NFL Trade Rumors

"Tom Brady said yesterday he's not certain whether he'll be sufficiently recovered from a right foot injury to participate in the Patriots' third exhibition game, which is Friday at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm trying to get treatment this week and I'm feeling better every day," Brady said on radio station WEEI. "It's going to end up being up to coach [Bill Belichick] and what he wants to do, but I think he's been coaching long enough to understand that the first game in September is what's going to be important for us." Brady has yet to play this preseason and he didn't even make the trip with the team to Tampa for Sunday night's 27-10 loss. There ..."

"In the aftermath of a moderately impressive preseason performance against Jacksonville, the Miami Dolphins' offense was all thumbs. Running back Ronnie Brown's sprained right thumb means thumbs down for his participation in this week's home preseason game against Kansas City, though Dolphins coach Tony Sparano acknowledged that he would like to get Brown more work than his five preseason carries. Veteran center/guard Steve McKinney got the thumb-over-the-shoulder, take-a-hike signal, getting waived Monday afternoon. The coaching staff is close to putting their thumb on a starting quarterback, presumably Chad Pennington. Brown, who has played a decreasing number of games each of his three ..."

"Although the agent for newly available wide receiver Joe Horn has contacted the Dolphins to gauge their potential interest in the former Falcons pass catcher, there's no reason to get over anxious about any imminent signing. The agent, Ralph Vitolo, also contacted 31 other teams. Yes, every one other than the Falcons, who released Horn on Tuesday. There is one reason to keep watch on Horn's decision, though. He has at least narrowed his top choices down, and Miami made the cut. Of course, there are also six other teams -- including the Cowboys, the Titans, the Jaguars, and the Rams, Vitolo said. Vitolo has reached out to the Dolphins, but no conversations have taken place. Vitolo sent the ..."

"The initial diagnosis was that Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson suffered a bruised right knee in Saturday's preseason game at Baltimore, but further tests revealed a sprain to his MCL, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Vikings coach Brad Childress was not available for comment Sunday, but it's reasonable to think the injury could keep Jackson out of the most important game of the preseason Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Teams typically treat their third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, giving starters extended playing time. Jackson's status for the preseason finale at Dallas on Aug. 28 also is unknown, but it's hard to imagine ..."

"It seems pretty obvious which way the Bears are going at quarterback. With 20 days until the start of the regular season, all signs are pointing to Kyle Orton being the starter Sept. 7 at Indianapolis. Coach Lovie Smith didn't give any indication Saturday night after a 29-26 overtime loss at Seattle, but did he have to? Orton put together a 51-yard drive at the end of the first half, setting up a 39-yard Robbie Gould field goal after Seahawks cornerback Kelly Jennings knocked a touchdown pass from Devin Hester's hands. Those were the first points the offense put on the board after Rex Grossman started the game. Grossman didn't stand a chance as he was ransacked by an aggressive Seahawks ..."

"Brandon Marshall formally appealed his three-game suspension Thursday to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to a league source. Goodell had found the Broncos' receiver in violation of the league's personal conduct policy. An appeal hearing has not been set, although it's expected before the season-opening week. Appeal aside, Goodell said he would consider reducing the suspension to two games if Marshall met certain conditions. The New Orleans Saints, the Broncos' Game 3 opponent, might be interested to learn the most significant condition is for Marshall to stay free from trouble and disturbances through Sept. 15, which is when he can be reinstated."

"Like many NFL players, John Beck doesn't hear much about the outside world during training camp. But he caught wind of the rumor circulating Thursday that the Dolphins had cut him. "Yeah I heard about it," Beck said after Thursday evening's practice. "I mean, I'm here. I don't know where people get this stuff." Drafted last year to be the Dolphins' quarterback of the future, Beck often has been a bystander in practice this week. He mostly stood to the side with coaches while newly acquired Chad Pennington and rookie Chad Henne took most of the snaps during drills. With four quarterbacks on the roster, it's likely that either Beck or Josh McCown will be cut before the regular season, ..."

