Another NFL Strike Coming Up?

A defiant Gene Upshaw said that if the NFL's owners opt out of the current labor agreement later this year, the players' union is ready for a strike or the decertification tactics it used to get free agency after the 1987 walkout. "If they want to get out of the deal, there's nothing we can do about it," the executive director of the NFL Players Association said Thursday before the union's annual Super Bowl news conference. "But we'll be prepared." The labor agreement reached after tough bargaining in March of 2006 gave both sides the right to opt out in November. That would lead to 2010 being an uncapped year before the contract expires in 2011. Several owners, including Denver's Pat Bowlen, have suggested that the current agreement is leaving some teams cash-strapped and making it likely that the owners will opt out next year. Upshaw said that he's heard the complaints and is ready for any outcome.
"At our meeting in March, our priorities for discussion are four options: strike, lockout, decertification or extension," he said.

Read more...

Johnson Unsure If He'll Be A Bengal

Taking a page from the playbooks of former Cincinnati Bengals Corey Dillon and Carl Pickens, who talked their way out of town, Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson took his national "trade-me" tour to the Super Bowl's radio row in Arizona Wednesday. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Johnson talked to Jim Rome on his show in Phoenix and again alluded to his desire to be traded. It was similar to the comments Johnson made on ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on Jan. 11. When asked by Rich Eisen of the NFL Network if he were going to have Bengal stripes on next year, Johnson said: "I don't know what I'm going to have on. I'm not sure." Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

Read more...

Eagles Look To Add Playmaker

Philadephia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook repeated that he is among the growing list of players who are siding with quarterback Donovan McNabb, requesting that management bring additional weapons to the team for next season according to the Philadelphia Daily News. "I think having more weapons on your team takes pressure off of everybody," said Westbrook, who is at Super Bowl XLII as part of a promotional campaign with Chili's Restaurant. "If you look at a team like the Patriots, they have so many weapons that if you shut down one guy, it just gives so many more opportunities to other guys to play well. "If you have those guys who can make those plays, it makes it a lot easier on the entire team. That's something we could definitely use and hopefully we'll get that." One possible trade could be for Cardinal's wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said during an interview with a Philadelphia radio show that the Philadelphia Eagles are one of four teams he'd like to play for if traded according to Profootballtalk.com. It remains to be seen whether the Cardinals will try to trade Fitzgerald. Due to escalators in his contract, he's scheduled to earn salaries of $14.59 million in 2008 and $17.355 million in 2009. That's nearly $32 million over two years, and then he'll hit the open market at only 26 years of age. The Cardinals could pay him the money for the next two seasons. But it would then cost more than $20 million to retain his rights via the franchise tag for the 2010 season.

Read more...

Bengals Sign Another Palmer

Jordan Palmer was packed for Phoenix, ready to take his career to the Arena Football League, when he got a most unusual offer. The Cincinnati Bengals wanted to know if he would like to try to earn a spot as his brother's backup. They didn't have to wait long for an answer. He signed a two-year deal Wednesday that will give him a chance to play behind his brother, quarterback Carson Palmer. Although brother tandems have been common in the NFL, it's rare that two of them get to throw passes for the same team. "Someday we'll look back and laugh about it and think it was pretty cool," Jordan said in a phone interview. AP

Read more...

Favre Still Undecided On Future

Despite reports he would return for 2008, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday he has yet to decide whether he wants to play an 18th NFL season. "I haven't decided yet," said Favre, who was in Arizona for a Super Bowl-related activity. "We just played a little over a week ago. I'm going to take a few more weeks. Our coaching staff is coaching in the Pro Bowl next week. When they get done, (coach) Mike (McCarthy) and I . . . we'll just discuss it more in a couple weeks." Favre, 38, had one of his best seasons in several years in 2007, leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and their first division championship since 2004. He completed 356 of 535 passes for 4,155 yards, with 28 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions and a passer rating of 95.7. It was Favre's best passer rating since 1996 and the touchdown passes were his most since the 2004 season. In his second year under McCarthy, he managed games well and took better care of the football. AP

Read more...