Atlanta Falcons 1st And Goal: Roddy White Edition

Welcome back, everyone, to our weekly installment of 1st And Goal, in which we hit the four hottest topics regarding everyone's favorite franchise straight out of Flowery Branch!

 

1st

By now everyone knows about WR Roddy White appearing at former cheap Atlanta Falcons jerseys QB Michael Vick's 30th birthday party in Newport News, Virginia on Thursday.  He left before the shooting of Quanis Phillips, one of the co-defendants in Vick's dogfighting case of three years ago, that occurred at 2am on Friday morning. White was also an attendee at Vick's football camp earlier that day at Hampton University.

Jonathan Feinsod spoke to White's mother and she said Roddy was fine. He wasn't sure if White was in Virginia or back in Atlanta, but he was not present at the time of the shooting.

"Roddy is pretty loyal to his friends," Feinsod said on Friday to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I'm sure he wasn't involved in anything."

 

2nd

This speaks to a larger issue, not so much about White, but about Vick.  Even though he is considered persona non grata in Atlanta, he still seems to be around trouble wherever he goes. ( cheap Atlanta Falcons jerseys)White has stated that he remains loyal to his friends, and there's nothing wrong with that, but you have to wonder if hanging out with someone who still hasn't learned his lesson about being around people of ill repute is wise at this juncture.

White, for the most part, has been a good soldier after last season's contract negotiations, and is on the cusp of being mentioned among the NFL's best at wide receiver with the Falcons about to have a breakout year.  That said, White would probably be wise to avoid putting himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

3rd

Moving on from Roddy-related news, Coach Mike Smith talked glowingly about the progress of third year QB Matt Ryan.  He discussed how Ryan has studied the elite quarterbacks in this league and how he looks to emulate their footwork and accuracy.  Accuracy was especially important to Ryan, as he dropped to 66.8 on passes of 21-plus yards in 2009.

Ryan has shown a maturation process at QB that will continue to develop as GM Thomas Dimitroff continues to surround him with veteran talent that will take his game to the next level.  Ryan has shown that he can make smart decisions with the ball and throw only when necessary.

He is always about football, first, last, and foremost.  Falcons fans will never have to worry about Ryan skipping practice to focus on his golf game (Romo), holding up his team's progress by waffling on his future (Favre), or having a fight in an after-hours strip club (Vince Young).

Let's hope that rookie QBs coming into the league will emulate Matt Ryan in the future.

 

4th

The cheap Atlanta Falcons jerseys signed third-round pick (98th overall) guard Mike Johnson this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson, 6-foot-6, 304 pounds, started 41 consecutive games along the University Alabama offensive line and set the school record by appearing in 54 career contests. He was a member of the Crimson Tide's 2009 National Championship team while blocking for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram.

He brings much-needed depth to a line that took a hit with injuries last season.  This now leaves only first-round linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and fifth-round wide receiver Kerry Meier as unsigned.

This shows a commitment by Dimitroff to make sure his rookies get into camp as soon as possible.  I don't think it will be long for the last two unsigned rookies to get their contracts as well.  Having your full roster signed and ready to go speaks to the changed culture of this franchise, which we will discuss in the near future. 

NFL Trade Rumors: Seattle Seahawks Should Avoid Albert Haynesworth

 A couple of months ago, we speculated on the idea of the Seahawks acquiring disgruntled defensive tackle  cheap Albert Haynesworth jersey from Washington.

It was a Monopoly-money, tongue-in-cheek exercise, but now the idea has become a full-blown rumor propagated by others.

While we thought it might be worth checking into in April, it has since become abundantly clear that it is not a good idea.

Haynesworth's own current and former teammates have had nothing but bad things to say about his bad attitude, which has led to him sitting out mandatory minicamps in Washington because the team is switching to a 3-4 defensive scheme and he doesn't want to play nose tackle.

Haynesworth is a talented player who can be dominant when healthy, but he also is a chucklehead, and when his own teammates are calling him out for his selfish behavior, that's the worst sign of all.

Kevin Mawae, who played with cheap Albert Haynesworth jersey in Tennessee, told Sirius NFL Radio that Haynesworth's hard-headedness in Washington is no surprise to his former teammates in Tennessee.

"I mean, if you don't want to be there, don't take the $21 million contract," Mawae said, referencing a $21 million option bonus Washington paid him on April 1 after reportedly offering him the chance to leave without the money. "How things turned out it's no surprise to guys that have played with him in Tennessee."

Current teammate London Fletcher was just as critical, essentially calling Haynesworth a selfish player on the field and off.

Washington is trying to recoup the $21 million bonus, but the team is likely to fail. In the end, the Redskins will probably end up trading him after having paid him $32 million for one season.

