NFL News & Rumors Digest

The New England Patriots suffered a potentially critical blow to their offensive line on Monday night, as center Dan Koppen was carted off the field right after suffering a leg injury.

Koppen was hurt in a pile-up on a quarterback sneak, and his leg bent awkwardly under him. He quickly screamed in discomfort, and players about him were waving for the medical staff to rush onto the field.

As Koppen rode to the locker room, players on both teams came over to wish him well, and their expressions suggested that everybody believed it was a significant injury.

Koppen is a nine-year veteran who’s been a starter since his rookie year in New England, and he has missed only one game in the last 5 years.

Backup Dan Connolly is now in at center for the Patriots, who lead 14-7 at halftime.

UPDATE: ESPN reports that Koppen has a left ankle injury and is on crutches in the locker room.

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The Patriots have added one more veteran hungry for a title to the mix.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports Waters and the Patriots agreed to a contract on Sunday morning.  The move can’t grow to be official until another roster spot is opened later in the day.

By signing Waters now, the Patriots guarantee his salary for the season.  That’s a sign that they anticipate him to have a significant role.  (It is also a sign they are quite banged up at guard other than Logan Mankins.)

Waters created five Pro Bowls in Kansas City prior to obtaining cut right after last season.  He was the 2009 NFL Man of the Year.

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The Patriots have added another veteran hungry for a title to the mix.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports Waters and the Patriots agreed to a contract on Sunday morning.  The move can’t become official until another roster spot is opened later in the day.

By signing Waters now, the Patriots guarantee his salary for the season.  That’s a sign that they expect him to have a significant role.  (It’s also a sign they are very banged up at guard other than Logan Mankins.)

Waters made five Pro Bowls in Kansas City before getting cut after last season.  He was the 2009 NFL Man of the Year.

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At a time when the NFL has gotten so a lot of points wrong, it is refreshing to see the league get one thing appropriate.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the league won’t suspend Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib.

This report contradicts a recent report from Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports that Talib “can expect” to be suspended four games.

Of course, Talib possibly will still be disciplined in the form of a fine.  But if Schefter’s report is accurate, perhaps it indicates that the league lastly has realized that it is wrong, and potentially legally indefensible, to take employment action against a guy who did something on his own time at a time when all time was his own time, thanks to the padlocks on the doors to his spot of work.

Talib faces charges of aggravated assault in Texas after allegedly pistol-whipping and firing shots at his sister’s boyfriend.

Plenty of folks believe Talib and other players like Kenny Britt should be topic to suspension for conduct occurring in the course of the lockout, possibly considering that those players have a widespread, and arguably deserved, reputation as bad guys.  Still, the league has no organization dictating behavior to grown males at a time when the league was forbidding those grown males from coming to function.

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Former USC coach Pete Carroll hasn’t specifically been rounding up former Trojans right after returning to the NFL.  If anything, he’s alienating them.

It began final year, when safety Taylor Mays sounded off on Carroll, claiming that he had indicated that Mays would be picked by the Seahawks with their second choice in round one.  The Seahawks instead took Texas safety Earl Thomas.

Because then, Carroll has had two chances to sign Heisman winner Matt Leinart, and a shot at trading for Heisman winner Reggie Bush.  In each circumstances, Carroll passed.

Likewise, Carroll had (and nonetheless has) a clear shot at former Trojans receiver Steve Smith (the one who played via 2010 for the Giants), but Carroll opted rather for a guy who went to the other USC.

Most recently, former Trojan linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who preceded Carroll to Seattle, wants out.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Tatupu requested his release following the team asked him to take a pay cut.  Per Schefter, the Seahawks strategy to comply.

A three-time Pro Bowler to commence his career, Tatupu has fallen off in the second 3 seasons of his six-year career.

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You could get whiplash following the news of the last 24 hours in the NFL lockout, with alternating reports that today is the day it all comes to an end, or that it could be two full weeks.

But while it would be easy to get discouraged by the fact that there’s so much uncertainty heading into what was advertised as the day the lockout ends, there’s still plenty of optimism that today really will be the day the lockout ends.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN reported that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has at least the 24 votes he needs from the owners to get a deal done. And Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that NFLPA sources sound upbeat.

So pessimism from Chester Pitts aside, a lot of people on both sides still seem to think today is the day that both sides approve a new agreement. Let’s hope that optimism doesn’t dissipate over the next 12 hours.

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As the NFL and the players attempt to iron out whatever wrinkles stay in the labor negotiations, the lawyers are expected to invest Tuesday dwelling on the details ahead of the principals return to the room.

Both Albert Breer of NFL Network and Sal “45 Down” Paolantonio of ESPN reports that the owners and players, along with Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith, will be back on Wednesday.

Per Breer, the lawyers for the two sides met for roughly five hours on Monday, right after caucusing privately.  They’ll get together once again tomorrow.

Paolantonio says that mediator Arthur Boylan will monitor progress via e-mail, and that he’s accessible for “a short phone call or two” if essential.

Though we respect Boylan’s capability to take his vacation, speaking from the perspective of a guy who’s at present on vacation, there’s a lot of time in the day to take a short phone call or two.

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There has been a lot of public fretting concerning the possibility that workouts during the lockout will blow out a player’s ACL.  Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that it indeed has happened to at least 1 high-profile player.

Per Mort, receiver Terrell Owens has undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL following an injury, previously undisclosed, that occurred earlier in the offseason.

Owens suffered a knee injury in December, which resulted in surgery and placement on injured reserve.  The ACL tear happened right after the 2010 season ended an unnamed source told Mortensen that the injury occurred even though Owens was filming a Tv show for VH1.

The surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, occurred within the past months.  Given a six-month recovery period, Owens would be able to play as early as November, if the surgery was performed in Might.  Owens will be a free of charge agent as soon as the lockout ends.

Given his age and his reputation for developing locker-room distractions (indeed, we’d heard that the Bengals had had enough of him before his season-ending injury), it is tough to imagine Owens playing at all in 2011.  And if he doesn’t play at all in 2011, he possibly won’t ever play once more Owens will celebrate (and celebrate it he usually does) his 38th birthday in December.

Owens, 1 of the very best receivers in league history, has played for the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals.  He is fifth on the all-time receptions list, second in receiving yards, and tied for second with Randy Moss in receiving touchdowns.

The very good news?  While he won’t be able to create on his Hall of Fame credentials in 2011, he’ll have a lot of time to consume popcorn.

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