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Few people with any real common sense are accepting Mike Vick's better-never-than-late attempt to explain away his water bottle with the secret compartment, which he now says was intended only to carry jewelry, not weed.

"I had earrings in it and I had jewelry in it," Vick said. "They took the bottle. I don't know what they did with the bottle. I guess they were trying to, I don't want to say frame me, but at the same time look at what I had to go through."

The Miami-Dade police dispute Vick's out-of-the-blue story.

"That's the first we've heard of that," department spokesperson Nelda Fonticella said when asked if Vick was carrying jewelry in the bottle. "If he has any kind of problem with the way things were handled then he needs to talk to internal affairs."

Fonticella added that there was no mention of jewelry in the police report.

Vick attempted to address his failure to talk about the situation any sooner with an explanation that makes almost as little sense to us as his claim that the phony bottle was for something other than contraband.

"There really wasn't anything I could say," Vick said. "When it first happened nobody waited for the results to come back. Everybody just said this, wrote that. 'He's a thug. He does this. He does that. He's not right. He shouldn't be in Atlanta.'

"How do you think that made me feel? That was tough on me. That was tough on my family and friends because we knew those accusations weren't right. I said to myself why even say anything? At the time people were not going to believe me. I just wanted to wait for the results to come back and let the smoke clear and get my head together and enjoy my offseason. It's over. I was cleared and I was happy about that."

So he opted for silence then, but he finally chooses to speak out now?

Aren't quarterbacks supposed to have good decision-making abilities?

Maybe we should go back to calling him a running back . . . .

PETRINO SIGNS A FORMER PUPIL

On Thursday morning, we commented on speculation in league circles that Falcons coach Bobby Petrino could be looking to get in position to land quarterback Brian Brohm, a former Petrino pupil at Louisville.

Less than 24 hours later, Petrino has gotten his mitts on a guy who used to play for him with the Cardinals.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Falcons have signed Chris Redman to a one-year deal. Petrino and Redman were together in 1998, when Petrino was the offensive coordinator at Louisville.

Redman has been out of the league since 2003, when he played for the Ravens. He'll be 30 years old in July.

Our take? Redman has one role -- to help implement the Petrino offense. And this suggests to us that Petrino won't be shaping his attack to suit the specific strengths and weaknesses of Michael Vick. Which also suggests to us, based on past precedent, that Vick won't reach his full potential on Petrino's watch.

One of the developments that occurred in conjunction with the NFLPA's recent meetings in Hawaii is that union-certified contract advisors are prohibited from having any contact with players who are not yet eligible for the NFL draft.

Though the NFLPA news release announcing the change isn't as clear as it could be, a league insider tells us that the prohibition does not prevent agents from talking to collegiate players until after their eligibility has expired. Instead, the rule is aimed at walling off players who cannot enter the draft because it has been less than three years since their high school class graduated.

Per the source, this change represents the union's reaction to the Reggie Bush situation. Last year, it was revealed on the eve of the draft that Bush and/or his family allegedly had received benefits in violation of NCAA regulations.

Of course, the Bush case was that money and other benefits came allegedly from marketing representatives, who are beyond the jurisdiction of the NFLPA.

It's presently unknown when the ban on talking to a player less than three years removed from high school graduation will be lifted. Given the intent of the new regulation, it's likely that the agents will be prevented from talking to such players until the end of the third football season after their high school graduation.

As a practical matter, the new rule forces a player who decides to turn pro after only three years to make a decision as to an agent in a compressed period of time. It also could make it harder for agents who follow the rules to land such players, since those who don't obey the rules surely will have contact with the players before the day on which contact is permitted.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Denver Broncos could be trading linebacker Al Wilson to the Giants in the near future, possibly as soon as this weekend.

Wilson is scheduled to earn $5.2 million in salary and $600,000 in roster bonuses in 2007. He is under contract through 2010.

If the trade happens, D.J. Williams could be moved from the strong side to the middle.

Per Schefter, the Broncos have also talked to the Lions and the Eagles about trading for Wilson.

Maybe we slept through the weekend -- or the entire year -- when Steve McNair won the Heisman. [Editor's note: The article has been changed from "winner" to "finalist." And thanks so much to all of the folks who read the article after the changed and assumed that we are morons . . . and sent in e-mails telling us so.]

Bengals president Mike Brown still opposes instant replay (mainly because the equipment increases the stadium electricity bill).

Browns owner Randy Lerner describes an NFLN report that he has told the front office to draft a quarterback as "somewhere between preposterous and ludicrous" (which actually would be a great title for a book about Lerner's performance as owner of the team).

Bob Glauber of Newsday reports that the new Giants-Jets stadium will cost more than expected (which likely means that it will cost less than expected).

According to NFL.com, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn churned out a 4.73 and a 4.82 in two tries at the 40-yard dash on Thursday.

Quinn did not run at the scouting combine, or at Notre Dame's initial Pro Day workout.

Recently, the perception that Quinn would slide to the bottom of the top ten has changed, and there's a school of thought in some league circles that he will be gone within the first few picks.

In his first comments regarding a January incident in which a confiscated water bottle was found to contain a hidden compartment, Falcons quarterback Mike Vick says that the bottle was for a different kind of stash.

"It was a stash box [for] my jewelry," Vick said Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That's what I told everybody but that wasn't written. Everything else was written about the smell and all that. I sat in the airport for another hour and 30 minutes so if there was something they thought was wrong then they could have come and got me and we could have handled the situation accordingly right on the spot."

First, why is Vick saying this on the day after Matt Schaub was traded? The incident occurred weeks ago. If the bottle was for jewelry only, Vick should have been shouting it from the rooftops. We think that this is all part of the concerted effort to clean up Vick's image, since he's now "the guy" in Atlanta for at least the next two seasons.

Second, no one ever disputed reports that the bottle smelled of marijuana. So unless Vick's jewelry smells of marijuana, his explanation doesn't make sense.

Third, we suppose that the "dark particulant [sic]" that was found in the compartment turned out to be a booger.

We posted them on Wednesday night, but forgot to mention in this here space that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' needs for the 2007 draft are now posted.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Rams running back Marshall Faulk will announce his retirement on Monday from the league's 2007 Annual Meeting in Phoenix.

