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POSTED 4:45 a.m. EST; UPDATED 5:42 a.m. EST, March 28, 2006

CUTLER HEADED FOR A FALL?

Over the past few months, we've offered up opinions from various league sources regarding a potential draft-day free fall for quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Vince Young.

We're now hearing that Jay Cutler could be the one who ends up sliding.

Of course, this is the season of misinformation in the NFL.  Some teams will hype a guy in the hopes that a franchise selecting in front of them will draft him.  Other teams will knock a guy in the hopes that he'll fall to them.

But as to the insights we've recently picked up regarding the assessment of the three quarterbacks projected to be taken in round one of the draft, we're persuaded that the source has no horse in the race -- making his observations far more credible.

The question of when Leinart, Young, and Cutler will be drafted depends in large part on the structure of the teams assessing the picks.  "Teams that have a strong G.M. and personnel department draft based on production and value," said the source.  "When a coach has more to do with the final say, then they seem to go more on workouts.  Scouts spend about eleven months going over the players in their area, finding out about character, work habits, coachability, etc., only to get nudged out by a coach who has worked part time for two months on the same thing and then seems to have all the answers."

But what about the buzz surrounding Cutler?

"I have read over and over the last few months that Leinart and Young have dropped and Cutler has risen in scouts eyes," said the source.  "What a joke.  What has Cutler ever won?  He never had a winning season at Vandy. He lost six games in a row this year.  Looked very average at the Senior Bowl and very average at the combine, yet people seem to think he should be drafted in the top ten.  Why?  Because he has a strong arm?

So has Young overcome the hit that he took based on reports of a low Wonderlic score? 

"All that sh-t about his test score is bogus," said the source.  "He could not have done what he has done at Texas if he was real dumb.

"You mentioned that Young's stock rose after his workout last week.  Well, a good scouting dept should have had him near the top of their board all along. All he has done is win.  If a team is interested, they will bring him in, get him on board with their offensive staff, and find out how good his aptitude for football is.  They will find out that he has a very strong passion for the game and is football smart."

Where, then, should Cutler land?  "He doesn't deserve to go in the first round," said the source.  "He is not anywhere as good as Patrick Ramsey was four years ago.  He went at 31 and has been a bust."

Yikes.

Don't expect this debate to die down.  After all, there are plenty of teams with coaches who have a lot of say in the draft process, giving Cutler's workout results greater weight in those cities.  And when Leinart, who isn't a big T-shirt-and-shorts guy, has what likely will be received as an average workout on April 2, look for the opinions and projections to continue to conflict and jumble.

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MOULDS PREFERS EAGLES

Although recent reports out of Houston suggest that the Texans are at the lead of the pack in the hunt to strike a deal for Bills receiver Eric Moulds, the Philadelphia Daily News reports that the Texans aren't one of the five teams on Moulds' wish list.

Instead, the teams in which Moulds primarily is interested are the Eagles, Patriots, Seahawks, Chiefs, and Broncos. 

And the Eagles are at the top of the totem pole.

"He wants to go to Philadelphia," said Moulds' representative, Greg Johnson.  "He really feels he could help them. He loves the idea of being an Eagle and playing with Donovan [McNabb]."

The sticking point won't be the compensation to the Bills, who reportedly want a fourth-rounder, but the compensation to Moulds, who wants a three-year deal averaging $5 million per season.

Moulds is only five months older than Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, who played for one-and-a-half seasons with the Eagles, and who recently signed a three-year, $25 million contract.

"Right now, the money aspect is out of whack," one NFL general manager told the News.  "If he wants to get traded, he's going to have to come to grips that he's not going to get that.  Or maybe he will.  Maybe there's a team that's willing to pay him that."

In our view, $5 million per year under a salary cap that's at $102 million and rising isn't much to spend on a guy whose production was still solid in 2005, even though his team's quarterback play, well, wasn't.

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POISON PILLS TO BE ADDRESSED

Howard Balzer reports that the NFL plans to address the "poison pill" clauses used in recent weeks to craft an offer sheet that would become fully guaranteed if the player's original team matches it.  The Vikings and Seahawks have engaged in a tit-for-tat battle along these lines over the past couple of weeks.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said that such terms "are not in the spirit of the deal," and "will be addressed."

