nfl notebook: players' boat is missing off...

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NFL Notebook: Players' boat is missing off FloridaMonday, March 02, 2009 The Associated Press

Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith and Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper are among four boaters missing off Florida's Gulf Coast.

Smith and Cooper were on a 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass for a fishing trip Saturday morning and did not return asexpected yesterday.

Coast Guard crews are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass.

Cooper, who played briefly for the Steelers in 2007, owns the boat and he and Smith have been on fishing trips before, said Ron Del Duca, Smith's agent. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

The Coast Guard said the weather early Saturday had been fair, but worsened toward the evening as a front battering the area moved in.

Broncos

Trade talks involving Jay Cutler have strained the relationship between the quarterback and new coach Josh McDaniels. Before Matt Cassel was traded from New England to Kansas City Saturday, Cutler's name came up in a proposed three-way deal. Cutler said he was angry that his name came up in trade talks and said he believes he is on the trading block -- something McDaniels denies.

Vikings

After meeting with Minnesota team officials for 5Â 1/2 hours, Bengal's free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh told his agent he needed to sleep on the team's offer. He remained in the Twin Cities last night and presumably will make a decision today.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

First published on March 2, 2009 at 12:00 am

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PSU stars continue reversal of fortunes By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, March 2, 2009

The role reversal that started at Penn State continued for defensive ends Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Once considered a marquee prospect, Evans has ceded that designation to his former college teammate — just as he had done with his starting job when his banishment for the first part of the 2008 season precipitated the rise of Maybin.

Maybin shot up draft boards last fall as he recorded 12 sacks and 20 tackles for losses on the way to first-team All-America honors. He is one of the top edge pass rushers in a draft class that is flush with them, and he is widely projected as a first-round pick at the end of April.

The biggest questions NFL coaches and general managers have about Maybin is whether his size will be an issue at the professional level and whether he can make the switch to outside linebacker if a team that plays a 3-4 defense drafts him.

Evans, on the other hand, undoubtedly got peppered with questions in interviews with individual teams about the incident that led to his status reversal at Penn State.

Evans and another teammate were charged with minor possession of marijuana this past September after university police responded to a complaint of loud music at their apartment.

Evans, who was held out of the first three games of the season by coach Joe Paterno, said the transgression taught him to watch the company he keeps.

"I know I never want to put myself in a situation again where I would endanger my football career," Evans said.

Evans notched just three sacks as a reserve last season after leading Penn State with 12.5 quarterback takedowns in 2007.

Evans said his position coach at Penn State, Larry Johnson, advised him to put off the NFL for one more year. That the 6-foot-1, 274-pounder declared for the draft last month, anyway, "surprised" ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay.

"But obviously, there's some background there, and he's ready to move on, let's put it that way," said McShay, who projects Evans as a fourth- or fifth-round

Page 1 of 4PSU stars continue reversal of fortunes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

3/2/2009http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/print_614014.html

pick. "He's shown flashes in the past, and he's talented."

McShay was much more enthusiastic when he talked about Maybin.

"I love the way he plays," McShay said. "I think he's the best pure pass rusher and has the greatest upside of all these ends/hybrid guys."

Indeed, Maybin played just two seasons at Penn State — starting one season — after redshirting as a freshman. If Maybin, who doesn't turn 21 until early April, is still tapping the potential that is as considerable as his wingspan, there also appears to be room for growth, literally.

His long and lean frame looks like it could comfortably hold more than the 250 pounds that the 6-3.5 Maybin weighed in last week at the Combine.

Maybin had weight issues at Penn State — he couldn't keep it on rather than playing overweight. He said he lost 15 pounds last season and weighed only 230 pounds by the end of it.

The Ellicott City, Md., native has since packed on 20 pounds while working out with a performance trainer, along with Evans, in Lancaster.

"I feel fast, I feel explosive, I feel a whole lot stronger, so I really feel great," Maybin said. "I haven't had any problems coming out of my stance differently. I feel more explosive now than I was before."

Maybin is one of a handful of prospects that may face a transition similar to the one linebacker LaMarr Woodley made for the Steelers a couple of years ago. Woodley has become the standard for players that have successfully moved from defensive end to outside linebacker. The change, however, can be so drastic that it is largely an educated guess for teams that try to project which college defensive ends will be able to play outside linebacker in the NFL.

For example, Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, barely played as a rookie for the New York Jets. That is how pronounced the former defensive end's struggles were at outside linebacker.

"What you have to evaluate is, can they be a space player? Can they drop? Can they cover somebody? Can they understand the concepts?" Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "In our league, you can't just put your hand down and rush every time, because if you do, they'll figure out a way to block you."

Maybin said his responsibilities as Penn State included dropping into pass coverage. He added that he would feel just as comfortable at outside linebacker as he would at defensive end in the NFL.

"I feel like I'll be ready because I'm going to work harder than everybody that's ahead of me," he said, "and do everything the coaches ask of me."



POSITION FLEXIBILITY?

Scouts Inc. has Aaron Maybin as the top-rated defensive end in the upcoming NFL draft and the 11th best prospect overall. Reflecting the uncertainty of where the former Penn State star will play at the next level, others project him as an outside linebacker. Here is where various analysts and services had Maybin ranked at defensive end and outside linebacker prior to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Defensive end

Pro Football Weekly

1. Brian Orapko, Texas

2. Everette Brown, Florida State

3. Aaron Maybin, Penn State

4. Tyson Jackson, LSU

5. Paul Kruger, Utah

Outside linebacker

NFLDraftScout.com

1. Aaron Curry, Wake Forest

2. Brian Cushing, Southern Cal


4. Larry English, Northern Illinois

5. Clay Mathews, Southern Cal

Mike Mayock, NFL Network Draft Analyst

1. Aaron Curry, Wake Forest

2. Brian Orapko, Texas

3. Brian Cushing, Southern Cal


5. Everette Brown, Florida State



Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.

Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com



Coast Guard: Former Steelers player Cooper missing at sea By staff and wire reports Sunday, March 1, 2009

A linebacker who briefly played with the Steelers and another NFL player were reported missing this morning off of Florida's Gulf Coast, along with two other boaters.

U.S. Coast Guard crews began searching today after a 21-foot boat that left Clearwater Pass on Saturday morning on a fishing trip did not return as expected.

Victor "Marquis" Cooper, 26, who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders; and Corey Smith, 29, a defensive end with the Detroit Lions, were on the vessel with two other men.

Cooper recorded three tackles in three games with the Steelers in 2007 after being claimed off waivers. He was released by the Steelers on Dec. 5, 2007.

Search crews are using a helicopter and a 47-foot motor-life boat to search a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass.

Staff writer Tony LaRussa and The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Page 1 of 1Coast Guard: Former Steelers player Cooper missing at sea - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


No time to waste, just point Big Ben to Hall Sunday, March 01, 2009 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Gene Collier

Ben Roethlisberger with an early birthday present a month ago in Florida. View all related images

Just so I don't have to worry about it in, say, the year 2025, I'm trying to get Ben Roethlisberger into the Hall of Fame right now, or by noon tomorrow at the latest.

Look, I've got things to do.

Ben will be 27 tomorrow, and, maybe you've heard, he already has won two Super Bowl titles. None of the 23 modern-era quarterbacks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who won at least two Super Bowl crowns did it by age 27, not even Bryan Bartlett Starr, who won the first two.

Starr won three NFL championships with the Green Bay Packers prior to the invention of the Super Bowl, but none before turning 27.

So that ought to pretty much do it. Thank you very much. See you in Canton, Ohio, sometime in the '20s.

Dissent?

It's too soon for this discussion?

Please, this is the culture where too soon means just perfect.

Aren't high school sophomores committing to collegiate basketball powers, and aren't 9-year-old shortstops dispatched to traveling teams, and didn't Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl Bar Refaeli tell David Letterman she's been modeling since she was 5, and is it too soon to get a $300,000 mortgage just because you don't have $3,000 in assets, and don't we get sorely ticked off if the microwave lasagna takes three minutes?

Three minutes?

Look, I've got things to do.

We started this week comparing Pedro Alvarez to Willie Stargell.

Too soon? No, just perfect.

Page 1 of 3No time to waste, just point Big Ben to Hall


That's like saying it's too soon for Octuplets Mom to try for nine at a time. Perhaps they'll make it out of the incubators before someone compares them to the 1927 Yankees.

OK we weren't comparing Alvarez to Stargell statistically, because that would look like this: Stargell: 475 career homers, 1,540 career RBIs.

Alvarez: 0 career homers, 0 career RBIs.

We were comparing their swings. Partly due to a comment by Manny Sanguillen, whose barbecue stand remains the best-smelling thing at PNC Park on any level, if you're with me, and partly because both swings were from the left side and included some kind of windmill pre-launch action.

Oh well, that's different, I mean if their swings are vaguely similar.

When I was 11, some village nutball told my Little League coach I had a swing like Ted Williams'.

Let's go to the stats on that one, shall we?

Teddy Ballgame: 521 career homers, 1,839 career RBI's.

Collier: See Alvarez, above.

But this is getting us nowhere. Last I checked, Ben was still not in the Hall of Fame. An outrage.

Let's go back to the Super Bowl (like anyone has to be coaxed), into the ancient texts of one month ago today, and look at what No. 7 did.

This is the only necessary context, indeed the only relevant context, because Roethlisberger can't rightly be compared to post-modern quarterbacks who played 6, 8, 10, 15 years.

Ben can't compare to Dan Marino, who has more records than the museum of broadcasting, but it's in no way irrelevant that Marino's Super Bowl victories match Jim Kelly's, that both totals added together are one fewer than Joe Namath's, who has exactly half of Roethlisberger's two. Marino and Kelly and Namath are in the Hall of Fame.

They've played XLIII Super Bowls since 1966, but in only three did a quarterback lead his team down the field to a winningtouchdown in the final minute, a touchdown on a pass that left that quarterback's hand with his team behind. You can compare those, but the only way to compare three perfect passes is by margin of error.

Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left and the New York Giants down, 14-10, to the New England Patriots. Burress was open in the end zone, and Manning's arc was perfect, but there was some discernible margin for error. Joe Montana hit John Taylor with 34 seconds left, and the San Francisco 49ers down, 16-13, to the Cincinnati Bengals, a quick slant to his left, a perfect arrow, with perhaps a 5 percent margin for error because Taylor had a step on Cincinnati's coverage. Ben hit Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left and the Steelers down, 23-20. But that's where the comparison breaks down.

Holmes was triple-covered. There was no margin for error. So, in the more recent case, No. 7 not only won the Super Bowl, hewonthe Super Bowl. Bryant McFadden won the Super Bowl, but Roethlisbergerwonthe Super Bowl.

I can't make it any clearer than that.

There are three Hall of Fame quarterbacks with more Super Bowl victories than Roethlisberger: Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman. There are 16 with fewer. In the Hall of Fame. C'mon; Ben's in, right?

Next case.

Tom Brady?

Hmm. More Super Bowl wins than Roethlisberger, two Super Bowl wins before he was 27 (actually 54 days younger than Roethlisberger), and quicker than Roethlisberger to marry a supermodel.

Calling Canton. We've all got things to do.

Gene Collier can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1283. More articles by this author



First published on March 1, 2009 at 12:00 am Big Ben's Best TShirt YetBacon Cheese Roethlisberger shirt you need to see it to believe it!

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On the Steelers: Recession? Not in the land of SnyderSunday, March 01, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Washington Redskins are great at making news in March. Thankfully for the rest of the league, they have not yet figured out a way to make any news at all in the playoffs.

