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POSTED 7:21 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 7:44 p.m. EDT, May 15, 2006

FINS INK MARCUS

More than a week after bringing him in for a three day look-see, the Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Marcus Vick to a free-agent deal.

Vick officially will be listed as a wide receiver/quarterback/specialist with the Fins.

The move could be another opportunity for Miami coach Nick Saban to prove that he can get through to even the turdiest of the turds, and to coax from them a high level of performance.

But Marcus will be on a short choke chain in South Florida.

"I want to make it very clear that we will not condone any behavior issues in the future relative to Marcus Vick," Saban said "Marcus acknowledges that he has made some mistakes, all of which has [sic] resulted in severe consequences for him. They have helped him learn that he will need to make much better choices and decisions in the future or risk similar consequences that could jeopardize his career as a professional player.

"As an organization, we did an enormous amount of research, including consulting with professionals in detailed, in-depth analysis to feel comfortable that giving Marcus an opportunity as a free agent is a risk worth taking. Marcus has made a commitment to this organization and our fans to represent the Miami Dolphins in a first-class manner."

We suggested when word first broke of the Fins' interest in Vick that the younger brother of Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick would be required to humble himself before getting a chance to stick with Saban's team. By accepting a change in his primary position, Marcus might indeed be on the path toward showing that he's willing to do whatever is necessary in order to play pro football.

Of course, signing a contract and making the final 53 are two different issues. Marcus still has a loooong way to go before he dresses out September 7 in Pittsburgh, but the guy definitely has the athletic ability to pull it off.

Whether he can keep it together long enough to avoid being dumped remains to be seen.

MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Fins also signed TE Keith Heinrich, LB Keith Newman, and CB Michael Lehan.

Lions OL Jeff Backus has made out like Thurston Howell with a one-year, $6.983 million contract and a promise that he won't be franchised again in 2007.

QB Craig Krenzel is the odd man out in Cincy.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers attended his first practice as the starting quarterback.

The Ravens are hosting a Fan Fest this weekend. (Is one of the activities a pretend police lineup?)

An arbitrator will hear QB Steve McNair's grievance against the Titans on Tuesday.

Coach Chin ran sprints with the troops on Monday.

The Vikings might go topless in their new stadium, in order to keep the costs down.

Jason White won't be pulling an Eric Crouch.

POSTED 1:40 p.m. EDT, May 15, 2006

FLUTIE FLIES THE COOP

Long-time pro quarterback Doug Flutie announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, more than 21 years after capping his college career with a with one of the most famous Hail Mary plays in football history -- and winning the Heisman Trophy.

And Flutie will return to his roots in the next stage of his career, working as an college football analyst for ABC and ESPN.

At the pro level, Flutie played in the CFL and the NFL. But he started out with the USFL, and Sports Illustrated asked whether Flutie could be the savior for the league with ambitions larger than its bank accounts.

After the USFL finally packed it in, Flutie landed with the Chicago Bears, where he threw 46 passes during the 1986 season. He then spent three years with the Patriots -- starting nine games in 1988 -- before trying his hand in Canada.

In eight seasons with the CFL, Flutie became a superstar with the B.C. Lions, Calgary Stampeders, and Toronto Argonauts. He was named the league's most outstanding players a record six times, and he threw for more than 6,000 in two different seasons. His teams won three Grey Cups, and he was the MVP of each game.

In 1998, Flutie returned to the NFL, joining the Buffalo Bills. He started 30 games in three seasons with the Bills, earning two Pro Bowl nods. After the 2000 season, Flutie was on the losing end of a much-publicized quarterback controversy with Rob Johnson. Flutie landed in San Diego, where he started all 16 games during the 2001 season. Thereafter, he gave way to Drew Brees but remained with the team for three more years as a backup. He returned to New England 18 years after he first signed with the Patriots, finsihing his career as the backup to Tom Brady.

Flutie punctuated one of the most unique and lengthy pro football careers by converting an extra point -- via a drop kick -- on his last NFL snap.

"If that ends up being my last play, it wouldn't be bad," Flutie said after the game.

Only days after some folks in the media debated whether Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith should make it to the Hall of Fame, we think that Flutie merits far more serious consideration than Smith. It is, after all, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Flutie's unique path, and extreme success, are the kinds of thing that should be inspiring kids with an interest in the sport long after we're all taking a permanent nap in a pine box.

Besides, if Flutie lands a spot in Canton, he'll likely be the only Hall of Famer who was winless for his collegiate career against the West Virginia Mountaineers. . . .

POSTED 11:33 a.m. EDT, May 15, 2006

RAMS' GIG IS WEBSTER'S IF HE WANTS IT

Multiple league sources tell us that Tampa director of player personnel Ruston Webster is getting closer to becoming the new G.M. in St. Louis. But first Webster has to decide that he wants the job.

Even as the Rams still have a G.M. in place, by the name of Charley Armey.

But we're hearing that Webster is reluctant, for a couple of reasons. First, although the move entails a promotion in name, it's still unclear whether the G.M. in St. Louis will really be the G.M., given that many believe that president of football operations Jay Zygmunt currently holds the bulk of the power -- and that team president John Shaw retains the ability to revoke and redistribute the power whenever the mood might strike him.

Second, we're told that family concerns might prompt Webster to choose to stay in Florida, with the Buccaneers.

We're told that Webster interviewed for the job on Tuesday night and Wednesday of last week, and that the Rams are waiting for Webster to make up his mind as to whether he wants the job.

Although some league insiders believe that Webster isn't a candidate for the Houston G.M. job, we continue to hear that his name is and will be on the list. And the Texans' position is the one most likely to provide Webster with the highest degree of authority over the football operations.

Finally, the Seahawks remain interested in adding Webster to the front office. Seattle's team president is Tim Ruskell, and Ruskell and Webster are very close friends.

Stay tuned. It's one of the only intriguing stories currently unfolding in the NFL.

And no one else except us is talking much about it.

POSTED 10:02 a.m. EDT, May 15, 2006

MARCUS LANDING IN MIAMI?

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Greg Bedard of the Palm Beach Post report that the Miami Dolphins are negotiating a free-agent contract with former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick.

But the baby brother of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick might ultimately say "no, thanks" to the Fins' offer. Coach Nick Saban wants to move Marcus to receiver -- and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts want Vick to play quarterback there.

Vick would make much more money in Miami, if he makes the roster. The NFL minimum rookie salary is $275,000.

Marcus was an invited participant at the Dolphins' recent rookie minicamp. He took snaps both at quarterback and receiver. On the final day of the camp, he lined up exclusively as a pass-catcher.

Marvez reports that Saban is "intrigued" by Vick following the tryout.

PORTER PLANNING TO GIVE THE PREZ A PIECE OF HIS MIND

Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is looking forward to the team's visit to the White House on June 2 in celebration of their Super Bowl victory.

But not for the reasons that most folks anticipate a visit to the place when the President lives and works.

"Yeah, I got something to say to [George] Bush, I'm going to have a swagger when I walk in there, too," Porter said. "I'm looking forward to it. I have something to tell him, too. I don't like the way things are running right now. I feel like he has to give me some of my money back, so I got something to tell Bush."

Even if Porter is mildly exaggerating or completely kidding, it's not the kind of attempt humor that the men and women of the Secret Service ordinarily regard as funny. Our guess is that, at a minimum, Porter will get a stern talking to from someone in authority regarding his stated plans and, depending on what Porter says in response, he might not receive the requisite clearance to attend.

