May 30, 2007 - SPORTS NEWS - NFL NEWS

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NFL PICKS & NFL FREE PICKS NFL PICKS- (associated press) lions tackle accused. A stripper is claiming she was inappropriately touched by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Police and prosecutors are reviewing the claims, Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County prosecutor's office, said Monday. The complaint was made to authorities early Friday by the woman, who dances at a club on Detroit's west side. Police have submitted a criminal sexual conduct warrant request to the prosecutor's office, but Miller said charges were not expected to be filed Monday. The Detroit police sex crimes unit also was investigating the complaint. ''We're reviewing the reports that we have,'' Miller said. ''We're going to talk to the victim and any relevant witnesses.'' Miller would not say whether police or her office had spoken to Rogers or if he was at the club when the complaint was made. Team officials are aware of the complaint. ''We're gathering information and have no further comment,'' said Lions spokesman Bill Keenist. An e-mail seeking comment was sent Monday to Rogers and a telephone message seeking comment was left with his agent, Kennard McGuire.

NFL PICKS : (associated press): raiders add versitlie safety. Colin Branch believes his biggest strength as an NFL safety is his versatility. He's comfortable playing strong or free safety, in coverage or against the run, and can contribute on special teams. It's those qualities that attracted the Oakland Raiders to Branch. SPORTSBETTING.com lists the Raiders at +3500 to win the AFC Championship. After signing him as a free agent last week, Branch joined the Raiders on Monday for the start of their voluntary minicamp. ''I'm a veteran guy, been around, been on a winning program out there at Carolina. Hopefully I can bring a little bit of that here,'' Branch said. ''Hopefully I can be a versatile guy who can do a lot of different things for them, which seems to be what they're asking me to do. Hopefully it'll open up my horizons a little bit and hopefully show people I can do more than just one thing.'' That versatility is especially important for the Raiders, who are keeping their safeties on the same side of the field instead of switching from strong to weak side. Branch is currently competing for playing time behind starters Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert in a secondary that was one of the few bright spots for Oakland last season. ''Obviously last year, they had a great season as far as the total defense and their pass defense is one of the best in the NFL, so it's a great situation to come into,'' Branch said. ''There's lots of veteran leadership out there in the defensive backfield, so it makes it a lot easier for me to come in and contribute.'' Branch came into the NFL as a fourth-round pick by Carolina out of Stanford in 2003. His best season came in 2004, when he had 55 tackles and three interceptions while making 15 starts for the Panthers. He missed all of the following season with a knee injury, before making 19 tackles in one interception in limited duty last season. He made four starts, but played mostly on special teams and in nickel situations. ''He's a guy who can do some things and has played as well,'' coach Lane Kiffin said. ''He played some special teams, started a whole season at Carolina prior to an injury and started some games last year as well. It brings a veteran guy who has played back there to our group to see if he can help us.'' Branch, whose brother Calvin is a scout for the Raiders, first visited the team after the draft in April, working out and meeting with the coaching staff. He also visited Cincinnati, Kansas City and Atlanta before getting the offer to sign with the Raiders.

FREE NFL PICKS. (associated press): pantehrs give ohio state back up a shot. Justin Zwick was watching a lot of movies at his parents' house in Ohio, close to giving up his dream. ''I'm thinking I've got to start earning some money some time, and I can't live off my parents forever,'' the former Ohio State quarterback said Monday. ''Then all of sudden you get a call.'' The Carolina Panthers wanted to give Zwick a shot to keep his football career alive. Zwick, who had stayed in shape since leaving college, first worked out for the team Thursday and the Panthers signed him over the weekend. He practiced at an optional workout Monday. newbodog.com lists the Panthers at +600 to win the NFC Championship. ''He was somebody we were thinking about,'' general manager Marty Hurney said. ''We just took a look at him and figured we'd sign him and bring him in this week.'' Hardly a ringing endorsement, but Zwick said he'll take it. For a player who entered college with great fanfare and left as a forgotten backup behind Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Zwick just wants to get invited to an NFL training camp. ''It's tough playing behind a Heisman Trophy winner,'' said Zwick, who went undrafted. ''I learned a lot, probably more life lessons than on the football field. Coming in with all that and then having to humble yourself and sit behind somebody, that's a life lesson. ''But it was a good opportunity to learn, and move on from there.'' Zwick faces long odds with Carolina. He is the fifth quarterback on the roster, behind starter Jake Delhomme, backup David Carr, third-string Brett Basanez and fellow undrafted rookie Dalton Bell. Last year, the Panthers carried only two quarterbacks, while Basanez was on the practice squad. ''It's better than not having the opportunity, to be down here throwing balls,'' Zwick said. ''Whether they want to bring me back for training camp or whatever, it's better to have this opportunity, to have a chance to be called back. I'm looking at it as a great opportunity.'' Zwick was a Parade All-American after a stellar high school career in Ohio, and he chose to stay close to home after being heavily recruited. Zwick became the Buckeyes' starter in his sophomore year, but he was injured halfway through the season. Smith stepped in, and Zwick never regained his full-time starter position. He led Ohio State to a win over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl when Smith was suspended, and he played well in a game against Texas, but he mostly watched from the sideline. ''The career didn't go as well as I wanted it to, but that was the hand I was dealt,'' Zwick said. At 6-foot-4 with a quick release, Zwick has some tools. But he knows he faces long odds to make it in the NFL. In between movies and workouts at his parents' house, Zwick was contemplating taking a sales job in Columbus, Ohio and maybe doing some television work for Ohio State broadcasts. ''Now I have to come out and see if I could throw a little bit and get into a training camp,'' Zwick said. ''That's all I'm focused on.''

