What about Bob?

NFL owners quietly approved a measure near the conclusion of their owners meetings this week in Phoenix that makes it a 5-yard penalty for players who spike the ball after a play is over. The rule doesn't apply to touchdowns or out-of-bounds play.

We like this rule, even if it's not the most dramatic rules change in recent years. It just addresses the silliness of players who celebrate or show defiance by spiking the ball after a player, instead of just getting up, giving the ball to the official, and going back to the huddle.

Some readers offered solid comments about even increasing the scope of the penalty to include defensive players who beat their chest after breaking up a pass, or offensive players who insist on drawing attention to themselves on plays other than touchdowns.

Point well made.

At least the NFL is taking some steps to make players realize that spiking the ball should be reserved for when you reach the endzone.

The Competition Committee decided earlier today to table a measure that would have addressed the growing disparity in overtime games.

Reacting to the trend in recent years where teams that win the toss in overtime go on to win more than 60 percent of the games (in years since kickoffs were moved back to the 30-yard line), the committee had proposed that the overtime kickoff be moved up to the 35-yard line.

But without the votes to pass the measure, the committee opted to table the rule change until the May meeting. Chances are it won't pass then either, even though the Competition Committee urged passage of the change by a 7-1 vote. One of the biggest arguments against the rule change was that there would be a different rule for overtime than regulation. It just didn't go over with enough people to get the three-quarters support it would need for passage.

Which is too bad, because it seemed like a sensible way to address the overtime issue. More and more, teams that win the coin toss win the game in OT. Last year, teams that won the opening coin toss won seven of the 11 overtime games played.

The idea behind moving the kickoff up to the 35 is to not allow teams receiving the ball such good field position, especially if they get a good return. There would be far more touchbacks by moving it up to the 35, another way of at least giving the receiving team a greater challenge in driving for the winning score.

(Interesting observations from K in the comments. Here's the thing: It's not just last year that concerns the Competition Committee, although 5 OT wins on the first possession is pretty convincing. The committee estimates that 62 percent of teams winning the coin toss have won in OT since kickoffs were moved back to the 30. Before that, it was much closer to 50-50. Those are the numbers that have been eye-catching. Also remember that even if you don't score on your first possession, you can win the field possession battle on subsequent possessions, so the kickoff is still key.)

NFL owners passed a resolution allowing a waiver of the debt ceiling to the Giants and Jets, a move that allows the teams to move forward with its $1.6 billion stadium plans.

Had the owners not approved the measure, the project would have been in serious doubt. But the owners voted 31-1 in favor of allowing both teams to carry more than the $150 million allowed by league rules for well over the 15-year term allowed in most cases where teams build stadiums.

Bottom line: Good news for Giants and Jets, who hope to open the new facility in 2010.

Only downer for fans is that it's almost certain that they'll have to purchase personal seat licenses at some point in the future.

Let the draft-day rumors begin.

The latest one we've heard is that the Raiders are seriously considering a plan to sign quarterback David Carr, who has been released by the Texans, and then take Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson with the first overall choice.

The idea makes plenty of sense, although the Raiders aren't often accused of using all that much logic in their draft-day maneuverings. If they have a conviction on Carr, as well as reservations on rookie quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn - which we've heard - then they can get a veteran quarterback to plug right in and take the consensus No. 1 overall talent in Johnson.

We have heard not a single peep from anyone with a question about Johnson's upside, and he has clearly emerged as the highest-rated player in most NFL circles.

The risk here, of course, is that Carr might not get any better than he was in Houston, where the Texans ran out of patience and traded for Matt Schaub, the backup to Michael Vick in Atlanta. And two people familiar with Carr's situation told me today that the Raiders have made no overt attempts to sign him. The thinking is that they'll wait until much closer to draft day before pulling the trigger on a signing.

