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

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

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

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

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

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

A sticking point in negotiations had been Westbrook's compensation over the first three seasons of the deal, valued at $16 million. The Eagles had been offering $7 million to sign and $14 million over three. "In the end, we are happy that we were able to secure a contract that keeps Brian in Philadelphia and rewards him for his outstanding contributions to the Eagles organization," said Westbrook's agent, Fletcher Smith, who, along with CSMG partner Kennard McGuire, has negotiated major deals in the past year for Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, Rams left tackle Orlando Pace, and Jaguars defensive end Reggie Hayward totalling more than $37 million. --football gambling--

The contract will be forwarded to the league office Monday, which is the NFL's deadline for being able to push much of the salary cap impact into this year. Philadelphia, which entered the weekend about $10 million under the cap, has plenty of room to spare. --football gambling--

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

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

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

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

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

Jones: No time for Saints decision

Cowboys owner says other problems take precedent

"We have to address the basic situation for the people of New Orleans and the conditions there," the Dallas Cowboys' owner said Tuesday. "There's no solution today that's acceptable." -NFL Football-

The Saints have been based in San Antonio since being driven from New Orleans in late August by Hurricane Katrina. They have been practiced in San Antonio and played some home games there at the Alamodome and in Baton Rouge, La. -NFL Football-

Their "home opener" was played at the home of their opponent, the New York Giants. -NFL Football-

Saints owner Tom Benson has not commented on the team's future. -NFL Football-

The team has a contract to play at the Superdome through 2010, but could opt out by Nov. 29 under certain conditions. The building was badly damaged by Katrina. -NFL Football-

But there have been reports Benson would like to move the team to San Antonio and has been talking to city officials there. He also fired executive vice president Arnold Fielkow, an outspoken proponent of keeping the team in New Orleans. -NFL Football-

On Monday, commissioner Paul Tagliabue attempted to quash the San Antonio talk. -NFL Football-

"The Saints are Louisiana's team and have been since the late '60s when my predecessor Pete Rozelle welcomed them to the league as New Orleans' team and Louisiana's team," Tagliabue said. "Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana." -NFL Football-

Jones, in New York to introduce Sheryl Crow as the halftime entertainer for the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game, said he would have no objection to an NFL team in San Antonio even though Texas already has teams in Dallas and Houston. The Cowboys have a strong fan base in San Antonio and trained there in the past. -NFL Football-

But he emphasized that he's not pushing for it. -NFL Football-

"Football has been an inspiration to people who have other troubles," Jones said. "There are problems throughout New Orleans and Louisiana. We owe to those people not to take football from them." -NFL Football-

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

Q&A with John Feinstein: What Really Goes on Inside the NFL

October 31, 2005

For his new book, Next Man Up, John Feinstein persuaded the National Football League's Baltimore Ravens to give him unfettered access to all aspects of the team, from executive management down to towel-boys. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for Feinstein. "For as long as I can remember, the National Football League has had an aura around it," he writes, describing the boundless enthusiasm for football that prompted him, as a child, to spend all of Super Bowl III pacing back and forth in front of the television. More recent evidence of the passion Feinstein brings to his work came last month during a radio broadcast of a Naval Academy football game. Feinstein, who had been a color commentator with Navy for nine years, reacted to a non-call by officials with a decidedly un-journalistic exclamation: "Fucking referees!" Shocked by his own words, he immediately took himself off the air, offered to resign (Navy refused) and went back on to apologize to viewers. -NFL Football-

The upfront style with which Feinstein handled the gaff—winning him praise from fellow journalists and allowing him to resume his job—also comes through in his books. The sportswriter made his name with A Season on the Brink, a behind-the-scenes account of the Indiana Hoosiers' 1985-86 season that provoked a harsh reaction from fiery head coach Bobby Knight, and has since not shied away from treating his subjects honestly. It is a quality, he says, that renders figures like Knight more sympathetic, whether they like it or not. It also sells books: Season on the Brink began with an initial run of 17,500 and has sold over a million copies to date. -NFL Football-

We spoke with Feinstein about the difficulties of keeping one's emotions out of the public eye and asked him what he'd learned from getting an inside look at a company as secretive as the NFL. -NFL Football-

