St Louis signs C Hank Fraley

GM Scot McCloughan is considering stepping down, sources say. McCloughan and team given three hours to respond to what I’ve learned.

It’s an interesting turn of events, as yesterday Matt Barrows of the Sac Bee had the following about the GM from his agent and the fact he would not be stepping down:

“Scot McCloughan is not resigning as general manger of the San Francisco 49ers,” Peter Schaffer said in a brief telephone conversation. Schaffer said he had spoken to McCloughan five minutes earlier.

So I guess it depends on what source is true and what is going to happen. If McCloughan does walk away, it ends a short time at the spot, as he took over the role on January 2nd, 2008, after serving as the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel since February of 2005.

Oakland Raider RB Justin Fargas is in town visiting with Saints officials. No official contract has been agreed upon.

Fargas, an 8 year pro with the Raiders, has had his role diminished over the last couple of seasons due to the emergence of Darren McFadden. His best season of his career came in 2007, where he rushed for over 1000 yards and 4 TDs.

The Saints have until next Tuesday to match the Eagles contract offer for Mike Bell. Is this a sign of things to come?

The Eagles just announced the release of two-time Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews, who hasn’t played since the second game of the 2008 season because of back injuries.

Andrews, the Eagles’ 2004 first-round draft choice, has been optimistic about resuming his career, but that will have to happen somewhere else now.

In a statement released by the team, Eagles coach Andy Reid said he appreciated Andrews’ efforts but “we have, however, decided to move in another direction.”

The move brings a little more definition to a cloudy Eagles offensive line picture, as starting center Jamaal Jackson rehabs an ACL tear. The team recently reworked the contract of Andrews’ brother, guard/tackle Stacy Andrews, ensuring that he will be in the picture this season.

When Andrews was able to play, he was a very good player that did a good job for the Eagles, as was shown by his selection to a pair of Pro Bowls. The injuries though were simply too much for the Eagles to wait on for Andrews, and cut their losses on Wednesday with his release.

Both media outlets report that the Seahawks will fall 20 spots in the second round of this year’s N.F.L. Draft, as the Chargers and the Seahawks swapped their second-round selections as a part of the deal.  Seattle also agreed to give up a third-round pick in next year’s Draft.

The outlets went on to report that Seattle and Whitehurst came to terms on a two-year deal worth what is expected to be $5 million per season.

Whitehurst, a restricted free agent this year, has never thrown a pass in a regular-season game in the N.F.L.

San Diego signs QB Charlie Whitehurst

Arizona signs QB Derek Anderson

Chicago released CB Nathan Vasher

Buffalo signs DE Dwan Edwards

Miami signs OG Richie Incognito

Philadelphia releases G Shawn Andrews

QB Derek Anderson reportedly agrees with Cards.

Anderson is a big arm QB that can make throws downfield, but also has a tendency to throw picks in bunches. Last season with the Browns he threw for 888 yards, 3 touchdowns and 10 picks. In his career with Cleveland, he threw for 7083 yards, 46 touchdowns and 45 picks.

With the Texans, he worked under the Redskins’ new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and also with Washington quarterback coach Matt LaFleur, so the Redskins’ staff knows exactly what it’s getting. On the surface, the signing might seem like a simple replacement. But many believe the Redskins will chase a quarterback in the NFL Draft next month, which could leave the team with Jason Campbell, Rex Grossman and Jimmy Clausen/Sam Bradford six weeks from now.

On Tuesday, however, the Bills bolstered their new look 3-4 defense with a couple key free agents by signing ILB Andra Davis and defensive end Dwan Edwards.

Davis (54) provides physical run prescence for Bills defense

Davis adds depth, physical force to linebacking unit

Mark Gaughan of  the Buffalo News reported the Bills signed Davis to a two-year deal worth about $4.4 million.  The former Florida Gator, Davis,31, is an eight-year veteran that brings experience, durability and toughness to a defense transitioning to a 3-4 defense.

