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Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

I wish I could say Mike Rucker was destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's not. But let's not sell short the career of the Carolina Panthers defensive end.

Rucker is announcing his retirement this afternoon and the Panthers will send him off with plenty of pomp and circumstance. That's the way it should be because Rucker was sa important as any player in the young history of the franchise.

He wasn't the best player by any means, but he was very solid through nine seasons. Rucker had 55.5 career sacks and made a Pro Bowl. But Rucker's contributions went beyond the field.

Rucker and safety Mike Minter, another member of the Hall of Very Good, became fixtures in the Charlotte community and rocks in the locker room. They were with the team in the dismal 1-15 season in 2001. They also emerged as leaders when coach John Fox arrived in 2002 and had the Panthers in the Super Bowl after the 2003 season.

Through all the highs and lows, Rucker and Minter were go-to guys for the media, always willing to talk after a win or a loss. Rucker and Minter, who retired before last season, were ambassadors for the Panthers and they'll remain that even in retirement.

Outside of Bank of America Stadium, there are two statues. There's one for Mike McCormack, the team's first president. There's also one for late Carolina linebacker Sam Mills. Both statues are well deserved.

Rucker and Minter didn't have the same kind of career as Mills, who spent most of his playing days with New Orleans. But Rucker and Minter did as much for the franchise as anyone.

Some day, they deserve statues of their own.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The countdown has begun. Only three more days until...my final mock draft. On Friday morning at 8 a.m., the final edition will appear on a gigantic screen in Times Square. But for a sneak peek, drop by P.J. Clarke's on the Upper East Side on Thursday at 10 p.m.

As I put the finishing touches on the Hash Mock, I'm reaching out to scouts, general managers and coaches across the league. After sifting through all the lies, I'm now prepared to tell you that the Atlanta Falcons will not select quarterback Matt Ryan at No. 3. I know that's what Mark Bradley wants, but it's not going to happen. Here's what one of the league's top scouts told me last night:

"The Falcons are too scared to take Matt Ryan," he said. "There's absolutely no way they take him because of the risk involved."

I warned the scout that Peter King said otherwise, but he stuck to his guns. So where does this leave Ryan? Well, you heard Mel Kiper Jr. say that he'll walk off the set and not return if Ryan slips out of the top eight. Maybe that's because Kiper was once a Ravens season-ticket holder and still roots for the team. Todd McShay will be rushed to the set if Kiper actually leaves.

I'm sure Baltimore would love to have Ryan, but he has to get by Kansas City and the Jets first. I could see the Chiefs passing on him and taking Chris Long (if Jared Allen is traded) or Branden Albert. I'm not sure the Jets would be able to pass on Ryan, although they'd certainly test the waters to see what the Ravens were willing to give up.

This has a chance to be one of the most exciting drafts in years because there's still not a clear-cut favorite at the top of the draft. My gut (and a text message) tells me the Dolphins will reach a deal with offensive tackle Jake Long on Friday. The Rams will take Glenn Dorsey second overall and then the Falcons will take Chris Long. The Raiders will select Darren McFadden, the Chiefs, Albert and the Jets will go with either Ryan or Vernon Gholston. The Patriots will take USC linebacker Keith Rivers and the Ravens will pray that Ryan slips to them.

OK, I have to save some of this for Friday. Thanks for your support.

Pacman Jones' comeback to the NFL may have hit another snag Monday when police revealed that the Titans cornerback paid "extortion" money to a 29-year-old man who was arrested for a Las Vegas strip club shooting that left one employee paralyzed in Feb. 2007.

Arvin Kenti Edwards of Renton, Wash., was arrested Friday on three counts of attempted murder with a weapon and three counts of battery with substantial bodily harm. Edwards allegedly used go-betweens to reach Jones, who in turn paid him $15,000 in two installments. On Friday, Jones traveled to Seattle, where he picked Edwards out of a police lineup and identified him as the man who opened fire with a handgun just before 5 a.m. Feb. 19, 2007, outside the Las Vegas strip club.

