Vegas has spoken, NFL season win totals are live (National Football Post)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 13:06:06 PDT)
Four picks to keep an eye on this summer as we approach the start of the 2012 season.

Jaguars' Knighton making progress, eager to play (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 12:47:25 PDT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton is taking ''baby steps'' toward a full recovery from eye surgery.

NFL roundup: Players union files suit, accuses owners of collusion (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 16:30:14 PDT)
The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit on Wednesday that accused NFL owners and the league of collusion during the 2010 NFL season.

Marshall looking for more this time with Cutler (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:35:07 PDT)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) Brandon Marshall cringes when he looks at the old clips.

Bears agree to 1-year deal with DT Collins (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 14:32:49 PDT)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with defensive tackle Nate Collins.

Jags' Kampman could be out until training camp (National Football Post)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 08:06:06 PDT)
Cornerback Mathis appears to be ahead of schedule.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Local Wide Receiver from Arena Football League: Fan Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 05:41:00 PDT)
Much of the news surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lately has involved the trade of Kellen Winslow, Jr. and the signing of Dallas Clark, but on May 22, the Bucs signed a wide receiver and Tampa native, Greg Ellingson, from the Arena Football League.

Jaguars CB Mathis nearing return from knee injury (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 14:06:04 PDT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis is seemingly way ahead of schedule.

Andre Johnson has arthroscopic surgery (National Football Post)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 11:46:12 PDT)
Texans receiver to miss time in OTAs.

Tanier’s Team Reviews: The Kansas City Chiefs, via Todd Haley (Shutdown Corner)
(Sun, 20 May 2012 07:30:30 PDT)
Any website can post "offseason grades" for NFL teams, mixing the draft and free agency into transaction soup, then straining it through the mind of some sportswriter who doesn't know who half the players are. Only the Shutdown Corner has the resources to get actual players, coaches, and executives from each team to evaluate their own offseasons! That's right: over the next few weeks, you will get transaction evaluations straight from the horse's mouths: straight talk about who was signed, who was lost, who was drafted, and why. (For the satirically challenged: all player, coach, and executive remarks are made by an impersonator). In this segment, former Chiefs coach Todd Haley breaks down the offseason moves of the team that fired him at the end of last season. We have a bad feeling about this. TODD HALEY: Wash your windshield, mister? I don't scrub windshields for the money. I have a coaching job now as offensive coordinator for the Steelers. I carry this slop bucket because I like it. It's comforting to wash windows while the mad clown stares at me with his dead, gray eyes, whispering razor truths mortals dare not speak aloud, truths that pierce flesh and cut an inky scarlet line against the throat of the he-goat … Sorry, my thoughts meander sometimes. The Chiefs had a productive offseason. At the skill positions, they added Peyton Hillis to a running back committee that already includes Dexter McCluster and Jamaal Charles, who is ahead of schedule rehabbing his knee injury. Kevin Boss joins Tony Moeaki, also on schedule to return from a knee injury, to give the Chiefs two tight ends who can block and catch. Two rookie wide receivers, Devon Wylie and Junior Hemingway, will provide extra depth behind Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and last year's top pick Jonathan Baldwin, who started to come on late in the season. Matt Cassel, yet another player who missed much of last season with injuries, won't have to worry about throwing to the likes of Keary Colbert or Anthony Becht. That's right, everyone gets to come back to Kansas City but me, the guy who got blamed for not being able to build an offense around Tyler Palko and Terrance Copper, while the dead-eyed clown stares back at me from the mirror and cackles. "You ever played cornhole with the devil, son?" he asks, his raspy voice a rusty hypodermic needle scraping gutter concrete. "He don't use no beanbags, boy." And that he-goat just brays and brays like he sees the end coming and don't know whether to fight it or welcome it. Moving on to the defense, Dontari Poe was one of the most physically gifted specimens in this year's draft class. The Chiefs have a bad habit of striking out with big defensive tackles, from Ryan Sims to Glenn Dorsey, so my former assistant Romeo Crennel will have to be careful about Poe's development and role if he doesn't want Poe to become an overpriced space-eater the greasepaint smears and the sharpened steel glints in the pickup truck headlights behind the barnyard. The loss of Brandon Carr is going to hurt at cornerback, because Stanford Routt is an adequate No. 2 corner behind Brandon Flowers. But the defense will be better if it is not  on the field as often, and when the muffled brays fade to pitch-black silence, vengeful darkness sated all-too-briefly by the still-quivering sacrifice .

Pasquarelli: Pittsburgh completes overdue overhaul of O-line (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 11:50:07 PDT)
With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now 30, and the team's most valuable player sacked an average of 43.5 times over the last six seasons -- including 40 or more sacks in all but one of those campaigns, and coming off an ankle injury last year -- Pittsburgh has drastically retooled its blocking unit.

