Repeatedly saying that he wanted to retire could be a way for the Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams to explain his wish of being treated like a star. As words did not express that wish well enough, he hired someone that is good at negotiating to help him.
That’s how I explain why the running back changed his agent to Drew Rosenhaus after previously saying that he would retire following the 2010 season. According to reports, his former Leigh Steinberg was fired after failing to get Williams a $4.35 million extension for 2010, while Rosenhaus was well-known for negotiating on clients’ benefits.
So Williams’ goal is a extension that could keep him in NFL jerseys beyond the 2010 season. At age 33, he just came off his best season in 2009 since joining the Dolphins in 2002. The ten-year veteran had a 4.7 yards-per-carry average and 1,121 yards rushing along with 13 scored touchdowns last season.
The Anaheim Ducks defense James Wisniewski did not argue when he received an eight-game suspension from the NHL as what he did could cause the defenseman in opponent team’s NHL jersey to miss the rest of the season.
The incident occurred at 2:22 of the second period during the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss on Wednesday. Wisniewski knocked Brent Seabrook, who struck the glass on head with such force that it left him with a dazed expression a couple of seconds before he fell to the ice. Wisniewski received a minor penalty for charging, and Seabrook had to leave the ice field for examination.
The Blackhawks did not release much information about the severity of Seabrook’s condition, but it has been guessed he could have sustained a concussion that would send him to the injured reserve to end his season. After all, it’s a dangerous hit.
Free agent quarterback David Carr officially put on the San Francisco 49ers jersey after signing a two-year contract with the team on Monday, and on the same day, the former 49ers backup quarterback Shaun Hill was traded to the Detroit Lions for a 2011 draft pick.
Carr spent the past two seasons with the New York Giants as a backup for Eli Manning and thought that he may have more playing time in San Francisco because 49ers Coach Mike Singletary seems likely to welcome an experienced quarterback who could push starter Alex Smith and challenge for playing time.
“They have said that competition is what they love around here,” Carr said. “It makes you feel better. One of Singletary’s things is, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ The thing that I wanted to hear, from all those guys, was I’ll have a chance to be on the field if I play the way I know I can play and they said yes. Once I get on the field, I feel confident that we are going to play well.”
Carr, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002, spent his first five seasons with the Houston Texans. Being sacked 76ers times as a rookie, he completed 60 percent of his passes with 59 touchdowns and 65 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 75.5 in the five years. He Joined the Carolina Panthers in 2007. There he played in only six games and started four of them before leaving for the Giants to backup Manning.
As the NFL’s third-leading rusher who helped the New York Jets reach the AFC Championship Game last season, running back Thomas Jones was still released by the Jets. But thanks to the Jets’ releasing, the Kansas City Chiefs now have a big boost to their running game after signing a two-year contract with the veteran running back Thomas Jones.
Jones had career highs of 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, one year after he was selected for the Pro Bowl following a season in which he ran for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns. At age 31, he is expected to complement third-year running back Jamaal Charles after putting on brand new Chiefs jersey.
The main reason for the Jets to release Jones when free agency began last Friday was a $3.3 million roster bonus on top of a $2.8 million base salary in 2010 season. Besides, Jones and the Jets failed to agree on principles of restructuring his old contract because the team wanted him to take a pay cut while the running back was hoping for a raise.
Although it has been hotly discussed since the free agency began on Friday, the chance is small for Denver Broncos star wide receiver Brandon Marshall to put on the Cincinnati Bengals jersey in 2010 season, although the Bengals are indeed in lack of wide receivers.
According reports by the ESPN, the Bengals have not given any public comment on acquiring Marshall from the Broncos. The Cincinnati Enquirer also supported that opinion by saying that the Bengals are unlikely to take any action on Marshall other than talking about it internally. The Enquirer also said that the only chance of the Bengals considering picking Marshall is that both Buffalo Bills free agent Terrell Owens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent Antonio Bryant refuse their offers.
That is to say, acquiring Owens or Bryant is currently the priority of the Bengals, who are holding the 21st overall pick of the first round, which is the very price the Buccaneers ask for giving up Bryant if the team finds nothing to match Bryant from the Bengals.
As early as during the Super Bowl week, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco offered his suggestion of having Terrell Owens put on Bengals jersey after becoming a free agent. Well, according to latest reports, Ochocinco was not alone on that matter. The Bengals are indeed interested in getting the legendary wide receiver.
Per the reports, Owens is on a list of veteran receivers whom the Bengals will investigate on the free-agent market. The names on the list also include Kevin Walter, who has already been signed by the San Francisco 49ers, Antonio Bryant, Chris Chambers and Josh Reed. The problem with joining the Bengals is that the team is in favor of signing a one-year contract without having to pay top dollar.
