Westbrook's new deal worth nearly $25M extension
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Updated: Nov. 7, 2005, 1:52 AM ET

While the acrimony between recalcitrant wide receiver Terrell Owens and the Eagles continues, Philadelphia has made peace with one of its other star offensive performers.--football gambling--The Eagles on Sunday signed running back Brian Westbrook to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2010 season and is worth slightly less than $25 million. It includes bonuses between $9 million and $10 million. This spring, Westbrook signed a one-year restricted free agent qualifying offer for $1.43 million. --football gambling--

"I'm glad to have an opportunity to continue my career in Philadelphia," Westbrook said in a statement Sunday. "I've worked very hard to put myself in a position to receive a long-term contract and I'm glad the Eagles have recognized my talents and dedication to this team." --football gambling--

Without the extension, Westbrook would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. In what is projected as a very lean free agent pool, Westbrook might have been one of the most coveted players in the market. --football gambling--

"As I've said many times before, Brian is a big part of this offense and a big part of this team as a representative on and off the football field," coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "I really believe both the player and the team benefit from each other." --football gambling--

Securing Westbrook, who is clearly a key to the Eagles' offense, has been a priority for team president Joe Banner. But until recently, the numbers were not right, and the sides had a difficult time defining the financial market for a player who is not the prototype franchise-type running back. --football gambling--

A sticking point in negotiations had been Westbrook's compensation over the first three seasons of the deal, valued at $16 million. The Eagles had been offering $7 million to sign and $14 million over three. "In the end, we are happy that we were able to secure a contract that keeps Brian in Philadelphia and rewards him for his outstanding contributions to the Eagles organization," said Westbrook's agent, Fletcher Smith, who, along with CSMG partner Kennard McGuire, has negotiated major deals in the past year for Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, Rams left tackle Orlando Pace, and Jaguars defensive end Reggie Hayward totalling more than $37 million. --football gambling--
The contract will be forwarded to the league office Monday, which is the NFL's deadline for being able to push much of the salary cap impact into this year. Philadelphia, which entered the weekend about $10 million under the cap, has plenty of room to spare. --football gambling--

Arguably the NFL's top salary cap manager, Banner is adroit at such in-season extensions. And because he almost always assures the Eagles have sufficient cap room to complete such extensions, they have become an annual event, it seems. Talks with Westbrook have been ongoing and were ratcheted up in recent days. --football gambling--

Westbrook, 26, has been the subject of much scrutiny in Philadelphia because the feeling is that he has not gotten enough carries in an Eagles offense heavily skewed toward the pass. Two weeks ago, the former Villanova standout publicly acknowledged that the team needed to lean more on the running game, and that he needed more "touches" in general. --football gambling--

ick in the 2002 draft, Westbrook is regarded as one of the NFL's premier all-around backs. He began his career primarily as a return man and third-down back, but became the full-time starter in 2004. --football gambling--

In 50 appearances, including 30 starts, Wesbrook has carried 418 times for 1,922 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 158 receptions for 1,544 yards and 11 scores. Westbrook has 78 carries for 304 yards and one touchdown in seven games this season, along with 39 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns. --football gambling--

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here . Michael Smith contributed to this report.--football gambling--

Charger's sister shot to death

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) -- The sister of San Diego Chargers linebacker Randall Godfrey was found fatally shot in her car Tuesday after a wreck following a chase by her former boyfriend, police said. -NFL Football-

Deidre Miller, 29, may have been shot before the chase, which ended when her car ran into a clump of trees two houses from her home in northern Lowndes County, sheriff's detective Wanda Edwards said. -NFL Football-

Authorities were searching for Julonda Lecedrick Clayton, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla. -NFL Football-

Edwards said Clayton dropped off Miller's 4-year-old son at his daycare center, and the child told daycare workers that Clayton shot his mother. -NFL Football-

Godfrey, who played at the University of Georgia, was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. He also has played for the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans and is in his second year with the Chargers. -NFL Football-

Chargers spokesman Bill Johnston said Godfrey had been informed. "He's aware and he has gone to be with his family," Johnston told The Associated Press. -NFL Football-

Miller picked up her son from her mother's house Tuesday morning to take him to daycare. The child was in the car during the chase. -NFL Football-

Edwards said it appeared Miller sped out of her driveway and Clayton followed. She could have been trying to drive through a clearing in a neighbor's yard, the detective said. -NFL Football-

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Colts sticking to their routine

Dungy decides not to use bye for more preparation to play Patriots

By Mike Chappell

mike.chappell@indystar.com

October 31, 2005

The Indianapolis Colts are confident they will be prepared for next Monday night's much-anticipated rematch with the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass.