Adding this selfish behavior to his history of anger problems and injuries, what might have seemed like a slight possibility a couple of months ago now certainly is not. The Seahawks need to steer clear of Haynesworth.

The Hawks also need to stay away from Marshawn Lynch. Although he's a hard-running back, he is a powder keg waiting to blow. He already has had several incidents in Buffalo, and the Bills seem ready to faze him out of the offense.

Of course, the Bills stupidly turned down mid-round offers from Houston and Seattle during draft weekend. Now they probably won't get anything better than a fifth-rounder for him, and the Seahawks shouldn't even think about it for anything more than a sixth.

Like Haynesworth, Brandon Marshall and LenDale White, there are just too many headaches associated with a guy like Lynch.

Until the Seahawks drafted safety Earl Thomas, one guy who made sense to pursue was St. Louis restricted free agent O.J. Atogwe. If he wasn't an option after they drafted Thomas, he certainly isn't now that he has signed a long-term contract with the Rams.

The Seahawks seem set with their major pieces, although they might still be in the running for guard Chester Pitts. With many veterans signing with teams in advance of training camps, Pitts figures to be signed somewhere by mid-July.

Pitts is still recuperating from microfracture surgery, which would seem to make him a perfect backup candidate – a veteran who wouldn't be asked to play every down. But would the 10-year vet settle for that kind of role?

The addition of safety Kevin Ellison could be one of the best under-the-radar moves made since the draft.

Ellison, picked up on waivers this week from San Diego, seemingly has the perfect resume to challenge for the starting strong safety spot next to Thomas. Ellison played for coach Pete Carroll and crew at USC, where he was a captain and first-team All-Pac-10 in 2008. He started nine games for the Chargers as a rookie last season, and the 6-1, 221-pounder has the requisite size.

The Hawks are unsettled at that position, with 36-year-old Lawyer Milloy currently running with the first string instead of Jordan Babineaux, who has previously proven to be a bad fit as a run-stopping safety.

The one knock on Ellison is an arrest last month for illegal possession of a controlled substance after police found 100 Vicodin pills in his car. Ellison has had knee trouble and had used the painkillers last season.

It looks like the Seahawks might have missed out on a fifth-round compensatory pick in the 2011 draft.

The Seahawks have lost two qualifying UFAs, receiver Nate Burleson and defensive lineman Cory Redding. And they have signed two, guard Ben Hamilton and special-teams ace Sean Morey. They needed one of their other free agents to sign elsewhere to give them a net loss. And with Burleson hauling in $5 million per year from Detroit, that likely would have netted Seattle a fifth-rounder (possibly a fourth) in next year's draft.

Cornerback Ken Lucas drew the most interest, but Tennessee drafted several defensive backs and Baltimore just signed former Seahawk Ken Hamlin instead.

The signing period is nearly over, and it's possible that it's too late for any further free agents to count in the equation (if they weren't tendered an offer on June 1).

Now Seattle's only hope of a comp pick seemingly will be based on net value lost, which would be a seventh-rounder (three net-value seventh-rounders were given out this year).

Speaking of draft picks, the Seahawks have been busy signing theirs. They reportedly have secured all six of their Day 3 picks, leaving only first-rounders Russell Okung and Thomas and second-rounder Golden "Donut" Tate unsigned.

In other (non-Haynesworth) news...

Need a break from Albert Haynesworth? Here are a few other tidbits from today's rain-shortened practice:

-- The Washington Redskins cut kicker Justin Medlock on Monday, leaving Graham Gano as the only kicker on the roster. Coach Mike Shanahan said he has entered training camp with one kicker before, although he long had the luxury of knowing that kicker would be veteran Jason Elam. Gano has
only four career games -- and four career field goals -- on his resume.

"We're going to give him an opportunity to see what he can do, and hopefully we made the right decision," Shanahan said. "We'll see that in the preseason. I thought going 4 for 4 last year, [he] started out pretty good. [He] had an extra point blocked. But after our evaluation of
what we've seen over the last month and a half, we thought we'd give him as many reps as possible and see how he does."

-- There remains no update on free agent running back Brian Westbrook, who continues to explore his options. Shanahan expects the question of whether Westbrook will play in Washington to be resolved by the opening of training camp next month.

-- Safety LaRon Landry's toe remains "sore", Shanahan said. Landry will not practice Thursday, but Shanahan is hoping Landry will be healthy for training camp if there are no setbacks.

