NFL Capsules: Brees, other players react to progress
NEW YORK (AP) — Negotiations completed for the day and likely the week, NFL owners are setting sights on their upcoming meeting in Chicago. Many players are looking beyond then — with optimism — toward getting back to work.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners completed two days of talks Wednesday with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players in Maryland. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides have been making progress at several such meetings in the last three weeks.
The person, who spoke anonymously because details of the discussions aren't supposed to be made public, also said a new collective bargaining agreement is not imminent.
Nonetheless, several players expressed confidence that a deal will get done soon and training camps will open on time late in July.
"I know that we've been talking pretty extensively over the last few weeks," said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, one of 10 players whose names are on an antitrust lawsuit against the league. "It seems like things are moving in the right direction, which is very positive. It's what we always hoped for as players because obviously we're getting to crunch time here."
Close enough to it. Although no deadlines have been set for the opening of camps, the 32 teams soon must decide whether to delay them, particularly those clubs that stage a portion of camp out of town. Settling early in July almost certainly would provide for full training camps at previously planned locations, although the Minnesota Vikings have said they could delay until July 18 an announcement on whether they will train at their usual site in Mankato.
"I think everyone kind of has that feeling, that this thing's starting to end," said Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth, the team's player representative. "I feel like that's the attitude that everybody has, and you can see everybody preparing that way.
"When you look at the timeline for both sides, it starts to get real serious around this time."
The lockout is in its fourth month. During that time, there have been mediation sessions, court actions in Minnesota and Missouri, and clandestine meetings between Goodell and Smith, a handful of owners and players. Some of those talks have included lawyers on both sides, some haven't.
Such sessions have been critical in past NFL negotiations, dating to the 1980s.
Brees said to be wary of reports that specific portions of a framework for a new CBA are completed.
"Little steps is good. ... I think the gap is being narrowed in a lot of different areas," he said. "It's hard to give any kind of prediction at this point, so any percentages that are thrown out there by unknown sources is something that, you can't necessarily believe everything you hear. But there is progress and that's a good thing."
Movement toward an agreement is in both sides' best interest after a federal appeals court judge warned the owners and players they might not like the upcoming decisions in legal actions sparked by the lockout. Indeed, the court could delay any rulings if a new CBA appears to be near.
If a deal were struck, a free agency period would follow soon after, along with the signing of undrafted rookies. Teams would hold minicamps, which have been put off by the lockout that began March 12.
The labor impasse also has cost the league and some teams advertising and sponsorship money, and some players have not collected workout bonuses. At least seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs of employees who are not players.
The economic pain may not be over. The dealmaking could all come crashing down if one side decides compromise is not in its interest.
"Much can still go wrong — every negotiating session is unique to itself," said Don Yee, who represents Tom Brady and is an adjunct law professor at USC. "Just because one day was good doesn't mean the next day will be, too."
That the lockout has lasted this long is frustrating to at least one player.
"In all honesty, being a professional now in an industry that's as big as the NFL is, it's kind of embarrassing that we're even in a lockout," said Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who will be a free agent once a new CBA is in place. "And having to go through these things and having to come to (the University of Cincinnati) campus and work out and not having a trainer. It's slightly embarrassing, but it is what it is and I have no control over those type of things.
"But it is comforting to hear those guys coming up with a solution."
What can go wrong in CBA talks
NEW YORK (AP) — Dark clouds no longer dominate the NFL horizon. Rays of sunshine have broken through as owners and players make progress in labor talks.
So what could cause rain to fall, washing away the chance of a deal? Plenty.
"Much can still go wrong — every negotiating session is unique to itself," says Don Yee, who represents Tom Brady and is an adjunct law professor at Southern California. "Just because one day was good doesn't mean the next day will be, too."
How good those days have been also is relative. Although meetings in Chicago, New York and, most recently in Maryland have been productive, they have not created enough common ground for either side to declare a breakthrough is imminent. The owners have their own meetings in Chicago on Tuesday, with a possibility they will stick around through Wednesday to discuss the many topics being negotiated, from the percentage of total revenues offered the players to a rookie wage scale to parameters for free agency.
