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Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

New York Giants GM Jerry Reese really wanted things to work out with tight end Jeremy Shockey, but in the end, keeping him wasn't worth the distraction he would've caused. Reese didn't blink when the Saints offered a second and a fifth-round draft choice before April's draft because he thought Shockey was more valuable than that.

Of course, that was before Shockey initiated a shouting match with the normally understated Reese during a mandatory minicamp in June. Though he might not admit it publicly, Reese decided at that point that Shockey no longer had a place in the organization. In the back of his mind, he knew Saints head coach Sean Payton still coveted Shockey, and that's why he was so deliberate.

	Marvin Gentry/US Presswire
	Newly-traded Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey's act grew tired in New York.

He knew the controversial tight end could show up in Albany, N.Y, for training camp Thursday and cause a scene. And with the team already fighting symptoms from a Super Bowl hangover, it was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Shockey's close friend Plaxico Burress recently voiced his support for Shockey staying with the Giants, but I don't think most players will be terribly upset about the trade. Shockey lost leverage when his teammates made a Super Bowl run without him. He then took the childish route of showing up for a minicamp and hiding out in the locker room.

Shockey is a fierce competitor who could very well help lead the Saints back to the playoffs. But he'd burned too many bridges with the Giants. And don't think this is all based on his recent actions. While brilliant at times, Shockey has always been a lightning rod. His ridiculous remarks about Bill Parcells (which I won't repeat) in a magazine story five years ago spoke to his immaturity and his on-field tirades weren't a good match for the mild-mannered Eli Manning.

My colleague Pat Yasinskas says this trade makes the Saints a "great" offense, but I respectfully disagree. It certainly gives the Saints more firepower, but I'm not assuming that Deuce McAllister will come back strong from a knee injury and that Reggie Bush will suddenly become a game-changing player. The Saints are also missing a viable No. 2 wide receiver at the moment. Second-year player Robert Meachem is essentially a rookie after being inactive for all 16 games last season and David Patten is a stretch as a third receiver.

I realize that the best team in the NFC South can change on a dime because that's what has happened recently, but it seems strange that everyone is jumping back on the Saints' bandwagon. On Monday, New Orleans definitely became a better offense. But the reason this is a win-win trade is that the Giants are a better team without Shockey. If that were not the case, they'd put up with his nonsense for another season.

How is this playing in New York? Well, the Daily News is currently going with a "So Long, Shockey" headline, which seems pretty tame. Columnists such as Gary Myers of the Daily News have been saying Shockey should be traded for months, so I don't think Reese will experience much backlash in the media. I also think most Giants fans had resigned to the fact that the team was better off without Shockey in the long run.

Reese was notably brief in his statement about the trade:

"Jeremy Shockey was a great competitor and contributor during his years with the Giants," Reese said in a statement released by the team. "We wish him well in New Orleans."

Coughlin was much more effusive in his praise, and that's to be expected.

"Jeremy is a very talented football player who always played with great enthusiasm and great effort," Coughlin said in the same statement. "He was excited about playing. Jeremy always enjoyed being a physical football player and a tough football player. He's an outstanding football player who plays the game full speed and plays the game the way it was meant to be played. He is a physical blocker who is a gifted athlete with the ball in his hands after receiving the ball down the field. I wish him the best."

The New York Post is going with "Saint Shockey" on the front of its home page. Here is Paul Schwartz's story on the trade. Schwartz ends the story with this baffling line:

"When healthy, Shockey reportedly did not like how his role in the Giants' offense had been changing from pass-catcher to blocker."

So that's why he was so disgruntled? The Giants were trying to turn him into a blocking tight end.

Deliver me!

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

	Icon SMI
	Brian Urlacher's new deal should keep the middle linebacker focused on football.

The Chicago Bears will be carrying some tangible momentum when they report to training camp Tuesday in Bourbonnais, Ill.: The heart and soul of their team should be happy.

The Bears and middle linebacker Brian Urlacher have reached common ground in their ongoing contract dialogue, agreeing to an extended deal that gives Urlacher a $6 million signing bonus, a $1 million bump in his base salary and a chance to earn a total of $18 million in new money through the 2012 season, according to ESPN.com's Michael Smith. 

Urlacher had skipped part of the Bears' offseason strength and conditioning program but reported on time for mandatory minicamp. He did not plan to hold out from training camp, and there are some observers who suggest Urlacher's skills are eroding. But the Bears nevertheless recognized that it wouldn't have been a healthy situation for Urlacher to enter camp stewing about his contract.

