Favre Back!! Who could have guessed

A source close to Brett Favre said the quarterback, pending a physical, will sign a contract with the Minnesota Vikings for between $10 million to $12 million, according to ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.


Vikings coach Brad Childress confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press Tuesday morning that Favre, 39, was traveling from Mississippi to meet with the team.


Asked if the plan was to sign Favre on Tuesday, Childress replied: "In a perfect world."


The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Chris Mortensen tells Colin Cowherd that Brett Favre is headed to Minnesota today and will sign with the Vikings pending a physical.

Bus Cook, Favre's agent, said it was "a done deal," according to USA Today.

"He thinks he still has something left in the tank and I think it will work well," Cook told USA Today.

According to Mortensen, the Vikings had sent their private plane to Hattiesburg, Miss., and left with Favre on it at 10 a.m. ET. The plane was expected to land in Minneapolis at about noon ET; Favre is expected to take a physical later Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Michael Vick Flys Again

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick is back in the NFL. When he finally gets in a game, it might be at a new position.

Looking to add a new dimension to their offense, the Philadelphia Eagles gave the disgraced quarterback a one-year deal with an option for a second year. Vick wasn't brought in to compete with five-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb for a starting job, but the two could end up on the field together.


Mike and Mike in the Morning
ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio describes the fan reaction as overwhelmingly negative at the Eagles-Patriots preseason game after the news came out that Vick signed to the Eagles.



The first year of the deal is for $1.6 million with the second-year option worth $5.2 million, sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Vick can also earn an additional $3 million in incentives over the two years of the contract, sources told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli.

Vick arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning and remained there Wednesday evening. The Eagles will hold a news conference on Friday morning to announce his signing.

The Eagles were reportedly not the first team to extend an offer to Vick. FOXSports.com reported that the Cincinnati Bengals first offered Vick a two-year deal worth about $2.3 million.

Senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio, ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Madden Nation

Get your Copy August 14th.

NFL John Madden 2010.

Madden NFL 10 will be available in North American retail stores on Friday, August 14. The storied football franchise ushers in a new era with advancements that bring the NFL fan everything they see on Sundays, minus the grass stains.

On-field authenticity and emotion is taken to another level in Madden NFL 10. With more control over the outcome of the play than ever before, players can drag defenders towards the first down marker, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and avoid the rush by stepping up into the pocket. Utilizing an all-new animation technology, Madden NFL 10 ensures that the Fight For Every Yard doesn't end until the whistle blows.

"The Tiburon team couldn't be more excited about Madden NFL 10." said Phil Frazier, Senior Producer. "With online innovation that will connect Madden fans together like never before, an immersive broadcast presentation that captures the suspense and emotion of the NFL, and the most authentic gameplay to date, Madden NFL 10 will be the pinnacle in the award-winning franchise."



The award-winning Madden NFL franchise will be available on the Xbox 360(r) video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation(r)2 and PLAYSTATION(r)3 computer entertainment systems, Wii(tm), PSP(r) (PlayStation(r)Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated RP by the ESRB.

Madden NFL 10 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio.

Infamous Mike Vick

Just want to get some feedback on the Vick story.

Will Vick come back as a Quarter Back, Running Back, or a Wild Cat Wide Out

Vick has Raw Talent!

Owens Out. What else is New!

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Terrell Owens was not present for the Buffalo Bills' walkthrough Tuesday morning after the receiver complained about a sore toe following the team's preseason opener.

Coach Dick Jauron would only say Owens was excused from the session, but declined to provide further details until after the Bills' night practice.

Owens complained about an aching toe in a comment posted on his Twitter.com site shortly after the Bills lost to Tennessee, 21-18, in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday. Tweeting that he was on the team bus to the airport, Owens wrote, "Damn my toe is aching!" followed by a symbol of a concerned face -- ":-/."


AFC East blog
ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation


Owens had two catches for 27 yards in his Bills debut, and played one series as did most of the team's offensive starters.

Team officials and Owens did not mention any injury to reporters after the game.

Entering his 14th NFL season, Owens signed a one-year $6.5 million contract with Buffalo in March, days after being released by the Dallas Cowboys. The Bills are counting on Owens to spark what's been an anemic passing attack, and serve as a complement opposite starting receiver Lee Evans.

Over his past three seasons, Owens has 38 touchdown catches, seven fewer than the entire Bills team combined during that span.