"He paid $15,000 to his friends, who advised him that if he didn't pay the money then this guy would come after him," said Robert Langford, Jones' lawyer in Las Vegas.

Edwards isn't being charged with extortion at this point, but it's still another ugly detail in the case. Las Vegas police said that Jones and Edwards met briefly after Jones and his entourage had been kicked out of the Minxx strip club. A few moments later, shots were fired toward the club. According to a police report, someone began contacting Jones by telephone seeking money for "services rendered" about a week later. Edwards' alleged go-betweens warned Jones that his mother and daughter would be in peril if he did not pay the money.

Of course, Pacman should've contacted the police at this point, but he instead wired $3,800 to a woman in Seattle and then put up $11,200 more for a friend in Atlanta to pay on his behalf, according to police.

The biggest problem for Pacman is that brief conversation that allegedly took place outside the strip club. That $15,000 in "extortion" money -- a ridiculously low amount if you're extorting a first-round draft choice -- isn't going to keep Edwards quiet for long. 

The phone calls about "services rendered" are troubling on several levels --especially since Pacman ended up making two payments. Jones pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct in an agreement that reduced what had been two felony charges. In return, he agreed to tell police what he knew about the gunman. 

Well, he might have helped investigators break the case, but if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell determines that Pacman held back some important details, Goodell might leave Pacman on the sideline for another season. Whether or not he was afraid for his family, the fact that Pacman made payments to Edwards makes it look like he was trying to suppress something. If this aspect of the story caught Goodell by surprise (and my guess is that it did), I think he'll be extremely disappointed. He's never felt compelled to reinstate Jones, but you get the sense that he's rooting for the troubled player.

Pacman's Vegas attorney denied that this latest development has any connection with his client's efforts to be reinstated by the NFL, but I'm thinking Goodell will be the judge of that.

What's the latest on the Titans-Cowboys negotiations? It might not matter.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

It's funny how the league works sometimes.

Back in 2004, when I was covering the Minnesota Vikings, I had several pre-draft chats with agent Ken Harris. He was giving me hints of a young unknown player the Vikings were showing interest in.

But he was a low-to-mid round prospect so whether or not the Vikings would pull the trigger on this prospect was difficult to project, Harris warned. Plus, the kid was a long snapper so that made the proposition even murkier. As it turned out, the Vikings never got the chance at that young long snapper.

The Kansas City Chiefs took Jared Allen in the fourth round, the No. 126th overall pick, out of Idaho State.

The Vikings missed their chance on that long snapper who came out of nowhere and became a starting defensive end midway through his rookie season. Now, of course, Allen is considered one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. And the Vikings still want him. Allen just completed a visit with the Vikings, who are trying to trade for him before the draft, along with Tampa Bay.

Thus, the Vikings may have lost out on a long snapper but are still in the hunt for a difference-making defensive end four years later.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

All the chatter about the Raiders taking Darren McFadden with the No. 4 overall pick Saturday has filtered down to the team's current No. 1 tailback.

It seems Justin Fargas is fine with the talk. Certainly, Fargas, a former USC standout who has quietly emerged into a solid NFL tailback, would rather Oakland use the No. 4 pick on a defensive line need in the form of ends Chris Long of Virginia or Vernon Gholston of Ohio State or Glenn Dorsey of LSU if they are available.

Yet, Fargas, who just signed a lucrative contract to remain in Oakland, has to know that he McFadden talk is real. It all comes down to this: Will Al Davis, who is clearly making the pick, be able to resist taking McFadden? Maybe Gholston or Long would sway him but Fargas has to know he will become the Raiders' backup again at the end of the week if McFadden is brought in.

