NFL INTERNATIONAL TO FOCUS ON LONDON 2007: CHINA PRESEASON GAME RESCHEDULED FOR 2009 CHINA PRESEASON GAME RESCHEDULED FOR 2009

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573

WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/2/07

NFL INTERNATIONAL TO FOCUS ON LONDON 2007:
CHINA PRESEASON GAME RESCHEDULED FOR 2009

The NFL has determined that it will focus its global resources this year on its first overseas regular-season game --
to be held on October 28 in London, England, with the Miami Dolphins hosting the New York Giants.

The American Bowl preseason game in China, originally set for August 9 in Beijing between the New England
Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, will be rescheduled. Working in partnership with the Beijing municipal authorities,
the NFL will plan to play a game at the National Stadium of Beijing in August of 2009.

“The regular-season game initiative was approved by NFL ownership after we announced the China Bowl.
Therefore, we will focus this year’s efforts on the regular-season game,” commented MARK WALLER, senior vice
president of NFL International.

“Our assessment is that Chinese fans would be better served if our game in China is played at a later date after we
have launched our international series of regular-season games and more effectively paved the way for the
introduction of our game into China,” added Waller. “As a new sport in China, it is critical that we create the best
platform for the introduction of the game. We are delighted Beijing authorities have agreed with our assessment
and have invited us to play in Beijing in 2009.”

NFL International is presently establishing an office in Beijing and will partner with the city to build fan interest in
American football prior to the 2009 flagship event.

# # #

NFL - PRESEASON NATIONAL TV SCHEDULE FEATURES ALL PLAYOFF TEAMS & SUPER BOWL XLI REMATCH

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573

WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

FOR USE AS DESIRED
4/2/07

PRESEASON NATIONAL TV SCHEDULE FEATURES
ALL PLAYOFF TEAMS & SUPER BOWL XLI REMATCH

It kicks off in Canton, Ohio...showcases every 2006 playoff team...and includes a rematch of Super Bowl XLI.

Those are among the highlights of a 15-game national television preseason schedule that was announced today by the
NFL, along with the complete list of 2007 preseason matchups.

The preseason begins on Sunday night, August 5 with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio when
the New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers on NFL Network at 8:00 PM ET. The Saints marched to a division
title and advanced to the NFC Championship Game last season, led by AP Coach of the Year SEAN PAYTON and Pro
Bowl quarterback DREW BREES. The Steelers enter the 2007 season under the guidance of MIKE TOMLIN, who will
make his head-coaching debut in Canton.

On Monday night, August 20, the Chicago Bears visit the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI on ESPN
(8:00 PM ET). It will mark the first home game for the Super Bowl champion Colts since defeating the Bears on February
4 in South Florida.

Following is the 2007 NFL preseason national television schedule:

2007 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern)

DATE GAME NETWORK (TIME)

Sunday, August 5 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH:
New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh NFLN (8:00 PM)

Preseason Week 1 (August 9-13)

Thursday, August 9 Indianapolis at Dallas FOX (8:00 PM)
Friday, August 10 Buffalo at New Orleans CBS (8:00 PM)
Saturday, August 11 Washington at Tennessee NFLN (8:00 PM)
Sunday, August 12 Seattle at San Diego NBC (8:00 PM)
Monday, August 13 Denver at San Francisco ESPN (8:00 PM)

Preseason Week 2 (August 16-20)

Thursday, August 16 Miami at Kansas City ESPN (8:00 PM)
Friday, August 17 Minnesota at New York Jets FOX (8:00 PM)
Saturday, August 18 San Diego at St. Louis CBS (8:00 PM)
Sunday, August 19 New York Giants at Baltimore NBC (8:00 PM)
Monday, August 20 Chicago at Indianapolis ESPN (8:00 PM)

Preseason Week 3 (August 23-27)

Thursday, August 23 Jacksonville at Green Bay FOX (8:00 PM)
Friday, August 24 New England at Carolina CBS (8:00 PM)
Sunday, August 26 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh NBC (8:00 PM)
Monday, August 27 Cincinnati at Atlanta ESPN (8:00 PM)


2007 PRESEASON WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE

HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 5
New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh (NFLN)

WEEK 1 – AUGUST 9-13
Indianapolis at Dallas (FOX, 8/9)
Buffalo at New Orleans (CBS, 8/10)
Washington at Tennessee (NFLN, 8/11)
Seattle at San Diego (NBC, 8/12)
Denver at San Francisco (ESPN, 8/13)
Arizona at Oakland
Atlanta at New York Jets
Carolina at New York Giants
Chicago at Houston
Cincinnati at Detroit
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
Jacksonville at Miami
Kansas City at Cleveland
New England at Tampa Bay
Philadelphia at Baltimore
St. Louis at Minnesota


WEEK 2 – AUGUST 16-20
Miami at Kansas City (ESPN, 8/16)
Minnesota at New York Jets (FOX, 8/17)
San Diego at St. Louis (CBS, 8/18)
New York Giants at Baltimore (NBC, 8/19)
Chicago at Indianapolis (ESPN, 8/20)
Atlanta at Buffalo
Carolina at Philadelphia
Denver at Dallas
Detroit at Cleveland
Houston at Arizona
New Orleans at Cincinnati
Oakland at San Francisco
Pittsburgh at Washington
Seattle at Green Bay
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville
Tennessee at New England



WEEK 3 – AUGUST 23-27
Jacksonville at Green Bay (FOX, 8/23)
New England at Carolina (CBS, 8/24)
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (NBC, 8/26)
Cincinnati at Atlanta (ESPN, 8/27)
Baltimore at Washington
Cleveland at Denver
Dallas at Houston
Detroit at Indianapolis
Minnesota at Seattle
New Orleans at Kansas City
New York Jets at New York Giants
St. Louis at Oakland
San Francisco at Chicago
San Diego at Arizona
Tennessee at Buffalo
Tampa Bay at Miami


WEEK 4 – AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 2
Arizona at Denver
Baltimore at Atlanta
Buffalo at Detroit
Cleveland at Chicago
Dallas at Minnesota
Green Bay at Tennessee
Houston at Tampa Bay
Indianapolis at Cincinnati
Pittsburgh at Carolina
Kansas City at St. Louis
Miami at New Orleans
New York Giants at New England
New York Jets at Philadelphia
Oakland at Seattle
San Francisco at San Diego
Washington at Jacksonville


2007 PRESEASON TEAM-BY-TEAM SCHEDULE


AFC

Buffalo Miami New England New York Jets
at New Orleans (CBS) Jacksonville at Tampa Bay Atlanta
Atlanta at Kansas City (ESPN) Tennessee Minnesota (FOX)
Tennessee Tampa Bay at Carolina (CBS) at NY Giants
at Detroit at New Orleans NY Giants at Philadelphia

Baltimore Cincinnati Cleveland Pittsburgh
Philadelphia at Detroit Kansas City vs. New Orleans* (NFLN)
NY Giants (NBC) New Orleans Detroit Green Bay
at Washington at Atlanta (ESPN) at Denver at Washington
at Atlanta Indianapolis at Chicago Philadelphia (NBC)
at Carolina

Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Tennessee
Chicago at Dallas (FOX) at Miami Washington (NFLN)
at Arizona Chicago (ESPN) Tampa Bay at New England
Dallas Detroit at Green Bay (FOX) at Buffalo
At Tampa Bay at Cincinnati Washington Green Bay

Denver Kansas City Oakland San Diego
at San Francisco (ESPN) at Cleveland Arizona Seattle (NBC)
at Dallas Miami (ESPN) at San Francisco at St. Louis (CBS)
Cleveland New Orleans St. Louis at Arizona
Arizona at St. Louis at Seattle San Francisco