Prepared, not over-prepared. -NFL Football-

His team's bye week provided coach Tony Dungy and his staff an opportunity to use the extra time to plan, and practice, for a showdown with nemesis New England that will affect each team's postseason aspirations. -NFL Football-

So, how did Dungy use the additional time? He spent the weekend in Tampa, Fla., fishing, not obsessing over the Patriots. -NFL Football-

Focus turns to New England on Wednesday morning when the players return to the Union Federal Football Center for the first time after a five-day vacation. That's when they'll be given the game plan. That's when they'll start worrying about the scheming of coach Bill Belichick, the efficiency of quarterback Tom Brady and the erratic nature of the Patriots' defense. -NFL Football-

The idea has been to adhere as much as possible to a normal NFL schedule, regardless of the abnormal hitch presented by the bye week. -NFL Football-

It's an approach Dungy gleaned from his association with Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll and Minnesota's Dennis Green. Noll earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by directing the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles. There were no byes when his teams ruled the NFL, but there were self-imposed rules that governed his preparation. -NFL Football-

"He always believed you were a creature of habit, and the habit of preparing exists as well,'' Dungy said. "I worked for Dennis for four years and he was the same way. -NFL Football-

"Those guys have been in a lot of big games. They impressed on me there was a danger of over-preparing.'' -NFL Football-

When the Colts reported to Terre Haute, Ind., for the start of training camp on July 27, they were aware they opened the regular season Sept. 11 at Baltimore and had another critical trip to Foxborough on Nov. 7. Yet they weren't preoccupied by either. -NFL Football-

Dungy never has been one to take six weeks to prepare for a season opener or look past one opponent to another down the line. The bye week afforded him a chance to add another week of preparation for New England, but he resisted the urge. -NFL Football-

"Guys aren't used to doing it that way and don't always play as well,'' Dungy said.

"You're used to saying, 'OK, we've got three-and-a-half days to prepare.' All of a sudden you've got seven, eight or 10 days, and that can throw you out of whack.''

Routine rules. -NFL Football-

Wednesday's practice will allow the coaching staff to put the finishing touches on any schematic modifications that were deemed necessary last week and install the offensive and defensive plans for New England. -NFL Football-

"The second day (Thursday), we're going to know what we do in short-yardage, goal-line, the red-zone area,'' Dungy said. "The next day we'll do what we always do on the third day. -NFL Football-

"We don't want to disrupt that.'' -NFL Football-

Not even for another clash with New England, because from the Colts' viewpoint, the opponent -- even the hated Patriots -- is secondary to properly preparing themselves.

"We're worrying about us,'' defensive tackle Corey Simon said. "The only thing we can control is us.'' -NFL Football-

Quarterback Peyton Manning is 2-10 against the Patriots and has not won in seven trips to Foxborough. If anyone could justify altering his routine, it's the NFL's two-time Most Valuable Player. -NFL Football-

That's not going to happen. -NFL Football-

"Certainly we know it is an important game and people are going to be excited about it, '' Manning said. "But we have to take the same approach we've always taken. -NFL Football-

Hopefully we can have a good week of practice and go up there and play well.''

As boring as it sounds, maintaining a routine is paramount. -NFL Football-

"One reason we've gotten off to a good start is because we have taken every opponent one game at a time,'' Manning said. "A lot of people wanted to focus on this game in Week 1. I guarantee you, if we would have been thinking about this game from Week 1, if we would have been preparing for this game in training camp, we would not be 7-0 at this point. -NFL Football-

"We have taken care of business to this point.'' -NFL Football-

Week Seven game previews

By PFW staff Oct. 20, 2005

Kansas City at Miami

Hurricane Wilma has forced the NFL to move this game from Sunday to Friday night, cutting the preparation week short for both teams, especially the visiting Chiefs.

The Chiefs come in looking to build on their solid home win over the Redskins last week, while the Dolphins return home after physical losses at Buffalo and Tampa Bay. In the first game after their bye week, the Chiefs’ offense looked sluggish and out of sync.

The running game struggled, and the passing game only produced 15 completions in 25 attempts, including a 60-yard touchdown on a screen pass to Priest Holmes. The top two passing options, TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Eddie Kennison, combined for just two catches vs. the Redskins.

The Dolphins’ multiple-look defense ranks among the league’s best, with MLB Zach Thomas registering double-digit tackles in every game this season. Look for the Chiefs to try to pick on Miami CB Travis Daniels, a rookie.

