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Gould signs five-year extension
The Bears signed kicker Robbie Gould to a five-year contract extension Monday. Gould is the Bears all-time field goal percentage leader among kickers with at least 50 attempts, connecting on 84.8 percent of his kicks (84-of-99). He has also been successful on 99-of-100 PATs for 351 career points. In 2007, Gould hit 31-of-36 field goal attempts (86.1 percent), adding 33 PATs for 126 points. A year earlier, Gould reached the Pro Bowl and was named a first-team All Pro for Chicago after finishing second overall in the NFL in scoring and first among kickers with 143 points, converting 32-of-36 (88.9 percent) field goal attempts and all 47 PATs.
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Heap has sore hamstring
Ravens TE Todd Heap was held out of practice Sunday for precautionary reasons after being placed on injured reserve last season with a strained hamstring. "He's just rehabbing those hamstrings," coach John Harbaugh said. "There are certain issues he's got to strengthen and certain flexibility issues he's got. We do not want a reinjured hamstring."
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Flacco has good minicamp
Three days after his arrival in Baltimore, Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco didn't seem dazed and confused, reports the Carroll County Times. The first-round draft pick maintained his composure throughout his first minicamp and delivered several crisp throws while undergoing a crash course in the playbook. "It's pretty cool, it's a lot of fun to learn something new every day," Flacco said Sunday after his fifth NFL practice. "There was a lot thrown at us, and I did the best job I could to absorb as much as I could. It was a good experience."
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Bears won't release Benson
The Chicago Daily Herald reports Bears general manager Jerry Angelo expressed disappointment that RB Cedric Benson put himself in a situation last weekend that resulted in his arrest near Austin Texas, but Angelo said the team isn't rushing to judgment in the case and that he expects Benson to be at training camp competing for the starting job in July. Coming off arguably the worst of his three disappointing seasons with the Bears, Benson was expected to face an uphill battle for playing time against second-round pick Matt Forte even before the legal problems. There has been speculation that the Bears might release Benson, but Angelo dashed those rumors. "There's no plans to cut him," Benson said.
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Jackson ready to 'ball out'
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, if the Rams want to keep RB Steven Jackson beyond 2008, it's going to cost the team. Jackson is entering the final season of the original five-year, $7 million deal he signed in July 2004 after the Rams made him their first-round draft choice (No. 24 overall) that year. His next deal, whether it's here or elsewhere, will be far more lucrative. Jackson said his agent, Gary Uberstine, and the Rams' front office have yet to begin extension talks. Jackson made it clear that his first choice is to remain in St. Louis. "This is definitely where I want to be," he said. A monster season would push Jackson, 24, even further up the potential-earnings chart, and he's counting on putting up big numbers. "Well, we all know what happens in a contract year: you ball out," he said with a laugh. "So, I expect to."
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Holt says knee is fine
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams WR Torry Holt is relaxing this offseason but still getting ready for 2008. "Since I had the (knee) surgery last year, I went right to rehab, then I played 16 (games) and then went over and played in the Pro Bowl," Holt said. "So I just wanted to kind of step back and get some rest — not only for my knee, just for my overall body. And from a mental standpoint, just kind of get away and relax. Get away from the building, and get away from football for a while, so I can come back with a fresh mind and give the guys and my teammates what it is they need." Holt, by the way, says his knee is feeling much better than it did a year ago at this time.
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Woodson hurt at minicamp
QB Andre Woodson was sidelined by injury Saturday during the New York Giants' minicamp for rookies and free agents. Woodson pulled a quad muscle in his left leg a short time later. The injury happened as the sixth-round draft pick from Kentucky was scrambling to his left during an 11-on-11 drill. "I don't know what happened," Woodson said. "I'm kind of disappointed I'm not out there for my first minicamp. I just can't wait to get back out there and do some good things." Woodson threw an interception on his first pass in minicamp on Friday, but he felt he improved a lot in the second workout in the afternoon.
