Are Giants in the mix for T.J.?
If you're a football junkie, you've gotta be loving this.
With the start of free agency about 42 hours away, rumors are swirling in all different directions.
As I was brushing my teeth this morning, I heard a radio report citing The Sporting News, which said Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the Giants' top target. So I hurried to the laptop to check it out (yes, I am that much of a geek).
The article lists every team and names five players each might target in free agency. However, the report is not citing a source who says New York is interested in Houshmandzadeh. Here's exactly what is written:
There is no way to find a comparable replacement to Plaxico Burress, as 6-5 receivers with speed and a huge wingspan are almost impossible to find. Burress faces a serious legal battle and possible jail time as a result of illegal gun charges.
I interpret this to mean: The Giants need help at wide receiver with Burress' status uncertain, and Houshmandzadeh is the top free-agent wide receiver available. Nothing more than that. In fact, the same article has the Eagles' No. 2 target as Albert Haynesworth, so I'd take it with a grain of salt.
Boldin staying or going?
The other wide receiver Eagles fans have grown somewhat obsessed with this offseason is Anquan Boldin. The wide receiver's situation in Arizona seems to be updated on a daily basis, but not much has changed. He's unhappy and wants a new contract. He's said he won't return to Arizona, but if the price is right, he could probably change his mind pretty quickly. And the Cardinals hold the power since Boldin is still under contract. As I said yesterday, they can choose to rework his contract, trade him or just let him be unhappy and cost himself money.
Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic wrote about the situation today, calling the two sides' distance on a contract "as wide as a glacier, and just as cold."
The Inquirer's John Gonzalez made the case for the Eagles to pursue Boldin in this morning's paper.
Haynesworth update
Yesterday we linked to a report by Lance Zierlein of The Houston Chronicle, which said the Redskins are prepared to put together a monster $100M deal for Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. According to NFL Network's Adam Schefter, Haynesworth's agent, Chad Speck, fielded more than 30 calls and e-mails yesterday from members of the Washington media after the report surfaced.
"Albert is not allowed to have a deal with another team, and he doesn't have a deal with another team," Speck e-mailed Schefter Tuesday night. "We continue to keep the lines of communication open with Tennessee. The rumors suggesting that a deal is in place between Albert and the Washington Redskins are completely false."
Of course, the initial report did not say that a deal was in place. Teams technically are not allowed to have anything in place before 12:01 a.m. Friday morning. The report said the Redskins were going to make a push for Haynesworth, and that still could be the case.
That'll do it for now, but I plan on blogging like a madman over the next 48 hours so keep checking back. We'll have a post from our friend Scott Wright from draftcountdown.com with the latest buzz on the Combine, which wrapped up yesterday.