NFL Quick Hits

There’s some news floating around the NFL this weekend and today. Here are a few quick hits to get you up to speed with what everyone is talking about. Today: Derek Anderson’s future in Cleveland, Marshawn Lynch is in trouble again, Derrick Ward and the Giants, Ravens wideouts and more.

Bears Need Help On The Line

According to the Chicago Tribune, Bears offensive tackle Jon Tait has informed the team that he’s leaning toward retirement. This is a major concern for the Bears as tackle John St. Clair appears headed toward free agency and last year’s first-round pick, Chris Williams, missed the majority of the season with a back injury. Look for the Bears to be active in free agency by either re-signing St. Clair or bringing in a new name to man the tackle position. I can’t see GM Jerry Angelo selecting another tackle in the first round this year with the 18^th pick, and St. Clair wants to return after a solid season in ’08. The Bears are a run-first team, and the tackle position is crucial to their success as they look ahead.

D.A.’s Future in Cleveland

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, new head coach Eric Mangini and Browns management are still deciding on the fate of QB Derek Anderson. Considering the lack of available talent in the free-agent market and a considerable lack of first-round talent in April’s NFL Draft, the Browns will most likely receive calls inquiring about Anderson’s services for ’09. If the Browns have full confidence in Brady Quinn as they prepare for free agency, I believe it would be wise to shop Anderson beginning this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. There will be takers, and the Browns — like many non-playoff teams — could use the extra picks to fill holes at multiple positions.

Marshawn Lynch Finds Trouble Again

For the second time, Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is in trouble with the law, this time after being charged with carrying a concealed firearm, a felony, according to a published report in WIVB.com. Lynch first made news for an off-the-field incident last May involving a hit-and-run accident in Buffalo in which he pleaded guilty. Buffalo is a small community, and with hard times in the economy affecting ticket sales, along with a playoff drought that dates to 1999, the last thing Bills management wants to see is the face of the franchise in the news again for something that doesn’t involve football. What's more intriguing is the eventual decision that will come down by the league regarding player conduct. The Bills can’t afford to lose Lynch for even one game, but don’t expect the league to take this incident lightly. Bad move by the franchise back.

Peppers Still Wants Out

Expect the Julius Peppers situation in Carolina to heat up the next few weeks after the Carolina Growl reported that Peppers will ask for a trade if he receives the Franchise tag, as expected. This might work out well for the Panthers in the long run if Peppers continues to hold his stance on his refusal to play in Carolina. The Panthers are doing the right thing if they put the tag on Peppers since they can’t let a player of his ability walk without receiving some sort of compensation. But this could still be a negotiating toll by Peppers — as we see with many big-name guys this time of year — to get the monster contract he feels he deserves. There are a lot of teams that would be in the market for a playmaking defensive end, but the question remains: What will it cost to get him out of Carolina after the Franchise Tag is announced?

Giants’ Ward Looking To Cash In

Now that the Giants have locked up running back Brandon Jacobs for the ’09 season after applying the Franchise tag last week, they can turn their attention to their other free-agent running back, Derrick Ward. According to the New York Daily News, Ward is looking to average around $4 million a year in a new deal. This is nothing more than player talk, folks. The Giants aren’t going to open their checkbook for Ward when they still have Ahmad Bradshaw under contract, and they have to start thinking about their long-term goals for Jacobs after the ’09 season. I expect them to allow Ward to test the free-agent market, but I can’t see a single team paying $4 million per season for his services. If anything, he will sign a new deal with a new team for a far lesser amount or come crawling back to the Giants. It’s tough to keep two big-time backs under contract, and sooner or later one of them will find money in a different city -- but not the amount that Ward is talking about.

Bucs Coach Plans to Keep Bryant Around

Free-agent wide receiver Antonio Bryant might have chance to test the market unless the Bucs can sign him to a new deal soon. According to TBO.com, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said he wants to see Bryant is a Tampa uniform this fall. The fact that Tampa hired Morris from within the current staff tells me this deal will get done soon. Despite Bryant’s past off-the-field issues, Morris saw firsthand the type of impact receiver he can be after Bryant caught 83 passes for 1,248 yards and seven TDs. Bryant will turn 28 in March and is too young and too valuable for the Bucs to let walk. Young receivers who produce are hard to come by, and Morris is going to need as much production as he can get from the Bucs’ offense in ’09. This is a no-brainer for Tampa. Give him the deal he deserves and start working on the draft.

The Culpepper Beat

First, it was former Lions receiver Mike Furrey saying that Daunte Culpepper would be the starter for the ’09 season in Detroit. But now a team source is disputing that claim, according to Mlive.com. This is all just part of the game. Naming a starter in February when they have the No. 1 pick in the draft is the last thing the Lions want to do. There’s still a chance they may take Georgia QB Matthew Stafford with that pick or sign a guy like Byron Leftwich or Chris Simms when free agency begins, and announcing Culpepper as the starter shows their hand for their off-season plans.  No team wants to announce what they plan to do until after free agency and the draft since it affects their dealings with teams in the coming months. Culpepper may very well already have been informed that he will be under center with the first unit when mini-camps open, but the Lions want to keep that information in-house as they begin to make moves. The chess matches have already begun in the NFL, so there’s no need to announce anything,

Mason May Be Finished In Baltimore

According to the Baltimore Sun, wide receiver Derrick Mason may have played his last game in a Ravens uniform. This shouldn’t come as a major surprise to Ravens fans as Mason played hurt down the stretch and his age (35) is catching up with him. In saying that, there could be some big-time possibilities for Baltimore with some big-time names. Anquan Boldin, Plaxico Burress and Chad Johnson are rumored to be looking for new destinations, and there’s still the possibility that Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens could be looking for work soon. The Ravens still have to re-sign some major defensive talent in Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, but if they can add to their offense at wide receiver, either through the draft or free agency, this team could be the favorite to win the AFC in ’09.

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