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Though Lions coach Rod Marinelli has said that receiver Calvin Johnson needs to get in shape, a league source tells us that the rookie for Georgia Tech looks like a "man among boys" in training camp.

Johnson possesses every desirable attribute that a receiver can possess, and none of the attitude. He's fast, he's tall, he runs great routes, and his hands are softer than Warren Sapp's bosoms (not that we have any personal experience in that regard).

As we see it, Johnson's impact in 2007 will be determined by the extent to which opposing defenses opt to use two men to cover him. If they don't, he'll make them pay. If they do, Roy Williams and/or Mike Furrey will run wild.

We've posted our take on the No. 31 overall franchise in the NFL, based on the relative condition of the various clubs prior to the start of the 2007 NFL season.

Please keep in mind that this list isn't a prediction of how teams will finish the 2007 season, but where we see each of them in relation to each other before the campaign begins.

With only two first-round holdouts remaining, the Jets and No. 14 pick Darrelle Revis continue to be locked in a stare down regarding the length of the contract.

Because Revis, a cornerback, was taken among the first 16 picks, the Jets are entitled to require him to sign a contract with a maximum length of six years. But all of the other guys taken in the vicinity of Revis have signed five-year contracts (or six-year deals that easily void to five). Thus, the Revis camp wants the Jets to ignore the rule that permits a six-year term because most of the other teams exercising picks in the top half of round one already have done so.

So what happens next? Per a league source, the indications are that Revis would do a six-year deal if the money is right not only in year six, but also in year five.

The thinking is that incentives pushing the Revis salary in year six to the amount of the franchise tender won't be enough to get the agents to bite, since a player who signs a five-year deal already faces the possibility of being slapped with the franchise tag in year six. For a six-year deal, however, the first true franchise tag year would be the seventh season.

But if the deal were to have fair triggers that would push the pay in year five and year six to extraordinary levels, then the team would have a strong incentive to negotiate an extension after four years.

The other reality here is that, with so many guys taken in the top 16 signing five-year deals, agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod risk having a six-year deal used against them in recruiting. As we've said before, and surely will say again, it shouldn't be an issue. But it is. And will be.

So the Jets can either do a five-year deal, or they can negotiate a six-year package that makes it wise for Revis to defer free agency one more year into the future. Until that happens, they'll get nothing in return for everything they sacrificed to move up in round one to draft Revis.

Coach Norv Turner is looking for more ways to get RB LaDainian Tomlinson involved in the passing game.

Former Vikings owner Red McCombs gave former Vikings QB Brad Johnson a hug during a visit by Red to Cowboys camp. (Boy, they really bonded during those two games Johnson started while McCombs owned the team.)

It's been a week of knee injuries in training camp. For the most part, however, they have not been serious.

Wilford is listed as a starting receiver on the Jags' unofficial depth chart, ahead of first-rounders Matt Jones and Reggie Williams. The other starter is Dennis Northcutt.

A league source tells us that, as we previously explained, the base value of the Brady Quinn contract is not $20.2 million over five years.

Instead, the value pushes to $20.2 million based on incentive payments due in the final two seasons of the deal if, and only if, Quinn takes at least 55 percent of the snaps in two of the first three years of his career or at least 70 percent in his third season. Without these payments, the maximum base value is $8.55 million.

Also, we're told that the maximum value of $30 million requires Quinn to achieve various high-end incentive triggers, and that it's unlikely that he'll unlock the full possible payments under the contract.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that X-rays and an MRI on the injured knee of Saints left tackle Jamaal Brown were negative.

Brown was injured in practice on Tuesday, and a reporter from WLW-TV described it as serious.

Joey Galloway and Stovall are listed as the top two receivers. Clayton is number three.

Clayton has faded in two seasons since generating more than 1,100 receiving yards as a rookie in 2004. Stovall, a rookie in 2006 who caught only seven passes for 102 yards last year, has come on strong in 2007. Not bad for a guy who was under consideration for a move to tight end.

Another surprise on the depth chart is the presence of David Boston as the primary backup to Joey Galloway. Boston, a first-rounder in 1999, was cut by Tampa last season and sat out the season.

Also, tight end Jerramy Stevens is listed as a third-stringer, which suggests that he might not make the final roster. Also showing up on the third unit is quarterback Chris Simms, who despite a horrible camp is still in front of Bruce Gradkowski.

With the Brady Quinn contract being widely being reported as having a base value of $20.2 million, multiple league sources have contacted us for the purposes of calling bullsh-t on this concept.

The Browns, we're told, had only $1.14 million remaining in rookie pool space. By rule, the value of the rookie deal cannot increase by more than 25 percent of the first-year salary, excluding any signing bonus proration.

Thus, assuming that there was no signing bonus (and surely there was not), the maximum value of the Quinn contract is $1.14 million in 2007, $1.425 million in 2008, $1.71 million in 2009, $1.995 million in 2010, and $2.28 million in 2011.

That's a grand total of $8.55 million over five years as the maximum base value.

Unless the Browns included a one-time minimum play-time incentive in the amount of nearly $12 million, there's no way that the deal fairly can be described as having a base value of more than $20 million.

And there's no way that the Browns did that, in our opinion. The sum of $12 million is too much to pay for the fact that Quinn participates in 35 percent of the snaps in any one of the years of the contract.

Even if the Browns inserted a one-time payment of this magnitude based on the achievement of minimum playing time, it's still not part of the "base deal" -- it's part of the incentive package.

Of course, details like that don't matter here, since Quinn's agent will now use that $20 million number (as validated by members of the "real" media who are either unaware of its inaccuracy -- as we initially were -- or complicit in the ruse) to lure next year's crop of first-round picks.

