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SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS
- (covers.com) 2006-07 buffalo bills betting preview.
No matter how bad a team appears on paper, it’s hard for a bookmaker to hang less than six wins on an over/under win proposition in today`s
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS
A perfect example is the Buffalo Bills. This is a team without a single player ranked among the top 50, according to Pro Football Weekly’s annual player ratings.
The Bills do have outstanding special teams (except for kicker Rian Lindell), a good running back in Willis McGahee and a promising wide receiver, Lee Evans. But that’s about it.
Yet, the Bills’ over/under regular season win total is 6 ½, according to current odds at Pinnacle. How is this Buffalo squad, winners of only five games last season, supposed to reach seven victories? The answer is they don’t.
With a bad offensive line, a serious deficiency at quarterback and a 29th-ranked defense learning a new system, the Bills will be lucky to match last season’s five wins.
The team’s owner, Ralph Wilson, is 88. General manager Marv Levy is 80 and has been out of coaching nearly 10 years. Dick Jauron is a recycled head coach after stints as the head man in Chicago in 2003 and at Detroit last year. He’s never impressed or excited anyone with his unimaginative offenses and boring demeanor.
Even the Bills’ two top players, McGahee and Evans, face serious questions. McGahee averaged just 57 yards per game in the second half of last season, scoring only one touchdown the final 10 games in the face of eight-man fronts keying on the Bills’ one-dimensional attack. Don’t expect defenses to change this season since neither the Bills’ passing attack nor offensive line have shown any signs of improvement.
Evans’ ability to get behind a defense is negated by Kelly Holcomb’s inability to throw deep and J.P. Losman’s inaccuracy. Levy showed his rust when he couldn’t come up with an adequate replacement for departed Eric Moulds unless you think Peerless Price still is a legitimate No. 2 receiver, which he hasn’t been for three years.
Buffalo has the worst passing attack east of San Francisco. Levy wasted much of his budget signing No. 4-type wide receivers rather than upgrade a bad offensive line. I’m surprised Levy didn’t look to add Don Beebe.
The Bills were 28th in total yards and 30th in red-zone efficiency last year and they may be even worse this season. Holcomb is decent – in a backup role – while Losman has proven so disappointing the Bills signed Packers clipboard carrier Craig Nall, who they claim is in the mix to start. Fortunately for Buffalo that’s probably not going to happen, but it shows how little this new Buffalo regime thinks of Losman.
And it’s not like the defense can carry a bad offense. This isn’t the Bears here, although the Bills are going to try the Tampa-2 style of defense brought to Chicago by Lovie Smith. They’ll attempt it with a first-year defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, and a linebacking group that no longer has outstanding speed with Takeo Spikes coming back from a torn Achilles’ tendon.
The Bills last made the playoffs in ’99. That streak isn’t going to end in 2006. The Bills could be out of it by October. Really. They open with back-to-back road games for the first time in seven years. Pinnacle has the Bills 7 ½-point underdogs Week 1 against New England.
Buffalo then has to deal with the brutal South Florida humidity when they meet Miami in Week 2 before hosting the Jets in Week 3. The Dolphins shouldn’t lack for information against the Bills since their offensive coordinator, Mike Mularkey, coached the Bills the past two seasons before bailing out.
This will also be the first time in 16 years the Bills open with three consecutive division games. newbodog.com has Buffalo 100-1 to win the Super Bowl. Those should be the Bills’ odds of opening 3-0.
There is some good news regarding the Bills. We no longer have to watch Moulds suffer. In fact, we’ve been mercifully spared from having to watch Buffalo on Monday night since they are not scheduled to have any primetime games for the sixth year in a row.
But that’s all the good news out of Buffalo.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS : (associated press): cardinals sign second round pick.
The Arizona Cardinals signed second-round draft pick Deuce Lutui, an offensive lineman out of Southern California, to a four-year contract on Tuesday.
The Cardinals have had their share of holdouts over the years, but Lutui said he was anxious to reach agreement with the team he cheered while growing up in nearby Mesa.
``It`s something I discussed with my agent (Max Hanneman), that I wanted to play right away and make my mark on the field,`` Lutui said. ``It`s a big relief, just doing that paperwork. Now it`s all field work from here, just playing ball and focusing on what we`ve got to do for the Arizona Cardinals.``
Three of the Cardinals` top four picks remain unsigned - quarterback Matt Leinart of USC, their first-round selection; tight end Leonard Pope of Georgia, a third-rounder; and defensive tackle Gabe Watson of Michigan, a fourth-round choice. The Cardinals report to their Flagstaff training camp July 30.
With Lutui`s signing, the Cardinals have four of seven 2006 draft picks under contract. The team has also signed Louisville outside linebacker Brandon Johnson, their fifth-round pick; Virginia Tech defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis, a sixth-round selection; and BYU wide receiver Todd Watkins, taken in the seventh round.