Owner Daniel Snyder, who laid off 20 employees in January, signed Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a reported seven-year, $100 million deal Friday with $41 million of that guaranteed.

Redskins fans have to love Snyder in the spring. It's the fall where they turn on him. Snyder bought the team 10 years ago. They made the playoffs that first season (1999), winning one playoff game. They've won one playoff game since. The Redskins had two winning seasons in the nine played in this century -- they were 10-6 in 2005 and 9-7 in 2007.

At least when George Steinbrenner threw money at players, they won.

Football, though, is not baseball. You can take a left fielder from the Pirates and plug him into left field at Fenway Park without worrying too much about chemistry or whether he fits into a certain type of offense or defense. That's not necessarily the case in football.

Mr. March has not yet figured out that what he owns -- a football team -- won't necessarily get better just because you throw money at it.

Fast talkers, yes; but they're not that fast

It's amazing how quickly the Redskins and some other teams reached megamillion contracts within moments after the NFL free-agency period began at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

It's as if they were discussing contracts for days leading up to the start of free agency. But that could not happen, because the NFL has a rule against that. It's called tampering. So, when Washington's Snyder had lunch with the agent for Haynesworth at the NFL combine the week before, they were not permitted to discuss the player or terms of an impending deal.

Roger Goodell has acquired the reputation as the law-and-order commissioner. But owners such as Snyder continue to rub it in the NFL's face when it comes to tampering before free agency begins, and nothing is done about it.

It's time to either put some teeth behind the rule or remove it entirely and allow teams to negotiate with agents before the official start of free agency as they do now anyway.

History does not need an editor

NFL Films has done a great job for many years and gets credit for helping increase the popularity of the game. It does not need to follow the low path it did when it dishonestly made a cut in the Steelers' recent highlights from the Super Bowl.

As shown in the abridged version of the Super Bowl on the NFL Network and on the DVD released this week from that game and the season, NFL Films spliced in a comment from Steelers tackle Max Starks as his offense was about to start a series with 2:30 left and trailing Arizona.

Starks is seen saying, on the sideline, "We got this. We are built for this. We are built for this."

Trouble is, that's not when Starks made that comment. As noted by several sharp readers, the game clock in the background as Starks was talking read 5:28. That is the time when Arizona's offense began a series that ended when the Cardinals punted, forcing the Steelers to take over on their own 1-yard line.

Surely, NFL Films did not need that Starks comment to enhance the drama that was unfolding. It makes you wonder how many other times, in how many other highlights films from seasons and Super Bowls, they have done this.

People in Pittsburgh have long noted that there was such a spliced clip in the Immaculate Reception replay that has been

Page 1 of 2On the Steelers: Recession? Not in the land of Snyder


shown probably more than any other by NFL Films. Before the start of the play that's been judged the most memorable in league history, NFL Films shows the Steelers breaking the huddle. There's one problem; the center breaking the huddle is clearly Ray Mansfield. The center who snapped the ball to Terry Bradshaw on the most famous play in NFL history was JimClack, and you can see that in the next clip as Bradshaw drops back and Clack protects for him.

Again, was there not enough drama taking place at the moment of the Immaculate Reception that NFL Films had to be dishonest about it and use a film clip that was not true to the event?

Or, change the name to NFL Creative Films.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].


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Page 2 of 2On the Steelers: Recession? Not in the land of Snyder



NFL Notebook: Patriots deal Cassel, VrabelKansas City sends second-round pick to New England Sunday, March 01, 2009 From wire dispatches

The Patriots must feel certain Tom Brady's injured knee will be fine next season.

After putting the franchise tag on Matt Cassel as insurance for their two-time Super Bowl MVP, the Patriots shipped Cassel and former Steelers linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City yesterday. The Chiefs gave up shockingly little -- the 34th overall pick in the April draft for both players.

The Chiefs have the third overall selection following a franchise-worst 2-14 season. In yielding their second-round draft choice, they acquire a reliable 12-year veteran linebacker and a proven young quarterback who could immediately fill one oftheir most urgent needs.

Brady's rehab of a severe knee injury was set back when an infection forced a second operation. By putting the franchise tag on Cassel, New England would have had to pay him $14.5 million to keep him as a backup.

Broncos

Denver has signed seven-time Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins, who spent his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Although Dawkins turns 36 next season and is clearly on the downside of his career, he brings a hard-hitting style and leadership qualities coveted by new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.

Cowboys

Dallas took care of one of its top offseason priorities when it acquired quarterback Jon Kitna as the likely backup for Tony Romo. Dallas also signed free-agent linebacker Keith Brooking to a three-year contract.

Brooking, released Friday by Atlanta, played all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Falcons and was the last remaining player from their Super Bowl team a decade ago.

Jets

New York shored up its shaky secondary, acquiring two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard from the Eagles for undisclosed draft picks. Sheppard, who spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Eagles, could immediately start in a Jets secondary that ranked 29th against the pass last year. ... The Jets re-signed guard Brandon Moore to a four-year, $16 million deal. Moore agreed to terms Friday after being cut Thursday by the Jets, who were due to pay the seven-year veteran a $7 million roster bonus under his former contract.


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Page 1 of 1NFL Notebook: Patriots deal Cassel, Vrabel


Wildcat has found its place in the NFL By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, March 1, 2009

Tony Sparano turned around the Miami Dolphins in his first season as coach, but he might have gained more recognition for the offense he helped popularize around the NFL.

Sparano unleased the "Wildcat" formation last year, and it was so successful that others were quick to copy.

"I wish I had a dollar for every person who ran it," Sparano said, jokingly.

The "Wildcat" proved to be money for the Dolphins.

They caught the New England Patriots flat-footed with it last September. The 38-13 thumping of the defending AFC champions helped propel Miami to an eventual division title after it had won just one game in 2007.

