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POSTED 10:52 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:02 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

LEWIS GETS UP TO $5 MILLION?

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that running back Jamal Lewis will be paid up to $3.5 million by the Browns in 2007. Of that amount, $1 million comes from a per-game roster bonus.

But a league source claims that the amount is actually up to $5 million.

The Ravens had hoped to get Lewis back under a one-year, $2 million deal.

Though the move will prompt some to conclude that the Browns are now out of the running for running back Adrian Peterson, we think that Peterson is still firmly in play.

If they decide instead to focus on quarterback Brady Quinn, look for the Browns to possibly try to trade back a few spots, since Quinn is still expected to be available after the first five picks are made.

TURK TO GET SOME PLAY

With the 49ers keeping restricted free-agent punter Andy Lee (by matching the offer sheet he signed with the Steelers), there is increasing talk in league circles that the Steelers will now turn to unrestricted free-agent punter Matt Turk.

The 12-year veteran averaged 43.5 yards per punt in 2006, and had an average net of 38.3 yards.

The Steelers are looking to replace Chris Gardocki, a 16-year veteran who has been the team's punter since 2004.

POSTED 9:47 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:35 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

LEWIS SIGNING DOESN'T RULE OUT PETERSON PICK

Scout.com reports that the deal between the Browns and running back Jamal Lewis is a one-year deal only.

Recently, it was reported that Lewis did not want to sign a one-year deal.

The practical effect? The addition of Lewis doesn't mean that the Browns won't draft running back Adrian Peterson with the No. 3 overall pick. Lewis can be the starter while Peterson spends his rookie year learning the ropes. Then, in 2008 or 2009, Peterson can take over the running game.

Also, the fact that Lewis accepted a one-year contract in Cleveland could mean that the Ravens yanked their offer after they turned their focus to Willis McGahee.

THE SURVEY IS A HIT

Last year, we ended our reader survey after collecting 1,000 responses in 36 hours.

This time around, the numbers are slightly higher.

In the first 24 hours, we've had nearly 8,700 responses. (If each of those folks would also apply for an NFL Extra Points credit card, we'd be very happy.)

Stay tuned. We'll post the results of the survey once we wrap it up.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Packers have released FB William Henderson.

The Pats have re-signed Larry Izzo.

Broncos CB Dre' Bly is singing a different tune.

O.J. Simpson says he "knew" Anna Nicole Smith.

The new CBA is a year old on Thursday.

PewterReport.com reports that S Mike Doss will visit the Bucs on Thursday.

The Bucs have signed DT Lance Legree and DT Kenny Smith.

POSTED 9:37 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

STEELERS DON'T WANT TO BE POISON-PILLED

A league source tells us that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't insert a poison-pill provision in the offer sheet signed by punter Andy Lee because the Steelers don't want the device to be used on them.

It's code, in our view, for collusion.

Though it remains to be seen whether other teams will extend the same courtesy to the Steelers, the failure of the Steelers to use the device invites scrutiny from the union.

And to the extent that there is a lingering belief that the poison pill might not survive a full-blown attack via arbitration, the Lee contract gave the Steelers and the league a great opportunity to permit the thing to be challenged, at a low risk.

If the poison pill had been invalidated, the Steelers wouldn't have gotten Lee -- but the device would have disappeared from the free-agency arsenal.

By not using the poison pill, the Steelers didn't get Lee. But the poison pill is still on the books.

POSTED 8:57 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

JAMAL SIGNS WITH BROWNS

John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that the Cleveland Browns have reached an agreement with running back Jamal Lewis.

Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Lewis was offered only a one-year deal by the Ravens, who have since turned their attention to swinging a trade for Willis McGahee.

In 2003, Lewis rushed for 500 yards in two games against the Browns.

POSTED 8:45 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:52 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

NINERS MATCH LEE OFFER SHEET

A league source tells us that the San Francisco 49ers have matched the offer sheet that punter Andy Lee signed on Tuesday with the Steelers.

The Niners had until March 13 to make a decision.

It had been reported elsewhere on Wednesday that the offer did not include a poison-pill provision. By failing to use the device, the Steelers basically negotiated on the Niners' behalf a long-term deal for Lee.

If, in contrast, the Steelers had thrown a phony final year on the deal worth $15 million or so, and had included a term that would have made the entire package guaranteed if, for example, Lee played six games in California in any year of the deal, the Niners more likely would have let Lee walk.

So why didn't the Steelers use it? And, more importantly, why did they even bother to make the offer if they weren't going to try their best to land the player?

Look for the union to grouse about this one, since the NFL clearly doesn't like the poison pill -- and since the union clearly believes it's a valid tool to promote player movement.

If the Niners had opted not to match the deal, they would have gotten a sixth-round pick as compensation from the Steelers.

For the Steelers, don't be surprised if they turn their attention to Matt Turk.

POSTED 8:20 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:39 p.m. EST March 7, 2007

BRONCOS INK RAMSEY

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Denver Broncos have signed quarterback Patrick Ramsey to a two-year, $4.5 million contract.

Ramsey recently was cut by the Jets, who wanted to avoid paying him a roster bonus. He originally was selected by the Redskins in the first round of the 2002 draft. He started 24 games in four seasons with Washington.

In Denver, Ramsey will likely serve as the primary backup to Jay Cutler.

NFL SHOULD FOLLOW NASA'S LEAD

The NFL's current Personal Conduct Policy permits discipline to be imposed on law-breaking players only after the player is convicted of (or pleads guilty or no contest to) breaking the law.

For anything less than a conviction, there's no penalty.

Not all employers follow this approach. For many, a rap sheet results in a pink slip.

One such organization is NASA. On Wednesday, the federal space agency fired astronut Lisa Nowak based on charges that she tried to kidnap a romantic rival.

"But what about due process?" someone like Mike Golic might claim. Not long ago Golic, likely thought that "due process" was a reference to how they make Cheese Whiz. But now it's one of the big guy's favorite phrases whenever the issue of player misconduct is raised.

Due process is important to the question of whether the suspect goes to jail. As to the question of whether the allegations are sufficient to end the suspect's employment is a very different proposition.

So while we think that the NFL should not generally toss out of the league guys who have been arrested, there should be no requirement to wait for a conviction, and it's in the best interests of both the league and the union to come up with a better approach.

POSTED 7:18 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 7:59 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

McGAHEE TO RAVENS TONIGHT OR TOMORROW?

A league source tells us that there's a good chance that the Buffalo Bill will trade running back Willis McGahee to the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday night or Thursday.

Per the source, there are a couple of other teams still in the hunt for McGahee. As of now, however, the Ravens are at the front of the pack.

Also, a reader tells us that there are reports on Sirius NFL Radio that such a trade would entail Baltimore sending a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick to Buffalo.

If the trade happens, the Ravens likely will be signing McGahee to a long-term deal. Based on recent contracts, McGahee could get $20 million in guaranteed money. (Ray Lewis will be thrilled with that.)

Meanwhile, the Bills are looking for McGahee's eventual replacement. Chris Brown visited Buffalo on Wednesday, and Corey Dillon is up next.

STALLWORTH DEAL COMING FRIDAY?

Look for receiver Donte' Stallworth to have a new deal in place by Friday.

Per a league source, Stallworth is expected to pull the trigger on a new contract by then. Barring an unforeseen development, such as a late arrival into the bidding for his services, Stallworth likely will have a new team by Saturday.

Stallworth, who played in 2006 with the Eagles, has visited with the Patriots and Titans, and will meet with the Dolphins on Friday. There are conflicting reports as to whether the Eagles have extended an offer to him.

EAGLES DIDN'T LEAK STALLWORTH'S STATUS IN PROGRAM

Though some members of the media, and some league insiders, believe that the person who first publicly reported the status of receiver Donte' Stallworth in the league's substance abuse program got his information from the Eagles, we can report with 100 percent certainty that we got the news via someone other than the Eagles, and that the person who shared the news with us didn't get it from the Eagles.

Indeed, the information was already "out there" well before Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the subject earlier this week.

And the publication of the information didn't affect Stallworth's value on the market, since teams are entitled to find out whether a free agent is in the program.

But since it's now harder for teams to recover signing bonus money when a suspension occurs, look for the squad that signs Stallworth to include some protections against the possibility that Stallworth eventually will be suspended.

POSTED 6:19 p.m. EST;; UPDATED 6:29 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

SAINTS SECURE JOHNSON

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Saints have signed free-agent tight end Eric Johnson to a one-year deal.

Johnson, a pass-catching tight end who was rendered irrelevant in San Fran by the arrival of Vernon Davis, could infuse some real production into the position for the Saints.

He caught 82 passes in 2004, but missed all of 2005 due to injury. He played in 13 games last season, catching 34 passes.

By signing a one-year deal, Johnson has a chance to put up some good numbers and hit the market again in 2008.

RAVENS SCREW MULITALO

Okay, so let's get this straight. The Ravens are afraid to use the franchise tag on a player like Adalius Thomas because it's a sign of disrespect to pay a guy a one-year, multi-million-dollar salary, or to try to get value for his rights via a trade.

But it's fine to cut a guy nearly a week into free agency, after the big money has begun to dry up?

It's precisely what the Ravens have done to long-time starting guard Edwin Mulitalo.

"When you release a player like Edwin, it gives you pause," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "This is the cold side of the business. All he did was everything we asked him to do and more. He gave us stability at left guard. He was always an example to his teammates as to how a professional should conduct himself."

So why not show your gratitude by putting him on the market as of March 2?

It makes no sense, and it causes us to regard Billick's statements as hollow.

POSTED 6:01 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

FALCONS LAND HORN

Yahoo! Sports reports that receiver Joe Horn has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons.

The move adds insult to injury for Saints fans, who now must go from cheering for Horn to dealing with him in their own division.

But "injury" might be the key word here. Adam Schein of FOXSports.com and Sirius NFL Radio recently reported that Horn was cut by the Saints not because of money, but because he failed a physical.

POSTED 5:13 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 5:45 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

RAIDERS BIDING THEIR TIME ON MOSS

At a time when a total of four teams have been linked to rumors regarding a potential trade of Randy Moss, it's our understanding based on discussions with league sources that the Raiders intend to take their time with this one.

Why? Because they don't owe Moss another dime until the start of the regular season, when his $9.75 million salary kicks in. Until then, the Raiders are in position to sit back, and field offers.

The teams linked to Moss are the Packers, Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Patriots. There are rumors (unsubstantiated at this point) that the Jets are in the mix.

And that would make sense; if Pats coach Bill Belichick has long been enamored with Moss, some of that man-love might have infected Jets coach Eric Mangini, who spent several years with Belichick in New England.

But while the Raiders hold the cards -- and in theory they could decide to pay him $9.75 million for the privilege of keeping him from getting his way -- we suspect that a deal will come, eventually. Moss, we hear, is unhappy playing on the West Coast, and wants to be closer to his adopted home of Florida, where his children reside.

Finally, the biggest potential obstacle to a trade will be Randy's readiness to restructure his contract. Will he want a big signing bonus? Will he insist on his full salary? Or will he accept a contract that allows him to pursue a Super Bowl title while he's still arguably in the twilight of his prime?

Stay tuned.

'SKINS BOOT HALL

Possibly in an effort to create enough cap room to sign cornerback Dre' Bly to a long-term deal, the Redskins have cut kicker John Hall, creating $1.5 million in 2007 cap space.

Hall was part of the Redskins' high-profile raid of four years ago on the Jets, in which the 'Skins landed receiver Laveranues Coles, guard Randy Thomas, kick returner Chad Morton, and Hall.

Injuries have hampered Hall of late and, let's face it, there are plenty of capable (and cheaper) legs available.

KEEPING MOSS ISN'T OUT OF THE QUESTION

Though the Raiders might have multiple eventual trade partners for receiver Randy Moss, a league source tells us that there are signs that the team is trying to position itself to keep him, but that coach Lane Kiffin is uneasy about the potential for Moss continuing to be a distraction.

"They've invested a tremendous amount of time trying to find a coach who can control Moss or who has a close relationship with Moss in his past," the source told us. "They were strongly considering Charlie Baggett, who had worked with Moss in the past, but he just got hired by [the University of] Washington. It's very unusual to go this long without hiring a receivers coach and, at this point, it's doubtful they’ll get someone who fits what they are looking for."

Indeed, the team's web site reveals that there is no receivers coach on staff.

So if they don't or can't find the right guy, then the Raiders could be more inclined to let Moss go. Either way, the manner in which this position is (or isn't) filled could go a long way toward revealing whether the Raiders try to keep him around.

POSTED 4:38 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

BYRD IS A TYRD

Rams tight end Dominique Byrd was arrested over the weekend on charges of suspicion of DUI.

The former USC standout was busted early Sunday in L.A.

For Byrd, it's his second arrest since joining the NFL. He is facing charges for assault resulting from a December 2006 fight.

For the Rams, it's three points in Turd Watch.

POSTED 11:21 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:52 a.m. EST, March 7, 2007

FINS CRITICIZED FOR PAYING PORTER

Though some league insiders are resigned to the fact that the current market for aging linebackers justifies the payment of $20 million in guaranteed money, others are blown away by the decision of the Dolphins to hand that kind of cash to linebacker Joey Porter.

Said one league source: "Anyone who watched Porter on tape this year concluded that he was done, as in 'stick a fork in him' done. The Dolphins paid way too much."

Frankly, we wonder whether it was a football move, or whether it was a "let's put butts in the seats" maneuver, since the loudly colorful (or colorfully loud) Porter brings a barking dog mindset that the Dolphins haven't had lately. For the oft-disinterested South Floridians, Joey's fire could ignite the fan base.

Really, why shed a bunch of veterans in an apparent effort to go young and then replace them by giving too much money to a veteran whose past success might have had more to do with the system in the 'Burgh and less to do with his own personal skills?

Porter is, in our view, a glorified cheerleader who might still have some gas in the tank. But not $20 million of it.

DID PITTSBURGH POISON PILL FOR PITT PUNTER?

The decision of the Steelers to sign 49ers punter Andy Lee, who played at Heinz Field while a student at Pitt, to an offer sheet is an intriguing one. Though the terms of the offer are not yet known, it could be that the Steelers inserted a poison-pill provision in the deal that would make the offer impossible, as a practical matter, for the Niners to match.

The poison-pill principle allows a team to insert terms into an offer sheet that will result in the full-value of a backloaded deal being guaranteed if matched, but not guaranteed if not matched. The device was used by the Vikings against the Seahawks and the Seahawks against the Vikings a year ago.

There still remains a question as to whether the poison pill would pass muster, if properly challenged via arbitration. The fact, however, that the NFL tried to get the union to agree to wipe it off of the books suggests that, as a practical matter, it's a legitimate tool for raiding a team for players. And if teams now choose not to use it, the union surely will cry foul.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 9:03 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:29 a.m. EST, March 7, 2007

PLUMMER BLUFFING ABOUT RETIRING

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that quarterback Jake Plummer does not intend to retire, and that he is (as suspected) trying to get to Houston, where he would be reunited with former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.

Plummer's desire to play for the Texans would help explain the failure of the team, in the wake of his supposed retirement, to hit the market and sign a veteran quarterback, since it's widely believed that David Carr is finished there.

Some league insiders believe that, in the end, Houston will acquire his rights, presumably via a trade with the Buccaneers.

KENYON CLEANS UP

A league source tells us that defensive end Kenyon Coleman, who signed with the Jets on Tuesday, will receive $20.5 million over the life of the deal, with $7 million in guaranteed money. It is, we're told, a five-year contract.

It's in essence a Chris Kelsay contract. Kelsay, with 12.5 career sacks, got $13 million guaranteed from the Bills to stay put. Coleman has 6.5 career sacks.

Sure, it's merely a reflection of the current market. But when those guys who are profiting from the current market are elbow-to-elbow with guys who are working under deals made in a far different market, there will be trouble.

And although Giants defensive end Michael Strahan is on the back end of his prime, at best, how is he feeling about a contract that will pay him $4 million in non-guaranteed salary in 2007, and another non-guaranteed $4 million in 2008?

With 132.5 sacks, Strahan would surely love to get in line for a Chris Kelsay contract right now.

PFT PLANET HAS SPOKEN

Okay, so we posted our new survey last night. And by 8:00 a.m. EST, we received more than 100 e-mails from readers who raised with us a relatively minor problem.

In the question regarding geography, we limited the options only to the 50 United States. But, as we well know, it's not PFT Nation -- it's PFT Planet.

So the survey has been fixed. We apol . . . apolo . . . apolog . . . well, we've got no one else to blame so it's all our fault.

The problem arose because at one point we were thinking about soliciting zip codes, and when we decided to keep it more general we just forgot to add in other countries.

Also, we've been asked by several readers to include choices other than "daily" in the "How often do you visit?" category. Apparently, there are plenty of you who are on the site hourly or more often.

We fully encourage such habits, and we ask you to do whatever you can to persuade your friends and family to behave in a similar fashion.

CLARK AGREES WITH TEXANS

A league source tells us that linebacker Danny Clark has agreed to terms with the Houston Texans.

Most casual fans likely haven't heard of him, which means that his guaranteed money likely will be in the neighborhood of only $8 million.

Clark is a seven-year veteran, and he has played for the Jaguars, Raiders, and (most recently) the Saints. He started in 31 games during a two-season stint with Oakland, from 2004 through 2005.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

In addition to hosting Jamal Lewis Wednesday, the Browns will also be entertaining Titans DT Robaire Smith and Bills OT/OG Mike Gandy.

According to Cleveland radio, Jamal Lewis will not entertain one-season offers. (He's more comfortable with terms like "2-to-5 years.")

Pittsburgh signed 49ers restricted free agent P Andy Lee to an offer sheet.

The Bengals helped a local high school keep kids off the streets (and away from their players) by donating $250,000 to install artificial turf.

There's some question as to what the Browns were thinking when they signed CB Kenny Wright.

Are the Steelers starting to feel their age?

Former Chiefs OL Jordan Black will meet with the Raiders today.

The Chiefs visited with free agent CB David Macklin Tuesday.

The Broncos are also interested in Macklin.

The Broncos are talking to QB Patrick Ramsey about becoming the team’s backup to Jay Cutler.

The Raiders have hired four new coaches.

The Bucs are now in the running for Raiders WR Randy Moss.

The Chargers re-signed backup C Cory Withrow on Tuesday.

Broncos CB Dré Bly wants to get paid by the Redskins.

Bears GM Jerry Angelo basically thinks that LB Lance Briggs should take the franchise money and shut up.

New Bears featured back Cedric Benson will have to get used to carrying the offense.

Former Falcons fullback Justin Griffith visits the Packers on Wednesday, while William Henderson is still waiting to hear if he should submit that job application at Taco Bell.

RB T.J. Duckett left Detroit without a deal. (Apparently, he was unable to produce proof that he actually played in the NFL last season.)

Brad Johnson believes he can still be a starter in the league. (He's right, if there's an unfortunate tap-dancing accident at a convention of all of the real starting quarterbacks.)

Just in case he really is the head coach in waiting, the Star Telegram affixes its face to the rear end of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

The Redskins are creating cap room in order to go after Dré Bly.

After missing out on Luke Petitgout, the 'Skins have shifted their focus to G Adam Timmerman.

The Giants extended an offer to K Jay Feely.

WR Kevin Curtis missed his visit with the Giants yesterday.

Donte' Stallworth has not received an offer from the Eagles.

If Donte' Stallworth leaves, the Eagles could be looking at WRs Terrance Copper and Shaun McDonald.

QB Patrick Ramsey visited the Texans on Tuesday. (He was sacked only three times.)

Attention, Jaguars fans: CFO Bill Prescott wants your money.

After releasing RB Travis Henry, the Titans could consider re-signing RB Chris Brown.

Texans DE Mario Williams is selling his house.

The Texans may be thinking about moving up in the draft to try and get Brady Quinn.

DB Antwan Marsh has been brought back by the Colts.

The Colts might be cutting the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

POSTED 11:38 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

A STORM IS COMING

One of the likely consequences of the current salary spending spree, in which plenty of cap room is being devoted to plenty of guys who aren't as skilled or accomplished as plenty of others already under contract, is a looming rash of locker room discontent.

The problem? The players who realized right place/right time windfalls in free agency are setting the floor for the future paydays of other players who regard themselves as "better" than the players who are getting paid tens of millions of guaranteed dollars.

And we're already picking up indications that, once the dust settles in free agency, plenty of agents will then huddle with their non-free-agent clients about pursuing adjustments to contracts negotiated before the salary cap made like Wile E. Coyote strapped to an oversized bottle rocket.

With the ability of teams to recover bonus money limited under the new CBA, there could be more holdouts. Even if players don't stay away from mandatory or voluntary sessions, there likely will be unprecedented tension coming from key veterans who are making far less money than some Johnny Come Lately who was lucky enough to be on the market at a time when the overall talent was depleted -- and the cap had jumped a total of $14 million in less than a full calendar year.

POSTED 10:48 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:52 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

GRAHAM SIGNS WITH BRONCOS

Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Adam Schefter of the NFL Network report that the Denver Broncos have signed tight end Daniel Graham to a five-year, $30 million contract, which includes $15 million in guaranteed money.

The deal makes Graham one of the highest paid tight ends in the league. (We previously said he's the highest-paid tight end, but he might be a million or so behind Tony Gonzalez.)

Graham, primarily a blocking tight end with the Patriots, reportedly wants to be more involved in the passing game. In 2006, the Broncos selected tight end Tony Scheffler in the second round of the draft. Scheffler caught 18 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

Graham also drew interest from the Raiders and the Seahawks.

VIKES CATCH WADE

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Minnesota Vikings have signed receiver Bobby Wade to a five-year, $15 million deal.

