SPORTS N STUFF

INDIANAPOLIS — Despite a Saturday afternoon media session in which some felt that quarterback Ryan Mallett was caustic and evasive when questioned about the drug allegations surrounding him, most league franchises that subjected the former Arkansas star to a closed door interview came away impressed with him.

Three teams that met with Mallett at the combine said they had no problems with his responses to the drug allegations or with his demeanor.

“The guy looked us right in the eyes and didnt dodge anything at all,” said a high-ranking executive from an NFC team that is considering its quarterback options in the 2011 draft. “If we dont take him, it certainly wont be a reflection of his time with us (in the interview).”

Mallett was arguably the most impressive prospect throwing the ball during the Sunday on-field session for quarterbacks. He exhibited the strong arm most scouts expected of him and was very accurate as well. More accurate, notably, than former Auburn star and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, clearly the most celebrated player among the 330 prospects invited to Indianapolis last week.

The physical difference wasnt the lone disparity between the players, said an assistant coach from an AFC club that might be interested in choosing a quarterback in the draft in two months.

“(Mallett) wasnt as self-absorbed as the other guy,” the official said. “We really had no problem with him. He was pretty (straightforward), and he was very good, too, at (diagramming plays) on the chalkboard.”

He has first-round talent — Mallett told media he can throw the ball 80 yards, and his 6-foot-6, 253-pound frame makes him ideal for a team seeking a pocket passer — but leadership questions existed before recent reports of his alleged drug use. Based on NFLDraftScout.coms current projections, Mallett could be in a battle with Washingtons Jake Locker and Nevadas Colin Kaepernick to follow Newton and Missouri junior Blaine Gabbert off the board in Aprils draft.

None of the clubs queried chose to comment on the drug allegations and the manner in which Mallett fared in his media session.

Although Newton was met with mixed reviews for his appearance with the media on Saturday, the former Auburn star received generally favorable comments for his 11-minute session. Mallett, on the other hand, was mostly panned for his handling of the media.

Deadlines no longer are in the distance for the NFL and the players union. The collective bargaining agreement expires Thursday night, and the owners could lock out the players.

Even before that, though, the Players Association is likely to decertify to prevent a lockout and take its chances in court.

Both sides will resume meeting with a federal mediator Tuesday and probably Wednesday; seven recent sessions brought little progress. The 32 team owners have meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Chantilly, Va., where they will be briefed on the status of negotiations before deciding on the next step.

Just ahead stands the unthinkable: a labor shutdown in Americas most prosperous and popular sport.

Carlos Beltran is moving to right field for the New York Mets, with Angel Pagan taking over in center.

Beltran told Pagan and new manager Terry Collins on Monday that he wanted to make the switch because of his knees. The three-time Gold Glove winner had decreased mobility when he returned last summer following right knee surgery on Jan. 13, 2010.

“I have to think about my health and how to be in the field for the team,” Beltran said. “I believe the best decision is for me to play right field. Its going to be less active, and I am looking forward to saving my knees for the long run. I know if I am healthy and I can play more time in the field, I can help this team offensively, even in the outfield. I know it will be a different transition for me to make but I feel I will be able to go to that.”

A five-time All-Star, Beltran is entering the final season of a $119 million, seven-year contract.

Collins said at the start of spring training that Beltran would be his center fielder, but said a switch could be made. Collins said last week that Beltran would not play during the first week of exhibition games and probably would start out as a designated hitter while the team is able to use one through March 10.

Beltran is going through a running program and began rounding the bases last week, but he said Monday the running portion of his game is not up to speed. He also said he sometimes feels weak and tight the day after workouts, but that he will be ready for opening day.

The 33-year-old said he had been thinking about the move since the start of camp and decided it was best after talking with his wife, agent Scott Boras and others.

“I still feel I can play center field, but at the same time, its not about Carlos,” Beltran said. “Its about the team. In order for me to play center field, I need more time. I want to be on the same page with everyone here. I want Terry to have his time and to come to the ballpark ready to play the lineup without thinking where he is going to play Pagan, where hes going to play me. But at the same time, Im thinking about Pagan, coming to the ballpark and preparing himself and focusing to play baseball.

“I dont want to create any distractions here. I want to play right. I think its best for the team. I think its going to be best for me also, best for my knee.”

Beltran has played just three games in right field during his 13-year major league career, all with Kansas City in 2000.

“It will be an adjustment,” Beltran said. “To me, catching the ball, throwing the ball, thats easy for me. I have no problem with that. It will have to be an adjustment of whether the ball comes off the bat different than center field. Right fielders have to go to the line. Lefties go the other way.”

Beltran is turning the center field position over to a player who idolized him while growing up in Puerto Rico and who has worked under his tutelage the past three seasons. Pagan had conceded the center spot to Beltran last week, saying if he was healthy enough to play there, Beltran should be the center fielder.