The Book Standard: Your comment during the Duke-Navy game is something lots of fans were probably thinking. Does that make you feel any better about it? -NFL Football-

John Feinstein: Saying that was inexcusable. It was one of those out-of-body experiences, where you look around and think, "Who said that?" And everybody in the booth was staring at me. When you're on the radio, frustration is for fans. I was frustrated about a lot of things that day, but there's no excuse for what I did. It's not like it was my first time on live radio. -NFL Football-

TBS: You've now written several books in which you become very intimate with a team. Is it hard to remain objective when you are so close to your sources for such a long period of time? -NFL Football-

JF: I try to look at myself as an outsider on the inside. That was the view I took with Season on the Brink. It would be a lie to say you remain completely detached. Regardless of the subject, you bring some kind of bias to it and you need to be aware of your biases to be fair. The irony of Season on the Brink and Knight's reaction, was that if I'd just written him a love letter, the book would have sold 12 copies in Indiana and that would have been it. But because [I] showed both sides of him, it gave the book credibility—but it also gave Knight credibility. -NFL Football-

TBS: How did you end up doing this project? -NFL Football-

JF: I really wanted to do [a book on the] NFL at some point because it is such a cultural monolith in our country. I could have gotten a media credential and shown up all over the country, and gone right through until the Super Bowl. But because there is such limited access for the regular media I didn't think I could have discovered much more than someone reading a daily newspaper. -NFL Football-

TBS: Why is the NFL so secretive? -NFL Football-

JF: Because they can be. I'm not saying that to be a wise-guy. When one coach says, "No one can talk to my [assistant coaches]," and he’s successful, then everybody copies that. -NFL Football-

TBS: Is it just an extremely well-run business? -NFL Football-

JF: The NFL is run with cut-throat efficiency. You have these guys signed to make sure players' socks aren't too high; or that the towels aren’t too long; or that they’re wearing the right color shoes; or that everyone is going to get in line, and say the same things, and do the same things and sound alike. -NFL Football-

TBS: In discussing the NFL’s clout in the book, you mention that ESPN’s Playmakers, a racy TV drama about players' off-the-field lives, was taken off the air at the league's request. Having lived through a season with real NFL players, can you tell us if Playmakers is accurate? -NFL Football-

JF: It's accurate in the sense that everything portrayed has happened at one time or another, not just in the NFL but in all of professional sports. Do professional athletes womanize? Yes. Do professional athletes use drugs? Yes. Do professional athletes sometimes hit their wives? Yes. Do professional athletes sometimes get women knocked up? Yes. But that happens in society too. If I had been [running] the NFL I wouldn't have blinked at it. But the NFL wants you to believe that players spend their entire careers doing United Way commercials and digging people out from the rubble of New Orleans. -NFL Football-

TBS: Ray Lewis, one of the Raven's stars, went on trial for murder several years before you began the book. Why do you think the team stood by Lewis (who was eventually acquitted of all but an obstruction of justice charge) when the accusations were so serious? -NFL Football-

JF: My sense is that the people who run the team believed that Ray did not commit murder, and that was one reason why it wasn't hard for them to stand behind him. And as happens with every great athlete in every city, the people are going to stand behind him unless there's video evidence. But what resuscitated Ray is that he is such a great football player. He came back and continued to build his legacy as a linebacker. He is absolutely the unquestioned leader of that football team. -NFL Football-

TBS: Out of all your sources—players and management—who was your favorite? -NFL Football-

JF: Frequently the people I tend to get close to aren’t the big starts. For some reason, in football I have always gotten along well with offensive lineman. -NFL Football-

TBS: Why offensive linemen? -NFL Football-

JF: Maybe because what they do is so unglamorous. The only time they get noticed is if they get called for a penalty or give up a sack, and I think it gives them a different approach to the game. They’re not doing it for the glory, because there is no glory.