The Dolphins’ RB tandem of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams struggled vs. the Buccaneers’ league-leading run defense last week but could do well this week, running up the middle vs. Chiefs DTs Lional Dalton and John Browning. Look for Miami to use a second tight end to help block DRE Jared Allen and free up TE Randy McMichael to run pass routes. Dolphins DE Jason Taylor could be hobbled with a foot injury.

Detroit at Cleveland
The story of the week in Motown is the culmination of the long-rumored QB controversy. Joey Harrington and the offense are sputtering, and with Jeff Garcia nearly ready to return from a broken leg, the Lions have not ruled out the possibility of a change behind center. No matter who gets the ball, RB Kevin Jones (2.7 yards per carry) and the offensive line (14 sacks allowed) need to improve. The Browns’ offense is a pass-first system designed to get the ball out of the hand of QB Trent Dilfer quickly. Dilfer doesn’t have great talent around him, and the running game, in particular, is lacking playmakers. RB Lee Suggs will miss another game with a broken thumb. His replacement, Reuben Droughns, has a long run on the year of 24 yards and an average of 3.8 yards per carry. Cleveland is one of only three teams (Arizona and Washington are the others) that has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season. The Browns know they’ll have to score plenty to win with a run defense that ranks 29th in the league, yielding 140.2 rushing yards per game. Yet Cleveland may be without one of its best weapons, rookie WR Braylon Edwards (arm), whose availability is in doubt. And it remains to be seen whether the Lions are capable of capitalizing on the vulnerability of the Browns’ run defense.
Green Bay at Minnesota
If the Packers are going to go on a winning streak, now is the time. Green Bay is 1-4 out of the gate for the second year in a row. The Packers turned it on at this point a year ago by opening up the offense. The Vikings have allowed 24 or more points in four of five games and might be just the catalyst the Packers need. Green Bay was on bye last week, affording the team an opportunity to get RB Ahman Green (thigh) and others healthy. Green is 17th in the NFC in rushing (3.4-yard average) and has not scored a touchdown this year. The Vikings’ ship is a wayward vessel in more ways than one. QB Daunte Culpepper has been lost without WR Randy Moss, who set the tone and created a lot of room for the offense to operate since 1998. Without Moss, teams are playing the run with seven defenders and begging Culpepper to throw into traffic. The Packers don’t blitz much and have only one pass-rushing threat, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. WR Nate Burleson has resumed physical activity after sitting out since Week Two with a knee injury. Burleson’s return might be a positive for Culpepper.
Indianapolis at Houston
The Colts trounced the Rams 45-28 on Monday night, outscoring the Rams 45-11 in the final three quarters. Indianapolis is more balanced than it had been in recent seasons. Using more of a ball-control offense this season, Peyton Manning’s numbers are way down, and the offense isn’t scoring at the rate that it did last season. Yet, the much-improved Indy “D” is leading the NFL in points allowed — it ranked 19th last season — and it now ranks 11th in total defense. The Colts made slow adjustments against teams using the 3-4 defense last season, and the Texans stayed with Indianapolis until the fourth quarter of their second 2004 meeting, a 23-14 Colts win at Houston. The last two games at Houston between these teams were decided by a total of 12 points, including a three-point Colts win in 2003. Houston’s punchless offense has scored 54 points in five games. With QB David Carr having been sacked an incredible 30 times in five games, the Texans shuffled their offensive line a week ago, with only mildly positive results (three sacks allowed). Now they have lost starting ORG Zach Wiegert with an ankle injury, causing a further shake-up. RB Domanick Davis has been the offense’s only consistent performer, and he’ll have to be Houston’s meal ticket this week. The Colts can be run on if you can move their defensive tackles. If Davis has success, it means the Texans will have slowed the pace of the game to a suitable level.
New Orleans at St. Louis
The black rain cloud that has parked itself above the Saints for much of the season seems to have found a new victim, the St. Louis Rams. Rams head coach Mike Martz is on an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he tries to recover from an infection in his heart. Starting QB Marc Bulger helped the Rams build a 17-0 lead over undefeated Indianapolis on “Monday Night Football” but then was knocked out of the game with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Backup QB Jamie Martin came in and guided the Rams from a 17-0 lead to a 45-28 loss. Martz won’t be on the sideline for the third straight game when the Saints come to town. Bulger likely will be on the sideline for the next two games and maybe longer with his shoulder injury. With Martin under center, the Rams will rely on RB Steven Jackson to lead the offense. Jackson is becoming more of a dual-threat like his predecessor, Marshall Faulk, who is now his backup. Jackson had 88 yards rushing and a TD on 17 carries, and he had five catches for 39 yards vs. the Colts. The Rams’ secondary is still struggling, but the Saints probably won’t challenge them much. Saints WR Joe Horn has battled a nagging hamstring injury for the past month and may not play. The Saints will stick to their productive running game, where they had a smooth transition last week in their first game without injured starter Deuce McAllister. RBs Antowain Smith (12 rushes, 88 yards, two TDs) and Aaron Stecker (16 rushes, 86 yards) shared ball-carrying duties vs. the Falcons, with Smith earning the start and Stecker coming in mostly on third downs and for a change of pace.

