Tony Sparano's House Put Up for Sale

Posted by Mike Florio on October 26, 2011, 4:46 PM EDT

AP

If there was any doubt that Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is bracing — and/or hoping — to be fired, there should now officially be none.

According to Jorge Sedano of 790 The Ticket in Miami, Sparano has put his house up for sale.

It may not be a coincidence that the news comes a day after word broke of the Dolphins’ flirtation with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.  In January, Sparano endured the indignity of owner Stephen Ross and G.M. Jeff Ireland pursuing former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh for the job that Sparano still held.

The latest development possibly reflects something more than Sparano getting ready for the inevitable.  He’s smart enough to at least wonder whether owner Stephen Ross is maintaining the status quo, at least for now, in order to increase the chances of sliding to the bottom of the league, and in turn to the top of the draft order.  If Sparano is fired, he’d get a buyout for the balance of his contract, which was extended as a courtesy/apology/P.R. move after the Harbaugh debacle — and Sparano would get a head start on finding his next job, presumably as an offensive line coach.  He could even join a team for the balance of the 2011 season, as a consultant.

Thus, it’d be interesting to know how many times Sparano has overruled assistant coaches this year, deliberately making ill-advised calls that contributed to losses.  I have no reason to think this has happened, but if I were investigating whether he’s trying to get fired, that would be an obvious place to start looking for proof.

Regardless, it’s now clear Sparano knows it’s coming.  The only remaining questions are whether he’s trying to make it happen and, if so, when it will indeed occur.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m. ET:  Sparano said today that he put the house up for sale because he’s an “empty-nester.”  Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post reports that the house was “initially” put on the market in January, a week after Sparano received a contract extension from the team — and also roughly two weeks after he was figuratively castrated by an owner who tried to hire Jim Harbaugh.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Vince Young Beings Sued by Strip Club Owner

October 26, 2011, 1:06 pm

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Vince Young is being sued by a Dallas strip club manager he allegedly punched in the face last year.

Creiton Kinchen claims in a lawsuit filed in a Dallas court Tuesday that the 28-year-old Houston native and former University of Texas star hit him "suddenly and without provocation" at the club.

Kinchen, a manager at Club Onyx in Dallas, says he refused to convert US$8,000 off Young's credit card into single dollar bills for tip money.

Kinchen says Young was drunk at the time of the June 12, 2010, scuffle. Young was cited for misdemeanour assault. He has said that he was provoked and "made a mistake even being there."

Tom Condon, Young's agent, could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Cowboys Not Ready to Place Workload Solely On Murray

Brad Biggs - National Football Post

Don’t expect an encore performance from DeMarco Murray.

At least not in terms of the 25 carries he had in Sunday’s victory over the St. Louis Rams.

The rookie from Oklahoma set a Cowboys’ franchise record by rushing for 253 yards in the win. According to the Dallas Morning News, it was the most carries by a Dallas back since Marion Barber had 25 in 2008. Felix Jones, the injured back ahead of Murray on the depth chart, has never had more than 22 in a game.

"Certainly the trend in the NFL over the last 15 or 20 years is to use multiple backs,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "The days of Emmitt Smith carrying it 30 times a game for 16 straight weeks, I don't know if those exist anymore."

The days of Jones being the featured back for the Cowboys might not exist much longer either. Murray turned heads with his effort and he’s going to continue to get touches. If he produces, the starting job could be his even when Jones is healthy. He has a high ankle sprain right now, so the expectation is Murray will start again this week when the Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Drew Rosenhaus Admits No Teams Have Called About Terrell Owens

Posted by Michael David Smith on October 26, 2011, 1:06 PM EDT

AP

A day after Terrell Owens worked out in front of TV cameras but not any NFL scouts, agent Drew Rosenhaus said the workout did not yield any calls from NFL teams.

“No, I haven’t and I don’t think teams are just going to bang down our door,” Rosenhaus said this morning on ESPN Radio. “I think they will continue to evaluate this. It may take another injury. It may take a team to lose another game. It might take a team that has a receiver go down or whose offense struggles further, or for a veteran quarterback to come in and say, ‘I want Terrell Owens on my football team.’”

But Rosenhaus said he’s not discouraged by the lack of interest so far. Instead, he says yesterday’s workout was an attempt to begin the process of generating some interest.

