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For Frank Gore, the hardest part of a hard season was checking his cell phone on game days. That's when Mom used to call.

Liz Gore had always checked in with some last-minute coachin g. Remember to do this. You'd better not do that.

"You know, just little things,'' Gore said Monday.

Liz Gore died of kidney failure Sept. 12, 2007. She was 46.

Her son kept checking messages anyway. He couldn't stop. "Even after practice, I look at my phone,'' Gore said.

That was his heartbreak of 2007. There was also frustration: An injured ankle. A lousy offense. A losing season.

Gore made the Pro Bowl as an alternate, but it felt like a letdown.

And now?

Gore is smiling again. He's laughing easily and roaring around the practice field — a happy new year. Gore still misses his mom. "I'm dealing with it. I will never get over it,'' he said. But everything else has him revved up for '08.

Atop his list is new coordinator Mike Martz, who has the offense sing ing in 11-part harmony. The 49ers' 425 yards of total offense against the Chicago Bears last week marked their highest total in an exhibition game since 1996.

"We have a new leader, man, a new leader on the ship,'' Gore said of Martz. "When he stands up in the room, and you hear him talk, you know that he knows what he's talking about. Everything is going to change this year."

Gore said he likes this offense even better than the one Norv Turner ran— the one in which Gore set the 49ers' single-season record with 1,695 yards rushing.

If he prefers Martz's system to Turner's, you can imagine how much better he likes it than Jim Hostler's. Last season, the 49ers looked like they were trying to move a boulder uphill.

"It had to take the whole half to get across the 50-yard line,'' Gore recalled.

Hostler's schemes lacked imagination — but not common sense. At least Hostler was smart enough to get the ball to Gore as often as possible. Gore had 40.5 percent of the 49ers' net offensive yards, the highest percentage in the NFL, according to Stats LLC.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson was second at 38.6, and Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook was third at 36.7.

The problem for Gore was that his carries became too predictable. Defensive coordinators, as well as fans, reporters and beer vendors, knew when Gore was going to get the ball. Opponents lined up eight-man fronts and dared the 49ers to pass.

"They can't do that anymore,'' Gore said. "Even when we played Chicago, you saw other guys — guys you never heard of — getting open and making good plays. That's a big thing."

Gore noted that the 49ers racked up 37 points that night even without receivers Arnaz Battle and Bryant Johnson. Plus, he added, Josh Morgan is a rookie still learning how to play in the NFL.

"When everybody is on the same page,'' Gore said, "it's going to be crazy."

With the arrival of Martz, there are frequent comparisons of Gore to Marshall Faulk, the do-everything back who thrived with Martz and the rollicking St. Louis Rams.

Gore is honored by the talk, but said he and Faulk are "two different players, two different guys."

Martz, though, will probably use Gore the same way he used the 2000 MVP.

"Any time you can take somebody like Frank and put him out on the perimeter, or get him one-on-one with someone, that is what you want,'' Martz said. "You want to put Frank in an environment where he can get the ball away from the pack because his open-field running is pretty special."

Even after a so-called down year, Gore trails only Tomlinson and Westbrook in yards from scrimmage since 2006. Gore's 921 receiving yards during that span rank fifth among running backs and his 5.4 yards per touch rank sixth overall, according to Stats LLC.

Gore did all that as a marked man.

So imagine what he can do as a Martz man.

"No matter what you did in this league, Coach Martz can still make you feel like you have to prove yourself,'' Gore said. "That makes you want to play hard. I have a couple of great years in this league, but if I'm messing up, he's going to get on me. That's what I like about him.

"I'm going to be all over the place. I'm going to have fun."

(mercurynews.com)

Had Phillip Buchanon sprung from his sofa or strung together a row of expletives, no one could have blamed him.

The cornerback's first full season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a fruitful one, the sort of campaign that establishes equity between player and team.

But a few months after it ended, the Buccaneers added another face to their defensive backfield - and a talented one in Aqib Talib, who Tampa Bay took with the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft in April.

Hurt? Angry? Vexed? Pick an emotion, any emotion, Phillip.

