Lockout affects new Titans coaches' preparation for season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The NFL lockout makes it even more difficult for new coaches. They can't work with the players they have on their roster, and there's no wooing of free agents who could fill gaping holes.

So the Tennessee Titans, who went through the latest coaching change, are doing all they can -- watching film and preparing for the April 28-30 NFL draft.

Coach Mike Munchak said it's strange not being around the players as part of an offseason program. But he does know the players well from his 14 seasons with the franchise, even if he can't talk to them now.

"At least I don't have that learning curve," said Munchak, who was promoted from offensive line coach. "I've watched a lot more defensive tape than I've ever watched."

But both of his coordinators are new to Tennessee, with Chris Palmer busy learning the offense and Jerry Gray studying up on his defenders for a team that's trying to bounce back from a 6-10 season.

Gray believes the coaches understand the process they're going through with the lockout.

"So we're getting everything from film because we can't talk to them (the players)," Gray said. "The film is kind of getting us the direction of what we think we have to draft. I think that's really the good thing."

The Titans are deep into their pre-draft visits with players who could fill big needs at either quarterback or on defense. They pick No. 8 overall and must replace Vince Young, whom they plan release or trade once a labor deal is reached. Rusty Smith, a rookie in 2010, is the only quarterback currently on the roster.

A defensive tackle also could be attractive to the Titans, who want to improve their run defense.

Over the past week, quarterbacks such as Auburn's Cam Newton, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and Florida State's Christian Ponder visited the Titans. The team also met with defensive tackles Nick Fairley of Auburn, Marcell Dareus of Alabama and end Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson.

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson also visited Nashville, even though the Titans have their starting cornerbacks, Cortland Finnegan and Alterraun Verner, under contract for 2011. But Munchak recently noted the value that shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis provides for the New York Jets.

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his new systems. More...

"The value of someone like him, who can come in and be that dominant that quickly," Munchak said of Peterson. "Yeah, he's one of those rare corners who can come in and be a very, very high pick."

Gray said the Titans are looking at all areas in the draft. They have nine draft picks after receiving two compensatory selections last month for the free-agent losses of tight end Alge Crumpler (to the New England Patriots) and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (to the Detroit Lions).

Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin was in Tennessee on a one-year deal, but the Titans aren't sure which of their other players will wind up free agents. That group could include linebacker Stephen Tulloch, defensive end Jacob Ford and left guard Leroy Harris.

"So we're kind of looking at all the areas to see where we could get better overall," Gray said. "You want to be cognizant of who your free-agent guys are because those guys are still there, too. They can't just up and leave, so they're kind of in limbo, and that helps us because it's a lot like they're not there and they are."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Stafon Johnson continues another comeback from injury

Stafon Johnson apparently has another comeback in him.

The Tennessean reported Thursday that the Titans running back ran at full speed for the first time since August, when a disastrous spate of injuries ended his rookie season.

Johnson made a third-quarter catch during the Titans' Aug. 14 preseason opener, but Seattle Seahawks defensive back Kam Chancellor hit him high and spun him around, forcing the running back to land on his right leg.

The visual was so gruesome that then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher believed the rookie's shoe simply had come off and was being held on by some loose tape. In fact, Johnson wound up with a dislocated right ankle, broken fibula and high ankle sprain -- and a dream deferred.

This after Johnson's senior season at USC ended in September 2009 after a barbell crushed his neck and larynx, leaving him to learn how to talk again and trying to play his way into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

It has been a long, lonely road back for Johnson, but his recent progress in workouts during the NFL lockout have him encouraged.

"I feel awesome, and I feel great about the opportunity in front of me," said Johnson, who isn't 100 percent yet but is ahead of schedule in his recovery. "I still have some work to do. But I'm really anxious to get back there and prove what I can do once again. I think I proved myself a little bit last year, and now I am just going to go for it and try and finish out a season."

Johnson, who rushed for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns in four years at USC, spent last season working with the Titans' training staff and has since teamed with trainer Travelle Gaines at Athletes' Performance in Los Angeles.

"What this kid has been through, he is so darn tough," Gaines said. "The average person would've probably quit by now, but he is back and he is going to be back and stronger than ever."

The 5-foot-11 Johnson has reduced his weight from 237 pounds to 220, and Gaines said: "He's working his butt off. I don’t know how long the lockout is going to last, but he'll be ready to go for the Titans."

Johnson is under contract with the Titans through 2011, but Fisher's departure after last season clouds the running back's future. Johnson believes he has a supporter in new coach Mike Munchak, who was the Titans' offensive line coach last season.

