Dallas Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton requests release

DALLAS -- Wide receiver Patrick Crayton, who doesn't believe the Dallas Cowboys plan to keep him on the roster this season, said Friday the team is "messing with people's careers and people's lives" and that he wants to be released immediately.

Crayton, who has not participated in voluntary workouts this offseason, said during an appearance on ESPN 103.3's Ben and Skin Show that he is concerned that the Cowboys will keep him as insurance and cut him after training camp. Crayton wants a chance to join another team as soon as possible, which he said agent Fred Lyles frequently tells the Cowboys.

"He has definitely expressed that, but they're not going to do that," Crayton said. "I'm the insurance guy."

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Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton on why he's skipping OTA's and requesting an immediate release from the team.

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Crayton has no clear role after the Cowboys traded up in the first round to draft receiver Dez Bryant, who is expected to be the third receiver as a rookie behind Pro Bowler Miles Austin and Roy Williams.

Bryant will also return punts, another job that used to belong to Crayton. The Cowboys are also intrigued by the potential of receiver Kevin Ogletree, who contributed as an undrafted rookie last season.

"The thing is, you want to be wanted," Crayton said. "So in order to be wanted and felt wanted ... why would you go to a place that you're not feeling that way? I'm not sure if I'm wanted or not wanted."

Lyles said the Cowboys declined a request to release the receiver after the draft.

"When inquired about a release, the Cowboys declined to grant such a request at the time," said Lyles, who said he has talked to people in the front office but not owner/general manager Jerry Jones. "However, the situation may change. The Cowboys would prefer a trade."

The 31-year-old Crayton is skeptical that the Cowboys would be willing to pay him $2 million to be their fourth or fifth receiver.

Tim MacMahon: Expensive insurance

The price of keeping WR Patrick Crayton as an insurance policy isn't worth the potential payoff, writes ESPNDallas' Tim MacMahon. Story

•ESPNDallas.com: Cowboys Blog

"For those guys to develop, they have to be on the field," Crayton said. "For them to be on the field, I'm not going to be on it, so I would love them to not dangle me around and everything because I have a family to think about.

"If I'm going to be with another team, I need to get used to another city, another franchise, a new coach, a new quarterback, a new coordinator, everything. Just a whole new environment. My wife and kids got to get settled in, got to get in schools and everything. I would love to have the opportunity to compete with another team versus come here and come here for a numbers thing where they're like, 'Oh, we're not going to pay you that to be our fourth or fifth guy,' or whatever the situation is and you kept me the whole training camp because you need camp bodies.

"To me, you're messing with people's careers and people's lives."

Jones recently said that the Cowboys still value Crayton and that the team has no intention of releasing him at this point.

"I don't have any issue with how he's doing,'' Jones said earlier this month. "He's one of the hardest workers we've got. Things have a way of working out. I'm not for sure where it will end up here, but it has a way of working out.''

Crayton, a native of the Dallas suburb of DeSoto, has spent his entire career with the Cowboys after they selected him in the seventh round of the 2004 draft.He worked his way up the depth chart until taking over as a starter when Terry Glenn suffered a knee injury in 2007, when Crayton had career highs of 50 catches for 697 yards and seven touchdowns. He was rewarded with a four-year, $14 million contract.

Crayton was demoted to the No. 3 receiver after the Cowboys traded for Williams the next season. He briefly became a starter again after Terrell Owens was released prior to the 2009 season, but Crayton was demoted again after Austin's breakout 250-yard, two-touchdown game in an October overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Williams has been a disappointment since arriving in the 2008 blockbuster deal from the Detroit Lions, but Jones has made it clear that the starting job isn't in jeopardy for a receiver guaranteed $12.9 million this season. The production last season from Crayton (37 catches for 622 yards and five touchdowns) was comparable to that of Williams (38-596-7) despite Crayton being targeted 19 fewer times.

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Crayton said he will report to the team's Valley Ranch facility for the mandatory minicamp in June and doesn't plan to hold out during training camp. He said he wouldn't let his ego and pride prevent him from making $2 million this season, although he considers that scenario unlikely.

"It'd be an uncomfortable situation having guys play in front of you when you know that you're just as good as them," Crayton said. "But it's one of those situations, man. At the end of the day, I don't think that's going to happen."

Crayton said he hasn't had been in contact this offseason with anybody from the Cowboys other than teammates and receivers coach Ray Sherman. He said he isn't participating in voluntary organized team activities because he doesn't feel wanted and doesn't want to risk injury given his uncertain situation.

The Cowboys tried to trade Crayton during draft weekend, which he said he learned after executives from other teams contacted his agent.

"It was behind my back," Crayton said. "I just felt kind of betrayed in a way. But that's the business."

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Source: Seahawks cut LenDale White, who is facing suspension

The LenDale White experiment in Seattle is over.

White was released on Friday, and a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he is facing a four-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

"We have not announced any such suspension," league spokesman Greg Aiello told The Associated Press on Friday night. "I have no other information on it."

The list of players enrolled in the league's substance-abuse program for a prior incident, and therefore subject to discipline, is confidential.

Acquired from the Tennessee Titans in a trade, White reported to the Seahawks in great shape. He was down to 220 pounds after being 250 pounds at times as a member of the Titans.

“

He was surprised. I'm pretty shocked, based on what he's been telling me. His emotions and all ... he wasn't doing good.

”-- Herman White, uncle of LenDale White

"It became apparent at this time that LenDale was not ready to be a member of the Seattle Seahawks," Seahawks GM John Schneider said. "It just did not appear to be the right fit at this point in our program. We wish LenDale all the best with his future."

White came to the Seahawks during the third day of the NFL draft. The team also acquired defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson.

The trade reunited White with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, whom White played for at USC.

White's uncle said his nephew is "confused" and not doing well with the Seahawks' decision.

Herman White told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday night that he's been speaking with the former USC star throughout the day and that "he wasn't doing good."

The uncle White said he did not know if White was facing a four-game suspension for violating the league'sdrug policy. He said he was due to speak to the Titans' formerleading rusher later Friday night or Saturday to find out more.

"He was surprised," Herman White said, adding LenDale told himthis week how great his second NFL chance was going with Carroll. "I'm pretty shocked, based on whathe's been telling me.

"His emotions and all ... he wasn't doing good [Friday]."

The Seahawks gave up on White after he had only limited chances to display his work ethic. He participated in one minicamp and a handful of organized team activities on the practice field before the team waived him.

White had lost more than 45 pounds last year, saying that when he stopped drinking tequila the pounds starting falling off. He was down to 220.

White said he wanted to get back up to 228 pounds for this season. Seattle's starting job seemed within his reach as Carroll opened every position to competition.

He missed one day of organized team activities this month. He said on Monday there was some "family stuff I had to take care of."

Agent Drew Rosenhaus did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages left by The Associated Press. He was on the phone late Friday afternoon with his client sorting out a confusing sequence in which the Seahawks put out an announcement on their website around noon that White had been released, only to take it down soon after.

Hours later, Schneider made it official in a statement released by the team.

Earlier this week, White said he felt great. He thanked Carroll for rescuing him from his dead end in Tennessee.

"Going from 'SC, back-to-back national championships to not playing at all, it's a life-changing thing," White said Monday. "But I'm still here. Pete gave me another chance.

"I don't think I've been this healthy since I was 18 years old."

Carroll said Monday that the team would see how everything fit together. "He's got a long ways to go to get back in here with this club, but we're going to certainly wait it out and see how it does," he said.

The wait lasted all of four days.

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Antonio Pierce says New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin is on hot seat

Former New York Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce made a living out of anticipating and evaluating plays on the field. And Pierce's assessment is that his old team better start winning again, pronto.

The Giants' ex-defensive captain says head coach Tom Coughlin and many others in the organization are feeling the heat from last year's 8-8 debacle.

"He's on the hot seat," Pierce said of his former head coach during an interview with NFL Network. "I think everybody in the organization is on the hot seat. You are talking about a team three years removed from the Super Bowl. There are some fires lit underneath people's butts now in that locker room and in that organization. Everybody is on high alert. It is going to be a very interesting 2010 season."

Pierce said that when owner John Mara ripped the team to the media following the season, Giants players heard the message loud and clear in the locker room.

Pierce, who was released in February after five seasons with the team following a season-ending neck injury, cited a few reasons why the Giants collapsed after a 5-0 start.

