NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

LaMarr Woodley isn’t going anywhere. The Steelers outside linebacker is “fully expecting” to be designated as the team’s franchise player within the next two weeks, according to a source.

The Steelers want to keep Woodley, who combined with James Harrison make up one of, if not the best, outside LB core i the NFL. The hope with the tag is that it will lead to a long-term deal.

The last time the Steelers tagged a player was tackle Max Starks in 2009, and just four months later they ripped up the tag and signed him to a four-year deal. Last year, the team was ready to tag nose tackle Casey Hampton, but it instead signed him to a three-year deal just before the deadline to franchise players and tagged kicker Jeff Reed instead.

Woodley would receive the linebacker tag salary, which is expected to exceed $10 million, but could argue that he deserves a hybrid end/linebacker figure like the one Terrell Suggs received in 2009. The defensive end franchise number is expected to come at more than $13 million.

Woodley’s 35 sacks since 2008 rank fourth in the NFL.

From Ravens Insider:

A month after expressing uncertainty about his future, Matt Birk informed Ravens coach John Harbaugh this week that he plans to return for the 2011 season.

The six-time Pro Bowl center was non-committal on the 2011 season when he limped out of the locker room last month after another physically challenging year. But Birk was back at Ravens headquarters this week working out and receiving treatment for his knee injury.

"I told them I would be good to go," Birk told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday.

Birk has had multiple injuries in his two seasons with Baltimore. While I'm glad he'll return for at least one more reason the Ravens should add Center to a list of needs to be addressed in the draft.

The 13-year vet has been a solid contributor since Jason Brown bolted to St.Louis for a fat paycheck. But it's clear that his time in the NFL is coming to a a close. The Ravens will need to find a way to replace their most experienced member of the line.

The Tennesse Titans made rumors reality this week when they hired one of the Houston Texans’ offensive assistant coaches.

The Houston Texans former offensive assistant coach and Hall of Fame Houston Oiler/Tennessee Titan offensive lineman has agreed to a two-year deal to take over the vacant offensive coordinator position with the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans upgraded Mike Munchak from offensive line coach to head coach, replacing former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher. The Houston Chronicle reported Matthews words on his time with the Texans:

"I really enjoyed my two seasons with the Texans," he said. "I learned a lot from Gary and the other coaches. I loved working with the players. The more I did it, the more I knew that (coaching) was what I wanted to do."

One of the other Bengal Blogs reported (its gone now) that the Niners have already made a trade offer for Bengals QB Carson Palmer:

Rumor: The 49ers will contact the Bengals and offer them their 2nd round pick(#45) and 2 4th rounders(#107 and 114) in exchange for Palmer.

This comes on the heels of today's news that Palmer's home in Indian Hills will be put on the market in March, and that he's been privately telling friends that he thinks the team doesn't take his trade demands seriously.  Judging by the comments and gestures coming from behind the striped curtain, it would seem that he's right.

Mike Brown stated that the team has no interest in dealing Palmer, and felt his retirement threat was "impractical." Marvin Lewis also seemed to downplay the situation at last Thursday's news conference announcing Jay Gruden's hiring. Lewis intimated that things will be different come training camp, and alluded to a "things change" posture while Brown has committed to meet with Palmer's agent, David Dunn within "a couple weeks" to see what exactly is stuck in Palmer's "craw."

Reading tea leaves here, I tend to think that Brown is being historically consistent:  he's going to be obstinant and deny the request as long as possible.  As with Chad Ochocinco, Carl Pickens, and Corey Dillon, the team does not have to honor the request since the player is under contract.  As long as Brown has the leverage, I suspect Palmer will have to walk the talk if he truly wants out. However, I do think that both Brown and Lewis want him back, and the changes made on offense had to have been, at least in part, an olive branch.

Much was made about Jay Gruden's "quarterback-friendly" scheme, and that it should remind Carson of his USC days.  At the same time Gruden stated that he had not–and would not–call Palmer until instructed to do so by Lewis. That part seems like an odd posture if the team indeed wants Nine back on the bus.

