November 26, 2009
NEWS, NOTES AND QUOTES FROM “THE NFL TODAY” THANKSGIVING DAY OAKLAND-DALLAS GAME ON THURSDAY, NOV. 26
BILL COWHER: “I’ve spoken to no teams…”
► QUICK HITS
(On coaching rumors surrounding THE NFL TODAY’s Bill Cowher)
BILL COWHER: I’ve spoken to no teams and I don’t intend to do so while there is a current head coach. Listen, this is a pivotal time of the year and these coaches deserve to have the full support of their organizations. So I’m telling you, I’ve talked to nobody.
(On Oakland’s Quarterback issues)
BOOMER ESIASON: JaMarcus Russell has already been paid $34 million over the last three years. There is no more guaranteed money, I understand, in his contract. Next year his contract calls for a $10.5 million salary. This is an albatross hanging around the neck of the Oakland Raiders, and whoever their new coach is going to be. I do believe that there will be a new coach here…The big question for whoever takes over out there is, can they reclaim JaMarcus Russell as a quarterback? I don’t think so. I think you bring him in and say, ‘Listen, we’ll give you $1 million. You want to earn that other $9.5 million, you show us on the field that you deserve it.’ Because certainly off the field he has not been deserving of this kind of money.
(On Playoff Picture)
BOOMER: I would not be surprised to see the Tennessee Titans, with Jeff Fisher as their coach, make their way into the playoffs.
►INSIDE THE GAME WITH CHARLEY CASSERLY
(On Buffalo coaching job)
CASSERLY: What the Bills coaches were told is this, Perry Fewell will be given serious consideration for the job. In fact they were told he has a leg up right now because he’s coaching the team. They were also told they were going to look at coaches who are available right now for interviews. One was Mike Shanahan. They interviewed him this past week on Tuesday. Also, two other names I would look at: one is Jim Haslett, former NFL head coach also presently head coach of the Florida Tuskers, undefeated in the UFL; and head coach Marc Trestman, of the Montreal Alouettes, with the top record in the CFL. I think both will get consideration. At the end of the year, one guy I would really look at hard here for them to see is Russ Grimm, the assistant head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. My personal opinion, I don’t see Mike Shanahan ending up coaching the Buffalo Bills next year. I think what he’ll look for is a team that is more playoff-ready, a team closer to being in the playoffs than the Buffalo Bills are right now.
(On NFL investigation of allegations of Chargers’ Antonio Cromartie being involved in a bar fight on Monday morning following Chargers win over Broncos)
CASSERLY: On Monday the League got right on this thing. Now, what I’ve been told by multiple sources is this, is that they believe that Antonio Cromartie did not, did not, throw the champagne bottle at another person in the bar. However, they have not ruled out that another Charger player did throw that bottle.
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