Woodson: 'Is there another more complete player than I am?'

Charles Woodson doesn't just believe he's a better cornerback than Darrelle Revis, Nnamdi Asomugha, or anyone else for that matter. Woodson believes he's the most complete player in the NFL.

Woodson, now in his 14th season, has a lengthy list of accomplishments in the league, from Defensive Rookie of the Year (1998) to Defensive Player of the Year (2009) and now Super Bowl champion, with seven Pro Bowl selections in between.

Woodson told SiriusXM Radio on Wednesday that what drives him to continue playing is what he perceives to be a lack of respect for his game.

"I was watching TV the other day, and I think it was the Monday night game, and Bill Parcells said that Darrelle Revis was probably the most complete cornerback in the game," Woodson said. "Is there another more complete player than I am in the game? I feel like I still don't have the respect that I deserve as a football player. So I am going out there and grinding until I get it.

"Ain't no question. I don't believe there's a more complete football player in the game of football than I am. You tell me one person who can do what I do."

Woodson won the Heisman Trophy while at Michigan, where he played wide receiver and kick returner in addition to being a cornerback. He's coming off a broken collarbone that sidelined him for the second half of the Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he believes he still has something left to prove.

"What I'm going to continue to do is get better as a football player," Woodson said. "I still feel like I got to go out there and gain respect. Obviously, I still have something to prove out there."

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Bears player rep Gould believes labor deal will be reached

With the NFL lockout about to enter its fifth month, Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould, the team's player representative, believes there's still hope that training camp will begin on time.

"We're not going to miss the season," Gould told the Chicago Tribune on Saturday after leading the Wrigley Field crowd in singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at the Cubs-White Sox game.

"The players want to get a settlement done, but they're not going to take an unfair settlement," Gould told the newspaper.

"And if we miss a season, that's really unfortunate," he said. "I think at the end of the day, when you get a group of people in the rooms working like they're working to get a deal done, a settlement will be reached and we will be playing football. It's just as to what date we're going to be back and when."

Gould isn't concerned about lower quality of play after the lockout.

"I know guys have been working out really hard, getting ready for the season, to earn their spots, to win a Super Bowl and to make a run," Gould said. "I don't think there's going to be anything (where) quality of play is going to go down."

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler also attended the game with fiancée Kristin Cavallari.

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Mason: Colts' Manning is NFL's best player, 'hands down'

There's no question in Baltimore Ravens wideout Derrick Mason's mind who the top player in the NFL is.

Mason recently said on WJZ-FM's "The Norris and Davis Show" that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is "hands down" No. 1 in the league.

The countdown concludes with a two-hour special revealing the top 10 on NFL Network on Sunday, July 3 at 8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for a reaction show right after.

Mason's answer came in response to a question about NFL Network's "The Top 100 Players of 2011," which culminates at 8 p.m. ET Sunday with Nos. 10 through 1 on the list being revealed.

"I think if I'm ranking right now who's a top player ... I think it's Peyton Manning," Mason said, according to SportsRadioInterviews.com. "Hands down, it is Peyton Manning.

"When you look at the rankings and you look at the importance of a player is this: not the type of season that he had, one seasons or two seasons that he had, it's what player do I kick off a team and it changes that team dramatically? I only know one player, and it's Peyton Manning.

"You take Tom Brady off New England, they showed that they can go 11-5. Now you take Peyton Manning off the Colts, I don't know where that team goes offensively."

Manning wasn't the only game-changer Mason brought up in the discussion.

"Another guy I look at and say it changes the scope of what they do is a guy like Ed Reed," Mason said of his Ravens teammate. "You take Ed Reed off of our defense -- not to say I don't think the defense would be good; we're good, because we have good players -- but if you take him off the back end, it changes us somewhat, and it showed last year.

"Once you insert him (Reed), we're back to quarterbacks are scared to throw the ball deep down the field, so when you looking at ranking guys, you rank them like that. You don't want to just rank them because they had a good season or a 1,000-yard season. You rank them as, if I took this player off this team or away from this side of the ball, what does it do for that team? Do they get better? Do they get worse? The only person I know, two people really, is Peyton Manning and Ed Reed."