The Bears protected themselves by tying much of Urlacher's raise to his continued presence on the roster; he gets a $1 million "bonus" for every season he plays under the deal and would receive $7.5 million in salary if he is with the Bears in 2012 -- when he will be 34 years old.

The agreement is the latest example in the Bears' continuing attempt to wipe their business slate clean in time for training camp. They have signed 11 of their 12 draft choices and reportedly are close to an agreement with first-round offensive lineman Chris Williams. Just as important, they signed linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive tackle Tommie Harris to market-level extensions earlier this offseason.

The final piece of the contract puzzle is kick returner/wide receiver Devin Hester, who is signed through 2009 but is seeking an upgrade. Hester's unique skills make it difficult to establish his market value, but the Bears have explored the possibility of upgrading his deal as well.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

The Titans have agreed to terms with William Hayes, the fourth-round defensive end out of Winston-Salem State.

The athletic but raw lineman will have a chance to contribute as the Titans look to replace the platoon of Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy, who combined for 14 sacks a year ago but left as free agents. Ideally Hayes can combine with Jevon Kearse to fill the void.

Hayes' deal pays him minimum base salaries over four years with a bonus of about $500,000.

Tennessee still needs to reach agreements with its top three picks -- running back Chris Johnson, defensive lineman Jason Jones and tight end Craig Stevens.

The Titans first practice of training camp is Friday afternoon.

They also waived injured undrafted rookie safety Rocky Schwartz to make room to finalize their recent deal with seventh-rounder Cary Williams.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Smith

The 49ers are acting in the best interests of the team by forcing former No. 1 overall draft choice Alex Smith to compete for the starting job he lost amid injuries last season. That was the word today from coach Mike Nolan during a conference call with reporters. Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat has the play-by-play:

"Nolan said it would be unfair to the football team to not allow a competition to take place for the quarterback position."

I was covering the Seahawks in 2001 when Mike Holmgren, speaking at the press conference to announce Matt Hasselbeck's acquisition from Green Bay, said he would "sink or swim" as a coach in Seattle depending on how well Hasselbeck performed. I see Nolan sinking or swimming with Smith, based on how much the team has invested in the quarterback. Shaun Hill performed well late last season, but naming Hill the starter heading into this season would deliver a damaging and potentially final blow to the Smith era in San Francisco.

Nolan also noted in the conference call that general manager Scot McCloughan and coaches Ted Tollner and Mike Martz would share in the decision to name a starter. Nolan is, of course, part of that process as well. Again, the organization has a lot invested in Smith. The decision-by-committee approach would seem to favor giving Smith every chance to prove himself worthy of the investment. Giving up on him after three seasons appears unlikely unless Hill is obviously superior in training camp.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Grant

If Brett Favre is the Green Bay Packers No. 1 off-field issue right now, tailback Ryan Grant counts as a close second. With players scheduled to report Sunday for training camp, Grant remains unsigned as he attempts to secure a long-term contract.

Appearing Monday morning on ESPN's First Take, Grant said that discussions between his agent and the team are "moving forward" and that he is "very optimistic" a deal will get done. Grant, however, did not deny that he will hold out if necessary.

"I think I'll wait until everything gets done before I go up there," Grant said.

Grant is in a relatively rare position for a young player: He is technically a free agent, but because of his experience level he falls under the "exclusive rights" category -- which prevents him from negotiating with other teams unless his current one cuts ties. The Packers offered him a standard tender of $370,000 for 2008, but he has thus far refused to sign the contract.

As a result, Grant was present for but did not participate in any offseason workouts. He can't practice in training camp until he either signs the one-year tender or comes to an agreement on a multi-year deal.

Without Grant, the Packers would probably give Brandon Jackson most of the first-team repetitions in training camp.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Just had some excellent stuff sent to me from ESPN's research department about Jeremy Shockey, who has been traded from the New York Giants to the New Orleans Saints.

Since entering the league in 2002, Shockey has been one of the most productive tight ends. Here's where he ranks among NFL tight ends since 2002:

Receptions: 371 (2nd)

Rec yds: 4,228 (3rd)

TD rec: 27 (tied for 4th)

Shockey has had a series of injuries during his career and has never played a full season. Here's a breakdown of his injuries and regular-season games missed:

2007: 2 (broken leg)

2006: 1 (ankle)

2005: 1 (ankle)

2004: 1 (back)

2003: 7 (knee)

2002: 1 (turf toe)

People generally point to Mark Bavaro as the best tight end the Giants ever had. They might want to compare the numbers before making that statement.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Shockey

The New Orleans Saints went from having a pretty good offense to having a great one this afternoon. The trade for New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey makes New Orleans' offense complete.

