Brown Takes Trade Breakdown in Stride

While his teammates enjoyed time off, Brown was busy shuttling around. He was traded from Philadelphia to Detroit last Tuesday in a deal that sent fellow running back Jerome Harrison to the Eagles. But the deal was rescinded when Harrison failed his physical, so Brown returned.

Harrison was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and a Lions teammate confirmed he already had surgery.

"I'm just glad that he found out his situation before it could turn into anything a couple of weeks down the road," Brown said Monday. "That's always good that he found that out and got that taken care of. So I'm excited about that."

A former second overall pick, Brown has been a disappointment in Philadelphia. He's only had 13 carries for 38 yards, and he committed a costly fumble near the goal line in a 24-23 loss to San Francisco earlier in the month.

Since that turnover, Brown has dropped below rookie Dion Lewis and starter LeSean McCoy on the depth chart. McCoy is fourth in the NFC with 569 yards rushing and is second with eight touchdowns.

"It's tough," Brown said. "I was looking forward to more opportunities when I got here, but given the situation, knowing that this is a passing offense and the way things are run ... I guess there's not enough opportunities to go around for everybody."

Brown was one of several high-profile players the Eagles acquired before the season. The moves haven't paid off. The Eagles are 2-4 heading into Sunday night's game against Dallas (3-3).

Brown went home to Atlanta after coach Andy Reid gave the Eagles a week off. He hurried off to Detroit after the trade, practiced with the Lions on Wednesday and was in the middle of game planning when the deal was voided.

"There were going to be more opportunities out there in Detroit for me, more carries than I would have gotten here," Brown said. "But it happens, it's over with and you move on."

Brown was drafted by Miami and went to the Pro Bowl in 2008. He rushed for 4,815 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,491 yards with the Dolphins.

"I'm just trying to keep it professional," he said. "I'm here. I'm a Philadelphia Eagle. Given an opportunity, whatever I'm supposed to do, I'm going to do that to a level of professionalism. If I'm expected to be in a meeting or whatever, I'm going to do things the way they're supposed to be done, and everything will take care of themselves."

Brown may not get a chance to contribute on the field, but he's doing his part to help in the community. He'll speak to students at South Philadelphia High School on Tuesday about stopping youth violence.

"Fortunately for us who are on this level, we have an opportunity and a chance to touch people's lives outside of what we do on the football field," Brown said. "It's really an initiative that's pointed at stopping youth violence. It started when I was in Miami with all of the stuff that was happening in the schools with some shootings and all those things.

"You never want to see that kind of stuff. No matter what background you're from or what kind of struggles you've had in your life, you can always overcome them and that's good."

___

NOTES: DE Brandon Graham practiced for the first time since injuring his knee against Dallas last Dec. 12. Graham, the first-round pick last year, had surgery for a torn ACL and microfracture surgery. "I feel a lot better than I expected," Graham said. ... DE Trent Cole (calf) and LT Jason Peters (hamstring) also returned to practice after missing two games each.

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HGH Testing: NFL, Union Have Differing Takes

After Friday's high-profile mix of sports and politics, HGH testing in pro football didn't seem closer to reality.

"We're not guaranteeing any outcomes except there was an agreement to begin testing immediately," Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told reporters after the meeting. "The other aspects of what you do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks, and we've agreed on a bipartisan basis to have the committee play a role if necessary" to bring the sides together again.

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the committee, said he felt the two sides benefited from being called in. "Because I think they had their own disputes, and it seemed like they just could not move quite past a certain point," he said.

He stressed that the lawmakers wanted action now: "Not get there next year — we were clear that the ball has to move down the field immediately."

But the NFL Players Association didn't seem inclined to move off its previous position: That it wants questions answered before moving ahead with a blood-testing program.

"We believe that we have to report back to our players, make sure that the protocol and the testing protocols are safe," union spokesman George Atallah said, standing in the same spot as the lawmakers shortly after their news conference. "Once we feel that way, which we hope will be as soon as possible — obviously the chairman and Congressman Cummings can help us facilitate that — we'll be in a position to start testing as soon as possible."

Asked if the union agreed to testing this season, he responded, "We will begin implementing testing as fast as possible."

Later, he tweeted, "The challenge for us as a league and a sport is to ensure that we have a clean game, but a fair system."

The latest collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players includes a provision to begin testing players for HGH — contingent on the union agreeing to the testing methods. The NFLPA has asked for more scientific data to prove the most popular test is reliable.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who attended the meeting, said the union has a responsibility to players to make sure the test is accurate, so "we can look them in the eye and say this is a safe and fair process."

If the issue isn't resolved shortly, both sides can expect a quick return visit to Capitol Hill. Issa said he wants another meeting in 30 days to review progress, but if testing doesn't start soon, he'll ask for a quicker follow-up, perhaps in two weeks.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saw things the way the lawmakers did, saying that Issa was clear he wanted testing to begin within the next two weeks.

Did the players agree to that?

"Everyone around the table agreed to that," the commissioner said. He added that the league could have testing in place within seven to 10 days.

___

Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ffrommer

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The Pryor-Davis courtship takes off in Oakland

It’s unlikely that Terrelle Pryor will win an appeal of his NFL-mandated five-game suspension, but the Raiders rookie passer claims to have stumbled upon the key ingredient to a quick start upon his scheduled return in Week 6.

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“(I’m) focused,” he told WQAM-AM in Miami. “Without that, you can’t really do much at all. With a lot of focus, extreme focus actually, you don’t really think about the things you can’t control, you’ve got to think about the things that you can.”

Said Pryor: “I’m getting very used to (being in the NFL) now,” adding that he’s been fully won over by Raiders owner Al Davis, who (almost predictably) pursued the former Ohio State star in last month’s supplemental draft.

“(Davis is) a great guy. I can’t say enough about him, he’s just a great guy,” Pryor said. “He’s what brought football about and he … runs a hands-down program with the Oakland Raiders. … He had something to do with the merger of the NFL, you know. He’s one of the greats.”

While Pryor continued to educate listeners with his version of Davis’ accomplishments, he was asked about the owner’s age.

“He looks good. I’m not interested in that,” Pryor said, hinting that he might be wise beyond his years after all.

Despite the Buckeyes’ memorabilia-for-cash scandal that cost Pryor his final year of eligibility, the quarterback remains quintessential Raiders material — fast, freakishly athletic and a total wildcard. Jason Campbell appears to have finally settled into the starting role in Oakland, but that spot never seems occupied for long and we expect to see Pryor putting Davis’ greenbacks to work before Santa comes to town.

– Marc Sessler

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West Virginia takes bold, odd step forward

First, let's talk about what every West Virginia fan is dreaming about right now: Dana Holgorsen at the reins of the Mountaineers' offense. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Sue OgrockiAfter successful stints at Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Houston, Dana Holgorsen will take over the West Virginia offense this season.West Virginia has always recruited as much or more speed at the skill positions than any team in the Big East, and fans quickly grew accustomed to Rich Rodriguez's explosive 40-plus-points-per-game attack. Holgorsen's offenses at Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma State (as documented here) routinely finished among the nation's best while shattering records. The thought of his playcalling skills mixed with players like Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Ivan McCartney should cause shudders among other league defensive coordinators.

Clearly, first-year athletic director Oliver Luck knew what the fan base wanted and knew what would generate even more interest among the rabid Mountaineers following. In many ways, this looks like a perfect match.

It's just how the matchmaking was done that is a bit troubling.

Bill Stewart was hired in the euphoric haze following his interim coaching victory over Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Many thought he was in over his head from the beginning, and he often seemed one catastrophic defeat away from being canned. The wheels for his departure were greased this season after back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Connecticut, two setbacks that ultimately kept West Virginia out of a BCS bowl.

