Whispers from around the NFL
Pro Football Weekly
The Bears are optimistic about
Rex Grossman being ready to play if called upon, but we hear they are shy about making any kind of evaluation based on controlled passing drills and seven-on-seven work. Grossman wowed members of the media with his accuracy and arm strength in practices leading up to the Packers game, but whether he can take a hit, sprint and hold up in "live" football activity remains an unknown.
Reggie Wayne
Wide Receiver
Indianapolis Colts
Profile2005 SEASON STATISTICSRecYdsTDAvgLongYAC67862512.966245• With
Reggie Wayne expected to be one of the top wide receivers available in free agency, we're told the Colts plan to do everything in their power -- up to and including the franchise tag -- to keep Wayne around, but his market value is growing by the week.
• Word is Niners CB
Ahmed Plummer has fallen further into first-year head coach Mike Nolan's doghouse by continuing to use his tender ankle as an excuse not to play.
•
Tatum Bell may never admit it, but the Broncos have come to the conclusion that he is best-utilized as a part-time running back and might never be able to handle the more extensive workload of a true featured back.
• Word out of Oakland is that some Raiders players are beginning to tune out head coach Norv Turner, especially on the sideline recently during games.
• Chiefs CB
Patrick Surtain is earning a reputation for his toughness with his new teammates. Surtain was on crutches with a badly sprained ankle for much of the week prior to Kansas City's Week 12 win over the Patriots. He later tweaked the ankle in practice on Friday but still was able to gut it out during the game and provide good coverage when most believed he had no chance of playing.
• What makes DE
Derrick Burgess' impact in the Raiders' pass rush even more impressive is the fact he still is far from a full-time defender, as Oakland prefers regular substitutions in their hybrid schemes. He began the season as a situational pass rusher and gradually earned more playing time in the base defense. Burgess plays the run better than his reputation suggested, and he will see more time now that DE
Tommy Kelly is moving inside to replace the injured
Warren Sapp.
• Expect to see an upgrade in the WR corps in Denver during the offseason, as
Ashley Lelie is having trouble providing a consistent downfield threat. Sources say he doesn't get off the line all that well against physical defenders and at times doesn't hustle through his routes like he should.
• Sixth-round pick
Chris Myers could have a bright future at guard in Denver. Coaches believe they would be able to rely on him this season if injuries beset the interior of a very thin offensive line, and that he has all the qualities they look for in a blocker.
• We hear that Bills CB
Nate Clements, due to be an unrestricted free agent following the season, has not boosted his market value so far this season. He wants to be paid as a top cover corner but has just one interception this year.
• More damage than anticipated was found in Patriots CB
Duane Starks' injured right shoulder during a surgical procedure last week. However, we hear the surgery was a success and Starks is expected to be back in time for next season.
• Word is that having Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan on the sideline for the first time this season at Oakland in Week 12 was a great success. Linehan simplified things, getting the plays in faster, engaging players in conversation and getting more feedback on his play-calling. He also mixed things up well, with 32 runs and 31 passes.
• A report from Boston indicated that Patriots OLT
Matt Light has had a setback in his comeback attempt from a broken right fibula and could miss the rest of the season.
• The Jaguars' season might be tied more to the health of RB
Fred Taylor than
Byron Leftwich. Taylor hasn't been fully healthy for two months, battling knee and ankle injuries, and we hear the Jaguars are holding their breath that Taylor can emerge as the centerpiece of the offense down the stretch. Privately, we're told, the team thinks Leftwich, a very fast healer, can practice by Christmas Day.
• The Vikings' defense drew some high praise from a pro scout with a recent opponent, who cited that group as the reason Minnesota is back in the mix in the NFC North. "(DE)
Lance Johnstone and (NT)
Pat Williams should get a ton of credit. They're living in the backfield, and the secondary can sit on you. They don't have to blitz -- they blitzed a ton early on."
• Word out of Saints camp is that the team is frustrated by WR
Devery Henderson's inconsistency. Henderson had fallen out of favor before making a touchdown catch in the Saints' Week 12 win over the Jets. But with veteran WR
Az-Zahir Hakim banged up again, the Saints will be forced to increase Henderson's playing time. We hear Hakim was signed in the offseason because the Saints felt they couldn't count on Henderson.
• Team observers tell us Buccaneers WLB
Derrick Brooks tracks down P
Josh Bidwell after every punt to thank him for the good field position he gives the team. Bidwell was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in November and is booting balls at a career-best pace.
• We hear that the Buccaneers signed RB
Derek Watson off their practice squad last week because they were worried another team was going to sign him to the active roster. The Buccaneers' backfield is crowded, so Watson won't see much time there, but we hear Watson will contribute on special teams and could give a jolt to their return game.
Steve McNair
Quarterback
Tennessee Titans
Profile2005 SEASON STATISTICSAttCompYdsTDIntRat395246247514983.8• Look for the Titans to try more no-huddle on offense down the stretch. QB
Steve McNair appeared comfortable calling plays in that format. Though the team won't use it as much as, say, the Colts, head coach Jeff Fisher indicated the no-huddle could be used as a nice change of pace to jump-start the offense.
• There's fear in Titans camp that rookie WR
Brandon Jones' torn anterior cruciate ligament will keep the receiver sidelined for the start of the 2006 season. If the injury is anything like that of SS
Tank Williams, the club worries that Williams' slow return to full health could be a blueprint for what Jones, one of the team's bright spots this season, might face.
• Washington's Gregg Williams likes to say that his linemen are interchangeable, that anyone can play any spot, but the injuries clearly have affected the effectiveness of this group, namely in run defense. The run "D" had stiffened up recently until Chargers RB
LaDainian Tomlinson tore through the Redskins for more than seven yards a clip in the Week 12 loss.
• The transition to Redskins CB
Carlos Rogers has been made. Rogers replaced starter
Walt Harris midway through the loss to the Chargers, and though the rookie has been inconsistent in coverage this season, he has shown the coaching staff enough promise likely to let him ride out the string as the starter on the left side.
• Injuries to
Dat Nguyen,
Al Singleton and other Cowboys linebackers here and there might force the Cowboys to use more 4-3 looks, as they did at times in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Broncos, though they were in a 4-3 when
Ron Dayne broke off what was essentially the game-clinching run. The team hopes to get more out of SLB
Scott Fujita and is hoping recently signed ILB
Mike Barrow can provide some kind of veteran insurance as a reserve.
• It appears that spies have caught a key flaw in Cowboys C
Al Johnson's snap delivery. Teams have been getting a jump up front on Johnson because of his tendency to clench his left (non-snapping) hand right before releasing the ball. The coaching staff reportedly has worked with Johnson to eliminate this bad habit.
• Remember
William Peterson? The Giants' right cornerback, who has been saddled with back problems most of the season and hasn't played since Week 3, might actually be ready to go soon after lightly working out in practice last week. If he can get back into playing shape by the playoffs, that would help shore up a major concern -- pass coverage -- that could otherwise be a fatal flaw.
• Don't be shocked if 13-year veteran
Bob Whitfield steps in, at least temporarily, for Giants OLT
Luke Petitgout, who started the season strong but has been flagged for 14 penalties, a very high number. What Whitfield lacks in quickness, he makes up for in discipline and strength.
• Cardinals head coach Dennis Green continues to insist that former first-round pick
Leonard Davis has what it takes to be a left tackle on a par with the Rams'
Orlando Pace and the Seahawks'
Walter Jones. But the way our Arizona insiders see it, Davis -- who has committed a mind-numbing 12 false starts through Week 13 -- is not nearly nimble enough to be an elite left tackle and will always be much better-suited as a guard.
J.J. Arrington
Running Back
Arizona Cardinals
Profile2005 SEASON STATISTICSRushYdsTDRecYdsTD812832201220• We hear the Cardinals have liked what they've seen in recent weeks of rookie RB
J.J. Arrington, who has averaged 4.3 yards a carry in Weeks 9 through 13. Green said last week that he believes Arrington's disappointing start this season was in great part due to the constant personnel shifts on the offensive line, which have greatly hindered the team's run blocking.
• We hear there is a very definite Reggie Bush buzz swirling around the Niners. The team's top brass told our sources that it was in a favorable cap situation -- in the top half of the league in terms of money to spend next season -- to afford a very high draft pick, and Bush's name seems to have popped up a lot lately. One Niner who has openly sung Bush's praises is rookie QB
Alex Smith, who says the USC back is amazingly strong for his size and that there should be no concerns at all about Bush's durability. Smith and Bush were teammates at Helix High School in San Diego.
• Niners offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy doesn't hide his disappointment in the team's inability to find an effective medium-range receiver to replace injured TE
Eric Johnson, who has been out all season. "Quite frankly, we just haven't been able to fill that void," McCarthy told PFW. "We thought
Arnaz Battle could be the inside receiver in the middle of the field, but he's missed a lot of time with injuries, too."
• We hear Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, who hasn't been at a game since he was hospitalized last month, may be in the press box for this Sunday's game vs. the Niners, but his doctors have to give him the final OK.
• Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren on the first two sacks given up by Pro Bowl OLT Walter Jones (to Giants DE
Osi Umenyiora) in two years: "That (getting beat) will happen once in a while to the best of players. Give the New York Giant defensive end credit, but Walt, he graded out, he had a good game."
• There's a growing sentiment at Rams Park that veteran C
Andy McCollum deserves Pro Bowl recognition this season. While injuries have made their presence felt at every other position on the Rams' O-line, McCollum has been rock-solid all year.
• Browns OLB
Kenard Lang, formerly a defensive end, has notched only two QB sacks this season, but head coach Romeo Crennel said the veteran has still shown an ability to pressure the quarterback at times. As Crennel explained last week, "Some of the things that used to work for him when he was heavier are not as effective. That has something to do with the sack total … He doesn't have the numbers that he's had before, but he's playing a new position and not rushing as much as he has before."
• A source close to the Browns reports TE
Kellen Winslow looks to have gained some weight back after fighting a staph infection during the summer. Winslow regularly works out at the team's facility.
• Bengals DT
John Thornton believes he could be cut after the season -- or at least that's what he reportedly said on his Web site, jt97.com, last week. We're told Thornton is likely to be back next season, but his six-year, $22.5 million contract is likely to be reworked.
• Steelers rookie OG
Chris Kemoeatu could push for playing time in the coming weeks. Kemoeatu, who was active for the first time in Week 13, got some work with the first-team offense leading up to the Dec. 4 game vs. Cincinnati. • The way we hear it, the Ravens hope rookie
Adam Terry will be the starting right tackle next season. The 6-foot-8, 330-pound Terry, a second-round pick, has played only three games this season.
Whispers
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