NFC

Dallas New York Giants Philadelphia Washington
Indianapolis (FOX) Carolina at Baltimore at Tennessee (NFLN)
Denver at Baltimore (NBC) Carolina Pittsburgh
at Houston NY Jets at Pittsburgh (NBC) Baltimore
at Minnesota at New England NY Jets at Jacksonville

Chicago Detroit Green Bay Minnesota
at Houston Cincinnati at Pittsburgh St. Louis
at Indianapolis (ESPN) at Cleveland Seattle at NY Jets (FOX)
San Francisco at Indianapolis Jacksonville (FOX) at Seattle
Cleveland Buffalo at Tennessee Dallas

Atlanta Carolina New Orleans Tampa Bay
at NY Jets at NY Giants vs. Pittsburgh* (NFLN) New England
at Buffalo at Philadelphia Buffalo (CBS) at Jacksonville
Cincinnati (ESPN) New England (CBS) at Cincinnati at Miami
Baltimore Pittsburgh at Kansas City Houston
Miami

Arizona St. Louis San Francisco Seattle
at Oakland at Minnesota Denver (ESPN) at San Diego (NBC)
Houston San Diego (CBS) Oakland at Green Bay
San Diego at Oakland at Chicago Minnesota
at Denver Kansas City at San Diego Oakland


*Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio

No punishment for Coughlin's 'Hitler' quote

No punishment for Coughlin's 'Hitler' quote Oh My G-D...Just...Just see my Rant Below!!!
BY ARTHUR STAPLE

Giants coach Tom Coughlin won't be disciplined and his job is not in jeopardy after he was quoted saying he is almost as hated as Adolf Hitler.

The Giants had no official comment yesterday after the Daily News quoted Coughlin saying this, in response to a question about the battering he received in the New York and national media near the end of last season:

"I hear some of it and I see it. You know [vice president of communications Pat] Hanlon tells me about it, what's going on. Hitler and then me, in that order. Unfortunate, but it is."

Coughlin made the comment to a handful of reporters in Phoenix at the NFL meetings. He and the rest of the Giants' front office, including team president John Mara, returned home Wednesday and there was no further discussion of the remark.

Coughlin has never had the warm relationship with New York writers and radio hosts that his predecessor, Jim Fassel, enjoyed. Some of that comes from the outspoken players Coughlin has coached - he and Tiki Barber went at it privately and publicly as the team stumbled down the stretch last season - and some from Coughlin's unwillingness to show anything but his business side to reporters.

WFAN host Mike Francesa said on the air yesterday that Coughlin has canceled the weekly spot he did with Francesa and co-host Chris Russo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HEY TOM!!! you do realize you just Pissed off about 35% of the Metro area with that Comment, don't YOU???
Do You realize that one of the two families that owns the Team are Jewish, along with a good deal of your season ticket subscribers?
Ok: we can't blame you for feeling like you have been abused by many in the last several months, True.
You knew the deal when you came here: people weren't going to like your "Tough as Nails" personality, or the way you do things. This is the Price of doing business in NY Tom!! Get over it....if you want to be well liked, you'll need a personality transplant.

Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin Looks To 2007 Season

Nothing to Look Back on, Raiders Only Look Ahead

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 1, 2007
When Lane Kiffin took over as the Oakland Raiders’ coach, one of the first things he told his new players was that he did not want to dwell on what went wrong last season.

For the players who went through a 2-14 campaign that led to the Raiders being the butt of jokes on late-night comedy shows and Coach Art Shell being fired, that was a welcome approach.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” offensive tackle Robert Gallery said. “He said it before I even had to. I didn’t want to have to talk about it. It’s over, we’re on to new things.”

That was especially true for Gallery and the offense, which had one of the worst seasons in league history. The Raiders scored 168 points — fifth fewest in a 16-game season — had 12 offensive touchdowns, allowed a league-worst 72 sacks and failed to score a touchdown in their final three games.

Gallery, the No. 2 overall pick in 2004, looked lost at times as he moved from right to left tackle. He said he feels much more comfortable under the new assistant Tom Cable’s direction than he did under the inexperienced Jackie Slater.

“The system didn’t fit the offensive linemen that you had,” said the new fullback Justin Griffith, who played for the Falcons last season when Cable was the offensive line coach. “I think it was more the system than it was the players.”

There is plenty of excitement in Oakland about the regime and a new start as the team tries to rebound from four straight losing seasons.

But this is the time of year for optimism for all teams with new coaches, when everyone hopes the change will lead to success and no one has lost a game yet.

“Right now everybody is happy, the sun is out, everything is good,” cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. “But when adversity hits you never know what you are going to get. Like always, I can’t predict the future. I don’t know what is going to happen, but right now he has been very positive and seems like a guy that can take control.”

Kiffin said more than 90 percent of the players have been at the voluntary workouts, showing up at least four days a week. One notable exception has been the disgruntled receiver Randy Moss, who expressed a desire to be traded at various points last season.

Kiffin and the coaching staff have begun putting in some of the new offense, which will include elements of the West Coast offense that the coordinator Greg Knapp has used in the past, with some wrinkles Kiffin has brought from U.S.C.

But much of the final product will depend on who is playing quarterback, which remains up in the air.

Andrew Walter is the only quarterback with N.F.L. experience on the roster. The team could select quarterback JaMarcus Russell of Louisiana State or Brady Quinn of Notre Dame with the No. 1 overall draft pick, and also bring in another veteran.

Kiffin has talked with the former Houston quarterback David Carr, who was released by the Texans. Kiffin was a graduate assistant at Fresno State when Carr was on the team.

But for now, Walter is the quarterback. The Raiders thought so highly of Walter that they did not use their first-round pick a year ago on Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler.

But given a chance to play when Aaron Brooks went down with an injury in the second game, Walter struggled last year.

Raiders "Hybrid" Bill Walsh Offense To Include Zone-Stretch Blocking - Tribune

This is from the blog entry of Jerry McDonald of The Oakland Tribune.

Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on March 29th, 2007
Expect the Raiders to make some defensive linemen very angry this year.

The expertise of some new coaches as well as some anecdotal evidence suggests that the Raiders will join the Denver Broncos as a cut-blocking scourge of the AFC West.

Recently acquired free-agent fullback Justin Griffith, participating Thursday in the club's voluntary off-season workout program, has taken a look at his new line and thinks they'll fit in just fine with a system imported from Atlanta by way of Denver.

"The system didn't fit the offensive lineman that you had," Griffith said of the 2006 Raiders line. "We've got a new offensive line coach now. Great system for these guys, especially in the running game. You really don't have to go and hit guys high, you can just cut 'em down."

The Raiders line coach, Tom Cable, continued the system taught by Alex Gibbs, who was a consultant last season for the Falcons. Gibbs made annual treks to USC to teach blocking while Lane Kiffin was the co-offensive line coach there.

Gibbs, a former Raiders assistant when Mike Shanahan was on staff, followed Shanahan to Denver and instituted the system of blocking which has made the Broncos the NFL's top rushing team since 1995.

Shanahan was also influenced by 49ers line coach Bobb McKittrick when he was the 49ers offensive coordinator. The same McKittrick whose tactics so enraged Howie Long in 1985 the two nearly scuffled in a Los Angeles Coliseum runway.

Center Jeremy Newberry played for McKittrick in San Francisco and under Cable at Cal. He describes Cable's philosophy as "stretch and cut."

Tackle Robert Gallery, who stands to benefit to a philosophy of agility rather than straight-ahead, man blocking, said, "You might think that (the Raiders will be similar to Denver and Atlanta). But we're really jsut working on techniques now . . . we'll know more down the road."

Newberry thought so much of Cable that when he learned Cable was leaving Cal to be a head coach at Idaho, he immedately applied for the NFL draft as a junior.

