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Marvin Harrison can’t find common ground with the Indianapolis Colts, so he wants to be released by the team. The two sides were “trying” to restructure a deal, but there is no agreement — except to disagree. Colts president Bill Polian acknowledged yesterday that it’s a tricky situation, but I disagree. And Mr. Polian is probably just being respectful to one of the game’s all-time great receivers. I don’t think it’s tricky at all. As important as Marvin has been to the Colts over his 13 years there, his numbers have been declining (only 20 catches in an injury-plagued 2007 and 60 catches last season), he’s 36-years-old and he’s no longer a player they can afford to keep around — the Colts are looking at a $13.4 million salary cap hit if they keep him on the roster. Be serious. Plus his recent legal issues (and violent, psychotic behavior?) have certainly tarnished an otherwise exemplary image.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Marvin Harrison Finished in Indy

The Indianapolis Colts released starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson after he was arrested earlier today on a drug possession charge. Ed was stopped for speeding between midnight and 1 a.m. on I-465 just north of Indianapolis. Police also charged him with possession of marijuana. A disappointed Colts president Bill Polian released the following statement today:

“We will, effective tomorrow, waive defensive tackle Ed Johnson. We consider every violation of a team rule or NFL policy on an individual case-by-case basis. If club discipline is appropriate we consider the past record of the individual involved and the extent to which team rules were violated when imposing penalties. In this particular case, Ed was well aware that his past history required him to be in complete compliance with Club rules. He was repeatedly told this during the off-season. Along with his teammates, he was reminded as recently as yesterday of Coach Dungy’s rules of behavior. Unfortunately, he chose to violate those rules. Given the circumstances surrounding Ed’s original employment with the Colts, we feel in this case that we have no choice but to take this action.”

It’s the right course of action because, obviously, Ed doesn’t “get it”. And now he’s out of a job. You hope an incident like this would set a player straight, but with Ed’s history, it’s doubtful. He was temporarily expelled from Penn State in 2005 for violating the school policy on sexual misconduct and confining another student against that student’s will. He was reinstated in 2006, but later suspended for the Outback Bowl for violating team rules.

The Colts are in trouble defensively. With Ed, they gave up 153 rushing yards to the Chicago Bears in a 29-13 Kickoff Weekend loss. Now they face two teams who are known for their ability to run the football — the Vikings and Jags — back to back. Good luck. They’ll probably have to move defensive end Raheem Brock inside with Keyunta Dawson while Darrell Reid, Eric Foster and Daniel Muir back them up. It’s a list of relative unknowns and probably not a favorable situation for the Colts.

Source: Colts.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Ed Johnson Cut by Colts After Arrest

As a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, I have a vote in the Annual PFWA Awards. Below are the five categories, the nominees, and who I voted for.

Horrigan Award (for the person — not a player or team PR staffer — who helped the media best do its job last season):

• Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner. Roger’s background in NFL public relations and his understanding of our jobs have helped improve the lines of communication between the media and teams. His appearances at our writers meetings at the Super Bowl, where he asks about our concerns, are further proof of his commitment to getting it right.
• Mike Holmgren, Seahawks coach. Mike enters his final season as the Seahawks’ coach — and perhaps his last as a coach anywhere. Those who cover him regularly consider it an upset that he has never won this award, considering his openness and incredibly consistent availability, even to those critical of him. Mike is very patient in explaining his thinking about a variety of issues, including those that other coaches might be reluctant (read: paranoid) to discuss.
• Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner. Since purchasing the Cowboys in 1989, Jerry has been one of the most outspoken owners in all of sports. Never shy about giving his opinion, he is willing to speak to reporters on just about any subject, and fill your notebook to the brim. He is occasionally criticized for his opinions, but the fact that he is always willing to give them makes him one of the most valued people in the league.
• Bill Polian, Colts president/general manager. Bill has been particularly good at providing big-picture observations about the league, competition committee issues, and the Draft. A number of writers have commented about his candor at the Scouting Combine. Bill is never shy about stating his opinions, even if he occasionally ruffles the feathers of the people he works with throughout the league. In other words, he’s good copy.
• Dan Rooney, Steelers owner. A previous Horrigan nominee, Dan remains a go-to-guy among NFL owners. He is consistently available, and the fact that he speaks his mind on a variety of subjects — whether they pertain to the Steelers or the NFL — makes him one of the league’s most important voices. Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; Dan’s father, Art Rooney Sr., is a previous Horrigan winner.