Fargas can rest easy that his coach is fine with him being the starter. At the NFL owners' meetings earlier this month, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said he doesn't think the Raiders need McFadden and that he'd rather draft a defensive lineman or trade down. But in Oakland, having Kiffin on your side doesn't necessarily mean anything. Again, if Davis wants McFadden, Fargas will be the backup again.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley 

That's what Eagles radio analyst and former wide receiver Mike Quick is saying this evening. We've told you for weeks that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to make a play for Lions wide receiver Roy Williams, but it sounds like he'll have stiff competition.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley 

We just spent a few minutes with former NFL running back Herschel Walker on 103.3 ESPN in Dallas. Walker has caused a national stir with his recent appearance on ABC's "Nightline" and with his new book, "Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder." In the book, Walker describes a series of bizarre incidents that almost led to him taking his own life.

He said he originally wrote his story as part of his therapy for DID, but someone read it and suggested he turn it into a book. It sounds like he's been surprised by how much backlash he's received over his admission. Walker's stories of having to manage more than 12 personalities is hard to buy -- especially since his coaches and father didn't see any of the signs.

"What is so weird is that I've taken responsibility for all the events I've been involved in," Walker said. "I always take responsibility if I do something wrong."

Some critics have suggested that he was using the relatively rare disorder to explain away events in his past and perhaps cash in on its sensational nature.

"I don't need money," he told us. "I have a company that's very successful."

He said he wrote the book because he thinks others might be suffering from similar issues and could be embarrassed to seek professional help. Walker said that he played Russian Roulette several times.

"To me, it's the ultimate game," he said. "You win or lose."

He then launched into comparing Russian Roulette to his approach to winning or losing football games. In recent interviews, his ex-wife Cindy talked about how Walker once pointed a gun at her temple. Walker gave her a lot of credit for staying with him through the worst times, and took complete responsibility for their divorce, indicating that she was willing to stay with him.

Walker also brought up a story that's in the book about how a minor disagreement over a business deal almost caused him to shoot a man.

"I was gonna hurt this guy," Walker said. "If I had not prayed to my Lord Jesus, I would be in jail."

"I'm almost like a giraffe," Walker said. "I sleep three minutes and then I'm ready to go."

Would one of my animal experts please let me know if giraffes actually sleep in three-minute increments? This was news to me.

Herschel had to run at this point, but I might drop by one of his book signings later this week. I'm fascinated by this story, although I'm not completely sure what to make of it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley 

I just found out a few minutes ago that I'll be talking to former Cowboys running back Herschel Walker in about 30 minutes. His new book, "Breaking Free," has stirred up a lot of interest since it was released last week.

If you have a question for Herschel about his life with Dissociative Identity Disorder, now's the time to ask. Walker said he managed up to 12 different personalities when the disorder was at its worst. I'll have a full report later this evening. Thanks.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

The Cincinnati Bengals announced today that middle linebacker Odell Thurman has been reinstated by the NFL.

"Odell has met the NFL's conditions for reinstatement and has been added to our offseason roster, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said today. "It is now up to Odell to continue to meet all NFL guidelines, and to maintain a standard of personal responsibility that will allow him the chance to compete for a spot on our team.

Finally, there is positive news coming out of the Bengals' camp this offseason. Thurman's reinstatement follows weeks of negative press that involved the release if receiver Chris Henry and star player Chad Johnson wanting a one-way ticket out of town.

Thurman was arguably the team's best defensive player during his rookie year in 2005, when he recorded 106 tackles and five interceptions. If Thurman returns to form and is able to shake off two years of inactivity, this could be a major boost for Cincinnati's defense and one less need to address in this weekend's NFL Draft.

Currently, the Bengals' two biggest needs are the defensive line and linebacker positions.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The Jared Allen story will be one of the most interesting tales to follow leading up to this weekend's draft. What Kansas City does with the Pro Bowl defensive end will have a major impact on the draft so it worth keeping a close eye on it.

Problem is, it would be a surprise if this story has a quick resolution. After a productive two-day visit in Minnesota during the weekend, Allen is headed to Tampa Bay this week. Allen's agent talked contract with the Vikings but didn't strike a deal yet. He'll do the same with the Buccaneers. A source close to the situation said speculation that other teams, including Philadelphia, are in the mix that only Minnesota and Tampa Bay is being dealt with at this point.

