Bird Cage Liner: week of 17 June 2007

[Box_O_Rocks]

Here's a switch
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/forget-nfl-nrl-is-dream/2007/06/16/1181414609893.html

HE'S an American college football star. He's a 112-kilogram lump of muscle. He has a shoulder charge that can dent metal. And he reckons he has what it takes to rock the NRL.

Akarika Dawn, a linebacker for the University of Colorado, is flying to Australia next month to try his hand at rugby league.
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Bulldogs prop Mason, who trialled with the New York Jets last year, said the biggest challenge in the transition would be league's lack of structure.

"They are very powerful blokes, but over there the game is very structured, whereas here it is more ad lib," he said. "It will be interesting to see how he goes."
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Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright, who led US national team the Tomahawks to within a whisker of upsetting the Kangaroos in 2004, said the transition would be tough, but didn't rule out the possibility of an American footballer making it in the NRL.

"They've got a good training ethic and they're very disciplined," he said. "It's just experience [holding them back]."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/other/story/3989961p-4605263c.html

Vilma tries to muzzle furor over dog fighting remarks

NEW YORK Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been on damage-control ever since sharing his opinions on dog fighting during an interview on a New York radio station.

This week, Vilma told WFAN: "Dog fighting is much more extreme, but you can equate it to horse racing. Everyone has heard about dog fighting. Whether you choose to participate or not, that's your decision. I'm not here to condone or accept it. It's been there for a while."

On Thursday, Vilma tried to clarify the statements, but was far from contrite.

"I wasn't really for or against dog fighting," Vilma told the New York Post. "I wasn't for or against Michael Vick (the Atlanta Falcons quarterback facing a possible legal and public-relations nightmare over allegations he's involved in dog fighting). It's an unfortunate situation whether he's involved or not."

Vilma said his comments were "misinterpreted." "I wasn't comparing the two," Vilma told the newspaper. "I was just saying that you're going to have activists that are against both of them because they are harmful to animals, both put stress on animals."

I see, a cat lover.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06162007/sports/jets/keep_up_with_jones_jets_dan_martin.htm

Curtis Martin was on the field during drills yesterday at Jets minicamp, but he wasn't participating. Instead, he stood near Eric Mangini, offering insight to the head coach.

Because that is all Martin figures to be able to add to the team, the job of actually carrying the ball will largely go to Thomas Jones, who already has made an impression on both Mangini and his new teammates.

Prior to the start of minicamp, Leon Washington, like the rest of the team, was working out and saw Jones alongside him.

"We were doing lifting and conditioning and then some of us left," the second-year player said. "We came back and he was still there four hours after everybody else was gone. That's the type of leadership that's good for me and Cedric [Houston] to see. It makes us get extra work in."
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*

QB Chad Pennington said he expects to be much more effective this season because he is healthier. "Last year, I was just trying to make sure I could get on the field, call the plays and make as many throws as possible," Pennington said. "This year, I have all the confidence in the world I can make all the throws."
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Mangini wouldn't elaborate on what Martin contributed yesterday: "Today wasn't a big coaching session for Curtis, but he's the type of guy where one conversation, one thing that he says, that may be the thing you draw from the next time you're out there."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Some good feelings about the Steelers
These are the thoughts of a sportswriter who has a good feeling about the Steelers as their spring turns to summer:
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18484410&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468632&rfi=6

