We've reported on multiple occasions over the past couple of weeks that the team already knows that Favre is coming back, but that the team won't announce Favre's return until Favre gives them permission to do so.  More recently, we've heard that Favre is delaying the announcement simply in order to mess with Thompson, whom we're told Favre doesn't like.

Here's another great point from Chmura:  "Then [Favre] had the other quote in the newspaper saying if he comes back this is 'definitely his last year.'  Well, the Packers aren't going to the Super Bowl.  They aren't close to going to the Super Bowl.  I think if they keep going in the direction they are they can go 8-8, 9-7.  Why come back?"

Still, it appears that Chmura's comments have been tainted by his own experiences with Favre.  Chmura says that, when he faced rape charges several years back, Favre offered him no support.  

POSTED 8:38 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:58 a.m. EDT, April 3, 2006

LEINART LOOKS SO-SO AT PRO DAY

Apart from the fact that USC quarterback Matt Leinart opted not to run the 40-yard dash on Sunday at his pro day workout, we're hearing that Leinart's performance throwing the ball was average, at best.

We're told that he looked nervous at first, and that his initial dozen or so throws were not good.  Part of the problem, as one league source surmised, is that there we too many players to whom Leinart was throwing. 

The development doesn't necessarily mean that Leinart automatically falls behind Texas quarterback Vince Young as the first quarterback off of the board.  Leinart never was expected to wow anyone in shorts and T-shirts; his primary selling point is his ability to win games.

But the real question is whether he'll be able to win more games than he loses when his supporting cast is not as clearly superior, relative to other teams, as it was for him in college.

The workout also means that Leinart's ultimate position will be driven largely by his individual workouts for teams, which start on Monday with the Tennessee Titans.

And as to speculation that the New York Jets might be targeting Leinart at No. 4, or via a trade up to No. 2, neither coach Eric Mangini nor G.M. Mike Tannenbaum were present for the session.  Their absence might have been a recognition of the fact that the Sunday pro day, held in conjunction with USC's annual junior day, was going to be nothing more than a big batch of clusterfudge.  ESPN.com says that Panthers coach John Fox called the event "a spectacle."  Another unnamed league source told ESPN.com that it was "a zoo."  Besides, the Jets plan to make the trek back to L.A. on April 17 to meet with Leinart.

As to his decision not to run, Leinart says that posting a time in the 40 would have been meaningless.  "I just don't feel like me running the 40 is going to prove anything,'' he said. "They know I am not a running quarterback — I am not a Michael Vick. I am not going to run a 4.4, though I think I would probably run a pretty good time. . . .  The 40-yard dash for me is pointless I think."

Then why, Matt, did you initially say at the Sunday workout that you'd run after throwing?  And why, as we've heard, did your handlers scramble over the past week or so to get you ready to run? 

We don't buy any of it.  Leinart's camp feared that the number he posted in the 40 would have hurt him more than would his decision not to run at all.  It was a mistake, in our view, for Team Leinart to not have him ready to run.

BUSH THINKS HE'S NO. 1

In the wake of his pro day workout, USC tailback Reggie Bush thinks that he'll be the No. 1 pick in the April 29 draft.

"There's always that .1 percent chance, but I'm pretty much 99.9 percent sure," Bush said, according to the Los Angeles Daily News  "I think I did [become the No. 1 pick].  Today was pretty effective in all areas."

Although Bush's electronically-timed 4.33 in the 40 is being propagated by the press, Bush was hand-timed at 4.4 on a track that was considered fast, which typically prompts teams to add a little more to the "official" time.

Another positive development for Bush was his ability to muster 24 reps in the 225-pound bench press.  This should help to diminish concerns regarding a shoulder thing that some thought still might be bothering him.

The Texans hold the first pick in the draft, and they are hosting Bush in Houston on Thursday.  Although they don't have a pressing need at tailback, they likely will not pass on Bush, unless they trade down and stockpile more picks.

LENDALE SIMPLY OUT OF SHAPE?

Although the decision of USC running back LenDale White to not work out on Sunday is being attributed to a hamstring pull suffered at the scouting combine, we're hearing that White simply has not been diligent about working out -- and consequently was not in shape.

Even if White has a bad hammy, managing only 15 reps in the  225-pound bench press does little to cement the notion that LenDale is a power back, and it further suggests that he's allowed himself to get puffy at a time when his ultimate draft position (and the financial windfall that goes along with it) is riding on his ability to post competitive numbers.

"They will be yakking about me on draft day," White said.  "I'll be the man."

As to White's claim that he pulled a hammy in Indy, we'd sure like to know when he did it.  He didn't run the 40 there, so it must have come from one of the other drills.  And we wonder whether the tape of his performance at the combine corroborates White's claim.

Amazingly, White's uncle told the Denver Post that LenDale re-injured the hamstring while performing the bench-press drill on Sunday.

At this point, it's still unclear whether White will run at all before the draft.  His uncle says a private workout will be held the weekend before the draft.  We've heard, however, that White was telling others on Sunday that he has no intention of running before the April 29 draft.

"If you're a team, how do you take a running back who doesn't run a 40-yard dash?" Texans G.M. Charley Casserly said, according to the Los Angeles Times.  "At some point, you've got to find out how fast somebody is."

Folks, this guy has "turd" written all over him, in our view. 

So we guess it's time for the equipment manager in Denver to start getting his jersey ready.

MORE ON DUNN'S POTENTIAL SUSPENSION

In the wake of last week's report that agent David Dunn is preparing for his two-year suspension by directing clients to his partner, Joby Branion, we're hearing that Dunn still isn't ready to fold the tents on this one.

A league source tells us that the ultimate reversal of the verdict entered against Dunn in the lawsuit filed by Leigh Steinberg exonerates Dunn for much of the behavior for which he was suspended.   This will, in Dunn's view, enhance his ability to beat back the ban when the matter ultimately makes it way to arbitration.

We're also told that Dunn and his agency, Athletes First, believe that, even if a suspension is ultimately imposed, Dunn will still be permitted to take a salary from a pot of money enhanced by commissions from representing players.   But as NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen told us last week, "The regs prohibit any arrangement between a suspended advisor and another contract advisor in which there is any sharing of fees.  If Dunn's clients go to [Branion], Dunn cannot benefit in any way."

In our view, this means that Dunn should not, during the period of any suspension (if one is imposed), receive money resulting from the representation of any NFL clients -- including his own.  Really, what's the purpose of a suspension if there's no financial consequence? 

And we're not picking on Dunn with this one.  Any time a guy is suspended, he should be barred from earning any money generated by the representation of NFL players.  The problem, as a practical matter, lies in the enforcement.  Since many of these firms derive revenues from other sources (such as the representation of players in marketing deals), it's virtually impossible to ensure that the suspended agent is getting no piece of any fees for player contracts.

That's why we think the better approach would be to require any agency associated with a suspended agent to completely cut off the suspended agent financially during the period of the suspension.  Although the suspended agent likely would "make up" the losses on the back end via a bigger cut of the pie upon his return, it gives the suspension a little more bite.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Dolphins could be the favorites to land QB Joey Harrington.

Reports on the six-day-old rule banning local TV from the sidelines of NFL games continue to slowly emerge.

CB Jamar Fletcher has canceled his visit with the Redskins (maybe his agent is steering him to the Patriots for less money).

Vikings WR Koren Robinson talks about his alcoholism.