Carr is also drawing interest from Minnesota, Detroit, Miami and Cleveland, but in all those places, there are scenarios where the teams will draft a quarterback with a high pick. (There are also reports that the Panthers, Browns and Seahawks have an interest in Carr, too. Once Carr and Chiefs QB Trent Green's situations are resolved, the draft will become a bit clearer.)

Stay tuned on this one. It's sure to get more interesting as the draft approaches.

The NFL has devised a unique and kinda cool system of rewarding players with a “performance based pay” system introduced five years ago. Basically it's a fund that’s used to supplement players’ contractual salaries, based on a formula that measures a player’s playing time compared to his salary.

In essence, it’s a way of rewarding some of the league’s lower-paid players who out-perform their current contracts.

A few Giants and Jets players made the top portion of the list, including Giants safety Gibril Wilson, Jets safety Kerry Rhodes and Jets right tackle Anthony Clement.

Under the system, Performance Based Pay is computed by using a “Player Index.” To produce the index, a player’s regular season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player’s index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his pay.
Here’s a list below issued by the NFL of the top players who cashed in on the performance-based pay.

Player Club Position Distribution

1. Landry, Dawan Baltimore SS $366,017
2. Boothe, Kevin Oakland G $274,638
3. Hangartner, Geoff Carolina C $259,536
4. Bethea, Antoine Indianapolis SS $259,249
5. Pears, Erik Denver T $258,422
6. Simpson, Ko Buffalo FS $253,354
7. Golston, Kedric Washington DT $247,445
8. Boley, Michael Atlanta OLB $244,040
9. Incognito, Richie St. Louis G $242,744
10. Evans, Jahri New Orleans G $237,384
11. Brown, C.C. Houston FS $235,002
12. Hadnot, Rex Miami C $231,269
13. Watkins, Pat Dallas FS $229,802
14. Oliver, Melvin 49ers DE $223,517
15. Baskett, Hank Philadelphia WR $219,903
16. Daniels, Owen Houston TE $218,561
17. Holly, Daven Cleveland CB $217,502
18. Wilson, Gibril Giants SS $216,722
19. Hill, Reynaldo Tennessee CB $216,470
20. Rhodes, Kerry Jets FS $216,027
21. Colston, Marques Saints WR $213,436
22. Page, Jarrad Kansas City FS $212,786
23. Steussie, Todd St. Louis T $207,937
24. Bell, Yeremiah Miami SS $204,816
25. Clement, Anthony Jets T $204,780

There have been suggestions that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has made it a priority to clean up the off-field nonsense going on in recent years, is ready to issue suspensions for Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, who might come up on felony charges in connection with shootings at a Las Vegas strip club, and Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who has been sentenced to four months in prison for violating probation after he was found to have loaded weapons in his home.

It won't happen just yet.

Goodell is expected to brief owners later today on his vision for dealing with off-field problems, and while he's expected to get a good reception on his get-tough policy, it's still a ways away from being finalized. Goodell wants more input from owners and coaches, and he'll get that in the coming days and weeks.

As for dealing with Jones and Johnson, who are sure to be suspended at some point, it won't happen until there have been NFL hearings for both players. There's a good chance Jones will be banished for the entire 2007 season, and Johnson is expected to get a significant suspension, although probably not the whole season.

As we told you a few days ago, Takeo Spikes was on the block, and the Bills' linebacker was dealt earlier tonight to the Eagles in exchange for defensive tackle Darwin Walker. The Bills also traded backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb to the Eagles for a conditional pick in next year's draft, based on playing time.

We'd been hearing since last week that the Bills were interested in moving Spikes, and the Eagles were the one team that kept coming up, although executives from both teams did a good job of keeping a lid on the deal. Sources familiar with the trade told me the deal was nearly completed on Friday, but that the talks broke down and were resurrected over the weekend before finally being completed tonight at the NFL owner's meetings in Phoenix.

Spikes' arrival in Philly likely means the end of the line for outside linebacker Dhani Jones, the former Giant. Jones has been just average in Philadelphia - just as he was in New York - and the Eagles have not been happy with his production. Spikes can be a far more dynamic player, both in pass coverage and pass rushing, although he's had some physical problems the last two years, including a blown out Achilles.