The Cardinals chose Lutui 41st overall last spring. The 6-foot-4, 338-pounder started all 26 games he played in two years at USC. As a junior, Lutui started 13 games at right tackle for the Trojans` national championship team, and he moved to left guard last year.
Lutui, a native Arizonan who attended Mesa High School, began his college career at Mesa Community College, transferred to Snow Junior College in Utah, and then to USC in 2004.
Lutui said he senses excitement surrounding the Cardinals as they prepare to open their new Glendale stadium next month.
``Am I ready? I`m ready for football,`` Lutui said. ``It`s a great time for Arizona Cardinal football. We`re trying to turn things around. We`ve got the new stadium.``
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS. (associated press): ravens linbacker stabbed at bowling alley.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roderick Green was released from a hospital Monday after being stabbed at a bowling alley, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Ravens officials said it was too early to know whether the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder would be available for the start of training camp July 27.
Green was taken to Sinai Hospital after the stabbing early Sunday morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Green was at the Kings Point bowling alley when he bumped into another bowler, leading to an altercation. Green tried to break it off and left the bowling alley, but the man came after him and stabbed him in the parking lot.
Police have no suspects in the attack. The assailant and the player did not know each other, police said.
Green, 24, is a third-year player out of Central Missouri State. He played in 16 games last season and had two sacks.
charliessports.com has the Ravens` odds to win 8 or more games listed at -120, 7 games or less is also -120.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (covers.com) :2006-07 dallas cowboy betting preview.
You know you have a strong division when the Philadelphia Eagles are the worst of the four teams. So no, I don’t think it’s a stretch to proclaim the NFC East the best division in football.
And the Dallas Cowboys just may be the best team in the NFC East.
The bookmakers at newbodog.com certainly think so. They have Dallas with the second-lowest odds of any NFC team to win the Super Bowl at 12-1. Seattle has the NFC’s shortest odds at 10-1.
It’s not a big leap of faith to project the Cowboys to win 11-12 games after going 9-7 last season and missing the playoffs for the second straight year under coach Bill Parcells.
Their place kickers alone cost the Cowboys two or three wins in 2005. Dallas’ trio of kicking fools – Billy Cundiff, Jose Cortez and Shaun Suisham – drove Parcells crazy, combining to rank third from the bottom in field-goal accuracy.
Fortunately for Parcells, Dallas’ kicking problem should be alleviated with the signing of Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in league history.
The Cowboys’ defense showed a lot of promise last year, especially the front seven. They should be even better this season as the young talent gets more acclimated to the 3-4 scheme Parcells adopted to last year. Defensive end DeMarcus Ware has the potential to lead the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS in sacks.
There’s also a tremendous sense of urgency in Dallas since this may be Parcells’ final season on the sidelines. Aware of this, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shelled out $40 million on free agents signing Vanderjagt, shoring up his offensive line and inking the biggest name in Terrell Owens.
You know Parcells is on borrowed time when he gets into bed with the devil (Owens). Drew Bledsoe should have enough weapons to succeed with T.O., a rejuvenated Terry Glenn, an excellent tight end in Jason Witten and running back Julius Jones.
The 34-year-old Bledsoe isn’t the playmaker he was when he last made the playoffs in 1997 (yes it’s been that long). However, he had enough life in his arm last year to throw for 23 touchdowns and 3,639 yards, the second-most in Cowboys history.
Bledsoe had better be good since he’s playing with the world’s most vocal quarterback critic (that`s Owens, not Parcells). If Donovan McNabb wasn’t good enough to satisfy Owens, you have to wonder how Bledsoe is going to be. Few quarterbacks in the league are more immobile than Bledsoe, who was sacked 49 times last year and was second in interceptions with 17.
Owens may regain his stature as the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS’s best wide receiver, or he could flame out like he did last year with the Eagles. Parcells couldn’t stand Antonio Bryant, so how is he going to put up with Owens? The answer may be Parcells is consumed to go out a winner so you can expect he’ll have a much longer leash on the prima donna Owens.
Owens, however, will become a serious detriment if not involved enough. Preventing this means getting him the ball, which is going to take time with Bledsoe. Do the Cowboys have a solid enough offensive line for this to happen?
They weren’t very good in pass protection last year, although the ’72 Dolphins offensive line wouldn’t be able to keep Bledsoe upright all the time, or in run blocking. Dallas averaged a pedestrian 3.6 yards per rush last year.
However, you still don’t want to make too much of 10-time All-Pro Larry Allen leaving after 12 years. He’s no longer the vintage offensive lineman of seasons past and the Cowboys should have better depth at both guard and tackle. The line suffered when left tackle Flozell Adams went down for the season with a knee injury. He’s expected back at 100 percent.
If you think Dallas’ offensive line is going to hold up, then you should like them to go above 9 ½ victories, which is their posted over/under regular-season win total.
