FalconsLIFE Message Boards / Falcons Boards / Rival Central

Well this place sure dried up in a hurry.

joe horn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:21:58 GMT

Go Saints!

Ellis: No Contract Looming

bossFALCON™ — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:41:49 GMT

Saints, Smith working on new contract
Top draft pick, Ellis, not in a hurry to sign
By LARRY HOLDER

METAIRIE, La. --
Although New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith sat out Tuesday's organized team activities session with a toe injury, the more encouraging part for the team was that Smith was in the building.

Smith ended his boycott of voluntary workouts and has been with the team the past two days. Smith's first offseason appearance with the team was during the weekend mandatory minicamp.

Smith wouldn't talk with the media following Tuesday's workout.

Saints coach Sean Payton was encouraged that Smith returned to train in the practice facility, but said a new deal for Smith isn't yet complete. Payton did say there's more than simply dialogue going on between Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and Joel Segal, Smith's agent.

"I think when the time comes there will be an announcement," Payton said. "But right now I know Mickey and his agent were working through the contract and trying to sort things out. There's nothing really new to announce."

Loomis didn't respond when asked for comment on Smith's contract talks.
[b]
Ellis won't sign soon[/b] - Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis won't be following the trend set by fellow first-round picks like Miami tackle Jake Long and Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. Ellis doesn't figure he'll sign a contract with the Saints in the immediate future.

"I don't even think there's been any discussions," Ellis said.

Ellis doubts negotiations will begin until July and will wait to see what type of deal Kansas City defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey gets to help his own deal. The Chiefs took Dorsey at No. 5 and the Saints traded up to No. 7 to snag Ellis.

[b]More injuries, transactions[/b] - Defensive tackle Brian Young also missed Tuesday's session with a left knee injury. It's the same knee Young had scoped during the middle of last season and missed four games because of the injury.

Payton said the recurrence of Young's knee injury wasn't a problem, but Young will likely sit out the next couple of days so the swelling can recede.

Young had been healthy throughout his seven-year career until last season. He fractured his foot during the 2007 offseason and missed nearly all of training camp. Following the knee injury, Young came back for two games only to go on injured reserve for the final three weeks with an illness.

Others who missed practice were center Jonathan Goodwin (birth in family), running back Pierre Thomas (right leg), safety Josh Bullocks (knee), cornerback Mike McKenzie (knee), tight end Eric Johnson (ankle), defensive tackle DeMario Pressley (foot), fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin (school), wide receiver Titus Ryan (hamstring), cornerback Greg Fassitt (hamstring), cornerback Jason David (groin) and tackle Carnell Stewart (ankle).

The Saints also signed two players after weekend tryouts, with cornerback Jerametrius Butler and center Marquay Love agreeing to deals. Linebacker Chris Graham was waived to make room.

Butler, who will enter his eighth season, started in St. Louis in 2003 and 2004, but a knee injury put his career in sort of tailspin. He most recently spent time in Buffalo. Love spent time in Miami during last year's training camp before being waived.
[b]
So practice is practice?[/b] - So what is the difference between minicamp and OTAs, besides the mandatory part of minicamp?

"This schedule is a little bit more abbreviated," Payton said. "There's only one practice, and of course it's optional. We're limited to how long they can be in the building from start to finish; there are constraints time-wise.

"It's a little quicker, we're not on the field quite as long, and there's only one practice. That being said, we're installing very much like we did in minicamp, but that would be the big difference."

Who's going to take the NFC South in '08?

joe horn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:47:58 GMT

Take off the homer goggles for this one.

Colston extended

bossFALCON™ — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:13:41 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. -- Wide receiver Marques Colston got his reward for playing far beyond the expectations for a seventh-round pick.

Colston, whose 168 catches are more than any NFL receiver through his first two seasons, agreed to a three-year extension that will keep him in New Orleans through the 2011 season, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday night.

"It's really a tribute to how well Marques has done for us coming from Hofstra and being a seventh-round pick," said Loomis, who declined to offer financial details. "Clearly, he's been very productive, a nice surprise and a great story for us."

Colston, who at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds provides quarterback Drew Brees a big target, surprisingly emerged as one of Brees' favorite receivers during training camp in 2006. He went on to compile 2,241 yards receiving for 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons.

"He brings a level of consistency and he knows what to do," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He's been reliable and there is a high amount of confidence in him from our quarterback."

Loomis said the three-year extension gives Colston, who was scheduled to earn about $445,000 in the final year of the three-year contract he signed as a rookie, a fair raise while also giving the 25-year-old receiver a chance to negotiate another contract when he's 29 and still in his prime.

Loomis said the hope is the relatively short length of the deal would reduce the likelihood of Colston coming back and demanding another raise before his latest contract was up.

