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| washingtonpost.com - Mark Maske's NFL Insider |
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| Now-Brittle Brunell Holds Key for the Redskins |
(Fri, 16 Jun 2006)
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The Washington Redskins were, as usual, busy performing an expensive retooling this offseason. The difference was, this time they were adding to an already successful team, not trying desperately to craft a sudden, star-studded turnaround. |
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| Bucs, Titans Gamble on?Untested QBs |
(Thu, 15 Jun 2006)
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Chris Simms's team now. |
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| Seahawks Hope to Buck Super Bowl Curse |
(Wed, 14 Jun 2006)
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The curse of the Super Bowl loser is alive and well. The last five teams to lose the Super Bowl have followed up with losing seasons, including the Philadelphia Eagles last season. |
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| 49ers Looking to Make Strides |
(Tue, 13 Jun 2006)
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Mike Nolan, in his first season as an NFL head coach, managed to turn the San Francisco 49ers into a run-of-the-mill bad team last season. That was a significant step up after they'd been sub-NFL caliber in 2004. But Nolan and his club still have a long, long way to go to reach respectability after an offseason in which they lost their offensive coordinator and some of their relatively few capable players.
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| For Chargers, It's Time for Rivers to Produce |
(Mon, 12 Jun 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: San Diego Chargers |
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| Rookie Coach Moves to Retool Rams' Defense |
(Fri, 09 Jun 2006)
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The St. Louis Rams were one of two teams in the league this offseason to fire a coach who had gone to the playoffs four times in six seasons. And like the Green Bay Packers, who dismissed Mike Sherman and hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, the Rams didn't seem to have a clear idea what they were looking for in a successor and made a curious choice, replacing the ousted Mike Martz with Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. |
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| Steelers Have Slipped Some -- But Not Far |
(Thu, 08 Jun 2006)
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The Super Bowl champions suffered some key offseason losses. Most notably, tailback Jerome Bettis retired and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El exited via free agency. But the Pittsburgh Steelers are a deep, versatile and resilient team, and they probably will remain a contender as long as they have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in their lineup. |
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| Loss of Owens Likely to Make Eagles Stronger |
(Wed, 07 Jun 2006)
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The Philadelphia Eagles, minus wide receiver Terrell Owens, probably won't be the dominant team they were two years ago, when they steamrolled their way through the NFC on their way to a Super Bowl appearance. But the Eagles, with quarterback Donovan McNabb presumably healthy again, likely will be better than the disjointed team they were last season, when they unraveled amid the Owens-generated controversies and McNabb's injury and plummeted to last place in the NFC East after winning four straight division titles.
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| Raiders Look to a Shell of a Past |
(Tue, 06 Jun 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Oakland Raiders. |
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| Jets Won't Turn Things Around Quickly |
(Mon, 05 Jun 2006)
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The New York Jets were a bad team in the final season of the reign former coach Herman Edwards and general manager Terry Bradway, and there's little reason to suspect they will be anything different in their first season with new coach Eric Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum. |
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| Blending Talented Newcomers a Giant Task? |
(Fri, 02 Jun 2006)
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The New York Giants didn't exactly match the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins move for move this offseason. But then again, they didn't exactly have to. They, not the Cowboys or Redskins, are the defending NFC East champions. And they, not the Cowboys or Redskins, have the promise of getting better simply because their young quarterback, Eli Manning, will be a year older and a year better. |
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| Can Brees, Bush Save Football in New Orleans? |
(Thu, 01 Jun 2006)
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The Saints are back in New Orleans. And they have a team that's actually worth getting excited about, thanks to a pair of major offseason acquisitions. The club signed quarterback Drew Brees as a free agent, and selected tailback Reggie Bush when he fell to the Saints for the second overall choice in the NFL draft.
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| Patriots Once Again Looking Up in the AFC |
(Wed, 31 May 2006)
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When the New England Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick, and front-office chief, Scott Pioli, walked alongside the field in Mobile, Ala., together and talked before one of the Senior Bowl practices in late January, it shouldn't have been an unusual sight. That, after all, is what most NFL coaches, scouts and front-office executives do at that time of the year, getting first-hand looks at the players who will be available during the draft in April. |
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| Minnesota's Sense of Purpose Quickly Sacked |
(Tue, 30 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Minnesota Vikings |
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| Saban, Dolphins Set Sights on Overtaking Pats |
(Fri, 26 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Miami Dolphins |
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| Improving Defense Holds Key for Chiefs |
(Thu, 25 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Kansas City Chiefs
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| Jaguars Making Improvements Without Fanfare |
(Wed, 24 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Jacksonville Jaguars |
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| Colts Look at Steelers for Improvement |
(Tue, 23 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Indianapolis Colts |
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| After Four Seasons, Texans Starting Over |
(Mon, 22 May 2006)
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Four seasons into their misguided existence, the Houston Texans are starting over. |
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| Favre, Packers Need Some Magic |
(Fri, 19 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Green Bay Packers
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| Is This the Lions' Year? |
(Thu, 18 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Detroit Lions |
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| Broncos Build Off Draft Day |
(Wed, 17 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Denver Broncos |
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| If Owens Behaves, Cowboys Could Go Far |
(Tue, 16 May 2006)
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The Dallas Cowboys have made themselves the NFL's next great lab experiment involving Terrell Owens: Can a team function with the temperamental wide receiver in its locker room? And if so, for how long? |
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| Heading in the Right Direction |
(Mon, 15 May 2006)
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An offseason that began with the Cleveland Browns not even knowing who would be making decisions for them -- much less knowing what those decisions would be -- somehow will conclude with the franchise at last headed in the right direction, albeit with a long way still to go before reaching respectability.
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| Palmer the Big Question Mark for Bengals |
(Fri, 12 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Cincinnati Bengals |
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| Will Offense Hold Bears Back Again in '06? |
(Thu, 11 May 2006)
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There are two ways to look at what the Chicago Bears did last season: Either their lack of preparedness at quarterback didn't hurt them because the play of their defense and the coaching of Lovie Smith carried them to a division title and a first-round playoff bye, or they wasted a Super Bowl-caliber defense and the season's best coaching job because they didn't have a Plan B at quarterback. |
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| Panthers Have New Parts, but on Right Track |
(Wed, 10 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Carolina Panthers |
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| Numerous Questions in Bills' Future |
(Tue, 09 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Buffalo Bills
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| McNair Could Mask Many of Ravens' Problems |
(Mon, 08 May 2006)
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The success of the Baltimore Ravens' offseason maneuvering is still to be determined. It depends on whether the team obtains Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, and when. |
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| Falcons Slip Out of NFC's Upper Echelon |
(Fri, 05 May 2006)
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Offseason Roundup: Atlanta Falcons |
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| Cardinals Poised to Finally Break Through? |
(Thu, 04 May 2006)
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Starting today with the Arizona Cardinals, Mark Maske will dissect the offseason moves of each NFL team. |
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| Schwarzenegger's Wish for Two Teams Not in NFL's Plan |
(Wed, 03 May 2006)
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California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) probably won't get his wish, at least not initially. Schwarzenegger told NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and a group of 11 team owners Tuesday in Dallas that he'd like to see the league put not one, but two franchises in the Los Angeles market within the next few years.
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| Law Still on the Market |
(Tue, 02 May 2006)
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The lone marquee player still available on the NFL's free agent market is cornerback Ty Law, who was released by the New York Jets after one season. |
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| McNair Likely to Move |
(Mon, 01 May 2006)
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It appears increasingly unlikely that the relationship between the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Steve McNair can be repaired. |
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| Stalled Talks With Bush May Force Texans' Hand |
(Fri, 28 Apr 2006)
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The one scenario in which the Houston Texans have a bit of a difficult decision to make about what to do with the top selection in the NFL draft just after noon Saturday is if they can agree to a contract today or Saturday morning with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, and can't agree to one with USC tailback Reggie Bush. |
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| Bush, Texans Closing in on Deal |
(Thu, 27 Apr 2006)
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NEW YORK -- The Houston Texans have made progress in contract negotiations with USC tailback Reggie Bush and are increasingly optimistic that they'll be able to sign him in the coming days as a precursor to selecting him with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft Saturday, a source familiar with the deliberations said Wednesday night.
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| Favre Coming Back for One More Year |
(Wed, 26 Apr 2006)
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Quarterback Brett Favre has decided to return for one more season with the Green Bay Packers. |
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| Green Bay GM Defends Moves |
(Tue, 25 Apr 2006)
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The Green Bay Packers' conservative approach to free agency over the past month has put the team's second-year general manager, Ted Thompson, at odds somewhat with the club's Hall of Fame-bound quarterback, Brett Favre. Favre, as he contemplates retirement, wanted to see the club make a big move or two. Thompson didn't do it, but he defended his tactics during his pre-draft news conference Monday. |
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| Only Two Big Names Still Looking for Work |
(Mon, 24 Apr 2006)
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It's one big free agent down, two to go as NFL draft week begins. |
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| Lions Close to Dealing Harrington to Miami |
(Fri, 21 Apr 2006)
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Quarterback Joey Harrington probably will get his wish and play for the Miami Dolphins.
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| Texans Changing Course or Playing Games? |
(Thu, 20 Apr 2006)
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The Houston Texans are sending signals that it's not automatic they will choose USC tailback Reggie Bush with the top overall selection in the NFL draft in nine days. The Texans now are portraying their deliberations as a two-player race -- not between Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young, but between Bush and North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams. |
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| Harrington Waits for His Next Opportunity |
(Wed, 19 Apr 2006)
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It is a strange time indeed for Joey Harrington. He is officially still a member of the Detroit Lions, but really he isn't. He is spending his time in his hometown of Portland, working out daily and waiting for the team that once thought he would be its savior of a quarterback to sever its ties with him and trade or release him. |
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| Stock Continues to Rise for TE Davis |
(Tue, 18 Apr 2006)
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No player eligible for the NFL draft in 11 days has done more to boost his stock this spring than University of Maryland tight end Vernon Davis. He decided to skip his senior season at Maryland when the league's draft advisory board told him that he was projected to be a first-round pick, and a terrific showing at the NFL scouting combine vaulted him toward top-10 status. |
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| Packers Hoping Favre Decides by Draft Day |
(Mon, 17 Apr 2006)
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The Green Bay Packers have given quarterback Brett Favre as much time as he possibly could want to decide whether to play another season.
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| Expansion of 'Rooney Rule' Meets Resistance |
(Thu, 13 Apr 2006)
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The NFL remains unwilling to extend its minority-interviewing rule for head-coaching vacancies to also apply to key front-office jobs like team president and general manager. |
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| A Waiting Game for Big-Name Free Agents |
(Wed, 12 Apr 2006)
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The free agent market mostly is picked over as the NFL draft approaches, and most of the veteran players who sign with teams from this point on will have to settle for minimum-salary contracts. But three high-profile players remain available and continue to seek big-money deals. |
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| Texans Try to Bolster Leverage With Bush |
(Tue, 11 Apr 2006)
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All indications are that the Houston Texans will select USC tailback Reggie Bush with the top overall choice in the NFL draft in 18 days. The Texans, like all teams with the top pick, would like to have the player they intend to select signed to a contract before the draft, as league rules permit, and they're planning to launch negotiations soon with Bush's agent, Joel Segal. |
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| League to Hear Williams's Drug Appeal |
(Mon, 10 Apr 2006)
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Ricky Williams's appeal of his latest positive drug test under the NFL's substance-abuse policy is scheduled to be heard during a hearing today in New York.
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| Trade May Signal What Saints Will Do in Draft |
(Fri, 07 Apr 2006)
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The New Orleans Saints' trade of veteran left tackle Wayne Gandy to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday could signal what they intend to do with the second overall selection in the NFL draft in 22 days. |
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| Once a Renegade, Davis Now in Inner Circle |
(Thu, 06 Apr 2006)
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It would have been virtually unthinkable even a few months ago that NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue would have named Al Davis, the renegade owner of the Oakland Raiders, to a committee charged with determining the future of the league. |
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