In an even more stunning move out of Jacksonville, the Jaguars have released veteran RB Fred Taylor. The team is expected to announce the move later today.

The beginning of Mike Shanahan‘s end as the Broncos’ head coach came last year when he asked team owner Pat Bowlen for a new practice facility, the Denver Post reported:

With Brett Favre retired, the New York Jets need a starting quarterback. And Joe Namath, the Jets’ most-famous QB, sounded worried about it in a recent interview with the New York Daily News:

The Bears have two big holes to fill, the Chicago Tribune reports, because veteran safety Mike Brown has been released and right tackle John Tait is expected to retire.

One week after firing defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals have found his replacement in linebackers coach Bill Davis, according to KTAR 620 AM in Phoenix:

Even though Thursday is the final day for teams to slap a franchise tag on players, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers said he is uncertain whether he will be designated the Panthers’ franchise player.

When the New York Giants slapped their franchise tag on running back Brandon Jacobs on Friday, it was a rarity for the Giants.

Shortly after Atlanta slapped its franchise tag on punter Michael Koenen, he wasted no time signing it.

The New York Giants have placed their franchise tag on Brandon Jacobs, making it likely that he’ll remain with Big Blue in 2009. He is still free to negotiate with other teams, but the price tag of two first-round picks as compensation almost guarantees his return.

Fullback Eric Kettani, only the second Navy player to be invited to the Senior Bowl, will not be attending next week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In a ruling made Friday by Navy superintendent Vice Admiral Jeff Fowler, Kettani will not be allowed to attend the annual six-day event in which top NFL prospects have a chance to improve their standing among their peers.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has a host of issues facing the Lions, one of the most pressing being the quarterback position. More specifically, what he is going to do about pending free agents Jon Kitna and Daunte Culpepper.

Kansas City kept its head coaching search, and its subsequent assistant head coaching search, very quiet.

But the Chiefs will soon announce that they’ve hired former Saints defensive coordinator and University of Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs to fill one of two vacant positions — either defensive coordinator or linebackers coach.

The Colts are making CB Kelvin Hayden the top priority of the offseason. The Indianapolis Star is reporting that if the Colts can’t come to an agreement soon, the team will give Hayden the one-year franchise tag, worth about $10 million.

Former Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree is still nursing an ankle sprain and won’t be running the 40-yard dash at the 2009 Scouting Combine.

The Atlanta Falcons announced Friday they will seek to trade Michael Vick, but they made thehir intentions clear 10 months ago when they drafted quarterback Matt Ryan and signed him to a six-year, $72 million contract.