According to the report it may not be only in traditional, two-back sets, either; Jones has the flexibility to split out and motion into or out of the backfield. And at tight end, the team has two plus pass catchers in Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett.

According to Pro Football Weekly, Bennett, who is said to have matured a great deal in his first year with the team. In limited duty, Bennett gained more than 14 yards per catch and had four TD catches, most of them in the second half of his rookie season.

"I'm excited," Northcutt said in a telephone interview. "I feel like the Lions went out and won the Super Bowl last year, for real. I'm just excited about playing this game for a team that wants me and came out and got me."

The Lions agreed to trade safety Gerald Alexander to the Jaguars for Northcutt, a wide receiver and punt returner. According to the Free Press, Northcutt mmediately dove into the playbook.

"I don't think I'm that far behind," Northcutt said. "I've studied on the plane on the way back, and I know a lot of the offense already, I must say."

Northcutt, a nine-year NFL veteran, has run many of the Lions' plays before. He mostly needs to learn new terminology. But he wants to make sure he knows every receiver position inside and out before training camp opens July 31, so he doesn't have to play catch up with his new teammates, the Free Press reported.

Profootballtalk.com suggest the Jets could add McGinest for the first four games of the season, however, since McGinest is a vested veteran, he'd be entitled to receive his full salary as termination pay, if he's on the opening-day roster and if he's cut after Pace returns.

So the cheaper alternative would be to carry a guy who otherwise would have been dumped before the season started, and to drop him behind Vernon Gholston on the depth chart while Pace is gone, according to Profootballtalk.com.

"Not knocking JaMarcus or anybody else on the team, but I have a belief in my own abilities," Garcia said in a phone interview from his home in San Diego.. "[That has] me feeling I am the best quarterback on the team. That's just how I approach the game."

Over the past 10 years, Garcia has a 58-58 record as a starter with five different teams. After five seasons with the 49ers, he spent one forgettable season each with the Browns and Lions, filled in brilliantly for an injured Donovan McNabb with the Eagles and spent the last two years with the Buccaneers. The Times called Garcia a quarterback who can make a good team look better.

"Even though the last five years I've played for four different teams, I try not to look at myself as one of those guys who's just looking for an opportunity to be a part of a team," he said. "I feel like I'm still a guy who can be a difference-maker. Now, how the management or people above us look at me? I've had to fight that battle throughout my career: I'm not big enough, I'm not strong enough, I don't fit the stereotype that they're looking for, whatever it may be.

"But when I come into a situation, I feel like I inspire people."

"I was surprised when I heard they were going after him at all because as a player, I [know there will be] some type of suspension," Urlacher said Thursday during a break at his football camp.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to discipline Burress for unresolved weapons charges after Burress shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub. The Bears considered meeting with him but decided Burress' off-the-field baggage was too much to overlook, according to the Tribune.

"My first thought with [Burress] was, would he even be able to play this year?" Urlacher said. "You have to wonder how long you're going to have him or when he's going to be available. [But] he's a great receiver [and] I would have been open to it."

The door appears to be closed now as the Bears seem content to enter the training camp with what they have, the Tribune reported.

"We're going to put more of the onus on him," Giants GM Jerry Reese said.

And how did Manning respond?

"I think you got a quarterback going into his sixth year and . . . some young receivers," Manning told The Post Tuesday. "It's my job to make sure those guys are on the same page and my job to be a leader and take control of the offense and the passing game.

"As a quarterback you're always going to be a leader, but now I'm one of the older guys on the offense."

The report indicated the Eagles signed McCoy, a second-round draft choice, was signed to a four-year deal Monday. Terms were not disclosed.

The 20-year-old McCoy, the 53d pick overall, became the first second-rounder to agree to a contract. The Birds have come to terms with seven of their eight picks — all except first-round selection Jeremy Maclin, a wide receiver out of Missouri.

The Bucs are looking for receviers to back up starters Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton.

"We're going to let Brian Clark, Maurice Stovall and even Dexter Jackson compete and go from there,'' Dominik said.

Mitchell told USA TODAY's Michael McCarthy that Red Zebra radio cut him as an analyst because he was critical of the Redskins. Station executive Bruce Gilbert said the move was "100% driven by the economy."

Mitchell made $150,000 per year.

"If you never discuss any money, or any changes in my money with me, then you already have your minds made up. This didn't have a damn thing to do with the economy," Mitchell told McCarthy.

The Buffalo News reported last week that the Bills have sold 53,048 season tickets, which despite the sharp economic downturn puts them on pace to match last season's total of 56,011. Last year's total ranked second in team history, behind 1992, when they sold 57,132.

According to the report, three-time Pro Bowler expects to reconnect with the team for the first day of training camp, which officially begins for veterans on July 29. If he does, that would mean that Suggs and his agent, Gary Wichard, have come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension with the Ravens. The Ravens have until 4 p.m. on July 15th to get Suggs signed to a long-term deal. If they do not, Suggs would have no choice but to sign his franchise tender and wait until the season is over to sign a new long-term deal.

"I feel like we're getting close," Suggs said in an exclusive interview with BaltimoreRavens.com. "Negotiations are going on with the Ravens. Fans can be optimistic that I'll be [at training camp]. We've talked," Suggs explained. "There are some minor things we're working out."

According Rosenhaus, via his Twitter account, Burress now has five NFL teams interested in him. And that list, according to Rosenhaus, could become even longer soon, Profootballtalk.com reported.

"There are now 5 teams interested in Plaxico," Rosenhaus wrote. "I expect more teams to enter the mix over the next few weeks as well."

It's believed that the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears are among the potential destinations for Burress.

A spokesman for the NFL Players Association wrote in an e-mail Thursday to the Star Tribune  that a contract for the quarterback has not been filed. It is a requirement that when a player signs with a team a copy of his contract be sent to both the NFL and the players association. The league requires it gets a copy within two days of it being signed by the player and team. A league spokesman declined to say if they had received paperwork on a Favre contract, but if that did happen the NFL would have no reason to keep it quiet and, in fact, it would be expected to be put on the transaction wire.

Last word was that Favre still hasn't decided if his surgically repaired arm will allow him to play and there is no reason for him to sign until he makes the call on whether he can return for a 19th NFL season, according to the report.

However, it is key that if he decides he is able to return that the contract not be a last-second sticking point.

The Observer reported Thursday that Peppers has signed his one-year tender and would play for the Panthers this season.

For about two years, Peppers has resisted the Panthers' attempts to sign him to a contract extension, turning down offers that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player, the Observer reported. Peppers' change of heart apparently occurred after recent meetings with team officials.

"Julius has always had tremendous respect for the individuals in the organization, and he had the opportunity to sit down face to face and talk with the people he's had great respect for," said his agent, Carl Carey. "Sometimes it takes a discussion to begin to understand each other's perpectives."

According to the Obserber, Carey's comment amplified a statement Peppers released through Carey earlier in the day.

"I've had positive and productive discussions with the organization," Peppers said in the statement. . "I am optimistic and focused as I look forward to the upcoming NFL season."

Owens said he heard Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones' suggestion, published in a recent story on Yahoo.com, that Romo wouldn't be able to emerge as a leader with Owens on the roster.

"He was the quarterback of the team," Owens said. "I think everybody realized that. It was upon him to adopt that leadership role and carry that out. Obviously, they saw that didn't happen.

"So, for whatever reason, I'll be the scapegoat. I'm not here. Now, it's his team, you know, and I wish him well."

The arthroscopic procedure was conducted Wednesday, by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the New York Hospital for Special Surgery.

Boley, a weakside linebacker, joined the Giants earlier this year as a free agent after spending four seasons with the Falcons. Last season, three different players started at weakside linebacker for the Giants: Gerris Wilkinson, Bryan Kehl, and Chase Blackburn.

Bruschi, whose contract expires after the 2009 season, is leaving his options open.

"I have to give them everything I have this year and only think about what's next. I'm going to prepare myself for this season, only think about this season, and when the season is over, which is a long ways away, then you think about delving into those decisions.''

Bruschi, who turned 36 June 9, is coming off a 2008 season in which coaches credited him with 71 tackles, fourth on the team. He started 12 games before a knee injury ended his season Dec. 7 against the Seahawks. Throughout the year, Bruschi was mostly utilized on first and second down, coming off the field on third down, according to the Globe.

Bryant was started every preseason game for the Patriots in 2008, but he was cut on August 30. He joined the Steelers in November and appeared in only two games, winning his only Super Bowl title without playing in any of the postseason games. After Bryant McFadden signed with the Cardinals in March 2009, Fernando Bryant re-signed with the Steelers.

No specific reason was given for the decision to call it quits; it's entirely possible that the Steelers informed Bryant that he wouldn't be part of their training camp roster.

Bryant spent five years with the Jaguars and four with the Lions. He was a first-round pick (26th overall) in the 1999 draft.

He started every game as a rookie, a feat he accomplished three more times during his career, most recently in 2007 in Detroit.

Jennings warned that a breakdown was still possible. Nevertheless, this was the first time he had publicly been so optimistic about a potential new contract with the team since he began seeking a new deal at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

"We've been working on some things. We're coming pretty close, as far as my understanding is, to some type of a deal," Jennings said. "But when I say close, we could still be far ... if that makes sense. But I think we're coming close. You just never know how long 'close' can take to actually closing the deal."

Based on deals for receivers completed recently in the National Football League, Jennings has every reason to be smiling as much as he was Monday. He could be looking at a contract worth more than $8 million per year, according to the Journal-Sentinel.

Among the recent signees, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald leads the way at $10 million per year, followed by Tampa Bay's Antonio Bryant ($9.6 million/franchise tag), Seattle's T.J. Houshmandzadeh ($8 million), Dallas' Roy Williams ($7.8 million) and Houston's Andre Johnson ($7.5 million).

"The first five days are definitely a bear, the way it's laid out, the times of practices, the length of practices," Spagnuolo said of his plans for workouts. "Typically, if you don't come in shape and in the right frame of mind, you run the risk of getting injured and not being up to speed for what we want to do. After that, it doesn't get that much easier, but it tends to thin out a little bit and they're able to survive."

If the schedule he mapped out holds, no one will be spared. The rest of the team reports July 30, and the squad will hold its first full practice July 31. He expects to hold two-a-days, preferably during the day, for much of camp, with a few night practices sprinkled in.

According to the Morning News, Romo has talked about being an improved leader and about improving his conditioning. He has also preached taking care of the football. Romo appears to understand that 21 turnovers — seven lost fumbles and 14 interceptions — won't enable the Cowboys to end their wretched streak of 12 seasons without a playoff win.

The Morning News wrote that with Romo realizing flashy plays don't always win championships shows he is maturing as a quarterback.

"What I see is him addressing ways to improve,'' said Dallas owner Jerry Jones. "If he was at a different stage of his career, he might be worried about his health or whether his arm is live enough. That tells me his arrow is going up. His entire attitude in every respect is good. When you have that attitude for improvement and you're willing to address it, you get better. Anyone who's underestimating his mind on his responsibility as quarterback is underestimating him."

With new head coach Todd Haley putting emphasis on conditioning and weight loss, the Chiefs have lost a combined 340 pounds this year. They lost the weight through hard work, something apparently in short supply when the team went 2-14 last season, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"We were out of shape and not really strong," said new Coach Todd Haley, who has put a premium on his players dropping some pounds. "I talked to our strength coach at Arizona [where Haley was offensive coordinator last season] and he said if you're a highly efficient team that's working, you lose about 120 to 150 pounds in the off-season."

But the way Haley sees it, getting in shape was priority No. 1. To that end, he instituted mandatory weigh-ins at the beginning and end of each week, making players who were too heavy on Fridays do extra running, according to the Times. He sat in the weight room every day and watched the workouts, and had his coaches monitor things when he couldn't. (It will be interesting to see how players ultimately react to that, seeing as they often judge coaches by whether they "treat us like men.")

Regardless, Haley identified the problem and set out to fix it. In the process, he shed some serious pounds himself, going from 217 to 192.

The Dolphins signed free agent safety Gibril Wilson to a lucrative contract, added cornerback Eric Green in free agency, and drafted cornerbacks Vontae Davis (first round) and Sean Smith (second round) — four moves aimed at improving a pass defense that ranked 25th in yards surrendered per game last season (227.8).

The Boston Globe believes Parcells had stopping the Tom Brady-led passing game of the New England Patriots in mind when he began rebuilding the Miami secondary.

In assessing some of the new personnel, Miami coach Tony Sparano pointed out that part of the appeal to drafting Davis (5 feet 11 inches, 203 pounds) and Smith (6-4, 214) was their physical stature. It also helped that they were the best players available in an area the Dolphins had targeted for improvement, according to the Globe.