-- Shanahan considers wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas "old veterans" -- his response when asked about the third-year players being "youngsters" -- and said they're adjusting to the Redskins system

Chris Cooley Getting Comfortable with Offense, McNabb

Washington Redskins tight end, Chris Cooley, has been with the team for seven years.  In that time, he has witnessed more than a few coaching changes.  He told the Washington Post recently that he is impressed with the new system that head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan are installing.

"As far as the offense I've really been impressed with the way they've coached it,"  Chris Cooley said. "There's a lot of volume, it's the NFL so you expect that, but the way we've utilized time in the classroom, the way Coach [Kyle] Shanahan has coached it with a lot of film study instead of just black and white on paper has been really impressive, I've really enjoyed that."

That said, the new coaches are not the only thing that is new in the offense.  Quarterback, Donovan McNabb, signed this off-season, is an adjustment for  Chris Cooley also.

Santana Moss is, so far, the only proven number 1 receiver on the team.  Veterans Bobby Wade and Joey Galloway are also that but not in Shanahan's specific system.  Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas are promising but have yet to prove themselves.

It's been said that Shanahan plans to use both  Chris Cooley and third-year tight end Fred Davis this season but it appears Cooley may be used in an even more expanded role.  This makes sense given the unknowns surrounding the current receiving corps.  According to the Post, Cooley has been running, "everything the receivers run" and because of that, it is even more important that he and McNabb get comfortable with each other on the field.

The Pro Bowl tight end has proven he can get to know his quarterback.  In 2007 and 2008, he developed a strong connection with former QB Jason Campbell and it showed when he caught 149 passes for 1635 yards and nine touchdowns.  Work in this off-season will hopefully bring about similar or better results this season.

The Post reports that Chris Cooley said about McNabb, ""He's fine as far as his reads on the plays. It's just learning how guys are going to run routes is a big difference.  He's been around guys that have done things the way he's wanted so you've got to talk it over. You gotta say, 'Well, this is how I'm going to do it,' or 'what do you want here?' And I think that's been the toughest part. I've [run] routes in the past and I've not got balls, and I've seen balls from Donovan and they're not where I expect them to be. And so we just all got to get on the same page and we will."

No doubt, with the talent these two players have, and the motivation being shown out in Ashburn, this will happen.

Should Bush Keep His Heisman?

Now that the N.C.A.A. has forced Southern California to vacate all of its victories that Reggie Bush participated in beginning in December 2004, some are wondering if Bush will lose the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.

Bush was a runaway winner that season, with Vince Young of Texas finishing second and Bush's teammate Matt Leinart, the previous year's winner, finishing third.

The trophy is issued by the Heisman Trust, not the N.C.A.A.

"The Heisman Trust will issue a statement at the appropriate time," Tim Henning, a spokesman for the Trust, said in a statement. "Until that time the Trust will have no further comment."

Some former Heisman winners, while not condoning what Bush did in terms of N.C.A.A. violations, seemed loathe to see him stripped of the trophy. Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com says taking the Heisman away from Bush would be a "hollow" punishment.

Recently, The Associated Press decided to hold a revote for the  nfl jerseys 's defensive rookie of the year after Atlanta's Brian Cushing was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. Cushing received more votes the second time around and kept the award.

What do you think? Should Bush's off-field transgressions cost him his Heisman? Or should his accomplishments on the field during the 2005 season be the only thing that matters when it comes to the trophy?

Falcons looking to sharpen passing game

FLOWERY BRANCH — The NFL prides itself on parity, playmakers, and in recent years, the passing game.

Last season, 12 teams, including the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, amassed more than 4,000 yards passing, further proving that more teams might be moving away from a run-first methodology.

Although they're certainly not going to abandon the running game, the Atlanta Falcons did fail to reach that 4,000-yard plateau in 2009, and their 3,571 yards ranked 14th in the league and behind such teams like the Packers, Colts, Patriots and Texans.

That might not be the case this season, as the Falcons have dedicated an entire week during organized team activities to perfecting the passing attack.

"The emphasis this week is on the passing game and it's something we really want to spend some time with working with the skill guys," coach Mike Smith said Wednesday. "It's important our guys understand what we're trying to get done in the passing game."

Although it's early in the offseason workouts, the players seem to be on the same page.

"It went pretty well," receiver Eric Weems said of Wednesday's practice. "We're grasping the system, trying to move forward with everything and come together as a team before training camp."

Weems is proof that knowledge of the system is everything, as he was asked to play a larger role in the Falcons aerial attack last year after Harry Douglas went down with an injury. Weems played in a career-high 16 games with six receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns last season.

With Douglas still rehabbing, Weems is taking this opportunity to prove that he is a viable option in an offense that includes receiving targets such as tight end Tony Gonzalez, and wide receivers Roddy White and Michael Jenkins.

