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The stunning events that led to receiver Wes Welker signing with the Denver Broncos on Wednesday, and the New England Patriots filling the void with Danny Amendola, came down quickly behind the scenes, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The breaking point came Tuesday in the mid-afternoon before the official start of free agency, when the Patriots and Welker's representatives halted contract talks. The team's offer, a two-year, $10 million pact with incentives that could have pushed it as high as $16 million but in the eyes of Welker would be extremely difficult to reach, wasn't accepted.

At that point, Welker and his representatives intensified their pursuit of other offers, and it helped that some groundwork had previously been laid with the Broncos. Likewise, the Patriots turned their attention to Amendola, who was their top choice if things didn't work out with Welker (and in the eyes of some on the other side of the negotiating table their top choice all along). Things came together quickly with the Patriots and Amendola on a five-year, $31 million deal with $10 million guaranteed, and at that point, there was no looking back for the team. While the Patriots would have been pleased if Welker accepted their proposal -- owner Robert Kraft said Monday that he hoped Welker would retire as a Patriot -- the possibility of losing him and Amendola was deemed too risky, so they moved close to locking in the deal with Amendola not long after free agency began Tuesday.

After almost a year of on-and-off talks, had the Patriots felt they were closer to a possible agreement with Welker, perhaps they wouldn't have pushed so hard for Amendola at that point. But it was a stalemate that the club felt showed no signs of resolving itself -- the Patriots ready to move on, and Welker slowly but not completely becoming more comfortable envisioning himself catching passes from Peyton Manning instead of Tom Brady.

This is how it often works in free agency, with timing of the essence. Patriots coach Bill Belichick regularly says that he makes decisions in the best interests of the team, and in the 27-year-old Amendola he saw a quick, sure-handed target who was five years younger than Welker and committing to a lengthy five-year term. If it couldn't be assured that Welker would be back at a contract the team was comfortable with, the Patriots were willing to move on at that point with a player whom offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had worked with in St. Louis in 2011.

Yet even after Welker received a two-year, $12 million offer from the Broncos on Wednesday, a call was made to the Patriots to see if the club would sweeten its offer. The Patriots did not have an immediate response, which led some in Welker's camp to believe a better offer was a possibility in part to keep him away from the Broncos, one of their top competitors in the AFC. Ultimately, the club informed Welker and his representatives that they had entered into another commitment, which Welker's camp assumed all along was Amendola.

So Welker called the Broncos -- who, according to a source, were initially concerned about insulting Welker with their offer because they already had made other financial commitments -- and told them he was on board. While not the offer he was hoping for at the start of free agency, it was easier for Welker to accept it from a team other than one that he'd produced at such a high level for over the past six seasons, the source said.

The initial response that Welker received from Manning, executive vice president of football operations John Elway and others in the organization has been "a great feeling" and given him greater comfort in making the move. "Elway told him that he wants him to be himself and have fun doing it," the source said.

Welker, who agreed to the deal without visiting Broncos headquarters, is scheduled to travel to Denver on Thursday morning. He had interest from another AFC team offering two years and closer to $15 million, which was the top contract proposal Welker received in a market that didn't unfold the way he and his representatives envisioned, but he didn't pursue it because the club isn't viewed as a contender. The Broncos, who visit the Patriots in 2013, are one of the AFC's top contenders, which was important to Welker.

The turn of events was stunning when considering that the Patriots and Welker had been close on a three-year contract last summer. The gap was about $1 million at that time, according to one source, but neither side would budge.

Since that time, sources from both sides indicated that finding common ground was a challenge. On one side was the feeling that Welker's camp would only accept a three-year term at an average of $8 million per season. On the other side was a belief that the Patriots had basically made one offer and in recent weeks weren't willing to tweak the incentives to try to make them more reasonable to reach.

As for how Welker's departure has been received by quarterback Tom Brady, who last month restructured his contract in order to provide more salary cap flexibility to help the Patriots build a better team, a source who had direct contact with Brady said he is "bummed out." Welker hasn't just been Brady's go-to receiver, he's also one of his closest friends. But Brady has been through this before, going back to 2003 when safety Lawyer Milloy, one of his closest friends on the team, stunningly was released about a week before the season opener. In 2006, Brady was stung by receiver Deion Branch being traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Brady has said in recent years that if he could make the personnel decisions, all of his friends would remain on the team.

But that's just not the way it works in New England, where Belichick has never been afraid of making an unpopular move, and his relative success in doing so -- and the franchise's consistent winning ways -- has earned him leeway with a passionate fan ba

Philip Anschutz doesn't get pushed around. He's a billionaire who makes business deals with his head, not his heart. When he sets his mind to something, he stands firm.

In other words, he's not likely to bring an NFL team back to Los Angeles.

Throughout the Farmers Field process, it was Tim Leiweke, then president of AEG, who was keeping the concept alive, scrambling to keep all parties engaged, always selling the notion that a downtown L.A. stadium would not only work but would be the gem of the NFL. Without Leiweke as a buffer, we have two behemoths of business — Anschutz and the NFL — poised to bang heads again, each with distinctly different ideas of what a fair deal is.

Anschutz told The Times that his decision to pull AEG off the sales block actually makes it more likely a team will return, not less. But he also gave no indication he's willing to soften his position with the NFL. If anything, he sounded more resolute about where he stands.

"Why would I go to all the trouble, spend all the time, spend all the capital, tee all this up, and give someone all the upside?" Anschutz said. "I mean, my friends would think I should be committed."

Makes perfect sense, but that kind of thinking doesn't play big with the NFL, which has done just fine without L.A. and in fact has done an exceptional job of using a team-less L.A. as a hammer to hang over the heads of cities it views as insufficiently committal.

If Anschutz won't budge, neither will the NFL, and that would be a short conversation.

There are plenty of reasons for Anschutz to stand his ground. He would have to write an enormous check for the stadium and take on a staggering amount of risk in a city that, for various reasons, has already lost two NFL teams.

There is no overwhelming, unified push for a team to return to the market, and the NFL faces the significant challenge of attracting fans to live events, as opposed to their watching on TV. Also, no one is sure where the concussion issue will lead, or how that will affect the value of teams and the league.