The success Miami and other teams had with the "Wildcat" in 2008 has turned the back-to-the-future package into the wrinkle du jour in the NFL. And the intrigue created by the "Wildcat" could impact the NFL draft and enhance the value of players in it with local ties.

"Obviously, there's some people that have given it some thought and have used it in our league and, naturally, those things expand," Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "There's a few players in this draft that would make you think about that."

West Virginia quarterback Pat White and Penn State wide receiver/kick returner Derrick Williams are two of the more notable examples.

They have the blend of versatility and athletic ability to succeed in the "Wildcat," a progeny of the single-wing formation that predated the sophisticated passing attacks of the modern era.

White and Williams could add another dimension to the "Wildcat," which usually features a direct snap to a team's top runner, since each would also represent a passing threat.

White set a record for career rushing yards (4,480) by a quarterback at the Division I-A level, but he also threw well enough to become the first quarterback to win four bowl games in NCAA history.

Page 1 of 3Wildcat has found its place in the NFL - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


And as NFL teams evaluate White in advance of April's draft, the possibilities with a pass-or-throw option in the "Wildcat" is, no doubt, a part of their thought process.

"I think the implementation of the 'Wildcat' and other spread systems will definitely help me out," White said, "because of the style of offense we ran at West Virginia."

'WILDCAT' MAKES WILLIAMS A WILD CARD

The "Wildcat" may help Williams, or at least his draft stock, even more.

Unlike White, who had an impressive showing at last week's NFL scouting combine and may convince teams to draft him strictly as a quarterback, Williams did not fare well in Indianapolis.

He ran a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash, raising questions — if not red flags — even though illness may have factored in to his pedestrian time. Teams that aren't convinced Williams has the speed to play wide receiver on a regular basis may covet him for what he can do in the "Wildcat."

Williams took his share of direct snaps at Penn State last season, and he rushed for 243 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. The former high school quarterback also completed a couple of passes out of the formation, forcing teams to respect his arm and his legs.

When asked about the prospect of Williams playing in the "Wildcat" in the NFL, Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler, who is also eligible for the draft, said, "He'll be good at it. He can throw passes, he can run, he's big enough to take some of those bigger hits."

The punishment players are exposed to in the "Wildcat" is primarily why teams don't use their starting quarterback in the formation.

While the package gained traction in the NFL last season, it has been used before.

Arizona Cardinals coach and former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said the Steelers employed a direct snap earlier in the decade when they had Antwaan Randle El — the shifty wide receiver who excelled as a running quarterback in college.

The idea then, as it is now, is to put the ball in the hands of a dynamic playmaker and allow him to exploit a team that isn't sure how to defend the "Wildcat."

"I think the 'Wildcat' situation is something that a lot of us are trying to figure out what's the best way to defend it as well as use it." Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said.



"Until somebody finds a way to make something unsuccessful," said Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, "they'll continue to do it."

FOLLOWING THE DOLPHINS' LEAD

Indeed, the NFL is nothing if not a copycat league. And the "Wildcat" became more prevalent after Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown executed it so adroitly that he rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another score against the Patriots.

It was enough of a concern for the Steelers prior to their regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns that they prepared for the "Wildcat" in practice.

Rookie quarterback Dennis Dixon so impressed his teammates with the way he emulated Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs, an explosive open-field threat who played quarterback in college, that several of them said the Steelers should consider adding the "Wildcat" to their offensive repertoire.

"I think we should get our offense to put Dixon in there," Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker James Farrior said in December. "I think we can make some plays with him on offense."

That "Wildcat" sentiment, while widespread, hardly has launched a revolution in the NFL. The formation has given defensive coordinators something else for which they have to prepare, even if it is only used for a handful of plays.

And to think the Dolphins had doubts on the "Wildcat's" effectiveness before they unleashed it — and Brown, who averaged well over five yards a carry last season and made his first Pro Bowl — on the Patriots.

Recalled Sparano: "We might go out there for two plays, and if it backfires or it doesn't give us the look that we wanted, maybe we don't see it anymore.

"It just so happened we started to get a couple of the pictures that we wanted to see, and we were able to go with it a little bit longer."

Now what had been old is new again, and the "Wildcat" looks like it is here to stay.







Steelers' Kemoeatu opts to stay putSaturday, February 28, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The developing crisis in the offensive line eased a tad yesterday when the Steelers came to terms with guard ChrisKemoeatu. And team officials remain optimistic others will rejoin him and fullback Sean McHugh, who also agreed to a contract.

Not long after Kevin Colbert said he felt good about re-signing some of their own top free agents, the Steelers did just that with their starting left guard.

"Our big free-agency [move] is trying to keep our own players, which we are trying to do," said Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations. "Our own players want to find out what else is out there. If they leave, they want to know that they had a good offer to do it. We'll be as competitive as we can be."

That is precisely what happened with Kemoeatu. He received an offer from the New York Jets that averaged a little more than $4 million per year on a four-year deal. The Steelers' contract averaged $4 million on a five-year deal and he accepted that $20 million contract that includes a $3,885,000 signing bonus.

The Jets reportedly thought they were about to land their second guard from the Steelers in the past two years. They signed Alan Faneca a year ago.

"Obviously, he's very happy," said Kemoeatu's agent, Ken Vierra. "The Jets were extremely aggressive and professional. At the end of the day, it was an opportunity to win another Super Bowl and stay with his teammates, along with a good, aggressive, solid offer from the Steelers. That was enough to keep him there."

McHugh, their starting fullback and No. 3 tight end, received a three-year, $2.57 million contract with a $390,000 signing bonus. He signed a one-year deal with them Sept. 3 after Detroit cut him.

The Steelers also would like to keep Trai Essex home. He is an experienced backup guard and tackle who has played in 34 games and started four.

Colbert said they also hope to keep others, although it appears wide receiver Nate Washington and cornerback Bryant McFadden will soon sign elsewhere. Washington visited Detroit yesterday with Tampa Bay and Tennessee also trying to line up visits. Any number of teams have expressed an interest in McFadden.

