Ravens and Steelers Lead NFL in 2006 Compensatory Draft Picks

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

WWW.NFLMedia.com

NFL-18 3/27/06
NFL ANNOUNCES 32 COMPENSATORY DRAFT CHOICES TO 19 CLUBS

A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2006 NFL Draft have been awarded to 19 teams, the NFL announced today. Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in a year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 223 choices in the seven rounds of the 2006 NFL Draft (April
29-30). This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula.

Three clubs this year (Buffalo, Seattle and Washington) will receive a compensatory pick even though they did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents these teams lost were ranked higher than the ones they signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).

The following 2006 draft picks have been determined by the NFL Management Council:

ROUND CHOICE/
ROUND OVERALL SELECTION TEAM
3 33-97 New York Jets
4 33-130 Denver
4 34-131 Pittsburgh
4 35-132 Baltimore
4 36-133 Pittsburgh
5 33-165 Green Bay
5 34-166 Baltimore
5 35-167 Pittsburgh
5 36-168 Philadelphia
5 37-169 Tennessee
6 33-202 Tampa Bay
6 34-203 Baltimore
6 35-204 Philadelphia
6 36-205 New England
6 37-206 New England
6 38-207 Indianapolis
6 39-208 Baltimore
7 33-241 Tampa Bay
7 34-242 St. Louis
7 35-243 St. Louis
7 36-244 Tampa Bay
7 37-245 Tennessee
7 38-246 Tennessee
7 39-247 Detroit
7 40-248 Buffalo
7 41-249 Seattle
7 42-250 Washington
7 43-251 Houston
7 44-252 New Orleans
7 45-253 Green Bay
7 46-254 San Francisco
7 47-255 Oakland
Picks 251-255 are supplemental compensatory picks (based upon draft-order formula) to fulfill the number of draft choices
permitted by agreement with the NFL Players Association in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Following are the compensatory free agents lost and signed by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2006
NFL Draft:
BALTIMORE Lost: Bennie Anderson, Gary Baxter, Marques Douglas, Edgerton Hartwell, Casey
Rabach, Travis Taylor
Signed: Tommy Polley, Keydrick Vincent
DENVER Lost: Reggie Hayward, Kenoy Kennedy, Donnie Spragan
Signed: Stephen Alexander, Keith Burns
DETROIT Lost: Stephen Alexander, Stockar McDougle, Mike McMahon
Signed: Rick DeMulling, Kenoy Kennedy
GREEN BAY Lost: Bhawoh Jue, Marco Rivera
Signed: Adrian Klemm
INDIANAPOLIS Lost: Rick DeMulling
NEW ENGLAND Lost: Joe Andruzzi, Adrian Klemm, David Patten
Signed: Monty Beisel
NEW YORK JETS Lost: Anthony Becht, Jason Ferguson, LaMont Jordan, Kareem McKenzie
Signed: Derrick Blaylock, Barry Gardner, Lance Legree
PHILADELPHIA Lost: Derrick Burgess, Jermane Mayberry, Ike Reese
Signed: Mike McMahon
PITTSBURGH Lost: Kendrell Bell, Plaxico Burress, Oliver Ross, Keydrick Vincent
Signed: Cedrick Wilson
ST. LOUIS Lost: Bryce Fisher, Matt Lehr, Tommy Polley
Signed: Chris Claiborne
TAMPA BAY Lost: Keith Burns, Cosey Coleman, Chartric Darby, Dwight Smith
Signed: Anthony Becht
TENNESSEE Lost: Andre Dyson, Shad Meier, Antowain Smith

TOTAL 2006 NFL COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS
Baltimore -- 4
Pittsburgh -- 3
Tampa Bay -- 3
Tennessee -- 3
Green Bay -- 2
New England -- 2
Philadelphia -- 2
St. Louis -- 2
Buffalo -- 1
Denver -- 1
Detroit -- 1
Houston -- 1
Indianapolis -- 1
New Orleans -- 1
New York Jets -- 1
Oakland -- 1
San Francisco -- 1
Seattle -- 1
Washington -- 1
TOTAL -- 32