He pointed to the season-ending injuries he and safety Kenny Phillips suffered last year and the Osi Umenyiora-Bill Sheridan spat that lingered for months. Umenyiora's issues with the then-defensive coordinator began in late August, when the player unexpectedly left the team building after a meeting. The rift had a lasting impact on the defense.

"That, I think, trickled down to the rest of our season," Pierce said. "That's still on everybody's mind because everybody remembered that. Osi walking out of the team meeting. And he left the building. He came back and apologized and we moved on. We went 5-0 after that but it had an effect."

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Umenyiora's benching later in the season also played a role in the Giants' disastrous season, according to Pierce.

"All those things ... that is a trickle-down effect," Pierce said. "Now you are affecting other guys on the team, because you are messing with the chemistry. If one guy is unhappy, you are talking about one of your main leaders, if he is unhappy, some other guys' feathers are getting wrinkled as well."

Sheridan was fired after the Giants' defense surrendered 427 points -- the third-highest total in the NFL last season, behind the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams -- and replaced by Perry Fewell.

Players have said throughout the offseason that the defense didn't believe in Sheridan's scheme after spending the previous two seasons under the popular and successful Steve Spagnuolo.

"You've been doing things a certain way for two years and it was just fine," Pierce said of playing for Spagnuolo. "It was right. And now you are being coached and that's not right, that's not correct. And that became the problem."

Now the Giants' biggest concern is finding a replacement for Pierce at middle linebacker. Pierce was the quarterback of the defense and the Giants hope to find a successor from a cast that includes Jonathan Goff, rookie Phillip Dillard and others. So far during the Giants' offseason training activity practices, Goff has worked with the first team although Coughlin says it is still early and there will be a rotation of linebackers.

As for Pierce, the former Giants captain says his last game as a Giant may have been his final game in the NFL. Pierce, 31, suffered a herniated disc in his neck in Week 9 against San Diego and missed the rest of the season.

"It is healing but I am going to need surgery to continue playing," said Pierce, who played nine seasons for the Giants and Redskins. "That's not an option I am looking forward to. It is looking like it is going down that [retirement] path. First offseason I am having away from football and I am enjoying it."

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Mathias Kiwanuka's brother critical after crash

The brother of New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka is in critical condition after crashing his motorcycle, police said on Friday.

Benedict Kiwanuka, 32, and his brother Mathias, 27, were riding motorcycles when the older brother hit a car pulling out of an apartment complex. The police report says that first responders found an "individual lying in the roadway with multiple injuries."

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It was estimated that Benedict Kiwanuka was thrown 100 feet from his motorcycle. He was transported to Methodist Hospital.

Lt. Jeff Duhamell, spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, said Benedict Kiwanuka is in "critical condition with multiple injuries" including a "severe" one to one of his arms, according to the New York Daily News.

Mathias Kiwanuka did not hit the car and was unhurt, while the driver suffered facial lacerations and was also taken to Methodist Hospital, according to the police report.

Investigators cited witnesses claiming that the brothers were speeding when the accident occurred. No citations have been issued, but the police report says that the investigation is ongoing and that blood will be taken for testing from all the parties involved. The police reports states that alcohol is not thought to be a factor in the crash.

Duhamell, who was at the scene, said that Benedict Kiwanuka was not wearing a helmet, though one was attached to his motorcycle, according to the Daily News. Sgt. Paul S. Thompson told ESPNNewYork.com that motorcycle riders who are properly licensed are not required to wear a helmet in the state of Indiana unless they are beginners or under 18. It is not known whether Mathias Kiwanuka was wearing a helmet.

NFL player contracts come with a standard hazardous activity clause that has vague language. Should a player suffer injuries from hazardous activities, a team might be able to claim a breach of contract.

Mathias Kiwanuka is from Indianapolis and attended Cathedral High School. Several Giants players left the New York area for the holiday weekend following the team's offseason training activity.

ABC Channel 6 in Indianapolis first reported the accident. This is a very important offseason for Mathias Kiwanuka. He is entering the fifth and final season of his contract and he told ESPN-New York in April that he wanted to be a full-time starter this season opposite Justin Tuck. Kiwanuka will face competition from Osi Umenyiora for the starting spot. Kiwanuka started six games last season, including the final five in place of the demoted Umenyiora.

During the first two OTA sessions open to the media, Kiwanuka started opposite Tuck with the first-team while Umenyiora subbed in. "I looked at last year as a big year," Kiwanuka said in mid-April. "But this year is definitely make-or-break time for me."

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Dallas Cowboys, Gerald Sensabaugh talking about long-term deal

Dallas Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh signed his second-round tender worth $1.8 million Thursday.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said he wants to sign Sensabaugh to a long-term deal, and both sides have started discussions to that end.

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"Gerald signing his tender is no indication that a long-term deal is not a top priority," Sensabaugh's agent Kevin Conner said Thursday. "We are extremely confident he will be a long-term Cowboy."

In his first season with the Cowboys and sixth in the league, Sensabaugh started 15 games and finished with 66 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. He missed one game -- Oct. 11 at Kansas City -- with a broken right thumb.

With Sensabaugh signing his tender, wide receiver Miles Austin is the Cowboys' only restricted free agent who has yet to sign. Austin, who has until June 1 to sign, has been working out with the team in OTAs and is expected to attend the mandatory minicamp in June.

"Those are players who are the future of our team," Jones said Tuesday from the NFL owners meetings. "I can speak emphatically they are very much a part of the future of the Dallas Cowboys."

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Mark Sanchez of New York Jets ahead of schedule in recovery from knee surgery, coach Rex Ryan says

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets coach Rex Ryan thinks quarterback Mark Sanchez's recovery from offseason knee surgery might be a bit ahead of schedule.AFC East blog

ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

•Blog network: NFL Nation

Sanchez had the patella-stabilizing ligament in his left knee repaired in February, and he has participated in individual and passing drills since organized team activities began last Monday.

"He's doing fantastic," Ryan said Thursday. "He's probably ahead of where we thought he'd be."

Sanchez also surprised Ryan when he sneaked onto the field during 11-on-11 team drills for the first time this offseason, but it was only for one handoff.

"I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's he doing?'" said Ryan, who added it was unplanned. "It's a run. Oh, OK. ... Hand the ball off and get out of the way."

That's exactly what Sanchez did, as he stood behind the offense for most of the rest of the practice session.

"I'm waiting," Ryan said. "When our trainers say he's ready to roll and all that, that's when he'll go in there. He feels great. I think he's pushing us all the time to get in there and that's where you want him to be."

Sanchez was given the day off from speaking with the media, but he has said -- along with Ryan -- that he expects to be 100 percent in time for training camp, if not minicamp next month.

The second-year quarterback has said he understands the need for caution. Sanchez, who led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game as a rookie, began running on grass a few weeks ago after being limited to jogging in a pool and then on a treadmill.

Sanchez looked good in passing drills Thursday, throwing several sharp passes and moving around well without a brace on the knee.

Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens has run the first-team offense while Sanchez is unable to practice fully.

While Sanchez works his way back, LaDainian Tomlinson is becoming more comfortable with the Jets' offense and says he's feeling good physically.

The eighth-leading rusher in NFL history said Thursday that the toughest part for him since being signed by the Jets in March has been getting the terms and nuances of the offense down.

"You always kind of gauge how you're doing and I think with anything, you gain confidence as you go and you always have that belief," Tomlinson said. "When you do it, it always reaffirms that belief that you had. You gain the confidence to keep going and do more."

Tomlinson, 31 next month, says a big positive has been that the style of offense the Jets run is close to that which he was a part of for nine seasons in San Diego.

Ryan says Tomlinson has been impressive during practices this offseason.

"We had this little fold play and he just started boom, boom, boom, like this," Ryan said Thursday, zigzagging his hand. "Two or three different cuts. Clearly he would have made about 20 yards. I was like, 'Yeah, this is our guy.'"

When the Jets signed Tomlinson in March, many believed the aging star was way past his prime -- the years of heavy workloads and 12,490 yards finally taking their toll. And, it's hard to argue with the stats: He had a career-low 730 yards rushing and 3.3 yards per carry last season for San Diego and was a non-factor against the Jets in the playoffs when he had 24 yards on 12 carries.

"His last game, as everybody is quick to point out, he never had a big game against us, but that was our day, I think," Ryan said, referring to the Jets' 17-14 win. "I believe he's got a lot more left. When you watch him out here bouncing around doing a great job with protections, running the football, he's still got that wiggle."

