Johnson turns 29 in October but has taken a pounding. Alexander averaged 3.5 yards per carry in 2007, Johnson 2.9.

No deal is in place, sources said, but the Chargers are the front-runners for Newberry's services.

The Oakland Raiders would be able to keep Newberry from the Chargers by tendering him a contract offer June 1.

The calling of daring plays took some getting used to for head man Dick Vermeil when he was with the St. Louis Rams and hired Martz as his offensive coordinator in 1999. The system was developed by former Chargers coach Don Coryell when he was in the junior-college ranks and later refined by Ernie Zampese. Norv Turner ran the offense when he was San Francisco's coordinator in 2006, Hostler tried to run a version of it in '07, and it's what Martz's reputation is built on.

"I used to say, 'Mike, you make my rear end pucker,' " the now-retired Vermeil said. "He's so aggressive, but intelligently aggressive. It took me a while to get used to his play-calling. Once we were on the same page — even though it made me nervous — I understood him. He would shock me sometimes."

St. Louis Rams executive Samir Suleiman, director of football operations in St. Louis since 2000, is among those being looked at. A source within the Rams organization confirmed his candidacy Thursday. Suleiman said he hasn't been contacted by the Raiders and was unaware of any opening.

If Suleiman is hired, his priority will be keeping the salary-cap books in order. One reason the Raiders released running back Dominic Rhodes this week was to offset the cap hit from the Fabian Washington trade, which threatened to push them over the limit. The move showed how close the Raiders are to the $116 million cap threshold, which is no surprise after their free-spending offseason. Huge deals went to DeAngelo Hall (seven years, $70 million), Javon Walker (six years, $55 million), Tommy Kelly (seven years, $50.5 million), Gibril Wilson (six years, $39 million), Kwame Harris (three years, $16.3 million) and Justin Fargas (three years, $12 million).

"People need to understand this is very treatable," said a Broncos source. "Jay's going to be fine."

Several athletes have enjoyed long professional careers while playing with Type 1 diabetes several NFL players like center Jay Leeuwenburg, quarterback Wade Phillips; tight end Jonathan Hayes; and defensive back Mike Echols played with diabetes.

"Unfortunately, in the position Jay's in, people will wonder in their back of their minds: Did he throw that interception because his blood sugars weren't in control?" said Leeuwenburg, who is now a third-grade teacher at Colorado Academy. "And that is 100 percent not fair. I never in my nine years in the NFL, in my five years of college and four years of high school missed a down of football because of diabetes. It is doable. There are some life-changing things Jay will have to come to grips with. But he has world-class doctors that will help him. And he will have all the resources available to him.''

Make no mistake, Dixon is a gifted athlete. He has been timed at 4.49 in the 40-yard dash, can power clean 264 pounds and accounted for 29 touchdowns as a senior (20 passing, nine rushing), despite missing the final three games. Dixon finished his career with 6,339 yards offense, sixth on the school's all-time list.

But, probably not wanting to offend or disrespect any of his existing teammates, Roethlisberger wasn't exactly doing backflips or rubbing his hands in anticipation of training camp yesterday when asked his reaction to the two talented rookies who have been added to the roster. Roethlisberger will get his first chance to work with Mendenhall, a running back from Illinois, and Sweed, a wide receiver from Texas, starting Friday when the three-day minicamp begins on the South Side.

"It wasn't pressing for us because we already have [players at those positions]," Roethlisberger said. "It's to add depth, to add versatility. You never know. Look at our starting running back now," he said, referring to Willie Parker, a two-time Pro Bowl selection. "He wasn't drafted in the first round. We'll see. It's interesting to see how it shakes out."

"If it doesn't work out, I'll then go to the Arena League," Keller said Wednesday.

Keller completed a Nebraska single-season-record 63.1 percent of his passes in nine games last season for 2,422 yards and 14 touchdowns. His season and college career ended when he suffered a broken collarbone in the fourth quarter against Texas.