Or maybe he'll say all the right things in advance and then try to make a scene when he gets there. But the thing that Porter, who already has been shot once in his life, needs to keep in mind is that the folks in the Secret Service will be aiming a little higher than his ass if he crosses the line in the presence of the President.

Better still, perhaps Porter can display the area of his prior wound to Bush, a la Forrest Gump and LBJ.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Pats brought in former New England CB Ty Law for a physical on May 12.

Eagles DE Jerome McDougle has the words "true" and "story" tattooed on each side of the scar resulting from the gunshot wound and ensuing surgery he experienced in 2005. (We would have gone with something like "Do not open until Christmas.")

New Jets coach Eric Mangini won't be cutting any slack to QB Chad Pennington.

Former Lions QB Joey Harrington talks about the demise of his Detroit career.

New Falcons S Lawyer Milloy thinks the team is ready to win.

WR Andre Reed will be the 23rd member of the Bills' Wall of Fame.

Rookie QB Tarvaris Jackson is turning heads at Vikings minicamp. (He must have been prancing around the locker room in a thong.)

Uncle Rico's jersey has shot to the top of the list for rookies.

Jags WR/KR Chad Owens turned down the team's request that he play in NFL Europe, which might have been the kiss of death for his career with the team but for the recent retirement of Jimmy Smith.

We're taking bets on which Jaguar will be the first guy to poop in the team's new sandpit.

Even though he reduced his salary to stay with the team, we've got a feeling that RB Duce Staley won't be with the Steelers when the regular season starts.

Steelers S Troy Polamalu lobbied unsuccessfully for the team to keep former starting free safety Chris Hope.

A Sunday sign at the Steelers' minicamp locker room said "Call Your Mother Today."

Titans RB LenDale White is using his draft-day slide as motivation. (It would have been a lot cheaper if he would have just bought a Tony Robbins book in January. . . . Or a few less Ho Hos since then.)

POSTED 9:42 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2006

GANNON VISITING THE BUCS

Our friends at PewterReport.com reports that former Raiders, Chiefs, Redskins, Vikings, and Patriots quarterback Rich Gannon will visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, May 16.

When we first heard the news, we thought that Gannon might be mounting a comeback. But for now at least there's no plan for the former NFL MVP to come out of retirement to play for Tampa. Instead, Gannon will merely be in attendance for the team's OTA's.

Gannon last played in 2004, when a neck injury suffered in a game against the Bucs put him out for the balance of the year. Although many league insiders believed he might land in Tampa for 2005 with former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, Gannon opted instead for the broadcast booth (where, by the way, he's not very good).

In 2002, Gannon and the Raiders met Gruden and the Bucs in the Super Bowl, only one year after Gruden left Oakland. Gruden's intimate knowledge of Gannon's play enabled the Buccaneers to slice up the Raiders offense en route to a blowout win.

Gannon previously was out of football for a full season in 1994, before re-igniting his career with the Chiefs and Raiders.

POSTED 8:22 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2006

SWEET PEA GOES SOUR

Colts defensive tackle Vincet "Sweet Pea" Burns is free on bail after allegedly trying to pull a Popeye on a Kentucky police officer Friday night.

Burns was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and menacing outside a Lexington nightclub. When asked by police to leave the area for a third time, Burns "pulled his shirt off and pulled his arm into a striking position" toward the officer.

Burns was a third-round pick of the Colts in 2005. He didn't play last year due to a knee injury.

SUNDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Redskins QB Jason Campbell is learning a new offense for the sixth straight year.

Tyrone Carter played free safety with the Steelers' first-team defense on Saturday.

So far, so good for WR Chad Jackson.

With a new shoe deal in hand (or as the case may be on foot), Pats first-round RB Laurence Maroney has turned in his Air Jordans: "I never wore Reebok a day in my life," he said. "Now I’m the biggest Reebok fan ever."

Pats K Stephen Gostkowski got drafted in the fourth round despite not having much coaching at Memphis.

New England coach Bill Belichick says it's a coincidence that five Florida Gators are in camp.

The Titans want to teach Uncle Rico how to get the ball with his hands pressed against the center's bum.

Falcons QB Mike Vick claims he stayed in the pocket so much last year because he was hurt.

Former Texas A&M QB Reggie McNeal put on receivers' gloves for the first time since 1998.

Saints RB Reggie Bush missed practice on Sunday with a tweaked hamstring.

POSTED 11:00 a.m. EDT, UPDATED 12:08 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2006

WEBSTER ON SHORT LIST IN ST. LOUIS

As the St. Louis print media continues to ignore the upheaval in the Rams' front office, we continue to hear that Buccaneers director of player personnel Ruston Webster quietly is emerging as a leading candidate to replace G.M. Charley Armey, once Armey is nudged out.

Webster's contract with the Bucs has expired, and he is considered to be a candidate for jobs in Houston, St. Louis, and Seattle. His first choice, we've heard, is Houston. The last choice presumably is Seattle, since it would essentially be a lateral move for Webster.

The strangest aspect of this story is that the Buccaneers apparently are making no effort of any kind to keep Webster. A year ago, the Bucs wouldn't let Webster interview for a position with the Seahawks, who are now run by former Tampa colleague Tim Ruskell. And the Bucs actually promoted Webster in 2005 from director of college scouting to his current gig. So our only guess is that Webster has made clear to the Bucs his desire to move on after 18 years with the same team.

We've previously heard that Rams president Jay Zygmunt wants to bring former Bills G.M. Tom Donahoe to the team. Some league insiders, however, believe that Donahoe has no chance to join the Rams.

Earlier this month, we reported that multiple scouts had been fired by the team. To date, there has been no mention of this development in the paper of record in St. Louis.

REGGIE REALIZES HE CAN'T HOLD OUT

We've recently heard that Team Bush secretly wishes the 2005 Heisman* winner hadn't been selected by the Saints at No. 2, but by the Titans at No. 3.

Why, you ask? Because Reggie and those around him realize that he cannot, under any circumstances, hold out of training camp in New Orleans.

It would be the ultimate P.R. nightmare for Bush. At a time when plenty folks in the region still don't have electricity or running water or the ability to take a dump indoors, the question of whether Bush gets $24 million or $25 million or $26 million in guaranteed money is a luxury that his new legion of fans can't fathom.

And it's the kind of thing that could cause them to turn on him, quickly.

As the third overall pick, however, Bush would have been working off of a strong contract signed by Braylon Edwards at No. 3 in 2005. And he also would have been negotiating with the Tennessee Titans, who drove a hard bargain with cornerback Pacman Jones last summer, punishing him for a string of questionable post-draft incidents by giving him only $15.1 million in guaranteed money.

So look for Bush to be in the fold when the real practices start. "I told my agent that I want be here in camp on time," Bush said on Saturday. "Whatever it takes. I don't want to get caught up in holdouts or anything. It's important to start off on a good footing, not only with the team, but with the city."

It's a clear directive to agent Joel Segal, who has a reputation in league circles of dragging his feet when it comes to working out first-round deals. League insiders expect Segal to wait until the Titans sign quarterback Vince Young at No. 3 before getting anything done with the Saints. But if Young's deal drags out due to factors such as (1) the Edwards deal from a year ago, (2) the inexperience of Young's agent, Major Adams, and (3) Adams' reliance on the NFLPA, which we hear wants agents to get 20 percent more in guaranteed money for the 2006 first-rounders than the first-rounder got in 2005, Segal might be forced to do Bush's deal without Young's contract to provide the floor.