It's a five-year deal. Glazer reports that Quinn will receive $7.75 million in guaranteed money, and a total package of $20.2 million that could escalate to $30 million.

According to media reports out of New Orleans, Saints left tackle Jamaal Brown suffered what could turn out to be a serious knee injury on Tuesday.

Brown was taken off of the field on a cart after being hurt during blocking drills.

Zach Strief, a seventh-round draft pick in 2006, is listed as the primary backup to Brown at left tackle. We suppose it's also possible that right tackles Jon Stinchcomb or Rob Pettiti could be moved to the left side, if Brown is out for the year.

An intriguing possibility would be for the Saints to attempt to lure Willie Roaf out of retirement. Roaf was a first-round pick, and a perennial Pro Bowler, in New Orleans before being traded to Kansas City.

Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in Alabama. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews, and not by the team's physicians.

Porter went to Alabama for a second opinion on Monday, presumably because he didn't like what the team physicians had to say. The fact that Porter opted to have the surgery performed by Dr. Andrews suggests that Porter felt more comfortable with him than with the team doctors.

It is the second surgery that Porter has had on his right knee in less than 15 months. Since there is only a finite amount fof cartilage in the joint, and presuming that this most recent procedure removed more of it, the term "bone on bone" could eventually become a reality for Porter.

Porter is expected to be out of action for two weeks, and probably will not participate in any preseason games.

We continue to hear chatter that recruiter Melvin Bratton is leaving the firm of Lock, Metz & Malinovic, and presumably taking quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, with him.

We've now heard from two sources that Bratton is expected to join the agency owned by Eddie DeBartolo, who once owned the San Francisco 49ers.

Last year, DeBartolo Sports & Entertainment acquired Ralph Cindrich's firm. Since then, DeBartolo has tried to make a big splash in the agent business, and the arrival of Bratton (if that's indeed where he goes) and the acquisition of Russell (if he chooses to follow Bratton) would be a major step forward for the business, giving it heightened credibility as the 2007 recruiting season heats up.

Nearly a year after getting busted for getting busy in a public place, Vikings safety Dwight Smith is a changed man.

"I go out less. Drink less," Smith said. "I do a whole lot of things less, because you don't ever want your grandparents to call you and ask, 'What were doing in the stairwell?'"

Smith was charged with public indecency, and was benched for the Vikings' regular-season opener.

"For me to be benched, for Monday Night Football, first game of the year, my first start here . . . that's bigger than anything that could be done to me," Smith said. "It hit home that [coach Brad Childress] wasn't going to stand for stuff like that. It really was a slap in the face like, 'Wake up.'"

Hey, we're happy to see that Smith has learned from his mistakes. And we hope that guys who have yet to make mistakes will learn from it, too.

WR Terrell Owens had an MRI on his back, but the Cowboys don't think Owens' back spasms are a serious problem.

Giants LB Antonio Pierce says people who criticize the holdout of DE Michael Strahan are treating him "a little bit unfairly."

Eagles coach Andy Reid says he won't stop having full-contact training camp practices because "It's still a game of blocking and tackling, and those are physical parts of the game that you need to practice."

DE Jevon Kearse says that after missing 15 games with a knee injury, "I don't feel like I'm where I want to be, but I'm working every day to try to get back there."

With Redskins LT Chris Samuels out for the preseason, an undrafted rookie will protect QB Jason Campbell's blind side.

The Bears are shopping CB Dante Wesley, and if they can't get a late-round draft pick for him, they'll cut him. (So much for having leverage.)

After Vikings DE Ray Edwards got in a fight during a scrimmage with the Chiefs, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said Edwards' anger "is part of what makes him good."

Vikings S Tank Williams suffered an ugly season-ending injury in last year's training camp, but he says he's not thinking about it this year.

Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs has a lot of tape study ahead of him to figure out why the Steelers ran over his defense in the preseason opener.

Bucs LT Luke Petitgout, MLB Barrett Ruud and QB Chris Simms will all miss the preseason opener with injuries.

Rookie DE Gaines Adams is getting reps on both the left and the right side of the line.

QB Matt Leinart says of the offensive line, "They're so much better than they were last year."

Kay-Jay Harris, Travis Minor, and Rich Alexis have a three-way competition for one roster spot as the Rams' third running back.

Although the Rams' indoor practice facility is air conditioned, coach Scott Linehan says, "We don't want it too cool."

NT Aubrayo Franklin will miss the 49ers' entire preseason after suffering a sprained MCL Monday, but he should be back in time for the start of the regular season.

There's chatter in league circles that quarterback JaMarcus Russell could soon be making a change in agents.

But the reason for the change wouldn't directly be related to the lingering contract impasse between Russell and the Raiders. Instead, we're told that recruiter Melvin Bratton is leaving the firm of Lock, Metz & Malinovic, and that Russell is likely to land wherever Bratton does.

Per NFLPA rules, Russell would be required to wait five days after separating from LMM before signing with anyone else. Also, LMM would be entitled to compensation for the time that they've invested in the negotiations, presumably at a fair hourly rate.

But if the change is made before a deal is done, the percentage would go to the agency that does the deal. With $30 million in guaranteed money on the table, that's $900,000 in fees -- just on the guarantees.

Bratton's destination is unclear, and it's not a certainty that Russell will follow. But since Bratton is the one who delivered Russell in the first place, it shouldn't be all that hard for Bratton to persuade Russell to make a change.

The Chiefs had hoped that left tackle Damion McIntosh would help shore up an offensive line that has been depleted by the retirements of Willie Roaf and Will Shields.

Will Svitek and Kyle "Crazy Joe Davola" Turley are the potential in-house replacements, and the free-agent market is slim.

One of the features that we've decided to, um, feature this season are position-by-position rankings that we change from time to time, based on injuries and schedule and what we have for lunch.