"It was unbelieveable that we fell into him," Kiffin said Thursday. "I had known him a little bit from his days at UCLA, for him to have been a head coach, an offensive coordinator, this offensive line coach isn't like a normal guy. He sees it all, he gets it, he sees outside the gox and for him to be here working with these thus and he's bringing to them already is great.

"System-wise, coming from SC, we were a dominant zone (blocking) team with a number of runs but specializing in zones."

Griffith, regarded as an excellent receiver out of the backfield, termed the Raiders offense, "West Coast" and is thrilled to be playing for Tom Rathman, who filled that role with the 49ers.

Kiffin called the evolving Raiders system a "hybrid."

More notes from Thursday's media session:

– Kiffin, who got a lot of positive press with the national media at the NFL owner's meetings, has already come a long way from the guy who understandably appeared stiff and nervous sitting next to Al Davis the day he was hired.

When asked if Andrew Walter learned anything from last year's weekly beatdown, Kiffin replied, "You can learn from anything. You can learn from divorce."

– Kiffin reaffirmed that he expected Moss to be a part of the Raiders this season, but really, what is he supposed to say?

Moss has already done a bang-up job trashing his own trade value, and Kiffin doesn't need to give him any more help in that regard. He's sure not going to trash the guy. Things will work out best for the Raiders if Kiffin says nice things about Moss right up to the moment he is sent on his way.

Moss has not attended a volutnary workout or talked to Kiffin other than a 15-minute phone call. Kiffin has had there meetings with Porter, cleared the air with Gallery and others, but has received just 15 minutes with Moss. He said he doesn't see this as odd.

"I don't because there wasn't anything from that time to this time that was pressing," Kiffin said. "Obvoiusly we'll have more conversations coming up and I look forward to working with him."

– Players come and go on a staggered schedule. Kiffin reports better than 90 percent attendance, which is about the same figure quoted by prevous coaches. Some of the Raiders spotted Thursday included LaMont Jordan, Walter, Gallery, Michael Huff and Nnamdi Asomugha.

– There have been no announcements, but unrestricted free agent guard Corey Hulsey has apparently been re-signed. Hulsey, who visited with the Giants recently, was in uniform with the team.

– Kiffin said the Raiders have spoken with representatives for unrestricted free agent quarterback David Carr, released last week by Houston. He declined to get into specifics. Kiffin was an offensive assistant for two years when Carr was at Fresno State.

– Telling comment from Gallery on what advice he would give to the No. 1 pick in the draft, currently owned by the Raiders.

"You've got to do your thing. You come in, work with the situation you're in," Gallery said. "It may not be, to start out, exactly what you want or what best fits you. But at some point you're going to show everybody what you're made of. What everybody says and writes about you, it only affects them. It doesn't really affect who you are."

The Top 100 Players available for the 2007 Draft(part 1-#1-#50)

The top100 players available for the 2007 Draft (pt 1)
(1-50)
Every year more and more scrutiny goes into the evaluation of talent for the draft. Every year someone always asks me "why did so-an-so" drop down on people's draft boards, or why didn't he get drafted he had such a great college career. The fact is that not even the people running the teams war rooms themselves are willing to explain why an individual drops or rises on someone's board, because it's based on many factors. So when you read this now, take heed. A few of these names might not get called the first day.

1) Calvin Johnson-WR-Georgia Tech 6'4"-235-4.35
Johnson is typical of the "new wave" of heavier, almost tight end bodied wideouts. His size and physical tools make him stand head and shoulders (no pun!) above the rest of this year's class. He will be able to fight off taller DB's to get to the jump balls over the middle, but has the amazing burst of speed off the line of scrimmage as well. It would be a surprise to see him selected later then 1pm eastern on draft day.

2) Joe Thomas-OL-Wisconsin-6'8"-314-4.92
Thomas surprised everyone at the combine by doing almost all the drills, including twice running a sub 5 second 40 time. Amazing flexibility at the key joints will make him one of the best linemen in the pro game some day, his upper body strength was questioned earlier in his career at Wisconsin, but worked hard the last two off seasons to make improvements. If he falls out of the top five on draft day, it will be because of the depth of the skill player pool in the top ten.

3) JaMarcus Russell-QB-LSU-6'5"-261-4.83
Some people will be surprised that Russell moved up past both Quinn and Peterson, but the improvements he made from the combine to his pro day were noticeable. Still, he ran only one 40, and did position drills. He did throw to his receivers. He dropped almost 20 pounds in just over 2 weeks, surprising many who thought he needed time away from the steam tables. Wherever he goes, Russell will bring a Howitzer-like arm and very good skills.

4) Adrian Peterson-RB-Oaklaholma-6'2"-212-4.39(varies)
Despite his injury (broken collarbone) last year, this young man is ready for the brighter lights of the NFL. He reminds some (including me) of a slightly faster Eddie George in his running style, simply hard to bring down by one man alone. The first Runningback off the board, he will have a short adjustment period in the pros. He would benefit by going to a team that doesn't need him to carry the whole load right away.

5) Brady Quinn-QB-Notre Dame-6'4"-233-4.73(best)
It's sad that Quinn is only the second best QB in this draft, although after him the talent pool drops off tremendously. In any other draft, he might be the #1 at his position. He has matured well as both a player and a person under head coach Charlie Weis, and will be astute with his next coaching staff as well. Weis worked hard to cure Quinn of his difficulty seeing past the first option.

6) LaRon Landry-DB-LSU-6' 2"-186-4.35
Landry wowed the scouts at the combine with his great workout numbers, runing as fast as 4.29 seconds in the forty. The best DB in the draft class, Landry can play both the run and pass equally well, allowing the front seven to blitz out of multiple schemes. Another player who would surprise me if he fell out of the top 10 selections. Can also blitz quite well in situations. Could find his way up a spot or two depending on how the first hour works out on draft day.


7) Marshawn Lynch-RB-Cal-5'11"-218-4.45
Not the most explosive runner you'll ever see, Lynch compares favorably to some one like last years late 1st round surprise pick of the Colts, Joe Addai. Runs with a low to the ground style and is hard to tackle. Just the second player in school history to gain 1,000+ yards in consectuive seasons. Hits the hole without stalling and cuts well. A northern Califorina prep star who played his H.S. Ball at Oakland Tech. has three younger family members still on the Golden Bears team.

8) Gaines Adams-DE-Clemson-6'4"-262-4.71
A game changing playmaker, Adams will be a tough one to block for NFL offensive linemen. Has tremendous physical power, benching 21 reps at Clemson's pro day. Shows great moves both to the inside and outside on tape. Looks very much like a young Michael Strahan, maybe only a half step faster. Could have more of an impact then anyone at the position from last year's draft class if he can add some bulk and muscle to his frame. A bright and engaging personality, Gaines already has his eye on life after the NFL, earning his degree in sports management in December of 2006

9) Alan Branch-DT-Michigan-6'6"-329-4.79(short shuttle) 5.22(40Y.D.)
While Branch has fine numbers physically, he showed up to his pro day out of shape. Still, Branch was the main reason that Michigan went from 41st in run defense in 2005 to #1 in 2006. Can run out of gas early if he has too many consecutive plays, but if he's rotated as part of a 4 man line, or gets help in a 3-4 defense, he will make opponents sorry they lined up across from him. Played 37 games for the Blue, started 16 at the nose and 7 at DE.
Noted for engaging multiple opponents to allow teammates to pressure the offense.

