Adam Schefter (NFL.com) is reporting that Bob Hayes (Cowboys), Randall McDaniel (Vikings), Bruce Smith (Bills), Derrick Thomas (Chiefs), Ralph Wilson Jr. (Bills) and Rod Woodson (Steelers) have all been chosen to enter the NFL Hall of Fame this year in Canton, Ohio.

The only major snub is Denver Broncos TE Shannon Sharpe, who most thought to be a lock to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Nevertheless, the class is a strong one, with Chiefs defensive end Derrick Thomas finally getting his due, along with fellow standout at the position Bruce Smith.

According to the Associated Press, former Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick has informed the judge in his bankruptcy case via his attorney that he expects to be released from Leavenworth Penitentiary very soon to serve out the remainder of his sentance at a halfway house (H/T to PFT).

Vick is apparently under the impression that he will be reinstated by the NFL upon his release from prison, and is using the prospect of a potential contract to satisfy dozens of creditors who are demanding restitution for Vick’s outstanding debt. NFL commisioner Roger Goodell has yet to rule on Vick’s future in the league, however the case can be made that he has serves his time and should not be penalized further.

Adam Schefter (NFL.com) is reporting that former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski has been hired as the new offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay.  Jagodzinski was fired earlier this month after he went against the wishes of his athletic director and interviewed for the Jets head coaching vacancy.

According to Adam Schefter (NFL.com), the San Francisco 49ers have decided on Jimmy Raye as their new offensive coordinator. Raye has previously worked with the Jets as their running backs coach, and was widely praised for his work last season in developing New York’s potent rushing attack.

Citing a source close to one of the candidates for the head coaching job in Oakland, Michael Smith (ESPN) is reporting that the Raiders have decided to remove the interim tag on Tom Cable, and install him as their new head coach.

As usual, the Raiders showed their never ending hatred of ESPN by refuting the report. Oakland senior executive John Herrera had this to say when reached by the network:

“The decision has not been made. That’s not correct. At some point here we will have a head coach, but as of now that decision has not been made. We are assembling a staff as you know, but a decision on the head man has not been made.”

Cable seems to be the one coach to have earned Davis’ trust for the time being, and also seems to be content with the way things are done in Oakland. He also did an excellent job down the stretch last season, pushing a dismal Raiders club to solid victories over Tampa Bay and Houston to close out the season.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have released WR Mike Furrey. No details on the release were forthcoming from the Lions front office.

Furrey was informed via cell phone this morning by Detroit’s GM Martin Mayhew, and although he suspected that he would be let go, he was critical of the way Mayhew handled the situation, especially after Furrey suffered a season ending concussion.

According to Jamison Hensley (Baltimore Sun), Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next offensive coordinator in San Francisco, after Jackson met with 49ers head coach Mike Singletary for a second time this week.

Jackson has been with the Ravens for just one year, but his role in developing rookie QB Joe Flacco has not gone unnoticed around the league. Jackson was previously the offensive coordinator for Atlanta and Washington.

Former Buccaneers DE Simeon Rice ripped into his former head coach Jon Gruden earlier today, even going so far as to call him a “scumbag” while speaking with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio (H/T to PFT).

Here’s what Rice had to say:

“You get what you deserve. That’s what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve. . . .”

“You look at what he did when Chris [Simms] damn near died on the field he wanted to release him right when he got injured. I get hurt, my shoulder’s torn off the bone. This dude releases me. You know what I mean? I’m your guy. The list goes on.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Today I had the privilege of being able to jump on board another excellent radio show with John White, the lead writer at FSB’s Carolina Panthers blog – Cat Crave.

John and I spoke for a short while about the impact of newly hired defensive coordinator Ron Meeks and what kind of defense Panthers fans can expect to see next season. Meeks came from Indianapolis and coached under Tony Dungy for the past seven seasons, so I think it’s safe to say that Carolina should be in pretty good hands with Meeks running the team’s D.

Make sure you head on over to Cat Crave to check out the show and get your Panthers fix ASAP. John does an outstanding job and we hope to work with him again soon.

Apparently, former Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards is not interested in returning to coaching any time soon, and would actually prefer to become a TV analyst next season.

Adam Schefter (NFL.com) first speculated that this would be Edwards choice all along, and although he’ll need to find a network willing to hire him in that capacity, it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll make the jump in the near future.

According to Adam Schefter (NFL.com), Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is willing to restructure his current contract to free up enough money for Arizona to sign fellow receiver Anquan Boldin to a long-term deal.

Fitz has shown time and time again to be a true team player for the Cardinals, taking significantly less in his deal last year to allow Arizona to pursue other key players, and this is no exception. Keeping Boldin together with Fitzgerald would allow the Cardinals to maintain their superior group of receivers, which is a must for a team that relies heavily on their vertical attack.

According to John Clayton (ESPN), the Tennessee Titans have made significant inroads towards a new contract with free agent DT Albert Haynesworth.

Both sides seem to be amicable to a deal taking place, although the Titans will definitely have to pony up some serious cash to make it happen, given Haynesworth’s status as the premier defensive tackle in the league right now. Haynesworth was originally drafted by the Titans and despite numerous legal issues off the field, he has emerged as one of the team’s leaders on defense.