Mason also addressed which Ravens player -- Reed or linebacker Ray Lewis -- would rank higher on the "Top 100" list.

"If you look at our team, they (NFL Network) would rank Ray Lewis ahead of Ed Reed just because of the body of work he has put together over the last 15 years," Mason said. "Ed does make a strong case to be ranked a little higher, but if I'm looking at it, I'm looking at the body of work, and I believe they (NFL Network) will rank Ray Lewis ahead of Ed Reed.

"Now if it goes the other way, I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't fight it either way, but I just think if you are looking at guys around the league, that respect factor, not to say they don't need to have that respect factor for Ed, but I think the longevity and the body of work over the course of 15 years that Ray has put together. I think they will rank him higher.”

Mason also revealed that he voted for about 20 players on the list, not all 100 because "I don't even know all 100 guys to sit down and rank them."

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Bills player rep Wilson 'definitely optimistic' about labor talks

Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson likes what he sees and hears about the players' recent discussions with NFL owners to end the lockout. He also cautions against being swept away by expectations of an imminent settlement.

Leber: Season will start on time

"We're definitely optimistic we're moving in the right direction," Wilson, the Bills' player representative, told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Right now, we feel like we're having meaningful discussions. ... We feel we have the right people in the room, discussing the right things, and both sides want to get a deal done. But even though we're moving in the right direction, we're not there yet."

Wilson said conference calls held in the last two days mark the first time in a while that players have been briefed on a lockout that's in its fourth month.

"That's because there haven't been any developments the last little while," he said.

The players also were told that more updates will come next week, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, several owners and players are scheduled to meet again at an undisclosed location.

"There's definitely going to be talks every week because time is of the essence," Wilson said.

One NFC team executive told NFL Network's Albert Breer on Wednesday night that he believed the sides were "within striking distance" of a deal. However, another AFC team executive said: "There are enough legitimate issues to where it could all fall down still. They're dealing with that stuff."

One such issue is the rookie salary system, which was broached for the first time Thursday since the secret meetings began May 31. The parties have spent much of the last four weeks discussing the biggest issue, which is how to split revenue and account for growth in the players' take.

"The CBA is far from just a percentage of revenue," Wilson said. "There's so much more."

Training camps are scheduled to open in about one month, with two teams -- the Ravens and Jets -- already announcing they will remain at their in-season facilities rather than stage out-of-town camps because of the lockout. The Ravens won't go to Westminster, Md., and the Jets won't go to Cortland, N.Y.

The first preseason game, which pits the Chicago Bears against the St. Louis Rams, is scheduled for Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sanchez deems three days of Jets player workouts a 'success'

NEW YORK -- Mark Sanchez got a few dozen of his New York Jets teammates together to practice for three days in private.

Yep, one of the NFL's chattiest teams went silent and got to work.

No cameras. No fans. No reporters.

"We just wanted to be able to focus," Sanchez said during a conference call Wednesday. "I think we've seen the extreme in 'Hard Knocks,' and how everything with the media, every little thing, if you sneeze, it's out there in print, on a blog or on TV. This is our chance to really just relax and do it our way, keep it quiet, have fun with the guys and keep it just a team thing."

About 40 players wrapped up three days of player-run workouts at Fairleigh Dickinson University, across the road from the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J. Unable to work out at the facility because of the lockout, it was the first time the Jets' players have gotten together as a large group since the end of last season.

"It was definitely a success, got some of the younger guys acquainted with veteran players, got everybody back again," Sanchez said. "It was good to see everybody's face again and make sure guys are looking like they are in good shape, and they definitely looked like that."

Center Nick Mangold remains hopeful that he and his teammates can soon get back to business as usual. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners met with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players for a second straight day in Maryland.

"As much as we get to do these player workouts and stuff like that, it's not the same as having, for myself, an elite offensive-line coach like Bill Callahan out there coaching me," Mangold said. "So I think that it would be a good thing for us to get everything wrapped up in time."

Sanchez and his brothers, Nick and Brandon, helped organize the workouts -- dubbed "Camp Lockout" -- which included film sessions and 7-on-7 and team drills. Mangold and right guard Brandon Moore sent emails to several players, who agreed to gather from Monday through Wednesday. Sanchez also credited FDU basketball coach Pete Marion for setting things up at the school.

