NFL union files suit against league over 2010 cap (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 16:05:35 PDT)
The players union claimed Wednesday that the NFL imposed a secret salary cap during the uncapped 2010 season that cost the players at least $1 billion.

Marshall looking for more this time with Cutler (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:35:07 PDT)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) Brandon Marshall cringes when he looks at the old clips.

San Francisco 49ers Sign Punter Andy Lee to Six-Year Extension: Fan Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 14:52:00 PDT)
Leave it to me to get excited about the San Francisco 49ers signing punter Andy Lee to an extension. I'm not sure why, but I thoroughly enjoy special teams just as much as I do other facets of the game of football. Perhaps is the make or break feeling of special teams. One missed tackle could lead to a touchdown and one bad punt could mean a short field for the opposing team. Special teams can really dictate the outcome of a game much more than the casual fan understands.

Punter Andy Lee lands big deal with 49ers (National Football Post)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 13:36:03 PDT)
San Francisco extends veteran by 6 years

NFL players' union charges owners with collusion
(Wed, 23 May 2012 10:22:11 PDT)
The National Football League Players Association charged the league, its clubs and team owners with collusion during the 2010 season in a complaint filed on Wednesday.

NFLPA files collusion claim against NFL, claiming salary cap arrangement in uncapped year (Shutdown Corner)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 10:05:06 PDT)
The question we were asking all along when it came to the "spirit of the salary cap" penalties handed down to the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints was, of course, "How on earth can teams be in violation of salary cap rules when there is no salary cap in place?" Turns out, the NFL Players Association was asking the same question, and now, they will do so in court. On Wednesday morning, the NFLPA released this statement in part: The Class Counsel under the Reggie White settlement agreement and the NFL Players Association today filed a complaint, on behalf of the NFL players, charging the NFL, its clubs and their owners of collusion during the 2010 NFL season. The complaint details a conspiracy to violate the anti-collusion and anti-circumvention provisions in the White Settlement Agreement (SSA) by "imposing a secret $123 million per-Club salary cap for that uncapped 2010 season." The written claim is filed with the United States District Court of Minnesota, which oversees the SSA and alleges that the league and owners acted illegally and "solely by self-interest, unconstrained by their clear and unambiguous SSA obligations." The claim was filed just one day after Special Master Stephen Burbank dismissed the appeal filed by the Redskins and Cowboys. Clearly, the NFLPA had this one on a tripwire. The Cowboys and Redskins were the hardest-hit by the league; the Redskins were docked $36 million in salary cap room over two seasons, and the Cowboys $10 million, for the offloading of onerous player contracts during the uncapped year of 2011. At that time, there was no official rule regarding just how much salary and other player income a team could dump during that time, but as it turned out, the NFL had verbally warned all teams that any nebulous violation of the rules that could be perceived during a capped year would be dealt with severely. Of course, the uncapped year occurred during the lockout, after the old collective bargaining agreement ran out, and the salary cap with it. Until a new agreement could be struck, the NFL could not possibly send out written instructions for teams to avoid either offsetting or "overpaying" its players without providing the NFLPA with a boilerplate collusion case.  According the NFLPA, the penalties handed down, and the language used by the league and the Management Council, is enough to warrant the complaint. "When the rules are broken in a way that hurts the game, we have an obligation to act. We cannot stand by when we now know that the owners conspired to collude," said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. "Our union recently learned that there was a secret salary cap agreement in an uncapped year. The complaint today is our effort to fulfill our duty to every NFL player. They deserve to know, above all, the facts and the truth about this conspiracy," added NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth. ''The claims have absolutely no merit and we fully expect them to be dismissed,'' the NFL said in a statement. ''On multiple occasions, the players and their representatives specifically dismissed all claims, known or unknown, whether pending or not, regarding alleged violations of the 2006 CBA and the related settlement agreement. We continue to look forward to focusing on the future of the game rather than grievances of a prior era that have already been resolved.'' The complaint centers around one very damning quote from New York Giants owner John Mara, who also serves as the Chair of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee. When the penalties were handed down in March, Mara was asked about the reasoning. "What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap," Mara said. "They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole … full well knowing there would be consequences."

Tuesday's Sports in Brief (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 04:33:08 PDT)
ATLANTA (AP) The NFL made thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for the 2013 season, a move that drew criticism from the players' union and some of the players.