The smart move for the Saints will be to offer a fair package to Bush, since the team indirectly will suffer if a holdout makes the locals sour on their new savior. This, of course, assumes that Saints owner Tom Benson has acquired a degree of savvy and/or generosity that he did not previously possess.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

As he trails in the polls, former Steelers WR Lynn Swann could be realizing that Pennsylvania voters won't make him their governor simply because he's famous, good-looking, and superficially "nice." (Maybe there's still hope for our system of electoral politics.)

Who's stupider? The cleaning woman who forges over the course of a year more than $250,000 in personal checks of one of her customers, or the customer who takes more than a year to figure out that more than $250,000 has been sucked out of his checking account? (In a photo finish, it's a tie.)

Rookie WR Sinorice Moss realizes that the Giants want him to make an impact now.

Vikings director of college scouting Scott Studwell has received a three-year contract extension, and owner Zygi Wilf is in no hurry to hire a replacement for Fran "I Cured Polio" Foley.

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic is angling for some exclusive access to Matt Leinart. (For purely journalistic purposes, we presume.)

Vikings starting QB Brad Johnson isn't griping about a contract that was signed under the assumption that he'd be a backup. Yet.

The Bengals have released undrafted rookie TE Brad Olomua, who failed his physical. (And didn't have a long enough rap sheet.)

The Saints might conduct training camp in Jackson, Mississippi.

Vikings WR Koren Robinson has switched from No. 18 to 81.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb apparently has been eating less Chunky Soup.

With the trade for Saints LB Courtney Watson voided, the Fins are looking at Keith Newman and Darren Hambrick.

Falcons WR Roddy White was booed by fans after dropping three passes at minicamp.

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander doesn't believe in the Madden curse. (But, curiously, Alexander does believe in the Tooth Fairy.)

POSTED 6:05 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:20 p.m. EDT, May 13, 2006

BRONCOS WON'T HESITATE TO DUMP JAVON

Although the agent for receiver Javon Walker believes that his client's 2007 payday of $10 million is protected by the fact that the Broncos shipped a second-round pick to Green Bay in order to acquire Walker's services, multiple league insiders are convinced that Denver coach Mike Shanahan won't think twice about dumping Walker if his performance, attitude, or any other factor suggests that Javon isn't worthy of the big-money portion of his new contract.

The Broncos signed Walker to a contract that will pay him $25 million over three years. Starting in year two. None of the payments are guaranteed, and Denver can dump him without consequence after the 2006 season, during which Walker will receive only $2.15 million.

Walker's agent, Kennard McGuire, believes that the lost second-rounder will be enough to dissuade the Broncos from cutting the cord. But these are the Broncos we're talking about. Coach Kevlar and company have squandered plenty of draft picks over the years, and Coack K is no closer to being on the hot seat today than he was when he won back-to-back Lombardis in the 1990s.

Just last year, Shanahan spent a third-round pick for Maurice Clarett. Since Clarett insisted on getting no signing bonus, preferring instead an incentive-laden deal, the Broncos were able to dump him without taking a cap hit. They did so, regardless of the fact that they were conceding that they'd blown a three.

Heck, Shanahan has pissed away plenty of first-round picks, and he's still standing. He drafted receiver Marcus Nash in 1998, and traded him for another stiff a year later. In 2000 and 2001, the Broncos selected Deltha O'Neal and Willie Middlebrooks, respectively, in round one. Both were later traded out of town for a bag of moldy peanuts and a block of lukewarm cheese.

Shanahan's record with drafting receivers on the first day of the draft isn't much better: Nash, Travis McGriff, Chris Cole, Ashley Lelie, and Darius Watts.

"He'll gladly give up a second-round pick for a guy that can play one year," said one league insider.

With quarterback Jake Plummer entering possibly the last year of his tenure as starter and No. 1 wideout Rod Smith on the tail end of his career, Shanahan is going for his third Super Bowl title right now -- and he'll worry about 2007 when 2007 gets here.

We're not saying that the Broncos have merely rented Walker for one season with no intention of keeping him. If he plays like a guy who deserves $25 million over three years in 2006, he'll get it.

But if he doesn't, he won't. And no one else will give it to him, either.

The other benefit that the Broncos have acquired is exclusive negotiating rights with Walker, in the event that it's obvious after the season that he doesn't deserve $25 million over three years. At that point, Walker and McGuire might decide that what the Broncos are offering by way of an adjustment to his contract is better than what Walker would get elsewhere.

Bottom line -- the "investment" of a second-round pick means squat to Shanahan, and Walker is in reality no closer to that huge payday now than he was with the Packers.

He's still got to earn it on the field in 2006.

PETERSON WON'T BE PULLING A BOZ

The Seattle media reported this week that linebacker Julian Peterson will be wearing No. 44 in Seattle.

Lost on the Seattle media was the significance -- and fallacy -- of Peterson's new number.

NFL rules prohibit linebackers from wearing numbers in the 40s. Nearly 20 years ago, another Seahawks linebacker tried to finagle No. 44, and actually was able to wear the jersey for his first regular-season game after securing a temporary restraining order in a Court of law.

Brian Bosworth was the guy who wanted to sport his college number at the pro level, and in lieu of trying to get the NFL to change its rules, the Boz took a more aggressive approach. Bosworth and company eventually caved when it became obvious that the NFL's numbering system couldn't successfully be challenged through the litigation process.

Peterson, who wore No. 98 in San Francisco, had to give up that number in Seattle because it's already been claimed by Grant Wistrom. And the team's official roster shows that Peterson's number is actually 92.

Player can wear different numbers in practice, and that's presumably what Peterson is doing. In fact, he might in the end have to pick a number from 50 to 59, since numbers in the 90s are available to linebackers only if all of the numbers in the 50s are claimed. Currently, all of the numbers in the 50s are taken.

SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Steelers WR Hines Ward will keep his last name taped above his facemask until he makes the team; "This is how I did it when I first got here, and I'm recommitting myself."

Jaguars RB Fred Taylor is back to 100 percent. (And he'll stay at 100 percent as long as he doesn't, you know, do anything.)

Lord Flutie is making a final decision on his plans for 2006 within a week; if/when he retires, he'll try his hand at broadcasting.

The Jets already like Kellen Clemens.

Jason Cole says Matt Millen must go.

Owners might be picking a location later this month for the team that eventually will play in L.A.

Rookie DT Barry Cofield could be the answer for the Giants.

The Eagles have re-signed RB Reno Mahe and S Quintin Mikell.

49ers WR Antonio Bryant is sucking up to the guy who'll be throwing him the ball.

The new Madden promises to pump up the running game.

Vikings coach Brad Childress is increasing the pace of minicamp practices.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards has banned cell phones from the locker room, and he has also removed a pool table that Dick Vermeil had given to players.

POSTED 9:22 a.m. EDT, May 13, 2006

DRIVER GOT $4 MILLION TO SIGN

A league source has provided us with the real numbers regarding receiver Donald Driver's new four-year contract, which extends by two years his current deal. Previously, Driver's agent had disclosed the salaries and the total value only, without commenting on bonus money.

Per the source, Driver got $4 million to sign. He also will receive a $250,000 roster bonus and a $950,000 base salary in 2006.

It's a net increase of $3.49 million over his prior base salary of $1.76 million.

For 2007, Driver gets a base salary of $2.7 million and a workout bonus of $50,000. The net increase over his the base salary for 2007 from his old contract is $510,000.

So Driver gets a total raise of $4 million over the next two years and $4 million in cash now, in exchange for extending the term by two seasons.