Faulk sat out all of the 2006 season, and worked instead for NFL Network. There were rumors that he would possibly re-emerge in 2007 with the Lions. In fact, Detroit offensive coordinator Mike Martz risked tampering charges by talking about Faulk while he was under contract with St. Louis.

The 12-year veteran played five seasons for the Colts and seven for the Rams. His arrival in 1999 helped propel the Rams to their first and only Super Bowl win.

For his career, Faulk rushed for 12,279 yards (4.3 average yards per carry) and he caught 767 passes for 6,875 yards. Faulk also scored 136 touchdowns, the fourth highest total in league history.

He was the NFL's MVP in 2000, one year after and one year before the same award was won by former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner.

Per Schefter, the fact that Faulk wasn't on an active roster in 2006 makes him eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2011, in the same year that both Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin will have their first cracks at getting in.

In addition to forking over a six-year, $48 million contract to a guy who has never been a starting quarterback, the Houston Texans coughed up some major draft-day value for Matt Schaub.

Under the trade chart developed by FOX's Jimmy Johnson in the 1990s, the swap of first-round picks (No. 8 for No. 10) cost Houston 100 points. And the second-round pick (39th overall) is worth another 510 points.

The second-round pick in 2008 will be worth anywhere from 270 points to 580 points.

So the total draft points that the Texans surrendered for Schaub will range from 880 (if Houston wins Super Bowl XLII) to 1190 (if Houston is the worst team in the league in 2007).

Thus, the Texans essentially gave up a first-round pick, falling anywhere from No. 13 to No. 19 overall.

Was it too much to sacrifice? On one hand, they could have had Schaub for nothing in 2008 -- but they would have had to outbid other teams for his rights. On the other hand, is a mid-level first-round pick a fair sacrifice for a guy who has shown in spot duty that he can play at the NFL level?

Probably so, in light of the fact that it's a 50-50 proposition (at best) that a quarterback is going to work out when drafted in round one.

Of course, none of this changes the reality that the Texans could have, and should have, figured out that Carr wasn't the guy a year ago, at a time when they could have dangled the No. 1 overall pick and then slid back a few spots and drafted Vince Young or Matt Leinart.

We've got a feeling that the folks in Houston won't be forgetting about that missed opportunity unless and until Matt Schaub is hoisting a Lombardi.

An industry source tells us that former Saints linebacker E.J. Kuale, who was arrested on Monday, was charged with felony possession of a firearm and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

When asked about the Kuale arrest, the Saints claimed that Kuale had been released weeks ago. We have since confirmed that he was waived by the team on Wednesday.

And although guys who run afoul of the law are getting less and less sympathy, the decision of the team to cut Kuale two days after his arrest could trigger a non-injury grievance. The NFL Commissioner has the sole jurisdiction to impose player discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy, and the most that a club can ever do is suspend a player for four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team.

In this case, Kuale could claim that the decision to fire him was a reaction to the arrest, and that as a result the move violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement that governs generally the relationship between the teams and the players.

The move most likely is a reaction to the playoff incident involving Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who mishandled an apparently slick "K" ball on a decisive field goal attempt during a postseason game at Seattle.

The situation prompted scrutiny of the 12 balls used only for the kicking game. Based on our reading of the rules and our discussions with league insiders, it became clear that the ball boy who keeps the bag of "K" balls has the ability, if he so chooses, to squirrel away a particularly slick ball for insertion into the game at the most inopportune moment for the visiting team.

Coupled with reports from Charley Casserly of CBS regarding the limited time that the game officials have to prepare the factory-sealed kicking balls for use on the field, there's definitely the potential for shenanigans.

Falcons G.M. Rich McKay, co-chair of the league's Competition Committee, says that the proposal is intended "to make sure that there is no perception -- it is not reality in our mind -- we're doing everything we can to make sure that people feel comfortable that the balls that are being played with in the games are appropriate."

If the owners adopt the changes recommended by the Competition Committee, more time will be available for the preparation of the balls and, as we suggested in the wake of the Romo brouhaha, the "K" balls will be numbered and used sequentially.

Said Cowboys punter Mat McBriar regarding the incident that ended Bill Parcells' tenure with the team: "[C]ome the fourth quarter, all the balls have been kicked or worked in a little bit by then, and to see a slick ball like that, that was disappointing. You don't expect brand-new balls in the fourth quarter."

We applaud the move. Even if nothing underhanded is happening, numbering the balls and giving the officials more time to rub them all down will help to remove any discretion that the ball boys -- who are employed by the home team -- might have when it comes to pulling out a "K" ball when the away team is getting ready to try a key kick.

QB Matt Schaub's new deal with the Texans is worth $48 million over six years, with $7 million guaranteed and $20 million paid out over the first three years.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the New York Jets have signed free-agent quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.

Tuiasosopo was a second-round draft pick of the Raiders in 2001. Oakland did not make a serious effort to re-sign him. He drew interest from the Browns and the Panthers.

Meanwhile, the Raiders signed on Wednesday former LSU quarterback Josh Booty, who has not been on an active roster since 2003. The 31-year-old pass-thrower has never thrown a pass in an NFL game.

Booty's brother, John David, is the starting quarterback at USC, where Raiders coach Lane Kiffin served as co-offensive coordinator before heading to Oakland.

In five-plus years of cobbling together the daily news and rumors and nuggets and crap that we just make up to fill space, we haven't had many real innovations. The Rumor Mill is the steak of the site. Everything else ranges from potatoes to parsley.

But we've realized lately that Turd Watch is becoming the mushrooms and onions. It's getting plenty of traffic, and also plenty of notice.

On Wednesday, Michael Smith mentioned on ESPN's Around the Horn our concept of tracking arrests via a team-by-team scoring system, without mentioning us by name. (Well, at least Smith didn't say, "Len Pasquarelli reports that there's a web site tracking arrests via a team-by-team scoring system.")

And Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle and CBSSportsline.com wrote this in a March 21 column on the rash of off-field misconduct: "According to the insomniacs at Pro Football Talk and their elegantly named compendium of misbehavior called 'Turd Watch,' there have been 10 arrests, seven guilty pleas and a drug diversion entrance since the Super Bowl, and that doesn't count the party at Patrick Kerney's house in which a rape took place. That's in six weeks, kids. And with [Pacman] Jones as the poster child, the NFL looks more and more like a hiring hall for meatheads."