Panthers safety Mike Minter, a 10-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the team, will retire on Tuesday, according to various media reports.

Minter is under contract through 2009, and was due to earn a salary of $820,000 this season. He signed a four-year extension in 2005, and it's unknown whether he'll potentially owe money bonus back to the team -- or whether the team will accept it.

Our guess on this one is that the Panthers have offered to allow him to walk away, in lieu of being released. Minter's knees likely are telling him that it's time to go, and the team likely would prefer to have Minter's career end on a high note.

Indeed, is it a coincidence that the trade for Bears safety Chris Harris preceded the initial reports that Minter was thinking about calling it quits? We've been doing this long enough to strongly suspect that there's a real connection between the two events.

The MRI on the knee of Broncos DE Jarvis Moss was negative (which is a positive).

Denver's first depth chart includes a couple of surprises -- WR Brandon Stokley is a starter, RB Mike Bell is a third-stringer.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer has broke out his knee brace in preparation for Thursday night's preseason opener.

Jags P Adam Podlesh recovered a bit on Monday after a horrible performance during a Friday scrimmage.

It took us a little while to get it rolling, but we've finally launched our 2007 preseason power rankings.

Once per day, with No. 1 to be rolled out on the day of the regular-season opener, we'll unveil one team as we work our way from No. 32 to No. 1.

No. 32 is up. Coming Tuesday, No. 28. (Actually, it's No. 31 -- we just want to see if you're paying attention.)

We've received a flood of e-mails today regarding the only product currently available in the likeness of Falcons quarterback Mike Vick.

The product, which we're reluctant to advertise for free out of respect to our paid advertisers, is the ultimate canine revenge for the alleged activities of Mr. Vick -- a chew toy for Fido.

The only problem? It likely infringes on rights to Vick's name and image, and possibility on NFL trademarks. Though we can't see any NFL shields or team logos on the thing, the uniform design is unmistakably that of the Falcons, all the way down to the manner in which the stripe on the pant leg flares near the knee.

The thing can be purchased right here. If you want it, it might be a good idea to place the order now, before Covington & Burling dispatches the cease-and-desist letter.

A league source tells us that the Oakland Raiders have offered quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, a six-year contract containing more than $30 million in guaranteed money. The actual number could be closer to $31 million than it is to $30 million.

This information is contrary to reports that the Raiders have topped out at a lower number.

We're also told that the Russell camp presently is looking for guaranteed money in the neighborhood of $35 million.

Though we don't know how such a package could be put together in light of practical restrictions such as the rookie pool and the 25-percent rule, we're told that Russell's agents believe that their proposed structure would allow an amount of that magnitude to be guaranteed, and would likewise survive scrutiny of the management council.

Other obstacles remain, including the extent to which the guaranteed money will be paid out in the form of an option bonus. But the present gap in guaranteed money is wider than previously believed, and unless Russell's side of the table drops its number significantly, this one isn't getting done any time soon.

Our guess is that the Raiders believed that the Russell camp was demanding amounts in the neighborhood of $35 million guaranteed in order to get the team to go north of $30 million, and that the Raiders planned to do so, possibly along with a request that concessions be made as to the other issues. But now that the Raiders have moved up, Russell's folks are holding firm.

Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, sidelined with a right knee injury that the team has been (in our estimation) trying to downplay, traveled to Alabama on Monday to see Dr. James Andrews, one of the best known orthopedic surgeons in all of sports.

Technically, Porter went to see Andrews for a "second opinion," which implies that there's a "first opinion" that the player and/or the team doesn't like.

Porter had arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in May 2006, during which cartilage was removed. One full football season -- and nearly 15 months in the aging process -- later, Porter is having more trouble with the knee.

It doesn't bode well for a veteran linebacker whom many thought had lost some of his pop in 2006, or for the team that paid him $20 million in guaranteed money.

Last season, the Dolphins' medical staff swung and missed on the overall conditions of quarterback Drew Brees and quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Based presumably on input from the doctors, the team opted not to pursue Brees, a free agent, but instead to give up a second-round draft pick for Culpepper.

This time around, the physicians might have made a very expensive blunder regarding Porter.

Though the Training Camp Reports have been a popular feature over the past week, more than a few of the residents of PFT Planet have asked us to put the reports in the Rumor Mill.

Starting tonight, we'll present our Training Camp Reports in a One-Liner format on the Rumor Mill, and the entries will generally be referred to as "Training Camp One-Liners."

Though agent Tom Condon has maintained a very low profile in connection with the ongoing Brady Quinn holdout, it now seems that Condon is allowing himself to be heard via the leakage of information to Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com.

How else would Pasquarelli know that the structure for incentive payments being proposed by Condon is similar to the incentive formula used in contracts for other Condon clients such as Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, Jags quarterback Byron Leftwich, and Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart?

In all fairness, it's possible that Condon has shared this information with the Browns, and that someone from the team is the unnamed "source with direct knowledge of the bargaining process" mentioned in Pasquarelli's item. But why would someone from the team leak information that, if anything, tends to make the team look unreasonable for not agreeing to a structure that multiple other franchises have deemed acceptable?

Pasquarelli also reports that progress is being made in the talks, and that meshes with things we're heard from league and industry sources. But, still, more progress would be made if Condon would get his caboose to Cleveland for face-to-face discussions aimed at bringing this matter to a conclusion.

As we've heard it from multiple sources, the two sides are roughly $500,000 apart on guaranteed money, with the bigger sticking point being the back-end payments. There's a sense that the deal will get done as early as later this week.

Again, it could get done in a matter of hours if Condon would just go to Cleveland and make it happen.

Submitted for your consideration is the 2007 version of the PFT All-Time, All-Turd team. There are several new faces, to go with the folks who were placed on the list a year ago.