NFL CLUBS WITH MOST COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS, 1993-2006 *
Dallas -- 25
Green Bay -- 24
Philadelphia -- 23
Buffalo -- 21
Baltimore -- 20
St. Louis -- 20
Tennessee -- 17
Pittsburgh -- 16
New England -- 15
New York Giants -- 15
Arizona -- 14
Jacksonville -- 14
Tampa Bay -- 14
Minnesota -- 12
Detroit -- 12
San Francisco -- 12
Seattle -- 12
Kansas City -- 11
Miami -- 11
Chicago -- 10
* 1993 was first year that compensatory draft choices were awarded.
# # #

NFL Owners Start Commissioner Search - Gary Myers, NY Daily News

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Paul Tagliabue had just finished an emotional speech to owners, coaches and front office executives summing up his nearly 17 years as commissioner when he was given a spontaneous sendoff, which served as a way of saying thanks for making the rich even richer.

"He probably got close to a five-minute standing ovation," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said yesterday.

Now the 32 owners must find his replacement without tearing the league apart, like they almost did in 1989 before picking Tagliabue to replace Pete Rozelle. This will not be a quick process. There is no sense of urgency after Tagliabue promised he would stick around, if needed, past his preferred departure date of late July.

Tagliabue is holding off naming the owners committee that will conduct the search, but did indicate an outside firm will be hired to interview owners to get their perspective on the structure of the league. A firm will also recommend candidates.

But the owners will do the hiring and Tagliabue will not endorse any candidate.

"I think we need to look at everybody," Jets owner Woody Johnson said. "You have to open it up."

The early leader is Roger Goodell , the league's highly regarded executive vice president and chief operating officer. "I think it's wide open," Texans owner Bob McNair said. "It can be someone no one even knows. The main thing is to get the right person for the position, whoever they might be."

Tagliabue likely will construct the committee to represent a cross section of the league: long-time owners and relatively new owners; big-market teams and small-market teams; influential owners already on powerful committees and owners who haven't had an opportunity to have their voice heard.

The six-owner committee in 1989, which included Wellington Mara as co-chairman, consisted only of owners who had been in the league at least 20 years. That infuriated many of the newer owners and created a "new guard" vs "old guard" split. The new guard became known as the Chicago 11, because there were 11 of them and they came together at what was supposed to be Jim Finks' coronation in Chicago.

But they all abstained, which prevented Finks from getting the required 19 out of 28 votes. It eventually led to two new committees being formed - Mara was on both of them - and Tagliabue being elected on the 12th ballot three months after Finks was rejected.

Steelers owner Dan Rooney was a peacemaker in 1989. Asked yesterday if this process can be as contentious, he said, "I sure hope not."

NFL SETS ALL-TIME PAID ATTENDANCE RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR; SURPASSES 21 MILLION IN TOTAL ATTENDANCE

From WWW.NFLMedia.com

Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations
FOR USE AS DESIRED

NFL-15 3/27/06

NFL SETS ALL-TIME PAID ATTENDANCE RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR; SURPASSES 21 MILLION IN TOTAL ATTENDANCE FOURTH YEAR IN ROW; WASHINGTON LEADS IN HOME ATTENDANCE

Paid attendance for all NFL games set a record for the fourth consecutive year, the NFL announced today.

NFL paid attendance for all 2005 games was 21,792,096, an increase of nearly 84,000 (83,472) over the previous record total of 21,708,624 in 2004. It marked the fourth year in a row -- and only the fourth time in league history -- that the 21 million paid attendance mark was reached.

The 2005 NFL regular-season total paid attendance of 17,012,453 and the average of 66,455 per game were both all-time
records as well.

