Friday Aug 31 News & Tweets

[paytonisgod]

There is a reason Philly cut him.

 

[ClydeLee]

Agree on Atogwe, assuming he can still run.

Former Rams safety and Lovie Smith.. sounds like a brilliant plan to me that can't go wrong. :thinking:

I still want him though.

 

[botfly10]

Former Rams safety and Lovie Smith.. sounds like a brilliant plan to me that can't go wrong. :thinking:

I still want him though.

Does he come with the patented forearm-shiver missed tackle?

 

[KittiesKorner]

me too

 

[KittiesKorner]

Sources: NFL meeting referees
Updated: August 31, 2012, 1:59 PM ET


NFL Meeting With Referees


The NFL and its locked-out officials will meet Friday in an attempt to resolve their stalled labor negotiations, two sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

It marks the first time in a month that the league will meet with the NFL Referees Association. The NFL refused to confirm the meeting and declined comment.

The NFL announced this past Wednesday that replacement officials will be on the field for league's regular-season opener between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.

NFL Nation
Our eight bloggers help you keep up with all the latest NFL news division by division. Blog

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility that the regular officials could return in time for next Wednesday's contest.

"There's a short-term issue which we obviously would love to be able to get the best officials on the field," Goodell told ESPN's Darren Rovell in an interview Thursday. "If we can't reach an agreement, we'll proceed with the replacement officials as long as it takes."

The NFL Referees Association was locked out in early June and talks on a new collective bargaining agreement have gone nowhere. Replacements have been used throughout the preseason, with mixed results.

"We would like to get an agreement with the officials," Goodell told Rovell. "We think it is important to make sure we look at this from the long term and get an agreement in place that will allow us to improve officiating, and that includes making sure we have the best officials on the field. We'll do what we can to make sure that happens."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, however, does not believe that replacement officials will have a negative impact on the games.

"As long as it's consistent, then how it affects the outcome of the games really may not be as much," Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM. "The important people out there are the players and the coaches and the fans, and they'll all be there. They'll all be there.

"The (replacement) officials are going to make mistakes, but believe you me, the officials that would be there if we got this resolved will make a lot of mistakes."

League executive Ray Anderson said the sides remain considerably apart on economic issues, including salary and retirement benefits. He also told the teams there is a substantial difference on operational issues.

The league is proposing having seven officials -- one per position of referee, umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge and head linesman -- who would train, scout and handle communications, safety issues and rules interpretations year-round. Now, all NFL game officials are part-time employees, with outside jobs ranging from lawyer to teacher to business owner.

In response, the NFLRA has said it is not opposed to full-time officials "if they are fairly compensated."

The union also disputes the value of the league's current salary offer, which it says would not be the 5 percent to 11 percent increase the NFL claims.

According to Rovell, the average pay for NFL game officials last season was $149,000. Under the NFL's last proposal, that would increase to more than $189,000 by 2018. In addition, a game official in his first year in 2011 made an average of $78,000. Under the NFL's last proposal, he would make more than $165,000 by the end of the new agreement.

 

[botfly10]

Bears cut QB McCown, RB Allen; Clutts traded

By Brad Biggs Tribune reporter

1:07 p.m. CDT, August 31, 2012

Josh McCown might have saved the Chicago Bears’ season a year ago had he been around to start more than just the final two games.

History would have been dramatically altered had the Bears gotten into the playoffs in 2011 instead of bottoming out after a 7-3 start to the season.

But McCown’s handy work in the final two games a year ago and a strong outing Thursday night in the exhibition finale at Cleveland was not enough to save him a spot on the 53-man roster. McCown confirmed to the Tribune Friday that he will be among the releases today as the team makes its cuts before the 8 p.m. deadline.

McCown passed for two touchdowns in the 28-20 victory over the Browns and was dominant in the first half. He was just as concerned about trying to help those around him fighting for a roster spot.

“More importantly, there are 10 other guys and their careers are on the line as well,” McCown said. “As a quarterback you want to move the ball and give them as many opportunities as you can to make plays so they can put themselves in position.”

Also, a league source said running back Armando Allen did not make the final cut, meaning the Bears are likely to go with Lorenzo Booker as the third running back. Allen’s agent confirmed the information.