"Baltimore Ravens franchise linebacker-defensive end Terrell Suggs plans to end his holdout over the weekend and will report to the team Sunday, a source confirmed Friday. Suggs will sign an $8.5 million franchise tender Sunday, and he's already talked to the team about getting ready to play for the Ravens' third preseason game, against the St. Louis Rams next week. Suggs has agreed to play this season at the $8.5 million tender and won't ask for any condition in the deal that will prevent the Ravens from franchising him next season. He is scheduled to be a free agent after the season. The plan for Suggs is to practice at the team facility next week and play about 15 snaps against the Rams. ..."

"An NFL spokesman said Thursday that a report by Sirius NFL Radio that Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie is likely to be suspended for four games for violating the league's personal conduct policy is speculation and that no announcement has been made. McKinnie had little reaction when asked about the report. "I don't know about that," McKinnie said as he walked off the practice field. McKinnie is subject to possible disciplinary action by the NFL as a repeat offender of the league's conduct policy. He met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in early June. McKinnie's latest off-the-field incident occurred in February when he got into a brawl outside a Miami nightclub. He faces four ..."

"The Bengals have had "conversations" with representatives for wide receiver Chris Henry, his agent told the Enquirer late this afternoon. Don't put any stock in NFL.com," Lewis said. "I don't think (the story) has any legs for any reason." Agent Marvin Frazier said he and the Bengals were engaged in "just conversations right now." • Poll: Bring back Chris Henry? Henry was waived by the Bengals on April 3, following his fifth arrest in their employ. All charges were later dropped in a Hamilton County court. Henry was suspended for the first four games of the NFL season by Commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's personal conduct policy. In his three seasons with the Bengals, ..."

"There's no question Dolphins quarterback John Beck's future in Miami is currently in jeopardy. But if a decision to cut last year's second-round draft pick has been made, Beck still isn't aware of the move. The quarterback practiced Thursday morning with the team, taking more repetitions than he has in each of the past two days. Typically, when players in Miami are released, the decision is made in the morning before the first practice begins. Profootballtalk.com reported that it received an unconfirmed tip that the team severed ties with Beck. Such a move is certainly possible -- and could even be on the horizon -- but it has not yet happened. A league source said Tuesday that Miami isn't ..."

"Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn said he wants to be traded or cut so badly that he has "contemplated" restructuring or forfeiting part of the $2.5 million in guaranteed base salary he's owed. "I'm even contemplating giving some money back to further this thing along," the disgruntled wide receiver said Tuesday. "I'm ready to get it solved and move on. The longer I stay here, the worse it's going to get." Horn's agent, Ralph Vitolo, said he communicated with Horn via text message and that he spoke with Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff on Tuesday, but the issue of Horn forfeiting money wasn't broached. Vitolo said he is open to restructuring Horn's contract only to facilitate a trade. ..."

"The Minnesota Vikings, who finished last in 2007 in pass coverage, were counting on free-agent acquisition Madieu Williams to help change that in 2008 from his safety position. Now, however, they'll reportedly have to wait awhile for him to make an impact. The Star Tribune, citing unnamed sources, reported Tuesday that Williams will miss at least six weeks with an undisclosed neck injury. Williams missed the Vikings' preseason opener against the Seahawks last Friday with what the team called neck spasms. The newspaper reported that it's unknown when Williams injured his neck and coach Brad Childress refused to address the injury as he's not required to do so in the preseason. Williams also ..."

"Mike Nolan insists that no decision has been made regarding a starting quarterback. But it's getting to be a little like standing under a downpour and insisting it's not raining. J.T. O'Sullivan trotted on to the field with the 49ers' No. 1 offensive unit for the eighth consecutive time Tuesday, a streak that includes the exhibition game against the Raiders last week. Don't get carried away, Nolan said. What you see might not be what you get. "Until I say differently I'm going to keep all (the quarterbacks) alive,'' the coach explained. "I feel good about all three of them. J.T. is the newest product to what we've got, so I'm getting a longer look at him." Earlier this month, Nolan ..."

"The Chiefs may eventually attempt to sign free-agent kicker Jay Feely, who was released Monday by Miami. While Nick Novak and Connor Barth have kicked field goals well in training camp, the Chiefs aren't at ease with the idea of using a kicker without significant NFL experience. That wouldn't be an issue with Feely, who has kicked for Atlanta, the Giants and Miami. While with the Giants, Feely worked with Mike Priefer, now the Chiefs' special teams coach. "We know what he's capable of doing," coach Herm Edwards said. "We're going to continue to look at our guys. We're going to let these guys kick. "We'll have to wait and see. Nothing is out of the realm of trying to get better." Feely's ..."