"I'm 234 pounds, and I feel great," White said. "I feel like this is my best playing weight, and I feel healthy at this weight. I feel like I'm the fast and the strongest at this weight."

According to the report, White expects to remain at that weight for the duration of the season.

White, who reported for off-season work at 238 pounds, said he hasn't been this low since his first season with the club.

"My understanding is that he is pain free right now," Childress said. "Does he have the endurance and the stamina in that arm yet? He doesn't know that yet. It's no different than grabbing a golf club for the first time during the year when you rip around 18 holes around and you wake up the next day and your side hurts. You say, ‘Geez, I haven't felt that muscle in a while.' So he's got to build some endurance in that and see if he thinks he can get it back to where he wants to get it to."

Childress said he isn't getting daily reports from Mississippi. Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman visited Favre on Sunday to go over exercises he could do to help him recover from arthroscopic surgery he underwent in late May to repair a partially torn biceps. "There is a little bit of time here," Childress said. "It's not a foregone conclusion that he will be here."

Favre threw the ball to high school players this week and told a TV station, "I threw the ball OK, but OK isn't good enough in the National Football League."

Brown made his remarks during an appearance on 790 The Ticket's The Dan LeBatard Show.

"This situation is a tragedy all around, but what was involved was alcohol and marijuana," Brown said. "On one hand, DUI is a very serious thing in America. Marijuana of course is against all the rules."

Brown explained that he has some "inside information that says that that was also a part of what was detected," presumably in the blood test imposed on Stallworth. Brown said he's not "100 percent sure" that this is true, but Brown said he spoke with a " very reliable source" who shared this information, according to the report.

Russell announced that sometime between the last day of spring practice and the beginning of training camp July 30 he plans to host his own passing-game minicamp at an undisclosed location, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

I talked to coach (Tom Cable) about it," Russell said. "Sometimes they have the rookies come back here for a week, and instead of them coming back here, I decided we'll do it on our own. ... Get somewhere where nobody knows where you're at and go and do your own thing."

This is an ideal time for Russell to buff up his image and his game, considering that Jeff Garcia is competing like a maniac for the starting quarterback job, doing everything but letting the air out of Russell's tires, according to the Chronicle.

Who will be invited to the secret camp?

"Everybody that plays receiver and wears the (Raiders') uniform."

What about other quarterbacks? (That's how I phrased my question, rather than asking, "Will Jeff Garcia be invited?")

"I don't know," Russell said. "Jeff just had a newborn, and Bruce (Gradowski) and (Charlie) Frye, we're working on that."

The Plain Dealer wrote: The Browns can deliver that message to the rest of their players by releasing Stallworth, who certainly doesn't fit into a team that Eric Mangini is trying to build with character and discipline. It would be a shock if Mangini wanted Stallworth, who has been with four teams in the previous four seasons and was never known for his toughness.

The league can say Stallworth is welcome to play again, but not in 2009. Not after what happened on March 14. Stay out of trouble and come back a new man in 2010. Some team will give you a chance, but the name on the door should not be Cleveland, according to the Plain Dealer.

The Daily News, quoting unnamed NFL sources, reported the two sides remain far apart in the negotiations. The plan was for the deal to be finished this spring. According to one source, Manning's agents "want to make him the highest-paid player." Another source suggested the Super Bowl XLII MVP's initial asking price was up near an average of $20 million per year.

According to the Daily News, neither Manning nor co-owner John Mara would discuss details when asked during Giants minicamp this week. And when Manning, whose original six-year deal was worth $45 million to $54 million, was asked if he wanted to be the NFL's highest-paid player, he said, "I don't have an ego about that.''

Though $20 million per year might be too high, league sources expect Manning, who will make $9.4 million this season, eventually will get a deal worth around $15 million per year. Several league executives and NFL agents expect the final package to be for seven or eight years and be worth around $110 million-$120 million, with more than $40 million in guaranteed money.

Jones told the Dallas Morning News: "Frankly, the most basic reason that I changed my mind regarding Terrell Owens was the ability to maximize the potential of Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, the running backs and our tight ends. That was the most fundamental thing.

"We wanted to take advantage of where we are with the talent we have on offense. You shouldn't have Terrell unless he's a dominant part of your offense or you're trying to put him in that kind of role in your offense.

"If for any reason you want to come off of that and spread it around or use different parts of your offense, then you shouldn't have him because that's not the best use of having Terrell Owens on your team.''

"It's a function of the way the calendar falls," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Daily News. "The Super Bowl is late this year. . . . February 7, 2010. We are currently listing next year's draft as ‘early May.' We have not set the specific dates yet."

The problem? It would conflict with the Kentucky Derby.

Curtis missed the beginning of last season following sports hernia surgery and then missed the post-draft minicamp because of a followup surgery in April. He was a limited participant in the last group of OTAs, saying he felt strong at the start of practices but the area would get fatigued.

"I'm 100 percent this year," Curtis said. "I'm feeling good. I should be ready to roll."

Curtis, who turns 31 next month, also is suddenly the graybeard among the wide receivers. He knows that he is not guaranteed as prominent a role as he enjoyed when he signed as a free agent 2 years ago, penciled in right away as the No. 1 wideout.

As a result of their 15-year naming rights deal, worth a reported $35million, a small Timex patch will appear on both their blue and white practice jerseys this summer, the Daily News reported. It'll be placed on the front of the left shoulder, where the Super Bowl XLII patch was two years ago.

NFL owners voted to allow such patches at the league meetings back in March. The Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans are among the teams expected to wear sponsors' patches, too. The NFL does not allow corporate logos on game jerseys — at least not yet, according to the Daily News.

Ware has primarily chased quarterbacks from the blind side. However, he will get the chance to play on the left sometimes in Dallas' base defense. According to the Morning News, he figures it'll allow him to get more involved in the running game.

The Morning News reported the Cowboys have used a version of the nickel with a 3-3 front that allows Ware to move around before the snap some the past two seasons. Because of the increased confidence in the secondary's coverage ability, Phillips can be more aggressive with his schemes on passing downs this season, so we should see more of the package they call "Cowboy."

"It creates a lot of mismatches," Ware said. "I might be able to get on a back, get on a tight end."

There isn't a back or tight end in the league that can handle Ware one-on-one. Every offensive coordinator the Cowboys face knows that, and that's why Ware will be the focus of every pass protection game plan, according to the Morning News.

"There was no such meeting," Romo said. "We live in a world where it's sensationalized. When you see something or hear something, you write it. That's completely false. If there's anything those guys tell me, it's to throttle back sometimes just because I do a lot of running playing soccer and basketball and stuff to stay in shape, plus the stuff we do. So when you hear stuff like that, people don't know."

On Monday Romo talked about the importance of maintaining his conditioning during the course of the season and that he will do more clean and squat work in the weight room to be stronger later in the season, the Morning News reported.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said earlier Romo has weighed 222 the last three years. On the roster handed out during mini-camp he is listed at 224 pounds.

With the Las Vegas team, Losman would be coached by Jim Fassel, the coach who resurrected Kerry Collins' career.

While in the NFL, Losman threw for over 6,000 yards and 33 touchdowns.

In other UFL rumors, Tim Rattay said he would be headed to the league, Ken Dorsey said he'd love the opportunity, and rumors have spread that Michael Vick and his agent have papers in hand that if signed would start the Vick redemption tour in Orlando.

The Post wrote: Like it or not, Marshall is underpaid. Big-time. It has become fashionable to denigrate his remarkable receiving numbers with one qualification or another, so consider this: In the 63-year history of the Cleveland Browns, one of the teams now reportedly interested in Marshall, they never have had a receiver catch 100 passes in a season.

Not Ozzie Newsome. Not Kellen Winslow Jr. Not Braylon Edwards. Never.

Marshall caught 104 last season, third in the NFL, with a salary cap number of $526,824. Chump change by Not For Long standards. According to the report, 33 members of the Broncos carried bigger numbers last season.

Thanks to a deserved Pro Bowl appearance, his pay increases to just more than $2 million this year, still nowhere near the salary neighborhood of the league's top receivers. Buffalo's Lee Evans signed a four-year, $37 million extension last year, the Post reported.

Somehow, Marshall's off- field issues have become a justification to cheat him out of a fair salary on the field, according to the Post.