A total of 3,977,388 tickets were sold for 66 preseason games for an average of 60,263. Twelve postseason games produced a sale of 802,255, including 68,206 for Super Bowl XL.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Washington Redskins led all teams in regular-season home paid attendance. The Redskins drew 707,614 for their eight home games, the second highest total in NFL history to their 707,920 of 2004.

Three other teams topped the 600,000 paid total at home in 2005: the New York Giants (628,527), Kansas City (625,081)
and the New York Jets (619,842).

Eight teams drew more than 1.1 million paid attendance home and away during the regular season, led by Washington(1,240,223). The others were: New York Jets (1,197,224), Kansas City (1,177,580), New York Giants (1,152,672), Denver (1,147,265), New England (1,146,847), San Diego (1,108,840), and Miami (1,105,023).

DENVER BRONCOS / KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TO MEET IN INAUGURAL NFL NETWORK REGULAR SEASON

From NFLMedia.com and The NFL Network

BRONCOS/CHIEFS TO MEET IN INAUGURAL NFL NETWORK REGULAR SEASON GAME TELECAST THANKSGIVING NIGHT GAME AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM

KICKS-OFF NFL NETWORK’S RUN UP TO THE PLAYOFFS PACKAGE

The Denver Broncos will battle the Kansas City Chiefs in the inaugural regular season game on NFL Network November 23 at 8:00 PM ET (live), it was announced today by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

NFL Network will broadcast primetime regular season NFL games in 2006 as part of the new NFL "Run Up to the Playoffs" package. The remaining games will be announced next month.

"We are ecstatic to have a great AFC West rivalry to kick-off NFL Network's primetime live game telecasts," said NFL Network President and CEO Steve Bornstein. "Being part of a new Thanksgiving Day tripleheader is an honor and we can't wait to get to KC."

NFL Network's Broncos-Chiefs coverage will include a pregame and postgame show emanating live from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Thanksgiving night. The Broncos/Chiefs game on NFL Network is part of a new NFL tradition, turning
Thanksgiving Day into a football tripleheader.

The Miami Dolphins visit the Detroit Lions at 12:30 PM ET on CBS and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys at 4:15 PM ET on FOX before the Chiefs host the Broncos on NFL Network at 8:00 PM ET.

NFL Network's eight-game package consists of primetime games airing from Thanksgiving to the end of the regular season on Thursday and/or Saturday nights. NFL Network game dates are: Thursdays: 11/23; 11/30; 12/7; 12/14 and 12/21.
Saturdays: 12/16; 12/23 and 12/30.

NFL Network's game telecasts will also be available to the participating team markets via an over-the-air station.

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the first television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. For more information, log onto www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/home.

NFL Network. All Fans Welcome.

NFL COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE OPENS MEETING WITH ANNUAL REVIEW

From NFLmedia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2006

COMMISSIONER TAGLIABUE OPENS MEETING WITH ANNUAL REVIEW

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue opened the 2006 NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida with a 30-minute review of overall league affairs for a group of approximately 300 owners, club presidents, head coaches, front-office employees, and league officials. Following are excerpts from the Commissioner's review:

- "The 2005 season was the kind our fans have come to expect, filled with extraordinary team and individual performances, intense competition, and lots of excitement and unpredictability."

- "In 2005, you set a paid attendance record for the third year in a row; your stadiums were filled again to 90 percent of capacity; and television ratings continued to deliver unmatched audiences. The Super Bowl was the second mostwatched
program in television history with 141 million viewers. For the season, ratings for NFL games on broadcast television were 60 percent higher than the primetime average for the broadcast networks. In December, the Harris Poll showed pro football's lead as the No. 1 sport continuing to widen."