Jones' base salaries total $4.7 million in the first three years of the deal, but there's a huge bump in 2011. Provided he is reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Jones will earn a $700,000 base salary this year, but he will not receive any signing bonus. The base salaries in 2009-11 are $1 million, $3 million and $7.25 million. He has March roster bonuses worth $250,000 and $255,000 due in 2009 and '10 and a $345,000 reporting bonus in 2010. He also has $250,000 workout bonuses in 2009 and 2010.

In order to really cash in, however, Jones has to play at a high level. If he is named to two Pro Bowls or intercepts seven passes in any two of the first three seasons and participates in 65 percent of the snaps, his base salary would jump up to the 2011 franchise tender.

On Tuesday, April 29, Cincinnati Bengals supporters can bring their Chad Johnson jersey to Koch's Sporting Goods on Fourth Street from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and WGRR will swap them for a pair of playoff tickets to see the winning Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team.

Traded-in number 85 jerseys will go to charity and fans who donate their jerseys will be in the running to win a jersey of their choice from a local sporting goods store.

The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications' 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the Rogers Centre.

In becoming the NFL's first team to play annual games outside the United States, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason match at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.

He said that when he restructured his contract two months ago, it was with the understanding the Raiders would release him if they drafted Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The Raiders did pick McFadden, so Rhodes got his wish. They informed him Sunday of his release, which then came Monday.

"We had like a stable full of running backs that are capable," Rhodes said. "We went and drafted a guy that - he's a great runner, don't get me wrong — but I don't understand the logic behind it. I don't really think that (coach) Lane Kiffin wanted to take a running back in the first round, let's just put it like that. He has to deal with it now, but I don't think that's what he wanted to do."

Tampa Bay has seven quarterbacks on its roster: Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Simms, Bruce Gradkowski, draft pick Josh Johnson and the rights to the retired Jake Plummer. Simms is staying away from the team's voluntary off-season program for the first time in his career.

Simms hasn't played since 2006 after having his spleen removed and he is due a $2 million base salary. He turns 28 in August. He took Tampa to the playoffs in 2005. The Bucs say he is 100 percent healthy now. You would think the Bucs have to release one or three of these QBs at some point. Maybe he would be a good fit behind Johnson for now and a solid backup for Tony Romo in the future. And there's this: he was a teammate of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's in 2004 for a spell according to the Dallas Morning News.

Neither the team nor Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, returned phone calls from the Associated Press seeking comment.

The Eagles suspended Owens for conduct detrimental to the team midway through 2005, a half-year after he helped them get to the Super Bowl. Owens lost $965,000 in salary from the final five games of 2005 after the team withheld game checks. He was released after that season and the Eagles now are trying to get back the remaining sum: $769,117.

The Jags, who are trying to make their defense as Peyton Manning-proof as possible, were interested in Sheppard before the draft. But their first-round trade-up with Baltimore to get defensive end Derrick Harvey cost them two third-round picks and a fourth-round selection, leaving them with just two picks in the first four rounds. Because of that, they weren't willing to part with their second-round pick, which they spent on another defensive end, Auburn's Quentin Groves, in a deal for Sheppard.

But Smith is trying to broker a deal in which the Jags would give the Eagles a package of 2009 draft picks for Sheppard.

Campbell, 6-foot-2 and 229 pounds, was a safety at Army but the Lions plan to play him at safety and linebacker, president Matt Millen said. Campbell started 38 of 43 games for the Black Knights and had 307 tackles. West Point has an alternative service option program that allows cadets to play pro sports right away. After two years with a pro team, they can buy out the last three years of their active-duty commitment in exchange for six years of reserve time. 

"His name was definitely mentioned a lot when I started breaking his records and things like that,"' said Rucker, 6-5, 251. "It's funny because he's in the Missouri Hall of Fame and I've never seen him in person."

Now, Rucker, a pass-catching tight end, has the unenviable task of trying to live up to Kellen Winslow Jr., who's coming off a Pro Bowl season for the Browns. General Manager Phil Savage said he envisions Winslow and Rucker streaking down the field together. But Rucker is probably also viewed as an heir apparent, especially with Winslow coming off his fourth knee surgery.