So if an investor is "conservative" and "skeptical" — words Anschutz has used to describe himself — it's hard to imagine him very eager to talk to the NFL. By his estimate, it has been at least eight months since his last stadium-related discussions with anyone from the league.

All that doesn't necessarily mean the idea for a downtown stadium has flatlined, although there's nothing happening on that front at the moment.

There's always a chance that after the dust settles on this non-sale, someone could circle back and make another run at Anschutz to buy AEG. Might Guggenheim quietly get back in the game? Or maybe Anschutz could break off the Farmers Field opportunity and sell it separately.

He estimates he has spent $45 million on the endeavor so far, plus $5 million to $10 million more on "indirects," and AEG expended a lot of political capital to get the support it has from City Hall. Hard to imagine all of that going away in a poof.

"I'm not in the practice of commonly writing checks just for the fun of writing them," he said.

In the end, though, unless one of the billion-dollar behemoths backs down, that might just be the cost of doing business.


NFL probably won't like this Philip Anschutz - latimes-com

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't re-sign wide receiver Mike Wallace in part because they knew they had Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in place. But what if they lose Sanders?

Sanders signed an offer sheet with the New England Patriots after visiting the team on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Restricted free agents like Sanders rarely change teams these days, but the Patriots used some of their salary-cap room to make a front-loaded offer, which Pittsburgh could find tough to match.

Terms of the offer were not disclosed, but the Steelers now have seven days to match it. If they choose not to, the Patriots would send a third-round draft pick in 2013 to the Steelers.

Sanders would join a rebuilt Patriots wide receiver group alongside new signees Danny Amendola and Donald Jones. Sanders' proven ability to get deep would add some necessary speed to the team's wide receiver position.

New England's interest in Sanders certainly does not bode well for the future of Brandon Lloyd. The Patriots have to make a decision in the next week about whether to give Lloyd his roster bonus or cut him loose.

Sanders set career highs with 44 catches and 626 yards in 2012, starting seven games for the Steelers. He was slated to be a starter with the Steelers this season.


Emmanuel Sanders reportedly signs Patriots offer - NFL-com

1. One of the most interesting behind-the-scenes developments that I heard in the first week of free agency was how running back Danny Woodhead was on the radar of the New York Jets, and the idea that he might return to the team that cut him in 2010 was discussed seriously. Imagine that: the Patriots having to face the clutch "passing" back who was one of their most consistent and reliable players from 2010-2012 twice each season. The Jets wound up going with Mike Goodson instead, but there was legitimate interest in Woodhead, and it was reciprocated until the Chargers stepped up with their aggressive pitch. As for the Patriots, they were in the mix to retain Woodhead, but this was a case where they set their financial limit and felt the right decision was to move on once the numbers exceeded that. I wonder if they might ultimately regret the decision.

2. I'm sometimes asked who my favorite Patriots player to watch has been over the years. The answer: He just signed with the Broncos this week. Wes Welker was also one of the best guys, from this perspective, to come through the locker room as well. Stepping away from the "blame game" and all the pointing fingers as to who is most responsible for the Welker/Patriots split, and my underlying feeling with what unfolded is disappointment. Writers don't root for teams, but I don't think it's crossing lines to root for good things to happen to good people who treat people right and are excellent at what they do. That's Welker for me.

3a. Can we also put one overblown Welker-based story to rest? When Welker's snaps were reduced in the first two games of the 2012 season, it wasn't because the Patriots were phasing him out of the offense. But somewhere along the line, this storyline grew so powerful that it almost became fact in the forum of public opinion. First, Welker admits he didn't have a great training camp. Also, part of the idea all along was to take a long-range view and limit some of the early-season wear and tear on Welker, who had slowed at the end of the 2011 season in part because of a high snap total. So when offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called a running play that required a receiver to make a crack block or something of the like, if Welker could be spared that physical grind, why not? The other part of it was that Julian Edelman had earned more time in the eyes of the staff; his speed had improved markedly from 2011 to 2012, which added a different element to the passing game. So yes, Welker's playing time was reduced in the first two games (the Titans opener was a run-based plan), but only if you believe in conspiracy theories was it done in the context of phasing him out. The idea, first and foremost, was to preserve him for the long run.

3b. Even though we don't see it the same way on Welker's departure, I want to thank Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti for giving me the forum to defend myself on their Boston-based sports radio show Friday. When someone questions your integrity and says you are in the bag for the team, it can't go unchecked. It was good to air out our differences. I hope most people understand that the idea is to be in the bag for the truth, and that anyone in this position should be talking to well-placed sources at both sides of the negotiating table in hopes of ascertaining as close to an accurate picture of what unfolded as possible. If you enter with an agenda-free goal of being as fair as possible, and convey that, the hope is that it earns the trust of both sides. That's what resulted in these two stories -- 1. how the Patriots & Wes Welker parted ways; and 2. how the business side bit Welker.

3c. The final piece on Welker is how such an optimistic outlook could turn so suddenly. Optimism was high in February because sources said Welker wanted to be here and the Patriots determined they wanted him. Usually that's a good starting point for striking a deal, so momentum was generating. But what ultimately unfolded is that the sides had widely different views of the reshaped marketplace, which had yet to solidify itself at that point. Welker's representatives overshot their target based on the deal Welker ultimately ended up with.

4a. One word comes to mind when thinking about the Patriots' signing of veteran safety Adrian Wilson: toughness. I thought the Patriots needed more of it in 2012, and as long as Wilson can still run well, he has the potential to have a Rodney Harrison-type impact on this defense.

4b. Another thought on Adrian Wilson, who's 33, as well as the Patriots' addition of kickoff returner Leon Washington, who's 30, is that if you talk to those who have been around them on a daily basis they relay how they are strong veteran locker room guys. They should have a significant presence in a Patriots' room that has trended younger in recent years.

5. The NFL's annual meeting takes place over the next four days in Phoenix, and ESPNBoston will be there to pass along any relevant news on the Patriots. The potential elimination of the tuck rule is on the table, which figures to spark natural discussion that might not be well-received back home. AFC coaches have their annual media breakfast Tuesday, with the NFC coaches on Wednesday, and there could potentially be news on opening-week prime-time games. We could also learn which teams receive compensatory draft choices, although the Patriots aren't expected to score big in that area.

