Roethlisberger takes blame for picks, but healing needed

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In the aftermath of the Steelers’ playoff-killing loss to the Bengals yesterday, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was quick to take all the blame.

All of it.

“Nothing to talk about. You saw it. I threw it to them,” Roethlisberger said, via Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Asked about his feelings, he replied: “Disappointment. Pain. Letting a lot of people down.”

“We should be [going to the playoffs],” he said. “… if it wasn’t for me.”

The reality of the situation is, Roethlisberger and the Steelers have a lot of healing to do this offseason.

First and foremost, he needs to get well, as he clearly wasn’t the same player after his shoulder and rib injuries. In the first nine games, he threw 17 touchdowns, four interceptions, for a 100.0 rating and a 6-3 record. In the three games after coming back, it was six touchdowns, four picks, an ordinary 82.5 rating and an 0-3 record.

But in addition to the physical, he clearly needs to mend (or create) a relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

The two have went through ups and downs, which became public in recent weeks. And it’s hard to deny, as wide receiver Mike Wallace pointed out.

“You don’t have to like the people you work with,” Wallace said. “He doesn’t have to like Ben; Ben doesn’t have to like him. But we’re all on the same team, so we have to work together.”

And until they can get well and get on the same page, the Steelers are going to have more seasons which end in December, not the playoffs.

Reuters

Charles Woodson’s return to Oakland has excited plenty of Raiders fans and it sounds like coach Dennis Allen is pretty excited about the chance to coach the team’s 1998 first-round pick.

Allen told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group that he enjoyed seeing fans lined up outside the facility waiting for confirmation that Woodson would be returning to Oakland and that he likes what Woodson brings to the table as a leader for the defense. He also sees Woodson as a player whose experience in the league can bring something of value to the offensive side of the ball as well.

It’s not a return to playing wide receiver, something did on the way to a Heisman Trophy while playing for the University of Michigan.

“You want to play this game with a swagger, with a little bit of an air of confidence,” Allen said. “Charles . . . he’s got that swagger and I think he can bring some of that to our team – not just defensively, but to the whole team in general.”

Confidence can’t take the place of a roster stuffed with talent, but it isn’t a bad thing to bring into a team trying to break a long string of years without a winning season. That streak may not end in 2013, but the Raiders obviously hope Woodson can help grow the Raiders team that finally finds itself back on happier ground come the final standings.

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The Panthers signed second-rounder Kawann Short earlier today, and finished up the defensive tackle double-dip this afternoon.

According to a Twitter message from his agents, first-rounder Star Lotulelei has agreed to his deal with the Panthers.

His ability to play the run will be key for the Panthers defense this year, and should help a group of mobile linebackers to flow more freely to the ball.

While many teams sign picks from the later rounds and work their way up, the Panthers now have deals with the first two of their five.

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One of the most talked about moves of the offseason was wide receiver Wes Welker trading in life with Tom Brady for life with Peyton Manning.

Welker’s new Broncos teammate Demaryius Thomas will stop by Pro Football Talk on NBCSN on Wednesday to talk about how the offense is looking now that Welker has joined the receiving corps. With Thomas, Welker and Eric Decker at the position, the Broncos are poised to be one of the league’s top offenses again this year and Erik Kuselias will ask Thomas his thoughts about the year to come.

John Mullin of CSN Chicago will also drop in to discuss former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher’s decision to retire. Mike Florio and Pete Najarian are on hand as well to hit the biggest topics of the day, including the Achilles injury suffered by 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, and run down burning questions for the four teams in the AFC North.

It all gets started at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

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Lions running back Mikel Leshoure hasn’t had much luck staying healthy during his first two NFL seasons and number three isn’t getting off to all that promising a start.

Leshoure missed all of his rookie season because of a torn Achilles and then battled calf and ankle injuries last year. Now he’s being held out of the team drills at OTAs with an injury that the team hasn’t disclosed but obviously concerns them enough to limit Leshoure at this point.

“He’s battling some stuff,” coach Jim Schwartz said, via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “He can do some individual stuff but he’s not ready to do any team work.”

There’s no word on when Leshoure will be ready for a full workload nor is there much indication when safety Louis Delmas will be back with the team. Delmas is rehabbing the knee injuries that have vexed him in the last two seasons away from the team, an absence that doesn’t bother Schwartz because Delmas “can’t physically do the stuff we’re doing.” The Lions obviously knew there was a chance Delmas’ knees would continue to be an issue or they wouldn’t have signed him to a deal this offseason that carries almost $2 million in per-game roster bonuses.

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We’re getting close to the conclusion of the Mt. Rushmore nomination process, and one of the last teams on the docket will create some of the biggest headaches for folks who’ll try to decide who’s in and who’s out.

The Steelers, who won four Super Bowls in the 70s and two more in 2005 and 2008 have more than their fair share of potential nominees.