"You got to work because everybody's skilled in the NFL," said Weems, a third-year player from Bethune-Cookman. "Everybody knows the game and everybody has speed. It comes down to the mental aspect of it to be a big playmaker in the offense."

Which is what makes this time of year so important for NFL franchises.

"Just learning, there's a lot of learning going on right now so it can move faster once the season starts," running back Michael Turner said. "We're getting our timing down. A lot of this stuff is based on time and getting in the right position."

Not known as a receiving threat — he has only 22 career receptions — Turner said that this type of practice is still helpful.

"I still benefit a lot with running routes out of the backfield and stretching out wide," he said. "This type of practice helps all the running backs."

But not nearly as much as it helps the rapport between quarterback Matt Ryan and his wealth of offensive playmakers. Although Douglas is still out, the majority of the Falcons offense took full advantage of getting reps in with Ryan.

"It feels pretty good for almost everyone to be out here," Weems said. "We have some people getting healthy and we're looking forward to Douglas coming back pretty soon. It'll be even better once he gets back."

With Douglas back in the mix, Ryan will have four viable passing options (five if you include Jerious Norwood) and a running back two years removed from a 1,699-yard season.

"We got some weapons and we have to be ready to expose every talent we have on this field," Weems said. "We're waiting on some guys to get back, and once everyone gets healthy, we can play to the best of our abilities."

So how good could this offense be?

"There's no telling," Turner said. "I think sky's the limit. We have a lot of guys that are dangerous with the football in their hands. Hopefully we can jell as a team and get going."

Why Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts Need To Sign Terrell Owens Immediately

It just needs to be done.

It won't and we'll probably be fine in spite of another missed opportunity —but sometimes you need to step out of your comfort-zone and realize that life in the NFL doesn't have to be as hard as it might seem to be sometimes.

That is of course, if you're the Indianapolis Colts.

As we all know, the Colts were just minutes away from winning their second Super Bowl championship in the past four years.

If one were to be logical, you could argue that had Bob Sanders and Anthony Gonzalez not been 100 percent absent from Super Bowl XLIV, we would have been hoisting the Lombardi trophy again.

But unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and the end result is what it is.

2009 AFC Champions —no Super Bowl.

As a Colts fan to be quite honest, I'm fine with that.

Going 13-0, knowing that you would have been 16-0 had you tried, just to lose one game you made an honest attempt to win is nothing to be ashamed of.

As a matter of fact, there are plenty of reasons to be quite proud.

Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder what could have been had the Colts made a few moves that would have been to their benefit, in spite of what has clearly been fantastic work from their front office.

How do you criticize a team that has had so much success —especially in the front office aspect for which they have clearly revolutionized the franchise?

It's easy.

Scoring a 99 on a test doesn't mean that you weren't one point away from achieving your ultimate goal. If that goal is to win championships in this league, sometimes there is even more one could do despite already being successful.

Flashback to 2007 for a moment.

Allow me to tell you the story of a "washed up" receiver named Randy Moss whom the Oakland Raiders would have accepted almost anything in exchange for.

Two teams in the league possessed the most interest —that being the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots.

While the Packers failed to land their former division rival, the Patriots secured his services for a fourth round draft pick and in return paid Moss in peanuts for compensation.

Moss had waited years to have another shot at winning a Super Bowl.

Say what you will about the man, but he appeared to have no quarrels about being paid a bag of chips and a Coke so long as he had the opportunity to accomplish the one thing that had alluded him in his career.

And speaking of Super Bowls, there was a little known team from Indianapolis who had just come off winning their first one in over three decades, beating the Patriots along the way.

Surely they were not in need of another star wide receiver. After all, they already had Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne —two of the most productive Pro Bowl receivers in the game.

I wasn't in the Colts front office, but my gut tells me that making a move to acquire Randy Moss was one of the last things on their agenda.

And why not?

They had other parts of the roster to attend to and perhaps saw little value in picking up yet another star to play a position they were already content with.

But perhaps that's the problem.

Call it being politically correct from an NFL standpoint —it almost seems that out of principle, teams (outside of New England) refuse to fix "what ain't broken" even if adding further depth could contribute a great deal to their team's chances of winning.

Think to yourself for a moment how much of an impact Randy Moss would have had on the Colts' chances of winning back in 2007.

Were the Raiders not interested in getting the most they could to compensate them for the loss of an investment gone bad?

Let me put it like this, do you really think that if the Colts had offered the Raiders their third round (98th overall) pick at the same time the Patriots offered the Raiders their fourth round (110th overall) pick, that the Raiders would have refused out of principle?

Do you really think that the Raiders would have declined a better offer?