The deal also means Colston, recently acquired tight end Jeremy Shockey, running back Reggie Bush and Brees all are under contract through the 2011 season.

[url]http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d809775e0&template=with-video&confirm=true[/url]

Do you like losing again?

SaintsoverFalcons — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:51:05 GMT

Y'all were pretty good for a few years there, but now the joke of the league again. Looks as though our fortunes have reversed. Is there less pressure knowing you will be no good at all?:D

Not good, not good at all

bossFALCON™ — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:54:57 GMT

saints trade a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick to the giants for j.shock. shockey to the saints was the LAST trade i wanted to hear about. the rich get richer.

Redskins

Dr. Do Itch Big — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:17 GMT

Redskins own the nfc.

Did y'all like Bobby Hebert?

SaintsoverFalcons — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:45:12 GMT

What was the feeling when Bobby Hebert was for the Falcons. Surely people wanted him over Jeff George.

Can Reggie Bush knock a 6'3 310 pd DT in the air?

saint vitus — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:45:14 GMT

Yep. :hehe:

I would even go so far as to say that hit was more impressive than the Sheldon Brown hit on Bush.

I mean lil' Bush can put damage on you no matter what size. tough S.O.B.

BTW, If anyone has any youtube clips of Norwood's power, I would like to see it.

Reggie Bust speaks about his career so far and why he's not doing so well?

WhenFalconsWin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:59:26 GMT

There are many who feel Bust is not translating well into the NFL I being one of them. There is much controversy over Busts' salary, playing time, his use by Payton, him being a 3rd down RB, his use as a $60 Mil decoy, and many other contoversies surround the #2 overall pick in 2006.

I find this article by Tim Love (BBC) interesting by the fact that Bust readily admits his career has been less than stellar so far. I think anyone interested should post articles that chronicle Busts' career up to this point and we'll see what many who write about sports and are involved with them think about Busts' career up to this point.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A37453331?s_fromedit=1&s_type=15&s_sport=other

Favre to the BUCS..............

Johnnybuc — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:25:22 GMT

Favre will be traded to the BUCS within the next two weeks for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft.

My buddy Christian has predicted this. While he may be a real goofy MoFo he seems to get these type of predictions right on a majority of the time.

The Saints are messing up BIG TIME

atljbo — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:50:26 GMT

[quote]GIANTS COULD GET A FIRST-ROUNDER FOR SHOCKEY
Posted by Mike Florio on July 22, 2008, 8:31 p.m. EDT

Several astute readers have pointed out that the Saints’ attempt to trade a second-round pick in 2009 to the Giants for tight end Jeremy Shockey could be hampered by the trade through which the Saints acquired linebacker Jonathan Vilma from the Jets.

Under the trade between the Jets and the Saints, New Orleans will be required to cough up a second-round pick if Vilma participates in 85 percent of the defensive snaps this season, and if the Saints sign Vilma to a contract extension.

So how could the Saints send a potential second-rounder to the Jets and an actual second-rounder to the Giants.

Per Tom Rock of Newsday, the Giants would get the Saints’ first-round pick if the Jets get the second-rounder. If the Giants get the first-round pick, the Saints’ fifth-rounder falls out of the Shockey deal.[/quote]

Saints have Shockey now at TE, but they have now traded away their 2nd, 4th, and 5th round pick in the draft next year.

southga08 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:11:28 GMT

They have also traded for Jonathan Vilma.

The Vilma pick will be upgraded to a 3rd round pick if he stays healthy for most of the season.

The Saints have picked up two players who have played very good in the past, but who were both injured for most of the past season, and has injury history.

Things could work out for them, but if they don't they won't have much to work with come draft time next year after their first pick.

Glazer at Fox news

Dago — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:41:17 GMT

is reporting that Shockey to the Saints is a done deal

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8364800/Sources:-Giants-to-trade-Shockey-to-Saints

How many years until the Saints take the series lead?

SaintsoverFalcons — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:53:01 GMT

A few more years of sweeps oughta do it

Saints sign smith to 6 year 70m extension (26 in guarantees)

bossFALCON™ — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:08:51 GMT

The New Orleans Saints locked up one of their cornerstones on Wednesday, signing defensive end Will Smith to a six-year, $70 million contract extension that includes $26 million in guaranteed money, NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports.

Smith, who received about $20 million in bonuses when he signed as a first-round draft choice out of Ohio State in 2004, had one year remaining on his deal. It would have likely paid him in the range of $1.8 million next season, depending on which incentives he hit.

The deal will make Smith the third highest-paid defensive end in the NFL, behind Kansas City's Jared Allen and Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney.

"The Saints really stepped up," said Smith's agent Joel Segal. "It was a long negotiation and a great deal for both Will and the Saints."