Fullback Tyler Clutts, who was added just before Week 1 a year ago, was going to be placed on waivers but the Bears managed to engineer a trade for him, sending him to the Houston Texans in exchange for former Northwestern cornerback Sherrick McManis. Clutts played a little more than 30 percent of the time on offense last season when the Bears rushed for 2,000 yards for the first time since 1990. The move is not a surprise as offensive coordinator Mike Tice prefers to use tight ends because he believes they are more versatile. Clutts’ playing time dropped significantly during the spring and training camp and he barely played in preseason until the exhibition finale Thursday night in Cleveland.

Clutts’ departure is a strong signal the Bears will elect to keep four tight ends on the roster – Kellen Davis, Matt Spaeth, Evan Rodriguez and Kyle Adams.

McManis was a fifth-round pick of the Texans in 2010. He played excusively on special teams for Houston last season.

It will be interesting to see how the interior of the defense shakes out. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with tackle Amobi Okoye and he is traveling to Chicago to take a physical on Saturday. If he passes, Okoye will sign a one-year contract to re-join the team he played for last season. Okoye made 27 tackles and had four sacks playing in a rotation in 2011 before joining the Bucs. But he needed arthroscopic knee surgery in June and struggled to get back on the field. The good news is his knees were not issues with the Bears. But the club needs to check him out. What his arrival could mean for Nate Collins or Brian Price is not yet known.

Cornerback Greg McCoy, a seventh-round draft pick from TCU, will be waived. Also on the way out, according to various sources, are wide receiver Brittan Golden, safety Mark LeGree, cornerback Cornelius Brown and linebacker Xavier Adibi. Sources indicate linebacker Jabara Williams and wide receiver Joe Anderson will be placed on waivers with a good chance they will be re-signed to the practice squad. Guard Ricky Henry will be waived and league sources believe there is a good chance he will be claimed.

Check back throughout the day as we track the Bears’ roster moves as they happen.

Contributing: Vaughn McClure
bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

 

[KittiesKorner]

Michael C. Wright ‏@mikecwright
RT @ESPNChiBears: #Bears will release veteran DE Chauncey Davis, per a league source.

 

[botfly10]

Brad Biggs ‏@BradBiggs
New #Bears CB Sherrick McManis had 157 special teams snaps for #Texans last season in 9 games. Did not play on defense.





Aaaaaahhh.... ST guy....

 

[botfly10]

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer
The league and officials have exchanged numbers and ideas today, per a source, but there has been no formal meeting between the parties. ...

 

[xer0h0ur]

Sources: NFL meeting referees
Updated: August 31, 2012, 1:59 PM ET


NFL Meeting With Referees


The NFL and its locked-out officials will meet Friday in an attempt to resolve their stalled labor negotiations, two sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

It marks the first time in a month that the league will meet with the NFL Referees Association. The NFL refused to confirm the meeting and declined comment.

The NFL announced this past Wednesday that replacement officials will be on the field for league's regular-season opener between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.

NFL Nation
Our eight bloggers help you keep up with all the latest NFL news division by division. Blog

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility that the regular officials could return in time for next Wednesday's contest.

"There's a short-term issue which we obviously would love to be able to get the best officials on the field," Goodell told ESPN's Darren Rovell in an interview Thursday. "If we can't reach an agreement, we'll proceed with the replacement officials as long as it takes."

The NFL Referees Association was locked out in early June and talks on a new collective bargaining agreement have gone nowhere. Replacements have been used throughout the preseason, with mixed results.

"We would like to get an agreement with the officials," Goodell told Rovell. "We think it is important to make sure we look at this from the long term and get an agreement in place that will allow us to improve officiating, and that includes making sure we have the best officials on the field. We'll do what we can to make sure that happens."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, however, does not believe that replacement officials will have a negative impact on the games.

"As long as it's consistent, then how it affects the outcome of the games really may not be as much," Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM. "The important people out there are the players and the coaches and the fans, and they'll all be there. They'll all be there.

"The (replacement) officials are going to make mistakes, but believe you me, the officials that would be there if we got this resolved will make a lot of mistakes."

League executive Ray Anderson said the sides remain considerably apart on economic issues, including salary and retirement benefits. He also told the teams there is a substantial difference on operational issues.

The league is proposing having seven officials -- one per position of referee, umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge and head linesman -- who would train, scout and handle communications, safety issues and rules interpretations year-round. Now, all NFL game officials are part-time employees, with outside jobs ranging from lawyer to teacher to business owner.

