By Josh Katzowitz

With the news that Marty (Don’t Call Me Brian!) Schottenheimer has drawn the interest of the Buccaneers for their head coaching position and with the news that Brian Schottenheimer won’t return as the Jets offensive coordinator next season, it wasn’t a leap to wonder if the son was planning to join up with the father if the father got the Tampa Bay job.

In fact, as colleague Will Brinson wrote Tuesday, “jumping ship from the Jets to the Bucs would be a logical move for a coach who's already worked under his father at three different stops in his career.”

But it sounds like the Schottenheimer’s shouldn’t start planning their family reunion in Tampa just yet.

As the Tampa Bay Times aggregates, there are a few scenarios why Brian won’t be going to work for Marty.

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For one -- and this is the most obvious -- it’s not like Marty is assured of the Buccaneers job. In fact, Mike Sherman seems to be the front-runner to replace Raheem Morris, because 1) the front office apparently wants a take-no-BS coach to replace a coach who might have been too friendly with the players and 2) Schottenheimer is 68 years old.

For two, Brian Schottenheimer recently interviewed with Nick Saban for the offensive coordinator position at the University of Alabama and seems to have a decent shot of replacing the departed Jim McElwain.

For three, it appears the son might be tired of riding on the coattails of his father (that’s not an insult, by the way. I’m just saying he’s worked on his father’s staffs quite a bit).

Besides, his tenure with the Jets did not end well (what with the terrible offense this year, the supposed mutiny attempt and the performance of Mark Sanchez), and maybe Schottenheimer figures if he returns to his father’s side, he’ll probably always be known as Marty’s kid.

If he wants to establish his own name, the 38-year-old probably needs to try a different path. Like, say, for a different team.

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By Will Brinson

It's always been kind of assumed that Nick Saban is a bit of a tough guy when it comes to on-field coaching. But a story from former Dolphins player Heath Evans on Wednesday about Saban's time in Miami is just disturbing.

Evans, speaking on The Jorge Sedano Show Wednesday, said that during training camp in 2005, Saban encountered a player getting sick on the field ... and simply walked past him.

"Jeno James, our best offensive lineman at the time, comes in and collapses after practice, uh, vomiting all kinds of stuff that would make a billygoat puke, eyes rolled in the back of his head," Evans said. "Myself, about four other lineman are trying to carry him from the locker room, to the training room.

"[...]Nick Saban literally just starts walking in, steps over Jeno James convulsing, doesn’t say a word, doesn’t try to help, goes upstairs, I don’t know what he does. But then obviously they get Jeno trauma-offed to the hospital."

That's a pretty disturbing story, obviously, and it seems to be confirmed. Greg Bedard, then working for the Palm Beach Post, reported the airlifting but not the incident of Saban walking past James.

Alex Holmes, a player on the 2005 Dolphins squad, noted on Twitter Tuesday night that James locker was next to his and that "it was brutal."

Two caveats to this story apply though. One, Evans is an Auburn grad, and Nick Saban is the current coach of Alabama. (Say what you want, it's worth noting.) And two, Evans also detailed that Saban later called a team meeting and addressed his players, excusing his behavior as a leadership tactic.

"Saban calls a team meeting about 10:30 that night," Evans said. "[He] comes down and says, ‘You know, the captain of the ship can never show fear or indecision, we’ve always gotta have an answer, and so I had to go upstairs, that’s why I walked over Jeno like that, I had to collect my thoughts and decide what’s best for our team.'"

There's no questioning that Saban knows how to lead a football team -- the man's got multiple national championships (and is about to play for another) and already has a statue next to Bear Bryant down in Tuscaloosa, even while he's still there coaching.

But it's not like 2005 is the dark ages or anything. As someone charged with the safety of his players, it's disturbing to hear that Saban would deal with a situation involving someone's health as callously as he did.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

RB Ricky Williams made big news today signing a two-year deal with the Ravens to bolster Baltimore’s running back corps and to help take some of the load off Ray Rice.

But as the eagle eyes at Pro Football Talk point out, Williams’ interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel about why he chose the Ravens might be grounds to charge the Lions with tampering. Yet again.