NFL: Michaels has hunger for Monday Night Football

By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

It's a fall Monday, the sun is down, the pulse rate is up, and millions of Americans are tuning in to "Monday Night Football," the longest-running live prime-time show in television history.

Filling the air is the familiar baritone of Al Michaels, TV's best play-by-play announcer. Twenty TV cameras are rolling, poised to capture the action from every conceivable angle. A crescendo is building.

Are you ready for some ... roast beef on a French roll?

Hey, a guy's got to eat, even when 20 million people are listening to his every word. It's 9 p.m., and Michaels, John Madden and the crew have been in and out of production meetings for the past 12 hours. Michaels typically snacks during the first half, washing down Snackwell cookies, Junior Mints and green grapes with cup after cup of coffee, then has a light dinner in the second half, stealing bites during commercials. He's a discreet eater and a picky one; he never lets a vegetable touch his plate, let alone his lips.

The millions of football fans watching the game have no idea that Michaels is eating dinner along with them. After more than 40 years in the business, the previous 19 with "Monday Night Football," his delivery is so fluid, so close to flawless, it's hard to believe that he's concentrating on anything but what's happening on the field.

But he is. In fact, it's astounding he has time to glance at the field at all, what with all the information flying his way. He's talking through his headset to the main production truck and to statistician Steve Hirdt in another truck, interpreting hand signals from the spotter just off camera to his left, and being handed a steady stream of in-game promos on index cards from the stage manager.

In front of Michaels are 14 monitors -- seven for him, seven duplicates for Madden -- each showing a different aspect of the game, among them team stats, individual stats, the game clock, what the network is showing, a shot looking back at them in the booth. Each also has his own telestrator, allowing him to use a finger to draw on the screen.

The job of processing all that information, producer Fred Gaudelli said, is for Michaels like "being an air-traffic controller who's trying to land his own plane at the same time."

A week ago, for the first time in its 35-year history, "Monday Night Football" allowed a reporter to observe a broadcast from the booth. The program is in its last season with ABC and next year will switch to ESPN, bringing Michaels along for the ride. Madden will head to NBC next season for "Sunday Night Football." As for the rest of the "Monday Night Football" crew -- a group 75 strong on game day -- the future is uncertain. Everyone's treating this season as a last hurrah.

Copyright ©1997-2004 PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ex-Football Star Arrested on Drug Charges

By Merissa Green and Roy Fuoco
The Ledger

AUBURNDALE -- A 25-year-old former high school football star and NFL player was arrested on drug charges during a traffic stop.

Allen Bernard Reese, of 3034 Lantana Circle, Auburndale, was charged with trafficking more than 28 grams of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer without violence, criminal mischief and corruption by threat of public servant.

Reese, also known as "Tank," is being held at the Polk County Jail without bail.

Reese was stopped at 42nd Street about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday because his license was suspended and his vehicle tag had expired, according to a Polk County Sheriff's Office report.

When Reese pulled his vehicle over, he fled on foot, the report stated.

Deputies were able to capture him shortly after he fled.

Upon returning to his vehicle, deputies found 60 grams of cocaine on the passenger floorboard, the report stated.

While at the book-in facility, deputies said, Reese kicked the holding facility glass, breaking it. The damage was estimated at $400.

Deputies also accused Reese of threatening a detective. The report stated that Reese said "I'll get you, your wife and kids." And he also is reported to have said "You will see me again."

Reese, a 1999 graduate of Auburndale High School, was a star football player, weightlifter and wrestler for the Bloodhounds. He played running back and nose tackle in football, rushing for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior year and was selected first-team All-State by the Florida Sports Writers Association.

He also won a state title in weightlifting his senior year and was fourth in the state in wrestling.

Reese began his college career at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, then transferred to Kansas State University as a junior, where he played defensive tackle. After his senior season, he was named first-team All-Big 12.

An undrafted free agent, Reese was with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003.