6. I feel like former Patriots receiver Brandon Lloyd got a bad rap when it came to the possible reasons for his release. I believe it was mostly tied to production as it relates to economics, not personality. Yes, he is wired a little differently, not always the easiest guy to read. But if Lloyd was making the veteran minimum instead of due a $1.9 million salary and $3 million bonus this year, or if he produced at a higher level last year, I think he would still be on the roster.

7. Not sure enough attention has been paid to how drama

The N.F.L.’s investigation into why a team employee asked a college player if he liked girls during last month’s scouting combine has found that the comment was part of casual banter — “chatter that was inappropriate” — but not part of a formal interview process, said Robert Gulliver, the league’s top human resources executive. The league is still trying to determine how many players and teams might have had similar exchanges, with the possibility remaining of fines for teams involved, Gulliver said last week. But whatever the outcome of the inquiry, it will almost certainly not put an end to what has become a hot-button issue for the country’s most macho sports league.

From highly publicized support of same-sex marriage initiatives by some players last fall to the San Francisco 49er Chris Culliver’s antigay remarks during Super Bowl media day, from Katie Couric asking Manti Te’o if he is gay to Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo filing an amicus brief asking the United States Supreme Court to reject California’s ban on same-sex marriage, a series of controversial episodes has made the N.F.L. the awkward vessel for grappling with one of sports’ most stubborn taboos — that of the gay athlete — and for the country’s larger debate about gay rights.

“What Chris Culliver said at the Super Bowl was overall very positive, because it made everybody address this and confront the fact that there are gay players in the locker room and they are closeted now,” said Jim Buzinski, one of the founders of Outsports.com, a Web site about gays and sports. “It shows a reflection that times have changed. The groundwork is being laid for players to come out. Five years ago, you could not even get N.F.L. players to talk about the issue because they’d think, ‘Oh my God, do you think I’m gay?’ ”

Still, Buzinski called the combine question to Colorado tight end Nick Kasa “disappointing and embarrassing” and said it indicated that at least some segments of the N.F.L. were still operating in fear of gays.

During the league’s annual meeting, which begins here Monday, a diversity session will be held for owners, and hiring practices will be addressed with coaches, general managers and others. When the N.F.L.’s collective bargaining agreement was completed almost two years ago, it added “sexual orientation” to a section that forbids discrimination.

Next month, Troy Vincent, the N.F.L.’s senior vice president for player engagement, will meet with six groups that represent the gay community to go over the league’s policies and seek input on improvements. The league will also do what Gulliver called “culture change work” by adding training on gay issues at its annual rookie symposium.

“I think there have certainly been instances where there have been individuals that have made poor decisions, that were ill informed, ill advised and showed a lack of education about L.G.B.T.,” Gulliver said, referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. “If anything, there are opportunities to educate more players about our expectations from a diversity standpoint, but I would not say we’re painted with this brush where there is broad-based homophobia.”

Still, one former team executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said there were still pockets of homophobia in the N.F.L. He said he knew current and former players who are gay. He said that the day a player comes out in the N.F.L. — no player in any of the country’s major sports leagues has come out while still active — coaches will be mostly concerned about the distraction news media coverage will bring to the team. But he expects that some players and owners, because of their religious beliefs, will be uncomfortable with gay players — an attitude that echoes recent radio comments by the former Bears quarterback Jim Miller, who said it was naïve to think a gay player would be easily accepted in the locker room, because of how religion shapes some players’ attitudes.

“It will be like integration was,” the former team executive said. “There’s a large population of people who will accept it, but then I also think there will be a segment who are just not as accepting, who are ignorant. It’s not going to be we’re going to wave a wand and prejudice will go away. There is still racial prejudice in the locker room.”

When the president of the players union, Domonique Foxworth, wrote in The Huffington Post recently that he would support the first openly gay player, he did so, he said, in part because “players were painted as Neanderthals” after Culliver’s Super Bowl comments.

“Stereotypes are easy,” Foxworth said recently. “I’m not trying to say we’re the most enlightened group. The point I’m making is we’re no different than the general public. I think our country has a homophobia problem. I don’t think we’re where we need to be. It’s not about whether you agree with it; it’s about accepting it and not ridiculing it. All of us have something that makes us a minority in some way. Try to put yourselves in the shoes of someone else.”

Last week, the New York attorney general’s office sent a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell, asking the league to issue a formal written policy to ensure there be no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It asked for a meeting to be updated on the league’s investigation into the combine incident.

The office has not closed the door on taking its own action, under its powers to investigate potential employment discrimination in companies based in New York.

After Kasa said he was asked about liking girls, and at least two other players indicated they were asked similar questions, the league issued a statement noting that its policy did not allow sexual orientation to be considered in hiring, and that all teams were expected to abide by employment laws.

But Outsports’s Buzinski and several team officials and players said last week that they want

There’s a strong possibility the Patriots will open the NFL season Sept. 5 at Baltimore, if a scheduling conflict can be worked out.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft told the team’s website Monday that he’d “be surprised” if New England didn’t take on the Ravens for the NFL Kickoff Game at M&T Bank Stadium in an AFC Championship game rematch.

But as it stands today, that wouldn’t happen.

The Orioles are scheduled to host the White Sox in the opening game of a four-game series at 7 p.m. at Camden Yards. The two stadiums share a parking lot, so the team can’t play at the same time.

The NFL is hoping MLB moves the Orioles to the afternoon. The NFL is willing to push the start later than the usual 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

“I have talked to Major League Baseball, I have called [MLB Commissioner] Bud Selig twice and spoken to him about that,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We are trying to work out an accommodation to allow the Orioles’ game to happen earlier in the afternoon and the Ravens to celebrate their Super Bowl championship with their fans at home on Thursday night. We think that is the right thing.

“We think it will be a great day. As a kid who grew up as an Orioles fan, to have the Orioles game in the afternoon and then go to the Ravens’ Super Bowl championship celebration for the Kickoff Game will be a great day. We hope that is the way it will happen.”

It may not. The White Sox play a 6 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium the night before, so the White Sox and the MLB players union would have to agree.

“It doesn’t just involve the Orioles,” Katy Feeney, MLB’s senior vice president for club relations and scheduling told the Baltimore Sun. “There is another team. The Orioles and White Sox have been on the schedule for quite awhile. Both teams are coming off a night game [on the road]. It’s late in the season. To ask them to play a day game is rough, plus you have to factor in the impact on attendance and broadcast revenue.’’