"I'm definitely up to that challenge," said Rucker, the younger brother of recently retired Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker. "I'm not intimidated. I know he's a good tight end. He's very athletic, fast, definitely a tight end that's tough to cover and he's a tough guy as well. But that's why I was in the NFL draft -- to play in the NFL.

Entering the draft, Tampa Bay had 11 linebackers on its 80-man roster. So, what did the team do in the sixth round Sunday? Add another, of course. The Bucs took FSU's Geno Hayes with the 175th pick, a somewhat peculiar move for a team that has added three reserve linebackers this offseason. But if nothing else, bringing in another prospect at the position guarantees competition.

"You want to go into training camp and have a mentality that you better have seven or eight pretty talented linebackers to play four preseason games," coach Jon Gruden said. "We saw a couple of our guys go down in the preseason last year."

"You know Parcells and his history. I'm kind of the same way," rookie General Manager Jeff Ireland said. "One of the first things you have to do is build the offensive and defensive lines."

The no-frills approach led the Dolphins to sign players from eight conferences, including several with no BCS affiliation. Only two of the six players drafted Sunday — Connecticut guard Donald Thomas and Arizona defensive lineman Lionel Dotson — went to schools in major conferences. The other four came from Hampton (defensive end Kendall Langford), Utah State (guard Shawn Murphy), Toledo (running back Jalen Parmele) and Montana (running back Lex Hilliard).

By Sunday night, draft analysts were questioning some of the picks, too. Yet General Manager Mike Reinfeldt and Coach Jeff Fisher said the Titans got better this weekend by adding players at positions of need, including a playmaking running back in East Carolina's Chris Johnson and two defensive linemen who could contribute sooner than later.

On Saturday, the Titans took Johnson in the first round and Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Jason Jones in the second. They were followed on Sunday by California tight end Craig Stevens in the third round and three players - Winston-Salem State defensive end William Hayes, California receiver Lavelle Hawkins and Stanford linebacker Stanford Keglar - in the fourth round.  In the seventh round, cornerback Cary Williams of Division II Washburn was the pick.

"I think the whole process went well,'' Reinfeldt said. "We addressed some needs and we helped our football team. It was a productive day for us.''

Look out, Brady and Manning, because Jacksonville executives think they took a big step forward Saturday in the NFL Draft. The Jaguars twice moved up in the draft to select pass rushers, selecting University of Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey eighth overall and Auburn defensive end/outside linebacker Quentin Groves 52nd overall.

"Defensive linemen rarely fall to you," Jags Coach Jack Del Rio said. "We brought in an aggressive mentality today, and I think you've seen the result."

The low-key approach of remaking the Falcons resumed with general manager Thomas Dimitroff drafting 11 players, including a Day 1 trade to move up to select offensive tackle Sam Baker. Also selected to bolster the flanks were cornerbacks Chevis Jackson (LSU) and Wilroy Fontenot (Arizona), linebackers Curtis Lofton (Oklahoma) and Robert James (Arizona State), wide receiver Harry Douglas (Louisville), defensive end/outside linebacker Kroy Biermann (Montana), safety Thomas DeCoud (California), tight end Keith Zinger (LSU) and Georgia running back Thomas Brown

"A lot of our needs were outline and written down on paper and on our board for the last three months probably," Dimitroff said. "We feel we (addressed) a lot of those needs."

"I like the looks of it on paper," coach John Fox said of the post-draft roster. "But the reality is until you start playing, you don't know."

Fox said the Panthers achieved their goal of getting bigger and more physical overall, plus faster in the skill positions.

Some teams had backed off because of concerns about his past (he pleaded guilty to burglary and trespassing in 2004 and spent a week in jail) as well as recent issues with his health and weight, league sources said. "To be honest, as the day was progressing, I was really thinking, 'Maybe I'm a free-agent guy,' " Brennan said. In three seasons at Hawaii, Brennan set 21 NCAA records. He passed for 14,193 yards with 131 touchdowns while completing 70.4 percent of his passes. Still recovering from surgery April 7 to repair a slightly torn labrum in his hip, Brennan is not expected to participate in this weekend's minicamp and the offseason OTAs.

