Frank Gore defends Vilma, Saints

Brad Biggs - National Football Post

Perhaps it’s a little surprising to hear a San Francisco 49er that was targeted by Gregg Williams come to the defense of the New Orleans Saints and Jonathan Vilma.

But Frank Gore, the 49ers running back that Williams implored his defenders to attack, did just that. In comments to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Gore defended the type of player Vilma is and said the comments Williams made show a level of respect in the NFL.

On the infamous tape from the defensive meeting the night before the NFC playoff game, Williams says, “We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.”

Gore’s response?

“When you hear another team call your name, that means respect,” he said. “That's a lot of respect, and you're doing something right for your team. So it don't bother me at all.”

Gore also defended Vilma, who has been suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the entire 2012 season. Keep in mind, they were teammates at Miami and prior to that they played together at Coral Gables High School.

“When we played them, I felt it was how the game was supposed to be played,” Gore told Barrows. “And I played high school ball with Vilma, and I know he's not that type of guy. He's a hard worker, he enjoys the game of football and he's going to give it his all every snap.”

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Raiders won't lose another first-round pick for Palmer trade

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 6, 2012, 7:08 PM EDT

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Despite reports that the Raiders could have to send their 2013 first-round draft pick to the Bengals in the Carson Palmer trade, Oakland is locked into sending only its 2013 second-round pick to Cincinnati.

A Raiders official told Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times that the Raiders, who already traded away this year’s first-round pick for Palmer, will conclude the trade by sending next year’s second-round pick to the Bengals.

Previous reports that the Bengals could get the Raiders’ first-round pick if Palmer led Oakland to the AFC Championship Game were apparently incorrect: The Bengals’ compensation will be the Raiders’ 2012 first-round pick and the Raiders’ 2013 second-round pick, and there’s no chance for the 2013 pick to be upgraded to a first-rounder.

Palmer believes that the Raiders and Bengals both won in the trade. At the cost of a first-round pick and a second-round pick, he’ll have to play well for the Raiders for years to come if he wants most people to agree with him.

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Will Saints OTA fracas lead to more OTA sanctions?

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2012, 4:02 PM EDT

Fights during offseason workouts used to simply provide a break in the shorts-and-T-shirts monotony.  Now, they could be providing evidence of potential violations of the offseason rules against live contact.

And the next team to find that out the hard way could be the hard-luck Saints.

The Seahawks lost a pair of OTA days on Tuesday, based presumably on rough play that preceded a series of skirmishes last month during a voluntary practice.  ReceiverDoug Baldwin reportedly was hit hard by safety DeShawn Shead.  KJR’s Curtis Crabtree said during Wednesday’s PFT Live that a hit on receiver Ben Obamanu also triggered a fracas that same day.

Blackmon says he's done drinking and will seek help

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2012, 3:23 PM EDT

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In a press conference that was neither streamed on the Jaguars’ website nor permitted to be carried on live television or radio, Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon apologized for his recent arrest for aggravated DUI, and he has sworn off alcohol, at least for the time being.

“First off, I want to apologize to [G.M.] Gene [Smith] and Mr. [Shahid] Khan and his family and coach [Mike] Mularkey,” Blackmon said.  “The whole organization, teammates, everyone that I with my poor judgment over the weekend that I brought bad press to.  I want to apologize to fans or people that looked up to me, because what I did, the decision I made over the weekend, that might be questioning who I am now.  I just want to apologize for that, and just let people know that’s not who I am, that’s not who I’m going to be. . . .  I’m looking to make things better, and I will continue to try to do that, from starting yesterday on.”

Weeden establishing himself as the starter already?

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 6, 2012, 1:05 PM EDT

AP

When the Browns spent a first-round draft pick on Brandon Weeden, it was widely believed that he would get an opportunity to unseat Colt McCoy as the starting quarterback during training camp. But that may not be quite right: It could turn out that the Browns will name Weeden the starter even before training camp.

That’s what Browns coach Pat Shurmur hinted at today’s minicamp practice: Shurmur noted that when he was offensive coordinator in St. Louis, they named rookie quarterback Sam Bradford the starter at the beginning of training camp, and that worked out well.

Of course, Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick and Weeden was the No. 22 overall pick, so the situations are not quite the same. But Shurmur said he’d like to pick a starter “sooner rather than late,” and all indications are that Weeden is the favorite of the coaching staff. Weeden has been getting the reps with the first-string offense, and Shurmur said Weeden is fitting right in.