And in light of the recent Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies, we will now unveil the second class of inductees into the All-Turd Hall of Fame. Last year's class was O.J. Simpson, Lance Rentzel, Mossy Cade, Rafael Septien, and Rae Carruth.

This year, the "honor" goes to only two players: Leonard Little and Pacman Jones.

Little killed a woman while driving drunk in 1999. Jones has become the face of the off-field player misconduct movement in the NFL -- and he'll remain there unless and until Mike Vick is convicted.

There's a rumor sweeping the Intergoogle of another arrest of a Bengals player. But, for now, it appears that it's merely the latest example of what we'll call from this point forward the Tedy Bruschi phenomenon.

A couple of weeks ago, there were rampant rumors that Bruschi had died. Though untrue, the rumor spread like wildfire, even after reports surfaced that Bruschi was fine.

As the rumor goes, the arrest is supposed to be disclosed on Monday afternoon. But we now have a feeling that this rumor is simply that -- a rumor.

And if it's not a rumor, we figure that someone will break the news soon enough.

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports that Moss was carted off of the field. Writes Williamson: "The pass-rushing defensive end was injured in an individual pass-rushing drill. He attempted a spin move, planted his leg, then fell to the ground. He got to his feet, but was assisted to the cart."

Moss, who played college football for Florida and was a force in the team's shellacking of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game, was the 17th overall selection in the April draft.

It's official. Titans cornerback Pacman Jones will spend his one-year exile from the NFL as a participant in the "sport" of pro wrestling.

Jones has signed with TNA, an actual, non-phony rival of WWE. He'll make his initial appearance on Thursday night on Spike TV. Though USA Today reports that his first official "match" will come no later than September 9, it was reported last week that Jones would not actually be wrestling, since doing so could be a breach of his football contract.

Then again, TNA and Spike probably welcome the uncertainty as to his specific role, since it will get more people to tune in and watch.

Jones says that wrestling is "something to do, to keep me out of the streets while I have my little off-time from my real job, and, I'm a big fan of wrestling, so I wanted to give it a try."

He also says that wrestling will keep him in shape for football, which makes even more unclear the question of whether he'll be actually in the ring.

"[I]t will help get my mind off a lot of stuff that I'm going through," Jones added. "It's sort of a way to relieve some stress."

Frankly, Pacman's decision to get involved with pro wrestling is even more proof that he doesn't get it. With felony charges still pending against him in Las Vegas and in Georgia, and with a slim possibility of having his suspension reduced to 10 games, Jones should be keeping a low profile, and not attaching his name to an activity that, while still loved by many, is regarded by "real" sports as a notch above (or maybe below) a circus sideshow -- especially with rampant suspicion that most of the actors are on steroids.

There's no way he plays football in 2007, in our view. His behavior since being suspended suggests to us that he won't play in 2008, either -- and that he might not ever suit up in the NFL again.

With high temperatures and limited space inside the team's indoor facility, the Rams have closed training camp to the public, until further notice.

The team will be making a decision on a daily basis as to whether the practices will be held indoors or outdoors. Last week, the Rams allowed fans to attend an indoor practice, but things got a little cramped.

"There is uncertainty as to whether we will practice outside or go indoors because of expected high temperatures and heat indexes this week," coach Scott Linehan said in a statement. "We are going to proceed cautiously, taking into consideration possible health issues for players and fans."

One of the new things we noticed during last night's Hall of Fame game was that each of the quarterbacks had affixed to the backs of their helmets a small green dot.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells us that the sticker is a new device being used to help officials confirm that only one player on offense is wearing a helmet with a radio receiver from the coaching staff.

So, if a team plans to put two quarterbacks on the field at the same time, one of them must change helmets before entering the game.

It's uncommon but not unheard of for two quarterbacks to be on the field at the same time. Last year, the Falcons ran a few plays with both Matt Schaub and Michael Vick on the field. In 1995, Kordell Stewart regularly entered the game as a receiver or as a running back.

During the offseason, there was some discussion about allowing one player on defense to have a radio in his helmet as well, but nothing to date has come of it. Also, there is a movement to place a receiver in the helmet of each offensive player, so that they can all hear the signals being called out by the quarterback.

It's been a while since a member of the Cincinnati Bengals has been busted. Specifically, the last one came more than two months ago, when former Bengals linebacker A.J. Nicholson was arrested on assault charges.

We've heard from two different tipsters that another Bengals arrest has occurred. We've got the name of the player, and we're working to corroborate the information before we reveal the name.

In his last NFL game, defensive tackle Tank Johnson's team lost to the Indianapolis Colts. In his next NFL game, could Johnson be wearing that blue horseshoe on his helmet, instead of in his rear end?

This is pure speculation on our part, but we would not be surprised -- at all -- to learn in the not-too-distant future that Johnson is the newest member of the Super Bowl champs. By signing him before the start of the season, Johnson can serve his eight-game suspension, work his way into game shape, and be ready to help the defense turn it up a notch or two for the playoffs.

Having Johnson waiting in the wings also could provide some incentive for the remaining defensive tackles on the depth chart, following the loss of Booger McFarland for the season with a serious knee injury. NFLN reports that it's a torn ACL. The Indianapolis Star reports that it is a torn patellar tendon. Either way, it's an early 2007 exit for Booger.

Johnson has all of his pro experience in the same defense that the Colts run -- the Tampa Two, a 4-3 attack that relies upon defensive tackles to stop the run effectively, and to pressure the quarterback without the assistance of extensive blitz packages. Given that the pickings are otherwise slim at the position on the free-agent market, Tank could be the best option, even with eight games that must be served after he signs with a new team.