A first-round pick in 2005, Washington was expendable after the Raiders had traded for DeAngelo Hall. In three seasons with Oakland, Washington had 112 tackles and five interceptions. He was a starter his first two seasons before losing his job early last year. Even if Washington is unable to crack the Ravens' starting lineup, he will be a valuable nickel back, especially because so many AFC North teams use three receivers.

"Guys know about our defense," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "Their play gets elevated when they come to Baltimore. They realize they have to take their play to another level."

"In the National Football League, speed's always huge," said Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who met with reporters after the draft, as did offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, while coach Lane Kiffin worked on recruiting undrafted free agents. "That's the difference between saving touchdowns on defense and making touchdowns on offense. Speed kills."

First, the Raiders traded to the top of the fourth round to pick Connecticut cornerback Tyvon Branch, timed at 4.34 seconds in the 40. They made another fourth-round trade to pick Richmond receiver Arman Shields, who clocked a 4.4. Seventh-round receiver Chaz Schilens of San Diego State ran a 4.38. Even sixth-round defensive end Trevor Scott, a converted tight end at Buffalo, posted a breezy 4.58. In between, the Raiders traded one of their fastest players of all. They sent cornerback Fabian Washington, the 2005 first-round draft pick of 4.29-second combine fame, to the Ravens for the pick that landed Shields.

A versatile defensive lineman who probably will become a starter; An offensive guard who eventually could be a starter;  A cornerback who might not be good enough to play corner; A backup center; A wide receiver with an arrest on his record and an indelible memory of being pepper sprayed; A linebacker chosen for his value on special teams and his ability to block kicks.

Legions of people rely on far less to put them to sleep every night. Nevertheless, general manager Scot McCloughan, who made the call on each pick and naturally believes in his new guys, said they make the club better.

It makes sense that the Eagles would try to become really good on defense. It makes sense to load up on that side of the ball, particularly along the line. They need to take the ball away again on defense. They need to improve the offense's field position, both with defense and with the return game. The Eagles have worked to do that through the offseason. It really impresses you as a good, sound plan.

But what does Donovan McNabb think? It is the question that nags, never far from the surface. Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis are good receivers, but McNabb would not/could not throw them the ball in the red zone. Backup Jeff Garcia threw it in 2006 and backup A.J. Feeley threw it in 2007, but McNabb would not/could not bring himself to complete passes down there. It doesn't matter whose fault it is, but it needs to be fixed. It could be fixed with a big, credible, veteran wideout whom McNabb trusted in that part of the field, where the windows into which a quarterback must throw the ball are both tighter and more fleeting than anywhere else. But that chance seems gone now — although the Lito card does remain to be played. Maybe that's when we find out, when Lito Sheppard is finally traded somewhere. (He has to be, doesn't he?) Maybe that's going to provide the answer.

Troy's Leodis McKelvin fell in their laps after teams picking ahead of them in the first round bypassed the top-rated cornerback. Despite a run on wide receivers in the second round, the Bills still were able to get the biggest one available, James Hardy of Indiana. Those two very strong picks, some intriguing prospects and a few long shots round out the Bills' 10-player haul.

"We did what we thought we were going to do," Tom Modrak, the Bills' vice president of college scouting, said during the post-draft news conference. "Some of it broke very well. Some of it we wished it would have broken differently. We like where we are; we like what we did."

"Who would have ever thought you would be covering a Bill Belichick draft with no offensive linemen, defensive linemen, or tight ends taken?" he said to the reporters sitting in front of him.

The Patriots selected three linebackers, two defensive backs, one quarterback, and one receiver/special teams player.

But Gholston was not the Jets' first choice to get after Brady. They wanted Virginia DE Chris Long and tried on Saturday to trade up from their No.6 spot in the first round to St. Louis' No.2 spot to get him. When they couldn't satisfy the Rams' demands for the pick, sources said they were going to deviate from the pass rush plan and take Arkansas running back Darren McFadden over Gholston. But the Raiders blew that up and took McFadden at No.4. The Jets never attempted to trade up for McFadden with the Falcons or Raiders after Long was taken by the Rams.

