NFL notebook

Cutler, Broncos remain at odds

Coach Josh McDaniels (left) told the Broncos he'd ''take care of'' the situation involving unhappy QB Jay Cutler (right). (Associated Press file)

Associated Press / March 17, 2009

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Jay Cutler says he wants to break up. The Denver Broncos say they want to make up.

The Pro Bowl quarterback was a no-show yesterday for coach Josh McDaniels's first team meeting and the start of the Broncos' offseason workouts, and if he gets his way, he'll never step foot in the team's training facility again.

"The Denver Broncos confirm that Jay Cutler has requested a trade," team spokesman Jim Saccomano told The Associated Press yesterday.

McDaniels declined interview requests after telling The Denver Post that he wanted to meet again with Cutler to try to resolve their differences before he considers a trade.

McDaniels briefly addressed his broiling quarterback controversy when he gathered his team as a group for the first time yesterday morning.

"He just addressed it and said, 'I'll take care of it,' " recounted defensive lineman Kenny Peterson.

Cutler is upset that the Broncos tried to trade him for New England quarterback Matt Cassel last month and what he considers McDaniels's misleading answers to his inquiries about those discussions.

So, he asked for a trade through his agent, Bus Cook, who engineered Brett Favre's departure from Green Bay last summer.

Cutler told ESPN he would attend every mandatory minicamp and training camp but would skip the offseason training program, which won't subject him to fines.

He will, however, miss out on a $100,000 bonus if he doesn't attend 90 percent of the workouts. Cutler is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $48 million contract he signed as a rookie.

Smith gets to work

DeMaurice Smith wasted no time as the new NFL Players Association executive director, spending his first day on the job getting a start on labor talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and uniting the union ranks following a divisive seven-month search.

Yesterday, less than 24 hours after he was elected, Smith had a brief phone conversation with Goodell and started putting together a transition team to assume the reins of North America's most powerful sports union as it approaches a critical juncture.

Smith, speaking on a conference call with reporters, said it was his intention to use his initial conversation with Goodell as "our first conversation of the collective bargaining agreement."

Probe continues

Police are awaiting a toxicology report before releasing details about their investigation of Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who hit and killed a pedestrian with his Bentley over the weekend. Police spokesman Juan Sanchez said that the routine blood work had not made it to the lab for testing yet. Sanchez said results are expected by the end of the week. Authorities said Stallworth was headed toward the beach Saturday morning when he hit 59-year-old Mario Reyes on a busy causeway linking Miami and Miami Beach. A videotape obtained by The Miami Herald shows Stallworth being given a sobriety test just feet from paramedics trying to revive Reyes . . . The Redskins have re-signed kicker Shaun Suisham. He went 26 for 36 (72 percent) on field-goal tries, the worst rate among NFL kickers with more than 10 attempts . . . The Jets have re-signed cornerback and special teams standout Ahmad Carroll. He tied Wallace Wright for first on the Jets with 26 special teams tackles last season . . . Unrestricted free agent tight end Jeb Putzier re-signed with the Broncos, the 16th free agent signed by Denver this offseason . . . The Packers matched an offer sheet from the Titans on restricted free agent cornerback Jarrett Bush. Bush has been with the Packers for three seasons, mostly in a backup role. He played in 16 games last season and finished second on the team with 17 special teams tackles.