My Vote: I’m going with the Commissioner. While I have not worked with him personally, I’m impressed with what he has done during his short time in office. Plus, he’s originally from the town I currently live in.

Good Guy Award (for the player who best helped the media do its job).

• Brett Favre, Packers. One of those who nominated him said, “No better interview in the game. Ask the guy a question and he’ll bare his soul.” Also noted that he continued to do conference calls, at least more than some of his quarterback brethren.
• Bob Sanders, Colts. Cited for his willingness to be accessible and have something to say, win or lose, good or bad.
• Darren Sharper, Vikings. One who nominated Darren called him “terrific” over a long period of time.
• Fred Taylor, Jaguars. One who nominated him said, “His career has been a media learning curve, and this year was the best by far.”
• Jason Taylor, Dolphins. Several folks noted his willingness to be candid and offer something to say in what was a difficult season all around.

My Vote: This was easy. Brett Favre. I’ve interviewed him three times and he’s the best interview. I’ve gotta say, I like the Bob Sanders nomination, too. Bob’s also a great interview, but Brett’s in a league of his own on and off the football field.

Halas Award (for the individual in the NFL who overcame the most adversity to succeed last season.)

• Eli Manning, Giants quarterback: Playing under intense scrutiny in the largest media market, Eli got hot in the last half of the season and led his team to three postseason victories on the road and into the Super Bowl. He played the best games of his career when they mattered most.
• Kevin Everett, Bills tight end: In the opener, Kevin sustained a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine that his doctors characterized as “life-threatening” the day after the injury, and stated it is likely to leave him with permanent neurological impairment. However, on September 11, 2007, Kevin showed significant movement in his arms and legs, which led doctors to speculate that he may eventually be able to walk again. Kevin walked in public for the first time at Ralph Wilson Stadium before the home finale against the New York Giants on December 23, 2007.
• Washington Redskins: The entire team rallied together after the shooting death of teammate Sean Taylor, piecing together a four-game winning streak to qualify for the playoffs. One Seattle writer — the Redskins lost a wild-card game there — was impressed by the sincere closeness of the players and the spirit of cooperation with the media.
• Plaxico Burress, Giants wide receiver: He endured a season of serious ankle injuries that limited his ability to practice. Still, he was the Giants’ top receiver with 70 receptions for 1,025 yards. He also set a franchise playoff record in the NFC title game with 11 receptions for 154 yards as the Giants advanced to Super Bowl XLII, where he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Giants’ 17-14 upset of New England.
• Greg Ellis, Dallas linebacker: The NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2007, Greg returned from a torn Achilles’ tendon suffered Nov. 12, 2006. He returned in Game 4 of 2007 and had the first of 12.5 sacks, tying for the team lead. During his injury and contract squabble with the Cowboys, Greg was credited with his mentoring and leadership to younger players.

My Vote: These are all great stories, but how can I vote for anyone other than Kevin Everett? He’s a walking miracle and it was inspirational to be as close to his situation as I was this past season.

Rozelle Award (for the P.R. staff that best helped the media do its job):

• Arizona Cardinals: Mark Dalton, senior director, media relations. The Cardinals have never won the Rozelle Award.
• New York Giants: Pat Hanlon, vice president of communications. The Super Bowl champion is a multiple Rozelle award winner.
• Philadelphia Eagles: Derek Boyko, director of football media services. The Eagles are a multiple Rozelle award winner.
• San Diego Chargers: Bill Johnson, director of public relations. The Chargers are a finalist for the second consecutive year.
• Seattle Seahawks: Dave Pearson, director of communications and broadcasting. Seattle has become a perennial finalist and received the most nominations for the second time in three years.