Around the League: USFL to become NFL minor leagues? (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 11:50:06 PDT)
Some of the discussion at Tuesday's league meeting is expected to focus on the resurrected USFL, which is being reconstituted as a "feeder" or minor league, and on how involved the NFL should be with it. Former NFL executive Jim Steeg, who once presided over Super Bowl preparations, is chairman of the USFL's board of advisors, and that could give it some entre with the NFL.

Tanier’s Team Reviews: The Seattle Seahawks, via Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson (Shutdown Corner)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 06:54:04 PDT)
Any website can post "offseason grades" for NFL teams, mixing the draft and free agency into transaction soup, then straining it through the mind of some sportswriter who doesn't know who half the players are. Only the Shutdown Corner has the resources to get actual players, coaches, and executives from each team to evaluate their own offseasons! That's right: over the next few weeks, you will get transaction evaluations straight from the horse's mouths: straight talk about who was signed, who was lost, who was drafted, and why. (For the satirically challenged: all player, coach, and executive remarks are made by an impersonator). In this segment, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll breaks down his team's offseason moves. PETE CARROLL: What an awesome day! The sun is shining! The birds are chirping! Let me give a shout out to all the folks at The Circle Perk coffee shop for working so hard to keep all of us energized! And to all the crossing guards making sure kids get to school safely! And to the Seattle-area sewer workers: you guys are the thin line that separates good citizens from their own filth, and I cannot thank you enough! Fans really need to get amped about our three-way quarterback battle. The front-runner is Matt Flynn, who got America totally stoked in that awesome Packers-Lions game in Week 17. Next, there's rookie Russell Wilson, who is short but fiery. Isn't that right, Russell? RUSSELL WILSON: Grrrrrr... PETE CARROLL: I love this kid! He's like a feral cat! And finally, there's Tarvaris Jackson, the Taylor Hicks of NFL quarterbacks. You don't like him, you keep expecting him to lose, and then bang! He finds a way to win a starting job, if not many games. But enough about the offense. Let's talk defense!! We are going to have one of the best front sevens in the NFL!! Defensive tackle Jason Jones had a great, if quiet, season for the Titans last year. First-round pick Bruce Irvin may have seemed like a reach, but that is only because West Virginia had this crazy idea that a 245-pound speedster was a good fit at defensive end. I like my defensive ends Red Bryant-sized! When I am not being enthusiastic about everything, you can find me in my office drawing up creative defenses, and Irvin is going to be everywhere the offense doesn't expect him to be!!! Irvin and Wilson had awesome rookie camps. In fact, all of the rookies had awesome camps, as did our parking lot attendants and the people who work so hard to make sure the office wastebaskets are clean enough to guzzle energy drink out of!! Let me dedicate my Song of the Day to the rookies: "Dog Days are Over" by Florence + the Machine! That's right: I'm a 60-year old man who listens to Florence + the Machine!!! Nicky Minaj, too! And don't forget Ke$ha, who is tiny and has a nasty attitude, just like Russell Wilson!!! RUSSELL WILSON: Grrrr… PETE CARROLL: Excellent growling, buddy!!

Tanier’s Team Reviews: The Arizona Cardinals, via Kevin Kolb (Shutdown Corner)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 06:38:08 PDT)
Any website can post "offseason grades" for NFL teams, mixing the draft and free agency into transaction soup, then straining it through the mind of some sportswriter who doesn't know who half the players are. Only the Shutdown Corner has the resources to get actual players, coaches, and executives from each team to evaluate their own offseasons! That's right: over the next few weeks, you will get transaction evaluations straight from the horse's mouths: straight talk about who was signed, who was lost, who was drafted, and why. (For the satirically challenged: all player, coach, and executive remarks are made by an impersonator). In this segment, Cardinals quarterback (at least for now) Kevin Kolb breaks down the Arizona Cardinals' offseason moves. KEVIN KOLB: Howdy folks. Don't mind me. I'm just tyin' a few flies, polishin' up the outboard motor, gettin' ready to hit the lake. Goin' fishin' right after we're done. It won't take long, 'cuz the Cardinals didn't do much this offseason. We didn't get a new quarterback for one thing. Sure, the team chased Peyton Manning, but that was one big river bass with a lot of fight in him. So the quarterback job is mine to lose. And don't you worry, I'm gonna lose it. It's not that John Skelton is any better than me: he may have led just as many fourth-quarter comebacks as Tim Tebow last year (four), but only city slickers and TV blowhards in fancy suits pay attention to those cow chips. I just have no idea what to do in the pocket. So the third or fourth time I roll to my right and get dragged down by Aldon Smith or somebody, Coach Whisenhunt's gonna decide it's time to cut some fresh bait. I know Larry Fitzgerald's happy about our new second receiver, Malcolm Floyd. Floyd liked to hit the honky-tonks in college, but he's a big guy, and when he wants to be, he can be as fast as a boar gettin' flushed by three hound dogs.

Jaguars may get Hard Knocks by default (National Football Post)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 06:26:02 PDT)
Texans latest team to turn down HBO series.

Numerous NFL picks drafted in third round and later not cashing in with max deals
(Thu, 17 May 2012 12:03:16 PDT)
Several players have been shortchanged by more than $100K since last year's CBA went into effect.

Jaguars have leverage over Jones-Drew (Pro Football Weekly)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 11:49:01 PDT)
Few GMs around the league enter the 2012 season on shakier ground than the Jaguars’ Gene Smith.

New contract in Coughlin's near future (The SportsXchange)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 05:50:17 PDT)
As Tom Coughlin was awarded his second Super Bowl ring as head coach of the Giants, team president and co-owner John Mara was promising a new contract was in Coughlin's near future.

Jaguars, Jones-Drew not talking contract (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 12:20:12 PDT)
Maurice Jones-Drew's choice not to participate in voluntary workouts in Jacksonville appears to have all the makings of a line-in-the-sand position on his contract. But the Jaguars aren't expected to broach the issue while Jones-Drew is playing hardball.

Knighton apologizes, expects full recovery (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 14:04:56 PDT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Speaking publicly for the first time since a bar fight last month, Terrance Knighton opened with an apology.

Jones-Drew skips OTAs, wants contract extension (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 12:47:12 PDT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Maurice Jones-Drew was a no-show again.

Raiders lean on Leinart's knowledge of offense (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 15:26:34 PDT)
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) Matt Leinart has gone from being Carson Palmer's protege at Southern California to his teacher with the Oakland Raiders a decade later.

Browns make roster moves (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 15:15:00 PDT)
CLEVELAND (AP) The Browns have cut running back Armond Smith and signed linebacker Emmanuel Acho, one of their 11 draft picks.

MJD to be AWOL from Jaguars' OTAs (National Football Post)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 10:26:05 PDT)
Kicker Scobee also not expected to be at workouts.

Jaguars sign K Coutu to replace Scobee for now (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 10:12:14 PDT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed kicker Brandon Coutu and waived rookie cornerback Dontrell Johnson.

Mularkey makes positive first impression (Pro Football Weekly)
(Fri, 11 May 2012 12:49:44 PDT)
The success of Jaguars new head coach Mike Mularkey’s tenure in Jacksonville ultimately will be decided by wins and losses — or at least the development (or lack thereof) of second-year signalcaller Blaine Gabbert. But that hasn’t stopped our spies in North Florida from raving about the environment Mularkey is creating in comparison to his predecessor, Jack Del Rio, who was fired after Week 11 last season.

Tanier’s Team Reports: The Carolina Panthers, via Jerry Richardson (Shutdown Corner)
(Fri, 11 May 2012 10:32:53 PDT)
Any website can post "offseason grades" for NFL teams, mixing the draft and free agency into transaction soup, then straining it through the mind of some sportswriter who doesn't know who half the players are. Only the Shutdown Corner has the resources to get actual players, coaches, and executives from each team to evaluate their own offseasons! That's right: over the next few weeks, you will get transaction evaluations straight from the horse's mouths: straight talk about who was signed, who was lost, who was drafted, and why. (For the satirically challenged: all player, coach, and executive remarks are made by an impersonator). In this segment, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson breaks down his team's offseason moves. JERRY RICHARDSON: Why the hell do you need me to break down the offseason moves? Can't you dumb kids read a depth chart? Do I have to sit next to you and spell it out? C-A-M-N-E-W-T-O-N. Young people these days are about as sharp as a bag of packing peanuts. First, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees cannot read a revenue chart at the collective bargaining table without me holding their hands and giving them the See Spot Run treatment. Now, you Internet people cannot read a depth chart. We drafted Luke Kuechly. He is going to be a starter at linebacker. He is my kind of player, because I know I won't have to check him for any weird tattoos or piercings after he gets his money. And thanks to the rookie wage scale, he won't get that much money. Though it is still too damn much. A kid plays in the NFL three years and he has enough money to own his own team. I played for two years and I only had enough money to buy a fast-food franchise. It's a totally different situation! Anyway, Kuechly made 532 tackles in three Boston College seasons, and he is a fine young man, unlike most of the ungrateful whelps in the league these days, with their collective bargaining and expectation of fair treatment. Our major free agent acquisition was fullback Mike Tolbert. We already have running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and of course Cam Newton can run as well as throw, so I believe we should run the wishbone. Can't you see it? Fake the handoff to Tolbert, have Newton run right with two pitch options behind him. It would be great! We could have run it in 1959, with Alan Ameche, Lenny Moore, and Mike Sommer, and yours truly on the wing. But nooo. Johnny Unitas had to be a prima donna "dropback" passer. That's right: I have a problem with Unitas, too. I'm an angry person. I fired my own sons, for heaven's sake.

A look at the AFC South drafts (National Football Post)
(Fri, 11 May 2012 10:30:16 PDT)
Taking a glance at how the division's four squads fared.