And so yet another so-so player gets paid.

Wade, who spent two years with the Bears and two with the Titans, caught 33 passes for 461 yards and two touchdowns (the only scores of his career) in 2006. He started in only two of 16 regular-season games.

POSTED 7:39 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:34 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

STILL NO DEAL FOR STALLWORTH

Contrary to a report on ComcastSportsNet.com that receiver Donte' Stallworth has a deal with the New England Patriots, Profootballtalk.com has learned that there is no agreement.

ComcastSportsNet.com says that the deal was "confirmed . . . by the office of Drew Rosenhaus, Stallworth's agent."

Well, we tracked down Rosenhaus personally, and he told us: "There is no deal, and nothing is imminent."

Stallworth visited with the Patriots on Tuesday, and will next visit with the Titans, and then with the Dolphins. No decision on his next destination is expected until the end of the week, at the earliest.

[UPDATE: ComcastSportsNet.com has revised its story, calling the reports of a deal 'premature." In true Tribune-Review fashion, the reference to confirmation from the office of Drew Rosenhaus has been scrubbed out of the story.]

RAIDERS V. NFL HEADS TO CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT

The California Supreme Court scheduled on Tuesday oral arguments in the case of the Raiders versus the NFL. The arguments will be held on April 4, 2007.

The appeal before the highest court in the state of California arises from a 2001 verdict entered in favor of the league, in a suit brought by the Raiders arising from failed efforts to build a new stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood.

The trial court scuttled the verdict based on allegations of juror bias, and an intermediate appellate court reversed the decision. The Raiders then persuaded the California Supreme Court to consider the issue.

If the Raiders prevail, a new trial will be held, more than six years after the original effort. If the NFL prevails, the case will be over.

Unless there are grounds to appeal the thing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lead counsel for the NFL is Gregg Levy, who was one of the finalists for the position of Commissioner in 2006.

FINAL YEAR OF CLEMENTS DEAL IS PHONY

Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange explains that the eight-year, $80 million deal given by the 49ers to cornerback Nate Clements contains a phony final year, which automatically will be voided when a $10 million option bonus is paid to the player in 2008.

So either the option bonus won't be paid, and it'll be just a one-year deal -- or the option bonus will be paid, and the contract will be worth $64.02 million over seven years.

This is far different from a puffed up back end; it's a complete fabrication of the final year.

They could have picked any number for that final year. Instead of eight years, $80 million, the contract could have been eight years, $100 million. Or eight years, $800 million. Or eight years, infinity.

So why did they plop $15.98 million into the eighth year that will disappear a year from now? It was, in our view, a favor to the agent, who'll now be able to trumpet to recruits the fact that he negotiated an "eight-year, $80 million" contract.

He didn't. It's seven years, $64.02 million. Still impressive, but not as catchy.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Last year at this time, we wanted to put together some information regarding our demographics. So we listed five or six questions and asked the members of PFT Planet to e-mail their answers. Within 36 hours, we had 1,000 responses.

This time around, we've created an easy-to-use survey page. And that means we won't have to sift through 1,000 e-mails.

The new survey takes only a minute, and it will help us to better know our audience. So click here and have at it.

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Fins are expected to sign K Jay Feely, and to dump K Olindo Mare.

Will Rams TE Dominique Byrd be earning some Turd Watch points?

The Raiders have signed C Jeremy Newberry to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. (Not bad for a guy who has had microfracture surgery on both knees.)

TE Reggie Kelly has re-signed with the Bengals.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that Seahawks TE Jerramy Stevens will visit the Bucs. (His first name has an extra "r" in case he drops one of them.)

The Panthers have been Bobbitized.

One of our spies in Jersey says that LB Ike Reese was spotted looking for homes there on Tuesday.

The Jets have signed Cowboys DE Kenyon Coleman.

Pats beat writer Alan Greenberg, 55, of the Hartford Courant died suddenly on Tuesday of an apparent heart attack.

Packers FB William Henderson says he's been told that he's going to be released.

The Redskins have re-signed DB Ade Jimoh.

The Ravens have re-signed RB Musa Smith.

Meanwhile, former Ravens go-to tailback Jamal Lewis will visit the Browns.

Bears DT Tank Johnson's home confinement could soon be losing the "home".

OSTED 5:12 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

NICHOLSON SENTENCED FOR BURGLARY

Bengals linebacker A.J. Nicholson has been sentenced to 60 days in a sheriff's work program as a result of a guilty plea to burglary and grand theft.

Nicholson pleaded no contest last month to the charges. Though the specific date of the plea is not available, we're going to assume that it came on or after February 5, thereby earning the Bengals two points -- one for the plea to each charge -- in the 2007 Turd Watch sweepstakes. (If anyone can prove otherwise, we'll change the "score.")

Nicholson was arrested for stealing electronics equipment from a former roommate. Nicholson was implicated by a former Florida State teammate, who admitted to being involved in the crime after one of his personalized receiving gloves was found at the scene.

The plea of no contest subjects Nicholson to discipline under the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

POSTED 5:03 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

GREEN GETTING THE HEAVE-HO?

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that Chiefs quarterback Trent Green has been asked to restructure his contract, and has been given the opportunity to talk with other teams.

In other words, Green has been politely told to get the hell out of town.

Stay tuned. There were reports recently that the Dolphins might be interested.

POSTED 4:39 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

BANTA-CAIN SIGNS WITH THE NINERS

We've received multiple e-mails chastising us for our failure to proclaim from the mountaintops that linebacker Tully Banta-Cain is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

We don't want to take anything away from Banta-Cain's football skills, and we have a certain inherent "Boy Named Sue" type of admiration for any man who has spent his life answering to the word "Tully." But even though this specific free-agent class has been a little short on sex appeal, Tully Banta-Cain is not going to be the difference between 12-4 and 6-10 for the Niners.

He has 64 tackles and 8.5 sacks in four NFL seasons. Based on the e-mails we've been getting we would've sworn that the Niners just signed Lawrence Taylor in his prime.

POSTED 4:30 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

HARRIS SIGNS WITH CHIEFS

We know, we know. We're a little late on this one. We're still having trouble with the software, and we're still trying to get caught up with everything.

Anyway, linebacker Napoleon Harris has signed with the Chiefs. Per Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (and possibly others -- we're not playing favortites), Harris gets a $7.5 million signing bonus and $13 million over the first three years.

We're told that the full value of the deal is $24 million over six years.

POSTED 4:18 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

RUMORS OF STALLWORTH DEAL ARE NOT ACCURATE

We've received e-mails from several readers who have heard rumors (apparently on radio stations in the Boston area) that receiver Donte' Stallworth and the Patriots have agreed to a six-year, $32 million contract, with $12 million in guaranteed money.

Per a league source, there is no agreement between Stallworth and New England, and there isn't likely to be a deal in the short term. For now, the plan is for Stallworth to follow his visit to Foxborough with a trip to Tennessee and then to Miami.

Also, the Eagles have reportedly made an offer to Stallworth. We've confirmed that an offer has been made, but we have not been able to finagle any of the terms.

If the Eagles re-sign Stallworth, they won't be required to upgrade the fourth-round pick that they sent to the Saints as part of the 2006 trade for the receiver to a third-round pick. The enhancement was required, we're told, only if Stallworth had been re-signed before becoming a free agent.

POSTED 4:11 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

JONES DEAL NEARLY DONE

Though the deadline was 4:00 p.m. EST, the deal between the Jets and running back Thomas Jones isn't completely done. But it appears that everyone is agreeing to a short extension of the deadline in order to allow the deal to be completed, and the trade to go through.

In addition to the basic terms of four years, $20 million, we're told that Jones will get $13.1 million in the first two years, $12 million of which will be guaranteed.

POSTED 3:28 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

JONES DEAL CLOSE

When the Bears traded running back Thomas Jones to the Jets on Monday, the deal hinged on the Jets and Jones working out a new contract by 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday.

We're told that the deal is nearly done, and that Jones will get $20 million over four years.

Though the Jets are being praised for the trade and the Bears are being chastised, we think it was a better deal for Chicago than most recognize. First, it cleared out of the locker room a guy who was becoming increasingly discontent. Second, it gives Cedric Benson a chance to become the guy who they thought he was when they used the No. 4 overall pick on him in 2005. Third, it allowed the Bears to upgrade from the bottom of round two to the top of round two in the draft. As we explained earlier on Tuesday, the No. 37 overall pick coupled with the Bears' No. 31 selection in the first-round could enable the team to get into the upper teens.

And if they toss in franchise-tagged linebacker Lance Briggs (as one reader has suggested), the Bears possibly could get in position to snare one of the elite players in the draft, such as receiver Calvin Johnson, or even quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

With their current defense, the Bears are scary. With a blue-chip playmaker on offense, some of their opponents might decide not to even show up on Sunday.

POSTED 3:14 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

PETITGOUT DEAL WORTH MORE THAN ORIGINALLY REPORTED

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the contract signed by tackle Luke Petitgout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is worth $15.5 million over three years, with a $3 million signing bonus. Original reports were that the Bucs would pay $6 million over three years.

Per a league source, Petitgout will get a roster bonus in 2007 of $1 million and a base salary of $2 million. In 2008, Petitgout is due to receive a roster bonus of $1.75 million and a base salary of $2.5 million. In 2009, Petitgout is scheduled to receive a roster bonus of $1.75 million and a base salary of $3.5 million.

The source of the original confusion is unclear. It's possible that someone made a mistake, and it's possible that someone (i.e., the team) was putting out bad info.

We'd previously heard that Petitgout was looking for at least $5 million per year, and that the team was offering the veteran minimum. So the real numbers are far closer to Petitgout's goal.

POSTED 2:08 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:26 p.m. EST, March 6, 2007

CLEMENTS' REAL DEAL? SIX YEARS, $8.791 MILLION AVERAGE

A league source with knowledge of the contract signed by cornerback Nate Clements with the San Francisco 49ers tells us that, as a practical matter, the deal is worth $8.791 million per year over six years.

The final two years of the deal pay out a total of $27.25 million. By then, Clements will be on the back end of his prime at best, and it's unlikely that he'll ever see that money.

Then again, given the way the market is going, $27.25 over two years might be chump change by 2013.

All in all, the contract is a great one, especially since it pays out $22.6 million in guaranteed money. But it's unlikely that Clements will receive $80 million over the next eight years in San Francisco.

TECHNICAL GLITCH TODAY, AND OTHER STUFF

We've fallen a little behind this afternoon because we were having trouble with the software we use to upload new versions of the page. But it's working again, and we're now in full catch-up mode.

While we're on a subject other than football, we've decided to keep the One-Liners in the Rumor Mill. The split was roughly 85-15 in favor of doing so, and a few of the "keep it as it is" e-mails included threats of violence.

Hey, the customer is always right. Especially the customer who owns a weapon.

As to the interns, we're now being flooded with e-mails from all of the people who weren't hired for one of the eight spots, and they are criticizing the work product of the folks who were hired. First of all, I'm heavily editing the written product, and most of the smart-ass comments were not added by the interns but by me. So to the extent that you think they are trying too hard to be funny, I'm the one trying too hard to be funny.

Second, we're not going to present the One-Liners by division. Instead, we'll merely put up new One-Liners are they arrive. These folks are interns only -- they help in the collection and presentation of news links. The stuff that is on the page is PFT content, edited exclusively by the Poobah. So, again, if anyone is an idiot, I'm the idiot.

To make this clear, we'll have a separate page that names the interns, but we won't be naming them every time we post One-Liners. Thus, if you have a complaint, it's not about Travis or Jason or the guy whose name we still don't know. The complaint should be directed at PFT generally, and please don't suggest that we need to fire one or more of the interns and hire you instead.

The potential benefits of this internship thing are significant. In addition to our usual stories, we can now keep track of every team in a fraction of the time, since I don't have to go out and find the stories and paste the links and all of that stuff.

That is all. Now back to our habit of making stuff up.

POSTED 11:02 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

PETITGOUT AGREES WITH BUCS

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network and PewterReport.com report that former Giants left tackle Luke Petitgout has agreed in principle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Petitgout visited the Bucs last week and passed a physical. He recently visited the Redskins, who wanted to move him to left guard.

It's believed that Petitgout will play left tackle in Tampa.

POSTED 10:31 a.m. EST; UPDATED 10:51 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

PORTER GETS PAID

He wanted more money in 2006. He eventually got cut.

But now he's getting paid.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that linebacker Joey Porter's contract with the Dolphins is worth $32.5 million over five years, with a whopping $20 million in guaranteed money.

The guaranteed money matches the amount received by linebacker Adalius Thomas with the Patriots.

The next question is whether Porter will be an exception to the rule that Steelers linebackers do much better in black and gold than they perform elsewhere. But even if he flames out, that $20 million will carry him a long way after his playing career ends.

TUESDAY MORNING AFC EAST ONE-LINERS (as collected by intern Shawn)

A league source tells us that OL Wade Smith will visit the Broncos on Tuesday.

The Boston Herald thinks it would be stupid for the Patriots not to at least try to get WR Randy Moss. (It would be almost as stupid as cutting-and-pasting content from another writer's work product.)

The Patriots are also looking to upgrade with other options as well.

Former Patriots LB Tully Banta-Cain could be Joey Porter's replacement.

The Dolphins are bringing in tough-guy K Jay Feely for a visit; apparently, he'll be asked either to try to beat Olindo Mare out of a job, or to beat the living crap out of him.

POSTED 8:43 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:26 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

PORTER TO SIGN WITH FINS?

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, WPXI-TV is reporting that linebacker Joey Porter will sign on Tuesday with the Miami Dolphins.

The deal reportedly will be for five years, and will pay a total of $24 million, including a $12 million signing bonus.

However, given recent gaffes by the Tribune-Review, we'll believe this one when we see Porter wearing a Miami uniform.

"THERE'S NOTHING DIRTIER THAN A GIANT BALL OF OIL"

Now that we've got an almost-full complement of interns gathering news links and sending them to us, and before we test the oil tanker bladder system with a giant rubber ball from Play Now, a reader has suggested that we divert the One-Liners to a page separate from the Rumor Mill.

Though we've got no desire to sift through another 500 e-mails, drop us a line letting us know whether you prefer the One-Liners to be in the Rumor Mill, or to see them in a separate page.

Our preference is to stick with one page, since it's easy to scroll past the One-Liners, if a given reader so chooses. But we also don't want to pass up a potentially legitimate opportunity to increase our total page views, without using the Boston Herald device of dropping the last sentence of an item on a new page.

TUESDAY MORNING AFC NORTH ONE-LINERS (as collected by intern Jason)

The job duties of Marvin Lewis now include commenting publicly on the struggles of his rivals.

While they'd prefer to re-sign Jamal Lewis, the Ravens have contacted the agents for Corey Dillon and Chris Brown.

The Steelers may have to adjust their thinking regarding what they are willing to pay free agents.

S Kevin Kaesviharn is still considering returning to the Bengals (mostly because it took them this long to spell the name on his jersey right).

Bucs OG Sean Mahan and Raiders QB Marques Tuiasosopo visited the Browns yesterday; the Browns are expected to make a strong push for Mahan on Tuesday.

Deshea Townsend's lawyer says his client is innocent, preserving a string of "I didn't do it" defenses that dates back to the case of Cain v. Abel.

Former Bengals LB Brian Simmons agreed to a three-year deal with the Saints.

TUESDAY MORNING NFC EAST ONE-LINERS (as collected by intern Matt)

The Giants want to bringin WR Kevin Curtis for a look-see.

Donte' Stallworth is in a stage of the substance abuse program that doesn't result in a suspension.

Can A.J. Feeley push D-Mac?

The Eagles have made an offer to WR Donte' Stallworth.

Luke Petitgout might sign with the Redskins.

The Hamburglar will be hanging around in Dallas for two more years.

Jerry Jones claims that it's normal to grossly overpay players.

TUESDAY MORNING NFC NORTH ONE-LINERS (as collected by intern Brian)

Packers fans will have to shell out more money for the privilege to watch Lord Favre limp through his annual farewell tour.

Packers G.M. Ted Thompson says he's "perfectly comfortable with Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, P.J. Pope, and Arliss Beach."

The Packers have re-signed offensive lineman Tyson Walter, whose job continues to be to protect Lord Favre just long enough for him to make a bad throw.

Lions CEO Matt Millen says that the team is still talking to WR Kevin Curtis. (They'd be more likely to acquire Curtis if he was on the board when the team uses its first-round draft choice.)

The Vikings will now turn their attention to butterfingered receiver/kick returner Bobby Wade .

The Lions have re-signed DE Corey Smith to a one-year deal.

Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com doesn't think that franchised LB Lance Briggs will miss any playing time, since sitting at home eating nachos doesn't pay $450,000 per game.

The Bears have hired a new quarterbacks coach and offensive quality control coach. (Now all they need is a quarterback quality control coach.)

Chicago players will now have to call all of the free agents they told to stay away and tell them that they were just kidding.

Apparently, it was Rex Grossman's shoulder that was bothering him during Super Bowl XLI, not the fact that he sucks.

TUESDAY MORNING AFC WEST ONE-LINERS (as complied by intern Travis Gilkeson)

Denver signed former St. Louis Rams FB and special teams standout Paul Smith on Monday.

With Patrick Kerney off the market, it makes it all the more likely the Broncos will target a DE in the draft.

Former Bengals TE Reggie Kelly visited the Raiders on Monday.

Former Broncos QB Jake Plummer has not formally filed retirement papers with the NFL.

The Packers and Raiders deny they have talked about a deal involving Randy Moss.

As suspected, Chiefs G.M. Carl Peterson as a Napoleon complex.

The Chiefs are also interested in LB Donnie Edwards, who played for the team in 2001.

Chiefs G.M. Carl Peterson had a sit down with QB Trent Green, who could be traded.

The Broncos have tendered FB Cecil Sapp and FB Kyle Johnson.

TUESDAY MORNING AFC SOUTH ONE-LINERS (as compiled by the intern whose name we don't yet know)

The Texans have re-signed CB Roc Alexander, OT Ephraim Salaam, and DE N.D. Kalu.

Domanick Williams (formerly known as "Domanick Davis" and soon to be known as "former NFL player") suffered a setback in his recovery from the knee injury that landed him on IR in 2006, and will need further surgery.

The Titans have re-signed QB Kerry Collins.

The Colts have re-signed LB Rob Morris.

WR Joe Horn and WR Kelley Washington could be targets for the Titans.

Fred Taylor wants to retire as a Jaguar.

Jaguars new signing Dennis Northcutt is eager to play with Fat Albert. (Maybe we should call him "Mushmouth.")

"Hey-buh, Fa-buht Al-buh-ber-buht . . . Can-buh I-buh drop-buh some-buh pas-buh-ses from you-buh?"

POSTED 8:38 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

LEAGUE INVESTIGATING STALLWORTH LEAK?

We've just tuned into Sirius NFL Radio, and Bob Papa and Randy Cross were spouting off about an investigation into the manner in which information regarding receiver Donte' Stallworth was leaked during or on the eve of free agency.

The information definitely was out there, because Stallworth is the guy to whom we were referring last week when we mentioned that we'd heard that a pending free agent was in the program.

The 2006 NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse makes clear that any NFL club that violates the confidentiality provisions of the Program may be fined anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000. As a practical matter, however, it's going to be hard to prove that anyone blabbed.

Though someone in the know surely told the reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer about Stallworth's status in the Program, the reality is that the NFL has no way to get the reporter to talk -- unless the league can finagle a grand jury investigation and force the reporter to talk under pain of imprisonment.

But the NFL would never want to dirty its hands with that kind of a Playmakers-style plot line. Are confidentialities regarding the Program breached? Hell, yes. All the time. Unless the NFL makes a big deal about finding out who it was, however, most people won't realize that the NFL, like most organizations, has certain corrupt elements. So the NFL will continue to look the other way, or engage in only a cursory investigation that inevitably yields inconclusive results.

So we don't expect this thing to go anywhere. In fact, absent an public admission by a team official that he or she blabbed, we can't imagine the NFL ever taking action against anyone on this kind of a violation.

POSTED 6:16 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN DEALS CRITICIZED

The prevailing view in some league circles is that the Cowboys, Browns, Chargers, and Bills paid way too much money for Leonard Davis, Eric Steinbach, Kris Dielman, and Derrick Dockery, respectively. (Memo to Chargers fans: That fact that Dielman has been named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl doesn't mean that he has been named to the team.)

As we've previously noted, none of these guys have ever been named to a Pro Bowl. Yet each of them is swimming in over $15 million in guaranteed money.

So what happens when a true Pro Bowler on the offensive line hits the free-agent market? Will he get $25 million guaranteed? How about $30 million?

As we see it, these recent deals guarantee that the franchise tag will be used more often by teams to keep truly high-end players who become eligible for free agency, since the high-end players are going to look at the recent deals and say, "If a perennial underachiever like Davis is worth $18.75 million guaranteed, I'm worth twice that."

And that's the biggest problem with the combination of lots of cap space and a so-so free-agent class. The floor is getting pushed up for future deals, and the number will only continue to skyrocket.

It's true for other positions as well. If Nate Clements gets $80 million over eight years, what would a guy like Champ Bailey get? And how does a guy like Champ Bailey feel about a player who is clearly one step below him breaking the bank like Bailey never has?

Of course, Bailey isn't due to hit the market until 2011. In the interim, he's scheduled to make good salaries. But in light of the Clements deal, how can Champ not suddenly be thinking that he's underpaid.

Stay tuned. We have a feeling that many players will be privately -- or publicly -- having these same sentiments soon.

BILLS COULD HAVE KEPT CLEMENTS?

One of the specific criticisms we've heard in the past few days is that the Buffalo Bills likely could have kept Nate Clements if they'd offered him the same jaw-dropping package that was paid to Derrick Dockery.

The Bills, whose owner has a recent history of crying poormouth, pasted together a seven-year, $49 million package for Dockery, an interior offensive lineman who wasn't expected to be a big player in free agency -- and of whom most casual non-Redskins fans had never even heard before March 2.

If that same money had been put on the table during 2006 for Clements, the thinking is that Clements would have taken it.

SOME TEAMS WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH, WAIT

Several teams with extra cap space are thought to be deliberately waiting for the market to slow down a bit before jumping into it.

Every year, the biggest money flows in the first week or so of free agency. Then, things will calm down.

And that's when some of these other teams will get in.

It's a responsible approach, in our view. First, the teams get more bang for their bucks. Second, there's less of a concern that the guys already on the team will get their noses out of joint when a mid-level guy who was in the right place at the right time gets the keys to the vault.

POSTED 5:41 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

BEARS CAN MOVE UP TO NO. 14

A reader pointed out to us that, with the No. 31 and No. 37 picks in the 2007 draft, the Bears are now in a position, under the draft trade chart, to jump up as high as No. 14.

Under the chart, which was developed in the 1990s by former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, the 31st overall pick is worth 600 points, and the 37th overall pick is worth 530.

The resulting 1,130 points falls in between the No. 14 pick (1,100) and No. 13 pick (1,150).

Of course, the Bears first would have to persuade the team holding the No. 14 pick to accept a low first-rounder and a high second-rounder in order for such a trade to go down. But the bottom line is that, with the trade that sent disgruntled running back Thomas Jones and the No. 63rd overall pick to the Jets, the Bears can now get into the top half of the first round, if they so choose -- and if they can find a partner.

POSTED 5:16 a.m. EST; UPDATED 5:36 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007

FINS PUTTING FOCUS ON CHARACTER GUYS

The talk in league circles is that the Miami Dolphins are attempting to bring in players known for having good overall on-field and off-field character.

This doesn't mean that all of the players who have been released over the past week or so are of bad or questionable character. Instead, part of the approach, as we understand it, is for the Fins to let some of the older players go and to reload with younger guys.

(As one industry source points out: "Character guys? Joey Porter? Marcus Vick still on the roster?")

The most recent victims of the new focus were tight end Randy McMichael and quarterback Joey Harrington. McMichael popped onto the trade market within the past few days, and was dumped in advance of a roster bonus due on Wednesday.

Per Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, the decision to dump McMichael wasn't solely about his history of arrests arising from incidents with his wife. New coach Cam Cameron had been comparing McMichael to Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, one of Cameron's former pupils. Cameron ultimately opted to go in a different direction, signing former Packers tight end David Martin.

Still, McMichael's agent is confident that he'll find a new home quickly. ''He won't be a free agent for long,'' Drew Rosenhaus told the Herald. "I expect him to get a very lucrative deal here -- and actually make more money signing with a new team. He's going to miss the guys on the team, but it's certainly going to be a great opportunity for him.''

With the money that has been flowing over the past few days, it's hard to disagree.

POSTED 10:39 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:26 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

'HAWKS CATCH KERNEY

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network and Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com report that the Seattle Seahawks have signed defensive end Patrick Kerney to a six-year, $39.5 million contract.

The deal includes a whopping $19.5 million in guaranteed money. The average value is $6.58 million per year.

Kerney was courted by the Broncos before visiting the Seahawks. He voided the remainder of his deal with the Falcons after the deadline for using the franchise tag had passed.

Glazer writes that former Falcons coach Jim Mora, who is now on the Seahawks' staff, was among the contingent that flew from Seattle to Atlanta to get the deal done.

LEN HAS BAD INFO

Appearing on ESPN Radio's Man-Girl and Meatball in the Morning on Monday, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli chided the Lions for having no representatives at the Brady Quinn workout.

The only problem? They were there. Seven of them were there.

As we hear it, four coaches, two scouts, and a front-office employee attended the session.

After the Ron Borges fiasco and the whole Tribune-Review presto-change-o, nothing surprises us anymore.

MORE INTERNS LINED UP

Well, we've trudged through more than 400 internship submissions, and we've extended invitations to eight folks to help us with the daily collection of links.

Assuming none of them are hungover on Tuesday morning after celebrating a gig that will pay them a grand total of zero dollars and zero cents, we'll start cranking out the One-Liners on a mass basis on Tuesday.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to make a submission. We appreciate your dedication to the site, and your willingness to help us out.

POSTED 9:35 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:25 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

STALLWORTH TO VISIT PATS, TITANS, FINS

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that free-agent receiver Donte' Stallworth will visit with the Patriots and the Titans. Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald reports that Stallworth then will visit with the Dolphins.

Stallworth reportedly is willing to take a one-year deal from the Pats, in order to prove himself and then get back on the market in 2008.

Meanwhile, there is speculation in league circles that the Eagles have been responsible for putting out the word that Stallworth is in the drug-testing program, in an effort to scare off other potential suitors.

If Stallworth signs with the Pats, don't be surprised if his contract calls for a per-game roster bonus. With recent changes to the CBA drastically limiting the ability of teams to recover signing bonuses, the only way to protect a team against a player who might not be available due to a suspension is to tie his compensation to the number of games in which he actually is able to perform.

POSTED 9:24 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

JORDAN STAYING WITH RAIDERS

Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com reports that running back LaMont Jordan will be staying with the Raiders.

It widely was believed that the Raiders would cut Jordan instead of paying him a $4.75 million roster bonus. But Jordan agreed to cut the amount to $3 million, and the Raiders agreed to keep him around.

On the same day that Travis Henry hauled in $12 million in guaranteed money and a day after Ahman Green signed a contract that will pay him $8 million in 2007, we're amazed that Jordan didn't force the Raiders to pay him the full amount or cut him.

"LaMont understands that there was a great possibility in today's market to earn more money elsewhere had the Raiders decided not to pay him his original bonus amount," agent Alvin Keels told McDonald. "However, he is committed to helping this organization turn things around and as [a] result made the compromise on the roster bonus adjustment."

Hey, if that's the case then the organization should have been committed to honoring a contract that was negotiated before the salary cap blew up.

POSTED 9:00 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:08 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

WELKER GETS NEW DEAL

On the same day that he was traded from the Dolphins to the Patriots, receiver Wes Welker caught a five-year, $18.1 million contract with $9 million in guaranteed money from his new team, according to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network.

It's a far cry from the seven-year, $38.5 million offer sheet that the Pats were reportedly prepared to present to Welker. But the key here is that much of that deal would have been back-end fluff aimed at persuading the Dolphins not to match the deal, especially since it likely would have included a poison-pill provision.

INTERN UPDATE

As you might have noticed, we've hired three interns -- one for the AFC North, one for the AFC West, and one for the NFC South. We'd like to fill the other eight spots, but we've currently got 250 submissions to consider. We've already considered at least 200 others.

And, please, if you have made a submission and haven't heard from us, don't send another submission with updated links.

Hopefully, we'll get the other spots filled soon.

RADIO UPDATE

We've finally decided to keep an online schedule of our weekly radio spots. We'll also try to include the links so that you can listen to the spots live, if so inclined. (Hey, some folks are gluttons for punishment.)

We somehow nailed down a couple of national appearances over the weekend on FOX Sports Radio, including a segment on Monday morning with Steve Czaban. Other national spots this week include our usual Tuesday night visit with Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio.

POSTED 8:48 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:00 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

BORGES SUSPENDED TWO MONTHS WITHOUT PAY

The Boston Globe has announced that sportswriter Ron Borges has been suspended two months for plagiarizing content from the Tacoma News-Tribune.

"'The Globe does not tolerate plagiarism,'" Globe editor Martin Baron said in a statement. "Extensive passages written by the Tacoma reporter were used verbatim in the column by Borges, and that is prohibited."

The penalty might have been more severe if the material that Borges copied had not been part of a service that is available generally to NFL writers. Here's how one industry source explained it to us: "First of all, I don't like [Borges] at all. He's an arrogant prick whose coverage of Belichick and the Patriots does a disservice to my profession. He's so freaking anti-Belichick it's absurd. That being said, don't go overboard with this plagiarism stuff. What happens is that there are two 'notes' networks among NFL reporters. What happens is we send a file each week with interesting notes and quotes to the rest of the 31 beat writers so that we can fill our NFL notes sections each Sunday. Normally you rewrite what the other writer sends you, but obviously Ron just did the old cut and paste. I'm sure Mike Sando sent Borges a file with that exact passage in it. And Sando knew it would be used in some form. Obviously this isn't journalism at its finest, but that's what we do."

Still, what Borges did was wrong. And at least one league source has suggested that the Hall of Fame should boot Borges from the selection committee. We agree.

POSTED 7:51 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:06 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

BEARS TRADE JONES TO JETS

Michael Smith of ESPN.com reports that the Bears have traded running back Thomas Jones to the New York Jets.

Per the report, the Bears also will send their second-round pick (No. 63 overall), and will receive the No. 37 pick in the draft, which the Jets landed via an earlier trade with the Reskins.

Armed with the No. 31 and No. 37 picks, the Bears could be in position to try to move up in round one. Unless they sign a tight end in free agency, don't be surprised if they make a play to move up in order to get Greg Olsen.

'BOYS BAG A JOHNSON

Multiple published reports indicate that former Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson has agreed to terms with the Cowboys.

So much for the door being open for Drew Bledsoe to return.

Johnson will back up starting quarterback Tony Romo. It also might be wise for the 'Boys to have Brad hold for field goals and extra points.

TRIBUNE-REVIEW PULLS A NEW MEDIA TRICK

At a time when the old media loves to criticize the new media for getting stuff wrong and/or making sh-t up, a member of the old media pulled a decidedly new media trick by revising one of its stories to remove a glaring error that appeared in a prior version.

Earlier on Monday, the Tribune-Review reported that Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend and practice squad player Raymond Burgess were arrested over the weekend.

But we later learned that Burgess is not, and never has been, a member of the team. Instead, he's a bartender at the club where the fight occurred.

And, apparently, we're right. Because the Tribune-Review story has been revised, with no reference to the fact that it ever said that Burgess played for the Steelers.

Nicely done.

POSTED 5:57 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

CURTIS FIRES CONDON

WLAJ-TV in Lansing, Michigan reports that free-agent receiver Kevin Curtis has fired agent Tom Condon after Condon was unable to get Curtis signed by the Detroit Lions.

Although Curtis must wait five days before hiring a new agent, he can finalize a contract with the Lions (or any other team) without an agent, if he so chooses.

The move comes after a day involving various conflicting reports regarding whether Curtis had left the team's facility, or whether he was still visiting with the team. Negotiations heated up on Monday because Condon was tied up on Sunday with Brady Quinn's Pro Day workout.

It's our understanding that Curtis wanted to get a deal done, but that Condon was pushing for more money. If that's true, it's consistent with Condon's reputation for not always deferring to his client's wishes.

POSTED 5:44 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:51 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

DESHEA DENIES ARREST

Well, we might have to revise the Turd Watch.

Per a league source, Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend denies a report that he was arrested for an early Saturday bar fight. Townsend also claims, we're told, that he was not involved in the altercation that gave rise to a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Townsend and another player on the team had been busted.

We're also told that Raymond Burgess, identified by the Tribune-Review as a member of the Steelers' practice squad, has no connection to the team. He's supposedly a freaking bartender at the club where the fight occurred.

Stay tuned.

GALLOWAY WASN'T EXTENDED

A league source tells us that the contract of Bucs receiver Joey Galloway has not been extended. Per the source, Galloway was under contract through 2009, and remains under contract through 2009.

[Editor's note: We misunderstood Adam Schefter's original report on this issue. We apoligize for the error.]

The only change was an increase of more than $500,000 in his 2007 pay. Under the prior deal, he was due to receive a roster bonus of $1.2 million and a base salary of $1.283 million. Under his new deal, the roster bonus is $1.8 million and a base salary of $1.2 million. But for some tweaking of incentives, the rest of the deal is the same.

POSTED 5:34 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

PATS TRADE FOR WELKER

Peter King of SI.com reports that the New England Patriots have acquired Dolphins receiver Wes Welker for a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2007 draft.

But the Pats could have gotten Welker for only a second-round draft pick, if they had tendered to him a beefed-up offer sheet with a poison-pill provision making it fully guaranteed under circumstances that would have applied only if Miami had matched the offer. Though there was a chance that the Fins would have bitten the bullet and given Welker a fully-guaranteed $38.5 million contract, it was highly unlikely.

So did the Pats simply piss away a seventh-round pick? The easy answer is yes. But given that they didn't have to spend the next seven days worrying about whether Miami might match the offer, giving up one of the very last picks in the draft isn't much of a sacrifice.

Also, even though the league seemingly legitimized the whole poison-pill thing by attempting to strike a deal with the union that would have removed it from the CBA, there's no guarantee that the device will be upheld the next time a case involving it ends up in arbitration. Last year, the Seahawks inexplicably abandoned their arguments on the merits of the matter and showed up at the hearing claiming that, because they had pushed around some of the money in left tackle Walter Jones' contract, Steve Hutchinson would have been the highest paid offensive lineman on the team, and thus Seattle could match the offer sheet that Hutchinson had signed in Minnesota without the deal being fully guaranteed.

What if this time around the Fins had opted to argue that, even though the poison-pill does not require a team to pay more money by matching, the device as a practical matter entails more money because it eliminates the team's inherent ability to terminate the deal early? And what if the arbitrator had decided that the poison-pill is a form-over-substance device that violates the spirit of the CBA?

Bottom line -- the Pats avoided a bunch of potential worries and headaches for a throwaway pick in the bottom of the draft.

POSTED 4:13 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

BUCS EXTEND GALLOWAY

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed receiver Joey Galloway to a new deal.

Per Schefter, Galloway's $2.8 million base salary for 2007 has been replaced by a three-year, $7.5 million contract. He'll earn a $1.2 million salary in 2007 and a $1.8 million roster bonus, along with a $100,000 workout bonus. His salaries for 2008 and 2009 are $1.767 million and $2 million, respectively.

POSTED 3:39 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

FINS SAYING FAREWELL TO McMICHAEL

A league source tells us that the Miami Dolphins will soon be releasing tight end Randy McMichael.

McMichael, who recently emerged on the trade block, was due to earn a $3 million roster bonus on Wednesday. In lieu of paying the money, the team is cutting him loose.

The veteran tight end should draw immediate interest in a relatively weak field of free-agent tight ends. But the red flag is his history of allegations of violence against his wife.

Then again, in today's NFL, that's like getting pulled over for having an expired inspection sticker on you car, isn't it?

POSTED 3:30 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

STEELERS GET TWO FOR ONE IN TURD WATCH

After a week or so with no player arrests or convictions, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made a big splash in the 2007 Turd Watch as a result of a bar fight involving two members of the organization.

Cornerback Deshea Townsend and practice squad tackling dummy Raymond Burgess were cited for simple assault after an early Saturday brouhaha at Margarita Mama's in Pittsburgh.

Burgess was arguing with a non-Steeler named Chris Graham. The argument escalated into a fight. Townsend then got involved.

"Mr. Burgess threw punches, hitting Mr. Graham in the face," said police spokeswoman Diane Richard. "As he was beating Mr. Graham, Mr. Townsend jumped in and started hitting the victim with a closed fist in the head and face."

Nice. The people of Pittsburgh treat the Steelers like gods, and the Steelers reciprocate by beating the snot out of one of them.

As a result of their behavior, Townsend and Burgess have earned the Steelers three points each in Turd Watch.

POSTED 2:35 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:47 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

HENRY HEADS TO DENVER

On the same day that running back Travis Henry was due to receive an $8.3 million roster bonus from his former team, the Titans, Henry hauled in $12 million in guaranteed money from the Denver Broncos as part of a five-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network.

Henry was released by the Titans on Saturday after Tennessee opted not to pay him the big-money roster bonus. Per Schefter, Henry was also scheduled to visit the Raiders, Packers, and Giants.

So Henry becomes the latest tailback in a line of performers who have benefited from a perfectly-executed blocking scheme, which we probably should refer to as the "Nancy Kerrigan," since it is premised in large part on taking defenders out at the knees.

Though Terrell Davis gets borderline pissy when the issue of player versus system is raised, we're convinced that Davis, a second-day pick a decade ago, would have been just a guy in any other offense, and that the holes created by the Broncos' line allowed him to become who he was until one of those linemen ironically took him out at the knee while pursuing a defender after a turnover.

Others who have performed well in this offense include Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, Reuben Droughns, Ron Dayne (for a game or two), Tatum Bell, and Mike Bell.

Henry, as we've recently mentioned, was suspended for four games in 2005 for violation of the substance abuse policy. He was acquired that same year by the Titans from the Bills in a trade.

BORGES STORY GROWS LEGS

It's one thing for a writer to be called out on an independent sports web site covering the NFL. It's quite another when the story is picked up by the self-described "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry."

Per EditorandPublisher.com, the online version of (duh) Editor & Publisher, the Boston Globe is looking into allegations that Ron Borges plagiarized content from a February 25 item in the Tacoma News-Tribune.

"We are aware of the complaint and we are looking into it," Joe Sullivan, assistant managing editor/sports at the Globe told E&P. "Someone pointed it out to me and we are looking into it."

Based on a comparison of the items in question, we're not sure how much "looking into it" is necessary, unless "looking into it" means calling Borges into the administrative offices and inviting him to come back after hours and clean out his desk.

Stay tuned. Either Borges gets fired, or someone who wears a tie and a fancy title will have to try to use a bunch of Tiki Barber words to explain why Borges still has a job.

POSTED 1:51 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:10 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007

BRIGGS WANTS OUT OF CHICAGO

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, apparently frustrated by all the millions of dollars that guys not named Lance Briggs are getting on the open market, wants out of Chicago.

"There's a difference between the Chicago Bears team and the Chicago Bears organization," Briggs told ESPN.com. "The Chicago Bears team? The coaches, players, city and fans? Yeah, I could stay there forever. I love it. But the Chicago Bears organization? I don't want to be there anymore. I won't play for them and I'll do everything in my power to keep from playing there."

Briggs is currently limited by the franchise tag. Though he's free to sign an offer sheet with a new team, the Bears would have the right to either match the deal or to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. And the days of any player being worth two first-rounders ended with Keyshawn Johnson, Joey Galloway, and Sean Gilbert.

Specifically, Briggs wants to be traded, or he wants the team to withdraw the franchise tag and allow him to shop his wares without a new suitor being forced to compensate the Bears. The former is a possibility; the latter would only happen if Briggs gets hit by a bus.

So his options are limited. Since he's not under contract until he signs the one-year, $7.2 million tender, he has no obligation to attend any voluntary or mandatory offseason activities. In fact, he can stay away from training camp and all of the preseason and still earn the full amount of the one-year salary if he signs the tender offer on the eve of the regular season. The only risk he's taking is that the Bears can rescind the tag once everyone else has spent all of their money. Or if he's hit by a bus.

Briggs also can show up in Week Ten and earn a prorated salary and try to get to the market again in 2008. But then the Bears could franchise him again. And then he could stay away until Week Ten again. The third time around, the Bears would be required to offer him the average salary of the top five players in the league regardless of position in order to continue to hold his rights.

We'd previously heard that the Bears are shopping Briggs. But whoever wants him has to work out a deal with the team, and a deal with the player. Given the contract signed by Adalius Thomas with the Pats, it's safe to say that Briggs will be looking for at least $20 million in guaranteed money, if not more.

IS BORGES DOWN FOR THE COUNT?

After we posted our story on Sunday exposing the inherently contradictory opinions of confirmed Patriots hater Ron Borges regarding linebacker Adalius Thomas, we started getting a bunch of e-mails from readers accusing Borges of plagiarism. We'd caught wind of such allegations a few weeks ago, but we didn't have time to look into the matter. So we assumed that our story regarding the Thomas comments had prompted some of the confirmed Borges haters out there to dust off a story that had become (in the Internet time-space continuum) ancient.

But, lo and behold, these are fresh allegations of impropriety against Borges. Per ColdHardFootballFacts.com, Borges lifted entire segments of a March 4 story regarding Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson from a February 25 article written by Mike Sando of the Tacoma News-Tribune.

The evidence, in our view, is damning. And the only attribution given by Borges is his standard "material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report" routine. We've never been to "J" school, but we don't think that such a disclaimer buried at the bottom of a lengthy column constitutes a license to steal.

The Globe has been coddling this guy for years. Although anyone else at any other paper would be fired on the spot for similar conduct, we've got a feeling that Borges will continue to be peddling other peoples' work product for years to come.

POSTED 8:54 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:17 a.m. EST, March 5, 2007

PACKERS CHASING BELL

As they scramble to attempt to fill the void left by the sudden departure of mainstay running back Ahman Green to the Texans, we're told that the Packers have contacted the Lions about a possible trade for running back Tatum Bell.

Bell was acquired by the Lions last week as part of the Dre' Bly deal. As we've reported, both Bell and former Broncos tackle George Foster are candidates to be traded again.

We're also told that the Packers contacted the Bears about the availability of running back Thomas Jones, but the Bears said that he is not available. It remains to be seen whether the Bears would be willing to trade him to a team other than their intra-division arch-rivals.

Detroit's willingness to shop Bell doesn't mean that the team is looking to shed tailbacks. We're told that running back T.J. Duckett currently is in the building, and that the Lions are expected to try to get him signed.

PATS, WELKER MEETING

The New England Patriots are by all appearances proceeding with plans to sign receiver Wes Welker, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet. Per the Boston Globe, Welker arrived in Boston Sunday night to meet with the team.