“It really wasn’t a surprise,” Rosenhaus said. “The reality is that we really were trying to create interest. We were trying to generate a buzz. We were trying to show the teams that are currently not banging down our door that Terrell is healthy, and he is in shape, and the knee injury is behind him. And I think we accomplished that.”

Rosenhaus said money won’t be a problem once a team shows interest, and he’s confident that some team will show interest.

“Just because they weren’t there doesn’t mean they weren’t interested,” Rosenhaus said. “I guarantee all 32 teams were paying attention.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

10/26 Wednesday Morning One-Liners

Posted by Michael David Smith on October 26, 2011, 7:40 AM EDT

Reuters

Bills KR Brad Smith finds it frustrating how often he has to let kickoffs go out the end zone.

Dolphins owner Steve Ross gets some of the blamefor how tough it’s been for coach Tony Sparano to get his team on track.

The Patriots are still waiting on some production from DT Albert Haynesworth.

Said Jets QB Mark Sanchez of trying to draw the Chargers offside, “We were working the cadence quite a bit we saw them get jumpy. Shaun Phillips, he comes flying off the edge so anything you can do to reduce their pass rush will help.”

Neck stingers to Ravens S Ed Reed and NT Terrence Cody aren’t considered serious.

The Bengals have two rookie of the year candidates in QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green.

Pat Shurmur looks like a good fit in Cleveland.

Said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin of NT Casey Hampton: “We could get him back in the fold and, of course, that would be a nice shot in the arm for us up front defensively.”

With WR Andre Johnson hurt, the Texans are turning more to their tight ends.

The Indianapolis Star has more talk that Jim Caldwell is on the hot seat.

The Jaguars think they’re still in the AFC South race.

In Tennessee, Chris Johnson is evoking bad memories of Vince Young.

The Broncos will be leaning on RB Knowshon Moreno.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley is reminding his team that the 1989 Steelers were blown out in their first two games but rebounded to make the playoffs.

Raiders coach Hue Jackson wants his team to get healthy.

The Chargers aren’t sweating a tough spot in their schedule.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says he doesn’t expect to give RB DeMarco Murray25 carries again any time soon.

Said Giants DE Justin Tuck, “It’s probably best to take it day by day, but I’m feeling better. I haven’t had the opportunity to go out there and actually perform on the football field yet. You just want to be careful to not have setbacks because if I can go into the game feeling like I feel right now, yes, I would probably play.”

The Eagles are 12-0 after a bye under head coach Andy Reid.

Said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan of Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, “I’ve got to do a better job of getting these guys ready to play.”

Bears G Chris Williams is held up as an example of the team’s problematic recent drafts.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn’t worried about QB Matthew Stafford’s arm: “I think Matt’s got really good mechanics. I think he’s always thrown good, accurate passes. I don’t have a whole lot of worry about it.”

Packers WR Randall Cobb is having his ups and downs as a rookie.

QB Christian Ponder is one of the few promising signs for the Vikings.

Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli is heading to injured reserve.

In Carolina, some people are raising a fuss about Panthers fans selling their tickets to fans of opposing teams.

Saints QB Drew Brees says he’s never seen anything quite like the blowout win over the Colts.

It may be time for the Buccaneers to speed up their offensive pace.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has limited options for turning his team around.

Rams LB Chris Chamberlain has gone from wondering if he’d make the roster to the starting lineup.

LB NaVorro Bowman is making a major impact for the 49ers.

The Seahawks are looking lost on offense, and it’s particularly troubling that they were never able to get the ball to WR Doug Baldwin on Sunday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Terrell Owens and Tryout Tuesday around the league

Posted by Mike Florio on October 26, 2011, 9:57 AM EDT

AP

On Tuesday, receiver Terrell Owens worked out for scouts in California.  The only problem?  No scouts showed up.

For starters, most scouts currently are criss-crossing the country, visiting college practices and games.  Also, teams with interest in available free agents will bring them in for workouts, in lieu of traveling to watch them run and cut.  Any team interested in Owens can do that, any day of the week.

Then there’s the fact that, if a team brings T.O. in, the team will want him to do things he didn’t do on Tuesday, like run 40 yards in a straight line.

The most common day of the week on which players work out for teams is Tuesday, and 53 players not named Terrell Owens received on-site workouts this week.