10) Greg Olsen-TE-Miami (Fla.)-6'5"-252-4.51(40Y.D.)4.41(short shuttle)
Olsen was the surprise of the combine at his position, running every drill, some faster then a few wide receivers! In the mold of Previous U of Miami Tight Ends' Winslow and Shockey, Olsen is a good underneath, in-traffic pass catcher. We believe that his Football DNA (his Father was his H.S. Coach) plus his upside potential and combine and pro day workouts signal his rise up the draft board. Also a good blocker, Olsen has good balance. 26 starts out of 33 games played. Led the Hurricanes last season with 40 catches(for 489 yards & 1 TD).

11) Leon Hall-CB-Michigan-5'11"-193-4.41(40Y.D.-combine)
A 2006 Thorpe award finalist, Hall is a consummate defender. While not as tall as others, has decent speed to stay with wide receivers. Had at least 1 pass deflection in his last 26 games, with 43 in his total of 50 career games. Could be a triple threat for the team that selects him, as he also caught 24 passes for 520 yards as a part time Receiver his senior season. 12 career interceptions, 180 Tackles(141 solo). Some teams might shy away from him because of his size, but they would be mistaken to do so based on his big play ability.

12) Jamaal Anderson-DE-Arkansas-6'6" 280-4.79(campus)
Anderson played receiver as a High School player, shattering many of former Packer Keith Jackson's records at Parkview High in Little Rock. Made the transition to Defense as a freshman for the Razorbacks. Looks very flexible when he gets low against opposing tackles, able to shed their blocks most times. Could bulk up a bit with no severe loss of agility. Good Pursuit skills in the open field. Even though he only started 19 of 36 games played, has 17-1/2 career sacks. Very bright student who did well in classes. Majored in Sociology at the University's Fulbright school of arts and sciences.

13) Dwayne Jarrett-WR-USC-6'5" 212-4.55(campus)
A prime example of the trend in taller wide receivers who can stretch for the ball. Another 10 or so pounds and he really does look like a young Plaxico Burress. Can behave poorly with a Keyshawn Johnson like personality. Gets frustrated when he isn't the main target. Set the record with 41 career TD catches and 216 total in three seasons, and was #2 all time in receiving yardage (3,138) behind Johnnie Morton (3,201). Moving up because of a good Bowl Game, but could also slide back down because of his work ethic.

14) Levi Brown-OT-Penn St. 6'5" 328-5.3(campus)
A standout two-way lineman in high school in Virginia, Brown already has issues with his left knee (sprained in '04-torn meniscus in '06) which bears watching. Started 44 of 45 games over his PSU career despite injury. Punishing blocker who stops people in their tracks. Gets lazy at times in practice, but PSU's Tackles and Tight Ends Coach Bill Kenney says Brown is every bit a quality player as his predecessors.

15) Ted Ginn Jr.-WR/SP-Ohio St.-6'0"-180 4.28(campus-2006)
The issue here is Ginn's middle foot sprain, which has kept him out of both the combine and the OSU Pro day. A converted DB who only first played WR in the 11th grade. Ginn was coached by his father Ted Sr., One of the most well known H.S. coaches in the country. Played his entire H.S. and college career with OSU teammate Troy Smith. Ginn also played RB and QB in H.S. As talented as he is, teams will shy away from his lack of recent workouts.

16) Patrick Willis-ILB-Ole Miss-6'1.5" 239-4.51(combine)4.39(pro day)
Willis has had to deal with adversity his whole life, helping his father take care of two younger siblings after his mother walked out. It's only fitting that he led the Rebels through their rebuilding years of late. Has incredible skills, great pursuit of the center of the play. Sheds blockers with ease. His great Pro day numbers just about assure him of being the top LB selected in what is a weak overall class.


17) Amobi Okoye-DT-Louisville-6'2.25"-286-4.97(campus)4.88(combine)
Like Elvis Dumerville last year, Okoye is smallish for a DT at just over 6"2", but has so much of what it takes to play the position. He is explosive off the line, able to get the better of the center in front of him. Has good hands and puts them to good use, forcing opposing OL's to hold him or lose him. Very young (19) and didn't play football until the 9th grade(age 13), he will be 19 when drafted. Very Intelligent (Mensa Level I.Q.) Psychology major with a high GPA. Would be great with a defensive teaching coach. Could still grow an inch, and lost 20+ pounds from last year until now.

18) Lawrence Timmons-OLB-Florida St.-6'3"-232-4.62('06)4.66(combine)
Not as good a class of OLB's as last year, Timmons is rising up on draft boards and could be the best of the group. Although he could stand to add a few pounds, he wouldn't loose much if at all in footspeed. Good body movement. Good in passing situations as both a rusher and in coverage. Plays faster then his numbers. Very good work habits.Very coachable. Many feel he was given the short shrift by the Polls in '06. Sometimes he reminds me of another Lawrence.

19) Chris Houston-CB-Arkansas-5'11.5"-181-4.49('06)4.32(combine)
Houston is the kind of player most NFL teams want: a quality shutdown cornerback. Also plays specials as a gunner on punt plays. Had good games against Tennessee's Meachem and USC's Jarrett, but the Trojans were training a new QB and Meachem did take one of his two catches Vs. Houston for a TD. Did well at position drills on his pro day. Sometimes will lock in with a WR and get turned around, but overall a solid player.

20) Jon Beason-OLB-Miami (Fla) 6'0.5"-236-4.63(campus)
Beason is thick bodied, has great range on the field and is a very good tackler. He looks more like a Middle Linebacker everyday. Started his career at Miami as a Fullback, but only carried 1 time for 3 yards when a shoulder injury earned him a medical redshirt. Has been compared to the Panthers Dan Morgan. 22 starts in 38 career games with171 tackles(104 solo). Would do well in any scheme.

21) Dwayne Bowe-WR-LSU-6'3"-214-4.48(campus)4.40(combine)
Bowe benefited from two things last year. The offense at LSU shifted to more of a downfield passing game without Joseph Addai, and that allowed QB JaMarcus Russell to throw more deep balls. While he is fast for a big man, his actual footspeed is deceptive at times. Not that explosive off the line, he prefers to use his upper body power to jam defenders at the line. Had 65 catches for 990 yards in '06 with 12 TD's. Good downfield blocker as well. Nice hands. Hard to bring down after the catch.

22) Jarvis Moss-DE-Florida-6'6"-258-4.63(campus)4.76(pro day)
Moss is a project who is recovering from a Pelvic injury that became infected and took almost 3 years to heal. He missed just about all of his freshman and sophomore seasons due to the injury from high school. After having a decent 2005 season as a reserve in 11 games, he earned a starting spot in 2006, playing all 13 games. Still needs to gain another 10-12 pounds to keep from being contained by opposing offensive linemen. Could still be a quality DE/OLB depending on weight situation.

23) Aaron Ross-CB-Texas-6'1" 190-4.45(campus-'06) 4.54(combine)
Ross is another of those lighter weight corners who should gain a few pounds before playing an NFL game. Only started full time last year, and was academically ineligible to play in 2003. Good tackler (205 career with 145 solo) but needs work just about everywhere else. Can run with receivers without getting locked up, but easily bites on QB pump & fakes. Decent return man in similar mold of Devin Hester, he would be better suited to nickel back then as a coverage corner, but could be taught with time.

24) Paul Posluszny-OLB-Penn St. 6'1.75"-238-4.65(campus)
Another future NFL standout from "linebacker U", Paul changed his # to 31 from 39 to honor Shane Conlon from the '86 national title team. Great physical tools, but could stand to gain a few pounds via the weight room to avoid getting hammered by opponents. Played all three LB spots in 44 career games with 37 starts (20 at LOLB, 11 at ROLB, and 6 at MLB). Had one career Int for a TD. 372 career tackles(210 Solo). Having watched much tape on this young man it's safe for me to say he is a sturdy player who will forge a long history at the next level.