So what exactly would the Colts had have given up in exchange for acquiring Randy Moss' services?

Well, they drafted defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock with that third round selection; and what did he contribute to the Colts chances of winning during his one-year career?

18 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

And how about the "washed up has-been" that came out of Oakland.

What did he contribute to the Patriots chances of winning?

98 receptions for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Keep in mind, that's just during 2007.

250 receptions for 3,765 yards and 47 touchdowns during the past three seasons.

A deflated figure given that he had a quarterback who hadn't started a game since high school throwing him the ball for one-third of his time in New England.

So I flash back to 2007 and think to myself, why?

There was no question in my mind three years ago that Randy Moss was not only anything but washed up, but was one Hall of Fame quarterback away from "tearing the NFL up" as he once put it.

I knew that he would be a perfect fit in New England and all the credit to them for making the deal happen.

But how could such an acquisition have impacted the Colts?

Look back at the Colts' three losses during the 2007 regular season.

One was a 24-21 loss to the Patriots, who were aided by a Randy Moss' nine receptions, 145 yards and a touchdown.

The next was a 23-21 loss to the Chargers after Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard field goal with less than two minutes left in the game.

Manning threw a career-high six interceptions during the defeat but keep in mind of course that he was throwing to Aaron Moorehead, Craphonso Thorpe, and Ben Utecht who were replacing the injured Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark.

Might a game that already came down to the wire have changed if instead of throwing the Aaron Moorehead, Manning was throwing to Randy Moss?

And their third defeat came in a 10-16 loss to the Titans in which most of the starters were pulled out after three series.

Would it be so unreasonable to assume that had Randy Moss been there to step up for an injured Marvin Harrison, that the Colts would have gone 16-0 as opposed to 13-3?

And guess who would have not gone 16-0 had there been no Randy Moss?

Tom Brady may have ended up throwing 35 touchdowns instead of 50 (not all that big of a stretch given that 23 of Brady's 50 ended up in Moss' hands).

Think to yourself how much better the Colts would have been had Randy Moss been there from 2007-2009?

And all it would have cost them is 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Granted you can never predict the future but to me, the decision would have been a no-brainer —even if we had other spots on the roster to address.

You simply don't pass on a future Hall of Fame player (and anyone who implies that Moss wasn't prior to 2007 is just fooling themselves) when all it is going to cost you is a third or fourth round draft pick.

Guess who would cost the Colts far less during this nice comfy "Cap-Free" era?

There is a little known player named Terrell Owens who is sitting at home right now, just waiting for the phone to ring and give him the opportunity to play.

Do you think at this stage of his career, winning a Super Bowl might be something to motivate the future Hall of Famer?

But of course one has to consider the "risks".

What risks may I ask?

In Dallas he became a bit paranoid if you will, that Tony Romo was targeting Jason Witten in favor of him. Given that most receivers tend to think they're "open" even when they're covered, this should come as little surprise.

Yet why was this concern portrayed in a different light than it might be in other instances?

Because it's Terrell Owens?

I didn't see him holding a press conference, starting fights, or anything of that nature. 

There may have even been some foundation to his concerns but that's neither here nor there.

The Cowboys ended up releasing him.

In Buffalo, there wasn't much to talk about —on or off the field.

He got signed to a bad team, played with unproductive quarterbacks and the end result was production on Owens' behalf that seems to pale in comparison to the work he's done for every other team he's been on.

Is it age?

Is he washed up?

But didn't something similar happen to Randy Moss in Oakland?

Didn't people say similar things about him back in 2007?

He didn't have good character —he was washed up, etc.

Yet the first year he was placed on a competitive team, he produces one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.

Yes, Terrell Owens is seven years older today than Randy Moss was back in 2007.

I'm not disputing the age factor, but it would be fair to mention that Owens was more productive in Buffalo in 2009 than Moss was in Oakland in 2006.

Terrell Owens might not be the best long-term investment, but I honestly think that you'd have to be crazy to think that he wouldn't be productive in Indianapolis.

I wouldn't be shocked to see him have an 80 reception, 1,300-yard, 13 touchdown season in Indy —not to mention the coverage he would command that would free things up for Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

Sure his inclusion in the Colts offense might impede the progression of Anthony Gonzalez, but this appears to be a situation where Gonzalez "could" be a productive Pro Bowl target where Owens "would" be a productive Pro Bowl target.

For a team that is already considered amongst many to be the best in the National Football League, why not at least be willing to consider how much better a player like Owens could make the team?

He could be the difference between winning another Super Bowl and losing in the first or second round of the playoffs.

It's not as though Anthony Gonzalez doesn't have experience working in the slot either —Owens would be a good match for the Colts system.

