When asked if he would announce Roethlisberger’s suspension Monday or Tursday, Goodell did not give a decisive answer, saying, “There may be plenty of reports. I make the decision when I’m prepared to do so”.

Goodell was also asked if there was a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy by Roethlisberger, to which Goodell responded, “Yes, there has been a violation of that. The issue is respect to a pattern of behavior [and] bad judgments”.

Goodell stated that he still needed more time to review all the facts before he could come to a conclusion on Roethlisberger’s punishment. Stay tuned.

His hiring came after former quarterback coach Hue Jackson left to join the Oakland Raiders as their new offensive coordinator.

Zorn is coming off an embarrassing two-year tenure as the head coach for Washington where he led the ‘Skins to their worst record in fifteen years at 12-20. His team came close to victory time and again, but was never able to overcome the mistakes of an inane owner and a rookie head coach.

Owner Daniel Snyder promoted Zorn from offensive coordinator to head coach before the season ever began; the team’s first mistake.

The organization then expected success from a team built around an aging, overpaid defense, an offensive line whose experience stemmed from Arena football, and a quarterback who has been asked to learn a different offensive scheme nearly every year.

This was Jim Zorn’s bed and he slept in it week after week with a face of humility and a cool sense of propriety.

Before he entered the Redskins’ organization, Zorn was considered a successful quarterback coach. His influence in Seattle during their brighter years was evident behind Matt Hasselbeck’s arm.

Now, Zorn joins a team on the brink of championship-caliber potential. Normally noted for its veteran leadership on defense and a do-everything running back in Ray Rice, Zorn now has the opportunity to coach one of the NFL‘s hopeful youths, Joe Flacco.

Flacco has spurred his team to the playoffs twice in his two years as a pro and he’s done it with pure athletic ability and class. As his new coach, Zorn will only further Flacco’s potential and open up the Ravens’ playbook to new standards.

With two assistants from USC following Carroll to Seattle already, it’s refreshing to see a non-USC coach making his way to the Seahawks organization. Although he’s only officially been the head coach for a day or so, this is Carroll’s best decision yet.

Gibbs has a long, illustrious career in the NFL, helping to elevate numerous running attacks and to beef up a number of offensive lines.

His longest stint was an offensive coaching gig in Denver under former head coach Mike Shanahan and Jeremy Bates, the new offensive coordinator in Seattle. He spent three marginally successful years there (1984-1987) before returning to establish one of the league’s most dominant running games (1995-2003).

At Denver, the offensive line set numerous franchise records including most total yards (6,554 in 2000), most first downs (383 in 2000), most rushing yards (2,468 in 1998), and most rushing touchdowns (32 in 1998).

His offensive line also knew how to pass protect. From 1995-2000, Gibbs’ line did not allow more than 35 sacks per season. During that time, center Tom Nalen was chosen for four consecutive Pro Bowls. In 1998, three Broncos’ offensive linemen were nominated to the Pro Bowl; all three had previously attended two consecutive Hawaii berths. They were also commended for blocking for then-NFL MVP Terrell Davis, who rushed for over 2,000 yards.

Gibbs then spent a year coaching in Atlanta before becoming a consultant for the Falcons in 2005 and 2006. In the year he spent coaching, the Falcons led the NFL in rushing for the first time in team history.

They rushed for a team-record 2,672 yards, third highest rushing yards total in the NFL since 1990. During Gibbs’ time in Atlanta, the team also led the NFL in rushing with 8,157 yards.The Falcons were also the only team during that three year span to amass a rushing average that exceeded 5.1.

Gibbs’ zone-blocking scheme has a been a long-respected attack and his influence in Seattle will be strongly felt in the running game. Seattle’s run game has lately been weak, finishing in the bottom half of the league for two consecutive years.

With two early picks in the draft, Seattle will have their options to either beef up their dwindling offensive line or add some size and strength to their running game, or both.

Either way, with Alex Gibbs at the helm of their offensive line, Seattle, in time, should find nothing short of tangible progression.

It’s now come to light, though, that the Seattle organization reached out to Tony Dungy almost a month ago in regards to a position as their team president. Dungy considered the offer, but ultimately turned it down.

John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance responsible for monitoring the minority hiring process in the NFL, spoke of the offer, “They called Tony about three weeks ago to see if he would seriously consider becoming their president…He told them he wanted to pray and sleep on it but the next day he called them back and said he wanted to stick with everything he was doing now.”

Although the team had made a conscious effort to hire a minority in a front office position, Wooten still encouraged the ‘Hawks to actively, or at least publicly, pursue Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for the head coach position in order to further comply with the Alliance’s guidelines.

