A dubious theory on Law
KAPALUA, Hawaii -- According to a report on CBS SportsLine, the Poston brothers have told NFL teams they have a standing offer of four years and $26 million for Ty Law to return to New England next season, but sources within the Patriot organization flatly deny that.
It would be highly unusual for an NFL team to make such an offer and then leave it on the table while a player's agents traipsed around the country using it as leverage. The Chiefs are among several teams interested in the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback but they are not willing to meet the Postons' demand for $16 million in guaranteed money for a 31-year-old player coming off foot surgery.
Law is believed to have visited with the Chiefs, Steelers, and Ravens; he initiated the Pittsburgh visit by calling and asking to come by while he was in a nearby suburb, visiting his mother. Law was twice in the Steelers' complex a week ago and allowed the team's medical staff to examine the foot he broke (against Pittsburgh) six weeks into last season.
Super sites?
The Miami Dolphins say they will construct a pavilion around their stadium that would be used for special events if the NFL agrees to make Miami a permanent part of the Super Bowl rotation. The Dolphins propose that one or two such sites be established around the country as regular Super Bowl venues. "These would be sites especially designed and constructed to be a Super Bowl host," said NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. When the game is played at that site, it could become a two-week "festival of football," said Tagliabue, that includes the Pro Bowl in the same stadium the week before the Super Bowl . . . The Jets, meanwhile, moved a step closer to getting the 2010 championship game when the league's Super Bowl advisory committee approved their bid -- contingent on the construction of a new stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. The Jets have committed $800 million for the stadium project, with the city and state required to raise the rest of what is expected to be a $1.7 billion total . . . A jury in Oakland ordered Bill Romanowski to pay former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams $340,000 in damages for smashing the tight end's face with a punch during a practice drill in 2003. Williams had sought millions, saying the assault broke his left eye socket, shortened his memory, gave him double vision and depression, and ended his career after less than two seasons. The Raiders have claimed they are not responsible for any damages and fined Romanowski $60,000.
Price check
Tagliabue said he was awaiting a report on charges that Vikings coach Mike Tice has been involved in a massive Super Bowl ticket-scalping scheme for years. Tice has appeared several times in front of NFL security to answer charges that he regularly received tickets from his players and resold them for three or more times face value. "We've been pretty aggressive enforcing our policy on the resale by club employees [of Super Bowl tickets]," Tagliabue said. "I don't have a report on the Mike Tice issue." Tagliabue did confirm that club employees have been disciplined and fined for violating the policy . . . Seeking depth for their linebacking corps, the Patriots re-signed unrestricted free agent Don Davis. Terms were not available. With the status of Tedy Bruschi uncertain, the Patriots elected to bring back the 10-year veteran who spent the last two seasons with New England . . . Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was named the Sporting News Executive of the Year. He received 19 of the 55 votes of owners, general managers, personnel directors, and other front office personnel. San Diego GM A.J. Smith was second with nine votes. Pioli is only the third person to win the award in back-to-back years; last year, at age 38, he was the youngest to win it . . . Former Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad has agreed to a one-year contract with the Raiders worth $750,000. The North Andover native will be reunited with Norv Turner, who was Miami's offensive coordinator before becoming Oakland's head coach last season . . . Guard Matt O'Dwyer, who missed all but the final four games last season with Tampa Bay because of a chest injury, agreed to terms with the Packers on a one-year deal for $765,000 . . . David Little, a durable linebacker for the Steelers who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1990, died Thursday while weightlifting at home in Miami. He was 46.
Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