John Tomase of the Boston Herald addresses the poison-pill potential, which we've previously explained at length. [Editor's note: Has anyone else noticed that the Herald now pushes the last line or two of many of its stories to a second Internet page, in what can only be described as a ridiculously shallow attempt to drive up their web stats?] As we see it, the fact that the NFL tried to get the NFLPA to agree to strike this wrinkle from the CBA means that the NFLPA rightly should be suspicious whenever any team tenders an offer sheet to a restricted free agent without the same kind of form-over-substance verbiage that the Vikings and the Seahawks used against each other in 2006 to craft offers that they respectively couldn't afford to match.

And though some teams are reluctant to use the device, the Chargers, Falcons, and Chiefs tendered their own restricted free agents at the highest possible level in order to deter others from pilfering their players via the poison-pill.

Moreover, not a single player was strapped with the transition tag this year, since by definition it provides only a right of first refusal and no compensation. With the poison pill in play, that's no different than the guy being a fully unrestricted free agent.

If the Pats sign Welker to an offer sheet and the Fins don't match it, Miami will receive New England's second-round pick in the 2007 draft.

Finally, one of our readers noticed the irony of the value of the seven-year, $38.5 million offer sheet that the Pats reportedly plan to put in front of Welker. Last year, Deion Branch signed for seven years, $39 million after he was traded to the Seahawks following a rancorous holdout.

MONDAY MORNING AFC WEST ONE-LINERS

(Courtesy of AFC West intern Travis. Still waiting to hear from the AFC North intern. We're also still trying to find winners for the other six divisions. For now, welcome aboard, Travis.)

With Ahman Green joining the Texans, Travis Henry and Correll Buckhalter will each have the chance to join the Mile High Club. (But hopefully not with each other . . . unless they are both cool with that.)

The Broncos have also had preliminary trade discussions regarding Bills RB Willis McGahee.

Missing out on Jeff Garcia, the Broncos hosted Brad Johnson on Sunday. (He threw three interceptions during the meeting.)

Bengals QB Anthony Wright will also be visiting the Broncos.

The Raiders' pursuit of Travis Henry could mean the end for LaMont Jordan, who is due a $4.75 million roster bonus on Wednesday. [Editor's note: We're actually hearing that Jordan definitely will be cut.]

Once Willis McGahee is gone, the Bills might start sniffing around Chargers RB Michael Turner.

LB Joey Porter has expressed interest in joining the Chargers . (But shouldn't he be concerned that Shawne Merriman might eat his dogs?)

MONDAY MORNING NFC SOUTH ONE-LINERS

(Found another intern. Welcome aboard, Ryan.)

Saint Reggie is holding a free football camp for kids. (The agenda includes "Advanced Taunting Techniques" and "How To Get Paid By Injuns.")

The Carolina Panthers are off to a slow start in free agency. (It's understandable, since they only need a quarterback who can throw, a starting receiver who isn't ancient, a tight end who isn't retired, a running back who can go to the grocery store without getting hurt, and a linebacker without a case of bumpus-on-the-nogginus.)

The Bucs have found their eventual replacement for Mike Alstott. (But the new guy says he thinks he can look tough without wearing gargantuan shoulder pads.)

Atlanta Falcons fans are lobbying for the Dirty Birds to move up in the draft to get Calvin Johnson. (Johnson will be a perfect fit for the offense, since he's used to playing with a mediocre quarterback.)

The New Orleans Saints are entertaining two defensive free agents in an attempt to shore up a defense that was softer than Clay Aiken at the Playboy Mansion.

After (allegedly) attempting to sneak marijuana onto a plane, Mike Vick has actually seen an increase in his marketability. ("Hey, Mom! I don't want Cocoa Puffs, I want herpes!")

DE Kevin Carter will visit the Bucs on Monday. (Hopefully he won't tap out 26 seconds before it's time to sign the paperwork.)

MONDAY MORNING AFC NORTH ONE-LINERS

(Welcome aboard, Jason.)

Mike Brown cracked Forbes' Top 100 General Managers list. (His official response: "Did it cost any money?")

The Browns added OLB Antwan Peek and CB Kenny Wright on Sunday; meanwhile, OL coach Steve Marshall promises to add more offensive linemen to the "soon to be on injured reserve" list.

This expert believes that the legal woes of athletes "dent the psyche of fans". (Translation: Give a Bengals fan a hug, or something.)

The Jaguars feel that former Browns WR Dennis Northcutt will provide them with "a legitimate deep threat." (Apparently, this means that Moonshine Jones is an illegitimate deep threat.)

The Bengals might try to re-sign TE Reggie Kelly, but the salary cap could be an obstacle.

Romeo Crennel was impressed by Brady Quinn's Pro Day performance. (What, did Quinn give away free cookies?)

The Ravens have re-signed OLB Jarret Johnson.

POSTED 8:08 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:21 a.m. EST, March 5, 2007

MOSS TO PATS TALK INCREASES

We've mentioned a couple of times over the past few days that the New England Patriots are an under-the-radar candidate for Raiders receiver Randy Moss.

Well, they were under the radar.

John Tomase of the Boston Herald confirms that the Pats have shown interest in acquiring Moss. Per Tomase, coach Bill Belichick has "long been enamored" with Moss and would welcome the opportunity to bring him to New England at the right price.

The key phrase here is "at the right price." Under his current deal, Moss is scheduled to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. And with his current abilities tough to gauge through the haze of general crappiness that has been the Oakland offense of late, there's no way that the Patriots could justify devoting nearly eight figures of cap space to him.

The alternative is to convert as much of his salary as possible to a signing bonus, which would reduce the cap number but at the same time limit the team's options if he comes into camp and Belichick decides that he simply doesn't have it anymore. Though his salary is high, it can all be avoided if he's cut before the start of the regular season.

And don't rule out the possibility that the Pats are merely faking interest in Moss. Such an approach might prompt a division rival (such as the Dolphins) to jump into the bidding and give up too much to get him. Likewise, a belief that the Pats want Moss could drive down the price tag for any other free-agent receivers in which they might be interested.

Our gut feeling on this one? If the Patriots could get him through a trade and a contract that is fair, they'd do it. For proof of it, look no further than the depth chart at the position, which currently has the names "Reche Caldwell" and "Jabar Gaffney" at the top of the list.

REPORT: STALLWORTH IS IN THE PROGRAM

Another receiver in whom the Patriots reportedly are interested, Donte' Stallworth of the Eagles, is reportedly in the substance abuse program.

Per Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the specific level of the program currently occupied by Stallworth is unclear. Unlike the steroids policy, which mandates a suspension for a first offense, a player is not immediately suspended for violation of the substance abuse policy. As a result, and in light of the high degree of confidentiality that sometimes applies to the player's status in the program, it's often difficult if not impossible to find out where a player falls within the spectrum of potential levels and penalties before a four-game suspension is imposed.

Stallworth's status in the program likely is a factor in the gap we recently reported between what Stallworth wants and what interested teams are willing to pay.

With that said, former Titans running back Travis Henry is getting plenty of attention in free agency, even though he was suspended for four games in 2005 for violation of the substance abuse policy. And the Titans traded for him when they knew (or should have known) that he was one visit to Rain Man's house in Georgia away from a one-year suspension.

Bottom line -- if a guy can play, he'll get an opportunity. For Stallworth, the bigger issue might be the perception that his hamstrings are tighter than guitar strings.

POSTED 8:25 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:15 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

CHARGERS PURSUED CARROLL HARD

A league source tells us that the San Diego Chargers made a strong push for USC coach Pete Carroll before settling for Norv Turner as the next head coach of the team.

Carroll, per the source, wanted much more money than the Chargers were offering. His reasoning was that player salaries will be skyrocketing, and that coaching salaries should do so, too.

In hindsight, Carroll is right. Though there's some back-end fluff in Nate Clements' contract, $80 million over eight years is a gigantic sum for a cornerback other than Deion Sanders in his prime. And as true superstars hit the market, the numbers thrown around over the past few days will only increase.

That's the practical reality of the new contracts. When a high-end cornerback is negotiating a deal, Clements' contract will be the new starting point. Ditto for quality offensive linemen, who are sure to get at least $7 million per year.

And if Adalius Thomas can get $35 million over five, what in the hell will Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers command?

Anyway, the point here is that Carroll apparently would have made the jump, if his salary would have likewise made the same jump that this year's crop of free agents is enjoying.

SUNDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Dolphins FB Darian Barnes is visiting the Jets, who lost B.J. Askew to the Bucs.

DE Kenyon Coleman is visiting the Jets on Sunday.

LB Danny Clark is visiting the Texans on Monday.

LB Joey Porter could be visiting San Francisco, if he gets an assurance that he won't run into Kellen Winslow out there.

CB Dre' Bly reportedly is miffed that he was traded to the Broncos instead of the 'Skins.

RB Correll Buckhalter could be visiting the Broncos.

Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn apparently didn't run on Sunday because of a knee injury.

RB Vernand Morency moves to the top of the chart, for now, in Green Bay.

POSTED 7:54 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

QUINN HAS SOLID WORKOUT

A league source tells us that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had a solid workout on Sunday, at the first of two Irish Pro Day events.

Quinn showed very good touch and timing in his passes, we're told. But his deep ball (not his strength) was a little wobbly.

Another source said that Quinn looked "good but not great." Per the source, he had accuracy and strength on short routes, and poor accuracy on the long routes.

Also, Quinn opted not to run. Apparently, he'll run at the second Notre Dame Pro Day workout, scheduled for March 22.

POSTED 6:42 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

THOMAS GOT $20 MILLION GUARANTEED

A league source tells us that the Patriots have given linebacker Adalius Thomas $20 million in guaranteed money, on a five-year deal worth a total of $35 million.

The guaranteed money, we're told, comes in the form of a signing bonus and a fully guaranteed option bonus.

Thomas signed with the Patriots on Saturday. It was for the Pats a rare example of aggressive pursuit of a high-end free agent.

POSTED 6:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 6:38 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

TEXANS LASSO AHMAN

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Houston Texans have signed running back Ahman Green.

A league source tells us that Green's contract is worth $23 million over four years, and that Green will earn $8 million in the first year of the deal. Per Schefter, $6.5 million of the contract is guaranteed.

Green, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Packers, will be reunited with former Green Bay coach/G.M. Mike Sherman in Houston. Sherman is an assistant head coach with the Texans.

The aging tailback generated strong interest, and could re-establish himself as a star runner in the Texans' zone-blocking scheme.

Of course, it remains to be seen what the Texans will do at quarterback. David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, is not expected to return. The identity of his replacement is, at this point, anyone's guess.

POSTED 4:49 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

DAVIS GETS BIG MONEY

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Cowboys have given offensive lineman Leonard Davis a seven-year, $49.6 million contract, with $18.75 million in guaranteed money and $24 million paid out over the first three years of the contract.

The contract bests by $100,000 the deal signed on Friday by Eric "the Skipper" Steinbach in Cleveland.

The payout in guaranteed money falls far short of the $23 million that we heard Davis wanted. But it's a great contract for a guy who has gotten no all-expenses-paid working vacations to Hawaii in six NFL seasons.

And Davis brings to four the total of lineman who got huge money in the past three days based apparently on potential.

None of them -- Davis, Steinbach, Kris Dielman, or Derrick Dockery -- have ever been to the Pro Bowl.

POSTED 3:41 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:02 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

'SKINS TURN TO PETITGOUT

A league source tells us that, with Leonard Davis off of the market, the Redskins are now looking at former Giants left tackle Luke Petitgout.

But the 'Skins aren't interested in Petitgout as a left tackle. Instead, he would be moved inside, to replace left guard Derrick Dockery, who signed on Friday with the Bills.

Petitgout was a first-round pick in 1999, and has spent his entire career with the Giants. His 2006 season was shortened by a broken leg. Last week, Petitgout visited the Bucs, and passed a physical.

BORGES' SOURCE WAS MARVIN?

A league source tells us that the unnamed AFC North executive who rattled off a laundry list of concerns regarding linebacker Adalius Thomas (scroll down for more) most likely was Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

Per the source, Lewis has been sharing similar if not identical concerns regarding Thomas to others.

And just because Lewis has those opinions doesn't mean that those opinions are valid. Perhaps Lewis would have tried to sign Thomas in Cincy if the Bengals weren't brushing up (uncharacteristically) against the salary cap.

POSTED 12:56 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 3:12 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

BORGES GIVES PATS FANS ANOTHER REASON TO HATE HIM

We've received multiple e-mails from irate Pats fans who are complaining (again) about Ron Borges of the Boston Globe. On the surface, it doesn't surprise us, since Borges widely is regarded as having a strong anti-Patriots agenda.

Plus, he once tried to beat up a crippled dude.

This time around, Borges is being called out for speaking out of both sides of his mouth regarding the Patriots' uncharacteristic plunge into free agency, which has been highlighted by the acquisition of former Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas.

On Friday, Borges identified Thomas as the No. 1 best value on the market: "He wants a $18 million signing bonus and will probably get it, likely from the 49ers. Wherever he goes, the 270-pound Thomas appears headed toward making an impact."

But now that the Patriots have landed Thomas, Borges is singing a different tune.

Begins Borges: "Long before the free agency period began, strong side linebacker Adalius Thomas was designated the year's premier catch by many pundits and personnel men. Perhaps he will prove to be just that, but if history is any predictor, he should be approached with caution."

And then Borges adds: "So what would the doubts be about such a player? Three things, according one NFL personnel man: His age, his price tag, and the history of defensive players after they leave Baltimore."

Borges then backs up his newfound theory with remarks from an unnamed AFC North personnel executive. But we can't help wonder whether Borges would have named Thomas the No. 1 value in free agency if he had gone fishing for one-sided criticism before it was obvious that the Pats would sign him.

As we well know, there often is a difference of opinion in league circles regarding a player's abilities. And there likewise are different agendas that drive the opinions.

Sure, we've had plenty of pieces over the years that offer up only one side of the coin. But we've never offered our own assessment of a guy in one breath and then contradicted it with support from a league source in the next, without at least acknowledging that the other opinion was at odds with our own.

We don't expect Borges to get in trouble for this one. He proved that he's bulletproof when he received no real sanction for trading punches with a guy who walks with a cane. But if there was any doubt as to whether Borges has a bias against the Patriots, his dueling pieces on Adalius Thomas are all the proof anyone needs to confirm it once and for all.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

QB Jake Plummer says he's really retiring.

Old-new Redskins CB Fred Smoot will be able to buy plenty of sex toys with $25 million over five years.

Former Bengals LB Marcus Wilkins got a three-year deal worth $3 million from the Falcons.

The Cardinals are hosting several free agents over the next few days.

Raiders WR Ronald Curry agreed to a contract extension.

Does QB Jeff Garcia have an overbearing mother?

(These next One-Liners were gathered by our new AFC North intern, who'll be formally introduced as soon as tomorrow.)

Browns' RT Ryan Tucker claims that he's recovered from his mental illness and will play again next season. (We'll see how his marbles hold together once he gets a staph infection.)

From the "Crazy Ain't Contagious, Is It?" department, Eric Steinbach believes the offensive line can be a strength for the Browns.

The Ravens appear poised to re-sign Jamal Lewis to a one year deal , mostly because he's not really allowed to leave the state.

LB Joey Porter is being pursued by the Bengals, Browns, and Dolphins. (He's first checking with Ann Coulter to see how many "faggots" are on each of the teams . . . besides, of course, Kellen Winslow.)

The Ravens' cheerleader tryouts started yesterday (surprisingly, Shannon Sharparo and Deion Sanders were not among the candidates).

Big Ben is apparently too cheap to pay for his own gym membership.

The NFL will look into reports that a Steelers' team physician bought $150K of HGH on his own personal credit card. (In unrelated news, Joey Porter's dog hasn't been seen since the initial report surfaced.)

(Nice work, new AFC North intern. Now here's some stuff from our new AFC West intern.)

The Raiders are meeting with TE Reggie Kelly on Sunday.

The Raiders plan to visit with RB Ahman Green after his visit with the Texans on Sunday.

Free-agent TE Daniel Graham flew to Oakland after wrapping up a visit with the Broncos on Saturday.

Former Titans RB Travis Henry met with Denver on Saturday night.

OL Damion McIntosh will play left tackle for the Chiefs (unless he retires or is suspended or threatens to kill Mike Martz).

OG Kris Dielman supposedly turned down more money to remain a Charger. (Apparently, he is a big fan of Three's Company.)

Raiders WR Randy Moss might not be welcomed with open, um, arms in Green Bay.

ACT ONE, SCENE ONE, TAKE THREE

Okay, potential interns. The message still isn't getting through to everyone and/or anyone.

If you want to be one of the eight PFT interns, here's what you need to do: (1) prepare a set of One-Liners that you would submit if you had the gig; (2) for the sample that you submit, you can pick any of the eight divisions that you want; and (3) if you have any doubts about what we are looking for, try reading the Rumor Mill . . . specifically, the sections dubbed "One-Liners."

How do you get the job? Send us One-Liners that look as much like what we do as possible, and don't send us anything else. We don't have the time to read it.

Also, if you don't hear back from us within five minutes after you send a submission, please don't send an e-mail asking if you got the job. We'll contact the people we select.

And because so many of the submissions aren't in the format we have requested, we've deleted all of the submissions that we have received to date, and we're starting this thing over. (As to the two or three of you who actually complied with the directions as written, we apologize.)

So let's try this one more time. If you want to be considered, send in your submission.

POSTED 12:08 p.m. EST, March 4, 2007

LEAGUE OFFICE TOLD BEARS TO GET IT DONE?

There's talk in league circles that the sudden decision of the Bears to give Lovie Smith a contract worth $5.5 million per year was the direct result of a call from the league office advising the Bears that the failure to reward a prominent African-American who was the lowest-paid coach in the NFL was fast becoming a major embarrassment to the team and to the league.

So the message was to get it done. And done it got. The same day.

Really, how else could the Bears have come up with an extra $2 million per year so quickly after a stalemate was declared? Previously, the Bears were at $3.5 million, at most. So either the Bears suddenly woke up and realized that they needed to increase the offer significantly -- or someone else woke them up to it.

And is it far-fetched to think that the league office has such influence over the individual teams? When it was time for the Bears to hire a new G.M. six years ago, the Bears used an outside consulting firm that had been hand-picked by the league. The thinking was that it gave the league a way to help hand-pick the G.M. of the Bears.

Of all of the 32 NFL teams, the Bears are among those most likely to defer to the authority of the league office, since the Bears are one of the original NFL franchises.

So there you have it. No one will ever admit it. But folks in the know are convinced that it happened that way.

POSTED 11:43 a.m. EST, March 4, 2007

DAVIS TO DALLAS

Michael Smith of ESPN.com reports that the Dallas Cowboys are finalizing a deal for offensive lineman Leonard Davis, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft.

Davis is expected to play right tackle or right guard.

The contract is expected to exceed the mammoth deals given to three non-Pro Bowl offensive linemen who were in the right place at the right time this week: Kris Dielman, Eric Steinbach, and Derrick Dockery.

Davis had plenty of time to show that he deserved a big-money deal from a team with more cap room than Abe Lincoln with a buzz cut. And Davis hasn't shown he can get it done.

But, hey, no one is talking much about the Cowboys right now because all of the other teams are spending the money, so why not overpay for a guy who, if he were destined to be the next Larry Allen, would have shown a little of the same skills at some point in the past six seasons? I mean, the money has to be spent anyway, so why not give it to a guy who doesn't necessarily deserve it?

POSTED 11:22 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:33 a.m. EST, March 4, 2007

MOSS-TO-PACKERS TALK HEATING UP

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers are continuing to work toward a trade that would send Randy Moss to the place at which he pretended to moon the home fans two years ago.

As we reported a few days ago, the Raiders wanted a first-round pick. The Packers offered quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The talks were on hold while the Raiders courted Jeff Garcia. Now, the talk has resumed, and we're told that it will likely be either Rodgers or a second-round pick that goes to Oakland for Moss.

Stay tuned. Other teams still possibly in the mix are the Jags and the suddenly Redskinesque Patriots.

ATTENTION INTERN APPLICANTS

We've received more than 50 applications for the eight internship positions in the hours from 1:00 a.m. EST to 11:00 a.m. EST on a Sunday.

Maybe we should just put golden tickets into five containers of nandrolone-tainted supplement.

Anyway, we've noticed a disturbing trend. Many of the applicants have failed to follow our instructions.

(Note: The ability to read and comprehend is a key factor in this gig.)

So let's try it again: "To get in the game, send us a sample of what you would submit if you had the job."

We don't need ten-paragraph e-mails telling us how much you like the site. If you didn't like the site, would you want to work for it for free? Didn't think so.

We also aren't interested (at this point, or probably ever) in your life story. We don't have five minutes to spend on each e-mail that we get. We want to see precisely what you would be submitting if you had the gig. Nothing more, nothing less.

For anyone who has failed to follow these instructions, we suggest that you resubmit. Because in lieu of responding to every e-mail from someone who did anything other than send us a sample of what they would submit if they had the job, we're simply going to press the button that says "delete" and move on. (Or move out.)

Act one. Scene one. Take two.

POSTED 11:47 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 1:11 a.m. EST, March 4, 2007

GIANTS, COWBOYS, REDSKINS DOING DAVIS DANCE

Three teams in the NFC East are positioning themselves to possibly sign offensive lineman Leonard Davis. Specifically, the Giants, Cowboys, and Redskins are in the mix for the six-year veteran.

But each team has designs on him at different positions. In New York, he'd likely be the replacement for Luke Petitgout at left tackle. In Washington, Davis would likely step in at left guard for Derrick Dockery, who signed with the Bills on Friday. In Dallas, Davis would be the new right tackle, taking over for Marc Colombo.

The problem, as we mentioned earlier on Saturday, is that Davis supposedly wants $23 million in guaranteed money. It's a huge amount, but not out of line in light of the huge amounts paid to guys like Eric Steinbach, Derrick Dockery, and Kris Dielman. Among the three of them, there are a grand total of ZERO Pro Bowl appearances.

ZERO.

But, as we always say, a player is worth precisely what someone will pay him. The fact that Steinbach and Dockery and Dielman have found their pots of gold doesn't mean that Davis will. Nevertheless, to the extent that these three signings are evidence of what the market currently is for second-tier offensive linemen, Davis is at least in the ballpark.

FINAL STATS FOR SATURDAY

We had another banner showing on the second day of free agency. Even though it was a Saturday, which traditionally is our sssslowest day of the week, PFT Planet racked up 447,179 page views, from 179,467 unique visitors to the Rumor Mill.

Thanks again to all of our readers, and keep coming back for more updates as free agency continues to unfold.

INTERNS WANTED

We've resisted doing this for a couple of years, primarily because we figure that the chances of finding eight people on whom we can rely on a consistent basis are roughly equivalent to the chances of Terrence Kiel actually getting signed by another NFL team.

But we're now committed to being the one-stop spot for all of the NFL news and rumors, and there's no way that we can do it without help.

So here's the deal. We're looking for eight interns. Eight. One for each division in the NFL.

Your job will be simple. Collect news links for the four teams in your assigned division on a daily basis, prepare a set of PFT-style One-Liners based on the information contained in each story, and e-mail them to me every morning.

Then, as the day unfolds, send additional e-mails if there is any news regarding any of your assigned teams.

In return, you get the same amount of pay that most interns receive. As in none. But you'll get a line to add to your resumes, and if you don't screw up too bad you'll get a glowing letter of recommendation from us when you are trying to get a real job.

If you already have a real job, then we'll just send you a pair of tube socks. Slightly used.

To get in the game, send us a sample of what you would submit if you had the job. By the way, we reserve the right to use all or part of the samples on the live page.

And, if the spirit so moves you, feel free to add snarky, funny, and/or sarcastic commentary after one or more of the One-Liners. But don't force it. And don't be funnier than we are. We don't want to feel threatened in any way by one or more of our future unpaid lackeys.

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The release of LB Joey Porter isn't going down well among his former teammates: "[Alan] Faneca called me, some of the veteran guys, my phone has been blowing up like, 'What the hell are we doing?'" said WR Hines Ward. "A lot of guys are questioning what's going on, kind of worried about the makeup of this team, where we are actually going to go."

The Browns, Bengals, and Dolphins are believed to be interested in LB Joey Porter.

The Cardinals have re-signed RB Marcel Shipp and S Hanik Milligan.

The "real" media has yet to realize that Rain Man could be in big trouble under the Personal Conduct Policy for failing to disclose his February 2006 and March 2006 arrests.

Could WR Joe Horn be heading to Atlanta?

The Lions are hosting RB T.J. Duckett on Sunday.

The Lions have shown interest in CB Shawn Springs.

The Texans re-signed OT Ephraim Salaam to a three-year deal.

The Colts might be re-signing LB Rob Morris.

Jags S Deon Grant is meeting with the Saints on Sunday and the Seahawks on Tuesday.

Free-agent OL Seth McKinney visited Cleveland on Saturday.

The Saints have re-signed OT Jon Stinchcomb.

The Jets are expected to release WR Justin McCareins.

RB Corey Dillon would like to play for the Ravens.

And the Jets.

POSTED 10:15 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

UNION TO PROTEST PLUMMER TRADE

A league source tells us that the NFL Players Association is expected to file a grievance objecting to the trade that sent Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer to the Buccaneers for a conditional 2008 draft pick.

The argument is that, because Plummer actually filed retirement papers on Friday, his rights cannot be traded.

And while the NFLPA likely has a valid point, the immediate question is why do they care? If Plummer is retired, then he's retired.

If the grievance is successful, the trade most likely would be voided, and Plummer's rights returned to the Broncos.

It's believed that the Bucs plan to trade Plummer's rights to the Raiders. It's also believed that Plummer wants to play for the Texans.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 9:48 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

NO VISITS, BUT INTEREST IN STALLWORTH

A league source tells us that, although no visits have been arranged for receiver Donte' Stallworth, several teams are interested.

The problem, as we understand it, is that the interested teams are at a level well below Stallworth's expectations. And there likely won't be any visits until someone gets closer to Stallworth's price -- or Stallworth's price comes down.

The Eagles remain in the hunt for Stallworth's services. Now that Stallworth has made it to free agency, the Eagles won't be required to upgrade the fourth-round pick that was sent to the Saints as part of the trade. If Stallworth had been re-signed before free agency, the Eagles would have owed New Orleans a third-round pick.

POSTED 9:29 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

JAGS SIGN DENNIS NORTHCUTT

According to the Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars have signed receiver Dennis Northcutt.

The five-year deal is worth a surprising $3.4 million per season.

Northcutt had only 22 catches for 228 yards in 2006. As one league insider explained, however, teams are willing to pay for return specialists.

POSTED 9:11 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:20 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

BANNER ADDRESSES GARCIA SITUATION

At a time when many Eagles fans are fuming about the failure of the team to engage in serious negotiations with former backup quarterback Jeff Garcia, team president Joe Banner has addressed the situation in an interview with NBC 10 in Philadelphia.

"Jeff was anxious to explore free agency, as he said many times in many interviews, including going on Jay Leno and saying it. So, that's what he wanted to do," Banner said. "Whatever version of the story may be out there now, he was pretty clear and pretty public about that, and he's getting the chance to do that now.

"That was really the key factor, and I don't fault them because I would have done the exact same thing in his shoes, but that was kind of a decision that left us having to make some decisions to protect ourselves in the long-run at that position."

But the fact remains that Garcia would have considered returning to Philly for less money than he might have gotten elsewhere. With a two-year deal having a base value of $10 million in hand, the question then is how much less would have Garcia have taken -- and would the Eagles have paid him that amount?

The problem, as we see it, is that any deal given to Garcia would have had to show sufficient respect to starter Donovan McNabb. If Garcia were to be the backup, then Garcia should only be getting backup money.

Even if Garcia would have taken only $4 million per year, it's unlikely that the Eagles would have paid that much. Indeed, current backup A.J. Feeley will receive, we've learned, salaries of $800,000 in 2007, $900,000 in 2008, $1.3 million in 2009, and $1.8 million in 2010.

So, as we see it, the Eagles were in a no-win situation. If they had done the dance with Garcia, their interest would have been used as leverage elsewhere. The smarter choice was to pull out early, as they did.

Still, based on the way that Garcia played in 2006 and given McNabb's recent history of being unable to get through a full season without having one or more body parts bust, the Eagles would have been even wiser to pay Garcia to keep him around.

And that brings us back to the reality that the Eagles didn't want him there anymore, because McNabb didn't want him there anymore. No matter how many denials are issued by McNabb or by the team, we firmly believe that McNabb privately resented the success that the team had without him, and the adoration that was showered upon a backup who almost got the team as far as McNabb ever has.

ONLY 12 TEAMS HAVE SIGNED FREE AGENTS

Through nearly two days of free-agency activity, only 12 of the 32 NFL teams have signed a player who spent 2006 with a different team.

To monitor all of the signings, be sure to check out our 2007 Free Agency Movement tracker.

If you know of a signing that you don't see on the list, let us know.

POSTED 8:50 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

KERNEY VISITING THE 'HAWKS

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that defensive end Patrick Kerney will visit the Seahawks. Per Caplan, the 'Hawks are expected to make Kerney a lucrative offer.

The starting defensive ends in Seattle currently are Grant Wistrom and Bryce Fisher. Wistrom was ridiculously overpaid several years ago, and it looks like the Seahawks are ready to do the same for Kerney.

It had been reported that the Broncos were intent on signing Kerney before he headed to Seattle, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

POSTED 8:25 p.m. EST; UPATED 8:43 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

PATS TO SIGN WELKER TO OFFER SHEET

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Patriots plan to sign receiver Wes Welker, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet. The deal would be for six years, and would have a value of $38.5 million.

Though we can find no reports on this, our guess is that the contract offer will contain a poison pill provision that makes it fully guaranteed under circumstances that would apply if Miami matches, but not if Welker moves to New England.

Hey, some folks around the league might not like it, but the poison pill is the law of the land until the NFL and the NFL Players Association agree to language that takes it out of the CBA. So while on one hand it might be regarded by some in the league as "dirty" to use the poison pill, the fact of the matter is that you either do what you can to be competitive, or your ass gets fired.

If the Fins don't match within seven days, the Pats will send to Miami a second-round pick, the 60th overall in the coming draft.

SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

[Editor's note: Sorry for the delayed postings. Florio Jr. had a basketball game. His team came from 10 points behind with five minutes left and won by five in overtime. If it wasn't basketball, it would have actually been exciting. Here's what we missed.]

The 49ers have signed WR Ashley Lelie to a two-year, $4.3 million deal.

The Lions have signed Bucs DE Dewayne White to a five-year, $29 million deal.

Texans DE Antwan Peek has signed with the Browns.

As expected, the Titans have cut RB Travis Henry, who is heading to Denver for a visit. (Don't forget that Henry was suspended four games for violation of the substance abuse policy in 2005, and still might be one ill-timed rock concert away from a one-year suspension.)

RB Dominic "Poppie" Rhodes ended his visit with the Giants without a contract. (And, as far as we can tell, he peed on no sofas.)

POSTED 8:15 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

SMOOT RETURNS TO 'SKINS

Cornerback Fred Smoot has signed with the Redskins, two years after leaving Washington for the Vikings.

Smoot gives the 'Skins an alternative to Shawn Springs, who is getting older and who has been plagued by injuries.

The addition of Smoot means that cornerback Travis Fisher of the Rams won't be signing with the Redskins. Fisher, we're told, is now off to Arizona for a visit.

POSTED 4:17 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

WHERE'S DONTE'?

Eagles receiver Donte' Stallworth is getting surprisingly little play in the free-agent market.

Though various publications identify various potentially interested teams (such as the 49ers and the Redskins), we're aware of no visits for the former first-rounder, who had a good season with the Eagles after being traded from the Saints.

POSTED 4:08 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

JOHNSON GET $60 MILLION OVER EIGHT YEARS

The Houston Chronicle reports that the extension signed by receiver Andre Johnson is worth $60 million over eight years, and that it carries $15 million in guaranteed money.

And, amazingly, the new deal lowers Johnson's 2007 cap number by $6 million.

"This is a great thing for us because Andre's our best player, and he's going to be a Texan for a long time," G.M. Rick Smith said. "Not only are we ensured of keeping Andre, but we also cleared some room under the cap, so it was a win-win situation."

DIELMAN GETS $39.5 MILLION

The Associated Press reports that the contract signed by Chargers offensive lineman Kris Dielman is, as we heard, worth only (only?) $39 million over six years.

The annual average, then, is $6.5 million -- $500,000 short of the amount that Dielman's agent had been claiming he'd get.

Again, not a bad haul. But in light of the Derrick Dockery deal it's not an eyebrow-raiser.

POSTED 3:45 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:51 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

GARCIA ASKED RAIDERS NOT TO DRAFT QUARTERBACK

We threw it out there last night as a possible explanation for the impasse between the Raiders and free-agent quarterback Jeff Garcia. And we've now learned that, for a change, our closed-eyed wing-and-a-prayer guess was on the mark.

We're told that quarterback Jeff Garcia didn't sign with the Raiders for one reason and one reason only -- the team would not give him an assurance that a quarterback would not be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

It's really not an unreasonable request. Who would ever want to be the lame duck starting quarterback? If the Raiders were to struggle to start the season, the denizens of the Black Hole soon would have been chanting for the other guy.

It's also our understanding that the money in Oakland was equal to the money that Garcia is getting from the Bucs. We're told that Garcia will make $5 million in 2007, and that the total value over two years could be as much as $14.5 million, based on Garcia being the starter and the team making the playoffs.

For now, though, it's an open competition between Simms and Garcia, especially since the base value of their deals is identical. Indeed, we're told that Garcia has not been promised the starting job.

Of course, if he ends up being starter, his situation won't be much different in Tampa than it would have been in Oakland. The backup quarterback (as Garcia learned in Philly) is often the most popular guy in town.

PATS SIGN SAMMY MORRIS

The New England Patriots continued their uncharacteristic cannonball into the free-agent pool by signing running back Sammy Morris.

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that Morris received a four-year deal worth $7 million. He'll make $5 million over the first two years of the deal.

The Pats have signed linebacker Adalius Thomas and tight end Kyle Brady, and reportedly will be signing restricted free agent receiver Wes Welker to an offer sheet.

POSTED 3:36 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

BUCS TO SHIP PLUMMER TO RAIDERS?

There's speculation in league circles that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will eventually trade quarterback Jake Plummer to the Oakland Raiders.

The thinking is that the Raiders are interested in acquiring Plummer as a short-term starter while expected No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell gets ready to play, but that there's no way that the Raiders and Broncos ever could have done business together.

Enter the Bucs, who could end up being the straw man for a deal that puts Plummer in silver and black.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 3:14 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

CHIEFS INK McINTOSH

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Kansas City Chiefs have signed free-agent tackle Damion McIntosh.

Financial terms aren't yet available for the six-year deal.

McIntosh recently was released by the Dolphins. He was one of the few left tackles with starting experience on the market.

POSTED 2:50 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:57 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

'BOYS KEEPING GLENN

The Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys have decided to pay a $5 million roster bonus owed to receiver Terry Glenn, which means that he'll remain on the team for the 2007 season.

Glenn is scheduled to earn a base salary of $820,000 in 2007, and he is signed through 2010.

The other starting receiver, Terrell Owens, is due to receive a $3 million roster bonus in June.

Use of an earlier roster bonus forces the team to decide quickly in the offseason whether to keep a player. And it gets the player onto the free-agent market earlier, too, if the team decides not to pay the money.

DIELMAN DETAILS

Scout.com reports that Chargers offensive lineman Kris Dielman will be paid $40 million over six years, with $18 million in guaranteed money.

Dielman will earn $24 million over the first three years of the contract.

We heard that Dielman's agent was claiming during the combine that he had a $7 million-per-year deal in hand. We later heard that the agent was inviting teams to get into the bidding at $7 million per year.

The final deal -- averaging $6.67 million (if those numbers are accurate) -- shows that the goal wasn't reached.

We're hearing that the real number is $39 million, which works out to an average of $6.5 million per year.

Not that it's a bad deal, but it's not what either "The Skipper" Steinbach or Derrick Dockery got on Friday.

POSTED 2:40 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

DAVIS WANTS BIG MONEY

Word on the NFL street is that free-agent offensive lineman Leonard "Big" Davis, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft, is looking for $23 million in guaranteed money.

We're told that the request was made during a visit by Davis to the Cowboys.

Consequently, the visit was a short one.

Hey, if the guy was that good, the Cardinals' line wouldn't have been so bad. And the Cards would have used some of their staggering cap surplus to keep him.

Next up for Davis is the Redskins. But if they weren't ready to pay Derrick Dockery, why would they pay Davis?

POSTED 2:30 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

PATS TO PULL OUT POISON PILL?

With a big-name unrestricted free agent already in the fold, the New England Patriots are now making a play for a promising restricted free agent.

Per ESPN.com and the Boston Globe, the Pats plan to sign receiver/kick returner Wes Welker to an offer sheet.

If the offer sheet isn't matched by the Dolphins within seven days, Welker becomes the property of the Pats, in exchange for a second-round draft pick.

And a second-round draft pick isn't much to give up for a proven performer, especially when it comes in the low end of the round. In 2006, the Pats spent a second-rounder on receiver Chad Jackson, who to date has been a disappointment.

The bigger question, as we see it, is whether New England will include in the offer sheet a poison pill provision that makes it impossible for the Fins to match. If, for example, the offer sheet says that the full value of the deal will be guaranteed if Welker's team plays five games in Miami in any year of the deal, the Pats can as a practical matter get Welker for less total exposure -- especially if the deal also includes some phony high salaries on the back end.

If the Pats don't use the poison pill, and if the Fins match the deal, look for the NFLPA to cry foul. Why? Because there was a specific effort by the league and the union to negotiate the poison pill out of the CBA after last year's tit-for-tat involving the Vikings and the Seahawks. But an impasse was reached, and the device is still on the books.

So if the teams choose not to use it, the union will be able to claim collusion or other unfair labor practices.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 2:19 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

VIKES GO TWO FOR THREE

Both the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune report that the Vikings have signed linebacker Vinny Ciurciu and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

The move prompted loud cursing from anyone in the organization responsible for spelling player names correctly on a consistent basis.

But the Vikings were unable to come to terms with receiver Kevin Curtis, who is now heading to Detroit for a meet-and-greet.

POSTED 2:13 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

RAMS SIGN BENNETT

A league source tells us that the Rams have agreed to terms with receiver Drew Bennett.

We're told that the deal will average $4.5 million per year.

Bennett spent the first six years of his career with the Titans.

POSTED 2:10 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

TEXANS EXTEND JOHNSON

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Houston Texans have extended the contract of receiver Andre Johnson.

Johnson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 draft, was under contract for two more years, and was scheduled to earn salaries of $5.25 million in 2007 and $7.75 million in 2008.

Johnson had career highs last season with 103 receptions and 1,147 receiving yards. He was named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad in 2004 and 2006.

POSTED 1:52 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

DIELMAN STAYS PUT

Casey Pearce of Chargers.com reports that free-agent offensive lineman Kris Dielman has struck a six-year deal to stay in San Diego.

Dielman was heavily pursued by the Seahawks, and was expected to be courted by the Browns.

Financial details are not yet available. However, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that Dielman got something akin to the seven-year, $49 million contract signed by Steve Hutchinson, Eric "the Skipper" Steinbach, and Derrick Dockery.

POSTED 1:30 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

TRADE PUTS PLUMMER IN A CORNER

The trade of quarterback Jake Plummer to the Bucs is aimed at preventing Plummer from retiring for a few months and then unretiring to play for the Texans, explains Adam Schefter of NFL Network.

Per Schefter, the trade states that Plummer either unretires and plays for the Bucs, or Plummer retires and the Broncos retain the ability to pursue the unallocated portion of his signing bonus.

But if Plummer unretires, Tampa will have to have $5.3 million in cap room to carry his base salary. So, in essence, Plummer can opt to force Tampa's hand by saying, "Sure, I'll show up." It will force Tampa to pay him $5.3 million or cut him.

Or trade him, perhaps to the Texans.

Regardless of how it all works out, it's an odd development for a day on which the headline in Tampa should be the acquisition of quarterback Jeff Garcia.

POSTED 1:17 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

BRONCOS ANNOUNCE TRADE OF PLUMMER TO TAMPA

In a move that can only be described as bizarre, the press release announcing the acquisition of defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson by the Broncos also states that quarterback Jake Plummer has been traded to Tampa for a conditional pick in the 2008 draft.

The release, which was forwarded to us by Adam Caplan of Scout.com, says: "The Denver Broncos on Saturday traded quarterback Jake Plummer to Tampa Bay in exchange for a conditional selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced. Denver also acquired defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson from Miami in exchange for the Broncos' own sixth round pick (24th in round) in the 2007 NFL Draft."

Apparently, the Bucs have opted to squat on Plummer's rights. If he truly retires, the Broncos would likely get nothing. If Plummer decides not to quit, then the Broncos get a pick in 2008 based on, potentially, Plummer's playing time or performance.

So, as a practical matter, the Bucs now have Plummer, Jeff Garcia, and Chris Simms under contract.

And if Plummer follows through on his apparent plan to retire, the Bucs will have the ability to recoup the remainder of any unallocated signing bonus money from Plummer, even though Tampa didn't pay out the bonus.

POSTED 1:07 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:11 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

FINS SHIP BIG DADDY TO DENVER

The Denver Broncos have continued to show their thirst for defensive linemen who once were taken at the top of the draft by acquiring tackle Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson from the Miami Dolphins.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network is reporting the deal, and says that the Fins will get a sixth-round pick from the Broncos in exchange.

Wilkinson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1994 draft, and has played for the Bengals, Redskins, Lions, and Fins.

Other highly drafted defensive linemen on the Broncos include defensive end Courtney Brown (No. 1 overall in 2000) and defensive tackle Gerard Warren (No. 3 overall in 2001).

AHMAN DRAWING INTEREST

A year after he got no takers as an unrestricted free agent, running back Ahman Green has options this time around.

Teams already believed to be interested in the veteran tailback include the Broncos, Texans, and Raiders. He already has visited the Broncos.

Green reportedly wants a long-term deal worth more than $5 million a year, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

POSTED 12:47 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:55 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

GARCIA SIGNS WITH BUCS

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed quarterback Jeff Garcia.

The official announcement will be made at a 1:00 p.m. EST press conference.

It's believed that Garcia was looking for a contract worth $5 million per year. But Schefter reports that Garcia is getting the same deal that Chris Simms received.

Sounds like an open competition to us.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 12:15 p.m. EST, March 3, 2007

PATS LAND THOMAS

The New England Patriots reportedly have reached an agreement in principle with free-agent linebacker Adalius Thomas. He generally was regarded as the second-best available talent in a relatively weak field, behind cornerback Nate Clements.

Initial, albeit equivocal, reports of the deal broke on Friday night, primarily from John Tomase of the Boston Herald and Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe. We're also told that Tom Curran of NBCSports.com has reported that the deal is expected to be worth $60 million over six years.

Thomas, 29, is slated to take a physical before the agreement is finalized.

He was a versatile defensive contributor in Baltimore, but was overshadowed by the likes of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and Chris McAlister and Terrell Suggs.

