Well after several months of speculation that Smith had screwed his stock up so much that he went from potential number one overall to out of the first round, the guy miraculously got himself drafted sixth overall, salvaging most of that money he seemingly pissed away.

So how did he do it?

Apparently it started with getting himself a real-life agent, who went on to explain to teams that yes, on his own, Smith can be a loose cannon and a lazy bum. But with a disciplined regime running him, ala Nick Saban, he is a football machine.

Then, Smith weighed in at 337 pounds last week, down from a reported 380 at one point. That was enough for the Cincinnati Bengals to give him a shot.

And really, if any team is going to give you a third, fourth, or seventh chance to redeem yourself, it’s the Bengals.

According to Andre Smith’s new agent, Rick Smith (no relation), Andre saved himself a large chunk of change by not slipping to the end of the first round.

“He was definitely in jeopardy of losing a lot of money. Last year’s 28th pick overall was guaranteed $6,060,000 and got a max of $11.2 million. Last year’s No. 6 pick got a guaranteed $21 million and a maximum of $50 million. That would have been a lot of money to leave on the table.”

That’s a difference of $15 million in guaranteed money and up to $39 million in overall money, for those of you too lazy to do the math. That’s a hefty chunk of change.

So there is a lesson to be learned here somewhere. I think it is that if you are a good college football player, then no matter what you do before the draft — eat, drink, not workout, get fat, get suspended, etc. — you can always make it all up by tricking the Bengals into drafting you.

Well played, Smiths, well played.

These two phone calls are tied together by the same common ingredient. Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army Rangers after Sept. 11, and was eventually sent to Afghanistan, where he was ultimately killed by friendly fire. Had the first phone call not been necessary, the second also wouldn’t have happened.

I remember getting a call first thing in the morning on Friday the 23rd of April from my co-host at the time, Paul. He was broken up, having just heard the news that Pat was killed the day before, April 22. From that point on, my phone didn’t stop ringing. Everyone I knew also knew Pat Tillman. All of my colleagues also covered the Cardinals and most had covered the Arizona State Sun Devils when Tillman was playing there as well. We all felt like we lost a friend.

I spent the rest of that day at the Arizona Cardinals training facility, where a makeshift memorial was set up. Fans poured in all day to pay their respects to Tillman. There was a giant banner out in front of the facility, which soon became completely hidden behind the flowers, baskets and homemade signs.

It was extra busy at the Cardinals facility, since the next day was the NFL draft. I had the duty of anchoring our station’s coverage of the draft, something that thankfully gave me something else to think about during that day as I did research and prepared notes. I spent the entire day at the Cardinal facility, partly amongst team personnel and partly amongst fans. I was a fan of Tillman, both the football player and person, but I was also a reporter with a job to do. Needless to say, this wasn’t my favorite ever workday.

The next few weeks were spent reading the news, trying to find out what really happened to Pat. There were memorials for him in Arizona and California. During the next football season , there were multiple tributes by both the Arizona Cardinals and the Arizona State Sun Devils, both of which were very moving. For a year after his death, it seemed like it would be impossible for people to ever forget Tillman.

What has gotten lost over the years is who Pat Tillman, the person, was. Every news story about Tillman now seems to be about the war or his death, not about his life. Pat was a great person, and to those of us that had the privilege to have met him, he was exactly what his legend has become. He would talk to anyone, and about anything. He didn’t care if you were famous or just passing by. He was a genuinely nice person, and more than likely, everything you’ve ever heard about him is true.

Lost in the mix over the years is that he was a great football player. I know that in the long version of the story he was so much more than a football player, but to a lot of people, that was an important part of him. The reason it matters is that he wasn’t supposed to be good in the NFL. He was a 7th round draft pick that went on to be a damn good NFL player. He was an undersized, overachieving linebacker in college and became an undersized, overachieving safety in the NFL.

Perhaps some people want to say that Pat was an Army Ranger and a great man that happened to be good at football, but to some of us, Pat will always be a great football player that was also a great man and an Army Ranger. His football career does not have to be mutually exclusive from the rest of his life.

In fact, it was his football career that made him a news story and a hero. Pat had the opportunity to make more money than a guy like him would ever be able to spend, but it was more important to him to do what he felt was right. I will also never forget standing in a radio studio when we got the phone call that Pat Tillman was retiring from football to join the Army. We thought it was a joke for about ten seconds, then thinking about Pat we all thought, “yeah, that’s about right.”

