May 24 , 2007 - SPORTS NEWS - NFL NEWS

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NFL PICKS & NFL FREE PICKS NFL PICKS- (covers.com) angry quarterback practices with chiefs. Angry and frustrated because his deal with Miami has been held up, Trent Green practiced with Kansas City on Tuesday while insisting he has no plans to ever play for the Chiefs again. It's a situation the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback finds very uncomfortable. It's not only awkward for me and my family, but it's awkward for the guys in the weight room, in the locker room, on the practice field, he said. I'm here every day. People ask, 'What's going on?' Guys don't know how to react to me, how to treat me. Green, who turns 37 in July, was one of the NFL's most productive quarterbacks from 2001-05, but sustained a severe concussion in the opener last season and did not play well when he returned for the second half of the year. He had three turnovers in a lopsided playoff loss to Indianapolis. When he was asked in February by Chiefs president Carl Peterson to restructure his contract and take a reduced role, he asked for permission to find another team. BetOnline.com has the Chiefs listed at +7500 to win the Super Bowl. Miami worked out a contract with Green, but the Chiefs and Dolphins have been at odds over compensation, with Miami offering a sixth-round draft choice and Peterson insisting on a fourth-round pick. The standoff has escalated with Green's agent saying Green would not play for the Chiefs again. Peterson fired right back, saying he was prepared to keep the veteran as a backup and pay his guaranteed $7.2 million this year. Head coach Herm Edwards has said several times that he would give second-year man Brodie Croyle every chance to seize the job. He also said as recently as Monday that the competition between Green, Croyle and Damon Huard would be fair, that everybody would be given the same opportunity to win the job. He's always very careful to put a disclaimer at the end and say, 'But everybody's going to be equal, everybody's going to have the same number of reps,' Green said. He's the head coach. He can do what he wants. But I've been in the league long enough and when you see those comments over the course of several months and you see the way the reps are going to work out, and you see what Brodie's making, what Damon was re-signed for and what I'm making, it's not a fair competition. It's a weighted competition. If a deal is not worked out, would he retire before staying with the Chiefs, especially as a backup? I really haven't had that discussion with my wife or my family and I haven't had that discussion with my agent because I'm still banking on the fact that the deal that was made back in February or March, that they would get the trade done, he said. I guess when that time comes, then I'll have to cross that bridge. At Miami, Green would probably serve as a caretaker while the Dolphins groom John Beck of Brigham Young, who was selected in the second round of last month's draft. There has been speculation Miami will trade or release Daunte Culpepper, who is still hobbled by a 2005 knee injury. Culpepper played only four games last season and has yet to receive medical clearance to participate in minicamp next month. Miami head coach Cam Cameron was Green's quarterback coach at Washington, and Terry Shea, Green's longtime quarterback coach in Kansas City who was fired at the end of the season, has also wound up with the Dolphins. Green said the Dolphins had not promised he would start. They haven't said, 'You're the guy, come right in,' he said. They haven't told me one way or another. I just know I would have a much more fair chance, for my mind. Because here, it's obviously weighted. The Chiefs have two more practices this week and then three next week before a mandatory three-day minicamp June 1-3. Green said if he's not in Miami, he will take part. Players and coaches alike have come up to me and said, 'We support you. What's going on is wrong,' he said. I've had to step back because I don't even know my role. There's an awkwardness there.
NFL PICKS : (associated press): raiders sign two vetrans. The Oakland Raiders agreed to contracts Tuesday with free agent wide receiver Travis Taylor and running back Curtis Brown. Taylor had 57 catches for 651 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Minnesota Vikings before becoming a free agent. A former first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2000, Taylor has 311 career receptions for 4,013 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Raiders were looking for a veteran receiver after trading the disgruntled Randy Moss to New England during last month's NFL draft. The top two receivers on the roster are Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry, but Oakland was looking to add depth. WSEX.com has the Raiders listed at +4900 to win the Super Bowl. Earlier this month, Taylor pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct for his role in a scuffle outside a downtown Minneapolis nightclub early on New Year's Day. Taylor was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $75 in administrative fees, and perform 48 hours of community service. He was also sentenced to 90 days in jail, but he will avoid that as long as he doesn't commit the same or a similar offense in the next year. Brown was not drafted last month after running for 1,010 yards and seven touchdowns last season at BYU. He also led the Cougars with 62 receptions for 566 yards and three scores.
FREE NFL PICKS. (associated press): giants acquire former chiefs kicker. The New York Giants acquired veteran placekicker Lawrence Tynes from the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday for an undisclosed conditional draft pick. The Giants lost their kicker in the offseason when Jay Feely signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent. Until the trade, they had rookies Josh Huston and Marc Hickok on their roster. Hickok was released Tuesday. Tynes is a veteran kicker who has kicked in some big games, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. He has made some long field goals. Tynes made 68 of 87 field goal attempts (78.2 percent) in three seasons with the Chiefs, scoring more than 100 points each season. SPORTSBETTING.COM has the Chiefs listed at +700 to win the AFC West. However, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards didn't think Tynes was consistent. The former Jets coach wasn't happy with him when he banged a chip-shot field goal attempt off the goalpost in a playoff loss to the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts this postseason. Tynes' future with the Chiefs became tenuous when Kansas City drafted Justin Medlock of UCLA in the fifth round. Medlock led Division I-A kickers with 2.15 field goals per game. We feel better about having a veteran kicker coming in and competing for the job, Reese said. We're not bringing him in to give him the job. He has to earn it. We feel like we have a strong young guy versus a veteran kicker and the best kicker is going to win the job. Born in Scotland, Tynes scored 107 points last season, hitting 24 of 31 field goal attempts and 35 of 36 extra point tries. He also had five touchbacks. During his tenure with Chiefs, he converted six of 11 field goal attempts from 50 yards or farther. The trade is the second for the Giants since Reese replaced Ernie Accorsi as general manager in January. New York acquired running back Rueben Droughns from Cleveland for wide receiver Tim Carter. Tynes spent two seasons with the Ottawa Renegades of the CFL before coming to Kansas City. He beat out veteran Morten Andersen in training camp in 2004 and converted 17-of-23 field goal attempts and 58-of-60 PATs. Tynes scored his career-high 125 points in 2005, hitting 27 of 33 field goal attempts and 44 of 45 PATs. The soon-to-be 29-year-old played at Troy State, making 45 of 62 field goal attempts. We wanted a guy to come in here and put pressure on (Huston), who we really like a lot, Reese said. Huston has a really strong leg. But we feel better about having a guy that's kicked in the league to come in and compete for the job. FREE NFL PICKS- (associated press) browns frey confident he will start over quinn. As far as Charlie Frye is concerned, he's the Cleveland Browns' No. 1 quarterback. Brady Quinn, grab a seat. Frye began battling Quinn, Derek Anderson and Ken Dorsey for the starting job Tuesday as the Browns kicked off three weeks of organized-team-activity practices, the first full-team workouts in preparation for the 2007 season. Frye spent an extra 40 minutes after practice working with the other QBs, then walked off the field and stated without hesitation that he expects to be under center when the Browns open on Sept. 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sportsbook.com have the Browns as 4-point underdogs for the opener. I really can't predict the future, but I'm preparing like I'm the starter, Frye said. I never knew I lost it. On draft day last month, Frye was inside Browns' headquarters when the club selected offensive tackle Joe Thomas with the No. 3 overall pick and later moved back into the first round to select Quinn, the Notre Dame quarterback who was expected to go high but tumbled to No. 22. Frye said Quinn's selection didn't surprise him. He had anticipated the Browns bringing in another quarterback to compete with him, and now that Quinn is a Brown, Frye plans to do everything he can to help. I remember just a couple of years ago I was a rookie and I knew how hard it was trying to get ready and play, just putting yourself in position to play, said Frye, entering his third season. He's my teammate and we are going to work together and just take it from there. Frye and Quinn both showed they need a lot of work during the practice, which was open to the media for the first time because of access policies put in place by the NFL this season. Running a new offense installed by first-year coordinator Rob Chudzinski, Frye tried to force a pass to wide receiver Joe Jurevicius into triple coverage and got picked off by Devon Holly. Later, Frye was intercepted by Justin Hamilton. Quinn also looked shaky as he was picked off by fellow rookie Eric Wright, who made a diving interception. Two plays later, Quinn made a weak throw toward the sideline and was intercepted by linebacker Matt Stewart. As usual, the first day was not very pretty, said Browns coach Romeo Crennel, who called the practice ragged. Frye said he's confident he'll get a fair shake from Crennel, and that all four QBs are starting at the same level. I don't think he (Crennel) hands jobs to anybody, Frye said. He's a very fair coach. The best player will play. Frye expects that to be him. He has immersed himself in Chudzinski's playbook, and he's confident the experiences of the past two seasons will make him a better player this season. I know what I have to do, he said. I'm going to go out and get it done and hopefully have a lot of success this year. When I visualize this year, I don't see myself having a so-so year. This is year three for me, the bar has been raised. Frye said that after the Browns picked Quinn, Chudzinski told him to view it as a positive. Chud said it might be the best thing that happened to me just because the competition is going to push me, Frye said. Obviously you want to push yourself because you want to win. But I think the competition will bring out the best in both me and Brady. Notes: WR Braylon Edwards called the Browns on Tuesday morning to inform them that he wasn't going to make the first practice. Edwards' absence was notable because of his pledge to be a better teammate after being a major distraction last season. Crennel said he wasn't upset with Edwards, who promised to arrive Wednesday. ... LT Kevin Shaffer insisted he never demanded to be traded after the Browns picked Thomas. ... TE Kellen Winslow declined to be interviewed. He's not expected to practice until July after undergoing offseason microfracture knee surgery NFL PICKS- (associated press): baltimore's scott still hungry. No one would have blamed Bart Scott if he stayed home this week instead of attending the Baltimore Ravens' voluntary three-day camp. After all, Scott established himself last season as one of the finest linebackers in the NFL. He became a starter for the first time, recorded a career-high 119 tackles and four sacks, and made the Pro Bowl. The guy deserves a vacation. But Scott was playing football Tuesday, working up a sweat with a squad of mostly free agents and rookies. I don't have a life. It's out of pure boredom, he said with a grin. It's either this or stay at home and play PlayStation all day. Ray Lewis, Chris McAlister, Ed Reed and a few of the Ravens' other stars might have been working out on their own. Maybe they were playing video games. They didn't have to be in camp, and exercised that option. But that's not how Scott operates. This is my time of year. This is when you try out your new stuff, try and get your techniques down, he said. You learn your limitations. You find out what you can get away with, what you can't get away with. You try to get your skills up and get better than last year. With Adalius Thomas gone and Lewis on the back end of a sensational career, Scott has become a key player on Baltimore's outstanding defensive unit. He's been asked to step up his play and to assume a prominent role in the locker room. He readily accepts that. He's a natural leader in that regard, Ravens coach Brian Billick said. If Ray is out or not here, Bart's got to step up and take over that mantle a little bit. With each year he gets more and more confident, more and more capable of assuming that role. Scott came to the Ravens six years ago as a free agent out of Southern Illinois. He went on to become a star, but will always embrace his roots. That's part of my DNA. No matter what accolades I receive, I'll always see myself as an undrafted free agent, he said. I think that's what's enabled me to get over the top and play with intensity. I've been doubted, not really paid attention to, the guy in the back of the bus. Scott and the Ravens had an opportunity last season to reach the ultimate stage in the NFL, the Super Bowl, but got knocked out of the playoffs with a 15-6 loss to Indianapolis at home. SPORTSBETTING.com has the Ravens set at +1100 to win the AFC Championship in 2008. When we lost, I came back and lifted weights for two weeks because I didn't know what to do. I was so shocked. I still had a lot left in me, Scott recalled. I don't want to feel that feeling again. I've learned what it feels like to lose. Now, I want to see what it feels like to win and take it all the way to the top. FREE NFL PICKS (covers.com) jets sign de hicks. The New York Jets bolstered their defensive line Monday by signing defensive end Eric Hicks, a free agent who spent his first nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Keyonta Marshall, a defensive tackle on the practice squad, was released. SPORTSBETTING.COM has the Cheifs listed at +6000 to win Super Bowl XLII. Hicks, who turns 31 next month, ranks fifth on the Chiefs' career sacks list with 40 1/2, including a career-high 14 in 2000. The Jets have been busy renovating their defensive line this offseason, signing defensive ends David Bowens, Kenyon Coleman, Andre Wadsworth and Michael Haynes. Kansas City released Hicks on May 1, three days after taking defensive lineman Claude Turk McBride in the second round of the NFL draft. Hicks, who made the Chiefs' roster as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland in 1998, became a full-time starter in 1999. But his role diminished in recent years with the emergence of Jared Allen and Tamba Hali. Hicks had just seven tackles, two solo, in 16 games last season.