NFL Moves Chiefs-Dolphins Game to Friday Night
Officials Look to Beat Hurricane Wilma's Arrival in Florida
NEW YORK (Oct. 20) - --- nfl ---
--- nfl ---
The game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs was rescheduled to Friday night to beat Hurricane Wilma's arrival in Florida.The game will begin at 7 p.m. Friday instead of Sunday afternoon, which is about when Wilma is expected to hit Florida's southwestern coast.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said broadcast and television details were being worked out.--- nfl ---
--- nfl ---
It's the third time since the start of the 2004 season that the Dolphins have rescheduled a home game because of a looming hurricane. Last year's home opener against Tennessee was played a day early because of Hurricane Ivan, and the Dolphins' Week 3 game with Pittsburgh was pushed back 7 1/2 hours by Hurricane Jeanne.--- nfl ---
--- nfl ---

Jags get LB Winborn in trade with 49ers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2005) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired linebacker Jamie Winborn from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick.

Winborn started two of the 49ers' three games this season and had 13 tackles and a pass deflection. Last week, Winborn cleaned out his locker and left the team after coach Mike Nolan abruptly announced plans to trade him. Winborn had lost his job to converted defensive end Andre Carter. - NFL Football -

In four-plus years with San Francisco, Winborn had 156 tackles, nine sacks and three interceptions. - NFL Football -

The Jaguars released defensive tackle Martin Chase to make room for Winborn.

"It was an opportunity to acquire a linebacker who's a good player and fits our system," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "It wasn't anything that was too costly or too difficult to pull off."

Del Rio wouldn't commit to Winborn becoming a starter when he begins workouts with the Jaguars next week, but said he would get a spot with the club's special teams.

"We see him as a guy who's played well, has started, so he has experience, has speed and can help us on (special) teams," Del Rio said. "We'll let him grow into a role." - NFL Football -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Chargers O-line takes blame

Everybody’s trying to figure out what happened to the San Diego offense that bulldozed through the league last year, but can’t seem to produce more than a cloud of dust this season. The Chargers’ offensive line know where to point the finger.

”We take full responsibility for (them) touching our quarterback and not giving [LaDainian Tomlinson] enough chances to do what he can do once he gets past the line of scrimmage. I think we failed in that regard,” said tackle Roman Oben. - NFL Football -

It won’t be easy to improve up front with left guard Toniu Fonoti out for at least a week after undergoing surgery to repair his broken hand. Fonoti played with a cast last Sunday against Denver, but he was pulled out in the fourth quarter because of ineffective play. It could be a telling statistic that San Diego put up 14 points in the first half and only three in the second, as Fonoti’s injury worsened. He will be replaced by Kris Dielman, a third-year converted defensive lineman.

It’s been a long time

They aren’t accustomed to wearing the collar, but when oddsmakers label the Patriots as underdogs, they usually make it pay. New England goes to Pittsburgh today as a rare 3-point dog, the first time they’ve been on the receiving end of the handicap since November 7 of last year. And you have to go back even further to find the last time the Pats have lost as underdogs. That was the first week of the 2003 season, when they were blown out in Buffalo as 1 ½-point dogs. - NFL Football -

The defending Super Bowl champs are 5-0-1 as underdogs since that loss in Buffalo, but they will have problems keeping that streak alive against a tough Steelers defense. New England’s normally balanced offense hasn’t been able to get the run working this season. They ran it only 16 times last week in the loss to Carolina for a miserable 39 yards.

”We`ve got to find a way to run the ball better and obviously when we pass it, we need to execute better in the passing game, which is the role and responsibility of everyone on the offense,” says a still-confident Tom Brady. “It starts with me. That`s where I like it.”

Happy, but hurting, together

To quote use a euphemism from Forest Gump, Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens are “like peas and carrots” again. They’re hooking up for big plays on the field and talking and laughing on the sidelines – unfortunately for anyone who took the Eagles –8 against the Raiders, they also took a trip to the doctor’s office together. Both players missed Wednesday’s practice with injuries – McNabb with a bruised chest and a strained groin and Owens with an abdominal/groin injury – but they put the pads on again on Thursday. McNabb says he and his No. 1 receiver will play today, but he isn’t sure if the injuries will slow him down. - NFL Football -

"I`d love to say no, but I don`t know personally," he said. "Not to say that I was favoring my chest or favoring one side of my body or whatever, but when you`re in the game, you pretty much just go all-out. You just give all that you have, energywise, throwing your body around, whatever it may be to help the team win. And it was a game we definitely needed. I gave all that I had. You come out a little sore, but you rest up and get ready for this game."

