March 2011 4for4 Player News Articles

The Seahawks expect a major improvement from WR Golden Tate. Coach Pete Carroll made that clear after the season ended:

"He's got a huge upside. I think he's a fantastically natural football player. He's got competitiveness about him, he's got play-making in him and I wish it would have come more to the front this year. That's a big project for us. We need to bring him out."

Hard-luck quarterback Chad Pennington tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a pickup basketball game and will undergo surgery next week. Pennington's agent, Tom Condon, said in a news release Thursday that Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation on Pennington on April 7. The release didn't say which knee Pennington injured.

The former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins quarterback is now a free agent.

Pennington, 34, twice has been selected the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but he lasted just two plays last season with the Dolphins before hurting his right shoulder again. He had surgery on it for the fourth time, but he said he wants to try to return to the NFL this season.

This likely puts an end to any comeback run Pennington had left in him.

The target for Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas to return is now midseason. Previously, there was hope he’d return earlier. So, the Broncos are clearly going to have to deal with losing Thomas for a significant part of the season.

Texas police have obtained warrants for the arrest of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother, Okolo, in connection with a March 21 shooting in Garland, Tex.

Talib will be arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.

"Right now I'm still rehabbing, and it has gotten a lot better," Saints RB Chris Ivory said. "I'm to the point now where I can put a little more pressure on it, but that pressure is still -- I'm still hesitant to put a lot on it, to where it's like I'm walking normal. I still have a little ways to go."

But all signs are positive, he insisted. Ivory underwent lisfranc surgery, performed by Dr. Robert Anderson, a specialist based in Charlotte, N.C.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford reported feeling good after throwing a lot on Friday.

Jerricho Cotchery underwent back surgery last month for a nagging disc injury, a source confirmed with the Daily News this afternoon. The veteran wide receiver is expected to be ready for training camp in August assuming there’s a resolution to the labor impasse. He's currently rehabbing at a local facility near his New Jersey home.

According to Dolphins coach Tony Sparano there are no plans to abandon the team’s ground-and-pound approach, especially once the offensive line gets fixed. Sparano said the Dolphins, which averaged 3.7 yards per carry, will remain a run-first offense.

“We’re going to continue to run the football because that’s my nature. It might not be popular with everybody, but that’s what I like to do. There are some teams in this league that got very far being able to do it,” Sparano said at the NFL’s owners meetings.

Anytime a question about Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams, the team’s two free agent tailbacks, was asked Sparano sidestepped the question. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility that one would return.

Most mock drafts have the Dolphins selecting Alabama's Mark Ingram with their first round pick. If that happens, he will be a valuable fantasy selection come summer.

NFL kickoffs will take place at the 35-yard line -- not the 30 -- under a modified kickoff proposal passed by the league's owners at the NFL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, according to a league source. The proposal keeps touchbacks at the 20 and continues to allow the two-man blocking wedge.

A proposal to allow the replay official to review all scoring plays at any time during games also passed, but the third challenge remains -- coaches can get a third challenge if they win two challenges.

The league's competition committee originally had proposed moving touchbacks up to the 25, eliminating the blocking wedge and limiting coverage players from long run-ups. The league reduced the number of players allowed in a blocking wedge to two in 2009.

The owners tabled the vote on changing some of the language on defenseless receivers.

With the new kickoff rule changes, expect far less kickoffs being returned, with most kickers easily able to kick out of the end zone. As a result, we will see less teams carrying a kickoff specialist kicker to spell an accurate veteran with a short leg. Also, weapons like Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs will be somewhat neutralized in the kickoff game.

In fantasy leagues scoring return yardage, the focus will shift to punt returns, and returners will become less valuable in general.

According to court documents, preliminary hearing on injunction against NFL lockout set for April 6, 9:30Am in Minn by judge Susan Nelson.

If the judge rules in favor of the players, the lockout will most likely be lifted, allowing NFL business as usual (more or less) while the Players & Owners work out a new CBA in the courtrooms.

Under a lockout will there still be an NFL draft?