But, with some regret, we must announce that we will be changing the name of Turd Watch. Beginning very soon, Turd Watch will be known as . . . T-bone. Actually, the new name will be Turd List.

Why the change, you ask? Because we've decided to spin off an entire site devoted to misconduct in sports and, just like the nickname T-bone, TurdWatch.com was taken. (Someone registered it in 2003, but the link leads to nothing at all.)

So we had to come up with something else. And TurdList.com sounded a lot better to us than KoKoTheMonkey.com.

The new site will track arrests and convictions among the various pro sports, with the same scoring system used currently in the PFT Turd Watch. We'll also have a separate tracking system for folks in individual sports (golf, racing, tennis, etc.), and a blog with postings regarding crime and punishment and other misbehavior.

In the wake of the trade that sent backup quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans, there is speculation in league circles that Falcons coach Bobby Petrino wanted a second-rounder in 2008 to be part of the deal in order to possibly get himself in position to lasso Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in next year's draft.

Of course, Petrino's ability to snare the guy who led Petrino's prior team to a BCS bowl depends on many things, including where the Falcons land in the draft order, and whether the second-round selection inherited from the Texans is at the top, middle, or bottom of round two.

Whether there's a need for Brohm also depends on whether Mike Vick fails to develop sufficiently this year as the unquestioned starting quarterback. With Schaub no longer looming over Vick's shoulder and with Vick now having the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft has fewer and fewer excuses for failure.

Our own theory on this one relates more to 2007 than to 2008. We think that the Falcons are plotting a move up to get receiver Calvin Johnson.

Johnson, a Tyrone, Georgia native who played for Georgia Tech, is regarded as one of the top prospects in the draft. In our view, he's one of the only sure things in a pool of several high-quality players. Given his size, speed, leaping ability, and ball skills, Vick's margin for error in hurling the ball downfield would increase. Likewise, Johnson is in many respects the anti-Vick, and Johnson gradually could supplant the quarterback as the face of the franchise, making it easier for the Falcons to sever ties with Vick, without sparking a local revolt.

Of course, Vick is sharp enough to realize that Johnson could steal the limelight in a city that, to a large extent, the underachieving quarterback still owns. So if Vick resents the rookie instead of embracing him, the marriage might not work.

But, in the end, that might make it even easier for the Falcons to move on. (Or move out.) If Vick starts trouble of any kind with Calvin, Falcons fans might finally turn on Vick, once and for all.

Another consequence of the trade that sent Matt Schaub to the Texans is that Jake Plummer most likely won't land there in 2007.

There previously was a strong belief in league circles that Plummer wanted to jump to the Texans, where he would have been reunited with former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who now runs the show in Houston.

Currently, Plummer's choices appear to be playing for the Buccaneers, hoping for a trade to the Raiders, or following through on his plan to retire.

As to the first option, our friends at PewterReport.com report that two of Plummer's former teammates have been trying to talk him into becoming a pirate (without having to wear a puffy shirt), but that Plummer won't return their calls.

"I tried to talk to Jake," said Bucs running back Michael Pittman, who like Plummer is a former Arizona Cardinal. "Coach Gruden asked me if I'd give him a call, and we were on the same page because I was going to ask Coach Gruden to let me try and call him. I tried to call Jake a couple of times, but he didn’t return any of my phone calls." (Maybe Pittman should simply repeatedly ram his car into Jake's Honda Element.)

Another former Plummer teammate in Arizona, Simeon Rice, likewise whiffed in his efforts to reach Jake. "Simeon called me up and asked me what was going on with Jake," said Pittman. "I told him that I tried to call him, so I gave Sim the number to see if he could get in touch with Jake, but he didn’t return any of Simeon's phone calls, either.

"I think Jake is probably weighing his options right now," Pittman added. "I really think Jake knows for a fact that he still has the game in his blood and that he’s not ready to retire. I just don’t think he’s thinking rationally right now."

If Plummer retires, the Bucs will be able to pursue at least $3 million and as much as $7 million in signing bonus money that the Broncos previously paid to him.

In response to recent comments of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger regarding his past disagreements with former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, a league source tells us that Roethlisberger's statements are not surprising, because there was a significant amount of tension between the two men in 2006.

Roethlisberger recently hinted at problems between himself and Whisenhunt in expressing disagreement with the coach's statements that the quarterback was rushed back too quickly from injuries last season: "There were a lot of things I didn't agree with Whis about, and that's another one."

The apparent victim of this tension? Former Steelers quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple, who currently doesn't have a job in football.

As the source explained, "Ben was extremely close to Whipple, to the point where he had almost no contact with Whis. From what I have heard, this caused a lot of tension between Whis and Whipple. It seems Whis resented Whipple for, in his opinion, creating a division between Ben and he. Or he was jealous that he didn’t have the kind of relationship with Ben that Whipple had with his pupil."

At one point during the 2006 season, there were reports that Whipple was poised to become the head coach at Boston College. He didn't get the job, and he didn't get an opportunity to join Whisenhunt, the Cardinals' new head coach, in Arizona.

No one else has hired Whipple, either. And that makes us wonder whether Whisehunt is blackballing his former black and gold colleague.

A source with access to information regarding the transactions reported to the league office tells us that the New Orleans Saints cut ties with linebacker E.J. Kuale on Wednesday -- two days after he was arrested on charges of firearm possession and marijuana possession. (For more on this story, scroll down.)

An industry source recently told us that the Saints insisted, when asked about Kuale, that he had been cut "weeks ago."

As it turns out, Kuale was re-signed by the Saints on January 24, 2007, and the move was disclosed on or about February 16.

A league source with knowledge of the contract signed by linebacker Cato June with the Buccaneers tells us that, in the source's opinion, the deal is "flat-out terrible."

The contract, per the source, pays out a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $1 million per year in each of the deal's three years. There also is a $2 million roster bonus payable in 2008 and in 2009, and escalators for 2008 and 2009 and incentives for 2009.

"Basically," said the source, "it is a $3 million average and fairly good linebackers go for $5 million. This was a weak market and teams had money to burn. June was one of the higher-rated players and all he gets is $3 million per year?"