His choice? None of the above.
The Fort Myers native is too happy in Tampa Bay to complain. He looks at Talib and doesn't see a kid waiting to take his spot - he sees a player stuffed with potential who can only make the Buccaneers better. He sees a respectful rookie that Buchanon, a first-round pick himself in 2002, will make himself available to whenever Talib has any questions.

And he sees this offseason just as every other - a chance to prepare and make Phillip Buchanon a better football player.

"I always took pride in pushing myself, and I'll continue to push myself to be the best," Buchanon said Monday afternoon at One Buc Place. "My goal, ever since I came into the league, was to be one of the best players at my position. I still have that same drive, so nothing has really changed."

Why change? An injury to Brian Kelly opened the door for Buchanon in 2007, and he finished with 63 tackles and three interceptions in helping Tampa Bay win the NFC South.

"I can't say enough positive things about him, to be honest with you," said defensive backs coach Raheem Morris. "I always kind of expect the guys I put out there to play well, so it would be hard for me to tell you I was surprised. Did he make plays that I've seen that have surprised me? Yes.

"He's got enormous ability, unbelievable movement and some of the stuff he does on tape you just look at it and go, 'Wow.' "

Apparently, Buchanon hasn't missed a step since last year.

"No one's talking about him," said head coach Jon Gruden, "but Philip Buchanon is having a great camp."

Buchanon credits his coaches. Morris and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin know when it's time to work - but they also know how to keep things fun, too.

And there's a degree of freedom and openness in Tampa that Buchanon said he didn't taste while playing with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans.

"They tell you the truth. In certain situations I've been in, in Houston and Oakland, they don't really tell you the whole story," he said. "(The Bucs') teaching tools make sense. . . . Since I was young, I was always the guy that asked questions. And the one thing I like about playing here is they always give you the freedom to say how you feel."

Back in his native state and comfortable on the field, Buchanon is happy to be wearing pewter - regardless of what happened last April.

"Ever since I got here, they said, 'Go out here, do your stuff and we'll tweak you a little,' " he said. "They don't hassle me as much, they don't deal with me like a high school kid.

"I think they over analyzed when I was in certain places. Whenever you overanalyze, you think too much. . . . And you don't feel comfortable."

(bradenton.com)

CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers trimmed their roster by five players Monday, one day ahead of the NFL's mandatory cut down day, where all rosters must stand at 75.

The Panthers said goodbye to cornerback Curtis Deloatch, defensive end Casper Brinkley, tight end Chris Conklin and quarterback Lester Ricard. The fifth cut was receiver Jason Carter, who had been having a huge camp for the team but suffered a torn ACL during the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 47-3 win against Washington.

The Panthers placed him on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. Carter was trying to lock up a receiver spot or perhaps a kick returning job.

Defensively, the Panthers were quite good as well Saturday, recording five sacks. The unit had 23 all of last season, worst in the NFL.

Julius Peppers has looked more and more like his old self, the linebackers have been better than average, and the secondary was hardly noticed against the Redskins, thanks to the front 7.

Jon Beason says he was pleased with the play of the entire unit.

“I’m just happy it was a group effort, you know, offense, defense, special teams, everybody just went out and played hard and did their jobs, executed, and just had fun,” the second-year linebacker said.

The Panthers close out the preseason Thursday against Pittsburgh and begin the regular season on Sept. 7 in San Diego.

(news14.com)

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis confirmed he will play Thursday in the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Portis this preseason has 50 yards on 15 carries. He played against Buffalo and Carolina and sat out the other two contests.

"Coach [Jim] Zorn said the starters are playing," he said, referring to Zorn's statement Monday that the starters would be in for at least one series. "Not the starters except for Clinton Portis, not the starters except for two-six. Unless I've been demoted in the past couple days, the starters include me."

(washingtontimes.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in a lopsided victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Braun now has 33 homers on the season, one short of his 2007 total. He hasn't gone more than six games without a homer since the beginning of July, and his slugging percentage is now up to .596.

(rotoworld.com)

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Cardinals have place outfielder Brian Barton on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right side muscle.

Barton is hitting .269 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 130 at-bats.

