NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Linebacker A.J. Hawk didn’t stay unemployed for long. The Packers and Hawk have agreed to a five-year deal, Lance Allan of WTMJ reports. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Hawk’s base salary in 2011, which escalated to the franchise tender, would have been fully guaranteed had Hawk been on the roster on the first day of the 2011 league year, prompting the Packers to release the 2006 first-round pick out of Ohio State.

In 80 games, including 77 starts, Hawk has 510 tackles, 9 quarterback sacks, 8 interceptions, 23 passes defensed, and a pair of forced fumbles. According to Allan’s report, Hawk is headed to Green Bay to sign the contract on Thursday.

The Packers Wednesday released three players, with the big name being linebacker A.J. Hawk, who was set to make $10.5 million.

Also released were safety Derrick Martin and tight end Donald Lee. Don’t be so fast through to write off Hawk in a Packers uniform, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports there are some who believe a new deal for Hawk is coming, and he'll stay in Green Bay.

He was the 5th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft out of Ohio State. Last season with the club in 16 games he had 111 tackles, one sack and three picks.

Lee last season caught 11 passes for 73 yards and three scores in 11 games. His release means that the team will have playing time for both starter Jermichael Finley as well as Andrew Quarless.

Ravens Gabber Gene Winner brought this to my attention today. It's from the Ravens team website and it includes comments from Sports Illustrated's Peter King in regards to Donte Stallworth.

The Ravens thought they had a deep threat when they signed receiver Donte' Stallworth, but he was not used to his full advantage.

Stallworth's two receptions for 82 yards has SI.com's Peter King scratching his head.

"I don't know why the Ravens signed Donte' Stallworth," King told Baltimore Ravens.com during the NFL Scouting Combine. "They never took advantage of him all year long. Obviously, he was hurt at the beginning and then was inactive, but the second half of the season. There's a deep speed threat.

"The Steelers don't take Mike Wallace and only use him on end-arounds. I couldn't believe it."

King thinks that Stallworth could have expanded an offense that averaged only 208.4 yards per game through the air.

Known as a speedy weapon, Stallworth was instead utilized more as a running back. Stallworth had five rushes for 45 yards, all on end-arounds

Surely, Stallworth was hampered by a broken foot suffered in the preseason that limited him to only eight games, but he still had trouble working himself back into the offensive rotation.

"I just never saw them doing something in the passing game with Donte' Stallworth, who's your biggest speed threat when you need to open up your offense," said King. "Next year, they've got to do more imaginative stuff."

Whether or not Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron tries "imaginative stuff," the Ravens may need to address the wideout spot via the draft and add a Stallworth clone – a receiver with the ability to take the top off a defense.

"Clearly, they're going to try to bring in another receiver or two, but right now, I think if you have a 4.35 receiver who has rededicated his life to football, he's a guy who ought to be more in your regular offense and running 20 plays a game in the spread formation and making people put a safety over top and opening up the middle of the field for the talented tight ends for the very least," said King.

More potshots at Cam Cameron. He should do some more "imaginative stuff" right?

The one thing he fails to mention is the signing of T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Once Stallworth went down with the injury his season was basically over regardless of his health. Even when he returned he was relegated to Fourth on the depth chart. The Ravens rarely used a Four Wide set (Why- I don't know?) So Stallworth's inactivity wasn't a huge surprise though I'm still trying to figure out why he wasn't suited up against his former team the Saints.

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In a news flash that will not surprise anyone in the NFL, Vikings quarterback Tavaris Jackson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he does not expect the Vikings to tag him with a restricted tender offer. Tavaris might be the only football mind who thought the Vikings might try to retain him.

Minnesota’s love affair with Brett Favre the past two seasons has made it crystal clear that Jackson is not in their future plans.

Jackson is one of nine Vikings free agents with less than six years of service, which means the Vikings can tag them with a one-year tender by 3 p.m. on Thursday. That might mean nothing, of course, in light of what the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will look like after Thursday night.

Jackson may attract some interest as a backup-perhaps to a team like the Eagles if they do trade Kevin Kolb.

All 10 members of the NFL owners’ labor committee and Saints quarterback Drew Brees attended Wednesday’s mediation session between the league and the players’ union, with fewer than 40 hours left until the collective bargaining agreement expires.

