Compiled by Arthur Arkush
May 15, 2008

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Bears LB Brian Urlacher, explaining his discontent with his current contract situation, as quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times: ''It's easy for people to criticize me for wanting [a new deal], and I understand that it's a contract and I signed it. But this is the NFL, and if I'd signed it and I'd played like [expletive], they'd have cut me or tried to get me to take less. In my mind, there's no difference. If they can 'break' a contract, I have a right to ask for more if I play well enough. When I signed my deal, the salary cap was $75 million. It's, what, $116 million now? Things have changed. I understand that all of this, to a normal person, sounds crazy. It's all relative to what you do. If you're a chair-builder, and you feel you're the best at what you do, and other chair-builders are making more than you, then you'd want to be paid more, too.''

New Jaguars WR Jerry Porter, quoted in the Ultimate Jaguars Newsroom on the expectations he has for the team and himself this season: "It's a fresh start and a damn good team with high expectations. The team did well without me, and I want to come in and pull my weight and make sure I can help the team in some way."

Colts owner Jim Irsay, hopeful that what WR Marvin Harrison told him regarding the investigation in a Philadelphia shooting is true, as quoted on IndyStar.com: "We look at everything seriously if we have an incident with any of our players. At the same time we want to make sure that we know what the facts are. At this point I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We've done everything we could do in our diligence to try to discern what happened. He said he was not involved in that shooting and … the authorities have said there is nothing imminent. You hope these things hold up to be true, that there won't be any charges and there wasn't any involvement. Until we hear more, this isn't even a case of innocent until proven guilty because there hasn't been a charge yet."

Browns LB Willie McGinest, quoted on Cleveland Sports News on why he decided to return for one more season: "It was a big debate [in my mind]. The reason I came back this year was because I knew that Cleveland was doing some special things. They were bringing in a lot of guys to help and make a big push to be competitive and win. I told Romeo [Crennel] I would come back for him and do one more year."

Former NFL MVP QB Rich Gannon, optimistic that Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson can lead his team to the top of it’s division and have a breakout year in 2008, as quoted in the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: "I'm excited. I got a chance to go out there a little bit, and I watched — really, I wanted to look at Tarvaris and see where he has come in just the one short year — and I got a chance to watch some film and sit down with [coach Brad] Childress and really look at him, and talk about him, and evaluate him. I think he's made great strides. I think he's a very athletic guy, very gifted, and the big thing for him this year is just consistency." Gannon added: "He's got to play 16 games, he only finished 12 games a year ago, he needs to play 16 games. He needs to be more efficient and more consistent. And if he can do those two things — with the running game they have, the offensive line, they've upgraded their receivers, they're going to be better defensively — there's no reason why that team cannot win the NFC North."

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank, quoted on ajc.com after his team’s latest blunder (LB Michael Boley was arrested last week on domestic assault charges): “It’s been hard. It’s been a hard [17 months]. Everything you do in the NFL is played out in the eyes of the public. It means that owners, executives, coaches and players, all of us, we have to take real responsibility for our behavior. It’s not just a matter of winning on the field. It’s a matter of what we do off the field as well.” Blank continued by saying everyone in the organization knows what is expected of them: “Well, they know how I feel. When you have certain situations that are disappointing, they’re just disappointing. You go back, and you examine all the research of anybody we’ve drafted and the free agents. Did we miss on character, and if so, why?”

Cowboys WR Terrell Owens, determined not to let his contract become a distraction as it has in the past, as quoted in the Dallas Morning News: "For sure, I definitely want to end my career with the Dallas Cowboys, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy. I'm going to let God fight that battle for me. There was a situation where the contract didn't work out in Philly. With this, I'm going to let it play out and not try to be a distraction. I'll let it take care of itself. I'm a firm believer that things will work out for the best."

Agent Gary Wichard, who represents Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, quoted in the Baltimore Sun after his client reached a unique franchise deal with Baltimore that will pay Suggs $8.5 million as a hybrid defensive end-linebacker next year: "His job is to rush the quarterback as a defensive end, and I thought it was unfair that he had to live under the linebacker franchise tag. So, Ozzie [Newsome, Ravens general manager] and I said, 'Let us resolve this as opposed to the attorneys.' I tip my hat off to Ozzie for creating a new franchise tag." 