The Steelers are stacked this season, but let's keep that to ourselves. Keep those odds nice and fat.
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Tomlin surprised me when he said this: "There's a closeness to this football team that's a little bit better than teams I've been associated with in the past. ... That's been a pleasant surprise."
I don't understand why he's surprised. Did he think all the talk about - and all the drafting of - character was a PR job?
To understand the ongoing PR job being done in the Roethlisberger For Leader campaign, watch the "America's Game" feature on the 1968 New York Jets. According to defensive star Gerry Philbin, Jets management had approached the players and asked them to vote for Joe Namath as captain. It happened, and Namath called it "a stunning feeling, one to this day I cherish more than any kind of accolades." Cut to Philbin: "Joe to this day thinks that he was elected because he was a leader. It was the complete opposite why we elected him captain, because he didn't have the leadership. He needed the responsibility."
That's how I see the Roethlisberger Steelers.
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Roethlisberger is an instinctive and courageous football player who leaves it all on the field. There it stays.
Go ahead and take it as a challenge. Or don't talk to me. Too many sycophants standing around the quarterback these days anyway.
Tomlin promises a "tough, physical camp." Now that has me worried. He's admitted to not understanding the makeup of this team before he got here, and now he's planning to grind them down. "It will give them something to whine about," he said.
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You want to believe that the coach knows what he's doing with the special teams, but then he puts Ricardo Colclough back there to return punts.
Has Tomlin watched film? Does he know the guy just can't catch the ball under pressure? Will we all have to watch another coach learn that lesson?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Jets' RB sheds number in hopes of new start
http://www.amny.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets0616,0,2271014.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Cedric Houston changed his uniform number in an effort to change his fortunes.
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So desperate for a new beginning was Houston that his new number doesn't even hold any significance to him; he simply asked which ones were open, 32 was the first one mentioned, and he grabbed it.
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Houston said. "When I do get in, I can't make mistakes and I have to get in and make something happen so the coaches can open their eyes."

That happened Thursday when Houston showed both athleticism and instinct. He was supposed to be the middle man on a reverse, handing the ball off to a sweeping receiver. But he felt pressure from behind and recognized that the reverse would be doomed, so he faked the handoff and held on to the ball. While most of the defense went for the fake, Houston came around the corner tucking the ball out of sight before making a cut on a cornerback and stiff-arming a safety for a big gain.

"A lot of things that we had talked about, he executed in that one play," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "It's important that when you get called, you go in and do the right thing."

Say what you will about Mangini, he's absorbed a lot from some top coaching talent over the years and he knows how to teach. It's no wonder BB/SP were so aggressive in Free Agency when they had the money, the HC of the NYJ is doing to the right things to make them competitive...thank goodness for Miami.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Just How Good is the Bills' Lee Evans?
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/06/17/just-how-good-is-the-bills-lee-evans/

Evans really broke out last season and not only established himself as the Bills number one go-to guy, but as one of the best wide receivers in the league. That was never more evident than in the week 11 game against the Houston Texans. Evans hauled in 11 passes for 265 and two touchdowns.

Even more impressive was that Evans averaged 15.8 yards per catch last year; good enough for 15th in the league.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Jauron and the Bills Look on the Bright Side
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/sports/football/17bills.html

Shrugging aside questions about Walker, who had yet to report, Jauron talked about how much bigger and faster his team was and chose to overlook the Bills’ holes, particularly on a young defense that must make up for the off-season loss of three starters — linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher-Baker, and cornerback Nate Clements.

“Well, I guess, first of all, I would say I’m a very optimistic man in general,” Jauron said. “And the other part of it is, I don’t tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the guys we lost.”

“The guys that replaced them have to step up and perform, and I believe they will.”
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The team’s cost-conscious philosophy has provided further challenges. It has led to annual off-season purges of talented veterans, with Spikes, Fletcher-Baker and Clements the latest to go.

Last year, the Bills lost receiver Eric Moulds, safety Lawyer Milloy and defensive tackle Sam Adams. The year before that, Buffalo was unable to retain left tackle Jonas Jennings and defensive tackle Pat Williams.

Bills players remain upbeat despite the latest series of changes, including the trade of Spikes for the holdout Walker.

Defensive end Aaron Schobel is not worried about a unit that struggled last year, finishing 18th in yards allowed.

He noted that Spikes was replaceable after being limited by injuries in the past two seasons. And Schobel is confident that the second-year linebacker John DiGiorgio or the rookie second-round draft pick Paul Posluszny from Penn State can step in to replace Fletcher-Baker in the middle.

“Maybe we’ll be better off,” Schobel said. “Who knows? Time will tell. I think we’ll be fine.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/gnnsports_story_167222658.html

The training wheels are off for Buffalo Bills safeties Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson.

After a 2006 season in which both were thrown into the fire as rookies, the team’s coaching staff believes the duo has its best football ahead.

“Last year, we kind of limited what we did, but now we’re exploring different options with them,” Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “Now, they understand their craft. They can move within the framework of the defense and give us different looks.”
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That time spent together — both on and off the field — has created a strong chemistry between the two.

“It’s made us very close,” Whitner said. “We go through the same things. If he has a question, he comes to me. If I have a question, I go to him.”

In its basic form, safeties in the Tampa-2 defense, which the Bills run a version of, are responsible for covering deep zones. That’s mostly what Simpson, and to an extent Whitner, did last season. According to Fewell, that won’t always be how it goes in 2007. Whitner, for example, may line up much closer to the line of scrimmage on some plays in an effort to thwart the run.

“They’re just now allowing us to tap their resources,” Fewell said. “We’re a lot more flexible now.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

What We Can Learn From Trent Green
http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=66&p=2&c=652101

When the Chiefs acquired Trent Green in 2001, I wasn’t immediately overjoyed. In fact, you could say I was downright angry about the trade.

I had zero respect for Green. I thought the Chiefs had given up a first-round pick for a downgrade at quarterback and **** Vermeil had never given Grbac a chance to be his starter.

I guess you could say I learned my lesson. I sold my Grbac jerseys on Ebay years ago. I’ll hold onto my red #10 until it comes apart at the seams, just like the defenses Green used to torch.

He won me over in 2002. I remember the very moment I became a Trent Green fan.

It’s third and goal against the Buffalo Bills on November 17 at Arrowhead Stadium. Buffalo’s defense has stopped the normally prolific KC offense all day long, and the Chiefs trail by six points with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. They need a touchdown.

Green drops back to pass and scans the field. There’s no one open, and the pass rush is closing in, but he doesn’t concede a sack. He tucks the ball and runs out of the pocket toward a trio of oncoming Bills, eager to take his head off. Sliding is not an option.

Green lowers his head as if he’s a 250-pound fullback. He closes his eyes and dives for the goal line and the lead as defenders sandwich him, knocking him to the ground.

Touchdown Chiefs.
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This is what we can learn from Trent Green – never quit.

Just like that play against the Bills, Green never quit on himself or his NFL career, when it would have been quite easy to do just that. He’s certainly had more opportunities to give up his dreams than the average NFL player.

Small school. Barely drafted. Closest friend was the water boy for the better part of his NFL career. Attempted assassination by Rodney Harrison. Twenty-four interceptions. Playing twice a year against Rodney Harrison. Retirement of Willie Roaf, personal bodyguard and protection against Rodney-Harrison like players. Concussion. Herm Edwards running his offense.

Green never quit. How many of us would throw in the towel after suffering major injury to a part of our body vital to our career?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=141904&t=0

Pittsburgh Steelers – After leading the league with 23 interceptions last season, Ben Roethlisberger just can’t have enough black and gold targets to throw at. The team's been trying out four-wide formations to spread defenses and get the ball to Santonio Holmes more in the slot. Mike Tomlin’s putting his stamp on the Steelers already and while they’ll still pound the ball with Willie Parker, some changes to the offense should help Roethlisberger. He’s in for a bounce back year.
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Buffalo Bills – Offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild must have one heck of a grip to twist **** Jauron’s arm. Fairchild, a Mike Martz disciple, is employing five-WR sets this year and appears ready to let J.P. Losman put the ball in the air. With Lee Evans running by everybody on the field, it’s certainly tempting. But Losman firing it up there in the Buffalo wind? Really?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/s....html?_r=2&ref=sports&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

At the end of the day, Wadsworth returned to New York having secured his sixth car dealership with a presentation that he worked on between his off-season training sessions with the Jets.

Eric Mangini, the Jets’ coach, said he was not surprised by Wadsworth’s salesmanship. Wadsworth, who has been out of football since 2000, is working out with the Jets because he sold Mangini and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum on his comeback.

“In interviewing him and getting to know him, he was so impressive that as much as we tried to scare him off and get him to reconsider, he was too determined,” Mangini said recently.

It is not the first time that Wadsworth has faced long odds. Coming out of Florida Christian High in Miami, where he was one of 70 students in his graduating class, Wadsworth was told he was not good enough to play N.C.A.A. Division I college football.