The Saints already had a very good No. 1 wide receiver in Marques Colston and the potential for a strong running game with Deuce McAllister, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. They also have one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league in Drew Brees.

With Shockey, they've tied everything together. New Orleans needed someone to take some of the attention away from Colston. Defenses won't be able to roll the Cover Two on him all day because Shockey will take coverage away and cause matchup problems for safeties and linebackers.

He's a natural fit in the New Orleans offense because he can make things happen over the middle and down the field. That will open things up for Colston along the sidelines and it should help whoever is playing the No. 2 receiver spot (Robert Meachem and David Patten are among the candidates). Shockey also is going to make Brees much more effective because he gives him a tight end who is as dangerous as most wide receivers.

Shockey isn't noted for his blocking, but his presence still will help the running game. Defenses are going to have to account for Shockey with linebackers and safeties and that's going to open things up for Bush and McAllister. Opposing defenses won't be able to use eight men in the box and they won't be able to devote all their coverage to Colston.

Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams talks about his preparations for the 2008 season.

Packers running back Ryan Grant addresses his contract status and weighs in on the Brett Favre saga.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Cardinals should expect receiver Anquan Boldin in camp on time despite how he feels about his contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic today. This comes as no surprise. Boldin has proven his professionalism throughout his career. He was mentoring younger receivers at minicamps this offseason.

The Republic's story also notes that Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, another Rosenhaus client, will be in camp despite his own contract concerns. The Cardinals, on the record as willing to address Boldin's situation at some point, have shown no inclination to revisit the deal Dockett signed.

General manager Rod Graves has said he doesn't want to re-do deals every time a player has a strong season. For that reason, Graves spoke during minicamps about possibly implementing a policy making these feelings clear. Here is what he told me then:

"We may have to set policy in the future as to how early we will even consider redoing contracts. We were at a stage several years ago where we could make those early considerations with no problems. We didn't have the type of cash outlay that we are involved with now, and quite frankly, from a talent standpoint, we were not as good. Now that we've improved, we've just got to find ways to manage that situation a little better. We're going to have to say 'no' in many instances. I fully expect that at some point we're going to have to make difficult choices by letting good football players walk because we can't afford to keep everybody."

The Cardinals open camp in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday. I plan to be there beginning Sunday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

	John Shearer/Getty Images
	After appearing at the ESPYS, Terrell Owens came to the aid of a reporter.

I must admit to "forgetting" to watch the ESPYS Sunday night. But something tells me I'll have a few more opportunities in the coming months.

Some of you might be interested to know that one of the show's presenters, budding thespian Terrell Eldorado Owens, helped rescue an ESPN.com reporter following a nasty collision in Los Angeles.

Sam Alipour, who writes the popular "Media Blitz" column for ESPN The Mag and Page 2, was attempting to hail a cab several hours after the ESPYS on Thursday when he got in the way of a Honda Civic. Alipour alertly jumped over the front bumper, but couldn't avoid the front windshield of the "hard charging" vehicle.

When Alipour came to, he looked up to see T.O. standing over him, which may have seemed unusual at the time. Owens, who was attending one of several post-ESPYS parties that I wasn't invited to, was the first person to render aid following the collision. Here's a memorable portion of Alipour's story:

"Wow, you all right, man?" Owens kept asking [Alipour], but in a manner that would suggest there is no possible way that I, in fact, could be all right. "Don't move. Just sit there. Breathe. Don't move."

Is it just me or do strange things always happen around T.O.? Earlier this offseason, he was minding his own business on South Beach when he accidentally walked through the set of an adult film. This rarely happens to me in Dallas.

According to Alipour, who recovered in time to file his story, T.O. stuck around and comforted him until the paramedics arrived. But when a large crowd began to gather, perhaps because T.O. was standing next to a bleeding man, the controversial player slipped into the night.

I was so moved by the story that I decided not to make a joke about the tuxedo Owens rented from the Busy Beaver in Waco, Texas.

OK, I have to go do some radio now. I'll check back later.

Here's a roundup of the top stories from around the division:

Buffalo Bills

• Tight end is the most uncertain position on the Bills' offense heading into training camp, writes Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News.
• "Jason Peters is the sort of young player an NFL team should build around -- not tick off," writes Bob Matthews of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, adding that the Bills should renegotiate the unhappy left tackle's contract.
• The Buffalo News has another article in its training camp preview series.

Miami Dolphins

• The Miami Herald, Florida Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post weigh in on Jason Taylor's trade to the Washington Redskins.