My Vote: This is another easy one. The Philadelphia Eagles are great to work with. Who else would get Lito Sheppard on the phone with me while he’s eating breakfast in the team cafeteria? There are some teams that didn’t get enough votes to be on this list, but I’d like to credit the Bills, Jags, Browns, Steelers and Ravens for always going the extra mile for me and being teams I can count on.

McCann Award (named in honor of the first executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Dick McCann Award is given annually by the PFWA to honor one of its members for distinguished service)

• Vic Carucci: After a cup of coffee with the Utica Observer Dispatch in 1979, Vic Carucci gained his first NFL beat with the South Jersey Courier Post, where he covered the Eagles for three seasons. He then went to the Buffalo News in 1982 and tracked the Bills for 17 seasons, all four Super Bowl losses included. He served a two-year term as PFWA president. Vic joined NFL.com in 1999 and has been there since. He has authored nine books on NFL subjects, five of them New York Times best-sellers. He continued to work this past season despite undergoing cancer treatment, which has been successful.
• Vinny DiTrani: Never having worked for another paper, “The Sage” started out at the Bergen Record in 1967. He took over the Jets beat in 1969, the season after they won Super Bowl III, and assumed the Giants beat in 1974. Aside from a stretch when he covered the league from 2001-03, Vinny has covered the Giants ever since, going to four Super Bowls as a beat reporter. Vinny is a longtime member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors.
• Peter Finney: The Big Easy native is nearing 63 years at the New Orleans States, then States-Item, then Times-Picayune. Peter Finney was hired as a high-school writer in 1945 and became sports columnist in 1961. His tenure easily encompasses the lifespan of the Saints; they were 40 by the time he could write about their first NFC title appearance. Peter continued to cover the Saints (and the city) through the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. He has covered every Super Bowl except for the first two — because his sports editor thought it was a fad.
• Alan Greenberg: The longtime Hartford Courant writer died in March 2007 of a heart attack. He was 55. Alan, a Baltimore native and Syracuse grad, got his first big break from the Atlanta Constitution and was hired by the Los Angeles Times in 1979. Six years later, he joined the Courant. He covered all three of the Patriots’ championship teams.
• Len Pasquarelli: After graduating from Pitt and working as a teacher, coach and stringer for a few years, Len Pasquarelli became editor of Pittsburgh Steelers Weekly in 1978. He joined the Pro Football Weekly staff in 1982 and then went to the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel to handle the Colts beat in 1986. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution hired Len to cover the Falcons in 1989. A decade later he continued his nomadic trek, entering cyberspace with SportsLine.com before landing at ESPN.com in 2001. Len became ill during Pro Football Hall of Fame voting at the last Super Bowl and had emergency, quintuple bypass surgery — but not before he voted and wrote his column.

My Vote: Vic Carucci. I worked alongside Vic during the Bills home games this season and have nothing but respect for him. I am pretty humbled by what these guys have done. I’ve been covering the NFL for about eight years now and I’m quite confident in my abilities, but I feel like a rookie compared to this list. I know when to keep my mouth shut and my ears open. And when I’m around these guys, that’s exactly what I do.

Special thanks to Mark Curnutte, Bob Glauber, Tim Graham, John McClain and Jeff Legwold for compiling the finalists; and to PFWA president Alex Marvez for the mini-bios.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Pro Football Writers of America Awards

Today was the last official day for the media to be working at the NFL Scouting Combine. Only one head coach made an appearance today — Detroit Lions leader Rod Marinelli. And Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian also stopped by. The final group of players to speak with the media were defensive backs. And LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey took his turn at the presser podium, making up for a missed opportunity yesterday because he was involved in a battery of tests at the hospital. I think he also wanted to clear the air regarding the rumors surrounding his attendance and ailing leg:

“I’m never surprised. I always try to set myself up to hear wild things. Some stuff I just wonder where people get it from. Even the reports saying I was not coming. I don’t know where that came from. It is what it is. I’m just trying to enjoy myself and make sure I’m taking care of my responsibility. Everybody is going to have their opinion on what they think about me and my game, but as long as I’m taking care of my business, that is all that matters to me ….. I have not missed a game since I got to LSU. Everybody gets bruised up. That’s the way I look at it. Who does not go through a season without getting bumps and bruises? I don’t think it’s an issue at all. I’ve played every game since I’ve been at LSU, my whole four years, so I do not think it’s a problem at all.”