Yet Stewart still managed to win nine games for a third straight year and earn a share of a Big East title, with a 10th win possible in the Champs Sports Bowl. Exactly one week ago, West Virginia sent out a press release touting its recognition for graduating 90 percent of its football players.

That left Luck in an odd position: How do you fire a loyal servant whose record and achievements belie his perception among the fans? Hence this awkward succession plan, in which Holgorsen will serve as an offensive coordinator for one year until Stewart retires after the 2011 season.

Make no mistake: the 59-year-old Stewart wasn't interested in retiring. He sure isn't thrilled about grooming his own successor. Yet he was left with little choice.

The 2011 season will be fascinating to watch, as Holgorsen acts as the coach-in-waiting that Stewart didn't hire, perhaps with a few of Holgorsen's guys on the offensive staff. The entire defensive staff, led by coordinator Jeff Casteel, will be allowed to remain if they so choose. That could create a majorly awkward transition, if not outright tension. I can't help but think of the internal struggles at Florida State in Bobby Bowden's last year when Jimbo Fisher was the chosen successor, or the staff chemistry problems in Steve Kragthorpe's first year at Louisville when he was forced to retain several of Bobby Petrino's former assistants.

Holgorsen can use a bit of seasoning on the job; he's only 39 and his lone coaching stints west of the Mississippi River came at his first stops at Valdosta State and Wingate. He needs time to learn the unique culture of West Virginia, and he hasn't been known as an ace recruiter during his career.

Still, I think Luck would have been better off just biting the bullet and forcing Stewart out now if he knew he wanted to go another direction. Let Holgorsen bring in his own staff, learn on the job as he needs to and get on with moving forward. How weird will it be, for example, if West Virginia goes 12-0 next year and still pushes Stewart aside? Or what if staff chemistry problems lead to a disappointing 2011, putting Holgorsen in a hole before he ever moves into the big office?

The only way this works in 2011 is if Stewart is humble enough to set his own ego aside and truly show Holgorsen the ropes. With other coaches, I'd give that little chance. But Stewart is such a genuine and loyal guy that maybe he can actually make it happen, despite how heartbroken he must be right now about losing his dream job.

One thing's clear: the Mountaineers are going to be a whole lot of fun to watch on offense in 2011 and beyond. They will also have a fascinating subplot thanks to this new, odd relationship.

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USF takes on another Big Three challenge

South Florida linebacker Sabbath Joseph has seen his popularity in social media soar in the past several days.

"Everybody is blowing up my Twitter and Facebook, asking me how they can get tickets," Joseph said.

The senior has a lot of requests to fill as he returns to his hometown this weekend for the Bulls' game at Miami. Joseph has already secured tickets for about 40 friends and family members and is trying to find more.

"I'm very excited about it," he said. "Getting a win would make it even better."

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Chris O'MearaQB Jacory Harris led the Canes past the Bulls last season, throwing for two TDs with no interceptions.Beating Miami would also make up for the disappointment that South Florida felt last week. A 17-10 loss to Pittsburgh at home pushed the Bulls out of the Big East title race. The Hurricanes know that feeling well, as they fell to Virginia Tech last week and saw their chances of making the ACC title game evaporate.

It's easier to forget about those downers when there's an in-state rivalry looming the following Saturday. Joseph is one of many Bulls players who is very familiar with several Hurricanes from high school and youth football days, and USF guys grew up watching Miami dominate the Big East.

For the Bulls, this game brings another chance to prove themselves against the state's powers. They beat Florida State last year but couldn't hang with the Hurricanes at home later in the season, falling 31-10. They got their first crack at Florida this season and were competitive for more than a half before turnovers doomed them to a 38-14 loss.

"Everybody wants to be in the Big Three," Joseph said. "But in order for us to be considered the Big Four, we've got to beat them."

