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03/05/2010 -
NEW YORK (AP) -With the salary cap gone the way of the drop kick, NFL teams began the free agency period Friday with lots of moves.
The only thing missing was the megadeal, although the Chicago Bears appeared to be closing in on one with defensive end Julius Peppers.
Otherwise, it was business as usual on a busy day generally lacking in drama, but involving several key players.
Linebacker Gary Brackett, the leader of the Indianapolis defense, re-signed with the Colts. All-Pro fullback Leonard Weaver re-signed with Philadelphia for three years.
Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, a former All-Pro who struggled in coverage last season, was traded to the New York Jets by San Diego.
Detroit, coming off two wins in the last two seasons, upgraded its defense by trading with Cleveland for tackle Corey Williams and agreeing to a four-year deal with end Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Carolina waived longtime starting quarterback Jake Delhomme - in teary fashion.
A year after the Panthers gave Delhomme a lucrative contract extension, the only quarterback to lead them to the Super Bowl was released to make way for new starter Matt Moore. A career-high 18 interceptions in 2009 and 23 in his final 12 games did in Delhomme.
``Six of my seven years playing here have been outstanding. It's been a great run,'' Delhomme said in between sniffles. ``I'm leaving with no animosity whatsoever.''
Nor do the Panthers have any bitterness.
``It's really hard to describe how hard this was,'' a red-faced general manager Marty Hurney said. ``It's hard not to get emotional when you talk about it because he epitomizes everything we want. He's been an excellent player for us.''
Coach John Fox twice welled up with tears in explaining the decision, which came despite the fact Carolina still owes Delhomme more than $12.5 million in guaranteed money.
``He's done some great things for this team. Two (NFC) championship games, a Super Bowl, all those comeback victories,'' Fox said. ``I'm not sure I've had any more respect for an NFL football player than Jake Delhomme.''
Brackett wasn't going anywhere, nor did he want to. The defensive captain signed a five-year deal hours after he officially became an unrestricted free agent. Brackett's new deal is likely to keep the 29-year-old in a Colts uniform the rest of his career.
``Obviously, this is a great place to play and when you get a chance to stay a Colt for life, you usually jump at it,'' Brackett said. ``That's why I wanted to do everything within my power to make this my home.''
Weaver certainly found a home in Philadelphia after playing four years for Seattle. Weaver had a career-high 323 yards rushing, 140 yards receiving and four touchdowns in his first season with the Eagles.
Vanden Bosch was made to feel right at home by Lions coach Jim Schwartz, who previously worked with the defensive end in Tennessee as the Titans' coordinator. Schwartz waited outside Vanden Bosch's Nashville home when free agency began at midnight, and in a few hours they had struck a deal.
A nine-year veteran, Vanden Bosch spent the past five seasons with the Titans, getting all of his 43 1/2 career sacks.
Cromartie should become a starter opposite All-Pro Darelle Revis in the Jets' secondary. New York gave up a conditional draft pick for a former All-Pro who has had off-field issues.
But Jets coach Rex Ryan is known for getting production from such players.
Also Friday:
-Atlanta said it will keep backup quarterback Chris Redman with a contract extension. Redman joined the Falcons in 2007 and went 0-2 as a starter last year filling in for 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan. Redman is 4-8 in his career.
-Denver agreed to terms with two veterans, offensive lineman Russ Hochstein and wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. Hochstein played in 15 games, starting 10, in his first season with the Broncos after being acquired from New England in a trade last August.
Lloyd played in two games for Denver in 2009, including a start in the regular season finale.
-Washington, a team expected to make a big splash in the uncapped free agency waters, did little. The Redskins re-signed defensive lineman Phillip Daniels, versatile backup DL Lorenzo Alexander, who could be moved to linebacker, and offensive lineman Mike Williams.
-Carolina, in addition to releasing Delhomme, also released defensive tackles Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu and linebackers Na'il Diggs and Landon Johnson in the start of a youth movement.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Celtic surprised over Brown appeal
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic have spoken of their 'amazement'
after they failed with an appeal to have Scott Brown's Old Firm red card
rescinded.
The 24-year-old midfielder was dismissed after clashing with Gers strike
<< Czechs lead host Belgians 2-0 in Davis Cup action
Bree, Belgium (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek overpowered
a pair of Belgians on Friday, as the Czech Republic ran out to a 2-0 lead in a
Davis Cup best-of-five first-round affair in Bree.
Berdych blitzed Olivier Rochus
<< France takes 2-0 Davis Cup lead against Germany
Toulon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - France got singles wins from Gael Monfils
and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday, as the host nation grabbed a commanding 2-0
lead against visiting Germany in a first-round Davis Cup World Group matchup.
Monfi
<< Bosingwa to miss remainder of season
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea full-back Jose Bosingwa will miss
the climax to the domestic season and the World Cup through injury.
Bosingwa has been told he requires further surgery on a knee injury which has
already kept hi
Grant fined for improper conduct >>
Portsmouth, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has been
fined $1,500 and warned about his future conduct after angrily confronting
referee Kevin Friend during a Premier League game last month.
Grant admitted a Fo
Spain, Switzerland tied at 1-1 in Davis Cup >>
Logrono, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time reigning champion Spain and
visiting Switzerland are tied at 1-1 following Friday's opening singles
in a first-round Davis Cup battle in Logrono.
Stanislas Wawrinka gave the Swiss a
Lions acquire Corey Williams from Cleveland >>
Allen Park, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions have acquired defensive
lineman Corey Williams in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
In addition to Williams, the Lions also received a seventh-round pick in the
2010 draft and sent th
Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Recaps >>
Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - RaShawn Polk posted 20 points with four
rebounds as Towson cruised past UNC-Wilmington, 91-74, in first-round action
of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Troy Franklin scored 18 points
Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.
MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.
Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.
Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.
After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.
Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.
Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.
If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.
Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.
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The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
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