Holcomb is expected to serve as the third quarterback behind Donovan McNabb and A.J. Feeley, who re-signed earlier this off-season and made Jeff Garcia expendable. Garcia has since joined the Bucs and will compete with Chris SImms for the starting job.

Walker is a very nice player, albeit a bit undersized, and he'll be a good addition to a Bills' team that's undergoing significant turnover on defense. He was made expendable in Philadelphia after the Eagles drafted tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson with first-round picks the last two years. Walker is an overachieving type who will fit in well for Dick Jauron's defense.

The Giants won’t have to wait long to face their NFC East rival Cowboys next season. In fact, they’ll visit Dallas the first weekend in a nationally televised game at Texas Stadium.

The Jets will also get it in on the marquee matchups this season, as they visit Dallas for one of three Thanksgiving Day matchups.

The Giants and Cowboys will be one of four nationally televised games on opening weekend. They’ll face Dallas in the Sunday night game on Sept. 9, to be broadcast by NBC. The defending Super Bowl champion Colts will host the vastly improved Saints in the Thursday night opener on Sept. 6. NBC will broadcast that game as well.

The Ravens face the Bengals in the first Monday night game, followed by the Cardinals-49ers in the second game of the Monday night doubleheader. Both games are on ESPN.

The defending NFC Champion Bears visit the Chargers in a 4:15 p.m. game on Sept. 9 that will be carried by Fox.
The Jets and Cowboys will tussle in a 4:15 Thanksgiving Day broadcast on CBS, following the Packers-Lions on Fox at 12:30 p.m. The Colts visit the Falcons in an 8:15 p.m. Thanksgiving night game on NFL Network.

The rest of the NFL schedule will be completed and announced next month.

The Giants nearly pulled the trigger on a trade for Al Wilson before team doctors didn't like what they saw in a physical exam late last week. Now it's Takeo Spikes' name being floated as a possibility, although that move is "not likely," according to a person familiar with the Giants' situation.

Kawika Mitchell is the guy the Giants might end up with in the free agent market, although it's hardly reason for celebration. He was the Chiefs' middle linebacker on one of the worst tackling defenses in the NFL, and the Giants apparently see him as an outside linebacker. In a word: whoop-de-do. (The Giants are expected to sign Mitchell to a one-year, $1 million deal.)

But it's still not too late to get the only linebacker worth giving anything up for, even with Mitchell now in the fold: Lance Briggs.

The Bears outside linebacker is furious that the team has designated him as the "franchise player," thereby retaining virtually exclusive bargaining rights on his services. And Briggs insists he won't play in Chicago unless the team gives him some serious scratch in a long-term deal, which doesn't appear likely at this point.

So the Giants should stop flirting with aging linebackers with physical issues and start getting serious about the one elite linebacker out there for the taking: Briggs.

He's only 26 years old, his best years are ahead of him, and he's already proven he can be an elite player. He had the advantage of playing alongside All Pro Brian Urlacher, but Briggs is a terrific player in his own right. He's there for the taking, because the Bears are absolutely concerned about a holdout and continued ill feelings on Briggs' part.

At the very least, Giants GM Jerry Reese should hold off on making any deals until this week's NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. He should at least have a chat with Bears GM Jerry Angelo and see what it would take to pry away Briggs.

Do you mortgage the future to get Briggs? Of course not. The draft choice compensation has to be right. But if you can swing a reasonable deal, then it's worth a shot.

NFL owners will discuss a proposed rule change by the competition committee that penalizes a team five yards for a player who spikes the ball after a play other than a touchdown.

To which we say: Hallelujah.

How many times have we seen running backs gain five yards, get up from the pile, and spike the ball as if he'd just scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Or a receiver who makes a seven-yard grab over the middle, gets taken down, and then slams the ball into the turf just as an official is running over to grab the ball.

