Whispers

[THE SIX KINGS]

Redskins sources indicate the team is likely to ask several veterans — perhaps CB Shawn Springs, QB Mark Brunell, DE Renaldo Wynn and ORT Jon Jansen — to redo their deals in order to clear up cap space to make a run at some free-agent defenders. The apple of their eye reportedly is Bills CB Nate Clements.

 

A source close to the Ravens is struck by how businesslike this Baltimore team is, compared to other Ravens teams. This edition of the Ravens is even-keeled and hasn’t overreacted to any wins or losses.

 

Just a day after his season-ending foot surgery, RB Kevin Jones spoke very candidly about the Lions’ struggles. We’re told he made it clear that the front office, not the coaching staff, is to blame for their busted season. Jones claimed they simply don’t have the talent to compete.

 

Word out of Kansas City is that despite a lack of any real progress in the contract talks with TE Tony Gonzalez’s representatives, team president Carl Peterson remains confident he’ll be able to keep his Pro Bowl tight end in town when his contract voids after this season.

 

Word out of New Orleans is that rookie RB Reggie Bush’s explosive performances the past few weeks can be credited to the fact that he is finally healthy. We hear the ankle injury Bush suffered in Week One and re-aggravated in Week Eight was more serious than the team let on. Per head coach Sean Payton’s policy, the team is mum on injuries, revealing as few details as possible.

 

While the Jets have been pleased, for the most part, with the play of rookie OLT D’Brickashaw Ferguson, we hear they also want him to get bigger and stronger this offseason, particularly after seeing him get overpowered by Bills DE Aaron Schobel in Week 14. Word is Ferguson’s punch and counterpunch and his attention to detail also need to improve. And he was taught an important lesson about playing hard every play for all 60 minutes when he seemed to relax a bit late in the blowout loss and gave up two sacks to the high-motor Schobel.

 

Word from Buffalo is that OLT Jason Peters is looking like the real deal after making a seamless switch from right tackle to left tackle in midseason. We hear the Bills believe they have finally found their starting left tackle for years to come.

 

Our sources tell us there is no truth to the rumor that Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga is going to put the team up for sale. While Huizenga is disappointed the team didn’t get off to a better start, word is he is still totally involved with the team and enjoys his regular visits with head coach Nick Saban, whom he has grown close to, to discuss the team’s play. In fact, observers say that Huizenga is paying more attention to the Dolphins now than he did in past years.

 

With the emergence of Cedric Griffin and the 2007 return of injured nickel CB Dovonte Edwards, we hear it may be in the interest of both parties if Fred Smoot and the Vikings go their separate ways this offseason.

 

Rookie WR Greg Jennings continues to have problems with the right ankle he sprained in Week Seven. He’s aggravated the injury on occasion since, including a tweak in Week 14, although we’re told his toughness has not come into question.

 

The Lions are eager to get a look at rookie OG Frank Davis as a starter in their remaining games. He is raw but more athletic than any lineman they have.

 

After weeks of silence, Lions GM Matt Millen spoke with the local media last week but refused to talk on the record, and we’re told he didn’t even speak privately about anything of substance. He did reaffirm that he will not quit.

 

With DT Tommie Harris out for the year and Tank Johnson in the doghouse, DRE Alex Brown may slide inside in specific pass-rushing downs, affording rookie DE Mark Anderson a few more chances. We’re told it’s not an alignment they’d use for more than a handful of situational snaps.

 

SS Todd Johnson practiced last week for the first time since spraining his ankle in Week 12, but teammate Chris Harris has played well in his absence. It’s very possible the two will share the injured Mike Brown’s spot going forward. The Bears like the athleticism Harris brings to the table, as well as the intelligence Johnson offers.

 

The Bears were tight-lipped about Devin Hester’s potential contributions on offense prior to Week 15, but the rookie sensation did see action on offense vs. the Bucs. He was thrown to once but did not come up with the catch. Chicago is hesitant to put too much on his plate, and he just recently added kick returns and is working hard at cornerback. Still, we hear it wouldn’t take much to design a few basic packages that feature Hester on the offensive side of the ball. The Bears will likely revisit his long-term future more carefully this offseason, after he has put in a full season of work in the defensive backfield.

