Peyton Hillis stares down the Madden curse

Browns running back Peyton Hillis will be on the cover of the new Madden game.  But Hillis doesn’t believe that the honor amounts to a curse.
“I don’t believe in curses,” Hillis told Joe Brescia of the New York Times.  “I could get hurt next year, but I don’t believe it has anything to do with the curse.  I’m a Christian man and I don’t believe anything could be put in front of me that God can’t take away.  I would love to prove everyone wrong and have an exceptional year and not get hurt.”
But that’s precisely how a curse can become something tangible.  This year, Hillis will be thinking about “prov[ing] everyone wrong,” by not getting hurt.  And plenty of guys get hurt when they specifically are trying not to get hurt.
So even though there’s no such thing as a Madden curse, Hillis’ desire to prove that there is no Madden curse could, in a roundabout way, become a Madden curse.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Mike Florio

Mike Ditka speaks on lockout, “modern-day slavery,” Jay Cutler

Mike Ditka has been on the labor side of the NFL as a player, and the management side as a coach, and he’s had harsh criticism for both sides since his retirement. So it’s no surprise that he has plenty to say about the lockout currently embroiling the NFL.
“I think to a degree, it’s a power struggle, I really do,” Ditka told Dave Krieger of the Denver Post. “Egos have gotten in the way of reason. I think common sense would be much better served if people would just think about the situation, think about where they’re at as players and owners in life, and try to make this thing work.”
Ditka ripped Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s comment likening the NFL to “modern-day slavery,” saying it demonstrated ignorance on the part of today’s players.
“Some of the younger players, the comments they make don’t make any sense,” he said. “Somebody saying they make $12 million a year, and they’re saying people call them a slave? I mean, I’m not sure I really understand any of this. There’s nowhere in society where you can go out and make $12 million. Nowhere! If you’re a rocket scientist, you can’t do it. You just can’t do it!”
Ditka also weighed in on the quarterback of his old team, Chicago’s Jay Cutler, saying that the criticism of Cutler isn’t going to stop until he learns to conduct himself the way a leader should.
“I’m just saying that he needs to improve his body language, and I think everybody would admit that,” Ditka said. “But as far as the game of football and the ability to throw the football, he does that very well. And I think the other quality we got to get to is the leadership thing. You’ve got to be able to lead as a quarterback.”

source: PFT.com
author:  Michael David Smith

Titans won’t be re-signing Randy Moss

It’s not clear where receiver Randy Moss will play in 2011.  It is clear that he won’t be playing for the team with which he finished the season in 2010.
Titans G.M. Mike Reinfeldt, in a conference call with season-ticket holders, said Friday that the Titans do not plan to bring Moss back.
“I honestly don’t think we’ll try to re-sign him,” Reinfeldt said, via John Glennon of the Tennessean.  “We’ve got some young guys we like and I think at this point in his career he will probably go elsewhere.”
The Titans claimed Moss on waivers after he was released by the Vikings, less than a month after being acquired via trade with the Patriots.  He appeared in eight games, starting four, for Tennessee.  He caught only five passes for 54 yards.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Mike Florio

Report: Chargers are monitoring Steve Smith’s status

It’s no secret that Steve Smith wants out of Carolina.  Unknown at this point is his next destination.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers are “monitoring” the situation.
Other possible destinations for Smith include the Raiders and the Ravens.
Per Acee, the Panthers quietly were shopping Smith before the March 11 lockout.  If/when the lockout ends, they’ll be able to trade him.
As Acee points out, the fact that Smith’s contract calls for $15 million over the next two seasons means that he’ll have to re-do his deal before any trade can happen.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Mike Florio