However, the Steelers are waiting to see if Foote, who is an unrestricted free agent after playing one season with the Detroit Lions, is willing to return.

Foote, 29, is scheduled to meet today with the Washington Redskins, where former Steelers defensive assistant Lou Spanos is the new linebackers coach; and later this week with the Arizona Cardinals, where he would be reunited with former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

Foote asked to be released by the Steelers after the 2008 Super Bowl season because he didn’t want to be a backup to Lawrence Timmons.

But the Steelers are willing to take him back because he would give them some veteran depth on the roster in the event of injury, even at outside linebacker. If LaMarr Woodley or James Harrison were injured, Timmons would move to the outside and Fo

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10067/1041149-66.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz0hvGEGOd7

Just ask the Mo Steel flag football teams from the North Miami-Dade region. The 11-and-under and 14-and-under squads won the NFL Flag Football National Championships last month, marking the first time in 10 years that both divisions won gold the same year.

In the last decade, Coach David Fried has led the juniors to two national titles and the seniors to four in the tournament. He said the NFL tournament is one of the most prestigious in the nation.

Fried credits the teams’ success to a dedicated coaching staff and hard-working athletes who are willing to put in the extra time after school.

“There’s a reason why we’ve made the top five in the country for the last 10 years,” said Fried, whose teams play out of the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, 18900 NE 25th Ave. “We have a great system in place, and there’s no signs of stopping us.”

This also marks the first time in three years that the seniors won the national championship. For the juniors, their win is equally sweet because they defended their title.

“It’s a pretty great feeling,” said juniors wide receiver and co-captain Belochi Lacombe, 12, a seventh-grader at Highland Oaks Middle School who lives in Aventura.

“Our coach keeps us focused and we work as a true team,” Belochi said. “We never argue and we’re level-headed. We’re not cocky. I think that’s the secret to our success.”

Steven Feld, 15, the co-captain and wide receiver of the seniors team, said he had won just about every other title in his five years of playing with Mo Steel — except the NFL title.

“For me, it was a dream come true to have finally won this,” the Miami Country Day School sophomore and North Miami Beach resident said. “I had won regionals, world. But never nationals. Not even when I was on the juniors team. So I’m pretty psyched right now.”

The games will be televised on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Fried said the players and their parents get a kick out of watching themselves on television.

“We have a watch party every year,” he said. “The kids feel like superstars.”

Aside from coaching the Mo Steel teams — which are named after their sponsors, a North Miami Beach steel company — Fried runs the Primetime Football League at the Michael-Ann Russell JCC. He started the league when he was 16.

Now 32, Fried never thought he would still be running the league nearly two decades later.

“I’ve always loved football and working with kids,” he said. “This all just sort of happened overnight. We started from nothing and now we have more than 500 kids playing.”

Fried adds that the league is also one of the few in Miami-Dade County that primarily consists of Jewish players.

“The kids are 95 percent Jewish,” he said. “That’s pretty unheard of.”

Next, the Mo Steel seniors may be headed to Ottawa, Canada for a shot at an international title. But budget cuts could prevent that from happening.

“We’re supposed to go to world’s but it might not happen this year,” said seniors quarterback and co-captain Jake Najjar, 15, a sophomore at the Hillel Community Day School who lives in Sunny Isles Beach.

Scout.com also mentions that the Bills also have interest in Foote.

Gordon played in one game for the Cowboys last year (at Kansas City) on special teams before his release. He rejoined the team in November but was inactive for every game. The Cowboys did something similar a few years ago with linebacker Junior Glymph.

You remember the wild man of Lubbock. Carter’s Mohawk haircut, painted face, tattooed body and ringed lip made him an iconic figure in Big 12 football. Iconic and cartoonish.

But none of that persona was evident Thursday in Lucas Oil Stadium, where Carter began the interview process with prospective NFL teams.

“Every team has asked about it,” Carter said of his appearance. “They think I have a questionable character because of the image they perceived. But once you get to know me, you realize I’m not a headcase. I get pumped up; that’s what every team needs to do.”