Apparently, the New Orleans Saints are doing their best to stay off of the PFT Turd Watch, a feature that's becoming so popular that it was mentioned on ESPN's Around the Horn on Wednesday (without actually, you know, being mentioned).

Here's the deal. A media source advises us that Saints linebacker E.J. Kuale (a/k/a Ejiro Megetayeh Kuale) was arrested earlier this week in Baton Rouge for felony possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana.

We can't find a published report of the arrest, but a cached version of a page from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Department lists Ejiro Megetayeh Kuale as an inmate, and the cached page indicates that he was booked on March 19, 2007. (Kuale's name does not currently appear on the live site, presumably because he has posted bond.)

When we first were informed of the arrest, we checked the Saints' official web site, and Kuale was still listed as a member of the team. Per the cached page, saved as of March 20, 2007, Kuale's name was still there.

Though we're going to confirm the specific charges before we dish out the Turd Watch points, it's obvious to us that, even though the Saints moved quickly to shed Kuale, he was a member of the organization when he was arrested.

Though much can still change with the draft still five weeks away, the buzz in league circles regarding this year's crop of draft picks currently focuses on quarterback JaMarcus Russell, receiver Calvin Johnson, and quarterback Brady Quinn.

Quinn had been a forgotten man for much of January and February, and when Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports recently wrote that Quinn was still viewed as a top three pick, we remained skeptical.

But league sources with no direct or indirect stake in the Quinn sweepstakes have advised us that Quinn is in the conversation at the top of the draft. And the reality is that it doesn't matter if every team doesn't agree. All that matters is whether the franchises holding selections in the top ten feel that way.

The loser? Running back Adrian Peterson. Perhaps because many NFL teams now regard running backs as largely interchangeable, there's a sense of reluctance to hand him (or any other running back who isn't viewed as a rare talent) the kind of huge-money contract that goes with being a top-five pick.

And the possibility that Quinn might be nudging Peterson out of the top tier of the draft raises fresh questions about potential conflicts of interest among agencies that have multiple blue-chip players. Although most agencies are sensitive to the problems inherent in pimping two guys who play the same position, Tom Condon of CAA (who represents Quinn) and Ben Dogra of CAA (who represents Peterson) are now in the delicate situation of attempting to pimp one client to the Browns at the potentially huge financial loss to another client.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Cleveland Browns have paid a $1.5 million option bonus to center LeCharles Bentley.

Bentley, a big-money free-agent signing in 2006, blew out a patellar tendon on the first day of training camp. The option bonus most likely adds a year to the back end of the deal. If the option bonus contained a non-exercise fee equal to the amount of the option bonus, the team's only option would have been to cut him.

Based on past reports, Bentley could miss the 2007 season due to complications of a staph infection. It's possible that he'll never be able to play again.

A league source tells us that the Redskins are paying a portion of the $5 million in guaranteed money that safety Adam Archuleta will receive under his new contract with the Bears.

Archuleta was due to receive on Wednesday a $5 million option bonus, which was fully guaranteed by future salaries. So, in essence, the 'Skins paid out 10 percent of the amount in order to wipe the obligation off of the books.

In return, the 'Skins got a sixth-round pick from the Bears. So Washington, in our view, came out of this thing as well as they could have, since they clearly had decided that it didn't make sense to pay starter money to two strong safeties.

Of course, the 'Skins would have been wise to realize all of this a year ago, before committing $10 million in guaranteed money to Archuleta.

Greg Bedard of the Palm Beach Post reports that the Dolphins and the Chiefs are still working toward a trade that would send quarterback Trent Green to Miami. The only sticking point? Green's pay in 2007.

He's due to receive $7.2 million, $7.7 million, and $9.2 million in base salaries over the next three seasons. The Fins want to pay him far less than that. Per Bedard, the two sides are "in the same ballpark."

Under the deal, the Fins would send to Kansas City the seventh-round pick that Miami received from the Patriots as part of the Wes Welker trade. [Editor's note: A prior version of this story incorrectly said that the Fins would send a second-round pick to the Chiefs. We regret the error.]

The acquisition of Green could mean the end of the road for quarterback Daunte Culpepper in Miami, who was acquired from Minnesota last year for the Dolphins' second-round pick in the 2006 draft.

There's a theory making the rounds in league circles that the Detroit Lions could pull off a rare move from the No. 2 overall spot in the draft.

First, there's a belief that the Lions eventually will trade the pick to the Browns, flip-flopping with Cleveland the No. 2 and No. 3 selections. The Browns would use the No. 2 pick to snare Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

Second, the Lions would hold an auction at No. 3 for the rights to receiver Calvin Johnson. Potential candidates include the Bucs at No. 4, the Redskins at No. 6, the Vikings at No. 7, and the Falcons at No. 8.

In theory, the Lions could use interest from a team like the Falcons to leverage an even better deal out of the Bucs, and then the Lions could draft left tackle Joe Thomas from the No. 4 spot.

The end result? The Lions would end up with the guy that they have coveted all along, they would pay him at a slot two spots lower than No. 2, and they would get a bunch of extra picks and/or players in the process.

It might be as hard for the Lions to pull this off as the roommate swap, but if CEO Matt Millen can do it he just might end up with a lifetime contract.

The unexpected trade of quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans has prompted us to scuttle after only one day Version 3.0 of the PFT 2007 Mock Draft.

We've put the finishing touches on rounds one and two of Version 4.0, and they're ready for your perusal.

Check us out later tonight with Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio. It's a special Wednesday night visit with Todd, at 11:06 p.m. EDT.

Looking ahead, we'll be making our first appearance next Friday, March 30, on WBAL in Baltimore as part of the Sportsline with Steve Davis show. The spot is tentatively scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT, and is likely to become a weekly thing unless we use profanity or make armpit farts during the segment.

According to NFL.com, Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.37 and 4.38 seconds during a Tuesday Pro Day workout.

The times were generated on FieldTurf, which is the same surface used at the scouting combine in Indy.

The move is sure to send Willis farther up the draft board. In our most recent mock draft, Willis had climbed to No. 11, as the first linebacker taken. He could now potentially challenge Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams as the first defensive player selected.

Most impressive to us is that Willis didn't rest on his dazzling time from his first crack at the 40. Instead, he ran again to prove that it wasn't a fluke.