The 6-foot-1, 251 pound inside linebacker was cut by the Denver Broncos last week.  In his only season with the Broncos, Davis started 13 of 16 games, finishing third on the team with 90 tackles and 3.5 sacks.  Davis spent the previous seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

After his rookie season in 2002, Davis became the Browns’ starting middle linebacker in 2003.  Davis turned in a stellar sophomore season in ‘03 with a team best 136 tackles to go along with five sacks.  His best season came in 2005 when he registered team and career highs with 149 tackles.  However, in 2007, his numbers began to decline.  After posting 100+ tackles in three of the previous four seasons, Davis recorded just 67 tackles in 2007 and  90 tackles in 2008.  Cleveland released Davis after the 2008 season.

It’s still yet to be determined who will play where in new defensive coordinator George Edwards’ defense, but the signing of Davis add punch and veteran depth to the linebacking group.  Kawika Mitchell checks in a 6-1, 258 while Paul Posluszny is 6-1, 238.  The rest of the Bills’ current linebackers are undersized in a 3-4 defense; Keith Ellison, Nic Harris and Jon Corto all weigh under 235.  All three lack great size and force to excel in a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Working in the Bills’ favor to land Davis was his strong connections to the coaching staff.  Edwards coached Davis in 2004 when he was an assistant coach in Cleveland, and Davis also played for Bills outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders for three years when the two were together at the University of Florida.

Edwards (93) likely to start at defensive end in Bills new 3-4 defense

Edwards signing improves outlook on Bills new look 3-4 defense

The Bills entered free agency needing to address issues on the offensive line, at linebacker and defensive end.  For years now, Buffalo has been searching for someone to play across from Aaron Schobel.  All they’ve gotten is middle-of-the-road and moderately serviceable.  With the addition of free agent Dwan Edwards,  their search could be complete.

Buffalo and Edwards have agreed in principle to a four-year deal worth $18 million according to National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson.  Edwards is expected to sign the contract later on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old has spent his entire six-year career with the Baltimore Ravens.  Selected 51st overall in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Edwards brings experience and run-stopping abilities to the Bills’ new look 3-4 defense.  Edwards played defensive end in the Ravens’ 3-4 defense so his transition shouldn’t be difficult and he gives Bills defensive coordinator George Edwards an experienced played in a 3-4 defense to an otherwise inexperienced group.

Edwards was supposed to be a highly sought after commodity on the free agent market, but a neck injury suffered in 2008 may have scared off some teams, including his former team, the Ravens.  Edwards suffered a neck injury in the preseason in 2008 that required surgery.  He had a spinal fusion of the C3 and C4 vertabrae and missed the entire 2008 campaign.

Fresh off serious neck surgery, Edwards didn’t generate much interest from other teams around the league and signed a one-year deal to remain with Baltimore.  It wasn’t until Week 6 of 2009 when Edwards became a full time starter as a result of an injury to Trevor Pryce.  Edwards made the most of his opportunity, tallying 47 tackles, a sack and a defensive touchdown for Baltimore’s third-ranked defense in the NFL in 2009.

The Bills finished at the bottom of the barrel in 2009, ranking 30th in the NFL against the run.  Buffalo entered free agency needing all the help they could get and by adding Andra Davis and Dwan Edwards, we should be much better today about the Bills’ new 3-4 defense scheme than we did yesterday

Former Rams G Richie Incognito has reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Dolphins.

DolphinsGab Editor Brant Houghton reported the team talking to Incognito about coming aboard:

Incognito has had some anger issues in the past, and this led to his departure from the St. Louis Rams this season, but the Dolphins, and myself included, believe that they can control Incognito juts enough to channel his aggression towards the opponent in a way that will not be detrimental to the Dolphins.

Players around the league describe Incognito as a vocal sore loser. Most fans believe that Incognito is just a thug that happens to have enough talent to play in the NFL. Well, most people are also wrong.

You see, the problem with Incognito all these years was that he has never been on a perennial winning team. His whole career he has been stuck on the Rams,or the Buffalo Bills squad. Those franchises have not had exactly winning ways the past couple years that Incognito was in the league.