Jets' Vilma is on market

But the Patriots need not apply

JONATHAN VILMA Shopping around

INDIANAPOLIS - Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma is on the trading block, but the linebacker-needy Patriots shouldn't get their hopes up.

Two sources with ties to Vilma said the 2004 first-round pick has permission to shop his services to 30 of the league's teams, but not the Patriots.

While a high-ranking Jets official said the team would trade within the division if the value was right, even if it meant dealing with its bitter rival in New England, the sources close to Vilma contended otherwise.

Vilma's agent, Mitch Frankel, could not be reached.

That the Jets possibly would impose such a restriction on the Patriots could be viewed as a reflection of the continuing bad blood between the teams. Relations between the teams were icy even before the Patriots violated the NFL's videotaping procedures at the Jets' home stadium in the season opener. The ice only has grown thicker in subsequent months.

The New York Daily News reported Friday that the Jets have given Vilma permission to shop himself, noting that there are two layers to the process.

Vilma has one year remaining on his contract and is seeking a new deal, so the first layer would be striking a new contract with an interested team. If that happened, the team would negotiate compensation on a trade with the Jets.

Vilma is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008 season, so the Jets have some motivation to facilitate a trade. He also underwent knee surgery in November, so there are some health questions and it remains unclear how well Vilma would fit in the Patriots' system.

Cornering market?

With Asante Samuel seemingly set to test the free agent waters, the Patriots are evaluating some of his potential replacements at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Two of the top cornerback prospects in the draft, Kansas corner Aqib Talib and Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, indicated yesterday they had met with the Patriots.

Both would give New England a taller presence in the secondary. Talib checked in at 6 feet 3/4 of an inch and 202 pounds and Cromartie is 6-2, although he weighs just 184 pounds.

Talib said he met with the Patriots Saturday night, his first personal interview with any team, and that he felt it went well.

Rodgers-Cromartie is rising up draft boards because of a combination of height and athleticism. He was the Ohio Valley Conference indoor track champion in the 60-meter dash (6.89 seconds), long jump (25 feet, 3/4 inches) and high jump (6-9 1/2).

It also doesn't hurt that Rodgers-Cromartie said he is a first cousin of San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who led the NFL in interceptions this season.

Rodgers-Cromartie said his meeting with New England went real well, even though the team put him on the spot.

"They were the first team that made me draw something up with them. It threw me off guard a little bit," said Rodgers-Cromartie. "I was expecting to answer personal questions like everybody else was asking me and then you get 'Draw a defense up for me' and it threw me off guard."

Cromartie said he drew up a Cover-2 scheme.

Johnson explains

Former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson found himself drawn into the ongoing story regarding the Patriots' videotaping procedures, when in Friday's editions of USA Today comments made by Johnson in 2005 were included in a story on the Patriots' videotaping procedures.

"Every now and then I'd get a sheet, one hour before the game, with a list of audibles for our opponent," Johnson said in November 2005. "I don't know how, but they just showed up."

In the article, Johnson's comments were tied to remarks made Thursday by Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, who explained that videotape of sideline signals possibly could be matched to game footage to decipher what those signals meant. The story suggested Johnson's comments might be related to the videotaping of signals.

Yesterday, Johnson said his comments had "absolutely nothing" to do with the videotaping of signals and felt it was "irresponsible to take a quote from three years ago and link it to the allegations the Patriots are dealing with now." He said the comments were based more on the idea that coaches for all teams try to crack the code for opposing teams' audibles. Johnson said it was commonplace for coaches to quiz players who had been with a former team about how the former team handled its audibles.

Johnson went on ESPN this weekend to further explain his remarks.

Flock of Eagles

Boston College safety Jamie Silva said yesterday he was proud that BC had five prospects at the combine. Joining Silva are cornerback DeJuan Tribble, linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, tackle Gosder Cherilus, and quarterback Matt Ryan, who is expected to be a top-10 pick.

"Yeah, we're all close, and I'm sure we'll stay close over the years to come and we're proud of each other and we're proud of how BC did over the last few years," said Silva. "[We're] the winningest class in Boston College history."

The Eagles' senior class graduated with 39 wins.

Silva, who said he talked to the Patriots at the East-West Shrine game, said the biggest myth he's trying to dispel is that he's too small to play in the NFL. Silva said scouts only have to look to the combine's host city to see an example of a small safety who has made a big impact, Colts Pro Bowler Bob Sanders.

"Some people have said that I'm too small and I think that's kind of ridiculous, seeing plenty of safeties in the NFL being my size or even smaller," said Silva, who measured slightly taller than 5-10 and weighed in at 204 pounds. "Bob Sanders was NFL [Defensive Player of the Year] and he's probably smaller than mostly everybody here."

Size was also a factor for Tribble, who measured 5-8 3/4. "There's nothing I can do about my height," said Tribble. "I feel like that doesn't speak volumes of the way I play."

Speed thrills

East Carolina running back Chris Johnson posted the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs and wide receivers, running a blazing 4.24 yesterday. That upstaged the performance of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, who ran a 4.33. The top wide receiver 40-yard dash came from Cal's DeSean Jackson, who clocked a 4.35. Florida's Andre Caldwell, the younger brother of former Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell, tied for the second-fastest 40 among wideouts with a 4.37 . . . Florida State wide receiver DeCody Fagg suffered a left leg injury during quarterback-wide receiver drills . . . Louisiana State defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey has elected not to work out at the combine, citing the death of his grandmother. However, Dorsey did submit to medical exams and according to NFLDraftScout.com, teams have raised concerns about the lingering effects of a stress fracture Dorsey suffered in his right tibia in 2006. Dorsey, who will work out at LSU March 26, tried to allay any fears about his health. "I don't think it's an issue at all. I've played every game since I've been at LSU, my whole four years, so I do not think it's a problem at all," he said.

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