Cleveland Browns 01/07/2009 6:22 PMESPN.com reports the Cleveland Browns have agreed to hire former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini as their head coach. Mangini, fired last week by the Jets, agreed to four-year deal, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Michael Smith. Mangini is being represented by agent Ron Shapiro, who is Mangini's father-in-law. The 37-year-old Mangini began his NFL career in Cleveland. He started out as a Browns ball boy and was later a public relations intern. He has never forgotten his football roots. When the Jets played the Browns in recent seasons, Mangini bought a catered lunch of Italian food for Cleveland reporters.Read more
New Orleans Saints 01/07/2009 2:16 PMAP reports the New Orleans Saints have confirmed that running back Reggie Bush had surgery on his left knee, and will require months of rehabilitation. However, Bush is expected to be ready for minicamp in June. The surgery in December entailed drilling small holes in the bone around the knee joint in order to generate soft tissue that mimics the padding effect of cartilage. Bush has had repeated problems with his left knee the past two seasons. He was placed on injured reserve after the latest injury in the Dec. 11 game against Chicago. Bush’s injury initially was reported as a sprained medial collateral ligament, which doesn’t usually require surgery. But the team confirmed Wednesday that he had surgery.Read more
Baltimore Ravens 01/07/2009 2:14 PMESPN’s Joe Schad reports Florida State junior defensive end Everette Brown told ESPN on Wednesday that he will enter the NFL draft. Brown, 6 feet 4 and 252 pounds, had 13½ sacks this season and 21½ tackles for losses, ranking among the nation's leaders. Brown will be one of the top speed rushers in the NFL draft. Scouts Inc. draft expert Todd McShay has Brown rated as the ninth player in his Top 32. "This is a business decision," Brown said Wednesday. "I can bring the whole package as far as a guy who can get up the field quickly and will also study the playbook everyday and work hard."Read more
Baltimore Ravens 01/07/2009 2:14 PMESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno, who led the SEC in passing and rushing this season, respectively, are expected to announce Wednesday that they will enter April's NFL draft. Multiple sources with knowledge of the players' decisions said Moreno was definitely leaning toward entering the NFL draft, but said Stafford had wrestled with his decision for several days. Stafford, a junior from Highland Park, Texas, might be the first player selected in the draft, according to Todd McShay, director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. who also does NFL draft analysis for ESPN.Read more