 

With the Buccaneers set to part ways with veteran DE Simeon Rice, who is on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment, after the season, we hear the team is targeting a big-name, high-priced defensive lineman in free agency. One name mentioned by our sources is Colts DE Dwight Freeney.

 

Injuries to RB Warrick Dunn (calf) and rookie Jerious Norwood (knee) in Week 14 cast the spotlight on the value of FB Justin Griffith, who is slated to become a free agent after the season. We hear re-signing the versatile Griffith is a top priority for the Falcons in the offseason.

 

One player keeping a close eye on the Pro Bowl balloting is Jaguars RB Fred Taylor. We hear one of the main sticking points in Taylor’s quest for a contract extension in the offseason is that he wanted to be paid like a Pro Bowler, but the Jaguars refused because Taylor has never played in the Pro Bowl. Taylor, whose contract is up after the 2007 season, is likely on the bubble for a trip to Hawaii this year.

 

We hear a clear sign that neither DeShaun Foster nor rookie DeAngelo Williams is the long-term answer at running back for the Panthers is how quickly the team gave up on the running game in Week 14 and allowed backup QB Chris Weinke to throw the ball 61 times. Sources tell us the Panthers will be in the market for a downhill, between-the-tackles runner in the offseason.

 

Sources have observed a real calmness with head coach Mike Shanahan despite the team’s recent four-game slide that finally came to an end in Week 15 at Arizona. We hear that a large part of it can be attributed to the fact he feels he made the right move in replacing Jake Plummer with Jay Cutler and is prepared to ride it out with confidence.

 

Despite getting beaten by Chargers Pro Bowl OLB Shawne Merriman for some big plays in Week 14 and not looking quite as solid as he had after initially taking over for the injured Matt Lepsis, young OLT Erik Pears has what sources call “a free pass” of sorts, given that he had never played a snap in the NFL prior to this year. The thinking is that he will have the inside track at the ORT job next year if Lepsis returns to health and George Foster is shown the door, as expected.

 

Look for the Raiders to add a quarterback in April’s draft, and possibly in free agency, as well. With longtime reserve Marques Tuiasosopo set to move on and plenty of uncertainty surrounding the futures of shaky starter Aaron Brooks and backup Andrew Walter, it’s clearly an area that needs to be addressed. Brooks has been lobbying for a job with the Raiders next season, but there are some people in Oakland who believe Walter, despite struggling mightily in his time under center this year, will get to compete for the starting job next summer.

 

The lack of progress shown by third-year WR Samie Parker may have the Chiefs more active than usual while looking for receivers in the free-agent market. Parker can make the occasional acrobatic catch, but then he has a tendency to fall silent for long stretches. We hear a lack of aggressiveness in going after the ball is an issue at times.

 

Our sources tell us there’s a very strong possibility that Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson, who was having a stellar season before suffering a nagging toe injury in Week 14, will be shut down for the rest of the regular season to improve his chances of being back to full strength for the playoffs, provided the team doesn’t let what still appears to be a likely postseason berth slip through the cracks.

 

It was looking very likely a few days before the Colts’ Week 15 Monday-night bash with the Bengals that the team was preparing to replace beleaguered starting OLB Gilbert Gardner with Rob Morris — a move we hear was not sitting well at all with another possible replacement, Rocky Boiman, who had taken over for Gardner for a large portion of the team’s Week 14 loss in Jacksonville.

 

Although we’re told the Niners feel confident in third-year pro Tony Wragge’s ability to take over as the starting center in place of Eric Heitmann, who suffered a season-ending broken leg in the team’s Week 15 win over Seattle, there’s no denying how big a blow Heitmann’s loss is to the team’s offensive line. Team insiders tell us Heitmann had clearly established himself as the line’s leader and was having an excellent season, particularly when it came to pivoting opposing nose tackles — a major reason why the team’s inside run game has become so effective.

