Reports surfaced over the weekend that the New York Giants have contacted the San Diego Chargers about acquiring the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, presumably with the intent of selecting Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning. But don't be so sure Manning is the guy the G-Men are targeting in less than two weeks.
With the Oakland Raiders, at the No. 2 slot, being named more and more often as a possible suitor for Iowa offensive tackle Robert Gallery, the Giants front office realizes it is not a given that the blue-chip blocker will still be around when they make their first pick. The only way they can assure themselves of landing the guy they covet most, especially with several other teams rumored to be interested in moving up for the same purpose, is to move into the top spot.
The deal makes tremendous sense, as well, for the Chargers, who would be virtually assured of landing Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the fourth-overall pick while picking up extra draft picks.
April 8
The NFL has released a run-down of all the official free-agent signings since the free agent signing period began on March 3. This list includes only the deals that have been officially reported to the league as of Thursday, April 8th, so a few of the latest deals may not be included.
April 2
With the NFL Draft just three weeks away, trade rumors are starting to pick up momentum. The Boston Globe reported Thursday that the Patriots have a deal in place with the Lions should Miami safety Sean Taylor still be on the board when Detroit's turn to select comes around. The deal reportedly would send New England's two first-round picks, a second, and a fourth to the Lions in exchange for the sixth overall pick and Detroit's fourth-round pick.
However, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick later denied any draft-day trade is in place with the Lions, telling Patriots.com, "We definitely would not consider that".
The Denver Broncos are also rumored to be interested in swapping spots with the Lions, using cornerback Deltha O'Neal, the team's No. 1 pick in 2000, as part of a deal to move up to select Miami TE Kellen Winslow. However, the cost to move from the No. 24 slot all the way up to the sixth overall pick would most likely prevent the Broncos from pulling the trigger on this deal. Winslow has tremendous potential, but the Broncos would probably be better off if they stay where they are and select an athletic tight end like Florida's Ben Troupe.
March 30
A total of 32 compensatory choices for the 2004 NFL Draft have been awarded to 16 teams, the NFL announced today. The Eagles, Rams and Jets led the way with the maximum of four compensatory draft picks each. The Bengals received the highest pick, a third-rounder, No. 96 overall, while the Eagles picked up two extra choices in the fourth round, Nos. 129 and 131 overall. Check all the picks...
Compensatory picks are determined by a formula developed by the NFL Management Council.
Understanding the compensatory draft selection system...
March 21
In a bit of a surprise move Saturday evening, the Oakland Raiders landed one of the top free agents remaining on the market by signing veteran defensive tackle Warren Sapp to a seven-year, $36.6 million contract. About $7 million of that is reported to be in the form of guaranteed bonuses.
The Cincinnati Bengals appeared to be the leading candidate for the seven-time Pro Bowl performer, with Kansas City and Baltimore also rumored to be in the mix, but Oakland jumped into the bidding late Friday after reports broke that the Bengals were close to a deal with the defensive tackle on a four-year contract that would have paid him more than $16 million. After analyzing the financial ramifications of adding Sapp, Raiders executives determined he was worth pursuing.
Over the weekend, Sapp's former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finally put the finishing touches on a deal that has been in the works with the Dallas Cowboys for the past several weeks when they sent disgruntled receiver Keyshawn Johnson to Dallas for wideout Joey Galloway.
Talks aimed at restructuring Galloway's contract had been holding up the deal, but the Bucs offered a one-year deal Thursday for $2 million with another $600,000 in possible incentives. After sleeping on it, Galloway decided late Friday to accept the deal.
The San Diego Chargers also made a significant signing over the weekend when they picked up free agent wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who had been with the Carolina Panthers. Dyson, who was sidelined much of last year with a torn Achilles tendon, was signed to a one-year contract and is expected to help fill whatever void might have been left by the trade of wide receiver David Boston to the Miami Dolphins.
NFL Draft Discussions by Team
| • Arizona | • Dallas | • Miami | • Pittsburgh |
| • Atlanta | • Denver | • Minnesota | • San Diego |
| • Baltimore | • Detroit | • New England | • San Francisco |
| • Buffalo | • Green Bay | • New Orleans | • Seattle |
| • Carolina | • Houston | • NY Giants | • St. Louis |
| • Chicago | • Indianapolis | • NY Jets | • Tampa Bay |
| • Cincinnati | • Jacksonville | • Oakland | • Tennessee |
| • Cleveland | • Kansas City | • Philadelphia | • Washington |