NFL making thigh and knee pads mandatory in '13 (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 03:09:07 PDT)
ATLANTA (AP) The NFL's move to make thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for the 2013 season already has drawn criticism from the guys who will have to wear them.

NFL seeks to add excitement, maintain integrity with later trade deadline
(Tue, 22 May 2012 17:29:24 PDT)
Supporters are for contenders making moves as long as it's not at the expense of struggling teams dumping their rosters.

Broncos' restocked secondary gets high marks (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 17:27:45 PDT)
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Peyton Manning and Champ Bailey are giving the Denver Broncos' restocked secondary two thumbs up.

Raiders' McClain apologizes for bad publicity (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 15:20:39 PDT)
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain apologized Tuesday for bringing bad publicity to the team following his recent conviction in Alabama for assault and other charges stemming for allegedly threatening to kill a man and firing a gun next to his head.

McClain issues statement on assault incident (National Football Post)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 15:01:09 PDT)
Linebacker apologizes for bringing Raiders 'bad publicity.'

Seahawks trade for Kellen Winslow; hope to make 2-TE sets more productive (Shutdown Corner)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 05:55:50 PDT)
In 2011, per the game-charting of NFL.com's Brian McIntyre, the Seattle Seahawks put two tight ends on the field 39 percent of the time, one of the highest figures in the NFL. However, they didn't get much production from those tight ends. Former Oakland Raiders tight end Zach Miller, acquired as a free agent before the 2011 season, caught just 25 passes on 44 targets for 233 yards and no touchdowns -- Seattle's injury-weakened offensive line put Miller in a position to block most of the time. Despite that, Miller led the team in all categories at the position. On Monday evening, the Seahawks endeavored to become more productive with the 2-TE sets they prefer by trading for ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow. For assuming Winslow's contract, the Seahawks gave up just a seventh-round draft pick in 2013 (conditional sixth if Winslow meets certain performance guidelines). Winslow has three years left in a six-year, $36.1 million contract he signed in 2009, but the $3.3 million he's due this season in base salary is not guaranteed. The eight-year veteran was deemed expendable by new Bucs head coach Greg Schiano after missing a recent round of OTAs, and it was Winslow himself who revealed the news -- last Saturday, Schiano told him that the Bucs were looking to make a deal and get him out of there. In his place, the Bucs signed former Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark to a one-year deal. [ Related: Trading Kellen Winslow could be risky for the Buccaneers ] "It's kind of shocking, but that's what it is," Winslow told Ross Tucker of SIRIUS NFL Radio on Monday morning. " [Schiano] said he was upset that I wasn't working out with the team in the offseason, and then, the first week of OTAs. But, look -- I've been there the last three years, and I've had a successful career so far, and you just don't get rid of one of your best players because of that. That's just what I was told, but I have nothing bad to say about coach Schiano -- it was just a disagreement on why I'm not there yet. I was training in San Diego, and I was going to start [in OTAs with the team] today, but I got the call on Saturday that they're looking for somebody else." Winslow was especially surprised, given his claim that he has participated in a team event before in this preseason. "There was a previous minicamp -- I went to that. It was a three-day minicamp and then, I came back down to San Diego to train, and I was going to start [back with the team] today."