The Daily News learned Sunday that the top three players on the Jets' board going into the draft were, in order: Long, McFadden and Gholston. The board eliminated Michigan tackle Jake Long, who had already signed with Miami. Before the Rams took Chris Long at No.2, the Jets called St.Louis. Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini wanted Long, an energetic pass rusher who had 14 sacks last year playing for ex-Jets coach Al Groh. But the Rams' price was so exorbitant, the Jets basically said "see you later." It was a one-and-done phone call. No more talk.

"We did our homework on him," Reese insisted. "Our coaches spent a lot of time with him. He convinced me, he convinced our coaches, that he made a couple of mistakes. Hopefully he learned from his mistakes."

There certainly are a lot of mistakes for the 5-11, 178-pound Manningham to learn from, beginning with his arrest last April after Vicodin that was prescribed to one of his teammates was found in his car and his passengers were found to be in possession of marijuana. Charges were later dropped in part because Manningham had a Vicodin prescription of his own. It was also later revealed that Manningham had failed two drug tests in college, though he wasn't suspended for those.

Reese said he was impressed by Manningham's pre-draft visit to Giants Stadium two weeks ago. He was also impressed by Manningham's 72 catches for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games last season and the fact he could be, in Coughlin's words, "what we wanted, which was an ability to put the fear of the deep ball" into opposing teams.

"Where I'm kind of disappointed is that there's gamesmanship before the series about Sidney drawing penalties," Therrien said. "And I'm disappointed. I'm kind of disappointed about that. This is a star player that plays into traffic. Powerful skater. And when a star player like this goes to traffic and plays into traffic, well, he's going to draw penalties.

"And we all know what Tom Renney's trying to do. He tried to do it before we started the series. He tried to do it last night, I saw his comments today. He's trying to get attention to the referees and complaining about the penalty last night at the end of the game."

Although Taylor, an 11-year veteran, had a typically productive performance in 2007 (56 tackles, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception), the Redskins do not see him as a good long-term fit with what they are trying to accomplish, sources said, and their stance is not expected to change.

A league source said five teams had made offers for Sheppard. The St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were among those teams, and the source said the Eagles were still hopeful when they went to bed last night that some team would improve its offer today.

The Saints' second-round pick is the 40th overall. Another league source said the Rams were unwilling to give up their second-round pick, which is the 33d overall. In a normal draft year that would be the first pick of the second round, but this year it is the second pick because the New England Patriots were stripped of the 32d overall pick in the first round. Some reports Thursday said that Tampa Bay was the front-runner to land Sheppard, but the league source said the Bucs did not have the best offer on the table as of early Friday evening. There was also speculation that the Bucs might include Michael Clayton in a deal for Sheppard, but the source said the Eagles were not interested in the veteran wide receiver. Tampa Bay has the 52d overall pick in the second round.

Merriman, who in 2006 was suspended for failing a test for a banned performance-enhancing substance, hears all sorts of things about himself. He is not exactly shy. He has a home in Los Angeles and doesn't stay away from the downtown San Diego clubs. He spends a fair amount of time in New York, where he was last week for the Conde Nast Hot List Party and ended up on "Page Six" in the New York Post.

Merriman was asked if there was a chance information on a failed drug test would be released? Merriman said: He said, "Zero. None."

Favre no longer holds a spot on the Green Bay Packers' roster and his $11.4 million salary cap charge is off the team's books. It was mostly a matter of procedure and the Packers could have done it as soon as Favre announced his decision to retire March 4. Up until now, the Packers haven't needed Favre's roster spot or his salary cap money (they were roughly $21 million beneath it), but with rosters currently limited to 80 players with none of the previous exemptions from NFL Europa, the club needs some roster space.

