Eagles face decision on Vick

   As NFL teams work to trim their rosters to 53 players by Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles have a decision to make regarding quarterback Michael Vick.

   Commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to give an indication of when Vick will be officially reinstated and permitted to play in the regular season. As terms of Vick’s conditional reinstatement, Goodell said a decision will be made by the sixth week of the season.

   On Saturday, the Eagles will decide whether to include Vick on their 53-man roster. If he is, Vick will be allowed to practice with the team.

   The Eagles can also elect to have Vick exempt from the roster. If they do that, Vick can attend meetings and practice, but can’t participate in the latter.

   Additionally, he can work out individually, lift weights and watch tape. He may also travel with the team, but is prohibited from being on the sideline or locker room before, during or after the game. Vick would be permitted to sit in a coaching booth or other club box.

 

--Howard Balzer, Senior NFL Writer, The Sports Xchange

Ochocinco gets the boot

With Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco converting an extra point and kicking off Thursday night, he's inching close to territory where he can go soccer style and be known simply as "Ochocinco."

Good thing for coach Marvin Lewis that his star wideout didn't pull a groin while trying to tweet during his follow through. Sure, there's some validity to the argument of keeping the preseason fun, but Lewis can't afford to have Andre Caldwell lining up as a starter in Week 1.

If Ochocinco was playing for Bill Belichick or Andy Reid, there's zero possibility he could successfully lobby to take the place of a kicker for giggles. That's what you have 80-man rosters and training camp fodder like fourth-stringers Maurice Purify and David Richmond for. They tweak a hammy on an extra point, and all it costs the Bengals is an injury settlement.

Big Ben scare a dose of reality for Steelers

All reports indicate the ankle injury that forced Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to leave practice on a cart Thursday isn’t serious. But it had to put a lump in the throat of Kevin Colbert.

The Steelers’ Director of Football Operations is taking a major gamble by heading into the season with precious little reliable depth behind Big Ben. Byron Leftwich fled town for an opportunity to compete for a starting job in Tampa Bay. That leaves 11-year veteran Charlie Batch, who spent last season on injured reserve, as Roethlisberger’s primary backup.

Leftwich actually played more efficiently than Roethlisberger is several of his five appearances last season, but there’s no arguing the importance of Big Ben’s role in Pittsburgh’s quest to repeat as Super Bowl champs. Batch has thrown just 133 passes in 22 appearances in seven seasons in Pittsburgh. That includes just four starts.

And Batch better be at the ready. The Steelers’ offensive line gave up 49 sacks in 2008 – in part because Roethlisberger fights so hard to keep every play alive. However, that bravado leads to a constant pounding.

Behind Batch is second-year man Dennis Dixon, but the former Oregon Duck is nowhere near being able to lead an NFL offense. At this point in his development, he is being looked at more for a potential Wildcat role – which could land him a spot on the active roster come game days. But Colbert and coach Tom Coughlin certainly don’t want to see Dixon lining up under center for anything more than a few gadget plays in 2009.

Bottom line: Favre makes Vikings a contender

   The reasons behind Brett Favre not signing with the Vikings in July are moot for the on-field product Minnesota will roll out for the regular-season opener.

   The bottom line is Favre will be wearing No. 4 – which was stripped from now-fourth-string John David Booty upon Favre’s signing – as the Vikings’ starting quarterback.

   Favre’s arrival immediately vaulted the Vikings to among the top contenders in the NFC among those who believed the quarterback position was what was holding Minnesota back. The Vikings now have dynamic playmakers at quarterback, running back (Adrian Peterson) and wide receiver (Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin). Oh, and one of the league’s top offensive lines.

   "I am excited about the opportunity to join this football team," Favre said. "From ownership, to coaching to the players, it is evident that everyone in the Vikings organization is committed to bringing the fans of Minnesota a Championship. I am eager to join my new teammates and get to work towards that goal."

   Sage Rosenfels performed very well in the preseason opener, but that had no relevance when Favre and the Vikings began communicating again. The simple fact is Favre brings the strong arm defenses must respect – which could lead to a huge season from Peterson.

   Rosenfels figures to become Favre’s primary backup, with Tarvaris Jackson potentially the odd-man out. However, Jackson denied rumors that he wants to be traded.

   "I heard about that," he said. "I never said that. I never said anything like that at all."