Beyond the Shutdown 50: Juron Criner, WR, Oakland Raiders (Shutdown Corner)
(Sun, 20 May 2012 17:38:39 PDT)
Now that the 2012 NFL draft is in the can, it's time to take the Shutdown 50 scouting format forward and get a closer look at some of the surprising and fascinating selections from this year's draft -- the guys we missed in the original 50, but who could be impact players now or down the road. Our next entry: Arizona receiver Juron Criner, selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 33rd pick in the fifth round (168th overall). Overview: While most of the talk about Pac-12 passing attacks in 2011 focused on the offenses led by Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley, the Arizona passing  game has been one of the more productive in the nation in recent seasons -- and receiver Juron Criner may be the primary reason for that. If you're in the group who believes that former Arizona and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles hurt that aerial attack as much as he helped it with his inaccuracy and questionable decision-making, Criner stands out in sharper relief. After catching seven passes for 88 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman, Criner moved up to 45/582/9 in 2009, and made a name for himself in 2010, when he caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. He repeated that touchdown figure last year, and the rest of the numbers almost matched up (75 for 926). Criner further set himself on the radar with an exciting week at the Senior Bowl. From our own Mike Tanier's report : Criner has probably helped his stock more than any other player during Senior Bowl practices this week ... [He] does not have breakaway speed, but he appears to have the rest of the package. "I'm very agile for a man my size," Criner said after Thursday's practice. That agility was evident earlier in the week, when he made smooth cuts and adjusted to poorly thrown balls in live practices. Criner has also been demonstrating good hands and pass-catching technique, and he looks more fluid and comfortable running routes than some of the other big receivers on the South squad. Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama), the likely first-round pick who transferred from Florida because of personal issues, singled Criner out as the hardest South receiver to cover this week during his Thursday press conference. "He's kinda got ball skills," Jenkins said. "If you hit his hand, he'll catch it. And he's tall." So, there's that. When he's thrown to by good quarterbacks, Juron Criner tends to make plays. And even when he's thrown to by quarterbacks who couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat, he's going to do some interesting things. Now a proud member of the Oakland Raiders, Criner has a shot at doing what Tennessee wideout Denarius Moore did in 2011 -- come out of nowhere as a late-round pick and impress the NFL. Moore went off the hook in a relative sense in his rookie campaign, catching 33 passes for 618 yards and five touchdowns. Could Criner be the next guy on the Raiders' late-draft boards to flash that same kind of long-term potential? Strengths: Shows an impressive burst for an alleged "possession receiver" -- Criner gets up to speed quickly off the line and in end-arounds. Fires upfield with an impressive second gear. Good catch radius and fine hands in space -- Criner often contorted his body to make catches when Foles was throwing with questionable accuracy. Will adjust his body to catch deep balls without losing too much speed after he's already beaten the corner or safety down the seam. Made a lot of catches despite the fact that Foles was clearly targeting him as the first read, which allowed opponents to time their jumps on the ball. Will fight to get through contact before he's wrapped up and occasionally gets free to make a big play. Senior Bowl performances showed what he could do when targeted by quarterbacks with a clue, as has his brief performances in Raiders minicamp. Frequently listed as a possession receiver, but he's got more downfield speed than the title might imply. Weaknesses: Tends to lose control of the ball when contact is coming -- doesn't have alligator arms, per se, but has trouble bringing the ball in and securing it when a defender is bearing down on him. Will lose the ball too often upon contact, leading to fumbles and incompletions. Not an especially physical player when fighting for balls with defenders in short spaces.

Pryor: 'I'm not planning to be a backup" (National Football Post)
(Sat, 19 May 2012 15:26:04 PDT)
The talented second-year quarterback remains hopeful of receiving an opportunity.

Bengals sign top draft pick CB Kirkpatrick (The Associated Press)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 13:04:07 PDT)
CINCINNATI (AP) The Bengals signed cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama to a four-year contract on Friday, the first time in nine years that they've reached a deal so quickly with their top pick.

Pasquarelli: Pittsburgh completes overdue overhaul of O-line (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 11:50:07 PDT)
With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now 30, and the team's most valuable player sacked an average of 43.5 times over the last six seasons -- including 40 or more sacks in all but one of those campaigns, and coming off an ankle injury last year -- Pittsburgh has drastically retooled its blocking unit.

Around the League: USFL to become NFL minor leagues? (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 11:50:06 PDT)
Some of the discussion at Tuesday's league meeting is expected to focus on the resurrected USFL, which is being reconstituted as a "feeder" or minor league, and on how involved the NFL should be with it. Former NFL executive Jim Steeg, who once presided over Super Bowl preparations, is chairman of the USFL's board of advisors, and that could give it some entre with the NFL.

Thursday's Sports in Brief (The Associated Press)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 03:49:09 PDT)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming the league's top executive made false statements that tarnished Vilma's reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living playing football.

Raiders' McClain sentenced to 180 days in jail (The SportsXchange)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 17:20:08 PDT)
Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain was found guilty on three charges and sentenced to 180 days in jail by a Decatur, Ala., judge on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

McClain sentenced to 180 days in jail (National Football Post)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 14:30:47 PDT)
Raiders linebacker convicted on three charges in Alabama.

Scholarship limits not slowing down USC (National Football Post)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 10:40:20 PDT)
The Trojans keep bringing in top talent despite being handcuffed by sanctions.