Wayne taking day-to-day approach to situation with Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have made their priorities clear: Re-sign quarterback Peyton Manning before his contract expires at the end of 2010, then turn their attention toward extensions for wide receiver Reggie Wayne and defensive end Robert Mathis.


That's an uneasy prospect for Wayne and Mathis, considering the uncertainty of the league's labor situation. Representatives for both Pro Bowl players -- who each have two years remaining on their contracts -- have been told by Colts general manager Bill Polian not to expect new deals anytime soon. That led Mathis to skip organized team activities and Wayne to sit out a mandatory minicamp in June.




Wayne was back in Indianapolis on Saturday night, but to host a charity basketball game at Conseco Fieldhouse. Still, he couldn't avoid questions about a holdout possibly extending into training camp, which begins Aug. 1.



"I guess it's like LeBron James, like 'The Decision.' I guess we gotta see," Wayne told WISH-TV. He jokingly added that he plans his own one-hour special to announce his decision, labeling it "The Decision, Part II."



So, all jokes aside, will Wayne show up to Colts camp?



"We're just gonna take it day by day," he said. "I would love to see Anderson (the new site of camp). I've never been there. And when that day comes, we'll see what's up.



"We've been talking," he added. "I guess you can say that. ... We're just gonna let them do their thing. I'm just gonna come and play football, that's all I can do. And whenever that phone rings with the good news, I'll be excited."



Wayne has two years remaining on his current contract, which will pay him under $6 million each season. He has posted six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.



A third Pro Bowl player, safety Antoine Bethea, signed a four-year contract extension with the Colts in June.

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8192e418/article/wayne-taking-daytoday-approach-to-situation-with-colts

Vikings coach Childress travels to Mississippi, meets with Favre

The Brett Favre saga took a familiar turn Sunday night, when Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress arrived in the quarterback's hometown of Hattiesburg, Miss. That can only mean one thing: Childress is trying to see if Favre will play this coming season.

When asked by WDAM-TV why he was in town, Childress said: "You can fill in the blanks."




Childress and Favre were seen together Monday at the University of Southern Mississippi's 7-on-7 passing camp for high school players, according to the television station. Favre, 40, has been throwing passes to Oak Grove High School football players while he recovers from offseason ankle surgery.



Childress made similar visits to Favre last year, then the quarterback decided to come out of retirement and play for the Vikings. Favre enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 19-year NFL career and led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game.



This year, Favre again has been elusive on whether or not he will play, but he hasn't been shy about talking with the media. He recently opened up to Men's Journal magazine and last week accepted an award at the ESPYs.



Favre told Men's Journal for its August issue that he isn't worried about his health as it relates to playing a 20th NFL season.



"Playing another year probably isn't going to make a difference," Favre told the magazine. "The damage has already been done."



At the ESPYs, Favre said his surgically repaired left ankle is still healing.



"I still have a little bit of time and still believe it or not [I'm] not completely healthy," Favre said. "I guess at 40 I may never be. I'm not getting any younger, but I am working hard trying to feel as best I can. Last year, I felt great. My arm was totally different than it was the year before and that made my decision a little bit easier. But we'll see."




Favre added that any comeback thought "starts with the ankle," but he called the Vikings "a great football team" that he admired.



The Vikings are scheduled to open training camp July 30 in Mankato, Minn. Favre skipped training camp last season while he mulled his decision to return.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Souce:http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8193153d/article/vikings-coach-childress-travels-to-mississippi-meets-with-favre

McNabb, ‘Skins receivers should bond at ‘Hell Week’

Redskins QB Donovan McNabb has invited some of his new teammates to visit Arizona for workouts that he has dubbed “Hell Week.” McNabb told The Washington Post that the sessions will be so rough and so intense, it will feel like playing in the Super Bowl.



So all participants should expect to throw up in the fourth quarter.

All right, McNabb didn’t say that exactly, but he did call it “Hell Week” because of the hot temperatures in Arizona and the demanding nature of the workouts. But really, anybody who has played any level of organized football knows exactly what “Hell Week” is.



Redskins WRs Devin Thomas, Santana Moss and Malcolm Kelly are among those expected to participate starting Monday. This is a last-chance opportunity for McNabb to work with his new receivers before training camp, which begins July 29.
“I think it’s important for the specialists on the offense to have that chemistry, to have that bond,” McNabb said, “where they can trust me and I can trust them.”


The players will conduct a grueling workout in the morning, then finish by running routes in the afternoon. The Redskins receivers will have a chance to work opposite Jets CB Darrelle Revis, a regular to the program. No word on if embattled Chargers WR Vincent Jackson, who has worked out with McNabb, will be in attendance, too.
Thomas, who’s entering his third NFL season, believes the experience will be invaluable.


“You want to get on that same page where he knows where I’m going to break out at when we’re running certain routes,” Thomas said. “Just so you can get that confidence to where we’ve done it before without the pads on and without the pressure on. So when we get in those clutch situations in games, you have that comfort level you need.”
And after a hard day’s workout, the players will get together and study the NFL rule book. Specifically the new overtime rules. And after that — air guitar!

Source: http://blogs.nfl.com/2010/07/18/mcnabb-skins-receivers-should-bond-at-hell-week/

Author: The Associated Press

GM: Jackson won't join Chargers soon, but neither will T.O.

The San Diego Chargers aren't optimistic about Vincent Jackson's future with them. But that doesn't mean they believe Terrell Owens is the solution to their potential wide receiver problem.




"We're all set right now with our receivers," Chargers general manager A.J. Smith told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Saturday. "I don't want to be involved. A lot of people have us targeted (with T.O.), but they know I wouldn't do it."

That's despite the possibility of a prolonged holdout from Jackson, who wants a long-term contract and refused to sign his one-year, $3.268 million tender, which the Chargers lowered to $583,000 after the June 15 deadline. Left tackle Marcus McNeill has taken the same stance, possibly leaving the Chargers without two of their top players entering the season.




"They have rights," Smith said. "Unfortunately, it's not good for us to win a championship without our Pro Bowl left tackle and wide receiver. Not every player can get max contracts. The more star players you have, the more difficult it becomes. But it's very difficult to win championships without your best players. Everyone knows that.



"But championships also are won by remarkable people who persevere. I'm not dreaming."



Smith told the Union-Tribune that he believes Jackson and McNeill won't return until Week 10 -- the deadline for them to receive credit for an accrued season. That would make Jackson, who has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, an unrestricted free agent after 2010.



However, as NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora recently noted, if Jackson doesn't report to the Chargers by at least the day before their fourth preseason game, the team could place him on a "roster exempt" list for three games. So Jackson might have to sign by Week 7 to avoid the possibility of being denied an accrued season.



Jackson also is suspended for the first three games of the 2010 season for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy. However, that suspension will be considered served even if Jackson misses those games in a contract holdout.



Smith acknowledged that Jackson wants a deal similar to the five-year, $50 million pact the Miami Dolphins gave Brandon Marshall this offseason after acquiring him from the Denver Broncos. However, the GM insisted he won't budge.


"I don't know if our guys or their agents think A.J. will fold, but my history should tell you something," Smith said. "I won't be telling anything to these two guys; I have nothing to discuss."




Part of that comes from the labor uncertainty facing the NFL. The 2010 season will be uncapped, denying fifth-year pros such as Jackson the opportunity to become unrestricted free agents, which would have happened in a capped year.



"In a normal year, we would be doing contracts," Smith said. "My philosophy has not changed. I want to identify people and keep them. Under normal conditions, maybe we would have signed them. It's a unique year, a difficult year."



It has been a difficult offseason for Owens, who has watched team after team deny interest in him. The mercurial receiver spent the 2009 season with the Buffalo Bills and caught just 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns, some of the lowest numbers of his 14-year NFL career.


Source:  http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8192e433/article/gm-jackson-wont-join-chargers-soon-but-neither-will-to