"Exams on Boss Bailey revealed no breaks or torn ligaments, just a severe high ankle sprain that should sideline the strongside linebacker for the rest of the preseason. Bailey became the Broncos' highest-paid free-agent acquisition this offseason, receiving a five-year, $17.5 million contract that included a $4.3 million signing bonus. He was injured on the second defensive play of the Broncos' preseason opener Saturday night at Houston. Bailey still was using crutches Monday, and coach Mike Shanahan could not give a time for his return. "I'm not really sure at this time," Shanahan said. "Those high ankle sprains, sometimes they're worse than a broken ankle, and sometimes they're a couple ..."

"Michael Huyghue, commissioner of the United Football League, rival to the NFL. Fancy seeing you here, at Carolina Panthers training camp. "In the VIP section, no less,'' he said, laughing, the other day, sitting among the families and employees of the Panthers during a torrid afternoon practice. The UFL is scheduled to kick off -- and I use "scheduled'' because one never knows what can happen with startup leagues -- a year from now, with a season that will last until Thanksgiving. Huyghue said there will be six teams: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York and Hartford. Yes, Mark Cuban will be one of the owners, as, apparently, will be the Wilpon group of New York. The ..."

"Plaxico Burress doesn't envision a new contract coming his way this season, and coincidentally, of course, he isn't in any hurry to start practicing with the Giants as he rests a sore right ankle. Speaking with reporters yesterday for the second time since training camp opened, Burress called negotiations "long gone" and sounded resigned to the fact he'll be playing under the six-year contract he signed before the 2005 season. Burress, who is scheduled to make $3.25 million this year, sought an increase that would have more than doubled his salary. "If you wanted to get it done, it probably would have been done a long time ago," Burress said. "We're three or four weeks into [camp], so I'm ..."

"Former Patriots linebacker Junior Seau said the possibility remains he could return to New England, but nothing is imminent. In an interview with XX Sports Radio in San Diego, Seau, who had offseason surgery to repair his rotator cuff, said he remains in contact with coach Bill Belichick. "Obviously, I have to be healthy enough to get in there and perform at a high level and right now I'm not ready," Seau said on the "Scott and BR Show." Seau also ruled out the possibility of returning with any other team. "If there is a situation that comes up, I will definitely look at it, but it has to be something with the Pats," he said. "There is no sense in me going to another locker room when I ..."

"Veteran safety Adam Archuleta got a tryout with the Raiders on Monday morning in Napa, a league source confirmed, but not because they've lost faith in starters Gibril Wilson and Michael Huff. (Update: The Raiders offered Archuleta a contract and should be signed once he passes his physical. He could be in uniform by tonight's second practice.) The Raiders are looking at Archuleta as a potential linebacker. The strongside position remains an open competition between Ricky Brown, Robert Thomas and Sam Williams. Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison and weakside linebacker Thomas Howard are locks, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has said, so it's less likely Archuleta will play either of those ..."

"The two sides in the Derrick Harvey negotiations spoke for the first time in a week Saturday, but failed to break the stalemate. After the Jaguars' 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason opener Saturday night, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said there were no developments in the talks. Ken Kremer, Harvey's agent, said he spoke with Paul Vance, the vice president who negotiates the contracts for the Jaguars, for an hour Saturday without making any substantial progress. He said the Jaguars didn't make a new offer. When the Jaguars resume practice today for their final two-a-day practice of training camp, Harvey's holdout will enter its 17th day, which is two days short of a ..."

"He's long gone and on the other side of the state, camping with the St. Louis Rams in eastern Wisconsin. But the spirit of Justin Medlock still hangs over the kicking battle at Chiefs camp. One of the contestants, Connor Barth, is a rookie, as Medlock was for the Chiefs last year. Medlock's spectacular failure begs the question of whether the Chiefs have the fortitude to go it again with a rookie kicker, albeit a different one. Obviously, coach Herm Edwards has yet to make that determination "I don't know," Edwards said. "That's a tough call. You've just got to go with what your gut tells you if it's close." The Chiefs have seen little in training camp to separate Barth from the other ..."

"Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey said Sunday that he isn't expecting to return from his left knee injury in time to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Dorsey suffered a knee sprain Aug. 2 and returned to practice Saturday, albeit in a limited role. Coach Herm Edwards said Dorsey, the Chiefs' top draft pick, remains day-to-day but did participate in individual and position drills Sunday. "It never really was a very serious injury," Dorsey said. "I just needed to take some time while it healed." Dorsey said he expected to return to team practices in the next couple of days. The Chiefs break camp Friday and resume one-a-day practices in Kansas City next week. ..."

"The Steelers have brought two veteran quarterbacks to training camp today and will sign one of them to replace Charlie Batch as their backup. Byron Leftwich and Daunte Culpepper both arrived at St. Vincent College in Latrobe today. After each have their physicals, one will sign to be the backup to Ben Roethlisberger until Batch heals. Batch broke his right collarbone Friday night in the second quarter against Philadelphia and will miss 4-6 weeks."

"Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich could be the new backup quarterback for the Steelers, who became vulnerable at the position Friday night when Charlie Batch was injured. Batch, who suffered a broken right collarbone in Friday's 16-10 exhibition victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, is expected to be out four to six weeks, according to coach Mike Tomlin. That leaves just two rookies -- fifth-round pick Dennis Dixon and undrafted free agent Mike Potts -- behind starter Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 93 times the past two years and takes more hits than almost any passer in the NFL. Roethlisberger's swashbuckling style of play makes him more susceptible to the kind of hit that could ..."

"Anquan Boldin, who has missed almost all of training camp with a sore hamstring, should return to practice when the Cardinals take the field Sunday in Flagstaff. Boldin worked out in the pregame routine Thursday, and "he feels good," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. Another receiver struggling with a hamstring problem, rookie Early Doucet, remains day-to-day and could be ready to play by next Saturday's preseason game in Kansas City. The Cardinals came out of Thursday's game against New Orleans with no injuries."

"It may be a cliché, but a true Cinderella story may be taking place in Oakland. J.T. O'Sullivan, the former Jesuit quarterback, the former UC Davis quarterback and a vagabond pro quarterback, is the starting quarterback in the 49ers' exhibition tonight against the Raiders. It's still an exhibition game, but he has to have made a good impression to be starting the preseason opener ahead of franchise quarterback Alex Smith and wunderkind Shaun Hill. According to our 49ers beat reporter, Matt Barrows, this truly is a quarterback competition. What's helping O'Sullivan's chances is that he has a fan in new offensive coordinator/passing guru Mike Martz, who coached him last season in Detroit. ..."

"Herm Edwards and Chad Pennington once made for a successful coach-quarterback combination. A reunion is possible now after Pennington was released Thursday by the New York Jets. The Chiefs will almost certainly make a play for Pennington, who played for Edwards for five seasons with the Jets. But they haven't had any in-depth discussions about pursuing Pennington, who was released a few hours before the Chiefs opened their preseason Thursday night with a 24-20 win over the Bears at Soldier Field. "There's nothing to comment on," Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said. The Chiefs think Pennington, who was expendable in New York after the Jets traded for Brett Favre (story, ..."

"The Packers, while divorcing themselves from Brett Favre, desperately avoided having to face him as an opponent two times a year by refusing to allow him to sign with the Vikings, their NFC North rival. As for the Jets and their former starting quarterback Chad Pennington, who was released yesterday to make room for Favre, there's a very good possibility that they might have to face Pennington twice a year because the Dolphins are very interested in signing him. That, of course, would set up this delicious scenario: Pennington starting for the Dolphins in the Sept. 7 season opener against the Jets and Favre. According to multiple NFL sources, the Dolphins reached out more than once ..."

"Faced with an injury-depleted offensive line, the Bears could begin this season the same way it ended 2007. The team has contacted veteran tackle Fred Miller about making a return to the team, according to Miller's agent. Agent Harold Lewis said Miller, 35, is mulling whether to sign with the Bears, Texans or Ravens. The decision could be finalized in the next day. "His preference would be to return to the Bears," Lewis said Thursday evening. Miller was released in February for salary cap reasons. He was heading into the final two years of his five-year, $25.5 million contract. He was due a $500,000 bonus on March 1 and scheduled to make $4 million this season. The Bears limped into ..."