   Rosenfels had appeared to be taking the lead in his quest to become the opening-day starter for the first time in his career, but was diplomatic Tuesday.

   "I'm just going to keep working.  Keep working, stay ready, stay focused and be ready when this team needs me," Rosenfels said.

 

Vick in Philly ... but not to challange Donovan

QB Michael Vick officially signed with the Eagles on Tuesday, and held a press conference in which he said he hoped to be an "ambassador" to the game. Vick is still subject to a suspension until Week 6, which was announced by Commissioner Roger Goodell. However, Vick can participate in training camp, and continue to work out with the team during his suspension. He said QB Donovan McNabb lobbied coach Andy Reid to sign Vick, sight unseen.

"He’s familiar with our offense having done it the last few years in Atlanta before he was incarcerated. I was able to talk to him a little bit about that, and he recalls some of things such as the terminology and so on," said Reid. "There won’t be a quarterback controversy. That’s not how it is going to go down here. We have to make sure he gets back into football shape. He’s been out of this thing for a couple of years now, so it’s important that he gets himself into football shape. He is suspended for this [preseason] game and the next game, so he won’t play in either of those. He’ll be back for the last two preseason games, and then we’ll see what goes on with his situation in the regular season."

Hill takes lead in 49ers QB derby ... we think

Mike Singletary might be a first-time head coach, but he’s showing early signs of being an excellent spin doctor.

 

Singletary announced Shaun Hill will start the team’s preseason opener Friday. Then followed that by saying he didn’t know who will start next week and, “don’t read anything into it.”

 

Good luck. The 49ers have one of the few quarterback battles still brewing, albeit between a pair of quarterbacks who would be battling for the inactive No. 3 job in most NFL cities.

 

It doesn’t take an expert to read between the lines. Hill isn’t getting the nod because it’s a dead heat and he’s the incumbent. In fact, Singletary wouldn’t even commit to when – or how much – Alex Smith will play.

 

“Right now we are just going to get into the flow of the game and see where it goes,” said Singletary. “I think the flow will dictate, more or less, how much (Hill) will get to play.”

 

Stallworth suspended for '09 season

WR Donte' Stallworth has been suspended for the 2009 season without pay by Commissioner Roger Goodel. Stallworth had been suspended indefinitely after pleading guilty to DUI manslaugher on March 15, and met with Goodell on Aug. 5.

In a letter to Stallworth, Goodell said: "As you recognized both at and following the hearing, guilt or innocence as a matter of criminal law is not the same as a violation of NFL policies.  Here, longstanding league policies make clear that discipline is warranted "if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law…relating to the use of alcohol."  The degree of discipline may take into account "aggravating circumstances, including but not limited to felonious conduct or felonious injury or death of third parties…"  All of those factors are present here.  There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies.  In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL."

Crabtree to sit out '09?

WR Michael Crabtree's contract impass with the 49ers has him willing to sit out this season and re-enter the NFL Draft in 2010.

"We are prepared to do it," David Wells, Crabtree's cousin and adviser, told ESPN.com on Thursday. "Michael just wants fair-market value. They took him with the 10th pick and you have Darrius Heyward-Bey [the 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."

Lynch's loss is Jackson's gain in Buffalo

RB Fred Jackson is expected to start in front of Dominic Rhodes with Marshawn Lynch's three-game suspension upheld. "Going into the season, unless something happens it would be Freddy," said coach Dick Jauron. "Freddy would be the starter, but they’re both playing a lot and we don’t know what’s going to happen as we move through preseason because we’ll get a real good opportunity to see a lot of Xavier (Omon) and a lot of Bruce (Hall) and to some degree we’ll see Cory (McIntyre) at running back too, so we’ll see all of those guys. Xavier and Bruce are going to get a lot of time in games which will be great for them and great for us to evaluate them."

Singletary hopes fans give Smith thick skin

   Quarterback Alex Smith is trying to remake himself after missing most of the past two seasons with shoulder injuries.

   He got plenty of help from the 1,000 fans who fit into the makeshift bleachers at the 49ers’ practice facility when he took the field for the first time in training camp. After his first incomplete pass, Smith was roundly booed.

   “That’s fine, it’s part of the deal,” Smith said. “It’s part of playing quarterback in the NFL. But there are some good things that come out if it. You come out here and there’s a lot of energy, too.”