Willis was the 2006 Butkus Award winner, and he would be a great fit in a Cover 2-style scheme, which requires the middle linebacker to chase receivers down the middle of the field.

A guy who claims to have witnessed Sunday night's altercation between Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter and Bengals left tackle Levi Jones tells WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh that the fight resembled something out of a Rocky movie.

"They were throwing down," a guy named Dave Benz told WTAE. "They must have each gotten in a good three or four swings. Then all of a sudden, the bigger guy who I found out later was Levi Jones, picked up Joey Porter and tossed him probably 10 feet like he was a rag doll."

After some people tried to break up the fight, Porter made another run at Jones.

"Joey Porter broke free and ran full sprint at Levi Jones and dove through the air at him like he was trying to tackle [LaDainian] Tomlinson. Took him down with a tackle, then the two of them got up. They were throwing fists again."

The account sounds a little over the top to us, and it doesn't seem to mesh with reports that the only injury was a small laceration over the eye sustained by Jones.

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced that coach Andy Reid will be returning to work on Friday, March 23. Reid commenced a leave of absence on February 12, in order to attend to personal matters involving his family.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Reid will attend the league's 2007 Annual Meeting in Arizona next week.

Reid's leave of absence was triggered by separate legal issues involving his sons. Britt Reid was arraigned last month on a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license and misdemeanor charges of lying to authorities, simple assault, making terroristic threats, and possession of a controlled substance. Garrett Reid tested positive for heroin after a January 30 accident that injured another motorist.

Raiders running back Dominic "Poppie" Rhodes has pleaded guilty to reckless driving. In exchange, DUI charges against him have been dropped.

Tests showed that Rhodes had a 0.09 percent blood-alcohol concentration when he was arrested last month. The legal limit is 0.08.

Despite an apparent open-and-shut case, prosecutors opted to permit the plea to the lesser deal because the number was just above the legal limit, and because of "evidence problems."

Rhodes was fined $1,000, and was ordered to pay restitution and court costs. We're not sure how restitution would apply to a case of reckless driving; maybe they had to replace the cushion in the cruiser after Rhodes (allegedly) peed all over himself.

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the trade that sent quarterback Matt Schaub from the Falcons to the Texans involves not one but two second-round picks, plus a swap of first-round picks in 2007.

The Falcons held the No. 10 pick in round one, and the Texans held the No. 8 pick.

In all, it's a good haul for the Falcons. No one was going to give them a one and a three for Schaub. But to get two twos and a two-spot upgrade in the top ten is huge -- especially since it puts them in striking distance to make a deal that would put them in position to draft someone like Adrian Peterson or the one guy who could make the locals forget about Mike Vick: Calvin Johnson.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that it's a done deal -- the Falcons have traded quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans.

It's a sign-and-trade transaction, with the Falcons inking Schaub to a new contract and then trading him to the Texans. The use of a roster bonus and/or an option bonus due in, for example, five days will prevent the Falcons from taking a cap hit.

The move most definitely means that David Carr's tenure with the team is over. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft. A year ago, the Texans opted to pay a bonus that extended his deal for three seasons, which took them out of the running for Houston native Vince Young.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle report that the Atlanta Falcons are close to trading quarterback Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans, for a second-round draft pick, and possibly for other compensation.

Schaub is a restricted free agent, who carries the highest possible tender offer. If another team signs him to an offer sheet and the Falcons opt not to match it, the Falcons would receive a first-round and third-round pick as compensation.

Last year, there were strong rumors that Schaub would be traded to the Vikings. The talks progressed to the point that (as we've heard it) Schaub was looking for a home in Minnesota.

As Schefter points out, the move has major significance for both teams. First, it means that the Texans will pass on quarterback Brady Quinn if he falls to them at No. 8 in the first round, and that current Houston starter David Carr is (as most league observers believe) done. Second, it means that the Falcons are making their bed with quarterback Mike Vick, anointing him as the once and future leader of the team even after a string of on-field failures and off-field embarrassments.

For new coach Bobby Petrino, it's not a bad development, from a job security standpoint. He now has at least two years to get Vick turned around and, if Vick never fully develops, Petrino will get another two or three years to develop the next guy.

In an era where the five-year plan has become extinct, this is the equivalent of Petrino finding a dodo bird in his back yard.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a bad year in 2006. But, in what could be a sign of growth and maturity, he's not blaming his struggles on the effects of a June 12 motorcycle accident or an early September appendectomy.

"You know what? I might have still had the same year," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Who knows? I'm not going to look back and say, wow, this is what caused this and this is what caused that. There's no need for that. It's a bad year. It's going to happen. That's just the way it goes."

In taking this position, Roethlisberger is directly contradicting former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who has said that he thinks the team brought Big Ben back too quickly from his various ailments.

"No, I don't agree with Whis," Roethlisberger said. "There were a lot of things I didn't agree with Whis about, and that's another one. . . . I think I just didn't play well. I had a bad year. I'm sure Whis had a bad year once in his career."

A more likely cause of his struggles? Roethlisberger says didn't always know what the pass protections were going to be, since the linemen were calling them. This year, the quarterback will have more freedom in this regard.

"[They're] letting me call a lot more of the stuff at the line," Roethlisberger said. "This year, it's going to be mostly just me. I'm going to tell them if I want them to move. I'm telling them to move, otherwise they don't do anything. It should be easier for us, for me, because I know what's going on and where they'll be blocking and who they're not blocking."

At a deeper level, Roethlisberger's comments might be a little bit of a slap at "Whis" and at former offensive line coach Russ Grimm. If, after all, there was a problem with the manner in which the pass protections were being called out, then it's a problem that the offensive line coach and the offensive coordinator should have fixed.

Coincidentally, both men were considered for the job of head coach after Bill Cowher resigned in January, and Grimm was a finalist who might or might not have been offered the gig before Mike Tomlin was hired.

So is Big Ben saying what he's saying in order to show implicit support for Mike Tomlin? Regardless of Roethlisberger's motivations, the team will get on the right track the sooner that everyone is on the same page, and if public comments from the starting quarterback will promote private acceptance in the locker room of Tomlin, everyone in black and gold benefits.

However, there's no indication that the system for calling out pass protections changed in 2006 from the procedures used the year before, when the team won something known loosely in some circles as the Super Bowl.