Smith, a Pro Bowl player in 2006, skipped an offseason training session with the Saints in May because he was unhappy with his contract, but participated in the Saints' most recent mandatory minicamp.

The 26-year-old led the Saints with seven sacks in 2007 and has 33.5 in four seasons. He also was among the team leaders in tackles last season with 66.

[url]http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d808c7923&template=without-video&confirm=true[/url]

What NFC South Team Is Your Favorite To Play Against?

bossFALCON™ — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:07:49 GMT

what team is your favorite to play against? it can be because they are a circled win on the calendar, because they always give your team a grind it out, close battle, because you like visiting their stadium when you play there, it can be whatever. who is your favorite?

Hi all

Bill — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:13:31 GMT

Hi all, i'm a NY Giants fan and I am not here to troll your boards but I am here for some hearty discussions.

I want to congratulate you on your franchise QB and wish you the best but must warn you be PATIENT because for 4 years I had been dealing with Eli Manning's lumps.

I want to tell you all don't lose hope- you probably haven't - on your team because the Giants were 4-12 and two years later we made the playoffs and four years after consecutive playoff streaks we won the Superbowl.

Your situation reminds me much of the Giants and you are pretty much one good offseason away from playoff contention. Just like the Giants in '05 when we got Burress and Peirce.

Like the Giants you have a knew Head Coach who also comes from the Jags'.

So one question before I finish up: Do you approve of the Matt Ryan pick or will you always favor #7 over #2?

Who is better in your opinion?

bossFALCON™ — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:15:49 GMT

we've had a debate going over the last couple of days on who was better: norwood or bush. just want to get your opinions.

going off of their first 2 years of production who do you think has had the better first 2 years? then tell if you think reggie bust was worth the #2 pick overall.

jerious norwood

07: CAR-103 YDS-613 AVG-6.0 TDS-1
06: CAR-99 YDS-633 AVG-6.4 TDS-2

reggie bush

07: CAR-157 YDS-581 AVG-3.7 TDS-4
06: CAR-153 YDS-565 AVG-3.6 TDS-6

bush has a total of 161 receptions and 1,159 yds and 4 rec TDs

norwood has a total of 40 receptions and 379 yds and 0 rec TDs

norwood is has only played the role of rb and has never lined up in the slot or anything, so to make the rec #'s more comparable i will multiply his receptions and yds by 4 (which will take him to 160 rec) so we can compare him to bush here are his rec stats.

160 rec 1,516 yds and i'll give bush the benefit of the doubt and give norwood just 1 rec TD.

Rival Central? PSH, more like Reggie Central.

joe horn — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:03:00 GMT

Apaprently there's nothing else EVEN worth mentioning in the NFC South. I think that's a pretty telling statement about the situations in Atlanta, Tampa bay and Carolina.

Everyone knows Atlanta is going to suck, so I can see why no one's beating that dead horse. Still, you'd think at least some of the fowlclown homers would be pumping up the promise of the NFC South Curse™ returning them to contention. Alas, they can't see anything past our 2nd-string tailback. Haha!

Tampa Bay is the defending division champ... so where's the confidence? Oh that's right, no one's won the division in back to back years yet, thanks to that same curse. Who's the QB going to be? Favre? Monte Kiffin might be the youngest member of your defensive unit. OH!

Carolina seems primed... for a second place run.

Everyone knows the Saints will win the division this year - is that why no one is talking about it? Apaprently the biggest obstacle we face is the average YPC of our utility player, according to the chatter downstairs.

Of course if you disagree with me, I'd love to hear why.

DeAngelo Hall sucks

eaglesfanphila — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:42:43 GMT

Ever since the punk showed his behind on the Monday game against you guys a few years back, I've hated the nitwit. I'm glad he has proven to be a loud mouthed, underrated corner. Good riddens! I'm hoping you're on our schedule next season because we will pound the Falcons for the next 10 years. Goodbye Vick. Your former team is at the bottom once again. :D

The End!

New Panthers message board

pantherfan89 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:53:44 GMT

New Panthers message board

http://forum1.aimoo.com/blackandblue

Bucs re-sign Graham.

bucman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:02:57 GMT

3yr/$10 M...

lost Cowboys fan in the ATL

Prime Time — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:04:48 GMT

Without a doubt my Cowboys would crush the Falcons on any given Sunday! lol

I've lived most of my life in Virginia and grew up follwing the Cowboys. My wife and I are in the process of moving to Atlanta though. We just bought season tickets last week. Very excited to live in a city with "real" sports. We will be at every home game supporting the Falcons as loudly as possible. (unless they happen to be playing my Cowboys) Love the NFL and are happy to have season tickets.

Would love to get tips on the best places to park and /or tail gate also from you loyal Falcons fans.

