2008 NFL: Week 7

[MiamiHomer]

The Dallas Cowboys are close to a deal to acquire wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions, a source told ESPN.com Tuesday. The trade would involve multiple draft picks but would not involve the Cowboys' first-round pick. The Cowboys are also trying to negotitate a long-term deal with Williams before completing the deal. Williams has expressed unhappiness playing for the winless Lions and can become a free agent after the season unless the team places the franchise tag on him. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes Williams is a game-breaker who provides an immediate boost to a faltering offense without quarterback Tony Romo and views him as a potential long-term solution as the eventual replacement for aging Terrell Owens, according to another high-ranking Cowboys source. The source said the Cowboys are willing to make the deal, but the Lions seem hesitant because they are operating without a general manager. Former GM Matt Millen had discussed the possibility of trading Williams with the Cowboys frequently before he was fired. The Lions had been demanding a first-round draft choice just to consider a deal. The Cowboys could offer a second- and third-round pick, since they have multiple choices in the third round. ESPN's Chris Mortensen, attending the meeting of league owners, reported that the Cowboys' NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles have also made inquiries about Williams' availability. However, Philadelphia is believed to be more interested in Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez. The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers are also pursuing a deal with the Chiefs. However, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith on Tuesday that it appeared very unlikely Gonzalez would be traded. In Dallas, Jones is known for a failed deal in which he traded two No. 1 draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver Joey Galloway in an attempt to provide Troy Aikman one more chance at the Super Bowl. The Cowboys would like to find a way to avoid the two- to three-season span it seems to take to develop a young receiver for that role. But the Cowboys are concerned about how Owens would react to the addition of another prominent receiver and the possibility it would diminish his role rather than provide him occasional single coverage. The potential negative effect on the overall offensive chemistry is also a concern and some in the organization prefer to wait until the offseason to make such a move. Either way, Jones definitely wants him and there have been very few times in his two decades of ownership that the Cowboys have failed to acquire a player Jones covets like he does Williams.

ESPN - Source: Cowboys close in on deal for Williams - NFL

Also Pacman got suspended indefinitely.

EDIT: NFL Network is reporting it as a done deal. A 1st, 3rd, and 6th round pick going to Detroit.

[Hugg]

Nothing like Bengals fans managing to get seats RIGHT in front of the visitor's owners box in Dallas and then wearing bags over their head the whole time with Mike Brown literally right behind them.

I wish I could shake each one of their hands.

[JJ]

The first big deal of the post-Millen era is a great one. Awesome deal by Detroit.

[Fritz]

Detroit made a helluva deal. I can't wait for Roy to have more catches than TO in a loss and then for TO to flip.

[Hugg]

Surgery isn't an option right now for Carson Palmer. The amount of rest and what to do if rest doesn't cure his inflamed right elbow is what is being discussed. Head coach Marvin Lewis wouldn't discuss a time frame, but there has been plenty of time for Bengaldom to express their fears about its franchise quarterback. Palmer's Pro Bowl receivers, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, would understand if the club shuts him down for the year with 10 games to play. "Yeah," said Ocho Cinco when asked if he would rest Palmer the rest of the year. "Whoever makes the call on Nine, I would tell them to do whatever they need to do. I don't think surgery would be the best thing. It's 50-50. Sometimes it's successful, sometimes it's not. I think Nine should sit down. For Nine, we have next year." Houshmandzadeh and Palmer are close and he knows Palmer wants to play. "If we could string some things together and pile up some Ws here, maybe things would change," Houshmandzadeh said. "But with a quarterback and it's your arm and it's the arm you throw with, you've got to be as careful as you can be in a situation like this. I'm sure he was worried, obviously. Carson has what? Eight, nine years left to play? You just have to be smart."

News - Surgery not option - Cincinnati Bengals

We need to stop screwing around and shut him down.

[Ralph]

Tony Romo is willing to do his part. The quarterback informed coaches on Wednesday that he is ready to play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, a high-ranking Cowboys source told ESPN.com's Matt Mosley. He suffered a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand in a 30-24 loss at Arizona on Sunday, and Dallas' medical staff said that he will miss a month. The injury did not require surgery. Romo did not practice on Wednesday but did throw the ball on the side with his fractured pinkie in a splint, and according to eyewitnesses, he was able to throw the ball with good velocity and appeared confident after throwing. The session was not open to reporters. There is no assurance he can protect the ball, take a snap or deliver the ball accurately under game conditions. The Cowboys' biggest concern is that Romo gets hit again, causing him to miss more time than initially anticipated and possibly require surgery. More From ESPN.com Matt Mosley says Tony Romo wants to play against St. Louis on Sunday, but will the Cowboys want to risk further injury by playing him? Brad Johnson can get Dallas through in the short-term. Listen John Clayton says there's no chance Romo plays on Sunday. Roy Williams will help Dallas long-term but Adam "Pacman" Jones' loss hurts short-term. Listen Romo huddled with owner Jerry Jones, vice president Stephen Jones, coach Wade Phillips and the medical and training staff while the team practiced to discuss the quarterback's prognosis, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder. Brett Favre, who has started an NFL-record 258 consecutive regular-season games, told ESPN on Tuesday that he called Tony Romo and encouraged him to try to play. "The only thing I said was, it's worth trying [to play] if you can deal with the pain and can function good enough with a splint,'' Favre said. "If not, don't try.'' Favre has played through a fractured thumb in the past. After saying he'd try to play, Romo's streak of 32 consecutive starts is now in the hands of Cowboys coaches and medical staff.