Minnesota fired the first shot by signing Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson to a seven-year, $49 million contract containing a provision making the deal fully guaranteed if Hutchinson isn't the highest paid offensive lineman on the team at any point during the 2006 league year.  The Seahawks initially planned to challenge the provision based on an argument that such a term violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players' union.  In the end, the Seahawks reworked the contract of left tackle Walter Jones, and argued that the restructured deal solved the problem.

They lost.

Four days later, the Seahawks signed Vikings receiver Nate Burleson to a seven-year, $49 million contract containing a provision making the deal fully guaranteed if Burleson plays five or more games in the state of Minnesota in any year of the contract, and if Burleson's per-year average is greater than the average salary of all of the team's running backs.

If unchanged, this practice invites any team to craft an offer sheet containing grossly inflated salaries in the back end of the deal and a provision making the contract fully guaranteed if the guy plays in five games in his original team's stadium during any year of the deal.

Tagliabue plans to talke with NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw next week regarding the issue.

"We need to address it," Tagliabue said.  "By the time I talk to Gene, I will know the issues and what to suggest as a solution."

Here's the solution -- any term that guarantees all or part of the deal for the team matching the offer but that does not guarantee all or part of the deal for the team making the offer should be prohibited because it necessarily compels the team that matches the deal to forfeit its ability to terminate the contract prematurely.

Whether Upshaw will agree remains to be seen.  But since it's generally regarded in league circles that the NFLPA stuck it to the league as to the non-economic terms of the new CBA, the least Upshaw can do is to help Tagliabue clear up an issue that renders the transition tag meaningless, and that undermines the process of restricted free agency.

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TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney acknowledged that there might be "bruised feelings" as a result of the revenue sharing/CBA discussions of earlier this month, but the Commish says he doesn't think that it will impact the search for his successor.

The next Commish needs to be ready to expand the league's presence into other countries:  "What do we do -- we just play football games in the United States?" said Jets owner Woody Johnson.  "Or are we going to try to be part of the world community?"

Throwing a bone to Steeler Nation, Dan Rooney is proposing a rule that prohibits teams from requiring folks who want to buy tickets to one game (i.e., when the Steelers come to town) to buy tickets to one or more other games, too (i.e., when the Bills come to town).

In exchange for letting guys walk that they really didn't want to keep a year ago, the Steelers picked up two fourth-round picks and a fifth-rounder.

Knowing when to let free agents walk helped Steelers president Art Rooney II win the 2005 executive of the year award.

Unless the Steelers draft a new return man, CB Ricardo Colclough will assume the punt return duties of Antwaan Randle El.

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs is already in midseason sandbagging form:  "I'm not happy about opening up against a tough opponent like Minnesota."

Seahawks RT Sean Locklear goes to trial on June 13 on charges that he grabbed his girlfriend by the neck.

The Pats paid WR Troy Brown a $100,000 bonus for catching 40 passes in 2005 -- even though he only caught 39.

The Patriots get a chance to draft two more Tom Bradys after losing free agents Joe Andruzzi, Adrian Klemm and David Patten in 2005 and signing only Monty Beisel.

In the same presser in which Coach Chin acknowledges that he shouldn't have mocked the "Who Dey?" chant at the Super Bowl parade, he praises the Pats for winning with "humility" and "class."

RB Clinton Portis tried to persuade RB Edgerrin James to join the Redskins.

So what does it mean that Coach Chin bought a house in North Carolina?  "It means I bought a house in North Carolina," he said.

Bill Cowher attributed the attention directed to his purchase of real estate in a state other than Pennsylvania to the "Pittsburgh Paparazzi."  Says Coach Chin:  "I call them the P.P."  (Um, Bill, you might want to reconsider that one.)

Packers G.M. Ted Thompson finally has denied (sort of) reports that Lord Favre has let the team know that he's coming back:  "I couldn't tell you if I had," Thompson initially said when asked whether he got such a call.  Then he added, "But I have not [gotten that call].  I have not."  (Hey, we never said Favre called Thompson directly -- who's to say Favre didn't call coach Mike McCarthy?) 

This Greg Johnson guy needs to shut his freakin' mouth.