"Coach Munchak knows what I can do," Johnson said. "I feel like I can get a fair shot, and that is all I want. I just want to show everybody I can be back to the running back that I was before and be a great back in the NFL. I've had some bad luck, but I am motivated and confident. I'll be ready to go."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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League, players hold conference call to discuss mediation

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Boy, 10, uses savings to return Super Bowl ring to 'The Fridge'

CHICAGO -- Bears great William "The Refrigerator" Perry has his 1985 Super Bowl ring back on his finger, thanks to a 10-year-old boy.

Cliff Forrest of Fox Chapel, Pa., took $8,500 out of his college savings account to buy Perry's Super Bowl ring in New York.

"He only played in one Super Bowl," Cliff said. "I thought he would want it more than I did."

So the boy asked his father if he could give the ring back to Perry, who has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The autoimmune disease attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

Cliff Forrest Sr. said he wouldn't have approved the purchase.

"I would not have permitted the purchase myself, but his mother is a little more soft-hearted," Forrest said.

But Cliff admires Perry and had heard of the Bears' famous Super Bowl XX-winning team. Cliff's parents agreed to their son's request and set out to return the ring to Perry, taking a flight to Chicago and giving the former football player his ring before an autograph session.

"He was very appreciative and he said, 'Thank you,'" Cliff said.

In return, Perry gave the boy two autographed jerseys signed: "The Fridge, Thanks!"

Perry won't say how his Super Bowl ring ended up for sale. These days, he said he is doing better, though sometimes he uses a battery-powered scooter.

"I'm up and moving around," he said. "I'm doing what I like to do best -- fishing."

His former coach, Mike Ditka, believes Perry looks good, too.

"It's the best I've seen him look in a long time," Ditka said. "He's really working at it."

Perry played 10 seasons in the NFL. The defensive lineman and occasional goal-line running back became a national celebrity during his rookie season with the Bears in 1985, helping them win the Super Bowl title.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Dolphin chatter: Marshall claims he talks 'a lot' with Henne

Dolphins star receiver Brandon Marshall ended last season disappointed with his performance and hinting that Miami's offense and its quarterback, Chad Henne, needed work.

Marshall downplayed those criticisms in comments to The Miami Herald, saying that he and Henne, both taking part in a charity event over the weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have talked "a lot" since last season.

"Just trying to see what direction we’re going in the offseason as far as getting everybody back together, going over some of the things we’ve learned as far as the new offense," Marshall said. "Just getting some timing down on the field."

In December, the five-year pro provided a lukewarm endorsement of Henne and questioned whether the duo could achieve greatness.

"I'm not sure," Marshall said at the time. "We had some opportunities this year to do that, and we didn't get it done. I guess we have to evaluate what we've done this year, and see if we can improve and see if we can become good before we become great."

Marshall brushed off questions about any lingering tension with Henne.

"Why, I don’t understand -- next question," Marshall told The Herald.

The Dolphins traded for Marshall last April to upgrade the offense, and while he became their biggest threat, his streak of more than 100 catches in three successive seasons ended. He finished with 86 receptions for 1,014 yards and three touchdowns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Holmes seeking multiyear deal from Jets -- or 'wherever'

Santonio Holmes says he's taking a wait-and-see approach to his NFL future, but he won't sign his one-year tender from the New York Jets if he's ultimately classified as a restricted free agent.

"I probably wouldn't sign it," the star receiver told the New York Daily News on Saturday. "Because I played five years to wait for my contract to come up in my sixth year. And that's what I want. I don't want to sign for a one-year deal. I don't want to play anywhere for one year. ... I wouldn't do it. If I sign a contract, it's going to be for multiple years. It won't be for one year."

The five-year veteran, who would earn around $3.5 million as a restricted free agent if the 2010 rules are applied to 2011, called the contract "out of my hands."

"I'm a free agent this year," Holmes told the newspaper. "Whatever my agent brings to the table -- the best deal for me -- I'm pretty sure that's where we'll end up. I would love (to play for the Jets). But whatever happens, happens. I don't know. I've never been in this situation before. I really don't know how to explain it to anybody. Whatever happens ... I'm happy to be wherever I end up at."

Holmes told his Facebook friends last month that he wants to return to the Jets. His announcement came soon after fellow wideout Braylon Edwards told reporters in March that he also wishes to remain with the team.

"That (Facebook post) wasn't supposed to be put out without my permission," Holmes said. "My friend did it on his own. That's why I never responded to anybody when it got put up ... because it wasn't supposed to be put out in that aspect."

Holmes told the Daily News that he doesn't plan to participate in quarterback Mark Sanchez's workout sessions in May in Southern California because of family and personal reasons.

Holmes also touched on his disappointment about January's 24-19 AFC Championship Game loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, clarifying to the Daily News that he was upset because he started the contest on the bench. Holmes said after the game that was frustrated by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's play-calling.

