May 30, 2007 - SPORTS NEWS - NFL NEWS

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NFL PICKS & NFL FREE PICKS NFL PICKS- (covers.com) rating nfl offseason moves. I’m really not big on mock drafts or rating drafts until the talent gets on the field in a real, live game. So outside of this year’s crop of NFL freshmen, here are my best and worst moves since we last saw a kickoff. BEST 1) New England Patriots sign Adalius Thomas Enough about Randy Moss already, just think of the whacko schemes and formations Bill Belichick is going to be sending out there with Thomas on the field. The 29-year-old is 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds and is officially listed as a linebacker, but was listed at eight different positions last year for the Ravens. Eight. The guy’s a freak. Right now he’s spending most of his time at the Mike linebacker spot, but he’s so versatile that I wouldn’t be shocked to see him catching touchdowns at some point this year. He can do it all. 2) New York Jets trade three helmets and two kickoff tees for Thomas Jones The Chicago Bears are absolutely in love with Cedric Benson. They had a ton of money tied up in a first-round pick and moved Jones to the Jets just to make room for Benson to start. Terrible move for the Bears, but a great one for New York. Jones hits his holes quick and doesn’t touch the turf easily. Chad Pennington is going to love throwing short screens and watching Jones juke for 15 yards a pop. Another ho-hum 1,000-yard rushing season is all but guaranteed if he stays healthy. Maybe the Big Apple will give him the pub he deserves. 3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Jeff Garcia It’s so easy to dump on Jeff Garcia. In San Francisco he wasn’t Montana or Young, which was enough for most people to turn up their noses in disgust. Plus, Terrell Owens thought he was a rat (um, among other things) and never gave Garcia his due. When you think about it, nobody really has. Garcia came from the CFL, which already put him behind the 8-ball. But he's managed to complete better than 60 percent of his NFL passes for 136 touchdowns to 73 interceptions. He had absolutely no chance with laughingstock clubs Cleveland and Detroit, but showed he could still play last year in Philly’s stretch run. Now he slides into another West Coast offense with Jon Gruden and the Bucs. Tampa Bay needs a veteran quarterback to fill the gap before the kids are ready and/or healthy. I don’t buy this talk that Jake Plummer might end up with the Bucs; I think they’ll be more than happy with Garcia and they just might have some good underdog value with a tough schedule to start the season (at Seattle, New Orleans, St. Louis, at Indianapolis). WORST 1) Miami Dolphins sign Joey Porter and Trent Green Miami’s offseason was so bad that it’s the worst of the worst even without talking about their ridiculous picks on draft day. I’m not even getting into the whole quarterback issue in Miami after last week’s column - suffice to say that I think he’d better start working on his stop, drop and roll technique. Meanwhile, the club also lost Wes Welker, Joey Harrington (probably for the best), Olindo Mare, Sammy Morris, and added Joey Porter, who’s more interested in getting into Vegas slapfests than sacks at this point in his career, as the lone substantial signing outside of Green’s. Can you blame half of the 2006 Fish for bailing? 2) New York Giants sign Reuben Droughns The Giants had a great idea. After losing Tiki Barber’s unmatched speed, skill and versatility they figured Reuben Droughns would mix nicely with upstart behemoth Brandon Jacobs in the backfield. Jacobs isn’t the problem here; he’s quicker, more talented, and hungrier than anybody gives him credit for and he’s going to have a huge year. But Droughns is at best a poor-man’s Jacobs, or at worst, a poor-man’s Ron Dayne. Droughns is big, slow, and doesn’t provide any change of pace to Jacobs’ attack. The Giants should have made a big pitch for San Diego’s Michael Turner and had better hope Jacobs stays healthy. 3) Tennessee Titans ignore wideout losses When you’re lucky enough to have a quarterback as talented and competitive as Vince Young, you’d better give him some weapons to work with. Or you can make like Tennessee and turn the other cheek when your top two receivers (Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade) walk out the door. This year Young will be counting on Brandon Jones (a 27-catch man last year), Bobby Wade (who couldn’t even break the Bears’ wideout group) and David Givens (who’s just coming off two knee surgeries and likely won’t be ready for the opener). And if none of those guys work out, at least they have three other rookie wideouts and a couple more young disappointments to fall back on. Terrific.
NFL PICKS : (associated press): bears cut troubled dt. Tank Johnson was released Monday by the Chicago Bears, who are ''upset and embarrassed'' by the defensive tackle's legal troubles. Johnson was waived three days after he was pulled over by police in Arizona. He already had been suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season for violating probation on a gun charge. He spent two months in jail and was released in May. ''We are upset and embarrassed by Tank's actions last week,'' general manager Jerry Angelo said in a statement. ''He compromised the credibility of our organization. We made it clear to him that he had no room for error. Our goal was to help someone through a difficult period in his life, but the effort needs to come from both sides. It didn't, and we have decided to move on.'' Police in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert said Johnson was stopped for driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone at 3:30 a.m. Friday and the officer made observations that led him to believe Johnson was impaired. Sgt. Andrew Duncan, a police spokesman, said Johnson was arrested for ''DUI Impaired to the Slightest Degree'' but was released without being booked or charged. Duncan said Johnson was taken to the Gilbert police station, where officials drew blood for a blood-alcohol content test before his release. He described Johnson as ''very cooperative.''
FREE NFL PICKS. (associated press): bears sign db vasher to new deal. Chicago Bears defensive back Nathan Vasher signed a five-year contract extension Monday that will keep the Pro Bowler with the Bears through the 2012 season. Details were not disclosed. Vasher has 16 interceptions in three NFL seasons since being chosen in the fourth round out of Texas in 2004. He made the Pro Bowl last season. ''It feels good. It's been a great relief,'' Vasher said. ''I know a lot of people have contract issues about this time. It's one less thing I have to worry about.''
In 2005, he set an NFL record for the longest play when he returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown against the 49ers. Teammate Devin Hester matched the record in 2006 FREE NFL PICKS- (associated press) dolphins dt arrested on miami beach. Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Fred Evans was arrested early Saturday after he refused to leave a taxi on South Beach and then fought with officers, police said. Police twice used a Taser gun on Evans, according to the arrest report, in attempts to subdue the 6-foot-4, 305-pound player who appeared in one game as a rookie last season with the Dolphins. Officers said they asked Evans to leave the taxi and, after he refused, they attempted to put him in handcuffs. He allegedly resisted, leading to the scuffle. Evans was charged with multiple counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting with violence, along with single counts of disorderly intoxication and trespassing. One officer was allegedly bitten on the wrist and a female officer sustained scrapes on her left knee, police said. Dolphins coach Cam Cameron, in a brief statement, said the team was aware of Evans' arrest. ''We will not condone this type of behavior,'' Cameron said. ''I assure everyone it will be dealt with seriously.'' Evans' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