Seahawks LB Lofa Tatupu, remorseful after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last weekend, as quoted on seattlepi.com: "I take seriously my role as a leader on this team, and in the community, and because of that I'm disappointed and embarrassed by the level of poor judgment I used last weekend. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. This will never happen again, and I hope through hard work on and off the field to begin earning your respect and trust again."

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Ravens new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, quoted in the Baltimore Sun on the possibility of using a three-WR set to start the season: "If we had to start a game today, three wide receivers might be our starting group. We always like to mix it. But our best 11 players will be our primary personnel group." Cameron added: "The reason I like the potential is not the talent. Everyone can see the talent. But what everyone doesn't see is the amount of effort and hard work that this receiving group is putting in during the offseason."

Rams first-round pick DE Chris Long, excited to put everything else aside and actually get out on the football field, as quoted in STLtoday.com: "It's just all football. It's a lot of fun because, really, you don't have to worry about anything else. Just eliminate everything else in your life and just focus on football." Long went on to say: "That was my biggest anxiety. I was worried it was going to feel like a job and not a game. But these guys are out here having fun, working hard just like a college team would — it's just that guys are better."

Texans first-round pick OLT Duane Brown, quoted in the Houston Chronicle after completing his first NFL practice matched up against the first player selected in 2006, DE Mario Williams: "It's a lot different. He's gotten extremely better. His technique and everything is great. He's a lot faster. He's helping me, though. It hurts me that I'm getting beat a lot, but it's helping me at the same time because I'm getting to learn on the go. He's third in the league in sacks last year, so it'll make it a lot easier for me on Sundays."

Giants rookie QB Andre Woodson, still surprised he lasted until the sixth round in last month’s draft, as quoted in the New York Post: "It was kind of tough to swallow as the draft was going on. I couldn't believe I was picked in the sixth round. That was the thing that was the most mind-boggling." Woodson continued by saying his throwing motion was the reason for the fall: "That seemed to be one of the main focuses of every NFL team. I don't really know why it was that bad because to do some of the things I did in the SEC you have to be pretty good to do that. Unfortunately, that's something I have to try to clean up."

Monday, May 12, 2008

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, quoted Sunday on ajc.com about rookie QB Matt Ryan, following the conclusion of Atlanta’s first minicamp weekend: “I’ve been really pleased. He’s got more on his plate than most players do; he’s taking a play from me and executing it with all the mechanisms. He can only get better, but does he need to get a whole lot better? No. … He’s not turning around and asking, ‘What was the play?’ He’s got the right answers about everything, and he’s got the right questions, which is even more important.”

Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is done enjoying last season’s success and is poised to make 2008 an even bigger breakthrough, as quoted on Cleveland.com: "Last year's over. We came a long, long way. We made a lot of improvement, but we left some things out there. I'm a perfectionist, so it's never going to be perfect. But that's over. If anybody's living in the past, they're going to have a rude awakening. This is a brand new year. You have to prove yourself every day. Your reputation can't play for you. There's got to be that hunger and it's got to start with their mentality from the beginning. Talent gives you a chance [to win], but ultimately it's all those other things, like effort, toughness, commitment and discipline."

Giants rookie S Kenny Phillips, quoted in the New York Daily News on his decision to wear No. 21 in honor of the late Sean Taylor (Phillips also played safety at the University of Miami but never met Taylor): "He was a guy who my whole career, even in high school, I had pictures of him in my locker. I wanted to get a chance to meet him, and I never did. I watch him on film and he was just an exceptional athlete. The plays he made were crazy. I just wanted to pay my respects by having his number and trying to live up to that." Phillips added: "Of course anytime you think of the safeties from Miami you think about the late Sean Taylor, Ed Reed, Benny Blades, and Brandon Meriweather, and of course you want to live up to that tradition. They all have been doing well and they did well in college and went to the league. I don't want to say there is any pressure because in the end I can only be myself."

Ravens LB Ray Lewis, prefers not to discuss his contract situation and future with the Ravens (Lewis is entering the final year of his deal with Baltimore), as quoted on topix.com: "I'm going to keep talking about football. [My contract situation is] irrelevant for what we're trying to do right now. … Everybody knows there has never been a camp where I've held out; there's never been a contract problem with me. There has never been that, and it will never be that with me — bottom line."