Although Banks tries (in our opinion) to stir up a little trouble by writing in the first paragraph of his story that the suspension will come "even before the legal process from a Las Vegas strip club brawl in February is complete," deeper in the piece Banks reveals the real impetus for the move -- Jones' failure to disclose to the team a pair of arrests from early 2006, during which Jones was charged with felony obstruction of a police officer and marijuana possession.

"I don't think [the NFL] will have to wait for the legal process to take its course in this particular situation,'' a source told Banks. "Not in the case where the player has failed to report arrests and transgressions, like he's mandated to do under the terms of the personal conduct clause in his contract."

But the trigger here isn't any personal conduct clause in Jones' contract. It's the league's Personal Conduct Policy. This specific document, as we've previously explained, mandates disclosure of player arrests. But Jones never told the Titans about these incidents.

And because such behavior is unprecedented since the policy was enacted, Goodell's hands aren't tied by precedent. Also, smacking Jones hard for his failure to come clean will deter other players from doing the same thing.

So good for Goodell. Though we're not sure that sitting out for a season will be enough to finally prompt Jones to "get it," it's the right decision for a guy who, to date, clearly doesn't.

Don Banks' story on Pacman Jones also explains that new NFL commission Roger Goodell plans to clamp down on the ongoing problem with off-field player misconduct, making it his top item in 2007.

"It's his first three priorities these days," a source tells Banks. "It speaks to the integrity and the image of the league, and it includes ensuring the protection of our players and the protection of the league itself.

"Roger is looking to really make his stand and differentiate himself from [former NFL commissioner] Paul Tagliabue on this one,'' said a source "with ties to the NFLPA." (We have a hunch that the source is NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, who doesn't want to say these things on the record for fear of creating the impression that he's dissing Tagliabue.) "[Goodell is] really pushing to get something done on this front. This is his baby, his thing. It's his issue, and he's eager to make a mark in this area at the beginning of his tenure.'

"It's more than just the public's perception of the league that concerns players,'' the source added. "From a player's perspective, they don't want guys like that on their team. Not just that those guys might embarrass everyone with their behavior, it's that those guys are just not reliable teammates, on or off the field. And that impacts everyone, and everyone's chances of winning.

"Players say these guys coming into the league now are completely different," the source continued. "There's a knucklehead factor. They don't give a [crap] how many years you've got in the league or what you've done as a veteran player. They're just very disrespectful of the game and its players. It's important that this is coming from the players as much as the league, because guys see it as a team and player-level problem. These kind of guys can destroy a whole team, and players are realizing that now and that it hurts everyone's chances for success.''

It also threatens the golden goose that is funneling to the players nearly 60 percent of all NFL revenues. If/when the public ever turns on the NFL and its growing flock of Playmakers players, all of the players will suffer for it, because the ever-increasing team-by-team salary cap would do an about-face if the money were to begin to dry up.

The Associated Press reports that the Seattle Seahawks won't be re-signing tight end Jerramy Stevens.

Stevens, the controversial tight end who has a history of picking up criminal charges and dropping passes, was busted last week for DUI and marijuana possession.

It was recently reported that Stevens was/is an alleged menace in the building where his condo is located, and that residents were exploring options for giving him the boot. Apparently, Stevens will be selling the property before too long.

Unless the new buyer is recently-signed defensive end Patrick Kerney, the folks at the condo should be pleased.

Jacksonville police recently released video of Jaguars offensive tackle Khalif Barnes' November 2006 DUI arrest.

We doubt that Barnes' behavior, or an ongoing rash of arrests involving Jaguars players, will allow the team to uncover those 10,000 unsellable seats at AllTel Stadium. If anything, the Jags might have to cover up even more of them in order to pull off future sellouts.

POSTED 11:15 p.m. EDT, March 20, 2007; UPDATED 8:53 a.m. EDT, March 21, 2007

Of course, the article never acknowledges that Winslow had microfracture surgery earlier in the offseason in order to spark the regeneration of cartilage in his knee.

And though the item makes vague reference to our article from Monday regarding Winslow, the writer erroneously claims that we have reported that Winslow won't play at all in 2007.

We did not. We wrote that the team isn't counting on him for the coming season, and that there's a very good chance that he won't play.

"I don't even know where that came from -- I don't know who said that," Winslow said in response to the report that we didn't report. "But I love to prove people wrong. That's fuel for me. I'll be back. People continue to count me out, and that lights my fire."

Hey, K -- the only reason anyone is counting you out is because of your own stupidity nearly two years ago, when you risked your football career to get a few kicks on a motorcycle.

[UPDATE: Lest there be any confusion on this, we fully stand by our report. We believe that the article on the Browns' official web site was a reaction to rumors of Winslow's inability to return from microfracture surgery, and as in most cases like this we refuse to accept the official word that a team puts out at face value.]

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Eagles have signed free-agent defensive tackle Montae Reagor.

The deal is worth $8.25 million over three years, with $2 million in guaranteed money.

Reagor, an eight-year veteran, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Broncos and the last four campaigns with the Colts.

He suffered facial injuries in an October 2006 automobile accident, and missed the rest of the season.

Tuesday's late-night updates are coming exclusively from the waiting room at the maternity ward of Monongalia General Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. Almost exactly 10.5 years ago to the day, Florio Jr. popped out in this same facility.

Tonight, we're awaiting the arrival of Matthew Oliverio, the second son of the Poobah's wife's brother.

So since we've got nothing else to do until the cord is cut, we'll be catching up on all of the news and other events of the past day.

Meanwhile, we missed our spot with Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio. But we'll make it up tomorrow night at 11:06 p.m. EDT.

As promised, we've posted our latest mock draft. Version 3.0 is based upon developments to date in free agency.

A league source tells us that the Washington Redskins have traded safety Adam Archuleta to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round pick in the 2007 draft.

Per the source, Archuleta will sign a three-year deal with Chicago. The contract is worth $8.1 million, and it pays $5 million in guaranteed money.

That's the same $5 million that Archuleta was owed by the Redskins in the form of a fully-guaranteed option bonus.

The move reunites Archuleta with former Rams defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Word is that Smith had been hoping to get Archuleta to Chicago ever since Smith got the job there as head coach.