From Art Rooney to Dan Rooney to Chuck Noll to Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin to Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris to Lynn Swann to John Stallworth to Ben Roethlisberger to Jerome Bettis to Hines Ward to Santonio Holmes to Joe Greene to Kevin Greene to Mike Wagner to Donnie Shell to Troy Polamalu to Aaron Smith to Mike Webster to Dermontti Dawson to John Henry Johnson to Rocky Bleier to Donnie Shell to Joey Porter to Andy Russell to Jack Lambert to Jack Ham to Alan Faneca to L.C. Greenwood to Rod Woodson to Dick LeBeau to Jack Butler to Terrible Towel creator and broadcasting legend Myron Cope, it will be virtually impossible to trim the list to 12 finalists.

Completely impossible to cut it to four.

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In a statement issued by the team Wednesday, Bears chairman George H. McCaskey paid public tribute to retiring middle linebacker Brian Urlacher — and painted a clear picture of what Urlacher has meant to the franchise.

Here is the text of McCaskey’s statement:

“How lucky we were that Brian Urlacher was a Chicago Bear.

“Brian announced his retirement in the same, understated way in which he carried himself at Halas Hall the last 13 years — he simply wanted to be one of the guys and play the game he loves.  But his rare ability, work ethic and passion for football put him among the greats to ever play the game.

“Besides superlative play on the field, he was also the unquestioned leader in the locker room, as well as the sometimes reluctant face of the franchise. Brian is a special person who represented our team and our city with skill and humility while never seeking acclaim or recognition.

“In the pantheon of Bears, Brian has earned his place alongside Halas, Grange, Nagurski, Ditka, Payton — and yes, Bill George, Butkus and Singletary.

“We congratulate Brian on a brilliant career and he will continue to be a welcomed member of the Bears Family in retirement.”

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Just hours after news broke that 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, Crabtree has already had surgery.

Crabtree had his surgery today, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports.

According to multiple reports, doctors believe Crabtree will be out about six months. That would put his return in late November, around Week 12 of the regular season.

For the 49ers, losing Crabtree for that long is a major blow to the offense. Last season Crabtree was by far the 49ers’ top weapon in the passing game, with 85 catches for 1,105 yards. No one else on the 49ers had even half that many catches or receiving yards.

With Crabtree out for most of the season, the 49ers will need the newly acquired Anquan Boldin and last year’s No. 2 receiver, Mario Manningham, to step up. They’ll also need some production out of last year’s first-round draft pick, A.J. Jenkins, who did nothing as a rookie, and from this year’s fourth-round draft pick, Quinton Patton.

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As a public service to any player released by the Patriots in the coming weeks, we suggest you listen to classic rock radio. Because you’re about to go from Aerosmith to Lynyrd Skynyrd quicker than you can say Two-fer Tuesday.

According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars have signed wide receiver Jeremy Ebert.

He’s the third former Patriot acquired by the Jags in the last eight days, joining defensive tackles Brandon Deaderick and Kyle Love.

The Patriots cut the former seventh-rounder on April 29, after drafting a pair of receivers. He spent some time on the Eagles practice squad last year, but had re-signed with the Patriots in January.

To make room for Ebert on the roster, the Jaguars waived defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton, a seventh-round pick last year.

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Tom Nalen, a center who anchored one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, has been chosen as the next member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame.

The Broncos announced today that Nalen will be formally inducted at halftime of the September 29 game against the Eagles.

Nalen was a seventh-round draft pick of the Broncos in 1994 and went on to be a two-time first-team All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler. During Nalen’s 13 seasons on the Broncos’ offensive line, they had a 1,000-yard rusher 11 times.

Nalen started every game of the Broncos’ back-to-back championship seasons in 1997 and 1998, and his 188 career starts are second only to John Elway in franchise history.

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Last month, the NFLPA gave Jay-Z a pass regarding his involvement in CAA’s recruitment of Giants receiver Victor Cruz, attributing any influence Jay-Z may have exercised to his longstanding friendship with Cruz (which likely didn’t date back to his days as an unknown wideout at UMass).

This month, Jay-Z has put the PA in a slightly more complex pickle.

The entertainment mogul’s 100th problem arises from a change made by the union in 2012 to the rules regarding “runners.”  Essentially, the NFLPA has banned them, allowing only certified NFLPA agents to be recruit potential clients.  Since Jay-Z isn’t a certified NFLPA agent, he can’t be involved in recruiting a player to sign with an agent for the purposes of handling the player’s NFL contract.

Despite the existence of a business relationship between Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and CAA, CAA wasn’t one of the agencies in the running to represent Jets quarterback Geno Smith.  Instead, Roc Nation hired Kim Miale, a largely (if not completely) unknown NFLPA-certified agent, whom Smith has now hired to represent him.

She represents no active NFL players.  Except for Geno Smith.

So which person did Smith really choose?  Miale, or Jay-Z?  Smith said that Jay-Z played “not that big of a role” in the decision, but Smith based the decision on “being in New York from a standpoint of what they can do in the city, the connections that they have, I think it’s a good move.”

So who’s the “they”?  Miale, or the guy with whom Smith was hanging out last week?

In past posts, we’ve chalked up much of the complaining about Jay-Z from other agents to run-of-the-mill professional jealously.  But that was before Jay-Z embarked on a strategy that seems to brazenly violate the applicable rules.  Under this precedent, any actor, musician, or other celebrity can, in lieu of demonstrating the credentials to become an NFLPA-certified agent, launch a firm, hire an unknown agent, and represent players without technically “representing” them.

As one agent said in response to today’s developments, “Maybe I need to hire P. Diddy in order to get clients.”

The wiser move for Jay-Z would have been to steer Smith to another firm (like Priority Sports) for his contract, and to sign Smith for off-field endorsements.  While some agents may have scoffed at the idea of letting Jay-Z essentially run the show, eventually some agent who actually has had, you know, active NFL clients would have accepted the assignment.

It’s unknown whether the NFLPA will challenge the situation.  While it will be easier for Jay-Z to tiptoe around the potential recruitment issue if the players are hiring Roc Nation for off-field opportunities and CAA for their contracts, it becomes much harder to pass the smell test when the actual agent is a warm body with a license to negotiate clients, and the clients believe that they’re actually hiring Jay-Z.

When everyone else believes it, too, it becomes even more of a dilemma for the union.

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The Bengals are deep enough on the defensive line they could draft a player who might need time to develop. They found that guy in Estonian discus thrower Margus Hunt, who took up football in 2009.

He’s now officially a professional football player, as according to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Bengals signed their second-round pick today.

Hunt’s an interesting prospect, with long arms and a unique ability to block kicks (17 in college, which is a record). And because he’s surrounded by talent up front, he has time to learn more football.

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The Ravens lost one player who was set to be in the mix to help them replace Dannell Ellerbe and Ray Lewis at inside linebacker when Rolando McClain retired and now they’ll have to go without another prospective replacement for the next few weeks.

Coach John Harbaugh announced Wednesday that linebacker Arthur Brown, a second-round pick out of Kansas State last month, had sports hernia surgery a couple of weeks ago. There’s generally a four-to-six week recovery period following operations of that type, which likely means that we’ve seen the last of Brown on the field until the Super Bowl champs open up training camp.

Brown, the 2012 Big 12 defensive player of the year, is still a likely bet to be in the starting lineup once the season gets underway. Jameel McClain, who is still recovering from a spinal cord contusion suffered last season, is pencilled into one starting spot while Brown’s competition — Albert McClellan, Josh Bynes and Bryan Hall — offers less upside for the defense than Brown.

McClain and Brown aren’t the only Ravens defenders limited or sidelined by injuries at this point in the offseason. Linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerback Lardarius Webb highlight the list of players with varying levels of concern over injuries carried over from 2012 which should mean plenty of reps in OTAs and minicamp for players further down the depth chart.

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In one of his many comments about the role he wants quarterback Tony Romo to play for the Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones invoked the name of another NFL quarterback.

Jones said that he wants Romo to spend “Peyton Manning-type time on the job” watching film and breaking down game plans to get better results in the 2013 season. Word of that request has made its way back to Manning and the Broncos quarterback told Lindsay Jones of USA Today that he’s “flattered” to be held up as the gold standard for quarterback preparation. That said, Manning doesn’t feel like he does anything more than what’s required for him to put forth the best performance every week.

“I don’t think that I do any more than any quarterback should. I get asked, ‘How much film do you watch?’ I’ve never logged hours. I’ve always watched enough to get myself ready to play,” Manning said. “The cerebral part of the game has always been something where I had to get my edge. I really study the opponent, study myself, study my own players, my own routes.”

It’s impossible to quantify how much of Manning’s success over the years is due to film study as opposed to his own natural ability, but there’s little doubt that he’s maximized the return on both things with both the Colts and the Broncos. Romo may have done the same thing, but that probably doesn’t matter much when the guy signing your checks wants to see you doing more.

AP

The Jaguars had two seventh-round picks last month and used them both on cornerbacks,

Now they have both of them under contract. Jeremy Harris signed earlier this week and the team announced Wednesday that Demetrius McCray has agreed to a contract as well.

McCray led the Southern Conference in interceptions in each of the last two seasons at Appalachian State and earned second-team All-America honors in the Football Championship Subdivision last season. Whether those ballhawking skills will translate into significant playing time on defense as a rookie is something to be determined during camp, but it’s pretty clear that the Jags want to overhaul their secondary.

The team signed Marcus Trufant and Alan Ball before drafting two safeties and cornerback Dwayne Gratz to go with the two seventh-round corners, leaving plenty of spots on their depth chart up for grabs between now and the start of the regular season.

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The 49ers suffered a major blow during OTAs, as wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered what could be a season-ending injury.

According to Mike Garafolo of USA Today, Crabtree tore his Achilles during a workout Tuesday, and will need surgery to repair the injury.

While players such as Terrell Suggs and Da’Quan Bowers have come back in the same season from such injuries, those cases are rare.

The 25-year-old Crabtree emerged as a threat last year, with 85 catches for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns, and an impressive postseason.

Without him, the 49ers offense doesn’t look nearly as potent.

They haven’t shown any interest in bringing back Randy Moss, and though they acquired Anquan Boldin in a trade with the Ravens, they now lack a proven downfield threat.