As Williams explains it, Scott Linehan -- former Dolphins offensive coordinator who worked with Williams when Nick Saban coached in Miami -- was (and still is) with Detroit as the offensive coordinator, and after a Lions-Dolphins game last year, he approached Williams and apparently said something along the lines of, “If you need a home, we’d love to have you on our team.”

That, of course, is a violation of the agreed-upon rules, since Williams was under contract with the Dolphins at the time. Williams’ final two choices for 2011 were the Ravens and the Lions, so Detroit ultimately didn’t cash in on the apparent recruiting job. But it’ll be interesting to see if the NFL investigates the matter and decides to punish the Lions.

As you might remember, the Lions aren’t that far removed from the NFL punishing them for tampering (last February to be exact). In that case, Gunther Cunningham, Detroit’s defensive coordinator, made comments to the media about wanting to pick up defensive players from his former employer, the Chiefs. As punishment, Detroit had to exchange its 2011 fifth-round pick for Kansas City’s fifth-round pick (a 14-pick swing) and the Lions lost their sixth-round selection in the 2012 NFL draft.

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Posted by Andy Benoit


Cowboys first-round pick Tyron Smith believes he has the potential to be a Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer. (He might be right about the Hall of Fame potential. But Pro Bowl potential? Who does he think he is?)


Did you happen to catch Nick Saban’s reaction to the announcement of Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter being drafted in the first round by Seattle? It was one of disbelief, if not controlled shock.


The Falcons are set to report to work on Monday.

The 2015 Super Bowl will be held in either Glendale, AZ or Tampa, FL.


The Panthers drafted Cam Newton first overall. Wait….did you already know that? Be honest.


Gabe Carimi got a text from Jay Cutler last night. (Trying to think of a quick bridge to a Brett Favre joke…..thinking….thinking…….thinking………darn it. Anyone have anything?)


The Browns’ first-round selection wasn’t the only public reading Peyton Hillis did Thursday. The Madden cover boy also took care of the Top 10 List on Letterman. (Topic was top10 perks to being on the cover of Madden ’12. Number eight:, Hillis said, “It gets my name out there. Even I have never heard of me.”)


Could the Dolphins be looking at Colin Kaepernick in Round 2? (If so, would their tendency of picking quarterbacks in the second round be considered an addiction?)


Brandon Marshall is visiting the Dolphins facility, which is good news considering where he was a week ago.


A pitch for an entire San Diego sports complex could be part of the Chargers’ efforts to get a new stadium.


Just because the Raiders had no picks Thursday doesn’t mean their war room wasn’t busy.


Roger Goodell doesn’t blame the fans for booing him.

Justin Tuck on Rex Ryan: “The last time I checked, I have a Super Bowl ring and he doesn't, so if he's proud of coming up short, I guess he should be proud of that." (Ryan actually earned a ring as the D-line coach for the 2000 Ravens.)

 
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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

UPDATED (2:40 p.m.): Liz Mullen from the Sports Business Journal spoke with Dye, and he claimed “I have done nothing wrong or illegal.”

According to Dye, the incident occurred at the players hotel Thursday night, not at the stadium Friday. He said he was invited to the hotel by Under Armour to finalize a seven-figure deal for his client, former Alabama WR Julio Jones, and he was led through security by Under Armour personnel and was issued Under Armour credentials.

Apparently, he spent less than 15 minutes in the hotel and did not have contact with any players, but when he left the hotel, he was arrested.

Mullen tweeted that she’d have more in the SBJ, and I hope so, because I’m not sure I understand Dye’s story at all.

----------

News broke late Saturday night from the National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson when he reported that at least one player-agent was handcuffed and led out of Lucas Oil Field Stadium when he (or they) was found to have illegitimate passes to watch the workouts.

Now, Sports By Brooks has reported their names. According to the website, the offender was Pat Dye Jr., who was handcuffed, detained and led away from the stadium, while his partner, Jimmy Sexton, escaped arrest.

The two broke the rules and obtained their passes from Under Armour, and apparently, the person who gave them those passes was sent home immediately.

Sports by Brooks was unable to reach either agent for comment, and the NFL declined comment.

More from the blog posting:

Sexton’s NFL client list includes Tim Tebow, Ravens left tackle Michael Oher, Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, Browns running back Peyton Hillis, and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.  Sexton’s coaching clients include Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin, Steve Spurrier, Houston Nutt and Tommy Tuberville.