In response, the NFLRA has said it is not opposed to full-time officials "if they are fairly compensated."

The union also disputes the value of the league's current salary offer, which it says would not be the 5 percent to 11 percent increase the NFL claims.

According to Rovell, the average pay for NFL game officials last season was $149,000. Under the NFL's last proposal, that would increase to more than $189,000 by 2018. In addition, a game official in his first year in 2011 made an average of $78,000. Under the NFL's last proposal, he would make more than $165,000 by the end of the new agreement.

Well apparently the NFL doesn't understand that we as fans couldn't give any less of a fuck about them having to pay more to maintain the same level of quality in officiating leaguewide. They are not going to garner any sympathy being that league revenues are sky high already and just keep climbing. Especially given the fucking laughingstock these replacements have made out of the pre-season.

 

[ijustposthere]

I was all up on Atogwe. SIGN HIM

So was I. He just fell apart.

 

[ClydeLee]

Brad Biggs ‏@BradBiggs
New #Bears CB Sherrick McManis had 157 special teams snaps for #Texans last season in 9 games. Did not play on defense.





Aaaaaahhh.... ST guy....

He played defense the year before.. He got an INT against the Giants.. unless the Giants decided to throw on a fake punt/field goal in a blowout game, that had come from a defensive snap. Of course the Texans got better on D last year adding Leon Hall?(Or was it JJ, whatever Cinnci CB)/Manning so they didn't need rooks.

I'm sure he is special team guy first but his draft profile looks like the typical 2deep tampa 2 corner profile. A guy with decent speed but not over athletic that can make zone reads to make plays.

 

[botfly10]

Jason La Canfora ‏@JasonLaCanfora
One thing to remember with the deadlines today - trades will continue and rosters in flux through weekend as guys signed/claimed on waivers

Jason La Canfora ‏@JasonLaCanfora
Tonight's 53 could look a lot different by Monday, and many vet free agents wont be signed til after week 1 so salaries aren't guaranteed

 

[botfly10]

Report: NFL and officials are talking
Posted by Mike Florio on August 31, 2012, 2:56 PM EDT
Buffalo Bills v Detroit Lions Getty Images

Amid PFT-propagated rumors that the NFL and the locked-out game officials are negotiating for the first time in weeks, Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that, while there’s no formal meeting, the two sides are talking.

Breer says via Twitter that the two sides are exchanging “numbers and ideas,” and that the talks “signify progress.”

Progress is very good news, given that the two sides aren’t that far apart. So let’s get it done and then tell the replacement officials that the only replacing they’ll be doing this year involves batteries, light bulbs, and/or Band-Aids.

 

[DrGonzo]

Heard some NFL official yesterday say it will take 7 - 10 days to get the officials up to speed. From his tone it sounded like a deal will get done, though they will not be back for week one at least.

 

[ijustposthere]

Heard some NFL official yesterday say it will take 7 - 10 days to get the officials up to speed. From his tone it sounded like a deal will get done, though they will not be back for week one at least.

Think the NFL is seeing that these officials can't even enforce the penalties correctly when they call them.

 

[Bearly]

He is a QB who knows the current system that's in place. There are currently just 4 of those who know it exactly since it's the odd mix of Bates and Tice in whatever way they set it up. That's what makes Blanchard still a higher PS potential than any other cut QB.

Unless they thought a clearly better one became available. Whomever they'd sign would have enoiugh time to figure stuff out by the time they'd hopefully not be needed. Blanchard is a project, no more, no less but he's a viable one or they wouldn't bother. None of us saw enough of him to know much but if it was just about the system, they'd have kept McCown or Ederle. They think he's worth a further look.

 

[ClydeLee]

Unless they thought a clearly better one became available. Whomever they'd sign would have enoiugh time to figure stuff out by the time they'd hopefully not be needed. Blanchard is a project, no more, no less but he's a viable one or they wouldn't bother. None of us saw enough of him to know much but if it was just about the system, they'd have kept McCown or Ederle. They think he's worth a further look.

McCown is out because of $ and roster spot.. It would of come down to Enderle and Blanchard. They made the decision Blanchard was better a long time ago.. I'm not sure if Enderle is still PS eligable because he was activated for those last games.

 

[botfly10]

Enderle ever get picked up by anyone?

 

[ClydeLee]

Jacksonville, he got cut last week.