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Manningham hurts hip
Giants WR Mario Manningham was sidelined by injury Saturday during the New York Giants' minicamp for rookies and free agents. A third-round draft pick from Michigan, Manningham suffered a hip flexor on his left side running a pull-up pattern early in the morning workout. Manningham said the injury happened because he did not run his pattern right. "It ain't nothing bad or serious," Manningham said. "If it was serious I would not be walking."
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Ryan has good debut
The Falcons used a committee approach to replace Michael Vick during the 2007 season, but the team is hoping rookie QB Matt Ryan will be his long-term replacement and its new franchise player. Vick still has fans in Atlanta, but Ryan's No. 2 is the new attraction at the merchandise tent. Ryan is the future, and Saturday's two practices gave the former Boston College star his first opportunity to prove that future can begin in his rookie season. "I thought Matt threw the ball well out there," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "Like anybody going out there on his first practice, I thought he was a little bit nervous and had some jitters." Ryan shared snaps with two of the 2007 starting quarterbacks, Chris Redman and Joey Harrington, and backup D.J. Shockley, who is returning from a knee injury.
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Bulger regains Pace
Orlando Pace, the Rams' former Pro Bowl tackle, said Saturday during the second day of St. Louis' minicamp that he is feeling good and looking forward to training camp. "I'm just getting ready for training camp," said a smiling Pace, who missed three camps earlier in his career when he was designated as a franchise player. "I'm not going to complain about missing some of training camp, but we'll see what the doctors say." Pace tore a labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder on a routine block in the 2007 season opener against Carolina. He missed the rest of the season. That injury came after he tore his left triceps in Week 10 at Seattle in the 2006 season and going on injured reserve. Coach Scott Linehan, in his third year and coming off a 3-13 season, said the goal is to limit Pace's repetitions in the minicamp and not overextend him.
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Slaton competing for time
Houston rookie RB Steve Slaton, drafted by the Texans in the third round, is getting plenty of snaps to show coach Gary Kubiak what he can do. "I'm just trying to learn the system, trying to get the plays down so that I can make an impact right now," said Slaton, the 89th overall pick. "The pass plays and the pass protections, that's where my biggest trouble is coming from." But the Texans have six running backs on the minicamp roster. Ahman Green and Chris Brown are the top two on the depth chart. Green missed most of last season with a left knee injury and Brown signed as a free agent after five seasons in Tennessee. Chris Taylor missed last season with a knee injury, Darius Walker played in only four games and Arliss Beach spent last season on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.
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Bush not scared of McFadden
Rookie RB Darren McFadden is part of a crowded backfield in Oakland. Justin Fargas started for most of the second half of last season, finishing with 1,009 yards, and another former 1,000-yard back, LaMont Jordan, is also still on the roster. The most intriguing option is Michael Bush, a fourth-round pick a year ago who missed his rookie year recovering from a broken leg. Bush was projected as a first-round pick before breaking his leg in his season-opener for Louisville in 2006. He sat out all last season, getting to practice only briefly with his new team. He admits he was taken aback when the team drafted another running back, but was reassured after talking with running backs coach Tom Rathman. "Coach Rathman after they drafted McFadden and told me, 'This has nothing to do with you. Just hang in there, keep focusing and keep working hard like you been doing. Everything else will take care of itself,"' Bush said.
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McFadden goes through first camp
The NFL education of rookie RB Darren McFadden began at the Oakland Raiders rookie minicamp this weekend, when the fourth overall pick in the draft got his first taste of professional football. McFadden said Saturday he noticed the difference from college as soon as he was handed pens, a highlighter and a notebook with his playbook. McFadden gets to work with rookies this weekend before joining the rest of the team later this month. After working primarily as a tailback on his first day of practice, McFadden showed off his variety of skills Saturday. He lined up as a wide receiver at times, ran the ball out of the I-formation and even worked at quarterback in some individual drills.
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Packers part ways with WR Robinson
The Packers announced the release of WR Koren Robinson on Friday. Because he was serving a suspension, Robinson missed the first seven games of the 2007 season. But in the nine games he did play in, Robinson caught 21 passes for 241 yards (11.5 avg.) and a touchdown with a 5-yard rush. He was used mostly on kick returns.
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