It’s been rumored for quite some time now that Seattle has a significant interest in acquiring embattled Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, and while the Seahawks would seem on paper to not have the space or financial flexibility to make such a move, things are beginning to shape up in that direction.

According to NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora, the Seahawks are making a major push as we speak to move wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh elsewhere in an attempt to gain enough room to complete a deal with San Diego for Jackson.

Houshmandzadeh was productive in first year in Seattle last season, but his struggles thus far in the pre-season have opened the door to the team looking at releasing him at the cutdown deadline this Saturday. He’s not seen as being a good fit for the new offense installed by first year offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

If they can find a decent trade offer for Houshmandzadeh’s  services, a deal to obtain Jackson could come about shortly thereafter, as the Seahawks would have a definite need at that point for a quality receiver. The Chargers have reportedly asked for a 2nd round pick in the next draft and a third round pick two years from now.

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Every year, there’s more than a few players that are either released or traded away at the 53 man roster deadline, and this year is shaping up to be no exception.

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Cowboys are still looking at all of their options with wide receiver Patrick Crayton, who is looking to be traded after being relegated to fourth on the team’s depth chart at his position.

Dallas is hopeful that they’ll be able to find a suitable trade partner prior to Saturday’s deadline, but if they’re unable to do so, an outright release of Crayton is a very real possibility.

Teams that are interested in Crayton are likely taking a wait and see approach for the time being, as they won’t want to give up a future draft pick if they can obtain Crayton’s services for free once he’s released.

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First Glance: The Browns are a team with no clear cut identity right now, having undergone radical changes to their roster that left even the most die hard fans in Cleveland shaking their heads in wonder this off-season.

Major question marks abound at almost every key position, especially at quarterback, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine the Browns doing much of anything this year unless they can somehow rise above their talent deficiencies to play at a higher level as a team.

2009 Record: 5-11 (4th AFC North)

Key Additions: QB Jake Delhomme, QB Seneca Wallace, FB Peyton Hillis, WR Bobby Engram, TE Ben Watson, TE Alex Smith, OT Tony Pashos, DE/OLB Chris Gocong, ILB Scott Fujita, CB Sheldon Brown, K Shaun Suisham

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It’s been a long time in the making, but fans in Arizona can rest easy tonight in knowing their star defensive end won’t be playing elsewhere anytime soon.

According to Mike Jurecki of XTRA Sports 910 AM, the Cardinals reached an agreement with Darnell Dockett earlier today on a new six year contract, worth $47-50 million, with $31 million guaranteed.

Dockett had been adament about receiving a new contract for quite some time and even went so far as to demand a trade when no deal seemed forthcoming.

But in spite of all the back and forth between the two sides, an agreement that benefits both parties was finally put together, and Dockett signed on the bottom line, staying in Arizona for the prime of his career at the very least.

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With just one game remaining in the pre-season, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is on his way to the bench very soon to serve out the four to six  game suspension handed down by commissioner Roger Goodell for his off-season shananigans that came close to putting him front of a jury on sexual assault charges.

Roethlisberger is scheduled to meet with Goodell on Friday at the league offices in New York, and while a small reduction to his suspension is likely at this point, Roethlisberger is reportedly looking for a much larger decrease, potentially as much as three games, according to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio.

The embattled quarterback has kept an extremely low profile thus far, putting in his work with the Steelers at training camp and performing well in limited duty during the team’s pre-season contests.

That, along with Roethlisberger having never been arrested or charged with any crime, should help the cause significantly, and it’s likely that Goodell will take a very serious look at granting his wish when it comes to the length of Roethlisberger’s suspension.

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This time of year can be enjoyable for some and miserable for others, as teams are beginning to decide who to cut from their roster to meet the 53 man maximum by Saturday’s deadline.

While most of the players sent packing this week tend to be unknowns, brought in for the sole purpose of providing adequate bodies to get through training camp and the pre-season, there will be quite a few names hitting the street that people around the league and elsewhere will recognize immediately.

One player that will likely fall into the latter category is Atlanta cornerback Chevis Jackson, who was a well regarded prospect coming out of LSU in 2008 and was selected 68th overall. Jackson has struggled mightily thus far in his career to distinguish himself on the field, and given his poor play through three pre-season contests this year, he’s expected to be among the cuts this weekend.

Given his potential, Jackson won’t be out of work for long, but his inability to contribute much on special teams will hurt him significantly in finding a club willing to offer playing time.