- "This week's annual meeting is my 17th as commissioner. But I first started attending these NFL annual meetings 34 years ago this month when I was a young and starry-eyed attorney. Three years before that 1972 meeting, I first met Pete Rozelle. It was the early summer of 1969 and he was considering whether to require Jets quarterback Joe Namath to divorce himself from a watering hole in New York City that didn't have the greatest reputation. I was a young attorney sitting in the back of the room. In the 37 years since 1969, I have been privileged to serve the NFL and its teams with – by my count -- about 80 different principal owners of NFL teams. Then in recent months, my wife Chan pointed out that we now have head coaches in the league who were not yet born when I got started with the NFL."

- "The league is a very special institution and it works because the game continues to be great, because of thousands of talented people, and because of great teamwork across the entire league. That's what we have and must continue to have. I want to thank all of today's owners plus everyone in the league, plus all former owners, for giving me the opportunity and responsibility to be part of the NFL. It's been a tremendous experience."

- "The extended CBA is complicated and presents a unique set of challenges, but we can now build on what we have accomplished in recent years, including shared investments with the Players Association in important initiatives such as
stadium construction, youth football, and NFL Europe."

- "The league is well-structured, complex business partnership. Thirty-two strong, independent franchises operate in different ways. This diversity is one of our great strengths. But, as different as your teams may be, there is far more that unites you and the league than separates you. We will strive in the months ahead to focus on our common interests and objectives."

- "Now we enter a period of transition for the league. The critical elements of success are in place. This should enable us to accomplish twin goals. The first is to present great football to the fans in 2006, while maintaining the momentum we have created on all business fronts, both domestically and internationally. The second goal is to manage the search for a new commissioner in a well-organized, inclusive way that will strengthen the league and underscore that the NFL is indeed the world's preeminent sports organization."

How The Atlanta Falcons Landed DE John Abraham - From The AJC

This is a great article and a careful study in deal-making in business, period. A great read, and an insight into why Falcons President Rich McKay is one of the most successful NFL executives.

The art of John Abraham's deal
How the Falcons signed a Pro Bowler on their terms

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/26/06
The hard part was getting John Abraham on Falcons owner Arthur Blank's private jet.

The Seattle Seahawks had their claws deep into the New York Jets free-agent defensive end. There was a dazzling visit, a contract offer that supposedly was more lucrative than the 6-year, $45 million deal the Pro Bowl defensive end signed with the Falcons this week. And, the Seahawks had just played in the Super Bowl.

John Abraham liked what he saw and held little hope of getting to his desired locale, Atlanta, where he owns and condo and is near his family in South Carolina. His agents called the Falcons at the outset of free agency to gauge their interest and were told the team loved him but didn't know if it had the means to acquire him.

"Oakland actually was pressuring us to come there too," said Rich Rosa, who represents John Abraham along with Tony Agnone. "We were in Seattle and we had every intention of going to Oakland and maybe, maybe going to Atlanta.

"Then it took a 180-degree turn. We were done in Seattle [Falcons president and general manager] Rich McKay and [senior personnel executive] Billy Devaney tracked us down. They called us and said, 'We've got the plane fueled up and Arthur Blank said to send it out there and get you guys.'

"We all looked at each other and said, 'All right. I think we got a good game going on here.'"

Said McKay: "When we got him on the plane, I felt pretty comfortable, given that he'd expressed an interest to come to Atlanta. From that stage, it took on another life."

Homework done

By this point, the Falcons had looked well beyond Abraham's 53 1/2 sacks in six NFL seasons. His on-field production spoke for itself, as did visions of him bolstering a defense much in need of his pass-rushing skills.

His injury history -- he's missed portions of three seasons -- turned out not to be an issue. In 2003, Abraham was charged with drunk driving and was suspended for a game. The team needed to know if that was an isolated incident or if there was more there. They had the inside help they felt they needed. Strength coach Sal Alosi and director of player development Kevin Winston, both hired this summer from the Jets, shared everything they knew.

Everyone, including Blank, as image and character conscious as there is among pro sports franchise owners, gave the all clear.

"Like any player, we look into their background on both the personal and football character side," McKay said. "Kevin Winston, our new player development director, was with John in New York and, therefore, very familiar with him. We are very comfortable that John fits what we want our players to be about. He made a mistake a few years ago and learned from that mistake."