NFL PICKS- (associated press): panthers draft pick jarrett alright after car wreck. Carolina Panthers rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett escaped serious injury after being involved in a car accident. Jarrett's agent, Darin Morgan, said Jarrett's car was rear-ended Wednesday night on Interstate 77 near Charlotte. Jarrett, who walked away from the accident, was checked out Thursday by team doctors. ''It appears he has no serious injuries, just some bumps and bruises,'' Morgan said. Jarrett, who starred at Southern California, was Carolina's second-round pick. He's expected to compete with Drew Carter for the starting receiver's job opposite Steve Smith. FREE NFL PICKS (associated press) colts get 6 espy winners. The Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts lead the way with six ESPY nominations this year. Sportsbook.com lists the Colts at +700 to repeat as Super Bowl champs this season. ESPN announced the nominees Monday morning. Fans will vote for the winners in 38 categories, and the awards show airs July 15 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who will co-host the event with ABC late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, is nominated in three categories, including Best Male Athlete. The national champion Tennessee women's basketball team has the second most nominations with five, including Best Team. The other Best Team nominees are the Florida men's basketball and football squads, the San Antonio Spurs, the Colts and the St. Louis Cardinals. Women have won the ESPY for Best Team twice: the Connecticut basketball team in 1996 and the U.S. World Cup soccer team in 2000. There won't be a repeat in the Best Male and Female Athlete awards. Cyclist Lance Armstrong, who won the men's honor four consecutive years, has retired, and golfer Annika Sorenstam, who won the women's title two years in a row, is not nominated. James is pitted against tennis' Roger Federer, the NFL's Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson and golf's Tiger Woods in the men's category. The women's nominees are the WNBA's Lisa Leslie, Arizona softball's Taryne Mowatt, golfer Lorena Ochoa and Tennessee basketball's Candace Parker. Woods, who is also nominated in two other categories, holds the records for the most nominations (30) and wins (16). He is one of three athletes with a chance to be honored as the best in his sport for a third consecutive year, joining Federer and baseball's Albert Pujols. A new award for Best Finish has been added this year. And the Best Boxer award has been renamed Best Fighter to include mixed martial arts competitors as well as boxers. Two special awards are not voted on by fans. The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented to individuals whose contributions transcend sports. The new Jimmy V Award for Perseverance will be presented to a person whose performance has evoked emotion and provided inspiration to the sports world.
FREE NFL PICKS - (associated press): falcons sign orlando huff. The Atlanta Falcons signed free-agent linebacker Orlando Huff to provide depth at outside linebacker and play on special teams.
The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Huff started 13 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2006, making 79 tackles. The six-year veteran has three sacks and two interceptions in 48 career starts with the Cardinals and Seattle. Huff also gives Atlanta an experienced option at weakside linebacker as Demorrio Williams recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. The Falcons also signed former Georgia Tech tight end George Cooper, who was released by Detroit after being signed as an undrafted rookie free agent.

NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) pacman surrenders in vegas.

Suspended NFL player Adam ''Pacman'' Jones surrendered to authorities in Nevada early Friday and was released after posting $20,000 bond on felony charges in a strip club melee that preceded a triple shooting. Jones was booked into the Clark County Detention Center early Friday and released about an hour later, a jail operator said. The Tennessean reported Jones posted $10,000 bond for each charge of felony coercion. Las Vegas police Capt. James Dillon said authorities gave Jones, Sadia Morrison and Robert Reid until midday Friday to turn themselves in or face arrest for the melee at the Minxx strip club during the NBA All-Star Game weekend in February. Police have described Reid as Jones' bodyguard, and Morrison as a member of an entourage of about six people who arrived with Jones before the pre-dawn Feb. 19 fracas at the club, several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip. The charges in Las Vegas have cast more doubt on Jones' playing status with the Tennessee Titans. Since he was drafted in April 2005, he has been arrested six times - although he has not been convicted of any crimes. Jones has been involved in at least 11 separate police investigations, authorities say, and is currently sought by Atlanta-area police for questioning in a shooting early Monday after a fight at a strip club there

NFL FREE PICKS- (associated press) : bucs still hope jake the snake will play. If Jake Plummer decides he wants to continue playing football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would love to have him. SPORTSBETTING.COM has listed the Bucs at +400 to win the NFC South Division. General manager Bruce Allen reiterated Thursday that the Bucs did not acquire the former Denver quarterback with intentions of trying to trade him to another team if he changes his mind about retirement. ''The intent is the absolute same,'' Allen said. ''We want him on our team.'' Plummer, 32, was obtained from the Broncos in March for a conditional draft pick, but has said he's leaving the game. He has three seasons remaining on a contract calling for a salary of $5.3 million in 2007. Although the veteran of 10 seasons was the only no-show for Tampa Bay's mandatory mini-camp this week, Allen and coach Jon Gruden remain hopeful that he'll decide to join the team for training camp next month. Plummer led Denver to the AFC championship game two years ago but was benched after 11 games last season for rookie Jay Cutler. His .722 winning percentage with the Broncos from 2003-06 is the fourth-best in the NFL behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. And while the quarterback has said he's retired, Plummer has not filed paperwork with the NFL to make it official. ''He's on our salary cap right now. ... Every player who has a contract in the NFL has the same obligation. Their duty is to play under the contract they signed,'' Allen said. If Plummer decided to report to the Bucs, he'd join a crowded quarterback mix that includes Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski and Luke McCown. Garcia, signed as a free agent on the same day Plummer was acquired from Denver, is the front-runner for the starting job. Allen said Plummer's status has not been a distraction. ''Obviously, we have not missed a beat with him not here. We're preparing for our season,'' the general manager said. ''The quarterback competition has been very lively and we feel good with the players we have here, so we're not waiting for anybody.'' Allen said the Bucs had been in contact with Plummer recently, ''and we'll speak again.'' He would not speculate on the chances the quarterback will report with the rest of the team for the start of training camp on July 26. ''Without getting into personal conversations, we traded for him with the intent of him playing for the Buccaneers. He knows that,'' Allen said. ''We've been very clear what we see for him in his future. We just have to see if we have a meeting of the minds.'' On the opening day of mini-camp, Gruden would not say if Plummer would face a fine for not attending the mandatory workouts. ''This is one heck of a football player that has accomplished a great deal. At this point he's retired. Hopefully, at some point he changes his mind or reconsiders,'' Gruden said. ''Until then, we'll coach the guys that are here and move on with it.''

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