Carter sported a regular haircut Thursday and said the Mohawk is gone. And the painted face is in his past. “I’m done with that,” Carter said.

Carter, an offensive tackle, is projected as a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick. Tech linemen often have to overcome the stigma of playing in Mike Leach’s severe spread, with linemen splits as wide as two or three yards and never in a three-point stance. That kind of formation does not work in the NFL.

But Carter noted the four Tech offensive linemen in the NFL and said the adjustment is easy.

“I played in the East-West All-Star Game,” Carter said. “The first day (of practice) took some getting used to. But the second day, I had no issues. I don’t think it will be that big a deal for me.”

Carter said every Tech lineman is like a tackle, on an island by himself. Now, for the first time in his life, he’ll actually be double-teaming defenders on occasion. Carter said the Tech alums have told him it’s easier playing in tighter formation.

“A guy a foot to your right and a foot to your left, you’ve got guys to help,” Carter said. “The main thing is, it’s a talent upgrade.”

Carter was suspended for a game in September by undisclosed reasons and was one of the outspoken Red Raiders who did not support the embattled Leach in December, when Tech eventually fired its long-time coach.

“I always liked Coach Leach,” Carter said. “He made some questionable calls this year. What happened happened. I hope he finds somewhere else to coach. He’ll move on to bigger and better things.”

Tracy became the third Tribe player invited to the combine, as quarterback Mike Cook (1999) and offensive lineman Archie Harris (1987) also participated at the event.

The 2010 NFL Draft will be held on Apr. 22-24.

Honored by five organizations as an All-American in 2009, Tracy established himself as one of the nation’s top defensive players and recently competed in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game. A Buchanan Award candidate and a two-time first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honoree, the Sterling, Va., native ranked seventh nationally with 1.57 tackles for a loss per game and 15th with 0.79 sacks per game last season. With 12 sacks, he equaled the single-season school record established by Luke Cullinane in 1996. Additionally, Tracy ranked sixth in the conference in tackles among defensive linemen with 5.6 per game.

In addition to registering an outstanding senior season, the two-time ECAC All-Star was one of the country’s top defensive players throughout his career. His 62.5 tackles for a loss led the nation among all active players, while he ranked third with 31 career sacks – a W&M record. He also started every game of his career (47) en route to establishing a school record.

The Tribe currently has three players on NFL rosters – Darren Sharper (New Orleans Saints), Derek Cox (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Mike Leach (Arizona Cardinals). Cox was the 73rd overall player selected in last year’s draft and started all 16 games as a rookie for the Jaguars in ’09, while Sharper became a five-time All-Pro selection last season en route to helping the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV.

”I was hungry because I missed breakfast,” Tomlin snapped at reporters. ”You wanna know what I had for lunch? I tried the crab cakes, but they gave me heartburn.”

Imagine the reaction around town if sports imitated life and Tomlin really had pulled a Mayor Luke Ravenstahl when the line of questioning became heated during the 2009 NFL season, as the fictitious scenario above highlights.

Ravenstahl walked out of his news conference last week when reporters wanted to know his whereabouts. At issue was whether the mayor was needed to sign paperwork that would extend the emergency he declared as a result of the snowstorm earlier this month. Rumors had him in New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras, a week after leaving the city prior to the storm to celebrate his birthday at Seven Springs.

Public Safety director Michael Huss ended up signing the extension of the declaration. When reporters pressed Ravenstahl on his whereabouts, the mayor left miffed.

Contrast this with Tomlin’s relationship with the media. During the Steelers’ recently completed 9-7 campaign, Tomlin, having ample opportunity to blow his stack with certain reporters, always treated members of the press with civility and a minimum of sarcasm.

The Steelers’ endured a five-game losing streak, with Tomlin bearing a large brunt of the criticism.

Through all the tough questions, Tomlin, whose weekly news conferences are televised live, put on a happy face and never allowed any anger he may have been feeling to surface.

For the final question of his final news conference of the season, Tomlin was asked to describe his level of accountability as the Steelers missed the playoffs a year after winning Super Bowl XLIII.

”I accept responsibility for everything that’s on tape,” said Tomlin, who stuck around for the end of his news conference.