Frazier was a candidate largely recommended and supported by Tony Dungy.

Wooten also urged the team to digress from naming Carroll the new team president as that would put him in a biased position in the hiring of any other coaches, namely Frazier. It isn’t clear whether or not the team would have allowed Carroll to carry out both positions but it’s been done before.

Carroll is still considered to have much of the control within the organization, but the team will still make an active search for a new team president and GM while staying within the boundaries of the Rule.

For now, the Seahawks are seriously looking at two minority candidates, the New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross for the GM position and Pittsburgh Steelers business and football administration coordinator Omar Khan as a candidate for team president.

It’s clear now that Seattle’s alleged pursuit of Frazier was merely to save face in the public eye, and why their pursuit of Dungy remained under the grid is unclear, but it seems now that the Seahawks have followed the Rule closer than previously assumed.

In a press release, head coach Tony Sparano said, “I want to thank Paul for his services to the team, and I want to wish him the best.”

Pasqualoni is coming off a season in which his defense ranked 22nd in the league. The real kicker was the NFL-high 140 points his crew gave up in the fourth quarter.

It seemed at first that Sparano would be lax in his judgement against the coach, attributing the poor play of the defense to a lack of execution by the players, but the fourth-quarter debacles and the defense’s susceptibility to the big play spurred Sparano to make the decision.

With Pasqualoni gone, the door is wide open for any one of the number of coordinators available in this year’s free agency market. According to several sources, the leading candidates are Romeo Crennel, Bill Sheridan, Al Groh, and Mike Zimmer.

Under normal circumstances, Crennel would be a legitimate contender for the job, but Kansas City and Cleveland are already actively pursuing him. Also, Kansas City’s GM, Scott Pioli, just happens to be Bill Parcells’ son-in-law and the two will not likely butt heads on the matter.

Mike Zimmer is still with the Cincinnati organization, but his contract expires at the end of February. His former coaching relationship with Parcells in Dallas could prove to be a deciding factor in who the Dolphins opt to hire.

Al Groh, the former Virginia coach, also has a coaching history with Parcells. However, Groh is already in serious talks with Georgia Tech about becoming their new defensive coordinator.

Sheridan is a long shot, but his philosophy fits that of the direction the Dolphins would like to pursue. Paqualoni’s “bend-but-don’t-break” zone scheme was no longer applicable to the youth and speed of Miami’s defensive corps.

Miami’s two vacant linebacker coach positions could also be a viable opportunity for Sheridan.

In an interview with ESPN reporters, Bates expressed that he felt he had more security in Seattle than in Chicago due to his former coaching relationship with Pete Carroll.

It was believed that Bates might go to the Bears in order to be reunited with Jay Cutler, a former player of his when he was the offensive coordinator in Denver.

When Bates was hired at USC, Cutler had this to say of his former coach: “Jeremy is one of the best offensive minds in football. He was extremely innovative with our offense and took our playbook to the next level with some of the things he did, keeping defenses off balance and changing our look but at the same time keeping it simple for us players.”

It’s clear that Cutler would have loved to have his old coach in the Windy City, but for now, the Bears are still searching for an offensive coordinator. The more popular prospects remaining are Mike Martz, Jedd Fisch, and Bill Musgrave.

While it’s purely speculation for now, the presence of both Carroll and Bates in Seattle could mean a new quarterback in a ‘Hawks jersey before the start of the 2010 season.

The obvious guess would have to be Matt Leinart, a former USC star who lit up the field under Carroll and staff. Another guess might be that, with two first round picks, Seattle might have enough firepower to acquire Cutler from a struggling Bears team that may be looking to reestablish their offense under a different passer.

There are a number of possibilities with an uncapped year approaching, though. After a short and unsuccessful run in this year’s playoffs, both the Bengals and the Eagles consider trading their longtime superstars.

Either way, Seattle stands in a good position to retake control of the NFC West and make a run for the playoffs in 2010.

There is a lot of speculation surrounding several bottom-of-the-barrel teams, and for good reason.

The Buffalo Bills are reportedly at least discussing trading Terrell Owens, their one-year free agent splash, while the Browns have had to fight-off rumors about parting ways with former franchise quarterback Brady Quinn, and star return man, Josh Cribbs.

There are nine teams that currently only have one win in 2009, or are still searching for their win.

Here’s a look at all nine of those teams, a trade-bait suggestion or two, and some analysis to think about as we head toward the October 20th NFL trade deadline.

Carolina Panthers (1-3)

They finally got a win last weak against the Washington Redskins, but even that wasn’t very convincing. They’re in a division with two very solid teams in front of them, and don’t have much breathing room. Like it or not, it’s probably best to start thinking about 2010.

