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Bengals sign Antonio Bryant, killing the T.O. + Ochocinco dream [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 3:10 pm] The Cincinnati Bengals did indeed sign a free agent receiver, but it wasn't the one that Chad Ochocinco(notes) wanted. It's Antonio Bryant, who had a really good year once. Chad wanted Terrell Owens(notes). He wanted him so badly that last night on Twitter, he volunteered to let Owens be Batman while he'd take the Robin role. He then he went on to cast the rest of "Batman" with various other members of the Bengals organization. Carson Palmer(notes) got stuck being Alfred, the poor guy. Chad's taking the news well. I admit, I'm disappointed that we won't be seeing Owens and Ochocinco on the same team. I try not to make it a habit of wishing for things that make Carson Palmer bleed out of his eyeballs when he thinks about them, but I honestly think this would've worked. Chad and Ocho could've helped each other. I think they'd have been a calming influence on one another. If there's anyone on earth who understands what it might be like to be Terrell Owens, it's Chad Ochocinco, and vice versa. If they were together, I think the volume would get turned down a little bit on each of them. They'd keep each other in check, because attention-grabbing forces like that tend to cancel each other out. They don't multiply. Anyway, it's Bryant that's a Bengal. After failing to fill his potential in three other cities, Bryant ended up with the Buccaneers, where he was a force in '08: 83 receptions, 1,248 yards. In '09, the Bucs tabbed him as their franchise player, giving him big money in the process, and with injuries nagging him, he wasn't anywhere close to the player he was a year before. Owens remains available on the free agent market. We have some unconfirmed Wonderlic scores! Yay! [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 1:56 pm] The NFL is supposed to keep scores on the Wonderlic -- an intelligence test given to potential NFL rookies -- to themselves. Every year, though, some scores leak out, and every year, there's tremendous interest in those scores. I think it's mostly because people like to believe that they're smarter than athletes. People see a young man playing football on television, and he's athletically gifted, rich and famous -- let's not ignore race as a factor here, either -- and to comfort themselves, they like to believe that they're at least smarter than that guy. "He has everything in the world I wish I had, but he's dumber than a rock," the thinking goes. So every year, some scores come out, and we hope that we hear that someone had a really low score, so we can make fun of him and confirm our feelings of superiority. I feel a little bit weird about knowing a guy's score anyway. I guess it's unavoidable, and if I were about to give that guy $30 million to play football for me, I'd want to know. But as just some random dude, it feels like that's too much for me to know about a person. It feels like someone just showed me the entire contents of his medicine cabinet. And then there's the question of whether or not it even means anything. Vince Young(notes) was reported to have done very poorly on the test, and he just made the Pro Bowl. Dan Marino's score was said to be very low, and he's in the Hall of Fame. Can the test predict anything at all about a guy's NFL future? Do we put way too much stock in standardized tests in all areas of life? Anyway, if you're curious about the scores that have surfaced today, they're being reported on Twitter by Edgar Thompson of The Palm Beach Posts's Daily Dolphin. They're the scores of high profile quarterbacks. The Packers may be adopting a third/alternate jersey [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 11:58 am] The Green Bay Packers, who sport one of the most classic and distinctive looks in all of sports, appear to be giving into the alternate/third jersey temptation. There's no word yet on what the alternate jersey will look like, though it's expected to be unveiled on Friday. The rumors point to a throwback jersey, as opposed to a new design or an alternate color, which I consider good news. A throwback would be far less egregious than some trendy new black uniform, with a stylized font and green and gold trim. If they do go the throwback route, there are some slick options. The Packers actually wore blue in their earlier years, and I'd like to see a representation of one of the following sets of duds: I think the one on the right would have to be considered highly unlikely, though it would be awesome. The rumors first popped up on UniWatch, then here and here. For most teams, there's nothing wrong with a third jersey, but when you have a look as distinctive and classic as the Packers, it feels a bit like messing with perfection. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but for whoever's in charge of the design, the pressure's on. The Packers' look is not something to be trifled with. Gracias, National Football Post. Report: No one wants Vick, but Seahawks want McNabb or Kolb [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 9:42 am] Both the Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams were thought to be potential suitors for Michael Vick(notes), the most highly sought-after third-string quarterback in history. That doesn't appear to be the case anymore. Sal Paolantonio did an interview with 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, and (via PFT), said that neither team wants Vick anymore. I guess that's an indication that they did want him before, and what might have changed between then and now to dissuade them, I couldn't tell you. Maybe they felt like the Ed Block Courage Award for bravery and strength in the endeavor of refraining from dog murder (note: that may not be the official name of the award) was going to his head. So if anything is going to happen with Vick, it looks like it will be coming later rather than sooner. Perhaps those teams are fixated on getting a quarterback in the draft, and if that doesn't pan out, they'll take a look back at Vick. We'll see. Sal also says, though, that the Eagles are getting calls from the Seahawks, who are hot to acquire either Donovan McNabb(notes) or Kevin Kolb(notes). The most interesting thing I take from that is that, if true, Pete Carroll must not be a big believe in Matt Hasselbeck(notes). I think the general consensus out there on Hasselbeck is that he's still a quality quarterback, but just needs a little good luck on the health front, and perhaps some healthy receivers. But, if one were so inclined, one could read into this that maybe the Seahawks feel like that health isn't coming, and/or Hasselbeck, who will turn 35 this year, just doesn't have it anymore. Maybe that's true. He played in 14 games last year and only managed a 75.1 quarterback rating. I feel like the man still has some good football in him, but I'd be curious to hear from Seahawks fans on whether or not they believe Hasselbeck can get his mojo back. Derek Anderson to Browns fans: No, YOU suck [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 8:18 am] For some NFL players who get released, it's difficult to leave a team, because they've grown to love the organization, fans and city. But that is not the case with Derek Anderson(notes). After being cut in the wake of the Cleveland Browns acquiring Seneca Wallace(notes), Anderson is leaving Cleveland with anger, resentment and vengeance flowing from his fingertips. Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald in Ohio e-mailed Anderson to ask for his thoughts on being released. Anderson sent the following back: "The fans are ruthless and don't deserve a winner. I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. "I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them." Goodness. The fans of Cleveland, perhaps the North American city that has experienced the most sports suffering in history, don't even deserve a winner? That's some anger. The incident Anderson is so bitter about is this: In late 2008, Anderson went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Colts. The fans cheered as he squirmed on the turf in pain. Evidently, he hasn't gotten over it. It's hard to blame the guy for it. Someone else cheering your misery is cruel, ridiculous and absolutely senseless. And all Browns fans got out of their cold-heartedness was to see Ken Dorsey(notes) and Bruce Gradkowski(notes) go 0-4 over the last quarter of the season, losing those games by a combined score of 102-19. So, yeah, everything was Derek Anderson's fault. Anyway, being still young and physically gifted, Anderson will get another chance somewhere else. As for getting a chance to stick it to the Browns, well ... let's worry about getting that career quarterback rating above 70 first. Derek Anderson to Browns fans: No, YOU stink [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 8:18 am] For some NFL players who get released, it's difficult to leave a team, because they've grown to love the organization, fans and city. But that is not the case with Derek Anderson(notes). After being cut in the wake of the Cleveland Browns acquiring Seneca Wallace(notes), Anderson is leaving Cleveland with anger, resentment and vengeance flowing from his fingertips. Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald in Ohio e-mailed Anderson to ask for his thoughts on being released. Anderson sent the following back: "The fans are ruthless and don't deserve a winner. I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured."I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them."Goodness. The fans of Cleveland, perhaps the North American city that has experienced the most sports suffering in history, don't even deserve a winner? That's some anger. The incident Anderson is so bitter about is this: In late 2008, Anderson went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Colts. The fans cheered as he squirmed on the turf in pain. Evidently, he hasn't gotten over it. It's hard to blame the guy for it. Someone else cheering your misery is cruel, ridiculous and absolutely senseless. And all Browns fans got out of their cold-heartedness was to see Ken Dorsey(notes) and Bruce Gradkowski(notes) go 0-4 over the last quarter of the season, losing those games by a combined score of 102-19. So, yeah, everything was Derek Anderson's fault. Anyway, being still young and physically gifted, Anderson will get another chance somewhere else. As for getting a chance to stick it to the Browns, well ... let's worry about getting that career quarterback rating above 70 first.NOTE: Anderson has since kinda/sorta apologized to Browns fans. Derek Anderson has a very bad day [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 8:17 am] It's been a rough time for former Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson(notes). First, the Browns put the "former" in his title by cutting him after they traded for ex-Seahawks quarterback Seneca Wallace(notes). Denied the $2 million roster bonus he would have received had he been on the team as of March, Anderson blasted Browns fans in an e-mail response to Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald. Asked about his time in Cleveland, Anderson said that the team's fans "are ruthless and don't deserve a winner."The root of Anderson's displeasure was when the home crowd cheered as Anderson lay on the ground in obvious pain after tearing a knee ligament on a sack from Indianapolis lineman Robert Mathis(notes) in 2008. "I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured," Anderson wrote. "I know at times I wasn't great, (but) I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town (we) roll them." Selected in the sixth round of the 2005 draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Anderson was waived and signed by the Browns in September of that year. He put together a Pro Bowl season in 2007 and signed a three-year, $24 million contract in February of 2008. But things were never the same. Anderson's deep-ball style became a mismatch in various unsuccessful Cleveland offenses in 2008 and 2009, and his completion percentage dropped to an appalling 43.3 percent (74 of 171 passes for 802 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions) in 2009. Faced with an open market and upcoming visits to Seattle and Arizona to discuss a roster spot, Anderson eventually revised his thoughts on his former fanbase:"I said some things to Jeff Schudel earlier that I regret. Those of you who got to know me personally from covering the Browns over the past five years, know this was out of character for me. I wasn't taken out of context, but I was speaking out of my frustration after my career with the Browns came to a close."I had some great times playing in The Shutdown Corner hypothetical mock draft, Part 2 [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 10, 2010, 12:48 am] For our second Shutdown Corner mock draft, we're going throw a couple semi-likely scenarios into the mix. First of all, as most mocks tend to reflect need as opposed to the Best Player Available mantra, free agency decisions will weigh heavily on many picks. Second, we'll throw in two hypothetical trades, just to make life a bit more interesting. Let's assume, for whatever reason, that the St. Louis Rams get cold feet on Sam Bradford and trade a second-round pick to the Eagles for Michael Vick(notes), in order to run more of an option offense in the short term to mitigate their lack of playmakers not named Steven Jackson. Then, let's say that the Seattle Seahawks pull the trigger on the Brandon Marshall(notes) deal, but give up the 14th overall pick they got from Denver last season in a trade, instead of the sixth-overall pick they'd have to give up for Marshall if there were no negotiations. How would the first round look under those conditions? Here's one man's opinion, in two parts (picks 17-32 below; picks 1-16 here):17. San Francisco 49ers: S Taylor Mays, USC -- Mays' straight-line athleticism might be a bit overrated in an NFL prospect sense, but certain pre-draft stories take on a life of their own and can drag a player down. Specifically, the notion that Mays' lack of elite hip turn and instincts for the position seems to have grown in some circles to the point where he's not even considered a first-round pick. But he's strong against the run, has good recovery speed, and could develop into a top-tier safety under the right conditions. With Mike Singletary as a supreme motivator, Mays has every chance of justifying his draft position here.18. Pittsburgh Steelers: ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida -- The Steelers' obvious need is on the offensive line, but there's an ancillary need in the middle of their defense that will grow as time goes on. Brandon, cousin of Takeo, shares the elder Spikes' mean streak and tough inside game. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick L Jags season ticket holders to Tebow: No, thanks! [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 9, 2010, 6:59 pm] During a media conference call with Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith today, it was revealed that in a poll of 800 Jags season ticket holders, 55 percent voted against the idea of the team drafting Tim Tebow -- in any round and in any capacity (this according to Jags beat writer Vito Stellino). This is an interesting wrinkle inasmuch as team owner Wayne Weaver has been quoted as saying that he'd be amenable to Tebow on the roster if the Florida Hero of Intangibles put butts in the seats. "The game is such an important part of this community, and Tebow is such an iconic figure that people would legitimately think, 'Wouldn't it be great if he was a Jaguar,'" Weaver told the Associated Press last September. "I'd be silly to sit here and think that's not going to be a huge thing. Clearly there's going to be a groundswell for Tebow, and we'll have to make that evaluation if we have a draft pick that's going to be anywhere near him," Well, with the sample size alert in full effect, it would appear that the community isn't so sure. The Jags have lost thousands of interested fans in the last few years, and expected a full string of local TV blackouts even