The Cowboys’ schedule isn’t as difficult as you might think even though the division is loaded and there are road games against Carolina and Atlanta along with a home game against Indianapolis.
That’s because the Cowboys also draw Tennessee, Houston, Arizona, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Detroit. Owens should burn some of those secondaries no matter who’s throwing to him.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (associated press): vikings robinson a recovering alcaholic.
Minnesota Vikings receiver Koren Robinson knows he`ll always be under scrutiny while living life as a recovering alcoholic. These last few days, however, have been a little over the top.
Reports surfaced late Thursday night that Robinson had voluntarily checked himself into a rehab facility to seek further treatment. The term ``rehab facility`` carries with it a certain stigma that led some to believe he could have suffered a relapse.
Nothing could be further from the truth, Robinson said Friday afternoon.
``People hear rehab and they say, `Oh no, he has problems,``` Robinson told The Associated Press in a phone interview from South Carolina. ``I`m not in rehab. I`m still doing good. I`m still not drinking. I`m still working out. I`m still Koren, the cheerful, happy guy you all saw last year.``
Robinson said he didn`t check himself into a rehab facility and didn`t have a relapse. Rather, he said, he is merely attending some relapse prevention classes in preparation for the start of the grueling SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS season, which affords the Pro Bowl kick returner little time to work on maintaining his recovery.
It`s standard operating procedure for Robinson, who is doing everything he can to make sure that the alcohol problems that plagued him in the past don`t return.
charliessports.com has the Vikings listed at +3300 to win Super Bowl XLI.
Robinson spent 28 days in an alcohol treatment facility last year after being cut by the Seattle Seahawks for several reasons, many of which Robinson attributed to alcohol abuse. He was in the facility during training camp last season and signed with the Vikings shortly after checking out.
The 26-year-old Robinson enjoyed a storybook season with the Vikings last year, emerging as the team`s top receiver and making his first trip to Honolulu as a special teamer. He was a pillar in the locker room, being voted by his teammates to receive the team`s Ed Block Courage award as well as receiving the Korey Stringer Good Guy Award for his cooperation with the local media.
The Vikings rewarded him with a new three-year contract in March that includes $5.5 million in guaranteed money.
``I just want to make sure I`m good for the season before I put myself back in that lifestyle,`` Robinson said. ``In the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS, when you lose, you feel real down and when you win, there`s a lot of celebrating. I`m just making sure I`m bulletproof and being proactive.``
Robinson said the relapse prevention classes help him ``tune up`` his recovery efforts and ``reiterate stuff so that it`s fresh in my mind. I just use that so I won`t put myself in predicaments that would be bad situations.``
During the season, ``you don`t really have that to-yourself-time,`` Robinson said. ``You have a lot going on where you can`t put that stuff in your personal life on the front burner. You can`t deal with it.``
That`s why he`s seeking that little extra help now.
Robinson reflected on his struggles often during last season, acknowledging they will always be with him.
``It just made me a totally different person,`` Robinson said. ``I like how everything turned out. I`m happy. My family`s good. I want that. I need that. I have to do what I can do to keep that, whether it`s relapse prevention classes, talking to family, talking to friends. Whatever.``
But life is good for him now. He`s due to be married July 22 and will arrive at Vikings training camp at the end of the month as the team`s No. 1 receiver.
Both Robinson and his agent, Alvin Keels, expressed frustration that his approach was made public. They see it as just another step toward maintaining his sobriety.
``Certain words were misconstrued,`` Robinson said. ``I just didn`t want anybody to see those reports and get it twisted that I screwed up. ... Tell everyone I`m still good. Everything is all right. I`m looking forward to the season, having a great year and bringing a Super Bowl to Minnesota.``
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS (associated press) lelie still welcomed in denver.
Mike Shanahan knows just the place receiver Ashley Lelie could compete for the No. 1 job he covets so much that he`s boycotting the Broncos` minicamp: Denver.
``If you want to compete to be the No. 1 guy, why not be here? Why not be here in camp?`` Shanahan said after the Broncos began their three-day practice session Thursday. ``If you`re afraid of competing against a No. 1 guy who`s 35 years old (in Rod Smith)?
``I don`t think you`re going to find a better scenario than what he has here.``
Lelie wants to be a featured pass-catcher in somebody`s offense and is convinced he`ll never get that opportunity in Denver. He wasn`t pleased with the Broncos` interest in Terrell Owens over the winter and declined to attend the club`s offseason conditioning program, forgoing a $100,000 contract incentive to work out instead in Tempe, Ariz.
Ironically, during the winter and spring he worked out with former Pro Bowl receiver Javon Walker, who joined the Broncos in a draft-day trade from Green Bay. Walker, who missed most of last season with a torn knee ligament, has a lucrative new contract that will kick in next March if his comeback goes well in 2006.