USF coach Skip Holtz has a slightly different take on the in-state pecking order. While Holtz says a win this week would "help our national reputation" and that the Bulls have to beat the Big Three to earn respect, he argues that the best way to be considered a state powerhouse will be to compete for the Big East title year in and year out. They haven't really done that yet, though they got close this year.

As for this week, Miami is a heavy favorite despite its disappointing 7-4 season. The Hurricanes still have elite-level athletes and a punishing defense that could make life tough on B.J. Daniels and the low-wattage South Florida offense. Daniels has been dealing with a quadriceps injury that has limited his movement and scrambling ability, a major part of his game.

At least Daniels has cut way down on his turnovers since the Florida game and other early-season calamities. The same cannot be said for Miami's quarterbacks, who have thrown more interceptions (21) than any FBS team other than Buffalo. The Bulls will likely have to hope their defense can cause some mistakes and capitalize on them.

If USF could spring the upset, it would give the team and Holtz a signature victory on the way to a bowl game. The Bulls would have a chance for an eight-win regular season. And Joseph's social-media platforms might crash from all the congratulatory messages.

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Tide's 'O' takes on different direction

Mark Ingram has never been one to get too caught up in numbers.

That is, unless you’re talking about wins and losses.

The number that gets his attention this season is Alabama’s 9-2 record and not the Crimson Tide’s rushing numbers, which are nowhere near where they were a year ago during their national championship run.

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Danny JohnstonAlthough Alabama running back Mark Ingram is having a great season, the Tide running game isn't as prolific as last year.“There are reasons for that,” said Ingram, who rushed for 1,658 yards last season on his way to becoming Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

“But the main thing on our minds is putting forth our best effort this week and having our best week of preparation. We haven’t had our best game as a team yet. We’ve made some strides to accomplish that these past two games, but we all want to come together this game, make sure everybody’s on the same page, and that’s what will give us the best chance to have success in this game.”

Ingram and his talented backfield mate, Trent Richardson, have combined for 1,414 rushing yards heading into Friday’s Auburn game.

Those are solid numbers for any duo over 18 games. But when you consider they combined for 2,409 yards a year ago, it’s obvious Alabama’s running game simply hasn’t been what it was last season.

Everybody in Tide Land wants to know why.

Well, injuries have clearly played a big role. Ingram tore meniscus in his knee, underwent arthroscopic surgery in the preseason and missed the first two games. Richardson has also been banged up, battling a sore knee lately and resting the last two games.

There was also a period earlier this season where Ingram was having some swelling. But ever since the open date right before the LSU game, he said he’s felt fine and refuses to use his knee injury as an excuse.

“Ever since the bye week, my knee has felt better than ever,” he said. “There hasn’t been any swelling or anything else. So, it’s a lot better. These past two games, I’ve felt great as far as my knee is concerned, and my body feels good.”

Ingram has 780 rushing yards and Richardson 634 yards. Even more telling, Ingram has carried the ball just 136 times. He had 271 rushing attempts a year ago in 14 games. Richardson has 92 carries after carrying it 145 times last season.

The Crimson Tide finished last season with 601 rushing attempts and 346 pass attempts.

Already this season, they’ve thrown it 298 times, while running it 393 times.

With the way defenses are playing Alabama, Ingram said the Crimson Tide would be foolish not to take their chances throwing the ball.

“It’s how teams have played us, loading the box and leaving man coverage on the outside,” Ingram said. “That’s contributed to how explosive we’ve been in the passing game. It’s just not smart to run the ball right at where they’ve overloading to a side, so we’ve checked out a lot to pass plays.

“It’s just the way teams have been playing us, not to let us beat them running the ball.”

The good news for Alabama is that Ingram is fresh, really fresh.

“I’m feeling great as opposed to how most people feel at this point in the season,” said Ingram, who had limited work in the 63-7 rout of Georgia State last Thursday.

“All I can tell you is that I’m ready for whatever they need me to do to finish out this season the right way.”

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