Roethlisberger's attorney hires private investigator for assistance

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An attorney for Ben Roethlisberger has hired a private investigator to look into a 20-year-old Georgia college student's sexual-assault allegation against the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback.

Police in the college town of Milledgeville continue to investigate, but they have released little information since the accusation was made last week.

Roethlisberger's lawyer, Ed Garland, said he has hired his own investigative team.

"Any lawyer representing anyone needs to know all the facts so that he can perform his duties," Garland said.

Roethlisberger hasn't been charged, and Garland said "no criminal conduct took place."

Carl Cansino, a lawyer for the club where the woman says the assault took place, said he was contacted Friday by the private investigator, Charles Mittelstadt. Cansino also was on hand when authorities interviewed club manager Rocky Duncan on Wednesday.

Police Chief Woodrow Blue said at a Monday news conference that investigators expected to speak to Roethlisberger this week. He said Friday that the investigation continues at a steady pace but declined to comment on any details, including whether authorities had interviewed Roethlisberger or asked him for a DNA sample.

"We haven't set any kind of timetable," Blue said. "Where the investigation leads us will determine that."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also is working on the case, but agent Tom Davis in Milledgeville didn't return calls seeking comment. Agency spokesman John Bankhead said only that the investigation is ongoing.

Lawyers for the woman who accused Roethlisberger released a statement earlier in the week saying their client is cooperating with authorities and asking the media to respect her privacy. They haven't responded to calls and e-mails from The Associated Press seeking additional comment.

Photos also have surfaced online of Roethlisberger smiling alongside the officer who wrote the initial incident report early March 5. The police chief said the photos were taken hours before the allegation was made.

Blue said Friday that he wasn't concerned about the photos, saying the officer, Sgt. Jerry Blash, and others had seen Roethlisberger earlier in the evening. Beyond filing the report, Blash hasn't been involved in the investigation, Blue said.

Panthers lack of free-agent aggression makes task ahead tough

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With the vast majority of top free agents off the market, the big spending is just about over. Although unsigned players aren't necessarily on the verge of panic, you can rest assured that they're calling their agents about getting a deal done now.

The annual NFL owners meeting starts March 21, which usually signifies the end of real interest in free agents until after the draft.

One team that seems to have passed on free agency is the Carolina Panthers. They could definitely sell a few available veterans on getting an opportunity to play in Carolina. Coach John Fox and general manger Marty Hurney are in a tough situation right now. How will they compete in 2010 if they don't get some experienced players on the roster?

Every coaching staff and front office faces the challenge of replacing talent with talent. Carolina's roster has been hit hard by free-agent departures, contract terminations and eroding skills. The skill lost must be replaced, and no position has a young, rising star sitting behind the starter.

The Panthers lost defensive end Julius Peppers in free agency, released quarterback Jake Delhomme, linebacker Na'il Diggs, defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis, as well as fullback Brad Hoover. They probably will lose defensive end Tyler Brayton and maybe even guard Keydrick Vincent. Veteran receiver Muhsin Muhammad is also a free agent. Even though some of those names don't sound like stars, they were starters. At this point, the Panthers are going to ask at least six young players to fill the void and start.

Ultimately, the club will likely ask upwards of nine inexperienced players to start for the departed veterans. The young talent pool has a combined 26 career starts and would be possibly replacing nine starters who made 114 starts between them last season.

Consider for their whole career that quarterback Matt Moore (eight starts), receiver Dwayne Jarrett (three), guard Mackenzy Bernadeau (seven), ends Everette Brown (one) and Charles Johnson (four), defensive tackles Louis Leonard (one) and Corvey Irvin (zero), linebacker Dan Connor (zero), and fullback Tony Fiammetta (two) now move into starting roles. So ask yourself the next critical question: Who replaces this young group as the quality reserves on the roster?

Don't overlook the fact that replacing talent off the bench with more talent is also critical with all the potential injuries during the course of a season. A deep roster is usually the only way to success. The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl with multiple starters on injured reserve.

Carolina is without a first- and fifth-round pick from previous trades, which currently leaves it with only five draft selections, pending the announcement of compensatory picks. On top of that, the Panthers have only signed special teams contributor Wallace Wright in free agency. Does that mean the team will have four undrafted rookies make the team as backups? That almost sounds like an expansion team.

The Panthers ranked No. 8 in overall defense last season, but with five of the front seven players not projected to return, how can they maintain that top 10 status?