In 2008, Driver will receive a $1 million roster bonus, a $100,000 workout bonus, and a base salary of $2.9 million. In 2009, he will get a $1 million roster bonus, a $100,000 roster bonus, and $3.9 million in base salary.

The total new money, then, is $13 million over four years, for an average of $3.25 million.

So it's a pretty good deal for Driver, since he was due to make $4 million over the next two years, but now will make $8 million. And he opted to take the $4 million signing bonus now, in the event that, when he is 33 in two years, he won't get that much on the open market.

But he still might be on the open market in 2008 or 2009, due to the $1 million roster bonus in each of the last two seasons of the deal. If the team decides that Driver no longer can play at a high level at age 33 or 34, the Packers will simply opt not to pay the roster bonus.

BUSH TO WEAR NO. 5 . . . FOR NOW

With the Saints poised to open the first minicamp of the Reggie Bush era, the rookie from USC who desperately wants to wear No. 5 will be allowed to do so.

In practice only.

It's something that Cardinals running back Edgerrin James has done for years. But when the games start, James goes back to 32. Indeed, the NFLPA's official web site still sports at the top of the page a picture of James at practice with the Colts, wearing the number he used in college.

But Bush is still holding out hope for a change to the rule that requires him to pick a number between 20 and 49. Colts president Bill Polian tells the New Orleans Times-Picayune that a revised rule might allow all skill position players to wear No. 1 through No. 49, with receivers and tight ends still allowed to choose numbers from 80 to 89.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells the Times-Picayune that the competition committee discussed the rule during a Friday conference call. We've recently learned that former Texans G.M. Charley Casserly had been lobbying the other members of the committee against changing the rule, based on Casserly's belief that Bush was not truthful in an interview with the Texans regarding allegations that he and/or his family received benefits in violation of NCAA rules.

A general change to the rule, which would apply to all players, would create the appearance to the casual observer that it wasn't about Reggie, but it's clear that if the change is made it is about Reggie.

And that's why we urge the league not to make the change.

The first overall pick in the draft, Mario Williams, wore No. 9 at N.C. State, and he's now wearing No. 90 in Houston. Will the NFL find a way to let Williams wear the number he wore in college? It's not an issue, because Williams has kept his mouth shut and accepted the rules structure already in place.

Reggie should be keeping his mouth shut, too. And if the NFL alters the rules for him before he even touches a ball in a game, Reggie will keep asking for more and more as his career unfolds -- especially if he has the impact on the field that many anticipate.

Though, to a certain extent, the "monster" already has been created, there's no reason for the NFL to feed the thing so soon after his arrival.

POSTED 9:02 p.m. EDT, May 12, 2006

WOY DEFENDS DRIVER DEAL

On Thursday, we suggested that the failure of agent Jordan Woy to disclose the bonus structure of receiver Donald Driver's new contract with the Packers was evidence that the bonus structure, well, wasn't all that good.

On Friday, we heard from Woy.

"I did give a statement to the press regarding Donald Driver's new two year extension," Woy wrote in an e-mail. "However, I was asked by Driver and the team not to disclose certain information."

But Woy was candid regarding certain other information. Here's what he had to say.

"The Driver deal was outstanding under the circumstances," Woy said. "Donald is 31 years old and had two years remaining on his contract for salaries of approximately $1.36 million and $1.86 million. After witnessing what Javon Walker went through I was amazed and very happy we were able to get accomplished what we did. We did it behind the scenes without any bad blood between Donald and the front office and no bad press for Donald in a town that idolizes their stars.

"Donald had no interest in leaving Green Bay," Woy explained. "He also told the team he would NEVER hold out. Andrew Brandt and Ted Thompson knew these things about Donald and could have really squeezed us. In fact, they did for a number of months. I had meetings with both of them several times face to face just to inch up their offers. We continued to point out over and over again why it was fair for them to take care of Donald in his final years and pay him accordingly. In the end, after a lot of debate, they did. Javon Walker was 23 with a great future in front of him but he was unable to get an extension in Green Bay. Many teams would have jumped to do an extension. Green Bay is not one of those teams. They keep their salaries tight and are no big on re-doing deals until they are up.

"Donald's deal is an outstanding deal given his age. He could have played it out and been a free agent at 33. Their is no telling what could happen in those two years and how much someone would pay a 33 year old receiver. As I told the Packers, 'It is time for the good guys to get taken care of.' I think NFL players get tired of only seeing the players who make scenes of themselves in public and fight with the teams in public get deals. Players like Donald, who came into the league as a 7th rounder from Alcorn State and who has been outstanding citizen should get taken care of. A lot of times they don't. I am happy when all players get paid large amounts of money. It is just nice when players like Donald Driver can get paid without going through a public mess and threatening to hold out or be traded."

Last month, Driver denied an ESPN report that he had asked to be traded if his deal was not restructured. The fact that the team "squeezed" Driver "for a number of months" makes us wonder whether there's any truth to the notion that Woy got frustrated during the process and asked for Driver to be dealt.

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Lions will get a sixth-round draft choice in 2007 from the Fins for QB Joey Harrington, which will upgrade to a fifth-round selection if Harrington reaches playing-time thresholds.

Browns CB Daylon McCutcheon has graduated from college seven years after leaving it.

Team Tangini finally takes the field.

Like many pro athletes, Warrick Dunn is helping single mothers "get their start". (Unlike many pro athletes, Dunn's efforts involve no actual physical contact.)

Xbox 360 of PS3? For Madden fans, "X" marks the spot.

Holy crap -- a Titan not named Pacman Jones is facing criminal charges.

The Chiefs have signed OT Ian Allen.

"We Hosted A Super Bowl And All We Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt . . . And $20 Million in Tax Revenues."

Two former Rutgers players have been invited to the Jets' minicamp.

The Vikings reportedly won't hire a replacement for Fran Foley.

The Eagles have dumped C Dominic Furio.

Attorney Jeffrey Kessler won't say whether Fran Foley is a candidate for jobs in Houston or St. Louis. (Or maybe Kessler couldn't get out a response through the laughter at the notion that anyone would touch this guy.)

POSTED 5:12 p.m. EDT, May 12, 2006

WHIZZINATOR WON'T MAKE MUCH IN CANADA

In response to news that former Vikings running back Onterrio Smith will play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, we're hearing that the guy who pissed away his NFL career through a Whizzinator won't make much money during his Canadian detour.

Initial indications are that Smith will receive a base salary of $60,000 Canadian, and a whopping per-game bonus of $500 Canadian.

Based on current exchange rates, that $54,000 in U.S. dollars for base pay, and $450 in U.S. currency per game.

But Smith obviously is doing this with another American payday in mind. There are NFL scouts who believe Smith can still perform effectively, and Smith's play in Canada will be monitored closely.

Smith was suspended by the league for a year in May 2005. After a recent attempt at reinstatement failed, the Vikings released him. He is now eligible to be reinstated in October.

During his limited time with the Vikings, Smith was effective. He rushed for 579 yards on 107 carries in 2003, and he ran for 544 yards on 124 carries in 2004. He also caught 36 passes for 394 yards and returned nine kicks for 155 yards in 2004, giving him more than 1,000 all-purpose yards despite serving a four-game suspension for violation of the substance abuse policy.

POSTED 12:46 p.m. EDT, May 12, 2006

TEXANS PLAYERS STUNG BY SCAM ARTIST

A 21-year-old Texas man has been charged with fleecing multiple victims out of millions of dollars.

And at least ten of his marks are members of the Houston Texans football team.