Another significant Eagles casualty from last week’s game was place kicker David Akers. He hurt his hamstring during a kickoff and had to sit out most of the second half, while linebacker Mark Simoneau. The Eagles don’t yet know if Akers will be ready to go for today, but they’ve enlisted professional help if he is not. They signed Todd France to the practice squad this week, a kicker who’s been through fourNFL training camps and two seasons in Europe, but never seen the field in a regular season game. - NFL Football -

Copyright © 1995-2005 Sports Direct Inc. - All Rights Reserved

Brunell will start for Redskins in Week 2

ASHBURN, Va. (Sept. 12, 2005) -- Mark Brunell will start for the Washington Redskins on Sept. 19 against the Dallas Cowboys, retaking the quarterback job from Patrick Ramsey.

Brunell came in to lead a season-opening victory against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 11.

Coach Joe Gibbs had prepared for nearly a year for Ramsey to be the 2005 starter, but the coach changed his mind after Ramsey was intercepted once and fumbled twice against the Bears before leaving with a mild neck injury. - NFL Football -

"This is something that is extremely hard," Gibbs said. "You don't like doing this. I don't. Sometimes you don't chart the circumstances or what happens -- it just happens. Certainly it wasn't the plan I had going in, but sometimes plans change, and I think you do the best you can in dealing with it." - NFL Football -

Brunell was the opening-day starter last year after winning a training camp competition over Ramsey, but he had the worst season of his career with stats that ranked near the bottom of the league. Brunell, who signed a seven-year contract after being traded from Jacksonville, was booed heartily and replaced with Ramsey in the ninth game. A few weeks later, Gibbs said Ramsey would be the 2005 starter.

But the 35-year-old Brunell appeared rejuvenated during training camp this year, outperforming Ramsey in all four preseason games and giving Gibbs confidence to make the switch.

"I know a lot of people would disagree with this, and I understand that," Gibbs said. "For me, personally, I felt like it was a decision that I had to make. I think we've got a situation where two quarterbacks can win ball games for us. ... I know this is something that Patrick doesn't agree with -- he's a very competitive guy -- but it's something we're going to have to work through."

Ramsey left the 9-7 victory with a sprained neck when he was hit by linebacker Lance Briggs on a blitz in the second quarter. Ramsey was well enough to return at halftime, but Gibbs stuck with Brunell for the rest of the game. - NFL Football -

Ramsey and Brunell had similar stats for the game -- with one huge exception: Brunell led three scoring drives, while Ramsey led three drives that stalled with either a fumble or an interception. Gibbs has shown little tolerance for turnovers this season, something he backed up Sept. 11 by yanking Antonio Brown as the kickoff returner after Brown fumbled the opening kick of the second half.

Ramsey completed 6 of 11 passes for 105 yards, but his first drive ended with an overthrow that was picked off by Nathan Vasher. Ramsey fumbled on third down on his second drive, but teammate Jon Jansen recovered to turn a potential turnover into a punting situation. On his third series, Ramsey understandably lost the ball when Briggs popped him. Still, Ramsey's 52-yard completion to Santana Moss was longer than any pass play the team had all of last season. - NFL Football -

Brunell was 8-for-14 for 70 yards, more methodical and mistake-free. His biggest play was a 36-yard pass-interference penalty that negated an interception. He led drives of 43, 47 and 63 yards, but they ended in field goals instead of touchdowns.

A quarterback controversy always seems inevitable on a team that produced Sonny Jurgensen vs. Billy Kilmer, Jay Schroeder vs. Doug Williams and Heath Shuler vs. Gus Frerotte. But no one expected the issue to come to a head after only one game. - NFL Football -

It turns out Ramsey was injured just enough to open the door for Brunell's return.

"Mark did the thing that a backup is supposed to do -- go in and play well and keep himself on the coach's mind," guard Ray Brown said.

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Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved