INDIANAPOLIS – LSU's JaMarcus Russell walked through the door of the media room at the NFL scouting combine, and as the 6-foot-5, 265-pound quarterback entered the room, a reporter walking his way stopped, gazed up at the hulking figure and was left with a one-word reaction not fit for print.

Russell, who wowed NFL folks from afar with his combination of size and arm strength, showed up Friday to talk with the media and continue to produce jaw-dropping glances from coaches.

"Oh, he's a man now," Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said with admiration. "He's got something you can't teach. He has an arm where you can't take it easy on him. With most quarterbacks, they start going (to the defense's) left, you don't expect them to throw it back across the field over the top.

"He can do that. He's dangerous for a defense. He scares you because he can throw it deep without having to use his legs."

That's because Russell, who some people have projected as the No. 1 overall pick in this

INDIANAPOLIS – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw led a group discussion Thursday on how to deal with the recent spree of crimes involving players.

Aside from Goodell and Upshaw, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and approximately 10 players, including Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, took part in the meeting.

Hall's impression was that Goodell meant business, particularly after the latest incident involving Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones. Jones allegedly was involved in a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club Sunday that left one man paralyzed.

"I think the commissioner means business on this stuff," Hall said Friday. "He's not playing on this. He wants it fixed. We all want it fixed. We want it fixed for the guys who are playing now, who are coming in this year and who are coming in during the future."

The

INDIANAPOLIS – Linebacker Adalius Thomas was not franchised by the Baltimore Ravens and is expected to be one of the highest-profile free agents available this year.

The Ravens announced their decision Thursday afternoon after being unable to put the franchise tag on Thomas, which effectively would have taken him off the free-agent market.

Thomas and Buffalo cornerback Nate Clements are expected to be the top two free agents who will be available in what is considered a very shallow free-agent market. Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome had hoped to find a way to keep Thomas, who had a career-high 11 sacks last season and had 28 over the past three years.

The NFL has begun investigating what role Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones may have played in a shooting in Las Vegas last weekend that left one person paralyzed.

It's an investigation that could ultimately lead to harsh penalties from the NFL, if not from the law.

"We are certainly looking into it. That's standard procedure," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "Other than that, we have no comment."

Titans coach Jeff Fisher also declined to comment on the situation.

NFL security officials became aware of the situation on Monday morning after being contacted by Las Vegas police. In turn, the NFL contacted the Titans, who eventually contacted Jones on Monday night.

If Jones, who has a long history of troubled behavior, is found to have participated in the event, he could face severe penalties from the NFL under the personal conduct policy.

In addition, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw said last month that they are

INDIANAPOLIS – The annual NFL scouting combine opens Thursday with NFL coaches and scouts wishing they'll have a bevy of great players to choose in the April draft.

Over the next several days, expect those same coaches and scouts simply to hope that some players work out.

Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is the most prominent player likely to pass on his workout at the combine, which starts Thursday and runs through Tuesday. Several other top players, such as Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson and LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, are expected to do at least some of the regimen.

Johnson is waffling the most among those players, but he still is expected to do everything except run the 40-yard dash. He prefers to run the 40 at Georgia Tech's annual pro day for its draft-eligible players.

Likewise, Peterson is expected to do everything but the bench press drill. Russell, who may have one of the best arms seen in recent history, is expected

The Baltimore Ravens remained hopeful of keeping linebacker Adalius Thomas, but they likely will have to put the franchise tag on him to do so.

Thomas, 29, is expected to be one of the two most sought-after free agents this year along with Bills cornerback Nate Clements.

"We're working on it," Ravens president Ozzie Newsome said of the team's efforts to keep Thomas, who had a career-high 11 sacks last season and has 28 over the past three years.

Newsome left open the chance that Thomas would be tagged as a franchise player, effectively taking him off the free agent market. Franchise players still are allowed to negotiate with other teams, but their original clubs have the right to match any signed deal or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation if the player changes teams.

"That's going to come down to the 11th hour," said Newsome, who'll have until 4 p.m. on Thursday to decide whether to franchise Thomas.

Bus Cook, Thomas' agent, said he and the Ravens "aren't close" on a

The San Diego Chargers gave up on a coach who couldn't win in the playoffs for a guy who has done even less in the postseason as a head coach.

If that doesn't make a lot of sense, the following statement probably will seem odd as well.

Norv Turner has a very good chance to win a Super Bowl as the Chargers' new coach. Turner was introduced in San Diego on Monday, exactly a week after the Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer to solve the organization's "dysfunctional" situation, as owner Dean Spanos put it at the time.

Schottenheimer had survived to that point despite a 5-14 record in the playoffs, but he couldn't last as he started to lose his coaching staff. Coordinators Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips were hired away as head coaches in Miami and Dallas, respectively. When Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith clashed yet again over hiring Ted Cottrell as the defensive coordinator to replace Phillips, the situation became untenable.

Now comes Turner, who in nearly nine seasons

Sports agent David Caravantes was reprimanded and fined $10,000 by the NFL Players Association last month for his connection to New Era Sports & Entertainment.

New Era was a fledging marketing firm that reportedly provided cash and gifts to New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush while Bush was still at USC.

Caravantes was fined Jan. 28 by the NFLPA and has until next week to respond to the punishment. NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen confirmed the action by the union.

The union's investigation of Caravantes claimed that he used business cards claiming to be the CEO of New Era and provided accommodations for potential clients at a resort hotel in El Cajon, Calif., in January of 2006. The union also claimed Caravantes refused to help it in its investigation.

Caravantes plans to appeal the fine and acknowledged once having New Era business cards. He claims the cards were used for a presentation to Sycuan Tribe members to solicit their involvement in the business venture. The tribe