"I was frustrated," Holmes said. "I was very upset that I didn't play for 10 plays in the game. So it probably made the biggest difference in how we played."

Holmes, whom the Jets acquired from the Steelers before the 2010 NFL Draft, had 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games last season after wrapping up a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Roethlisberger, fiancee set wedding for week before July camp

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger will marry a 26-year-old physician's assistant whom he said he met during training camp in 2005 and has been friends with ever since, the Steelers quarterback told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for a story in Thursday's editions.

Roethlisberger, speaking publicly for the first time since the Steelers' loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, talked about his fiancee, her family and the impact their engagement has had on everyone involved since it leaked out in various media outlets late last year.

Roethlisberger confirmed his July 23 wedding plans to Ashley Harlan, who lives in New Castle, about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger was interviewed Wednesday at his home north of Pittsburgh.

The wedding is scheduled only one week before the Steelers are scheduled to begin training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, and Roethlisberger joked that his bride-to-be might be hoping that the NFL lockout drags.

"I think a small part of her is hoping we hold out for a week so we can honeymoon," Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette. "I told her I was laughing with coach (Mike) Tomlin; he said, 'You guys might have to have the honeymoon suite at St. Vincent.'"

The 29-year-old quarterback also addressed the scrutiny he faced after he was accused of sexual assault in a Georgia nightclub in March 2010. He said his engagement isn't a ploy to rebuild his public image.

"We were kind of on and off for five years -- almost six years now -- so I've known her for a while," Roethlisberger told the newspaper. "It's not like a random new person. We dated a while ago; we have been friends ever since."

Roethlisberger did acknowledge working on repairing his reputation and trying to become a better teammate.

"People will always have opinions of everybody and me, and that's fine, they're entitled," he said.

Harlan lives with her parents, and Roethlisberger said they aren't living together until they're married because of their religious beliefs.

"People can say that it is whatever, but people who know and can see and are around us and know me, know that it's something special when you find that person, and I'm extremely lucky," he said.

Roethlisberger said he has been stunned by the media attention to his engagement and that he's worried about how the attention is affecting his fiancee.

"I try to protect her as much as I can," he told the newspaper. "People have gone to her parents' house and have been doing some things. That bothers me a little bit because it's what I do for a living, I have to deal with it, but her parents and her, that's not what they have to do."

Roethlisberger also addressed reports of a wedding gift registry at department stores, saying that it actually was a registry for Harlan's bridal shower and that she has received gifts from strangers as a result.

The 500 people invited to the wedding will be asked not to bring gifts but to donate to Roethlisberger's charitable foundation, he said. That money will then be donated to Ronald McDonald House and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Williams: Decision on my Panthers future depends on QBs

Running back DeAngelo Williams told a Miami radio station Saturday that his decision to remain with Carolina or seek a new NFL home could hinge on what direction the Panthers take at quarterback.

"It's all going to boil down to quarterbacks," Williams said on WQAM-AM. "In this league, the running game is all predicated on if you have a quarterback or not. If you don't have a quarterback, teams stack the box and they force you to do what you do best."

The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C., reported that Williams was in Miami to participate in the celebrity portion of Sunday's Nautica South Beach Triathlon, in which he'll bike 19 miles.

With Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown both scheduled to become free agents once a collective bargaining agreement is reached, the Dolphins are in the market for a potential workhorse back, and Williams, also a free-agent-to-be, has heard his name mentioned.

"It's kind of ironic that I'm here in Miami, because I've heard rumors that I may be at the top of their board this year," Williams said. "I love it here. ... This is a place that I'd love to live.

"I know they've had a lot of talk about the quarterback situation here in Miami," Williams added. "We've had a lot of quarterback talks in Charlotte, too."

Williams clarified that a return to the Panthers isn't out of the question, but he expressed hope that the Dolphins would court him.

"I hope I'm at the top of their list and that they come after me and make a conscious effort to come after me, because it shows that they want me," he said.

The Panthers ranked last in the NFL in total offense (258.4 yards per game) and scoring (12.2 points per game), toiling behind starting quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen, Matt Moore and Brian St. Pierre. Williams topped the list of Carolina running backs who suffered under the team's one-dimensional attack, following his 1,117-yard showing in 13 games in 2009 with 361 yards in six games in 2010.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Friday in an interview with WFNZ-AM in Charlotte, N.C., that the team will choose the player in this month's draft who best fills its primary need. Rivera also said he disagreed with the sentiment that there isn't a quarterback worthy of the No. 1 pick, and the team appears open to selecting either Auburn's Cam Newton and Missouri's Blaine Gabbert.

