Vrabel ready to tackle issues

The NFL Players Association is holding its annual meeting in Maui this week, and player conduct is expected to be one of the hot topics of discussion. Linebacker Mike Vrabel realizes the issue will be front and center after a string of 2006 arrests across the league, but it's not one he planned to highlight in his role as the Patriots' player representative.

Instead, Vrabel was preparing to talk about education. He believes the league can do more for its players, and hopes the association continues to push harder in that area. He points to his former teammate, Ted Johnson, as an example of why more education and player programs are needed.

"I know Ted Johnson is an issue that is near and dear to everybody's heart," said Vrabel, "and I think you say, 'If it can happen to a guy like Ted Johnson, it can certainly happen to Mike Vrabel or anybody.' I think we need to look at what type of education we're giving these guys before [retirement].

"Certainly, we all make the choice to play this game and enjoy the way we're compensated, and we love playing football, but we have to look at what we're going to do after football. Ted, I thought, had a plan. And whether it was concussions or the drug addiction, or whatever it was, things made a turn for the worse. So I think we need to look at that."

The 31-year-old Vrabel returned to school in the 2004 offseason, completing his degree in exercise science at Ohio State. He took advantage of the NFL's tuition reimbursement program to defray the costs, but said it wasn't ideal because he was crammed for time. Vrabel would like to see the NFL extend its reimbursement policy so that players don't have to be in the league to take advantage of it.

"I did it and barely got through, and I only had a handful of classes and had to take some independent study," said Vrabel. "I'm going to address that; if guys are serious about that, why can't we extend it out a little bit? That's a benefit that the owners will say 'we give them this' but that seldom gets realized."

The franchise tag is another thing Vrabel expects to be debated. He questions whether teams are using the tag as it was initially intended.

"The way we were explained it as a union rep, it was to give the team ample time to negotiate a long-term deal, in good faith, or trade the player like Tebucky Jones [in 2003], which I thought was the ethical way to do it -- the team gets something for the player because they used the tag, and the player gets the contract that he wanted from a team," Vrabel said. "So in that case, it's amicable."

Yet Lance Briggs's stalemate with the Chicago Bears has been anything but amicable this offseason, with the Bears saying they don't intend to negotiate a long-term deal and Briggs saying he is considering sitting out the season.

While most players would prefer to do away with the franchise tag, from a player representative perspective, Vrabel believes it's not a reasonable expectation. He doesn't think it is worth players surrendering years before reaching free agency to eliminate the franchise tag, which would be one possibility owners might consider.

Vrabel noted the different approaches players have taken when assigned the franchise tag, including his teammate, cornerback Asante Samuel.

"[Seattle's] Walter Jones never said a word, he played for a lot of money, reported to training camp three days before the first game, and was a great player," said Vrabel. "Asante has kept quiet and I think that's maybe the proper way -- you get more bees with honey than you do vinegar. Lance Briggs, I don't know him, but he has come out and said some things that he may or may not do.

"Certainly, the franchise tag has to be addressed and looked at, but it's not going to change. We would have to give up too much, I believe, to get that tag taken away. However unfortunate for Lance Briggs's situation, if he plays this year, he will be compensated well, 2-3 times what most other linebackers are making.

"You have to debate the issues that apply to a majority of the league, but I guess if those seven players make enough noise, people take notice. It wasn't an issue when Asante didn't say anything, but now it's an issue when Lance Briggs says he's not playing for the Bears.

"I can't say for my team, the Patriots, that we should do away with the tag. Asante may or may not get his deal -- and I hope he does and gets the security that he deserves and he's earned. Those are the type of things we talk about and try to discuss and we're looking forward to doing it."

Take your pick of bad moves

For a team in need of an infusion of young talent, the Redskins haven't helped themselves by recklessly trading away draft choices in recent years. Consider that Washington enters the 2007 draft without selections in the second, third, and fourth rounds, where teams often find depth at affordable prices.

How did the Redskins get in such a hole? By their own doing, of course.

Last year, they traded their 2006 second-round pick (53d) and 2007 second-rounder (37th) to the Jets for a 2006 second-rounder. That pick was spent on University of Miami linebacker Rocky McIntosh, who did little in his first year. Meanwhile, the Jets smartly used the Redskins' original second-round pick in a trade for Bears running back Thomas Jones this month.

The Redskins' third-round pick went to Atlanta last year for unproductive running back T.J. Duckett, who after gaining 138 yards on 38 carries in 10 games for Washington has since signed with the Lions. Not exactly a great return on their investment.

Meanwhile, the fourth-rounder is owned by the 49ers as part of a 2006 trade for uninspiring receiver Brandon Lloyd (15 games, 23 catches, 0 touchdowns last season).

The bumbling Redskins, who often operate as if the next year's draft doesn't exist, do have one valuable chip in the form of the sixth overall pick. They will consider trading down to accumulate some of the picks they traded away.

Patriots' Brown is this family's most valued player

The act was so selfless by Troy Brown that the McGowan family of Attleboro wanted to share the story, even though Brown requested that there be no publicity.

Eight-year-old Matthew McGowan had been admitted to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence last year with an inoperable brain tumor. Because Matthew was a big sports fan, his parents, Richard and Linda, and uncle, John Rijo, contacted Brown through a mutual friend to see if Brown could autograph a jersey.

The response stunned them.

"The next day, we got the word that it was no problem, but that Troy didn't want to send it, he wanted to deliver it in person," said Rijo.