Being a football star brought a lot of attention to Tillman’s decision, attention he didn’t necessarily want. But it was warranted attention. In an age where heroes are hard to find, here was one in our backyard. Tillman understood that there were far too many soldiers who weren’t getting any attention for making the same decision, and in his time after the NFL, never spoke of his decision. He didn’t want to be treated any differently than the men and women he was serving with.

It’s easy to forget about Tillman as the wars, football and our lives continue on. But five years after the death of Pat Tillman, I still remember him, I still think of him and I still remember every detail of April 23, 2004 — the day after Pat died and the day we all found out. Every year when the NFL draft comes along, I’ll be reminded of Tillman, and I only hope that everyone else finds a way to remember him as the years go by.

Four years later, Paulus lost his job in his senior season for Coach K, and was merely a role player to close out his college career. His NBA prospects are pretty much non-existent, so what’s a guy to do with only a Duke education to get him through life?

How about going back to football?

Paulus worked out for the Green Bay Packers, and they are interested in drafting the 6′1″ former high school star. Each of Paulus’ brothers played D-I football, while he choose basketball, so not only is the talent there, but so is the pedigree.

Not only did he set a bunch of state records in high school, he was the Gatorade Player of the Year his senior season and a first-team All-American in Parade Magazine. And he hasn’t taken a snap since.

Apparently, the Packers worked out Paulus this week, having him throw passes to receiver Eron Riley during his workout, and now, PFT is also reporting that several other teams are interested in the point guard.

As if there wasn’t enough reason to hate a guy who had to make such a tough Notre Dame QB/Duke PG decision, then he plays four years at Duke, and now he may get a shot to play in the NFL after quitting the game four years ago. Can you create a more hatable situation?

Of course, after witnessing Paulus’ college defense, I am led to the awful pun that he will now possibly spend his career avoiding a whole new kind of sack. Thank you, I’ll be here all week…

UPDATE: And as if Paulus getting drafted into the NFL doesn’t make you hate this guy enough, there is also now a possibility that Paulus will be Michigan’s starting quarterback next year (HT: tonyblogs.net). Rough gig — play four years of basketball at Duke, head to Michigan for your fifth year of college (one remaining year of football eligibility), enroll in some graduate program, be big man on campus for another year, win the starting job (shouldn’t be hard), and then get drafted into the NFL. Don’t take this the wrong way, but what an asshole.

Raji, a defensive tackle from Boston College, missed an entire season in college due to academic issues, and also had a previous positive test for marijuana at Boston College.

He had an amazing Senior Bowl week and a great combine and had moved himself from late first round pick all the way to potential top-five pick. Now, with his name set to show up on the official “tested positive” list that gets sent to NFL teams this month, Raji’s stock could fall quickly.

Raji is getting compared to Warren Sapp as a great defensive tackle who had a positive test drop him down the draft boards, but the difference was that Sapp (as far as I recall) didn’t have nearly as much baggage as Raji, and wasn’t built up primarily as a workout warrior. A guy like Raji could fall much further than Sapp did, but we’ll have to wait and see how far.

In related news, NFLDraftBible.com is reporting that Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis and Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin also tested positive for the weed.

While those reports are unconfirmed, it raises the question once again: How stupid do you have to be to not be prepared for a drug test that you knew about that coincides with the biggest job interview of your life. Is getting high one night before the combine really worth it?

Now, getting two first-round draft picks is a great way to help build a football team, but I have to think that the Broncos could have gotten more for Cutler. Perhaps not more than two first-rounders, but more than the combined value of Kyle Orton and two first-rounders.

Let’s face it — Orton is no more the quarterback of your future than Cutler was. Hell, he’s no more the quarterback of the future for an NFL team than I am. In three years in the NFL, he’s shown to be exceptionally average.

Of course, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels had Matt Cassel at the top of his wish list, so perhaps average is what he is seeking. If that’s the case, he did great. But if winning is what he was looking for, I have to think they went the wrong direction.

I don’t know who else was available, but I can’t help but think that Denver could have gotten someone better than Orton.

Having said that, there is now a very good chance that Denver is drafting a quarterback later this month. Now holding the 12th pick in the draft, you can just go ahead and order your Broncos “Sanchez” jersey right now to beat the rush.

Orton is not the QB of the future in Denver, and if McDaniels thinks he is, then he probably won’t be coaching there very long. He is a guy that might be able to manage the game for a season or two while McDaniels puts in his offense. Then, Orton will turn the reigns over to whoever gets drafted by the Broncos this year to be the next guy.

