Cutler has a message for Packers defensive backs: “Good luck”

AP

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has always seemed to be a little cocky.  He now has weapons that allow him to be a lot cocky.

And so as the Bears prepare to head to Lambeau Field for a Thursday nighter with a bigger and better group of receivers and with the Packers sporting a defense that has developed a bad habit of giving up more than 30 points per game at home, Cutler has a message for defensive backs who previously stifled Bears receivers by covering them man-to-man and jamming them at the line of scrimmage.

“Good luck.”

That’s what Cutler said Tuesday, via our pal John Mullin of CSNChicago.com.  “We invite press coverage,” Cutler said.  “We welcome it.”

They especially welcome it now that they have big receivers, like Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey.

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Fullback /running back Montell Owens is visiting the Bills on Monday, the club said, tweeting a picture of the former Jaguar for good measure.

Owens (5-10, 225) could appeal to Buffalo on numerous levels. For starters, he would give them a proven veteran blocking back. Also, he’s shown he can be a serviceable fill-in at tailback if events warrant. Finally, he is a two-time Pro Bowler on special teams.

The 29-year-old Owens has primarily made his name as a fullback and a special-teams ace, but when injuries forced him into the lineup at tailback for Jacksonville a season ago, he acquitted himself well. Overall, Owens rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries in 2012 for the Jaguars, who released him last week.

AP

PFT Live was on vacation last week, but it’s a new week and that means we’ll be back at it on Monday.

We’ll get the ball rolling again by checking in with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune about what’s going on with the Chargers. The big news is on the defensive side of the ball, where theyy didn’t waste any time signing longtime Colts pass rusher Dwight Freeney after losing linebacker Melvin Ingram to a knee injury. We’ll hear more about how the Chargers will use Freeney and see if there’s going to be a veteran left tackle like Max Starks joining him in the locker room.

Former Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli will also be on hand to talk about the other big stories around the league as most of the 32 teams gear up for a week of OTAs.

You can watch it all live at noon ET.

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During the 2012 season, the Lions took issue with receiver Calvin Johnson’s contention that he had suffered a concussion and nerve damage.  Johnson has now given the team another reason to be nervous.

According to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Johnson has confirmed that he played with three broken fingers during the 2012 season.  Johnson said surgery won’t be needed, and that he’s trying to straighten them out.  (Torry Holt and Brian Baldinger think that’s cute.)

In February, McCosky reported that Johnson had played with at least two broken fingers.  At the Scouting Combine, coach Jim Schwartz declined to comment.

“I am not going to comment on any of our players’ health,” Schwartz said at the time.  “But that’s not uncommon for a wide receiver. . . . We don’t have any injury reports this time of year.  And you know how I am about injuries.”

Yes, we know.  Because we’ve looked at the Lions’ injuries reports for every game of the 2012 season, and there’s nothing about broken fingers.  Twice — in Week 13 and Week 15 — Johnson is listed with a “thumb” injury.  Presumably, three broken fingers would result in a different description, and it would show up more than twice, in non-consecutive weeks.

It’s the kind of development that should have folks like Ravens coach John Harbaugh calling the league office and complaining.  Harbaugh’s team was fined $20,000 last year for failing to disclose an Ed Reed shoulder injury.  The Lions apparently failed to disclose Johnson’s broken fingers.

This gets back to something we mention about from time to time.  If the rules aren’t going to be enforced consistently, the NFL needs to change the rules, and enforce those rules consistently.

Regardless, the broken fingers make Johnson’s accomplishments from last season even more impressive.  And they finally give the Maddencursers something tangible to which they can point and exclaim, “A-ha!“

AP

Last week, a judge in Florida issued an arrest warrant for former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson for violating his probation on a domestic violence charge from last summer.

Johnson was reportedly out of the state at the time that the warrant was issued, but he’s back in Florida on Monday and TMZ reports that he’s now under arrest. Per the report, which features a picture of Johnson being cuffed by police officers, Johnson appeared in the Broward County courtroom and the judge ruled that he had violated his probation by missing two visits with his probation officer and failing to produce proof that he had enrolled in a domestic violence education class.

Johnson was placed on probation when he pleaded no contest to charges stemming from an incident with his then-wife Evelyn Lozada last August. Johnson’s arrest led to his release by the Dolphins and, most likely, the end of a professional football career that was already on its last legs.

There’s no word yet on bail or future court dates for Johnson.

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The Seahawks are number one — in performance enhancing substance suspensions.

Bruce Irvin’s suspension Friday was the fifth for the team since coach Pete Carroll took charge in 2010, and that doesn’t count Richard Sherman’s successful appeal.

And according to Mike Sando of ESPN.com, that’s the highest total in the league during that span.

Two other teams, the Broncos and Giants, have had four suspensions each, while the Patriots, Redskins, Bengals, Texans and Rams are tied for fourth with three each.

With 50 total suspensions during that time frame, 22 teams have had at least one. 

Only the Bills, Lions, Jaguars, Colts, Chiefs, Jets, Raiders, Cowboys, Eagles and 49ers have stayed off the board.