The ninth day of talks at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service came on the same day that the league’s 32 team owners were gathering to meet at a hotel about 25 miles away in Chantilly, Va.

The CBA runs out at midnight Eastern time as Thursday becomes Friday, and among the possibilities are that the owners lock out the players or that the union decertifies. Whatever happens this week could cause the country’s most popular sport to lose regular-season games to a work stoppage for the first time since 1987. Or, perhaps, everything could be resolved by management and labor in an industry with revenues topping $9 billion annually.

“So far, obviously, we haven’t been successful,” Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said on his way into the mediation session shortly before 10 a.m., “but we’re optimistic in due time we will.”

Added Richardson: “We have a league meeting, and we decided it would be a good idea for our full committee to meet with the mediation process this morning. Our objective, of course, is to negotiate a fair agreement for the players and the teams.”

NFL general counsel and lead labor negotiator Jeff Pash reiterated that it is possible that the league and union could agree to extend the deadline for arriving at a new CBA.

“We have to see where we are. We’ve said that’s an option. We’re not taking anything off the table,” Pash said.

The Saints were a busy bunch on Tuesday, as the team agreed to terms with veteran defensive tackle Shaun Rogers on a one-year contract.

Rogers, who turns 32 on March 12, was released by the Browns in early February after three years with the club. The Texas product recorded only 17 tackles and two sacks in 15 games during the 2010 season.

The 10-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selection spent his first seven seasons in Detroit and has compiled 482 tackles and 37 1/2 sacks.

The Saints also submitted tender contract offers to safeties Roman Harper and Usama Young, running back Pierre Thomas, kicker Garrett Hartley, wide receiver Lance Moore, tight end David Thomas, guard Carl Nicks, defensive tackle Remi Ayodele, offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod and defensive end Jeff Charleston.

Wide out Hines Ward has been assigned a dancing partner for his upcoming season of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” The Super Bowl MVP has been paired with Australian Kym Johnson.

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward will be paired with Kym Johnson for the upcoming season of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” The announcement, which confirmed internet rumors from the past few days, was made during the “Good Morning America” live broadcast just after 8:35 a.m.

Johnson, is Australian, and won that country’s version of DWTS before joining the American show. She and actor/singer Donny Osmond won the Season 9 title in 2009, and she has finished as runner-up twice — with former N’Sync singer Joey Fatone (Season 4) and football player Warren Sapp (Season 7).

Her other dance partners include talk show host Jerry Springer, Pittsburgh native and sports/cable mogul Mark Cuban and magician Penn Jillette. Last season, she and actor David Hasselhoff were eliminated in the first round.

The show will start March 21st on ABC. ?

The New York Jets released 4 veterans the other day, just days before the current CBA expires.

The Jets severed ties with Kris Jenkins, Jason Taylor, Damien Woody and Vernon Gholston.

Let's take a closer look at how each player cut will affect the team

Kris Jenkins- This was expected as there was no way the Jets were going to pay Jenkins' scheduled salary of $4.9 million. "Big Jenks" was a beast for the Jets back in 2008, but  only played 6 games in 2009 before going down with a knee injury and only lasted one quarter in 2010. Jenkins will be 32 before next season, if there is one, and you have to wonder how much, if anything, he has left in the tank? The man has now had 4 major knee surgeries in his career and has barely played the last two seasons. If he can rehab and get back in shape, the Jets could look to sign him for close to the minimum.

Jason Taylor- The Jets release of Taylor could be the final act in his illustrious career. Playing as a part time player last season, Taylor made his fair share of big plays notching 5 sacks and a flair to come through in a big moment (safety against Pittsburgh, strip sack of Brady in the Week 2 win). However, it became clear that this Taylor was a shade of his former self. He disappeared for long stretches during games and slowed down at the end of the season. The Jets should look to the draft to find a young pass rusher to take Taylor's place. Expect to see Taylor sign a one day contract to retire with the Dolphins at some point this offseason too.

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Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports Michael Vick will sign his franchise tender from the Eagles on Wednesday, two weeks after the team placed the tag on the quarterback, a league source said Tuesday.

If the one-year tender were to remain in a new collective bargaining agreement, Vick would stand to earn slightly more than $16 million next season. Of course, with the CBA set to expire Thursday at midnight, there is the possibility that the franchise-tag designation could be tweaked or eliminated from a new deal.