The NFL does not require a letter for a player to be placed in a reserve/retired status. The only reason for Favre to sign his retirement papers is so that he can receive his severance pay from the NFL. He can wait years to file them. Still, there could be something symbolic to Favre's decision not to file them. In a series of interviews this week to promote a popular video game, Favre continues to question whether he made the right decision.

"I'm a big fan," Flacco said this week of Parcells, now the Dolphins' head of football operations. "I don't know what he's thinking but hopefully he likes me."

Flacco said he hasn't received a phone call from South Florida during the past two months. Other than the possible trade of Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor, the Dolphins' plans at quarterback could turn out to be the most interesting story line of the draft's first day. The team has two quarterbacks with NFL experience: second-year pro John Beck and journeyman Josh McCown. The Dolphins will have to decide if the tandem can handle the job in the next season or two. If not, the team could use the first pick of the second round on Flacco, Michigan's Chad Henne or Louisville's Brian Brohm, the three top-rated quarterbacks behind Boston College's Matt Ryan.

Fasano was drafted 53rd overall out of Notre Dame in 2006 when Dolphins football operations executive Bill Parcells and General Manager Jeff Ireland were with the Cowboys. Fasano had 14 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown last season. He is coming off reconstructive shoulder surgery.

Ayodele spent four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, then joined Cowboys as a free agent in 2006. The Cowboys were loaded at linebacker, especially after signing Zach Thomas, who was released by the Dolphins after 12 seasons. Ayodele started all except two games in his two seasons with Dallas. He had 95 tackles last season.

Roos becomes the NFL's third highest-paid tackle, according to his agent, Cameron Foster. The contract includes $15 million in guarantees, with $4 million in a roster bonus this coming season. Roos could also earn $1.5 million in Pro Bowl escalators attached to the deal.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Roos, a second-round draft pick by the Titans in 2005 out of Eastern Washington, has started 48 consecutive games. His contract was scheduled to expire after the 2008 season. The Titans and Foster began negotiating last month and hammered out the final details this week.

According to one NFL source, the New Orleans Saints were willing to increase their initial offer of a second-round pick to include another pick late in the draft — possibly their fifth-rounder. However, the Giants had asked for a second-round pick and safety Roman Harper and didn't seem to be backing off their high demands.

That's because, according to a source, the Giants are wary of appearing to just Shockey away, especially if they use the second-round pick on a player who doesn't work out. They want either an established player or a first-round pick in return — two things they're not likely to get for a banged-up 27-year-old coming off a broken leg. At least, it doesn't appear they'll get that much, but some league insiders cautioned not to underestimate Payton's desire to build his offense around Shockey, who has been telling friends for weeks he wants - and expects — to be traded to the Saints. His unhappiness and his recent demands to renegotiate his contract also could convince the Giants they should trade him away.

"He would have flunked our test over the last four years," Shanahan said. "But he's played over the last four years. The last two years, he's played 77 percent of the time. So we were willing to take the risk."

If Robertson plays in less than 65 percent of the defensive plays in 2008, the Broncos will not have to give the Jets a 2009 draft pick. The Jets will get a 2009 conditional draft pick in the unlikely event Robertson is on the field for more than 65 percent of the plays. The Broncos use an eight-man rotation up front so it's unlikely any defensive lineman, much less Robertson, will play two-thirds of the snaps. Elvis Dumervil was the only Broncos lineman who played 70 percent of the defensive snaps last season, but that was partly because of injuries to two other defensive ends, Ebenezer Ekuban and Jarvis Moss

"I think when training camp gets close, something's bound to happen," Favre told Letterman.

Letterman then asked him what that means.

"I don't know," Favre said. "Did I just say that?"

The Lions did not have a dominant pass rush last year and they traded away their sack leader — tackle Shaun Rogers with seven sacks — and need to replace that pass pressure. The Lions have the 15th overall pick and most draft experts believe there is only one worthy pass rusher for that spot -- and even that's a long shot.

Derrick Harvey of Florida has all the qualities the Lions are looking for but several league sources say Harvey won't get past the Carolina Panthers (who have the 13th overall pick) — if he manages to slide that far.