Bucs first-round pick Aqib Talib and seventh-rounder Cory Boyd reportedly got into a fight at the Rookie Symposium this week.

atljbo — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:09:18 GMT

SYMPOSIUM SLUGGERS IDENTIFIED
Posted by Mike Florio on July 2, 2008, 10:51 p.m. EDT

We’ve been able to confirm via two sources the names of the rookies who were involved in a symposium slugfest.

The players were Aqib Talib and Cory Boyd. Talib was a first-round pick of the Buccaneers; Boyd was a seventh-round selection of the same team.

The players were in a budget and finances meeting, where rookies from four teams were gathered. Talib and Boyd had been jawing at each other for a while, and it came to a head during that specific session.

Few are surprised by the development. Boyd was suspended by South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier in 2005. Boyd was forced to apologize upon returning in 2006, after scoring a touchdown and uttering for the camera, “I’m back! I’m back liked cooked crack!”

Talib’s draft stock fell due to repeated positive drug test results while at Kansas. As one league source explained Talib to us on Wednesday night, “Trouble just follows Talib. . . . He can’t help himself, and it’s never his fault.”

It’s unknown whether the players were or will be disciplined.

Moose and Jake

bossFALCON™ — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:28:16 GMT

vid

[url]http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d808cfe2e[/url]

Panthers 2008 outlook

bossFALCON™ — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:15:00 GMT

[url]http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d808fa6a5[/url]

check it out

If you had to choose 1 player from every NFC south team to be on your team who would you pick?

bossFALCON™ — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:47:47 GMT

saints: colston (a roddy-colston duo would be sick)
buccaneers: rudd (rudd, lofton, boley:crazy:....i just dont know who would play WLB)
panthers: i'd probably take beason

Simms Breaks Silence

bossFALCON™ — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:30:27 GMT

Chris Simms says his relationship with Jon Gruden is beyond repair and has been told he will not be with the team in 2008.

But with no trade on the horizon, the Bucs' forgotten quarterback wants to be released immediately, bringing an end to his career in Tampa Bay that seemed inevitable after missing nearly two seasons following surgery to remove his spleen.

"I feel like I'm being held hostage,'' Simms said. "I hate that all this has happened. I love Tampa. My family loves it here. But I've been quiet long enough. I feel like it's time to let everybody know why I'm not out there.''

In an interview with the Times Monday, Simms broke his silence on why he has not attended the Bucs' off-season workout program.

He also shed some new light on his deteriorating relationship with Jon Gruden, who was instructed by the Glazer family to keep Simms on the roster last season against the wishes of the head coach. The Bucs signed Simms to a contract extension at the end of the 2006 season that paid him $7-million over the past two seasons. He is scheduled to earn a $2-million base salary in 2008.

Simms, who eventually was placed on Injured Reserve last season, says he's completely recovered from complications of his surgery in 2006. He is even entertaining attending the Bucs' mandatory minicamp, but not before lobbing bombs at the Bucs.

"I don't know how anybody can expect me to go back there and look coach Gruden in the eye and believe the relationship is hunky dory after some of the things that were said and done,'' Simms said. "Things were handled wrongly from the business end of it and definitely things were handled wrongly as far as how you treat a person.

Among the items Simms revealed Monday:

-- Simms says he has confirmed that three teams contacted the Bucs on the second day of the NFL draft last April to begin discussions about trading a sixth- or seventh-round pick for the estranged quarterback. But when the Bucs selected San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson in the fifth round, "it basically ended that discussion.''

-- He said there is a 50 percent chance he attends the Bucs' mandatory minicamp June 17-19. If he still is on the roster in late July, he plans to report to training camp. "I'm not holding out or doing anything like that,'' Simms said. ""if they want to deal with that media circus, that's fine with me.''

-- Simms offered that Gruden wanted to release him at the start of last season but the Glazer family intervened and made sure he had a spot on the roster, forcing the Bucs to keep four quarterbacks.

"I had a number of people tell me in the organization the Glazers basically made sure I wasn’t released,'' Simms said. ""That’s the hardest part of this whoile thing. The Glazers are a great family. They're very caring human beings. I respect them in so many ways.'

-- The NFL was so suspicious when the Bucs placed Simms on Injured Reserve last year that they made him fly to Missouri to be examined by a physician to determine if he had a season-ending injury.

"I had never been on a single injury report, so the NFL was a little suspicious,'' Simms said. I had to go see a doctor in Missouri that worked for the NFL. He was shocked there were all these MRIs of my elbow and shoulder but nothing of my abdomen. He put me through a battery of tests and knew I had some core issues there.''

Simms says he knows he's not in the Bucs' plans for 2008. In fact, his name on a chart in Gruden's meeting room is off to the side next to Jake Plummer, the retired Broncos quarterback whom the Bucs will try to collect $7-million of his pro-rated signing bonus during a hearing in New York Wednesday.