According to KTRX-TV, Darrick Moore has been arrested in connection with an investment scam that allegedly ensnared many people. Authorities claim that he operated from him home "a mortgage and auto loan scam" using "'straw buyers -- people he paid to use their credit to buy the homes or cars.'"

Texans safety Jason Simmons is one of the victims, and Simmons was at Moore's home when the fuzz hit the fan. "What are you going to do, arrest me too?" Simmons asked the law enforcement officials who arrived to retrieve Moore and to confiscate computers, file, and other items.

Simmons reportedly "invested" $450,000 in the operation.

Moore denies any wrondoing. "I'm a black guy who has helped a lot of ball players save a lot of money, invest a lot of money," he said. "And they can't deal with it."

Coincidentally, Moore is on parole for "engaging in organized criminal activity and also filing false information on a title application."

POSTED 9:42 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:18 p.m. EDT, May 12, 2006

STORM LOOMING OVER ROOKIE SIGNINGS

There's talk in league circles that the coming wave of rookie contract negotiations could be more contentious than any round of talks that the league has ever experienced.

The problem, as we explained a couple of weeks ago in connection with the Texans' efforts to get the first overall pick signed, is that at a time when the salary cap has surged by 20 percent over 2005, the rookie salary pool is up by only five percent.

Further complicating matters is that signing bonus money can be prorated over only five years (the limit moves back to six in 2007), and the maximum length of the deals for the top half of the round is six years. (For the bottom half of round one, the limit is five seasons.) Then there's the so-called 25-percent rule, which states that in each year after the rookie season the player's compensation can increase only by 25 percent of his first-year salary, minus signing bonus.

Meanwhile, we hear that the NFLPA is pushing agents to get a 20 percent increase on guaranteed money over what guys in the same slot received in 2005. It's asinine, in light of the limits that the NFLPA allowed to be inserted into the new CBA.

Though attempting to explain and/or digest the details can induce insomnia and/or brain tumors, the end result is that a mess is on the horizon. Signing bonuses will be small and/or nonexistent, replaced instead by roster bonuses and other devices aimed at pumping up the basis for the application of the 25 percent rule. In some cities, teams might have to choose not to sign one or more low-round picks, since it could very well require a disproportionate share of the total rookie pool allotment to sign the first-round pick.

In Houston, for example, defensive end Mario Williams' first-year cap number should have been $2.83 million, which would have represented a five-percent climb over Alex Smith's $2.7 mllion cap number in 2005. But the Williams number is $2.9 million, which means that there will be $70,000 less in first-year money for the team's other draft picks.

In theory, then, it makes sense for teams and agents to get started negotiating deals now. The problem, however, is that the agents like to wait to see how other deals turn out before pulling the trigger. This year, there could be even more guys dragging their feet.

Unlike other seasons, the guys who don't strike their deals in time could end up being forced to take a bad deal -- or worse. The team can, if it chooses, hold the player's rights through the 2006 season, forcing him to sit out and preventing him from getting paid.

HARRINGTON HEADING TO MIAMI

After weeks of discussion and debate, which included at one point accusations of a CBA violation, the Lions and Dolphins finally have reached an agreement that will send quarterback Joey Harrington, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft, to Miami.

No terms were available. The Dolphins had most recently offered a sixth-round pick in 2007.

During the draft, word broke that the Lions were trying to trade Harrington to the Browns, but that Harrington was refusing to entertain the possibility of working out a new contract with Cleveland because he already had a deal with the Fins. The Lions complained to the league, which reminded the morons in Motown that they created the situation by allowing Harrington to try to work out a deal with a new team in order to facilitate the trade.

Harrington was due to receive a $4 million roster bonus on June 15, which gave him plenty of leverage. If a trade hadn't been completed before that date, the Lions' only option would have been to cut him. For the Lions, the only leverage was that they could keep Harrington out of the offseason program in Miami until mid-June by refusing to cut him until the latest possible date.

FRIDAY EARLY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Jaguars claim, sort of, that WR Jimmy Smith's retirement decision had nothing to do with drug testing: "I'm not aware of any other issues influencing the decision other than what he said at the press conference," said team spokesman Dan Edwards.

At least one guy, however, is giving Smith the benefit of the doubt.

The Texans could be acquiring RB Michael Bennett from the Saints.

Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward is trying to dance around comments from this week's SI regarding his relationship with Coach Chin.

The Titans finally have met with CB Ty Law (but with only $100,000 in cap room, they can't sign him until they trade or release Steve McNair).

Jets QB Chad Pennington wants to be better than he was, before his shoulder exploded. Twice.

The Big Show has confirmed that he wants to coach the Seahawks beyond 2006.

Good news: The Jags are only 1,250 shy of selling out their season ticket allotment. Bad news: The Jags' season ticket allotment is only 10,000. (We're kidding. We think.)

Chargers G.M. A. J. Smith thinks that former San Diego WR Reche Caldwell will have an impact in New England.

The Steelers will get their Super Bowl rings on June 2, after visiting the White House. (We pieced that information together through a search of phone records.)

Giants LB LaVar Arrington is ready to defer to DE Michael Strahan.

POSTED 6:07 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 11:43 p.m. EDT, May 11, 2006

DRIVER GETS NEW DEAL

The Green Bay Packers have given receiver Donald Driver a two-year contract extension, with two years remaining on his current deal.

In total, Driver's contract is now worth $17 million over four seasons.

Driver recently denied reports that he was unhappy with his contract and wanted out of Green Bay.

Under the new contract, Driver's 2006 salary is $950,000. In 2007, he'll get $2.7 million in base pay. In 2008, the base salary is $2.9 million. In 2009, Driver gets a salary of $3.9 million.

Although the bonus money is not available, the difference between the stated value of $17 million and the base salaries is $6.55 million. This money could be paid in the form of a signing bonus, roster bonus, workout bonus, or readily attainable incentives.

It's impossible to determine whether Driver got a "good" deal without that information. Guaranteed money is the key to assessing these contracts. Likewise, the presence of a significant roster bonus in any future season of the contract often is a hint that the player could be dumped prior to the due date.

And given that Driver's agent, Jordan Woy, confirmed the extension and provided the total value of the deal to the Green Bay Press-Gazette -- but said nothing about the bonus money -- we're going to assume that the bonus structure isn't as solid as it could be.

Otherwise, Woy would be talking.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Seahawks' offensive linemen are glad that they no longer have to block DT Russell Davis.

Agent Kennard McGuire scoffs at the notion that the Broncos won't pay WR Javon Walker a $10 million option bonus in 2007. "The Broncos already made an investment by trading a second-round pick for him," McGuire said. "And I don't believe anyone trades someone for a second-round draft pick just to secure someone's services for one year." (Right -- but if he sucks in 2006, at least they won't have compounded the screw-up.)

Uncle Rico will have a reality show on BET. (They should call it Wonderlickin'.)

There's no progress in talks between the Pats and WR Deion Branch.

The Reggie Bush investigation is hitting a wall because folks aren't inclined to talk in the face of looming litigation.

Folks in L.A. are confident that it they build it, enough people will come.

LB E.J. Henderson is moving to the middle in Minnesota.

Seahawks LB Julian Peterson has changed his number to 44.

WR Javon Walker says he wanted out of Green Bay because G.M. Ted Thompson refused to restructure his contract.

Ralph Wilson's daughter is now the assistant director of college and pro scouting with the Bills. (When informed of her new duties she said, "When do we go on the camping trip?")

There's a movement to put a roof on the Dawg Pound.