The visit was arranged, and while young Matthew was unconscious and unresponsive, the family knew he was aware of Brown's presence when his heart rate increased as Brown held his hand. Brown told the family he hoped to score a touchdown for Matthew in the team's next game, Oct. 8 against the Dolphins.

As the family watched that Sunday from the hospital, Brown hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady. They could hardly believe it. Then Brown sent the ball, with an autograph, as a surprise to the McGowans. Later, the family had Brown autograph a framed photo that ran in the Globe the day after the victory over the Dolphins.

Unfortunately, young Matthew lost the fight for his life yesterday, but his family didn't want Brown's generosity to go unrecognized, despite his wishes to keep the visit quiet. At a most difficult time in their lives, Brown's gesture meant more than they could express.

"The fact he doesn't want any recognition is more reason why we wanted to tell people about this," Rijo said.

Rijo said the autographed picture included the words, "To Matthew, a true champion, your friend forever, Troy Brown."

Said Matthew's father, Richard: "Troy is right, Matthew is and always will be a true champion. And to us, Troy will always be more than just a sports champion, but our friend forever."

Etc.

Wind shifts in New Orleans
There was a time not long ago when it appeared the Saints might be marching out of New Orleans, a result of Hurricane Katrina damaging the Superdome, combined with lukewarm support from the local business community. But things have changed since the team's dramatic run to the 2006 NFC Championship game, and last week marked another high point when the Saints received commitments for all 137 luxury suites in the Superdome. In 2006, there was just one game -- the home opener (and first game since Katrina) -- in which all luxury suites were sold out. Team officials estimate about 75 percent of the suites were occupied per game. And after selling out all season tickets for the first time in 2006, the Saints are now saying they have a waiting list of around 25,000.

Light may line up with Vrabel
When linebacker Don Davis announced his retirement this month, the Patriots lost one of their representatives to the NFL Players Association; Davis had served alongside Mike Vrabel. One possibility to fill the opening is offensive tackle Matt Light, who was invited to the NFLPA's annual meeting in Maui this week. "I think Matt could help me reach some guys in the locker room that maybe I don't communicate enough with on the offensive side of the ball," said Vrabel, "as far as getting second opinions, making sure your benefits are in order, making sure you're aware of your insurance, making sure you have your dependents on your insurance forms, things like that. I'm sad to see Don retire, but I think Matt would do a great job."

Artificial flavor
When the Patriots switched to a FieldTurf surface at Gillette Stadium last November, it left Green Bay's Lambeau Field as one of the few natural-grass fields in a cold-weather, outdoor NFL stadium. But Lambeau is set to undergo its own transformation, and will be switching to a new surface called DD GrassMaster. Like FieldTurf, it includes synthetic fibers. The new surface is expected to be ready for next season.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams have until July 16 to reach a long-term deal with a player assigned the franchise tag, of which there are seven this year. After July 16, the player may sign only a one-year contract with the designating club, and that contract cannot be extended until after the last regular-season game. This is a change from past years, when March-July most often resulted in a period of little negotiation because teams would have lost the use of the franchise tag for the length of any deal that their franchise player signed.

Boston College is scheduled to hold its Pro Day Wednesday, with scouts from NFL teams coming to campus. Offensive linemen Josh Beekman and James Marten were the lone BC players invited to the NFL combine last month, so the Pro Day will be an important audition for a small flock of Eagles hoping to impress, such as safety Ryan Glasper, cornerback Larry Anam, and receiver Tony Gonzalez.

Brown's Zak DeOssie will attend BC's Pro Day, although he isn't expected to perform a full workout, instead electing to stand on his strong performance at the combine. DeOssie (6 feet 4 5/8 and 251 pounds) was timed at 4.53 and 4.56 (hand-held) in the 40-yard dash and had a 34.5 vertical leap and 10-foot-2-inch broad jump. He totaled 26 repetitions on the bench press, ran the 60-yard shuttle in 11.5 seconds and completed the three-cone drill in 6.89 seconds. He is expected to run the 20-yard shuttle at BC, as he had slipped during that test at the combine.

First-year Dolphins coach Cam Cameron finalized his staff Thursday, and there is no official offensive coordinator. The expectation is that Cameron will call the plays . . . The Patriots' offseason program begins tomorrow . . . Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum took a break from the scouting trail Friday to serve as keynote speaker at a career day at Westborough High School. . . . Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson held his Pro Day workout Thursday, and among those in attendance was new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, whose team holds the first overall pick . . . The Dolphins' trade of defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick has not been finalized because Wilkinson has yet to report to the Broncos, and neither club has been able to reach him by phone. The trade was to be voided if Wilkinson had not reported by Friday, but that deadline was extended . . . UMass punter Christian Koegel has been working out with former NFL punter Louie Aguiar as he prepares for the draft . . . Former Brown receiver Sean Morey, who played the last three seasons with the Steelers, found a new home with the Cardinals, signing a three-year, $2.7 million contract Thursday. First-year Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt was the Steelers' offensive coordinator from 2004-06, so he's familiar with Morey . . . UNH receiver David Ball and UMass running back Steve Baylark are among players from New England schools who are scheduled to work out at BC's Pro Day . . . Former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan is hosting a "fans press conference" next Saturday at The Skybox Restaurant in Tewksbury (11:30 a.m.), with proceeds benefiting the C2 Mission, which is run by Lowell Spinners public relations director Jon Goode. Tickets are $15; for more information, contact Goode at 978-805-5106 or email him at jgoode@lowellspinners.com.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.