“Its a relief, knowing your going to be in a certain position,” Pagan said. “I feel really fortunate to be passed this torch from the player I always looked up to. I think having him right next to me is going to be a great plus for me. I know Im going to keep looking up to him and keep trying to pick his brain because Im sure hes one of the best center fielders out there, and Im trying to be like him.”

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

When you mention the name Ian Kinsler, there are a few thoughts that likely instantly come to mind:

Extremely disappointing 2010

Injury prone

20/20 upside

We all know he is likely going to miss at least a little bit of time at some point in 2011. He has never played more than 144 games in a season (2009) and played in just 103 last season. When you draft him, you do so expecting to have to utilize a replacement option.

The real question, however, is if he can rebound from ’10 and reach that potential upside, just like he did in ’09. Before we can answer that, let’s look at how bad he was last year: 391 AB, .286 BA (112 Hits), 9 HR, 45 RBI, 73 R, 15 SB, .382 OBP, .412 SLG, .313 BABIP.

Outside of his OBP, which was actually significantly better than his ’09 mark (.327), and his average (.253), the numbers were extremely disappointing. You can blame it on injuries all you want, but even when he was on the field the production just wasn’t there.

The improvement in average and OBP are extremely explainable and we’ll get to that in a moment.

You notice that I said 20/20 potential in the intro, despite the fact that he actually went 30/30 in ’09 (31 HR, 31 SB). The fact of the matter is that there is little chance that he replicates the power number, specifically. Just look at his fly ball percentage for the past five years:

2006 – 44.2 percent 2007 – 45.7 percent 2008 – 43.3 percent 2009 – 54.0 percent 2010 – 41.6 percent

Which of these numbers doesn’t belong? That fly ball rate not only helps to explain the fall in power, but also the improvement in the average department. Fly balls don’t lend themselves to good luck, meaning a low BABIP is expected. Look no further than his .241 mark in ’09 for proof. Getting away from being a bit homer happy helped Kinsler get back to being a good option in both the average and OBP departments.

The Rangers plan on taking advantage of that improvement in 2011. According to Jeff Wilson of the , “Manager Ron Washington said that he is planning to have Ian Kinsler bat leadoff in 2011 and move Michael Young to sixth in the lineup so that he can be in a spot where he will have an opportunity to drive in more runs. Elvis Andrus will bat second, Young’s former spot.”

That should give him a good chance to return to the days of scoring 95-plus runs (as he did from 2007-2009). Yes, it will likely lead to fewer RBI opportunities, but that really shouldn’t be Kinsler’s game. He’s not a big-time power hitter ,and hitting him lower in the order will only expose him further.

Kinsler should be a top-of-the-order option, where he can get on base, steal a few bags and score plenty of runs. If you draft him expecting someone who is going to hit 30 HR and drive in at least 85, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

Basically, put 2009 out of your mind, because it is not likely to be repeated.

What we should be looking for is the player he was in 2007 and 2008, meaning 20 HR, 25-plus SB and 95-plus runs. If he can do that, what is there to complain about?

What are your thoughts on Kinsler? What are you expecting from him in 2011?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out some of our 2011 projections:

Barmes, Clint Buchholz, Clay Butler, Billy Choo, Shin-Soo Ethier, Andre Freese, David Hudson, Tim Hughes, Phil Jaso, John Johnson, Chris Uggla, Dan Morrow, Brandon Reyes, Jose Rios, Alex Stanton, Mike Suzuki, Kurt Wieters, Matt Willingham, Josh Young, Michael

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Veteran defenseman Brent Seabrook agreed to a five-year, $29 million contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Seabrook has played 452 regular-season games over parts of six seasons with the Blackhawks, who selected him with the 14th pick in the 2003 draft.

General manager Stan Bowman said the two sides had been working on the extension since October and had reached a point where it was time to complete it or set aside.

“Both my agent stressed to Stan and Stan stressed to my agent was that weve got more important things right now [NHLs trading deadline] than signing Brent Seabrook,” Seabrook said. “I really wanted to get that done, and if it didnt, like Stan said, wait til the end of the season.

“Im excited it got done, and excited about the [playoff] push here.”

Defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago defeated Phoenix 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday for its fourth straight win.

The Blackhawks, who have dealt with inconsistency this season, are trying to maneuver into playoff position in the Western Conference.

Seabrook is a key to the Blackhawks success as their No. 2 defenseman behind Duncan Keith, last years Norris Trophy winner.

“Hes been kind of a fixture on our defense. He came up as a 20-year-old kid,” Bowman said. “Im not sure hes reached his potential yet. His best years, hes coming right into them right now and that factored into it. Hes still only 25 years old. Looking at defensemen in particular, they hit their stride between 25 and 30 and thats what this contract covers.”