Great job by Chicago getting Cutler and great job by Denver getting all the picks, but if I’m a Bears fan I’m not happy about the draft picks and if I’m a Broncos fan I’m not happy about the downgrade in quarterback.

But it is nice to see a marquee player get traded in the NFL. The league just doesn’t have a lot of major trades.

Stallworth will be charged with DUI manslaughter for killing a man with his vehicle while driving drunk last month. Stallworth’s blood alcohol content was .12, comfortably above the .08 limit in the state of Florida.

The charge would carry a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted. Stallworth is expected to surrender on Thursday to face the charges.

The incident occurred on March 14, when Stallworth struck and killed 59-year old construction worker Mario Reyes. Reyes was crossing the street to catch a bus home from work, and was not in a crosswalk.

Reports say that Stallworth flashed his lights at him to try to warn Reyes, and that he was traveling about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone.

Stallworth just finished his first year of a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns, but only played in 11 games due to injuries. He had just 17 catches in those 11 games.

In a statement made through his attorneys, Powell said that he was resigning to allow the police department and others affected by this to move on.

“I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward.”

Powell also made an apology to the Moats family, saying “I still hope to speak with the Moats family to personally express my deep regret, sympathy, and to apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct.”

Powell stopped Moats for running a red light en route to the hospital, where Moats’ mother-in-law was dying. Moats had stopped to check for traffic before proceeding through the light, then was stopped by Powell.

When Moats and his three passengers got out of the car to enter the hospital, Powell drew his weapon and told them they could not leave. Moats wife and another relative disregarded the order and entered the hospital anyway.

Moats pleaded with the officer to just give him a ticket and let him go inside, and even when hospital staff came out to help him plead his case, Powell wouldn’t let him go. Instead, Powell threatened to make the situation even worse and lectured Moats in the process.

By the time that Powell finished writing tickets and released Moats, Moats’ mother-in-law had passed away.

Moats’ showed tremendous restraint and patience at the time of the incident, and showed he is a bigger man than most by accepting the apology offered by Powell earlier this week.

During the incident, the dashboard cam also captured Powell speaking to another officer about an incident in the past in which Powell may have lied in his paperwork. Clearly this man was not cut out to be a cop.

Now what is he going to do with his badge tattoo?

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said that the team has been unsuccessful in the past 10 days to reach Cutler, and that they have come to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to be a Bronco.

In a statement, Bowlen said:

“Numerous attempts to contact Jay Cutler in the last 10 days, both by head coach Josh McDaniels and myself, have been unsuccessful,” Bowlen said in a statement. “A conversation with his agent earlier today clearly communicated and confirmed to us that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos. We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded.”

While Cutler had asked to be traded several weeks ago, but had indicated in the past that if he was still a Bronco, he’d play there. According to the Denver Post, Cutler recently packed up his car and had it shipped to Denver, preparing to report for training camp later this month.

According to ESPN’s John Clayton, as many as 10 teams (possibly more) around the league are interested in Cutler, including the Detroit Lions, who hold the first pick in the NFL draft later this month. They are expected to take quarterback Matthew Stafford with the top pick, but if they can trade that pick for an established quarterback, we could be seeing Cutler shipping his car to the Motor City.

Clayton also said that a trade could be a three-way trade, which could land the Broncos a quarterback that could come in and start, such as a Brady Quinn.

In the end, the Broncos will likely come out winners in this situation, since new coach Josh McDaniels will now have some say as to which quarterback they trade for, something he wanted from the beginning. Cutler, on the other hand, could be the new signal caller for the Lions, and no one can call that winning.

Prior to reaching the hospital, Moats went through a red light — with his hazards on and after getting waived through by another motorist. At this point, a Plano cop got into hot pursuit, following Moats to the hospital with his lights and siren on.

The officer stopped Moats in the hospital parking lot and held him for 13 minutes as he issued him a citation. Through all of this, Moats and his wife pleaded with the officer to let them go up and see their dying relative.

The officer berated them, threatened them and pulled his weapon, all while hospital personnel pleaded with the officer to allow them to enter the hospital.

All of this was captured on the in-dash camera of Officer Robert Powell, who has since been put on paid administrative leave. The Plano police chief offered his apologies to the family and seemed genuinely embarrassed that one of his officers pulled this stunt.

Said Police Chief David Kunkle:

“His behavior in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit.”

…

When we in the command staff reviewed the tapes, we were embarrassed, disappointed — it’s hard to find the right words and still be professional in my role as a police chief.”

