Sources: Schefter To ESPN

Several league and industry sources have told us that Adam Schefter, who still is under contract with NFL Network, will join ESPN later this year. Schefter is still under contract with NFLN, but he has not appeared on the air since early March. Schefter told Neil Best of Newsday on March 23 that he remains under contract with NFL Network until the middle of August. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent Schefter’s arrival affects the current NFL insider lineup at ESPN. At a minimum, it could make for a spirited-to-the-point-of-awkward in-house rivalry between Schefter, Chris Mortensen, John Clayton, Michael Smith, and the army of beat-writers-turned-bloggers who compete to break news. UPDATE: We’ve heard it from yet another source. However, ESPN Bill Hofheimer told us via e-mail Wednesday night that he cannot confirm the report.