Seabrook made his debut with Chicago in 2005. He has 34 career goals and 143 assists and has led the Blackhawks in hits the last four seasons. Seabrook also played for the gold medal-winning Canadian Olympic team in Vancouver last year.

Pairing with Keith, Seabrook helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup last season and had four goals and seven assists in 22 postseason games.

“Chicagos been my home the last six years. I love it here,” Seabrook said. “There have been ups and downs, but I think there will be a lot more ups in the future.”

In the offseason, the Blackhawks lost 10 players through a salary-cap purge from their championship team but have kept their core intact. In December 2009, they gave multiyear contracts to stars Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Keith.

CBSSports.co The Los Angeles Lakers arent sure what to expect when they see the Oklahoma City Thunder with playoff nemesis Kendrick Perkins in the lineup next time.

Until then, theyre doing their best to build up a cushion in the Western Conference standings.

Pau Gasol had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kobe Bryant scored 17 points and the Lakers firmed up their grasp on third place in the West by beating the Thunder 90-87 on Sunday.

“Theyre a dangerous team now, theyre a very good team now and probably Perkins is going to help them, especially in the playoffs,” Gasol said. “But well see. That has to be seen and proven.”

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Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers still werent able to simply overpower a Thunder team that added Perkins for interior toughness but wont get him in the lineup for a couple weeks due to a sprained left knee.

Perkins helped Boston beat L.A. for the 2008 title and the Celtics were up 3-2 in last years finals before he got hurt.

“Kendrick will obviously provide great muscle inside, and hes the best low-post defender we have in the game, so its a welcome addition for them, Im sure,” Bryant said.

Lamar Odom missed a pair of free throws with 10.9 seconds left to leave the door open for Oklahoma City, but Kevin Durant and James Harden each missed 3-pointers from the top of the key in the closing moments.

The Thunder have lost three straight games for the first time all season. Only San Antonio, Boston and Chicago have made it this far without a losing streak of at least three games.

“Once I let it go, I thought it was good. It rimmed in and out,” Durant said. “I felt the same way for James.

“These last couple games, its felt like nothing has gone our way, but weve got to keep pushing, keep fighting and stay positive.”

Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 22 points and Durant scored 21 while being hounded most of the time by Ron Artest. The Thunder were held to a season-low 31 second-half points and scored only 13 in their least productive third quarter of the season.

The Lakers used a similar formula for their win against Oklahoma City earlier this season in Los Angeles, when they held the Thunder to 39 points in the second half after allowing 55 before halftime.

This time, Oklahoma City shot 61 percent in the first half and led by as many as 14 before holding a 56-51 edge at halftime. The Thunder managed just half that percentage in the second half and lost after Durant and Westbrook each had turnovers in the final minute.

Artest stripped Durant of the ball after Bryants jumper made it 90-87 with 56.4 seconds left, and Westbrook charged into Gasol for an offensive foul with 17.3 seconds remaining.

The Thunder still got one last chance but couldnt convert.

Los Angeles has won four in a row after going into the All-Star break on a three-game losing streak capped by a loss at lowly Cleveland, and has gained three games on the fourth-place Thunder in the standings in the past five days. The Lakers are now 4½ games ahead.

“The rest did the guys some good. It was a chance to kind of recover, regroup, and focus on the opportunity that we have ahead of ourselves,” said Bryant, who moved past Elvin Hayes for seventh on the NBAs career scoring list and is 89 points behind Moses Malone for sixth.

None of played although Perkins was the only one unavailable. The Thunder still held their own in the paint after getting outscored there 54-26 in a blowout loss at Orlando on Friday night.

Oklahoma City actually outscored the Lakers 40-34 inside largely by getting perimeter players to the basket, and held a 39-36 rebounding advantage behind Serge Ibakas 13 boards.

“Were not going to make excuses that were waiting on Perk to come back,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said before the game. “We have enough to win games.”

Harden added 14 points off the bench for the Thunder, who have lost six straight national TV games after starting the season 7-0.

“Everybodys fighting for playoff position. It was a fun game, it was back and forth,” Durant said. “We just didnt come up on the winning side.”

