Fantasy Football Rumor: Carr Talks to Raiders?

Fantasy Football Rumor:

According to insidebayarea.com, Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has stated that the team has spoken with "representatives" for unrestricted free agent quarterback David Carr, released last week by the Houston Texans.

He declined to get into specifics. Kiffin was an offensive assistant for two years when Carr was at Fresno State.

Fantasy Football Impact: Why would Carr want to go from the frying pan into the fire?

Fantasy Football News: Frank Gore Agrees to 4-year Extension

Running back Frank Gore has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers, a reward for his team-record 1,695 yards rushing last season.

Gore, who led the NFC in rushing in his second pro campaign, was due to earn $435,000 in the upcoming season. With the extension, the Pro Bowl running back will be under contract to the 49ers through 2011 with a deal containing more than $14 million in guaranteed money.

Niners coach Mike Nolan confirmed the deal Wednesday morning at the NFL meetings in Phoenix.

Gore was the heart of the 49ers' offense last season, setting franchise records for yards rushing; for his 2,180 total yards from scrimmage; and for single-game rushing with his 212-yard performance against Seattle.

After a football career dotted by injuries, Gore started all 16 games for the 49ers last season and was selected to start in his first Pro Bowl. The former University of Miami star underwent reconstructive surgery on both knees in college, followed by major surgery on both shoulders after his rookie season with the Niners.

But Gore was remarkably durable while averaging 5.4 yards per carry last year. His low-to-the-ground running style delighted fans and frustrated defenses as he surpassed the best seasons by former San Francisco stars Roger Craig, Ricky Watters and Garrison Hearst.

The 49ers worried about their ability to retain Gore when he hired a new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who reportedly told the team that Gore should be the NFL's highest-paid player. That won't happen, but the club reached an agreement that could keep Gore in San Francisco for five more seasons.

"He had an outstanding year," Nolan said. "For us, it was not a fluke that he had such a good year. It's not like he lucked into it."

Fantasy Football Impact: Gore should be in your top five running backs for this years draft! "Experts" blasted the Niners for selecting Frank Gore with their first pick in the 3rd round - clearly the Niners were right-on-the-money.

Instant Replay - The Vote Is In!

Instant Replay is here to stay in the NFL. Or at least as permanently as any rule can be in pro football.

League owners voted 30-2 on Tuesday to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool. All but three stadiums will be equipped with high-definition equipment and will be re-cabled before the upcoming season, at a cost of as much as $300,000 per club. The stadiums being replaced in Irving, Texas, Indianapolis and East Rutherford, N.J., will not get the updates.

"It's a long time coming," said Atlanta Falcons general manager Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee that recommended the change. "It made sense to us this year to do it. Instant replay is an accepted part of the game. It's what we are. There was not really much discussion about it."

Cincinnati and Arizona voted against the proposal, as they nearly always do on replay issues.

Fantasy Football News: Bucs Still After Plummer?

The Arizona Republic reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to keep pressuring quarterback Jake Plummer into changing his mind about retirement and hopefully convince him to report to training camp.

Coach Jon Gruden said Monday he would like to schedule a face-to-face meeting with the former Denver quarterback.

Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen are in Phoenix for the NFL owners meetings this week. Plummer played at nearby Arizona State in Tempe, but Gruden said he isn't sure where or when a meeting might occur.

Fantasy Football News: Jaguars Sign TE Wiggins

Fantasy Football News: Jacksonville Jaguars Sign TE Wiggins

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Vikings tight end Jermaine Wiggins.

Wiggins asked for his release from the Vikings earlier in the off-season because he felt he wasn't a good fit for coach Brad Childress' West Coast offense.

He spent three years with Minnesota, and under Mike Tice, now an assistant Jaguars coach, led the team in receptions in 2004 and 2005 with 71 and 69. He caught 46 passes last year.

Wiggins played in the Super Bowl for the Patriots in 2001 and Carolina in 2003.

Fantasy Football News: Ram RB To Announce Retirement

Fantasy Football News:

Marshall Faulk sat out last season with a knee injury that threatened to end his career. He'll officially close the door on his playing days on Monday when he announces his retirement at the NFL owners meetings.

Faulk was the NFL MVP in 2000 and offensive player of the year three years running from 1999-2001. The 34-year-old helped the Rams win their only Super Bowl after the '99 season. He is ninth on the career rushing list with 12,279 yards and tied for sixth with 100 rushing touchdowns. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 38 100-yard games, and was the first player in league history to gain 2,000 yards rushing and receiving combined in four consecutive seasons from 1998-2001.