Clausen, the Panthers' 2010 second-round pick, was compromised by nine losses and mostly poor showings in 10 starts last season, but Rivera went out of his way to defend the quarterback while speaking with reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting last month.

"I think he got too much of the blame," Rivera said. "I think he shouldered too much of the responsibility."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Panthers set to narrow candidates for No. 1 pick, Rivera says

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera is giving little indication how his team will use the No. 1 overall pick in this month's NFL draft.

Rivera said Friday in an interview with WFNZ-AM in Charlotte, N.C., that the Panthers will choose the player who best fills their primary need.

So what is that primary need? Rivera wouldn't say, but he mentioned the team will begin to narrow its options entering the April 28-30 draft.

"We've identified at least eight guys who we believe are going to fill those specific needs," he said. "... The next two and a half weeks, we'll be able to determine who we feel will be the guy who fits that biggest need."

Rivera said that, starting Monday, position coaches and coordinators will meet to discuss each player and how he might fit with the Panthers.

Rivera said Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has met with several prospects, including Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, and that many of the draft hopefuls came in and performed exactly as advertised. Rivera also said he disagreed with the sentiment that there isn't a quarterback worthy of the No. 1 pick.

The Panthers' draft process has been more difficult this year. Normally, teams fill immediate vacancies with free-agent veterans before the draft. This year, without a collective bargaining agreement and with a lockout in place, player movement is halted and teams must adjust their draft strategies accordingly.

"It changes a lot of mindsets. Not just ours, but everyone around the league," Rivera said. "Let's say we take this position. OK, now, that just basically signals to a lot of people of what our intention probably would be in free agency.

"We're in a spot now where we've got to really look at what could happen. We've got to be very careful, very smart how we approach it."

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Cooley now using hands for pottery, not Redskins passes

Chris Cooley normally talks about firing off the line to throw a block or catch a pass. But with the NFL lockout nearing one month, he's talking about another type of fire: his passion for pottery.

Yes, the Washington Redskins' two-time Pro Bowl tight end is spending his offseason making kiln-fired vases, bowls and mugs. He even has a shop, The Cooley Gallery, in Leesburg, Va., and planned to hold his first showing Friday night.

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"I love pottery," Cooley told The Washington Post. "I've always loved pottery."

Cooley estimates that he has made 700 pieces since Dec. 3, shortly after he and his wife, Christy, saw an open space in downtown Leesburg and jumped on the opportunity.

"Within a day -- which is pretty normal for how spontaneous I am -- we were like, 'We’re going to have an art gallery,' " Cooley said.

But pottery isn't a passing fancy for Cooley, who was an art major at Utah State. He has a pottery room at his home, too, with a $25,000 wooden kiln outside. He also uses the same pottery wheel his father did while in high school.

So Cooley will concern himself with his pottery pursuits while the league and the players try to settle their differences. He said 30 Redskins players plan to meet at a Northern Virginia high school Wednesday and Thursday for workouts, but otherwise, he'll go on 5-mile runs with Christy and run his shop.

"I don't care; it just doesn't affect me right now," Cooley said of the lockout. "When I'll be pissed off is when the third paycheck doesn't come. I'll give up one and then have to deal with missing two maybe. But after that, I'll be like, 'This is costing me a (expletive)-load of money.' Hey, if they want to tell us, 'You have to miss half of training camp,' great. I'll be ready."

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Bengals' Whitworth worried lockout will affect quality of NFL

The majority of NFL players with whom I've spoken say they have yet to reach the critical point for missed offseason workouts with their teams.

Late April and May are, they say, the time when the loss of minicamps and other organized team activity because of the lockout would be the most harmful to preparation for the season. Generally speaking, most players spend March and the early part of April working out on their own, usually somewhere other than where their team is based.

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But in light of comments that Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth made to USA Today on Friday, you have to wonder just how many players have bothered to maintain such a routine. The prospect of the labor dispute possibly dragging into late summer, Whitworth pointed out, might very well have become an obvious disincentive that could have a negative impact on the quality of play whenever the season begins.

"Guys are human beings," Whitworth said. "And if you tell guys, 'It doesn't look like you're doing anything until July or August,' guys will lose a lot of incentive to train and to get better. You will get a lot of guys who will say, 'We're not even going to play. I'm not going to work hard all the time.' "

It's hard to argue with his logic. Whitworth not only is a bright and thoughtful guy, he knows how his fellow players think. He knows they need a carrot, which is the goal of staying in the best possible physical condition for training camp, which, for most teams, open in late July and early August. Additionally, players who work out minus team supervision during the lockout do so at their own risk.

