NFL Notes: Rams interview Garrett, Frazier

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Rams concluded a two-day interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier on Wednesday, and later in the day began discussions with Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

General manager Billy Devaney is interviewing finalists in Los Angeles for the head coaching job. with the exception of Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who met with the team in Baltimore on Sunday during a break in preparation for the AFC championship game.

Devaney said he hoped to hire a coach before the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24.

Devaney has already interviewed Jim Haslett, who went 2-10 as interim coach after the firing of Scott Linehan. Also on the short list is defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants.

Devaney declined to rank the candidates, saying: "I don't have a top or bottom of the list."

Rams owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez along with senior adviser John Shaw, who resigned as team president after last season, are participating in the interviews. The Rams played in Anaheim, Calif., before moving to St. Louis in 1995, and Shaw remained based on the West Coast after the franchise relocated.

Haslett interviewed Tuesday for the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator job. He held that job with the Rams before being elevated following St. Louis' 0-4 start last season.

His interview with the Rams was a marathon five-hour affair a week earlier, and Haslett emerged optimistic about his chances. Haslett gave the team a laundry list of changes he'd make, including bringing in former Rams head coach Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator.

"I just had a list of names of people I'd talked to and he was one of the guys on the list," Haslett said. "All of a sudden, things start growing."

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was offensive coordinator with the Saints under Haslett earlier this decade.

Jury sides with Burress on damage to borrowed car

LEBANON, Pa. - Plaxico Burress was suspended when his team was knocked out of the NFL playoffs last weekend, but the embattled New York Giants star scored a small victory on Wednesday.

A civil court jury in small-town Pennsylvania sided with Burress over a local car dealer who sought $19,000 in damages after a vehicle he let Burress use ended up being seized by New York City police in connection with a 2005 shooting incident.

Burress will only have to pay $1,700 to the dealer, an amount that would seem minor to the millionaire star of last year's Super Bowl.

"It has nothing to do with how much money he makes," Burress' lawyer Matthew T. Croslis said after the jury's decision. "It has to do with ... what's right."

Burress' presence in little Lebanon, Pa., caused a stir.

The three-plus hours of testimony was watched by court officials, Burress' fans and other onlookers who mostly cared about the chance to see the player and persuade him to sign a hat, football or any paraphernalia. The jury returned a verdict after only an hour of deliberations.

Several dozen people followed Burress out of the courtroom. Burress, who didn't talk to reporters, signed only an autograph or two.

During testimony, dealer Frederick Laurenzo and Burress delivered conflicting statements.

Laurenzo said he spoke with Burress on the telephone and that Burress understood that he was to make promotional appearances on behalf of the dealership in exchange for using a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche. Burress also agreed that no one else would drive the truck, Laurenzo said.

Burress testified that he asked his agent to arrange a car for him in March 2005, when Burress was in New Jersey for his first Giants training camp after being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he said he knew of no obligations or conditions on his use of the vehicle, and never spoke with Laurenzo.

Several months later, New York City police seized the truck in connection with a shooting incident in which officers saw two men firing rounds from inside the truck on a Bronx street early on Aug. 20, 2005. It did not, however, appear that they were targeting anyone, police said.

Officers recovered two 9-mm pistols at the scene and arrested two people, one of them a cousin of Burress, police said.

Investigators contacted Burress, who came in with a lawyer more than two weeks later for questioning. Burress signed a statement saying he had loaned the car to a cousin, but that he had no knowledge of the incident and was at practice at the time of the shooting.

Burress' attorney Benjamin Brafman said he was told that at the time of the incident Burress was with the team at a New Jersey hotel because the Giants had a home preseason game later that day.

Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon declined Wednesday to discuss Burress' exact whereabouts at the time of the shooting.

Charges against Burress' cousin were dropped. The other person in the car pleaded guilty in March 2006 to criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Laurenzo filed the breach-of-contract suit against Burress in September 2006 and it took him until January 2007 to get the truck back from police. During that time, the brakes rusted and the battery died.

The jury decided that Burress should pay the cost to repair the vehicle and the bill to tow it back to Laurenzo's dealership. Laurenzo had sought additional money to cover interest and the vehicle's depreciation.

Burress, 31, a star wide receiver who caught the game-winning pass in last year's Super Bowl, has been embroiled in controversy for months. He was charged with two counts of illegal weapons possession after he accidentally shot himself in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub on Nov. 29.

Burress, who received a five-year, $35 million contract extension from the Giants in September, turned himself in on the weapons charges and was released on $100,000 bail. He is due in court March 31.

After the self-inflicted shooting, the Giants suspended Burress for the remainder of the season.

In December, Burress was sued in Broward County, Fla., for an accident last May in which he allegedly drove his $140,000 Mercedes-Benz into the back of a woman's vehicle. The woman's attorney later said that Burress had failed to pay the premium on his car insurance, which had lapsed three days before the wreck.

-- Marc Levy and Colleen Long

Pioli won't say whether Edwards is out

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If Herm Edwards is on his way out as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, his new boss isn't saying.

In his first news conference since being hired as the final authority on all Chiefs football operations, new general manager Scott Pioli would go no further Wednesday than to say he intends to visit with Edwards.

"I have a lot of respect for Herm. I had a chance to visit with Herm today," said Pioli, who spent the last nine years helping Bill Belichick build a dynasty in New England.

Pioli is not unfamiliar with Edwards. The Patriots and New York Jets played each other twice a year during the four seasons Edwards was head coach in New York. Edwards is 15-34 in three years in Kansas City and has one year left on a four-year, $12 million contract.

"I've got a lot of respect for Herm on a professional level and a personal level. This entire thing is going to be a process," Pioli said.

There have been reports that Edwards, 2-23 in his last 25 games, was on his way out.

"Contrary to reports that were out there, we're going to spend some time talking about Herm," said Pioli. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

Edwards and his staff were 6-26 in their last two years, the worst span in team history. They have been waiting to learn their fate since Dec. 15, when Carl Peterson resigned after 20 years as president, CEO and general manager.

Chiefs board chairman Clark Hunt has said he liked Edwards and thought he might be the best man to continue the organization's rebuilding project.

"I told Scott that coming into this situation here I have an open mind and I think he also has an open mind," Hunt said.

When Peterson resigned, Hunt said the final decision on Edwards would be his. But sitting next to Pioli Wednesday night, he seemed to amend that a bit.

"It's a decision that the two of us will make together," he said.

Even though several other teams are also shopping for head coaches, Pioli said he feels no need for haste.

"I think it's about getting it right," he said. "When we decide what is right, we'll make that announcement. We can't spend too much time worrying about what other people are going to do. It's a delicate balance between being methodical and being aggressive."

Pioli has been given much credit for helping build a Patriots team that won three Super Bowls and four AFC championships. He was considered the hottest general manager prospect in the league. He's also the fifth graduate of the Belichick/Patriots tree to gain promotion to other jobs.

Romeo Crennel went from New England defensive coordinator to head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and was fired after this past season. Eric Mangini, who replaced Crennel as defensive coordinator, followed Edwards as head coach of the Jets but was fired after three seasons.

Charlie Weis, the offensive coordinator on all three of New England's Super Bowl winners, became head coach at Notre Dame. Thomas Dimitroff went from New England's director of college scouting to general manager at Atlanta and helped turn the Falcons around this season.

Hunt said Pioli was "head and shoulders above everyone else we talked to."

"I went into the interview with him thinking there's no way this individual can live up to the hype surrounding him," Hunt said. "At the end of the interview, I was like, ‘Wow!' Not only did he live up to it, he exceeded it."

Pioli said he would focus on building a football team, not a collection of players, and declined to offer an assessment of the Chiefs' talent level.

"The first thing in building a team is that it's not necessarily the best 53 players, it's the right 53 players," he said.

"We're going to build a big, strong, fast, tough, disciplined football team. We're going to start from the ground up and build a foundation and move ahead and touch every part of the football operation. The patience I know Clark has told me he's going to show is going to be rewarded."

When asked, Hunt declined to say whether Denny Thum, a longtime team employee, would be named to a new position in charge of the team's business operations.

-- Doug Tucker

Browns hire coordinators

CLEVELAND - Eric Mangini is rounding up the old gang from New England to coach the Cleveland Browns.

Mangini, who took over in Cleveland only a week after being fired by the New York Jets, has hired Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator, Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator and Brad Seely as special teams coach.

All four previously worked together with the Patriots from 2000 to 2003.

Daboll was Mangini's quarterbacks coach in New York the past two seasons. Ryan came over after five seasons as Oakland's defensive coordinator and Seely was the Patriots' special teams coach for the past 10 seasons.

"I am extremely pleased to bring three quality people in Brian, Rob and Brad to our coaching staff and to the Cleveland Browns organization," Mangini said in a statement. "I know firsthand that all three are very experienced, talented and dedicated coaches who share the same team-first vision and are passionate towards our goal of bringing an NFL championship to Cleveland."

Daboll spent this past season working closely with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre. Daboll helped Favre get acclimated to New York's offense, which was clicking on full cylinders when the Jets got off to an 8-3 start.

In their press release, the Browns pointed out that Favre finished in the top 10 in several statistical categories but there was no mention that he threw two touchdown passes and nine interceptions as the Jets went 1-4 down the stretch and missed the playoffs. Favre refused to blame a torn biceps for his slide.

Daboll will replace Rob Chudzkinski, whose offense sputtered in 2008 after scoring 402 points as one of the NFL's most explosive units one season earlier. The Browns were done in by injuries and dropped passes by wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Cleveland failed to score an offensive touchdown in its last six games.

"I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to work for the Cleveland Browns, one of the most storied franchises in the history of the NFL," said Daboll, a native of Welland, Ontario. "Growing up a short drive away, I know how devoted and dedicated Browns fans are. I plan to use the experience I have garnered in my coaching career, on both offense and defense, to craft a tough, smart, hardworking unit."

Ryan is the son of Buddy Ryan, the architect of the Chicago Bears' famed 4-6 defense, and the twin brother of Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Mel Tucker was Cleveland's defensive coordiantor last season.

In the five seasons Ryan oversaw Oakland's defense, the Raiders allowed an NFL-worst 101 rushing touchdowns and the second most rushing yards per game at 138.7. Only the Browns were worse, giving up 141.2 yards per game.

The Raiders had a 20-60 record in that span, going through four head coaches, four offensive coordinators, six offensive play-callers and only Ryan as defensive coordinator. Ryan was extremely popular with his players, in part because he steadfastly refused to criticize them in public, and he also got along well with owner Al Davis.

"It's great to be part of the Browns organization and to be reunited with Eric Mangini," Ryan said. "Brian, Brad and myself have accomplished a lot of good things with Eric in the past and I look forward to continuing that in Cleveland."

Seely, who is replacing Ted Dasher, has been an NFL assistant for 20 years and has three Super Bowl rings from his time with the Patriots. This season, New England ranked third in the league in average starting position on kickoffs and kicker Stephen Gostkowski made the Pro Bowl with a league-leading 148 points and 36 field goals.

"Eric and I have forged a relationship over the last 10 years and I look forward to continuing that with the Browns," said Seely. "The Browns are very special. Having been in the NFL for many years, I am very aware of how important the team is to the city of Cleveland and its place in the NFL."

-- Tom Withers

Caldwell ready to replace 1 assistant

INDIANAPOLIS - New Colts coach Jim Caldwell said on Wednesday that special teams coach Russ Purnell would not be retained next season.

It's the second staff decision Caldwell has made since Tony Dungy announced he was retiring Monday.

Caldwell said Tuesday during his introductory news conference that last year's offensive assistant Frank Reich, the former Buffalo Bills quarterback, would be the new quarterbacks coach. That was Caldwell's job the past seven years.

Like Caldwell, Purnell joined Dungy's staff in 2002.

But during most of Purnell's tenure, the Colts ranked near the bottom of the league in punt return and kickoff return coverage.

Purnell coached previously with Seattle, Tennessee, Baltimore and the Houston Oilers, before they moved to Tennessee. Purnell, 60, also coached at Southern Cal in the 1980s.