There's even a chance a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement could be presented to them.
Yet it all could come crashing down in this fourth month of the lockout.
"More than the business points, two things will impact the final outcome: the ability of the participants to moderate their egos, and the actual drafting of specific language to fit the concepts being discussed," Yee said. "The language of the last CBA gave rise to many grievances, which was fairly predictable as every lawyer tries to inject an edge for their client in the language. This will be a significant area of contention."
Also potentially contentious is the ownership dynamic currently in place. The league wisely has included such hard-liners as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Panthers owner Jerry Richardson in all significant negotiations, along with moderates — and dealmakers — John Mara of the Giants and Robert Kraft of the Patriots. But there's a wide split in team values and opportunities for outside income. Small-market owners such as Buffalo's Ralph Wilson, Jacksonville's Wayne Weaver and Cincinnati's Mike Brown won't approve any deal that doesn't protect their interests.
A new CBA will require 24 of the 32 owners voting yes, and while Mara, Kraft, Art Rooney of Pittsburgh, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can be very persuasive, there surely are more than eight owners who feel burned by the 2006 agreement. The owners opted out of that CBA in 2008.
There's also the potential for a power play by one side or the other.
"A deal is far from over and until there is agreement on everything there is agreement on nothing," says Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based sports business consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd., and a keen observer of the league's business side, "the greatest risk to a deal getting done and playing the entire 2011 season is if one party or the other grossly overplays their hand. It's possible, more from the players' side because there has been more emotion, pride and hyperbole during this process from their side. But the owners could also overplay their hand."
Also worth considering: How can each side come out a winner? That was one of the beauties of the relationship between the late Gene Upshaw when he ran the NFLPA and then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Initially, at least, both the owners and the players had elements they could brag about in the latest CBA.
But what if one side gets greedy?
"Nibbling," attorney and player agent Ralph Cindrich, who has been through every NFL labor dispute, calls it. "Reaching an agreement and then adding one more thing. In my view this is unethical when it occurs. Careful negotiators close it completely and allow nothing in from the point of understanding."
These negotiations have gotten very contentious, particularly leading to the March 12 lockout. Can all that rhetoric be forgotten?
"Pride/competitiveness/hyperbole, this is my great concern," Ganis says. "That a reasonable deal is not accepted because of prior public statements made. What is it DeMaurice Smith and others need to offset comments like 'the worst deal in the history of sports?'"
Also worth wondering about: How much sway do the lawyers have? At one point, they seemingly convinced each side it can win in court. Then both the owners and players got a shot of reality from federal appeals court Judge Kermit Bye, who advised them to work out their differences, saying the court's decision likely will be "something both sides aren't going to like."
Cindrich notes that timing is critical.
"Coming down to a more realistic position earlier than later gets you a better contract," Cindrich says.
It's already later, but hardly too late — unless talks collapse.
"I'm not sure if there's a certain reason why we're at the table and negotiations are real and progressing," says Saints player rep Jon Stinchcomb, "but as a player we're encouraged by that. We want to get back to work. We want a deal that both sides are comfortable with.
"It's going to take some compromise, but we're OK with that. We just need to sit down and hammer it out and get back to work."
-- Barry Wilner
Work stoppage helping some players doing rehab
MARTINSVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Offensive lineman Damien Woody is no Nastia Liukin.
So when the 320-pound Woody tries to balance on a metal strip laying on the artificial turf at the TEST Sports Club workout center, part of his rehab from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, it is, well, a bit awkward.
It's also productive, as are his, uh, leaps on a mini-trampoline, and his squats while holding weights in each hand, his back pushing against a huge, round ball.
And when Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery imitates the crane pose from "The Karate Kid" to enhance his balance and rotational skills? Simply part of his regimen as he heals from back surgery.
Woody, a free-agent tackle who was hurt in the Jets' playoff victory at Indianapolis last January, and Cotchery are among dozens of NFL players fighting back from major injuries on their own because of the league's labor lockout. Some, such at Colts safety Chip Vaughn, can have contact with the team's doctor because that's who performed his left ankle operation.