But it should be pointed out that Whitworth is the Bengals' NFL Players Association representative. It certainly would make sense for him to do his part to give owners yet another reason to at least be uncomfortable about a prolonged lockout while also trying to give the public more cause to oppose the idea of teams shutting down football business.

Therefore, one is advised to keep that in mind when it comes to this ominous warning from Whitworth: "You're going to ruin the chance for quality football. There will be more injuries and things that affect the game. Period."

Follow Vic Carucci on Twitter @viccarucci.

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Bears' Cutler can silence doubters with standout season

I give Jay Cutler credit for using some of his considerable offseason downtime to tell his part of the troubling story from January's NFC Championship Game that won't die.

What the Bears' much-maligned quarterback seemed to want to convey the most to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times was something his face and body language didn't after he exited with a knee injury: that he cared.

"To get to the point we were and the opportunity we had -- I'm frustrated just like everyone else," Cutler said. "I think I've been through a lot here in Chicago, and I would have loved to play."

You want to take the guy's word for it. You want to believe that, with his team on the doorstep of the Super Bowl and his terrible showing up to the point of his injury, Cutler would have liked nothing more than to get back on the field and do everything humanly possible to help the Bears win.

But the TV images of Cutler's look of disinterest and general sense of being disconnected will linger. So, too, will the flood of criticism from fans, media and many current and former players questioning his toughness for not fighting through the pain and returning to action.

Perhaps it is unfair, given that Cutler was dealing with a Grade II medial collateral ligament tear in his left knee (which, interestingly, he says he hasn't yet tested since the title game). Nevertheless, it is likely to continue to be something he won't be able to live down any time soon and nothing he can say will change that.

What Cutler does could be a different matter. Roaring back from this with a standout season while leading the Bears to a Super Bowl victory would be a good place to start.

Follow Vic Carucci on Twitter @viccarucci.

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Polian: Colts could select Manning's successor in this draft

Peyton Manning has made 11 Pro Bowls, won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award a league-record four times and claimed one Super Bowl championship. He was the MVP in that game, too.

Manning also ranks third in NFL history in passing yards (54,828) and touchdowns (399). But he's 35 years old, meaning the Indianapolis Colts now must think about the previously unthinkable: life without their surefire Hall of Fame quarterback.

Colts vice chairman Bill Polian told The Indianapolis Star in a story in Saturday's editions that the team would consider taking a quarterback in this month's draft "in the right situation" because Manning is entering the twilight of his career.

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"Quarterback's an issue, probably not a front-burner issue, but an issue nonetheless because while Peyton's not at the end of his career, it's approaching faster than it has in the past," Polian said.

Manning's future became a hot topic after Colts owner Jim Irsay last month expressed frustration over the quarterback not signing the team's league-high contract offer. The Colts also have worked out two quarterbacks, TCU's Andy Dalton and Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, while preparing for the draft.

The Colts own the 22nd overall pick, but Polian wouldn't fully commit to using it on a quarterback. That might be why the team looked at Dalton and Kaepernick, whom many consider to be second-round prospects at best.

"I don't know that you're going to find his eventual replacement drafting 22nd," said Polian, whose Colts have six total picks in the draft. "And whether or not you would use that choice on a quarterback in an unsettled labor situation, where you don't know what kind of contract that's going to be signed, is another issue. That said, I don't think you can dismiss it."

The Colts haven't used a first-round pick on a quarterback since taking Manning No. 1 overall in 1998. Their current backup, Curtis Painter, was a sixth-round selection in 2009, but if the Colts want to groom Manning's eventual successor, they might need to spend a higher draft pick to do it.

When to pull the trigger is the big question.

"You don't know," Polian said, "but you know it's sometime soon. You begin to think about it."

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Newton receives Gruden's endorsement after personal workout

Count Jon Gruden among those who believe in Cam Newton.

Gruden, a former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst, put the Auburn quarterback through passing drills Friday and came away impressed, telling The Tampa Tribune "I think Cam Newton's the best player in the country."

"I agree with the Heisman Trophy people that gave him the award," said Gruden, the famously quarterback-minded ex-coach of the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "He's got everything I'm looking for."

But do the Carolina Panthers, who own the No. 1 overall pick, agree with Gruden? Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Friday that the team is beginning to narrow its candidates for the top selection in the April 28-30 draft.

Newton has met with the Panthers and hopes he makes the cut.

"To some degree, I'd like to go No. 1," Newton said after the 20-minute workout at the University of South Florida. "The most important thing is to come out each day and get better. That's what I can control. ... I can't control where I get picked."

Gruden's praise of Newton came just days after coach Marvin Lewis, whose Cincinnati Bengals own the No. 4 pick, backed the quarterback's credentials. Lewis said Newton is "a real fine NFL prospect" who has "kind of had that 'it,' been that kind of guy for awhile."