The NFL has ruled out opening the season on Wednesday night because of Rosh Hashanah.

The only alternative would be to have the Ravens open on the road — which wouldn’t happen against the Patriots.

“We think that is wrong for the Ravens’ fans,” Goodell said. “We would not want that to happen. That is why we are trying to reach an accommodation here. We are working on the schedule. We are working on parallel tracks for a couple more weeks. Clearly, we are getting to a point where we have to make that decision.”

Tuck rule on block

The tuck rule, which helped the Patriots win their first championship by overruling a Tom Brady fumble in the waning moments of a 2001 AFC Divisional playoff game, will come to a vote on Tuesday at the league meeting.

“We all think it’s a fumble, so it will be a fumble,” said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, a member of the competition committee. “It’s been well received. It makes sense.”

When asked specifically if the Brady play would be a fumble under the rule change, Fisher said, “Correct,” before joking, “This is not retroactive, by the way.”

Why was the tuck rule in place to begin with?

“It was a bright line to say once the hand started forward with the pass, it was a pass until the player actually tucked the ball away, so there was a clear delineation,” said Dean Blandino, the NFL’s new vice president of officiating. “Now there’s more judgment involved, but we feel we can officiate that, and certainly with replay involved we have the ability to review it in replay.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was asked how he would vote on the change.

“I might have to abstain on that,” he joked. “That’s a hard one. I have a great bond with the tuck rule.

“I never, to be honest, prior to the Snow Game, I never knew what the tuck rule was. But I love the tuck rule, and forever will, and I know [longtime Raiders owner] Al Davis, may he rest in peace, is probably smiling.”

Money ball

A few more of the Patriots contracts have come into focus.

Former Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson was given the kind of contract — three years at $5 million with only a $1 million signing bonus guaranteed — that indicates that he will be part of a three-man competition (Tavon Wilson, Steve Gregory) to play at strong safety next to free safety Devin McCourty.

A year ago, Gregory received a three-year, $7.1-million contract with $3.35 million guaranteed.

Wilson will count $1.333 million against the cap this season, and $1.833 million in both 2014 and ’15. In the latter two years, Wilson has playing-time incentives.

Receiver Donald Jones’s three-year deal has no signing bonus or guaranteed money. He counts $1.131 million against the cap this season, $1.415 million, and $1.555 million thereafter. His base salaries can be split in half against the cap should he land on injured reserve.



Jones has $14,687 in per-game roster bonuses for the duration of the contract.

Quick hits

The Patriots have kicked the tires on free agent right tackle Eric Winston, the former Texans and Chiefs standout, according to a league source. It’s due diligence that could be affected by whether free agent Sebastian Vollmer returns . . . The Patriots reinstated fullback Tony Fiammetta from the reserve/left squad list. Fiammetta left the squad early in training camp to deal with a personal issue, and has been welcomed back with open arms . . . The Patriots did not receive any compensatory draft picks for losing free agents last year. The Falcons and Ravens led the league with four each for losing more free agents than they signed . . . Goodell said the NFL has made another proposal about changing the offseason calendar to spread out events such as the combine, free agency, the draft, and the start of training camps. It’s not known what the calendar looks like. “We think that it makes a lot of sense,” Goodell said. “I think the players saw the benefits of doing that and they wanted to talk to their membership, which they were doing last

The future of the Pro Bowl has been a front-and-center topic at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, and structural changes to the financial awards and selection of teams are on the table, a high-ranking league official said Tuesday.

The game also could be moving. The NFL official said the league will have an announcement in the coming days about future locations for the game, and it's possible it could move from Hawaii and rotate to different sites.

The source said the NFL is considering breaking up the compensation structure for the game by halves, or even by quarters, in order to ratchet up the in-game intensity. The league also is considering adding two-minute warnings to end of the first and third quarters, to produce games within the game to create tangible rewards in making every play more important. Rewards for big plays also are a possibility.

The "draft" concept -- which the NHL once used in its all-star game -- is "not a done deal," according to the source, but it's closer to being implemented than the other elements. The league is considering having captains select teams and is working on the mechanics of the proposed change, which would include the timing of the draft, the opportunity to televise the draft, uniforms, team names and rules. The league has a working group that will deal with those details later this week, after the meetings in Phoenix are over. The one thing that won't change, at least in the short term, is the date of the game. The league plans to keep it during the bye week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, citing annual ratings in the 7s since the change was made in 2010. This year's game scored a 7.1 rating and, according to the Boston Globe, drew 12.2 million viewers. While viewership was down 3 percent from the previous year, the Pro Bowl remained the most-watched all-star game of the four major sports.

The league met with the players' union at last month's NFL Scouting Combine to discuss the changes, and the parties have been cooperating with similar goals to keep the game alive and improve it in any way possible. The NFL hopes to have the changes in place for the spring meeting in May.

"There's no sacred cow, expect to make sure that whatever the group pulls together, the competition committee has a chance to review that," the source said. "We know what all the questions are. We don't have all the answers."

The other issue facing both sides is participation. The source says the union has recognized that as a problem and is leading the charge in trying to address it.


NFL considering major changes to Pro Bowl - NFL-com

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Former Tennessee Titans power back Eddie George was on the phone a few days ago, voicing concern to his former coach, Jeff Fisher, about a proposed ban that George felt would undercut running backs.

Fifteen minutes later, Fisher, a member of the league's competition committee, swayed George's opinion.

The most controversial rules change passed at these now-concluded owners meetings will ban players from delivering forcible blows with the crown of the helmet. It was the biggest step aimed at making the game safer, particularly in regards to concussion prevention in these meetings that approved three new rules related to player safety. "Over the past few days we've received a lot of opinions from former running backs, some in favor, some opposed to this,'' Fisher said as the meetings concluded Wednesday. "Prior to coming in here, I got a call from Eddie George, who said, 'What's going on?' He took the position that this is going to be a difficult thing to enforce, a different way to change this game.

"And after a 15-minute conversation, he changed his mind. He said, 'That makes sense. I would be in favor of that.'''

