NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - The Offseason

[-Jrabbit]

LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers have agreed on a restructured contract that will keep Tomlinson in San Diego.

LT2 approved the deal Tuesday night with the backing of club president Dean Spanos. Part of his '09 salary was converted to a "signing bonus" to save cap room, meaning LT put his ego aside and will make a less salary than Darren Sproles. He'll still get the full $6.725M, however. Tomlinson's 2010-2011 salaries are reduced, but he can earn the money back via incentives. LT will be in more of a timeshare in 2009, but he'll keep goal-line duties and could be undervalued in fantasy drafts. Sproles will only steal work inside the 20s.

Source: Yahoo Sports

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[Supr49er]

Cue Ben for his deserved "told you so".

[SlowwHand]

Orlando Pace was cut by the Rams.

[snoopy369]

Hmmm, a bit old but still quite good. Perhaps the Bears will finally shell out some dough and sign him?

[Grandpa Troll]

Cue Ben for his deserved "told you so".

Told you so

[Ben Kenobi]

Hmm, I should change my avatar.

I'm very happy to have him back. They signed a great deal for LT.

The Chargers also signed another LB, Burnett from the Cowboys. Can any of the Boys fans tell me about him? Never seen him play before.

Cowboys also signed Olshansky. You folks will like him. He's a very solid run-stuffing DE who won't miss a game. He's a bit slow off the line, which is why we cut him, but he's been a pro-bowler in the past. If he regains his previous form, he'll be an excellent deal, but his big problem is motivation.

[SlowwHand]

We lost Chris Canty, so we're not ahead on deal making.

[Lord Avalon]

We lost Chris Canty, so we're not ahead on deal making.

What do you mean? You cut TO.

[Ben Kenobi]

Is Burnett any good Slowwy?

[SlowwHand]

He was real good on special teams. Played mostly in the nickel defense. He doesn't particularly stand out in my mind. I read where several teams had interest in him, so he must have something going right.

[Grandpa Troll]

Is Burnett any good Slowwy?

He was a Cowboy, of course he was

[Ben Kenobi]

Well the Chargers need a LB who can cover over the middle. Tight Ends just kill us. If he can do that for us, we'll be solid.

[Grandpa Troll]

The St. Louis Rams released wide receiver Torry Holt on Friday, parting ways with one of the last remaining holdovers from their "Greatest Show on Turf" glory days.

The move came three days after the Rams released offensive tackle Orlando Pace, another mainstay from the era when the Rams won their only Super Bowl and lost another on the game's final play. Both Holt and Pace are seven-time Pro Bowl selections.

Holt is 32 and Pace is 33 and combined the moves created $14 million in salary cap space. Holt was due a $1.25 million roster bonus on Tuesday.

Only defensive end Leonard Little and quarterback Marc Bulger remain from the team that lost the 2002 Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, and Bulger was an inactive third-string quarterback for every game that season.

The Rams are trying to get younger as they rebuild after going 2-14 in 2008 and 5-27 over the last two seasons. Since the end of last season they've named a new general manager, Billy Devaley, a new coach, Steve Spagnuolo, cut several veteran players and signed three free agents from other teams.

Still, the decision to release Holt wasn't easy, owner Chip Rosenbloom said.

"The Rams will forever be grateful for the way Torry Holt represented the Rams on the field and in the community," Rosenbloom said. "Over the past 10 seasons Torry has proven himself to be one of the finest wide receivers in league history. This is a difficult decision because Torry has meant so much to the organization."

But Holt had grown increasingly frustrated with the team that was a perennial contender for the first part of his career, and a perennial doormat more recently. Asked late last season if he expected to be back in 2009, the usually upbeat Holt offered a terse no comment.

Calls seeking comment from Holt through his agent, Gregory Williams, were not immediately returned.

Holt ranks 11th in league history with 869 receptions and 14th with 12,660 receiving yards. His 80.1 yards-per-game career receiving average is the best in NFL history.

He teamed with fellow wide receiver Isaac Bruce, quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk and a line anchored by Pace to give the Rams one of the most potent offenses in NFL history from 1999 through 2001. He caught a touchdown pass in the 23-16 win over Tennessee in the Super Bowl after the '99 season, and helped lead St. Louis back to the Super Bowl two years later. The Rams lost 20-17 to New England in the 2002 game.

St. Louis also made the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, but hasn't been back since.

Holt's production tailed off last season as St. Louis struggled to score points. He had 64 catches for 796 yards and three touchdowns, the lowest touchdown total of his career. The season also ended an eight-season run of 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Holt was the sixth overall pick in the 1999 draft out of North Carolina State.

The Rams have the second overall pick in the April draft and are widely believed to be looking at offensive tackles, though they signed free agent center Jason Brown last month to help solidify the offensive line.

Holt's departure means the Rams are likely in the market for receiving help as well. Earlier this offseason, St. Louis also cut Drew Bennett, who was a disappointment in 2007 and missed nearly all of 2008 after being injured in the season opener.

Last season's second-round draft pick, Donnie Avery, becomes the team's top returning receiver. He had 53 catches for 674 yards and three touchdowns in 2008, and also rushed for a touchdown.

It was just yesterday it seems like I was watching him at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh NC

[SlowwHand]

There's some talk of Holt coming here.

[Grandpa Troll]

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been indicted on two misdemeanor traffic charges after a crash that seriously injured another driver.

District Attorney Kim Helper of Williamson County said Thursday that Haynesworth was indicted Monday on charges of reckless driving and having expired registration.

Haynesworth, a former Tennessee Titan who signed with the Redskins last month, was released on $1,000 bond after surrendering Wednesday. Maximum punishment is six months in jail and a $500 fine on the reckless driving charge and 30 days in jail and a $50 fine for the other charge.

The charges come from a Dec. 13 incident in which Haynesworth tried to pass another driver, who crashed into a concrete median.

Chad Speck, Haynesworth's agent, didn't respond to an e-mail Thursday seeking comment. He said previously that his client pulled over after the accident, called police and did not leave until cleared by an officer.

Haynesworth is scheduled for arraignment March 30 in Williamson Circuit Court in Franklin, just south of Nashville. Helper would not speculate how long the case would be in the courts.

Since the accident, on Interstate 65 south of Nashville, Corey Edmondson has needed a hip replacement and is unable to move except with a walker or in a wheelchair, said his attorney, Jon Perry.

"I am not surprised at all by the indictment," Perry said Thursday. "This accident could have very easily killed Corey."

Haynesworth, an All-Pro, signed a $100 million, seven-year contract Feb. 27 with the Redskins just a few hours after the start of free agency.

With the Titans last season, he had a career-high 8 1/2 sacks. He has 24 sacks in seven NFL seasons since the Titans drafted him in the first round out of the University of Tennessee in 2002.

In 2006, he was suspended for five games for swiping his cleated foot over Dallas center Andre Gurode's face. It was the league's longest suspension for an on-field act.

Last year in another case, Haynesworth agreed to 30 days probation to divert a ticket for driving 103 mph in a 70 mph zone.