But getting a contract done for Allen is half the trick and that's why this thing may drag out. Kansas City general manager Carl Peterson is known for talking his time in trade talks. Remember, Trent Green and Patrick Surtain?

This may take some time. Really, it would be a surprise if Allen isn't traded because there are so many motivated parties, but this could drag out to the weekend.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The closer we get to the NFL draft, the more we care about potential trading scenarios.

Teams generally like the idea of trading back in the first round. General managers want to add picks and reduce how much money they'll invest in a first-round choice.

Of course, moving back requires finding someone willing to move up. And before a team can move up, a team must have sufficient draft capital.

The chart shows how much draft capital each team possesses heading into this draft, based on picks held in the 2008 draft. I have assigned point values for each pick using the familiar draft-pick value chart popularized by former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson.

Based on the chart, Atlanta has more trading capital than St. Louis, even though the Rams pick higher in the first round. Note that compensatory picks carry no value for the purposes of this chart because NFL rules prevent teams from trading those choices.

Those wishing to play around with the numbers can download an updated draft-order file with point values assigned to each pick (free Excel viewer here for those without the progra...

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley 

In case you somehow missed this, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens recently traveled to Canada to shoot an episode of Flavor Flav's new sitcom, "Under One Roof." I "regret" to say that I missed the show's debut.

I'm told that Mr. Flav admired the range T.O. displayed following the Cowboys' playoff loss to the Giants. The "Crying Game" became a YouTube sensation and may have inadvertently launched the wide receiver's acting career.

Here's the introduction for "Under One Roof," which might sound familiar to fans of Will Smith's "The Prince of Bel-Air." Apparently Alfonso Ribeiro was not available to play the wealthy brother, but the show's producers were able to find another marginally talented actor willing to wear cardigans and deck shoes.

Now a blog called America'sTeam.Info is reporting that Owens will soon star in a reality TV show. I made a couple of calls to T.O.'s camp, and it turns out that a deal is in the works, and that the weekly show would appear on E! Network. My guess is that T.O. saw how much attention Jason Taylor was receiving on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," and wanted a piece of the action.

Thanks to David Rubini for tipping us off on this story. I'm told the working title for T.O.'s new reality show is something like "Lovin' Me Some Me."

Now, back to football.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

If you've read this blog for more than six months, God bless you. I'm sure you've noticed my admiration for Giants GM Jerry Reese. I met him at one of the club's minicamps last summer and was impressed with how candid and down-to-earth he was. The league has its share of pretentious people, but most of them work in the media.

During a 40-minute interview with Reese, he kept bringing up this kid from Marshall that he snagged in the seventh round. Reese is a humble person, but you could tell that he had a tremendous amount of pride about the selection of Ahmad Bradshaw. And a few months later, we found out why.

Now, Reese is trying to play down the Class of 2007, which has become the league's latest symbol of draft success.

"You always go into the draft hoping you can get more right than you get wrong," Reese said last week. "Last year we were fortunate enough to get more right than we got wrong. And we had some holes coming into the draft, so somebody had to play. So it's a little bit overrated. We hit on all of our picks, but somebody had to play. The coaches did a tremendous job getting them ready to play, so I think they deserve a lot of credit as well."

Jerry, when six of your eight draft picks make valuable contributions in a Super Bowl for the ages, it's hard to call them overrated. What Reese is trying to do is make sure his scouting department doesn't overlook anything just because the Giants have fewer holes to fill. The team could land a starting safety or linebacker with the final pick in the first round, but he knows first-hand that a Day 2 player could also make a significant impact.

In Baltimore, GM Ozzie Newsome and his staff have had tremendous success hitting on players in the fourth, fifth and even sixth rounds. In fact, some of those players quickly transitioned from role players to starters. For some reason, though, the scouting department was struggling in the third round. Newsome and college scouting director Eric DeCosta re-focused their efforts in the offseason and now hope to score in the third, too.

Reese may try to act like he got lucky on some of the picks, but I sat there and listened to him brag for 10 minutes on an obscure tight end that he landed in the fifth round. Of course, that tight end, Kevin Boss, ended up starting in the Super Bowl -- and catching a 45-yard pass.

The Giants don't have a lot of openings at this point, but that won't stop Reese from trying to draft talented players. He doesn't want anyone on the roster to feel comfortable -- with the possible exception of Eli Manning.

"You can always improve your team," Reese said. "You can always create some competition and we like to do that. We try to create competition at every position and let the best guy win the position moving forward. Nobody is safe. Everybody has a job to win."

Posted by ESPN.com senior blogger Matt Mosley 

A few days after falling a stroke short in an EDS Byron Nelson Championship pre-qualifying event, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and three of the Dallas area's top golfers christened the revamped TPC course at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas. I thought the whimsical music in the video was a nice touch, but I'm not sure why Ryder Cup alum J.J. Henry was the only golfer who received a mic.  

"I wish I had your short game," Henry was overheard saying to Romo.

Other than that, the video featured a series of tee shots from Romo followed by the first-ever triple screen of Harrison Frazar, Henry and Romo hitting shots. CBS should look into this type of technology. The network could cover an entire event without ever taking the camera off Tiger Woods -- even if he's back home in Orlando.

I've had the pleasure of playing golf with Romo several times, although we utilize different tee boxes. I'll never forget following Tony's 345-yard drive on No. 1 at Pebble Beach with a 65-yard worm burner.

"Mr. Mosley, take another one," said the starter.  

Tony began with a couple of chili-dips from the first fairway, but rallied to shoot a 76 that afternoon. I rallied to shoot 93, although that score came into question when I moved a ball out of the No. 18 bunker to avoid a small but menacing fox.

But enough about my round at Pebble Beach with Tony Romo. Most of you know I'm not comfortable mentioning things like that.

The point of this entry is to say that Romo seems to be hanging on his left side a bit during his backswing. I like what he's doing around the greens, but he needs to load up on his right side on longer shots. One of the most important things to keep in mind when offering unsolicited swing tips is to make sure you do it early in the round.

I generally start out by showing my playing partners a Medicus, which was designed to screw up swings for a minimum of two months. But seriously, the Byron Nelson, which begins Thursday, is missing a huge marketing opportunity. Romo, who is basically a scratch golfer, should receive a special exemption into the tournament.

Some would argue that he'd be taking another player's spot, but who gives a rip about that? If you're an alternate for one of these tournaments, we're probably not going to recognize your name anyway.

Crowne Plaza Invitational (Fort Worth) at Colonial officials received criticism from players when they granted a spot to Annika Sorenstam in 2003, but her presence energized a tournament that was fading without Woods and other stars.

This year, John Daly is being offered a special exemption at the Nelson because some people enjoy watching train wrecks. Officials would be better off pointing Daly toward the nearest Hooters and letting Romo fill his spot.

Tournament officials might argue that they don't want a sideshow overshadowing a tournament. Fellas, maybe a sideshow is exactly what this tournament needs.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Whether or not you agree with all of the Raiders' moves this offseason in which they spent cash unlike any other team, the spree did accomplish something.

It shrunk Oakland's wish list in next weekend's draft.

For a team that has won a league-low 19 games in the past five seasons, that is worth something. Yes, many of the Raiders' acquisitions are risky and they certainly overpaid DeAngelo Hall, Javon Walker and Tommy Kelly. Yet, at least for the short term, the Raiders' need list is no longer so long going into the draft, which is strange to say about a team that has struggled so mightily in recent seasons.

Still, Oakland has to get some help on the offensive line on offense and it surely needs some help on the defensive front. Heading into free agency, Oakland had big holes at several other areas. Thanks to an empty bank account, Oakland doesn't have to try to fill five or six gaping holes in the daft.

Will it all help Oakland turn the corner? We'll see because this team has a lot to prove, but finally Raiders' fans have some hope heading into another draft in which their team picks high in the first round.