Here’s the list of all of them.  Keep an eye out for a certain former top-five draft pick, and for the absence of a man whose DNA match is still getting it done for the Buccaneers, who currently are in significant need of a running back.

Falcons:  tackles Kirk Chambers, Kyle Jolly, Kenny Wiggins; running backs Mike Cox, Verron Haynes, Jason McKie, Dimitri Nance, Lousaka Polite; guard Dennis Landolt.

Cowboys:  running backs Aaron Brown and Jason Parmele; defensive backs C.C. Brown, Chris Horton, Darcel McBath, Justin Taplin-Ross, C.J. Wilson; guards Nick Cole and Mike Gibson; receivers Yamon Figurs, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Tiquan Underwood, Demetrius Williams; tackle Langston Walker.

Broncos:  running backs Xavier Omon and Tyrell Sutton.

Lions:  defensive end George Selvie.

Texans:  defensive tackles Kentwan Balmer, Landon Cohen, Lamar Divens, Ra’Shon Harris, Trey Lewis, Kade Weston.

Vikings:  quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson; receivers Chris Brooks, Kerry Taylor, Terrence Toliver.

Jets:  receivers Andy Brewer, DeMarcus Ganaway, Dexter Jackson, Jamarko Simmons; tight end Shawn Nelson; defensive end Ricky Sapp.

Eagles:  defensive back Andrew Sendejo.

Buccaneers:  running backs Jon Hoese and Eddie Williams; tight end Ryan Winterswyk.

Titans:  guards Stanley Daniels, Leonard Davis, Vincent Manuwai, Duke Robinson.

Redskins:  running backs Tristan Davis, Kareem Huggins.

Back to Owens, it’s hard not to wonder whether the open workout was part of his latest reality show, a plot line aimed at driving whatever contrived notion the producers are trying to push.

It doesn’t mean T.O. will never find another job in the NFL.  All it takes is one team to be sufficiently desperate to bring him in, check him out, and offer him a contract.  He played well for the Bengals last year, and if he is recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in the offseason, he could still contribute to a team.

If that team is willing to assume the risk that Owens will find a way to tear the team apart from the inside out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Darren McFadden's Foot is Structurally Sound

Coach Hue Jackson assured Tuesday that Darren McFadden's right foot checked out fine structurally.

McFadden isn't practicing during the bye week, but there's hope that he'll return to the field next week before the Week 9 game against the Broncos. McFadden owners need to have Michael Bush rostered this week, as we won't have a good read on the starter's status until late next week. Oct 25 - 4:02 PM

Source: Steve Corkran on Twitter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Bills Place Shawne Merriman on IR

Bills end OLB Merriman's (Achilles) season

Bills placed OLB Shawne Merriman (Achilles) on injured reserve, ending his season.

"Shawne has worked extremely hard," said GM Buddy Nix, "but unfortunately, his Achilles flared back up and it doesn't appear that he will be able to return to the field anytime soon." Merriman has $3 million guaranteed on his 2012 salary "with exception for injury," so the Bills could be off the hook after the 27-year-old played just five games, collecting one sack. Due to a series of lower leg injuries, Merriman will end up missing 41-of-64 games over a four-year period. He suggested Tuesday that he will undergo surgery to prevent the Achilles tendon from rupturing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Carlos Rogers Wants a Long Term Deal in San Francisco

Posted by Mike Florio on October 26, 2011, 7:07 AM EDT

Reuters

Thanks to the rules of the uncapped year, former Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogershad to wait six years to get a crack at free agency.  He could have another shot at the open market in 2012, after signing a one-year deal with the 49ers.

But he doesn’t want it.

“If we can get something worked out, that would be great,” Rogers told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.  “My agent knows that I like what’s going on here.  I want to be here.  This has been great for me, and I would love to get something worked out for five, six years.”

Rogers, 30, has a career-high three interceptions this season, in only six games.  Rogers also said that he and his agent has discussed the general parameters of a fair deal, but Rogers didn’t know whether any talks have taken place with the team.

He is making $4.25 million in 2011 as, essentially, the replacement for Nate Clements, who was cut by the 49ers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Vikings suspend Chris Cook indefinitely, without pay

Posted by Mike Florio on October 25, 2011, 11:15 PM EDT

Getty Images

The rough week of Vikings defensive backChris Cook has gotten a little rougher.