"Until players meet with other teams and find out what their market is, we don't know if any or what combination we can keep,'' Colbert said. "We may be able to keep all of them or keep none of them. We'll probably be able to keep a combination of our own and possibly add some guys as this thing gets into a more sensible range."

The Steelers did not plan to meet with any free agents over the weekend, and Colbert said none is scheduled for a visit.

He offered an explanation why the Steelers released veteran guard Kendall Simmons Thursday. Simmons was their starting guard since 2002, but he was placed on injured reserve after his Achilles tendon was torn in the fourth game last season.

They lost salary-cap room by releasing him, but they will save actual cash, the $3.1 million salary he was to receive. That real money can be used elsewhere.

"We don't like doing these things," Colbert said. "He is recovering from a pretty serious injury, and indications are that he will be available at some point for the '09 season. It's hard to determine when that will be, and we felt we could use the maneuverability in the cap, even though it doesn't give us immediate cap relief."

Simmons paid a visit to the Buffalo Bills yesterday. Darnell Stapleton replaced him as the starter last season. He remains under contract, as does guard/tackle Jeremy Parquet, who has been in and out of the league since 2005 without ever getting into a game until he played briefly in five of them with the Steelers the past season.

Page 1 of 2Steelers' Kemoeatu opts to stay put


Kemoeatu became a starter in his fourth season with the Steelers, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2005. Coincidentally, he became a starter after the New York Jets signed Faneca.

Colbert was not surprised that Kemoeatu took a little less to remain with the Steelers.

"I don't think players want to leave here. I think they enjoy their experience here, and they want to stay. And, if that's the case, the agent will usually give you the opportunity to match what his client is getting.

"We're going to monitor what's going on, obviously, with our own guys that are making early visits and we'll see where the early signings are, but it's just never been our style to be involved in this early process."

•

NOTES -- Colbert said the Steelers' negotiations with James Harrison are ongoing and the only ones taking place with a player that has one year left on his contract. ... The Steelers are about $10 million under the newly adjusted salary cap of $127 million for each team. ... The Steelers have eight draft picks at the moment, an extra in the seventh brought by their trade of Sean Mahan to Tampa Bay.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].

First published on February 28, 2009 at 12:00 am

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Page 2 of 2Steelers' Kemoeatu opts to stay put


Steelers re-sign guard Kemoeatu By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Steelers re-signed guard Chris Kemoeatu to a five-year contract Friday, and director of football operations Kevin Colbert said he is optimistic the team can bring back some of its other players that became unrestricted free agents yesterday.

"Our big free agency is trying to keep our own players," Colbert said, "which we are trying to do. We'll be as competitive as we can be."

The Steelers generally stay idle through the first frenzied days of free agency. However, they made a significant signing yesterday on the first day of free agency, when they locked up Kemoeatu, who started every game at left guard last season.

The Steelers also re-signed restricted free agent Sean McHugh yesterday, and the tight end/fullback's three-year, $2.57 million deal includes a $390,000 signing bonus.

Kemoeatu's deal is worth as much as $20 million and includes a $3.885 million signing bonus.

The New York Jets made an offer to Kemoeatu, perhaps the top guard on the free-agent market. In the end, the fourth-year veteran took less money to re-sign with the Steelers.

Among the other Steelers' remaining free agents, left tackle Marvel Smith is the only one that Colbert conceded has little chance of returning to Pittsburgh.

A couple of things, however, may work against the Steelers as they try to re-sign their players.

They were only around $10 million under the salary cap before re-signing Kemoeatu. And they may not be able to come close to matching offers made to cornerback Bryant McFadden and wide receiver Nate Washington, among others.

Washington visited the Detroit Lions yesterday and is scheduled to meet with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A handful of other teams also have expressed interest in Washington, who may get the chance to start elsewhere.

Colbert said he is confident the Steelers will get the chance to make pitches to

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players such as McFadden and Washington, even if they get offers from other teams.

"I don't think players want to leave here," Colbert said, "and if that's the case, the agent will usually give you the opportunity to match what his client his getting."

In addition to re-signing their own free agents, the Steelers are trying to reach agreements with outside linebacker James Harrison and left tackle Max Starks on long-term deals.

Each is signed through next season.

Colbert said talks with Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, have been "positive" and that Starks and the Steelers are committed to working out an agreement on a multi-year contract.

"Max wants to be here, I believe, for the rest of his career," Colbert said. "We'd love to have that just as much as he would. We're trying to get there."

The offensive line had been fraught with uncertainty just a couple of weeks ago.

Recent moves, including the re-signing of Kemoeatu, almost assure that the Steelers will return the five offensive linemen who started all or the majority of the time last season.

The team did part ways with veteran guard Kendall Simmons, who is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Thursday.

Simmons' release didn't provide immediate salary cap relief, Colbert said, but it did help the Steelers long-term "maneuverability" in dealing with the cap. Simmons, who had started 30 consecutive games at right tackle before getting hurt in September, is expected to make a full recovery.

But, said Colbert, "we don't know what point he would be able to help us next year, and we had to make some decisions."

OL REMAINS INTACT

The Steelers re-signed left guard Chris Kemoeatu on Friday, and they should have all five of their starters on the offensive line back next season. Here is a look at the status of those players.

LT: Max Starks — Signed a one-year, $8.451 million deal last week, but the 6-foot-8, 345-pounder and the Steelers are working toward a long-term contract. Starks started the Steelers' final 14 games at left tackle last season after back problems sidelined Marvel Smith

LG: Chris Kemoeatu — Took less money to return to the Steelers, who picked



the 6-3, 344-pounder in the sixth round of the 2005 draft. A seldom-used reserve his first three season, Kemoeatu started every game at left guard last season.

C: Justin Hartwig — The 6-4, 312-pounder signed a two-year deal with the Steelers last March and stabilized the center position.