Dye, Jr., who is the son of former Auburn football coach Pat Dye, represents Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace, Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain, and Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

The Sexton/Dye firm also represents DeMarco Murray, Julio Jones and Sam Acho in this year’s NFL draft class.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Nick Saban has told multiple NFL teams that pro scouts are not welcome on Alabama’s or at Crimson Tide practices. Saban has been critical of what he believes is the NFL’s tacit approval of corrupt agents luring college players as clients through illicit means under NCAA rules.

It’s rumored that Saban will open doors to scouts on a limited basis (some are saying August 18 could be a “scouts allowed” day). Don’t expect Saban to permanently bar NFL teams from Alabama’s campus. After all, a college coach needs to be able to tell recruits that if they play for him, they’ll have a good shot at making the NFL.


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Alabama football coach Nick Saban made headlines Wednesday when he blasted NFL agents, comparing the most unscrupulous among them to pimps.

Though it’s laughable coming from a guy like Saban – the coaching king of leaving teams and his players for better-paying jobs while denying it until he actually gets on the flight for his new destination – he makes an interesting point.

Especially in the wake of investigations into whether Crimson Tide DE Marcell Dareus broke NCAA rules by attending a party in Miami on an agent’s dime and the fact former OT Andre Smith, Julio Jones and Mark Ingram all have been in trouble because of improper dealings with agents.

But is the point he’s making actually true? Are agents the real problem? I decided to get the other side of the story, and I called a few agents today to ask them about their reaction to Saban’s words.

“He has every right to be angry,” said David Lee of PlayersRep Sports Management. “But also education at the compliance level should be addressed. Kids have to make the right decision. Education is the best way to go about it. I think the schools are just as guilty. Nick Saban is angry, but is he really surprised? As many bad agents are out there, there are just as many good ones. He’s just angry right now, and that’s OK.”

Saban admitted that the players aren’t guilt-free, but he also mentioned that if the players are caught, they face strict consequences. The agents don’t. Saban said that an agent’s license should be suspended for a year if caught engaging in practices that could jeopardize a player’s eligibility.

Penalties, Lee said, would be hard for some of the smaller agencies to survive.

“We stay away from that,” Lee said. “We know better than that. Penalties would like kill a smaller outfit. That’s why a smaller outfit wouldn’t risk it. I hate to say it, but it’s not a surprise that kids get paid off.”

Actually, it’s funny. The agents to whom I spoke didn’t seem offended by Saban’s pronouncement. They’ve heard it all before. But one veteran agent who requested anonymity said Saban’s words wouldn’t have much impact on the NFL or the NFL Players Association.

“Nick’s a smart guy,” the agent said. “I don’t think he meant (the pimp comment) in that way. People have been saying that about lawyers, insurance agents, sports writers. It’s no different. I’m sure he was reacting much more out of anger, because he went through it with Andre Smith and it seems like it happens every year at Alabama. As long as you have agents looking for money and agents and boosters who are looking to give it, his outburst won’t stop anything. It’s not like these players are robots.”

Which brings up another interesting point. Nobody is twisting these players’ arms. Sure, some agents might exploit a player’s insecurity or his family’s financial situation, but ultimately, it’s the player who makes the final call.

One agent I spoke to today told me a story about a nationally-known quarterback who was approached by a nationally-known agent about 15 hours before the quarterback was to play one of the biggest games of his life last year. The quarterback didn’t sign with that agent.

“The players are not innocent by this in any stretch,” the agent told me. “They call and ask you for money. If you tell them that you don’t pay, they ask if you know anybody else who does. You say yeah, and they ask if you have their phone number.”

There’s also this question. Does Saban really believe what he’s saying? Will he really be belligerent about keeping agents away from his players? The veteran agent doesn’t think so.

“The bottom line for him and his life is recruiting,” he said. “Once that affects Alabama and recruiting, I’m sure he’d have a different take. It’s not the NFL’s problem. It’s a problem on the other side. There are a lot of great young players that do everything the right way, but a handful of them screw it up for everybody. Same with the agents and the boosters.

“But as we all know, SEC coaches are at the top of the food chain when it comes to character and ethics.”

--Josh Katzowitz

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