New England Patriots

• Coach Bill Belichick needs to keep the Pats focused on the future, argues the Providence Journal's Shalise Manza Young.
• The Providence Journal assesses New England's QB, RB and WR corps.
• The Boston Globe has position snapshots focusing on cornerbacks and safeties.
• Randy Moss' NASCAR truck debuted on Saturday.

New York Jets

• QB Chad Pennington is trying to save his job from Kellen Clemens.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks ranked ninth in our NFL power rankings, but at least one voter thinks the Cardinals will overtake them in the NFC West this season. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. ranked the Seahawks 17th, four spots behind Arizona, in balloting. The nine other panelists ranked Seattle higher than they ranked any of its division rivals. I ranked the Seahawks eighth.

Seattle has issues, no question. Its offensive line has crumbled over the last two seasons. Its top receivers are injured, aging or unhappy. The Seahawks no longer have a dominant running back (although Julius Jones expects to prove otherwise). Continuity on the offensive staff took a hit when Jim Zorn, Stump Mitchell and Nolan Cromwell took jobs elsewhere. And we can't yet know whether John Carlson will restore respectability at tight end.

Hiring Mike Solari should help the offensive line, and coach Mike Holmgren has proven his offense can function without great receivers. No Seattle receiver has played in a Pro Bowl since Holmgren took over as head coach in 1999.

I've been tempted to knock down Seattle a notch or two in past seasons, but recent history has become a reliable indicator in picking this division's winner. Seattle also has the defensive speed to harass opposing passers, particularly at Qwest Field. No other team in the league can line up with 2008 Pro Bowl starters at defensive end, linebacker and cornerback. Throw in a Pro Bowl quarterback and Seattle remains the logical choice to claim a fifth consecutive NFC West title.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The NFC West fared worse on average than any division in our latest NFL power rankings. After placing the Seahawks among the top 10, most voters viewed Arizona and St. Louis with skepticism. They gave the 49ers virtually no shot at contending.

Counting all 40 votes for NFC West teams, the 10 panelists produced a 20.1 average ranking for teams in the division. The NFC East led all divisions with a 9.53 average ranking, followed by the AFC South (10.4), AFC North (15.7), NFC North (18.23), AFC East (18.35), NFC South (19.65) and AFC West (20.03).

I ranked NFC West teams at 17.5 on average, higher than any panelist. My ratings for the Seahawks, Cardinals and 49ers were consistent with how other panelists saw those teams. Some panelists ranked those teams higher than I ranked them. But no panelist ranked the Rams higher than my No. 19 ranking. I'll get into the reasoning a bit later.

Reading the chart: The second through fifth columns show how ESPN.com panelists ranked each team in the division. The final column shows how each panelist ranked NFC West teams on average. The chart is sorted in order of highest average ranking for the division. Each team's column includes two shaded cells. Red shading highlights out the team's highest ranking. Yellow shading highlights the team's lowest ranking.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

	John Raoux/AP Photo
	It would be a "dream" for former Bengals receiver Chris Henry to play for the Cowboys or Saints.

Last week we caught up with free-agent receiver Chris Henry after his assault charge was dropped in Hamilton County (Ohio) court. During the interview, Henry mentioned the possibility of re-joining his former team--the Cincinnati Bengals--as an option. He also views a possible reinstatement as a new beginning for his life and career.

Here are some additional excerpts from our interview with Henry last week:

What are your thoughts and feelings at this point now that charges against you have been dismissed?

Chris Henry: It's big for me, because this whole thing I went through was a real tough position to be in. But I'm just happy it's over with so I can keep on moving. I definitely feel I can be a player that can do something this season. I've been working out the past two weeks and trying to get back into football shape. But being in a training camp will help me out a lot.

You mentioned in May your desire to play for the Dallas Cowboys or New Orleans Saints, mostly because you grew up in New Orleans and those were your favorite teams. Are you still hopeful one of those two teams contact your agent?

CH: Yeah, it's just always been a dream of mine, with those two teams as my favorite teams as a child and it is still to this day. But it really doesn't matter where I wind up. Just hopefully I can get on somebody's team and meet some good teammates.

Has the NFL set a date to discuss your case for reinstatement?

CH: No, not yet. We're in the process of making sure they get back with me and letting me know when I have to go back to New York.

If you are reinstated, what will you tell coaches and general managers when you visit and meet with them face-to-face?

CH: I'm just going to be myself, really. Hopefully somebody will give me the opportunity and the chance to prove to them that I can handle myself like I'm supposed to. And that's as a professional and a professional football player.

At 25, do you feel like your best football is still ahead of you?

CH: It's definitely ahead of me. Because I feel like you get better as you get older, so yes.