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Here are the latest NFL rumors from the folks at Pro Football Weekly:
|  | | Rob Johnson should enter next season as Buffalo's No. 1 quarterback. |
We're told that Buffalo coach Wade Phillips' shocking 11th-hour decision to start quarterback Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie last week had as much to do with the Bills' plans for 2000 as it did their wild-card game. Even though Buffalo lost at Tennessee, Johnson is now considered the prohibitive favorite to start next season.
Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe revealed that offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong played much of the second half of the season with a severe knee injury. Armstrong might need offseason surgery.
The Patriots are disappointed with backup quarterback Michael Bishop's attitude. Bishop, a seventh-round pick in '99, recently hinted that he'd rather be traded than return to New England, where he would receive minimal playing time behind Bledsoe. Bishop has balked at the team's suggestion that he play in NFL Europe this spring.
In light of the turmoil surrounding the Jets' coaching and ownership situations, cornerback Marcus Coleman said he is glad he did not accept a contract extension offered to him shortly before the end of the regular season. Coleman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Browns have asked for permission to speak with Jets defensive line coach Romeo Crennel about becoming their defensive coordinator.
Saints observers were mildly surprised that team executive Terry O'Neil was among those fired last week by owner Tom Benson. O'Neil recently had been promoted and was in charge of negotiating a better Superdome lease from the state of Louisiana. We hear one of the reasons O'Neil was fired was that he had become too friendly with the media for the team's tastes.
Veteran quarterback Mike Tomczak's career with the Steelers is probably over. Coach Bill Cowher said last week that it would be nice to add a different veteran quarterback to complement the three QBs under contract for 2000: Kordell Stewart, Pete Gonzalez and Anthony Wright.
Bengals offensive tackle Willie Anderson on first-year quarterback Akili Smith: "I hope he understands this. I don't know if he does or not. He can either make or break this whole damn thing. In two or three years, if he's good, you'll see us on top. If not, you'll see us struggle."
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan will propose a change in salary-cap rules that would make it easier for teams to keep longtime players. Shanahan's proposal is that a player who had been with his team for 10 years or more would only count half his salary against the cap. "If a guy is here for a certain length of time, you could give a guy a nice raise and signing bonus that he deserves but only cost half against the cap. There's got to be a way to keep great players on your team." Shanahan will bring up the topic at the NFL owners' meetings in March.
The Broncos probably will ask some veterans to take cuts in their 2000 base salaries and replace them with incentives. Defensive ends Alfred Williams (scheduled to make $1.6 million) and Neil Smith ($2.5 million) are among the likely candidates.
Shanahan says he will keep Bubby Brister on the roster as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback.
The Falcons are expected to make a strong push to sign unrestricted free-agent quarterback Eric Zeier to back up Chris Chandler.
The Panthers fear that kicker John Kasay, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left (kicking) knee in Week 14, might not be ready for the start of training camp or even the start of the 2000 regular season.
Browns right tackle Orlando Brown, who was hit in the eye with a flag thrown by game official Jeff Triplette in Week 15, is still suffering from double vision, according to a Browns source. He will also need to undergo surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow but must wait until the eye problem clears up.
The Eagles were very happy with the way midde linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and rookie outside linebacker Barry Gardner performed this season. However, we hear coaches believe that those players could be even more effective if they switch places, an experiment that will likely begin in training camp.
We hear that Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks is as good as gone. Sparks becomes an unrestricted free agent in March, and many people in the Giants organization believe that the veteran dogged it down the stretch. He missed several games in December and January with a groin injury, but when an MRI was performed, nothing serious was found. Cornerback Conrad Hamilton is also going to be eligible to test the market. He was a non-factor for much of the season with a knee injury. Expect the Giants to pursue a cornerback in free agency.
Despite the perception that offensive coordinator Marc Trestman is to blame for Arizona's ineffective offense this season, coach Vince Tobin said he plans to make no changes to his coaching staff. The Cardinals finished 29th in total offense this season.
It looks like Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware will need surgery on his shoulder, which means he might miss the Pro Bowl. Boulware's shoulder kept popping out this season, which was the result of a decision not to have surgery last offseason. The Ravens were amazed that Boulware was as effective as he was this season (10 sacks) with such an injury.
Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell says he doesn't think his knee injury will limit his mobility the way an ankle injury did in last season's playoffs.
The Bears have made multi-year offers to free-agent wide receivers Bobby Engram (unrestricted) and Marcus Robinson (restricted). Chicago's initial offer to Engram was worth slightly less than the four-year, $10 million contract Patrick Jeffers signed with Carolina. Since Robinson is a restricted free agent, the Bears have the right to match any offer he receives, and we hear the Bears have a strong desire to retain him.
Talks broke off between the Packers and defensive end Keith McKenzie, who will become an unrestricted free agent in March. Green Bay offered what it thought was a good deal, averaging $2.7 million per year. But McKenzie is looking for an average salary of $4 million. Center Frank Winters, another free agent-to-be, also was miffed with the offer he received from the team, a backloaded three-year deal.
Considering Lions quarterback Charlie Batch's thumb injury could prevent him from throwing through the team's post-draft minicamp in April, Detroit might have to pick up the option on backup Gus Frerotte. Frerotte signed a three-year deal last offseason that included a two-year option worth $2.6 million in base salary.
Packers GM Ron Wolf on Vikings strong safety Robert Griffith: "When Robert Griffith didn't make the (NFC) Pro Bowl team, then to me that had no credibility whatsoever. He is the best defensive player in the division we play in, and he can't even make the Pro Bowl team."
While it sounds as though some changes might be made on the 49ers' coaching staff, we hear they will not include defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. Coach Steve Mariucci and others in the organization believe that the unit's problems were completely out of Mora Jr.'s hands, especially considering he tried seven different cornerbacks to help a pass defense that ranked last in the league.
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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