Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 62 (Saturday, June 20th)

Hi Folks,

Happy Fathers Day to you. For you guys that are Dads out there, hats off to you. Enjoy your day. Hug those kids. And if you're fortunate enough to have your Dad still around, give the Old Man a call. Enjoy.

Aside from all that, we've also got the NFL News and Notes you'll want to keep up with. So let's get to it.

J

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

STL - QB Marc Bulger admits 2009 could be last chance

Source: Alex Marvez, FOXSports.com

Alex Marvez, of FOXSports.com, reports St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger admits that the 2009 season may be his last chance with the team if he fails to perform.

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'I understand we have to win,' Bulger said. 'It's not fair to our fans or the ownership. If we don't, I know it starts with me. It's probably my final chance.'

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ARZ - RB Beanie Wells won't be handed the starting job

Source: Darren Urban, AZCardinals.com

Darren Urban, from AZCardinals.com, reports RB Chris Wells is assumed to be the starter at some point. But I don't see Wells being handed anything. Hightower is determined to hold on to the starting role. And as for No. 1 picks, after watching DRC's situation last year, I am guessing Wells will get the go-slow treatment too, especially after missing all the OTAs.

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Chris "Beanie" Wells will be the feature back for the Cardinals sooner rather than later, but the rookie has a lot to prove before he's given the starting nod.

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DAL - Team president Stephen Jones discusses WR Terrell Owens' release

Source: Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports

Michael Silver, of Yahoo! Sports, reports Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the reason the team released WR Terrell Owens was because as long as he was on the team, QB Tony Romo would not be an influential leader.

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"It's hard to take over leadership when you've got a strong personality like Terrell," Jones said. "If you look back at our old teams [from the 1990s], a lot of people would say maybe Michael [Irvin] was the leader. Then you might say, "He was a receiver. What about Troy [Aikman]? He was the quarterback. Wasn't he the leader?' And the answer is, yeah, Troy was a leader. But if Michael wasn't supportive of him, Troy would've had problems.

"A lot of our players thought the world of Terrell and they still do. They loved the way he prepared and how hard he played, and everybody respected his skills and what he'd done in the league. And with him here, I think he was always going to carry that kind of weight." Jones said.

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MIN - HC Childress believes QB Brett Favre would be good in locker room

Source: Judd Zulgad, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Judd Zulgad, of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reports Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said during a radio interview that he believes retired QB Brett Favre (Jets) would be a great locker room guy if he signed with the Vikings.

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'I think he'll be a great locker room guy. He's probably one of the better practical jokers out there over the course of 16 years [in Green Bay] and he's not afraid to give it to anybody. I think he'll be a tremendous teammate as well,' Childress said.

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OAK - QB JaMarcus Russell planning secret workouts

Source: Steve Corkran, The Bay Area News Group

Steve Corkran, of the Bay Area News Group, reports Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell is in the midst of arranging a week of practice for any of the other quarterbacks and all the wide receivers and tight ends, at an undisclosed location.

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'We're going to get the receivers and tight ends a week away from everything, just go along by ourselves and accomplish something that would make us a lot better during the year,' Russell said. 'Just work on our own, with nobody out there but us, get ready for camp, get ready for a new year.' Head coach Tom Cable said he was glad to hear of Russell's plan as it shows that he is growing into his role as a starting quarterback and team leader. 'It's a big step,' Cable said. 'It's kind of what we've been talking about all along. It will be good to hear how that goes and what his plan is.'

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HOU - Arian Foster impressing his RB coach

Source: Jerome Solomon, The Houston Chronicle

Jerome Solomon, from the Houston Chronicle, notes at 6-1, 225 pounds, RB Arian Foster has the look of someone you want to give the ball to. That is why it is interesting that running backs coach Chick Harris spent so much time with Foster during the Texans' OTAs the past couple of weeks.

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"It's a one-cut system, and I'm a one-cut back," Foster said. "I feel like I can compete with any back in this league." The Texans are stacked at the RB position behind starter Steve Slaton, and they will have some tough roster decisions to make at the end of training camp. The team would like a power back to compliment Slaton, and there's only 2 RBs on the roster that fit that bill - Foster and veteran Chris Brown. Brown, who enters his 2nd season with the Texans, may have the edge right now but he's been injury prone his entire career and will have to prove his durability. Foster looked good at the Senior Bowl, running with great power and vision - until he was injured in practice. Foster is a tough and smart player that could end up winning a complimentary role with the team in 2009.