For the first time in Peyton Manning's career, he'd be throwing to a target already proven to be productive elsewhere.

There is so much that Terrell Owens could do for the Colts chances of winning, it's almost a bit deflating to know that the front office will not even consider the option.

We don't take players drafted elsewhere —we like to groom our own talent.

It's worked well that way.

We've won more games in a single decade than any team in NFL history, but one has to seriously sit back and think how many more championships could have been won had we taken the time to at least consider options that might not have necessarily fit our model of front office approach.

Just think that because we did things the "Indy way", we ended up with a defensive tackle who retired after one season while our most hated rival inherited the most productive touchdown machine in NFL history.

Cameron fired up about Ravens' passing game

Coordinator Cam Cameron is excited about his new stable of receivers, but he doesn't foresee any major changes in the Ravens' offense. To put it mildly, the Ravens won't become pass-happy.

They just want to become more pass efficient.

"Pumped and excited would be the right words about how I feel about our offense," Cameron said. "We just have to look at the numbers. We don't need to throw the ball more; we just need to throw it better, execute the passing game better."

A year ago, the Ravens were fairly balanced. They ran the ball 466 times for 2,200 yard and 22 touchdowns. They passed 510 times for 321 completions, 3,637 yards and 21 touchdowns.

But the passing game was limited. They didn't attack the deep middle of the field in their regular offense and didn't have a go-to player for the middle inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Vertical threat? Forget it.

Because of the inexperience of second-year quarterback Joe Flacco and the lack of a big physical receiver, the Ravens offense basically consisted of deep comeback routes, quick slants and flare passes to running back Ray Rice out of the backfield.

But that's expected to change in 2010. The Ravens traded with Arizona for a big-time receiver in Anquan Boldin and added speed with Donte' Stallworth. Combined with Flacco and receivers Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams and tight end Todd Heap playing together for a third straight season, the Ravens should have a more complete passing game.

"I like the group of receivers we have," Cameron said. "We got about eight receivers competing for five or six spots. It's the best competition we've had since we've been here because of the depth.

"The passing game is about the chemistry between the quarterback and receivers, and in that third year, you can usually see a jump," Cameron said. "There is no substitute for playing together, and with free agency, you've got to get it done within two or three years because the chemistry is going to change whether you like it or not."

With Boldin, the Ravens have a receiver who can make the catches over the middle and absorb the collisions. Williams and Stallworth have speed, an ingredient the Ravens lacked the last two years. The Ravens still have Mason on one side and Heap, who has had a second consecutive strong offseason.

The Ravens have also been impressed with rookie tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson.

"The one area we need to improve on the most is the vertical passing game," Cameron said. "We got glimpses of it but couldn't sustain it week in and week out. We have to improve in that area to get the big plays we want.

"As for throwing the ball in the middle of the field, I tend to protect young quarterbacks, but it was more than about Joe," he said. "We have to be able to throw the ball in the middle of the field, and Anquan should help us in that area. I think you will see that evolve in training camp. We will throw over the middle better."

The Ravens have the weapons. They should have a versatile attack because all of their receivers are interchangeable and can play outside or in the slot. The key, then, becomes Flacco.

He played well early last season, particularly in the first three games. But he struggled down the stretch and into the postseason. According to Cameron, Flacco had a super offseason, and he should be able to make the next step.

That step includes being able to find an open receiver and not throwing to a pre-determined target. Flacco and Cameron had a heated debate about that in the playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts last season.

"I tend to push the ball to certain guys, like a Derrick Mason," Cameron said. "This time around, as a play caller, I'm not going to be as concerned where the ball goes. We're now capable of putting five legitimate players out there at one time, and all five can makes plays in given situations."

But will that be a problem? Mason doesn't hide the fact that he wants the ball. Boldin left Arizona during the offseason because he wanted more catches. Will there be enough opportunities to make them all happy, especially Mason?

"Every coordinator wants to get the ball into the hands of one of his best players, and Derrick is one of our best players," Cameron said. "If there was a fault last year, we tried to push it to him too much. Derrick knows that in critical situations, he is going to be one of the top-three progressions."

Everyone's role from a year ago should change a little, except that of running back Ray Rice. Rice led the team and all NFL running backs with 78 receptions for 702 yards, club records for those categories.

Cameron still wants Rice to get as many touches as possible. But he also wants Heap to get involved more as well, and that should happen with the maturation of the two young offensive tackles, Michael Oher and Jared Gaither. Heap should be able to contribute more as a receiver, and less in pass protection.

Cameron is hoping to get a good look at his new passing game next week when all the receivers and quarterbacks are expected to attending as passing camp. Then the show really begins in training camp.