Of course, Tank brings plenty of baggage. But the Colts haven't been averse to signing or draft a turd or two over the years, and acquiring Johnson could be justified by explaining that his release from the Bears was the result of an incident for which Johnson was not ultimately charged.

Besides, the Colts currently are in their post-Super Bowl grace period; if they swing and miss on a guy like Johnson, so what?

One last factor to consider is that G.M. Bill Polian is a short-timer, and might very much want to pull an Elway, retiring from the game after back-to-back championships. To make that happen, and to likewise take some heat off of Polian's $12 million per year defensive end named Dwight Freeney, the team needs some more talent up the middle.

Our guess is that the Colts will begin to discreetly and quietly flirt with Johnson as they also monitor the waiver wire. It has been speculated, for example, that Warren Sapp might be cut by the Raiders. If Sapp or some other veteran who would upgrade the talent at the position in Indy becomes available, then Tank might not be the guy. If that doesn't happen, Tank could end up rolling into Indy.

In response to our report from Sunday night that Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter has already had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee, a Dolphins source says that no such procedure has been performed. Yet.

Per the source, the knee is "still in the evaluation process" and "no definitive decision has been made regarding any potential surgery."

We're going to follow up with our own sources on this one, and if Porter indeed has not yet been 'scoped then we'll say we were wr-wr-wr-wr-off the mark. But the quotes set forth above make us think that a scalpel or some other type of surgical instrument will soon be poking around inside of the joint that connects Porter's lower leg to his upper leg, and that the organization is proceeding with caution and discretion for fear of undermining the decision to give Porter $20 million in guaranteed money five months ago.

Besides, the team is losing a regular-season home game this year to the NFL's export plan. So with only nine total home games instead of ten, and with two of them to be played during a preseason that Porter very well might miss, there's no reason to discourage prematurely fans who might be inclined to buy tickets to either of the two exhibition contests to be played at Dolphin Stadium (on August 11 and 25) in order to get an early look at J. Peezy in something other than street clothes.

With the two of the three remaining first-round holdouts being the only two quarterbacks drafted in round one, a rare semi-original thought occurred to yours truly during a Monday morning spot with Scott Clark and Dave Ragone on 1570 The Zone in Louisville.

Could it be that the Raiders and the Browns want these holdouts to linger deep into the preseason and/or into the regular season in order to counter pressure from the fans and the media to play their rookie first-rounders right away?

Though it might not have been intentional in either city, the hidden benefit is that these guys will now most likely be able to sit for their entire initial seasons and watch and learn.

It's even more beneficial in Oakland, since Russell's rookie year is also year one of the new coaching regime. So why not take a year to let the new staff get acclimated before dropping Russell onto the field?

In Cleveland, the holdout of Quinn might also buy another year for G.M. Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennell. Both are viewed as being in trouble, but owner Randy Lerner might decide (even after a 3-13 season) that they should get a chance to show what Quinn can (or can't) do before passing final judgment on either or both of them.

Though our guess is that a holdout wasn't engineered by either team, both franchises now have an easy excuse to offer if/when folks start clamoring for the new guys to play in October or November. And both quarterbacks might be better off for it over the long haul.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that the holdout of Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell could continue to drag on, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations.

Said one source: "This could go to September, easily, with the way the Raiders have approached it. Their approach has been from the start of this that it's their way or the highway. They were told before the draft that if that's how they wanted to do it, they shouldn't draft [Russell] . . . . Look, this could be done in two days if they'd just realize it's not going to happen the way they think."

Though Raiders owner Al Davis has said that the primary sticking point is the amount of money that Russell's camp wants to be paid as an option bonus, Cole writes that the real problem is the manner in which the guaranteed money is protected against the possibility that Russell will be a bust. But, frankly, Cole's article is a little murky on this point, and we need to see more details about the structure of the offer before concluding that Russell's guaranteed money won't really be guaranteed.

We also get the feeling that Cole is carrying the water, at least a little bit, for Russell and his agents, Eric Metz and Ethan Lock. Cole points out that the decision of Davis to mention the inexperience of Russell's agents is off the mark, given that Metz has been in the business for 20 years and Lock has been in the business for a decade. (Cole characterizes the pair as having "30 years combined experience," but in our experience a group is only as experienced as the most experienced person in it.)

The overriding point regarding experience, however, is that Metz and Lock have never had a No. 1 overall pick, which is a completely different stratosphere of first-round contract.

There are other things that we don't fully understand about the report. For example, Cole's explanation of the lack of an option bonus in the Calvin Johnson deal seems to be presented as a counter to the Raiders' position on the issue when, in reality, the Johnson contract undermines the Russell camp's position that the option bonus should be maximized. Because Johnson got no option bonus, Russell needs to abandon the position that as much money as possible should be pushed into his.

Finally, we think that the notion that guaranteed money to be paid in the fourth year of the deal is separate and distinct from the concept of guaranteed money being earned in that year. Many contracts defer the actual payment of signing bonus and related guarantees that are earned by the player on an earlier date. Surely, agents with "30 years combined experience" will be sufficiently competent to prevent the Raiders from including those earned-but-unpaid amounts in any extension offered in the season in which that money comes due.

Also, Cole's source was only partially correct when explaining that, if Russell plays well, the team will want to extend his deal after three seasons, in comparison to the timing of extensions paid to Carson Palmer and Mike Vick. But while Palmer indeed received his extension at the end of his third season, Vick didn't get his second contract until the completion of his fourth season.