The days began with an hour of film study, followed by two hours of on-field work. Sanchez also made copies of old playbooks that he distributed to all of his teammates.

"When you don't have that time, potentially not going to Cortland, potentially not going to training camp," Sanchez said, "this was as close to that as we could replicate."

Sanchez, Mangold and Moore ran the offensive position groups, and cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris ran things on the defense.

"The 7-on-7 was pretty competitive and the team stuff, as far as tempo, not anything crazy," Sanchez said. "Guys just wanted to make sure we stayed injury-free, and I think we did that."

The players preferred to not give a full attendance report, but among those who reportedly didn't participate were some of the Jets' biggest free agents: cornerback Antonio Cromartie and wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. ESPNNewYork.com reported that wide receiver Santonio Holmes attended at least one day, but didn't participate in drills.

"That's something I kind of expected and can understand," Sanchez said. "As teammates, it's hard, because you want those guys there, but as a professional football player and somebody who understands that there is a business side to this sport, unfortunately, I understand where these guys are coming from."

The players also had some down time, including a 3-point shooting contest in FDU's gym, which running back Joe McKnight and cornerback Drew Coleman won. They took home Hugo Boss suits as their reward.

"We had a good time with it, make sure guys are having fun, getting a little conditioning in at the same time," Sanchez said. "I don't even think they even realized that they were, so it was good."

Sanchez said players are considering additional workouts "in small pockets" until the lockout ends. He got the offensive skill players together for his "Jets West" camp in Southern California in early May, and several defensive linemen have been working out at a high school in New Jersey.

"It actually worked the opposite of what a normal offseason is," Sanchez said. "We're together so much and the offseason seems so short that when you get those times off, guys want to get away and focus on their family and relax. ... Well, now, we've been apart for so long, guys couldn't wait to get here and see each other again and have fun."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Steelers' Harrison suggests NFL not serious about player safety

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison isn't letting up in his criticism of the NFL in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

One day after sarcastically suggesting that a pillow could be used to soften blows he delivers to opponents, Harrison called the NFL's talk about wanting to protect players "just a show."

Harrison said before Wednesday's practice in Fort Worth, Texas, that the owners' push for an 18-game regular season and the possibility of a lockout prove the NFL is more interested in maximizing revenue than the health of its players.

"It's not about player safety," Harrison said. "It's about money."

The league and the players' union face an early March deadline for trying to negotiate a new labor agreement.

"It's no doubt to me," said Harrison, whose Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers for the NFL championship Sunday. "I believe they're going to lock us out."

Harrison was fined $100,000 by the NFL for illegal hits this season, and he even went briefly so far as to threaten to retire because he said it was too difficult to adjust to the new way rules were being enforced. On Wednesday, though, he acknowledged that any talk of quitting was a result of being "hotheaded."

Asked Wednesday if he's worried about the dangers of concussion from violent hits on the field, he said: "That's my style of play. There's a risk with everything you do. ... Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, that's how you play the game."

At Tuesday's media day at Cowboys Stadium, Harrison said he feels as if the league was "looking for a poster boy" when it started fining him.

In a deadpan delivery, Harrison said: "I don't want to hurt nobody. I don't want to step on nobody's foot or hurt their toe. I don't want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on this field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt.

"I just want to tackle them softly on the ground and, if y'all can, we'll lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them, so they don't hit the ground too hard, Mr. Goodell."

Harrison, who paid more in fines this season for four different hits than the entire Packers team was docked, also was asked if he was bitter about the attention his physical play received from the NFL office this season.

"They took $100,000 out of my pocket," Harrison responded to NFL Network's Kara Henderson. "You think I'm not bitter?"

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Niners interview VP of player personnel Baalke for GM job

SAN FRANCISCO -- Niners vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke interviewed Saturday with president Jed York for the team's general manager vacancy.