FREE NFL PICKS- (associated press) texans 1st round pick celebrates 20th birthday. Amobi Okoye is no longer a teenager. The Houston Texans rookie turned 20 on Sunday, but is certain that hitting the milestone won't stop the teasing about his age he gets from teammates. ''The joke is always going to be there and I don't think it's ever going to change,'' he said. ''It will probably be there until I have grandkids.'' When the Texans drafted Okoye with the 10th pick overall he became the youngest player taken in the first round since the merger in 1967. But being the youngest among his peers isn't anything new to the defensive tackle after he started high school at 12 and college at 16. The teasing doesn't bother him, however it does get a bit monotonous. ''You hear it when you wake up and when you go to sleep. You might even hear it in your dreams,'' he said with a chuckle. ''It's everything and if there's a situation where they can throw it in, they throw it in real quick.'' Coach Gary Kubiak said as much as his players pick on Okoye, they're also very protective of him. ''I think they kind of look out for him because he is so young,'' Kubiak said. ''Hopefully they keep an eye on him in the right way.'' The Texans think Okoye will help improve a pass rush that ranked 27th in the NFL in sacks last season. Kubiak believes having a player with his quickness will help free up others on the line to make plays. Last year's top overall pick Mario Williams, who's only 22 himself, has taken a particular interest in bringing the youngster along. He said the pair spend a lot of time together away from the game, but that their conversations often focus on football. ''Since he's so young, I tell him: 'You really have to be mentally tough,''' Williams said. '''You can't get down on yourself if this stunt doesn't work out or maybe you got beat on this rep. You've just got to bounce back.''' Williams shares tips for keeping calm when the coaches yell and often reminds the rookie that he's there to answer any questions he has. However, his interest in Okoye's development isn't completely altruistic. ''I'm glad that he was the first pick this year so that takes a little pressure off me,'' Williams said. ''I'm ready for it.'' Despite practicing with the team for about a month, Williams said Okoye's head is ''probably still spinning.'' But the player who got his college degree in 3 1/2 years said the transition has been easier because he's had support. ''It's been a lot of learning and there's been a lot thrown at us in a short period of time,'' he said. ''I think I've been blessed to be on such a great team where everybody's willing to give me a helping hand.'' Defensive coordinator Richard Smith is excited about the possibilities of molding such a young player. He's already been impressed by his quickness, leverage and most importantly, his confidence. ''He's got such a bright future,'' Smith said. ''He's already made it to the NFL at 19 and he's only going to get better. He's only going to get bigger. He's only going to get stronger. What that gives you is more longevity. Right now we really like what we see.''