Here's the full text of a loooooong statement released on Sunday night by Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, addressed to the fans of the New York Giants:

"As many of you know, I am contemplating one of the biggest decisions of my football career, whether I should retire or continue playing. Like all athletes, I knew this day would come when I would have to stand before that proverbial fork in the road. But I must admit that it's not until you're actually staring at the two diverging paths do you really grasp how impactful and painful this decision can be. I was hoping to make this personal decision quietly and without much hoopla, but given the recent torrent of erroneous media reports and totally inaccurate assumptions, I feel that I have to come forward and publicly set the record straight with those for whom I have toiled the last fourteen years -- you fans.

"This off season has been one of the best in my professional career. I have worked extremely hard to make sure that I'm in shape and ready to tackle the rigors of another physical season. I am proud to say that at my body feels years younger and ready to compete at the highest level. I love training and preparation, and this off season has made it clear to me that this is one aspect of the game that I will miss tremendously when I decide to one day unstrap the helmet for the last time. I went into this off season with every intention of entering a 15th season with the Giants, the only team I've ever played for during my career. But I am human, and despite the images of me grimacing and tackling opposing quarterbacks and running backs, I have to face my mortality like anyone else. When an athlete like myself who does what I do for a living starts having doubts, then it's time to take a step back and seriously consider my future. Anyone who plays in the NFL with doubts or second guessing is not only putting themselves at risk, but their teammates also. I will never do that.

"What's been most disappointing has been all of this nonsense that I'm holding out for more money. The truth is that football has been very good to me and I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by advisors who have ensured that my family and I will live comfortably for the rest of my life. You deserve to know what's really going on. My agent met with the Giants earlier in the year and discussed many things including my contract. Money is not the reason that I have not reported to training camp and it will not be a factor for my return. This has already been communicated to the Giants and while the reports may indicate a"hard line" taken by the team regarding money, it is not necessary, as this issue had been decided well before July.

"Despite what some might believe there are those of us who make decisions that have nothing to do with money. Many athletes ask themselves daily if they are emotionally and psychologically at the level where they can compete at the highest level for twenty-four weeks. For them also it isn't about the money, rather a serious athlete asking serious questions about his future. All that I ask, after fourteen seasons, is that you afford me the patience so that I might arrive at my decision on my own terms.

"As GM Jerry Reese has said, the Giants are not going to hold a spot for me. I completely understand his stance as football is a business and he must do what is in the best interest of the team. I know that I am only one player. I want to express my thanks to the owners and coaches for their extremely kind words about my career as a Giant to date. I have been proud to wear the Giant uniform thoughout [sic] my professional career. You have my word that I will try to make the correct decision as quickly as possible. If I decide to play, I hope that you will continue to cheer me on like you have for all of these years. If I decide to hang up the cleats, then I will bid you all a tremendous thank you for the privilege to play a game that has blessed me in so many ways and created memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. I humbly thank you for your understanding and being the best fans in the world."

Sheesh. We hope that whoever hires Strahan to work in television after he retires gets to work on getting him to make his points a little more quickly and concisely.

We also wonder whether those same "advisors who have ensured that my family and I will live comfortably for the rest of my life" are the same people responsible for the pre-nup that resulted in Strahan owing a large chunk of his fortune to his wife. If so, living "comfortably" for Strahan could eventually be a refrigerator box with not one but two layers of half-popped bubble wrap.

In response to our item from earlier on Sunday, in which we mentioned that we recently received a tip that Miami linebacker Joey Porter already has had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee, a league source says that Porter has indeed undergone the procedure, and that he's likely out until the regular season opens.

It's unclear why the team would be concealing Porter's condition at this point. On Saturday, coach Cam Cameron indicated that the knee was still being evaluated.

The Dolphins signed Porter in March to a contract that pays him $20 million in guaranteed money. Other teams believe based on his performance in 2006 that Porter's best days are in his behind. Right next to that bullet hole.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Giants defensive end Michael Strahan says he isn't contemplating retirement (i.e., holding out) because of the money.

Schefter also reports that Strahan is still 50-50 as to whether he'll retire, and that he continues to waver. He's supposedly waiting for inspiration to play, and right now doesn't have it.

And we suspect he'll have that inspiration if the Giants offer to give him a big raise (which they won't) or if the Giants will trade him to someone who will.

Per Schefter, Strahan is in L.A. for now, and will be issuing a statement thanking fans for their support and asking that they be patient while he makes his decision.

Our guess? Strahan senses that he won't be getting a big payday from anyone in the NFL, and he's laying the foundation to convert his deliberations into a decision to retire.

The Indianapolis Star reports the Colts defensive tackle Anthony "Booger" McFarland has told teammates and close friends that he suffered a serious knee injury on Friday.

McFarland is believed to have suffered a torn patellar tendon, which would most likely knock him out for the season.

The report meshes with a top we recently received that McFarland will likely miss the season. Scroll down for more.

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter is having his right knee evaluated after missing two days of practice.

"It was something that he noticed during the offseason program," coach Cam Cameron said. "He was working his way through it. It isn't something that happened since we started practice. He just wanted to get it checked out."

Coincidentally, we received on Friday an e-mail from a tipster who told us that Porter has had arthroscopic surgery on the knee, and that he will miss four weeks. We assumed that the e-mail was in reference to a media report on the subject, but our own MDS determined on Saturday that there was no available evidence at the time of any knee trouble for the guy known also as J. Peezy.

So we opted to take a wait-and-see approach on the issue. Though the report doesn't state that Porter has had any type of medical procedure, we wonder whether the Fins are opting to manage discreetly any evidence that Porter might have something more than a day-to-day thing. Especially if it was an issue that should have been realized by the team before $20 million in guaranteed money was paid to an aging defender whom many teams believe based on film study of his 2006 performance no longer has it.

We're particularly suspicious at this point because Pasquarelli's item seems to be parroting a party line about Porter's condition: "Porter, 30, has been relatively free of knee problems during his eight-year NFL career. The former Pittsburgh Steelers star has missed only six games in his career, and has never been sidelined for more than two contests in a year. He did wear a brace on his right knee during organized team activities sessions (OTAs) in June, but has not employed it in the early portions of training camp."