It was the same conclusion drawn by 31 of 32 teams, with the Cincinnati Bengals dissenting. "It does reinforce the importance of getting out in front of this before something tragic happens,'' New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "The verbiage from the medical people who spoke to us in Indianapolis was not pretty (about potential injuries) in terms of some of these hits.'' The tipping-point play occurred in Week 1 last season when Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson lowered his helmet and slammed into Philadelphia Eagles safety Kurt Coleman, dislodging his helmet into the air. as a great example of sensitivity to doing things to help protect our players,'' Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "One of the questions I always ask is, 'Who gains from this, offense or defense?' It's a toss-up.

"The main thing is this is pro-player safety.''

Officiating chief Dean Blandino said every play from Week 10 and 16 last season was reviewed and 11 plays would have resulted in a 15-yard penalty under the new rule.

"I just think the real-time decisions for officials is going to be challenging,'' New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said.

Blandino insists officials will make the necessary adjustments. don't feel this is any more difficult to officiate than the other player safety rules we have, hits on defenseless receiver,'' Blandino said. "The way we're going to teach it is we're looking for a runner to square up the opponent, lower the head and deliver the blow with the very top crown of the helmet.

"We understand it happens quickly. There's an educational process that takes place.''

Wednesday's other changes included passing a rule to fix the Thanksgiving Day challenge faux pas when Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz tried to challenge a Justin Forsett 81-yard touchdown run and his challenge negated the official's ability to review the scoring play. Now a challenge of a play like that will result in a 15-yard penalty with the original play getting reviewed.

The other notable change? The infamous "Tuck Rule'' is no more. The New England Patriots abstained from voting, as did Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, who was an Oakland Raiders executive in January 2002 when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's seeming fumble when his throwing arm came forward was ruled an incompletion. The Patriots went on to win that playoff game and eventually the Super Bowl.

Player safety was the prevalent theme given two rules passed Tuesday. One was the ban of the type of peel-back block inside the tackle box that shredded Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing's left knee last Oct. 8. The other was a ban on having more than six players line up on one side of the snapper on point-after kicks and field goals.

The league also passed a rule that will allow tight ends and H-backs to wear jersey numbers 40-49, as well as 80-89.

One rule Goodell indicated may need modifaction before the league's May meetings is "The Rooney Rule,'' named after Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. It requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for each head coach vacancy. Discussion was held on potential expansion to the rule requiring teams to interview a minority candidate for general manager, head coaching and coordinator jobs. But no new change was adopted. Among eight recent head-coaching hires, none was a minority candidate.

"We were disappointed in the results this year, but we think some of the changes we're making to make sure we're getting the right candidates better training, and we're doing a better job of getting them in front of the people making the decisions will help,'' Goodell said.

Goodell is optimistic there can be a compromise to a scheduling conflict that could prevent the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens from opening next season at home.


NFL passes new helmet rule, eliminates 'Tuck Rule'

NCAA March Madness is here, but what if the bracketology of the madness was applied to the NFL? Of course, the only sensible way to go about this would be to place every NFL mascot in a bracket to determine the best mascot in the NFL.

So that's what we did.

The ultimate NFL mascot bracket is the result. Not every team is fortunate enough to have a mascot, but we let them participate anyway (hint—they didn't do so well). Fortunately, most NFL mascots are creative, so it made for one heck of an entertaining tournament. The idea behind the bracket itself is simple. Regions are split up into two matching divisions from each conference. The AFC North and AFC South share a region, as do the AFC East and AFC West. Rinse and repeat for the NFC.

Seeds within the regions are based on popularity, outside of those NFL squads unfortunate enough to not have a mascot. Those unlucky few were blessed with an eighth seed and act as a bye week for the No. 1 seeds.

Results of matchups are determined by popularity, appearance, creativity and overall quality of the mascot. We'll break down the first two rounds in each region before moving on to the Elite 8, Final Four and Championship.

Read on to see how the ultimate NFL mascot bracket played out.



The Ultimate NFL Mascot Bracket: Which Team Comes out on Top? | Bleacher Report

In another reminder that the Al Davis era is over, punter Shane Lechler is a former Oakland Raider. Lechler's signing with the Houston Texans is the end of a long, solid run with the franchise.

The Raiders have lost several players this offseason as the new regime tries to control contracts and start fresh. But the reality is that one of the greatest punters ever to play in the NFL is a former Raider.

Lechler was with Oakland since 2000 and was a dominant weapon for the team. Davis paid Lechler a premium because the owner wanted the best at the position.

The Raiders are undergoing a total makeover and decided not to pursue Lechler. It is curious because ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Lechler signed with Houston for three years for a total of $5.5 million. Davis made Lechler the highest-paid punter in NFL history, at the rate of $4 million a season. This deal is much more reasonable, but the new Oakland brass would still rather spend elsewhere.

Lechler is 36 and coming off an injury. Still, he is a solid player.

Oakland will likely take a long look at the young Marquette King. He was stashed on injured reserve last season after an impressive training camp and preseason. King has a booming leg but is inconsistent. It would be premature to think King will be a suitable replacement for Lechler because it often takes young punters a long time to become solid NFL players. But King does have potential.

It is a new world in Oakland and potential outweighs legacy -- just the way it is for a team in transition.

In other AFC West news:

The Denver Post reports that the Broncos think they will host a "Monday Night Football" game in Week 1 and not the Baltimore Ravens in the season-opening Thursday game.

The Raiders re-signed linebacker Kaelin Burnett, an exclusive-rights free agent, in a procedural move. He is the younger brother of new linebacker Kevin Burnett.

Lechler exit signals end of an Oakland era - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN

After astonishing fans with Saturday's upset win over top-seeded Gonzaga in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the Wichita State Shockers received a shock of their own with a surprise visit from New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow's plane had stopped at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport to refuel Sunday, so he took the opportunity to congratulate the Shockers when they arrived at the airport, The Wichita Eagle reported.

"Some of you might go play in the NBA, you might have great lives, but this is the time you'll remember," Tebow said while speaking to the players on their team bus. "All of you all together, ballin' out there together, training together, putting in the heart and the sweat, everything, caring about each other. You'll never forget guys, this is what it's made of and these are the special times in your life, regardless of what you do in the future.