Released from jail on bail after being arrested for domestic assault over the weekend (which caused him to miss Sunday’s game against the Packers), Cook now faces the loss of his job.  Possibly.

Until the Vikings decide what to do with Cook, the team has suspended him without pay.  The team announced the decision on Tuesday night, calling the allegations against Cook “very disturbing and disappointing.”

Cook allegedly choked his girlfriend after learning she had talked to an ex-boyfriend.  Cook has proclaimed his innocence on Twitter.

Under the CBA, player may be suspended up to four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team.  Though off-duty behavior typically falls under the auspices of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Cook’s brush with the law left him unavailable to do his job on Sunday, which clearly was detrimental to his team.

The Vikings also would likely be within their rights to cut Cook.  Still, a suspension without pay extending beyond four games could give rise to a fight under the plain terms of the labor deal.

Cook joined the team via the top of round two in 2010, after the Vikings traded out of the bottom of round one with the Lions, who used the pick to take tailbackJahvid Best.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Cowher, Gruden linked to the Dolphins

Posted by Mike Florio on October 25, 2011, 9:11 PM EDT

Getty Images

With Dolphins coach Tony Sparano’s days numbered and owner Stephen Ross reportedly looking for a superstar, the list of potential candidates is nearly as small as the number of games the Dolphins have won on their home field since December 2009.  Short of luring Bill Belichick or Sean Payton or Mike Tomlin or Mike McCarthy — all of whom are under contract with other teams and beyond all doubt not available — to town, the list would consist of three names:  Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, and Jon Gruden.  (The only other coach to win a Super Bowl in the last decade not named Belichick, Gruden, Cowher, Dungy, Tomlin, Payton, or McCarthy is Tom Coughlin.)

Dungy consistently has said he’s not returning, and based on the time I spend with him every weekend at dinner on Saturday night and all day on Sunday, I completely believe that.  So it’s down to Cowher or Gruden.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross “apparently” has his eyes on Cowher and Gruden, and that Cowher and Gruden could be interested.

“Both Cowher and Gruden have quietly planted seeds that they would like to return to coaching and are more than open to listening to an offer from Miami owner Stephen Ross,” Cole writes.  “According to two sources in and around the team, former Dolphins quarterback and current CBS studio analyst Dan Marino has been telling Dolphins management that Cowher, an analyst partner, is geared up for a return.  Cowher is also close with Ross confidant Carl Peterson.”

Cole says that Gruden, who signed an “exclusive” five-year deal with ESPN that kicks in next year that apparently doesn’t preclude him from returning to coaching, “told more than a few folks” while in Miami for the Week One game between the Patriots and Dolphins “that he’ll be ready to go next offseason.”  (Last year, Gruden’s son blurted out that the former Raiders and Bucs coach could be coming back to the game in 2012.)

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com takes it one step farther.  He reports that the Dolphins already have contacted Cowher through intermediaries.  Cowher has refused to discuss any jobs that currently are filled, and Peter King recently reported that Cowher’s primary factor in picking a new team will be whether and to what extent he believes he can win.

The ability to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck may not be enough.  With the salary cap back in place, Cowher would need to assess the full roster, and he’d need to analyze whether and to what extent players who need to go can be dumped without creating the kind of cap havoc that could make it hard to acquire competent replacements.

Regardless, it’s not hard to compile a list of “superstar” NFL coaches.  With no potential Jim Harbaughs in the college ranks and with Dungy staying put at NBC, it’s Cowher and Gruden.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .

Video: Matt Ryan Talks About Elite Quarterbacks

Posted by Mike Florio on October 25, 2011, 8:38 PM EDT

Getty Images

Quarterback Matt Ryan joined PFT Live on Tuesday, covering a lot of ground on a variety of topics.

The discussion turned to the subject of elite quarterbacks, and I asked Ryan what makes an elite quarterback, who the elite quarterbacks currently are in the NFL, and whether he’s one of them.

On the last question, he said exactly what Eli Manning should have said when faced with that same question earlier this year.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tiger Report is holding a free giveaway! Enter Now for a Chance to Win a Free NFL Team Flag, courtesy of our sponsor CVS Flags! .