The Raiders' history of moving up for players they covet in the draft is well known around the league. Don't expect that in the first round of this weekend's draft. The Raiders have just one pick Saturday — the fourth overall. They'll have four in Rounds 4 through 7 Sunday. With no selections in rounds two and three, Kiffin could have a lot of free time if the Raiders don't make any deals to either trade down and acquire more picks or trade 2009 picks in order to grab more players now.

Kiffin expects the Raiders to continue talking with teams and would be "surprised" if the team ended the weekend with only five picks.

"I think St. Louis is a great home for the Rams," Rosenbloom said. "I don't see any reason why we would move the team. I know people have speculated about after our benchmarks are up, then we'll move. I think St. Louis is as committed to the Rams as the Rams are committed to St. Louis. Certainly, I don't see any reason why we would initiate a move to any other city."

Rosenbloom said he and his sister appreciate the way St. Louis treated their mother, the late Georgia Frontiere, after the team moved to St. Louis from Los Angeles in 1995.

NFL cities that have expressed interest in hosting the draft include San Diego, Cleveland and Chicago. Officials in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, have also said they would like to host the draft.

The concern is that too many of the players who emerge from the Trojan program love the SoCal lifestyle more than they love football. In 2003, the Trojans sent a trio of solid players into the league: Carson Palmer, Troy Polamalu, and Justin Fargas. Since then, however, the only guy who has proven to be a consistent high-end talent is linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The growing parade of busts includes Keary Colbert, Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson, Mike Williams, Darnell Bing, Dominique Byrd, Frostee Rucker, Winston Justice, Reggie Bush (relative to his draft status and hype), and Dwayne Jarrett.

As to Matt Leinart and LenDale White, the jury is still out, but might be coming back soon. There already are signs that football isn't their top priority. Otherwise, White wouldn't go blowfish in the offseason and Leinart would be exuding the demeanor of a guy who intends to be a starting NFL quarterback for a long time.

The league, which plans to play its first game in January 2009, would serve as a "minor league" to the NFL, Tomlin said, offering a second chance to college players who show promise but are not selected by a team in the NFL or the Canadian Football League. The new league's season would run from January to April and would serve as a showcase for N.F.L. recruiters, said Tomlin, an entrepreneur based in New Haven. Games would be played in college stadiums, he said.

Tomlin said that the league had solidified deals with three owners and that he expected eight teams to be in place by the end of next month. He would not disclose which cities have teams. Buying a franchise costs $1.5 million, which includes salaries for 60 players. The league is expected to announce Thursday the selection of the retired NFL player Joe Cribbs as its commissioner. Cribbs was an All-Pro running back for the Buffalo Bills from 1980 through 1983, when he joined the U.S.F.L., which folded in 1985.

Strickland, 27, was booked April 13 on suspicion of public intoxication and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, according to police spokesman Jermaine Thomas. On April 13, around 1:50 a.m., police officers spotted Strickland in an altercation with another group of men in downtown San Jose's nightclub district, according to Thomas. Officers saw Strickland near the corner of Second and San Carlos streets being held back by others in his group and believed a fight was about to break out.

The two officers intervened and smelled alcohol on Strickland's breath. Thomas said Strickland "was being belligerent" with the officers, who then tried to place him under arrest. Instructed to walk toward the officers, Strickland ran away, police said. Strickland didn't get far. The 5-foot, 10-inch and 187-pound football player made it for about half a block before he fell down, according to Thomas. After a brief struggle with officers, Strickland got up and ran again.

The Eagles, who certainly would object to apparent tampering if they hadn't given their permission, raised no objection. They said they had no comment according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Sheppard did not deny that a trade to Tampa is a possibility. He is unhappy with the contract extension he signed in 2004, which runs through 2011. The Eagles are believed to be seeking something like the second- and fifth-round draft choices Atlanta got for cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Eagles fan message boards, always on the alert for a possible wide receiver acquisition, were abuzz last night with speculation that the Sheppard deal would include Bucs wideout Michael Clayton.