"So I just want to say congrats. You're an inspiration to so many people, so always remember that and how you carry yourself and your character, how you represent your school, your family, your team, your brothers on the team, but also, man, just go out there and ball out, leave nothing on the court. I know you don't need to hear that from me, but I just wish y'all luck and we're praying for you. God bless, and y'all go do it, all right, guys?"

Wichita State, a No. 9 seed, made five consecutive 3-pointers in the 76-70 victory that sent the West Region's top seed -- and the nation's No. 1 team during the regular season -- back home.

The Shockers (28-6) advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006 and are headed to Los Angeles, where they won't be the underdogs. That's because they'll face 13th-seeded La Salle (24-9), which defeated Ole Miss 74-72 on Sunday.


Tim Tebow surprises Wichita State basketball team with visit - NFL-com

The Chicago Bears waited until the 15th round of the 1954 National Football League draft to select Harlon Hill, a receiver from a small Southern school. Hill was not exactly waiting to be chosen, because he had no thoughts of playing professional football. But when Hill died on Thursday at 80 in Florence, Ala., he was remembered as the personification of an unheralded collegian who becomes a pro football star.

Hill was the N.F.L.’s rookie of the year in 1954. He won the first Jim Thorpe Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 1955, and he had an even better season when he helped propel the Bears to the N.F.L. championship game in 1956. He was an all-N.F.L. selection and Pro Bowl player in each of his first three seasons. He was sure-handed, extremely fast and big enough for his era (6 feet 3 inches and 200 pounds or so) to battle defensive backs.

Hill had “an uncanny knack for pulling down impossible passes,” George Halas, the Bears’ founder and coach, recalled in “Halas by Halas” (1979). The Harlon Hill Trophy has been awarded annually since 1986 to the leading football player in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It is the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for the would-be Hills of the small-college game.

Harlan Junious Hill was born on May 4, 1932, in Killen, Ala., where his father, Beatrice, was a cotton sharecropper. He became a small-college all-American at nearby Florence State Teachers College, now the University of North Alabama. The team played out of a run-oriented single wing. But one of the quarterbacks, George Lindsey, who became best known as the actor who played the hayseed Goober Pyle in “The Andy Griffith Show” and its successor, “Mayberry R.F.D.” (and who died last May), told Sports Illustrated in 1993 that “our favorite play was ‘Harlon, go long.’ ”

The Bears never scouted Hill, but they received a tip on him from a coach at Jacksonville State, a rival of Florence State. They obtained game films of his pass-catching and were curious about his potential.

“I was surprised when I found out I was drafted by the Bears,” Hill said in a 1990 interview. “I really did not know much about the National Football League.”

Hill quickly became a star, catching 12 touchdown passes in a 12-game season as a rookie. He caught four against the San Francisco 49ers in October 1954, including the game-winner, setting a Bears record that has since been matched only by Mike Ditka. He set a franchise record that still stands when he picked up 214 receiving yards in that game.

Hill averaged 24 yards a catch in 1956, but his Bears were routed by the Giants, 47-7, in the N.F.L. championship game on a frozen Yankee Stadium field. He never approached the brilliance of his first three seasons. He incurred a back injury in the championship game, separated a shoulder the next season and ruptured an Achilles’ in 1958.

Hill played eight years for the Bears, and ended his career in 1962 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. He caught 40 touchdown passes and picked up 4,616 receiving yards as a Bear, ranking him No. 2 in franchise history in both categories.

He received a master’s degree in education from North Alabama in 1969 and was the principal at Brooks High School in Killen from 1980 to 1992.

In his memoir, “Victory After the Game” (1977), written with Ronnie Thomas, Hill told of having drinking problems while with the Bears but said he conquered them after leaving football. In his Halas biography, “Papa Bear” (2005), Jeff Davis quotes Hill saying he “quit cold turkey” in 1974.

Hill’s son, Jerry, said the cause of death was chronic lung disease. He said his father had a procedure to relieve fluid on the brain five years ago and had received payments from the 88 Plan, an N.F.L. players’ union fund that provides payments for dementia-related medical costs incurred by former players.

In addition to his son, Hill is survived by his daughters, Gwen Springer, Jackie Smith, Janet Phillips and Teresa Robertson; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. His wife, Virginia, died in 2008.

Hill may have been unknown when he arrived at his first Bears training camp, but the future Hall of Fame tackle and linebacker George Connor took notice.

“Harlon Hill was the best piece of rawboned talent I ever saw walk into a training camp,” Connor recalled in “Papa Bear.”

“I came home from camp one weekend and told my brother: ‘You should see this kid we got from Alabama. He can run all day and all night and never break a sweat, never drop a football.’ ”



www-nytimes-com/2013/03/26/sports/football/harlon-hill-nfl-star-and-trophy-name-dies-at-80-html?_r=0

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock raised a few eyebrows when he called Alabama guard Chance Warmack the best draft prospect he has seen on film this year. The hype that Warmack is the best college guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson came out of Michigan has overshadowed another potential early first-round prospect in North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper.

NFL-com's Bucky Brooks noted on Tuesday's "Path to the Draft" that Cooper exceeded all expectations at Tar Heels Pro Day while turning in the best workout he has seen from a guard in a long time.

Brooks' evaluation meshes with that of NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell, who called Cooper the most athletic guard he has seen since he began studying college tape carefully less than a decade ago.

"Plus I love his playing personality," Cosell added last month on Yahoo's "Shutdown Corner Podcast." "He was tenacious, he was competitive, he initiated contact, he went after people, he had really light feet."

Debating the two guards on "Path to the Draft," NFL-com's Charles Davis and Daniel Jeremiah favored Cooper, while former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum went for Warmack.

The takeaway, as I see it, isn't if Cooper has a more promising NFL future than Warmack. It's that both players are better prospects than top guards of recent years, including Stanford's David DeCastro, who was billed as a special talent last April.

"If either of those players is on the board at 10," Mayock said last month, "I'd jump all over them."



Jonathan Cooper impresses at North Carolina Pro Day - NFL-com

The expectation remains that the rebuilding Oakland Raiders will eventually cut ties with Carson Palmer and his $13 million salary in 2013.

But the Raiders' thinking might not be as straightforward as has been assumed. NFL-com's Ian Rapoport spoke to a Raiders source on Wednesday, asking if the team was willing to hold on to Palmer and that massive salary for another year.