The deal initially was reported by John Clayton of ESPN.com and Adam Schefter of NFL Network. (We don't want to create the false impression that we broke this one.)

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that free-agent linebacker Shawn Barber has signed with the Texans.

Per Schefter, it's a three-year, $5.5 million deal with $2.2 million in guaranteed money.

Barber spent 2006 with the Eagles, where he also played in 2002. From 2003 through 2005, he played for the Chiefs. He started his career in Washington.

We're three for three with posting the first wave of draft needs. (After, of course, getting started a day late.)

But we enjoy writing them up and we'll continue to do so, once per day, until each of the 32 teams is represented.

And since we've not gotten a bunch of e-mails telling us how stupid we are for the things that we've said in the draft needs summaries, we can only assume that we're doing a not-so-crappy job.

Per various published reports, the Denver Broncos have signed receiver Brandon Stokley to a one-year deal.

Stokley visited with the Saints, but opted to join the Broncos. He is recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon, but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Stokley has played for two Super Bowl winners. In 2000, he was a member of the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV champions. In 2006, he was a member of the Colts.

But given that Stokley: (1) didn't play in the Super Bowl; and (2) has signed with another team, Brandon would be wise to get a written promise from Napolian that a ring will be coming his way.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin met with his team for the first time on Monday, when 85 percent of the players gathered in Pittsburgh for the start of the offseason training program.

Note to the other 15 percent -- it might be a good idea to get your butts to the 'Burgh, now.

Per receiver Cedrick Wilson, Tomlin told the team that "you can go train in Orlando or you can go train in Arizona where it's a nice climate, whatever, but you can't get out of those places what you can get here and that's football."

Added Wilson, the only player who was made available to the media: "He stepped in and kind of laid down the law a little bit, like, 'Hey guys it's going to be a little bit uncomfortable but as soon as we can get over that it's going to be better for all of us.' The guys worked hard today, on the field and also in the weight room, and I look for the same thing tomorrow."

All-Pro guard Alan Faneca, who expressed disagreement with the decision to hire Tomlin, was not present on Monday. In our view, whether and to what extent Tomlin can win Faneca over will go a long way toward Tomlin's ability to win over the team.

And if it appears that Faneca won't accept Tomlin, then Alan needs to go the way of Joey Porter, in our view.

On a positive note, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (who has been taken to task of late for the perception that he doesn't devote enough time to football) and receiver Hines Ward are attending the program.

When guys like Derrick Dockery and Nate Clements got huge paydays in free agency, we immediately concluded that premier players throughout the league would begin to scrutinize their own contracts.

Some coaches realize that this could be a problem, too. As 49ers coach Mike Nolan told Judy Battista of the New York Times, "It is a concern. They have agents, and agents will be in their ear. They see the numbers handed out. My thing is you'll get a deal, but you've got to play out your deal. Maybe you’ll strike it rich. When your contract is up, you get an opportunity as a free agent. By last year's numbers, you got a great deal. This year's numbers, maybe it doesn't look as great."

Because the 2006 amendments to the CBA have reduced significantly the financial consequences of a holdout, we won't be surprised at all if a rash of problems arise over the coming months regarding players who believe that their deals need to be adjusted in light of the dramatic shift in the market.

Though we're firm believers in the concept that a player should honor his contract, we also think that allowances need to be made for the ever-expanding salary cap, which as Battista points out has increased by $23.5 million since 2005.

One way to address the problem, in our view, would be to determine base salaries in future years not by hammering out a set number but by making the wages a specific percentage of the salary cap for the year in question.

So instead of promising Steve Hutchinson a base salary of $4.45 million in the third year of a deal signed in 2006, why not say that the base salary in 2008 will be 4.3 percent of the total salary cap for that season? Sure, this will create some additional administrative headaches, but it will help to avoid situations in which a player believes that he's not being paid fairly due to the ongoing increases in the spending limit.

And just as the notion that the players collectively receive 60 percent of the total NFL revenues has caused the union to realize that it has a vested interest in preserving and expanding the pie, individual players might have a greater sense of responsibility if they know that their pay in future years will directly be determined by the overall financial viability of the sport.

We recognize that such a system might require some tweaks to the text of the CBA. Still, we think it's an effort work undertaking, given its various potential benefits to everyone involved.

According to various reports, Kerney's Atlanta-area home was the site of an alleged rape on March 18. Kerney was present, but is not a suspect. He is in the process of moving out, since he recently signed with the Seahawks after spending eight years with the Falcons.

"I am aware that, while I was asleep on Sunday morning, an assault took place in my home," Kerney said, in a statement that was released on Monday by the Seahawks. "Out of respect for my friend who was assaulted, and the police officers who are diligently working to apprehend the offenders, I cannot comment any further. My focus is on supporting my friend during this time of need."

The alleged victim met the suspect in a bar, where several current and former Falcons players were present. So it's possible that the suspect is a current or former member of the team.

Positive buzz continues to spread in league circles regarding last week's Pro Day workout from Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Beyond the 40, his other drills impressed most if not all of the scouts in attendance, and one league insider expressed to us with confidence that Revis will be off of the board before the 20th pick is called.

At some point on Tuesday (unless the Poobah's new nephew is born), we'll be posting the latest version of our 2007 mock draft.

This version will have not one but two rounds, giving the members of PFT Planet even more reasons to question our intelligence, sanity, and/or hygiene.

Speaking of organizations with questionable intelligence, sanity, and/or hygiene, the Browns' draft needs are also scheduled to be posted later today.

And to all Browns fans out there who don't like it when we speak ill of their team, we're on your side. As we've said before, if any city deserves a competitive NFL franchise, it's Cleveland.

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs says that CB Shawn Springs, DE Phillip Daniels, and S Adam Archuleta will remain with the team.

Titans G.M. Mike Reinfeldt steered clear of questions as to whether CB Nick Harper is the replacement for CB Pacman Jones.

Best headline regarding the Joey Porter-Levi Jones smackdown at a blackjack table: "Taking 'Hit Me' Literally."

New England officials reportedly will return to Michigan next week to get a closer look at CB Leon Hall, LB LaMarr Woodley, and LB David Harris.

WR Plaxico Burress and TE Jeremy Shockey didn't show up for the first day of offseason workouts.

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald recognizes that the battery charges against LB Joey Porter might be a good thing for a franchise that needs a little more street cred.