Former Browns QB Bernie Kosar is going through an ugly divorce.

Former Raiders K Cole Ford has pleaded guilty to shooting a gun at the home of Siegfried & Roy.

Packers G.M. Ted Thompson says that the Texans have not sought permission to speak with pro personnel director Reggie McKenzie.

Kellen Clemens is getting ready to pull a reverse Green Acres.

The Big Show is getting closer to staying in Seattle beyond 2006.

The Fins are close to letting RB Ricky Williams play for Toronto Argonauts.

The thing that protects a football player's brain soon will be smarter than the brain that it is protecting (in some cases, it won't take much).

In 2007, Motorola will offer a video game headset that looks just like the ones that NFL coaches now wear.

POSTED 5:27 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:56 p.m. EDT, May 11, 2006

SAINTS, FINS TRADE SCUTTLED

Wednesday's trade of linebackers between the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins has been scrapped, due to the fact that one of the players involved failed a physical.

Linebacker Eddie Moore is back with the Dolphins due to lingering problems with his right knee. The Dolphins had hoped to send the second-round pick in the 2003 draft to the Saints for linebacker Courtney Watson, a second-rounder in 2004.

Our pal Howard Balzer of USA Today SportsWeekly tells us that the teams are trying to work out another plan that will allow the Fins to keep Watson.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

WR Jimmy Smith says "it's best to leave on top." (Hey, we thought he retired today, not five years ago.)

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards wants to lure CB Ty Law to Kansas City.

Bengals WR Chad Johnson thinks QB Carson Palmer will be ready to start the season.

Bengals C Rich Braham might play beyond 2006.

From the "Yet Another Pain in the Ass for the Vikings" file, WR Troy Williamson will miss this weekend's minicamp after undergoing surgery to remove an abscess from his hip.

Rick Smith and Reggie McKenzie are expected to be the leading candidates to replace Texans G.M. Charley Casserly.

At least some employees of the Houston Chronicle aren't in the tank for the Texans.

Steelers WR Hines Ward will help first-round WR Santonio Holmes, but Ward isn't going to offer after being rebuffed both by Troy Edwards and Plaxico Burress.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance has submitted a list of four minority Commissioner candidates. (That's fine with us, as long as Stu Scott isn't one of them.)

Former DT Esera Tuaolo hopes that, in his lifetime, a gay player will come out of the closet while still on an NFL team.

Vikings coach Brad Childress says that he isn't interested in handling the team's personnel duties. Yet.

POSTED 12:33 p.m. EDT, May 11, 2006

CASSERLY THINKS BUSH WASN'T TRUTHFUL

A league source tells us that former Texans G.M. Charley Casserly believes running back Reggie Bush was not truthful in a pre-draft interview with Casserly and Texans owner Bob McNair regarding reports that Bush and/or his family received benefits in violation of NCAA rules during his career at USC.

The source contacted us on this point in specific response to our recent suggestion that Casserly wanted to select Bush with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, even after McNair and coach Gary Kubiak had decided to focus on Mario Williams.

Per the source, Casserly and McNair both concluded after interviewing Bush regarding the reports that they did not believe him. Thus, they decided that they didn't want Bush to be the face of the franchise moving forward.

We're also told that Casserly, a member of the competition committee prior to his official Wednesday resignation, had been arguing vehemently against allowing Bush to wear No. 5 as a member of the Saints, and that Casserly's position was influenced by the belief that Bush had not been truthful -- and by his opinion that the situation surrounding Bush embarrassed the league in the days leading up to the draft.

Officially, the league and the competition committee have taken no action regarding Bush's request, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "The jersey numbering system, which is reviewed and modified from time to time, is on the [competition committee's] agenda," he said in a Thursday morning e-mail. "Whether it will be presented for a vote at the league meeting in Denver on May 23 is TBD."

Most of the league insiders to whom we have spoken believe that Bush's request ultimately will be rejected. When one player can dictate NFL rule changes, where does the process stop? And what kind of a message does that send to guys like Edgerrin James, who has wanted to wear No. 5 since joining the league in 1999?

Also, the notion of the league bending for Bush could imply to the casual observer that Bush is somehow bigger than the league. When the USFL changed its jersey rules in the mid-1980s as an inducement to get Michigan receiver Anthony Carter (who wanted to wear No. 1), the move was further evidence that the "other" football league was a chicken sh-t operation.

Does the NFL really want to be in that same category? We doubt it. Not for Bush. Not for anyone.

MARIO WOULD HAVE FALLEN TO FOURTH

Another intriguing nugget on which we recently stumbled was that defensive end Mario Williams expected in the days prior to the draft to be taken not by the Saints at No. 2, but by the Jets at No. 4.

This expectation gave Williams an even greater incentive to ink a deal with the Texans to become the first overall pick.

Most assumed that Williams would be drafted by the Saints at No. 2, if the Texans took Bush at No. 1. But we're now told that in the days prior to the draft, the Saints opted to focus on Hawk instead of Williams.

So if the Texans had stayed with Bush, Hawk would have gone No. 2 to the Saints, Vince Young would have been taken at No. 3 by the Titans, Williams would have gone to the Jets at No. 4, and the Packers likely would have selected tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson at No. 5.

The Jets, we heard, would have tried to develop Williams into a Richard Seymour-type fixture in their new 3-4 scheme.

POSTED 8:50 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:30 a.m. EDT, May 11, 2006

JIMMY SMITH CALLS IT QUITS

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith abruptly has decided to retire from pro football.

The Jags are expected to announce the decision at a Thursday press conference.

Smith contemplated retirement following the 2005 season, by coach Jack Del Rio asked him to give it some more time. Last week, Smith surprised the team by informing coach Jack Del Rio that the veteran wideout -- a five-time Pro Bowler -- has decided to walk away.

There were rumors prior to the 2005 season that the Jaguars might opt to dump Smith and his $3.525 million salary. He was also scheduled to earn $3.525 million in 2006.

Smith's retirement triggers no cap acceleration, since 2006 was the final year of his current contract.

If it's true that Smith didn't tell the team about his decision until after the draft, we wonder whether the team's draft-day plan would have been any different if they'd known that Smith was done. The Jags selected tight end Marcedes Lewis in round one, and running back Maurice Drew in round two. The Jaguars picked no other offensive players.

Smith's sudden decision also will prompt speculation that he has committed yet another violation of the league's substance abuse policy. In 2003, Smith served a four-game suspension. Though Smith's status with respect to the league's testing program is unknown, if he tested positive while in stage three, he would have been subject to a one-year suspension.

LEINART CASHES IN WITH NIKE

A source with knowledge of the details regarding the contents of quarterback Matt Leinart's deal with Nike tells us that the No. 10 overall pick in the 2006 draft will get $400,000 per year in cash, $100,000 per year in merchandise, $25,000 per year in merchandise for Leinart's charitable foundation.

Also, we're told that Matt was paid $140,000 by Caeser's Palace to conduct his post-draft party at the Pure nightclub. Caeser's also picked up the total tab (rooms, food, drink, private plane to and from L.A.) for all invited guests. Caeser's also sent the plane back to L.A. to get Paris Hilton.

So even though Matt lost plenty of money by deferring his entry into the NFL from 2005 to 2006, he's making some of it back through off-field pursuits.

Then again, he would have made that money as well if he'd come out in 2005. And probably more.