Leaders aren't assigned in the NFL by management; they emerge as they prove they can play and inspire others. Who are the 2010 leaders of the Panthers?

There's no doubt this is an exciting time for the young players on the Panthers. However, as Brown said to me last week, "It will be different in the locker room this year."

That might be an understatement. Not one of the players being asked to step up was even a first-round pick.

Granted, it was time for some of the veterans to be shown the door, as is the case with teams every year. But these wholesale changes are going to put too much pressure on a great coach like Fox and a real smart GM like Hurney.

It's not too late to fortify this roster before free agency completely dries up. Go get guys looking for work, like a possible backup QB in Derek Anderson or veteran guard Bobbie Williams and hope you don't lose a corner like Richard Marshall in restricted free agency.

The Arizona Cardinals have been hit hard in free agency, but at least the team traded for safety Kerry Rhodes when Antrel Rolle left. Without some key draft picks, the Chicago Bears have similar problems to the Panthers. However, they used free agency to bolster the roster. The champion Saints are in the NFC South with the Panthers, and that just makes things even tougher.

Fox and Hurney always take the high road and you will never hear a peep out of them about the challenges ahead. Still, here's a team that needs a starting receiver, a real No. 2 QB, some veteran help on the interior of the defensive line, an elite pass rusher, and more players for special teams. A handful of draft picks aren't going to be enough to get the job done.

Bryant signs four-year contract, wants to further Bengals' success

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Antonio Bryant is the latest complementary receiver to Chad Ochocinco.

Bryant signed a four-year deal with the Bengals on Friday, ostensibly replacing Laveranues Coles, who spent the 2009 season with the team, then was released.

"It was definitely a plus to me that this team really seemed to want me," Bryant said in a conference call. "The interest of the coaches and everyone in the organization made me feel comfortable. It's always easy to go out and perform when you're wanted as opposed to just being there to be there."

Bryant comes off a season in which he complained about a diminished role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense. After recovering from surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee last year, Bryant had 39 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns.

The previous year, Bryant revived his career after being out of football in 2007, finishing with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bucs placed their franchise tag on Bryant, assuring him a salary of $9.88 million last season. He became a free agent after 2009, and the Bengals, who also have contacted Terrell Owens, signed him one week into free agency for about $28 million over four years.

"You've got a dominant team that played well enough to be in the playoffs, and hopefully I can be an addition, as well as some guys to further that success," Bryant said.

Cincinnati is adamant about improving a passing game that ranked 26th in the NFL last season.

"The players will notice the difference," Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said on the team's Web site. "It's not as big as the changes we made in the running game last year, but the passing game is getting the same kind of attention we gave the running game in the offseason last year.

"We're looking to match our quarterback's strengths with our receivers in order to get bigger plays downfield."

Bryant, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top collegiate receiver while a sophomore at Pitt, has been with four NFL teams. His career has been hampered by a history of headstrong behavior -- most notably a 2004 post-practice tirade directed at Bill Parcells, in which Bryant threw his sweaty jersey at the then-Dallas Cowboys coach.

Bryant was sent to anger-management counseling and eventually traded to the Cleveland Browns, with whom he had his first 1,000-yard season in 2005 despite falling out of favor with the coaching staff. The San Francisco 49ers, desperate to add a top receiver, signed Bryant in spite of concerns about his character.

In December 2006, Bryant received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

"Football is a testosterone sport. It's not ballet, know what I mean?" Bryant said. "I'm an edgy guy. I'm very edgy, but I think every player has to have some type of edge. That's what defines your competitive nature and how you approach the game.

"I'm a little bit more physical than probably what they're used to. You have to have each side of the scale to balance out the situation in the offense. I know there's a lot of ins and outs in the offense, and what I can do is bring a little more toughness to the game."

The Bengals also signed wide receiver/kick returner Chris Davis, a third-year pro from Florida State, on Friday. The former Tennessee Titan sat out last season after reaching an injury settlement.

Safety Sharper's status still unclear for Saints, who focus on D-ends

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New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis didn't have an update Friday on negotiations with free-agent safety Darren Sharper, who has publicly lamented that the team isn't "showing the love" he expected after he intercepted nine passes during a Super Bowl championship season.

"Listen, I got all the love in the world for Darren Sharper, I just don't have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper," Loomis said. "If it fits under our salary structure and the resources that we have, then we'll definitely want to have him back. If it doesn't, and he has an opportunity someplace else, then we understand that."