The Ravens could have kept Thomas by slapping the franchise tag on him, or could have applied the tag and then traded him to a team like, say, the Patriots. If New England is willing to give a guy $60 million to get him on the team, the Pats also likely would have considered coughing up a second-round or third-round draft pick.

But the Ravens have a borderline goofy approach when it comes to using the franchise tag. The team has apparently bought into the notion that the use of the tag is in some way disrespectful to the player. As if a one-year guaranteed salary in excess of $7 million is a sign of contempt.

The irony, as a reader pointed out to us on Saturday morning, is that the team with which Thomas is signing has zero qualms about using any arrow in the quiver when it comes to managing the business side of the sport.

POSTED 11:59 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

LELIE CLOSE TO LANDING?

Free-agent receiver Ashley Lelie is expected to sign a contract within the next couple of days, we're told. The frontrunners are the Texans and 49ers, with the Falcons and Vikings a step behind.

Lelie was originally a first-round pick of the Broncos in 2002, and was traded to the Falcons last year after asking out of Denver.

His best season came in 2004, when he hauled in 54 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. Last year, Lelie has 28 receptions for 430 yards and one touchdown as part of the vertically-challenged offense in Atlanta.

POSTED 11:44 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:47 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

BUCS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF GARCIA

Our friends at PewterReport.com and WDAE 620 tell us that the Buccaneers are holding a press conference at 1:00 p.m.

It's widely believed that the purpose of the presser is to announce the signing of quarterback Jeff Garcia. The team has characterized the event as "big", per PewterReport.com.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 11:21 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

FINS TRYING TO TRADE McMICHAEL

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Miami Dolphins are trying to trade tight end Randy McMichael.

The price? A third-round pick.

At a time when neither the free-agent market nor the 2007 draft class is filled with high-end talent, the possibility should be tempting for any team that needs a pass-catching tight end.

McMichael is under contract through 2009. He's due to earn a $3 million roster bonus and a $1 million salary in 2007. Per NFLPA records, his base salary for 2008 is $3.5 million and his base salary for 2009 is $4 million.

The 2002 fourth-round pick has caught more than 60 passes in three straight seasons. However, he has been implicated in multiple off-field incidents involving allegations of violence against his wife.

If McMichael is traded, the Fins would then likely be in the market for another tight end. An intriguing option is University of Miami product Greg Olsen, who ran the forty-yard dash in 4.45 seconds last weekend at the scouting combine. But the Fins pick at No. 9 in round one, and that likely is too high to take him.

They could use the third-rounder that they get for McMichael (if they are able to get a third-rounder for him) and package it with other picks in an effort to get back into the bottom of round one, if Olsen is still on the board.

POSTED 11:11 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

GARCIA VISITING BUCS ON SATURDAY

Our friends at PewterReport.com, who continue to put the Tampa-area newspapers to shame, report that quarterback Jeff Garcia will visit the Buccaneers on Saturday.

Garcia has thrice before spurned opportunities to play in Tampa, and per PewterReport.com the snag has always been the cap room, or lack thereof, in Tampa.

Armed with $24 million in shopping money, salary isn't an issue this time around.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 10:45 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:03 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

PATS NAB "OTHER" BRADY

The New England Patriots have signed veteran tight end Kyle Brady to a two-year deal worth $5.3 million, according to the Florida Times-Union. The contract includes a $2 million signing bonus.

He'll earn a base salary of $1.2 million and a $100,000 roster bonus in 2007. In 2008, his salary will be $2 million.

Brady had been offered a $1.5 million salary, and no bonus, for the 2007 season by the Jaguars, with whom he spent eight seasons.

"That was frustrating, and so was all the [contract] restructuring each year and the feeling I had to keep lowering my [salary] numbers," Brady told the Times-Union. "This is satisfying to go to a team that really values me."

As we see it, it's a fair, realistic deal, with none of the phony back-end fluff that so many players and agents try to wedge into the contract so that it looks better in the newspapers. It's a two-year deal that really is a two-year deal. And it's a fair salary for a 35-year old tight end who still have some gas in the tank.

In hindsight, the fact that Brady is 35 makes yours truly feel very old. Brady was recruited heavily by West Virginia University, and when he was visiting campus as a high school senior they brought him up to the law school for a quick tour.

Initial reaction? "I thought the giant died when fell down the beanstalk."

FINAL NUMBERS FOR FRIDAY

Several readers have asked for the final tally from Friday. In all, we generated 726,051 page views.

Those numbers came from 242,271 unique visitors to the Rumor Mill.

We're speechless. (Actually, we're not, because we're still saying stuff about it.)

Okay, here's the deal moving forward. We're plotting a big push to maximize revenue by adding advertisers. If we can reach our goal, there will be many more days with the same amount of content as Friday, which featured 69 new entries in the Rumor Mill.

(Hell, when we first started this thing a normal day entailed three stories and 10-15 one-liners.)

So help us out. If you're working for a company that spends advertising dollars in the new media, push the appropriate buttons to throw some support our way. Or if you know someone who works in such a capacity, start banging on them to get their product or service marketed on this site.

With the number of total eyeballs we're now attracting, it shouldn't be a difficult argument to make.

And stay tuned for a new online survey that we'll be posting in the next day or so. We need to get solid demographic information, and we hope that all of you will take a minute or two and fill it out once it's posted.

Finally, if you feel compelled to show any appreciation for the 18-hour day that we put into this site on Friday, click the box at the top of the page and apply for the NFL Extra Points credit card. There's no annual fee, and when you use it you earn points that can be used to get official NFL gear. And we get paid based on how many of you apply for the card, and are approved.

POSTED 10:14 a.m. EST, March 3, 2007

BUCS TURNING TO GARCIA

Our friends at PewterReport.com report that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh from the Jake Plummer debacle, are turning their attention to free-agent quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Garcia was thought to be signing with Oakland on Friday, but an impasse arose. Though it's not clear whether the roadblock was money, we've learned that one of Garcia's concerns was/is the strong possibility that the No. 1 overall pick in the draft won't be used on a playmaker (i.e., Calvin Johnson), but on Garcia's eventual replacement (i.e., JaMarcus Russell).

In Tampa, however, it's not as obvious that Garcia would win the starting job. Chris Simms surely provides a feel-good component to the coming season, given that he put on (in hindsight) one of the all-time heroic performances in September 2006, as he played in blistering heat with a busted spleen.

But Tampa would be more likely to use the No. 1 overall pick on a playmaker like Johnson, who might still be on the board when the Bucs use the fourth overall selection. Even if he isn't (and we think he shouldn't be), the fact that the pick would be used on a position other than quarterback gives Tampa the edge in this category.

If a deal can't be worked out between the Bucs and Garcia (whom we guess is looking for a contract worth at least $5 million per year), keep an eye on Houston. With Jake Plummer apparently out of the mix, the Texans could try to lure Garcia to town as the replacement for David Carr.

POSTED 10:19 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:25 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

NINERS SPENDING BIG MONEY

On the same day that the San Francisco 49ers handed out more than $20 million in guaranteed money to cornerback Nate Clements, the team coughed up $10 million in guaranteed money to safety Michael Lewis.

Nancy Gay of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on the guaranteed money, and observes that Lewis hauled in this payday despite being benched during the 2007 season.

GIANTS INTERESTED IN BELL

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the New York Giants are interested in swinging a deal with the Lions for newly-acquired running back Tatum Bell.

As we mentioned on Thursday, the Lions could end up trading Bell and/or tackle George Foster, both of whom were obtained from the Broncos in the Dre' Bly trade.

The Giants are in the market for a new tailback after the retirement of TiVi Barber. Brandon Jacobs has showing promise as a short-yardage and goal-line specialist.

POSTED 9:59 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:10 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

THOMAS DEAL COMING?

John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the Patriots have struck a "preliminary deal" with free-agent linebacker Adalius Thomas.

But we sense a certain uneasy quality about the report, and it lacks the same unequivocal feel that most reports of player signings possess. If that makes any sense.

We're not saying it won't happen. But, for now, we're not completely convinced that it will.

TRAFFIC UPDATE

Question: What's the best way to celebrate an all-time traffic record?

Answer: By doubling the mark the very next day.

For Thursday, we hosted 338,000 page views from PFT Planet. With 110 minutes remaining on Friday, we're at 681,000.

And that puts us over 1,000,000 page views for only two days in the month of March.

Thanks to everyone out there who has been hanging out with us the past 48 hours. We'll continue to keep close watch on all free-agent activity over the weekend and into next week.

POSTED 9:10 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:53 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GARCIA, RAIDERS AT IMPASSE

Nancy Gay of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Raiders and free-agent quarterback Jeff Garcia are at impasse after several hours of negotiations.

"He's going to keep exploring his options and the Raiders will, too,'' an NFL source said Friday afternoon.

The basis for the impasse, as we see it, could be Garcia's request for a promise that the Raiders won't select JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the draft. Though Garcia turns 37 this year, he likely doesn't want to play mentor to the guy who would eventually bump him to the bench.

KEEP TRACK OF PLAYER MOVEMENT

We've put together a simple list of the free agents signed by each team.

"Simple" is the key word. We're only listing the signings of players who played elsewhere in 2006.

If you notice that we're missing anyone, let us know. You can call us stupid when you do so, if you want.

POSTED 8:51 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

THOMAS TO PATS?

John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the New England Patriots are in the process of signing linebacker Adalius Thomas.

Tomase cites a rival executive, who says that the deal is done.

Thomas was expected to be pursued heavily by the 49ers and the Patriots.

POSTED 8:42 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:46 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

FLETCHER IS A 'SKIN

A league source tells us that linebacker London Fletcher has agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins.

Per the source, it's a five-year, $25 million deal. It pays a $10.5 million signing bonus and pays out $12.5 million over the first two years.

Washington was Fletcher's first and only visit. Other teams that were interested in the nine-year veteran were the Bills, Lions, and Patriots.

LEWIS SIGNS WITH NINERS

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports the the 49ers have signed safety Michael Lewis, and that the Niners are close to signing nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin.

The Niners also have signed cornerback Nate Clements, arguably the top free agent on the market.

POSTED 7:28 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

CLEMENTS BLOWS OUT THE CURVE

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers have signed cornerback Nate Clements.

It's a mind-boggling eight-year, $80 million deal, with $22 million in guaranteed money, and it makes Clements the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

A league source tells us that, as a practical matter, it's a six-year deal worth $7.25 million per year.

Clements was expected to be pursued by several teams. But he never got out of San Fran.

POSTED 7:25 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TITANS TO TANK HENRY

The Nashville Tennessean reports that the Titans will cut running back Travis Henry on Saturday, in order to avoid a roster bonus of $8.3 million that comes due on Monday.

The move will leave the team without Henry or Chris Brown under contract. LenDale White, a rookie in 2006, is the other tailback on the team.

Thus, the Titans likely will be in the market for help at the position.

POSTED 6:59 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

STEINBACH SIGNS WITH THE BROWNS

Several published reports confirm that the Cleveland Browns have signed offensive lineman Eric Steinbach. The deal is worth $49.5 million over seven years.

Steinbach is expected to play right tackle for the Browns.

The deal exceeds by $500,00 the contract signed last season by guard Steve Hutchinson with the Vikings.

We reported on Thursday night that Steinbach already had an agreement in principle with the Browns. And, let's face it, there's no way that much money changed hands based on one day.

Steinbach started his career with the Bengals. Last year, he was arrested for boating while drunk. By trading the Ohio River for Lake Erie, he'll have a bigger margin for error if he decides to do it again.

POSTED 6:53 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

BILLS SIGN DOCKERY, WALKER

The Buffalo Bills continued to pay out the big bucks on Friday by signing tackle Langston Walker and guard Derrick Dockery.

Dockery, who comes to Buffalo from the Redskins, will play left guard. Walker, who previously played for the Raiders, will play right tackle.

POSTED 5:57 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

JETS CONSIDERING A TRADE UP?

We're hearing that the New York Jets are considering an effort to trade up from the No. 25 spot in round one to the top of the draft.

The Jets would like to get in position to draft either receiver Calvin Johnson or running back Adrian Peterson.

To ensure that they'll get either guy, the Jets likely would have to land no lower than No. 3.

POSTED 5:06 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GARCIA A RAIDER SOON?

We're still trying to confirm rumors that quarterback Jeff Garcia is close to inking with the Raiders. Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Garcia was due to visit with the Raiders on Friday.

The Raiders were a relatively late entry in the hunt for Garcia, whose strong stints with the 49ers and Eagles are sandwiched around two nightmares in Cleveland and Detroit.

In Oakland, Garcia would be close to his home and reunited with former 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who joined the Raiders after being fired by the Falcons.

POSTED 4:41 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 4:58 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TEXANS IN MIX FOR GARCIA?

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans are interested in quarterback Jeff Garcia.

The report comes at a time when there are rumors that Garcia has reached a deal with the Raiders. We have been unable to confirm or debunk said rumors.

"Yeah, we chased him in Denver," coach Gary Kubiak, former Broncos offensive coordinator, said. "I've always been impressed with the guy. He's one tough son of a gun. He makes smart decisions. He's been productive just about everywhere he's been."

STILL MORE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Falcons have signed FB Ovie Mughelli.

Panthers G.M. Marty Hurney defended the decision to bring back LB Dan Morgan.

The Bears are funding Lovie Smith's new contract.

Titans WR Drew Bennett is in St. Louis, and could sign a contract today.

QB Brad Johnson is visiting Denver on Saturday, and possibly Dallas.

POSTED 4:36 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

SMOOT BACK TO 'SKINS?

An entry from a supposedly respected poster on a message board owned by the Washington Redskins indicates that cornerback Fred Smoot has signed with the team, after a two-year detour to Minnesota.

The story has been up for a couple of hours, but we have found no official confirmation of it.

Because of that, we weren't going to post it yet. But we've gotten over 100 e-mails from 'Skins fans who swear that it's legit, so we figured the only way we would shut them up was to use it.

POSTED 4:23 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

CLEMENTS, LEWIS IN THE HOUSE

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports that cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis were visiting the 49ers on Friday.

Neither player has signed a contract with the team, yet.

POSTED 4:15 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

CHUKWURAH TO BUCS CONFIRMED

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (see, Roy, it's not hard to give credit where it's due) reports that the Bucs have landed linebacker/defensive end Patrick Chukwurah.

The deal is for five years, $5.5 million.

A reader suggests that the low price tag was aimed at helping to defray increased field maintenance costs as a result of Chukwurah's presence on the team.

POSTED 4:07 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

CHUKWURAH TO BUCS?

We're hearing rumblings that linebacker/defensive end Patrick Chukwurah has signed with the Buccaneers.

The total package, we're told, is five years, $5.5 million.

We're trying to get confirmation. Stay tuned.

(We realize a "real" journalist wouldn't post this story without confirmation. But since we're not "real" journalist we "real"ly don't give a crap.)

POSTED 3:04 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:18 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

BRONCOS HOLDING KERNEY HOSTAGE?

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos are trying to get defensive end Patrick Kerney signed before he leaves the building.

Kerney is scheduled to fly to Seattle on Saturday.

The Broncos' new defensive line coach, Bill Johnson, spent six years with the Falcons.

EVEN MORE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

WR Joe Horn could be the next scapegoat for Falcons RB Mike Vick.

The Jags have signed K Josh Scobee to a five-year deal.

OL Eric Steinbach might not be sticking around in Cleveland. (Hopefully, he'll leave before he gets a staph infection.)

Texans LB Antwan Peek is visiting the Browns on Friday.

The Pats have released RB Corey Dillon, and have re-signed FB Heath Evans.

The Bucs have re-signed CB Phillip Buchanon.

POSTED 2:57 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

FALCONS CUT A PAIR

The Atlanta Falcons have cut LB Edgerton Hatwell and LB Ike Reese.

Both were signed as unrestricted free agents in 2005.

Hartwell was signed through 2010, and he was scheduled to earn $2.87 million in base salary this season. Reese was under contract through 2008. He was due to make $940,000 in base salary this year.

Since both were released on the first day of the league year, it's possible that the Falcons took advantage of the rule that treats the move as a June 2 transaction, thereby spreading the cap hit from any remaining bonus money over two years.

POSTED 2:47 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

AHMAN TO DENVER?

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that free-agent running back Ahman Green will visit the Denver Broncos.

Green, 30, was originally drafted by the Seahawks in 1998. He was traded to the Packers after two seasons, and has been the starter in Green Bay ever since.

He hit the market a year ago, but took a one-year deal to stay with the Packers due in large part to his ongoing rehab from a serious leg injury. He rushed for 1,059 yards in 14 games last season.

POSTED 2:24 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 2:35 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

REPORTS OF GRAHAM DEAL NOT TRUE

John Crowe of WSKO radio tells us that he has spoken to Jack Mills, the agent for tight end Daniel Graham, and that Mills says that no deal has been reached between the Broncos and Graham.

Mills will appear on WSKO at 3:30 p.m. EST to address the situation. The spot can be heard right here.

And, on further review of our e-mailbox, we discovered a message from agent Tom Mills, who writes of Graham: "He has not agreed to terms with Denver or anyone. Don't know where that rumor started, but it's completely inaccurate. Dan will visit with the Broncos later today, but we haven't discussed contract and Dan is planning to take a trip to Oakland tomorrow and Seattle after that."

SPEAKING OF RADIO . . . .

We've got a few spots coming up over the next few days. At 3:30 p.m. EST, we'll make our first appearance with Stoney and Wojo on WDFN in Detroit. At 5:20 p.m. EST or so, we'll do our weekly thing with the boys at the Rumble in Jacksonville. At 6:35 p.m. EST, we'll visit with ESPN Radio in Las Vegas.

We've also got spots lined up over the weekend on Sirius NFL Radio and FOX Sports Radio. On Monday morning, we'll make our first visit with Steve Czaban of FOX Sports Radio.

THE SERVER IS READY TO EXPLODE

Okay, so on Thursday we set an all-time, one-day PFT record with 338,000 total page views. We predicted that we'd do as well on Friday, and one reader chastised us for not aiming higher.

He was right.

As of 2:35 p.m. EST, we have generated nearly 374,000 page views.

Ho. Lee. Crap.

POSTED 2:16 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

LIONS SEND HALL TO RAMS

An industry source tells us that the Detroit Lions have shipped defensive end James Hall to the St. Louis Rams, for a fifth-round draft pick.

The Lions had been trying to trade Hall for the past couple of weeks, and most likely would have cut him if a deal had not been worked out.

POSTED 2:10 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PLUMMER RETIREMENT A PLOY?

There's talk/speculation/ in league circles that Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer is using the retirement card as a ploy to get traded to Houston.

Though there was a report a week ago out of Denver that Plummer could pack it in, there was no hard evidence that he might quit until after news broke that Plummer would be traded to the Bucs for a fourth-round pick.

If Plummer retires, he'd potentially owe the team the portion of any signing bonus that applies to the three remaining years of his contract. And the Broncos have a history of playing hardball in matters of this nature -- just ask Dale Carter, Daryl Gardener, Eddie Kennison, and Ashley Lelie.

POSTED 1:51 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GRAHAM SIGNS WITH BRONCOS

ESPN Radio apparently is reporting that the Broncos have signed tight end Daniel Graham to a contract that include $10 million in guaranteed money.

Stay tuned.

MORE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Bengals WR Kelley Washington is visiting the Fins.

The Dolphins have dumped G Jeno James.

POSTED 12:48 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:44 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

WALKER VISITING BILLS

Raiders right tackle Langston Walker is visiting the Buffalo Bills.

Walker was a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2002. He started at right tackle with the Raiders for all of the 2006 season.

The Bills already have inked guard Jason Whittle, who signed without visiting the team.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that OL Leonard Davis will visit with the Cowboys and the Redskins.

The Bills are also hosting G Derrick Dockery.

Tod Leiweke is pulling a Bob Whitsitt.

The Titans could reunite with DL Kevin Carter.

The 'Skins have spread some money around to three of their own.

LB Tully Banta-Cain is visiting with an unidentified team. (Could it be a secret because it doesn't exist?)

POSTED 12:30 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:34 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PLUMMER RETIRES

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer will retire in lieu of being traded to Tampa.

Word of the trade broke earlier this morning, but recent published reports suggested that Plummer might pack it in.

Plummer has played 10 NFL seasons. We have a weird feeling that, after a year or so on the sidelines, he might be lured back. The Cardinals, for example, will need a backup after Kurt Warner retires, and it would be fitting for Plummer to end his career there.

WILFORD WAS TENDERED AT SECOND-ROUND LEVEL

In response to our story regarding NFL documents indicating that the Jags tendered restricted free agent receiver Ernest Wilford at the low level, a league source tells us that Wilford was indeed tendered at the second-round level.

POSTED 12:13 p.m. EST, March 2, 2007

WILFORD RIPE FOR THE PLUCKING?

Thanks to a tip from our pal Gregg Rosenthal of Rotoworld.com, it appears that official NFL records reveal that the Jaguars have tendered receiver Ernest Wilford at the low level of $850,000.

Published reports suggested that Wilford would be tendered at the new second-round level.

This means that Wilford can be had for a multi-year offer sheet that becomes fully guaranteed if, for example, Wilford plays five football games in Jacksonville in any year of the deal.

Wilford was a fourth-round pick in 2004. Thus, if someone else signs him and the Jags opt not to match, they'll get a fourth-round pick as compensation.

As we see it, either the Jags have decided that they'd be happy to get a fourth-round pick for Wilford, or they're just stupid. If someone else wants him bad enough to give up a four, he's as good as gone.