"I played through it so well through the playoffs that nobody thought [the knee] was as bad as it was," Porter said in August 2006. "It was hurting, but nothing where I couldn't play through it. At that point, it swelled up, I iced it, I took the necessary precautions. But, at the same time, I never knew there were some loose particles in there and wondered why it kept showing up in the offseason when I'm working out."

One year later, it was the same thing all over again, with a problem being first noticed during the offseason program. This time around, however, it's not known whether Porter first injured the knee in the 2006 regular season. If he did, and if the Fins paid out $20 million in guaranteed money for a guy who ends up being damaged goods, someone is going to have to answer some tough questions to the boss, baby.

The prevailing theory in league circles is that Bowe had been waiting for the deal directly before him, Brady Quinn at No. 22, to get done. But we explained on Saturday night that the Chiefs would not use the Quinn deal as the ceiling for the Bowe contract, given that Quinn is looking for (and apparently will get) a "quarterback premium" over his draft slot.

There also was a theory that Bowe's holdout was specifically aimed at providing support for his former LSU teammate and good friend, JaMarcus Russell.

So with Bowe signing, could it mean that Russell will be the next to go? Stay tuned.

There's an interesting theory making its way through the NFL grapevine regarding the root of the holdout of Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe, the No. 23 overall pick in the draft.

We've heard for a while that Bowe has decided to wait until a deal for Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, the No. 22 overall selection in the draft, is done at No. 22. But, as we explained on Saturday night, Bowe is wasting his time if he thinks that Brady's deal will set the ceiling for the No. 23 slot.

Some league insiders speculate that the real reason for the Bowe holdout arises from the connection between Bowe and quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Russell and Bowe played together at LSU. They were (and presumably still are) close friends.

The speculation (and we're not reporting or suggesting that it's true) is that LMM are holding out Bowe in order to keep Russell company during his holdout with the Raiders -- and to ensure that Russell's resolve doesn't weaken.

The former college teammates reportedly are in Atlanta together. At a minimum it's quite a coincidence that they make up 50 percent of the remaining holdouts from the class of 2007.

Still, we're not saying that the agents are using Bowe to keep Russell strong (or vice-versa). Our point is that some folks are wondering whether that might be the reason for Bowe to still be out, and we find that hypothesis sufficiently intriguing to point out here.

An industry source tells us that former Cowboys receiver and ESPN commentator Michael Irvin, a brand-new member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is preparing a radio show that will be paired with Dan Patrick's new syndicated radio broadcast to be distributed by the Content Factory.

They apparently won't be on the same show; instead, it will be Patrick then Irvin, or vice-versa.

Irvin was a regular guest on Patrick's ESPN Radio show during Irvin's tenure with ESPN. It was on The Dan Patrick Show in November 2006 that Irvin made his infamous remarks suggesting that one of Tony Romo's female ancestors was impregnated by a slave.

With unhappy running back Thomas Jones being shipped to the Jets in the offseason, most NFL observers assume that Cedric Benson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2005 draft, will be the featured tailback in an offense that could be a very good one this season.

On Saturday, however, Benson was at practice -- but Adrian Peterson took "virtually all of the reps" with the first-team offense.

Coach Lovie Smith says that Benson's role at the No. 1 guy isn't in jeopardy. "Once you go through a week or so, most of the skill players can use a day off," Smith said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Cedric was a little sore so I had him get a few individual reps and held him out the rest of the time. Adrian is a big part of what we're going to do. Once you have a player like that move into that role, it's always good to see them play with the 1's."

But if this is merely a case of giving Benson a day off, then the Bears should have given him the day off. Having him dressed and present but not part of the first-team offense can be interpreted as a message --to Benson and to the rest of us.

The Tribune notes that Benson has had a little bit of a fumbling thing in camp, and we've got a feeling that the Bears have decided to get Peterson ready in the event that Benson has trouble holding onto the ball in the preseason, or once the regular season gets started.

And if Peterson ends up as the starter at any point this year, we suggest that either he or the tailback of the same name in the same division consider changing from Adrian to something like Stuart, Todd, Alex, Ned, Ellis, or Remy.

That one-day detour out of town caused yours truly to slip a bit in the whole Training Camp Report department. But we're back on top of it today.

MDS, who hasn't missed a beat in his assignment to update two divisions each per day, has posted new entries for the Vikings, Lions, Packers, and Bears.

The guy who once allegedly threatened to kill Mike Martz is back in the NFL, with a second season in Kansas City.

And tackle Kyle Turley, to whom we lovingly refer as Crazy Joe Davola, is making his presence felt by sparking a sidelines-clearing fight during a scrimmage with the Vikings on Saturday.

Turley reportedly mixed it up with Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards. It's unknown whether Turley was aiming to put the "kibosh" on Edwards, or whether Turley successfully did so.

We mentioned the other day that Mike Sando of ESPN.com said in a piece that somehow made its way through editing and proofreading that Dan Marino and Troy Aikman are not yet in the Hall of Fame.

The Bristol crowd has now gone the other way, inducted guys who are not yet eligible for enshrinement.

Moments ago, the dude anchoring the Sunday morning SportsCenter described Michael Irvin as the last of the Cowboys' triplets to enter the Hall of Fame.

The other two members of the aforementioned triplets are the aforementioned Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith.

How in the world can the self-styled "Worldwide Leader" in sports make such basic mistakes? And what's next? A graphic spelling "NFL" with a "PH" instead of the "F"?

A couple of readers have raised an intriguing question in response to Michael Irvin's stellar, classic, inspiring Hall of Fame induction speech.