Sportsbook.com has the Broncos listed as +125 favorites to win the AFC West.
Lelie, who is entering the final season of the rookie contract he signed as the 19th overall pick in 2002, had 42 catches for 770 yards and one TD last year, numbers that were down from 2004, when he racked up 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns on 54 receptions.
``We drafted him as a No. 1 draft choice. We would love him to be the No. 1 wide receiver. That`s why we drafted him No. 1. He`s done some good things for us. I think there`s still a big upside for him. I just think he`s making a bad decision,`` Shanahan said.
``It would be different if people were beating down the walls to get him, but they`re not,`` Shanahan said. ``Why not come in here and try to do what you can do and make a name for yourself at a place that drafted you No. 1?``
Lelie and his agent, Peter Schaffer, say there`s nothing new in their stance: Lelie wants a trade.
Smith said he wants Lelie to return to Denver: ``I can`t tell anybody else how to go and handle their business. I just want to see him in the football camp. I would rather see him on a football field with us.``
Shanahan isn`t ready to give up on Lelie.
``He`d still have an opportunity here if he decided to come back,`` Shanahan said. ``I`m not saying I wouldn`t be a little tougher on him - I`m just joking.``
But he`s serious about fining him.
Lelie could be out as much as $12,000 for missing the three days of workouts. Once training camp starts later this month, he could be fined $6,000 for each day he stays away.
``I really haven`t been reaching out, to be honest with you. Because he won`t return my phone calls,`` Shanahan said.
With Lelie absent and Walker limited, several young receivers have gotten plenty of chances to impress the coaches during the offseason workouts, and third-year pro Darius Watts has taken advantage.
Walker ran routes Thursday but won`t face defensive backs until training camp.
``He looks like he`s in pretty good shape,`` Shanahan said. ``He`s making some strides. He did most of the drill work. We didn`t do any team work with him. I think he could have. But we have a plan over the next three weeks to keep working him like he`s working now and hopefully, by the first day of camp, he`s ready to go full speed.``
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (associated press): 2006-07 arizona cardinals betting preview
Think the Arizona Cardinals are going to do well this season playing in a new $370-million stadium, shoring up their ground game with Edgerrin James, and drawing a schedule with just four playoff qualifiers from last year?
You’re not alone. Arizona has been bet down from 77-1 to win the Super Bowl to 25-1 at Pinnacle sportsbook.
There’s a lot to like about the Cardinals. They have Neil Rackers, who may have had the greatest kicking season ever last year, converting 40 of 42 (95 percent) field goals. They may have the best wide receivers duo in the league with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden. Plus they have a passing attack that finished 20 yards ahead of the nearest competitor.
They are the only team to finish in the top 10 in offense and defense. They now have James, who has rushed for at least 1,500 yards in four of his seven seasons while averaging 4.4 yards per carry the past two years.
So they should finish with more than eight wins, which is their ‘over/under’ regular-season win total at Pinnacle, right?
Perhaps. But there’s also a lot not to like about the Cardinals. This is a team with a bad history, especially since relocating to the desert in 1988. They haven’t won more than seven games since 1998, the only year they made the playoffs since moving to Arizona.
Kurt Warner is 35 and hasn’t gone through a season unscathed since 2001. James is still at his peak, but he’s not going to get better and he’s joining a team that lost yardage on 13 percent of its running plays while finishing a distant dead last in rushing, averaging less than three yards per carry. The Cardinals scored just two touchdowns on the ground last year.
Arizona had the second-worst touchdown percentage in the red zone, was third-from-the-bottom in turnover ratio at -11, and ranked 27th in points allowed.
Coach Dennis Green has been more bluster than results. Green talks a strong game, but the Cardinals have yet to produce for him. Green hasn’t won more than six games each of the past three years, the last two with Arizona.
There are more questions. Can Rackers have anywhere near the success he had last year when he missed just two of 21 field goal attempts from 40 yards and beyond? The Cards’ schedule also might be little tougher than it looks. Arizona draws two of its weaker opponents, Oakland and Green Bay, away from home while finishing with four road games (at Minnesota, at St. Louis, at San Francisco and at San Diego) through the last six weeks.
No doubt the Cardinals have firepower at the flanks. The nice thing about Fitzgerald and Bolden is they both are young and have upside. Even if Warner should go down, Matt Leinart is there to replace him. The Cardinals caught a nice break that Leinart fell to them with the 10th pick in the draft and defenses now at least have to pay lip service to the Cardinals’ ground attack with James in the backfield.
Arizona’s key, though, is its defense. Just how good is it? The Cardinals were eighth-best in fewest yards allowed, but were lit up for at least 24 points in more than half their games last year.
Green’s mouth, the team’s passing attack and new stadium along with newcomer James get all the attention for Arizona. But the Cardinals’ success will come in the trenches. Their offensive line has to play better, particularly Leonard Davis, while the defensive line has to be more effective against the run.