Baalke said the two met for about two hours at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara. Baalke, with six years in the franchise, is largely considered the front-runner for the job -- and he sure sounds confident about his chances. Baalke had an informal conversation with reporters on the field at Candlestick Park before the team's season finale Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

York insisted last week that he would conduct a national search for the position, but he appears ready to promote from within his own ranks. The 49ers have been without a GM since Scot McCloughan's abrupt departure last March in what York called a "mutual parting."

An announcement could come as soon as Monday, one day before Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh becomes available following the Cardinal's Orange Bowl game Monday night in Miami against Virginia Tech. Harbaugh is one of the coaches the 49ers will target to replace Mike Singletary, fired late last Sunday after San Francisco's 25-17 loss at St. Louis eliminated the team from playoff contention.

Baalke spent time before kickoff Sunday shaking hands with several fans in the stands.

The 49ers, coached by interim Jim Tomsula on Sunday after he was promoted from defensive line coach, has missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.

York said the new GM will have sole choice on whom he hires as the new coach.

Baalke orchestrated the contract extensions of two key 49ers this season: four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis and star tight end Vernon Davis. Those are two significant moves since Baalke took over football operations after McCloughan left.

In May, Willis received a five-year, $50 million contract extension that takes him through the 2016 season and includes $29 million in guaranteed money. He earns $10 million per season. Davis was rewarded with a five-year deal paying him $37 million overall, with $34 million guaranteed.

Baalke also selected rookie starting offensive linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati with the 11th and 17th overall picks, respectively, in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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NFLPA head Smith addresses player safety, other issues

In the wake of the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith issued the following statement Saturday:

"The issue of player safety is bigger than just hits on Sunday. Players understand the difference between aggressive, split-second actions and dangerous play. In addition to this sudden new emphasis on player safety, players call on the NFL to fulfill its obligation to healthcare in a lockout, end nasty litigation against nearly 300 players' workers compensation cases and stop saying 'no' to the disability benefits of NFL legends.

"While there are a range of punishments available as part of the on-field discipline system, the NFLPA will ensure the NFL strictly adhere to the existing rules and disciplinary process. We will also enforce the return-to-play guidelines and safety protocols and practices that occur out of the public eye. Our mission is to remain aggressive on player safety both on and off the field."

The league swiftly addressed illegal hits following three tackles in last week's games with large fines. The NFL warned players that starting this weekend, even first-time offenders will be subject to suspensions for delivering flagrant hits to the head and neck area of defenseless opponents.

Players say they understand the need for safety, but some suggested this escalation in punishment might ultimately have a detrimental effect on a game that is, after all, predicated on collisions.

Cornelius Bennett, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played from 1987 to 2000 with the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, addressed the issue of player safety with the following statement Saturday.

"This is a former as well as a current player issue. Of course this issue is bigger than just Sunday hits and fines. The overall health, safety and retirement issue is one that every former player should be supporting and challenging the NFL on today. You can slap yourself on the back about fines while you continue to ignore disability claims and sue players over workers compensation."

For more NFL labor news, visit http://NFLLabor.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Titans' Finnegan responds to Orton's 'dirty player' accusation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan didn't throw the first verbal blow -- Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton did when he said Tennessee players were "cheap" following Denver's 26-20 victory -- but he delivered a counterpunch.

"We don't play the Broncos this week. We play the Cowboys," Finnegan said after practice Wednesday. "I could care less what another man says. He's a quarterback man, who cares? If he wants to show up in Nashville and see me, that's cool, too, but I doubt it."

Orton criticized the Titans for playing dirty -- so did Broncos coach Josh McDaniels -- and pointed out Finnegan in particular. Orton claimed Finnegan punched Broncos guard Chris Kuper when the lineman's helmet was off during Sunday's game at Tennessee.

"If that's the type of player Cortland Finnegan wants to be, then he is a cheap player," Orton said. "He is a cheap player."

Titans outside linebacker Gerald McRath returned from a four-game suspension and worked with the first-team defense Wednesday. All indications are that he would start Sunday at Dallas in the Titans' base defense at weakside linebacker.

Jamie Winborn started in McRath's absence. McRath was suspended for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Coach Jeff Fisher would not fully confirm McRath's status for Sunday but a team source said McRath is on track to start. Fisher said McRath likely would not play in nickel and dime packages.

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