He was injured beating out a bunt for a single during a career-best three-hit game on Sunday.

Outfielder Nick Stavinoha, batting .337 with 16 home runs and 74 RBIs at Triple-A Memphis, was recalled for his third stint with the team.

He was batting .200 (5-for-25) with four RBIs with St. Louis.

(chicagoribune.com)

With nine receivers on the roster, and the top 5 pretty much now set in stone with the loss of Harry Williams - Jenkins might be a guy that doesn’t last past Tuesday. All I’ve ever heard Gary Kubiak say about him is that he has great speed, and he made some plays in OTAs. He might get cut, but he could also be a very strong practice squad candidate.

(houstondiehards.com)

After seeing him in camp and in very limited game action, Lance Leggett is a player that might be worth a longer look, at the very least on the practice squad.




(cle.scout.com)

Safety Antrel Rolle, who is just getting back to action after missing two weeks with a sore ankle, probably will play more than most starters Friday against Denver, Whisenhunt indicated.

Rolle is making the transition from cornerback.

From watching him in practice, “I think we’ve seen enough to believe he’s going to be a pretty good player at that position,” Whisenhunt said. But, “He needs to get a feel for the game and the speed of the game at that position.”

(eastvalleytribune.com)

It's Nate.

The Broncos' top position competition of the preseason has been settled.

Mike Shanahan, the Broncos' coach, announced Nate Webster has beaten out Niko Koutouvides for starting middle linebacker.

The decision was an upset of sorts as Webster is a nine-year veteran who was primarily a back up in Tampa Bay and Cincinnati before starting at strongside linebacker for the Broncos' last year. Koutouvides was one of the Broncos' top free-agent pick ups this offseason as he received a three-year, $7.5 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus.

"It was a very close competition," Shanahan said. "Both guys I look at as starters. Both guys will help as special teams but it was nip and tuck."

Shanahan said Koutouvides, a standout special teams player for four years in Seattle, would play extensively in the fourth and final preseason game at Arizona to get him more familiar with Denver's defense.

"Nate's a little more comfortable in it, right now." Shanahan said.

(denverpost.com)

FORMER PLAYERS, HISTORIC RIVALS ANNOUNCE NEW CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Letterwinners from 3 of college football’s legendary rivals form a unique partnership through the Make a Play Foundation, a new charitable organization that will impact children across Florida

MIAMI, Fla – August 21, 2008  – Legendary former football players of Florida, Florida State and Miami have developed programs and initiatives designed to create opportunities for children in their hometowns by providing academic and recreational grants through a new charitable organization, the Make a Play Foundation. The 501(c)(3) organization is a unique partnership between former players of three of college football’s most storied rivals and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to provide grants promoting leadership, accountability and confidence in children around the state of Florida.

“There are so many kids out there that don’t have goals or expectations of themselves because they don’t have access or the opportunity for bigger things,” co-founder Terry Jackson said. “Anything we can do to help get them involved in something that interests them, whether it’s sports, music, art or education, it’s worth it.”

The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in their hometowns, building on what several individual players have already done by devoting their time, leadership and financial support to a range of causes. The Make a Play Foundation’s vision is to provide academic or recreational grants designed to fund educational field trips, improve or build community playgrounds and athletic fields, provide college scholarships, develop leadership programs, reward academic improvements or success, purchase athletic equipment and uniforms, support musical programs, provide computers and technology to local community centers and fund additional family-based programs.

Founding members of the Player Panel include Neal Anderson (UF), James Bates (UF), Lomas Brown (UF), Warrick Dunn (FSU), Earnest Graham (UF), Jacquez Green (UF), Terry Jackson (UF), Willie Jackson, Jr. (UF), Marvin Jones (FSU), Nick Maddox (FSU), Shane Matthews (UF), Santana Moss (Miami), Sinorice Moss (Miami), Burgess Owens (Miami), Errict Rhett (UF), Leon Searcy (Miami), Max Starks (UF), Fred Weary (UF) and Lawrence Wright (UF).