I understand the mayor of Pittsburgh’s responsibilities are a lot more serious than those of the coach of the Steelers. Some, however, would suggest that Tomlin has a much higher profile than Ravenstahl does.

Mind you, I’m not trying to equate the importance of a football coach with that of a politician. But the two positions have a lot more in common than you might think, according to public relations expert Alan Caruba.

”Both jobs come with widely understood responsibilities,” said Caruba, the New Jersey-based professional whose clients have included leading corporations and trade associations. ”Public figures are called public figures because the public expects them to respond to reasonable questions. As a public servant, particularly as the mayor of Pittsburgh, he does, in fact, need to be available and accessible, particularly in the case of a blizzard.

”Obviously, the mayor failed to do that. Walking out of a news conference is always an extremely bad idea.”

Frankly, I was amazed at how well Tomlin contained his anger toward the local media in 2009. It was the first time in his three seasons with the Steelers that Tomlin was subjected to close media scrutiny for losing games; reporters were curious to see how he would handle the negative publicity.

Tomlin is a master at not answering a question to a reporter’s satisfaction, but he’s never walked out of a news conference because he didn’t like a question.

NFL coaches are paid to take the blame. They understand that in the court of public opinion, players win games but coaches lose them.

Caruba said he would advise Ravenstahl to conduct another news conference to apologize for walking out and ”try to put matters straight again” with local residents.

”That’s how the game is played in sports, politics and the world of business. If the man at the top cannot accept responsibility, there’s a strong likelihood he will be replaced at some point,” Caruba said.

”When the mayor is not in town, it’s almost like the coach being missing from the sideline. It’s as if they played a game and the coach didn’t show up. The good news is the mayor is not the coach of a Pittsburgh sports team, because he probably wouldn’t last very long.”

Foote is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 5.

“I think Larry genuinely has an interest in being here, and we genuinely have an interest in having him,” Lewand said. “The question is whether we can work something out, and we’ll continue to try to do that as we go forward.”

Foote, who played at Detroit Pershing and Michigan, wants a multiyear deal to stay with his hometown team. Foote spoke out publicly two weeks ago about what he considered the Lions’ lack of interest in him. Foote’s agent, Brian Levy, said last week said he expected Foote to become a free agent.

“It’s always my hope that if we want somebody to be here, and they want to be here that we can work out a deal,” Lewand said. “It doesn’t always happen, but it certainly gives you a better chance when the parties genuinely have an interest in each other, rather than some other thing driving the discussions — whether it’s other leverage, whether it’s selling to the highest bidder, whatever those things are.”

Lewand said the Lions have been speaking to the agents for their other pending unrestricted free agents, which include cornerback Will James and tight end Casey Fitzsimmons. He said he expected things to pick up next week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

“We’ll see if any of those conversations turn into more active discussions and negotiations,” Lewand said. “I’ve seen it happen a lot where you start to clear deals as you near the end.”

Foote had a pretty good season. Despite missing the last two games he led the Lions with 99 tackles, the second highest total in his career. He wasn’t flashy and he had some growing pains adapting to Detroit’s 4-3 defense after playing the 3-4 in Pittsburgh, but he did his job very well.

He also brought some much-needed leadership to a defense that has been sailing without a rudder the last few seasons. Heck, he became a team captain almost immediately.
He took it upon himself to mentor rookie DeAndre Levy. Many veterans would protect their job security and let the kid figure it out on his own, but not Larry Foote. The result? Levy’s speedy development may have made Foote expendable in the eyes of GM Martin Mayhew.

Foote claims that he wants to remain in Detroit with a multi-year deal. Foote however says the talks with Mayhew have not gone well, and he is not a priority for the team.
This is the exact opposite as it should be.

Foote isn’t a Pro Bowler, but he is a quality player who actually wants to play for the Lions. I can’t think of another player out there that would fit that description unless the team was willing to overpay for him. Foote says he only wants a modest increase from the $1.5-million he made last season.

Levy has a chance to be a good middle linebacker, but he’s not there yet. Keeping Foote around to compete for the job and push Levy can only make the young man better. Even if Foote can’t win the job, he would still add depth to one of the team’s weakest units.