The Cardinals suffered a cluster injury problem in their defensive line last season and lost four of their best six linemen for the season, including pass-rushing star Bertrand Berry.
Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is considered an up-and-comer. He should get back a healthy defensive line to go with linebacker Karlos Dansby and strong safety Adrian Wilson, both of whom played at Pro Bowl levels last year.
It’s a trendy thing to talk big about Arizona this coming season. However, it’s still not prudent. The defense has much to prove. Green is overrated. The offense does look glitzy. But would you rather have a fancy offense that settles for field goals, or an efficient, balanced attack that puts up touchdowns?
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS (covers.com): 2006-07 houston texans betting preview.
It seemed so promising for the expansion Houston Texans when they upset the Dallas Cowboys on national television in their first game ever.
That was back in 2002. Since then the Texans have dropped 44 of 63 games. Quarterback David Carr has been sacked an average of 52 times during these four seasons, and Houston’s defense hasn’t been as good as it was that first year when it ranked a mediocre 16th.
The Texans have averaged a measly 4 ½ wins per season during their four years in a league that does everything to ensure parity.
Some bookmakers believe Houston will be improved under first-year head coach Gary Kubiak. Pinnacle, for instance, has an over/under of 5 ½ wins for the Texans. Future book odds for Houston, of course, are still in the 100-1 vicinity.
Recreational bettors wouldn’t touch Houston last year, especially after the Texans failed to cover five of their first six. This forced linemakers to i SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWSate Houston’s pointspread on numerous occasions, which got professionals involved. The Texans actually went on a 6-2 pointspread run until failing to cover their last two games.
The Texans probably are going to be undervalued this season. That doesn’t mean they’re going to win six games, though. They may finish ahead of Tennessee, which would have meant something three years ago. Today it means very little.
Kubiak, with a Mike Shanahan background, could be the most promising of the 10 new head coaches. He believes he can help Carr take that next step, calling him the most improved player this off-season.
But we’ve been hearing about how improved Carr is supposed to be for three straight years now. If it doesn’t happen this season, it may never happen. Kubiak intends to let Carr be Carr, which means rollouts and an option to run instead of just sitting in a crushed pocket.
Eric Moulds and tight end Jeb Putzier give Carr a couple of legitimate receiving options, especially Moulds, in case security blanket Andre Johnson is double-teamed.
Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, and tackle Anthony Weaver significantly upgrade a defensive line. Houston’s special teams are good, too, except for the erratic field-goal kicking of Kris Brown.
Taking Williams, however, cost the Texans Reggie Bush. By leaving Bush on the table, the Texans are gambling Domanick Davis starts the season healthy. Davis hasn’t been able to practice during the offseason because of swelling in his knee.
Davis could be in for a monster season under Kubiak, who favors Denver’s style of zone blocking. But Davis never has played a full season during his three years in the league. He’s only 5-foot-9 and frequently is nicked up.
Other factors keep me from proclaiming the Texans can win six games. The Texans open against the Eagles, Colts, Redskins, Dolphins, Cowboys and Jaguars. So they could be looking at 0-6, which would drain a lot of optimism away.
Only San Francisco surrendered more yards last season than Houston. Disposed Texans Coach Dom Capers played a 3-4 even though he didn’t have enough of the right personnel. Wisely, the Texans are switching to a 4-3. Unfortunately, they may not have the right personnel to play that either.
Houston’s offensive line doesn’t look a whole lot better unless veteran center Mike Flanagan still has something left and rookie tackles Charles Spencer and Eric Winston can come through. Flanagan has much wear-and-tear and Spencer and Winston were taken in the third and fourth round, respectively.
Houston ranked third-from-the-bottom in passing. The leaky offensive line was a major reason, but Carr often did a Rob Johnson impersonation taking unnecessary sacks. You can’t blame the shell-shocked Carr, but it seemed he would give up too early, especially on a downfield pass. This can happen to a quarterback when he’s been sacked more than any other quarterback three of the past four years.
That’s a problem with picking Houston to go over 5 ½ wins. You have to deal with their mental state. Carr is suffering from battered quarterback syndrome, the defense hasn’t found their direction and Davis might not be 100 percent.
It’s a lot to put on a rookie coach, even one as potentially gifted as Kubiak.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS - (espn.com): falcons tight end has surgery.
Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Alge Crumpler, the Atlanta Falcons' leading receiver in each of the past two seasons, could be limited in training camp and the preseason as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery.
The surgery, to repair damage to the labrum and the rotator cuff in Crumpler's right shoulder, was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday afternoon. Although the procedure was performed in late February after Crumpler returned from the Pro Bowl game, it was never announced by the Falcons, until general manager Rich McKay confirmed it on Tuesday.
Crumpler also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery just after the 2005 season, and that operation had been acknowledged by Atlanta officials.
