Cincinnati Bengals 03/17/2009 8:16 AMThe Dayton Daily News reports with the NFL draft a little more than a month away on April 25 and 26, no running back prospect is catching fire like Liberty ball carrier Rashad Jennings. Jennings' draft stock has skyrocketed since his performance at the Senior Bowl, Scouting Combine and more recently Pro Day. A number of NFL teams are showing significant interest in all-purpose running back. Four teams, Denver, Philadelphia, New England, and the New York Jets, held private workout sessions with Jennings last week and more are expected to follow. The Cincinnati Bengals is another team expected to come on campus and give the player a closer look.Read more
Pittsburgh Steelers 02/13/2009 11:22 AMThe Post-Gazette reports one more key component of the Steelers' Super Bowl team is due a new contract this year, and it's likely to come with a large boost in salary. Mike Tomlin, halfway through his rookie coaching contract with the team, will get an extension before the 2009 season begins, if the Steelers hold true to their history. Tomlin has two years left on a four-year contract estimated at a total of $10 million that he signed when the Steelers hired him to succeed Bill Cowher in 2007. His average salary of $2.5 million per year was typical of what first-time NFL head coaches received. That amount could double in his next contract, according to agents who have knowledge of NFL coaching contracts.Read more
New York Jets 02/13/2009 11:17 AMThe Star-Ledger reports Jets coach Rex Ryanappears more than willing to put his team in the hands of former second-rounder Kellen Clemens or undrafted Brett Ratliff -- both unproven -- although the Jets will likely sign a veteran in the wake of Brett Favre's retirement. Erik Ainge, a 2008 fifth-rounder out of Tennessee, is also on the roster.Read more
Cincinnati Bengals 02/12/2009 7:28 PMThe Dayton Daily News reports the dark cloud looming over the Cincinnati Bengals has continued to cast a shadow over the organization this offseason, and will likely do so until after free agency when some of the cloudiness is expected to clear. However, the forecast is calling for stormy conditions when the NFL's free agency period begins Feb. 27. The Bengals organization will be faced with some tough decisions during this time, but none tougher than deciding what to do with the team's brightest star wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who is set to hit the open market. The team's choices are indeed limited. It's either sign the receiver to a long-term deal before the deadline, place the franchise tag on the player or lose him. During a phone interview with Houshmandzadeh on Tuesday night, Feb. 10, he was forthcoming about his future with the Bengals and how all the talk of becoming a free agent is affecting him.Read more