After playing in Berlin in NFL Europe in the spring of 2004, Reese was in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts but was cut just before the season began after suffering a knee injury.

Reese played in the Arena League this past spring for the Colorado Crush. He missed most of the season with an injury but was activated late in the season.

Family members were shocked to learn about Reese's arrest. Shay Reese, his stepsister, said he barely came home to visit unless it was to borrow her mother's car. She also said she was shocked to learn he may be involved in drugs.

"It doesn't seem like that's him," she said.

Shay Reese said her stepbrother probably was depressed after suffering a knee injury. He had dreams of making it big in the NFL, she said.

Copyright 2005 The Ledger

Kenneth Harrison, Reese's former high school football coach, said he hasn't talked to Reese for eight months.

"If it's true, I'm saddened by it," he said about the arrest.

Harrison said he hopes that Reese can get his life back on track.

Inside the NFL
Around the league with Observer staff writer Pat Yasinskas

Eli Manning to face jilted Chargers

He is Peyton's little brother and Archie's son, but Eli Manning firmly is standing on his own two feet as he prepares for the biggest game of his life.The second-year quarterback is showing he can win in theNFL. The New York Giants are 2-0, and he has been efficient, throwing three touchdown passes. - NFL Football -

He's also setting himself up for what might be the NFL's most brutal welcome since John Elway went to Baltimore 22 years ago. The Giants play at San Diego tonight, and the history still is fresh.

Eli (and perhaps his father) made it so well known before last year's draft that he wouldn't play for San Diego, that the Chargers had no choice but to draft Eli and trade him to the Giants for the rights to Philip Rivers (N.C. State) and a package of draft choices.

"I'm happy where I am," Eli Manning said. "I made the right decision. I know I did."

Notice Eli's repeated use of the word "I." That was intentional. The feeling just about everywhere last year was that Archie Manning orchestrated the whole ordeal because he didn't respect the Chargers front office and coaching staff. - NFL Football -

But Eli went out of his way to clarify the events to reporters in New York last week.

"My dad got brought into the situation and he was getting a lot of bad credit and being harassed quite a bit," Eli said.

"He wasn't part of this. It wasn't his decision. He didn't talk me into this. It was my decision."

Maybe Archie's off the hook, but Eli's not. He's sure to get a rough reception from San Diego fans, already angry about the Chargers' 0-2 start.

The last time something like this happened was when Elway refused to play for the Baltimore Colts, who drafted him first overall in 1983. The Colts grew frustrated and traded Elway to Denver. - NFL Football -

Elway and the Broncos had to go to Baltimore 22 years ago this month, and it created one of the uglier scenes in NFL history.

"I had been in the National Football League for 18 years at that time and I had never seen anybody get booed that loudly in the pregame warm-ups," former Broncos coach Dan Reeves said. "It just didn't stop. It was the worst thing I had ever seen.''

Elway struggled with the noise. He collected three delay penalties and was crushed by an inspired defense as the Colts built a 10-3 lead.

But the folks in San Diego might want to take this as a cautionary tale. Reeves decided to pull Elway in the fourth quarter and turned to veteran Steve DeBerg.

"The crowd immediately quieted down," Reeves said. "We had a chance to execute."

DeBerg led the Broncos to two touchdowns and a 17-10 victory. Coach Talk

Genius?

When he was a coordinator in Minnesota, Brian Billick was considered an offensive genius. As the head coach in Baltimore, his offense has been nothing short of embarrassing, and it's getting worse. Aside from two garbage-time touchdowns, the Ravens have been outscored 33-3. They rank last in rushing yards, and rushed for 14 yards against Tennessee. - NFL Football -

Billick's reputation is destroyed and his offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who many thought would parlay this job into another head coaching gig, isn't far behind. With Fassel calling the plays, the Ravens have thrown 104 passes and run 34 times. Somebody might want to tell Fassel that Jamal Lewis used to be one of the best runners in the league.

Subtle shots

Although he's got a reputation for being blustery, Dallas coach Bill Parcells can be subtle when it suits him. Parcells danced enough to avoid a potential fine, but he made it pretty clear he's not happy the Giants were given an extra home game when the league gave New Orleans a "home'' game at Giants Stadium because of Hurricane Katrina."I'm not commenting,'' Parcells said. "I'll let Jim Haslett talk. He's the one qualified.'' - NFL Football -

Haslett, the Saints coach has made no effort to hide his anger, and has said the other teams in the NFC East should be upset about the advantage given to the Giants. Parcells was asked if Haslett's comments made sense.

"I do think he has a highly intelligent perspective,'' Parcells said.

The Charlotte Observer