before the 2009 season began. That said, Weaver might want to take a step back before assuming that Tebow's arrival in team and black would be some sort of panacea for those attendance issues. He may be the apple of every media member's eye these days, but as Tebow works to adjust his throwing motion and turn himself into the very model of a moden NFL quarterback, the fans don't appear to be quite so convinced. How much will teams beg off his "intangibles" if one of them isn't the ability to sell tickets? We can but wait and see... NFL RedZone Channel to be available on Verizon cell phones [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 9, 2010, 2:32 pm] The NFL RedZone Channel was nearly flawless last season. No commercials, great decisions in when to cut from game to game, a reliable host who keeps the action flowing and never tries to get in the way; the channel made NFL Sundays even more enjoyable than before. But there was just one problem: We couldn't watch it while waiting in line at the grocery store or driving to get our friend from the airport or, heaven forbid, at a should-be-illegal Sunday afternoon wedding.That won't be a problem any more.The league signed a new distribution deal with Verizon Wireless that allows the wireless carrier to air live footage of every Sunday game. It's the first time the NFL has given live games rights to a mobile carrier. As The Wall Street Journal reports:The deal marks a significant shift in strategy for the NFL, which has never before allowed mobile access to its games on Sunday afternoons. Doing so was long considered by broadcasters to be a threat to the NFL's golden goose-its Sunday afternoon broadcasts that generate some $1.4 billion in license fees from News Corp.'s Fox and CBS Corp's. CBS, whose executives have said they will keep a close eye on the impact of mobile distribution on their ratings.Brian Rolapp, the NFL's vice president for media strategy, said distributing live games over mobile phones on Sundays won't cannibalize the league's audience."We've been adding this stuff every year for the last three years, and ratings just keep going up," Mr. Rolapp said. That makes perfect sense, because nobody who has access to a television would ever choose to watch a game on a cell phone. It's nice that the NFL has finally realized this.As the Journal points out though, signing this deal sort of undercuts the NFL's argument to the player's association that revenue growth is slowing. It also further illustrates how preposterous an NFL lockout would be. People love the NFL so much that a phone company is willing to spend $180 million per year to give customers Keith Bulluck gives nine scholarships in honor of Steve McNair [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 9, 2010, 11:24 am] Tennessee Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck(notes) surprised nine high school students Monday night by presenting them with $1,000 in scholarship money in the name of his late teammate Steve McNair(notes). The scholarships were presented at the 44th annual National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awards dinner. Bulluck chose nine winners (the same as McNair's jersey number) from among 54 recipients of a separate scholar-athlete award for Middle Tennessee high schoolers. The nine players didn't know about Bulluck's gesture beforehand."This was a nice surprise because I don't think any of us knew about it," scholarship winner Juwan Turner told The Tennessean. "[Bulluck] is a role model."He also took the job of finding scholarship winners quite seriously. The Tennessean reports:"They all filled out applications and it really was a lot of work picking nine,'' Bulluck said. "I read through all of them, looked at their GPAs, looked at their extracurricular activities, looked at their coaches' comments, saw how much they were involved in things and how many years they lettered on teams."It's a great gesture from Bulluck, but even more so considering that he isn't expected to be in Tennessee much longer. He's an unrestricted free agent coming off an ACL injury and insiders expect Tennessee to part ways with the 10-year veteran. It brings to mind Scott Fujita donating money to New Orleans on his way out of town. There are plenty of good guys out there in the NFL. It's nice to hear about them every once in a while. The Shutdown Corner hypothetical mock draft, Part 1 [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 9, 2010, 10:40 am] For our second Shutdown Corner mock draft, we're going throw a couple semi-likely scenarios into the mix. First of all, as most mocks tend to reflect need as opposed to the Best Player Available mantra, free agency decisions will weigh heavily on many picks. Second, we'll throw in two hypothetical trades, just to make life a bit more interesting. Let's assume, for whatever reason, that the St. Louis Rams get cold feet on Sam Bradford and trade a second-round pick to the Eagles for Michael Vick(notes), in order to run more of an option offense in the short term to mitigate their lack of playmakers not named Steven Jackson. Then, let's say that the Seattle Seahawks pull the trigger on the Brandon Marshall(notes) deal, but give up the 14th overall pick they got from Denver last season in a trade, instead of the sixth-overall pick they'd have to give up for Marshall if there were no negotiations. How would the first round look under those conditions? Here's one man's opinion, in two parts (picks 1-16 here):1. St. Louis Rams: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska -- Even if Bradford aces his March 25th private workout and puts to rest every question about his shoulder, Suh is still the best player in this draft class. There are those who believe that the signing of Fred Robbins(notes) tips the Rams' hand away from a defensive tackle in the draft. That would be more plausible if Robbins wasn't a 32-year-old prototypical nose tackle coming off microfracture surgery. If the Rams decide to pass on Bradford for any reason, Suh is the only reasonable choice.2. Detroit Lions: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma -- Lions head coach Jim Schwartz might be a bit disappointed to miss out on a supreme quarterback disruptor like Suh, but that will be cast aside with the selection of McCoy, whose ridiculous first-step quickness brings Kevin Williams(notes) to mind.3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Eric Berry, Tennessee -- Russell Okung might be tempting here, but Berry's ability to cover center field will prove i Dan Snyder makes Emmitt Smith just want to pummel somebody [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 2:29 pm] Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been on his best behavior recently. Everyone else is out there, spasmodically chasing down free agents with bags of cash, but Snyder is sitting back, fighting the urge to give someone $85 million for two injury-plagued seasons and poor practice habits. None of that stopped Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith from coming out of nowhere and blasting Snyder in SLAM Magazine, though. Slam asked Emmitt which team he enjoyed beating most, and he answered honestly about the Redskins, and then clobbered Snyder. "I loved defeating the Redskins," said Smith. "I loved it, I loved it, I loved it with a passion. And I loved it more when Daniel Snyder got the team, for a number of reasons. I did. Because here is a guy who thought he could build a football team just because he has the money to buy players. There's more to it than that."And he's not a compassionate person, not a compassionate person at all from what I understand. And that makes me just want to pummel somebody. You know, you hate to see pride, wearing itself on his forehead and his chest. And to me, arrogance sticks out like a sore thumb when you talk about him. And the lack of compassion for others is a problem. Because it's not that hard to be compassionate; you just choose to." I must confess to not knowing what Emmitt's talking about here. I don't think Dan Snyder is a very good owner, but I have no idea of his capacity for compassion. Can he run a franchise into the ground? Yes. Is he evil incarnate? Is he the smoke monster? I don't know. I know he's an enemy of trees, but besides that, I don't know of any other indication that his heart is as dark as Emmitt Smith would have us believe. If he wants to share a story, though, I'm all ears. Snyder did respond, though. "I applaud Emmitt Smith's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame and, from what I understand, he's a heck of a dancer. I think we've only met once briefly at an NFL fu Ask an NFL'er: Obama's health care push [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 12:52 pm] President Barack Obama has intensified his push to to get his health care bill passed by the end of March. Your thoughts, NFL person? Antonio Cromartie(notes), Cornerback, New York Jets "I, too, know what it's like to have to pay for health care for a huge and diverse group of people, so I can relate to Obama on this. Pain in the ass, isn't it, Prez?" Julius Peppers(notes), Defensive End, Chicago Bears "Oh, man. I know everyone's worried about how we're going to pay for this health care thing, but you should have me sooner. I probably could've gotten the Bears to pay for the whole damn thing." Jay Cutler(notes), Quarterback, Chicago Bears "Would Obama's new plan recognize 'Unlikable Sulking Suckface' as a real condition that requires medical treatment? Because I'd really like it if Obama's plan covered 'Unlikable Sulking Suckface' as a real condition that required medical medical treatment." Rooger Goodell, NFL Commissioner "As someone who has fought long and hard to keep financial and medical assistance out of the hands of those who need it, let me say this. If it keeps these people from asking me for help, then I'm all for it." Eagles picking up Vick's bonus hurt his starting chances in '10 [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 11:43 am] Few expected the Philadelphia Eagles to sign Michael Vick(notes) last August. Even fewer expected him to stay with the Eagles for a second season. But after the team decided Monday to exercise a $1.5 million roster bonus for the former No. 1 draft pick turned ex con, Vick grew one step closer to staying in Philly for 2010 and not fulfilling his goal of regaining his role as an NFL starter. It's far from a done deal though. Though the bonus covers $1.5 million of the $5.25 million Vick is scheduled to receive this coming NFL season, there's still a chance the Eagles could trade him before the year begins. The team is reportedly asking for a second round pick, a price which may be too steep this far from week 1. Philadelphia may be biding its time though hoping that teams become more desperate as the season approaches. Vick would likely welcome such a deal. With Donovan McNabb(notes) looking more likely to return as Philly's starter and Kevin Kolb(notes) still playing the role of successor, Vick would figure to see as much action as last year (which is to say, not much). Last month he told reporters of his desire to start in the league:It would be fairly hard [to return to the Eagles as a backup]. I know I can play in this league. I know I still have a lot of games left in me. I can be improved and be in shape and have an opportunity to go play somewhere else in the league. I'm just being optimistic and hoping that things work out in my favor. To be honest, I do want to play."Without a salary cap, there's little harm in Philadelphia keeping Vick around. The $1.5 million bonus may seem like a commitment, but it's more like an investment in a low-risk/high-yield stock. It shows other teams that they won't get Vick on the cheap. Though no franchise may come calling until training camp, there's no rush for Philly. Vick's value will grow with every A.J. Feeley overthrow in St. Louis or wherever the injury bug should strike. Vick may not l The Bills and Seahawks sign up for the Tim Tebow experience [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 11:40 am] Tim Tebow, the kind-hearted quarterback with an iron will and a Nuke LaLoosh throwing motion, has already scheduled a couple of private workouts with NFL teams. The Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks both want to get an up-close look Tebow. This is a perfect example of why I don't think there's any way Tebow lasts through the second round of the NFL draft. Let's think about this. On March 17th, at Florida's pro day, Tebow is scheduled to "unveil" his "new throwing motion." That means that, as of right now, NFL teams have no idea how Tim Tebow plans to throw a football in the NFL. And yet, he's still being scheduled for private, individual workouts. Has that ever happened before? Can you imagine any other circumstances where an NFL team would say, "Yes, we'd like to have you in for a private workout, even though we can't be sure that you don't plan to be the first granny-style NFL quarterback." This isn't meant as a criticism of the Seahawks or Bills, nor is it a recommendation of spending a second-rounder on Tebow. It's just my belief that the reputation Tebow established in college -- that of a hard-working, pious, inspirational leader and winner -- is enough to sway one team to spend a second-rounder on him. Right or wrong, someone's going to buy into the notion that this guy is capable of anything. And hey, maybe they're right. I have my reservations about anyone's ability to permanently and drastically change their throwing motion in a month -- the second the pressure's on, that motion's going right back to the old way -- but at the same time, I don't feel totally comfortable doubting Tim Tebow's work ethic, either. Whether it's the Bills, Seahawks or someone else, someone's going to be sold on him. Browsing through free agency's on-sale rack [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 10:51 am] The first wave of free agency has come and gone, and while we're not quite at the "bargain bin" phase, we are going through the "on-sale rack." Below are 12 free agents still available who can still help some teams. 1. Thomas Jones(notes), RB. Jones is meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs today (as is Justin Fargas(notes), incidentally), so don't be surprised if you hear that announcement sometime soon. I'm a little bit surprised that it's taken Jones this long to find a home, even with the RB depth available in the draft and free agency. 1,400-yard runners are still not growing on trees. 2. Kevin Mawae(notes), C. The Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos are reportedly interested in Mawae, even though the Redskins just brought back center Casey Rabach(notes). Mawae can help more teams than that. 3. Darren Sharper(notes), FS. It's apparently a slow market for key cogs on a Super Bowl winning defense. The New York Giants were said to be interested, but they got Antrel Rolle(notes) instead. It's still not out of the question that he could end up back with the New Orleans Saints, either. 4. Leigh Bodden(notes), CB. The veteran corner is visiting the Houston Texans today. Bodden sounds a bit frustrated that he doesn't have a deal yet, and it's surprising to me, too. Everyone needs corners, and past Bodden, there's not much out there. 5. Derrick Mason(notes), WR. I really thought for Mason, it would be the Baltimore Ravens or nothing, but the acquisition of Anquan Boldin(notes) muddles things. The Miami Dolphins are considering Mason, too. 6. Ryan Clark(notes), FS. Somehow, we ended up with a market flooded with free safeties, too, and I think Ryan Clark became a victim of that. Not to worry, though, the Dolphins are interested in him, too. He's visiting their facilities today. 