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This one falls into the speculative at best category, but it’s interesting nonetheless, which is why we’re posting here for your reading enjoyment.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, one team that is likely to show significant interest in acquiring wide receiver Vincent Jackson before the season begins is St. Louis, as both Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton are gone from the team rehabbing serious knee injuries.

Finding a consistent playmaker at receiver for rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has to be a major priority for the Rams right now, and even though Jackson would have to sit out the first three games of the season thanks to his suspension by the league, having him in the fold would be a big help for Bradford’s chances of success as the season progresses.

Acee also mentioned that Seattle’s not the only team to have called the Chargers about the availability of Jackson, but for the time being, the Seahawks are the only team that seems to have gotten past the front door.

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After losing their starting cornerback this off-season in Dominique Foxworth, the Ravens pass defense looked to be the one glaring weakness on a team expected by many to contend for the Super Bowl this year.

But true to form, Baltimore’s general manager Ozzie Newsome worked the phones and came up with a plan to strengthen that group, acquiring speedy cornerback Josh Wilson from Seattle in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick next year. The selection could increase to the fourth round if specific playing time conditions are met, which could be likely given the Ravens need right now at his position.

Wilson isn’t known for being for his coverage skills, but once he gets his hands on the football, he knows exactly what to do with it, returning three interceptions for touchdowns in his career thus far. He also has the ability to contribute on special teams, with experience in returning kicks, which should be a big plus for him with the Ravens.

Familiarity with the area should be helpful for Wilson as well, having spent his collegiate playing days at nearby College Park, with the Maryland Terrapins. He is expected to be in uniform and on the field for the Ravens on opening day against the Jets.

It’s not often that former first round picks are traded or released by their respective club without having spent a significant amount of time as a starter first, but in the case of Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart, it seems likely that very scenario will be playing itself out at some point this week.

According Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the Cardinals have been quietly shopping Leinart around the rest of the league over the past few days, and are expected to make a move one way another very soon (H/T to NFP)

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic seconded Glazer’s post with his own thoughts, adding that an outright release is a very real possibility if Arizona is unable to find a trading partner of their liking before Saturday’s deadline to cut the roster to 53 players.

Leinart has been a major disappointment since he joined the Cardinals in 2006 as the 10th overall pick, struggling throughout his first two seasons to distinguish himself as the starter, and took a seat on the bench seemingly for good at the start of the 2008 campaign behind veteran Kurt Warner.

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After watching starting quarterback Jason Campbell hit the turf hard last weekend against the 49ers, Oakland’s coaching staff and fans alike were probably shaking their heads, wondering what more could go wrong in their attempt to escape the divisional cellar they’ve inhabited throughout most of the decade.

Their fears were assuaged though earlier today, as Campbell took to the practice field with his teammates, and showed no signs of discomfort in running with the first team offense. Campbell has been expected by many to be the stabilizing force needed by the Raiders to take the next step towards the playoffs, and while he may not lead them there this season, his presence alone has already begun to bear fruit, in the form of a increased desire and passion shown by many players in Oakland this off-season.

“Those of us who were around him last year, you kind of know what he’s capable of, so I’m not sure that anybody was really surprised. There are some things he could have done better, though, and he’d probably be the first to say that. It’s just nice to see him back there. He’s definitely strengthened the quarterback position on our team and there’s good depth now.”

– Oakland head coach Tom Cable

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First Glance: The end of the season last year wasn’t quite as exciting as the Bengals would have liked, as they were handled with ease in back to back weeks by the New York Jets.

A lot of that had to do with injuries and the way the Jets were playing at the time, making it imperative that Cincinnati do what they could this off-season to bring in as much talent as possible to prevent the same thing from happening again this year.

While they didn’t do that in the most conventional way, the Bengals were able to sign enough playmakers that they should be in position to make a run once again this season.

2009 Record: 10-6 (1st AFC North)

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One day removed from the troubling news that standout wide receiver Sidney Rice would miss at least eight games to start the season, the Vikings moved quickly to shore up the position, signing the well traveled Javon Walker and sending cornerback Benny Sapp to Miami for wide receiver Greg Camarillo.

Signing Walker is largely irrelevant, as he may not be long for Minnesota given his complete lack of production in recent years, but the deal to snag Camarillo from the Dolphins was brilliant in that Sapp was likely headed for a spot deep on the bench, if not an outright release.

Sapp is a seven year veteran that has played in 86 games, including all 16 last year with the Vikings. He’ll likely be a backup in Miami, providing nice depth and experience for a Dolphins secondary in need of both.

Camarillo’s best role is in the slot, and that suits the Vikings just fine right now, with second year receiver Percy Harvin experiencing severe migraines that may or may not keep him off the field to start the season.

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