25) Adam Carriker-DE-Nebraska-6'6" 295-4.85(campus)
Carriker excels at everything he does, from the classroom (deans list 3.7GPA) to volunteer speaking, to sports (Played QB and DE in high school in the state of Washington, as well as baseball and track). While he lacks the explosion off the line, he has great technique, and overpowers opposing offensive tackles. Also has good pursuit skills to the ball, would convert well to the nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme, as he can get very low to the ground for a player of his size. Massive wingspan.

26) Darrelle Revis-CB-Pitt-6'0"-202-4.54(campus-06)
Revis is another standout two-way player as both a cover corner and a Punt returner. The nephew of former Pitt and NFL star Sean Gilbert, Revis played QB, RB,WR, and KR during his senior season in H.S. He also played Basketball, and could have been drafted directly to the NBA. All-Big East, All-Planet earth. 34 starts in 35 career games. 8 career Int's with a pair of TD's. 129 tackles(101 Solo). So why is he so far down the list? It's a good solid year for DB's in general, and he may actually move ahead of Aaron Ross between now and draft day.

27) Reggie Nelson-S-Florida-6'1"-178-4.35 (combine) 4.37(campus'06)
Nelson has a good skill set and several physical tools to play the game.
A strong tackler against the run for his size and weight with good explosion off the ball. If he has one fault is his trouble with tackling pass receivers downfield after the catch. Does show ability to make plays while the ball is coming down. Might also have trouble learning a difficult playbook due to academic issues. Needed two years at the Juco level to make it to Gatorland. In his defense, he had trouble dealing with the loss of his mother to breast cancer. Another late mover before draft day, Nelson could become a nickel back.


28) Charles Johnson-DE-Georgia-6'2"-270-4.68(campus) 4.75(combine)
Johnson was the other half of the defensive end tandem with Quentin Moses that destroyed opponents the last two seasons. Because Moses drew major double teams, Johnson was able to get penetration to the tune of 9.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss last season. 13 starts in 35 games with 73 career tackles(54 solo). A squat, square shouldered body type, he is able to get low to the ground when he must stop a play. Not a bull rusher but good power, but can get closed out by bigger linemen. Might not be more then a pass rush specialist.

29) Robert Meachum-WR-Tennessee-6'3"-210-4.4(Pro day)4.47 (Combine)
This young man is probably the best wide out from the South Eastern Conference in quite some time. Rangy with long arms, he is gifted with several gears on his transmission. He can shift in the open field, and doesn't get jammed by defenders easily. Possesses great hands and very good field and ball awareness. Had 1,298 receiving yards, led the conference with11 TD's, 71 receptions (5.46 per game) and 99.8 yards per game over13 games, all starts. If he has only one negative is that he should improve his overall blocking skills, but shows promise even there as well. Poised to move up on the board based on great Combine and Pro Day numbers.

30) Ryan Kalil-OC-USC-6'4"-291-No 40 Time
This is an interesting young man with lots of skills. In a year with a weak Center class, Kalil will be the first one chosen. His Body type, and ability compares to a Tom Nalen or Frank Winters. Naturally strong with good lateral movement, he has been the anchor of the Trojans offensive line the past two and a half years. Team averages 500 yards of offense per game with him in the lineup. Can tie up two defenders consistently. Marches to a different beat, likes to sing Sinatra tunes.

31) Zach Miller-TE-Arizona St.-6'5"-259-4.79(campus)
Considered the best tight end in the nation by most scouts and observers, Miller was a stand out both in the classroom and on the field in high school. Great on field vision and awareness, Miller caught at least one pass in all but two games (33 out of 35) in his college career. Looks much like his predecessor, Ravens TE Todd Heap. Had some Ankle trouble in 2005, but seems to have healed up. 144 career receptions for 1,512 yards and 14 TD's. Chose to stay local and go to school with his older brother Brent.

32) Joe Staley-OL-Cent.Michigan-6'5"-302-4.7.1(campus) 4.72(combine)
Joe started out his College career as a tight end who weighed only 225 pounds in 2003. A local Michigan product who chose to stay home, Staley was also a track star who bulked up to play both right and left tackle. He has emerged as one of the best pass protectors in the nation with few rough spots if any. Had 39 starts in 46 games and gave up no sacks in 2005 or 2006.
Has the fastest 40 time of any OL in this class.

33) Eric Wright-CB/RS-UNLV-5'11"-190-4.47(campus) 4.36(combine)
Such a shame this is such a troubled young man, or else he'd be moving even higher on the board. A medical hardship in 2003, he transferred from USC amid various off the field "incidents" after the 2004 season. Sat out 2005 and only played in 9 games with 6 starts in 2006. 10 starts over 22 games played for the two schools. A Good tackler for someone without punishing power, he moves well in open space. If he can get past his baggage he has tremendous upside as both a defender and a return man.



34) LaMarr Woodley-DE-Michigan-6'2"-4.62(campus'06) 4.74 (Pro Day)
A fearsome pass rusher, Woodley is adept at either rush end or outside linebacker. Although he was at the combine, he did not partake in workouts until his pro day march 16th. He and Teammate Alan Branch helped the Wolverines lead the nation in rush defense. Works best in free space as a pass rusher, but can do well in traffic, getting low to the ground to keep offensive linemen from rolling over and pushing him out of the play.
Amazing upper body for a man of his height and weight. 33 starts in 49 games over 4 years with 177 tackles (129 solo) and 25 sacks(2nd in school history) can get dinged up at times.

35) Brandon Merriweather-S-Miami (Fla.)-5'11"-196-4.52(campus)
4.56(combine) Known as the man who broke Bennie Blades' record for career solo tackles (182) and total stops(293). A 5 year player because of injuries in 2002 and 2003, he played 52 games (3rd in school history). Played all 5 positions in the defensive backfield over his career. Has a wiry framed body structure, but gained 35 pounds in 5 years. A team leader who stood up to critics after the brawl against Fla. Int'l last season. Will have to overcome critics with regard to his durability.

36) Justin Harrell-DT-Tennessee-6'4"-305-5.08(campus)
Another firey team leader, but also injury prone or else would be ranked higher. Has a think upper body and can make plays downfield or in the pit, but does not have the best ball awareness at times. Could develop into a steady player if he can stay healthy for an extended period of time. Played 35 games with 25 starts, and had 82 tackles (46 solo) with 4 sacks.The Number of injuries bears watching.

37) Brian Leonard-FB-Rutgers-6'2"-230-4.52(campus)
Started his career as a Tailback, but switched so the team could add Ray Rice into the offensive mix. Played 47 games for the scarlet knights and caught at least one pass in each game (45 starts). Also a great pass catcher. Trying to get his weight back down to his pre-Fullback days with the help of a private trainer (was 228 at the combine). Has good quickness and cuts for a man his size. Also an excellent pass receiver, he has nearly 6,000 total career yards. Will make someone's 2007 roster.




38) Brandon Siler-LB-Florida-6'2"-239-4.52 (campus) 4.58(combine)
Quiet and unassuming, this young man reminds mea bit of Ex-Giant Harry Carson. He just goes about his business on and off the field. Was ranked 4th best overall ILB in the country in high school. A classic 4-3 middle linebacker with a well developed body, good acceleration to the heart of the play, very good agility, and good ball awareness. Very bright student, Criminology major, member of school's leadership team, would like to be a politician someday.

39) Sidney Rice-WR-South Carolina-6'4"-202-4.49(campus)
One of the best receivers to come out of the state in quite some time, Rice sat his first year after only one game due to a knee injury. Also had an injured finger in the summer of 2005 forcing him to miss the 1st game, he then played the next 24 strait! Produced back-to-back 1,000+ yard receiving seasons in 2005-2006. Tall with good body control, he is a good downfield route runner with good speed and hands. Decent crack blocker, but needs to improve strait ahead blocking skills. 23 starts in 24 career games with 142 receptions for 2,233 yards and 23 TD's.