Yes. The NFL Draft will take place on April 28-30, and will be the last "League activity" under the current CBA. However, with a lockout in place and no new agreement, the league has indicated that teams cannot sign their draft picks and cannot sign undrafted players or other free agents. The signing of drafted and undrafted players will remain frozen during a lockout. So, the teams can pick the players in the draft, but that's it.

NFL labor talks broke down Friday, just hours before the collective bargaining agreement was set to expire, as the union rejected a proposal from the league, then decertified, and 10 players, including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, sued the owners in federal court.

In response, the NFL imposed a lockout of players, starting at midnight ET, after the CBA officially expired. The league confirmed the lockout in a statement Saturday morning. The players then went to court to request an injunction to block such a move by the league.

By dissolving and announcing it no longer represents the players in collective bargaining, the union became a trade association and cleared the way for class-action lawsuits against the NFL, which opted out of the labor deal in 2008. The antitrust suit -- officially known as Brady et al vs. National Football League et al -- attacked the league's policies on the draft, salary cap and free-agent restrictions such as franchise-player tags.

There will be football this year, but for now the off-season is up in the air. We'll learn more as the situation unfolds next week.

Bucs WR Arrelious Benn’s recovery is way ahead of schedule and he is fully expected to be ready by the start of training camp and possibly by the mandatory mini-camp in June.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hopeful that the league reinstates former starting free safety Tanard Jackson for most of the 2011 season. And multiple team sources have suggested to PewterReport.com that the Bucs will welcome him back if the NFL allows him to return to Tampa Bay.

Packers receiver James Jones confirmed Monday that he has received a restricted free agent tender from the organization. He also noted his hopes to play for the Super Bowl champions in the future. Jones, however, does have other career aspirations.

“My main thing going through all this, do I want to be a starter in the National Football League?” Jones said. “No question. Do I feel like I’m a starter? No question. … I know we have something great here. This team can win some championships for the next couple years.

“But, at the same time, I do want to be a starter. I don’t know if that’ll ever happen here with Donald (Driver) playing until he’s 40.”

The Cincinnati Bengals have a dilemma, and this time it doesn't involve one of its wide receivers. Nope, now the Bengals must decide what to do with Carson Palmer, a quarterback whom two sources I trust insist will never, ever, ever play for the team again.

I know what you're thinking, and it's that Chad Ochocinco tried this ploy a few years ago, and it didn't work. But this isn't Chad Ochocinco. This is the face of the franchise and the voice of reason, and Palmer is determined to retire if the Bengals don't accommodate his wishes to be traded, sources said.

That's not exactly news to the Bengals. According to a source close to Palmer, members of the team's coaching staff, including head coach Marvin Lewis, visited with Palmer, and all were told the same thing -- namely, that he is resigned to retiring if the Bengals don't accommodate him, which he doesn't expect they will.

In fact, team owner Mike Brown said as much in late January, suggesting that if Palmer doesn't play in Cincinnati next season he doesn't play, period. But that's the point: Palmer is so fed up with the Bengals that sources tell me he doesn't consider that a threat. In fact, according to them, he's OK with not playing ... so long as it's not playing in Cincinnati.

It is unclear what finished him with the Bengals, with one source saying "it's a number of factors that built up over time," but he's so steadfast in his decision that one head coach at the NFL scouting combine told me he was sure Palmer wouldn't play again for Cincinnati. When I notified him that the Bengals had no intention of dealing him, the coach shook his head and said, "Well, then, he'll retire. He's not going to play there again."

The Giants confirm they plan to release Tiki Barber as soon as they are allowed to make the transaction.

Reports are true -- it's a blast from the past. One hour ago, former Giants RB Tiki Barber filed papers to come out of retirement.

Apparently this is not a joke. After 4 years out of the league, we don't expect Barber to have any fantasy value even if he does catch on with an NFL club. The Giants currently own his rights, but Barber is most likely not welcome in that locker room.

Former New York Giants Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress is to get out of prison on June 6th, after officials agreed Friday to shave about three months off his time behind bars in a gun case.

A committee of prison-system staffers decided Burress was eligible for time off for good behavior, so he can be freed after serving about 21 months of his two-year sentence, system spokeswoman Linda Foglia said.