"That's where it will evolve and after a couple of games, we'll have to tweak it, but for right now, we're very happy with where we're at and how the guys have worked," Cameron said.

Tim Hightower is Arizona Cardinals' No. 1 running back, so far

In June, NFL depth charts are written very lightly in pencil, as if coaches were starting to fill out a crossword puzzle.

One constant for the Cardinals this off-season, however, has been Tim Hightower as the No. 1 running back. Hightower started all last season over Beanie Wells, although Wells became the team's primary ball carrier in the latter half of the season.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt isn't committing to a rotation right now.

"This is a whole new season," Whisenhunt said. "We've got a lot of time before we have to make any decisions with that. Both guys are good football players."

With a deep running-back corps that includes LaRod Stephens-Howling and Jason Wright, and the addition of guard Alan Faneca, the Cardinals run game is expected to be improved this season.

Whisenhunt called the running backs "very good players that we can do some different things with. That's all tied into the offensive front. I think we have made great progress with the offensive line . . . and I'm excited at how that all ties together."

Still missing

Right guard Deuce Lutui, a restricted free agent, still hasn't signed his qualifying offer of $1.759 million. On Tuesday, the Cardinals extended the offer two more weeks in order to retain exclusive rights to Lutui.

If Lutui doesn't sign it by June 15, the Cardinals can replace the offer with one worth $588,000, a 10 percent raise over 2009. Lutui is expected to sign the $1.759 million tender by the deadline.

A familiar sight

In Lutui's absence, the Cardinals have reshaped the guard positions. Faneca is starting on the left side, and Reggie Wells, formerly the left guard, has moved to the right side.

Faneca played for Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm in Pittsburgh, and coaches like what they've seen from the veteran.

"You remember and it's like, 'Oh, wow, gosh I remember Alan does do that well,' " Whisenhunt said. "Whether it is getting in the flat and blocking on a screen, getting the second-level guy, pulling.

"Once again, it's not with pads, but we saw it on tape last year, too."

Extra points

Onrea Jones, who spent last season on the practice squad, is leading the competition for the No. 4 receiver spot behind Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet.

Rookie Andre Roberts and Ed Gant are among those competing for the job.

"He (Jones) has made a lot of plays for us in OTAs (organized team activities)," Whisenhunt said, "and he did a nice job last year on the practice squad. So it's kind of nice to see O.J. distinguish himself."

• Right tackle Brandon Keith took snaps at left tackle Tuesday, with Jeremy Bridges replacing him on the right side. Coaches wanted to cross-train those players, Whisenhunt said.

Panthers Fiammetta feels he can fill Hoover's shoes

CHARLOTTE – It's never easy filling the shoes of a fan favorite who has left town. Comparisons to the guy before you are inevitable and some folks already have a preconceived notion that you'll never be quite as good, no matter how well you play.

Tony Fiammetta realizes that.

And yet, for his career to blossom he'll have to do exactly that this year at fullback, where he's expected to step in and replace 10-year veteran Brad Hoover, who was released earlier this off-season when the Carolina Panthers purged their roster of 30-something-year-old players.

"I always like to put pressure on myself," said the 6-foot, 242-pound Fiammetta. "I consider myself a perfectionist. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get better every day. With Brad leaving that leaves some big shoes to fill but I think I'm going to be able to do that."

Fiammetta played in 10 games last year as a rookie, starting two.

He didn't put up any stats, but showed enough in practice and in his limited playing time to convince the Panthers to release Hoover, who wasn't exactly set to break the bank this season with a base salary of less than $1 million.

"The fullback position is a pretty heads up position as far as how it fits in the running game, cleaning up for the o-line and making adjustments on the move," coach John Fox said. "Tony showed that ability as the season wore on last year a lot in practice to pick that stuff up and understand what we're doing in the run game. I think he's ready to take that next step."

Said Fiammetta: "I'm a mile ahead of where I was last year at this time. Just the mental part of the game, everything is slowing down and I'm more comfortable with the playbook so now I can think a little outside the box."

What surprised Fiammetta the most is how much thinking is involved at the pro level.

"It's really more of a mental game than a physical game," he said. "Everybody is on the same playing field and what makes the difference is the mental side of the game."

Fiammetta could have a different role than Hoover, who was essentially a battering ram – although a very effective one -- for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart over the past two seasons. Carolina finished in the top three in rushing in each of the last two seasons with Hoover leading the way.

But with the Panthers expected to open up the offense a little more, Fiammetta could be asked to do different things, including catching more passes coming out of the backfield.

"I think getting into a new offense you're going to see things that you haven't seen before and you're going to have to adapt to what you see on the field," Fiammetta said. "The more you see things, the better you're going to get."