40) Anthony Spencer-DE-Perdue-6'3"-266-4.63(campus)
If Penn St. is Linebacker U, then the same can be said for defensive ends and Perdue! Another 5 year man, Spencer's only action in 2002 was with the scout team. In 2003 he missed 3 early season games with torn ligaments in his foot. After a banner 2004 season, he fell off again in 05 due to illness and injuries, but bounced back to all planet status in 2006. His moves and foot speed remind me of Shaun Phillips of San Diego, but he doesn't have the physical size to overpower opponents. At times played as much as 10 pounds lighter (in 2005) due to the flu. Not an every down player, but a good pass rusher both out of the stance or standing up.

41) Marcus McCauley-DB-Fresno St.-6'1"-195-4.39(campus) 4.48(combine)
A solid open field hitter and tackler who also has the coverage skills against speedy receivers. His performance slipped somewhat after a concussion early in 2006. Could also play receiver, since he played both ways in high school. Might need some more weight on his frame to stay durable in the pros. Was an aggressive player before his injury, and would need to regain that spark to have success at the next level. Sadly, he had only a so-so combine and pro day. Could be sliding down unless he gets a good private workout.

42) Arron Sears-OL-Tennessee-6'4"-328-5.44(campus)
Wow is all I can say when looking at tape on this young man. A leader of the volunteers offensive unit, he is the prototypical offensive left tackle. Only missed 2 games due to injury in four years, and started as a true freshman midway through the 2003 season. Has played both Tackle and Guard, and could play on both sides of the Center. Not the best footspeed even for a lineman, but has an explosive jump out of his stance. Would be a perfect OLT if he were an inch taller and lost a bit of the babyfat , but still pretty close. Because of his work ethic and willingness to learn from coaches, he could be around a long time.

43) Quentin Moses-DE-Georgia-6'5"-255-4.72(campus)
Played with fellow end Charles Johnson, and drew the double teams that allowed his teammate to prosper. A bit undersized, Moses will have to gain some bulk (at least 15 pounds) to play in a down stance at the pro level. Has played both left and right end. Played behind and learned from both Jumpy Geathers and David Pollack before coming intro his own in 2005. Would have had better tackle and sack numbers last year if he wasn't double teamed 50 times a game. Great lateral movement much like Miami's Jason Taylor. 26 starts in 51 games, recorded 137 tackles (93 solo) and 25 sacks.

44) Drew Stanton-QB-Michigan St.-6'3"-230-4.8(various)
As much as some might rate Stanton higher then this (or lower!), we won't fold to the pressure. While Stanton does have a some quality skills, and was all world coming out of high school, there are a few pieces missing out of this puzzle. At the top of the list, his numbers from the 2006 season are a bit of a disappointment (17 TD's, 10 Int's, 1,807 Yds) even if his overall career stats look much better. Has a tendency to play sloppy at times, and can be injury prone. If he can develop some leadership skills, he could have a decent career at the next level, but I'm not sold on him just yet.

45) Tony Ugoh-OT-Arkansas-6'5"-304-5.16 (combine)
Ugoh lost 10 pounds while preparing for the combine, but did not work out at his pro day. Tony got better with each season, and was at his best the last two years. A Powerful, thick-bodied player with good movement, good position and balance, he finishes his blocks 8 out of 10 times. Might not be fast, but doesn't get out positioned by faster pass rushers. Spent too much time away from the game as a track and field man until '05. Might not have the footwork to be a Tackle, but could become a quality Guard. Honor roll student who started 25 of 35 games over his career, including 24 in a row in '05 and '06

46) Tank Tyler-DT-N.C.State-6'2"322-5.24(Pro Day-3/20)
In 2005 Tyler played with "super' Mario Williams and John McCargo, and the defense was ranked in the top ten in the nation in several categories. After they departed, Tyler had to step up and assume the leadership role, and was not able to fill the void of two men by himself. Tyler did do a solid job in '06, registering a career high 49 tackles. His issues with weight gain and maturity are well documented, and he served a 1 quarter suspension for spitting at an official. A better strait ahead rusher then coming off the edge, could improve his foot speed for his size. Could be a force at the next level if he gets his issues dealt with.

47) Anthony Gonzalez-WR-Ohio St.-6'0"-197-4.29(campus)
A 4 time academic all American, Gonzalez benefited from having Ted Ginn on the other side last year and Santonio Holmes in 2005, Truly a fast, long stride runner, Gonzalez will stretch the field to opoen up lanes for other teammates. Very soft hands and good footwork, with good upper body definition. Uses his quickness to gain seperation off the snap from defenders. 17 starts in 33 games played at OSU, he has 87 career receptions for 1,286 yards and 13 TD's, and has never fumbled. Will donate a portion of his off the field income to charity.

48) Trent Edwards-QB-Stanford-6'3"-220-4.82(campus)
Has only played one full season (2005), so why should we think he'd stay healthy now? Has some tools, but never got to show them long term. Can throw the short routes and deep down the middle, but has trouble with deep corner routes. Has "game" smarts. Had 26 career TD's vs. 20 Int's. Only reason he is even this high is a nice private workout in the rain (3/20) where he threw 60 passes with only 3 inc's. Could be someone back-up, but would have to prove he can stay healthy before becoming a long term starter.

49) Marcus Thomas-DL-Florida-6'3"-295-5.23 (private-3/29)
A bit bigger then most nose tackles, Thomas could have been one of the best ever to play the game until two failed drug tests last summer and fall wrecked that for him. After being dismissed from the team, he sat home while the gators won the national title. Still has the tools to succeed at the next level if he behaves. 41 career games with 31 starts, 157 tackles (93 solo), 14 sacks, and two blocked kicks. If his one big night last summer was just that, he's capable of redeeming himself.

50) Kenny Irons-RB-Auburn-5'11"-203-4.51(campus)
A transfer from South Carolina, Irons wanted to play with his older brother CB David Irons. Like Jerious Norwood of the Falcons, Irons isn't a power rusher, but has quickness to the point of attack, and can wiggle out of tacklers if he keeps his legs moving. Good low center of gravity makes him hard to wrap up. Enough agility to change direction on the fly, but not in the same mold as predecessors Williams or Brown. Minor injuries slowed him some this past season, but would be a quality addition to any team.

Well there is part one of our top 100(whew!)

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Shows New SF 49ers Stadium Plan Monday Night

It's good to see San Francisco continues to keep the pressure on. Frankly, I'd sue for economic tampering. The idea that the 49ers don't contribute to the city's economic health is just nuts.