Along these same lines, we can't figure out why the Redskins gave punter Derrick Frost the low tender. Frost was undrafted, so the 'Skins get no compensation if someone else signs him. And someone else will be able to get him via the poison pill device.

As we see it, the 'Skins would have been smarter to save the $850,000 in cap space and not tender Frost at any level. Or, if they really wanted to keep him, they should have bumped the number to $1.3 million, which would have triggered the second-round level of compensation -- and as a practical matter would have scared off any other suitors.

POSTED 11:45 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

VIKES TO TAKE A STAB AT HARPER?

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Vikings might contact cornerback Nick Harper, an unrestricted free agent.

Zulgad also reports that the Packers are interested in receiver Joe Horn, and that the Vikings are not believed to be interested in 49-year-old receiver Keenan McCardell.

POSTED 11:40 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

THOMAS TO VISIT NINERS, PATS

Don Banks of SI.com reports that linebacker Adalius Thomas will visit the 49ers and the Patriots. The visits will start as soon as Saturday.

Banks says that the Niners are expected to offer more than $8 million per year, and that the Pats will come in with less money, but with a greater chance to deliver a Super Bowl championship.

POSTED 11:24 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TEAMS RISKING COLLUSION CHARGES?

A league source tells us that more than a few NFL teams are reluctant to use the poison pill as a tool for crafting offer sheets to restricted free agents that can't be matched by the teams for which the restricted free agents currently play.

Under the device used by the Vikings against the Seahawks and the Seahawks against the Vikings in 2006, it's very easy to put a team in a position where it can't match a deal by including language that makes the full contract guaranteed if the player plays for the team that currently holds his rights.

Reaction to the tit-for-tat between Minnesota and Seattle was sharp, and representatives from the two teams were dressed down at the ownership meetings that followed the incident. The message to all of the teams was to play nice in the future.

But efforts to write the loophole out of the CBA failed, which means that it remains a viable tool for enhancing player movement. So if the teams choose not to use it so as to not "screw each other," that's collusion.

It remains to be seen whether teams will ultimately fail to use the device, and whether the union pushes the issue if the poison pill isn't utilized.

Clearly, teams like the Chargers fear the use of the poison pill against them; otherwise, backup running back Michael Turner wouldn't have been tendered at the highest possible level.

POSTED 11:16 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

HARRIS VISITING THE BUCS

Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that linebacker Napoleon Harris will visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before visiting the Chiefs.

Harris was a first-round pick in Oakland in the months after Jon Gruden left the Raiders to coach the Bucs. Current Tampa G.M. Bruce Allen was still working for the Raiders when Harris was selected.

Harris was traded to the Vikings in 2005 as part of the Randy Moss deal.

POSTED 11:01 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PASHOS TO JAGS

The Florida Times-Union reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to terms with former Ravens tackle Tony Pashos.

"As long as the physical checks out we'll sign him today," coach Jack Del Rio said.

Pashos will be installed as the team's starting right tackle.

POSTED 10:58 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

CLEMENTS TO NINERS

A fan site known as 49erswebzone.com reports that Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports that the 49ers have signed or are in the process of signing cornerback Nate Clements.

However, no such story currently appears on Bengals.com.

With all that said, we have reason to believe that the report is on the money. Stay tuned.

POSTED 10:54 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

"OTHER" BRADY VISITS PATS

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports that veteran tight end Kyle Brady will visit the Patriots.

Brady played for the Jets when Pats coach Bill Belichick was an assistant coach in New York.

The former Penn State star has spent eight years with the Jaguars, after four with the Jets. He has 334 career catches and 23 touchdowns.

POSTED 10:42 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PLUMMER TO THE BUCS

Several media outlets report that the Broncos have shipped quarterback Jake Plummer to the Buccaneers, for a fourth-round draft pick.

The move gives Plummer a chance to compete with Chris Simms for the starting job, and likely relegates 2006 rookie Bruce Gradkowski to the bottom of the depth chart.

It also removes Tampa from the Jeff Garcia derby.

POSTED 10:33 a.m. EST; UPDATED 10:40 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TITANS BOW OUT OF CLEMENTS SWEEPSTAKES

Terry McCormick of the Nashville City Paper reports that the Tennessee Titans are out of the running for cornerback Nate Clements.

Several teams are interested in Clements, and it could be that the price is too high.

The mere fact that the Titans were sniffing around Clements suggests that the Titans could be seriously considering life without Rain Man Jones.

MORE FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Pats tendered CB Randall Gay at the second-round level.

A newspaper in Florida reports that the Bucs are in the market for a veteran quarterback.

Bucs LB Shelton Quarles might have to call it a career due to a hip condition.

The NFL is trying to trademark the phrase "Big Game" (as a bonus, they'll also get free dibs on "Greedy Bastards").

POSTED 10:24 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PATS TO SPEND KRAFT CASH?

We've tracked down more information regarding Adam Schefter's Friday morning comments on WEEI in Boston. We're told that Schefter is of the opinion that the Patriots will be major players in the 2007 free-agent market.

Specifically, he thinks the Pats will storm the market, and that linebacker Adalius Thomas is in their sights.

It could lead to an interesting coast-to-coast tug of war, since the Niners are also expected to make a big push for Thomas.

And the mere fact that a typically slumbering free-agency giant like the Patriots are interested in Thomas could prompt other teams to get interested in him, too.

(UPDATE: The full Schefter interview is available right here.)

POSTED 10:19 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

FISHER TO VISIT 'SKINS, CARDS

A league source tells us that Rams cornerback Travis Fisher will meet with the Redskins on Saturday and Cardinals on Sunday.

Fisher was the 32nd pick in the second round of the 2002 draft, and has spent his entire career with the Rams.

He has been limited by injuries over the past couple of years, but the fact that he already has two visits lined up shows that there's always a demand for cornerbacks with starting experience.

POSTED 10:06 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

FLETCHER IS IN D.C.

We're told that linebacker London Fletcher is in Washington, meeting with the team.

Though the Bills, Lions, and Pats are still interested in the veteran middle linebacker, the 'Skins have a track record of getting deals done when they bring guys in for a visit.

Fletcher is a nine-year veteran. He has played for the Rams and the Bills. He was a starter on the Super Bowl XXXIV champions.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 9:51 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

PATS TARGETING THOMAS?

Several readers tell us that Adam Schefter of NFL Network said earlier this morning on WEEI in Boston that the Pats will make a big push for linebacker Adalius Thomas within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Meanwhile, John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that Thomas will visit the 49ers.

We heard earlier this week that the 49ers were believed to have a deal in principle with Thomas. But the problem with deals struck before the start of free agency is that they're not enforceable, and the player can pull the plug if he so chooses.

POSTED 9:32 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:36 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

EAGLES RE-SIGN THOMAS

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced that they have re-signed defensive end Juqua Thomas. The veteran lineman has agreed to a five-year contract.

Since Thomas played for the Eagles under a one-year deal for the minimum salary in 2006, the team could not re-sign him until the first day of the league year.

Thomas played for the Titans for four years, and has spent the last two with the Eagles. He started in one game and registered six sacks last season.

THE NEEDLE IS BREAKING OFF

Our traffic is mushrooming today, with 140,000 page views between midnight and 9:30 a.m. EST.

It's safe to say that our all-time record from Thursday of 338,000 page views won't stand for long.

All hail PFT Planet . . . .

POSTED 9:11 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:25 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TEAMS ARE TAKING IT SLOW

It's nine hours into the open signing season. In past years, multiple agreements between free agents and new teams were announced by now.

This year, there is only one deal to report.

So what gives?

It could be that teams are being more cautious with their money, resisting the temptation to overspend. One league insider says that agents might have overestimated the market, prompting teams to wait until the numbers come down.

The other possible explanation? The league and the teams have gotten sensitive to the perception of widespread tampering, and are moving more deliberately to lessen the impression that calls were made before 12:01 a.m. on Friday.

As one league source recently explained to us, the league office doesn't take action against tampering in part because the league office doesn't want to publicly acknowledge that tampering occurs. But as more and more in the media wake up to the reality that tampering happens on a rampant basis, it could be that the league office is discreetly asking teams to advance the common interest by not striking early deals in a manner that leads to the inescapable conclusion that communications occurred before the time period for permissibly engaging in such communications had arrived.

For what it's worth, one league insider thinks that the delay in the signings have nothing to do with league concerns regarding tampering.

MORE VISITS TO REPORT

John Clayton of ESPN.com (he thinks we're dangerous; we think he's sssssexy) lists some of the early free agency visits that have been arranged.

In addition to visits we've already listed below, Clayton says that running back Dominic "Poppie" Rhodes will visit the Giants, receiver Kevin Curtis will visit the Vikings (weather permitting), tight end Visanthe Shiancoe will visit the Vikings, tackle Tony Pashos will visit the Jaguars on Friday, linebacker Adalius Thomas will visit the 49ers, and fullback Justin Griffith will visit the Bucs.

Also, Clayton says that offensive lineman Leonard Davis is negotiating with three teams (including the Cowboys), and cornerback Nate Clements is talking to the Browns, Titans, and 49ers.

POSTED 7:57 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:47 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

HORN BLOWS UP AT SAINTS

Receiver Joe Horn is pissed off at his former team. So, although the Saints have seemingly left the door open to his potential return, it looks like it will be difficult if not impossible to get these two back together.

"Right now it's going around that [the Saints] wanted to restructure my contract and I asked to be released, but this has nothing to do with money," Horn told the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. "I wanted to retire as a Saint. I've been through hell and back for that city and that organization. If I wanted out of New Orleans that bad, I would have just kept my mouth shut and let them move the team to San Antonio.

“I just don’t think [head coach] Sean Payton wanted me back. I asked to be released because I felt betrayed by a head coach who wanted to prove he could win without Joe Horn.”

Horn cites the refusal of Payton to use Horn after he had recovered from an injury as the catalyst for the divorce.

"When Sean Payton came here, I promised him I would be the best receiver, the strongest receiver and the best conditioned receiver in the league,” Horn said. "Even after I got hurt, I rehabbed every week, trying to come back. But even after the best orthopedic doctor in the country said I was ready to play and I practiced twice before the [NFC Championship game] against Chicago, he made the decision not to play me. That's when I realized that New Orleans wasn’t going to be big enough for both Joe Horn and Sean Payton."

In our view, this is a big deal because Horn was the face and voice of the team after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region. And though the team tried to put a happy face on the move, Horn isn't going to let them secure the high road.

Moving forward, Horn thinks that he'll be productive in his next city.

"I want to go someplace where I can show that I can still put up big numbers and help the football team win," Horn said. "I want to go someplace with a head coach who believes in me and an organization that wants me. My age and the injury are not an issue. I know I can still perform and be one of the best receivers in the league."

SPRINT AND NEXTEL ARE A NASCAR FAN'S DREAM

We've been writing for months now about the virtues of Sprint and Nextel, our official telecommunications sponsors. For NFL fans, there's no reason to have any other phone services, since Sprint and Nextel are the only phones that offer the stellar NFL Mobile package, which by the way is free.

Though we really don't have the time or inclination to follow other sports, we've gotten the impression that our official telecommunications sponsors are somewhat interested in stock car racing (as evidenced by that whole "Nextel Cup" thing). And through the power of Internet search engines we've discovered that Sprint and Nextel technologies are giving race fans incredible access at the track.

First, there's the FanView scanner device, which gives fans video, audio, and data access at the races.

Second, there's Nascar.com To Go with Pit Command, which allows fans to listen to driver-crew conversations on their Sprint Nextel phones and provides real-time race data.

It almost makes us wish we weren't completely consumed with the NFL. And it intrigues us as to the possible uses of such technologies at pro football games.

(UPDATE: Apparently, the technology is already in use at Redskins and Dolphins games. Sweet.)

Anyway, plenty of football fans are NASCAR fans. And if your NFL habit hasn't prompted you to get your mitts on a Sprint or Nextel phone, your NASCAR jones should.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

From the "Stuff PFT Readers Already Knew" file, the Washington Post says that the 'Skins could be in the running for DE Michael Strahan.

The 'Skins could sign LB London Fletcher as soon as Friday, and CB Fred Smoot could return.

The Steelers have signed the Dump Truck to a two-year, $2 million deal.

The Steelers are nudging the prices of their tickets up by a few bucks. (They could triple the face value and still sell the place out.)

Would the Steelers have won Super Bowl XL without Joey Porter? (We think the answer is yes, because there would have been someone else who would have thrived in the team's 3-4 attack.)

The Fins are interested in LB Joey Porter.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that one of the factors in the decision to cut LB Joey Porter was the concern that his quest for more coin would become a distraction for new coach Mike Tomlin.

The Colts have cut WR Brandon Stokley and DT Montae Reagor.

The Jets are interested in signing S Kerry Rhodes to a long-term deal.

The NFL is trying to pander to the Chinese.

The Jets apparently won't be cutting DE Kimo von Oelhoffen.

The Jets are shopping LB Eric Barton.

Giants C Shaun O'Hara's deal is worth $19 million over five years, with a $7.5 million signing bonus.

The Tuna considered an offer from a network other than ESPN.

Cowboys receivers coach Ray Sherman thinks he'll get along with T.O.

Eleven Titans are hitting the unrestricted market.

The Broncos also get a sixth-round pick from the Lions as part of the Dre' Bly deal.

POSTED 7:41 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

RAIN MAN'S LAWYER: "HE DIDN'T DO THESE THINGS"

Attorney Manny Arora, who represents Titans cornerback Rain Man Jones, fears that all of the recent negative stories regarding his client will prompt folks to rush to judgment.

Um, Manny, ten brushes with the law in two years will tend to cause reasonable people to draw conclusions.

"I'd like people to take pause, and rather than the mob mentality kicking in, I'd like for them to sit back and say, 'Hey, he didn't do these things. He's been in the wrong situation, yeah.' But he is almost snakebit a little bit," Arora said.

Okay. Sure. Everyone else is lying. Rain Man is innocent.

The cops who say he bit one of them last year are making it up.

The authorities who found a basement full of pot in a house owned by Jones are making it up.

Arora says that Rain Man is "stressed beyond belief." Well, stress is a natural reaction when the potential consequences of a guy's chronic bad behavior begin to blossom.

As we see it, trouble doesn't find people who aren't looking for it. Normal, law-abiding citizens don't get questioned by the cops ten times in two years. They don't befriend drug dealers. They don't hang out with people who have marijuana spilling out of their pockets.

And normal, law-abiding citizens have a basic level of respect for law enforcement officials. Says Arora of the incident that allegedly resulted in Rain Man sinking his teeth into a cop: "The police gave no reason why they came up to [his] car. He had committed no crime, and there was no reason for police to come up and talk to him, but they do,'' Arora said. "He told police he wanted to leave and [a] police officer ordered him back in the car, and everything starts from there."

Wow. They told him to get back in his car. That sounds like a valid reason for all hell to break loose.

Sure, Rain Man is entitled to defend himself against these charges, and he has the right to hire a lawyer who will say and do anything he can to promote Rain Man's interests.

But this doesn't mean that his employer has to continue to employ him. One thing Arora doesn't address is whether Rain Man disclosed to the Titans his arrest on charges of felony obstruction and marijuana possession. The Personal Conduct Policy mandates such a report. For any other private employer in the country, such an infraction would be sufficient to get a guy fired.

And if Rain Man suffers any lesser consequence in light of the full scope of his behavior, fans should demand a full explanation from the league for its failure to hold him accountable at a time when he seems to get away with everything that he allegedly does.

POSTED 6:57 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

STEINBACH TO VISIT BUCS ON SATURDAY

Our friends at PewterReport.com report that free-agent offensive lineman Eric Steinbach will visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, after his visit with the Browns and before his visit with the Seahawks.

And as we guessed in the wee hours of Friday morning, the Bucs are interested in playing Steinbach at left tackle instead of left guard, which was his primary position in Cincinnati.

On the surface, the notion of Steinbach playing left tackle would drive up his value, since left tackle is regarded as the most important position on the offensive line. If, however, the Bucs' starting quarterback in 2007 will be the left-handed Chris Simms, Steinbach won't be protecting the blind side, making Steinbach no different than a right tackle on a team with a right-handed passer.

POSTED 1:38 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

BILLS HAVE FIRST SIGNING

We've found the first signing of the 2007 free-agent period.

The first man to move is Vikings guard Jason Whittle, who has jumped to the Bills.

Whittle spent only one season in Minnesota, and started in two games.

POSTED 1:01 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GRAHAM TO VISIT RAIDERS AFTER BRONCOS

An industry source tells us that free-agent tight end Daniel Graham is scheduled to visit with the Raiders after visiting with the Broncos.

Of course, that fact alone might be enough to get the Broncos to do whatever is necessary to get him signed.

The Vikings are the third or fourth stop, we're told. If it gets that far.

POSTED 12:49 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

TEAMS TAKE TO SECOND-ROUND TENDER

An industry source tells us that, of the 94 restricted free agents, 22 of them received the new second-round tender of $1.3 million.

Also, five players received the first-rounder tender, and three were tendered at the highest level, which requires compensation of a first-round pick and a third-round pick.

POSTED 12:44 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

STEINBACH TO VISIT BROWNS

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that free-agent offensive lineman Eric Steinbach will fly from Chicago to Cleveland on Friday, weather permitting.

We heard on Thursday night that Steinbach already has a verbal deal with the Browns.

Cabot reports that the Seahawks are also interested, and that another NFC team wants to bring him in as a left tackle (our wild-ass, sleep-deprived guess is that it's either the Giants or the Bucs).

POSTED 12:37 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GRAHAM TO VISIT BRONCOS

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports that tight end Daniel Graham will visit the Broncos on Friday.

Graham completed his rookie contract with the Pats, and is now an unrestricted free agent.

Though he was mainly a blocking tight end in New England, Adam Caplan of Scout.com says that Graham wants to develop into more of a pass-catcher.

POSTED 12:33 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

'HAWKS LINE UP TWO VISITS

Mike Sando of the Tacoma News-Tribune reports that the Seattle Seahawks already have lined up visits with defensive end Patrick Kerney and offensive lineman Kris Dielman.

Dielman is due to arrive on Friday, and Kerney will visit on Saturday.

POSTED 12:19 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

GRAHAM IN DEMAND

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that four of the teams interested in Pats tight end Daniel Graham are the Vikings, Saints, Broncos, and Seahawks.

We've heard that there are a total of six teams in the mix for his services.

Graham is primarily a blocking tight end, and is expected to land a deal worth $12 million to sign and an average payout of $5 million per year.

POSTED 12:05 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

LELIE IN DEMAND

One of the first free agents to hit the road will be receiver Ashley Lelie. Per a league source, Lelie will visit the Texans on Friday and the Vikings on Monday.

Lelie was a first-round selection of the Broncos in 2002. He was traded to the Falcons last year.

His best season came in 2004, when he had 54 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns.

POSTED 12:00 a.m. EST, March 2, 2007

OUR BIGGEST . . . DAY . . . EVER

Thanks to everyone who helped us generate more than 338,000 page views on March 1, a site record.

We have a feeling that March 2 will be just as big.

So thanks again, to every member of PFT Planet.

POSTED 11:59 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

BRONCOS MAKING A PLAY FOR KERNEY?

There's talk in league circles that the Denver Broncos will make a strong push for Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney once free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. EST.

Kerney was able to void the remainder of his contract after the deadline for applying the franchise tag, ensuring that he'd hit the market.

The Broncos' interest in Kerney is being interpreted as evidence that the team is prepared to part ways with defensive end Courtney Brown, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft.

POSTED 11:54 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

RAIN MAN BIT COP

Terry McCormick of the Nashville City Paper reports that Titans cornerback Rain Man Jones bit a police officer as part of the incident that resulted in felony obstruction charges being filed against him in early 2006.

"Adam Jones would not hold his hands together so the officer could put handcuffs on him to arrest him, and a fight ensued," said a representative of the district attorney's office in Fayette County, Georgia. "That's when he bit the officer on the thumb."

The bite caused the crime to increase from a misdemeanor to a felony.

McCormick also reports that Jones did not disclose the arrest to the team. As we explained on Thursday, failure to report an arrest is in and of itself a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.

McCormick also reports that Jones' mother pleaded guilty to marijuana possession in a March 2006 incident at Jones' home in Fairburn, Georgia. Somehow, charges against Jones were dropped.

"There was marijuana all over the basement, and it was his house," said Mike Pruitt of the Fayette County Drug Task Force. "Under constructive possession, that should have been enough for a jury to decide this case."

Does anyone out there think that Jones will ever play pro football again? We sure don't.

POSTED 11:25 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

EAGLES WON'T BE ACTIVE EARLY

To all of the folks in Philly who are F5ing like crazy, don't expect to see any news tonight of one or more big-money signings.

Per a league source, the Eagles don't intend to be active in the first phase of free agency.

It makes sense. The notoriously conservative Philly front office will not want to be setting the standard for future deals. Instead, they're likely to take a wait-and-see approach, and then to possibly make a couple of needs-based acquisitions of lower-tier players.

POSTED 10:25 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:09 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

TAKEO ON THE BLOCK

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Buffalo Bills are willing to trade linebacker Takeo Spikes.

Spikes, signed by the Bills from Cincy in 2003, missed most of 2005 with a torn Achilles' tendon and was generally ineffective in 2006.

Spikes is signed through 2008. He is scheduled to earn a salary of $4.5 million in 2007, and a salary of $5 million in 2008.

EVEN MORE THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

There has been less talk about free-agency contract numbers than in past years.

The Colts are expected to dump WR Brandon Stokley.

The Bills have re-signed CB Jabari Greer.

The NFL has its eye on Rain Man.

A Thursday chat with ESPN.com's KC Joyner includes a reference to one of the first nicknames we ever coined.