Who is the real Irvin? The guy we saw last night? Or the guy we saw on ESPN over the prior few seasons?

And if the Canton version of Irvin is the real guy, why did he come off as such a complete id-ee-it during his time on ESPN?

Could it be that Irvin was goaded by ESPN producers into adopting an over-the-top buffoonish shtick and that, in time, Irvin became a creation that they could no control?

We recall that Irvin set the stage for his ESPN gig with some work on FSN, but we can't recall whether Irvin was the same guy on FOX that he was on ESPN. If he wasn't, then how did he get that way?

Regardless, we hope the guy we saw last night is now the real Irvin, and that someone else will give that guy another chance in broadcasting. If, and only if, the guy we saw in Canton is the guy who shows up every Sunday.

The Panthers drew the line in the sand. The agent for linebacker Jon Beason tried to cross it but, in the end, yielded.

Several days ago, Huyghue moaned to the media that the Panthers were bargaining in bad faith by refusing to include an option bonus in the deal, since most of the other first-round picks received an option bonus.

But after No. 2 overall pick Calvin Johnson signed a contract that included no option bonus, Huyghue (we believe) was able to back off of his position without fear that his failure to finagle an option bonus would be used against him in the recruiting of next year's crop of draft picks.

The option bonus, a lump-sum of money earned at the outset of the second year of a contract, cannot be pursued by an NFL team if the player defaults on his contract via a holdout or a suspension, as a result of the ruling in the Ashley Lelie grievance filed against him by the Broncos last year.

In lieu of an option bonus, Beason reportedly received a $3.2 million signing bonus. But loading too much cash into the option bonus can be a problem, since the first-year signing bonus proration doesn't count toward the salary number that forms the basis for application of the rule that limits annual growth of the compensation to 25 percent of the first-year pay. (Sorry, we need to talk like that once in a while to maintain our nerd cred with front offices and agents.)

We also get the impression that Beason will be paid reporting/roster bonuses starting in year three, which give the team protection against a player not showing up (for whatever reason) by requiring him to show up in order to get the money.

On the same day that the Colts terminated the contract of free-agent bust Corey Simon, the guy whom the Colts acquired last season to take his place was undergoing an MRI.

And before word of the Booger McFarland MRI broke, an anonymous tipster advised us that the injury is serious, and likely season-ending.

Though we have not yet corroborated this tip, and are not officially reporting that McFarland is out for the year, we can understand why the Colts aren't announcing the severity of the injury, if it indeed is severe. With an even greater need in the interior of a defensive line that was getting shredding against the run before it somehow picked it up in the playoffs, the Colts would likely like to finagle a trade with a team that doesn't realize the urgency that the team might now be facing, because that would drive the price tag north.

Just as the "days without an arrest" counter made a rare return to the land of two digits, we can set it back to zero.

Hargrove, a Bills defensive end, is charged with striking a police officer early Sunday morning in Rochester.

Hargrove is charged with harassment, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest. His brother, Terrence, also has been charged with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

Hargrove is a fourth-year player from Georgia Tech. He spent his first two seasons with the Rams, starting in four games as a rookie and 15 in his second year. He started the first four games of the 2006 season with the Rams before going AWOL. In October, he was traded to the Bills for a fifth-round pick in the 2007 draft.

He currently is listed as the second string right defensive end, behind Aaron Schobel.

In the offseason, the Bills offered to Hargrove the low-level restricted free agent tender of $850,000. Since the payment is not guaranteed, the arrest could be enough to get Hargrove released.

A league source tells us that the Cleveland Browns are prepared to give quarterback Brady Quinn, the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, more guaranteed money than the guy drafted in front of him, Jaguars safety Reggie Nelson, was paid.

The other issue is the trigger for Quinn's incentive payments in the final years of the deal. The Browns want the incentives to kick it at a higher percentage of snaps than Quinn does, and our guess is that the two sides could meet in the middle, if they were to ever get together and hammer out the issues.

We reported several days ago that the agents for the No. 23 overall pick, receiver Dwayne Bowe, will be waiting until Brady Quinn, the No. 22 selection, does a deal before getting a contract negotiated with the Chiefs.

Since then, Bowe has yet to sign, and as far as we can tell there has been little or no progress.

But as a league source told us on Saturday, the presumption that Bowe will be able pull a Kenny Banya on Quinn's coattails is incorrect.

If Quinn gets a premium at No. 22, it will be because he's a quarterback. So unless Bowe plans to become a quarterback, Quinn's deal will have no relevance to Bowe's.

Oh, and the guy calling the shots on this one for the team is Carl Peterson. He's got a reputation for being, you know, a little hardheaded.

Has anyone seen Michael Irvin? Because it's time for him to give his Hall of Fame speech, but he's not there. Instead, there's a man who is giving a contrite, humble, and stirring speech.

The other guy looks like Michael Irvin. But he's not acting like Michael. He's acting like a guy that we would love to see covering the NFL every week, a guy to whom we'd love to listen give his opinions on the NFL, on life, and on anything else he'd care to talk about.

The Charlotte Observer reports that rookie linebacker Jon Beason and agent Michael Huyghue are en route to Carolina for the purposes of finalizing a contract on Sunday.

Beason, from the University of Miami, was the 25th overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Huyghue complained several days ago that the team was refusing to provide Beason with an option bonus. We've heard that the Panthers are hoping to set a precedent of paying an option bonus to no first-round pick, since option bonuses no longer can be recovered by the team in the event of a default.

But with Calvin Johnson, the No. 2 overall pick of the Lions, getting no option bonus at all in the contract he signed on Friay, our guess is that Huyghue is now willing to yield the point, since Huyghue can't be criticized by other agents for being the only guy with a first-round client who didn't get an option bonus.

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