"I don't see there being any problem [with Crumpler's recovery]," McKay said. "I'm sure we'll bring him along at the right pace. We'll watch him, but he'll be OK."
The Falcons' first training camp practice is scheduled for the afternoon of July 27.
Crumpler, 28, missed much of the offseason program and did not participate in the Falcons' mandatory minicamp last month. His inactivity was attributed at the time to his ongoing recovery from knee surgery and team officials put a positive spin on it, noting that not having Crumpler on the field meant quarterback Michael Vick could spent more time throwing to his young wide receivers.
A five-year veteran, Crumpler is coming off his most productive season from a statistical standpoint. The former North Carolina star established new career bests in 2005 with 65 receptions and 877 yards, while scoring five touchdowns. Despite recurring knee problems that forced him to curtail his practice schedule, Crumpler started all 16 games in 2005.
Crumpler was a second-round choice in the 2001 draft and has 218 career catches for 2,988 yards and 22 touchdowns. Over the last three seasons in particular, when Vick has been healthy, Crumpler served as a safety net of sorts for the Atlanta quarterback. There is little doubt that Crumpler is the receiver in whom Vick has the most confidence, and he often turns to him in tough spots.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (espn.com): jets sign ramsey to 1 year extension
Quarterback Patrick Ramsey, acquired by the New York Jets earlier this spring to compete with the rehabilitating Chad Pennington for the starting job, has signed a one-year contract extension.
The extension, first reported by the New York Daily News, had been under discussion since the Jets added Ramsey in a deal with the Washington Redskins for a sixth-round draft choice. The add-on is worth $2.1 million and includes a $1.4 million roster bonus next spring.
The team also made a slight adjustment in Ramsey's contract for this season, converting $250,000 of his scheduled $1.688 million base salary into a roster bonus that was paid on June 30. Without the extension, Ramsey would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring, because this year represented the final season of his original rookie contract, signed in 2002.
Even with the extension, there are still no guarantees that Ramsey, 27, will return to the Jets in 2007. The team also owes Pennington, who dramatically adjusted his contract for this season to avoid being released as he recovered from a second surgery to his right rotator cuff, a $2 million roster bonus next spring.
It is unlikely the Jets will pay the two bonuses and retain both veteran quarterbacks beyond this season.
The Jets selected Kellen Clemens in the second round of this year's draft and the coaches reportedly were impressed with the former University of Oregon standout in their spring workouts. With the continuing uncertainty over Pennington, who has never played a full 16-game schedule and who has averaged only 8.3 starts over the last three seasons because of injuries, the starting situation remains unsettled.
First-year coach Eric Mangini has thrown the starting job open and Pennington, Ramsey, Clemens and three-year veteran Brooks Bollinger will compete in camp.
The Redskins' first-round choice in the 2002 draft, Ramsey has a 10-14 record as a starter. The former Tulane star has completed 480 of 861 passes for 5,649 yards, with 34 touchdown passes, 29 interceptions and a 75.0 passer rating. Ramsey began the 2005 season as the Redskins' starter but was replaced by Mark Brunell at halftime of the first game and did not start again all season.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (asociated press): san francisco mayor wants olympics and new stadium for 49ers
Mayor Gavin Newsom's pitch for the city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics includes building up to 4,000 athlete apartments at a former Navy shipyard and building a new stadium for the 49ers at Candlestick Point.
The plan will become more detailed if San Francisco makes the list of finalists, Newsom said Monday. A U.S. Olympic Committee decision is expected this week.
"It's a broad-strokes vision," Newsom said. "If we get into the second round, we are assuming that round will then require a level of specificity that will force us to make more declarative commitments."
The proposal would include apartments at the old Hunters Point Naval Shipyard to accommodate up to 15,000 athletes and Olympic officials, said Anne Cribbs, executive director of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee.
The apartments would be converted to rental units and condominiums after the games.
Several obstacles stand in the project's way.
Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Philadelphia have also made bids to the committee for the Olympics, and if San Francisco is selected, local organizers would need to raise at least $20 million to mount an international bid.
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS.com): priest holmes still not cleared for camp.
Four more seasons remain on his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and three-time Pro Bowl tailback Priest Holmes would like to play two or three of those years. The reality, however, is that Holmes doesn't know yet if he'll play even one more snap, let alone one more season.
Priest Holmes averaged 1,530 yards and 18.7 rushing TDs in his first three seasons with the Chiefs before injuries got in his way.
Less than three weeks remain until the Chiefs open training camp and Holmes, still recovering from the severe head and neck trauma he sustained more than eight months ago in a game against San Diego, hasn't been cleared to return to the field.
And doesn't know when, or if, he will be.
"Everything is on hold," Holmes, 32, told the San Antonio Express-News, his hometown newspaper, over the weekend.