"The Giants spent their offseason trying to upgrade their backup quarterback situation. Maybe the solution was always right in their own backyard. Chad Pennington, released Thursday by the Jets, is apparently on the Giants' radar screen as they search for a viable backup to Eli Manning. They already have veterans Anthony Wright and David Carr on the roster battling for the job, but GM Jerry Reese didn't deny they might have an interest in the now ex-Jet. "We take a look at everybody that's out there," Reese said after the Giants' preseason-opening 13-10 loss to the Lions. "That includes him." During the offseason, the Giants tried to sign Redskins quarterback Todd Collins and they had ..."

"The aftershock of former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre's trade to the Jets could continue to alter the quarterback landscape of the AFC East, as the Dolphins are attempting to enter the sweepstakes for quarterback Chad Pennington. Pennington is expected to be released by the Jets at 4 p.m., and Miami already has situated itself to engage in deeper discussions to acquire the quarterback who was a casualty in New York as a result of the Favre trade. Miami vice president of football operations Bill Parcells, who served in a similar role with the Jets in 2000 when the team drafted Pennington, currently has interest in acquiring the quarterback once again. The team engaged in preliminary ..."

"Before Brett Favre joined the Jets set late Wednesday night, the Bears always could justify not pursuing Favre because they had the Packers' unwillingness to trade within the NFC North division as a crutch. There would be no such impediment to exploring the possibility of Chad Pennington, the quarterback likely to be out of a job with Favre's expected arrival in New York. Pennington, 32, is older and more expensive than fellow quarterback Kellen Clemens. He is scheduled to make $6 million in 2008, and it's hard to imagine how the Jets could fit his salary and Favre's $12 million salary under the cap. If Pennington is released as expected, he will be free to sign with any team and the Bears ..."

"Already disgruntled about his contract, cornerback Lito Sheppard had another ax to grind Wednesday after practice, and now the Eagles' cornerback made it clear he wants out. Responding to remarks made Tuesday by team owner Jeffrey Lurie, who cited an obscure statistic to describe an area where Sheppard needed improvement, the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback suggested the team was nitpicking to find fault in him and that he'd be better off playing elsewhere. "I think it'll be a lot better if it was for somebody else," said Sheppard, who's expected to start at left cornerback against Pittsburgh in the preseason opener Friday night at Heinz Field in place of injured Asante Samuel. Sheppard and ..."

"Despite reports circulating on the Internet, former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino will not be following in the nifty footsteps of Jason Taylor on next season's, 'Dancing with the Stars,' television show. Marino contacted the Dolphins to shoot down the rumors. "Chipping and putting with them, maybe, but not dancing with them,'' said Harvey Greene, Dolphins public relations president. A report on 'In Touch Weekly' said that Marino, singer Toni Braxton, model Kim Kardashian, rodeo champion Ty Murray, singer Lance Bass and Florence Henderson of Brady Bunch fame, are scheduled to compete on the ABC-TV reality dance competition in which Taylor finished runner-up last season. Marino, a CBS-TV ..."

"Recent reports of Cleveland Browns return specialist/wide receiver Joshua Cribbs' request for a new contract have been a hot topic in Browns training camp lately. In 2007 Cribbs signed a six-year deal worth just under $6 million, including a $2 million signing bonus. According to Cribbs' agent, JR Rickert, there have been conflicting reports in the media. He insisted that many of these reports are not clear and are inaccurate. During a phone conversation with the agent on Wednesday, Rickert wanted to set the record straight on talks of a new contract for his client and provided a clear timeline of what occurred. "I met with Joshua in Cleveland in August of 2007 after he fired Andre Cologna ..."

"Brett Favre and his wife left Green Bay on Wednesday afternoon not knowing if his eventual NFL destination is Tampa Bay, New York or somewhere else. Favre and his wife, Deanna, boarded the private plane bound for Hattiesburg, Miss., at about 12:20 p.m. CT, saying that a trade was not yet completed and that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets are both still in the running. "I just want to get on the field and get going -- I'm 38 years old," Favre said. Favre left Green Bay a day after he and Packers management concluded he could not return as quarterback of the Packers -- who had decided to move ahead with Aaron Rodgers as the starter, and also do not want to see Favre play for an ..."

