Jim Schwartz named leader of the helpless 0-16 Detroit Lions

DETROIT -- Jim Schwartz faces the biggest challenge among the 32 NFL teams next season: turning around a team that didn't win a single game. Bring it on, says the Detroit Lions' new coach.

"There's no better feeling in football than turning a situation around. That's what drives me here," the 42-year-old former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator said during his introductory news conference Friday at Ford Field.

The Lions badly want the one-time Georgetown University economics major to come up with a formula to fix a franchise coming off an 0-16 season, an eight-season stretch that has been the worst in the league since World War II and a run of more than 50 years with only one playoff win.

While Detroit's football future is far from certain, Schwartz told reporters they can count on at least one thing.

"We'll put a team on the field that you'll be proud of," he said a day after agreeing to a four-year contract worth about $11 million.

The son of a police officer and one of nine kids, Schwartz said he was a blue-collar guy who will fit in well with the culture of Detroit.

"This is what I am," he said, joking that he was wearing one of the two suits he owns.
Friday's coming-out party for Schwartz was the culmination of years of hard work in the NFL.

He began as a scout in Cleveland, moving on as an assistant in Baltimore, then became one of the league's best defensive coordinators in Tennessee.

Schwartz singled out New England coach Bill Belichick and Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher as mentors. He replaces Rod Marinelli, who was fired two weeks ago after he went 10-38 in three seasons, dropping Detroit to 31-97 since 2001 when former team president Matt Millen took over a mediocre franchise and turned it into a laughingstock.

The Chicago Cardinals, who won just 23 percent of their games from 1936-43, are the last team to perform as poorly as Detroit has over an eight-season stretch.

Detroit will count on Schwartz to use his background to come up with ways to improve a defense that ranked last in the league and gave up 517 points -- threatening the NFL record for points allowed (533) in a season set by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.

Schwartz started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Maryland in 1989, later had the same position at Minnesota and went on to become a secondary coach for North Carolina Central and linebackers coach at Colgate.

The Baltimore native became a head coaching candidate because of his work in Tennessee, leading to interviews in previous years with Miami, Atlanta, Washington and San Francisco.

His 2003 defense ranked first in the NFL in rushing defense and led the league in third down defense at 27.7 percent -- the lowest since the 1998 Oakland Raiders. The Titans ranked in the top seven in yards allowed each of the past two seasons and finished second in points allowed per game at 14.6 in 2008.

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Sam Bradford and a few others decide to come back to Oklahoma

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford announced Wednesday that he will return to college for another season.

The Heisman Trophy winner's announcement came at the same time that two other key offensive teammates similarly announced they will be coming back. Tackle Trent Williams and tight end Jermaine Gresham will return. Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy announced he would return for next season earlier this week.

Bradford had been projected as a first-round draft choice and among the first quarterbacks selected in the draft. But the chance to return and lead Oklahoma to its first national championship since 2000 and direct the Sooners to an unprecedented fourth straight Big 12 title lured him back.

"After looking at all the information and the opportunities, I feel that it's in the best interest for me to come back," Bradford said.

"I've dreamed about playing at Oklahoma since I was little," Bradford said. "My three years here have been probably three of the best years of my life. ... I feel there's no need to cut this experience short."

Bradford led the nation with 50 touchdown passes and in pass efficiency. He ranked third with 4,720 passing yards. His 86 touchdown passes is by far the NCAA's record for players after two seasons.

The announcement came six days after the Sooners lost 24-14 to Florida in the FedEx BCS Championship Game in Miami. It was the Sooners' fifth straight BCS bowl game loss and third consecutive loss in a championship game.

"I did go back and forth several times and I really didn't put much thought into it before the national championship game," Bradford said. "So there's a lot to comprehend in a short period of time. But I feel like this is where my heart is and where I want to be."

Bradford's decision marks the fourth time in the past six seasons that a Heisman Trophy winner has elected to return for another college season after claiming college football's most prestigious individual honor.

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Mark Sanchez looks like he's headed to the NFL

Sources close to Mark Sanchez and USC tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the quarterback plans to announce Thursday that he will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Sanchez's father, Nick Sanchez, told ESPN's Shelley Smith on Wednesday his son is undecided.

"Mark is waiting for Coach [Pete] Carroll to return from Hawaii, which is tonight," Nick Sanchez told Smith. "Mark didn't want to do anything without Coach Carroll."

Nick Sanchez said his son will meet with Carroll either Wednesday night or early Thursday.

"Mark has gone both ways on this," Nick Sanchez said, "and he is still undecided."

There is a news conference planned for 10 a.m. PT at USC's Heritage Hall.

"None of us will know probably until the 10 o'clock press conference," Nick Sanchez said.

Sources tell Mortensen that family members have discouraged Sanchez from turning pro and that Carroll asked his quarterback to wait until Thursday's NFL deadline for underclassmen to allow for a change of heart.

If Sanchez submits his paperwork to the NFL on Thursday, as expected, he would have four days to change his mind, as long as he does not enter into an agreement with an agent.

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Dallas Cowboys discussing the release of Terrell Owens

Improving locker room chemistry will be the highest priority for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason and that will force serious discussions between Wade Phillips' coaching staff and owner Jerry Jones about whether to release controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens, according to team and league sources.

"I think we all know that chemistry is the problem with this team more than the schemes or anything else," a Cowboys source said. "Are we going to continue to allow talent to outweigh everything else in the decisions we make with players and putting the roster together? We're like the Redskins used to be when they signed every player they wanted. There's more to it than talent. It has to be more about the team.

"The big one [Owens] didn't get discussed yet, but I'm sure it will and real hard."

The Cowboys released twice-suspended cornerback Pacman Jones last week and Tank Johnson is expected to depart through free agency. Both decisions are at least partly related to the renewed emphasis on creating a different atmosphere in the locker room. The Cowboys began their ill-fated 2008 season with three players on the roster who had been suspended by the league or their previous teams -- Jones, Johnson and Owens.

At least two sources believe that vice president Stephen Jones will attempt to convince his father that Owens should be finished with the Cowboys. But Jerry Jones just last year invested a $12 million signing bonus in Owens, which means there would be salary-cap fallout. In fact, Jerry Jones has suggested that there might be enough damage that the team would find it difficult to sign NFL sack leader DeMarcus Ware to a new contract.
"I think some of people want to just cut our losses and get rid of all those guys … T.O., Tank, Pacman,'' another Cowboys source said. "But I really think Jerry likes the thrill of trying to make it all work."

The discussions involving Owens have not yet been formally initiated and probably will not occur until the Cowboys are more certain of the composition of their coaching staff.

Not only does Owens have relationship issues with quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten, but the controversial receiver consistently criticized Garrett's play calling and his offensive schemes to the point that sources say the offensive coordinator does not believe they can coexist.

Regardless, Owens could still be jettisoned. His detractors can argue their belief that Owens, 35, is a poor route runner with inconsistent hands and generally a descending player who seldom accepts responsibility for his own shortcomings. There is fear internally that he will become more volatile if his performance continues to deteriorate -- and that he may feel more empowered if he perceives that his presence forced Garrett to depart.

Of particular concern is the apparent negative influence Owens has had on teammates such as Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton and even running back Marion Barber.

"You have to be worried about his influence over there, and I think we'd get some of those players back over to our side if he was gone,'' another source said. "I think we have to decide how detrimental he is to Witten and Romo.''

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Scott Pioli joins the Kasas City Chiefs, could mean end for Edwards!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Scott Pioli, who helped build and lead a dynasty in New England, is now in charge of a Kansas City franchise that hasn't won a playoff game in 14 years.

The 43-year-old Pioli will be introduced on Wednesday as Chiefs general manager, replacing Carl Peterson. Pioli was seen packing up his office Tuesday afternoon, a Patriots source told ESPN's Michael Smith.

"He will have complete charge of football operations," Ryan Petkoff, a spokesman for Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, told The Associated Press. "He will report only to Clark."

The decision to hire Pioli likely means Herm Edwards will not be back as Chiefs head coach next season. Among the top candidates to succeed Edwards is New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

A source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Bill Williamson that Edwards sent his assistant coaching staff home to await word on the future in light of the Pioli hiring news.

At this point, Pioli is expected to meet with coaches Thursday so a decision on Edwards and his staff's future could be made in the coming days.

He inherits a young team coming off a 2-14 season but is stepping into a situation that seems ripe for a quick turnaround.

The fan base is loyal, though restive, and the team will be playing next year in a virtually new stadium. Arrowhead, which opened in 1972 and is notorious for being loud and rough on visiting teams, is undergoing a $325 million renovation, which includes new luxury boxes, wider concourses and enhanced amenities in addition to new practice facilities, an enlarged indoor field and a brand new state-of-the-art headquarters building.

In addition, the Chiefs are about $32 million under the salary cap, extra money that will come in handy because they own the overall No. 3 pick in the draft. Besides that, there are a number of promising young players who Edwards was counting on as the foundation of his rebuilding project."We are very excited to welcome Scott to the Chiefs," Hunt said in a statement. "With his proven track record of success, Scott is the finest player personnel executive in the NFL, and we look forward to his leadership in building a championship organization."

Pioli's NFL career started when Belichick hired him as a pro personnel assistant for the Browns in 1992. Belichick then brought him to New England shortly after he became head coach of the Patriots.

Now Pioli takes charge of those same efforts to turn this Kansas City Cheifs team around like he did with New England.

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Atlanta Braves add savy veteran Lowe; but at what price?

The Atlanta Braves and pitcher Derek Lowe have reached preliminary agreement on a four-year, $60 million contract. The deal is pending a physical exam.

"You've got to have pitching," manager Bobby Cox said. "You could have the best hitting team in the history of baseball and you still may not get it done. We will feel confident now that whoever toes the mound on any particular night, we've got a good chance of winning."

With their late push for Lowe, the Braves succeeded in beating out the New York Mets, the other principal suitor for Lowe.

Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's averaged 208 innings the past seven seasons, and consistently has one of the highest ground ball-to-fly ball ratios in the game.

Lowe joins Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens and Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami in a new-look Atlanta rotation.

"We wanted get back to being a pitching team," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "If we can do another couple of moves, we can get back to that point."

During the winter meetings, when it appeared that Lowe was looking for a five-year, $80 million deal, one Braves official said the club had "zero" interest in the pitcher.

Although the Mets had given indications they were willing to increase the money on their three-year, $36 million offer to Lowe, management was never comfortable with the idea of extending its offer to four years.

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Tony Dungy steps down as Colts coach

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Dungy always considered football just a career path.
Not his life's mission.

On Monday, Dungy began the transition from head coach to full-time dad and devoted volunteer by announcing his retirement after seven years leading the Indianapolis Colts.

"We just felt this was the right time," Dungy said. "Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live."

The move triggered a succession plan Indianapolis put in place a year ago, making Jim Caldwell, the associate head coach, Dungy's replacement.

But the culmination of a 31-year NFL career, which started with Dungy winning a Super Bowl ring as a player in Pittsburgh and ended two years after he became the first black coach to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, brought out some rare emotional moments from the usually stoic Dungy.

"My wife Lauren told me to bring some Kleenex. I thought I would make it a little farther than the first sentence," Dungy said, his voice cracking.

He told owner Jim Irsay of his decision Sunday.

"And we spent about 2½ hours crying," Dungy said. "But I had a real peace about it."

The 53-year-old Dungy informed his staff of the decision Monday morning, then met with some players after the traditional one-week waiting period ended. Dungy and his wife, Lauren, spent the last five years discussing whether he should continue coaching.

Dungy made a remarkable impact around the league. In an era when there were few black head coaches, Dungy helped open the door to rising stars and a growing number of minority candidates. Among those from his Tampa Bay staff who have had head coaching jobs are Herm Edwards, now with Kansas City, Chicago's Lovie Smith, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin and former Detroit coach Rod Marinelli.

Dungy also set league records for most consecutive playoff seasons (10) and consecutive 12-win seasons (six), and leaves with the highest average of regular-season victories of any coach in league history (10.7).

"People often say that teams reflect their head coach, and that can be said of Tony Dungy's teams, which are consistent winners every single year," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "Tony has been such a fixture in this league that his absence will take some getting used to."

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