Stony Brook, a Division I-AA program on Long Island, was the only team to pursue him. Undeterred, Wadsworth walked on at Florida State and ended up starting in his freshman year.

He played nose guard but switched to defensive end before his senior year and went on to amass 16 sacks. The Cardinals drafted him No. 3 over all in 1998, behind two quarterbacks: the likely Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and the bust Ryan Leaf.

The Cardinals’ selection was widely hailed, but an unfortunate thing happened to Wadsworth on his way to becoming the next Bruce Smith. The bones in his knees turned to ash.

Over the next three seasons, Wadsworth was limited to 36 games, including 30 starts. By 2001, he was out of football and in the operating room. Since 1999, he has had 13 knee operations.

He may not have had a good knee to stand on, but Wadsworth had a leg up on retirement because of business contacts he had pursued at Florida State.
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Wadsworth says he is not doing it for money or attention. He has more of both than he needs. What it boils down to, he said, is opportunity. He is doing it because for the first time in seven seasons, he is physically able to.

“You can never, ever play football after the age of 40,” Wadsworth said — unless you are a backup quarterback or kicker, he might have added. “So there’s a sense of urgency for me to enjoy it as much as I can.

“Being in minicamp again brings a youthful excitement. Just being here, it’s a whole new life.”

For the first time since high school, Wadsworth is lining up at linebacker.

 

[lander]

Yeah whatever. They can hope but we all know the best team in NY this year will be the Yankees

ouch. that's not saying much.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Early Look At The AFC East
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/briandelucia/2007/06/18/Early_Look_At_The_AFC_East

The New England Patriots are a dangerous team.
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Most of the talk around the Buffalo Bills has been centered around all the veterans they let go, but Marv Levy is building an intriguing young core of talent on both sides of the ball.
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The New York Jets have the mindset to become a playoff contender again this season, but it wouldn’t be surprised if they take a step back this season.
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Building continuity has been a problem for the Miami Dolphins lately – especially after Nick Saban abandoned the organization after only two seasons.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Pressure's on Manning, off Pennington
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=paolantonio_sal&id=2907802

It was a strange scene. Eli Manning, taking the snap, pivoting on his right foot, offered the football to a running back not wearing No. 21 at the New York Giants' first mandatory minicamp.
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With veteran running back Curtis Martin out of the picture, quarterback Chad Pennington handed the ball to the steal of the NFL offseason: former Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones.

The big difference? Pennington was clearly a bit more secure with the change. "He's a special player, and I think he's going to take a lot of pressure off all of us," said Pennington.
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"This offense was made for me," said Jones. "It's creative, but it will give me a chance to show what I can do if they want to put the load on me." Translation: Jones fits the Mangini mold to a T.

One of seven children from a family deeply rooted in the coal-mining tradition of southwestern Virginia, Jones has led by example, putting in three-a-day workouts at the Jets facility this offseason.

"His leadership is infectious," said Mangini. "You can see that the younger guys are watching what he does and trying to keep up with him."
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The Jets defeated the Pats once last year, but it had the same effect as poking a large beast with a stick. New England woke up and got revenge when it counted, with a 37-16 drubbing in the first round of the playoffs. Lest we forget, the Jets could not run the ball in that game. Washington finished with 50 yards on 11 carries. The team's second-leading rusher that day? Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery: two carries, 19 yards. Mangini learned his lesson.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=172&p=2&c=652613

>Trade rumors dead
Speculation of a Winfield-to-New England trade involving Patriots’ Franchise cornerback Asante Samuel are dead (if they weren’t already) after Winfield and Brad Childress have achieved harmony once again.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Niners hope to meet rising expectations
http://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/1653963/detail.html

By Tom Curran
NBCSports.com
Posted: Jun.18, 2007, 11:07 am EDT
Being the chic choice for radical improvement isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The dark horses of June, July and August too often wind up in the glue factory by October. Don't believe it? Swing by Tuscaloosa and ask the Alabama football coach if it's true.

One franchise being fingered frequently for future success this off-season is the San Francisco 49ers.
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San Fran allowed a league-worst 412 points last season but adding the corner Clements (8 years, $80 million), safety Lewis (6 years, $30 million) and outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain (3 years, $8.7 million) while drafting Willis out of Ole Miss and Florida defensive end Ray McDonald should seal up some leaks.

