Eli wants Shockey to stay with Giants

Eli wants Shockey to stay with Giants
Eli Manning doesn't mind that Jeremy Shockey is once again absent from the Giants' offseason program.

But the Super Bowl MVP made it clear Friday at workouts that he wants to see the tight end remain with the team the New York Daily News reported. Shockey, who is coming off a broken leg, has been the center of offseason trade rumors that don't figure to subside anytime before the draft later this month. Shockey has been rumored to be headed to New Orleans as part of a trade.

"When I have talked to him I said I am excited about this season and what we can become as a team and our connection," Manning said yesterday at Giants Stadium. "I don't think we have reached our potential in the tandem that we can become. The thing I am excited about is I see room for improvement in all areas."

Canes safety Phillips workouts for Steelers
A league source told Profootballtalk.com that University of Miami defensive back Kenny Phillips conducted a private workout in South Florida on Thursday for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Phillips is widely regarded as the top safety available in this year's draft, and he is expected to go at the bottom of round one, or at the top of round two.

The Steelers already have a first-rounder in the secondary in Troy Polamalu. The addition of Phillips with the No. 23 overall pick, if it happens, might be a sign that coach Mike Tomlin is laying the foundation for a change from the 3-4 to the Tampa 2 defense, since solid safety play is critically important to the success of the attack that helped get Tomlin the job he now has

Cardinals sign DE Robinson
The Arizona Cardinals have addressed one of their most glaring weaknesses by adding defensive end Bryan Robinson, according to�Scout.com.

Robinson is an eleven-year veteran, and he spent the past three seasons with the Bengals. Before that, he played for a season with the Dolphins, six with the Bears, and one with the Rams.

He appeared in 16 games last season, starting four.

Toronto fans gobbling up Bills tickets
Tickets for the Buffalo Bills games in Toronto are turning into a hot commodity according to TSN.ca. Organizers said Friday that over 100,000 fans have registered for the random draw for the opportunity to purchase tickets for the series. The Bills will be playing eight NFL games over a five-year period at the Rogers Centre beginning this summer.

The series includes a regular-season game each year from 2008 to 2012 and pre-season games in '08, '10 and '12. The first game will be a pre-season contest Aug. 14 between the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. Price information is expected to be released next week and tickets for the series will go on sale next month. Toronto Argonauts season-ticket holders receive priority access to 20,000 tickets for the eight games.

The Bills' regular-season game will be played in December after the Grey Cup to avoid creating scheduling conflicts for the CFL's Argonauts. The Bills have said the move is an attempt to tap into southern Ontario's lucrative corporate base. However, many football pundits believe this is the first step in the Bills eventually relocating to southern Ontario.

Receiver at top of Cincinnati draft list?
The Cincinnati Bengals' need at wide receiver has increased since they waived Chris Henry last week, following his latest in a series of off-field legal entanglements.

Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski attended a two-man workout at the University of Oklahoma on Wednesday to watch and then talk with wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, The Oklahoman newspaper reported. Kelly is ranked as one of the top three wide receivers in the draft. He is entering the draft as an early-entry junior after catching 49 passes, nine for touchdowns, for a 16.8-yard average.

The Bengals signed Doug Gabriel as a free agent Tuesday, upping to a paltry six the number of wide receivers currently under contract with the team; Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Antonio Chatman, Glenn Holt and Marcus Maxwell are the others according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Cal's Jackson, others, scheduled to visit 49ers
Cal receiver DeSean Jackson, San Jose State cornerback Dwight Lowery and Fresno State offensive lineman Ryan Wendell are among the prospects scheduled to visit the San Francisco 49ers before the NFL draft April 26-27. The 49ers have the 29th pick in the first round, as well as the 39th, 75th, 107th, 174th and 214th overall selections.

Jackson, a possible late-first round selection, was a big-play threat for the Bears but must persuade the 49ers and other teams that his 5-foot-10, 169-pound frame will hold up in the NFL. Jackson could make an immediate impact as a punt returner.

Lowery, who had 13 interceptions over the past two seasons with the Spartans, is projected as a seventh-round pick by Pro Football Weekly, while USA Today sees him as a third- or fourth-round pick. Wendell, listed at 6-2, 286 pounds, ranks 21st out of 88 draft-eligible centers, according to NFLdraftscout.com. He also has experience at guard.

Steelers considering Oregon RB Stewart?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have not selected a running back in either of the first two rounds of the draft in the past 19 years. Thursday, they took a look at one who could snap that drought.

Oregon's Jonathan Stewart paid a visit to the Steelers yesterday primarily to show off a small body part, his right big toe. He had surgery on the turf toe, injured last November, after he said he was encouraged to do so by NFL personnel at the Indianapolis draft combine in February. If not for the toe injury/surgery, Stewart would be a top 10 pick. With it, he could be drafted by the Steelers, who don't pick until 23rd. It may be a Catch 22 -- if Stewart's toe is not a concern, he likely will be taken higher in the draft; if it is a concern and he lasts until the Steelers pick, do they use their first-round draft choice on a potential medical problem?

Independent scouting services do not agree on where Stewart ranks after his surgery. Pro Football Weekly rates him first among backs, NFL Draft Scout ranks him third and Scout ranks him sixth.