While it will be strange not hearing the chant of "Hoooooov!" at home games this year, Fiammetta, a fourth-round pick in 2009 out of Syracuse, seems determined to leave his own mark on the franchise.

"Obviously it's what I've been waiting for as a professional – the opportunity to get out there and get more reps," Fiammetta said. "Yeah, I think I can step in and be effective. I'm going to work my way into doing whatever I can. I feel like I'm going to be able to fill that role big time."

Ravens try out dominic randolph

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens brought in undrafted rookie Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph on a tryout basis to throw passes at their minicamp.

Twice named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, Randolph was cut by the New York Giants two weeks after being signed following the draft.

"It's a golden opportunity," Randolph said. "It's been exciting and a fun run."

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Randolph, who was intercepted three times and had a bunch of passes deflected.

"Not enough accurate ones," Randolph said when asked how many passes he threw while taking every snap.

Traditionally, the Ravens only carry three quarterbacks on the roster even during the offseason.

"He got a few reps, didn't he?" Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Well, we needed a quarterback. It's a rookie camp, so we didn't have one. And he's a guy that our scouts felt like has a chance maybe to develop long-term in some way.

"He's done a nice job. He came in, walked into the first meeting and didn't know one thing about what we were doing, how to call a play or anything else. And he's in there calling plays. He's done a good job."

NFL Notebook, June 1: Portis Still Atop Redskins' Muddled RB Race

Here's what's happening around the National Football League on Tuesday, June 1, 2010:

• Washington will eventually have to make some decisions at the running back position -- especially if free agent Brian Westbrook is added to a cavalry of Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Ryan Torain, Willie Parker and Keiland Williams.

But for now, it appears that Portis, the incumbent starter, has the inside track on Washington's No. 1 RB spot. Matt Terl of the Redskins' team blog tweeted from Tuesday's OTA that Johnson received first-team reps early, but Portis took over those snaps for the majority of practice -- "For whatever that's worth," Terl wrote, and it's probably safe to hedge on the situation for now, at least until Westbrook makes up his mind.

Either way, the Redskins will face the probability of needing to trim down one or two backs.

• The NFL Network's "NFL RedZone" enjoyed an extremely popular debut season in 2009. The program, which aired on Sundays throughout the NFL season, aired key moments from every game each week -- if you haven't seen it, think of how CBS covers March Madness with its "Live Look-ins".

The NFL is now planning to take the show to the next step during the 2010 season by airing the program live in-stadium during breaks in games. According to NFL.com, "NFL RedZone" will replace NFL Films highlights at all 32 NFL stadiums for the upcoming season.

• If appears contract negotiations between the Saints and running back Pierre Thomas have broken down, ESPN's Len Pasquarelli reported.

Thomas is eyeing "Steven Jackson" money, the report said, which is more than the Saints are willing to pay for a running back who's never cracked the 1,000-yard mark (Jackson is working on a streak of five straight 1,000-yard seasons).

Pasquarelli said the Saints' No. 1 offseason target was guard Jahri Evans, who the team signed to a seven-year, $56 million deal. A new deal for Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees is likely next, which Pasquarelli said, could price Thomas out unless he lowers his demands.

Transaction Wire

• Baltimore's also closing in on a deal with kicker Shayne Graham, according to multiple reports. Graham spent the past seven seasons in Cincinnati. He connected on 23 of 28 field-goal attempts in 2009, his lowest conversion rate (82.1 percent) since 2002 in Carolina (72.2 percent).

If signed, Graham would likely replace Billy Cundiff, who hit 18 of 23 field goals last season for Baltimore, then connected on all three tries during the postseason.

• The Ravens stayed busy, announcing that former Browns General Manager George Kokinis had been named Senior Personnel Assistant. Kokinis was the Ravens' Director of Pro Personnel from 2003-2008 before leaving to take the GM job in Cleveland. He was fired when the Browns opened last season at 1-7.

• Cincinnati signed offensive lineman Isaac Sowells, formerly of the Browns. Sowells played in all 16 games for Cleveland in 2008, but has seen action in just one other contest since being drafted in 2006 out of Indiana.

Injury Ward

• Sam Hurd joined Dallas' OTAs for the first time since February thumb surgery, according to Cowboys beat reporter Todd Archer. Hurd has asked to be traded out of Dallas -- not a surprise given the Cowboys' loaded receiving corps -- but should hold down a roster spot if he stays healthy.

Tweet Up

• Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (@Lfitzgerald11): "Just broke meetings, about to hit the practice field and try to get a bit better today. Hit you guys later. Faith Focus Finish