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Now healthy, Notre Dame TE Rudolph auditions for NFL scouts

Kyle Rudolph, widely seen as the top tight end available in this month's NFL draft, had a chance to showcase his skills -- and prove to scouts that he's finally healthy -- at Notre Dame's pro day, then declared his workout a success.

Rudolph, coming off surgery after a severe hamstring injury forced him to miss the Fighting Irish's final seven games last season, scored well in several on-field tests Thursday and impressed with his ball-catching abilities.

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"The main objective for me was to get out there and show everyone that the hamstring is a thing of the past," said Rudolph, who's 6-foot-6 1/8 and 258 pounds. "And I think I did that today.

"The best thing about today was the ability to go out there and compete. The volume of the work, I think that we were out there for three and a half hours, and to be able to go through that and show that I am completely healthy was great."

Running back Armando Allen, who also demonstrated he's healthy after having season-ending hip-flexor surgery last November, was among eight other Notre Dame players who worked out for representatives from all 32 NFL teams. Other who participated were running back Robert Hughes, wide receiver Duval Kamara, linebacker Kerry Neal, linebacker Brian Smith, guard Chris Stewart, cornerback Darrin Walls and nose guard Ian Williams.

Rudolph, who left school a year early to try the NFL, was the biggest attraction. He ran 4.75 and 4.83 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had a 34½-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot, 5-inch broad jump, ran 4.36 in the short shuttle and 7.24 in the three-cone drill, and finished 19 bench presses of 225 pounds.

"I think it went well ...," Rudolph told NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, who's also NBC's color commentator for Notre Dame football broadcasts. "To be back here with the guys I've been here (with) for three years and see them compete, it kind of drives you a little bit. To be able to run around with no problems with the hamstring and just feel like my old self again, it was fun."

Rudolph, who's ranked fourth at Notre Dame in career receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,032) by a tight end, told Mayock his times in the 40 were just "a number. It's not my best. It's not a record. But I've only been doing this for three weeks, and if I get two full months of training like everyone else does for the combine, then, obviously, that's going to drop. But my leg's back to 100 percent and I'm able to run full speed. Now it's just training to get back to my speed before."

Allen also was pleased with his workout.

"It was a good experience for me to get back out here and run today, especially after my surgery," said Allen, who led the Irish in rushing as a sophomore and junior. "The hip felt great. It is finally back to 100 percent. It was tough to stay off it when I really wanted to train, but I did, and for the last month, it has felt good.

"Right now, I'm feeling pretty calm about draft day. After a pro day like this, the only thing you can do is wait. There is not much you can do about it. I'm going to continue training because I have a class to finish out this spring."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Saints' Meachem played 'pretty much every game' hurt in 2010

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem believes he'll be healthy enough to contribute in training camp following February ankle surgery, Sporting News reported Thursday.

Meachem acknowledged that his 2010 campaign -- on the heels of a career-best 45 catches and nine touchdowns in 2009 -- was spent in pain.

"Pretty much every game," said Meachem, who managed 44 catches for 638 yards and five TDs. "But that's the deal we go through. After the third week, I don't think anybody in the NFL is healthy. But if training camp starts on time (in late July), I'll be ready."

Meachem had to be carried off the field following a postgame collision with a photographer after the Saints' Week 16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last season. Meachem tripped over the photographer, who was on the field shooting photos, but he still appeared in the Saints' regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (with one catch for 5 yards) and playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks (three catches for 29 yards).

Meachem underwent surgery last May to fix torn cartilage on the second toe of his left foot. After being a first-round draft pick, he missed his rookie season in 2007 because of a knee injury.

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Florida casts Tebow's legend in bronze; Wuerffel, Spurrier, too

Laurie Hice Michaelson / Associated PressTim Tebow (center) stands in front of a statue of himself, which was unveiled Saturday at the University of Florida.

Steve Spurrier is passing, Danny Wuerffel is preparing to throw, and Tim Tebow is, well, doing what he does best.

He's running with the ball.

The University of Florida honored its three Heisman Trophy winners with life-sized statues outside the stadium. The Gators unveiled bronze likenesses of Spurrier (1966), Wuerffel (1996) and Tebow (2007) during halftime of Saturday's spring game.

Tebow's depiction stood out among the three.

"That's fine," said Tebow, who's now with the Denver Broncos. "You have to change it up. We can't all be throwing."

Tebow and Wuerffel were on hand for the unveiling. Spurrier thanked his alma mater in a videotaped message because he was in Columbia, S.C., for South Carolina's spring game. One of his daughters, Amy Moody, attended the ceremony in the Gamecocks coach's place.