"The Brett Favre saga may finally end Wednesday, with the embattled quarterback deciding between the Jets and Bucs as his landing spot. There were reports Wednesday morning that Favre had approved a deal to Tampa Bay, but the Jets remain in contention for the 38-year-old quarterback. There were strong indications that a deal would be done Wednesday, although Favre's indecision might drag out the process longer than that. Favre's agent, Bus Cook, told The Sporting News that Favre would be willing to play for either the Jets or Tampa, although some league sources believed that Cook might have been trying to leverage the Jets into a deal that would be more beneficial for the Packers in a trade ..."

"Brian Westbrook's contract situation isn't resolved, but the Eagles' running back said today that he'd play in the preseason opener Friday against the Steelers at Heinz Field.

"I guess so," the All-Pro running back said. "Coach [Andy Reid] said the starters would probably play about a quarter and a half, so I would expect to." Westbrook reported to training camp on July 24th in good faith, hoping the team and his agent could agree on a new accord that would satisfy Westbrook's financial demands. Westbrook suggested that talks have come closer to an agreement and said he was "optimistic about the way things have been going." Asked if harbored reservations about playing in the ..."

"The Packers are close to announcing a deal for Brett Favre. That, at least is the feeling in Green Bay, where Packers GM Ted Thompson has postponed a news conference scheduled for this hour. That's the latest on the Favre front, where the situation continues to change by the hour. Literally. If you haven't heard, there are reports out now that suggest the Bucs and New York Jets are engaged in a bidding war for Favre and that the Jets are winning. Don't count out the Bucs, though. The Glazers are star catchers and they see Favre as a star worth chasing. This deal then, at least as it pertains to the Bucs, has become as much about business as football. Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, ..."

"The Brett Favre saga could end with the NFL icon in pewter. The Tribune has learned Favre will not stand in the way of a trade from Green Bay to Tampa Bay and the deal is likely to be finalized within 24 hours. The chances of the trade unraveling are remote and Favre has indicated to the Bucs directly that he is willing to change teams after 16 years of growing his legend in Green Bay. The Packers, unwilling to deal the 3-time league MVP to an NFC North rival, view the Bucs as a compromise in this ugly impasse. The Bucs view Favre as an upgrade on QB Jeff Garcia, who made the Pro Bowl in 2007 while leading Tampa Bay to an NFC South title. Once it became clear to Favre that he wasn't ..."

"After two days of meetings made it clear Brett Favre will not play again for the Green Bay Packers, his agent embarked on trade talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. Talks with the Bucs heated up Tuesday night, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said. The Tampa Tribune reported early today on its Web site that Favre would agree to a trade to Tampa Bay and that a deal would be completed within 24 hours. The newspaper cited no source for its report. For most of this week, Favre showed little interest in a trade to the Bucs. However, he became open to playing for them after he met with coach Mike McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson for much of Monday and ..."

"Brett Favre is considering a trade to Tampa Bay and is expected to talk with Buccaneers officials soon, perhaps as early as today, a source told the Press-Gazette today. It might be coincidence, but Tampa Bay General Manager Bruce Allen did not attend the Bucs' practice today, which is unusual for him, reports said. The source said the New York Jets also remain interested if they can acquire Favre in the next few days, but Favre appears more interested in the Bucs. Tampa Bay runs a version of the West Coast offense, which Favre has played in for 16 seasons in Green Bay; the Bucs' coach, Jon Gruden, is a former Packers assistant; and Tampa Bay is a short flight from Favre's home in ..."

"Brett Favre's Packers career appears exactly as it has over the last several months, at best in limbo, at worst over. After hours of meetings and few if any details emerging, it now seems less and less likely that Favre will be back on the playing field for the Packers, FOXSports.com has learned. The two sides are expected to meet again in the morning as they try to work toward a solution palatable to both sides. However, one detail FOXSports.com gathered from the meeting was Favre's insistence that he did not want his presence to destroy the team's chemistry. In fact, Favre was adamant that he wanted to do what was in the best interest of the locker room and admitted this distraction was ..."

