Chiefs may be open to receiver after all

Three months ago, then Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said under no circumstances would Kansas City have the slightest interest in signing malcontent wide receiver Terrell Owens.
Vermeil forgot one circumstance that could alter that: himself not being back. That is now the case after Vermeil's retirement and the hiring of Herman Edwards, and hence T.O. now has at least a chance of going to KC, sources close to the Chiefs said.
Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson conceded last week that Kansas City was ''somewhat interested" in Owens and that he was planning to have a lengthy discussion with Edwards about the possibility. T.O. may be a locker room problem, but he's also a five-time Pro Bowl selection; the question is, to whom is he most dangerous -- the opposing team or your team?
Edwards has had success with some problem players, and the Chiefs have begun to think that Owens may be ready to change after being suspended by the Eagles (at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars) and then told to take his ball (and his mouth) and go home for the remainder of the season.
''I've always felt Herm has the ability to bridge the gap between a lot of players," Peterson said, ''whether they're black or white, whether they're offense or defense or special teams, whether they're superstars or backup players. I think that's one of his strengths.
''Now based on that, certainly I will have this conversation with him, and I'm sure there are other teams in the NFL who will do the same thing."
One guy who said he wouldn't mind that is All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez.
''I know T.O, and he's a guy who wants to be competitive, wants to play hard, and if they brought him in, I'd have no problem with that," Gonzalez said. ''It would bother me if [Owens] came in and started doing the same things he was doing in Philly. The way to keep guy like Terrell Owens happy is you've got to throw him the ball, which I have no problem with. He's a great player. To me, he's probably one of the top two receivers in the league."
Gonzalez had 78 catches last year and has become a fixture in the Chiefs passing game, and his production would drop with the arrival of Owens. Despite that, Gonzalez said what so many of Owens's peers felt, even during his troubled days last season after a team-shattering feud with quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Eagles organization.
''If he can get us to the Super Bowl, then I'm all for it," Gonzalez said. ''Terrell Owens, you have to understand what type of person he is. I'm friends with him off the field. I understand what type of person he is. Don't come and put all these expectations on him, because more than likely he's not going to change too much, but I think a guy like Herm Edwards, from what I've heard, can handle a guy like this."

Super Bowl Practice Reports
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (14-5) VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (15-3) 6:15 PM EST

STEELERSFriday Update: Starting WR Hines Ward sat out the last half of Friday's practice with a sore shoulder. However, he wasn't injured and was rested strictly as a precautionary measure. "He's fine," head coach Bill Cowher said after Friday's practice. "I'm not listing him (on the injury report) so he's fine."Starting FB Dan Kreider (knee) did limited work on Friday but was upgraded to probable and is expected to start. Cowher on Thursday discussed how Kreider got hurt.“Danny hurt his knee in the Denver game. Last week he kind of aggravated it in practice one day. We were trying to get him back for yesterday’s practice. He worked on Tuesday and probably just overworked it a little bit. We are just being more precautionary than anything. He’s still listed as questionable and he’ll be limited today. Hopefully he’ll do more tomorrow. At this point we are just being smart. He doesn’t need a lot of reps. We’ve been at this thing for a while now. We are just trying to get him ready for Sunday. He is listed as questionable and we’ll go from there. If he can’t make it, (backup RB) Verron Haynes would step in and take his position."Backup DE Travis Kirschke (groin) did limited work on Friday but was upgraded to probable and is expected to play.Backup OLB James Harrison (groin) practiced again Friday and is expected to play. Starting S Troy Polamalu (ankle) woke up Thursday morning with his ankle soreness and was added to the injury report as probable. He participated in most of Friday's practice and ran and cut on his ankle without any problems and is ready to play. "Troy's fine," Cowher said after Friday's practice. Polamalu tweaked his ankle early in Thursday's practice and Cowher discussed his situation on Friday morning."Troy did -- we had an MRI last night and everything came back negative, or positive, however, from our standpoint. So there was nothing really there. Now, he'll feel better. I haven't seen him this morning yet. We'll see how he feels today and monitor how much he does today. He'll be fine by Sunday. He was feeling pretty good last night."
Thursday Update: Starting FB Dan Kreider (knee) missed practice again Thursday and remains questionable to play.Backup DE Travis Kirschke (groin) missed practice again Thursday and remains questionable to play. "I haven't changed anybody's status," head coach Bill Cowher said after Thursday's practice. "They're both day-to-day. Hopefully they will work tomorrow."
Backup OLB James Harrison (ankle-probable) practiced again Thursday and is expected to play. Starting S Troy Polamalu was limited on Thursday but will start. He's not listed on the injury report.

SEAHAWKS

Update: #4 WR D.J .Hackett (hamstring-probable) was injured early during Thursday's practice and was added to the injury report as probable. Hackett practiced fully on Friday and is expected to play. Starting CB Andre Dyson (quadriceps-probable) practiced again Friday and is expected to start.
Thursday Update: Starting WR Darrell Jackson isn't listed on the injury report but he had been bothered by swelling in his knee from time to time for the past few months though the issue hasn't cropped up this week. He missed nine games earlier in the season after knee surgery.“My rehabilitation schedule was pretty much easy. Watching the team win. They say. ‘winning conquers all’ and I guess it conquers me being injured and stuff like that. Luckily I was able to rehab good and those guys did a good job. My doctor, Dr. (John) Uribe did a good job with my surgery so I was able to come back and perform at the level I was at the end of the year and contribute a little bit to the Super Bowl run. I’m not really sure how close I am (to 100 percent) I just know I’m able to play and go out there and compete and able to contribute a little bit to help our team win. It’s disappointing with everyone having these accolades this year that it could have been a Pro Bowl year for me but it’s not disappointing because our goals are conquered, we are going to the Super Bowl, we had a good winning streak, our wide receiver group did good, got a lot of praises I was able to come back and contribute a little bit in the end and now I’m in position to play in my first Super Bowl ever," Jackson said.#4 WR D.J. Hackett (hamstring) was added to the injury report as probable after not practicing Thursday. Starting CB Andre Dyson (quadriceps-probable) returned to practice on Thursday and is expected to start. Is he 100 percent?“No, you’re not ever 100 percent. You just have to keep playing and forget about it and go out there – it’s the last game. All I need is 60 more minutes out of my body and then I can rest for a few months," Dyson said.

NFL DRAFT 2006 NEWS
Dolphins buzz: NFL folks at the Senior Bowl say coach Nick Saban was enamored with Jay Cutler and told a team official that Miami would be in great shape if it could acquire the Vanderbilt QB. . . . Saban associates say he wants to make a major signing on the O-line (New Orleans C LeCharles Bentley and Seattle G Steve Hutchinson are potential targets). Saban, by the way, commended Vernon Carey for making ''very nice progress'' at right tackle, though he was assured of nothing in a season-ending meeting. . . . CB Sam Madison (linked to K.C., Atlanta and San Diego) reiterated to friends he won't take a pay cut from Miami.

• UM buzz: Among the changes you'll see on offense: Shorter quarterback drops and running backs sometimes lining up at receiver. Expect a lot more creativity. . . . High praise for two UM commitments: Larry Coker called DL Josh Holmes ''a little like Warren Sapp,'' and said Edgerrin James ''tells

Bucs Hire Defensive Line Coach
Feb 5, 2006
TAMPA - Just like they did several years ago when they needed to fill defensive coaching vacancies, the Bucs dipped into the college ranks.
Tampa Bay has hired USC defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Franklin, who had been with the Trojans for only a year, having previously served as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers, worked on the same USC staff as Lane Kiffin, the Trojans' offensive coordinator and Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's son.
Franklin replaces Rod Marinelli, who had been the Bucs' defensive line coach since 1996 until last month when he was selected as the Detroit Lions' head coach. The Bucs also are interviewing candidates to replace vacancies left by former defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin, who was hired as the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach Raheem Morris, who was hired as Kansas State's defensive coordinator.
From 2000-04, Franklin worked as the Packers' defensive line coach. Prior to that, he was on the UCLA staff coaching the interior defensive line in 1999. A former Fresno State standout, Franklin spent a couple of seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1988 and played for Seattle in 1989.

NFL DRAFT 2006 NEWS

Minnesota junior RB Gary Russell, a potential high pick in either 2007 or 2008, is not in school this semester because of academic difficulties. Russell will reportedly enrol in a junior college this spring to in attempt to regain his eligibility this fall. Sources close to the program indicate, though, that Russell has a number of hurdles to clear and he, in fact, may never suit up with the Gophers again. Last fall, the 5-10, 205-pound Russell gained 1,130 yards on the ground as he averaged over 6 yards per carry while sharing time with Laurence Maroney who is expected to be a first round pick in this year’s NFL draft. Russell also set a single-season school record 19 total TDs as a sophomore in 2005 and had been considered something of a Heisman Trophy darkhorse with the Minnesota job all to himself