“He’s quickly getting a feel for his receivers,” Shurmur said.

Shurmur also noted that the whole reason you draft a player in the first round is that you view him as a starter.

“When you have new players that you really like, and that’s why you picked them, you just need to see them come in and do it before you make that move,” Shurmur said.

If Weeden keeps looking good over the rest of minicamp and OTAs, Shurmur may be ready to make the move before training camp starts.

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Giants extend Coughlin through 2014

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2012, 1:07 PM EDT

AP

The Giants recently ensured that they won’t have to worry about a holdout from defensive end Osi Umenyiora, and now they won’t have to worry about one from coach Tom Coughlin, either.

The Giants have announced that the man who has won two of the last five Super Bowls has received a two-year extension.  Coughlin’s new contract ties him up through 2014.

On Tuesday’s PFT Live, Bob Glauber ofNewsday explained that the delay in getting the deal done likely had to do with money.  Given Coughlin’s accomplishments, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be paid as much or more than any other NFL head coach.

Coughlin will be 68 when his new deal expires.  Some believe it will be his final contract with the team.  He has not set a timetable for retiring, however, and regardless of when he intends to step away, it would be wise both for Coughlin and for the team to avoid a lame-duck season.  Despite any optimism that Coughlin would still be able to command the room when his players know he won’t be around the following year, that approach rarely results in a successful outcome.

Besides, Coughlin surely has no desire to emulate in any way Tiki Barber’s high-profile, attention-maximizing exit from Big Blue.  Instead, Coughlin in his final year will likely deny any reports or rumors or speculation that he’s retiring.  And then after the season he’ll retire.

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Nate Webster gets 12 years for sex with a minor

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 6, 2012, 12:24 PM EDT

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Former NFL linebacker Nate Webster has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for having sex with a teenage girl.

Webster was found guilty of four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in April and has been locked up since then. He was accused of having a sexual relationship with a girl when she was 15 and he was in his 30s, and of threatening to kill her and her family if she told anyone. Webster admitted he had sex with the girl but claimed it was consensual and that the sexual relationship began after she turned 16, which is the age of consent in Ohio.

The girl is the daughter of an NFL assistant coach. To preserve the victim’s privacy, neither the girl nor her father are being publicly identified.

Webster could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said that before the trial, he turned down a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for four years. Webster played for the Buccaneers from 2000 to 2003, for the Bengals in 2004 and 2005 and for the Broncos from 2006 to 2008.

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2012 NFC East NFL Season Preview

Guest post by Niles Pender of NFL Fan Appeal



The NFC East is one of the most frequently discussed divisions in football, and there’s no question of why. It’s full of great rivalries, storied teams and talented players. The division will likely receive even more attention this season, considering that one of its members is the reigning league champion. How will 2012 look for this exciting division?

All eyes are going to be on the New York Giants in 2012. The team finished just 9-7 and was a distant pick to win the Super Bowl at the beginning of January. That changed, and the Giants were Super Bowl champions by the time that mid-February rolled around.

Repeating will be on the mind of every player wearing a Giants uniform this season. That’s the case with any Super Bowl champion, but these Giants will probably have more of a chip on their shoulder than usual. They were a long shot to win it all last season, and they’ll be anxious to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. Quarterback Eli Manning will be looking for his third ring. Anchored by wide receivers Viztor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, the 2012 Giants have retained most of their personnel and look poised to make another run.

After the Giants, the next NFC East football squad that the world will be watching is the
Philadelphia Eagles. The 2011 campaign was a disaster for the team. After the Eagles acquired Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and more, QB Vince Young referred to the Eagles as a “Dream Team” thanks to the level of talents they had. Unfortunately, this comment backfired throughout the season. Behind below-average play from most of their personnel and injuries to Michael Vick, the Eagles stumbled to a 4-8 start and missed the playoffs.

For Philadelphia, the individual talent is there. The team simply needs to take advantage and work together as a more cohesive unit. Although some fans have called for head coach Andy Reid’s head, he and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo have remained in their respective roles. With a clearer focus this season, the team has the potential to make a deep playoff run. There’s no questioning the immense level of individual talent that the team has, but they need to make use of it in some way.


Aside from the Giants and Eagles, another high-profile team in the division is the Dallas Cowboys. For better or for worse, the Cowboys are always the recipients of a lot of attention. The team finished 8-8 in 2011, which was a minor improvement from their 8-8 record in 2010 but still miles away from their 11-5 record in 2009. For 2012 to be a successful year, the Cowboys are going to have to do a couple of things, such as figuring out what to do with upset CB Mike Jenkins.