“So many players are out there doing things on the local level, this just provides a network between us to do bigger things, help us expand and build,” Jackson said. “We’ve always supported each other’s community projects, this just gives us the opportunity to pull together and bring fans into the competition and have a little fun with it.”

One hundred percent of individual fan donations will go towards youth and family grants thanks to the generosity of corporate partners and members of the Player Panel who will underwrite the foundation’s operating expenses.

Programs will focus on having a local presence as resources raised in each specific area will be invested back into those communities through hometown grants. Players and fans will also have the opportunity to directly support children and families in their communities through an option to specify that financial donations are designated for children in one of seven areas: the Panhandle; North Central Florida; Jacksonville; Tampa-St.Pete; Orlando and the East Coast; Southwest Florida and Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Along with providing opportunities and access to at-risk youth, the Make a Play Foundation will also focus the energy and spirit of the three rivalry weeks by launching state-wide fan competitions. The week leading up to each rivalry game promises to bring fans into the battle, making them an active player in some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. The foundation will partner with a different national or regional charity and dedicate service hours and donations to the adopted organization during the head-to-head competition weeks. The 2008 college football schedule includes games at all three universities: Florida hosts Miami in Gainesville on September 6th, Miami will host Florida State at Dolphin Stadium on October 4th and Florida will travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State on November 29th.

The Make a Play Foundation was established and provided Publix and Wal-Mart gift cards to 250 families in Miami, Tallahassee and Gainesville to purchase holiday meals last December. The cards were distributed through three organizations: the Refuge House of North Florida, Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network of North Central Florida and the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors Holiday Adopt-a-Family program in South Florida. The Refuge House of North Florida and the Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network are two organizations that focus on assisting families and victims of domestic violence while the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors organization assists South Florida families in crisis for a variety of different issues.

The foundation will expand to include alumni of all Florida colleges and universities to develop the power to promote change for children and families around the state.  For more information on the Make a Play Foundation and partnering player foundations, please visit the official Web site at www.makeaplayfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION:
The Make a Play Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that represents a unique partnership of former players of three of college football’s legendary rivals – Florida, Florida State and Miami- and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to create opportunities for underprivileged children through academic and recreational grants, designed to promote confidence and leadership. The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in former players’ hometowns.

When the Chicago Bears reported to training camp in mid-July, they were missing a huge piece. Devin Hester, the most electrifying player in the National Football League and lone reason why I kept watching the Bears last year, was holding out for more money.

Ninety-nine percent of Chicago freaked out and thought the Bears should just give him what he wants. Understandable. Right?

The Bears haven't seen a football player as exciting to watch as Hester since Walter Payton. "The Windy City Flyer" runs as fast as Hollywood producers do from a movie starring Norm MacDonald. Hester had six return touchdowns in each of his first two seasons in the league.

He even returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI for a touchdown, sending Chicago into a frenzied state before it realized that Rex Grossman was quarterbacking the team.

So if Hester is so good that he might be able to challenge the almighty Mike Ditka in a footrace, why should the Bears have traded him? After all, he's been a consistent source of touchdowns for the team - something Grossman, Cedric "Boats n' Hoes" Benson and Bernard Berrian couldn't provide.

The shelf life of a return man is not very long, however, especially for those who have prominent roles on offense. Remember Dante Hall? Chiefs fans don't need a refresher - he was the most feared return man in the NFL about five years ago. And where is he now? Struggling to find playing time in St. Louis. Hall was never a great wide receiver, but Kansas City tried to force him into the position after teams started kicking away from him.

You can bet that opposing kickers will start shying away from Hester, forcing the Bears' offense to beat them. When that happens, Hester will have a bigger role in the offense. And after that takes place, Hester will struggle. His value will go from its state before 2008 - which was through the roof - to almost nothing in just a few years.

Hester is listed at 5 feet 11 inches. He weighs 189 pounds. His only value as a wide receiver is as a burner, somebody who can catch a deep ball. With Kyle Orton at quarterback, however, the offense likely won't be throwing downfield as much as it did with ole Sexy Rexy. Expect a lot of quick slants and stop routes. And that Hester will get knocked around like a rag doll on those routes.