From a perception standpoint, it also makes sense to sign Foote.

Detroit is not currently a destination for free agents, but it could be. The Lions have a great home stadium, wonderful practice facilities, and a die-hard fan base that will forever love the players who can eventually bring the franchise back to respectability. Turning their back on a hometown player who wants to be here is not a good way to change the image that the Lions are a second-class organization.

When you have a good player on your roster that is a positive force on the field and in the locker room and isn’t a huge drain on your salary cap, you keep him around. Period.
That’s a lesson I hope Mayhew learns before it’s too late.

Defensive coordinator George Edwards has been a part of defensive transitions in the past. He knows the kind of challenge he’s undertaking.

“I have been a part of a program that was a 4-3 for a long time and made the transition to a 3-4,” he said. “When I first went to the Dolphins five years ago, they were 4-3 team forever. Then all of a sudden we come in there and we transition to a 3-4 defense. Is it hard? Yeah, it’s hard. Is it different? Yeah it’s different. But at the end of the day it still boils down on defense to being able to attack a blocker, get off a block and make a play on a running back or whoever the ball carrier is. That’s what defense is all about.”

Edwards has immersed himself in Bills defensive game tape from 2009 in an effort to gain a firm grasp of the talents and capabilities of every player on the current roster, so he knows how realistic a full scale switch can be, and where they made need to make some additions. But in no way will he try to put a square peg into a round hole.

“We know 3-4 is where we want to start schematically,” Edwards said. “But we also have to adjust to what our personnel can do.”

The front seven is where many of the possible personnel changes could occur. Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson look like prototype ends in a 3-4 system. Aaron Maybin, Aaron Schobel (if he plays) and possibly Chris Kelsay could shift to outside linebacker roles. Kawika Mitchell could presumably shift inside to team with Paul Posluszny. Where a talented player like Kyle Williams fits is tough to say as he does not appear to be the typical two-gap nose tackle in a 3-4 system. But those decisions are up to Edwards and his defensive staff and they do not intend to miscast talented players.

“You have ideal size that you want at particular positions,” said Edwards. “That doesn’t mean you’re always going to have the ideal size at those positions so you have to play to the size and the strength of the people that you have on your roster.”

Edwards does admit however, that having a true two-gap nose tackle is essential when it comes to having a solid run front in the 3-4.

“That’s where it starts,” he said. “It starts at the nose. You want to be strong up the middle. That is a position that you definitely have to concentrate on and you have to look at what you’re going to ask that guy to do. That is a position where it’s imperative that you get good play inside. Closing off the gaps inside as far as the run game, that will be a main emphasis for us defensively. That is a cog and a necessity to make sure you’re able to get the best fit at the nose position.”

Filling such a role is far from easy as 320-pound nose tackles do not come a dime a dozen. And some of the more notable ones in free agency this year are likely to be franchised by their respective clubs.

Though Edwards does not have all the answers at all the positions right now, he assures that his defense will have an attitude.

“We will play aggressive, attacking defense, so that’s what we’ll be looking to do,” Edwards said. “Right now as we go through the evaluation phase, that’s what we’ll be looking for. We want smart, tough, physical football players. We want to be physical and we want to be aggressive.”

Edwards knows the transition for the players will be challenging at the outset. There will be ups and downs, but he’s hopeful that with good coaching and a professional approach by the players that they can succeed in making a lot of the 3-4 defensive principles work.

“Any time you’re unfamiliar with something as a player or a coach, you’re going to be asked to do different things,” he said. “When you’re asked to do different things that means the learning curve is going to be different because you’re not as comfortable with what we’re asking you to do initially. But that’s the whole transition process.”

Ultimately Edwards realizes they may not be operating out of a 3-4 look all the time. He knows the transition will take time and sometimes the talent you have requires the coach to adjust instead of the players.

“Just like every player is different, different things change for us as coaches too,” Edwards said. “Our main objective is to get the most out of a player. We have to find out what they do well and concentrate on things that they can do well. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Source: BuffaloBills.com