million, and the Falcons added the 2009 season to the deal, also at $1 million. Now here is where Jackson can collect some of the money he feels he should have been making. In both 2008 and 2009, he is due roster bonuses of $2 million each in early March of those years. But Jackson, who will be 35 by the time the 2008 roster bonus comes due, might be gone from Atlanta by then. So Jackson, who had 33 tackles in 2006 and helped upgrade an undersized Atlanta front four that had struggled to stop the run, is rolling the dice that he will play well enough in 2007 for the Falcons to keep him around for another year. Or is gambling that, if Atlanta releases him after this season, some other team will sign him, and will pay him $3 million for the 2008 campaign.
No matter what, Jackson won't realize a cent more in '07 than he would have under his old deal. The only advantage is that he essentially has an advance of $250,000 in hand now, and will get another $250,000 in early September, instead of having to wait for his regular-season paychecks to arrive. It will be interesting to see, down the road, how this all plays out. Had he pursued the lawsuit a little harder, and maintained some leverage over the team, Jackson might have benefited more. For their part, the Falcons were happy to rid themselves of what they considered a frivolous action, and it might not cost them anything to have made the suit evaporate. Even if the Falcons release Jackson at season's end, he might find work elsewhere. As Sam Adams keeps proving, there is always a market for proven, interior linemen who can eat up blockers and shut down running lanes. That's precisely what Jackson is at this late juncture of his career. He had 23½ sacks in a four-season span (2000-2003), including six in 2003. In the last three seasons, playing primarily just on first and second down, Jackson has totaled just two sacks.
• Arrington's future unclear: As noted in this space last week, both the short- and long-term football futures of three-time Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington remain in doubt after a motorcycle accident in which he suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. It turns out that the injuries to Arrington, who probably was no better than a long shot to be in an NFL camp this summer, were worse than originally anticipated. In addition to a broken forearm and lacerations to a leg, the 2000 first-rounder, who was released by the New York Giants early this spring, suffered a broken wrist.
There are also unconfirmed reports that Arrington, who already was recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon that prematurely ended his 2006 campaign, is suffering from an infection in the lacerations, along with a torn tendon in his wrist. Arrington was still hospitalized on Thursday, but agent Carl Poston told the Washington Times that his client could be home by the end of the week. Arrington, 29, had hoped to revive a flagging career by getting himself in shape by July, then signing a deal that would get him into a camp and perhaps allow him to re-establish himself. It appears, though, that the severity of his injuries and the recovery time will render that an unlikely scenario.
• Gaither making the leap: Scouts around the league were sent scrambling on Thursday night in the wake of the news that former University of Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, declared academically ineligible by school officials two weeks ago, had officially tendered his application for the July 12 supplemental draft. Noted one AFC regional scout, contacted late Thursday: "This is a guy we've been waiting for, just to see what he was going to do, because he might be a legitimate prospect, a guy you can develop at a premium position. I know this: I just set the alarm [for Friday morning] an hour earlier, because I want to get into the office and start looking at tape of him."
A starter in 17 of his 23 appearances for the Terrapins over the past two seasons, Gaither might challenge Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver for top billing in the supplemental draft. Blessed with great size (6-foot-9, 350 pounds according to the Maryland roster), Gaither has surprisingly quick feet and is regarded as an outstanding pass protector, a blocker who might project as a left tackle at the professional level. In 2005, Gaither did not surrender a sack in his 11 starts. There are now four confirmed entries into the supplemental draft. One of them, Morgan State defensive tackle Robert Armstrong, worked out for scouts from eight franchises on Thursday and, while the audition demonstrated that he still has a long way to go to get into shape and probably won't be chosen in the supplemental draft, his size (318 pounds) and movement skills in positional drills might prompt some tackle-needy franchise to sign him as a free agent.
• Wright not giving up: A past supplemental draft bust, defensive tackle Manny Wright, has a new agent, and, he hopes, a new chance at resurrecting his career. The former Southern California standout, chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2005 supplemental lottery and reduced to tears by then-head coach Nick Saban during a training camp practice that summer, recently hired veteran agent Angelo Wright. He has shed about 25 pounds, is in far better shape than he's been in awhile, and wants another shot.
Whether he'll get it or not, even in a league that craves the kind of size and raw athleticism he possesses, remains to be seen. Wright played in just three games with the Dolphins in 2005 and posted four tackles and a sack. In his second camp, in 2006, he reported in dismal shape again, blaming his lack of conditioning on his mother's home cooking, left camp because of depression and sat out the entire year. Wright was released by the Dolphins this spring, claimed by Buffalo, and then waived by the Bills six days later. Remarkably, the Bills are one of the franchises with some interest in taking another look at Wright.
• Room to work: With the free-agent class down to the bottom of the barrel, and plenty of rookies still left to sign, most teams remain in relatively good salary-cap shape. The average cap room per team leaguewide, as of Thursday, was $9.82 million. Fourteen franchises, nearly half the teams in the league, still have more than $10 million in salary-cap space. Seven teams have more than $15 million in available spending room and three teams have $20 million or more. Here's how the teams stack up in terms of cap room: Cleveland, $21.968 million; Buffalo, $21.053 million; Minnesota, $20.076 million; Jacksonville, $16.425 million; Kansas City, $16.189 million; Green Bay, $15.959 million; Tennessee, $15.345 million; Dallas, $13.875 million; Oakland, $12.732 million; St. Louis, $11.602 million; Philadelphia, $11.517 million; New Orleans, $11.271 million; Seattle, $10.507 million; New York Jets, $10.039 million; San Francisco, $9.822 million; Carolina, $8.613 million; New England, $8.421 million; Cincinnati, $7.713 million; Washington, $7.373 million; Houston, $7.102 million; Tampa Bay, $7.064 million; Denver, $6.442 million; San Diego, $6.024 million; Atlanta, $6.01 million; Miami, $5.901 million; Baltimore, $5.325 million; Arizona, $5.083 million; Chicago, $5.003 million; New York Giants, $3.91 million; Indianapolis, $3.371 million; Detroit, $1.281 million; and Pittsburgh, $1.231 million.
• Quincy Carter drawing interest? Quincy Carter hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2004, but at least one team in the league is considering bringing in the former Dallas starter for a workout. Carter is 29 now, was released by the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL last summer and currently plays for the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings of the af2 league, essentially the minor league of Arena Football. In seven games this season, the onetime second-rounder has completed 134 of 215 passes for 1,893 yards, with 42 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Cut by the Cowboys after he allegedly tested positive for marijuana in 2004, Carter isn't going to get many more chances, and he'd be wise to prepare hard for any audition he receives.
• Samardzija regretting decision? Things haven't exactly gone as planned for Jeff Samardzija, the former Notre Dame wide receiver who eschewed the chance to be perhaps an NFL first-rounder in favor of a baseball-exclusive contract with the Chicago Cubs, but he's not ready to switch sports yet. Pitching for the Daytona Cubs of the Class-A Florida State League, Samardzija currently is 0-5 and has a 5.22 ERA. In 17 games, including 13 starts, Samardzija has pitched 69 innings and surrendered 93 hits and 24 walks, has just 25 strikeouts and has allowed opponents a .330 batting average. Samardzija isn't ready to give up, though, on baseball, and the Cubs, who made a huge investment to keep him off the football field, remain confident that he will turn things around. It is a little surprising, though, that some NFL franchise didn't use a late-round pick to grab Samardzija in this year's draft, just to get his rights for even a year.
• Stat of the week: League coaching staffs for 2007 will average 18.2 assistants per team and there are nine franchises that will employ 20 or more assistant coaches. The average number of assistants in 1997 was 13.0. In 1987, it was 10.2.
• Punts Washington coaches don't feel that journeyman quarterback Casey Bramlet, who led Hamburg to the NFL Europa championship last weekend, is ready to serve as the primary backup to starter Jason Campbell in 2007. But if Bramlet has a solid training camp, chances are that he will be the No. 3 quarterback and that one of the veteran backups, either Mark Brunell or Todd Collins, will be sent packing. … Shelton Quarles, the classy, 10-year veteran middle linebacker released by Tampa Bay earlier this spring, has inquiries from a few teams, but may opt to retire instead. Quarles will decide on his future plans in the next couple weeks. … Indications are that the Bucs will indeed attempt to recover at least a part of the $7 million signing bonus that quarterback Jake Plummer received from the Denver Broncos. The Bucs gained the right to the money, provided Plummer follows through on his retirement and doesn't report to training camp, when they traded for the 10-year veteran … There's a pretty good chance that, had Nick Saban remained head coach in Miami, general manager Randy Mueller would have been fired. Instead, Saban departed for Alabama, Mueller gained new clout, and this week was awarded a two-year contract extension through the summer of 2010 … Free-agent strong safety Donovin Darius, released by Jacksonville two weeks ago, visited with Buffalo officials and coaches early this week. The consensus from the teams that have seen Darius, or at least inquired about him, is that he still needs a little more time to rehabilitate from the broken ankle that ended his 2006 season. Darius might not make a decision about where he will play in 2007 until later in the month, just before training camps open … With the league in a lull period, and officials from most teams on vacation, trade talks involving Chicago right defensive end Alex Brown have slowed recently. But the five-year veteran remains on the market and Tennessee remains his most likely new address if the Bears deal him … Arizona coaches are excited by the way free safety Terrence Holt, signed as an unrestricted free agent this spring, has meshed with standout strong safety Adrian Wilson. They shouldn't be surprised, though, since the two were not only teammates at North Carolina State, but roommates as well … Look for a pair of rookie safeties, Marvin White of TCU (fourth round) and Notre Dame's Nedu Ndukwe (seventh round), to vie for playing time in the Cincinnati secondary. The Bengals' coaches are increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress from veteran Madieu Williams.