POSTED 10:20 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

NINERS TO CHASE CLEMENTS

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that the 49ers are very interested in Bills cornerback Nate Clements, and that the Niners are prepared to make him an offer soon after 12:01 a.m EST Friday.

Clements was franchised by the Bills in 2006. As part of his agreement to sign the one-year tender, the team promised not to slap the tag on him again in 2007.

The Browns are believed to be poised to make a quick run at Clements, too.

POSTED 10:17 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

GIANTS RE-SIGN O'HARA

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that the Giants have reached an agreement with center Shaun O'Hara. The seven-year veteran, who started his career in Cleveland, was scheduled to become a free agent at midnight.

O'Hara earned $1.25 million in 2006. It was reported earlier this week that the team had offered O'Hara a six-year, $21.6 million deal on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.

POSTED 10:10 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

GRAHAM TO LIGHT UP THE TIGHT END MARKET?

There's talk in league circles that free-agent tight end Daniel Graham will ink a deal worth $12 million to sign and a value of $5 million a year. And with up to six teams actively chasing the block-first, catch-second tight end, the market for other tight ends will likely open up once Graham reaches an agreement.

One guy who'll likely get paid more than expected is Reggie Kelly of the Bengals, another blocking tight end.

Other tight ends who'll attract interest are Eric Johnson of the 49ers and Kyle Brady of the Jags. Johnson has put up some big numbers when healthy, but durability is a concern.

POSTED 10:02 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

NAPOLEON VISITING CHIEFS

Per a league source, Vikings linebacker Napoleon Harris will make a quick visit to the Kansas City Chiefs once free agency launches at 12:01 a.m. EST on Friday.

Harris was a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2002, and was traded to the Vikings in 2005 as part of the Randy Moss deal.

The former Northwestern star played fairly well last season as part of the Vikings' new Tampa 2 defense. But not well enough to get paid to stick around.

POSTED 9:59 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

BROWNS RE-SIGN FRALEY

Per a league source, the Cleveland Browns have re-signed center Hank Fraley.

Fraley was acquired in a trade with the Eagles after a string of injuries left them decimated at the position.

He was scheduled to become a free agent at midnight.

POSTED 9:55 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

PORTER, AGENT STUNNED BY RELEASE

Though there had been talk that the Steelers might cut linebacker Joey Porter, word is that Porter and his agent were shocked by the move.

Apparently, Porter had been angling for a raise, and had fully expected to get one.

In our view, this means that Porter will be even more pissed off at the Steelers -- and more likely to try to land within the AFC North.

Meanwhile, word is that the Bengals have been doing some research on Porter with an eye toward trying to sign him.

POSTED 9:39 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

STEINBACH TO BROWNS

A league source tells us that the Browns are expected to sign offensive lineman Eric Steinbach to a deal averaging $7 million per year.

Steinbach, who most recently played for the Bengals, will essentially make Steve Hutchinson money.

The four-year veteran was one of the members of the Cincy team who got busted last year. He was charged for boating while drunk.

Technically, teams can't even speak to free agents until 12:01 a.m. EST Friday. But anyone who follows the league knows that no one follows this rule.

POSTED 9:06 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

BENGALS, CARDINALS EARLY PORTER FAVORITES

The early buzz in league circles regarding linebacker Joey Porter is that he'll initially explore opportunities in Cincinnati and Arizona.

In Arizona, Porter would rejoin former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and former Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

In Cincinnati, Porter would have a chance to stick it to the Steelers twice per year.

Should be interesting.

MORE THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The guy who once tapped out during crunch time in the Super Bowl is getting tossed out of Miami.

FB Lorenzo Neal has gotten a three-year, $5.1 million extension from the Chargers.

The Saints have cut TE Ernie Conwell.

The kid who posted phony info about threats on football stadiums is facing five years in jail.

The Browns will target CB Nate Clements.

POSTED 8:42 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

QUINN WON'T INTERVIEW AT PRO DAY

A league source tells us that the NFL teams have been advised by letter that quarterback Brady Quinn will not be doing any interviews with coaches or scouts at his March 4 Pro Day.

Um, yeah, that's a good way to reverse his potential free fall.

Quinn was once thought to be the first overall pick in the draft. Now, he'll be lucky to land in the top ten.

POSTED 7:17 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:30 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

'BOYS BOUNCE BLEDSOE

With $1 million due in the form of a roster bonus and no chance of becoming the starter again in Dallas, the Cowboys cut quarterback Drew Bledsoe on Thursday.

Owner Jerry Jones suggested that Bledsoe might return. "I spoke with Drew today and told him that this was primarily a cap decision and that the door was very much open for him being a part of our future," Jones said.

Bledsoe, the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft, has played for the Pats, Bills, and Cowboys. Teams that could be interesed include the Dolphins, the Browns, the Texans, the Raiders, the Vikings, and the Bucs.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

A league source tells us that the Bucs are close to reaching a new contract with CB Phillip Buchnanon.

The Bills have cut OL Chris Villarial and S Matt Bowen.

The 14-2 Chargers lost plenty of coaches -- and are sending plenty of players packing.

The Bengals hope to keep TE Reggie Kelly and S Kevin Kaesviharn, but will let OL Eric Steinbach drive his boat elsewhere.

The Steelers say that complying with the cap was the only reason for cutting LB Joey Porter. (Translation: If he ends up being a Pro Bowler elsewhere, we've got cover.)

Colts QB Peyton Manning will host Saturday Night Live on March 24. (But how many Frankenstein skits can they do in 90 minutes? . . . And if Kenny Chesney is the musical guest, will he offer to share a dressing room with Manning?)

The Jags have tendered DE Bobby McCray and K Josh Scobee at the first-round level, and WR Ernest Wilford at the second-round level.

As expected, the Niners have cut WR Antonio Bryant.

The Titans have waived TE Erron Kinney.

The Redskins tendered P Derrick Frost at the lowest level; because he was undrafted the team will receive no compensation if someone else signs him.

Bears president Ted Phillips says that negotiations with coach Lovie Smith weren't contentious.

The Lions have re-signed LB Alex Lewis to a three-year deal.

The Vikings have tendered several RFAs.

The Panthers have punted WR Karl Hankton.

The Bucs have dumped OT Kenyatta Walker.

The Seahawks have tendered several RFAs.

POSTED 7:03 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

PATS LURKING FOR MOSS?

At a time when the signs are pointing to the Raiders dealing receiver Randy Moss to the Packers, sources close to Moss say that another team quietly in the mix is the New England Patriots.

The Pats were rumored to be interested in Moss during the 2006 season, as the trading deadline approached.

The other team that also continues to be mentioned as a potential destination for Moss is the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The biggest impediment to a deal is a contract that is scheduled to pay Moss $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. It's tough to commit that kind of money to a guy who has disappeared over the past year or so.

POSTED 5:10 p.m. EST; UPDATED 7:04 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

MORGAN MODIFIES DEAL

A league source tells us that Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan has re-worked his contract, and will attempt to return for the 2007 season.

Per the source, a $2 million roster bonus has been converted to a per-game roster bonus of $125,000. If Morgan is able to play in every game, he'll earn the full $2 million.

The rest of his contract will be unchanged.

We're also told that Morgan will try out a new face guard and mouth piece, both of which are aimed at reducing the likelihood of further concussions.

Morgan missed 15 games in 2006 due to a chronic concussion problem. He was a first-round draft choice in 2001.

POSTED 4:59 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

SMOOT DONE IN MINNY

Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Vikings will be cutting cornerback Fred Smoot.

Smoot was the crown jewel of the team's free-agent class in 2005. But his role in the Love Boat fiasco fueled his demise in Minny, and his inability to convert successfully to the Tampa Two defense caused him to slip behind Cedric Griffin, a second-round pick in 2006.

Because Smoot received a large roster bonus when he was signed, there will be no cap hit. He was scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.7 million in 2007.

POSTED 4:35 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

SAINTS BLOW UP HORN

The New Orleans Saints will release veteran receiver Joe Horn on Friday. According to the team's web site, Horn was unwilling to reduce his 2007 pay.

The team hasn't closed the door on re-signing him, after he has explored the market value for his services.

Horn was scheduled to earn $4.45 million in salary this season. His contract ran through 2010.

The eleven-year veteran was signed by the Saints after the 1999 season. He made it to four Pro Bowls in New Orleans.

The question is how much can a 35-year-old receiver get on the open market? He might only have one or two decent years left, and even with all of the money that will be thrown around over the weekend, we can't imagine anyone breaking the bank for Horn.

POSTED 4:12 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

STEELERS CHOP PORTER

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released veteran linebacker Joey Porter.

Porter spent much of 2006 griping about his contract, which in his view didn't pay him fairly. Now, Porter will be able to reel in whatever payday the market might bear.

Drafted by the Steelers in 1999, Porter spent eight years in Pittsburgh. He was scheduled to earn $4 million in base salary in 2007.

The Steelers also have released running back Verron Haynes.

POSTED 3:02 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

TUNA RETURNS TO BRISTOL

ESPN has announced that Bill Parcells is returning to the network. The Tuna worked for Bristol before being hired to coach the Cowboys.

Parcells will be part of the ESPN Monday Night Countdown crew, will appear on other programs, will pen a weekly column for ESPN.com, and will co-host a Friday night ESPN Radio show with Chris Mortensen.

Our take? It's a one-year arrangement. Two years, max. Parcells has said privately that he'd be inclined to return to the NFL as a G.M. in 2008, and we fully expect someone to give him a call after the coming season.

POSTED 2:58 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

JAGS RE-SIGN TAYLOR

A league source tells us that the Jaguars have extended the contract of running back Fred Taylor. His current contract was set to expire after the 2007 season.

Under the new deal, Taylor's $2.55 million salary and $40,000 per-game roster bonus are replaced by a $4.2 million roster bonus and a salary of $800,000.

In 2008, Taylor is due to receive a $1 million roster bonus and a salary of $4 million. In 2009, Taylor is scheduled to receive a roster bonus of $1 million and a salary of $5 million. In 2010, he is set to get another $1 million roster bonus and a salary of $6 million.

Though the annual average puts him fifth in the league at his position (behind LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James, Shaun Alexander, and Deuce McAllister), the contract is basically a year-to-year arrangement. If/when the Jags decide that Taylor is too banged up and/or that youngster Maurice Jones-Drew is ready to carry the load, Taylor will be cut loose.

If/when that happens, there will be no cap consequence because there is no signing bonus.

POSTED 2:50 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

VIKES TO CUT WIGGINS

KFAN radio reports that the Vikings will release tight end Jermaine Wiggins. The veteran pass-catcher was a key performer for the Vikes under coach Mike "Meathead" Tice, but Wiggins got far fewer opportunities in year one of the Brad Childress experiment.

There are reports that the Vikings will target tight end Daniel Graham of the Patriots. We're told that the Vikings have no interest in either Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia or Eagles receiver Donte' Stallworth, both of whom performed well last year in the same offense that the Vikings now use.

Also, keep an eye on cornerback Fred Smoot. He could be cut loose by the Vikings soon.

NO JAMAL IN THE 'BURGH

When news of the release of Ravens running back Jamal Lewis hit the wire on Wednesday, many Steelers fans began to salivate regarding the possibility of landing Lewis. With Jerome Bettis long gone and no proven power back on the roster, Lewis could, in theory, be a great complement to starter Willie Parker.

But don't look for the Steelers to sign Lewis. Per a league source, the Steelers won't be sniffing around the single-game rushing record holder, due in large part to drug charges that landed him in jail two years ago.

We're also told that the Steelers are close to re-signing running back Najeh "Dookie" Davenport, who has had his own legal problems arising from the laying of colonic cable in a dorm room hamper several years ago. With Davenport on the team, there's simply no spot for Lewis.

POSTED 2:33 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

DRE' DEALT TO DENVER

Michael Smith of ESPN.com reports that the Lions have traded cornerback Dre' Bly to the Broncos for tackle George Foster, running back Tatum Bell, and a draft pick.

Smith says that the draft pick is believed to be a fifth-round pick. We've confirmed that it's indeed a fifth-round pick.

Also, don't assume that Foster and Bell will be wearing Honolulu Blue come the fall. There's talk that either or both of them could be traded by the Lions, as Detroit tries to amass more picks in the April draft.

Bly is signed through 2007. He'll likely be the replacement in the starting lineup for Darrent Williams, who was shot and killed on January 1.

POSTED 1:39 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

FALCONS SLAP HIGH TENDER ON SCHAUB

A league source tells us that the Falcons have formally applied the highest possible restricted free agent tender to backup quarterback Matt Schaub. Barring a long-term deal, he'll be paid $2.35 million in 2007 by the Falcons.

Anyone who signs Schaub to an offer sheet that the Falcons choose not to match will be required to cough up a first-round and a third-round pick as compensation.

Based on the poison pill used by the Vikings and Seahawks in 2006, a team can craft an unmatchable offer sheet by including a term that makes the contract fully guaranteed under conditions that exist on the player's current team, but not in his prospective home.

For example, the Vikings could sign Schaub to a seven-year, $49 million deal which becomes fully guaranteed if in any year of the deal he's not the highest-paid quarterback on the team. Or the offer sheet can say that the deal is fully guaranteed if Schaub plays five games in Georgia in any year of the deal. In either case, the deal would not be guaranteed if he plays in Minnesota, and it would be guaranteed if he stays with the Falcons.

Efforts to remove this loophole from the CBA were unsuccessful, since the league and the union were unable to agree on concessions that the league would make if the union gave up this device, which promotes player movement.

Other RFA tenders of interest include Vikings defensive end Darrion Scott, who was tendered at $850,000, the lowest level. If another team signs him, the Vikings get a third-round draft pick as compensation. The Steelers tendered tackle Max Starks at the first-round level of $1.85 million. The Dolphins tendered receiver Wes Welker, who was undrafted, at the new second-round level of $1.3 million. The Fins also tendered safety Yeremiah Bell at the second-round level. Bell was a sixth-round pick in 2003.

POSTED 1:24 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

JETS EXTEND COTCHERY

The New York Jets have signed receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a contract extension.

"Jerricho Cotchery is the type of player we are looking for here," G.M. Mike Tannenbaum said. "He earned a starting role this year and showed the productivity and consistency we want at that position. I am pleased Jerricho will remain a New York Jet."

Cotchery was selected by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. He was under contract through 2007.

POSTED 12:57 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:15 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007

VIKES IN THE $30 MILLION CLUB

The Minnesota Vikings, who were previously thought to be $12 million or so under the cap, reportedly have a whopping $30 million in cap space as free agency approaches.

Last year, the Vikings struck quickly, signing running back Chester Taylor, kicker Ryan Longwell, linebacker Ben Leber, and fullback Tony Richardson, among others.

This year, there could be another flood of players heading to Minny.

Still, we'd prefer to see teams spread that surplus around to key contributors already under contract.

NEW MOCK COMING

Our official post-combine mock draft is ready to roll, and will be posted later today.

That's really all we have to say, but we like to have at least three paragraphs for each story.

So there it is.

POSTED 11:42 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

'SKINS OUT, SAINTS IN FOR BLY

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the Redskins have dropped out of the bidding for Lions cornerback Dre' Bly. Taking their place, we're told, are the Saints.

The other serious suitor is the Denver Broncos. We're told that the deal would involve tackle George Foster and a third-round pick, or Foster and running back Tatum Bell.

The Broncos, we're told, currently are the favorites to land Bly.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 10:17 a.m. EST; UPDATED 10:30 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

TUNA TO LAND AT ESPN TODAY?

ESPN is making a "major NFL talent announcement" via a media conference call at 3:30 p.m. EST on Thursday. Though the e-mail announcing the event is vague, we suspect that Bristol will be announcing the hiring of Bill Parcells to take the spot that was vacated by Michael Irvin.

And so the circle will be complete. Irvin pushed T.O. onto the Cowboys. T.O. pushed Parcells out of Dallas. And Parcells pushed Irvin out of Bristol.

We might try to crash the conference call. Stay tuned.

FAREWELL, FANBALL

We regret to announce that, after more than six months together, we've officially ended our relationship with Fanball.com.

The development is bittersweet for us, because we valued the association and we enjoyed our weekly Fantasy Podcasts with Charch. We'll miss working with him.

But fear not, PFT Planet. We're close to finalizing a deal to re-launch the PFT Fantasy Mill with a different fantasy sports company. The new version could be up and running as soon as Friday.

POSTED 10:10 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

ALSTOTT RE-UPS WITH BUCS

The A Train will keep on rolling in Tampa.

Per our friends at WDAE 620 AM, the Bucs have signed fullback Mike Alstott to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.

Alstott has spent eleven seasons with the Buccaneers. He has appeared in 158 games, with 137 starts. He has rushed for 5,088 yards and 58 touchdowns. He has 13 receiving touchdowns.

POSTED 10:04 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

MORE VETERAN CUTS COMING TODAY, TOMORROW

The talk in league circles is that even more veterans will be cut loose on Thursday and Friday, as the teams get their cap situations in line before the coming free-agent frenzy.

In this regard, we expect some cuts to come on Friday, since by rule any attempt to take advantage of the new rule that allows players to be cut before June 1 with the bonus acceleration to be split between two cap years must occur on the first day of the league year.

Guys who could be released under this twist in the rules include Patriots running back Corey Dillon and Redskins safety Adam Archuleta.

WAIVER VERSUS RELEASE

A couple of readers have asked us to explain the difference between placing a player on waivers, and releasing the player.

Essentially, it's the same thing. When a player with less than four accrued seasons is released, he passes through waivers. When a player with four or more accrued seasons is released, he doesn't pass through waivers -- unless he is released after the trading deadline.

So running back Jamal Lewis became an instant free agent on Wednesday, and he can sign with any team. For any player released with less than four accrued seasons, every team has the opportunity to make a waiver claim for him, and his rights are awarded to the team with the highest priority. Priority is determine based on won-loss record.

POSTED 8:03 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:08 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

CHARGERS TAKE NO CHANCES WITH TURNER

Given that the poison pill device allows a team to easily craft an offer sheet that a player's current team can't match, the San Diego Chargers have taken no chances with running back Michael Turner.

Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers have placed the highest possible tender on the restricted free agent, which requires a team who signs him to send a first-round and third-round pick to the Chargers.

"I'd just feel better to have him in '07," G.M. A.J. Smith said. "If anything happens to L.T. – God Almighty! – that he gets hurt."

Given that league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is likely to land on the cover of the 2008 edition of the Madden video game, it makes sense for Smith to fear the worst. A "Madden curse" has developed over the years, with each cover boy plagued by injury or ineffectiveness in the season in which he graces the cover of the game.

(While we're thinking of it, why do they still feel compelled to put a player's picture on the cover of the game? The practice likely started when there were multiple football simulations carrying the NFL brand. Now that EA has a hammerlock on the license, will the presence of L.T. or Shaun Alexander or Donovan McNabb or anyone else on the cover influence whether someone actually buys the game?)

STAY UP LATE WITH PFT

Sure, Friday is a "work day" and/or a "school day."" But it's also the first day of free agency. And if this year is anything like past years, the deals will start to get done not long after 12:00 a.m. EST.

So why not stay up late and monitor all of the action on PFT? We'll be here, for as long as we can prop the eyelids open with toothpicks.

And if you become aware of any signings that you don't see on this here site, drop us a line and let us know.

POSTED 7:46 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007

MORE TROUBLE FOR RAIN MAIN

Time for the daily update(s) on Rain Man Jones.

The Nashville Tennessean reports that Titans cornerback Rain Man Jones is facing felony charges arising from a previously unreported incident that occurred last February in Georgia.

Subpoenas have been issued for Jones to appear in court on allegations of felony obstruction of a police officer, and misdemeanor obstruction.

Said Steve Heaton, chief of the Fayetteville (Ga.) Police Department: "One of our officers was involved in a traffic stop with him, and after [Rain Man] and others ran into a home, there was a physical altercation between him and the officer and he was involved in that. He was arrested for that.

"I think any time we have somebody who fights with an officer it is a pretty serious matter."

It is, unless you're Rain Man Jones, who has wiggled his way out of every legal entanglement that he has encountered since entering the NFL.

It's unknown whether the Titans or the league are aware of these charges. The NFL's Personal Conduct Policy requires the player to disclose any arrest to his team, and for the team to disclose the arrest to the league.

If it turns out that Rain Man kept this one under wraps, his failure to report the arrest could provide the league and the Titans with a sufficient basis to expel him from the league, if they choose to do so. Moving forward, however, the league would have to be prepared to take similar action against any other player who gets arrested and fails to tell his team about it.

EVEN MORE TROUBLE FOR RAIN MAN

The Tennessean also reports that Jones was arrested for marijuana possession in the same Georgia county in March 2006, but that the charges have since been dropped.

Mike Pruitt of the Fayette County Drug Task Force told the Tennessean that marijuana was found in two rooms during a search of a home belonging to Jones. Pruitt, who didn't know the charges had been dropped, said that Jones showed up as officers arrived, and that his car smelled of marijuana.

"I asked him why his [Corvette] smelled so bad and he said, 'We were smoking it on the way down here from Nashville,'" Pruitt said.

"I asked him, 'Why do you want to throw your career away for a bunch of marijuana junk?' He said, 'I know when I am going to get drug tested, so I quit doing it.' It's just crazy."

Pruitt's statements mesh with the recorded comments of Darryl Moore, a convicted drug dealer who seemed to be serving as Jones' personal Jiminy Cricket. Said Moore: "He gotta concentrate on the season . . . that f--king drug test coming up. We telling him he needed 33 days before he took his f--king test; dry-out, and he didn't. That's let me know right there that he ain't taking his f--king job serious."

Again, it's unknown whether Jones told the team about the arrest for marijuana possession.

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