Other than Glenn Dorsey, the talk of the day has been Arkansas RB Darren McFadden’s blazing 40-time as RBs, QBs and WRs worked out. Already considered one of the top prospects (and maybe the best overall athlete) in this Draft class, Darren ran a 4.33-40. I really didn’t expect him to get that good of a time. A 4.43 maybe. But, this was something to see. Darren was a blur. Somehow, that number was not the day’s best among running backs, though. East Carolina’s Chris Johnson ran a 4.24-40. This was nothing new for Chris. He is one of the fastest athletes at this Combine and a player teams are very seriously going to consider given his impressive collegiate stats and speed. One example — he had 408 total yards against Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl. And he’s comparing himself to Brian Westbrook. Sounds about right.

The quarterbacks impressed. My feeling that a bunch of these guys are going to make solid NFL QBs was supported by their workouts today. Joe Flacco showed off his big arm and speed for such a big guy. I thought Chad Henne (especially out-routes and deep throws) and Colt Brennan (20 of 21) also threw well. John David Booty looked sharp, especially on his long passes. He might be the most NFL-ready QB in this class. Brian Brohm showcased his accuracy, even on 45-yarders off seven- and five-step drops. Joshua Johnson is also a quarterback to watch. He was really off my radar screen until I saw his workout. Plus he ran the fastest 40-time (4.55) among the QBs. Matt Ryan (Boston College) and Andre Woodson (Kentucky) watched the action. Matt chose not to workout and Andre was nursing a hamstring.

The wideouts were a speedy bunch as five players came in under 4.4 in the 40. DeSean Jackson not only had the fastest 40-time (4.35) but he ran good routes and caught everything near him. He impressed me. One knock on him is his size (he’s a buck 70), but I think NFL’s team can utilize him much like the Bills use Roscoe Parrish or the Bears use Devin Hester. He’ll have a role for some NFL team in the fall. Indiana’s James Hardy is one of my “sleeper” picks if you can even call him that. In an NFL Network interview he admitted to needing to work on his blocking and route running, but this guy is going to be a good one. With his big frame, I think he has the potential to be unstoppable in one-on-one matchups.

Here are the winning numbers for quarterbacks, running backs and wideouts in their drills:

Quarterbacks – Bench Press (Bernard Morris, Marshall, 18); Broad Jump (Brian Brohm, Louisville, 9′7″); Vert Jump (Joshua Johnson, San Diego, 33.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Joe Flacco, Delaware, 6.82); 20-yard Shuttle (Alex Brink, Washington State, 4.19); 40-yard Dash (Joshua Johnson, San Diego, 4.55).

Running Backs – Bench Press (Jerome Felton, Furman, 30 and Carl Stewart, Auburn, 30); Broad Jump (Carl Stewart, Auburn, 11′2″ and Anthony Alridge, Houston, 11′2″); Vert Jump (Carl Stewart, Auburn, 39″); 3-Cone Drill (Ray Rice, Rutgers, 6.65); 20-yard Shuttle (Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois, 4.18); 60-yard Shuttle (Matt Forte, Tulane, 11.49); 40-yard Dash (Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 4.24).

Wideouts – Bench Press (Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech, 24); Broad Jump (Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, 11′4″); Vert Jump (Keenan Burton, Kentucky, 38.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Harry Douglas, Louisville, 6.57); 20-yard Shuttle (Arman Shields, Richmond, 3.96); 60-yard Shuttle (Arman Shields, Richmond, 10.87); 40-yard Dash (DeSean Jackson, Cal, 4.35).

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Four