"I know for a fact I'm not in their plans. I don't understand the hold up at this point. When Bruce Gradkowski got cut last week, Bruce Allen told him it was because there's not enough reps in practice for every quarterback. It's a crappy situation.

"How can I look (Gruden) in the eye when I know he wanted me cut last year. He did not want me to be part of the team and I have a lot of resentment about that. Nine or 10 months after a serious injury, I put my life on the line, it was the most serious injury they've ever been associated with, I worked as hard as I could to get back and he wasn't even going to give me a full year.

"I have a serious issue with that, I really do.''

Simms said he felt the Bucs mishandled his injury last training camp, insisting that he had passed all physicals and was completely healthy. In fact, they attributed his performance to 'rustiness.'

"The way they handled it was wrong,'' Simms said. ""I don't know if they wanted to cut me and didn't want to liable or they were hoping somebody would trade for me, but for him to say I was completely healthy and passed all the physicals and that I just wasn't performing well, that was a low blow. It was.''

At one point, Gruden asked Simms if his problems had a mental component.

"He asked me, "Is this injury in your head?''' Simms said. ""I found that completely ridiculous. I was going through a tough time. I kept my mouth shut all summer. I felt I was betrayed to a degree. Nobody took time to talk to me on a personal level and see how I was doing.''

Simms said the club did a series of tests on his elbow and shoulder when he complained of arm tightness, the result of not using his body to throw the ball.

"Anybody with common sense would check the area where there was a 10-inch scar going down the middle of my stomach first.''

According to Simms, he was pressured into making an appearance in a preseason game at Miami, playing in just one series.

"The night before the game, coach asked me if I was ready to play,'' Simms said. ""At that point, I knew there was no way I was ready to play. I had only had a few scout team reps for several weeks. But I went in there because I felt like they were giving me no choice.''

"I understand the business part of this and what's in the team's best interest,'' Simms said. ""But the time has come where I've got to look out for my interest, too.

"I feel great, I'm ready to play football again and I can't see how they expect me to back there and play and think everything will be fine. I'm doing this for legitimate reasons. I have a legitimate beef here. Things were done wrong from a business aspect and things were done wrong on a personal level. That's not how you treat people that have busted their butt for you.''

[url]http://blogs.tampabay.com/bucs/2008/06/simms-breaks-si.html#comments[/url]

Galloway flys with the blue angels

Aquietguy — Sun, 25 May 2008 10:47:36 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_80BWM_Vjc&feature=related

Honestly RC fans I found this on TATF boards...

WhenFalconsWin — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:15:50 GMT

Let me start off by saying I do not endorse this photoshop deal and it must really be someone who hate our rivals with a passion. That being said I think it is funny as shyt. Without further ado here it is:

Dan Morgan retires

Michael K — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:11:29 GMT

http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/05/morgan_announces_retirement.html

Bucs Going to Release Simms

chitow2atl_falcon — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:12:58 GMT

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d806a3052&template=with-video&confirm=true

June 10: Simms told the St. Petersburg Times his relationship with coach Jon Gruden is beyond repair and has been told he will not be with the Bucs in 2008. But with no trade on the horizon, the Bucs' forgotten QB wants to be released immediately, bringing an end to his career in Tampa Bay that seemed inevitable after missing nearly two seasons following surgery to remove his spleen.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article615273.ece

Simms: No fixing this relationship

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jun 10, 2008 07:11 AM

Chris Simms says his relationship with Jon Gruden is beyond repair and has been told he will not be with the team in 2008.

But with no trade on the horizon, the Bucs' forgotten quarterback wants to be released immediately, bringing an end to his career in Tampa Bay that seemed inevitable after missing nearly two seasons following surgery to remove his spleen.

"I feel like I'm being held hostage," Simms said. "I hate that all this has happened. I love Tampa. My family loves it here. But I've been quiet long enough. I feel like it's time to let everybody know why I'm not out there."

In an interview with the Times Monday, Simms broke his silence on why he has not attended the Bucs' off-season workout program.

He also shed some new light on his deteriorating relationship with Jon Gruden, who was instructed by the Glazer family to keep Simms on the roster last season against the wishes of the head coach. The Bucs signed Simms to a contract extension at the end of the 2006 season that paid him $7-million over the past two seasons. He is scheduled to earn a $2-million base salary in 2008.

Simms, who eventually was placed on Injured Reserve last season, says he's completely recovered from complications of his surgery in 2006. He is even entertaining attending the Bucs' mandatory minicamp, but not before lobbing bombs at the Bucs.

"I don't know how anybody can expect me to go back there and look coach Gruden in the eye and believe the relationship is hunky dory after some of the things that were said and done," Simms said. "Things were handled wrongly from the business end of it and definitely things were handled wrongly as far as how you treat a person.

Among the items Simms revealed Monday:

• Simms says he has confirmed that three teams contacted the Bucs on the second day of the NFL draft last April to begin discussions about trading a sixth- or seventh-round pick for the estranged quarterback. But when the Bucs selected San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson in the fifth round, "it basically ended that discussion."

• He said there is a 50 percent chance he attends the Bucs' mandatory minicamp June 17-19. If he still is on the roster in late July, he plans to report to training camp. "I'm not holding out or doing anything like that," Simms said. "if they want to deal with that media circus, that's fine with me."

• Simms offered that Gruden wanted to release him at the start of last season but the Glazer family intervened and made sure he had a spot on the roster, forcing the Bucs to keep four quarterbacks.

"I had a number of people tell me in the organization the Glazers basically made sure I wasn't released," Simms said. "That's the hardest part of this whoile thing. The Glazers are a great family. They're very caring human beings. I respect them in so many ways.'

• The NFL was so suspicious when the Bucs placed Simms on Injured Reserve last year that they made him fly to Missouri to be examined by a physician to determine if he had a season-ending injury.

"I had never been on a single injury report, so the NFL was a little suspicious," Simms said. I had to go see a doctor in Missouri that worked for the NFL. He was shocked there were all these MRIs of my elbow and shoulder but nothing of my abdomen. He put me through a battery of tests and knew I had some core issues there."

Simms says he knows he's not in the Bucs' plans for 2008. In fact, his name on a chart in Gruden's meeting room is off to the side next to Jake Plummer, the retired Broncos quarterback whom the Bucs will try to collect $7-million of his pro-rated signing bonus during a hearing in New York Wednesday.

"I know for a fact I'm not in their plans. I don't understand the hold up at this point. When Bruce Gradkowski got cut last week, Bruce Allen told him it was because there's not enough reps in practice for every quarterback. It's a crappy situation.

"How can I look (Gruden) in the eye when I know he wanted me cut last year. He did not want me to be part of the team and I have a lot of resentment about that. Nine or 10 months after a serious injury, I put my life on the line, it was the most serious injury they've ever been associated with, I worked as hard as I could to get back and he wasn't even going to give me a full year.

"I have a serious issue with that, I really do."

Simms said he felt the Bucs mishandled his injury last training camp, insisting that he had passed all physicals and was completely healthy. In fact, they attributed his performance to 'rustiness.'

"The way they handled it was wrong," Simms said. "I don't know if they wanted to cut me and didn't want to liable or they were hoping somebody would trade for me, but for him to say I was completely healthy and passed all the physicals and that I just wasn't performing well, that was a low blow. It was."

At one point, Gruden asked Simms if his problems had a mental component.

"He asked me, 'Is this injury in your head?'" Simms said. "I found that completely ridiculous. I was going through a tough time. I kept my mouth shut all summer. I felt I was betrayed to a degree. Nobody took time to talk to me on a personal level and see how I was doing."

Simms said the club did a series of tests on his elbow and shoulder when he complained of arm tightness, the result of not using his body to throw the ball.

"Anybody with common sense would check the area where there was a 10-inch scar going down the middle of my stomach first."

According to Simms, he was pressured into making an appearance in a preseason game at Miami, playing in just one series.

"The night before the game, coach asked me if I was ready to play," Simms said. "At that point, I knew there was no way I was ready to play. I had only had a few scout team reps for several weeks. But I went in there because I felt like they were giving me no choice."

"I understand the business part of this and what's in the team's best interest," Simms said. "But the time has come where I've got to look out for my interest, too.

"I feel great, I'm ready to play football again and I can't see how they expect me to back there and play and think everything will be fine. I'm doing this for legitimate reasons. I have a legitimate beef here. Things were done wrong from a business aspect and things were done wrong on a personal level. That's not how you treat people that have busted their butt for you."

[Last modified: Jun 13, 2008 09:29 AM]

talk about qb issues

mark hunter — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:48:25 GMT

they have a qb on thier roster thats retired & hasnt played in 2 yrs in plumber:D they have a 38 year old qb that wants more money,is ticked off & letting it be known in garcia, they have another qb in chris simms that just wants out of there because of chucky,& they just cut the bradkowski kid that gruden was in love with 2 years ago....not as bad as us last year but, we only had one player that couldnt play here...they have 3 that dont want to play there.....guess its our time to laugh a little

Sean Peyton and Sedrick Ellis interviews

bossFALCON™ — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:30:47 GMT

sean peyton
[url]http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d808489be[/url]

ellis
[url]http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8084164d[/url]

Garcia threatens to walk away from the game

bossFALCON™ — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:59:05 GMT

[url]http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d808aaffe[/url]

i didnt think it would come to this.

Jeff Garcia not happy in tampa

norwoodfan2132 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:22:06 GMT

He only has 1 yr left and is expected to make 2 million for the year..and is upset..and if they dont create a new contract he will retire..and they are no where near getting him a new contract..just heard this on nfl network from adam schefter..that would be sweet if he left :D

Smith encouraged by offensive upgrades, return of Delhomme

bossFALCON™ — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:52:35 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Steve Smith split wide right Thursday while his old buddy, Muhsin Muhammad, and another free-agent addition, D.J. Hackett, lined up as receivers on the other side.

Smith looked over and saw quarterback Jake Delhomme, back from elbow surgery, under center. Delhomme was behind a mammoth, new-look offensive line that included jumbo rookie Jeff Otah.

After two years of carrying Carolina's bumbling offense, the Panthers' star receiver liked the view.

"I think we finally made an upgrade compared to the years prior," Smith said after the offseason workout. "As those guys had left we really hadn't replenished. We have finally, and I can honestly see a big difference."

The Panthers hope the tweaking will eliminate the constant double teams Smith faced the last two seasons and jump-start an anemic, unbalanced offense that ranked 29th in the NFL last season.

"It's very exciting," said Smith, who led the NFL in catches, yards receiving and touchdowns in 2005, only to see his numbers decline the past two seasons. "It'll add a little extra to it as obviously Jake is coming in, feeling good and looking great. It seems like he has a stronger arm and he's not showing any weakness as far as with that major surgery. With those two acquisitions (at receiver) and obviously some of the big guys on the offensive line ..."

As Smith went on to praise Otah, calling his performance at Thursday's optional workout "outstanding," one of the symbols of Carolina's offensive ineptitude in 2007 began speaking to reporters just a few yards away.

Dwayne Jarrett, who was supposed to replace the released Keyshawn Johnson last year as the No. 2 receiver, was explaining his dismal rookie season when he struggled to learn the playbook and get separation off the line of scrimmage.

"I think I've improved so much in the last year and now I'm taking it one step at a time," Jarrett said. "I'm paying more attention to detail. ... It's so much easier than last year."

Jarrett, a second-round pick, spent last season mostly on the inactive list on game days, unable to beat out the unheralded Drew Carter and Keary Colbert. Both were released in the offseason after their minuscule production left opposing teams able to focus all their efforts on stopping Smith.

The revolving door at quarterback made things even worse. After Delhomme was lost for the season in Week 3, the Panthers went through the ineffective David Carr, 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde and undrafted rookie Matt Moore.

Playing for four quarterbacks and getting little help from his fellow receivers, Smith still caught 87 passes for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns. While Smith didn't make the Pro Bowl for the first time in three years, he saw one positive from the 7-9 season: playing with Testaverde.

"Vinny gave me a lot of information because he played for so long and he played with multiple offensive coordinators, different kinds of receivers," Smith said. "I was able to take all of his knowledge. He was teaching me things he saw from some of these great wide receivers he played with back in the 1600s."

Testaverde has retired, but Delhomme continues to recover well from ligament-replacement surgery. The Panthers also expect to have a better running game after they overhauled the offensive line and drafted running back Jonathan Stewart in the first round.

Muhammad (12 seasons, 742 catches) and Hackett (4 seasons, 105 catches) provide receiving options after Smith. Muhammad and Smith were teammates in Carolina's Super Bowl season in 2003 and have remained good friends.

The upgrade could make Jarrett invisible again in 2008.

"I think that's good for myself to have another guy as a veteran to look up to," Jarrett insisted. "Moose and D.J. have been in the league five-plus years, and as far as me just learning from them and taking anything I can to get better."

Smith, who criticized Jarrett last season and earlier this year, brushed off a question about him Thursday. But the fiery Smith is clearly happy with the moves the Panthers have made after consecutive seasons of few points and no playoff games.

"Life is good," Smith said. "Life is great, actually. It beats the alternative -- death."

[url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d808adebe&template=with-video&confirm=true]link[/url]

Bucs fans

jpepp4prez — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:41:19 GMT

Who do you guys think will be your #2, or do you think it will be a platoon situation?

Stovall?

Clayton?

Hilliard?

Bryant?

Jackson??? (doubt it)

Warren?

Would you agree???

bucman — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:57:18 GMT

Derrick Brooks may or may not be the best linebacker of all time. But his impact on the position as well as the Buccaneers' franchise is undeniable, writes Pat Yasinskas.

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Michael Strahan announced his retirement Monday, a door automatically popped open in Canton, Ohio.

Five summers from now, he'll join Brett Favre in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With Strahan, there is no doubt he'll go in on the first ballot.

How many active players can you say that about with absolute certainty?

Give yourself 10 seconds and spill out your answers. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady -- yeah, that's obvious. LaDainian Tomlinson's probably right there, too. Now, take a little more time to go beyond the glamour positions and teams.

Think about the one remaining guy who might be the best ever at what he does. If you still haven't got an answer, go back and look at some film of Tampa Bay's Derrick Brooks in the late 1990s or the first five or six years of this decade.

It would be a stretch to call Brooks the best linebacker ever, but it would be a stretch to call anybody (and that includes Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus) the best linebacker ever. The position is too varied because of different schemes and responsibilities.

Taylor was a phenomenal pass-rusher and Butkus could stuff the run like no other. Guys such as Derrick Thomas, Jack Lambert and Jack Ham excelled in their niches, and Junior Seau is headed for the Hall of Fame if he continues playing this season or not.

But has there ever been a more complete linebacker than Brooks? Has there ever been a linebacker who's played at Brooks' level for as long as Brooks has? Has there ever been a linebacker who has done more for a franchise than Brooks?

I say no.

The world has known Derrick Brooks as a very good player for a long time. He's been selected to 10 Pro Bowls and made nine All-Pro teams. But, outside of Tampa, he's probably not going to come up in many conversations about the greatest players ever. That's a mistake.

Part of it is his position, which isn't especially glamorous, unless you're playing somewhere like Chicago (Butkus) or New York (Taylor). Part of it is that Brooks isn't the least bit flamboyant. And part of it is because, for much of Brooks' career, the Bucs haven't been plastered all over prime-time television.

But don't sell this guy short. We'll get to the statistics in a minute, but let's start with the big picture. If you want to talk in the broadest, most impressive terms, Brooks changed a position and a franchise.

When Brooks came into the league in 1995, the Bucs wore those Creamsicle uniforms, sported a picture of an alleged pirate on their helmets and lost games as regularly as any franchise ever has. At the same time, linebackers around the league were either pass-rushers or run-stuffers.

Then, along came a nice, humble, supposedly undersized kid from Florida State and everything changed. Within a couple of years, the Bucs were winning and the talk of them moving to Sacramento or Orlando subsided. A new stadium popped up on Dale Mabry Highway, and the Bucs got uniforms that actually made them look tough.

Sure, guys such as Tony Dungy, Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott, played big roles in the resurgence. But nobody did more than Brooks -- and that stayed a constant long after the rest of that bunch was gone (or in Alstott's case, reduced to being a role player).

Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, the best assistant in the league to never be a head coach, re-invented linebacker play with Brooks. They put him on the weak side and, most important of all, put him in space.

It's as a space linebacker that Brooks falls into the same stratosphere as Taylor as a pass-rusher or Butkus as a run-stuffer. Brooks, 35, has slowed a bit the past year or two. But, up until then, he played in space like no linebacker in history.

People around the league talk about the Tampa 2 defense, which has spread to about a third of the league's teams, and primarily think of the secondary. But Brooks is the guy who really made the Tampa 2 defense take hold because he made guys such as Lynch and Ronde Barber better than they ever should have been.

A lot of linebackers around the league now can drop into coverage nicely … on third downs. The Bucs used to drop Brooks into coverage on first and second downs because he could cover like a defensive back (24 career interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 2002 Super Bowl season).

But Brooks wasn't just about playing the pass. Against the run, the Bucs also have let him play in space. Long after the Bucs switched from Dungy to coach Jon Gruden before the 2002 season, Kiffin's philosophy about the run remained the same -- pretty much assume somebody would block the other 10 guys on any given play and let Brooks run free to make the tackle.

He almost always did. Tackles aren't an official NFL statistic, but depending on where you look, Brooks has somewhere between 1,600 and 1,900 in his career. Veteran coaches and personnel guys will tell you that when it comes to technique, there's never been a more fundamentally sound tackler than Brooks.

Yeah, Brooks has only 13½ career sacks, but the Bucs have asked him to blitz about as many times in his career as Taylor did in an average season. There's no doubt Brooks is nearing the end of the road. He lost a step (which made him faster than only 90 percent of the league's linebackers) in 2006 and he started coming off the field in some passing situations last year.

But, in whatever role he plays this season, Brooks is still the heart and soul of the Bucs.

Take this scenario from last week: There rightfully was community outrage when the Bucs re-signed troubled tight end Jerramy Stevens and quarterback Jeff Garcia was talking about his desire for a contract extension. The media clustered around Brooks.

"We're one big brotherhood and one big family, but that doesn't mean everyone is going to be rosy,'' Brooks said. "Sometimes I come in here and have a frown on my face about something. We can't let it be a distraction. We just have to take advantage of the time we're here and focus on preparation.''

That's precisely what Brooks has done for the past 13 years. Sounds like a guy you want in your huddle.

Especially if you're talking about a huddle of the greatest defense of all time.

Pat Yasinskas covers the NFL for ESPN.com.