McCLAIN MOPS UP

Renowned and respected NFL journalist John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who has drawn our ire of late with his decidedly un-journalistic approach to the dissolution of the relationship between Texans owner Bob McNair and G.M. Charley Casserly, finished the job in grand fashion in the paper's Thursday edition with a headline proclaiming that "McNair Rejects Reports That Casserly Was Fired."

Since we're the only quasi-publication that ever reported that Casserly was getting the heave-ho -- and since we received multiple communications from the team's front office disputing our report -- it's clear that McClain was referring to us.

McClain says that McNair "emphatically" denied that Charley got the pointy-toed boot. "No, he has not been fired, so you can forget that," McNair said during the press conference announcing Casserly's departure.

McClain also writes that Casserly is not happy with reports that his exit wasn't voluntary. "Yeah, I am upset about that," Casserly said. "I'm glad that question was asked and Bob answered it. I have not been fired. There's absolutely no truth to it. I could have stayed on but chose not to."

Apparently, however, NO ONE has asked McNair or Casserly whether there will be a buyout of the final year of Charley's deal. As we've recently explained, G.M.'s and coaches who get fired are entitled to continue to be paid. G.M.'s and coaches who quit on their own with no input or pressure from the organization are not. If (as we've heard from multiple sources) Casserly received a buyout, the implication is that the move wasn't truly a resignation.

There's more objective evidence to suggest that this wasn't Charley's decision. He wants to become the NFL's vice president of football operations, a position that was vacated earlier this year by Art Shell. But Charley hasn't applied for the job yet.

So who in his right mind quits the job he now has before finding out whether he'll get the job that he desires?

With the NFL currently in the very early stages of a search for the next Commissioner, don't you think that the folks at Park Avenue might decide to wait on permanently filling that position until, you know, the guy who'll be running the place after Paul Tagliabue steps down has a chance to provide his input? So it would have made sense for Casserly to stay put for another year, see how the Commissioner selection process plays out, work subtly behind the scenes to figure out who will likely be the next Commish, throw support and effort behind that person, and let nature take its course.

Unless, of course, Casserly was pushed.

And we firmly believe, based on everything we've heard, that he was.

An industry source informed us on Wednesday that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan warned new Texans coach Gary Kubiak that Casserly would try to claim credit if/when Kubiak turns the team around. Thus, the thinking is that Kubiak concluded that Casserly needed to go. The source also told us that Casserly still wanted the team to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft, and that it was McNair and Kubiak who came together and decided that Mario Williams was the right call -- especially since Kubiak's offenses in Denver churned up plenty of yards with no-name tailbacks.

Why do we care about any of this? Because we've got a low tolerance for bullsh-t. And we think that's precisely what the Texans have cooked up -- and what McClain has been serving with a side of home fries.

Finally, some might wonder why McNair would be so adamant that Casserly wasn't fired. Here's our theory. McNair feels genuine gratitude for Casserly's efforts, and McNair wants him to be able to leave on a positive note -- regardless of anything that was said or done behind closed doors. Besides, successful sports franchises don't fire key employees, because successful sports franchises don't hire employees who later should be fired. We've actually heard this week that McNair didn't want to fire coach Dom Capers, and we believe that the "firing everyone will make us look stupid for hiring them in the first place" dynamic played a role in McNair's thinking. In McNair's mind, poop-canning the team's original head coach and original G.M. after a 2-14 effort in the franchise's fourth season of play could be seen as an implicit admission that, to date, the Texans have failed.

Of course, they have failed on the field. (In the bank accounts, it's a different story.) Regardless, the last guy who should be declaring defeat at a time the team is launching a new era with Reggie, er, Mario Williams is the dude who owns the joint.

POSTED 10:10 p.m. EDT, May 10, 2006; LAST UPDATED 6:49 a.m. EDT, May 11, 2006

NFL TO 86 REGGIE'S 619

One of the issues that most folks have overlooked as the debate has emerged regarding whether running back Reggie Bush will get to wear jersey No. 5 with the New Orleans Saints is that he'll have to ditch his "other" favorite number.

619.

Bush writes his San Diego area code on the black strips that he places under his eyes. It's arguably as much of a trademark for the 2005 Heisman winner as the number on his chest, back, and sleeves.

But, as NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us on Wednesday, the NFL has a rule prohibiting the display of "personal messages." As a result, Reggie won't be allowed to write "619" -- or anything else -- on his eye strips.

NO. 5 DEBATE GOES DEEPER THAN THE NUMBER

As to the question of whether Bush should be permitted to wear No. 5 on his shirt, we need to take issue with three of the points that Peter King recently made in his most recent MMQB column. (As anyone who visits this site well knows, we like Peter King because, well, he seems to like us. And one of the other reasons we like him is because we perceive that he won't regard periodic dissent as a personal affront. We hope.)

First, King suggests that the NFL set a precedent favoring Bush by allowing receiver Keyshawn Johnson to wear No. 19 in 1996. But the NFL didn't create a special exception for Johnson. Instead, the league's rule at the time was that, if all of the numbers from 80 through 89 were taken during the preseason, a receiver could pick a number between 10 and 19 -- and then keep it.

The NFL closed this loophole not long after Johnson (who wore No. 3 at USC) squirted through it, requiring the receivers wearing one of the low numbers during the games that don't count to pick two digits in the 80s after the final cuts. But Johnson was permitted to keep No. 19, pursuant to the same "grandfathering" concept that permitted, for example, Eagles receiver Harold Carmichael to keep No. 17 when the NFL implemented the numbering rules in the early 1970s.

Case in point -- Randy Moss was required to switch from No. 18 to No. 84 at the start of the 1998 season. Of course, Moss would have preferred to wear No. 88, the number he wore at Marshall. But the Vikings had retired No. 88, in honor of Alan Page. So the often disrespectful Moss surprisingly respected the parameters of the situation into which he was arriving. (Editor's note: In 2004, the NFL allowed all receivers to wear No. 10 through 19, in addition to No. 80 through 89. The move resulted from the late of available numbers in the 80s, due to retired jerseys and the sheer volume of positions using that 10-number range.)

Second, King suggests that Packers running back Paul Hornung wore No. 5, and "the earth did not spin off its axis." But the rules at the time Hornung played permitted him to wear No. 5.

And that's what bothers us about this. Bush is the new kid on the block. He should be keeping a low profile, especially at a time when his image has taken a major hit due to questions of whether he received impermissible benefits while at USC.

Instead, Reggie Bush wants the NFL to change the rules to suit Reggie Bush.

So even though, on the surface, it's just a number, we think the issue here runs a lot deeper. The NFL has had plenty of hot-shot rookies over the years, and not once has the NFL changed a rule at the behest of said hot-shot rookie. Not for Hornung, not for Moss.

Not for Sayers. Not for Brown. Not for Simpson. Not for Bradshaw. Not for Aikman. Not for anyone.

Finally, we don't think for a moment that the NFL will sell one less Bush jersey if the number is 25, 35, or 45. It's the Bush jersey, for crying out loud. Not a single kid on this earth will say to mom or dad, "No, I don't want a Reggie Bush jersey because there's a '2' in front of the '5.'" They'll want the same shirt that Reggie is wearing on game days, even if the number is negative 43 and the name on the back is "HE LOVE ME . . . IN THE SHOWER ROOM."

Actually, the NFL could make more money on this deal by selling both the Reggie Bush practice jersey (which can bear No. 5) and the Bush game jersey. Or the NFL can not issue the Bush practice jersey as a regular item, requiring anyone who wants a Bush No. 5 shirt to pay the higher charges for a customized shirt (assuming, of course, that "Bush" isn't on the league's ambiguous list of banned phrases, like "Mexico" and "Gay").

