When Ahman Green signed a four-year, $23 million deal with the Houston Texans in 2007, much was expected from the veteran running back, even based on his injury history.

Green was reunited with his former head coach with the Green Bay Packers, Mike Sherman, who became the Texans offensive coordinator that season.

Green, who turned 30 early that year, had missed 16 games due to injury the previous two seasons, so it was surprising that the Texans would sign him to such a lucrative contract considering his injury history and age. And running backs tend to be on the decline in their late 20’s.

Green, who was recently released by the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, wound up missing 10 games during the 2007 and was asked to restructure his contract for the next season. He earned $8 million in the first season, but had his base salary cut from $3.8 million to $1.8 million for the next season.

According to Green, Texans general manager Rick Smith actually asked him if he was faking injury during his first season with the team.

“Rick Smith called me into his office, and he didn’t know how to start the conversation so he just went right out and said it. He asked me straight up. ‘Ahman are you faking your injury?’ And I kind of took a step back. It was like a wow. This was probably the biggest eye-opening thing I ever experienced in my professional career,” Green told 1560 The Game in Houston earlier this week.

Green said that he was so incensed after Smith asked him that question, he called his agent, Joby Branion, to get him out of Houston.

Assuming Green is telling the truth, no executive should ever question a player’s toughness, or, even worse, if he’s faking injury. That’s a strict no-no in the NFL world. You can push a player to try to practice or to play, but in the end, it’s up to the player to see if he’s able to contribute or not.

Philadelphia Eagles starting RB LeSean McCoy made it be known Thursday that he doesn’t think much of New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora.

When responding via Twitter about a report that Umenyiora felt the Giants reneged on promises to renegotiate his contract, the running back made it clear that the defensive lineman isn’t a very good player.

“Overrated n soft 3rd best d-line on his team honestly,” McCoy said.

McCoy didn’t back down later when speaking to teammate LB Jamar Chaney.

“Call it how I see it,” McCoy added.

It’s pretty remarkable that McCoy, who has only played two seasons in the NFL, could make such a bold statement about a player who he has only faced a handful of times.

Umenyiora has two years left on the contract extension he signed back in December of 2005. He’s owed $3.125 million in base salary plus $750,000 in roster and reporting bonuses. His salary for 2012 is $3.975 million with the same bonus structure, a source told FOXSports.com.

The Buffalo Bills are yet another team that has made moves in its scouting department this week.

The team announced the addition of Theo Young to the college scouting staff.

Young will serve as a college scout and his primary scouting region will include schools in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and the Dakotas.

College scout Matt Hand has been reassigned to the west coast and will be responsible for schools in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Young joins the Buffalo Bills staff from Baylor University where he served as the team’s defensive line coach since 2008. Young coached tight ends under current Bills general manager Buddy Nix at Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1992. Young also participated in the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program with the Buffalo Bills in 1996.

Young has 21 years of college coaching experience. A native of Newport, Arkansas, Young was a four-year letterman (1983-86) and two-year starter at tight end with the University of Arkansas. Young played tight end for two seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers in from 1987-88.

The Bills also announced the addition of Tim Atkins as a football operations assistant. Pete Harris assumed a new title as scouting assistant.

The Bills also made previous moves within their scouting department after the draft.

Pat White is going to give football another try.

The former second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins out of the 2009 NFL Draft is expected to sign with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. The team announced the potential signing via Twitter.

White’s value prior to the 2009 draft went way up after solid throwing sessions during Senior Bowl week practices and during the NFL Scouting Combine. But the Dolphins selected White with the belief that he would be a big factor in their version of the wildcat offensive package.

However, White, 25, wound up touching the ball only 26 times during his rookie season. He was waived in September of 2010 during the final roster reduction before the regular season began. White’s biggest problem was that he was too slight of build to play quarterback and the team couldn’t find a position for him.

White signed a minor league contract a few weeks later, but announced his retirement from baseball in March of 2011.

In other team news, the Destroyers signed S/KR J.R. Reed.

Reed, 29, was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The defensive back suffered severe nerve damage in the back of one of his knees during the offseason of 2005 while trying to jump a fence. He did not play the next season and wound up being waived prior to the start of the 2006 season. He played last season for the Florida Tuskers of the UFL, who transferred operations to Virginia this season.

With veteran Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams unsigned, the Miami Dolphins addressed the running back situation by selecting Daniel Thomas in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft.

But even with Thomas in the fold, depth at the position remains an issue. So does speed.

“I’m interested in having another back, whether it fits the description of a scatback or not, we’ll have to see what’s available. You can’t corner yourself into just a scatback,” general manager Jeff Ireland told the Sun-Sentinel. “We need another complementary back who complements Daniel [Thomas] and Lex [Hilliard]. We do have somewhat of a scatback in Kory Sheets that we haven’t seen yet, so I’m still hoping he can develop.”

Sheets, who was signed off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad two years ago, missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles’ tendon. Sheets, who has good speed, could fit the change of pace or scatback role.

What fan wouldn’t want to get a shot to practice with their favorite team?

