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[h1]Al Harris still can't pass his physical[/h1]
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on August 25, 2010 11:52 AM ET
While we're updating injured PUP players, let's head to Green Bay to check in on cornerback Al Harris.
The longtime Packer couldn't pass a physical on Monday, so he'll stay on the PUP list for at least another week. We wouldn't be surprised if he stayed there to open the regular season, which would knock him out for the first six weeks of the season.
While there have been optimistic reports floating around about Harris during camp, there was also some doubt over the summer whether Harris would be able to play this season at all. It would make a lot of sense to get him as healthy as possible to help with the team's playoff push instead of rushing him back on to the field in Week One.
If Harris misses the season opener, either Pat Lee or Brandon Underwood should line up as Green Bay's nickel defender against the Eagles.
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Vikings made a call to the San Diego Chargers about Vincent Jackson...
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[h1][/h1][h1]Backup QB Collins joins Bears[/h1] [h2]He gets signing bonus in 1-year deal, guaranteeing he's not here as just an arm for final 2 exhibitions.[/h2]
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Todd Collins wasn't going to leave his children, ages 5 and 2, for a few weeks without the promise of a real opportunity.
The Bears provided that when they changed their mind, agreeing to give him a signing bonus in a one-year contract, guaranteeing he's not here as just an arm for the final two exhibition games.
It's an interesting move but one that doesn't yet define the depth chart. Caleb Hanie is sidelined with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Rookie Dan LeFevour has struggled and is a roster long shot. Strong-armed Matt Gutierrez signed last week.
"I plan to (to be Jay Cutler's backup)," Collins said. "I'm out there to compete. I'm not gonna just sell myself short. I've been the No. 2 guy for a long time. You always try to play at the level that the starter's playing, and ideally you can step in there and contribute just like the starter did. Wherever I stack up at the end, we'll see."
Collins, 38, is entering his 15th NFL season. He spent the previous four in Washington and played in a similar offense in Kansas City to what Mike Martz runs with the Bears.
"It's a hard offense to learn, especially for a young guy, and I have seven years in it," he said. "It's not exactly the same but I feel pretty good about learning it in a shorter amount of time."
Martz lobbied for a veteran backup since arriving and the Bears explored the matter in the spring until LeFevour was selected in the sixth round of the draft.
When the team approached Collins last week, they offered him a minimum contract with no guarantees. He wasn't going to leave his family in Massachusetts to be used in camp for three weeks. The Tribune reported then Collins was seeking a $150,000 signing bonus.
He received a low six-figure bonus and will earn more than $1 million if he makes the team. Final cuts are due Sept. 4.
"I think we're going to use the next couple of games or practice to see what they're going to do with the quarterbacks in terms of the pecking order," Collins said.
The Bears went with only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster last season and that was the plan in 2008. Keeping three passers would create a greater challenge for depth and special teams, but the club is high on Hanie and the McCaskeys aren't in the business of giving out bonuses for two weeks of work.
You have to wonder why Collins was signed now, though. Did Martz finally win over management after a poor outing by the offensive line? Do the Bears badly want to showcase their depth in preseason and figure they need an experienced quarterback to beat Cleveland Sept. 2?
Hanie did some cardiovascular work on the side Monday and said he hopes to begin throwing soon. Coach Lovie Smith said he expects him to return before the regular season begins Sept. 12. Asked if the No. 2 job is up open, Smith used his familiar refrain: "Every job is open for competition."
"They obviously did what they need to do, or what they feel they need to do," Hanie said. "My reaction is I've just got to keep on plugging away at getting better and all the work that I've done to this point, just need to keep on building on that. I need to get back from my injury quickly so I can continue the process."
To make room for Collins, the Bears waived Northwestern wide receiver Eric Peterman. He needs thumb surgery.
[h1][/h1][h1]Walker looking to revive career, with Favre's help[/h1]
The former Pro Bowl wide receiver is thrilled to be back with No. 4.
By CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune
Javon Walker said he feels 23 again, boasted he has "a whole lot left" in the tank and joked his relationship with Brett Favre is so good that Favre was cooking dinner for him Tuesday.
One half expected Walker to start whistling as he walked off the field after his first practice with the Vikings.
"I'm destined for something good," he said. "I'm just going to keep taking the steps that I've been taking, working as hard as I've been working, and when you guys see me on the field, you will be writing another story."
Walker's story is a complicated one filled with twists, turns and tragedy. The wide receiver added a new chapter Tuesday when the Vikings signed him to provide depth to their depleted receiver corps. That position has become a major problem with Sidney Rice sidelined after hip surgery and Percy Harvin still suffering from a severe migraine episode.
It's anyone's guess whether Walker can contribute after enduring knee injuries and rough stops in Denver and Oakland the past few years. He is reunited with quarterback Brett Favre, who helped him reach the Pro Bowl with the Packers in 2004. Walker said he believes he can resurrect his career at age 31 with Favre as his QB.
"It all boils down to being in the right situation and the right quarterback," he said. "Right now you look at a lot of guys who were my age that I came into the league with, they're still doing it. I can't wait to get out there and do it again."
Walker addressed a number of topics in his past, starting with his relationship with Favre. Walker had his best season with Favre as his quarterback in 2004 with 89 catches for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. But Favre also criticized Walker during his contract dispute in 2005. Walker then suffered a serious knee in his first game after returning. Walker said there is no lingering friction between the two.
"That was over back in Green Bay," Walker said. "That was just something that was going over and everybody knows in the NFL it's always a business decision. But we've been over that. Excited to be here and reconnect where we left off in Green Bay."
Walker's career has been injury-plagued since then. The New York Times reported last year that Walker had cartilage-replacement surgery in one of his knees last offseason. The surgery was performed in Jerusalem reportedly because the procedure is not approved in the United States or Canada. Walker declined to reveal specifics of the surgery.
"It was a procedure where it was very, very unique," he said. "Went out there and spent some time and had some things done that got me to 100 percent today."
Walker has dealt with his share of off-the-field adversity too. In Denver, he was riding in a limousine when teammate Darrent Williams was shot after a bar dispute involving star rookie Brandon Marshall. Williams died in Walker's arms.
Then, in 2008, Walker was robbed and beaten in Las Vegas, leaving him unconscious on a sidewalk.
"Things happen for a reason and it's certain situations where I'd never ever put anybody in," Walker said. "That's just dealing with life."
Physically, Walker said his knee feels 100 percent and insists he hasn't lost any speed.
"When you become an older receiver in the league, it's really, really critical for a receiver like myself to get with a veteran quarterback like Favre," he said. "Somebody who knows the game and somebody who is willing to put in the time and the effort to go out and be successful. From a receiver's point of view, you couldn't ask for anything more."
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