Ready or not, expectations are going to be there. McCloughan indicated the club is ready.

"Do you know what? Things are getting better," the 34-year-old rising front office star agreed. "We love expectations; Coach Nolan loves them. We got 11 wins in the past two years. Now we want to win 11 in one year."

Banta-Cain won two Super Bowls and played in three conference title games with the Patriots. As a free agent, he chose San Fran so he could play closer to his childhood home and because of the vibe the Niners have.

"I've been most surprised by the character guys we have here," he said. "I'd heard stories about controversy and players in trouble but I see high character guys who are ready to work. There's a very upbeat attitude with younger guys trying to make their names and older guys who know what it takes and how to lead."

While Banta-Cain was a situational player with the Patriots, he'll take on a bigger role with the Niners. And that role will extend past the playing field.

"Guys are picking my brain on how we did things in New England. It's very clear that these guys want it very much," he said.
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As Banta-Cain sees it, a team with the Niners' talent won't be unsuccessful for long either.

"Look, people liked to say the Patriots weren't a talented team but they knew how to play. They were very, very talented," Banta-Cain said. "This team is highly talented too. You have an offense with Smith, Gore and Davis and Darrell Jackson, that's a plethora of talent. We just have to figure out what it takes and whether of not we're willing to pay that price."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://patriots.scout.com/2/652603.html

Under the league's collective bargaining agreement the sides are on the negotiating clock and if they are to reach a long-term deal must do so by July 14. If a deal is not reached by then, by rule Samuel can only sign a one-year deal and cannot be extended until after the season.

Rumors surrounding Samuel's future with the team have come and gone. One, involving a possible trade for Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield, lost momentum over the weekend when the 8-year pro came to an understanding with Minnesota head coach Brad Childress. Although Winfield's situation appears to be resolved, the possibility that a trade of some sort for Samuel remains. Until the former fourth-round draft picks finally signs a new deal, Rumors like the Winfield situation, will continue to surface in the Rumor Mill.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/217160-3/Franklin/Football_clinic_to_feature_Patriots/

Youngsters in Maine will get a chance to talk with some starting players from the Super Bowl XXXIX Champion New England Patriots during a weekend football clinic at Waterville Junior High School.

Former player and defensive line coach for the Patriots Ray Hamilton, now a coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will bring some members of the championship team from 2005 to the 11th annual Central Maine Youth Football Clinic.

The clinic will be held June 22-24 at the football field on West River Road. The program runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, followed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and finishes from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Jets Should Pursue Culpepper as a Backup
http://www.nysun.com/article/56793

Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper is in NFL limbo. He's still under contract, but the Dolphins have locked him out of their practice facilities. Culpepper is protesting the team's actions, an arbitration hearing is scheduled for June 29, and he is expected to win his grievance and become an unrestricted free agent.

When that happens, the Jets should offer him a contract.
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And it's possible that Culpepper hasn't declined as much as most league observers think. He was great in 2004 — only two NFL teams, the Colts and the New England Patriots, could have been as confident in their quarterback as the Vikings were — and not all the problems in Minnesota and Miami the last two years were his fault.
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On the Jets, Culpepper would be asked to do what Pennington did so well last year: Manage the game and avoid mistakes. It's easy to envision Culpepper playing like Pennington because both quarterbacks are 30 years old and have reached the point in their careers when they understand that quarterback play is at least as much mental as it is physical.

Puh-lease make this happen! Not that Mangini is that stupid. **sigh**

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Has the Brady-Manning Argument Ended?
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/06/18/has-the-brady-manning-argument-ended/

But now that Manning has a Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP award, the "always chokes" argument no longer works, and it's hard to find any non-Patriots fans who would still pick Brady.
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So is the argument over? I don't think it is -- there will always be folks in New England who insist Brady is better -- but I think it's close to dead. Manning did last season what his detractors said he couldn't, and that gives him a sizable lead in terms of public perception. At least until Brady gets a fourth Super Bowl ring.

Whistling past the graveyard?