City unveils new 49ers stadium proposal
Grand plans would aim to reinvigorate Hunters Point, Candlestick areas
Patrick Hoge, SF Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, March 26, 2007

(03-26) 22:01 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The neglected areas of San Francisco's southeast shore would be remade into a destination spot with a new football stadium, hundreds of acres of open space and thousands of new homes under an ambitious city proposal that rivals plans for Treasure Island and Mission Bay.
Mayor Gavin Newsom says his plan for the 790-acre site would not require public funding for a stadium at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, a toxic site that the Navy is cleaning up. The plan also calls for a new look for Candlestick Point, where the 49ers' current stadium would be bulldozed to make way for high-rise homes, retail shops and parks.
The plan, unveiled Monday night, makes other far-reaching promises, such as plentiful parking for tailgate parties, no seizures of privately owned homes, possible rebuilding of a troubled housing project and, ultimately, the chance for city voters to bless the final vision.
"We have a plan that we can finance -- no surprises,'' Newsom said in an interview. "I want to put pressure on the 49ers. I want to make it very difficult for them to leave our city,'' Newsom said.
The team is working on a plan to build a stadium in Santa Clara and is trying to raise public support for partial public financing. A detailed financing plan for that project is expected next month.
But Newsom is betting that the 49ers will not get what they are seeking in the South Bay. He said he plans to ask the Board of Supervisors to endorse his plan in May, and environmental reviews could start in June. Construction could begin in June 2009, and the stadium could be ready by the 2012 season, he said.
City officials insist that the transformation of the troubled neighborhoods will happen regardless of whether the team builds its new home in San Francisco.
The city's plan embraces financing tactics that have worked in San Francisco before. Its partner is the Lennar Corp. of Miami, a Fortune 500 company that is leading redevelopment efforts at former military bases on Treasure Island and Mare Island in Vallejo.
As it did for the San Francisco Giants' waterfront ballpark, the city would contribute the land. Lennar says it would contribute $100 million in cash and help finance the stadium's infrastructure, including parking, roads, electrical lines, sewer pipes and water service.
The 49ers apparently don't have anything like that in Santa Clara, and the team says the city will have to make some sort of "up-front public investment,'' possibly in the form of land or access to the city's utility funds. One source involved with the deal said the team wants between $150 million and $200 million.
Team spokeswoman Lisa Lang said San Francisco's latest proposal represents progress but doesn't address all the team's concerns. That includes the cleanup of the Hunters Point Superfund site, designated as one of the country's most polluted areas.
"We are still in the midst of working through the issues associated with the cleanup time frame of the Superfund site, the public transportation plan, the infrastructure issues and the traffic plans, and these are not yet resolved,'' she said. "But we are making progress and working through these issues with the city and Lennar."
In November, 49ers owners John York and Denise DeBartolo York announced that Santa Clara had become their favored stadium site, abandoning a Candlestick proposal that city officials hoped could also support the 2016 Olympic Games. San Francisco's plan, the Yorks said, would feel cramped with the high-rise housing development, and a proposed multilevel parking garage would ruin the fans' tailgate traditions.
They also questioned whether Lennar Corp. would construct needed infrastructure improvements in a timely manner.
Newsom and Lennar's new plan provides open-air parking for 19,500 cars immediately around the stadium. The parking surface would be made of "dual use turf'' -- natural grass held together with a synthetic mesh in the root system, allowing the space to be used for recreation year-round.
The plan also includes at least 8,500 housing units, 2 million square feet of office space, an 8,000- to 12,000-seat arena and 700,000 square feet of retail and entertainment uses, including a large grocery store near Highway 101 at Candlestick and a smaller one at Hunters Point.
There would more than 350 acres of parks and open space, including the stadium parking and a waterfront trail.
Newsom said the plan would need the support of Bayview-Hunters Point residents, most of whom seemed pleased with the vision at a Monday evening meeting of citizens involved with the long-discussed redevelopment of both Hunters Point and Candlestick Point. To that end, Lennar's plans call for replacement housing for artists who have been living at the former shipyard.
There would also be an International African Marketplace, replacement housing for residents of the city's 45-year-old Alice Griffith Housing Development and even a cable-guided tram that would climb the steep hill that dominates Bayview Park, one of the city's least-used parks.
Lennar representatives said their project will be financed with private money, funds borrowed against future property taxes and assessments and fees typical of new development. They expect the project to be finished by 2021.
The 49ers are skeptical that the cleanup of the 500-acre former shipyard can be done expeditiously.
But Navy and Environmental Protection Agency officials say that much of the hardest work has already been done, and top Navy brass committed this month to trying to meet the city's schedule for a phased transfer of the shipyard, with the 27-acre parcel for the stadium conveyed first, by the summer of 2009, to allow for stadium construction.
The key issue is whether Congress will maintain the same level of annual funding for the cleanup of Hunters Point -- about $70 million. The answer to that question will not come until this fall, but the city has U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on its side.
The 49ers also have questioned whether fans will get to and from a Hunters Point stadium quickly. Santa Clara boasts that it has four- to eight-lane roads serving the potential stadium site, between Great America amusement park and the city's convention center near the nexus of highways 101 and 237 and Interstate 880.
Lennar's traffic engineers believe the "dump time'' for getting cars out of a Hunters Point site would be less than what fans currently experience at Monster Park and would be comparable to what fans would experience in Santa Clara. They reason that traffic would travel on several routes. Northbound traffic, for example, would go through industrial neighborhoods. The company has not provided any traffic studies. The city's plan also calls for mass transit, including buses and possibly water taxis or ferries.
The 49ers have not made a formal proposal to Santa Clara yet. Last week, however, 49ers officials were openly coordinating with former Santa Clara city staff members and elected officials who publicly called on the city to study using some of city-owned Silicon Valley Power's money for a stadium project.
One advocate for studying that approach was former city manager and councilman Don Von Raesfeld, for whom the city recently named its new power plant. Team officials told him they need a public investment of somewhere between $150 million and $200 million, he said.
John Roukema, assistant director of Silicon Valley Power, said that drawing down the utility's reserve funds could lead to an increase in electricity rates, which are among the lowest in the state.
Roukema said that as of January, the utility's cash and investments totaled $387 million. And of that, nearly $169 million is committed to specific projects or needed to pay down bonds. The remaining $241 million, he said, is needed for capital improvements and insurance against electricity market volatility.
"The fact is that this money is still used to allow us to provide competitively priced electricity,'' Roukema said. "It's certainly not a windfall here.''
Von Raesfeld said he did not think a citywide vote would be required if the city chose to invest utility funds directly into the stadium.
Santa Clara's city attorney in 2001, however, opined that voters would have to change the city charter to tap utility funds to help fund a baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics. That effort, led by local citizens including Von Raesfeld, withered away without a vote after years of work.
In 1990, the San Francisco Giants also went to voters in Santa Clara, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Milpitas seeking approval of a 1 percent electricity tax to pay for a stadium. The measure was soundly rejected.
E-mail Patrick Hoge at phoge@sfchronicle.com.

NFL Draft Preview Video - One | Chris Leak, Ted Ginn Jr., Michael Bush, Kenny Irons

I called this NFL Draft Video - One, because there will be more videos before all is said and done.

The author reports that it features MICHAEL BUSH,CHRIS LEAK, DWAYNE JARRETT, TED GINN JR., KENNY IRONS.

Jets Look to sign Back Up QB Tuiasosopo

Backup QB Tuiasosopo in wings for Jets
BY TOM ROCK

The Jets announced the signing of free-agent defensive end Michael Haynes yesterday and soon could do the same for quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo. An NFL source said the Jets will finalize a deal with the former Raider and six-year veteran, possibly early next week. The 28-year-old unrestricted free agent reportedly has reached an agreement in principle with the team.

Tuiasosopo, who will compete with Kellen Clemens for the backup quarterback job, appeared in only 11 games, including two starts, in six seasons.

Tuiasosopo's deal is likely to be a one-year contract with a base salary of $595,000, the league minimum for a player with his tenure. That would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent again at the end of the 2007 season.
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What? did i see the word "Compete"?? what competition?? That was last Summer. There will be no competition This Jets camp!
As good a college career that Marques had(incidently-both Clemens and Tuiasosopo are products of the great northwest)
Clemens runs rings around him in Qb skills. What we see here is that no longer does Chad Pennington need a Veteran Back- up. He is the Veteran QB, and the Youngsters are waiting on his decline. Mangini and Tannenbaum are smart enough to know that Chad's shoulder will not last forever.

Texans Name Schaub Starting QB

Texans introduce Schaub as starting quarterback-See my comment

By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP Sports Writer
March 22, 2007

HOUSTON (AP) -- David Carr is done as the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans.

The Texans acquired Matt Schaub in a trade with Atlanta on Thursday and said for the first time publicly that Carr's five-year tenure as the starter is over.

