Inside The Huddle

Big things are still happening around the NFL as the scouting combine gets ready to get underway. The “franchise tag” deadline has come and gone with eleven teams taking the opportunity to designate a player as one of their elite (that they don’t want to pay too much cash too). A few more cuts were made, some players were resigned, and others admit they just don’t want to be where they are anymore.


Cuts

Green Bay Packers: TE Bubba Franks

Minnesota Vikings: S Dwight Smith

Carolina Panthers: RB DeShaun Foster

San Francisco 49ers: LB Derek Smith


Franchise Tags

Tennessee Titans: DT Albert Haynesworth

Kansas City Chiefs: DE Jared Allen

Seattle Seahawks: CB Marcus Trufant

Baltimore Ravens: LB Terrell Suggs

Dallas Cowboys: FS Ken Hamlin

Cincinnati Bengals: OT Stacy Andrews

Philadelphia Eagles: TE L.J. Smith

Oakland Raiders: CB Nnamdi Asomugha

Arizona Cardinals: LB Karlos Dansby

Carolina Panthers: OT Jordan Gross

Green Bay Packers: DT Corey Williams


Signings

Cleveland Browns: RB Jamal Lewis (3-year deal)

Indianapolis Colts: TE Dallas Clark (6-year deal)


Other News

~ The chances of star cornerback DeAngelo Hall suiting up for the Atlanta Falcons next season?

“Slim to none,” said the fifth-year player on Friday.

In town for the annual NFL Scouting Combine, Hall spoke with reporters outside the RCA Dome and reiterated his view that he does not have a future with the franchise.

Asked if there was any chance he could reach harmony with the team, he responded: “I don’t think so, I mean it’s a little bit of a thing of betrayal. I feel like we were all kind of stabbed in the back. Who’s to say if I come out and play this year that they won’t come out and franchise me the following year. There’s no guarantee.”

Hall, who made it clear that he did not demand a trade and that it was the team that initiated trade talks, refused to speculate on where he might land.

“I’ll go anywhere,” he said. “Anywhere that wants me.”

As for the time frame of when he expects to get traded, he admitted he was unsure but hoped it was sooner rather than later.

“It’s just a mutual respect thing,” he said. “If (the Falcons) are gonna move me and don’t want to re-do my contract, can we get it done in a timely fashion? I have a family, too. I have kids, they’re in school. I have a wife. I would like to get myself situated, get my family situated, figure out what city I’m going to be playing for, what team colors I’m gonna be rocking, and go from there.”

“With that being said, I really honestly don’t think it could be a situation that waits for the draft, but could it? Sure it could, yeah. Anything could happen.”

Hall said he is not demanding a contract extension from whatever team trades for him and that he is willing to play out the last year left on his deal.

~ About two weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers believed they were within a couple of weeks of hearing from Brett Favre about whether he would retire or return for an 18th NFL season. Packers general manager Ted Thompson is still awaiting for that decision, having last spoken to Favre three days ago.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate on the time, but it’s Brett’s call,” said Thompson. “He, more than probably anybody I’ve ever been around, has earned the right to be able to decide. Any player can, but I think certainly he has –- as we’ve said over the last couple of years –- he’s earned the right to be able to make decision.

“We’ve been in conversation with him. As he’s always done, he understands the needs of the team. He doesn’t want to put the team in a bad spot, so he’s working through that.”

If Favre does decide to hang it up, the reins will be passed to fourth-year quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has thrown for 329 yards, one touchdown and one interception in five games, none of them starts.

~ Suspended NFL player Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones will not be reinstated by the league until at least the opening of training camps in July.

Jones’ agent and attorney, Manny Arora, says he received a letter from the NFL telling him that Jones cannot use the Tennessee Titans facility for workouts and he remains suspended.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last month he could give the cornerback more time to sit out to understand the message he’s trying to send for Jones’ series of legal problems.
But news came out that Jones had been in an Atlanta strip club on Jan. 3 while his teammates were prepping for a playoff game. One of Jones’ several arrests stemmed from a dispute at a Las Vegas strip club that led to the shootings of three people.

Credit: NFL