ESPN - Source: Romo tells coaches he'll play with broken finger - NFL

[marlins02]

Baltimore Ravens coach's remarks get Miami Dolphins fired up BY JEFF DARLINGTON It was an experience better forgotten. It was a disaster better kept under the carpet. That is why the Dolphins' players tried hard to resist it, refusing to reveal their feelings about the privately messy divorce with former coach Cam Cameron, who will return to Dolphin Stadium on Sunday as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator. They tried. They really did. ''I'm sure that he has a bad taste in his mouth for the Dolphins and for Miami, but he's a professional,'' said defensive end Vonnie Holliday, who along with the rest of the team was warned by the new regime to refrain from publicly criticizing Cameron. Then a reporter from a local radio station played an audio clip for Holliday. It was a few seconds long about something Ravens coach John Harbaugh said earlier in the day while attempting to defend Cameron's ability. ''He was an effective coach down in Miami last year, even though the results weren't what people were hoping for,'' Harbaugh said on the portion of the clip played for Holliday. ``He did a great job there with what he had to work with.'' It was as if Harbaugh, perhaps unintentionally, ripped away a scab that had yet to properly heal. ''With what he had to work with? That's the key, huh?'' said Holliday, the team's defensive captain. ``What did we have to work with as players? I think you look at it, and it's clear this year we have a direction. We have a plan in place. And that's largely attributed to Coach Parcells and Coach Sparano. ''That's a big difference in leadership and who is out front,'' Holliday said of team vice president Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano. Perhaps Harbaugh should have realized why his comments would sting like alcohol on a wound: Cameron might be gone but 25 of his players remain on the Dolphins' 53-man roster -- nine of whom Cameron was partly responsible for signing last year. Cameron was not made available for a comment. FIRED UP Holliday said it fired him up to hear Harbaugh's opinion. Wide receiver Greg Camarillo said he took Harbaugh's comments ''as a personal blow.'' Even running back Ronnie Brown, who is often mild-mannered, said he will ''show them'' what he can do. Perhaps the only person who didn't sound insulted was the player many thought would be offended the most. ''You're looking for me to get mad about that?'' said Joey Porter, after being played the same clip. ``Not going to happen.'' Porter has no need to vent publicly through the media regarding his feelings about where the blame from last year's 1-15 season should be placed. During the climax of the season's dramatic demise, Porter made it clear to Cameron during an incident in which he dressed down Cameron during a team meeting before the season's last game. Don't be mistaken: Players such as Porter and Holliday have moved past last season. They don't seem to hold some unforgiving grudge against Cameron for their disastrous season, if only because the situation was resolved upon his firing. `A DIFFERENT TEAM' ''You don't want to focus on last year,'' Holliday said. ``I could get into, you know, a conversation about that. But I won't go down that road -- as tempting as it is. We're a different team this year.'' Holliday said Sparano is ''a better coach for us'' and ``is the type of coach that has a plan.'' Said Camarillo: ``I don't blame Cam for everything that went on, but we're in the business of winning, so when you're not winning, some things need to change.'' Beyond the team's dismal record, Cameron's demise in Miami ultimately became imminent when he lost the respect of his veteran players. Holliday said the issues that arose required player-only meetings between veterans such as former Dolphins Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. Cameron, however, sealed his fate with the players when he sent home veteran defensive tackle Keith Traylor as a result of an argument that stemmed from a fight between Traylor and two offensive players on the plane ride home from a loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 23. `PULSE . . . WAS GONE' ''As ugly as it got last year, it could have gotten uglier,'' Holliday said. ``I think guys tried to hang in there right up until the end. It was tough. But going into that last game, after everything that had transpired with Keith Traylor, I think that was really when the pulse of the team was gone.'' Now the pulse is clearly back with a new coaching staff and many new players. Although Cameron's return to Dolphin Stadium isn't going to cause any more bad feelings toward him, the blame from last year's season gone wrong is still clearly a matter of debate. Not to mention a very touchy subject. If nothing else, many Dolphins from last year's team are now poised to prove to Harbaugh they weren't entirely the cause of the problem. ''Cam's going to be a great match as a football coach for every situation,'' Harbaugh said. ``Everywhere he's been, he's been a very effective coach.'' Harbaugh now likely knows a few people might disagree.

Baltimore Ravens coach's remarks get Miami Dolphins fired up | MiamiHerald.com

i forgot how much hatred i have for cameron till i saw his picture in the article. harbaugh really needs to keep quiet, the man's been a good effective COORDINATOR. not a head coach. nobody had even talked about this till this man opened his mouth.

[Matt Wilson]

I think we're going to obliterate Baltimore this weekend. The Ghost of Gus Frerotte Past will return and throw 3 picks, and Joey Porter will put him on his back. Then Patrick "Slob on My" Cobbs will take a few more 80 yarders to the house.

[Junior]

PewterReport.com has confirmed through the Buccaneers that Tampa Bay will unveil a Ring of Honor and wear its old orange and white uniforms for at least one game in honor of the team's 30th anniversary of the 1979 Buccaneer team in 2009. We will have more on this story throughout the day.

HAHAHAHAHA AWESOME!

[JJ]

That is so damn awesome.

Ring of Honor is interesting. Selmon is a lock. Sapp should go on there as well. Rich McKay? Alstott? Lynch? Or are they going to be super selective.

[Junior]

Originally Posted by JJ That is so damn awesome. Ring of Honor is interesting. Selmon is a lock. Sapp should go on there as well. Rich McKay? Alstott? Lynch? Or are they going to be super selective.

Sapp/Brooks/Lynch/Barber are all locks once they retire. I'd love for them to go in together, but I doubt that happens. The Bucs are honoring Alstott during the game Sunday night, so I think he will be in as well, as much as I don't think he deserves it.

I can't wait to see the uniforms.

[BeefWillingham]

I must be at that game

[JJ]

Also, I meant John McKay, not Rich.

[Fritz]

No love for Eric Rhett?

[JJ]

Only Dungy ever loved Eric Rhett.