There have been times in recent years when the Seahawks have been applauded for taking chances in the draft. But there’s a flip side to that, and it bears watching, especially with four guys on the current roster (the Seahawks released Allen Barbre after his suspension, and he’s with the Eagles now) now staring at a possible eight-game suspension if they test positive again.

AP

As the title to this blurb indicates, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has signed a pledge to not use the “R” word.

And, no, it’s not Redskins.

During the week preceding Super Bowl XLVII, Flacco called the idea of playing a Super Bowl in New Jersey “retarded.”  He immediately corrected himself, and he apologized for it the next day.

Now, Flacco and two of his teammates — tight end Ed Dickson and center Gino Gradkowski — have signed a pledge to eliminate use of the term.  The Maryland Special Olympics page has posted a photo of the signing ceremony.

It’s a potent message to folks who continue to use that word casually, typically with a meaning that is different from its actual meaning.  Which can make the person who uses the word completely oblivious to its potentially offensive nature.

Sort of like, well, never mind.

AP

When the Chargers announced that Dwight Freeney signed with the team, General Manager Tom Telesco called him a “perfect fit” for the team’s 3-4 defense.

You can’t argue with that as far as getting a healthy body into the lineup to replace linebacker Melvin Ingram is concerned, but Freeney’s previously stated preference to play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme and somewhat diminished results in a 3-4 with the Colts in 2012 made “perfect” seem like a bit of an exaggeration. But, as Freeney explained to Peter King for this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, the Chargers told him that they aren’t going to try to put a square peg in a round hole when it comes to deploying Freeney in 2013.

“They’ll run both. They’re willing to feature me and free me up to make plays. And they’re going to put me in good matchups in the 3-4,” Freeney said.

There wasn’t much point in signing Freeney if the Chargers weren’t going to use him to do what he does best, so we’d expect to see a fair amount of Freeney on the edge with his hand in the dirt on passing downs this season. With Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget capable of generating some interior pressure, the Chargers pass rush should be able to threaten offenses in multiple ways now that Freeney’s in town.

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Even though the Chargers have never won a Super Bowl and have played in only one of them, they’ve got plenty of all-time greats.

Possibly, too many to fit on one Mt. Rushmore.

From Dan Fouts to Junior Seau to Kellen Winslow to Lance Alworth to Charlie Joiner to Don Coryell to Ron Mix to Fred Dean to Billy Ray Smith to Rodney Harrison, it won’t be easy to trim to four.

It won’t be easy to trim to a list of 12 finalists.  But with your help, we’ll give it a clumsy try.

UPDATE 10:33 a.m. ET:  Of course we forgot to mention LaDainian Tomlinson.  Making it even harder to get to 12.  And then to four.

AP

Will Smith had to take a huge pay cut to stay a Saint.

Now, he’s making another significant adjustment.

According to Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times Picayune, Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis said Smith will open OTAs as an outside linebacker.

The Saints need help at the position, as signing former Cowboys backup Victor Butler was the extent of the additions there. And while Butler could be a good addition — he was productive in spot duty behind two stars in Dallas — the Saints need more.

How the 6-foot-3, 282-pound Smith holds up while standing up will be a key. He’s been a good-not-great pass-rusher in the past, but he’s probably going to need to drop some weight, in hopes of being more fluid than he’s been in the past.

On the surface, it looks like a bit of a desperation move, as the Saints weren’t able to make enough transactions in one offseason to fix a defense that was statistically the worst in league history.

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So what happened with Eagles running back Miguel Maysonet in Philadelphia?  Per a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Maysonet found himself on the wrong side of a numbers game.

The recent addition of veteran tailback Felix Jones resulted in Maysonet sliding, in the team’s view, to the sixth spot on the depth chart.  And so the decision was made to move on.

Despite speculation in some circles that the five-figure signing bonus paid to Maysonet and his abrupt departure after one week of OTA practices speaks to a disconnect between coaching staff and front office, keep in mind that undrafted rookies routinely get sizable signing bonuses — and then routinely get cut.

This year, for example, the Giants gave receiver Marcus Davis a $15,000 signing bonus, and they already have released him.

The balance of Maysonet’s rookie deal will now be subject to the waiver system, given that the Eagles officially have released the former Stony Brook standout, replacing him with undrafted rookie tight end Will Shaw.  The teams to watch will be any teams the Eagles outbid to get Maysonet, since those teams can now get him with no signing bonus at all.

AP

If anything, the Steelers pride themselves on continuity.

But when they line up for OTAs this week, they’ll put a different look on the field on both sides of the ball.

As noted by Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they’ll have at least three new starters on defense, a significant shift away from some experienced players.

Jason Worilds is expected to replace James Harrison at outside linebacker, Steve McLendon goes in for Casey Hampton at nose tackle and Cortez Allen will replace Keenan Lewis at cornerback.

All three of the new starters fit the Steelers mold of promote from within, having been stashed in reserve in recent years — Worilds and Allen were drafted, McLendon was an undrafted rookie signing who has developed during stints on the practice squad.

But the out-with-the-old isn’t just limited to defense.

