- Odds are that wide receiver Braylon Edwards will remain with the Browns this season…unless a team comes out of nowhere with a huge trade offer late in training camp because a receiver is hurt and it is desperate for a replacement. So far, Edwards has been doing what the coaches have asked. The Browns are hoping that as Edwards heads into some type of free agency (depending upon what happens with the collective bargaining agreement), he will be at his best this year.
- All the minicamps and OTAs are over for the Browns. At no time did Josh Cribbs jump over to the defensive side of the football to play safety or nickel back. It could happen in training camp, but the switch is unlikely. “We’ve really only worked him on offense to this point,” head coach Eric Mangini said. “I wanted to do that to get him the most familiarity with the system. Like all the guys at this point, there are good things and there are things that aren’t as good. Some of it is just familiarity – new system, new routes, new expectations in terms of depths and reads, sights and hots, and tons of information. We will keep moving down this path, see how it goes, and at some point, hopefully it builds flexibility into where we will work on defense as well.”
- The Bears are counting on running back Kevin Jones to help share the workload with starter Matt Forte this season. Jones figures to see more action than he did last year when he had just 34 carries for 109 yards. He impressed coaches during OTA practices with his speed, quickness and cutting ability. “We’re a running football team,” Smith said. “We’re going to pound the ball quite a bit. That’s why it’s important for Kevin. It’s also important for [third-stringer] Garrett Wolfe. Garrett has had a good offseason too. … You need at least two and then maybe even three [running backs].”
- Bus Cook, Brett Favre’s agent, denied today that the quarterback has already signed a contract with the Vikings. In an email to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Cook said that there is “no contract” between the team and Favre. A Vikings executive did not respond to an e-mail from the newspaper seeking comment.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that there is a rumor that the Vikings already have signed Brett Favre, and that the team and Favre are waiting to release the news. Another rumor is that the Vikings already have green-lighted the production by Reebok of Brett Favre number four jerseys. Florio also states that he has tried to check on these rumors with someone who can verify them and that source says he would neither confirm nor deny any of the rumors.
- The Dolphins signed free agent safety Gibril Wilson to a lucrative contract, added cornerback Eric Green in free agency, and drafted cornerbacks Vontae Davis (first round) and Sean Smith (second round) – four moves aimed at improving a pass defense that ranked 25th in yards surrendered per game last season (227.8). The Boston Globe believes Parcells had stopping the Tom Brady-led passing game of the New England Patriots in mind when he began rebuilding the Miami secondary. In assessing some of the new personnel, Miami coach Tony Sparano pointed out that part of the appeal to drafting Davis (5 feet 11 inches, 203 pounds) and Smith (6-4, 214) was their physical stature and it also helped that they were the best players available in an area the Dolphins had targeted for improvement, according to the Globe.
- Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart said a sore left Achilles is what caused him to miss all of Carolina’s OTAs, but that he should be ready to practice when training camp arrives in early August. The injury was apparently related to Stewart overcompensating for a toe problem that slowed him down last off-season. “It just kind of flared up,” he said. “I’m pretty much staying off of it to just kind of let it heal.”
- Chaz Schilens has been the Raiders best wide receiver this offseason. Considering durability was an issue as a rookie, it’s at least a minor concern Schilens couldn’t participate in the final OTA, but he showed plenty in earlier sessions. He’s a go-up-and-get it receiver who should be the go-to guy should Russell get enough time to throw on third-and-long.
- Bengals WR Laveranues Coles is thrilled with his supporting role in Cincinnati. The Bengals signed Coles as a secondary option in March after T.J Houshmandzadeh left for Seattle. “I love T.J.,” receiver Chad Ochocinco said. “T.J.’s gone. Laveranues is here. They’re two different types of players — completely different. They have two different types of styles, but they will both be successful.” Coles wasn’t shy about one of the reasons he decided to come to Cincinnati. “I came here to get away from (the media),” Coles said Friday. “You’ve got Ocho.”
- Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton shrugs off criticism that he doesn’t have an NFL-caliber arm. “I’ve had a strong enough arm my entire career. I don’t listen to critics,” Orton told 104.3 The Fan in Denver. “I feel like I’ve had a nice start to my career and being with these coaches and these players, I’m just getting better and better and I just think this trade is the jump start to the second part of my career.”
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