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What's more, McFadden's mom doesn't necessarily want to see him wind up on the West Coast either, where the Oakland Raiders are eyeing him for the fourth pick. She said she hates California for the same reason: Too big according to the Los Angeles Times. Given her druthers, Muhammad would love to see her son, a former Arkansas star, land closer to their home in Little Rock like Atlanta, Dallas or Tennesse.

The question is, will the Jets be happy with what's in front of them or will they trade out of the pick, move down a few slots and pick up one of the second-tier first-rounders while acquiring another pick or two in the draft? That, according to two people inside Weeb Ewbank Hall, is a possibility the New York Post reported.

If a trade is made, here are several players to keep an eye on, players who visited the Jets, but are not top-six prospects: Tennessee inside linebacker Jerod Mayo, Auburn outside linebacker Quentin Groves and cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin from Troy State, Brandon Flowers from Virginia Tech and Tracy Porter from Indiana.

Robertson, the Jets' top draft pick in 2004 (fourth overall), never became the dominant defensive player the Jets had hoped he would become. When the Jets made a trade with the Panthers for defensive tackle Kris Jenkins this offseason, it made Robertson expendable.

The Jets had tried to trade Robertson to the Bengals earlier this offseason for fourth- and fifth-round draft picks, but he failed a physical. The Jets spoke to Denver earlier about a trade for Robertson, but that deal was never consummated because of Robertson's huge salary. He is due a $3 million roster bonus on June 1 and counts $11 million on the 2008 salary cap. The Broncos and Robertson's agent are currently in talks about a new salary-cap friendly deal.

There were whispers that the Giants' star defensive end was a candidate to be MIA for training camp thanks to his unhappiness with his contract. But yesterday, at an NFL Youth Festival at Central Park, Umenyiora declared he'll be in attendance and won't hold out according to the report in the New York Post.

"To be honest with you, whenever you see players who you don't feel are as good as yourself getting paid the way they're getting paid now, of course you're going to have some questions," Umenyiora said. "Of course you're going to try to see what's going on. But I'm definitely not going to hold out. I don't think it's the right time."

With Rosevelt Colvin already discarded, and Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau — assuming he returns — continuing to fight a futile battle against age, the emphasis in tomorrow's draft remains finding suitable backups and replacements, particularly at inside linebacker.

The intrigue surrounding this draft is whether the Pats have a linebacker they consider worthy of the seventh pick, or if they wait and fill the void later on. Or if they will use the draft at all, considering that under Bill Belichick they haven't been in the habit of drafting linebackers. Typically, the Pats wind up converting defensive ends into linebackers for their 3-4 scheme.

They'll tell him where to go for a good time and give him the names of various places he should avoid. They'll invite him to their frequent off-season pool and bowling outings and their weekly dinners during the season. But the players insist they're not going to be part of Jerry Jones' security force.

They're not going to be chaperoning Pacman. Or calling him to make sure he's home by midnight. Or having the bouncers at various strip clubs phone them when he's on the premises. Nor should they. It's not their responsibility. Frankly, many of them are already sick of talking about Pacman. They roll their eyes at the mention of his name and insist they don't need him to win the Super Bowl. Or even a playoff game.

The 31-year-old veteran quarterback visited the Packers Wednesday, and the two sides could strike a deal before this weekend's draft. Culpepper arrived in Green Bay on Tuesday evening and spent most of today at the team's facility.

"We had him in for a visit, and it was a good visit," General Manager Ted Thompson said late this afternoon. "We wanted to kind of introduce ourselves to him and he to us, so it went fine."

And as of Wednesday evening, one team official said, "It's not a clear-cut choice." Of course, a trade down looms as an additional option. There was speculation that the New York Jets might be interested in trading up to the Rams' spot in order to select Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. But Wednesday was another quiet day at Rams Park, with team sources saying no phone calls came from other clubs regarding a potential deal.

The Rams did receive word from the NFL that they would not be able to negotiate with the No. 2 overall pick prior to drafting him. But even before the league's "no-negotiation" ruling, the Rams made it known that it was highly unlikely they would negotiate with their targeted player at No. 2 — much less have him signed to a contract — before the draft.