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An angry Michael Irvin says he was pleased but not surprised that Florida authorities won’t file sexual assault charges against him.

INDIANAPOLIS — It was fitting that Nick Caserio, on the lookout for a remote place to speak with reporters Friday on the Lucas Oil Stadium concourse, gravitated to an ATM alcove.



The New England Patriots‘ player personnel director occasionally leaned on the cash machine while discussing Vince Wilfork‘s contract status, negotiations with unrestricted free agents and ramifications of an uncapped year.



Caserio didn’t deliver much news, but he spoke at length about issues facing the Patriots. And you have to admire the man’s ability to speak into a microphone for 20 minutes and not reveal anything.



He did say the Patriots will be operating within a self-imposed budget during an uncapped season. But who knows how fat that budget will be? The Patriots are one of the league’s wealthier clubs.



“In terms of our process, we go through the same process this year as we did in years past,” Caserio said. “We have a budget in place like we do every year. It doesn’t really change for us in terms of what we do in terms of spending and player acquisition.



“As far as what the situation is moving forward, I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball. You don’t have a crystal ball. We’re operating under the terms that we have in place and that haven’t really changed all that much since I’ve been here.”



For effect, Caserio could’ve whipped an ATM card from his back pocket, swiped it through the machine and got Julius Peppers‘ agent on the phone to ask how much he should withdraw. Unfortunately for the gathered reporters, Caserio declined to give us a story.



He also declined to give any meaningful updates on negotiations with Wilfork for a long-term deal, only saying “the communication has been good. It’s been ongoing.” He declined to put a timetable on when a contract might be finalized.



Caserio touched on New England’s other unrestricted free agents and how much communication there’s been from him or senior advisor Floyd Reese. Their UFA group most notably includes running back Kevin Faulk, outside linebackers Tully Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess and cornerback Leigh Bodden.



“I think you have levels of communication with all your free agents,” Caserio said. “You are at different stages. Obviously, all the agents are here [at the combine]. So I would say there is continuous communication amongst all parties. Obviously once we get into free agency [March 5], it goes a little bit further.”



On the recent re-signing of receiver David Patten, Caserio said the Patriots aren’t living in the past.



“David has been great for us,” Caserio said. “He’s great off the field. He has an unquestionable work ethic. So we want competitive, tough-minded, hungry football players looking for an opportunity, and I think David Patten kind of falls into that category.



“He has to come and earn his role on the team. Here is an opportunity for him, and whatever he makes of it, that’s entirely up to him, but we’re certainly happy to have him.”

INDIANAPOLIS — The New York Jets have downsized their drafts in recent years, dealing picks to trade up and procure players they wanted especially.



They selected a grand total of three players a year ago and 13 players over the past three years.



At some point, don’t they need to have a healthy draft class to fortify the team’s depth?



General manager Mike Tannenbaum doesn’t think so.



“That would be the case, but we have such a talented scouting department,” Tannenbaum said.



Vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales and senior personnel executive have identified contributors who were overlooked by other teams.



“We’ve added guys who are maybe not household names like [defensive tackle] Mike DeVito and [linebacker] Jamaal Westerman,” Tannenbaum said. “We have a lot of young guys who we really like, who have really helped us.”



Tannenbaum also pointed to the acquisition of receiver David Clowney and running back Chauncey Washington from the Green Bay Packers‘ and Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squads, respectively.



Tannenbaum certainly would’ve preferred to mention more significant names than those. Clowney had 14 catches for 191 yards and one touchdown. Washington joined the team last year with three games left and was deactivated for each one.



Tannenbaum contended the Jets aren’t forced to amass picks, or have a bloated class like they did in 2006, his first year as GM. They selected 10 players, three of whom have made a Pro Bowl. Seven started at least one game last year.



“Because of those other avenues to improve the team,” Tannenbaum said, “that has complemented the fact we haven’t had a lot of picks.”



When the Jets have dealt draft picks to move up in the order, their decisions have worked out. They traded up last year to get quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back Shonn Greene. In their four-man class of 2007, they twice traded three picks for two picks to move up and select cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris.



“When you trade up, you trade away valuable resources, and there is no guarantee on any of these guys,” Tannenbaum said. “But you’d better be as close to pretty darn sure as you can. Fortunately for us, we had real organizational conviction in those situations be it Mark or Shonn last year or Revis or David Harris. We felt really strong.



“You have to make those value judgments of ‘Is this price reasonable?’ because to give up picks in our system is a heavy lift. Every situation is unique. We actually have traded back a few times, but no one ever seems to talk about that. Every situation is unique, but I fall back to we have a great college scouting staff that gives me good information.”

Scott A. Miller/US PresswireQuarterback Josh Freeman is helping the Bucs prepare for the upcoming draft.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — There’s a new guy helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they scout the prospects for this year’s NFL draft.



It’s quarterback Josh Freeman — the same guy their drafted with their top pick. Yes, he’s part franchise quarterback and part scout and he’ll even tip his hand and tell you some of the guys he thinks the Bucs should take.



“I’ve been in watching film of different receivers with the offensive coordinator and the quarterback coach,’’ Freeman said Friday. “You might not have the Michael Crabtree or the Darius Heyward-Bey, but it’s a pretty talented receiver group coming out this year. There’s Dez Bryant and I’m a big fan out Jordan Shipley out of Texas.’’

Along with “The Fabulous Sports Babe’’ of ESPN Radio Tampa, I got to spend about 20 minutes chatting with Freeman on Friday afternoon as he attended “ESPN The Weekend’’ and the re-branding of ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. It was just a momentary break for Freeman, who soon will be back in Tampa, working out and scouting.



Yes, the Bucs really are asking Freeman for his opinions. That may sound a little bit out of the ordinary, but it’s actually a very smart move. Freeman, after all, is the franchise quarterback and the most positive thing the Bucs have going for them at this moment. It only makes sense to hear his thoughts.



You might be a little surprised to hear that Freeman’s first choice isn’t to get a wide receiver. Freeman said, if the draft were today and he was in the shoes of general manager Mark Dominik, he would take Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.



“I would love to see Suh here,’’ Freeman said.



The Bucs would be wise to listen to Freeman’s thoughts on Suh because their quarterback knows the defensive tackle very well. They first became friends as teammates in a high-school all-star game, saw each other frequently as college foes and were hanging out together at the Super Bowl in Miami a few weeks ago.



“He basically lived in my backfield every time I played against Nebraska,’’ said Freeman, who played at Kansas State. “The drive that that guy has is unbelievable. He’s going to be a great teammate for whoever he goes to. The guy makes plays. He gets in the backfield and nobody can block him. They’re trying to figure out what’s going to help our team the most. If it’s a receiver, it’s a receiver. If it’s get Suh, it’s getting Suh. Anyway you look at it, I’m excited.’’



Freeman should be excited. After a 3-13 season in which Freeman took over as the starter near the halfway point, the Bucs have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including five in the top 99. If they can get Suh with the third overall pick, wide receiver could be a target area for one of their two second-round picks.



The Bucs already have made it clear they’ll let last year’s No. 1 wide receiver, Antonio Bryant, leave as a free agent.



“Antonio’s a great player,’’ Freeman said. “He makes a lot of plays. Obviously, the franchise — the owners, GM and the coaches — didn’t feel like he’d be able to help us next year. The time I got to spend with Antonio Bryant, I treasured it and he made a lot of great plays for me. I wish him luck with the rest of his career even though he’s not going to be in Tampa next season.’’



Freeman praised Bryant, but that formula didn’t always work in reverse. At one point last season, Bryant said his lack of production was due to playing with a rookie quarterback. That may be part of the reason why Bryant is on his way out of Tampa Bay.



You don’t criticize the franchise and Freeman is the franchise here. Freeman also praised Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall and Sammie Stroughter, but he made no secret of the fact the Bucs are looking for a No. 1 receiver in the draft or free agency.



“Looking at our roster right now, we’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays,’’ Freeman said. “But we really don’t have that burner, the guy you can just send him on a Go (route), throw it up 70 yards and let him run under it.’’



The Bucs have that guy who can throw it up 70 yards in Freeman and they’re going to try to get him every toy possible because he is the franchise. At very least, Freeman’s going to have some say in who that guy is and, listening to him talk Friday, he’s more of a student of the game than I ever realized. Freeman talked extensively about college players at all positions and sounded a little like a draftnik.



That’s a good thing and talk about the draft wasn’t the only positive thing coming from Freeman. Although team offseason workouts don’t start for nearly another month, Tampa Bay fans will be happy to know that Freeman already has been working (not just scouting) for the last few weeks.



“You take a little break and after about two weeks, I was kind of like, “Man, I’m kind of tired of this. I’m ready to get back into the football mood,’’’ Freeman said. “I’ve started working out with our new quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt and our offensive coordinator (Greg Olson). I’ve been working. I can’t wait for the second season.’’



Freeman has seemed pretty poised ever since the Bucs drafted him. But I thought he seemed even more mature Friday. That may be because he already has seen so much. The Bucs fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski just before the season and the team struggled under first-year coach Raheem Morris for much of the season.



But there was some hope later in the season, after Freeman started playing. He had some good games and led a victory over Super Bowl champion New Orleans. Freeman said the game slowed down for him as the season went on and he’s looking forward to having an entire offseason working in Olson’s offense.



He also said he’s looking forward to Morris returning for his second season.



“It was kind of evident during the early part of the season, he was feeling his way around just like any rookie,’’ Freeman said. “They did the stuff with the coordinators and you could see later in the season we were playing better and better. You could tell he’s getting the grasp for it and he’s getting it fast. I’m excited to see him coach this year.’’



Funny, but that sounds a lot like the scouting report on the quarterback. Freeman went through a lot of the things rookie quarterbacks do. Late in the year, he did some really good things. You could tell he was grasping it and maybe he’s right about Morris grasping it.



Maybe the Bucs are just a few pieces from turning the corner. Maybe, with Freeman helping as a scout, the Bucs will figure out exactly what to put next to their franchise.

INDIANAPOLIS – Ryan Mathews admitted that his eyes opened wide when San Diego cut legendary running back LaDainian Tomlinson on Monday.

Mathews

There is a job opening in San Diego. Mathews wouldn’t have to travel far to fill it.



The Fresno State running back is from Bakersfield, Calif. He admitted Friday at the NFL combine he’d love to get the opportunity to replace Tomlinson. He said he has talked to team this week. Expect San Diego, though, to talk to several running backs at the combine as its tries to figure out who will replace Tomlinson.



Mathews is up for the task.



“I’m a homegrown California guy, it would be great,” Mathews said. “They have an opening there. I hope it works out and I can go there.”



He has a chance. The Chargers have the No. 28 overall pick and running back will be of the team’s top options. Mathews will likely be available when San Diego picks.



“I really think it would be a great fit,” Mathews said.

INDIANAPOLIS — The transition from Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to Browns president Mike Holmgren in the NFL combine media room was an appropriate one.



Holmgren has long thought it virtually impossible for quarterbacks to make significant changes to their throwing motions and overall deliveries. Tebow, of course, is trying to change his mechanics.



“The things we are looking at right now is, he played in a system offense that used to be unique and is a little bit different than what we ask quarterbacks to do in our league most of the time,” Holmgren said. “The second thing is, his motion has been talked about a little bit. It’s always been my opinion that is the most difficult thing to change in any quarterback. I’ve read he has a lot of guys coaching him up on that and he is trying to change it. It’s really hard to do, I think, particularly in pressure situations.”



I’d be shocked if a Holmgren-coached team drafted Tebow and surprised if a Holmgren-presidented team selected him.



“Do you want a Tim Tebow on your football team?” Holmgren said. “I think absolutely. Absolutely. You need guys like that, players like that. That is an ongoing study that will go right up to the draft as far as we are concerned. I wish him well. I love him as a young man and as a player. It’s just how he will translate into our league.”

INDIANAPOLIS — It may be a long shot that Tim Tebow joins the AFC West.



If he does, make some room. He attracts a crowd.



Tebow, by far, drew the largest media contingent of the NFL combine thus far for his interview session. As soon as the Florida quarterback was announced, reporters and photographers rushed to his assigned podium.



It was standing room only. Tebow didn’t disappoint. He smiled, laughed and even signed a reporter’s notebook. The reporter didn’t ask for the memento.



Tebow is a charmer, no doubt about it.



The question NFL teams want answered, of course, is whether he can throw. We won’t find that out here because Tebow has decided against tossing the ball. The mystery continues.



But we do know he can he take over a room.

INDIANAPOLIS — Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren wrapped up his combine news conference Friday.

Holmgren

Here were Holmgren’s thoughts on a variety of issues:

• Let’s start with the quarterbacks since that is the hottest topic in Cleveland. Although a final decision hasn’t been made, Holmgren was very candid in saying it’s a “long shot” that Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn will both be on the roster next season. If one has to go, it’s likely Anderson, who is due a $2 million roster bonus next month.
• Here is an interesting note: Defensive end Julius Peppers is on Cleveland’s radar in free agency. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen recently mentioned the Browns as a sleeper team for Peppers, who is arguably the biggest unrestricted free agent on the market. Cleveland also has the money to spend. “When we talk about possible free agents, Julius is one of the guys we talk about,” Holmgren admitted.
• Although he didn’t want to provide a timeline, Holmgren is confident that he can turn Cleveland around. Three teams in the AFC North had winning records last season. So the division would be extremely tough if Cleveland also gets up to par.
• The contract situation with Pro Bowl returner Josh Cribbs isn’t settled, according to Holmgren, but both sides are making progress. Reportedly, Cribbs was expected to have a deal in place by the end of the week. But Holmgren believes it will take longer than that. “It’s moving,” Holmgren said. “We’re not quite there yet. But actually I’m very, very pleased with both sides talking.”
• Cleveland plans to retain restricted free agent Jerome Harrison. The tailback led the team in rushing, but the Browns also want to get him some help so the smallish Harrison won’t take the same pounding he did last season.