After the officer pointed his gun at Moats’ wife, the officer spent 13 minutes writing a ticket and threatening Moats with jail for running a red light.

“I can screw you over,” Powell can be heard saying. “I’d rather not do that.”

After arriving at the hospital and being stopped by the officer, Moats’ wife, Tamishia, and great-aunt got out of the car to go inside. At this point, the officer ordered them back in the car at gunpoint, something they both ignored.

Tamishia and the great-aunt got into the hospital in time to see her mother, while Moats and the father of the dying woman remained outside with the officer. Moats pleaded with the officer to just give him a ticket as quickly as possible so they could go inside, but was instead lectured by the 25-year old officer about how he could be going to jail.

“Understand what I can do,” Powell said. “I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing. I can make your night very difficult.”

The hospital staff came outside to plead with the officer to let them go see the dying woman, and the officer continued to write the ticket, check for warrants and lecture Moats.

When he finally finished and they got inside, the woman had passed away with Tamishia by her bedside.

Now, I’m not sure if Officer Powell broke any specific codes or laws, but if I’m the chief of the Plano PD, this guy will never work in my town again. To be that insensitive, and simply, that much of an asshole, is all the proof you need that this will indeed happen again. A man who doesn’t care about someone’s dying relative, and feels the need to lecture a grief-stricken family about the importance of respecting the police is a man who will likely end up in a similar situation again. Everyone involved here is lucky that the Moats family was so well-mannered and cool-headed throughout the ordeal.

When you stand by with your weapon drawn issuing a ticket while two men stand outside as their mother-in-law and daughter die, you are in the wrong line of work. Anything less than outright dismissal from the police force is the wrong outcome.

And if I’m Ryan Moats, my lawyer is already beginning the paperwork to sue Powell and the Plano PD. The video evidence is quite clear on what happened and that Powell intentionally inflicted emotional pain on this family.

Moats believes that Powell should lose his job and has said that he thinks race played a role in this situation. Moats is black, Powell is white.

Additionally, Powell made more comments after the situation calmed down to a fellow officer, that were also caught on the dash-cam that implied that he had lied about a pursuit situation back in January, and may have broken code in doing so. This guy is a real keeper.

Surely we have not heard the end of this story.

The league has been looking for a solution to its scheduling problem for years, and expanding the regular season seems to be the solution that they have settled on.

The problem that the league currently has is that the fans and players don’t want four preseason games. The players don’t like them for the risk of injury, and the fans don’t like them because they are often required ticket purchases for regular season packages. Giving the players and fans less preseason and more regular season looks to be what the NFL will call the answer.

Add to that the fact that the league is always looking to maximize revenue and it becomes even more clear. One more week of the season is 16 more home games league-wide, and you can double it if you add two more games for each team.

Adding two more games to the schedule would give each team nine home games, and likely a large boost in revenue league-wide.

Of course, getting this done is not as easy as it sounds.

“>From the NY Times:

But teams are still grappling with changes that will be required for a longer season, among them the possibility of larger rosters. Additional games would have to be negotiated with television networks that broadcast games and with the players union. Owners must decide soon how long the season will be because it is expected to be included in coming negotiations with players on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Getting the players on board with one or two more regular season games is going to cost the league some money. The risk of injury goes up, the career length will go down and the league will stand to make a fortune off of it. The union is not going to sign off on this without some major concessions from the owners and the league.

Adding two games to the season means that an eight year career now will be the equivalent of a nine year career under the new schedule. That’s just one less year that some players are going to keep jobs or keep healthy in the league. That will require a financial incentive to get the players to go along with it.

And when do you play the new games? The NFL wouldn’t give Arizona a home game early in the season without a roof because of the heat in the past. Playing NFL games in Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, and other warm cities is not going to be fun in the middle of August. And if you do it at the end of the year, we start talking about regular season games in the second or third week of January and the Super Bowl at the middle of end of February. It will probably be a one game on each end approach, but it will still cause logistical problems for the league.

I’m torn on this. I love seeing more football, but the reason that every game sells out and the passion is so high is because every game means so much. With each game you add to the schedule, all the other games mean slightly less. I also don’t like seeing the games stars limping away from the game with an injury at 30 years old, and adding games to the schedule is certainly going to increase that, no matter how many safety rules you put in.

I think the owners will end up voting to approve this, but I think there will be some severe reservations from the players. Expect this to be a long, drawn out fight over salaries and revenues for the next year or two.

In the end, my money is on the league getting its way, and in return, the players get a hefty boost in the salary cap once it goes into place.