Fantasy Football News: Stevens To Get The Boot!

Fantasy Football News: Stevens To Get The Boot!

Jerramy Stevens' days with the Seahawks are done.

Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell confirmed what was quickly becoming a foregone conclusion in Seattle.

"I would say it's probably a time for a change of scenery and to move on," Ruskell said Tuesday.

Speaking at the muddy worksite of the Seahawks' new headquarters, scheduled to open in the summer of 2008, Ruskell verified Seattle's lack of interest in retaining the tight end, an unrestricted free agent who spent his first five seasons with the Seahawks.

That interest disappeared last week when Stevens was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Fantasy Football News: Broncos Ink Stokley

Fantasy Football News:

Brandon Stokley has agreed to a one-year free agent deal with the Denver Broncos.

Stokley's agent, Rick Smith, confirmed the deal Tuesday. Smith didn't reveal how much the deal was worth, and the Broncos declined to comment on the agreement.

The Broncos also signed unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Alvin McKinley to a four-year contract Tuesday.

Stokley, who was injured much of last season, was released March 2 by the Colts. He also visited New Orleans before agreeing to the Broncos' offer.

Stokley played in just four games, catching eight passes for 85 yards and one touchdown last season. He was hampered by ankle and knee injuries and ruptured his right Achilles' tendon on Dec. 10 at Jacksonville, ending his season.

Mark Bartelstein, one of Stokley's agents, said Stokley's injury is progressing and he should be fully healed by training camp. Bartelstein also said Stokley's looking forward to playing in a Mike Shanahan-directed offense.

NFL - National Felons League Strikes Again!

Well, the NFL is in full swing! No - I don't mean the National Football League - I mean the National Felons League!

Let's see who the boneheads are today!

1. Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter was accused of punching Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Levi Jones after police said the players exchanged trash talk at a casino blackjack table.
   
   Porter was issued a summons on a misdemeanor battery charge after the Sunday altercation that began inside the Palms hotel-casino, Las Vegas police Officer Martin Wright said.
   
   "They went outside. In the valet area, one struck the other, causing a small laceration above the eye," Wright said Monday, calling the injury minor.
   
   Porter could face up to a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine, Wright said, but no court date was immediately available.
2. Police are investigating a woman's claims she was raped at the home of former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney.
   
   Kerney, who recently signed with the Seattle Seahawks, was not a suspect in the assault, which reportedly took place early Sunday.
   
   The 29-year-old woman told police she and some friends were at a bar in Atlanta's trendy Buckhead area and accepted a ride home from three men, Atlanta's WSB-TV reported Monday. Once back at Kerney's home, the men were invited inside for drinks.
   
   The woman reportedly told police she fell asleep on a sofa and woke up in a bedroom to find one of the men raping her. The woman said she told the man to stop but he put his thumb on her throat and continued to sexually assault her.
   
   The woman escaped by telling the man she would get a friend to join them. Instead, she ran to the bathroom with a friend, and the man fled with his friends.
   
3. Jacksonville Jaguars safety Gerald Sensabaugh was arrested early Monday morning and charged with speeding and carrying a firearm without a permit.
   
   Sensabaugh, 23, was pulled over at 12:06 a.m. after an officer spotted his 2006 BMW driving 86 mph in a 55 mph zone, police Sgt. David Moore said.
   
   When asked if he had any weapons in the car, Sensabaugh told the officer he had a pistol, but did not have a permit to carry it. The officer found a loaded 9mm pistol in the console along with another fully loaded clip
   

Stay tuned for next weeks COPS for more "National Felons League"

Fantasy Football News: Eagles Ink WR Curtis

Fantasy Football News:

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis agreed to a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, giving the Eagles a potential replacement for Donte' Stallworth.

Curtis' deal could be worth up to $32 million and includes $9.5 million in guaranteed money, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms of the contract weren't released.

A third-round pick in 2003, the 28-year-old Curtis spent his first four seasons with the St. Louis Rams serving mostly as the No. 3 wideout behind Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. He has 136 receptions for 1,714 yards and 12 touchdowns in 51 games. Curtis had his best season in 2005 when Bruce missed five games, catching 60 passes for 801 yards and six TDs.

Pacman Jones' Felony Charge Postponed

The AP reports that a Georgia judge agreed to delay a court appearance for Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam Pacman Jones to give his attorneys time to determine how the NFL might react to a potential plea agreement.