The Fins and QB Trent Green are engaged in "slow-moving talks." (Maybe they should eat more fiber.)

Despite a suggestion that the Fins could claim QB Trent Green "off waivers" if he's cut by the Chiefs, Green is a vested veteran who would instantly become an unrestricted free agent if released at any time before the October trading deadline.

More than 90 percent of the Packers showed up for the first day of voluntary workouts.

Lions OL Damien Woody, on his struggles with his size: "My situation is part genetics, because everybody in my family is big," Woody said. "And partly, it's just a problem."

The Colts are confident that they'll be able to replace RB Dominic Rhodes, CB Nick Harper, and LB Cato June from within.

The dude in Denver who wears only a barrel to Broncos games is calling it quits after this year. (The woman who sits one row in front of him is very happy to hear it.)

After a six-week stint in Duke University's weight-loss program, Lions offensive lineman Damien Woody has dropped 31 pounds, according to Mike O'Hara of the Detroit News.

Based on Woody's admission that he ballooned to a high of 378 pounds, the veteran center is now at 347. He plans to continue shedding the excess until he gets down to 315.

Woody suffered a foot injury in the fifth game of the 2006 season, and did not return. He was rumored to be on the way out in Detroit, but his effort to get in shape could help to save him.

Signed by the Lions in 2004, Woody is scheduled to earn $4.5 million in base salary in 2007.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Giants have signed Texans fullback Vonta Leach, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet.

Per Schefter, it's a four-year deal worth $8 million, with $1.6 million in guaranteed money.

The Texans have seven days to decide whether to match the offer. If they choose not to meet the terms, the Texans will receive nothing in return because Leach was undrafted and received the low tender of $850,000.

For only $450,000 more in 2007 salary, the Texans could have tendered Leach at a level that would have given them a second-round pick as compensation.

It's unclear whether the offer sheet contains a poison pill, but based on the overall magnitude of the package it's unlikely. And we continue to be amazed by the fact that no one has inserted a poison pill into any of the restricted free agent offer sheets tendered to date.

But not everyone is surprised. As one league insider opined to us over the weekend, "There is definitely collusion" among the various NFL teams regarding this issue. The speculation in this regard (and we must emphasize that it's only speculation) is that the NFL management council is putting out the word to the teams not to use the poison pill, which technically represents a valid device for promoting player movement.

We've noticed an interesting trend over the past few weeks. After years of looking the other way, more and more members of the "real" media are calling out ESPN.com for hijacking stories reported elsewhere.

Writes Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat: "[A] fine report by Matt Barrows of the Sac Bee today about Mike Nolan wanting there to be two forms of pass interference. ESPN picked up the story but did not credit it properly, making it sound as if it was their own report. We don't have such hangups here about giving credit where credit is due. Click here for that story."

Recently, Adam Schein of Sirius NFL Radio lambasted the boys in Bristol twice in less than a week for creating the false impression that Len Pasquarelli had broken stories that originated on the official NFL satellite radio network.

We just don't get it. The readers don't care who breaks the stories; they simply want a source for information that they can trust. But how can anyone trust an organization that twists the truth in order to artificially inflate their own writers?

Believe it or not, we've got plenty of friends at ESPN -- and we're hoping that the folks there who have a strong sense of fairness and decency will press the right buttons in order to rectify a situation in which a few folks with no shame are making the entire operation look bad.

We've followed up Sunday night's look at the Raiders' 2007 draft needs with our in-depth consideration of the areas in which the Lions need help.

(Okay, so maybe it would have been easier to write about the positions at which they don't have needs.)

Seriously, though, we don't think the Lions are all that far away from contending. Especially if they can convert the No. 2 pick into an impact player -- or trade the thing for enough extra picks to rustle up two or three solid starters.

Let's not forget that the Lions play in the NFC, where 12 teams are still mathematically alive for the 2006 postseason. It won't take much improvement for the Lions to become competitive, and in a year with not much to offer in free agency, the best way to get better quickly is through the draft.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Denver Broncos have cut defensive end Courtney Brown.

Brown, to whom we lovingly refer to refer as "Cavity Sam" because of his extensive history of injuries and surgical procedures, was the first overall pick in the 2000 draft.

It could be the end of the line for Brown, who when healthy has been effective. The problem is that he's rarely been at full strength.

A league source tells us that the Washington Redskins had a large group of attendees at the recent Pro Day workout of Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, prompting speculation in league circles that the team might make a play to move up from the No. 6 overall spot in the draft for a chance at snagging the former Yellow Jacket.

As the source put it, "the whole Washington organization" was seemingly in attendance to see Johnson's remarkable skills.

Under the draft trade chart devised more than a decade ago by Jimmy Johnson, the 'Skins would need to enhance their first round pick (which is worth 1,600 points) by 1,000 points to get to No. 2 -- and by 1,400 points to get to No. 1.

The problem is that the 'Skins don't have many other picks to give up this year, and to get a deal done they might have to kick in their first-round pick in 2008.

Bengals tackle Levi Jones now claims that, during the Sunday night incident in which Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter allegedly beat him up, Jones also was robbed.

Per Bengals.com, some jewelry allegedly was stolen from Jones as part of the incident, and that as many as seven people (including Porter) were involved in the attack on Jones. (The whereabouts of Porters' dogs at the time of the incident are unknown.)

Porter showed up in Miami on Monday for the first day of the team's offseason strength and conditioning program.

The Florida Times-Union reports that Jaguars safety Gerald Sensabaugh has been arrested in Tennessee on charges of speeding and carrying arms.

Sensabaugh, who is expected to crack the starting lineup given the free-agent departure of Deon Grant, was released after posting bail of $750.

The Monday morning arrest means that: (1) the Jaguars are now the leaders in Turd Watch; and (2) the "days without an arrest" clock is now all the way back to zero.

The arrests of Sensabaugh and Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter push the AFC's lead over the NFC in Turd Watch to 63-14.

Contrary to a report from Arthur Staple and Bob Glauber of Newsday indicating that the Giants have extended quarterback Eli Manning's contract through 2012 via a recent "buy-back" bonus, Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that there has been no extension to Manning's original six-year contract.

Garafolo cites a Monday morning statement from the Giants, in which the team states: "It is the same contra

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