Before you put your money on any of the favorites for the Commissioner gig, keep the words of Texans owner Bob McNair in mind:  "I think it's wide open.  It can be someone no one even knows.  The main thing is to get the right person for the position, whoever they might be."

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie scoffs at criticism of his team's failure to spend much money this March:  "It's crazy," Lurie said. "Every team spends the same amount of money.  If you total up the cash spent, we're always in the top level in the league.  Whether you spend it in March or you spend in November, you are spending the exact same dollars."

Says Miami Beach police spokesman Robert Hernandez regarding the arrest of Eagles LB Dhani Jones, who was busted after he refused to quit dancing in the middle of a street:  "I don't know if he took us seriously, but once you put the handcuffs on somebody, that has a humbling effect."

Under the new CBA, the salary floor could be as much as 90 percent of the salary ceiling.

Redskins S Sean Taylor has shown up for offseason workouts, even as his trial on three felony counts is looming.

The Krafts are standing firmly behind Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli at a time when fans are getting nervous about free-agency defections.

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EARLY TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards says that he didn't lie when he said immediately after the 2005 season that he wasn't leaving the Jets for Kansas City.

(Editor's note:  Due to a bad case of insomnia, we tracked down and typed up the base salaries of several of the key free agents signed to date.  Amazingly, we're still awake.)

The base salaries paid to Vikings G Steve Hutchinson are $585,000 in 2006, $2.035 million in 2007, $4.45 million in 2008, $5.45 million in 2009, $6.55 million in 2010, $6.68 million in 2011, and $6.95 million in 2012.

Browns C LeCharles Bentley will receive base salaries of $650,000 in 2006, $1.4 million in 2007, $2.4 million in 2008, $3.4 million in 2009, $5.9 million in 2010, and $5.9 million in 2011.

Redskins WR Antwaan Randle El will earn base salaries of $585,000 in 2006, $595,000 in 2007, $820,000 in 2008, $4 million in 2009, $4.25 million in 2010,$4.5 million in 2011, and $5 million in 2012 (looks like a three-year deal to us).

Redskins S Adam Archuleta gets base salaries of $585,000 in 2006, $595,000 in 2007, $1 million in 2008, $4 million in 2009, $5 million in 2010,$6 million in 2011, and $5 million in 2012 (looks like another three-year deal to us).

Titans WR David Givens gets base salaries of $800,000 in 2006, $2.5 million in 2007, $3.5 million in 2008, $3.5 million in 2009, and $4.2 million in 2010.

Broncos DT Gerard Warren gets base salaries of $585,000 in 2006, $595,000 in 2007, $4 million in 2008, $4.63 million in 2009, $4.68 million in 2010, and $5.19 million in 2011.

From the "Hey, Didn't You Used To Be The First Overall Pick In The Draft?" file, Broncos DE Courtney Brown's new deal pays base salaries of $745,000 in 2006, and $900,000 in 2007, $900,000 in 2008, and $900,000 in 2009.

Eagles DE Darren Howard gets $1 million in base salary in 2006, $2 million in 2007, $2.5 million in 2008, $2 million in 2009, $3.5 million in 2010, and $4 million in 2011.

Falcons DE John Abraham receives a $2 million base salary in 2006, $2 million in 2007, $6 million in 2008, $5 million in 2009, $6.5 million in 2010, and $8 million in 2011.

Even if the Saints pick up QB Drew Brees' $12 million option bonus in 2007, the back end of the deal carries more than $29 million in three years, with $9.8 million base salaries in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Titans S Chris Hope's base salaries are $585,000 in 2006, $1 million in 2007, $1.5 million in 2008, $4 million in 2009, $5.5 million in 2010, and $6.5 million in 2011 (another three-year deal, in our view).

Rams LB Will Witherspoon will get base salaries of $2 million in 2006, $4 million in 2007, $4 million in 2008, $2.5 million in 2009, $5 million in 2010, and $5 million in 2011.

Panthers DT Ma'ake Kemoeatu receives base salaries of $900,000 in 2006, $2.4 million in 2007, $2.9 million in 2008, $3.9 million on 2009, and $2.9 million in 2010.

Texans DE Anthony Weaver will be paid base salaries of $1 million in 2006, $2.5 million in 2007, $3.5 million in 2008, $3.5 million in 2009, and $4 million in 2010.

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