Burress will be free to sign with any team once he is released and will face no further suspension from the league. it remains to be seen how much the 34 year old wide out has left in the tank.

Two-time All-Pro safety Bob Sanders has agreed to a one-year deal with the San Diego Chargers, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The Jaguars have informed Mike Sims-Walker that they are moving on without him.

WR Jason Hill, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, will likely see an increase in playing time.

Broncos HC John Fox wants the Broncos to run the ball far better than in the past two seasons, when they finished 18th and 26th in the league under coach Josh McDaniels.

A better running game means finding another back to at least complement Know-shon Moreno, who also hasn't reached the production expected of the No. 12 pick in the 2009 draft.

"In my opinion, you need more than one guy to make a full commitment to running the ball," Fox said. "We'll be in the process of finding more than one guy."

The Washington Redskins released RB Clinton Portis. Ryan Torain will likely be the lead back heading into the 2011 season.

The Packers released TE Donald Lee.

Saints and K Garrett Hartley agreed on a five-year contract.

The Seattle Seahawks have released veteran TE Chris Baker.

The Houston Texans and tight end Owen Daniels agreed to a four-year, $22 million contract Thursday, according to a league source.

The Texans on Wednesday offered a first-round tender to Daniels, who was a restricted free agent.

The contract is front-loaded, according to sources, with roughly $13 million coming in the first two years. Daniels is in the process of taking a physical, then will sign the deal.

Daniels, 28, made the Pro Bowl after the 2008 season, when he caught 70 passes for 862 yards and two touchdowns.

The Redskins have signed free agent safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, the team announced on Thursday.

Not more than 30 minutes after believing all was quiet on the signing front, New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton learned Thursday on his drive across the Causeway to his home in Mandeville that General Manager Mickey Loomis had signed veteran running back Pierre Thomas to a four-year contract.

No other terms have been disclosed.

Thomas’ signing to a long-term deal caps a productive week for Saints officials as they tried to complete as much business as possible before the CBA deadline expires and a lockout commences.

On Monday, the Saints signed veteran free agent defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to a one-year, $4 million contract. Earlier Thursday, they announced the signing of kicker Garrett Hartley to a new five-year contract.

They also tendered offers to eight other unrestricted and restricted free agents, including WR Lance Moore, LT Jermon Bushrod, SS Roman Harper, G Carl Nicks, DT Remi Ayodele, TE David Thomas, S Usama Young and DE Jeff Charleston.

A.J. Hawk wasn't worried when the Green Bay Packers released him Wednesday. In fact, he expected it. A.J. Hawk is back in the Packers' fold after a one-day absence, putting LB Nick Barnett's future in Green Bay in jeopardy, Steve Wyche reports.

"That was part of the plan, and they gave me the heads up before they went public with it," the veteran linebacker told the Green Bay Press-Gazette on Thursday after the Super Bowl champions re-signed him to a five-year contract. "I had no problem with it because I knew we were getting close to getting something done. The plan all along was to stay here."

Hawk's agent, Mike McCartney, confirmed the deal to NFL.com's Steve Wyche on Thursday morning. The Packers announced the contract Thursday night, but didn't disclose financial terms.

The Carolina Panthers placed restricted free-agent tenders on 14 players on Wednesday, including running back DeAngelo Williams, defensive end Charles Johnson and quarterback Matt Moore.

Cornerback Richard Marshall, linebacker James Anderson and tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario were also on the list.

There's a good chance, however, that many of these tenders won't be valid once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

Jeremy Shockey, who had drawn interest from Carolina and the Miami Dolphins, announced on his Twitter feed Thursday he was headed to Charlotte. Shockey has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Panthers, according to a league source.

“Looks like I'm signing with Carolina. Time for the next chapter,” Shockey wrote. “This is a great opportunity for me, and I am excited to play football. Let's hope we all have the chance to play this season.”

Shockey, who made four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons with the Giants, will be reunited with his position coach at the University of Miami – Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

Shockey's days as a fantasy TE1 are over, but in Carolina he should at least see the majority of the TE snaps. He will likely settle in as a middle of the pack TE2.