The game plan

With Abraham and his agents en route from Seattle March 15, the breakdown of duties among the Falcons' brass for the next day's recruiting visit kicked into high gear.

The negotiating teams were dispatched. Since the Jets' held Abraham's rights by designating him their "franchise player," he needed to reach contract terms with his suitor and compensation to the Jets had to be arranged.

Backup quarterback Matt Schaub or Atlanta's first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the April draft were the demands. The Falcons weren't going there. A second-round pick (No. 47 overall) was Atlanta's counter.

McKay admitted this week he knew that might not be enough, but that was the card he would play — at the time.

The pitchmen, including coach Jim Mora and his staff, prepared to ramp up the charm to convince Abraham this was the place for him. That part, wasn't hard at all.

When the 6-foot-4, 258-pound Abraham got within Georgia state lines, he was closer to his mother and his daughter and his grandparents, who had never been to any of his pro games. He could hear them screaming his name in the Georgia Dome.

"When I got here, it was done," Abraham said. "There were no visits after that."

The sell

When Abraham got to Flowery Branch Thursday, March 16, Mora, Winston, McKay and Blank -- especially Blank -- put on the full-court press. Defensive end Patrick Kerney, who shares the same agents as Abraham, had already been recruiting. A licensed pilot, Kerney said he would have flown the plane to retrieve Abraham.

"I was pretty psyched," Kerney said. "I talked to John a couple days before everything came together and let him know how excited we were that they were going to make it happen."

That night at dinner, while the wooing of Abraham continued, McKay, Agnone and Rosa acknowledged they reached contractual terms in less than an hour.

The deal, to those at dinner, was done. Abraham would replace Brady Smith at right end and join recently acquired safeties Chris Crocker and Lawyer Milloy on Atlanta's beefed-up defense.

The risky bluff

The optimism was doused less than 24 hours later when Seattle and president of football operations Tim Ruskell, McKay's longtime wingman in Tampa Bay and for a season in Atlanta, offered the Jets' their first-round pick (No. 31 overall), satisfying the Jets' wishes. New York, which, according to Agnone, tried to sign Abraham to a long-term contract throughout this whole ordeal but was rebuffed, because Abraham wanted out, agreed to trade Abraham to Seattle.

While openly expressing dismay that Seattle may have trumped him, McKay privately hoped he'd forced the Seahawks into showing their entire hand.

The King, some Falcons' employees call him, hadn't lost his touch.

Seattle could not acquire Abraham without getting him to sign a contract and Abraham gave his word to the Falcons that would not happen. So Atlanta's personnel department had time to find a way to sweeten its deal to New York without giving up the 15th pick or Schaub.

"There was a lot of poker that was played," Blank said. "There also was a lot of tenacity and patience exercised."

Atlanta called at least eight teams, McKay said, to try and construct a rare three-team trade. Denver, which had two first-round picks, wanted in.

The Broncos, who held the 22nd and 29th picks in the first round, were willing to part with their later first-round choice, a third-round selection in this draft and a fourth-round pick next year, for the Falcons' first-rounder this year. McKay, who has acquired some pretty impressive mid-round talent -- Ronde Barber and John Lynch in Tampa Bay, Schaub, Chauncey Davis in Atlanta -- felt that was enough to execute the first trade.

When the Falcons extended the 29th overall choice they'd just acquired to New York, the process was complete. The Seahawks, Rosa said, tried to stay in the ball game until Monday night when the Jets and Abraham's agents told them it was time to end the saga.

"I was at peace the whole time," Abraham said.

Vince Young - The Mistakes Continue

I could care less about the Wonderlic score of Texas QB Vince Young, who will be a first round draft pick, but what concerns me are the growing number of business mistakes "Team Vince" is making.