Notes

Bryant picked up his 11th technical foul of the season with 59.8 seconds left before halftime when he turned to official Steve Javie to apparently protest a noncall with Sefolosha guarding him. Players get a one-game suspension if they accrue 16 technical fouls in a season. Lakers coach Phil Jackson questioned just how much playoff knowledge Perkins can impart on the Thunder, despite the fact he helped Boston win the title against L.A. in 2008. “Kendricks a pretty young guy. I dont know how much experience he has if Garnetts not talking in his ear and sending him where to go. I think hes got the notion but whether he can be a leader and lead that deal, thats another story.” Mohammed and Robinson were both on the active roster but neither played even though coach Scott Brooks said both should be ready to contribute. “It probably doesnt say good about my playbook, but I think they picked it up pretty good,” he said. “I should just lie to you guys. Theyre only on Page 1 right now. “

INDIANAPOLIS — Even if the Carolina Panthers fail to reach agreement on a contract extension with tailback DeAngelo Williams before the current collective bargaining agreement expires — and the odds appear slim that a deal will be struck by the end of the week — sources from both sides told The Sports Xchange this weekend the club will be very active in attempting to retain the potential pending free agent.

Williams will be 28 in April, and is coming off a foot injury that limited him to six games and precipitated a career-worst season in 2010, but is still regarded by many as the top tailback available.

The free agency status of the five-year veteran could be determined by a resolution of the CBA, or even in the courts, but Williams is a two-time 1,000-yard rusher and figures to command considerable interest if he hits the market.

“It probably wont get done (by the CBA expiration) … but they definitely want him back,” agent Jimmy Sexton said. “I think there would be a lot of teams interested in him, but Carolina will be one of them.”

A former Panthers coach, who has stayed close to Williams and is familiar with the thinking of the Carolina organization, was even stronger in his comments.

“They could invest a lot (of money) in him,” the coach said. “Hes a great player and a high-character guy … and (general manager) Marty (Hurney) loves him. And I really do believe DeAngelo likes playing there. Id be really surprised if they werent very competitive in trying to keep him.”

The Panthers entertained the notion the past few weeks of exercising a franchise designation on Williams. Last week, though, the team opted to use the franchise tag on center Ryan Kalil. Carolina did impose a restricted free agent tender on Williams, although the NFLPA is likely to fight the validity of such maneuvers.

There has been very little financial information exchanged by the two sides, Sexton confirmed, but that doesnt preclude the possibility of an eventual deal.

A source close to Williams said the player has strong initial impressions of new head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

The No. 27 overall choice in the 2006 draft, Williams, a former Memphis standout, was a part-time player early in his career, but moved into the starting lineup in 07. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2008 and 2009, but because of the foot injury last season registered only 87 carries, 361 yards, and one touchdown. All of those were career lows.

The Sports Xchange reported two months ago that the foot injury was healing on schedule, and would not be a factor in free agency.

Williams earned $2.1 million in base salary in 2010, the final season of the original, five-year contract he signed as a rookie. But a number of technicalities, principally the so-called “30 percent rule,” essentially precluded the Panthers from signing him then to an extension.

Carolina has an intriguing fallback in three-year veteran Jonathan Stewart, but the former first-rounder (2008) is also coming off an injury-marred year in 10 (Achilles tendinitis), and the Panthers prefer to keep the tandem together, if possible.

In 64 appearances, including 37 starts, Williams has rushed for 4,211 yards and 31 touchdowns on 841 carries. He is the franchises all-time leading rusher. Williams also has 118 receptions, 922 yards, and four touchdowns.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard believes the NFL will have a new collective bargaining agreement in place before next years Super Bowl, which is scheduled to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Local officials and the host committee have spent years preparing for the citys first Super Bowl. Losing it, some estimate, could cost the city as much as $200 million.

The league has never canceled a Super Bowl, and Ballard does not believe it will start now.

The mayor spoke to reporters during this weekends annual NFL scouting combine and says he believes the two sides are “closer” to a deal than they have been previously.

The current CBA expires at the end of Thursday and a lockout could begin Friday.

PEORIA, Ariz. — Outfielder Jody Gerut is retiring after six seasons in the majors.

Gerut played for five teams before being invited to the Seattle Mariners spring training as a non-roster player this year. He announced his retirement Sunday.

The 33-year-old Gerut appeared in 574 games in stints with Cleveland (2003-2005), the Chicago Cubs (2005), Pittsburgh (2005), San Diego (2008-2009) and Milwaukee (2009-2010). He finished with a career batting average of .262 and had 472 hits.

“Physically Im fine,” Gerut said in a statement from the Mariners. “But mentally my reasons for wanting to be in uniform have become so thin and narrow that I refuse to disrespect the game that has provided so generously for my family by playing it in a halfhearted way.”

LAKELAND, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera will be in the Detroit Tigers lineup for the first time this spring as a designated hitter in Mondays exhibition game against the New York Yankees.

Cabrera missed the first week of camp after being arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol Feb. 15 near Fort Pierce, Fla. He reported to camp Thursday. Cabrera finished second in American League MVP voting last season.

He put on a power show in batting practice Sunday morning before the Tigers exhibition game against the Toronto Blue Jays, their second game of the spring. Manager Jim Leyland announced Sunday that Cabrera would play against the Yankees.