The source replied, "Yes, we're willing ... right now."

That could mean something or nothing, but the Raiders don't have a timetable on the situation. It's feasible the Raiders hold on to Palmer beyond the draft, giving them more time to assess their situation, as well as backup quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

As for Palmer, Rapoport heard the veteran wouldn't be against being cut, which would give him the opportunity to catch on with a team that has a brighter immediate future.

Feel free to speculate if that's been Palmer's strategy all along. This would provide a tidy explanation for why he's reportedly been unwilling to accept a pay cut or restructuring of his deal.



Carson Palmer's salary OK with Raiders 'right now' - NFL-com

It's a new era for the Philadelphia Eagles. With that comes changes in all aspects of the operation. That includes the locker room, where new coach Chip Kelly has ditched the old model of grouping players according to position. Players can be anywhere in the room, and it appears some thought was put into it.

"If you look around the room right now, most of it is veterans next to young guys," center Jason Kelce said, according to PhillyMag-com. "So if you look around the room, that looks like what he was trying to do. Last year, I think the team lacked a lot of leadership."

Kelce got a look at the new setup while attending a fundraiser at Lincoln Financial Field hosted by offensive lineman Todd Herremans.

"I think it's going to help us blend a little better as a team," Herremans said. "You're with your position so much in the meeting rooms and everything like that. This will also have us hold each other accountable."

A lack of leadership? Holding each other accountable? We don't think a game of musical chairs will be a cure-all for the Eagles, but these are comments that show the issues in Philadelphia last season went well beyond talent.



Chip Kelly's changes extend to Eagles locker room - NFL-com

Quarterback Tony Romo has a chance to start for the Dallas Cowboys longer than Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman. The question is whether he will ever match their Super Bowl pedigrees.

Romo signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million Friday, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history.

The agreement will lower the quarterback's salary-cap number for 2013 by about $5 million.

Romo, a 32-year-old who was entering the final year of his contract, gets $55 million guaranteed.

Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got $52 million guaranteed in the six-year, $120.6 million contract he signed with Baltimore earlier this month.

"I think it's just exciting, more than anything, that you know you're going to be here the rest of my career," Romo said in a video on the team's website. "We're a team on the rise and I think it's going to show here going forward."

Romo could be with Dallas through 2019, giving him a chance to be the starter longer than the 11 seasons of Aikman and seven of Staubach, who was a part-time starter his first four years with the Cowboys.

Aikman and Staubach won five Super Bowls between them, while Romo has a mere one playoff-game victory in six full seasons as the starter.

Romo alluded to changes "behind the scenes" in the interview on the team's website, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement his quarterback will have "a significant level of input and contribution to the planning and implementing of our offensive approach — both in the meeting room and on the field."

Romo lost playoff-or-bust games in regular-season finales the past two years. That included a loss to Washington last season when Romo, with a chance to tie or win the game with a drive in the final three minutes, threw a pass that was intercepted.

A former Romo rival, Donovan McNabb, questioned the deal on Twitter.

"Wow really, with one playoff win," ex-quarterback McNabb wrote. "You got to be kidding me."

Notes

• Guard Matt Slauson, 27, agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears. He started the previous 48 games for the New York Jets.

The Bears also agreed to terms with quarterback Josh McCown, 33, on a one-year contract.

McCown has been on Chicago's roster the last two seasons and played in three games (two starts) in the 2011 season. He was third-string QB last season behind starter Jay Cutler and backup Jason Campbell but did not play.

Campbell signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Browns, leaving a void at backup.

• Tight end Fred Davis, 27, re-signed with Washington. A source familiar with the agreement said Davis received a one-year contract after exploring options with the Jets and Buffalo Bills. He is recovering from a torn left Achilles suffered in a loss to the New York Giants in October.

• Hall of Famer Lem Barney, a Detroit Lions cornerback from 1967 to 1977, filed a discrimination lawsuit against a Detroit health system, alleging he was fired because of his age.

Barney, 67, alleges his supervisor at Detroit Medical Center once asked him, "why don't you just retire already?" after noting he made a lot of money playing pro football.

Barney also said he ran afoul of a supervisor by signing too many autographs for fans.






Tony Romo gets $108 million contract extension from Dallas Cowboys | NFL | Seahawks | The Seattle Times

Much speculation still surrounds the Cincinnati Bengals in regard to how the team will use its first-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Safety, running back, linebacker, defensive end, cornerback and even wide receiver have been positions thrown out there as potential areas the Bengals could address with the No. 21 overall pick.

Why not throw tight end into the mix as well?

That's exactly what Geoff Hobson and Dave Lapham did in Bengals-com's latest mock draft. With the No. 21 overall pick, they mocked Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert to Cincinnati and provided the following reasoning, according to Lapham:

They're married to Gresham and Gresham is a good blocker as well as a guy that can make a big play. But you add Eifert you're getting a hell of an athlete. He's not a blocker, but he's a great receiver. He gives you another threat. All you have to do is look at New England with (Rob) Gronkowski and (Aaron) Hernandez and what they've been able to do with athletic tight ends.

Before fans start a riot over the notion of drafting a tight end so early, keep in mind two things—this is one of the worst classes in years, the talent from the top 15 all the way down to about 40 has minimal difference.

With that first thought in mind, remember that Cincinnati has two second-round picks thanks to the ripoff that was the Carson Palmer trade.

Obviously, the Bengals have bigger needs in other areas, but a luxury pick at tight end wouldn't be so bad. Landing the best tight end in the draft class and having him line up with starter Jermaine Gresham would be a heck of a combination.

For example, Eifert doesn't even have to line up at tight end. He can split out as a wide receiver, especially in the red zone considering he is 6'5", and opposing defenses have no chance of stopping him while also attempting to focus on Gresham and a guy named A.J. Green. Of course, the Bengals already have a youngster at tight end in second-year player Orson Charles out of Georgia. Charles flashed in limited playing time last year, but his presence doesn't mean the Bengals shouldn't address the position in the first round.

There's an outside chance Gresham falters, or an injury occurs. Having three quality tight ends on the roster is nothing but another strength for one of the NFL's youngest and rising rosters already.