So here's hoping, in the end, that the NFL holds firm, if for no reason other than the fact that Bush's first order of business upon getting to the NFL is trying to get his way.

MORE CANDIDATES EMERGE FOR TEXANS GIG

A source with knowledge of the inner workings of the Houston Texans' front office tells us that the list of candidates for the G.M. gig should be expanded by two.

Added to the roster, per the source, are Bears director of pro personnel Bobby DePaul and Dolphins director of pro personnel George Paton.

Other candidates include former Falcons personnel guy Ron Hill, Eagles director of player personnel Jason Licht, Bucs director of player personnel Ruston Webster, Seahawks director of pro personnel Will Lewis, Broncos assistant G.M. Rick Smith, and Packers director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie.

Not bad for a team that supposedly hasn't started identifying potential replacements.

In response to a barb tossed earlier on Wednesday by one of our sources at current Texans' cap guy Dan Ferens, we're told has no aspiration to replace Casserly as General Manager. Per the source, Ferens realizes that he doesn't have the football qualifications to run the show.

POSTED 6:16 p.m. EDT, May 10, 2006

CASSERLY "OFFICIALLY" OUT IN HOUSTON

A day we reported that Charley Casserly was out as the General Manager of the Texans, the formal announcement has been made.

The official version of the events is that Casserly met with owner Bob McNair on Wednesday morning, and that Casserly told McNair that he wants to pursue the vacancy in the league office created by the departure of Art Shell, who has returned to the Raiders as head coach.

"The time was right to move on," Casserly said. "I have an interest in doing other things right now."

Casserly was the only G.M. in franchise history. Hell, he worked for the Texans before they were even called the Texans.

He was on the payroll as G.M. more than two years before the team played its first game, prompting yours truly to make a few smart-ass observations in one of the first columns that this here reporter ever penned in this here business, for NFLtalk.com. For example, after noting that Casserly got his start in the NFL working on an unpaid basis for the Redskins, yours truly observed: "Twenty-something years ago, Casserly gave the Redskins something for nothing. Today, he's getting a whole lot of something and what he's giving looks at least for now like a whole lot of nothing."

McNair insists that, more than six years later, Casserly was not fired. We wonder, though, whether anyone has asked McNair or Casserly if a buyout was negotiated. We've heard that Casserly indeed will get compensation of some sort for the remaining year on his contract, which is evidence that the departure was not voluntary. In the NFL business, coaches and key front office people don't get severance pay if they choose to walk away.

We've also heard speculation from league insiders that Casserly won't get the league office job, due in part to the perception that he has "pissed off" too many people. Last month, for example, Casserly accused the Patriots and agent Jonathan Hurst of steering guard Stephen Neal back to New England, spurning a more generous offer that the Texans were prepared to make. As we surmised at the time, "Casserly's decision to characterize the re-signing of Neal by the Pats as an inside job . . . has curious timing, given that Casserly reportedly is under consideration for a job in the league office. With the Krafts quickly gaining more and more influence in the NFL, why risk making enemies through a gratuitous attack on the team they own?"

As to Casserly's replacement, McNair says that he has no list of candidates -- which of course helps to perpetuate the notion that Casserly's departure wasn't anticipated. We've previously heard that the plan is to use a Minnesota-style "Triangle of Authority," with coach Gary Kubiak and contracts guy Dan Ferens sharing power with Casserly's replacement. The candidates are (as we hear it) former Falcons personnel guy Ron Hill, Eagles director of player personnel Jason Licht, Bucs director of player personnel Ruston Webster, Seahawks director of pro personnel Will Lewis, Broncos assistant G.M. Rick Smith, and Packers director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie. Smith is believed to be the front runner, and we hear that Webster considers the position his "dream job." The Seahawks, we explained several days ago, have delayed pursuing Webster until he learns whether he'll be hired by Houston.

There's also a chance (albeit remote) that Ferens gets the G.M. job. As one league insider opined on Wednesday afternoon, "If Ferens is the replacement then give them the first pick [in the draft] for the next five years."

Ouch.

Last month, we reported that Casserly would be fired. The team vociferously claimed otherwise. In explaining the team's position, we said, "It could the Texans are denying the report so that Casserly can resign -- and so that more than a few people will believe that it was actually a resignation. Regardless, there isn't much gray on this one. Either Casserly will be the G.M. of the team at the start of the 2006 season, or he won't. We've heard from a good source that, after the draft, it's over."

So here we are, ten days post-draft, and it's indeed over. And if anyone truly believes that Casserly wasn't pushed, we've got some luxurious ocean front property in Nebraska that you might want to consider purchasing.

POSTED 10:20 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:36 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2006

(Editor's note: We apologize for a temporary technical gaffe that occurred earlier this morning. Yours truly accidentally uploaded an old version of the Rumor Mill. No actual time machine was involved. Thanks to everyone who sent in an e-mail advising us that our heads had been inserted into our rear ends.)

SAINTS, FINS SWAPPING LINEBACKERS

A league source tells us that the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins have worked out a player-for-player trade involving two linebackers.

The Saints will send Courtney Watson to Miami, and the Fins will ship Eddie Moore to New Orleans. The talk is that the rare swap of two players who play the same positions is the direct result of changes to the defensive coaching staffs in both cities.

Waston was the 60th overall selection in the 2004 draft. Moore was the 49th overall choice in the 2003 draft.

As NFL legend/rumor has it, the Dolphins passed on Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin when selecting Moore, because then-coach Dave Wannstedt believed that he needed a backup linebacker -- and despite the fact that the Fins had Boldin ranked higher on their draft board.

Moore is signed through 2007, at salaries of $460,000 and $545,000. Based on Moore's $1.54 million signing bonus, the trade results in a $616,000 cap charge to Miami.

Watson is under contract through 2008, at salaries of $425,000, $460,000, and $545,000. Trading Watson will likely cost the Saints even more, since he has three years remaining on his rookie deal.

Moore has appeared in 18 games, with only five coming in coach Nick Saban's first year with the team. Moore cracked the starting lineup only three times, with no starts coming during his season under Saban.

Watson has appeared in 21 games in two NFL seasons. He started eight times in 2004 and six times in 2005.

In 2005, the Dolphins sent quarterback A.J. Feeley to the Chargers for quarterback Cleo Lemon. That deal also included a draft pick. Maybe we're having a mental block (or maybe we're just stoopid), but the only straight-up, player-for-player swap at the same position that we can recall is Dan Pastorini for Ken Stabler in 1979.

We're sure that there have been more. Drop us a line if you can think of any.

(Editor's note: Within minutes after posting the story, we were reminded of the Antonio Bryant/Quincy Morgan trade from a few years back, which sent Bryant to Cleveland and Morgan to Dallas, the Santana Moss for Laveraneus Coles swap from 2005, and the Keyshawn Johnson for Joey Galloway deal. Also, the Dolphins traded running back Sammie Smith to the Broncos for running back Bobby Humphrey in 1992. Let us know if you think of more.)

POSTED 8:59 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:58 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2006

SEGAL, ORNY AT ODDS OVER BUSH?

A league source tells us that the current chatter surrounding the Reggie Bush camp is that football agent Joel Segal and marketing agent Mike Ornstein are trying to point a finger at each other for the events that marred Bush's pre-draft experience, that arguably caused him to fall from the No. 1 overall spot in the draft, and that potentially will claim his Heisman Trophy.

Speculation in league circles is that Ornstein is blaming Segal for the Texans' decision to pass on Bus

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