"It's kind of hard to put in words," Moody said. "It's not often in life people dedicate a statue to you. It means a great deal."

The statues, which weigh between 1,700 and 2,000 pounds, were placed on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium near the skybox entrance. Private donations covered the costs.

"When do you ever think growing up that you'll have a statue somewhere where people will look at it and have great memories?" Wuerffel said. "It's even more special being next to two guys that I love and admire in my coach, Steve Spurrier, and my friend, Tim Tebow. That even makes it more special for me."

Spurrier threw for more than 4,800 yards and 37 touchdowns as a three-year starter at Florida, but his most notable play might not have been at quarterback. He kicked a 40-yard field goal to beat Auburn 30-27 during his senior season.

Spurrier returned to coach his alma mater in 1990, then led the Gators to six Southeastern Conference championships and the 1996 national title with Wuerffel at the helm. Under Spurrier's guidance, Florida won 122 games in 12 seasons and went 68-5 at home. Spurrier helped create one of the best home-field advantages in college football and even nicknamed the stadium "The Swamp."

Spurrier also played and coached in the NFL. After winning the Heisman in his senior season, Spurrier was the third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1967 draft. He played 10 seasons in the NFL with the 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Spurrier returned to the league as a head coach in 2002, guiding the Washington Redskins to a 12-20 record in two seasons. Wuerffel was Spurrier's quarterback in 2002.

Spurrier welcomed the process of posing for the statue, but he made his priorities clear by filming his message in a black South Carolina shirt and sitting in a Gamecocks team meeting room.

"This is one of the best honors I've ever had in my life," Spurrier said.

Wuerffel, who threw for more than 3,600 yards and 39 touchdowns in 1996, echoed Spurrier's sentiments. But Wuerffel stopped short of calling it one of his best moments at Florida Field.

"There have been so many wonderful memories, from hugging a teammate after a touchdown to being picked up after a sack from one of my buddies," he said. "This is one of those that is kind of hard to grasp at the moment. I'm sure as the years go by it'll become more clear what this means."

Wuerffel was a fourth-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1997 and spent six years in the NFL with the Saints, Redskins, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Tebow, a first-round pick by the Broncos in the 2010 NFL Draft, had the largest contingent on hand for the ceremony. Friends, family members and a bunch of former teammates were at Florida Field.

One of college football's greatest players, Tebow threw for 32 touchdowns and ran for 23 more in 2007, making him the first player to score at least 20 passing and rushing. That season, he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman.

Tebow led the Gators to the BCS national championship in the 2008 season, two years after also winning one as Chris Leak's backup.

"I feel like I'm not just a player, but I'm part of it," Tebow said. "I grew up a Gator and that just makes it that much more special."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Pouncey to Cowboys? Offensive lineman singing like a bird

Put me in the "skeptical" category regarding Mike Pouncey's tweet that he expects to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.

The vast majority of prospects have been extremely tight-lipped about their pre-draft visits around the NFL -- just as they were about their team interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine -- or in revealing any information about what teams have told them. For the most part, prospects have left it to the teams to reveal details about visits. One prospect told me he didn't want to say which teams he was visiting "out to respect for the others."

That's what makes this part of some recent Twitter messages from Pouncey a bit hard to believe: "Headed back to Pittsburgh ... would be shocked if i wasn't in a dallas uniform nxt year! The draft is april 28th so we will see ... To all the steelers fans i would love to be playing for the steelers and if i had a choice i would but it isn't my choice."

Pouncey, a former standout center/guard at the University of Florida and a projected first-round pick, could have simply offered an innocent and honest view of how his conversation(s) with the Cowboys went. At least, that's how he explained it in a later tweet responding to some of the backlash he presumably has received.

"i dnt see how my tweet was a mistake i visit with a lot of teams and dallas was a great time," Pouncy wrote.

Or, perhaps, he could just be having a little fun with the countless fans hanging on every draft-related word (or tweet).

Pouncey presumably would like nothing better than to join his twin brother, Maurkice, a Pro Bowl center as a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. His most recent tweet notwithstanding, that still could very well happen.

Follow Vic Carucci on Twitter @viccarucci.

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Cutler stung by questions about his toughness, desire to play

Jay Cutler says the left knee he sprained during January's NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers has "felt fine for about six weeks," but he acknowledges the criticism he absorbed for leaving with the injury affected him.

Carucci: One way to redemption Vic Carucci credits Bears QB Jay Cutler for telling his side of the story but points out that he can silence doubters with a standout 2011 season that includes a Super Bowl victory. More....

"I was gone, and I stayed away from it all," the Bears quarterback told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. "But I can't say it didn't bother me that people questioned my toughness and desire to play.