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TEN - Titans looking to be less one-dimensional on offense

Source: Associated Press

In the offseason, the Titans signed receiver Nate Washington as a free agent and drafted receiver Kenny Britt and tight end Jared Cook to give Collins some more help. Everyone else also has a full year in offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's system, and the early results have the Titans optimistic that they can match Johnson's big-play potential on the ground with big gains through the air.

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Defenses will stack the line, putting 8 or 9 in the box, to stop RB sensation Chris Johnson. The Titans are hopeful that players like Washington, Britt, and Cook can help stretch the field and thus open up things for the running game. We'll see if this formula can work out in 2009.

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WAS - WR Malcolm Kelly says knee feeling good

Source: Gary Fitzgerald, Redskins.com

Gary Fitzgerald, of Redskins.com, reports Washington Redskins WR Malcolm Kelly (knee) said his knee is feeling good and reacting well during practice.

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'I knew once I left my feet for the first time, jumping up to get some balls, that I was back to where I needed to be,' Kelly said. 'It's reacting well. I just need to take care of it this summer and then go hard when training camp starts.' Kelly was a full go in minicamp and was able to leap up for catches and come down without any pain in his knee.

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CIN - WRs Chris Henry and Andre Caldwell favorites for No. 3 job

Source: James Walker, ESPN.com

James Walker, of ESPN.com, reports Cincinnati Bengals WR Chris Henry and WR Andre Caldwell appear to be the early favorites for the team's No. 3 receiver job.

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Walker comments that the duo has stood out over other Bengals receivers like Antonio Chatman and Jerome Simpson. Henry has freakish athleticism, and if he stays out of trouble he provides the team with a 3rd WR that is difficult for opposing defenses to stop. Caldwell is the 2nd-year player that has savvy route running ability, solid hands, and good run after the catch ability. Henry may have a slight edge over Caldwell right now, but this is a competition that should last all the way through training camp.

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CIN - RB Bernard Scott signs

Source: Bengals.com

The Cincinnati Bengals have announced they have signed sixth-round draft choice RB Bernard Scott. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Bernard Scott was the 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy award winner and he displayed his gamebreaking ability at the Texas vs The Nation Game in January. He will compete with Brian Leonard for carries/receptions behind starting RB Cedric Benson. Scott has the quickness and speed to be an effective change of pace RB. If Benson were to miss time with injury Scott could be a productive lead back in a RBBC. The Bengals got a steal when they selected Scott in the 6th round of the 2009 NFL Draft. If he can stay out of trouble he could be something special in the pros. He'll give them an added dimension to their offense in 2009, and he could be the team's RB of the future after Benson moves on.

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DEF - HOU - HC Kubiak happy with rookie LB Brian Cushing

Source: John McClain, The Houston Chronicle

John McClain, from the Houston Chronicle, reports Texans head coach Gary Kubiak likes what he's seen from 1st round pick LB Brian Cushing and expects him to be a starter from day one.

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"Rookies have to be big contributors to our team, but I don't imagine you're going to see three or four of them starting because we're a better team," Kubiak said. "Cushing has been a starter since the day he stepped off the bus. We're very happy with him."

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DEF - DAL - LB Bradie James may add weight before camp

Source: Josh Ellis, DallasCowboys.com

Josh Ellis, of DallasCowboys.com, reports Dallas Cowboys LB Bradie James may try to add some weight before the start of training camp because he knows he will be losing weight during the regular season.

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'Now is the time to get in the best shape of my life, our lives, going into training camp, because you've got pads on. You want to eat a little bit because you know you're going to lose some weight during the season. It's all about your endurance, because once the season comes, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon,' James said.

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DEF - TEN - DE William Hayes sets lofty goal

Source: Gary Estwick, The Nashville Tennessean

Gary Estwick, of The Nashville Tennessean, reports Tennessee Titans DE William Hayes said he wants to get a double-digit sack total this season.

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"I have to set my goals high," Hayes said this week. "Anything else and I would be selling myself short." Considered to be a project when he was selected in the 4th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Hayes had only 1 sack on the season, with most of his production coming at the end of the year.

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That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Father's Day and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.

J