• The last word "The reality is, those guys chose, when they were [still] playing, to not do anything for the past players. ... No, they don't have a gripe because of [what] we have chosen [to do] ... There is not another sports league, union or industry that goes back and says, 'I'm going to take money out of my pocket now and give it to former guys for what they've done and what they've built.'" -- Miami kicker Jay Feely, on Fox Sports Radio, on whether retired players have a viable grievance about the benefits they receive from the NFLPA
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
Smith could get big payday from Saints
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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
They already rank among the NFL's best young defensive end tandems. Sometime this summer, if things proceed smoothly, the New Orleans duo of Charles Grant and Will Smith might rate among the richest end couplings in the league as well.
Although the negotiations are only in the nascent stages, ESPN.com has confirmed that Saints officials have approached Smith -- the team's first-round pick in the 2004 draft and a player who is quickly emerging as one of the NFL's top two-way perimeter defenders -- about a new long-term contract extension.
It should be emphasized that a deal isn't imminent. The two sides, in fact, haven't even swapped proposals yet.
But the opening bargaining overtures by the suddenly proactive Saints come only two months after the team unexpectedly signed Grant -- who was designated as a franchise player -- to a seven-year contract that can be worth as much as $63 million, and which includes $20 million in bonuses. And they come in the wake of remarks by coach Sean Payton in which he lauded Smith for the manner in which he accepted the good fortune heaped upon his defensive end partner.
Even though most independent observers consider him the superior player of the two, Smith didn't pout or moan, at least publicly, about Grant's megadeal. The former Ohio State star continued to work hard in the offseason and that meant a lot to Payton, who stresses team harmony and common goals above all else.
Will Smith
Defensive End
New Orleans Saints
Profile
2006 Season Stats Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
52 33 19 3 10.5 0
Smith, who turns 26 on July 4, has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $11.95 million contract (actually a six-year deal in which he has already earned the right to void the final season) he signed as a rookie. He is coming off a 2006 campaign in which he registered a career-high 10½ sacks and has now posted 26½ quarterback takedowns in three years. Like Grant, he is adept at the sack-and-strip technique, as demonstrated by 11 forced fumbles. And at 280 pounds, Smith is much stouter versus the run than most weakside ends around the league.
It now seems only a matter of when, not if, Smith cashes in on a big payday.
And by beginning talks now, New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis, who is intent on keeping together the nucleus of a franchise that in 2006 won only its third division title in club history, has removed any mystery as to who will be signing the paycheck.
As was the case with Grant, a player whose motivation and desire some Saints officials questioned in the past, New Orleans isn't going to let Will Smith get away.
Around the league
• Meachem a done deal? While the negotiations with Will Smith could take some time, Saints negotiator Russ Ball shouldn't have nearly as much trouble closing a deal with wide receiver Robert Meachem of the University of Tennessee. The club's first-round choice in this year's draft, and the 27th prospect selected overall, Meachem is already locked into a salary-cap number for the initial season of what will be a five-year contract. How so? Because the Saints have signed the other six of their seven choices from the 2007 lottery. On those six picks, and the undrafted free agents the team signed, New Orleans has expended all but $992,630 of its rookie pool allocation of $2.378 million. And so Meachem's agent will have to strike a deal with a 2007 cap value of $992,630. That shouldn't be too difficult, since the first-rounder in the 27th slot a year ago, Carolina tailback DeAngelo Williams, received a contract with a first-year cap value of $980,000. Assuming that Meachem collects every cent available to him in remaining rookie pool room, it will represent a 1.29 percent bump over the slot from a year ago.