RG: Darnell Stapleton — Another in a long line of undrafted free agents that have thrived with the Steelers, Stapleton took over at right guard after a foot injury ended Kendall Simmons' season. The 6-3, 305-pounder started the final 15 games at right guard.

RT: Willie Colon — Restricted free agent has started 38 consecutive games at right tackle. The Steelers have offered the 6-3, 335-pounder a one-year, $2.198 million contract. They have the right to match any offer made to Colon and would receive a first-round pick if he signs elsewhere.






Steelers laying it on this line — again By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, February 28, 2009

With the Steelers, you never know.

That's because we want the Steelers to be something they're not: spontaneous, impulsive, predictable.

That's never going to happen.

The Steelers are methodical, patient and unpredictable.

Until Friday, I had no idea what the Steelers were thinking about free agency, even though the answer was staring me in the face.

Offensive line, offensive line, offensive line.

All of the key moves made by the Steelers since winning Super Bowl XLIII have been fixated on maintaining and improving the offensive line with in-house candidates.

Maybe the most scrutinized offensive line in franchise history.

Count me among those not excited about keeping this offensive line intact for the 2009 season.

A little change never hurt. But the Steelers make their own rules.

In the Steelers' case, different is better.

So, different it is.

Yesterday's announcement regarding left guard Chris Kemoeatu wasn't a free-agent signing as much as it was a trade — Kemoeatu for Kendall Simmons.

A day after releasing Simmons, who signed a four-year, $24 million extension prior to the 2007 season, the Steelers re-signed Kemoeatu to a five-year, $20 million deal.

Kemoeatu, who nearly replaced Simmons in the lineup a year ago, just turned 26.

Page 1 of 2Steelers laying it on this line — again - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Right guard Darnell Stapleton, who will earn $460,000 next season, is 23.

Right tackle Willie Colon, who signed a one-year, $2.198 million contract as a restricted free agent Wednesday, turns 26 in April.

Left tackle Max Starks, who will receive $8.451 million as the team's franchise player, turned 27 last month.

Center Justin Hartwig, who will earn $1.75 million next season in the final year of his contract, is 30.

Like it or not — and some Steelers fans don't like it at all — this is a young offensive line with plenty of room for improvement and thumbs-up approval from the front office and coaching staff.

Like it or not, the Steelers will defend their Super Bowl title with the same offensive line.

Ben Roethlisberger had no comment.

Try looking at this from the Steelers' perspective.

It's an offensive line that helped win Super Bowl XLIII, featuring three new starters (Hartwig, Stapleton and Kemoeatu) and two first-time starters (Kemoeatu and Stapleton).

If 2008 was the lowest point for an offensive line still getting to know each other, what's ahead for 2009?

The offensive line, surprisingly young and cost effective, should get better with another year of playing together.

That's the Steelers for you.

Patient, never impulsive.

Thirty-one other teams wouldn't mind having the Steelers' so-called problem.

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



Page 2 of 2Steelers laying it on this line — again - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


MONDAY MARCH 2, 2009 :: Last modified: Sunday, March 1, 2009 12:22 AM EST

Steelers' Kemoeatu tows line By The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Left guard Chris Kemoeatu turned down an offer from the New York Jets and re-signed with the Super Bowl champion Steelers, who would have been depleted on the offensive line without him. Kemoeatu’s contract is worth $20 million over five seasons and pays him a signing bonus of nearly $4 million, which is believed to be less than the Jets were offering. Nearly $6 million is guaranteed Kemoeatu, a former backup who started only two games during his first three Steelers seasons from 2005-07.

The Steelers released former starting right guard Kendall Simmons on Thursday. Losing Kemoeatu — who helped them win a Super Bowl in his first season as a starter — would have left them with former undrafted free agent Darnell Stapleton as their only experienced guard. Stapleton also was a first-year starter last season. The Jets wanted Kemoeatu as the replacement for right guard Brandon Moore, but Kemoeatu preferred to stay with a team that has a chance to win a third Super Bowl in five years. Last year, the Jets signed longtime All-Pro guard Alan Faneca from the Steelers, creating a starting job for Kemoeatu in his fourth season in Pittsburgh. Kemoeatu was a Steelers sixth-round pick in 2005, likely dropping in the draft because of a 2003 incident in which the former Utah lineman kicked an UNLV player in the face while his helmet was off. Kemoeatu had been suspended for the first half of that game following an on-field dispute with a San Diego State player the week before. Kemoeatu’s contract is the same length as the $24 million, five-year deal Simmons signed in August 2007, only 18 months before Pittsburgh released him. Simmons’ contract included a $7.85 million signing bonus, of which the remaining $4.71 million will count against the Steelers’ 2009 salary cap. The Steelers do not have to pay Simmons his non-guaranteed salary of $3.1 million. Simmons missed the final three months of the regular season and the playoffs last season after tearing an Achilles tendon against the Ravens. The former first-round draft pick also sat out the 2004 season with torn knee ligaments that occurred during training camp. Simmons’ departure means the Steelers probably will be without two longtime starting linemen. Also, Anthony Smith, the safety who unwisely guaranteed a victory over the then-unbeaten Patriots in 2007, became an unrestricted free agent Friday after the Steelers didn’t tender him a contract.

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The Steelers gave up quickly on Smith, whose career in Pittsburgh declined rapidly after he was a third-round pick from Syracuse in 2006. He angered coach Mike Tomlin not only by guaranteeing the Steelers would beat the Patriots a season later, but by getting beat for two touchdowns during New England’s 34-13 victory. Smith’s playing time dwindled last season, and he was deactivated for all three playoff games. 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Steelers keep Kemoeatu By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

The Steelers did some in-house shopping on the free-agent market Friday, re-signing guard Chris Kemoeatu and fullback/tight end Sean McHugh.

Kemoeatu, the Steelers' starting left guard, received a five-year contract worth $20 million with a $3.9-milion signing bonus and $6 million in guaranteed money.

Kemoeatu's deal was struck on the opening day of the free-agent period. Kemoeatu received a contract offer from the New York Jets that reportedly included more guaranteed money.

Coincidentally, Kemoeatu moved into the starting lineup at left guard in 2008 in place of Alan Faneca, who signed a $40-million deal with the Jets last year.

The signing of Kemoeatu, a sixth-round draft pick in 2005, was a priority for the Steelers, who until last week faced the prospect of losing three starters from their offensive line. But Pittsburgh placed the franchise tag on left tackle Max Starks, guaranteeing him a one-year, $8.5-million deal, and Thursday right tackle Willie Colon, a restricted free agent, was given a contract tender of $2.2 million.

The Steelers are trying to negotiate a long-term deal with Starks to lessen his cap number, while a new deal with Colon will likely be on the backburner until training camp.

According to the New York Daily News, the Jets targeted Kemoeatu as a replacement for right guard Brandon Moore, whom New York released Thursday.

McHugh, picked up last season after being released by Detroit, signed a three-year, $2.57-million contract with a $390,000 signing bonus.

McHugh, who was a restricted free agent, received a tender offer of $1.01 milion from the Steelers Thursday, meaning his new deal offers the Steelers some salary cap relief.

In other free-agent news, Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden and wide receiver Nate Washington are seeing plenty of action on the open market.

A second-round draft pick in 2005, McFadden is reportedly being targeted by Tampa Bay, Arizona, Detroit and St. Louis. McFadden is expected to first visit Arizona, the team the Steelers defeated, 27-23, in Super XLIII.

Washington, the team's No. 3 receiver the past two seasons, visited Detroit Friday and is also drawing interest from Tennessee, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Minnesota.

Meanwhile, guard Kendall Simmons, released Thursday by the Steelers, will meet with the Buffalo Bills.

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March 2, 2009

Giants Keep Defense a Priority, Signing Canty

By JOE LAPOINTE

In some ways, the Giants’ moves in the free-agent market over the weekend appeared to be counterintuitive.

Their biggest off-season need, everyone seemed to agree, was for help at wide receiver. They finished the

regular season at 12-4 with the fifth-best defense in the N.F.L.

Yet since the beginning of free agency Friday, the Giants have signed three defensive players — end Chris

Canty from Dallas, tackle Rocky Bernard from Seattle and linebacker Michael Boley from Atlanta.

They still have not added depth at receiver to replace Plaxico Burress, whose status is uncertain because of

legal troubles, or the veteran Amani Toomer, a free agent who is not expected to return.

With Canty and Bernard, the Giants have nine defensive linemen for four positions.

“We’ll keep our options open,” Reese said Sunday in a telephone interview, referring to the possibility that

the Giants were stockpiling talent to trade up in the draft or to make a deal for a player on another team.

Keeping options open also applied to the possibility of signing other free agents.

“We’ll still look around and see what’s out there,” Reese said. “We’ll do what’s best.”

Reese said the moves on defense came in part because the pass rush weakened toward the end of last season.

Without the retired Michael Strahan and the injured Osi Umenyiora, the remaining linemen gradually

became less effective.

Tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield played with injuries, as did end Justin Tuck. The team lost three of

its last four games in the regular season before losing in the playoffs to Philadelphia.

At the very least, the Giants have provided support for Bill Sheridan, the new defensive coordinator. Sheridan

replaced Steve Spagnuolo, who moved to St. Louis to become head coach of the Rams.

But it was already expected that Sheridan’s platoon would be bolstered by the return of Umenyiora, a Pro

Bowl end who missed last season with an injury to his left knee. The Giants have the 29th pick in the first

round of the N.F.L. draft on April 25.

Many defensive linemen can play end or tackle. For now, the depth chart on the line lists Robbins, Cofield,

Bernard, Canty, Umenyiora, Tuck, Jay Alford, Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson.

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Boley played strongside linebacker for the Falcons, but he is expected to compete for the weakside position

with the Giants. Last season, that position was shared by Chase Blackburn, Gerris Wilkinson and Bryan Kehl.

The signing of Canty on Sunday was the last of the three. He is 6 feet 7 inches and 305 pounds. He started 50

games in four seasons. Tom Coughlin, the Giants’ coach, said in a news release that he liked that Canty

played in the National Football Conference East.

Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce’s effectiveness seemed to dwindle in the last quarter of the season.

Reese said that Pierce was not the only Giants defender who wore down.

“Right now, Antonio is a very good football player for us,” he said, before adding: “Anything can happen.

Never say never.”

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From staff reports

The third day of the NFL's free agency season was not as busy as the first two. USA TODAY recaps the deals from Sunday. Track all the moves with roundups of Friday's and Saturday's transactions:

• Another Giants defender: The Giants signed DE Chris Canty away from NFC East rival Dallas. With 10 sacks in his first four years, Canty, who signed a six-year, $42 million deal with $17.25 million guaranteed, will bring pass-rushing depth to New York. The Giants had already signed DT Rocky Bernard and LB Michael Boley. MORE

• Texans find a backup: Houston signed former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky to a three-year, $9 million deal with a $2.4 million signing bonus. Orlovsky was 0-7 as a starter in Detroit last season. MORE

• Receiving depth in Tampa: The Buccaneers brought WR Michael Clayton back for a sixth season in Tampa. The sides agreed to a five-year deal worth $24 million with $10.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL.com. MORE

• Another Dolphin off to Denver: The Broncos agreed to a deal with former Dolphins CB Andre' Goodman. He agreed to a five-year deal worth $25 million with $10 million guaranteed, and followed former Miami safety Renaldo Hill to Denver. MORE

• Backfield depth: The Patriots kept safety James Sanders on the team with a three-year deal. Steve Feldman, the agent for Sanders, a four-year veteran, confirmed the deal to the Boston Globe.

• McDaniels connection: Denver signed former Patriots receiver Jabar Gaffney to a four-year, $10 million contract with $3 million guaranteed. Gaffney rejoins former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with the Broncos.

• Back in New York: Fullback Tony Richardson re-signed with the Jets, for whom he played in six games last season. The 14-year veteran returned on a one-year deal with $500,000 guaranteed. MORE

• New long snapper: The Patriots connection continued in Denver when the Broncos signed ex-New England long snapper Lonie Paxton to a five-year deal that makes him one of the league's highest-paid snap specialists.

• Seattle bulks up: Ex-Packers DT Colin Cole agreed to a five-year, $21.4 million deal with the Seahawks with $6 million guaranteed, according to the AP.

Extra points: Other deals consummated on the third day of free agency:

• The Raiders agreed with special teamer Isaiah Ekejiuba to a three-year deal.

• The Cardinals signed DB and special teamer Keith Lewis to a two-year deal.

• The Bills re-signed QB Gibran Hamdan, who was second on the team's depth chart at the close of last season.

• The Bills also resigned DB Dustin Fox, who's mainly used on special teams.

Advertisement Free agency Day 3: Tracking the moves around the

NFL

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The Associated Press

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall was arrested in Atlanta on Sunday on a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a fight. His latest run-in with the law could result in a lengthy suspension from the NFL.

Marshall arrived at the jail at 5:50 a.m. on a disorderly conduct charge and was released five hours later after posting $300 bond, said Lt. Joseph, the supervisor at the Atlanta City Jail who declined to give his first name.

Joseph told The Associated Press that Marshall was due in court at 8 a.m. Monday, but he had no other details on his arrest.

ESPN first reported Marshall's latest arrest, his fourth since March 2006.

He was suspended for three games last season for repeatedly running afoul of the law — Marshall's suspension stemmed from seven police-related incidents with his former girlfriend, Rasheedah Wately. But he had his punishment reduced to a single game when he pledged to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that he would stay out of trouble.

Marshall, 24, now potentially faces a longer suspension to start the 2009 season, perhaps as much as eight games, which is the punishment other players have received for repeatedly getting into trouble off the field.

The league doesn't require convictions for the commissioner to suspend a player.

Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said the Broncos were aware of reports of Marshall's arrest but had no comment, and Marshall's Denver-based lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, also declined comment in a text to The AP.

His agent, Kennard McGwire, didn't immediately return an e-mail. Calls and e-mails also were sent after hours to Broncos general manager Brian Xanders and league spokesman Greg Aiello.

It was a March 6, 2008, arrest on a domestic violence warrant filed by his former girlfriend in Atlanta that led Goodell to summon Marshall to his New York offices last summer to explain his series of misdeeds. At that time, Marshall also faced a drunken driving trial that didn't fall under the league's personal conduct policy that would allow for suspension.

Broncos' Brandon Marshall booked on disorderly conduct charge

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After sitting out the opener last season, Marshall returned from his suspension insisting he had turned round his life. He began making weekly visits to the Darrent Williams Teen Center on his days off to help inner city youths, something he said kept him grounded and fed his desire to stay off the police blotter.

Marshall said at the Pro Bowl last month he was ready to settle down and he proposed to his fiance, Michi Nogami, while in Hawaii for the all-star game. Broncos fans hoped this was another sign of Marshall maturing.

Marshall caught 104 passes for 1,265 yards and six TDs last season. But he dropped 18 on-target passes, something he blamed on the nerve damage in his right arm, which he put through a television set while horsing around with his brother in the offseason.

In three NFL seasons, Marshall has caught 226 passes for 2,899 yards and 15 touchdowns, although he's fumbled eight times, losing four.

Marshall is expected to seek a monster contract this year befitting his immense talents and reflecting his back-to-back 100-catch seasons.

His arrest came the same weekend another one of the team's leaders found himself in the news. Quarterback Jay Cutler, a fellow 2006 draft pick who also made his first trip to the Pro Bowl last month, is angry he was the subject of trade talks for Matt Cassel and has suggested his relationship with new coach Josh McDaniels has been strained.

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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Crabtree to have surgery March 4

ESPN.com news services Michael Crabtree won't perform in front of NFL scouts at his school's pro day later this month, opting to have surgery on a stress fracture in his left foot on March 4.

Crabtree, the top-rated receiver in this year's draft, will have surgery in Charlotte, N.C., to insert a screw.

"After thorough consideration and discussion with my advisors and doctors, I decided to have the surgery, rather than risk any further injury," Crabtree said in a statement Sunday. "As a competitor, I wanted to run at my pro day, but it became clear that the best thing for me is to have the surgery and be ready to get on the field as soon as possible."

Texas Tech's pro day is scheduled for March 26.

Rehabilitation is expected to take 10 weeks or more.

There already are questions about how his condition might affect his draft status. Before the combine, most projected the record-setting Texas Tech receiver to be among the top five picks.

But he measured 6-foot-1 -- two inches shorter than his listed height at Texas Tech, creating a potential concern for teams that thought he fit the mold of a taller receiver such as Randy Moss or Larry Fitzgerald.

There could be additional questions about his durability. Crabtree spent part of last season dealing with a right ankle injury and now there are questions about his foot.

With none of the usual statistics to evaluate -- such as the 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle -- scouts could have a difficult time assessing Crabtree against such receivers as Missouri's Jeremy Maclin or Florida's Percy Harvin.

"He has a history, and his history is pretty good," Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith said last month at the combine. "I think he'll be OK."

In the past two seasons at Texas Tech, Crabtree has put together a résumé worthy of being the first receiver selected in April.

He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver each of the past two years, the first repeat winner since the honor was established in 1994. He also earned All-America honors the past two seasons.

As a freshman, Crabtree caught 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 TDs -- all national bests and NCAA freshman records. Last season, he caught another 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns despite being slowed by the ankle injury.

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