The Bills also made several roster moves in their first day back to practice since the game.

Buffalo re-signed defensive back Antwain Spann, days after the team had released him. Spann appeared in 19 games over three seasons with New England.

The Bills released defensive end Jermaine McGhee and center Marvin Philip by placing both players on the waived/injured list.


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Mike Vick Signing This week? Dungy says Yes!!

Michael Vick's personal adviser and his agent believe his return to the NFL is now not a question of "if," but "when" -- and that "when" may come soon.

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who is helping Vick steer a course from his release from federal prison back to the NFL, said Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" that he believes "something's gonna happen this week" with the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback.

Dungy, who has been serving as Vick's adviser since the end of Vick's federal prison sentence last month, told "Mike and Mike" he has fielded phone calls from a number of interested coaches. Dungy said he has recommended Vick, describing him as "a better person and very determined to come back and do well."

And Vick's agent, Joel Segal, said Tuesday "there are a lot of teams interested" in signing his client.

Segal visited Washington Redskins training camp Tuesday, but he insisted the trip was not Vick-related. He told ESPN 980 radio that he was checking in on some of his Redskins clients, including Jason Campbell, DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry.

Segal said he was optimistic that Vick would get a job soon, calling it "not a matter of if, but when."

Vick was conditionally reinstated by the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last month after the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback completed a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring.

Those statements follow a report in The Washington Post that at least five NFL teams have quietly shown interest in signing Vick, citing several people familiar with the deliberations.

"I don't know where he's gonna end up ... I can't tell you which teams, but I know there's at least five," a person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity, the newspaper reported.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Stallworth

The suspended Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth said he felt he had done “irreparable harm” to the family of the man he killed while driving drunk and was ready to accept whatever ruling N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell makes on his future.

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Stallworth, suspended indefinitely by the league for killing Mario Reyes while driving drunk in Miami, met with Goodell in New York on Wednesday about a possible reinstatement.

Stallworth was recently released from jail after serving 24 days for his D.U.I. conviction.

In a statement released Thursday, Stallworth apologized for his actions and vowed to conduct himself “in a manner that more accurately reflects who I am and meets the high standard expected of all N.F.L. players.”

“I recognize that there is a difference between the legal standard in my criminal case and the standard to which N.F.L. players are held,” Stallworth said. “It is clear that I exercised poor judgment and caused irreparable harm to Mario Reyes, his family, the N.F.L., its owners, coaches, employees and to my fellow players.”

Stallworth thanked Goodell for the opportunity to express his remorse and said he would accept whatever punishment Goodell handed down. The league has given no indication when Goodell will rule on Stallworth.

More Money More Problems

Michael Crabtree needs to rethink a decision to sit out a whole year. If recent history serves as a reminder then being away from football action for a year will hurt Crabtree's chances of having a long-term career. In 2005 both WR Mike Williams and RB Maurice Clarett entered draft after a year away from football. Neither one has had anything close to a NFL career. Williams didn't make any money his rookie for being fined so much for being out of shape and Clarett is currently in prison. The NFL is too high of level for someone so inexperienced to walk away for a year and then come back and be a star.

This will only cost Crabtree in the long run.

"We are prepared to do it," Wells said. "Michael just wants fair-market value. They took him with the 10th pick and you have Darrius Heyward-Beythe seventh overall pick by the Oakland Raiders getting $38 million? This week is crucial. Michael was one of the best players in the draft and he just wants to be paid like one of the best players. This week is very crucial."

Crabtree may indeed be a better player than Heyward-Bey, however much of the public and media sentiment to that regard is because Crabtree played on a high-profile Texas Tech team and scored a dramatic touchdown to upset Texas. Heyward-Bey, meanwhile, played on a fairly anonymous Maryland club.

Million Dollar Man

Eli Manning and the Giants agreed to a six-year, $97 million extension Wednesday. With the $9.4 million he was due this season, Manning is scheduled to make $106.4 million over the next seven years, making him the NFL's ninth $100 million player.

$35 million in guaranteed money

How can he be making more than tom brady Big Ben Rothlisburger or the older Manning? Too much money for a guy without enough talent in my opinion. He played great in the playoffs in their super bowl run, but he hasn't proven that he can make it work when the Giants' running game struggles. Look at the end of last year, finishing poorly after a great start. In the playoffs, we shut down the Giants' running game and challenged Eli to beat us, and he couldn't do it.