There are, of course, other practical reasons, too, why Meachem needs to get a deal that ensures he is in camp on time. The guy is coming off a fairly disastrous two-month stretch since the draft in which he reported overweight to minicamp, suffered a sprained ankle that kept him from practicing, then subsequently required arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee. In short, Meachem faces tough competition on a young wideout corps that includes guys like Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Terrance Copper, and needs to be healthy and in camp at the outset of practices. One of the fastest-rising prospects overall in the month leading up to the draft, Meachem appeared in 37 games at Tennessee, but started just 15 contests, with all but two of the starts coming in 2006. He finished his college career with 125 receptions for 2,140 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2006, he had 71 catches for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Nathan Vasher
Cornerback
Chicago Bears
Profile
2006 Season Stats Tot Solo Ast FF Sack Int
45 33 12 0 0 3
• Bears in extending mood: The Chicago Bears clearly have a plan for keeping together the nucleus of the roster that went to Super Bowl XLI last season and they started this week with the five-year contract extension for Nathan Vasher that will pay the standout cornerback $27.8 million in so-called new money. It's a great deal, it looks like, for both sides. The Bears now have the rights to Vasher, only 25 years old, and a far better ball athlete than most cornerbacks perceived as Tampa 2-type defenders, through the 2012 season. And the salary cap charges for the deal, which start at $4.54 million for 2007, never rise above $5.33 million, even at the back end of the contract. For his part, Vasher, who has 16 interceptions in just three seasons and is an emerging star in the NFL, will have banked a whopping $15.6 million by the end of the 2008 season. Not bad, huh, for a former fourth-round draft pick.
So, who is next on the Bears' extension to-do list? Look for the team to try hard to sign its other standout corner, Charles Tillman, to an extension similar to the one Vasher just received. Conventional wisdom was that Chicago would only be able to afford to re-up one of its two starting corners, and then would eventually move free safety Danieal Manning to the outside. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, with the team focused on trying to keep its current cornerback tandem intact. After that, general manager Jerry Angelo and negotiator Cliff Stein want to lock up defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who is only 24 years old and has already been selected to two Pro Bowl games, for the long term. Harris has two years remaining on his original rookie contract, but the Bears know the price tag at tackle only keeps getting higher. And then, here's a surprising name on the extension wish list: fourth-year wide receiver Bernard Berrian, who is entering the final year of his contract in 2007 and can be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring. Berrian still isn't the most durable guy around, but he's gotten better in that regard, and the former third-rounder began to provide quarterback Rex Grossman with a legitimate long-ball threat in 2006. Berrian has a career average of 15.8 yards per catch and averaged 15.2 yards last season. He registered career highs in catches (51), receiving yards (775) and touchdowns (six). Four of his six scores were for 34 yards or more and his average touchdown grab was for 30.8 yards.
How about weakside linebacker Lance Briggs and Grossman in the Bears' scheme of things? Well, the team continues to hold firm to its one-year offer to Briggs for the franchise tender number of $7.2 million. Chicago is already paying five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher more than $6 million per year and does not seem inclined to invest in another long-term, big-money deal at linebacker. As for Grossman, who has started only 23 contests in four seasons, team officials want him to fatten his résumé a bit before considering an extension. It's not that the Bears don't have confidence in the former University of Florida star, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract signed in 2003. Fact is, Chicago management likes Grossman a lot more than the Chicago fans do. But the Bears want a bigger body of work to consider before they start proposing a long-term deal for Grossman, and so they'll wait until sometime during the season to make their determination on how he fits into the future of the franchise.
• What's next for Tank? Whither defensive tackle Tank Johnson, whom the Bears waived early this week after an incident in Arizona in which he was stopped for driving erratically? Well, there are plenty of teams interested in Johnson, a three-year veteran who is only 25 years old, is a pretty decent player, and mans a position that is traditionally difficult to fill. But the consensus is that most teams will wait to see how Johnson's latest legal entanglement is resolved. It may well be that some team simply rents Johnson for the second half of the 2007 season -- remember, he figures to miss half the year because of the suspension that was imposed by the commissioner -- and that he doesn't strike it rich financially until 2008. Johnson was scheduled to earn a base salary of just $510,000 for 2007. Deduct at least eight weeks from that for the suspension and some team might be able to nab Johnson for about $270,000, small price for a guy who might bolster a defense for the playoff run. There have been whispers that a few teams might roll the dice and sign Johnson to a bigger deal, with an eye toward 2008. That scenario, though, isn't likely. Not with potential charges pending in Arizona, and the possibility that his suspension could be extended if he is convicted of any charges tied to the most recent incident.