The New York Daily News reported that Burress lost the ability to make more than $20 million on his Giants contract, his reputation is ruined and his career looks to be irreparably harmed. He is desperately trying to get back on the field this year, avoid jail next year and hope that Roger Goodell doesn't suspend him before his next court date in September.

Some players, like Osi Umenyiora, told the Daily News Burress has been through enough. Umenyiora said he doesn't believe Goodell should suspend Burress.

"He's paid the price," Umenyiora told the Daily News Tuesday at minicamp. "He missed I don't know how many games last year, he's given back a lot of money. It would be just overkill right now to suspend him. That's what I think anyway. The commissioner is the commissioner. He has the right to do whatever he feels like doing and what's best for the league. My opinion, as a player, given the circumstances as to what exactly happened, he put other people in danger, he hurt nobody but himself."

"I would love for Plaxico to have the opportunity to play this year," Justin Tuck said. "Is that my decision? No."

"Should Goodell suspend him now? "Obviously, (Goodell) is pretty good at what he does," Tuck said. "He knows how to handle situations like this. Whatever he does, I have full trust it will be best for the NFL."

According to the Morning News, a hamstring injury has kept Austin out of the last three weeks of practice. Austin's return to the field, as well as that of fellow wide receiver Sam Hurd, who has a quadriceps injury, will come inside the Alamodome when training camp starts July 29.

Hurd said he is 100 percent and the team wants to keep him fresh for training camp. Both receivers have done running on the side during practices the last two weeks and in the first two days of this week's mini-camp, the Morning News reported.

"It's hard to forget about a player like that," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "With him, we had an identity from Week 1 to Week 11 when he went out. It is hard to bounce back, to find a new identity in the National Football League."

Fact is, none of the receivers the Giants have in camp have displayed the ability to attack a defense the way Burress did.

The youngest are the rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden. The Giants drafted Nicks in the first round and Barden in the third.

"They'll have a good day, they'll have a not-so-good day," Coughlin said.

Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon return after their most productive seasons in 2008. Smith had 57 catches for 574 yards and Hixon 43 for 596. Hixon had some of his biggest games after Burress was suspended. The second-year receiver Mario Manningham must show improvement and Sinorice Moss, who used his speed to catch a couple of passes on deep routes Tuesday, must stay healthy.

Moss and other Giants receivers have been dogged by questions about Burress and Amani Toomer, who was not re-signed after 13 seasons, according to the Times.

"I feel like there's a big chip on all our shoulders," Moss said. "Because you hear a lot of things and they say: ‘Oh, they don't have Plax. They don't have Amani.' I can go down the list of guys that we have here that can contribute and make some plays for this team."

The reason wasn't immediately clear, but it likely stems from his muddled legal situation. Burress' felony gun case was adjourned Monday until Sept. 23 and, even though his agent expressed confidence his client will be signed with a team before the start of training camp in late July, many uncertainties remain, and that may have scared off the Jets, according to the Daily News.

Rex Ryan refused to rule out the possibility of pursuing Burress at some point, but he spoke highly of his current receivers. "Any good football player, we're going to monitor their situation," the coach told Sirius NFL radio. "But to us, really, nothing's changed. I know it sounds funny, but we're happy with our guys. ... Do we have that Pro Bowl receiver? No, we don't, but we feel pretty good about our unit."

If the Jets stay away from Burress, it would create disappointment in the locker room, according to the Daily News. Several team leaders, in interviews last week with the Daily News, strongly endorsed a potential Burress signing. Previously, owner Woody Johnson said he wouldn't stand in the way, claiming the decision was up to GM Mike Tannenbaum. Team officials weren't available for comment in the wake of yesterday's development, but the club, in a statement, said, "We will continue to do our due diligence with any and all free agents that are available now or in the future."

But the Inquirer asked: Did he earn it?

The organization said last week that over the course of his contract McNabb's earnings, compared to other QBs, has slipped from the top of the list to somewhere around 10th on the list. The raise put him back among the top three or four best-paid quarterbacks in the league.

Last season, McNabb's passer rating was tied for 14th in the NFL. His completion percentage was 18th. His TD percentage was 12th. The average gain on his passes ranked 19th. He threw 11 interceptions, and it has been seven seasons since he threw more than that, according to the Inquirer.

The Inquirer noted he did operate without a reliable running game for much of the season, and with an offensive line that held together but just barely. Given the number of balls he threw (a career-high 571) his interception percentage was still good. He got the team to the NFC championship game, won it once, but couldn't win it again after the defense gave the game away. Pretty good effort.

But was it the performance of one of the best three or four quarterbacks in the league? The Eagles either think so, or have to say they think so as a price of doing business. It's their money, but it would be nice if you could trust their explanation for why they spent it, the Inquier wrote.

The Lions finished 0-16 during Millen's final season as team president. He was fired in September. The Lions went 31-97 overall since hiring Millen in 2001.

"Every situation is a learning situation," Millen said. "We've had success and we've had failure in the NFL. You're only judged on wins and losses. My tenure was not so good. It was very poor. It's been said you learn a lot from failures and I learned a ton.

"I can bring that to the table. I view my experience in Detroit as a positive one, not in terms of winning and losing obviously, but having gone through it and being exposed to every level of the NFL, that's something that could help in the telecast."

Profootballtalk.com reported that while the obvious destination would be Chicago, where Marshall's former quarterback now resides, the Ravens have at least explored the possibility of adding a high-impact wideout during the offseason.

Marshall likely would command at least a first-round and a third-round draft pick, due to the trade that sent Roy Williams from the Lions to the Cowboys last year. The move also would require a contract worth $9 million or more per year, according to the web site.

Bennett was the Rams' No. 2 receiver last season after they released Isaac Bruce, but he broke his foot on the fourth play of the Rams' regular-season opener.

Hackett, 27, played in nine games last season with Carolina, including two starts. He had 13 catches for 181 yards and no touchdowns.

Prior to 2008, Bennett had only missed five games in the previous four seasons. He could provide the Bucs with a veteran at their No. 3 wide receiver, behind Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton, according to the Times.

Lloyd, 6-feet, 194 pounds, has 156 receptions and 15 touchdowns in 79 career games, including 47 as a starter. He was selected by the 49ers in the fourth round (124th overall) in the 2003 draft out of the University of Illinois.

Last season as teammates with new Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, Lloyd played in 11 games (five starts) with the Bears, catching 26 passes for 364 yards (14.0 average) and two touchdowns. He will turn 28 next month.

Griese who has not participated in any organized team activities this offseason. He has been in Denver with his pregnant wife and is not believed to be part of Tampa Bay's future plans at quarterback, where the Bucs have four other signal callers — Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich, Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman.

Bucs general manager Mark Dominik recently suggested to Pewter Report that Griese, 34, could wind up playing for Tampa Bay at some point should one of the other quarterbacks suffer an injury during the mandatory mini-camp.

"Brian Griese is obviously under contract with us," Dominik said. "Everything we do is strictly voluntary, so it's his decision that he didn't want to participate. But at the same point, I don't take the quarterback position lightly. I was here when Luke McCown went down in OTAs with an ACL tear a few years ago. Until it's a necessity, we won't make a decision yet on which four go to camp with us."

Bucs head coach Raheem Morris said that he wished to keep conversations between he and Griese private, and Ralph Cindrich, who serves as Griese's agent, told Pewter Report he was not sure what the future held for Griese in Tampa Bay.

According to the report, Romo has tweaked his footwork, which he believes will help a quick delivery be quicker. He has pushed himself more in the weight room after suffering through a fractured pinkie as well as back and rib injuries in 2008.

"I think that was one of the two or three things actually I kind of set forth this off-season," Romo said. "One was to be the same in September as you are in December as an individual and as a team.

"Highlight reels don't win championships. They don't. The boring plays win championships," he said, pointing out the importance of checkdowns and avoiding dangerous plays deep in your own territory. "Those are the things that win championships, and those are the things that we're going to try and do better next season."

According to the Free Press, during a recent practice, Brandon Pettigrew was a favorite target of Matthew Stafford's and the two seemed to work well together.

"It just happened like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm glad we're kind of getting a feel for each other and a good connection going into this thing and having a good relationship. That'll be good."

Pettigrew has been particularly impressed with Stafford's on-field maturity.

"He's a rookie as well, but he sits in there with composure and attitude and leadership, like he's been here," Pettigrew said. "He's just an all-around good player and good guy."

When former Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was named general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, and former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels became head coach of the Denver Broncos, Smith knew what it meant. The AFC West, owned by the Chargers in recent years, suddenly had a Patriotlike flair to it, according to the Globe.

"I consider it a direct threat to us," Smith said, "and I don't like it."

"I really don't look it as competition, I look at it as preparation," Pennington said Sunday, in comments circulated by the team. "Chad [Henne] and I are preparing for when our number is called, we are ready to play and ready to lead this team. We just have to go through an evaluation process. We prepare, they evaluate.

"When you look at it like that, it makes it real simple. It keeps us focused and it allows us to keep communication lines open. It allows us to root for each other, to help each other, to talk to each other. To me, it doesn't matter who the starting quarterback is. The starting quarterback cannot play and play well if he feels like the guy behind him is trying to undermine him on what he is doing. It just doesn't work. I am in an unbelievable situation. Both Chad and Pat have done a great job of supporting me and I am going to do my best to support them."

Daniels, a third-year restricted free agent who caught a career-high 70 passes for 862 yards last season, skipped the last week of organized team activities because he was unhappy that a new deal hasn't been reached.

Those familiar with the negotiations said the Texans made a new offer last week that would rank Daniels, 26, second among the NFL's highest-paid tight ends. Figures were not available, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Chronicle reported the three most important parts of a contract are guaranteed money, income over the first three years and average per year. The total value of a contract isn't as important because a player usually gets an extension before the deal expires.

Profootballtalk.com noted Daniels wants to be the highest paid tight end in the NFL.

While rehabilitating from hip surgery, Marshall doesn't want to be treated by the Broncos' medical staff if the team won't give him a new contract. Marshall sent that message both through his absence from the start of the Broncos' mandatory minicamp Friday morning and presumably during his meeting with Bowlen on Friday afternoon.
Bowlen could not be reached for comment. Marshall likely will be fined for each day he does not report to the three-day camp that ends Sunday, the Post reported.

"We'll do what the league rules allow us to do for a player that has missed a mandatory activity," McDaniels said. "The rest of that is really internal. I've spoken to him and his agent, and that's a decision that he's made."

Marshall is reported to be unhappy with his contract and has complained about the treatment he received from the Denver medical staff.

Marshall is in the final year of a four-year contract that will pay him $2.198 million this year, according to the Post.

Marshall, who is recovering from hip surgery, would not have been able to participate in the three practices this weekend, but was required to show up for rehab treatments. Marshall has cited a lack of confidence in the Broncos medical team, saying the severity of his hip injury was misdiagnosed last season. The team could fine him because of his absence, the Post reported.

Thrash, 34, has been dealing with a bulging disc in his neck throughout the offseason. In a dozen NFL seasons, Thrash has caught 290 career passes for 3,646 yards and 22 touchdowns.

In a statement, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said: "James is a tremendous person who has been a great ambassador for the Redskins in our community. He has produced nine outstanding seasons for our team. It is our hope that he will continue a long-term relationship with our organization."

According to the report, even players rehabilitating injuries and not on the field with the team rode stationary bikes or worked with trainers in the rain.

"It's football. It's rain. You've got to work in it, got to understand it," Mangini said. "We're always trying to have players' safety first. Rain is something we'll have to deal with. I think the more educated they are, the better they are on how to avoid injuries."

Landry had missed all of the previous voluntary workouts over the past two weeks, according to the Washington Post.

"Nah, not at all," he said. "I love it here. Trade, I don't know where that's coming from."

"We spent a significant amount of time this off-season trying to trade him to another NFL club, and we had some conversations with a few teams, but nothing materialized," G.M. Thomas Dimitroff said in an interview on the team's official web site. "At this point, we feel releasing Michael is best for him and best for us. Our entire organization sincerely hopes that Michael will continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."

And so Vick now becomes an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team.

It's unlikely, however, that anyone will sign him unless and until he's reinstated by the league.

Mark Sanchez closed the camp Thursday with five straight completions and a textbook touchdown pass, providing a feel-good vibe as the team scattered for a seven-week break before training camp, according to the Daily News.

Rex Ryan couldn't have scripted a better ending. In a span of 18 hours, the Jets avoided a potential summer headache, signing Sanchez to the richest contract in team history, and watched the rookie quarterback give his best performance since his pre-draft workout with the Jets in March.

"Wow, what a day," Ryan gushed afterward.