"Matt is our starting quarterback," general manager Rick Smith said. "We're trying to help David find another place. We're trying to trade him today, maybe the next couple of days."

The Schaub Era begins with the same cloud that lingered over Carr's final season: Vince Young. The Texans could've drafted the hometown star who led the Texas Longhorns to a national championship, but opted to stick with Carr in hopes he'd finally live up to his status as the first pick in franchise history.

Houston showed its faith in Carr by giving him a contract extension last offseason.

"Yes, we've made mistakes," team owner Bob McNair said. "Not just there, that's not the only place. And we'll make mistakes moving forward. The key is you've got to make more good decisions than bad decisions."

Carr became the face of this expansion team from the time he was taken No. 1 overall in 2002. He won his opener, but the Texans have gone 24-56 over five years, never posting a winning record.

Houston went 6-10 last season and Young added to the sting by carrying the Tennessee Titans to wins in eight of their last 11 games, including a dramatic overtime victory in Houston.

Now, Schaub gets a chance to make Texans fans forget about Young.

Schaub's agent, Joby Branion, said Schaub signed a six-year deal worth $48 million.

Schaub hasn't started a game since 2005 and threw only 27 passes last season. McNair said Schaub brings "the leadership that we think is needed."

Schaub acknowledged that he'll have to overcome his lack of experience.

"There are going to be a lot more things as the starter that you have to do and handle on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to being the backup," Schaub said. "It's just a matter of knowing that going in and meeting it head on."

Schaub, who was a restricted free agent, could have signed with any team, but was sold on the Texans during a round of golf he played with Kubiak on Monday.

"The thing he told me was he was going to do what it takes to be successful, as an offensive team, especially," Schaub said. "It's just an incredible opportunity for me to take the next step in my career, leading a team and running the huddle."

The Texans and Falcons also swapped first-round picks in the upcoming draft -- Atlanta now has the eighth pick and Houston dropped to No. 10. Atlanta also received second-round picks in the next two drafts.

Schaub entered the league through the same draft as Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers and J.P. Losman. Kubiak said the Texans grabbed Schaub just as he's starting to blossom.

"We wanted a player who's ready to go into his prime and that's what this young man is," Kubiak said. "This guy is ready for his opportunity to run a football team. We're catching him at the perfect time. We could walk across that field today and he could take us out of the huddle."

Before landing Schaub, Houston tried to sign Jeff Garcia and Patrick Ramsey before the two joined other teams. The Texans also reportedly were pursuing Jake Plummer, who retired.

The Falcons took Schaub in the third round of the 2004 draft. The 6-foot-5 Schaub set school records at Virginia for pass completions (716), passing yards (7,502) and touchdown throws (56).

"This player is what an NFL quarterback should be," Smith said. "He's a leader. He's a strong, smart accurate passer. As we looked at the market and assessed how to get better at the position, we entertained a lot of ideas.

"At the end of the day, the acquisition we've made today is perfect for us."

Carr had similarly glowing numbers at Fresno State when the Texans chose him with the first pick in 2002. He completed 60 percent of his passes with Houston, but also threw 65 interceptions and was sacked 249 times in five seasons.

Houston also has quarterbacks Sage Rosenfels, Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter on its roster.

Carr has two years left on his contract that will pay him about $11.5 million over the next two seasons.

"We're hopeful he will continue his NFL career and be successful," Smith said.

A message was left seeking comment from Mike Sullivan, Carr's agent.
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So this is where it ends for Carr in Texas. He wants to go west, maybe to Denver to back up Jay Cutler, or maybe to Oakland, where the QB spot is wide open no matter who gets drafted. He has to decide weather he thinks he's still "Starting" QB Quality or not.

Redskins Trade Archuleta to the Chicago Bears

AP: Redskins Trade Archuleta to Bears- see my comment below
By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer

ASHBURN, Va. -- Adam Archuleta's tumultuous time with the Washington Redskins ended Tuesday night when he was traded to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round draft pick, The Associated Press has learned.

Archuleta, who languished on the bench most of last season despite having the richest contract ever given a safety, will be reunited in Chicago with coach Lovie Smith, his former defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams.

The trade was confirmed by an official within the league who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams do not plan to announce it until Wednesday. The deal came one day before Archuleta was due to paid a guaranteed $5 million bonus.

The Redskins lured Archuleta to Washington a year ago with a seven-year, $35 million contract that included $10 million in bonuses, a signing that quickly became one of the biggest free agents blunders in the league.

It soon became apparent that assistant coach Gregg Williams would try to use the hard-hitting converted linebacker more as a coverage safety. When Archuleta struggled, he landed firmly in Williams' doghouse.

Archuleta lost the starting job in preseason and regained it for the first seven regular-season games only because of a knee injury to Pierson Prioleau. Archuleta's liabilities were one of the reasons the Redskins were especially vulnerable against long passes as they slumped to a 5-11 record. Eventually, the Redskins took Archuleta out of the defense altogether, using him only on special teams for most of the second half of the season.

The subject was clearly embarrassing to both Williams and coach Joe Gibbs, and neither ever gave an explanation for Archuleta's demotion. Once the season ended, Gibbs indicated Archuleta was still in the team's plans, but those remarks were mostly seen as posturing before a possible trade.

Getting rid of Archuleta wasn't easy because of his mammoth contract. The Redskins didn't want to cut him outright because of the huge cost on this year's salary cap. The $5 million bonus was already postponed once as the Redskins worked to make a trade, and any deal was expected to include a renegotiation of Archuleta's salaries and bonuses.

The Bears were the only likely destination because of Archuleta's relationship with Smith. Archuleta was hoping to sign with Chicago as a free agent last year, but he decided on Washington after the Redskins offered the big contract.

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So the Archuleta Experiment is over in D.C.
Not surprising as he never really fit into the 'Skins real long term plans anyway. The Bears get the saftey they have needed, which could have been the piece they missed last season on their "D" the Skins get another late round Pick they can waste on a player who will make the NFL minimum for 2 or three years and then be coaching at some H.S. in his hometown.

Giants work Buy-Back Of Eli Manning's Contract

Giants exercise buy-back of Manning's contract- see my note at the Bottom
BY ARTHUR STAPLE AND BOB GLAUBER

Giants fans have complained about the team's unwillingness to spend in the free agent market, but they've invested heavily in their own players.

They not only re-signed center Shaun O'Hara to a five-year, $19 million deal just hours before the free agency signing period began on March 2, but they also spent big money to make sure that Eli Manning remains their quarterback for the next three seasons at least.

The Giants exercised a "buy-back" of Manning's contract earlier this month, Newsday has learned, to keep Manning from becoming a free agent at the end of the 2007 season. Newsday incorrectly reported that Manning's contract had been extended through the 2012 season.

Manning is still under contract through 2009, but the buy-back was a costly one.

According to league sources familiar with Manning's contract, the Giants gave him a $5 million buy-back bonus, as well as a $3 million roster bonus. His base salary for the 2007 season will be $6.45 million. It increases to $8.45 million in 2008 and $8.95 million in 2009. The six-year, $54 million deal in July, 2004, but the deal would have voided after four seasons because Manning had achieved play-time incentives in his first season.

Giants sources last night confirmed that the move was made, and that the team had planned the transaction well in advance.

A team source said the money allocated to Manning has not been a factor in the team's reluctance to spend big on free agents. The source indicated that there were simply not enough quality players available in free agency worth pursuing, and that the huge contracts earned by some players was not in line with what the Giants believed their value to be.



And My slant: This is Gigantic(no pun meant!) for the Giants front office, as Eli would have been a Free Agent after this season. For all the crying fans are doing, for better or worse Manning is the Future of this offense, and they should make sure he's happy.