• Walker out in Buffalo? Buffalo officials are about ready to throw in the towel on negotiations with Darwin Walker, the veteran defensive tackle acquired in the trade that sent linebacker Takeo Spikes to the Philadelphia Eagles in March. According to the trade agreement, the Bills can return Walker to the Eagles, provided he doesn't report to camp by Aug. 5, and take a sixth-round draft pick in lieu of the tackle. Walker has no intention of reporting until he receives a long-term extension and the two sides aren't close on the numbers. Walker has two years left on his Philadelphia contract, at base salaries of $1.3 million for 2007 and $1.4 million for 2008. The Bills have offered to nullify the 2008 portion of the contract, but that hasn't swayed Walker, a penetrating-type tackle the Bills could really use.
As mentioned here in the past, the Eagles don't have any place to put Walker, because their tackle depth chart is already overstocked. It could well be that Walker is released or, perhaps, traded by Philadelphia for the second time in five months. There has been some speculation that the Bears, who are thin at tackle, might consider Walker. But it's unlikely Philadelphia would trade Walker in the conference. Plus, Walker's skill set is similar to that of Chicago star Tommie Harris. What the Bears need more than a penetrator is a nose tackle-type player.
• Healthy debate at rookie symposium: Much has been made this week of how Baltimore rookie quarterback Troy Smith, the former Ohio State star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, took on Roger Goodell during the commissioner's Monday address at the NFL rookie symposium. But according to people with knowledge of Smith's comments, and who have read through a transcript of the exchange between the fifth-rounder and the commissioner, perhaps a bit too much attention has been attached to it. League officials and three players who were in the room and spoke to ESPN.com about Smith's remarks insisted the player was neither disrespectful nor confrontational, and that Goodell regarded the exchange as a healthy give-and-take.
"Trust me, there was nothing planned, scripted or rehearsed about what Troy said," explained one of Smith's representatives. "He just feels there is a need to cast some positive light on some of the guys in the league, that's all." And, apparently, that was the point Smith made to the commissioner: Since he entered the league two months ago, he has noticed an emphasis on the negative, and he feels there are more positive stories to be told. Smith should know and, in truth, he is a shining example of how a player can turn himself around. A foster child as a teen, Smith was once booted off his high school basketball team, was involved in a dorm fight at Ohio State in which he was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct, and was suspended by Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel for accepting money from a booster. Smith worked hard to redeem himself, however, and the Heisman was his big payoff.
People at the rookie symposium noted that, during Goodell's address, which not surprisingly focused on personal conduct, some players were far more pointed than Smith in their comments. Among them were tailback Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois (a third-round pick of Chicago) and Texas-El Paso quarterback Jordan Palmer (sixth round, Washington, and the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer). At one point, in a nonconfrontational and rather rhetorical manner, Wolfe asked Goodell why the rookies should heed his words, since the commissioner had never played in the league. Goodell is said to have welcomed the question, answered with characteristic aplomb, and noted that he revered the league even if he never strapped on a uniform. Goodell added that such exchanges are good for him, because they enable him to gauge the feelings of young players and address their concerns.
As noted in a Thursday story on ESPN.com, this year's symposium marked the third straight with perfect attendance, and in which no players were fined for being absent or leaving early without an excuse. The last player hit with such a fine was safety Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins' first-round pick in 2004, who was docked $25,000 by the league for bolting the symposium early. "This is serious [stuff]," said quarterback JaMarcus Russell of Oakland, the top overall pick in the draft. "And they let you know that straight up."
• Rookies get more class time: The annual four-day symposium was just the first mandatory orientation event that NFL rookies must attend this summer. As part of the new personal conduct policy, Goodell has mandated that every franchise convene a life-skills session of classes before the beginning of training camps this summer. According to the guidelines distributed by the league, that will mean an additional 10-12 hours of presentations by the director of player programs for each of the 32 franchises. And, yes, the league office will ask for verification of attendance from every rookie on every roster.