Aside from the Jenkins situation, the most important thing to Dallas being successful is to maintain steady play at the quarterback position. Tony Romo is a solid starting QB, but he’s become an injury liability. He missed extended time in 2010 and played hurt through part of 2011 with a bruised throwing hand. The Cowboys added veteran Kyle Orton this past March, and he’ll be a good insurance policy for Romo. There’s no reason to believe the Cowboys can’t win 10 or 11 football games this season.

One of the division’s wildcards is the Washington Redskins. The team is sure to receive a lot of national attention for their acquisition of Robert Griffin III in this year’s draft. Griffin III is seen as one of the top quarterback prospects of the last few years, and there was real speculation leading up to the draft over whether or not he should have been taken by the Colts at number one overall. RG3 is slated to be the team’s starting quarterback this season, and his performance will have more to do with how the team finishes than anything. He’ll have a supporting backfield of Tim Hightower and Roy Helu, so if he does well the Redskins could be a fringe playoff team.

The NFC East should be one of the most entertaining divisions to watch in this year’s season. The Giants will be trying desperately to prove themselves to everyone who says their win was a fluke, and they’ll have the Eagles and Cowboys potentially nipping at their ankles. Whether or not the Giants can return to the Super Bowl will be one of the most fun questions that gets answered in the 2012 season.

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Rashean Mathis is cleared to practice

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2012, 9:33 AM EDT

AP

After a few days of bad news for the Jaguars, cornerback Rashean Mathis shared some good news on Tuesday.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Mathis said during a stop on the team’s ongoing regional caravan that Dr. James Andrews gave the veteran defensive back clearance to practice on Monday.

Mathis, who signed a one-year deal to stay with the team in March, will participate in next week’s mandatory minicamp.

Wednesday morning one-liners

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 6, 2012, 8:35 AM EDT

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Former Bills defensive lineman Fred Smerlas, who is suing the NFL over concussions, says he doesn’t know how many he had: “Twenty? Thirty maybe. I remember one time I got hit so hard I was tasting Italian submarine sandwiches. I didn’t know where I was for four or five plays. Then in practice, I’d get knocked out, you get up and see stars, lose your balance. But you don’t miss a play.”

Contrary to reports, the wife of Dolphins QBRyan Tannehill has not posed for Maxim.

Troy Brown’s selection to the Patriots Hall of Fame says more about his effort than his talent.

Manning looks sharp

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Peyton Manning is the only four-time MVP in NFL history, he's hoisted a Super Bowl trophy and hosted "Saturday Night Live."

Yet, he's never faced scrutiny quite like this.

"I've never had to comment before on incompletions in practice, so this is new to me," the Denver Broncos quarterback said with a chuckle when peppered with questions about some errant deep throws Monday.

Report: Likelihood of replacement officials during regular season is high

Posted by Mike Florio on June 5, 2012, 9:33 PM EDT

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The labor dispute between the NFL and its game officials could linger into the regular season.  Which means that the league would be using replacement officials.

According to Jim Corbett of USA Today, that’s exactly what will happen.

Per Corbett, a person with knowledge of the negotiations expects the fight to escalate over the summer, and that the “first couple of weeks” of the regular season will be officiated by “scabs.”

Kyle Williams has returned to practice

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2012, 7:02 AM EDT

AP

As the Bills defensive line continues preparations for a new approach that will allow them to create havoc in lieu of clogging holes, defensive tackle Kyle Williams has received medical clearance to become directly involved in the process.

Per the Associated Press, Williams has returned to practice on a limited basis following surgery to repair a broken left foot.

“Yeah, it’s good to be back even for just a few plays here and there,” Williams said. “Just getting my foot in the door.  And hopefully, when we get to training camp, I can be full bore.”

Williams participated in roughly half of the full-squad reps during the OTA practice on Tuesday, after being on the field of a small handful of snaps late last week.

Williams said that he’s sore, but that he has been able to suspend the process of drilling a hole in the back of his cleat, to relieve the pressure on his left foot.  He used that high-tech technique last year for an injury that had been lingering for years.

After making it to the Pro Bowl in 2010, Williams appeared in only five games last season.  This year, he returns to a defensive line that has been beefed up by the arrival of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, along with coordinator Dave Wannstedt’s new approach that will require Kyle Williams to get the most out of both feet as he tries to fly past would-be blockers and get to the ball.

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