Well, on Thursday, one fan, Josh Richards, got his shot, according to the Washington Post.

Starting ILB London Fletcher, who was participating in the players informal workout, asked the fans in attendance if they had “brought their stuff.”

Apparently, Richards was the only fan in attendance that was up to the task.

Richards, 28, brought cleats with him and participated in some drills with the defensive backs.

“Growing up, the Redskins were my favorite team, so just to be out there with them was a lot of fun,” said Richards.

Once the team drills started, Richards didn’t participate.

“The terminology is crazy,” Richards said. “I told them I would be ready if they needed me.”

The Atlanta Falcons, like many teams after the NFL Draft, are making moves in their scouting department.

The team announced Thursday that they have promoted DeJuan Polk to coordinator of pro scouting.

Polk is entering his sixth season with the organization after beginning in 2006 as a pro personnel Assistant. He served in that capacity until 2008, when he became a College Scout covering the Midwest region and conferences such as the Big Ten and MAC. In 2009, the Clemson University graduate moved back into pro scouting where he has been responsible for scouting all professional leagues, 16 NFL clubs and advanced scouting of upcoming opponents.

“DeJuan has a done a fantastic job for us during his time here,” said general manager Thomas Dimitroff. “He has a tremendous work ethic and an acute eye for talent. He is a value to our organization and I am proud to promote him to Coordinator of Pro Personnel. We believe he has a bright future and we are happy to have him part of our personnel team.”

The Philadelphia Eagles are planning on being aggressive once free agency starts, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

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“This is the year,” the source told the website earlier this week. “We think we have a great shot to win it, and we’re loading up and going for it.”

And it shouldn’t come to a surprise that the Eagles, one of the youngest teams in the NFL, will look toward veteran help.

It sure seems that in conversation with the website that the team is poised to be aggressive.

“We need to get this [labor dispute] settled,” general manager Howie Roseman said Tuesday. “I’m ready for some action – right now.”

The team still has needs on the defensive line, cornerback, linebacker and depth issues at other positions.

Yahoo! Sports also reported that according to a source familiar with the organization’s thinking, the Eagles might have interest in acquiring DT Albert Haynesworth (Washington Redskins), free agent WR Plaxico Burress and RB Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints).

Haynesworth and Bush are both still under contract with their current teams, but both face the potential of being released in the future.

FOXSports.com recently noted that Eagles head coach Andy Reid has always been high on Burress and a source expected the Eagles to make a run at him during free agency. In fact, the Eagles had scheduled a visit with Burress prior to the 2000 NFL Draft, but he chose to go to the Final Four instead in March to see his alma mater Michigan St. play.

NFL Teams generally make most of their scouting staff changes after the NFL Draft.

One team, the Washington Redskins, announced changes to their scouting staff on Wednesday.

The team hired Kyle Smith as an area scout for the Southwest region. Smith will take over for Chip Flanagan, who is moving to the Southeast region. The Redskins’ previous Southeast area scout, Bill Baker, is retiring after 22 seasons in the NFL.

Smith entered the NFL as a scouting intern with the Redskins in 2010. He graduated from Youngstown State, where he was twice named honorable mention all-conference while playing wide receiver and punt returner from 2002-05. He ranks 11th in program history in career receptions (101) and receiving yards (1,534), third in punt returns (56) and fourth in punt return yards (377). Smith also owns the school record for consecutive games with a reception (30).

As a senior, Smith was elected a team captain and earned the team’s Most Valuable Player Award. Following the season he was invited to play in the 2006 Hula Bowl All-Star Game. Smith signed as a college free agent with the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent part of the 2006 offseason. In January of 2007, he was signed by Tampa Bay, which allocated him to NFL Europa’s Berlin Thunder. He later had practice squad stints in the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League.

Smith was born in Warwick, R.I., and raised in Buffalo, N.Y. He currently resides in Dallas.

Flanagan has spent the last seven seasons with the Redskins, including the past four as an area scout.

Baker was with the Redskins the past two seasons as an area scout.

“We want to thank Bill for all he has done for us over the past two years and across the National Football League for more than two decades,” Redskins executive vice president/general manager Bruce Allen said. “He is a highly-respected man and has always handled himself as a true professional. We are proud he could finish his distinguished career with the Redskins and we wish him and his wife, Paula, the best in retirement.”

The New York Jets announced Wednesday that they will be conducting an online search for a National Anthem singer to perform during a regular-season home game.

Hopefully the person who wins the search won’t be as bad as former track star Carl Lewis or comedian Roseanne Barr were at signing the National Anthem.

This unique opportunity kicks off today with the preliminary round, where contestants can film a: 30 clip performing a song of their choice and email it to beastar@newyorkjets.com. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, June 23. For details on the preliminary round, visit facebook.com/jets.

From all submissions, a group of semifinalists will be selected to perform the National Anthem in front of a panel of judges composed of members of the Jets organization at New Meadowlands Stadium on June 29, 2011. The finalists chosen that evening will have their renditions of the National Anthem posted on facebook.com/jets where fellow fans will vote to determine the winner.