No consensus forty time for Trent Richardson following Pro Day

Posted by Evan Silva on March 29, 2012, 2:15 PM EDT

AP

The Alabama Crimson Tide held its “Pro Day II” on Thursday morning, and running back Trent Richardsonwas the main attraction. Richardson has been recovering from a January knee scope.

We know the projected top-10 pick ran the forty-yard dash twice.

But we don’t really know what his forty time was.

It was repeatedly said on SportsCenter Thursday that Richardson registered “a 4.4 forty.” NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks clocked Richardson “in the 4.45 to 4.49 range.” The times relayed by ESPN3′s live broadcast were 4.58 and 4.58, “unofficially.” In his Pro Day review, SI.com draft analyst Tony Pauline wrote that Richardson “failed to run an elite 40 time.”

Despite early indications, Lions still pursuing Asante Samuel

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 29, 2012, 1:25 PM EDT

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Although Tennessee appears to be the most likely landing spot for cornerback Asante Samuel, the Lions are also interested in acquiring Samuel in a trade with the Eagles.

Mike O’Hara of FOXSportsDetroit.com reports that the Lions’ interest in Samuel continues. Detroit attempted to trade for Samuel last year, but a deal couldn’t be reached. Cornerback remains a position of need for the Lions, who lost Eric Wright in free agency.

For the Lions, a potential stumbling block is whether Samuel is willing to take a pay cut. Detroit doesn’t have a lot of cap space, and Samuel’s base salary of $9.9 million is not something the Lions would likely be willing to pay.

The Eagles are reportedly seeking a third-round pick for Samuel, although they may be willing to accept a 2013 third-rounder that would be conditioned on Samuel meeting certain playing time benchmarks.

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McNabb says the Shanahan's are a bad match for RG3

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 29, 2012, 10:59 AM EDT

AP

Donovan McNabb was a failure playing for Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan in Washington, and McNabb thinks Robert Griffin III will be a failure in the Shanahans’ offense, too. But that won’t be Griffin’s fault.

Asked on ESPN First Take if Griffin is a good fit with the offense the Shanahans run in Washington, McNabb answered, “No.”

McNabb, who was benched in his only season playing for the Redskins, said that if the Redskins, as expected, take Griffin with the second overall pick in the NFL draft, the father-and-son Shanahan combination will try to force Griffin into their own offensive system, rather than modifying their offense to capitalize on Griffin’s strengths.

Asante Samuel could be traded to the Titans

Posted by Mike Florio on March 28, 2012, 10:27 PM EDT

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Amid rumblings and reports that the Titans are interested in Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel, the move could soon be coming to fruition.

Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com reports that Samuel could be traded to the Titans within the next few days.

Per Gunn, the Eagles would receive a conditional third-round pick.  Which could mean that the pick would come in the 2013 draft based on Samuel’s performance in 2012, since the only condition that would apply before the 2012 draft would relate to signing Samuel to a new contract.

Samuel has a $10.5 million cap number in 2012.  Per NFLPA records, Samuel is due to earn a base salary of $9.9 million.

The Eagles signed Samuel on the first day of free agency in 2008.  He previously played for the Patriots.  The arrival of Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in 2011 made Samuel a luxury that, as of 2012, the Eagles no longer can afford.

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Top 10 remaining unrestricted free agents

Posted by Evan Silva on March 28, 2012, 8:56 PM EDT

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Free agency has come screeching to a halt, but there are still some interesting names available on the open market.

Here’s a breakdown of the top ten players left unsigned on the PFT Hot 100.

1. Offensive tackle Marcus McNeill — Released by San Diego on March 13, McNeill visited the Lions a day later but left without a contract. He was rumored to have meetings lined up with the Falcons and Chiefs, but they apparently fell through. While McNeill has two Pro Bowls and 82 starts at a premium NFL position on his resume at age 28, medical concerns have clearly hurt McNeill’s market value.

2. Offensive tackle Demetrius Bell — Bell has drawn interest from the Redskins and Cardinals, and will visit the Packers later this week. Like McNeill, Bell is a 28-year-old starting-caliber left tackle who’s been plagued by injuries. Bell’s medical concerns aren’t as significant as McNeill’s, however, and it would be surprising if he wasn’t signed soon.