The elder backup quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich are gone, replaced by Bruce Gradkowski and Landry Jones. It’s a subtle switch, but that’s 22 years of experience out the door.

And with two new offensive coaches and a special teams coach to integrate, the Steelers need all the getting-to-know-you time they can get this offseason.

AP

The arrival of Brian Hoyer in Cleveland has sparked another round of discussion around Brandon Weeden and his future as the Browns quarterback.

The hiring of General Manager Mike Lombardi, the signing of Jason Campbell and Weeden’s own performance last season previously incited such conversations and it’s a safe bet that there will be more of the same in the coming days and weeks. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner thinks that the people having those conversations need to keep a little perspective about where Weeden is in his career.

Turner spoke to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com about Weeden and pointed out some areas where Weeden needs to improve — footwork, playing faster — while also pointing out that the quarterback has “the physical skills to do what we want to do.” He also said that he thought it was wrong to make too sweeping a judgment of Weeden based on the 2012 season because it wasn’t a situation destined for success.

“I think it’s just being realistic about the position. What’s thrown this out of whack a little bit is there have been some players at the position the last couple years that have had immediate impact,” Turner said. “Sometimes that has more to do with the situation they go into as the player himself. I don’t know that there’s a lot of guys in a certain sense last year would have great success offensively at the quarterback position for a lot of reasons.”

It’s amazing how quickly the idea of giving a quarterback time to grow into the job has become as anachronistic as single-bar facemasks, but that’s the reality of a league where rookie quarterbacks seem to lead their teams to the playoffs every year. Weeden’s a slightly different case because of his age and he certainly needs to show improvement to be the guy in Cleveland, but it still seems premature to write him off before his second training camp has even started.

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The Chargers haven’t shown much interest in re-singing cornerback Quentin Jammer since he became a free agent in March, but Jammer isn’t giving up hope that the only NFL team he’s played for might still come around. 

Jammer was at a charity golf tournament near San Diego this weekend and said that he would like to remain with the Chargers even though General Manager Tom Telesco has been spending the team’s money in other places this offseason. Jammer understands that the team has identified more pressing priorities, but hopes he’s somewhere on that list. 

“I’d love to come back,” Jammer said, via the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I’ve had conversations with them. I totally understood the direction they were going in. They said the door wasn’t completely closed. Hopefully, maybe down the road a little bit, the Chargers will offer me something.”

Despite his hopes, Jammer expects to wind up playing elsewhere in 2013. The Redskins hosted Jammer last month — the cornerback called it an “exciting” visit — and have been the only team strongly linked to Jammer since the start of free agency. 

AP

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says his new quarterback, Carson Palmer, has played better football recently than most people think.

Arians said in an interview on ESPN that he believes Palmer had an outstanding season in Oakland in 2012, and that people who focus on the Raiders’ 4-12 record need to realize that Palmer was not the one to blame.

“What he did last year with the Raiders, in a crazy situation, I thought was very, very impressive,” Arians said.

Arians didn’t elaborate on what he thought was crazy about the Raiders over the last two years, but suffice to say he’s not the only one who viewed the Raiders that way. And Arians makes a fair point: Palmer completed 61.1 percent of his passes, threw for 4,018 yards and had 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Palmer wasn’t the reason the Raiders lost 12 games.

In Arizona, Arians thinks Palmer is going to win a lot of games.

“The biggest thing is his experience level,” Arians said. “He’s tough as nails. As good a deep ball thrower as I’ve ever seen — I mean, really accurate on the deep ball and still has it.”

And now Palmer may finally be in the right situation.

Like most young couples who are on the brink of matrimony, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and his fiancée also are engaged in a harvesting of gifts from family and friends.

And in the bizarro version of the dynamic recently experienced by Tavon Austin and Tyron Smith, Griffin has witnessed a sudden outpouring friends who don’t want him to give them something, but who want to give him something.

As revealed Sunday on Griffin’s Twitter page, fans have bought up the items from the online Bed Bath & Beyond registry of Griffin and his future wife, Rebecca Liddicoat.

Griffin’s timeline starts with an acknowledgement of the spontaneous generosity, and continues with his response to the reactions from folks who think that a multimillionaire shouldn’t be seeking or accepting gifts from fans.

In our view, people can spend their money however they choose, whether it’s buying blenders for their sports heroes or contributing to the jackpot for Powerball, which wouldn’t be nearly as successful if its name captured its essence — a tax on the poor and delusional.  The poor and delusional spend lots of money on all sorts of things; if nothing else it stimulates the economy.

While neither poor nor delusional, Griffin reflects the naivete of a 23-year-old.  He seemed to be genuinely excited by the unprompted generosity of strangers, and unprepared for the finger wagging from folks who believe a guy who signed a $20 million football contract and who makes millions more from off-field pursuits should be buying his own appliances.

If people want to buy stuff for Griffin or anyone else they don’t personally know, so be it.  If other people want to criticize those people for making the purchases or Griffin for accepting them, they can.  There’s no right or wrong, just people doing the things they’re entitled to do — whether it’s spending money on someone who essentially is a stranger or spending time worrying about what that stranger and those buying him stuff do.