Others, including New Orleans' Jon Stinchcomb, went back to his college roots for his rehab.
They all would be recovering and working at their team's facilities had there been no lockout, which is in its fourth month. And each of them normally would be fighting the itch to rush back and join their teammates for minicamps and the like.
This year, as the labor impasse continues, these players might be benefiting from the work stoppage.
"This has given a lot of guys time to heal and to get rid of those nagging little injuries, too," Cotchery says following more than an hour's worth of exercises, during which he displays the intense concentration any NFL wideout must have. "You can go at your own pace, get your rest, and that has benefited a lot of guys."
Adds Woody, with a tired smile, his T-shirt soaked with sweat: "Even if there were an offseason program now, I'd be doing rehab. I don't have to worry about the football side at all, just focus on getting 100 percent, and I'm getting closer. It's an opportunity to freshen up all the other aches and pains you get from playing 12 seasons in the NFL. So, yeah, in a way it's perfect timing to have the lockout."
Woody was released by the Jets on March 1, but he hopes to be back with them once he is fully recovered from what he calls "the most major injury of my career." He intends on playing somewhere in 2011, if there's a season.
So he spends his mornings at TEST, along with Cotchery; Jets star linebacker Bart Scott; defensive tackle Barry Cofield, a former Giant who is a free agent; and several other NFL players. Brian Martin, CEO of the facility and another in Florida, has several former players on his staff, plus a rehabilitating player in Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington.
"We're very careful to make sure we are in no way competing with what the teams do or want their players doing," Martin says. "But they know the players are getting intensive personal care and rehab work here from a highly trained group of professionals. Our only purpose is to help the players who are recovering from injuries to get well, or to keep the other players who come here, like Bart, in the best of shape."
Players who were injured last season have their recoveries paid for by their teams under workman's compensation plans. Vaughn, who is rehabbing in South Florida at Bommarito Performance Systems, is putting in more physical work than in other offseasons. That work simply doesn't involve playbooks and pass defense, because those aspects of his game depend on contact with the team — which he can't have.
He starts his workout routine at 7:30 a.m. with two hours of rehab on both his ankle and left shoulder, which also was operated on in the offseason. Then comes stretching for an hour or more, followed by lifting weights.
He also does Pilates twice a week.
"If I was with the team, I'd be rehabbing still, but mixed in with meetings and practices," he says. "As far as team stuff goes, there isn't any of that now.
"This whole process is very delicate. I don't want to come back to the team in worse shape or with something lingering from last season to now. You don't want the team doubting how you were working. I can't give the Colts any reason to think I have not been busting my butt."
Vaughn also has been aided by garments made by Evidence Based Apparel that he might not have discovered without the extra recovery time the lockout has provided. He says his shoulders are stronger than ever — and he's been plagued by shoulder issues since his freshman year at Wake Forest. Such EBA jackets and shirts also have been worn by Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Brian Urlacher and Troy Polamalu.
"The straps are positioned to help correct the posture," he says. "At first, I said, 'What the heck is that?' But they say in tests, if your posture is where it needs to be, your body produces at maximum output.
"My jumps would go higher and higher, and I knew this can't just be my rehab. I am starting to use every muscle in my back and shoulder and deltoids. The shirt helps you keep the kind of posture you are supposed to have."
There's supposed to be football right around now, too, from minicamps to optional workouts. Without that structure, players have had to improvise to get their own regimen in place.
"This lockout is nasty business," says Stinchcomb, coming off left knee surgery. "It poses each guy a little different set of issues and problems.
"The University of Georgia was quick to welcome not only me, but there were other former Georgia players in the training room at UGA. So obviously there was a lot of guys that returned to their college campus to get the rehab ... and you're just trying to make the best of it all the way around."
Cotchery is one of the NFL's most graceful players, yet he struggles with some of the movements Martin and his staff ask him to do. He admits the most difficult are those designed to enhance his balance and stabilization, and he attacks them as if he was going after a Mark Sanchez pass in traffic.
At times, he gets frustrated. A botched exercise is no different to Cotchery on this June day than a drop in November.
"If you don't hit the rep right, you want to do it over and over," he says. "If I feel like I conquered that exercise, it makes me feel better when I come in the next day.