• The 400-carry man: No running back in league history has ever logged 400 carries in consecutive seasons. In fact, only four tailbacks -- Larry Johnson (Kansas City, 2006), Jamal Anderson (Atlanta, 199
, James Wilder (Tampa Bay, 1984) and Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams, 1986) -- ever carried 400 or more times in a single season. But it's entirely possible that Johnson, given the offensive scheme and the circumstances in Kansas City this year, could be the first back to record consecutive 400-carry campaigns. Assuming, of course, Johnson, who wants a fat contract extension and is in the final season of his current deal, reports to camp. Coach Herm Edwards is a guy who loves to pound the football and, although he has said he hopes to lighten the workload for Johnson in 2007, he tends to get intrigued by guys with human-wrecking ball characteristics. During his five seasons as the New York Jets' coach, Edwards used to annually insist that workhorse Curtis Martin would log fewer attempts, but it rarely happened. In the four seasons in which he played under Edwards and started more than 12 games, Martin averaged 322.3 carries and twice had more than 330 attempts. Plus, the Chiefs figure to have a first-year starter at quarterback this year, in Brodie Croyle, and Edwards is going to want to afford him the kind of safety net Johnson can provide with a power-based running attack.
• Snag in negotiations? There isn't a single first-round pick in the league who has reached a contract agreement yet, but, of course, the serious business of high-round and high-stakes negotiations usually doesn't get under way until after the July 4th holiday. But one possible sticking point to watch for in first-round deals this year is the size of the option bonuses included in the contract. Several years ago, as a mechanism for dealing with the salary cap and the esoteric permutations of the so-called "Deion Sanders Rule," teams began incorporating guaranteed option bonuses into the second years of big-money deals. It was essentially a second signing bonus in most cases and was characteristically viewed as "upfront" money.
But a ruling last year, which was determined by an arbitrator in a case involving the Denver Broncos and former first-round wide receiver Ashley Lelie, could change the landscape for such option bonuses in negotiations this summer. The arbitrator essentially ruled that although a team could attempt to recoup a prorated share of a player's signing bonus if he failed to show up for camp, held out or retired, it could not try to get payback on roster bonuses. There are a lot of team officials and agents who will be studying that ruling, and its ramifications, during the several weeks of quiet time that now exist in the league before substantive bargaining begins for most of the first-round selections.
• Jackson, Falcons resolve lawsuit: The Atlanta Falcons and Grady Jackson this week quietly resolved the lawsuit that the 10-year veteran defensive tackle had brought against the team earlier this spring for invasion of privacy and defamation. And while both sides would want people to believe money wasn't a factor in making the lawsuit suddenly disappear, it was, even though the Falcons might not have to pay Jackson a cent more than they were scheduled to. As part of the settlement of the case --- in which Jackson alleged that Atlanta staffers had leaked word in some quarters of the media that the defensive tackle had failed a physical exam because of a heart condition -- the team extended his contract by one year, through the 2009 season. But Jackson, who is said to have quickly lost interest in the legal action, won't make a penny more in 2007 than he was scheduled to earn under the three-year deal that he signed with the Falcons as a free agent last summer. Under that deal, Jackson, who felt that in 2006 he outperformed a contract in which he earned a minimum base salary of $710,000, was slated to make a base salary of $1.5 million in 2007. In the new deal, he'll still make $1.5 million, but it will be distributed differently, that's all.
Jackson received $250,000 in upfront money and will get another $250,000 in a roster bonus if he is with the team on Sept. 7. His $1.5 million base salary was reduced to $1 million. So financially, at least for 2007, the deal is a wash. Jackson also reduced his base salary for 2008 from $1.5 million to $1 million, and the Falcons added the 2009 season to the deal, also at $1 million. Now here is where Jackson can collect some of the money he feels he should have been making. In both 2008 and 2009, he is due roster bonuses of $2 million each in early March of those years. But Jackson, who will be 35 by the time the 2008 roster bonus comes due, might be gone from Atlanta by then. So Jackson, who had 33 tackles in 2006 and helped upgrade an undersized Atlanta front four that had struggled to stop the run, is rolling the dice that he will play well enough in 2007 for the Falcons to keep him around for another year. Or is gambling that, if Atlanta releases him after this season, some other team will sign him, and will pay him $3 million for the 2008 campaign.
No matter what, Jackson won't realize a cent more in '07 than he would have under his old deal. The only advantage is that he essentially has an advance of $250,000 in hand now, and will get another $250,000 in early September, instead of having to wait for his regular-season paychecks to arrive. It will be interesting to see, down the road, how this all plays out. Had he pursued the lawsuit a little harder, and maintained some leverage over the team, Jackson might have benefited more. For their part, the Falcons were happy to rid themselves of what they considered a frivolous action, and it might not cost them anything to have made the suit evaporate. Even if the Falcons release Jackson at season's end, he might find work elsewhere. As Sam Adams keeps proving, there is always a market for proven, interior linemen who can eat up blockers and shut down running lanes. That's precisely what Jackson is at this late juncture of his career. He had 23½ sacks in a four-season span (2000-2003), including six in 2003. In the last three seasons, playing primarily just on first and second down, Jackson has totaled just two sacks.