First, there was the decision to hire his family members as agents and business managers. There are many more experienced and talented sports agents, like Leigh Steinberg, who can make sure that Vince not only gets a great deal with a good team, but terrific sponsorship deals and TV guest spots as well. His family can't do that. They're banking on the idea that people will come to Vince, when they have to be agressive on behalf of Vince, who's now their client.

I can see a day when Vince fires his family. It's not desireable, but given that he hired them, the prospect is not avoidable.

Second, there's the down right stupid mistake of standing up key corporate sponsorship managers assembled for a meeting by former Dallas Cowboys Personel Director and now NFL.com Analyst Gil Brandt during the week of Super Bowl XL. By stark contrast, USC Quarterback Matt Leinart attended those meetings, and undoubtely came away having establshed some very lucrative relationship.

Third, there's the choice not to perform at the NFL Combine. That's a far better place to show what one can do that the Wonderlic or Texas Pro Day, which leads me to...

His less than stellar performance, as reported by several news outlets, is not good for his draft prospects. I'm not focusing so much on his 4.58 in the 40-yard dash, so much as I am his throwing show. He reportedly waited for his receivers to come out of their breaks on patterns he's familar with, rather than showing that he could take direction by throwing on time to catchers he doesn't know, and running pass patterns he's not comfortable with throwing.

With all this, my unfortunate prediction is that Vince Young will fall to the middle of the draft. He'll fall right into the arms of the St. Louis Rams, though the Oakland Raiders could snap him up at the 7th spot. But if the Silver and Black don't take Vince, he's going to drop.

Oakland Raiders First: Black Head Coach, Black Offensive Line Coaches, Black Quarterback

I've checked with friends who cover the NFL to confirm this, but I can't remember a time when one team had an African American head coach, quarterback, and offensive line coach until now: the Oakland Raiders.

Earlier this year, the Raiders re-hired Art Shell to be their 15th head coach in the organization's storied history. Shell then went out and pulled in LA Rams Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle Jackie Slater (pictured in his Rams uniform) and Pro Bowl Tackle Irv Eatman (photo at left, from his days with the Chiefs) to coach the offensive line -- both are black. (While some reporters note that Slater has not coached for an NFL team, this does not mean he hasn't coached offensive linemen. He's ran his own clinic for several years.)

Noticing the New Orleans Saints gave up on a very good, capable, and mobile quarterback in Aaron Brooks, Shell and Oakland Raiders Senior Assistant Mike Lombardi went out and made a deal to dress him in the Silver and Black.

Now, the Raiders have African American representation at three of the organizational positions generally considered the most mentally demanding. It also bucks the current pattern of African Americans seemingly being "slotted" to defensive coach positions in college and the NFL. (And in baseball, where then-LA Dodgers General Manager Al Campanis made his now famous "blacks lack what it takes" comment on ABC's Nightline, no organization has had a black general manager, manager, and pitching coach at the same time, with the exception of the Negro Leagues).

In the NFL's past, the positions of quarterback, head coach, and offensive line coach were commonly held by European Americans, and while there have been and are black head coaches, offensive line coaches, and quarterbacks, never before has one organization had all three.

I personally think this is a major sign of tremendous social progress that should not go unnoticed.

Tampa Bay Bucs' To Meet With Charles Woodson' and Resign OT Kenyatta Walker

From the Tampa Tribune. The Bucs did resign the man known for three false start penalties in one drive last year. But that written, he's a solid blocker and leader. On the matter of leaders, former Raiders DB Charles Woodson is to meet with the organization. See below.

Bucs Say Walker Is Right On Line
By ROY CUMMINGS rcummings@tampatrib.com

TAMPA - After spending more than a week searching for upgrades, the Bucs have decided to stand pat at one of the most important positions on the field.

Less than 24 hours after they lost a bidding war for free-agent Tom Ashworth, the Bucs decided Friday to once again entrust right tackle Kenyatta Walker with protecting quarterback Chris Simms' blind side.