FREE NFL PICKS - (covers.com): broncos safety looks good in knee rehab return. Broncos safety Nick Ferguson missed the camaraderie as much as the competition when he blew out his left knee last November. Six months after surgery, he's enjoying both again. Taped next to his locker when he reported to the team's passing camp last week was a poster of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro with Ferguson's number 25 etched into the saddle. John Lynch was the culprit, and he's also the one who gave Ferguson his new nickname. We were joking with him earlier, calling him Barbaro because he had a pretty good limp going on, Lynch said. Actually, it's hardly noticeable and Ferguson said he's feeling fine and is way ahead of schedule. I'm glad to say I'm where I need to be. If I had to put it into percentages, I'm like 98.5, he said. The Broncos fell apart after the steady and savvy Ferguson got hurt Nov. 19 against San Diego, losing five of their last seven games and missing the playoffs after a 7-2 start. WSEX.com has the Broncos listed at +1566 to win the Super Bowl. Following surgery to repair the torn cartilage, Ferguson was told he could expect to be ready by training camp in late July. The 32-year-old was determined to come back sooner. I wanted to try to come back healthier and faster than they thought I would because I wanted to participate in these minicamps, Ferguson said. So much so that me and my wife were supposed to take a visit to her family. I told her we couldn't take that visit because this was a little more important. ... I not only wanted to prove to myself, but prove to anybody in the organization, and you guys as well, that this injury is not going to change anything about the way that I play the game. Ferguson was having another solid year when he came down wrong while making his only interception of the season in a loss to the Chargers, ruining his hopes of reaching Hawaii. The injury was one thing, but I was thinking Pro Bowl, Ferguson said. That's still on my mind. ... That's why I wanted to participate in this May camp, so I can push myself to be ready and make a push for that Pro Bowl. Although he lacks strength and endurance in his left leg, Ferguson said he's not favoring it and is already able to let loose in drills without worrying. I don't feel any different. I'm not thinking about the injury, he said. It would be a problem if it was a thing where when I made a move I was thinking about the injury. But I'm not. I'm back to my natural self. Coach Mike Shanahan was counting on just that when he declined to select a safety in the draft last month, in part because he figured a rookie would only be a backup to Ferguson and the 35-year-old Lynch. Coach Shanahan is a smart man and that's a smart decision, Ferguson said. As far as me and John are concerned, it doesn't matter who you bring in here, they're just going to be standing next to you on the sideline. And that's a place that Ferguson wants no part of. It's great to be back on the field, he said. There's always been things in my career that have humbled me ... and reminded me how much I love this game and being around the guys.
NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) vick being investigated in dog fighting allegations.

Authorities investigating evidence that suggested a home owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was involved in a dog fighting operation met to compare information on Monday. At this time, the investigation continues. We have no further comment, said a statement distributed to reporters after the nearly 2-hour meeting said. The meeting at the Surry County government office involved Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter, Sheriff Harold Brown, the county's animal control officer, two special agents from the Virginia State Police and an investigator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture also representing the U.S. Office of the Inspector General. The case began April 25 when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house Vick owned in rural Surry County and found dozens of dogs. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a pry bar used to pry apart a dog's jaws. No charges have been filed in the case, but Poindexter last week told The Associated Press as many as six to 10 people could be involved. Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia. Vick is a registered dog breeder. He has blamed relatives for taking advantage of his generosity and insisted he's rarely at the house - even though he's the owner. The Daily Press of Newport News has reported Vick has since sold the home. Poindexter said the county seized some 60 dogs from the house. Several dogs had old scars, but mostly the dogs appeared to be well-cared for, he said. Vick has said he let a cousin, Davon Boddie, live at the house, and that he didn't know a large kennel on the property could be involved in a criminal activity. Vick, the former Virginia Tech quarterback, in recent weeks has been sternly warned against misbehavior by Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and summoned to New York to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) : broncos wr hit with restrainsing order. A judge issued a restraining order against Denver Broncos receiver David Kircus on Tuesday, a day after he was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault at a weekend party. Details of the order were not immediately disclosed, and neither Kircus nor his attorney, Harvey Steinberg, would comment after a brief hearing in Arapahoe County district court in suburban Centennial. SPORTSBETTING.COM has the Broncos listed at +2000 to win Super Bowl XLII. Kircus, who resumed his NFL career last season after spending a year away from football working in a fast-food shop, is free on $6,000 bail. If convicted, he could be sentenced to two to six years in prison. The restraining order bars Kircus from drinking or possessing alcohol. Steinberg argued against that provision, but the judge let it stand and said it could be challenged again Friday, when Kircus is due back in court. Kircus, wearing a brown suit, said nothing during Tuesday's hearing. Sheriff's investigators said Kircus got into an argument when he was asked to leave a party early Sunday, hit a man and broke bones in his face. The man was treated at a hospital. His condition and the extent of his injuries were not available, and his name was not released. Coach Mike Shanahan said the team will await the outcome of the legal process before making any decision on Kircus' status. Obviously, if he didn't handle himself the right way, he won't be with us, Shanahan said Monday. Kircus met with Shanahan on Monday before appearing in a photo lineup at the sheriff's department while his teammates participated in passing camp. The coach said what Kircus told him was a much different story from obviously what came across from the other person. Kircus is a backup receiver and return specialist who joined the team last season. He had nine receptions for a team-leading 20.8 yards per catch and returned six punts for a 14.3-yard average last season. He is the second Broncos receiver to run afoul of the law this offseason. Brandon Marshall was arrested in March on suspicion of domestic violence.