• Arrington's future unclear: As noted in this space last week, both the short- and long-term football futures of three-time Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington remain in doubt after a motorcycle accident in which he suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. It turns out that the injuries to Arrington, who probably was no better than a long shot to be in an NFL camp this summer, were worse than originally anticipated. In addition to a broken forearm and lacerations to a leg, the 2000 first-rounder, who was released by the New York Giants early this spring, suffered a broken wrist.
There are also unconfirmed reports that Arrington, who already was recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon that prematurely ended his 2006 campaign, is suffering from an infection in the lacerations, along with a torn tendon in his wrist. Arrington was still hospitalized on Thursday, but agent Carl Poston told the Washington Times that his client could be home by the end of the week. Arrington, 29, had hoped to revive a flagging career by getting himself in shape by July, then signing a deal that would get him into a camp and perhaps allow him to re-establish himself. It appears, though, that the severity of his injuries and the recovery time will render that an unlikely scenario.
• Gaither making the leap: Scouts around the league were sent scrambling on Thursday night in the wake of the news that former University of Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, declared academically ineligible by school officials two weeks ago, had officially tendered his application for the July 12 supplemental draft. Noted one AFC regional scout, contacted late Thursday: "This is a guy we've been waiting for, just to see what he was going to do, because he might be a legitimate prospect, a guy you can develop at a premium position. I know this: I just set the alarm [for Friday morning] an hour earlier, because I want to get into the office and start looking at tape of him."
A starter in 17 of his 23 appearances for the Terrapins over the past two seasons, Gaither might challenge Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver for top billing in the supplemental draft. Blessed with great size (6-foot-9, 350 pounds according to the Maryland roster), Gaither has surprisingly quick feet and is regarded as an outstanding pass protector, a blocker who might project as a left tackle at the professional level. In 2005, Gaither did not surrender a sack in his 11 starts. There are now four confirmed entries into the supplemental draft. One of them, Morgan State defensive tackle Robert Armstrong, worked out for scouts from eight franchises on Thursday and, while the audition demonstrated that he still has a long way to go to get into shape and probably won't be chosen in the supplemental draft, his size (318 pounds) and movement skills in positional drills might prompt some tackle-needy franchise to sign him as a free agent.
• Wright not giving up: A past supplemental draft bust, defensive tackle Manny Wright, has a new agent, and, he hopes, a new chance at resurrecting his career. The former Southern California standout, chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2005 supplemental lottery and reduced to tears by then-head coach Nick Saban during a training camp practice that summer, recently hired veteran agent Angelo Wright. He has shed about 25 pounds, is in far better shape than he's been in awhile, and wants another shot.
Whether he'll get it or not, even in a league that craves the kind of size and raw athleticism he possesses, remains to be seen. Wright played in just three games with the Dolphins in 2005 and posted four tackles and a sack. In his second camp, in 2006, he reported in dismal shape again, blaming his lack of conditioning on his mother's home cooking, left camp because of depression and sat out the entire year. Wright was released by the Dolphins this spring, claimed by Buffalo, and then waived by the Bills six days later. Remarkably, the Bills are one of the franchises with some interest in taking another look at Wright.
• Room to work: With the free-agent class down to the bottom of the barrel, and plenty of rookies still left to sign, most teams remain in relatively good salary-cap shape. The average cap room per team leaguewide, as of Thursday, was $9.82 million. Fourteen franchises, nearly half the teams in the league, still have more than $10 million in salary-cap space. Seven teams have more than $15 million in available spending room and three teams have $20 million or more. Here's how the teams stack up in terms of cap room: Cleveland, $21.968 million; Buffalo, $21.053 million; Minnesota, $20.076 million; Jacksonville, $16.425 million; Kansas City, $16.189 million; Green Bay, $15.959 million; Tennessee, $15.345 million; Dallas, $13.875 million; Oakland, $12.732 million; St. Louis, $11.602 million; Philadelphia, $11.517 million; New Orleans, $11.271 million; Seattle, $10.507 million; New York Jets, $10.039 million; San Francisco, $9.822 million; Carolina, $8.613 million; New England, $8.421 million; Cincinnati, $7.713 million; Washington, $7.373 million; Houston, $7.102 million; Tampa Bay, $7.064 million; Denver, $6.442 million; San Diego, $6.024 million; Atlanta, $6.01 million; Miami, $5.901 million; Baltimore, $5.325 million; Arizona, $5.083 million; Chicago, $5.003 million; New York Giants, $3.91 million; Indianapolis, $3.371 million; Detroit, $1.281 million; and Pittsburgh, $1.231 million.