The signing of Walker comes just two days after the University of Florida product made what is believed to be his only free-agent visit. That was to Atlanta, where he met with Falcons general manager Rich McKay, the man who as Bucs GM traded up to get him 14th overall in the 2001 draft.

In the eyes of many, including several inside the Bucs camp, Walker never has justified the decision to draft him so high. He has, however, consistently outperformed all the players who have been brought in to challenge him, starting 77 of a possible 85 games since entering the NFL.

"Kenyatta started every game last year and helped us make the playoffs," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said in a statement released by the team. "We made great strides on offense last season and it was our goal to keep everyone on board so that we could continue that improvement."

AND....

Bucs Will Meet With Woodson
By ROY CUMMINGS rcummings@tampatrib.com

Published: Mar 24, 2006

TAMPA - The Bucs don't appear to be in need of a starting-caliber cornerback, but one of that ilk apparently is headed their way.

The agent for four-time Pro Bowl corner Charles Woodson confirmed that Woodson arrived in Tampa late Thursday for a meeting with the Bucs today.

Woodson, 29, had his best years while playing under Bucs coach Jon Gruden in Oakland, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. Since 2002, however, Woodson has struggled to stay healthy and play up to the level of some enormous contracts.

Woodson made $10.5 million after being named the Raiders' franchise player for the second consecutive year last season, but for the fourth consecutive year he failed to turn in a complete season, missing the final 10 games because of a broken leg.

The Bucs appear set at corner, with starters Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly and backup Juran Bolden, who recently was re-signed to a multiyear contract. They are, however, in need of an experienced free safety, so the Bucs may plan to ask Woodson to consider a move there.

Rice Removes Name From NFL Commissioner Consideration

Well, at least we can put this matter to rest:

(AP) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a huge football fan, ruled out applying for the newly opened post of NFL commissioner Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, it came open at the wrong time," said Rice, who was clearly amused when a reporter posed the question. "Obviously, I'm very busy as secretary of state, and I intend to continue to be secretary of state as long as the president of the United States will have me."

Bengals May Land Redskins LB Lavar Arrington

Personally, I think the Bengals need a wrecking ball of a defensive tackle and a new scheme, but if you can land a guy like Arrington, you do so.

The additiion of Arrington would give the Bengals one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. But he's got to visit the team, first.

"Raider Nation" Upset and Confused By Team's Latest Moves

On message boards and email posts everywhere, Oakland Raiders fans are expressing an all too noticeable lack of joy and pleasure over the team's free agent signings.

While former Saints QB Aaron Brooks is actually considered by many to be a great addition (Dave Del Grande of the Oakland Tribune called him "Kerry Collins with legs.") the source of the displeasure is the signing of former New England Patriots defensive backs Duane Starks and Tyrone Poole.

One fan wrote this:

OK, lets review the acquisition of these 2 New England Chowder Pat Rats.

1) Starks: The words " lone season " scares me, not to mention a shoulder injury. On a positive note he is a 6yr veteran, a CB with decent stats, and has about 5 to 6 months to heal his shoulder and get his ASS in gear to developing a Raider mentality!

2) Ty kwan Poole: Big AL, I hope you were not on the SAUCE when you made this choice..!!! I'm believing in you!

He's a name I'm familiar with, but he has 11 yrs. of miles on that injured ankle, and has only played six games in the last two yrs. with just one game last year HMMMM!..

Granted he has 11yrs under his belt and I hope it's tight enough when he's on the field defending the top veterans, and the rookie youngsters with an attitude.Trust me they will only try to embarrass him!.. An injured Wing is different from a bad Wheel out of balance!! We'll see..

I'm hoping that Fabian Washington, is over the rookie jitters, and will show us the speed and talent he demonstrated in college.

Nnamdi Asomugha, has already proved himself, and the strength and contributions of his fellow CB's and Secondary Will only add fire power and prevent them from getting BURNED!!!!!

Your thoughts my Raider brothers and sista's who care! Raider Bob!