"I think I've been through a lot here in Chicago, and I would have loved to play."

The five-year NFL veteran told the newspaper that the Grade II sprain is "one of those things that heals on its own."

That Cutler left the game after one second-half series under his own power helped spark a firestorm of pundits and fans questioning his toughness. The Bears lost 21-14, allowing the NFC North rival Packers to advance to, then win, the Super Bowl.

Cutler told the Sun-Times that players who pointed fingers "can think what they want," and he said he appreciates the teammates who came to his side.

"Those are the guys you are with a lot of the time," he said, "and those guys didn't flinch. I've got to thank them for that," adding that he would be fine "as long as the guys in my locker room have my back."

Bears coach Lovie Smith sounded off last month on the persistent speculation about Cutler's injury.

"I don't think any player should have to go through that because it wasn't warranted at all," Smith told the Sun-Times at the NFL Annual Meeting in New Orleans. "He was injured; he couldn't play. It's an insult for us to answer the questions on whether he's tough."

Smith pointed to the NFL-high 52 sacks Cutler absorbed and that the quarterback tried to return to the game after halftime.

Cutler also said Thursday that Bears players were keeping in touch, but "not in a huge rush" to gather for workouts. If the NFL lockout continues into May, "we’re definitely going to have to make something happen," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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State lawmakers to consider bill for new Vikings stadium

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings finally got their stadium bill Friday, but with just 45 days left in the legislative session, they must compete for attention from state lawmakers who are mulling deep spending cuts in response to a $5 billion budget shortfall.

The bill is set to be introduced Monday, but its text was released Friday. It proposes spending $300 million in money from state taxpayers to help cover the costs of the Vikings' long-sought replacement for the Metrodome. Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, said she's glad to finally have a proposal for fellow lawmakers and the public to consider.

Despite the shrinking amount of time available, Rosen doesn't believe legislative committees would take up the bill in the next few weeks. She acknowledged the bill leaves many unanswered questions, chief among them which Twin Cities city or county will partner up as a home for the stadium and tap local taxpayers for another portion of the cost.

"I think there's plenty of time to get a Vikings bill done (this year)," Rosen said, noting that a previous bill was introduced last year with just 10 days left in the session. This year, the regular legislative session by law must end by May 23.

The bill would raise money for the stadium with a 10 percent state sales tax on sports memorabilia, along with a sales tax on luxury seats at the new stadium and on digital video recorders, and proceeds from stadium naming rights and a football-themed state lottery game.

The bill doesn't identify a location for the new covered stadium to replace the Metrodome, instead creating a Minnesota stadium authority with members appointed by the governor who will gather site bids from local governments and choose a stadium site by Feb. 15, 2012. The Vikings would be responsible for one-third of costs estimated to reach at least $900 million, plus any cost overruns.

City or county officials interested in the stadium would submit bids that include a financing package for a local share. Aspiring local partners could raise that share with a half-cent increase in their local sales tax, as well as by levying or increasing local sales taxes on liquor, lodging, entertainment, game admission, food and beverage.

So far, only Ramsey County has stepped forward as a potential local partner by offering the site of a former Army ammunition plant about 10 miles north of St. Paul. Vikings officials have expressed a preference for the current Metrodome site for a variety of reasons, but local leaders in Minneapolis and Hennepin County have been more hesitant to embrace the team.

Rosen said the creation of the stadium authority -- it would replace the current Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission -- and the 2012 location deadline will give the Vikings more time to recruit the right local partner.

Lester Bagley, the team's point man on stadium affairs, didn't immediately return a call to The Associated Press seeking comment Friday. He said one week ago that the details in the bill summary amounted to a good beginning framework for a stadium plan.

The Vikings have sought state assistance to build a new stadium for about a decade; their lease at the Metrodome ends after the 2011 season, and team officials have said the nearly 30-year-old venue is no longer sufficiently profitable. The collapse of the Metrodome's roof last December added urgency to the Vikings' pleas, and supporters have raised concerns that failure by the state to help pay for a new stadium could result in the team's relocation.

The Senate bill argues that spending state money on a private enterprise "provides to the state of Minnesota and its citizens highly valued intangible benefits that are virtually impossible to quantify." But so far, leaders of the Legislature's Republican majorities have avoided detailed discussions of the bill, saying the state budget takes precedence.

Gov. Mark Dayton has been more supportive.

"I'm glad the Legislature is taking that step, and I remain hopeful that they'll take the initiative to pass this," he said Friday.

Dayton said lawmakers could easily handle a stadium debate while completing a budget.

"There's plenty of time," he said. "I mean this respectfully -- they're good at multitasking. They do that all the time."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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