Also remember the offense the Bengals have installed with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's version of the West Coast. It thrives on quick, short completions, so having another big body like Eifert is nothing but a great thing.

As many Bengals fans would probably like to forget, quarterback Andy Dalton struggled last season. Part of the issue was Gresham—he dropped eight passes last season, which was one of the highest tallies in the league at his position (per ProFootballFocus, subscription required).

Another issue was injuries. Dalton was never fortunate enough to have receivers Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones on the field at the same time, and this also helped create a lack of a reliable option in the passing game.

Tight end would obviously be a luxury pick, but at what cost? Safety and running back seem to be the biggest needs, but the positions are so deep Cincinnati could find starters in the second round anyway, such as Jonathan Cyprien and Giovani Bernard. The same can be said for cornerback, if the team wants to take one at all. Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick and the recently re-signed Adam Jones and Terence Newman (per NFL-com) make up nice depth at the position already, not to mention names like Brandon Ghee and Shaun Prater waiting in the wings for a chance.

It's important to note that the Bengals' options become immensely reduced at taking any of the mentioned positions here if the team cannot get right tackle Andre Smith under contract. According to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the deal with Smith could be wrapped up soon. It makes sense considering Smith has yet to even make a visit with another team since the start of free agency, but the sooner the better for Cincinnati in order to open up its options in the first round.

One option, albeit likely not a popular one, is tight end. However, if Bengals fans want to see Dalton take the next step and not start the search over at quarterback next offseason, it may not be that horrible of an idea.

Giving Dalton another weapon such as Eifert, which would essentially give him two No. 1 tight ends to complement Green, would likely provide a massive boost to his play while creating mismatches all over the field.

Again, it's smokescreen season and next to impossible to tell what Marvin Lewis and Co. are thinking, but adding an elite prospect at tight end has to be something on the team's radar, especially if one is the highest-rated player left on their board when it's their turn at No. 21.

2013 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals Could Take a Tight End in the 1st Round | Bleacher Report

Former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, projected by many to be the first quarterback selected in April's NFL draft, is scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Chiefs hold the No. 1 overall pick and new coach Andy Reid said his team has not closed the door on picking Smith in that spot.

Smith threw for 4,205 yards and led the nation with 42 touchdown passes for the Mountaineers this past season.

He impressed at West Virginia's pro day March 14, completing 60-of-64 throws in a workout attended by all but three NFL teams.

The Buffalo Bills also conducted a private workout with Smith earlier this month, a person familiar with what happened told The Associated Press.



2013 NFL draft -- Geno Smith to visit Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, source says - ESPN

Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, died Monday.

He was 76.

In November, Pardee's family announced that he had gall bladder cancer that had spread to other organs and that he had six to nine months to live. The family has established a memorial scholarship fund in Pardee's name at the University of Houston, where Pardee coached from 1987-89.

"Today, we mourn the passing of a great man who dedicated his life to the game of football and was a true gentleman in every sense of the word," Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades said.

"It was not a coincidence that success followed coach and his teams wherever he worked, and the University of Houston program was blessed to have him lead our football program during some of our most exciting times."

Pardee was born in Iowa and moved to west-central Texas as a teenager.

He played six-man football at Christoval High School before moving on to Texas A&M. Bryant became the Aggies' coach in 1954 and moved their preseason camp to desolate Junction, about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio.

The state endured a severe drought and an historic heat wave that year, but Bryant worked his team through the brutal conditions and refused to allow water breaks in an effort to toughen players. Pardee was one of 35 players who made it through to the end of the 10-day camp without quitting.

Pardee played three seasons at Texas A&M and was the 14th overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft by Los Angeles. He played for the Rams from 1957-64, sat out a year to deal with melanoma, and played seven more seasons. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1973 and coached the team from 1978-80.

"In his time both on the field and on the sideline, Jack Pardee will forever be a part of the Washington Redskins' legacy," owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement.

"He will be remembered not just as a linebacker for the 1972 NFC Champions, nor as just the coach for our franchise. He will be remembered as someone whose spirit truly embodied the values that we associate with the burgundy and gold."

Before the NFL, Pardee coached in the World Football League. He was the Chicago Bears' head coach from 1975-77, moved to the Redskins and was fired after Washington went 6-10. Pardee served as San Diego's defensive coordinator for one season, then returned to Texas to coach the USFL's Houston Gamblers.

When the USFL disbanded in 1987, Pardee became the coach at the University of Houston and brought along the fast-paced "Run-and-Shoot" offense that worked well with the Gamblers.

The NCAA levied severe sanctions on the program in 1988, the result of violations committed under previous coach Bill Yeoman. Houston was banned from playing in a bowl game for two years and banned from playing on television in the 1989 season.

But the Cougars led the nation in total offense (624.9 yards per game) and passing offense (511 yards per game) in 1989, and quarterback Andre Ware became the first black quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. Houston finished 9-2 and ranked No. 14 in the nation.

"When you talk about the great offenses in the history of college football, coach Pardee's run-and-shoot teams from the late 1980s must be considered near the top of that list," Houston coach Tony Levine said.

"We continue to feel the impact from his innovative ideas and leadership of those teams in college football today, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all his family and friends."

His Houston teams were a precursor to the high-flying offenses now common in college football. He coached the Cougars to a 95-21 win over a just-back-from-the-NCAA-death-penalty SMU team in 1989.

The Cougars became the first team in NCAA history to finish with more than 1,000 yards of offense, as they piled up 1,021 yards in the win where Ware was on the bench by halftime.

Pardee became the coach of the NFL's Houston Oilers in 1990, and led the team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. Oilers owner Bud Adams traded star quarterback Warren Moon to Minnesota before the 1994 season, and Pardee resigned after a 1-9 start that year.

He ended his NFL coaching career with a record of 87-77.

Pardee's last coaching job came when he worked for the Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League in 1995. His name emerged several years later for the Houston job, but the school hired Kevin Sumlin instead. Ted is the color analyst for Houston football radio broadcasts.

"When my father was diagnosed back around Thanksgiving, we were able to have many great conversations about the past and the future," Ted said in a statement.

Pardee and his wife, Phyllis, were married for more than 50 years and have five children and 12 grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were pending Monday night.



Former NFL coach, Texas A&M star Jack Pardee dies at 76 - NFL - CBSSports-com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy