2007 NFL General News Thread

[ruffriders23]

[center]Vick likely to accept plea agreement[/center]

Sources close to the situation tell the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Michael Vick is likely to agree to a plea bargain and plead guilty to charges related to dog fighting.

Vick may still be weighing what charges to plead guilty to and which of them would damage his ability to re-enter the NFL down the road. If he pleas out before Friday, a court hearing could be scheduled for next week. The defense is focused on a deal that gives Vick the best chance to return to the league.

Source: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sport ... _0816.html

[ruffriders23]

Vick accepted a plea deal today. Recommendation of 18-36 months, but the judge can still impose his own sentence if he so chooses.

[trashtalkr]

Vick Pleads Guilty To Dogfighting Charges

Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a prison term.

The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less.

Prosecutors, who were seeking a prison term of 12 to 18 months, have yet to formally agree to the plea, a source told ESPN's Kelly Naqi.

"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him," lead defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

Vick's plea hearing will be Aug. 27 at 10:30 a.m. ET, Martin said. Judge Henry Hudson said Monday that no details of the plea agreement will be made public before Vick's hearing.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation. League sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Goodell will likely suspend Vick indefinitely and that a final decision on Vick's suspension will be made after his legal case is resolved.

Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

Martin's announcement came as a grand jury that could add new charges met in private. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea all but means he will not face additional charges.

Three of Vick's original co-defendants already have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach signed statements saying Vick, 27, participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

Phillips, Peace and Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty last month, also said Vick provided virtually all of the gambling and operating funds for his "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in Surry County, Va., not far from Vick's hometown of Newport News.

The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Source: ESPN

[AYHJA]

Damn, how dumb do the Falcons feel for trading away Schaub now, lol...

[footballdude]

Joey Harrington keeps getting lucky, he always seems to be in the right situation to be a starter... he always fucks it up though lol :p

[trashtalkr]

The Falcons offense seems to be a good fit for Harrington though. They have a good running back and their O-line will be able to block for him. He hasn't had a good RB or O-line since being in the NFL

[trashtalkr]

Steelers Acquire Allan Rossum From Atlanta

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback-kick returner Allen Rossum from the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday for a conditional 2008 draft pick.

Rossum, a 2005 Pro Bowl player as a return specialist, holds Falcons team records for kickoff and punt return yards and also had two punt return touchdowns. The former Notre Dame player broke into the NFL as a third-round pick with Philadelphia in 1998 before being traded to Green Bay in 2000. He signed with Atlanta as a free agent in 2002.

Rossum had a 59-yard kickoff return that set up a score in Atlanta's 24-19 exhibition victory over Cincinnati on Monday. He had a concussion last week and did not return any kicks Thursday against Baltimore.

Last season, Rossum averaged 7.8 yards on 37 punt returns, the lowest average of his career. He averaged 14 yards in 2003 and 12.4 in 2004.

The Steelers tried several players as kickoff and punt returners without much success during the preseason -- a holdover problem from a season ago. They were 26th in the league in kickoff returns and 19th in punt returns during their five exhibition games.

Willie Reid, a second-year player from Florida State who was injured most of last season, was the most-used punt returner during the preseason but averaged only 6.5 yards on 12 returns.

Last year, a fumbled punt by Ricardo Colclough led to an early season loss to Cincinnati and set the tone for a 2-6 start by the defending Super Bowl champions.

Source: Sports Illustrated

[trashtalkr]

Texans Acquire Michael Boulware From Seahawks

The Houston Texans traded former first-round pick Jason Babin to the Seattle Seahawks for strong safety Michael Boulware on Saturday.

"I heard that I'm going to Seattle," Babin said. "We knew it was a possibility. It's the way football goes. Just do what you can while you're here."

Babin, a defensive end and the 27th pick in the 2004 draft, started every game as a rookie but lost his starting role in 2005 and has played in mostly a reserve role since.

"I'm a little shocked," he said. "Maybe I'm just shocked now, and I don't really have a `Wow!' emotion yet because I just found out. But it's still football. I'm still playing football. I'm still in the NFL, so I'm happy."

Babin appeared in 15 games last season, with three starts and had 26 tackles and five sacks.

He said the Seahawks told him they liked his pass-rushing ability.

"Seattle, they said, `We're going to give you some chances to do some damage,"' he said. "So, hey, time to go up there and rush the passer."

The Texans needed depth at safety after losing starter Glenn Earl for the season in the first exhibition game.

Boulware, a second-round pick in 2004, started eight games last season for the Seahawks and had 39 tackles and two interceptions. He had 73 tackles and four interceptions in 2005 and 63 tackles and five interceptions as a rookie.

Seattle also traded an undisclosed 2008 draft to Jacksonville in exchange for one of the Jaguars' draft choices, plus running back Alvin Pearman. To make room on the roster, the team released quarterback David Greene.

Also Saturday the Texans, who announced that they released punter Chad Stanley and fullback Jon Abbate the day before, instead placed the pair on injured reserve.

They also placed fifth-round pick Brandon Harrison, a free safety, on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and released defensive tackle Cedric Killings to reach the 53-man roster limit.

Source: Sports Illustrated

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NFL Teams Cut Players To Reach 53-Man Limit

The Patriots surprised everyone by keeping defensive end Richard Seymour on the physically unable to perform list, knocking him out for the first six weeks of the regular season. And, unable to pull a quick trade, the Jaguars terminated the contract of quarterback Byron Leftwich.

Here's are some of the highlights and trends from Cutdown 2007.

A few more draft choices were released than usual. More than 40 picks have been cut since the start of training camp in July. (In 2006, 40 draft choices cut, 27 were cut in 2005 and 45 were released in 2004.) The surprises this year were the first-day cuts. The Cardinals cut third-round middle linebacker Buster Davis. Raiders third-rounder Quentin Moses, a defensive end, was released even though he had a partial guarantee to his contract. The Steelers cut fourth-rounder Ryan McBean, a defensive end. The Saints whacked fourth-rounder Antonio Pittman, a running back from Ohio State.

The Patriots cut four second-day choices and placed two more on injured reserve; another was waived because of injury. From the start of camp, teams were hearing the Patriots weren't going to keep many of their second-day selections. For them, it's wait until next year.

No. 2 quarterback Doug Johnson was released by the Bengals and replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick, obtained in a trade from St. Louis.

Johnson was dumped a day after he threw a pair of interceptions in a 14-6 preseason loss to Indianapolis, another poor showing that prompted the Bengals make the trade.

Fitzpatrick was a seventh-round pick in 2005 and started three games in 2005. He threw four touchdowns and eight interceptions overall that season.

The Bengals also made moves involving two of their players who have faced criminal charges.

They waived second-year receiver Reggie McNeal, who played quarterback at Texas A&M and was learning a new position in Cincinnati. They kept second-year defensive end Frostee Rucker, who has been slowed by a hamstring injury during the preseason.

Former Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom was cut by Philadelphia along with Dirk Johnson, the team's punter last season. Bloom spent last season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Johnson was beaten out by Sav Rocca, a former Australian football player.

Oakland released third-round pick Quentin Moses, veteran fullback Zack Crockett and free-agent safety Donovin Darius.

Among the Vikings' cuts were two fifth-year veterans: receiver Billy McMullen and running back Artose Pinner.

Quarterback Ken Dorsey was the best known casualty among the 22 players cut on Saturday by the Browns. Derek Anderson beat him out for the third quarterback slot.

Tennessee released starting free safety Lamont Thompson and quarterback Tim Rattay among 20 players waived Saturday, choosing for now to go with Vince Young and his backup Kerry Collins.

Source: ESPN
Sports Illustrated

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Tiki Barbers Says He Retired Because of Coughlin

Tiki Barber has already used the television airwaves to rip his former team and now the retired Giants running back reportedly is criticizing them in print.

In excerpts of his new book "Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond" obtained by the New York Daily News, Barber writes that he might still be playing if Tom Coughlin weren't still coaching the Giants. The book goes on sale Sept. 18.

"If Tom Coughlin had not remained as head coach of the Giants, I might still be in a Giants uniform," Barber writes, according to the Daily News.

"[Coughlin] robbed me of what had been one of the most important things I had in my life, which was the joy I felt playing football," Barber wrote, according to the newspaper. "I had lost that. He had taken it away."

Barber credits Coughlin with solving his chronic fumbling problems but wrote that he believes it was his performance that kept Coughlin employed by the Giants. Under Coughlin, Barber ranked among the NFL's top five rushers; in the three seasons beginning in 2004, Barber gained 1,518 (fifth), 1,860 (second) and 1,662 yards (fourth).

"It's a double-edged sword, because as much as Coach Coughlin helped me, I also helped Tom Coughlin," Barber wrote, according to the newspaper.

According to the Daily News, Barber also claims in the book that he was shorted about $10 million in his career by the Giants, who underpaid him compared with other top running backs.

Last month, Barber criticized Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Barber had said that Manning's attempt to lead an offensive meeting in the 12th week of the last season was "comical" at times.

After sarcastically noting that Barber was making a smooth transition from the playing field to television, the normally reserved Manning said he could have questioned Barber's leadership last season for calling out Coughlin and then having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season. It turned out to be a major distraction for the Giants.

Source: ESPN