• Quincy Carter drawing interest? Quincy Carter hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2004, but at least one team in the league is considering bringing in the former Dallas starter for a workout. Carter is 29 now, was released by the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL last summer and currently plays for the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings of the af2 league, essentially the minor league of Arena Football. In seven games this season, the onetime second-rounder has completed 134 of 215 passes for 1,893 yards, with 42 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Cut by the Cowboys after he allegedly tested positive for marijuana in 2004, Carter isn't going to get many more chances, and he'd be wise to prepare hard for any audition he receives.
• Samardzija regretting decision? Things haven't exactly gone as planned for Jeff Samardzija, the former Notre Dame wide receiver who eschewed the chance to be perhaps an NFL first-rounder in favor of a baseball-exclusive contract with the Chicago Cubs, but he's not ready to switch sports yet. Pitching for the Daytona Cubs of the Class-A Florida State League, Samardzija currently is 0-5 and has a 5.22 ERA. In 17 games, including 13 starts, Samardzija has pitched 69 innings and surrendered 93 hits and 24 walks, has just 25 strikeouts and has allowed opponents a .330 batting average. Samardzija isn't ready to give up, though, on baseball, and the Cubs, who made a huge investment to keep him off the football field, remain confident that he will turn things around. It is a little surprising, though, that some NFL franchise didn't use a late-round pick to grab Samardzija in this year's draft, just to get his rights for even a year.
• Stat of the week: League coaching staffs for 2007 will average 18.2 assistants per team and there are nine franchises that will employ 20 or more assistant coaches. The average number of assistants in 1997 was 13.0. In 1987, it was 10.2.
• Punts Washington coaches don't feel that journeyman quarterback Casey Bramlet, who led Hamburg to the NFL Europa championship last weekend, is ready to serve as the primary backup to starter Jason Campbell in 2007. But if Bramlet has a solid training camp, chances are that he will be the No. 3 quarterback and that one of the veteran backups, either Mark Brunell or Todd Collins, will be sent packing. … Shelton Quarles, the classy, 10-year veteran middle linebacker released by Tampa Bay earlier this spring, has inquiries from a few teams, but may opt to retire instead. Quarles will decide on his future plans in the next couple weeks. … Indications are that the Bucs will indeed attempt to recover at least a part of the $7 million signing bonus that quarterback Jake Plummer received from the Denver Broncos. The Bucs gained the right to the money, provided Plummer follows through on his retirement and doesn't report to training camp, when they traded for the 10-year veteran … There's a pretty good chance that, had Nick Saban remained head coach in Miami, general manager Randy Mueller would have been fired. Instead, Saban departed for Alabama, Mueller gained new clout, and this week was awarded a two-year contract extension through the summer of 2010 … Free-agent strong safety Donovin Darius, released by Jacksonville two weeks ago, visited with Buffalo officials and coaches early this week. The consensus from the teams that have seen Darius, or at least inquired about him, is that he still needs a little more time to rehabilitate from the broken ankle that ended his 2006 season. Darius might not make a decision about where he will play in 2007 until later in the month, just before training camps open … With the league in a lull period, and officials from most teams on vacation, trade talks involving Chicago right defensive end Alex Brown have slowed recently. But the five-year veteran remains on the market and Tennessee remains his most likely new address if the Bears deal him … Arizona coaches are excited by the way free safety Terrence Holt, signed as an unrestricted free agent this spring, has meshed with standout strong safety Adrian Wilson. They shouldn't be surprised, though, since the two were not only teammates at North Carolina State, but roommates as well … Look for a pair of rookie safeties, Marvin White of TCU (fourth round) and Notre Dame's Nedu Ndukwe (seventh round), to vie for playing time in the Cincinnati secondary. The Bengals' coaches are increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress from veteran Madieu Williams.
• The last word "The reality is, those guys chose, when they were [still] playing, to not do anything for the past players. ... No, they don't have a gripe because of [what] we have chosen [to do] ... There is not another sports league, union or industry that goes back and says, 'I'm going to take money out of my pocket now and give it to former guys for what they've done and what they've built.'" -- Miami kicker Jay Feely, on Fox Sports Radio, on whether retired players have a viable grievance about the benefits they receive from the NFLPA
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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