NFL PICKS- (associated press): eagle mcnabb looks to be ready. Donovan McNabb took a major step forward in his return from knee surgery, practicing with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday several weeks ahead of schedule. Sportsbook.com lists the Eagles at +600 to win the NFC Championship. The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback participated in non-contact drills in his first action on the field since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last Nov. 19. ''It felt great to get back out there on the field with all of the guys,'' McNabb said. ''It's just part of the rehab process and hopefully good things will continue to come. It's important to continue to monitor my progress, but also be smart about the whole situation.'' McNabb rehabbed vigorously since his latest injury ended his season early for the third time in five years. He had been throwing on the side for weeks and simulating practice movements, but hadn't been expected to take part in drills with the team until training camp opened next month. FREE NFL PICKS (associated press) dt a no show at bills camp. The Buffalo Bills are prepared to move on without Darwin Walker after they couldn't agree on a new contract with the veteran defensive tackle before the start of a mandatory minicamp Monday. Talks continue, but general manager Marv Levy said the ultimate decision to report to the team rests with Walker, who is under contract, and has been advised he's subject to being fined. ''We'd like to have him,'' Levy said. ''But if he's not going to be here, we'll go on without him. That's all it amounts to.''
Walker is holding out while seeking an extension to the two years he has remaining on his contract. Negotiating a new deal was a condition the seven-year NFL veteran placed on the Bills in March after the team acquired him in a trade that sent linebacker Takeo Spikes to Philadelphia. Walker has not yet reported to the Bills and has already missed the team's 12 voluntary workouts. Under NFL rules, players are subject to fines only when they miss a mandatory session, such as this week's three-day camp. Citing team policy, Levy would not say if Walker has been fined. The two sides stepped up negotiations over the past week. Walker's agent, Albert Irby, said Sunday that talks were progressing at ''a snail's pace,'' after he last spoke with Levy on Saturday. Irby was not immediately available for comment Monday. Levy said the team does not regret making the trade, knowing the conditions the player set: ''No, not yet,'' Levy said. And he remains hopeful a deal still can be reached. The Bills can return Walker to Philadelphia if he doesn't report by Aug. 5. Buffalo would receive a sixth-round pick in next year's draft as compensation. That would be a setback after the Bills acquired Walker to bolster the defensive line. A penetrating tackle who can pressure the quarterback, Walker was considered a good fit in the Bills' defensive scheme. He had eight sacks in 17 games, including playoffs, last season, and has 26 1/2 sacks over the past five years, fourth best among defensive tackles during that span. FREE NFL PICKS - (associated press): former seahawk agrees to term with titans. Cornerback Kelly Herndon has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Tennessee, as the Titans continue working to replenish a secondary expected to be without Adam ''Pacman'' Jones. The free agent would be the first former Seahawks player to join the team since Mike Reinfeldt left Seattle to take over as Tennessee's general manager in February. Herndon's agent, Peter Schaffer, said Sunday that Reinfeldt and Lake Dawson, the Titans' director of pro personnel who also came from Seattle, were a big part of his client's decision. ''He's excited about the situation, the people and the defense,'' Schaffer said. ''It's the best scenario that he found.'' The Titans did not immediately return telephone messages from The Associated Press following a report published Sunday by the Tennessean. In five seasons, Herndon, 30, has nine regular season interceptions and two in the playoffs, including a record 76-yard return in Seattle's Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh in 2006. Herndon started all 16 regular season games in 2006 and had a career high-tying 67 tackles before he broke his ankle in the finale at Tampa Bay. The secondary has been a major concern for the Titans because of the season-long suspension of Jones issued by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in April. Jones appealed that punishment in May, but the commissioner has not announced if he will reduce the suspension. The Titans signed veteran cornerback Nick Harper away from Indianapolis in March, then used the 19th overall pick on Texas safety Michael Griffin, whom they've been working at cornerback since the draft.

NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) beliches says new additions won't change patriots style.

Bill Belichick still twirls his whistle as he strolls around the practice field, ever the stone-faced boss. As usual, Tom Brady completes passes between defenders. The Patriots added big-name players in the offseason - none bigger than Randy Moss - and with that came a buzz to minicamp. But one thing remains unchanged: the focus is on building a team that excels together, not spotlighting stars who stand apart. Even Moss seems to buy into that. ''All I'm here to do is just to work hard every day,'' he said. ''Hopefully, I can just give something.'' Sportsbook.com has listed New England as -600 favorites to win the 2007 AFC East Division. Belichick sticks to his policy of avoiding questions about individual players, no matter how many headlines they made before he became their coach. Asked at the end of minicamp Thursday if any player impressed him, he said: ''I think that they're all working hard and they're trying to get (the system) down. It's not so much an evaluation camp as it is a teaching camp and trying to get everybody to understand, not only what they're doing, but the overall concept of the play.'' New England won three of the previous five Super Bowls and nearly made it to the game last season. But it blew a 21-3 lead and lost the AFC championship game at Indianapolis 38-34, a huge disappointment for a team that considers anything less than a championship unsatisfactory. It spent the next few months picking up more talented veterans than it had in many previous offseasons - wide receivers Moss, Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker, linebacker Adalius Thomas, running back Sammy Morris and tight end Kyle Brady. Linebacker Junior Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowl player whose career was in jeopardy after he broke his arm in the 11th game last season, is back. The Patriots' past success has been a magnet for players who haven't experienced that. ''You want to go somewhere where you can have fun,'' said Kyle Brady, who spent the last eight seasons with Jacksonville, ''and fun in this league usually means somewhere you have a chance to win.'' He should fill the role of blocking tight end Daniel Graham, who left as a free agent for Denver. Morris will get some carries left when the Patriots chose not to re-sign Corey Dillon and to rely on second-year back Laurence Maroney. They were thin at wide receiver last year when Deion Branch was traded in a contract dispute so they made sure they had plenty of depth there this year. ''We've brought in some veteran players who have some leadership ability and who are really willing to make sacrifices to win,'' Brady said. ''So many of our guys have left for other teams, via free agency, or coaches have left, but it's nice, really, to add veteran players that are very professional.'' Players weren't even distracted by the absence of cornerback Asante Samuel, who is holding out for a contract extension after intercepting 12 passes last season. ''One person moves out, the next person moves in,'' said Ellis Hobbs, the other starting cornerback. ''Anybody that's not here, man, we prepare as if they're not going to be.'' Fullback Heath Evans is starting his third season with the Patriots after playing for Seattle and Miami. He raves about how happy he is in the system and the area. ''Names don't necessarily always mean a lot, but ... you get out here and you see a team that's actually working together,'' he said. ''You add a lot of different people, but yet it seems that the team first mentality is still taking precedence over everything else.''

NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) : shockey shows up. Jeremy Shockey made a rare appearance at New York Giants' voluntary offseason workouts this week, but the four-time Pro Bowl tight end cautioned not to read too much into it. ''I'm glad I'm here and I enjoy it, but I hope people get used to it because next year it's going to be an issue again, and again the next year,'' he said. newbodog.com has listed the Giants at +250 to win the 2007 NFC East Division. Shockey has always taken the ''voluntary'' part of the Giants' offseason workout program to heart, and has been roundly criticized for following his own conditioning program at the University of Miami, where he played in 2000 and 2001. This year, he decided to join the rest of the Giants, and on Friday responded to critics who have said he has placed his own priorities above the team's. ''It's a slap in my face that people don't think that I'm trying to do something that betters myself,'' Shockey said in a lengthy, mostly upbeat interview in front of his locker. ''First things first. I have to improve myself if I'm going to improve this team. I'm not out drinking every night and going out. If I do, you'd better believe I'm working out the next day. ''As far as people questioning my character ... I play hurt, with broken bones, and I'm going to continue like that. It seems no matter what I do, it's not enough for people. I'm not here trying to make new friends, I'm here trying to help this team win.'' The Shockey saga became an offseason distraction the last two years after both he and wide receiver Plaxico Burress passed up the team's workouts to train in Florida. Some viewed the move as an act of selfishness, and there were insinuations that their absence may have adversely affected their timing with quarterback Eli Manning. Even Manning, who rarely says anything controversial about anybody, criticized the two for not being with the team. Manning, who said he called Shockey last week to see if he was coming north, lauded Shockey's work with the team's other tight ends, a group that features no players with more than a year of NFL experience after the departure of backup Visanthe Shiancoe in March. ''It's been good having him back because he teaches them,'' Manning said. ''He's great working around those guys, trying to get them in tune to everything that's going on, different scenarios. They get to watch him do it and see how it's done, so it's been good both ways.'' Shockey downplayed the controversy and reiterated that the regimen he follows in Florida, which players such as former Hurricanes Santana Moss and Edgerrin James have also participated in, is more beneficial to him than the team's workouts. ''I work hard every year, and one way to do that is to work in a very intense, very hot environment like Miami,'' he said. ''When I was getting flak for this thing it was 40 degrees and raining out and they were still working inside in the bubble. I'm not trying to change anybody's opinions. If people think I'm not doing this to help the team, so be it. I don't have to prove anything to anyone.'' Shockey isn't even close to the most pressing concern on the offensive line for coach Tom Coughlin. He has yet to officially name a left tackle to replace veteran Luke Petitgout, who was released in the offseason. David Diehl, normally a guard but a player who can play any of the positions on the line, shifted to left tackle when injuries forced the Giants to shuffle positions and is seen as the likely choice. New York is also looking at sixth-round draft choice Adam Koets and 2006 fourth-round pick Guy Whimper, and this week signed veteran lineman Zach Piller, formerly of Tennessee. Coughlin said he would wait until training camp before he made a final decision. ''We will go into training camp working like we are right now, giving different people opportunities at different positions,'' he said. ''That won't affect Diehl at all. You can put him in any kind of spot and after a period of time he'll be comfortable. There'll be a time to make the right decision, and I'll make it at that time.'' Coughlin also said that fullback Jim Finn hasn't attended workouts because of a shoulder injury.

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