Kansas City is solid at the starting spot, with emerging star Larry Johnson, who rushed for 1,750 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2005, having supplanted Holmes in the No. 1 role. Johnson compiled nine consecutive 100-yard performances, including five outings of 140-plus yards, after Holmes' injury moved him to the top of the depth chart. One of the first things new coach Herm Edwards did upon arriving in Kansas City as Dick Vermeil's successor was to meet with Johnson and apprise him he would go to camp as the starter.
Given last year's Pro Bowl performance by Johnson, a first-round pick in the 2003 draft, the move should not be a problem. What could be a dicey situation for the Chiefs, especially with Edwards' stated goal of running the ball even more this season, is locating a viable backup if Holmes cannot play.
The two most experienced reserve tailbacks on the roster after Holmes are journeymen Quentin Griffin and Dee Brown. The pair has totaled just 1,037 career rushing yards and six touchdowns. Kansas City is one of at least four franchises that has indicated interest in trading for New Orleans backup Michael Bennett, who was rendered expendable by the addition of Reggie Bush in the draft.
But Saints officials are in no hurry to deal Bennett until they reach a contract accord with Bush and reassess the ongoing rehabilitation of starter Deuce McAllister, who is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
A typically confident Edwards has steadfastly maintained that, if Holmes is not cleared to play again, one of the backups will step up. But the situation would be significantly ameliorated if Holmes, who has met several times with Dr. Robert Watkins in the offseason and will consult again with the Los Angeles-based specialist in the days before camp begins July 27, is able to return to the field.
The odds of that, though, appear to be long. Holmes has not worked out in organized football drills in the offseason and his usual conditioning and weight lifting regimens have been curtailed by his back woes. Watkins has cautioned Holmes about the potential long-term ramifications of another back or neck injury. And it appears that Holmes, who has appeared in only 15 games over the last two seasons, first because of a career-threatening hip injury in 2004 and then last year's head-and-neck trauma, is prepared to abide by Watkins' verdict on his football future.
"It's not what it will do to me today," Holmes said. "It's what it will do when I'm 40 or 50."
In his first three seasons in Kansas City (2001-03), after signing as an unrestricted free agent, Holmes averaged 1,530 yards and 18.7 rushing touchdowns. In the past two seasons, the nine-year veteran totaled 1,343 yards and 20 touchdowns. Limited to seven appearances in 2005, after a head-to-head collision with San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman, he gained just 451 yards, his lowest output since his 1997 rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens.
One of the game's top all-around tailbacks, Holmes has carried 1,734 times for 8,035 yards and 86 touchdowns in 109 games. He also has 334 receptions for 2,945 yards and eight touchdowns.
Having faced the potential end to his career once before, when most skeptics did not expect him to return from the 2004 hip displacement injury, Holmes seems at peace with whatever transpires in coming weeks.
"I don't think anybody's going to feel like they were [cheated]," if he doesn't play again, Holmes said. "I think I gave everybody their money's worth."
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS- (vegasinsider.com): AFC north preview.
Life up north can have its chilly moments, especially during the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS season. Life in the AFC has had its moments this decade as all five Super Bowl winners reside inside this now dominant conference… three-time winner New England in the AFC East and the other two in the AFC North. Is a six-pack in the offing in ’06?
Here is my take of teams in the AFC NORTH DIVISION for 2006.
BALTIMORE
Like the Cardinals, the Ravens were another team that improved their numbers on both sides of the ball, yet slipped both SU & ATS in 2005. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why, either, as Baltimore’s offense has become offensive, failing to crack the 20-point scoring barrier in any of their first 10 games last season (only three times all year). The erratic play of QB Kyle Boller (14-6 ATS as a favorite but 3-9 ATS as a dog) heightened the quest for a veteran signal caller, hence the anticipated arrival of former Titan Steve McNair. He’ll need to stay healthy to make a splash. The bottom line is Brian Billick is suddenly on the hot seat and needs to find the off switch. Don’t bet against him. It’s like Phil Leotardo of the Sopranos once explained to Mike Tice, “Next time there won’t be a next time.”
PLAY ON: home vs. Cincinnati (11/5) - *KEY
CINCINNATI
For the first time in memory the Bengals drafted players with the intention of filling spots for players they will likely lose as unrestricted free agents. Perhaps that’s an indication of how far they’ve come under Marvin Lewis’ direction as their first three picks in the draft were made with a purpose. In addition, nabbing troubled LB A.J. Nicholson in the 5th round could prove to be a steal. For it all Lewis is most excited about the return to full health of QB Carson Palmer, who will direct an explosive offense in 2006. Remember, this is a team that has won 17 of its last 25 regular season games while improving its numbers on both sides of the ball. They’ll be forced to take on the league’s 3rd toughest schedule, opening against playoff teams in five of their first six contests. Let’s see how they respond.