"Barring what would be a totally unexpected appearance by Steven Jackson today at Rams training camp, the running back's continuing holdout will cost him a year of NFL seniority toward free agency. Under a league rule, players under contract must report at least 30 days before the first regular season game or lose what's called an accrued season of seniority. The Post-Dispatch originally reported last week that the deadline for Jackson to report would be Aug. 8 - this Friday - or 30 days before the Rams' season opener at Philadelphia, on Sept. 7. But after further checking with the NFL office, the deadline to report is 30 days before the overall start of the NFL season. Because the ..."

"Two years ago, Junior Seau didn’t join the Patriots until Aug. 18. Last year, he signed in May. This year? The lines of communication at least remain open. Patriots coach Bill Belichick yesterday said he and Seau have spoken. Whether that means the future Hall of Famer plans to return for a 19th season remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say Seau wouldn’t need much camp to get ready for the season. The Patriots are at the roster limit of 80 players and would need to cut someone to make room for Seau, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery. “We are at 80 and if we make any roster moves we’ll let you know as soon as we can,” Belichick said. “We are where we are right now. If anything ..."

"Chris Baker finally was able to practice with the Jets yesterday. Now the issue is how satisfied he is with what they're paying him. The Jets tight end hadn't been able to practice in training camp, his ailing back landing him on the physically unable to perform list. But yesterday he was apparently much improved, getting cleared to practice for the first time. He came away encouraged and excited. Baker also has been unhappy with his contract and he has blasted the Jets for allegedly reneging on a promise to give him a new pact. He declined to address his contract status yesterday, saying he had tunnel vision for one thing - football, not finances. "I'm not going to talk about the contract ..."

"Marcel Shipp was cut by the Cardinals on Monday. I prefer to think of it as being paroled. Seven years toiling for the Big Red is punishment enough for anyone. And while I'm sure losing his $1.75 million salary will hurt - as will the sting of losing his job because of his cap number and not his ability - it won't take long for "The Tug Boat" to see the sunny side of this. Shipp arrived from the University of Massachusetts as an undrafted free agent in 2001 and was constantly pushed aside by other overpaid and underperforming backs, from Thomas Jones to Emmitt Smith to J.J. Arrington. He came back from an ugly dislocated ankle injury in training camp in 2004 and gained 2,197 yards - most ..."

"The Green Bay Packers welcomed back quarterback Brett Favre from the reserve-retired list Sunday knowing full well that they've already taken the first step toward trading him to the Minnesota Vikings. An executive in personnel for a National Football League team with close ties to clubs in the NFC North Division told the Journal Sentinel that the Packers called the Vikings on Friday informing them that Favre was available. "They've kind of said through one of their (front-office) guys that if Favre did report they would potentially trade him within the division," the executive said late Sunday afternoon. The source said the conversation between officials from the two bitter rivals was ..."

"It was reported during NBC's Hall of Fame Game broadcast Sunday night that Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall will receive a three-game suspension from the NFL for his violation of the personal conduct policy. The report went on to say the suspension can be pared to two games if Marshall, who has had three arrests in 17 months along with other off-field incidents, agrees to undergo counseling. A league source Sunday night said Marshall had not been apprised of any looming penalty. The league also is maintaining that no decision has yet been made, according to a second source. A decision on Marshall's fate could come down as soon as today. On Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the ..."

"The Ravens remain in constant contact with Terrell Suggs but are not certain when the team's franchise player will report. Suggs has missed training camp to protest the franchise tag, which kept him from being a free agent this offseason. "We do have an idea of what he's thinking, but it's just an idea right now," Harbaugh said of Suggs' projected return. "There's no certainty." Asked if he thought Suggs would wait until the end of the preseason to come back, Harbaugh said, "I wouldn't say. I can't speak for him." According to Harbaugh, the defensive coaches are in "constant communication" with Suggs about practices and schemes. Harbaugh said Suggs' absence doesn't bother him. "That's part ..."