Jones was charged in February 2006 with felony obstruction of police. Fayette County prosecutor Scott Ballard said he has no intentions of dismissing the case that involved Jones biting an officer between his thumb and index finger.

Ballard said Tuesday that Jones' court appearance in Georgia will be delayed at least until May 14.

Fantasy Football Impact: The Titans appear to be looking for a reason to dump the Pacman - don't be surprised to see him in a new uniform.

Seahawks TE Jerramy Stevens Faces DUI Charge

Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens was accused of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana after police stopped his car in downtown Scottsdale early Tuesday.

A Scottsdale patrol officer noticed the car traveling erratically and made the stop about 2:15 a.m.

As Stevens got out of the vehicle, the report said, Stevens "dropped his cell phone and wallet on the ground, bent down to pick them up, then stutter-stepped to walk" toward the officer.

A second officer arrived and began a field sobriety test, but after Stevens "almost fell down" during the "walk-and-turn", test, the player declined to participate in any further testing.

Police said they found a "leafy green substance" believed to be marijuana in Stevens' pocket.

Stevens refused a breathalyzer test and declined to give a blood sample until police obtained a warrant about 5 a.m., the report said. Stevens was booked and posted bail and an initial court appearance was set for April 2. The blood test results haven't yet been released.

Fantasy Football Impact: This is not Stevens first run-in with the law, and probably won't be his last.

Fantasy Football News: Patriots Sign WR Stallworth

Fantasy Football News:

ESPN reports that Donte' Stallworth and the New England Patriots agreed Sunday on a multiyear contract. The deal was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

Stallworth's contract could reportedly be worth $33.1 million over six years, including a guaranteed $3.6 million for 2007.

Stallworth leaves the Philadelphia Eagles after one season in which he caught 38 passes for 725 yards and five touchdowns in 12 regular-season games. He also had six catches for 141 yards and two scores in two playoff games.

Fantasy Football News: Baltimore Ravens Get RB McGahee

Fantasy Football News:

Willis McGahee, who was acquired Thursday by the Baltimore Ravens in a trade with the Buffalo Bills for three draft picks, signed a new six-year contract extension worth more than $32 million.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the deal, which included $15 million in guarantees.

The deal follows the Bill's decision to trade the disgruntled Mback to the Ravens for a third- and seventh-round pick in this year's draft, and a third-rounder in 2008. McGahee had one year remaining on his contract, but had expressed unhappiness with playing in Buffalo.

The Bills were similarly unhappy with McGahee over the past year. He failed to show up for off season workouts last year under new coach Dick Jauron. He also frustrated the coaching staff by not knowing his assignments and failing to pick up blocks in pass protection last season.

Nonetheless, Baltimore showed no fear in trading for McGahee and offering him the new deal in spite of the bad press out of Buffalo.

Fantasy News: Browns To Sign RB Jamal Lewis

Fantasy Football News:

Jamal Lewis, 27, visited the Browns on Wednesday and decided to sign with the team before leaving town or talking to another team.

Financial terms were not immediately available.

Lewis' agent, Mitch Frankel, did not return several messages seeking comment.

Jets Acquire RB Thomas Jones

Fantasy Football News:

The New York Jets, quiet during the first few days of free agency, finalized their deal for RB Thomas Jones on Tuesday, acquiring the running back from the NFC champion Chicago Bears for a second-round draft pick.

"I had a great time in Chicago, and it was a great experience playing there and making it to the Super Bowl last year with those guys," Jones said on a conference call. "But I'm very, very excited to be here in New York."

The Jets gave up a second-round draft pick, 37th overall, for Jones and Chicago's second-round choice, No. 63 overall. The teams agreed to the deal Monday night, but Jones needed to pass a physical and agree to a contract extension before it was completed.

"We did a lot of research on Thomas as a person, and we think he's a good fit on and off the field," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "He's a tough, outdoor, Northeast runner, and he provides leadership."

Jones, who'll be 29 when the season starts, rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in helping the Bears reach the Super Bowl against Indianapolis. He gives the Jets the No. 1 running back they've been seeking since Martin -- who's expected to retire soon -- was sidelined a year ago by knee problems.

Dolphins Sign LB Porter

Fantasy Football News:

Joey Porter has agreed to a five-year, $32 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, making the former second-team All-Pro linebacker the first marquee player to join the club during this free agent period.

Porter is guaranteed $20 million in the deal, which was agreed to late Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion who requested anonymity because Porter has not yet passed his physical and the contract may not be signed until Wednesday or Thursday.

Porter spent his first eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who released him last week in a salary-cap move. He would have received $1 million if he was on the Steelers' roster Tuesday, and was set to make $4 million more for the 2007 season, the final one under his deal with Pittsburgh.

His 60 sacks rank fourth in Steelers' history, and he only figures to add more star power to a Dolphins defense that already has reigning defensive player of the year Jason Taylor and ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed last season.

And the linebacker position, which was already considered a strength with Pro Bowler Zach Thomas and Channing Crowder -- who combined for 269 tackles in 2006 -- now has a player in Porter that averaged more than 60 tackles annually in his tenure with Pittsburgh, a team he helped win the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Porter's addition is part of what's becoming a major roster overhaul by the Dolphins, who were 6-10 last season, and new coach Cam Cameron.

Denver Broncos To Sign RB Travis Henry

Fantasy Football News:

The Denver Broncos and running back Travis Henry have reached an agreement on a five-year deal Monday with $12 million in guaranteed bonuses.

Henry was released by the Tennessee Titans on Saturday after the two sides couldn't restructure a contract that contained an $8.3 million bonus that was due Monday. He rushed for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns last season for Tennessee.

The Broncos did not announce the signing, which was disclosed by someone familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because it had not yet been signed.

The Broncos were in the market for a running back after dealing last season's leading rusher Tatum Bell to Detroit -- along with offensive lineman George Foster and a fifth-round pick -- for cornerback Dre' Bly.

Davis Gets Largest Signing Bonus in Cowboy's History

Leonard Davis and the Dallas Cowboys finalized a nearly $50 million, seven-year deal Monday for the free agent offensive lineman to come home with a fresh start.

Davis wasn't re-signed by the Arizona Cardinals, who took him with the second overall pick out of Texas in 2001. The 6-foot-6, 372-pound Davis is from Wortham, Texas, about 80 miles south of Dallas.

The deal includes $18.75 million in guaranteed money, a team-record $16 million signing bonus and a $2.75 million salary for 2007.

In Arizona, the 28-year-old Davis played guard and tackle while starting all 91 of his games over six seasons. But he never reached the Pro Bowl-level many envisioned for him.

Fantasy Football News: Titans Release RB Travis Henry

Fantasy Football News: Titans Release RB Travis Henry

The Tennessee Titans released Travis Henry on Saturday after negotiations failed to rework a contract that contained an $8.3 million bonus due Monday.

The running back was flying to Denver to talk with the Broncos, but the Titans remained hopeful that they can lure him back after he checks out the market.

Henry's agent, Hadley Engelhard, wasn't immediately available. He had been negotiating with the Titans during the past few days, trying to rework the bonus into a longer deal.

Henry revived not only his career, but the Titans' rushing offense in 2006 by running for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns. That was the best performance by a Titans running back since 2000, when Eddie George had the best year of his career.

Bucs Trade for Plummer then Sign Garcia

Fantasy Football News:

The Tampa Bay Bucs signed free agent quarterback Jeff Garcia on Saturday, then announced they had also obtained the rights to Jake Plummer from Denver to potentially give the team an interesting tussle for the reins to coach Jon Gruden's offense.

Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who nearly signed with the Bucs as a free agent in 2004, agreed to a two-year deal he hopes will give him a chance to finally get to the Super Bowl.

Texans Agree to Terms with Ahman Green

Fantasy Football News:

The Houston Texans agreed to terms with free agent running back Ahman Green on Sunday.

The 30-year-old former Green Bay Packer will likely become the starter for a team that struggled at the position last season after Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) missed the year with knee problems.

Green will be introduced at a 1 p.m. news conference in Houston on Monday, said Texans vice president of communications Tony Wyllie. Terms of the contract were not immediately available.

Houston also has a trio of inexperienced running backs in Wali Lundy, Chris Taylor and fellow former Green Bay player Samkon Gado. They also hope to re-sign free agent Ron Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, who excelled late last season after years of struggles.

Green had 266 carries for 1,059 yards last season after returning from a torn right quadriceps in 2005. He missed two games last season because of lingering effects from the injury.

He has 8,491 yards and 54 touchdowns in his nine-year career that began with Seattle. Before the injury two years ago, Green gained more than 1,100 yards in each of the previous five seasons.