PLAY ON: vs. Atlanta - *KEY as dog - (10/29)
CLEVELAND
The changing of the guard is coming full circle in the Dawg Pound. Head coach Romeo Crennel has fashioned a very good, and young, defense without having traded away the future. A strong draft and a few free agent acquisitions have made the Browns a ‘sleeper team’ in 2006. A lot of their success falls into the person of QB Charlie Frye, whom it appears Crennel has put his faith. He’ll also count heavily on another solid year from RB Reuben Droughns, who surprised with 1,232 rushing yards last season. Look out should former No.1 picks Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards return to full health. Their presence will quickly accelerate Frye’s abilities. We like the fact they avoided their first winless division record in their 54-year history with a clutch win at Baltimore in the season finale. That victory spoke volumes about where this team is headed.
PLAY ON: as home dog vs. Pittsburgh (11/19) - *KEY +7 > points
PITTSBURGH
Winning a Super Bowl means many things to many teams. Aside from the added jewelry it brings, it assuredly calls attention to the team the following season, both in the press and on the playing field. Bill Cowher’s crew must now prepare itself for the onslaught of attention it will receive throughout the 2006 campaign ahead. How good were the Steelers last year, you ask? Amazingly, Pittsburgh lost three games during the regular season on the FINAL PLAY of the game. Consider that they won the prize despite playing every game away from home throughout the playoffs. In fact they were the first team seeded lower than No. 4 to capture the title. Despite QB Ben Roethlisberger’s stunning 27-4 mark as a starter, steep off season losses and the forever presence of the ‘Super Bowls-eye’ that awaits will likely find us fading the champs much of the season.
PLAY AGAINST: as a favorite vs. Jacksonville (9/18)
SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS FREE PICKS- (espn.com): broncos punter cited for ephedra.
Denver Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun has apprised team management that he will appeal his pending four-game suspension for an alleged violation of the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS's banned substances policy and is in the process of filing the pertinent paperwork with league officials.
Sauerbrun reportedly tested positive recently for ephedra, the stimulant added to the banned substance list following the training camp death of Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer in 2001. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement and the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS policy on steroids and related substances, the 11-year veteran cannot be suspended until the appeals process is completed.
The policy stipulates that a player must inform the commissioner in writing of his intention to appeal within five days after receiving written notification from the league of his pending suspension. He must stipulate, as well, if he is requesting a hearing, over which the commissioner or his designee would preside.
If a hearing is sought, the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS schedules it, either in person or via conference call, within 20 calendar days of the request. The SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS then provides the player and his counsel with a laboratory documentation package, verifying the test results and the chain-of-custody procedures. The player has two days after receipt of the documentation package to inform league officials, in writing, of the grounds for his appeal.
When the appeal is completed, the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS then has five working days to apprise the player of its decision. According to the league policy on steroids and related substances, the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS "will endeavor to conduct and conclude these procedures expeditiously."
Given the timeframes established by the steroid policy, it appears there is more than sufficient time for the Sauerbrun appeal to be resolved well in advance of the start of the regular season. The Broncos open the season at St. Louis on Sept. 10.
Because the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS does not officially announce suspensions until after an appeal has been decided -- league officials have, citing confidentiality guidelines, steadfastly declined to comment on the Sauerbrun case -- there is no way of knowing how many appeals have been successful. The consensus around the league, however, is that successful appeals are rare in such cases.
If he is suspended, Sauerbrun will be permitted to practice in training camp and participate in preseason games, but could not practice with the Broncos once the sanctions were in place for the regular season. He would forfeit $328,235, or four-seventeenths of his scheduled base salary of $1.395 million for 2006.
Denver officials have declined comment on the pending suspension, which, given the timing, likely would be for the first four games of the season.
"We'll deal with that after the appeal goes through, and at that time, I'll address it," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said on Friday.
The loss of Sauerbrun, a three-time Pro Bowl performer and widely regarded as one of the SPORTS HANDICAPPERS NFL PICKS NEWS's premier punters, would be a difficult one for the Broncos to absorb, even for four games.
"Todd's a Pro Bowl punter," said special teams coach Ronnie Bradford. "So I don't know if you can sustain. If we get something near that level, I think we'll be OK. But Todd played well for us last year."
In his first season in Denver, after being acquired from Carolina in a trade last spring, Sauerbrun averaged 43.8 yards gross and 38.0 yards net on 72 punts.
There are four candidates on the current roster and Denver officials could also seek a veteran punter still available in the free agent market. Broncos kicker Jason Elam was a punter in college. Paul Ernster, a seventh-round choice in the 2005 draft who split his rookie campaign between the Denver practice squad and injured reserve, led the nation in punting at Northern Arizona in 2004 with a 47.8-yard average, but is rehabilitating from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The roster also includes undrafted free agents Tyler Fredrickson of the University of California and Jeff Williams of Adams State.
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