7. Jamal Williams(notes), NT. There's a lot of wear and tear on the tires, but Jamal Williams can still help somebody. Perhaps he won't be a full-time pl Scott Fujita knows the right way to leave a city [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 8, 2010, 8:14 am] It was heartwarming when the long-downtrodden Saints won the Super Bowl. It didn't get any less heartwarming when Drew Brees(notes) made the media rounds in the weeks after the game, establishing himself as the sweetest and most humble man in America. Apparently, everyone on the entire team was an absolute ray of sunshine. Scott Fujita(notes), a somewhat unheralded linebacker on that Super Bowl team, recently signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns. Before leaving town, though, Fujita did one more thing for the people of New Orleans: He gave half of his Super Bowl check to charity, half of that going to relief efforts in Haiti, and the other half going to coastal restoration in New Orleans. From nola.com: "The people of this city and region have been so good to me and my family that we just felt strongly about doing something to protect the city we have come to love so much, " Fujita said. "And helping on the coastal issue has been on the back of my mind since I first got here." Take note, other free agents. That's how you leave a city. So far, the bar has been set at "hold a tearful press conference" or "thank the fans in a full-page newspaper ad" for a classy exit. Scott Fujita just raised it. Anyway, he's Cleveland's now, and if he'd like to continue his streak of doing charitable things for cities in which he plays, I'm sure he'll find an option or two in Cleveland.Gracias, The Huddle. Free Agency Watch: Sunday stories [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 7, 2010, 9:49 am] The St. Louis Rams are close to a deal with former Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins(notes). For those who think this somehow alters the team's possible draft plans, consider that they're probably not putting Robbins, a 32-year old swing tackle who lost his starting job to Chris Canty(notes) last season, in the same category as Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. If they shy away from DT in the draft, it will be because they can't resist Sam Bradford, and we won't know that until Bradford throws at his Pro Day on March 25. Speaking of tackles, Miami's Jason Ferguson(notes) was handed an eight-game suspension by the NFL for what is believed to be a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Ferguson is a favorite of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano, but the Fins had to see the writing on the wall here -- Ferguson missed seven games in 2009 with a quadriceps injury, he's 35 years old, and the team has made some major investments in its defense with Mike Nolan and Karlos Dansby(notes). Nobody knows better than Parcells that a 3-4 defense won't work without a dominant nose tackle, and many assumed they'd refill the position in the draft. Ferguson is a free agent, and it's possible that he may retire, as offensive lineman Ryan Clark(notes), who got the same suspension, did recently.Are the Browns ready to trade Shaun Rogers because he freelances too often, and because they believe Ahtyba Rubin(notes) is their nose tackle of the future? Rogers is dominant in 3-4 sets, but can get washed out in double teams when the Browns switch to four down linemen. Titans running back LenDale White(notes) wants to be traded, presumably to a city with a high number of Burger Kings and a low number of 2,000-yard rushers. The Rams' interest in Brodney Pool could be a precursor to their losing defensive cornerstone O.J. Atogwe. Leigh Bodden(notes) is on his way to Houston to talk about replacing Dunta Robinson(notes). Bodden's a better man than zone cornerback, but he'd still be a great Jags find hidden value in Kampman [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: March 7, 2010, 7:56 am] The Jacksonville Jaguars have invested a great deal in their pass rush over the last few years, with minimal returns. In the 2008 draft, they selected Derrick Harvey(notes) and Quentin Groves(notes) with their first two picks. In four combined seasons, the two players have amassed eight sacks. In 2009, no NFL team had fewer total sacks than Jacksonville's 14; the Kansas City Chiefs were second-to-last with 22, and two players (Elvis Dumervil(notes) and Jared Allen(notes)) had more sacks on their own than the Jags did as a team. After years of unwise moves to address the situation, Jacksonville may have raised their profile in the value-add sweepstakes by signing free agent end Aaron Kampman(notes), the former Green Bay defender. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but they could be very similar to those in the four-year, $26 million contract with $10 million in guaranteed money the Lions just gave Kyle Vanden Bosch(notes). If that's the case, the Jags may have a steal here. Kampman missed seven games with a torn ACL in 2009, but in his last full season in 2008, he led the NFL in quarterback hits with 20, and placed third in QB Knockdowns (sacks plus hits) with 31, behind only John Abraham(notes) and DeMarcus Ware(notes). When he played in 2009, Kampman struggled to produce in Green Bay's 3-4 defense, alternating between end and linebacker. If he's healthy and back in a 4-3 (which he is now), he could be the steal of this year's free agent class. On the other hand, there are risks here. Kampman is 30, and edge rushers are a lot like running backs -- they tend to decline without warning and in a big hurry. But the Jags had to do something to turn their pass rush around, and when all is said and done, Kampman may very well give his new team more quarterback misery per dollar than Julius Peppers(notes) does in Chicago.Kampman, who has 54 sacks in his eight-year career, also had interest from the Seahawks, Eagles, and Buccaneers. |