"There's no football, so I want to come in the next day ready to give my rehab everything I can give it."
-- Barry Wilner
NFL hoping to make amends with next Super Bowl
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL wants this year's Super Bowl to go smoothly.
Five months after the ticket debacle in Texas, NFL senior vice president Frank Supovitz came to Indianapolis to examine the Super Bowl host committee's plan. He left town with the impression that things are on track and ready to go despite the uncertainties the lockout poses to the game scheduled for Feb. 5.
"I think any good business or brand wants to put their customers first, and it's something we began to talk about immediately" after the last Super Bowl, he said. "There were some well-documented cases about serving our fans well in Dallas, so that's what this is really about."
Supovitz said the decision to put fans first this year has nothing to do with the lockout that has continually raised questions about whether the city's first Super Bowl will be played as scheduled — or at all.
As NFL owners and players continued negotiations Wednesday, Supovitz continued to insist that the league expected the game to be played on time.
If it is canceled, something that has never happened, Supovitz said publicly for the first time that Indy would assured of getting another Super Bowl if the city wants it. And he said it could also be pushed back a week if the season gets off to a late start.
"We have contingency plans on top of contingency plans, as the commissioner has said," Supovitz said. "Actually, we had a contingency built into the bid. So there is flexibility to hold the game on Feb. 12, if necessary. In terms of additional contingencies, Indianapolis would be able to host the Super Bowl as soon as possible in an unoccupied year."
That could happen as early as 2015.
Next season's game will be played in New Orleans, one of the league's favorite Super Bowl sites. The 2014 game will be played in the Meadowlands, outside New York City.
Supovitz said league officials initially asked Indianapolis to keep two dates open in case the regular season schedule expanded from 16 to 18 games. Since then, the league has asked all cities bidding on the Super Bowl to book two dates.
That would give Indy some flexibility if the lockout delays the start of the season.
So where do negotiations stand?
"I've enjoyed my three days here," Supovitz joked after hearing the question. "I know the commissioner, the players and the owners have been working very hard on trying to get an agreement. Our objective here is to play as scheduled, going back to what was announced in April, and that includes the Super Bowl."
Supovitz spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday meeting with everyone from local and federal law enforcement agencies to executives from NBC, the network that will broadcast this season's big game.
From traffic control to street closures, secured areas to weather-related concerns, it was all up for discussion this week.
The goal: Avoiding a repeat of problems that cropped up in Arlington, Texas, such as selling tickets to fans who did not have seats for the game and dealing with inclement weather.
"You think about the ability to handle an event of that size in those conditions, and I would say it was an incredible success," Supovitz said, referring to the game at Cowboys Stadium. "But there were some well-documented things that also happened, and we are focused on making that experience better this time around."
Street closures and secured areas could cause significant traffic congestion downtown, and Supovitz has explained the necessity of having a "lot" of people ready to clear snow or ice from streets and sidewalks.
The plan also calls for the security perimeter to include the city's convention center, which is where the NFL Experience and the NFL Tailgate party will be held.
"Once you're in the convention center, you're through security," Supovitz said.
Supovitz will be back again this fall and return for another walkthrough in December. By then, Super Bowl organizers should have all the kinks worked out.
"Our mantra is put fans first and we are going to have more things for them to do when they come downtown than we've had in the past," Supovitz said. "I would say everyone is incredibly impressed with the dedication of the local committed and this Super Bowl should be very the best it could be."
-- Michael Marot
NFL fan code of conduct center of court case
SAN DIEGO (AP) — City Attorney Jan Goldsmith believes the NFL has a right to enforce its code of conduct, including ejecting fans for making obscene gestures and using foul language.
A criminal defense attorney disagrees, saying the code of conduct is unenforceable.
At a hearing set for Friday, attorney Mary Frances Prevost will ask San Diego Superior Court Judge Gale Kaneshiro to clear the arrest record of Jason Ensign. Last month, Kaneshiro threw out battery charges against Ensign, a Kansas City fan who was detained by private security guards during a Chiefs-Chargers game at Qualcomm Stadium in 2009.
While Goldsmith can't appeal Kaneshiro's earlier decision, he can appeal if the judge grants Ensign's motion. Goldsmith said he is asking the judge to deny the motion to "send a message" about fan behavior.
The NFL has filed an affidavit supporting Goldsmith's view.
Security guards tried to remove Ensign because they said he was yelling obscenities and flipping his middle finger at other fans. Goldsmith charged Ensign with misdemeanor battery for punching and biting a security guard. Kaneshiro ruled there was no justification for removing the fan because he had a First Amendment right to engage in obscenities and a right to defend himself.
"The court's decision was wrong," Goldsmith said Wednesday. "It applied the First Amendment in a way it hasn't been applied before. The code of conduct has been in place three years. It applies in all 32 stadiums. If a fan uses obscene gestures or words, he may be removed from the stadium. This isn't about whether one guy gets charged and convicted of battery. This is about whether we're going to set some kind of precedent."
Goldsmith said he was given an opening when Prevost filed a motion asking the judge for a "finding of factual innocence" to have Ensign's arrest record cleared. Prevost said Ensign, a nurse, has been harmed by the allegations.
Goldsmith said the judge's ruling hasn't set a precedent.
"It just creates a chilling effect. If she grants the motion, we will appeal. Then it will be precedential," Goldsmith said.
"What this is about is, does the NFL have the right to evict fans who violate the code of conduct? If the answer is no, then this fellow and other fans can simply say, 'No, I'm not leaving,' and they can use violence to avoid eviction," Goldsmith said.
Prevost said Ensign "defended himself after he was attacked."
She also said Goldsmith is "desperate."
"We've already litigated every piece of it," Prevost said. "They lost and now they're trying to re-litigate it. You can't print something on a ticket and call it a contract. It's not enforceable. To have a contract, you have to have an offer and acceptance. What if they said, 'We want you to dance and do three cartwheels when you walk through the door?' You wouldn't have to if you didn't want to."
Prevost said the code of conduct "is a suggestion. It's not an order. The prosecution at trial tried to say the fan code of conduct is enforceable because it was hung over urinals. Could you imagine a man standing over a urinal and we now form a contract because we say, don't do anything obscene? They're everywhere. We have to follow the posters, your honor. It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Whatever the code of conduct is, it's between the Chargers and the NFL. It has nothing to do with Qualcomm Stadium. It's city property."
Goldsmith disagrees, saying private entities have the right to remove unruly customers.
"If somebody stood up at an opera and gave everybody the finger or started saying obscenities, they would be ushered out," Goldsmith said. "They don't have the right to beat up the fellow who ushers them out."
Prevost has sued the city and the security guards involved. She said the suit will continue even if her motion is denied on Friday.
Jeffrey Miller, the NFL's chief security officer, filed an affidavit saying the code of conduct has reduced fan incidents at stadiums and that he's not aware of other legal challenges to it besides this one.
"I'm concerned about the deterrence of crime at these sporting events," Goldsmith said. "The code of conduct is designed to be a deterrent and stop that. The idea of families going to a ballgame, they should not be in fear of there being brawls and all this. People say, 'We should be able to do what we want and say what we want.' I buy tickets, too, and if I'm sitting there with my kids, I don't want someone in front of me provoking a brawl behind me."
-- Bernie Wilson
NFL investigating trademark infringement
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is investigating possible trademark infringement involving five players who appeared in an advertisement for a party at a Miami Beach nightclub. The party also included appearances by porn stars, the Kansas City Star reported Wednesday.
Eric Berry and Brandon Flowers were shown in their Chiefs uniforms as two of the hosts at the party May 20. The event was advertised as the official launch for Exxxotica, a three-day, adult-themed expo in Miami.
Also pictured on the flier were Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson, Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford and Bears safety Major Wright, and six photographs of the porn stars.
The league has dozens of similar trademark infringement issues every year, spokesman Brian McCarthy says.
Player Capsules
Jets finish three days of private player-run workouts
NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Sanchez got a few dozen of his New York Jets teammates together to practice for three days in private. Yep, one of the NFL's chattiest teams went silent and got to work. No cameras. No fans. No reporters.
"We just wanted to be able to focus," Sanchez said during a conference call Wednesday. "I think we've seen the extreme in 'Hard Knocks,' and how everything with the media, every little thing, if you sneeze, it's out there in print, on a blog or on TV. This is our chance to really just relax and do it our way, keep it quiet, have fun with the guys and keep it just a team thing."
About 40 players wrapped up three days of player-run workouts at Fairleigh Dickinson University, across the road from the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J. Unable to work out at the facility because of the lockout, it was the first time the Jets players have gotten together as a large group since the end of last season.
"It was definitely a success, got some of the younger guys acquainted with veteran players, got everybody back again," Sanchez said. "It was good to see everybody's face again and make sure guys are looking like they are in good shape, and they definitely looked like that."
Center Nick Mangold remains hopeful that he and his teammates can soon get back to business as usual. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners met with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players for a second straight day in Maryland.
"As much as we get to do these player workouts and stuff like that, it's not the same as having, for myself, an elite offensive line coach like Bill Callahan out there coaching me," Mangold said. "So I think that it would be a good thing for us to get everything wrapped up in time."
Sanchez and his brothers, Nick and Brandon, helped organize the workouts — dubbed "Camp Lockout" — which included film sessions and 7-on-7 and team drills. Mangold and right guard Brandon Moore sent emails to several players, who agreed to gather from Monday through Wednesday. Sanchez also credited FDU basketball coach Pete Marion for setting things up at the school.
The days began with an hour of film study, followed by two hours of on-field work. Sanchez also made copies of old playbooks that he distributed to all of his teammates.
"When you don't have that time, potentially not going to Cortland, potentially not going to training camp," Sanchez said, "this was as close to that as we could replicate."
Sanchez, Mangold and Moore ran the offensive position groups, while cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris ran things on the defense.
"The 7-on-7 was pretty competitive and the team stuff, as far as tempo, not anything crazy," Sanchez said. "Guys just wanted to make sure we stayed injury-free and I think we did that."
In behind-the-scenes footage shown on defensive tackle Sione Pouha's YouTube channel, the players are seen going through drills wearing specially made "Camp Lockout 2011" T-shirts — green for defense, white for offense and red ones for the quarterbacks, just like in regular camp practices.
LaDainian Tomlinson and first-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson are among the many players seen in the video.
The players preferred to not give a full attendance report, but among those who didn't participate reportedly included some of the Jets' biggest free agents: cornerback Antonio Cromartie and wide receiver Braylon Edwards. ESPNNewYork.com reported that wide receiver Santonio Holmes attended at least one day, but didn't participate in drills.
"That's something I kind of expected and can understand," Sanchez said. "As teammates, it's hard because you want those guys there, but as a professional football player and somebody who understands that there is a business side to this sport, unfortunately, I understand where these guys are coming from."
The players also had some down time, including a 3-point shooting contest in FDU's gym, which running back Joe McKnight and cornerback Drew Coleman won. They took home Hugo Boss suits as their reward.
"We had a good time with it, make sure guys are having fun, getting a little conditioning in at the same time," Sanchez said. "I don't even think they even realized that they were, so it was good."
Sanchez said players are considering additional workouts "in small pockets" until the lockout ends. He got the offensive skill players together for his "Jets West" camp in Southern California in early May, and several defensive linemen have been working out at a high school in New Jersey.
"It actually worked the opposite of what a normal offseason is," Sanchez said. "We're together so much and the offseason seems so short that when you get those times off, guys want to get away and focus on their family and relax. ... Well, now, we've been apart for so long, guys couldn't wait to get here and see each other again and have fun."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
RB Benson at Bengals' workout, wants to stay
CINCINNATI (AP) — By carrying the ball in the rain with his former Bengals teammates, running back Cedric Benson sent the front office another reminder that he wants to be the centerpiece of Cincinnati's all-new offense.
The free agent joined his former teammates for a voluntary workout Wednesday at the University of Cincinnati, acting much more like someone who's ready to lead rather than leave. Benson has topped the team in rushing each of the last three seasons, but didn't get a contract extension.
During the NFL's lockout, free agents can't negotiate or sign with teams. The 28-year-old running back from Texas not only wants to stay, but is ready to become one of the leaders in an offense undergoing dramatic change.
"I've been very passive the past three years, maybe just because I had to," said Benson, who revived his career in Cincinnati after tough times in Chicago. "I'm not saying I'm a totally different person or that I'd be crazy vocal or nothing like that, but I'd be a little more expressive on work ethic and passion for the game just because that's how I am."
The Bengals plummeted to 4-12 last season, when reality-show hosts Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco became the faces of an offense that had a lot of self-promotion but not nearly enough production. The defending AFC North champions put the focus on their look-at-me receivers, and ended up in last place.
The TOcho show has been canceled, and quarterback Carson Palmer — the face of the franchise since 2004 — isn't coming back. While the NFL and its players try to resolve their labor dispute, Benson is trying to remind the front office that he's ready for a much bigger part in a new-look offense.
"Cedric wants to be more than the guy who gets the ball in the backfield," quarterback Jordan Palmer said, after a morning workout in the rain. "He wants to be a leader. He wants to be the identity of the team and the franchise, and I'm all for that."
He attracted the attention of his former teammates by flying in from Texas to join them for several voluntary workouts.
"To have a guy like Cedric out here — unsigned, showing his leadership by being here — that's tremendous," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said.
Benson was the focal point of the offense when the Bengals won the division in 2009, then lost to the Jets in the first round of the playoffs. The Bengals decided to emphasize the passing game last season, a move that backfired. Benson thought it was a mistake to de-emphasize the running game.
Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski was fired after the season. Replacement Jay Gruden is bringing in an entirely new scheme, one that's more West Coast style. The Bengals drafted TCU quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round as Carson Palmer's eventual replacement.
With the quarterback position in flux, the Bengals need a dependable running back to carry the load.
"You have an offensive coordinator who's coming in and saying that we're having a running identity," Jordan Palmer said. "And you have an uncertain quarterback situation, which is going to mean more carries. That's a green light for him. I know he wants to be here. He's close with these guys.
"I think he's one of the best running backs in the league and he's going to be primed to have the best year of his career. I want him here more than anybody."
Benson likes the changes so far.
"Change can be good," he said. "Considering the way things went a year ago, it's time for change. I think it's going to be a good look."
-- Joe Kay
Saints wrapping up workouts, hoping for a deal
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees launched a high, hard throw down the middle of the field and into the end zone, where second-year tight end Jimmy Graham leapt to grab it over his back shoulder, out of reach of the nearest defender.
That's the kind of timing play the Saints were able to hone during six weeks of player-organized workouts at Tulane. Those sessions are coming to an end this week. The plan now is to treat what would normally be vacation time as exactly that, and hope that their next gathering is back at team headquarters for training camp in late July with an NFL labor agreement in place.
Brees said Wednesday that a sense of optimism that NFL lockout's end was nearing has spread among the players working out at Tulane this week, in light of reports that representatives of owners and players were meeting and making progress. Yet he also warned his teammates not to take anything for granted.
"I tell them there's a lot of hypotheticals. I just try to prepare the guys — hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Brees said. "And that's been what we've had to do this whole time."
Brees and veteran teammates including defensive captain Jonathan Vilma designed the workouts to mimic what the Saints would have normally done at team headquarters during spring. After Thursday's session, they'll start nearly six weeks of vacation, hoping that a new collective bargain agreement is complete by the time Saints players are scheduled to report for training camp on July 27.
If the lockout endures into the fall, Brees said he is not yet sure what he might do to bring teammates together to train again. However, if training camp starts on time, Brees suspects his decision to organize workouts at Tulane will prove particularly fruitful.
"We always wanted to stay ready and feel like we were gaining an edge," Brees said. "I feel like we have been very organized.
"It has been great work for the past six weeks," Brees continued. "Thirty-plus guys just about every day coming out, a combination of everything we would be doing at our own facility, but we're locked out. And yet we've found a way to work."
