NFL: Warner, Cards inch closer to deal

The Cardinals and the agent for Kurt Warner appear to be creeping toward agreement on a new contract, but there remains significant ground to cover before free agency starts on Friday. General Manager Rod Graves and Warner’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, spoke several times at the NFL Scouting Combine in the past few days, and it appears the gap between their points of view have narrowed, at least a little. Bartelstein is believed to be asking for a deal that put Warner among the top five highest paid quarterbacks in the league, an average of $12 million to $16 million or so. The Cardinals would like to stay in the $10 million range. Bartelstein has returned home to Chicago, but the

NFL: Warner to test free agent waters

1/27/09 Agent for Cardinals’ Warner says client will shop around Mark Bartelstein the agent for Kurt Warner is hatching an all-inclusive plan that would give other teams a chance to make an offer to his client. A return to Arizona remains a strong possibility but Warner is going to give other teams a chance to make an bid. Bartelstein told the Chicago Tribune, “The Bears obviously have to figure out which direction they want to go with the quarterback thing,” Bartelstein said. “It has, obviously, been a point of contention for quite a while. We have to wait and see what they decide they want to do.” Ravens eye Williams in the draft? According to the Carroll County Times, the