At the moment, the unrestricted free agent wide receivers who are still on the open market include: Owen, Bryant, Chambers, Reed, Torry Holt and Derrick Mason. Nate Burleson was also there early Friday but was later signed away by the Detroit Lions.
According to multiple reports, the Washington Redskins are going to prepare for the 2010 season with a younger team, and their first step will be getting rid of quite a few players who are over the age of 30. There are big-name players on the list of who are expected to be cut.
By so far the names of the list include defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, wide receiver Antwaan Randle EI, offensive right guard Randy Thomas, runner back Ladell Betts, cornerback Fred Smoot and running back Rock Cartwright. Among them, Griffin is perhaps the biggest surprise of the lot, but he has been plagued by injuries for much of his Redskins career.
Randle El was the team’s primary slot receiver and punt returner the past few seasons but has not lived up to the free-agent contract he signed in 2006. Thomas had a solid career in Redskins jersey but has been struggling with injuries and does not look like the strong in the new scheme of new head coach Mike Shanahan. Betts ended last season on injured reserve and is expected to be either released or granted an injury settlement.
After having a look of the big names above, we may understand better why the Redskins finished last season 4-12. As the one of the oldest teams in the league, it’s hardly expected to give better performance. Then it’s no surprise new coach Shanahan is expected to cut the old players before bringing in younger guys.
The free-agency signing period begins March 5, but among the more than 200 players that would have become unrestricted free agents, most, especially the youngsters, have been tied with their old teams through different ways. The rest who are really to be free agents will include only about 50 players.
The rest are going to be free agents mostly because they are under contracts that are due significant bonuses over the next few months. Some of them will be released instead of getting the bonus and join the free agent market on Friday. Such examples include Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle, who is due a $4 million bonus but is unlikely to receiver that money.
Among the 50 free agents, some are really great benefit for teams looking for help. On top of the greatest choices is defensive end Julius Peppers who was released by the Carolina Panthers. At 30, he’s young enough to play for four years and will help any team a lot with improving the defensive line.
Other top choices include linebackers Karlos Dansby, Gary Brackett, running back Thomas Jones, who is expected to take off his Jets jersey because the team seems determined to release him before the day comes for them to pay the roster bonus, safety Darren Sharper, who is old but tied for the league lead in 2009 with nine interceptions and took three back for touchdowns, and safety from the Steelers, Ryan Clark, running back from Chargers, Darren Sproles, wide receiver from the Ravens, Derrick Mason and Sproles’ teammate and one of the best running backs in the league: LaDainian Tomlinson.
It seems that the Cleveland Browns wide receiver and kick returner Josh Cribbs has something very important to tell and he needs to make some announcement on a press conference Friday. That causes many to guess what he wants to tell people.
The most popular speculation is about the new deal that has not been done between the player and the Browns. Will Cribbs announce that a new deal has been done already or will he just complaint about the team’s hesitation to settle things in a quick and clear way? A lot of people expect him to announce a new contract since so much progress has been made. But to our surprise, the Browns said they hadn’t heard about a press conference. It sounds unlikely the announcement will be about a contract since the Browns seem unaware of the conference.
What’s going on?
“It’s not very often that fans get to hear an announcement from a player in person,” Cribbs said in a statement. “And, it’s even more unlikely that they’re given a chance to speak to that player right after that announcement has been made. That’s why I’m choosing to have this press conference at the auto show. So that anyone in attendance will have the opportunity to hear what I have to say and the chance to speak with me about it in person.”
Still no clue to what he wants to talk about with fans “in person”. If it’s really about the deal, I guess it will be a gripe session during which Cribbs will pour out all the bad feelings he has had since putting on the Browns jersey. But who knows? We can just wait for the things to work out by itself.
Entering the final year of his current contract, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is likely to become the highest-paid player in the NFL if a contract with the Colts is signed. And most people consider he deserves it.
“He’s probably the second athlete where you could say he can name his price,” said an agent who has no financial or personal connection to Manning of any kind. “The only other athlete who could pretty much name his price was Michael Jordan when he was with the [Chicago] Bulls.”
Indeed. The 33-year-old quarterback has been voted to be MVP for four times and set a lot of records of the league. The 12-year veteran and first overall draft pick of 1998 is set to earn a base salary of $15.8 million next season with a salary cap number of $19.27 million. But the Colts could offer more than the cap if the league goes into an uncapped season as expected on Friday when free agency opens.
There is also chance for the Colts to put the franchise tag on Manning next offseason. But that would be the last thing the Colts would like to do only in case no new deal is worked out between two sides. Even before the Colts’ Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Colts owner Jim Irsay expressed the team’s determination to keep Manning in Colts jersey for his entire career with a new, lucrative deal that will make the quarterback the highest-paid player in the league.