Last season, the Saints drafted safety Chip Vaughn out of Wake Forest in the fourth round, but he spent his rookie season on injured reserve. The team also moved 2007 third-round draft pick Usama Young from cornerback to safety last season. Sharper was Young's mentor, though it remains to be seen if Young is ready to fill Sharper's shoes should the NFL's active interception leader sign elsewhere.

Released from the shackles of the NFL's "final four" rule, the Saints are diving into the free-agent market and starting by taking a close look at defensive ends. St. Louis Rams defensive ends James Hall and Leonard Little both are of interest to the Saints, Loomis said Friday.

Hall was finishing up a visit Friday, and Little was expected to reschedule a visit that he had to call off this week because of a personal conflict, Loomis said.

New Orleans could use another experienced defensive end after releasing veteran Charles Grant last week. But the search was slowed by a league rule for an uncapped season, limiting which free agents can be signed by teams that played in conference title games until they have lost free agents of their own.

When linebacker Scott Fujita signed a three-year, $14 million deal with the Cleveland Browns earlier this week, the Saints could start looking at players with expired contracts on other teams.

"Scott just got an offer that was too good to turn down," Loomis said. "He wanted to return to New Orleans. We wanted him to return to New Orleans, but we understand what free agency is. ... Now we've got an opportunity to bring some guys in."

With Fujita turning 31 and the Saints' roster full of young linebackers, the team couldn't justify matching the Browns' offer.

Loomis said 2009 draft pick Stanley Arnoux, 2009 undrafted free agent Jonathan Casillas, two-year pro Jo-Lonn Dunbar, 2007 draft pick Marvin Mitchell, three-year pro Anthony Waters and veteran Troy Evans all could compete to join middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and weakside linebacker Scott Shanle as starters. Loomis also wouldn't rule out going after a linebacker in free agency, but he acknowledged that the Saints' depth at defensive end is thinner.

"We have a need at both of those positions. But we have some guys in the building, probably more guys in the building at the linebacker position than we do at defensive end," Loomis said. "We've also got a lot of draft picks that we get to exercise in April, so hopefully we'll be able to fill both those spots between free agency and the draft."

One day after meeting with the Browns, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme had a visit lined up in New Orleans on Friday and Saturday, but his flight was canceled, a league source told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora. Delhomme still intends to visit with the Saints, though.

Because Delhomme was released by the Panthers, he doesn't fall under the "final four" rule. But the 35-year-old also wouldn't compete for a starting role in New Orleans, where Drew Brees' job is as secure as it gets.

While Cleveland's quarterback situation is less certain and could be more attractive to Delhomme, Loomis said, "obviously Jake wouldn't take the visit (to New Orleans) if he didn't have some interest."

Delhomme, a Louisiana native, keeps a permanent residence in his hometown of Breaux Bridge, where much of his family still lives and where he trains thoroughbred race horses with his father.

"We need to have a conversation with Jake and how he sees himself and how he sees his role here before we can say, 'Look, we're willing to sign you,'" Loomis said.

Meanwhile, Loomis reiterated coach Sean Payton's comments that the Saints had no intention of releasing Reggie Bush. Loomis added that the team wouldn't ask Bush to renegotiate his contract, which pays him about $8 million in 2010.

Loomis declined to discuss whether a raise and contract extension were in the works for Brees, who's entering the fifth year of a six-year, $60 million contract.

"I'm not going to address that," Loomis said. "These contracts are personal issues for players."

Titans agree to terms with CB Hood, who joined team last season

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The Tennessee Titans announced Friday that they have agreed to undisclosed terms with cornerback Roderick Hood, an unrestricted free agent.

Hood, who's entering his eighth NFL season, made four starts for the Titans in 2009. He had 18 tackles and tied for second on the team with three interceptions after being signed as a free agent in October. He returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.

Hood has made 47 starts in his career, with 234 tackles, 14 interceptions, one sack and five fumble recoveries. He previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.

Judge in Williamses' trial says decision could come as early as May

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After more than a year and a half of legal maneuvering in their labor fight with the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams might finally learn in May if they must serve a four-game suspension for taking a banned substance.

Attorneys for the players and the NFL made closing arguments Friday, wrapping up a five-day trial that included testimony from the two players, their coach and a league official. The players contend the NFL broke Minnesota law when it applied its anti-doping policy two years ago and are seeking unspecified damages.

Hennepin County Judge Gary Larson told both sides to submit final briefs by April 2 and said he will rule between 30 and 45 days after that, sometime in the first half of May.