Players attending the workouts included free agents who played with the Saints last season and hope to be back, as well as rookies recently selected by the Saints in the NFL draft who have yet to sign their first pro contracts.
Veterans on offense and defense took responsibility for helping the rookies on their sides of the ball adapt to the pro game and the Saints' schemes.
"You've got to throw them into the fire a little bit," Brees said. "Obviously we've had some classroom time with them and some opportunity just to talk through fundamentals and position-specific stuff. Then you just throw them out there and let the natural athlete and the natural competitor come out in them and see what their strengths are."
Saints players pushed each other on the field, in the weight room and even banded together to organize some of their own charity events, including two raffles in which the winners were invited to spend a day with players and even practice with them.
Together, both raffles raised about $105,000, Brees said. Although the charities have not been selected, some of the money is expected to benefit Tulane's scholarship fund and victims of recent Mississippi River flooding in Louisiana. Other local charities may benefit as well.
"Everything we do, we have a purpose for," Brees said. "With the raffle it was, No. 1, to give fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When would they ever have the chance to practice with an NFL team and be in the mix? That wouldn't happen unless we were in a lockout and we make the rules. Secondly, the charitable aspect to it. We had the chance to raise six figures in charitable dollars for the community. That's a great thing.'
-- Brett Martel
Redskins add videographer to player-run practice
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins have added a new element this week in the quest to make their player-run practices look and feel like the real thing.
On Wednesday, a friend hired by quarterback John Beck stood atop a 10-foot metal platform with a camera, videotaping the plays.
"It's tough when you don't have tape to go back and critique," Beck said. "That's really the story of the lockout — just doing what we can. It would be ideal if we could be at our facility with our coaches, talking with them, watching their tape, but we can't. Even though it's very basic, we can still learn a lot from this."
Beck bemoaned that he couldn't review his footwork and coverage reads after the first two player-run minicamps in April and May. When the players reconvened on Tuesday, he had his friend standing on the top row of the bleachers. Tight end Chris Cooley suggested using the platform instead to provide a better angle.
The players are reviewing the tape in the evenings at Cooley's house.
"After having two weeks of not watching it and watching it for the first time yesterday, it's nice to be able to go back, spend an hour and see how you're running, see what your routes look like," Cooley said. "I felt like here were adjustments that I was able to make today after just watching some subtle things instead of just coming out and running."
Early during Wednesday's practice, Beck launched a tight spiral but overthrew tight end Logan Paulsen. That's one play certainly worth reviewing.
"We can sit down and look at Logan's route," Beck said. "Did he come out of it well? If he did, now I can take a hair off the ball. He might say, 'I didn't come out of it well. Your ball was on the money.' You can say was it A, B or C and now can we (fix) that."
Notes: Wednesday's workout was attended by 32 players, including former Redskins cornerback Justin Tryon, now with Indianapolis. ... The minicamp concludes Thursday.
Elsewhere
Whisenhunt, Kubiak to visit troops on NFL USO tour
NEW YORK (AP) — Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and the Houston Texans' Gary Kubiak will visit troops in the Persian Gulf this summer on an NFL USO tour. The father-and-son Moras will also take part in the third annual coaches tour.
Whisenhunt and Kubiak were asked to participate last summer and weren't able to, so both were thrilled to finally have the chance. Whisenhunt's father and brother served in the military.
The elder Jim Mora coached the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, while the younger Jim Mora coached the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.
Brad Childress, Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher, John Fox, Jon Gruden, John Harbaugh, Marvin Lewis and Andy Reid have gone on the tour over the last two years.
DT Burt to be inducted into Buffalo hall of fame
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle Jim Burt is one of a 12-member group to be inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame this year.
Burt is from Buffalo, and won NFL titles with the New York Giants in 1987 and San Francisco in 1990. He joins a class announced Wednesday that includes former Buffalo Bills running back Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist, who died in January, and bobsledder Steve Mesler, who was part of the "Night Train" sled that won gold at the Vancouver Games last year.
Other notables to be inducted at a banquet in November include major league infielder Phil Mankowski, NHLer and retired Sabres broadcaster Jim Lorentz, and Bills and Chicago Bears guard Ruben Brown.