Although the NFC North is looking weak this year, the Bears need to rebuild. Orton isn't a bad quarterback. But is he really the quarterback for the Bears' future?

The team needs wide receivers like gold-medal Chinese gymnasts need fake documentation. The defensive and offensive lines aren't getting any younger. If the Bears could have secured a first-round pick for Hester, they should have gone ahead and made the move. It's not like they didn't have an excuse, because Hester sat out the initial days of camp.

The Bears without Hester would be about as pathetic as the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen. But, then again, will they be less pathetic with him for this year, the next year and through 2013?

I don't think so.

(themaneater.com)

METAIRIE, La. -- Tight end Jeremy Shockey left the turf at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati following warm-ups in uniform Saturday night assuming he'd make his first start with the New Orleans Saints.

Before returning with his teammates a few minutes later, Saints coach Sean Payton told Shockey to ditch the helmet and pads and spend the Saints' third preseason game again on the sidelines.

"I don't know if he had a plan for that," Shockey said. "He's the head coach and that was probably the smart thing to do. I prepared all week as I was going to play the game. If I wouldn't have played, maybe I wouldn't have prepared as hard."

Now with the starters likely to see barely one quarter Thursday night when the Saints play the Miami Dolphins in the Louisiana Superdome for the preseason finale, it's possible Shockey may not take a single snap during the preseason as the team could elect to sit him once more.
Shockey practiced every day last week and was full speed again on Monday. He wouldn't go into details on whether he's nursing a separate injury besides the broken leg he sustained late last season while still with the New York Giants.

Payton said he'd like Shockey, along with cornerback Mike McKenzie, running back Deuce McAllister and safety Josh Bullocks to see some playing time since much of their snaps were taken away because of their injuries.

The 6-foot-5, 251-pound tight end also downplayed the significance of actual game time reps with quarterback Drew Brees at this point. Payton said Brees probably won't play Thursday anyway against Miami. The part where tacklers are flying at him is what he said his regular season preparation is missing.

"It's not really that important because I get reps with Drew everyday in practice," Shockey said. "It's just more of the game speed thing. That's just the really most important thing. You see how the game goes and the contact. You don't play any preseason games, you'll probably get all sore the regular season games and you body doesn't bounce back everyday for practice."

Brees said he figures every little detail between the two players won't be perfect come Week 1 against Tampa Bay. The Saints quarterback isn't too worried about his lack of playing time with Shockey.

"I know he wants to get out there and I certainly want to get out there with him," Brees said. "Even if we don't get any time in a game, a preseason game prior to the first game of the season, I'm not worried about our chemistry. We're building that right now and I like where we're at... the more we play together, the more it will prove to be that way."

(sunherald.com)

Every now and then Frank Gore likes to switch roles with the media. If reporters are standing around the locker room, he'll come up and canvass us about what we think of how he played or how the offense is looking. He's interested in outside opinions. Sometimes, he'll stop me in the locker room and ask how he looks. By that, he wants me to say whether I think he looks lighter or heavier than last season. (Answer: lighter). This happened today when Gore walked up to me and Maiocco.

"What do you think?" he said.
"About Frank Gore?" I said.
"No, about the offense."

I told him that the first half against the Bears is just about as well as I've seen the offense play since I've been covering the team. 

Gore asked me how long I've been covering the team and I said since 2003. In hindsight, there was a game in 2003 in which Jeff Garcia and the 49ers beat Arizona 50-14. And last year's game in Arizona was a pretty decent offensive showing, too. But I could tell that Gore agreed with my assessment. He's said in the past that he felt as if a "black cloud" was hanging over him and the 49ers last season. This summer - and today in particularly - he seemed carefree and bouyant, chatting with everyone he passed in the locker room. It sort of symbolized how the team as a whole is feeling right now -- relieved that the offense finally has come together and eager to show it off in the regular season.

I asked Gore whether he was excited about playing the Dolphins this year in his home town. He said he wasn't even thinking about that. I pressed him a little - "Come on, you have to have at least thought about it..." - but he insisted he's not looking ahead this season, a mistake he may have made before the 2007 campaign. Gore said he thought he might play a little Friday against San Diego. Mike Nolan might have another idea. Nolan speaks at 3:45 p.m. today ...

(sacbee.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Four weeks ago, what kind of odds would you have given on Jerome McDougle making the Eagles' season-opening roster? A hundred-to-one? Two hundred-to one? Five hundred-to-one?

Four weeks ago, what kind of odds would you have given on Chris Clemons not making the season-opening roster? A thousand-to-one? Two thousand-to-one?

Four weeks ago, McDougle appeared to be a dead man walking. Out of chances. Out of time. Out of luck.

Clemons? Well, Clemons was a rich man walking after signing a 5-year free-agent deal with the Eagles in March that included a $4 million signing bonus.

But with a little more than a week-and-a-half left before the Eagles have to reduce their roster to 53 players, McDougle just might be the one who stays, and Clemons, despite that hefty signing bonus, might be the one who goes.

McDougle, who has missed two of the last three seasons with injuries and has played in just 33 games since the team selected him with the 15th overall selection in the 2003 draft, continued his impressive summer last night with a sack, three hurries and a tackle for a loss in the Eagles' 27-17 win over New England.

Clemons, meanwhile, spent the game the same way he has spent much of the preseason and training camp. As an injured spectator.

"I'm just continuing to work hard," McDougle said after the game. "When the opportunity presents itself, I'm just trying to take the bull by the horns.''

The Eagles signed Clemons, who had eight sacks last season in a part-time role with Oakland, to beef up an anemic pass rush that had just 37 sacks last season and has registered more than 40 once in the last 5 years.

But as the saying goes, you can't make the club in the tub. Clemons was sidelined early in training camp when he was hospitalized for dehydration. Then he suffered a calf injury during the Eagles' last week at Lehigh and has missed the last two preseason games.

"He's been injured," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said this week. "He's not on the field. It's hard. I mean, it's tough for him right now. He's not on the field. Until we get him back on the field, we're not going to know."

Johnson also indicated that Clemons has been slow to learn his defense.

"He was still in a learning process," he said. "He wasn't quite there yet. That's just being honest. He's working at it, but he's not quite there yet."

Injuries have been the story of McDougle's NFL career. He missed all of last season after tearing a triceps tendon. Sat out the 2005 season after getting shot in the abdomen. Has also missed time with knee, ankle and hip injuries.

But finally, finally, he has managed to make it through a summer in one piece and is starting to resemble the player the Eagles hoped he would be when they drafted him 5 years ago.

"Just with the naked eye, it looked like he played well," coach Andy Reid said. "He rushed the passer well."

The Eagles notched four sacks of Patriots quarterbacks - not including Tom Brady, who sat out his third straight preseason game.

Juqua Parker started at left end and took most of the first-half reps there, with Darren Howard giving him an occasional breather. McDougle opened the second half at left end. On the Patriots' first possession, he beat right tackle Nick Kaczur with an outside rush and sacked Matt Cassel for a 7-yard loss.

"The other guys had been doing some stuff against [Kaczur], and I just fed off what they had been doing," McDougle said.

It's uncertain how many defensive ends the Eagles will keep on their roster. It remains to be seen what they will do with injured Victor Abiamiri and third-round rookie Bryan Smith.

Asked whether he thinks he survive the cutdowns, McDougle said, "The only thing I can control is what I can control and go out and play my butt off."

(philly.com)

With Pat Burrell's recent slump, can we assume he won't be back next year? I'm not a fair-weather fan, my patience ran out with him two years ago. I was never sold on his first half not being a contract year resurgence.
-- Peter B., Philadelphia
It's ironic that this question arrives two days after Burrell's career high tying five-RBI game that included a first-inning three-run homer, though I imagine it's also tied to him batting .211 in August.

Burrell remains streaky, extremely hot at times -- batting .326 with eight homers in April and .304 with seven homers in July -- and cold at other times -- in August, plus hitting .227 with five homers in May. Regardless, he always seems to belt 30 homers and drive in 90-110 runs. His .391 on-base percentage leads the Phillies and is seventh in the National League.

Will he be back? I'm not sure. I would have said, "No," at the beginning of the season, but the Phillies would have to find a power-hitting, right-handed-hitting replacement. I'm not saying this means he'll be back, but the Phillies will entertain the discussion.

Burrell will have suitors if he hits an open market that will also include Manny Ramirez, Milton Bradley, Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu (would you like to see him back?). Vladimir Guerrero is another outfield possibility, if the Angels don't exercise a $15 million option. Burrell turns 32 in October, and teams may covet a seven-year average of 29 homers and 93 RBIs, especially an American League club that can play him at designated hitter.

If Burrell hits the open market what type of free agent will he be? 
-- Rob C., Phoenixville, Pa.
Burrell will be a Type A free agent, meaning the Phillies will receive two compensatory Draft picks from the team that signs him, assuming he's offered arbitration. Philadelphia would get a "sandwich" pick between the first two rounds, and a first- or second-round pick of the team signing Burrell, depending on whether that team had one of the 15 worst records in baseball.

(phillies.com)

Kareem Brown played well again and I have to think he’s secured himself a roster spot. Not to speak for Mangini, of course.




(weblogs.amny.com)

S Kenny Phillips didn't quite get a gasser for two bad plays, but they need to be mentioned. One of them was his "Welcome to the NFL" moment when he saw Favre looking to the left and started drifting that way. Favre snapped his head back and fired a TD to WR Jerricho Cotchery that was negated by an illegal shift penalty. Cotchery had gotten behind CB Kevin Dockery, who needed safety help on that one. Phillips had already taken steps in the other direction when he got his first taste of how good Favre is. Later, Phillips laid a big hit on WR Marcus Henry after Dockery had deflected the ball away. If Phillips was looking for the ball instead of contact, he might have had an INT. You don't want to rip a player for being aggressive, but Phillips needs to look for the ball next time.

(nj.com)

Each week in the Times-Picayune this summer, new Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma will let fans get behind the scenes with a first-person journal about his experiences.

The fifth-year veteran, who arrived in a late-February trade from the New York Jets, is expected to give the Saints a dynamic athletic presence in the middle of their defense. He had four tackles during the Saints' impressive 13-0 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, which was his second game of the preseason.

"We did a lot better as a defense in this last game, obviously, which was great for us. I think it was important to get the bad taste out of our mouths (after a poor showing the week before), and it was important for us to know that we can do it. We know that's what we're capable of, and now that's what we can strive for in the regular season. Shutouts are always great, no matter how you get them. You can look at all the numbers and statistics, but if you don't let them score, you're doing all right.

"For me personally, I think my reads were a little better, a little quicker than last week. I think that just comes with playing more, being in the game and getting used to it again. One tackle that I made on third down stood out because we talked about getting off the field on third downs, third and long. The secondary had been doing such a good job of that prior to that play, so it felt good just to get in the mix.

"You can feel that the regular season is getting close. I think we're really going to start to feel it in practice (Monday), when we really start focusing on Tampa Bay instead of just ourselves and our preseason opponents. Right now, I'm very excited, especially because I haven't played in so long in a real game that counts on the record books. I'm going to control my emotions though. I don't want to go out there and burn myself out in the first series of the first game. But I'll definitely be excited and ready to play.

"We're already into the regular-season routine in some ways. Even though they call it the preseason, and it's a warm-up for the regular season, the only thing that's really a warm-up is mentally, breaking down your opponent and understanding his tendencies. But physically it's all the same. The tackles are all the same, the hits are all the same. I've never heard of anybody who tackles harder in the regular season than they do in the preseason. And you can still feel all those little bumps and bruises.

"The aches and pains always show up the day after, a couple days after. The morning after, it's really all about just relaxing your body. You're gonna be sore, so there's really not much you can do. It's not like you can massage the soreness away. You're just tired. So the first day, I really just try to relax as much as possible. Then two days after, you start with the stretching, the massaging, getting loose and getting back into it. I don't like to do anything in particular on those off days. I just try to enjoy it. I'll definitely watch some TV. I'm a big fan of 'Family Guy.' That's always one of my favorites."

(blog.nola.com)