   Smith and Shaun Hill are competing for the starting job, and coach Mike Singletary said he believes that kind of fan reaction is ultimately beneficial in preparing Smith for what lies ahead.

   “I think it was outstanding,” Singletary said. “Alex has to learn how to deal with it.”

   While 49ers fans might be skeptical of Smith’s ability to lead the team, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 draft looks to be completely healthy for the first time since early in the 2007 season.

   Little went smoothly for Smith during his first four NFL seasons. After an atrocious rookie season, Smith began to show signs in 2006 of becoming a good quarterback. He threw 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions but ended the season on a positive note.

   However, after leading the 49ers to a 2-1 beginning in 2007, nothing has gone right. He sustained a separated shoulder, leading him to undergo season-ending surgery. Last summer, he lost the starting job to J.T. O’Sullivan before sustaining a fracture of a small bone in his shoulder. He spent the entire season on injured reserve.

   In 32 career games, Smith is a 54.4-percent passer with 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. His career passer rating is 63.5.

   But Smith is throwing the ball with more accuracy and velocity than at any point in his career. Later, on his first day of practice he showed precision accuracy with two deep completions to new receiver Brandon Jones.

   Still, Smith has a difficult chore to beat out Hill, who has compiled a 7-3 record the past two seasons as the 49ers’ starter. The other 49ers quarterbacks during that time are a combined 5-17.

   Singletary said there is no “leader” in the competition because he has yet to see the qualities that a starting quarterback must possess.

   “It doesn’t matter where we are today,” Singletary said. “I want to find the guy who is going to lead this team. Right now, I’m not seeing that guy.”

   Hill said he believes he has to take the job and erase any doubt of which quarterback can do the better job.

   “I have to do something and it’s not doing anything outside of myself,” he said. “It’s playing within myself. Something has to click to where it looks like when I’m in there I’m the best guy that needs to be in there,” Hill said. “The whole offense will click all at once and it will be noticeable whenever he makes a decision.”

Rams working top rookies into the mix

   It came down to the wire as it often does with high draft picks in the NFL, but when the Rams took the field for their first full-squad practice July 31, both first-round pick Jason Smith and second-round pick James Laurinaitis were on the field.

   And, both lined up with the second unit as they did through most of the OTAs, although both did take some limited reps with the first team during the first three days of practice.

   Laurinaitis signed July 29 and was able to participate in one day of work with a small group (34 players) of rookies, quarterbacks and selected veterans. Smith missed that day, but signed in time for the first team meeting and the opening practice.

   "It's nice to have all that out of the way," Laurinaitis said after signing. "That's an area I don't like, kind of like thinking about all that money stuff. For me, it's all about playing football ever since I was little. So the fact that we get paid for this now is just a bonus. But I'll never be one of those guys that gets caught up in those numbers and such."

   Smith has the same attitude, and it was big part of why the Rams drafted both. Aside from being potentially excellent players, they each have a passion for the game coaches love.

   When Smith was asked if he urged his agents to get a deal done, he said, “Well obviously as offensive linemen, you want to be a part of the team. I have never done a deal before so I don’t know. But what I know is that to play football you got to be here, you can’t be at the house wanting to be a part of a team. You got to be here being a part of the team. That’s what’s were doing here at the Rams, building a team that we can go out and play in the NFL.”

   Agent Ben Dogra lives in St. Louis, and as part of CAA with Tom Condon represents both Smith and Laurinaitis.

   Of Smith, Dogra said, "Jason Smith's a football player. He really wanted to be here on time. The Rams are trying to build something with these new group of guys, and he wants to be a part of that."

   Laurinaitis, who is expected to win a job at middle linebacker, was just anxious to get the pads on.

   "A lot of guys look good in shorts, you know what I mean?" Laurinaitis said. "And when you're a linebacker, wearing shorts all the time is kind of hard for you. Your whole position is kind of based on physicality and going out there and showing them what you can do. We'll get plenty of that these next few weeks."

   Smith is at right tackle, as opposed to left tackle, where he played in college.

   He’s fine with that. “Whether it’s right tackle, left tackle, serving water, making sure the Gatorade is cold, or handing out towels; whatever it is, I’m ready.”