– WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts is the guest on this week’s edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast. The show is available for download right now at PodcastOne.com.

– WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young worked out with former NFL star and one-time WWE prospect Shawne Merriman in Los Angeles, California this morning.

– WWE filmed some footage of Roman Reigns with his family this past weekend in Florida. The belief is that the segment was filmed to air as part of the build to Reigns’ match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 on tonight’s “go-home” edition of WWE RAW.

Check out the photo below.

• PHOTOS: CM Punk’s First UFC Fighter Portraits Shoot (Punk In Gloves, Fight Shorts, etc.)

Former NFL star Shawne Merriman, who we reported several months ago was being groomed for a possible announcer and/or wrestler position in WWE, never actually signed a contract with the company.

The categorization of things now is that Merriman was simply making a guest appearance on the WWE Network during WrestleMania XXX weekend, however the impression at the time was that he was looking to become an announcer for the company while training to become a wrestler.

TMZ Sports ran an article today reporting that former NFL star Shawne Merriman is currently negotiating a contract with WWE to work both as an announcer, and possibly an in-ring performer.

The article notes that Merriman, who worked the WrestleMania XXX pre-show panel this past weekend in New Orleans, will be sent to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando to train with the hopes of becoming a NXT wrestler.

You can check out the complete article at TMZ.com.

Earlier this week, we reported that WWE will not be offering former NFL star Shawne Merriman a contract after his recent tryout at the Performance Center. Merriman spoke to the Baltimore Sun about his WWE tryout, downplaying the situation:

“I kind of just got in the ring and was messing around a little bit. I wanted to see their new facilities in Orlando, and it was something I dreamed about doing as a kid. So, when I actually got a chance to see the guys train, I just jumped in the ring and kind of had some fun. That was about it on that.”

Update On Shawne Merriman Following WWE Tryout

Merriman’s representatives from EAG Sports Management issued the following statement regarding the tryout and his future:

“Shawne is currently in talks with WWE. Shawne worked out with WWE. They were very impressed and offered Shawne to start discussions on joining WWE. As a matter of fact the head trainer there was so impressed with Shawne he gave him the hardest moves to do to see if he “could” tire him out. Didn’t happen, Shawne blew threw them. The only reason he didn’t join WWE then was because when he returned back to LA he was offered a co-hosting position with the NFL Network and took the job for the remainder of the NFL season. He had been in talks with NFL Network for weeks prior to his visit to WWE training center. He is in talks with WWE to possibly join them after March. However it is just a discussion right now.”

Shawne Merriman Curses Out CM Punk: “F*ck CM Punk”

– Despite not working lately, word is that the official Sin Cara WWE t-shirts sold well among kids at the recent WWE European tour.

– Apparently WWE will not be offering former NFL star Shawne Merriman a contract. Merriman, who had a WWE tryout a few weeks ago, reportedly wasn’t that impressive in the ring and apparently got tired very fast.

– As previously reported, WWE and Triple H in particular are starting to focus heavily on their tag-team division. Triple H has reportedly been pushing the idea to have more tag-teams on the main roster as a way to bring up developmental talents who might not have otherwise gotten the call. In fact, WWE is talking about doing a three-day tryout camp next years exclusively for tag-teams.

– Three-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection Shawne Merriman is looking to enter the world of professional wrestling after retiring from the National Football League in March at the age of 28. He participated in a multi-day tryout this week at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and according to sources within the sports-entertainment organization, has not been offered any deal, much less signed to a contract.

Merriman was a first-round pick in 2005 by the San Diego Chargers and named the Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 10 sacks. In 2006, he served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s steroid policy, and still finished the season with 17 sacks.

The once promising pass rusher was never able to match the production of the early years of his career. After totaling 39.5 sacks in his first three seasons while making the Pro Bowl each year, he managed just six sacks from 2008 through 2012. He was looking to revitalize his career as recently as July, as he went on Twitter to make a plea for the Atlanta Falcons to sign him.

– This week’s edition of The JBL & Cole Show features a Halloween theme as The Bella Twins terrorize Hornswoggle, Renee Young gets possessed, Paul Heyman cackles and more.

(source: PWInsider.com)

– The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar is being planned for WrestleMania XXX. WWE officials remain optimistic that Undertaker will be healthy to compete at next year’s show – and they have a storyline built in, based off their confrontation at a UFC pay-per-view several years ago when Lesnar was UFC Heavyweight champion.

– Former NFL player Shawne Merriman, who had a Twitter beef with CM Punk last year, is training to become a WWE Superstar. Bill DeMott noted on Twitter that Merriman was at the WWE Performance Center training this week – and Merriman himself posted the following on Facebook after his first day at the Performance Center:

A hard days work 1 down 364 to go #PainWhatPain #LightsOut”