If Larson favors the league, his injunction blocking the suspensions -- which were initially levied in December 2008 -- likely would be lifted. That would allow the NFL to follow through with the punishment, yanking the heart of Minnesota's stout run defense out of the lineup for a quarter of the 2010 season.

An appeal by the loser is anticipated, however, so the end of this complicated case isn't necessarily in sight. The players declined to comment until after the judge's ruling.

"Been a long week," Pat Williams said outside the courtroom.

A key issue at trial is who employs the two players -- the team, the NFL or both. Players attorney Peter Ginsberg contends the NFL is the employer and thus violated Minnesota law regarding a required three-day notification of their positive test in 2008 and also failed to keep it confidential. News that the Williamses were among several NFL players who took a weight-loss pill called StarCaps containing the banned diuretic bumetanide broke in October 2008.

Ginsberg argued that the NFL has tight control of both teams and players, right down to the required color of the chinstraps on the helmets (it's white). He also criticized the league for unfairness and told the judge that "the arrogance and the cold-heartedness of the NFL in administering the policy needs to be stopped."

Joe Schmitt, an attorney for the NFL, accused Ginsberg of "raising red herrings" and trying to "bootstrap" the arguments about unfairness onto their claim that the league broke state drug-testing law. The unfairness claim was previously dismissed in federal court.

Schmitt argued that the terms of the collective bargaining agreement dictate league activity and said the NFL isn't able to impose at will rules upon the individual teams and players. Ginsberg has accused the NFL of leaking the information about the positive test to the media and therefore breaking the confidentiality code, but Schmitt said there was "not a shred of evidence" that occurred.

"It's undisputed that we got it right," Schmitt said.

The NFL has called the lawsuit a "state law end-around that can undermine all anti-doping policies in sports." Other sports leagues -- including Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL -- filed court papers supporting the NFL's position, saying the Williamses' case could affect their ability to enforce their own rules against steroids and other drugs.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wasn't ultimately called to be a witness, but Vikings coach Brad Childress and vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski testified Friday.

Ginsberg asked Childress if he was the source of the leak, after the players confided their positive test to him.

"Absolutely not," the coach said. "That's so anti-me."

In a lighter moment, Ginsberg concluded his examination by asking Childress: "Who is your quarterback going to be next year?"

Childress simply smiled, unwilling to make any comments about Brett Favre's status.

"It's OK to have fun in here sometimes," Larson said.

The league alleges the leak came from Ginsberg or someone on the players' side. Brzezinski was equally adamant that it wasn't him.

"Don't feel offended. He's asked everybody," Larson said.

Responded Brzezinski: "I like my job, your honor."

Both sides tried to use Brzezinski to support their claims about who employs the Williamses. Brzezinski compared the Vikings to a McDonald's restaurant, as a franchisee operating under the parent company, during Ginsberg's examination. During cross-examination by NFL attorney Dan Nash, Brzezinski testified that the Vikings had complete authority to hire him and dictate his salary -- not the league.

Baskett signs one-year deal to return to Eagles; Fargas visits

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The Philadelphia Eagles signed free-agent wide receiver Hank Baskett to a one-year contract Friday, the same day that free-agent running back Justin Fargas also visited the team but reportedly left without a deal.

The Eagles released Baskett last September after three seasons together. Baskett spent the rest of 2009 with the Indianapolis Colts and played in Super Bowl XLIV, although his inability to recover an onside kick to start the second half helped spark a New Orleans Saints rally to the title.

Baskett had 71 catches for 1,046 yards and six touchdowns in 47 games with the Eagles. Three of his TD catches were longer than 85 yards.

"There were a couple teams who had shown some interest, but my agent and I had been in contact with the Eagles pretty much since Day 1," Baskett said, according to the team's Web site. "That just shows that I was really wanted back here, and that makes me feel good because everyone knows that I left with no hard feelings, and the Eagles, the coaches, everybody let me know that they weren't releasing me on bad terms. Everybody told me that you never know when I could be back here, so it's a good feeling that they showed interest from Day 1."

That interest evidently was more than what the Eagles showed Fargas. The Philadelphia Daily News reported Friday that Fargas would leave his visit without a contract.

At a news conference arranged by the Eagles, Vargas expressed his feelings about playing in Philadelphia.

"Yeah, from what I understand they're excited about the possibility for me to be an Eagle," said Fargas, who was released by the Oakland Raiders after seven seasons with the team. "They feel like my style of play can fit in well here. This is known as a tough city and a tough team, and I consider myself a tough running back. So, it should be a good fit."