At any rate there are two schools of thought here:

School one is that this team needs its franchise QB, and the team should do everything in their power to see if they can't make Palmer a happy camper again.  He is, after all, a proven commodity, a former pro-bowler, has a winning record as a starting quarterback (barely, but no small feat in Cincy), has numerous come-from-behind wins on his resume and has led two playoff teams.

Click HERE to read the rest

The internet has been a buzz about the latest Jets scandal, which has to do with Mark Sanchez going out with a 17-year-old girl.

Deadspin started the ball rolling on the case, and since then a number of the major news outlets have picked it up. Today The Star Ledger has the latest on the case.

On Friday, sports web site Deadspin.com teased a story involving Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and his alleged romancing of a 17-year-old girl, promising full details today. The complete story included photos allegedly taken inside Sanchez's bedroom and an account by a 17-year-old high school student, referred to as "E.K.", who claimed to be romantically involved with Sanchez, 24.

The law would not prohibit such a relationship if conducted in either New York, where the age of consent is 17, or New Jersey, where 16 is the legal age to consent.

The woman who took the photos, listed in a letter from her lawyers as "E.K.", provided the pictures to the site before getting cold feet and seeking counsel, Deadspin said.

In today's story, Deadspin quotes E.K. as having been in contact with the Jets and been advised by the Jets public relations staff on how to handle the situation. When the original post came out, the Jets issued a brief statement: "We are not going to discuss Mark's private life."

Click HERE to read the rest.

A couple Steelers wide outs, one a vet and the other a rookie, will both undergo surgery just after the team lost in their quest for a 7th Super Bowl title.

Veteran WR Hines Ward and rookie Emmanuel Sanders will both have surgeries. Ward, who caught a TD in the 31-25 Super Bowl loss, will have cartilage damage cleaned up in his knee, an injury that effected him all season, and also have ligament damage repaired in his thumb.

Sanders, who suffered a small break in his foot during the Super Bowl, will have surgery to repair the break. Word is Sanders is expected to be ready in time for training camp but could miss OTAs — if a labor agreement is reached and they occur.

The Cardinals have a new defensive coordinator, as today the team hired now former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton. The 50-year-old will keep the teams 3-4 defense, and look for more ways to get to the QB and attack on a more consistent basis, something they clearly did not do enough of in 2010.

The team wanted to speak to Steelers LB coach Keith Butler, but they were denied permission by the Steelers, who have intentions of making Butler their defensive coordinator whenever Dick LeBeau retires.

Horton has been in the NFL for the past 17 seasons, most with LeBeau, a master of zone blitzes as well as one of the best defensive minds in NFL history.

The Browns and new coach Pat Shurmur haven’t waited to start making wholesale changes to a roster that lost their last four games and ended the season 5-11.

The team today released a number of veterans, with the biggest name on the list being DL Shaun Rogers. The 31-year-old has had off field issues and was due to make $5.5M this season to go along with a $500k bonus. Last season in Eric Mangini’s last year he had just two sacks.

Also on the chopping block were right tackle John St. Clair, linebacker Eric Barton, tight end Robert Royal, and linebacker David Bowens.

Combined, their 2011 salaries were scheduled to add up to $13.84 million.

The NFL remains in a heap of trouble over the issue Sunday in Dallas when 400 people who had purchased seats to Super Bowl XLV were turned away after their seats were not ready.

Today, Eagan Avenatti, a Los Angeles-based law firm, filed a class-action lawsuit against the Dallas Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones and the National Football League seeking damages for Super Bowl ticket holders assigned to unfinished temporary seating sections and fans whose view was obstructed.

The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas, accuses the team of putting Cowboys season-ticket holders who bought tickets for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV between the Steelers and the Packers in folding chairs with obstructed views of the game. It also represents the 400 ticket holders who could not use their seats because guard rails on stairways leading to the seats were not completed by game time.

The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, as well as fraud, deceit and concealment, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It seeks to recover the economic loss of the ticket holders, which under the DTPA can be tripled, and punitive damages.

The NFL players association has released a public service announcement regarding the potential NFL lockout for the upcoming 2011 NFL season