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New Orleans Saints' Jeremy Shockey taken to hospital, diagnosed with seizure

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was taken by ambulance to a hospital Thursday afternoon after suffering what was later diagnosed as a seizure.

"I am OK. Thanks to everyone who has shown their concern," Shockey said in a message posted on his Twitter account. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine."

Shockey

Saints safety Darren Sharper, who was seen at the hospital where Shockey was being treated, also was with Shockey in the Saints' weight room when the seizure took place.

"It was scary," Sharper said. "We didn't know what was going on."

Sharper said trainers quickly attended to the star tight end, who seemed lucid again after about a minute and was able to walk on his own to an ambulance.

"He said he just felt light-headed," Sharper recalled.

One player told NewOrleans.com that Shockey was shaking and "he was basically out of it for probably a minute or so, but it seemed longer." The player said Shockey seemed aware after that and was walking around when he left for the hospital.

NewOrleans.com and ABC26 television first reported the incident.

It was not immediately clear how long Shockey would be hospitalized.

Last summer, before the 2009 training camp began, Shockey had to be hospitalized after passing out from dehydration at a party in Las Vegas.

Shockey had just completed three straight days of offseason training sessions at team headquarters before Thursday's seizure occurred.

The Saints did not officially comment on Shockey's condition, leaving unclear his prospects for getting back on the field when the Saints return to their suburban New Orleans headquarters for minicamp June 4-6.

Shockey was instrumental in helping the Saints win their first Super Bowl last season. He had 48 catches for 569 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season, then in the playoffs had seven catches for 58 yards and two TDs. His final score put the Saints ahead for good in the fourth quarter of their Super Bowl win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Also at the Saints' OTA, the team said that cornerback Malcolm Jenkins is working out at free safety.

"We'll move him around," said Saints head coach Sean Payton. "He's working at free. He's a guy that has good versatility. He can come down and play in the box. He can play in the safety position, in the nickel packages. Gregg [Williams, the team's defensive coordinator] and those guys will do a great job of utilizing his skill set, but he's doing well and working primarily at free safety."

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick has broken finger and wide receiver Dez Bryant has hip pointer, according to a source

More on the Cowboys

Calvin Watkins and Tim MacMahon have the Cowboys blanketed for ESPNDallas.com. Check in with their constantly updated coverage. BlogDallas Cowboys nickel cornerback Orlando Scandrick is wearing a cast on his left hand after undergoing surgery for a broken left index finger, according to multiple sources.

Scandrick, who suffered the injury during Tuesday's organized team activities, hopes to return to training camp in late July.

In other Cowboys injury news, wide receiver Dez Bryant, who left Tuesday's OTAs due to a stomach virus, is now battling a new health problem. A source said Bryant suffered a slight hip pointer when he returned to OTAs on Wednesday.

It's not considered serious.

The Cowboys' OTAs were closed to the media Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Jeff Fisher of Tennessee Titans confident issues with Chris Johnson will be resolved

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher is hopeful the team can resolve its issues with running back Chris Johnson by the time practice begins in June.

"I would assume that there will probably be a sit-down meeting between both sides between now and then and we'll see what happens," Fisher said Tuesday. "He invited me to participate in his football camp. I told him I'd like him to participate in mine.

“

We clearly have an issue and we're going to try to get it resolved.

”-- Titans coach Jeff Fisher

"I think it makes sense to get everybody together and I think that's what we'll push for. There is no purpose, no set agenda right now. But it would make sense to get together and try to sort things out. ... We clearly have an issue and we're going to try to get it resolved."

Johnson earned $7.27 million through the first two years of the deal he signed as the 24th pick in the 2008 draft. He is scheduled to make an additional $3.56 million over the remaining three years of his deal.

But after a 2,006-yard rushing season that won him the NFL offensive player of the year award, Johnson has indicated he's looking for a significant pay increase. The issue is complicated by a rule in the collective bargaining agreement that limits salary increases for deals signed this year.

Last season, Johnson was the NFL's leading rusher by a margin of 590 yards more than Steven Jackson of St. Louis. He set the single-season record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509, topping Marshall Faulk's mark of 2,429 set in 1999 with St. Louis. He became the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards with 500 yards receiving in the same season.

He also was the first player in NFL history to rush for three touchdowns of 85 yards or longer in a career -- all in one season. Only Eric Dickerson (3,318) and Edgerrin James (3,262) ran for more yards in their first two seasons than Johnson with 3,234 to start his career.

Fisher's comments on Johnson came the day tight end Bo Scaife joined the Titans for voluntary organized team activities.

Fisher had previously indicated he felt Scaife was being steered to stay away from the team's voluntary workouts by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. He said he agreed with the thinking that Scaife has been well taken care of with a guaranteed $4.9 million restricted free agent tender, which brings his 2009-10 earnings to $9.3 million.

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The Titans applied their franchise tag to Scaife last season to keep him out of free agency.

"It looks like he's been working out, he's in shape," Fisher said. "As long as he continues to participate in the offseason program, things will be fine."

Scaife is a go-to target for Vince Young and the team's top veteran tight end, with Alge Crumpler having left for the New England Patriots.

Scaife ranked third on the team in 2009 with 45 catches for 440 yards playing in 14 games. The Titans are also relying on contributions from Jared Cook and Craig Stevens at the position.

Scaife, a fifth-round pick from 2005, said he's been training in Denver, where he's spent time with his young daughter.

"I've really just been doing my own thing," Scaife said. "I've got a little girl and taking care of her and just preparing myself to have the best season of my career. You know when it's a good time when you feel it, and I just felt it."

The suggestion that he was staying away to help secure a long-term deal "might have a little truth to it," Scaife said. But he also spoke of his affection for his coaches and teammates.

"I'm taking care of my business, I feel good, I am healthy," he said. "I like how I am paid ... It's a blessing just to have what I do have. I've never been one of those guys to be upset, I'm not a holdout guy, I'm never going to be a holdout guy.

"Every little piece that I get I am blessed to have, because I know a lot of people don't have that. I'm glad what the Titans are giving me now and hopefully we'll figure something out one of these days."

Another restricted free agent, middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, remains a non-participant in OTAs. If Tulloch doesn't sign his tender by June 15, the Titans can reduce it.

Scaife said he talks with Johnson and Tulloch all the time and that he's sure both have their reasons.

"I want them to come back. They need to be back with their teammates, but I'm not going to knock anything they do," he said.

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2014 Super Bowl: NY/NJ wins bid to host game

IRVING, Texas -- If you build it, they will come -- wearing winter coats.

The New Meadowlands Stadium, the $1.6 billion jewel co-owned by the New York Giants and Jets, will host the 2014 Super Bowl, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday afternoon at the league's spring meeting.

"It's a historic moment for the league," Goodell said.

Saying that New York is a unique market, Goodell added: "It will be a great experience for our fans. It will be a great experience for the NFL."

The league's 32 owners, undaunted by the prospect of a wintry championship game, awarded Super Bowl XLVIII to the New York/New Jersey region after also considering bids from Tampa and South Florida, both traditional sites. South Florida and Tampa have hosted the Super Bowl 10 and four times, respectively.

Super Cold Host

The projected date for the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl is Feb. 2 -- although that could change depending on the schedule. Here's a Weather.com breakdown of that day:

• ABC: 2014 Game Weather Forecast

East Rutherford Temperature 

Average high 37 F 

Average low 22 F 

Mean 30 F 

Record high 58 F 

Record low -2 F 

It took four rounds of secret balloting to determine the host. New York/New Jersey won by a simple majority over Tampa. South Florida was eliminated after the second ballot.

The official tag line of the New York/New Jersey bid was "Make Some History," and it did. It will be the first open-air stadium in a cold-weather region to host a Super Bowl. In their presentation to the membership, the Jets and Giants reps showed a video that included clips from historic cold-weather games, including Adam Vinatieri's forever field goal for the Patriots in the 2001 divisional playoffs in Foxborough, Mass. -- aka "The Snow Bowl" and "The Tuck Rule Game."

"An old-school matchup in a new-school stadium," the voice-over says.

There could be a record-low temperature at kickoff. The current record is 39 degrees in 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, and that would be considered a warm February day in East Rutherford, N.J.

There's never been snow in a Super Bowl game and that could happen, too.

"Obviously it will be cold, but that's what playing football is all about," Giants quarterback Eli Manning told Fox News Channel's "Studio B with Shepard Smith." "I've been in the Super Bowl and I've been to a couple of Super Bowls and if you're not in it, the Super Bowl is an event and it's kinda a place to be and there's no better place to be than New York City for that vibe and that atmosphere."

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The average temperature range for the Meadowlands area during February is 24 to 40 degrees, with several inches of rain, according to the bid documents. Remember, the game kicks off after sunset in the Eastern time zone, so temperatures would be dropping throughout the night.

Planners have factored it all in. They're plotting giveaways to warm hands and seats, having hundreds of folks ready to shovel away snow and anything else they can do to make the experience more than just bearable.

Jets owner Woody Johnson cracked, "I like doing things for the first time ... I hope it snows."

It could be the last cold play for a long time, as the league made this a onetime exemption to its 50-degree rule.

"People talk about the weather, but, you know, this is football, not beach volleyball," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the NFL Network. He said his city welcomed the chance to host its share of a worldwide event and noted the Sept. 11 attacks.

"America came to the rescue of New York, and that's something I think that New Yorkers have never forgotten," Bloomberg said. "This is a little bit of our chance to say thank you."

Meadowlands CEO Mark Lamping told the owners, via the NFL Network, "This region has hosted every big event -- except the Super Bowl." Lamping described their plans to integrate the Super Bowl into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and Fashion Week.

Organizers expect the 2014 Super Bowl to generate approximately $550 million for the local economy. While there will be no direct financial benefit to the two local teams, the Super Bowl will help the Giants and Jets sell the naming rights to the stadium. That could be worth an estimated $500 million.

The two teams will have access to 109 of the 219 club suites in the 82,500-seat stadium, and those will be distributed to their suite holders. But the money goes directly to the league. The Giants and Jets will split 6.2 percent of the overall ticket allotment. Because two teams are hosting, more hometown fans than usual will be left in the cold. Typically, the host city gets 5 percent.

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Johnson wasted no time in raising the possibility of a Jets-Giants showdown in four years.

"We'll try to be in that Super Bowl together," he said, then turned to Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch. "Am I right?"

Giants co-owner John Mara thanked his fellow owners "for having the guts to want to make some history."

He credited Johnson for hatching the idea in 2005, when the two teams agreed to share the new stadium.

"Woody started pushing the idea about four years ago, and he was absolutely relentless," Mara said.

Johnson said: "I was born in New Brunswick, N.J. To be a Jersey boy and to bring something like this -- to be involved in something this big -- is a tremendous thing for all the people that live in our area."

There are three possible dates for the game in 2014 -- Feb. 2, 9, 16. It depends on the structure of the 2013 season.

Before it gets to the Meadowlands, the Super Bowl will be held in Dallas (2011), Indianapolis (2012) and New Orleans (2013).

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder indicated he'd like the event in his 90,000-seat stadium as well.

"It's great," he said. "But it's warmer I Washington DC and you can quote me on that"

Said Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones: "Because it's the Giants and the Jets and New York, I can reconsile it. We can have that game decided by the ways the teams could get there -- in the elements. I think the fact we have such a great fan base there makes it work."

"I think it's a unique idea," said New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. "New York is a unique place. That's what it's all about."

The Tampa organizers, in their presentation, used Tampa-area resident Dick Vitale of ESPN to extol the virtues of his adopted hometown.

"Vote for Tampa, bay-bee!" he implored in the video.

Vitale was born and raised in New Jersey, mere minutes from the new Meadowlands Stadium.

Tampa officials said they were informed they finished a very close second to New York, but said they were not given an official tally of the vote.

"Under normal circumstances, we probably would have walked away with the trophy," said Sandy MacKinnon of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl bid committee. "But the NFL was interested in making history with New York City and a new stadium. I think the odds were stacked against the traditional sunshine climate."

Although Goodell has been viewed by some as steering the Super Bowl to New York, Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-chairman Bryan Glazer said he's not pointing fingers.

"We gave New York a good fight," Glazer said. "I congratulate New York on their efforts and wish them a great Super Bowl.

"This has gotten us well-positioned for getting another Super Bowl in Tampa. The Tampa Bay area is a great area for the Super Bowl and the owners know it."

Glazer said Tampa Bay officials likely will bid for the 2015 or 2016 Super Bowl, but no final decision has been made.

Mara tried to imagine how his late father, Wellington Mara, might have reacted to New York getting the Super Bowl.

"I think he would've thought we've come a long way since the Polo Grounds in 1925," Mara said in an NFL Network interview immediately after the announcement.

Toure open to Arsenal switch‘Perfect weather’ as New York Jets, New York Giants make Super Bowl bid official

Supreme Court: NFL 32 teams, not one entity

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court rejected the National Football League's request for broad antitrust law protection Monday, saying that it must be considered 32 separate teams -- not one big business -- when selling branded items like jerseys and caps.

The American Needle Case

The Supreme Court sacked the NFL in the American Needle case, but what does it mean for a lockout? Is baseball affected? Will your team's cap cost less now? We've got answers. Story

Munson's complete coverage
• July 17, 2009: Antitrust case could be Armageddon• Sept. 30, 2009: Supreme Court Slam Dance• Oct. 7, 2009: Radical changes in play in antitrust case• Nov. 19, 2009: NFL antitrust case looks coldly compelling• Jan. 12, 2010: NFL case reaches Supreme Court• Jan. 13, 2010: Supreme Court seems to doubt NFL's case• Feb. 4, 2010: NFL strikes another legal muscle pose

"Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned," said the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for a unanimous court.

The high court reversed a lower court ruling throwing out an antitrust suit brought against the league by one of its former hat makers, who was upset that it lost its contract for making official NFL hats to Reebok International Ltd.

American Needle Inc. sued, claiming the league violated antitrust law because all 32 teams worked together to freeze it out of the NFL-licensed hatmaking business and gave Reebok an exclusive 10-year license.

The company lost and appealed to the Supreme Court, but the NFL did as well, hoping to get broader protection from antitrust lawsuits.

American Needle's antitrust lawsuit now heads back to the lower court. The NFL said in a statement released after the ruling Monday that it was confident it would ultimately be victorious.

In its statement, the NFL noted that the Supreme Court's decision pertained only to merchandise and didn't affect "collective bargaining, which is governed by labor law."

"In today's decision, the Supreme Court recognized that 'special characteristics' of professional sports leagues, including the need for competitive balance, 'may well justify' business decisions that among independent competitors would otherwise be unlawful. The court noted that the NFL teams' shared interest in making the league successful and cooperating to produce NFL football provide 'a perfectly sensible justification for making a host of collective decisions,'" the NFL said.

Clayton: Impact On All Of Sport

The Supreme Court decision to rule against the NFL and in favor of hat maker American Needle has a huge impact on not only the game of pro football, but sports in general.

Had the NFL won this case, it may have been able -- as one business entity -- to implement salaries for its players and coaches instead of having the current system of individuals bargaining for deals. The biggest impact of the ruling Monday is it could kick-start labor extension talks between the NFL Players Association and owners to prevent a lockout in 2011.

Talks have been going nowhere since the start of the year, but that's understandable. The American Needle case was a big hammer the NFL could have used if it had won. In football terms, this was a Hail Mary. Had the NFL won, it could have slowed the ever-growing labor costs affecting all sports.

The Court ruled 9-0 in favor of American Needle, which claimed the league violated antitrust laws in having a "one-entity" deal with Reebok to manufacture hats. The league had sought broader protections from antitrust law in the case.

The NFL's argument was that it was one entity instead of 32 teams. The Supreme Court ruled that strategy deprived the market of competition. What could have worked for hats could have worked against the players who help market those hats.

Antitrust lawsuits have been the benchmark of the NFLPA's ability to be a strong labor union. Baseball has broad antitrust exemptions, but the NFL has to go to court to fight for that type of leverage. Without a collective bargaining agreement, the NFL draft is considered illegal for antitrust reasons.

While this ruling doesn't mean a new labor deal could come soon, the decision on the American Needle case could help start the process moving, and fast. The NFL still has a lot of leverage in talks with the union. A positive decision on American Needle would have given the NFL a big hammer.

Now the hammer has been put away. Serious talks could begin before the end of the year.
-- John Clayton, ESPN.com

Had the NFL won this case, it may have been able to -- as one business entity -- implement salaries for its players and its coaches instead of having the current system of individual players bargaining for deals. The biggest thing that came from this ruling on Monday is it could kick-start labor extension talks and prevent a lockout in 2011.

DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA's executive director, welcomed the ruling.

"Today's Supreme Court ruling is not only a win for the players past, present and future, but a win for the fans. While the NFLPA and the players of the National Football League are pleased with the ruling, we remain focused on reaching a fair and equitable Collective Bargaining Agreement. We hope that today also marks a renewed effort by the NFL to bargain in good faith and avoid a lockout," Smith said in a statement Monday.

Major League Baseball is the only professional sports league with broad antitrust protection. The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the NCAA, NASCAR, professional tennis and Major League Soccer supported the NFL in this case, hoping the high court would expand broad antitrust exemption to other sports.

But Stevens said NFL teams directly compete on many levels. Citing the two teams in this year's Super Bowl, the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, Stevens said that teams compete against each other "to attract fans, for gate receipts and for contracts with managerial and playing personnel."

"Directly relevant to this case, the teams compete in the market for intellectual property," Stevens said. "To a firm making hats, the Saints and the Colts are two potentially competing suppliers of valuable trademarks."

American Needle was one of many companies that made NFL headgear until the league awarded an exclusive contract to Reebok. Lower courts threw out American Needle's lawsuit, holding that nothing in antitrust law prohibits NFL teams from cooperating on apparel licensing so the league can compete against other forms of entertainment.

But the high court turned away that theory and sent American Needle's antitrust lawsuit back to the lower court.

"Decisions by NFL teams to license their separately owned trademarks collectively and to only one vendor are decisions that 'deprive the marketplace of independent centers of decisionmaking ... and therefore of actual or potential competition,'" Stevens said.

Just because NFL teams have a single organization, the National Football League Properties, to jointly develop, license and market its logos, does not mean the NFL can escape antitrust scrutiny, Stevens said.

"If the fact that potential competitors shared in profits or losses from a venture meant that the venture was immune from" antitrust law, Stevens said, "then any cartel 'could evade the antitrust law simply by creating a "joint venture" to serve as the exclusive seller of their competing products.'"

The argument that NFL teams also need each other to play an NFL season also doesn't work, Stevens said. "A nut and a bolt can only operate together, but an agreement between nut and bolt manufacturers is still subject to" antitrust scrutiny, Stevens said.

The league argued that a court decision against it "would convert every league of separately owned clubs into a walking antitrust conspiracy" and bring legal challenges to any decisions that the teams make collectively like scheduling.

But Stevens disagreed.

"The fact that NFL teams share an interest in making the entire league successful and profitable, and that they must cooperate in the production and scheduling of games, provides a perfectly sensible justification for making a host of collective decisions," he said.

The case is American Needle v. NFL, 08-661.

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Andre Johnson of Houston Texans hires agent Kennard McGuire; uncle Andre Melton still adviser

HOUSTON -- Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson is no longer relying solely on his uncle for contract advice.

Johnson said Monday he has hired Kennard McGuire as his agent, but his uncle Andre Melton will remain a trusted adviser.

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•Blog network: NFL Nation

Johnson says he has known McGuire, whose clients include Brandon Marshall and Javon Walker, since college. He says he and his uncle both trust him and feel comfortable with him.

Johnson sat out the first three days of Houston's voluntary offseason practices because he wants a new contract, though he returned last week. He has five years remaining on an eight-year deal worth $60 million.

Johnson says he's "not really worried" about if or when he'll get a new deal. He does not have a timetable for working out a new deal with the team, according to a blog on the team website.

"I'm out here just trying to work and doing what I need to do to help win a Super Bowl around here," Johnson said, according to the team website. "That's what I'm going to continue to do, and like I said before, if that happens, it'll happen and it will take care of itself."

Andre Johnson of Houston Texans skips workoutAgent - No Villa talks

Roger Staubach: Dallas Cowboys have Super Bowl potential

IRVING, Texas -- Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach expressed optimism Monday that his former team can become the first to play a Super Bowl in its own stadium.

That was after Staubach, the North Texas Super Bowl committee chairman, briefly addressed the Dallas Cowboys after their organized team activity workout.

"I didn't want to jinx them about the Super Bowl being here, but that would be fun," Staubach said. "That would be extra special. And it could happen."

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Staubach discussed the importance of pulling together, telling the players how the 1971 Cowboys recovered from a drama-filled 4-3 start to earn the first of the franchise's five Super Bowl championships. Staubach believes these Cowboys have the potential to add to that total after ending a 13-season playoff win drought last year.

"This is a really, really good football team and they have the capability," Staubach said. "There are probably five or six teams in the NFL that can win it all. This is one of them. They can do it.

"It's a matter of giving that little extra and fighting, and I think they have that attitude, too. The way it transpired at the end of the year in the Minnesota game was rough, but they really were a team at the end of the year, and I think they're even better this year."

Staubach raved about all the Cowboys' offensive weapons, comparing them to the best units he quarterbacked during the 1970s. But his optimism begins with Tony Romo.

"I'm a big Tony Romo fan," Staubach said. "You've got that feeling. There's a few quarterbacks that when they hit the field, you know something good is going to happen. When Troy [Aikman] was here, I knew it. I just felt it. I feel the same way about Tony. When he's on that field, good things are going to happen."

A divided locker room was among the reasons the Cowboys underachieved in 2007 and '08. So team owner Jerry Jones got rid of Terrell Owens and others, and last season Dallas wound up winning a playoff game for the first time since 1996.

With most of last year's players and coaches back, the Cowboys will be among the favorites to win it all again. Staubach's message might help.

"Anything that comes out of his mouth is good when he talks to you about those things -- team, and what it's like to be champions," tight end Jason Witten said. "To hear him talk about that process and what it was like, it's definitely something we will take from and try to put in our own team, and the way we work and play together."

Coach Wade Phillips often asks former Cowboys greats to speak to the club when they're at practice. Recent honorees were Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, guys who even the youngest players know about and possibly even saw play. Phillips had to give a more detailed introduction for Staubach, who was one of the most popular players of his era, but whose eras was the 1970s.

"I'm sure they've all heard of him," he said.

If not, they certainly know all about the Cowboys having won five Super Bowls and being known as "America's Team." It's something players still talk about whenever they pull on the famed silver helmet with a blue star on the side.

"There's a lot of pressure on us all the time to live up to those kind of people," Phillips said. "But I think that's good."

He also believes this year's club is capable of following Staubach's team-first advice.

"I think we have a lot of first-class guys," Phillips said. "I don't know if we'll be the '71 team, but I do feel good going forward with this team."

Messi has no Premier plansDallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant twists ankle during rookie minicamp

Mike Shanahan: 'Wait and see' on Santana Moss link to Anthony Galea

LEESBURG, Va. -- Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is taking a "wait and see" approach to reports that receiver Santana Moss is linked to a Canadian doctor charged with smuggling and supplying human growth hormone.

Shanahan said Thursday that he will speak to Moss "at the right time" about the matter and has not been contacted by the league.

"Let's just wait and see before we throw him underneath the bus," Shanahan said after speaking at a local Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Moss

The Buffalo News and Washington Post reported that Moss has received treatment from Galea and is the unidentified Washington player mentioned in an affidavit associated with the case. The affidavit said the Washington player was planning to meet with Galea at a hotel last September.

The Washington Post earlier reported that Moss received human growth hormone from Galea but has since changed its report to say that Moss received only treatment from the doctor.

"Just because he's been associated with a doctor doesn't mean this person's guilty," Shanahan said.

Shanahan said he's talked to "a couple of people" whose names have been associated previously with Galea.

"A lot of people whose names have been associated, there's no repercussions," the coach said. "So we're getting a little ahead of ourselves right now."

Galea is accused of smuggling, unlawful distribution of human growth hormone and unlawfully treating professional athletes. On Wednesday, a Canadian court document revealed that Galea made multiple trips to New York City, Boston, Cleveland and other U.S. cities to meet with professional athletes.

Moss is not in danger of being charged in the case, however. He had no comment Thursday and declined ESPN's request for interview through his representatives.

The Redskins also declined to comment Thursday when contacted by ESPN.

"At this juncture, any of the persons who are alleged to have used these substances are considered witnesses, and not targets, of this investigation," William J. Hochul Jr., the U.S. attorney in Buffalo, told The Buffalo News.

Mark J. Mahoney, one of Galea's attorneys, said his client did nothing wrong.

"Officials of the NFL and other sports organizations can sleep soundly tonight, because there is nothing he did with these athletes to help them with performance enhancement," Mahoney told The Buffalo News on Wednesday.

"[Galea] strictly provided treatment for injuries. If any athlete got [HGH], it was injected directly into injured tissue, in very small amounts, for purposes of healing," Mahoney told the newspaper.

When contacted Wednesday by The Washington Post about allegations involving an unnamed Redskins player, Moss tried to keep the topic on football.

"I'll talk about football. I don't know about nothing else," Moss told the newspaper. "I ain't got nothing to do with nothing that ain't about me."

Moss has played five seasons with the Redskins and previously spent four years with the New York Jets. He revealed at minicamp earlier this month that he recently had arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee to fix a problem that had been bothering him for three years.

"Santana's been out for a while," Shanahan said. "He's been working extremely hard over at the facility. We understand the rules and the guidelines and they're very explicit, so hopefully we do things the right way."

Moss would likely be suspended by the NFL if he is found to have taken human growth hormone or any other banned substance.

"I treat it like a sprained ankle," Shanahan said. "If a player broke their ankle and they're gone for the year, they're gone for the year."

Henry praise for MessiBrian Westbrook visits Washington Redskins, on to Denver Broncos next

Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Roach sits out minicamp practice

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Bears linebacker Nick Roach, considered the early favorite to start on the strong side, remained sidelined Saturday morning due to a sore hamstring.

Bears coach Lovie Smith said Roach would "probably not" participate in the final two practices of minicamp.

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"We'll take our time with Nick," Smith said. "He has a hamstring that's a little sore . . . he's gone through all the offseason work, so we know what Nick is about."

Pisa Tinoisamoa worked with the first team in place of Roach. The two are expected to battle for the job once training camp begins in late July.

Other players sitting out Saturday's workouts included tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, punter Brad Maynard and defensive tackle Marcus Harrison. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris missed the morning session, but participated in the afternoon practice.

Center Olin Kreutz, rehabbing from offseason surgery, ran on the side under the watchful eye of the Bears training staff.

Chicago Bears tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and receiver Earl Bennett are missing minicamp Friday after undergoing minor knee operationsIniesta out for a month

Chicago Bears tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and receiver Earl Bennett are missing minicamp Friday after undergoing minor knee operations

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears kicked off minicamp Friday with several notable players watching from the sidelines.

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The team announced that tight end Brandon Manumaleuna and receiver Earl Bennett underwent minor offseason knee operations, which kept Manumaleuna from participating in the workout and limited Bennett.

"Don't have a timetable [on Manumaleuna's return] per se, again we've got OTAs coming up," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "It's just a little minor scope with him. Hopefully we can get some of those guys, Earl Bennett and players like that, back before long."

With Manumaleuna sidelined, Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark both took reps with the first team at tight end Friday morning.

Bennett sounded optimistic that he would soon be cleared for full participation.

"[I'll be back] pretty soon," Bennett said. "I'm working my way back running routes, getting into the swing of things and getting back into that huddle. I think things are coming along pretty well."

Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, center Olin Kreutz, defensive tackle Tommie Harris, and punter Brad Maynard also skipped the first workout of minicamp, while linebacker Nick Roach was limited.

According to Smith, Harrison is out due to illness, but Harris will participate in the afternoon session. Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, like Harris, is expected to be limited to one workout a day.

Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen said he’s excited about his role and wants to stay in ChicagoAtletico suffer Asenjo blow

Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre had surgery on injured left ankle

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured left ankle Friday morning.

Noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews operated on Favre at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla., where Favre and his agent Bus Cook were spotted by a handful of people.

Favre confirmed the procedure on his website.

"This is to confirm that I did have a procedure to remove some scar tissue and bone spurs from my ankle which had been bothering me for a period of time. I appreciate your concerns," Favre's statement read.

Favre

Dr. Andrews cleaned up scar tissue and other elements of the joint to allow Favre a better range of motion.

A source close to Favre said the 40-year-old signal-caller would likely need four to six weeks of rehabilitation before beginning a running program that would put him on schedule to report to training camp "either at the beginning of camp or shortly thereafter."

Favre had previously said he would need the surgery if he were going to play in 2010.

In assessing his physical readiness to play football while recovering from shoulder surgery last summer, Favre mentioned he was having problems with his left ankle.

"I've had surgery [on my] left ankle twice and need it again," Favre said at the time. "I can barely move the ankle up and down. Walking on it feels like I have glass in my shoes and running is way harder than it needs to be.''

Favre, who turns 41 in October, is coming off one of the best seasons of his storied career, throwing for 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while guiding the Vikings to a 12-4 record. He is under contract for $13 million next season if he plays.

The surgery came one day after Favre visited the Southern Mississippi baseball team in Hattiesburg, Miss., and told the Golden Eagles he would return for one more season in the NFL if they made it to the College World Series for the second consecutive year.

Fabiano in ankle blowBrett Favre to require surgery on ankle to play for Minnesota Vikings in 2010

Darrelle Revis of New York Jets wants to be highest-paid corner

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Darrelle Revis isn't looking to become the $20 million cornerback.

But Revis is looking to get paid and the Jets have submitted a new offer to his agents. Revis said the Jets forwarded the offer last week.

“

I have talked to Coach [Rex] Ryan and [general manager Mike] Tannenbaum himself and they believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position. They understand that and I understand that. It is something that is going to get done. The Jets are family to me."

”-- Darrelle Revis

"They sent a proposal over so we are going to look at that and go from there," Revis said on Thursday. "If everything is right, if the numbers are right and everything is good, I will sign on the dotted line. If not, if we have to negotiate more, that is something we have to do."

Revis, who is set to make $1 million in the fourth year of the six-year deal he signed as a rookie, said he won't be holding out for $20 million a year as reported by one website.

"I don't know where the $20 million came from," Revis said. "I never told you guys that. Don't know who brought that up but I'm sure it is not going to be up in that area. That's insane. That would be great. Who wouldn't want $20 million? But that is a high price."

"Revis Island", however, will cost more than $15.2 million a year, which is what Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha makes. Revis wants to be the highest paid cornerback in the game.

"I think that is fair," Revis said. "This is nothing behind closed doors [like] I am fighting against the Jets and they are fighting against me. I have talked to Coach [Rex] Ryan and [general manager Mike] Tannenbaum himself and they believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position. They understand that and I understand that. It is something that is going to get done. The Jets are family to me."

Revis said he has yet to go over the latest offer with his agents yet but he repeatedly insisted that he wants talks to be as amicable as possible.

Revis reiterated what he told ESPNNewYork.com last week that the Jets promised him a deal will get done before training camp.

"These are not my words," he said. "These are the Jets' words. They promised that it was going to get done before training camp. If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't and then there are other situations that have to come upon it."

Revis was asked if "other situations" includes holding out if it comes to that.

"I wish I could answer that question but right now I can't," said Revis, who wants to keep talks as pleasant as possible. "I am just focused on being here at OTA. I told them I wasn't going to hold out at OTA. As of right now, I'm not even thinking about that."

Mallorca back into fourthDarrelle Revis’ agent meeting with New York Jets to discuss contract extension

Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo pars three playoff holes, advances in U.S. Open qualifying

CARROLLTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo finished a long Thursday one step closer to playing in the U.S. Open, parring three playoff holes to advance out of the local qualifier at The Honors Golf Club of Dallas.

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Romo finished 18 holes at 2-under 69 and in a tie for fourth place. But several groups remained on the course after he was done, and he was worried he might have to participate in a playoff either late Thursday or Friday morning.

The quarterback left the club for a prior engagement but asked tournament officials to call him if he was needed for a playoff. He was, and he rushed back to finish in the dark.

Romo, along with six others and two alternates, advanced to the USGA Sectional on June 7 at the Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. Asked what he would be doing on June 7, Romo joked, "I'll be in Dallas."

The sectional won't conflict with Romo's football duties. The Cowboys' last round of organized team activities is June 8-10. The U.S. Open is June 14-20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.

Romo has always said football comes first and stuck to that premise Monday, bypassing a qualifier for this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship to participate in the first OTAs of the offseason.

On Thursday, however, Romo finished his day strong with birdies on three of his last four holes. He shot even par on the front nine but bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5, before bouncing back on No. 6 with a 16-foot birdie putt. After scoring par on No. 7, he had another birdie with a 38-foot putt that lay on the edge of the cup for about three seconds before dropping in.

When it fell, Romo yelled "Yeah!," gave fist bumps to his caddie and smiled as he walked to his final hole of the day. He scored another birdie on No. 9, which would place him in the playoff and then in contention for the U.S. Open.

"It was good," Romo said. "The putt on [No. 8] was a big one obviously. I came from the top side of the hole. Tough putt, but that's nice when you can have it when it counts. It's nice to finish when you need to. It's exciting and its self-gratifying."

Romo shot par his first nine holes, which he wrapped up with a bogey on No. 18.

"That's part of the thing, sometimes you have to overcome some of the bad breaks," Romo said. "And mentally I stayed with it and kept thinking about the next shot and not worrying where I needed to be until the last couple of holes, and I think that helped."

Romo is not the only professional athlete to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open this year. On May 11, former big league pitcher John Smoltz failed to advance past a sectional round. Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee and his Minnesota Vikings counterpart Ryan Longwell also failed to advance to the next round.

Dallas Cowboys’s Tony Romo misses HP Byron Nelson Championship qualifying in favor of organized team activitiesBenzema - I’m staying at Real

Sources: Daunte Culpepper on verge of UFL contract

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is on the verge of going from the NFL's Detroit Lions to the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Culpepper and the Mountain Lions are putting the finishing touches on a deal that will make him one of the league's marquee names, according to sources familiar with the talks.

Culpepper

Culpepper will be one of the first big-name players to jump from the NFL to the UFL this offseason, according to sources.

Signing with Sacramento will reunite Culpepper with Dennis Green, the Mountain Lions' coach and general manager. The two men worked together in Minnesota and enjoyed some of their greatest professional successes together.

Culpepper's first full season as a starter in the NFL came under Green in 2000, when the quarterback threw for a league-leading 33 touchdowns and rushed for seven more.

Neither Culpepper nor Green returned telephone calls or texts seeking comment.

But the deal is so close to getting done that sources said UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue is in Sacramento on Tuesday for a trip related to the Culpepper deal.

In fact, Mountain Lions assistant coaches told players trying out for the team that Culpepper will be the starting quarterback for Sacramento this season.

Culpepper spent last season with Detroit but struggled to find work this offseason. He even showed up at the NFL owners' meetings in Orlando to see if he could find a job.

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Dallas Cowboys's Tony Romo misses HP Byron Nelson Championship qualifying in favor of organized team activities

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo did not participate in qualifying for the HP Byron Nelson Championship on Monday and instead took the field with his team.

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Romo's 10:57 a.m. ET tee time for qualifying at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club's Hills Course in McKinney, Texas, conflicted with the first day of the Cowboys' organized team activites, which began at noon ET.

Romo needed a rain delay of about three hours in order to make his tee time. There was a 20 percent chance of rain Monday in Dallas-Fort Worth, but no precipitation was reported in the morning.

So under sunny skies, Romo was instead on the football field throwing passes to his teammates.

"It was fun being at football today, it's an exciting time of year to get back on the field with everybody, and it was good weather today and we got a good sweat in," Romo said. "I think the guys worked pretty hard out there."

After moving past the first stage of Nelson qualifying last week, Romo said he would pick football over golf if the two conflicted.

"It's not like I missed out on something today [Monday]. I got to go out there and compete and get better," Romo said. "Its football, and it's the funnest thing I do. In some ways, you want to do something, but there is really no decision there. It's just what I love to do. Why would you not choose that?"

Qualifying for golf tournaments is not out of Romo's plans. He is scheduled to participate in the U.S. Open's local qualifier Thursday at The Honors Club of Dallas, his home course. He hasn't advanced past the local stage of U.S. Open qualifying in two previous attempts.

There was discussion that Romo could get a later tee time to qualify for the Nelson or receive an exemption. But the low number of participants in qualifying prevented later tee times, and tournament officials normally reserve exemptions for promising young golfers or pros with special circumstances.

"With 90 or less players, the PGA Tour requires that we tee off in the morning so we have plenty of time to finish the qualifying tournament in case of weather delays and playoffs," Mark Harrison, director of operations for the Northern Texas PGA, which puts on the event, said in a statement Saturday.

"In a way, Tony was unlucky that a few more players did not enter. If we had a handful more players, we could have accommodated his late tee time request and he would have definitely been able to play after his football commitments."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was not surprised Romo chose football over golf.

"It's real obvious as far as where his responsibility is on him personally," Jones said.

Romo got his first chance to throw passes to receiver Dez Bryant, the team's first-round draft pick last month in the first of four consecutive weeks of OTAs. The workouts will culminate with a mandatory minicamp in mid-June. The first training camp practice is July 24 in San Antonio.

"There was one time when he was explaining a play to me, I really didn't care about the play. I was excited because he was talking to me," Bryant said. "It is a dream come true. I always wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy. ... I'm trying to get past the excitement and just get ready and focus on football."

Returning receivers Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd both were given permission to seek a trade after Bryant was drafted. Hurd took part in Monday's workout that was open to reporters. Crayton didn't.

Hurd, who had thumb surgery in February, said he is "working as hard as he can" and can't predict what will happen.

"Tony threw the ball well, didn't putt well," coach Wade Phillips said jokingly.

The coach said he wouldn't have minded if Romo had taken a crack at making the field for the Nelson.

"All of us know Tony was here because football is first, and has been," Phillips said. "Tony has not missed anything since I've been here. ... It's not a surprise to me that he's not playing in a tournament that he had an opportunity. Really most guys with his stature and the way he's played, it probably wouldn't have hurt him certainly to miss a day here and have that opportunity. But it was up to him to do what he wanted to do, and he chose to be in practice."

Romo last week shot an even-par 72 at a pre-qualifier to get a spot in Monday's Nelson qualifying. He has also tried in the past to qualify for the U.S. Open.

"It seems like he's playing golf better now than he ever has," said tight end Jason Witten, Romo's best friend since they were rookies in 2003. "It's kind of humorous to us, you see a guy of his caliber and play the way he has over the last couple of years and still be questioned where his motives are. That's absurd because he's such a great quarterback and tremendously focused about where he wants to be."

Romo last season set team records for completions, attempts and yardage (347-of-550 passing for 4,483 yards) and had 26 touchdowns while leading the Cowboys to the NFC East title and their first playoff victory since 1996. His yards were the most in the NFC.

There were no plans to play any golf after practice Monday. And no regrets about missing the 18-hole Nelson qualifier.

"He made the right decision," receiver Roy Williams said. "Golf is just a recreational sport that you can go do when you're 78 years old. ... If I was him too, I'd stick with this right now."

Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams not ready to give up starting jobMessi has no Premier plans

Joshua Moore signs with Chicago Bears

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears signed rookie cornerback Joshua Moore to a four-year contract on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. ESPNChicago.com Bears blog

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Moore, a fifth-round selection (141st overall) out of Kansas State, becomes the second member of the Bears' 2010 draft class to come under contract. Seventh-round choice J'Marcus Webb also signed a four-year deal Sunday.

Named all-Big 12 honorable mention in 2009, Moore spent three seasons at Kansas State, finishing with six career interceptions and 34 passes defended. Moore's size (5-foot-11, 184 pounds) and athleticism attracted the Bears, who were looking to add another taller body at cornerback.

The rookie is expected to compete for the third cornerback spot along with Corey Graham, Tim Jennings, Woodny Turenne and D.J. Moore.

"I know a lot about these guys," Moore said earlier this month at rookie mini-camp. "My dad had been a Chicago Bears fan his whole life, so I've been watching the Bears. I'm familiar with their defense and their defensive backs.

"They are real strong on the defensive side. I just feel I can come in, and not just help on the defense if possible, but maybe contribute on special teams. I just want to come out here, work hard every day and let the coaches put me where they want to put me."

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton, who has requested a trade, won't take part in organized team activities

When the Dallas Cowboys begin their organized team activities Monday, wide receiver Patrick Crayton will not be there.

Fred Lyles, Crayton's agent, said his client will miss the three days of voluntary workouts this week but plans on attending future OTAs and mandatory minicamps.

"The Cowboys organization was notified on Wednesday that Patrick will not attend voluntary workouts," Lyles said. "Patrick is excited and preparing himself for the 2010 season. We are confident that the uncertainties regarding his immediate future with the organization will be resolved in time."

PatrickCrayton#84 WR
DallasCowboys

2009 STATS

Rec37Yds622TD5Avg16.8Long80YAC207

Crayton, along with fellow backup wide receiver Sam Hurd, requested a trade when wide receiver Dez Bryant was drafted in the first round.

Since the draft, Hurd missed some voluntary workouts but arrived in Dallas on Sunday afternoon and plans on attending the OTAs on Monday.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to win with whatever team I'm with," Hurd said to the San Antonio Express-News. "I'm with the Cowboys, so I love being with them and working as hard as I can with the Cowboys. Obviously, my goal isn't to remain a special-teams player. I want to start and play wide receiver in the league."

Crayton refused to comment last week when asked about his future with the team.

Lyles said he's not sending a message to the Cowboys by not having Crayton attend workouts, but it doesn't please coach Wade Phillips.

"When a player is out and not participating in the some of the voluntary stuff, I feel like it hurts them," Phillips said. "And it certainly hurts the team overall to a slight extent. Being with your teammates is such a key thing no matter what your contract situation is or even what you believed it to be. In some cases, I think it's better to be with your teammates and work alongside them."

Crayton is one of the more trusted wide receivers on the Cowboys. In 2007, he moved into the starting lineup when Terry Glenn dealt with knee injuries and compiled career highs in catches (50), yards (697) and touchdowns (seven).

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That December he signed a five-year contract extension and entered the 2008 season as the starting wideout opposite Terrell Owens.

But when the Cowboys traded for Roy E. Williams, it pushed Crayton back to the bench. In 16 games, with seven starts, Crayton caught 39 passes for 550 yards and four touchdowns.

Last season, as the No. 3 receiver, Crayton finished with just one fewer catch (37) and had more yards (622 to 596) than Williams.

"Patrick is the kind of kid that works hard and he'll be prepared," quarterback Tony Romo said. "He'll be ready, and he's in a tough situation for what he thinks. I think he's doing what he thinks he needs to do."

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Source: Matt Roth of Cleveland Browns requests trade

Restricted free-agent pass rusher Matt Roth asked the Cleveland Browns on Monday to trade him, according to a league source.

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The two sides are not close on a multiyear contract extension and, after playing out a five-year rookie deal as a second-round pick, Roth believes he is worth more than Cleveland is offering.

Roth is saying he will not sign his tender, so there is a standoff in Cleveland, which is why the trade was requested.

The 27-year-old linebacker, who spent his first four full NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins before being waived in November, recorded four sacks last season with Cleveland and has 16 in his career.

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Andre Johnson of Houston Texans skips workout

HOUSTON -- Andre Johnson has five years remaining on a $60 million contract he signed with the Texans in 2007. The star receiver feels that he's already outplayed that contract, however, and was missing from the start of Houston's voluntary organized team activities on Monday.

Johnson, who led the NFL in receiving yards last season (1,569 yards), is scheduled to make $5.8 million this season.

Texans general manager Rick Smith said Monday that Johnson was missing because he was unhappy with his current contract.

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Since Johnson signed his contract, the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald received a four-year, $40 million deal and new Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall agreed to a four-year, $47 million contract after he was traded from the Denver Broncos.

Smith said that he was "not real worried" about the four-time Pro Bowler's absence.

"He's got five years left on [the deal he signed in 2007]. We're willing to sit down and talk with him and he knows that," Smith said.

Still, Smith said that re-doing a contract with five years remaining will be challenging.

"It's very difficult," Smith said. "It's something that's not customary, but we've got a relationship with him and he knows we are willing to sit down and talk with him."

The team's policy under Smith has been to only negotiate with players who are participating in team activities. Smith pointed to what star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans did last offseason when he was unhappy with his contract.

"One of the things that was real smart on his part was the fact that he was upset that we had not been able to come to terms with an agreement, but he came back and was a part of the offseason workout and he was with his teammates, he was a leader and he did things the right way," Smith said. "He played his contract out and he was rewarded."

Johnson's absence is another distraction for a team that has been dealing with Brian Cushing's upcoming four-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The 2010 season could be a pivotal one for the team, which is coming off its first winning record but has never reached the playoffs.

"You'd like to have all your people out here working, especially when we're trying to go do something we never have done," Smith said. "So the ideal situation is to have everybody working together, but as we talked about last week, you've got to be able to deal with distractions."

Smith said he has spoken to the receiver but wouldn't divulge details about their conversations.

"Obviously we want Andre here," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I know he and Rick are talking, so we'll get it worked out. We're not worried about Andre. He'll do his job."

Johnson has 587 receptions for 7,948 yards and 42 touchdowns in seven NFL seasons -- all with Houston.

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Assistant coaches of NFL consider forming union

The NFL could always count on its assistant coaches to show up for work no matter how rocky labor relations became between the league and its players.

That could be changing.

The NFL Coaches Association, upset about benefits changes and the manner in which the league implemented those changes, is considering unionizing.

“

All we have said is, 'Treat us with respect and dignity because we treat the game with respect and we want you to treat us the same,' and they haven't in any of us.

”-- Larry Kennan, executive director
of the NFL Coaches Association

The association sent a letter Tuesday to its team representatives and NFL head coaches apprising them of the development.

"The owners exercised some of their options when they took back our standardized health care, our pensions and rule of 75, in addition to putting lockout clauses in your contracts," read the letter, a copy of which ESPN.com obtained Thursday. "The owners also asked you to be supportive of them in their CBA battles with the players; yet we have no say in their fight!"

The rule of 75 allowed coaches to take early retirement when their age and years of service added up to that number. The league stopped requiring teams to offer that option for coaches who do not yet qualify, one of several moves the NFLCA views as a threat to coaches' livelihood.

A league spokesman said federal law made benefits portable and the NFL merely gave teams more flexibility by offering their own benefit options, and that 21 of 32 teams still live by the rule of 75.

Eleven teams have opted out of the NFL pension plan since the league stopped requiring teams to participate, and some have offered substitute plans the NFLCA considers substandard. The change came after deteriorating market conditions cost teams money as they complied with federal laws requiring increased funding levels.

"They took the pension away with no forewarning whatsoever," said NFLCA executive director Larry Kennan, a former assistant coach. "They expect us to like the lockout clauses and not complain when they try to do away with the antitrust laws. We don't understand. All we have said is, 'Treat us with respect and dignity because we treat the game with respect and we want you to treat us the same,' and they haven't in any of us."

Tensions between owners and assistant coaches also rose when the NFLCA filed an amicus brief supporting American Needle in its landmark antitrust case against the NFL. A league victory in the case would establish the NFL as a single entity, not a collection of 32 competing teams. Legal experts say that outcome could prevent players, coaches or anyone else from proving or even levying charges of collusion.

"Several owners have really attacked the coaches on their staff and want to know why we are siding against the NFL in this American Needle case," Kennan said. "It makes no sense for us to do anything else."

The NFLCA letter to coaches says the association needs to "explore the possibility of becoming a union" through education.

Labor laws allow "employees" to unionize while preventing "supervisors" from going that route. Coaches from other leagues have not unionized, so there is no precedent for defining terms, but head coaches and coordinators might more readily qualify as supervisors -- defined in part as those able to independently hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward or discipline employees.

"What the younger generation of coaches has to accept as it goes forward is that the rules can change and they can change on the run," said one veteran NFL assistant coach who requested anonymity for fear of backlash from ownership. "There is not the defined certainty you had before. I have seen a lot of change. None until recently has affected coaching as these last changes have, as people have started to draw the battle lines in terms of negotiations."

Veteran Indianapolis Colts coaches Howard Mudd and Tom Moore protested the pension changes last season by retiring and taking lump-sum payouts on their pensions. They then returned as consultants.

Mudd, a former Pro Bowl guard for the San Francisco 49ers, retired for good after the season. He thinks assistant coaches are increasingly at risk because too many are willing to ignore labor rollbacks while mistakenly thinking they'll become the next hot young assistant to become a head coach.

Salaries for some coaches have also risen to a level where apathy has become an affordable option, at least in the short term.

"Until that class of people gets together, then the owners are going to keep stripping away more and more," Mudd said. "To me, the potential is there for a salary cap for coaches -- not negotiated. Or they may say teams can have only so many coaches. I don't know what they are going to do."

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