Trade Julius Peppers .

They franchised him, so they know he’s as good as gone either way, so now is the time to get what they can out of him. Just about any contending team out there will at least express some interest. However, considering the franchise tag, everyone knows the asking price can’t be as high as Carolina wishes it could be.

Look for the Denver Broncos to be involved, as well as anyone who wouldn’t mind giving up a high pick or a possible future Jake Delhomme replacement.

Buffalo Bills (1-4)

Head coach Dick Jauron is almost certainly out the door by midseason, while many are beginning to question if quarterback Trent Edwards has what it takes to be a successful franchise quarterback.

Trade Terrell Owens.

Their biggest trade tool is their one-year man, T.O., but even he may not generate a ton of interest. Only teams who are competitive, yet completely decimated at receiver will take interest.

However, he’s still a top talent with tons of experience and confidence, so calls will be made, and a trade will at least be discussed.

Look for the Chicago Bears to be the team mentioned the most in rumors, but don’t rule out Minnesota, Washington, San Diego, or even Green Bay getting involved.

Cleveland Browns (1-4)

They already got rid of one contract-year problem, so why not ship-off whichever quarterback they’re done using?

Trade Brady Quinn.

Many rumors suggest trading return star Josh Cribbs, but considering how cheaply the Browns have him (through 2012), that would be foolish.

Quinn has just about had it in Cleveland, and for the right price, there will be a team ready to give him a second chance, rather than take their chances with a first rounder in the 2010 draft.

Oakland Raiders (1-4)

They don’t have a ton of assets, but they may want to start thinking about getting rid of whatever they can afford to lose.

Trade Darren McFadden.

I know he’s still young and could improve with an upgraded offensive line, but he hasn’t really shown enough to keep giving him chances over backs that have been just as productive, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas.

It’s a bit of a reach, but Oakland could surely generate some tempting offers if they put McFadden on the trading block.

Detroit Lions (1-4)

The only players that really give them much of a chance to bring anything back are Calvin Johnson or Kevin Smith, and that won’t be happening.

Trade No One.

Besides, it’s hard not to like what you see in what Jim Schwartz is doing. This team isn’t merely competitive. They’ve tasted victory already this season, and they want more.

Unlike all these other panicking squads with nothing to gain this year, Detroit would be better served to just stand pat.

St. Louis Rams (0-5)

The Rams are still sticking it out with Marc Bulger, and their receiving corps isn’t quite as painful to watch as it was last season. However, what they have on offense is getting bullied around by defenses, and a change needs to be made.

Trade Steven Jackson.

He’s still an elusive wrecking-ball that can carve up defenses, but at 26, his aggressive style of play has him one bad move from a season or career-ending injury.

And since his star power hasn’t translated into many wins over the years, the Rams may be wise to just move on and get what they can before he gets smart and jumps ship himself.

Look for teams with troubles at running back like New England, Green Bay, Kansas City, and Cleveland to take interest.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)

Tampa Bay is in a full-blown rebuilding phase, and by the looks of it, they won’t be competing any time soon. So, if possible, it might be a good idea to stock-pile some picks or add some depth to their atrocious defense.

Trade Josh Johnson and/or Antonio Bryant.

Johnson is starting to show he might have the potential to be something special, while Bryant is hindered by a lack of a great supporting cast and is getting passes thrown to him by a young quarterback.

Johnson will definitely garner some mid-round pick interest, while Bryant, even though he is coming off of a knee injury, is still good enough to help another team out.

Look for any team hurting at receiver to give the Bucs a call, and don’t be surprised if Carolina, Cleveland, and possibly even Buffalo take interest.

Tennessee Titans (0-5)

Tennessee is hurting in their secondary and can’t get anything going through the air on offense. They could try to remain competitive by trading for a receiver (Owens or Bryant?), but will likely be turning back to Vince Young within the next few weeks.

Trade Lendale White.

Last week could have been White’s “showcasing”, and with Chris Johnson clearly the guy in Tennessee, he could be shopped for some secondary help or some star power at receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-5)

Matt Cassel is slowly coming along, which could mean Brodie Croyle is finally put on the market (for real), along with some other players that aren’t getting the job done.

Trade Larry Johnson and/or Brodie Croyle.

LJ doesn’t necessarily have the first step he used to, and despite facing stiff competition almost all season so far, he just isn’t doing much with his carries. That could be because of his inconsistent passing offense, an average offensive line, or just too many carries in his past catching up with him.

Some desperate team thin at running back will at least inquire about him, so look for New England, Houston, and Seattle to at least explore the option.

Also, look for Croyle to generate interest in Carolina, Buffalo, and St. Louis.