 

The Rams couldn’t have had a more ghastly special-teams performance in their Week 14 loss to the Bears after, among other things, getting burned on two kickoff-return TDs by Devin Hester on a national stage. But we hear it wasn’t ghastly enough to put energetic special-teams coach Bob Ligashesky’s job in any immediate jeopardy. Truth be told, before the debacle against the Bears, Ligashesky’s unit had performed adequately for the most part this season, although a decent return specialist is considered a major priority for next season.

 

The Steelers liked what they saw from rookie S Anthony Smith in his starting debut in Week 14, and we’re hearing there’s a sense he’s going to be pushing Ryan Clark for the FS job.

 

The Ravens badly want to end the season ranked No. 1 in total defense. We hear defensive coordinator Rex Ryan has set the top ranking as a goal for his unit. The Ravens have never finished first in defense. The famed Ravens “D” of 2000 surrendered only 247.9 yards per game, but Tennessee yielded a league-best 238.3 yards.

 

Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who was mentioned as a head-coaching candidate at three prominent colleges (North Carolina State, Arizona State and Stanford) and whose contract is up after this season, told PFW he has no intention of leaving Nashville. “It’s always flattering to have your name tossed around,” he said. “But I am happy here. Whatever happens with (Jeff Fisher), happens with me.”

Titans WR Drew Bennett, a free agent at season’s end and one of the better wideouts expected on the market, told PFW that there have been no talks about a new contract with the team yet but that he’s extremely happy in Tennessee and would love to return. “And I think (the Titans) would like to have me back,” he said.

 

Giants rookie CB Kevin Dockery has opened a few eyes in New York. He likely never will be a starting-caliber cornerback, but he played very well when the team moved him into the slot at halftime of the win over the Panthers.

 

Eagles S Michael Lewis essentially has been moved to linebacker in the team’s nickel and dime defenses, and he has played very well there. There was some talk floating around that the coaches might convince Lewis to add weight and become a linebacker, but he reportedly has balked at a move. A free agent at season’s end, Lewis is a long shot to return as a safety.

[BeeR]

GB the PFW tidbits, esp this time of year.

[Mark5]

Eventually I will get around to reading this but for now I will just stare at the AVI!!!!

[jake_the_builder]

Well done!!!!!

[Avernus]

jubblies and news

[Ursa Majoris]

We hear a clear sign that neither DeShaun Foster nor rookie DeAngelo Williams is the long-term answer at running back for the Panthers is how quickly the team gave up on the running game in Week 14 and allowed backup QB Chris Weinke to throw the ball 61 times. Sources tell us the Panthers will be in the market for a downhill, between-the-tackles runner in the offseason.

This is really interesting. Would the Panthers make a move for Michael Turner? I'd be surprised if they're giving up on Williams already.

[JaysGoingDown]

This is really interesting. Would the Panthers make a move for Michael Turner? I'd be surprised if they're giving up on Williams already.

 

 

 

I hear the Giants are the team that are interested in Michael Turner.

[i_am_the_swammi]

This is really interesting. Would the Panthers make a move for Michael Turner? I'd be surprised if they're giving up on Williams already.

 

 

Just a rumor, but word here in Philly is that Portis may be wearing a cat on his helmet next year. Sources in Washington apparently feel Betts has more upside at this point, for less money than Portis, and Clinton has a better than 50/50 shot of being moved.

[Atlas]

Eventually I will get around to reading this but for now I will just stare at the AVI!!!!

 

 

Has the Huddle ever had an AVI of the year? This would have to be a top nomination.

[Ursa Majoris]

Has the Huddle ever had an AVI of the year? This would have to be a top nomination.

 

Stick around. Best avi is one of the Huddle Annual Awards, voted on in February(ish).

[Atlas]

Stick around. Best avi is one of the Huddle Annual Awards, voted on in February(ish).

 

 

I certainly hope all the nominations are adequately dislayed so that everyone has the advantage of proper evaluation...if you know what I mean..

Edited December 22, 2006 by Atlas

[The Wolf]

Eventually I will get around to reading this but for now I will just stare at the AVI!!!!

 

 

OH, Canada!