"There is a "possibility" that Willis McGahee could be sidelined for Thursday's preseason opener and rookie Ray Rice will start at running back, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after Sunday's practice. McGahee has missed a large portion of training camp with a left knee injury. "Right now, we need to get the fluid out of his knee and get that thing settled down a little bit," Harbaugh said. In other injury news, tight end Todd Heap missed practice with a leg injury but it's not considered serious."

"The Green Bay Packers are through negotiating with quarterback Brett Favre on a marketing deal and they are anticipating him reporting for training camp Monday and being on the field as soon as he passes his physical, a Packers source said. Another source close to the club, said that the Packers have agreed to allow Favre to compete with Aaron Rodgers for the starting job and he won't necessarily be the backup this season. Trade talks with Favre have not advanced and coach Mike McCarthy is expected to come up with a plan that will split the practice repetitions with Rodgers. The Packers released this statement from president Mark Murphy: "Sixteen years after Brett Favre came to the ..."

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated Brett Favre on Sunday, the three-time MVP said. The Packers couldn't confirm the reinstatement, and said because it wasn't an offical business day for the league it wasn't possible Sunday. Nevertheless, Favre was prepared to fly to Green Bay in time to attend the sold-out Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field, which more than 60,000 fans were expected to attend. On Saturday, Goodell said he hoped the situation would be resolved by Monday, by which team and league sources told ESPN's Wendi Nix that he was expected to act on the reinstatement. Goodell visited the Cincinnati Bengals' training camp on Saturday before heading north to Canton, Ohio, for ..."

"NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hopes to have Brett Favre's standoff with the Green Bay Packers resolved by Monday -- even if he has to force the issue. "Both parties are talking, the Green Bay Packers and Brett," Goodell told Adam Schefter in an interview with the NFL Network on Saturday. "And I think the discussions are moving ahead. I would hope that we would have something resolved by Monday." Goodell made it clear he thinks the situation has lingered long enough. "I think we have to force it," Goodell said. "I think it's come to the point where there need to be some decisions made on behalf of the Packers, on behalf of Brett, on behalf of all the fans." Goodell was not going to grant ..."

"Raiders receiver Javon Walker's troubled career took another enigmatic turn Thursday when he told team officials he wanted to retire, only to change his mind one day later. Walker declined to discuss the specifics and wondered out loud what all the fuss was about. "That's a done issue," Walker said after training camp practice Saturday in Napa. "I'm not sure what happened, but that's a done issue." Raiders coach Lane Kiffin isn't so sure. The team signed Walker, 29, to a six-year deal worth up to $55 million in March. The idea was for Walker to bring star power to the passing game as the No. 1 receiver. Five months later, after little more than one week of training camp, he offered to ..."

"The Jets took a closer look at their potential 2008 product yesterday when they played their annual Green-White intra-squad scrimmage at Hofstra's James M. Shuart Stadium. Most eyes, of course, were on the ongoing quarterback competition between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. Though Pennington and the Green team won the game 10-7, earning them a day off from meetings and workouts today, the needle in the quarterback competition probably didn't lean in either direction very dramatically. Both quarterbacks, who struggled on third and fourth downs, had their positive moments. Pennington, though he completed only 1 of 4 in the first half, made his one completion count, connecting with ..."

"Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown finished Week 1 of training camp unscathed, but he said his comeback from season-ending knee surgery is not complete -- especially from a mental standpoint. The last serious tackling Brown faced occurred Oct. 21, when he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament against the Patriots. Brown said the pain is gone, although he experienced stiffness earlier this week. The occasional discomfort in his knee is to be expected, but Brown said that regaining the mental side has been more difficult to overcome. ''Physically, I put in all the work, but from a mental aspect it may take some time just to be out here, being a part of practice and taking those licks ..."

"Jaguars first-round pick Derrick Harvey still isn't signed because the team has declined to pay him market value for being drafted eighth overall, his agent, Ken Kremer, told the Times-Union on Saturday in an exclusive interview. Kremer, who said he usually doesn't publicly discuss contract negotiations, decided to explain Harvey's position after Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio claimed earlier in the week that a 5 percent to 10 percent increase over last year's figures is "reasonable," but a 75 percent increase is "outrageous." "I agree with him that 75 percent is unrealistic, but somewhere between 10 percent and 75 percent is reasonable," Kremer said. In the NFL's so-called slotting system, ..."