NFL Notes

As we gear up for this weekend's NFL games, just a few things I want to address.

1. Have the Oakland Raiders sent a 5 day letter to Richard Seymour? There is still a bit of a question because the Raiders aren't commenting on the situation. The New England Patriots insist that since Seymour is not on their roster, they don't have to say anything.

And exactly where is Richard Seymour? This has now become a bigger mystery. If Seymour doesn't report to the Raiders within the 5 days (from recepit of the letter), he can be placed on the "suspended list". This would be a terrible move on Seymour's part since he's in the last year of his contract and was reportedly working on a new contract with the Pats. If he's on the list, the Raiders can hold him for next year at this year's "price". And Seymour would lose not only money, but potentially respect in the Raiders locker room. They need his presence.

2. Brett Favre is no longer a member of the New York Jets and he's still causing them headaches. Favre stated in a presser earlier this week that the Jets knew of his torn biceps. The problem is that the Jets never had Favre listed on its injury report. Usually teams are fined $10,000 to $25,000 for similar offenses. GM Mike Tannenbaum has taken the hit on this.

"As the GM of this team, I should've handled that differently and listed him on the report," Tannenbaum said. "We didn't, just because he wasn't getting treatment every day and we knew he was going to play. But, looking back on it now, I should've listed him as probable, and we didn't, and I'll take responsibility for that."

Do you honestly think the Jets care of the fine? Exactly what is the purpose of the fine? It's nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Imposing only a fine for bending the rules is laughable.

I'm guessing here but I bet there's been enough Mark Sanchez merchandise has been sold to cover the amount of the fine...and then some.

3. Speaking of Favre, his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, received very good news today. A Federal appeals court has ruled that the NFL cannot suspend Pat and Kevin Williams (not realted) for testing for a banned diruetic that is contained in an over-the-counter weight loss supplement. The label on the supplement did not state that the diruetic was present. If this is true, the decision was a no-brainer.

That huge wind swirling over the Twin Cities? That was the entire Vikings organization exhaling. This decision will let Pat and Kevin play for this year. Without the Williamses, the Vikings defense would be a much less feared unit. They are without a doubt the best DT tandem in the league and they make the rest of the Vikings D that much better.