Well, if owners approve the rule - and they are expected to do so at the NFL meetings this week in Phoenix, then we should see most of that nonsense disappear.

We talked about the rule proposal the other day to Falcons president/general manager Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee, and he made a strong case for the penalty being implemented. We couldn't agree more.

It may not be as big as introducing the two-point conversion or moving kickoffs back to the 30, but it's a common sense approach to a situation that has increasingly gotten out of hand. The message here: If you really want to celebrate something special, do it when you've reached the endzone.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know.

I suspect most folks will second the motion on this rule change.

It's obvious the Chiefs are ready to move on from the Trent Green era. He'll either be traded or stick around as a backup at a reduced price. More than likely, he'll be shipped to Miami, although the deal is being held up by draft choice compensation. Looks like Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson will wait until this week's owner's meetings in Phoenix to do a deal.

The Chiefs re-signed Damon Huard, but it could very well be second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle, a third-round pick last year, who gets the nod from head coach Herman Edwards.

Edwards has been aggressive with quarterback changes in the past - see: benching Vinny Testaverde for Chad Pennington with the Jets - but going with Croyle might be a bigger gamble, considering his relative inexperience.

Either way, it should be an intriguing training camp for the Chiefs, who clearly need to get younger at quarterback. Only question is whether Croyle is a little too young.

Al Wilson isn't the only prominent veteran linebacker on the market. Takeo Spikes of the Bills is there for the taking as well.

Spikes had hoped his escape from Cincinnati to Buffalo would signal a welcome change to his career, but that hasn't been the case. The Bills have been mediocre, and he has battled through injuries, including a season-ending Achilles problem.

Not sure if the Bills will be able to get much for Spikes, who once was a prototype linebacker. He's no pup, and his Achilles issue might scare off some prospective buyers.

There's been plenty of speculation about the Giants' interest in Broncos hard-hitting middle linebacker Al Wilson, but something just doesn't add up.

General manager Jerry Reese has been talking a lot about getting younger and faster (and also more salary cap friendly). Wilson is certainly a terrific player, but he turns 30 in June, and he's due to make more than $5 million this season. In other words, he doesn't fit the criteria of Reese's plans.

Not only that, but he's a middle linebacker, and the Giants already have a fine one in Antonio Pierce. The likely plan would be to have Pierce stay in the middle and put Wilson on the outside, or else keep both of them inside if they're going to use some 3-4 looks this season.

But why give up draft picks and/or players for a guy who will not be playing his normal position? It just doesn't make a lot of sense, especially at a position that can historically be replenished through the draft. The Giants have a glut of defensive ends, but as last year showed, you can never have enough when the injury bug bites.

Now, Wilson to the Eagles makes more sense, although Philly appears to have cooled on the idea. Jeremiah Trotter has lost a step, and Wilson is a similarly punishing tackler with far greater range. But with Pierce already here and with the draft still a few weeks away, I'm skeptical about this one.

If you are a Giants' fan even remotely familiar with the 1986 season, you have to read this story about Brad Benson by Giants.com writer Michael Eisen. It is tremendous.

You knew it was over for David Carr. You just didn't know who'd be taking over as the Texans' quarterback.

It's Matt Schaub, the Falcons highly regarded backup who was swapped earlier today from Atlanta.

Good move by the Texans, who need a huge upgrade at quarterback and get one in Schaub, even if he's relatively untested. Schaub is a reliable pocket passer who will immediately upgrade a position that has been a constant source of concern for the Texans. Carr just never panned out, and he'll be moved sometime before the draft, or else released outright if no one's interested in giving up any picks for him. A trade seems likely, though; the Dolphins are a possibility, and Texans GM Rick Smith said earlier this afternoon that he might complete a trade sometime today. The Raiders and VIkings are also poking around about Carr.

- (so much for trading Carr; they released him Friday afternoon).

There's a bit of a gamble in getting Schaub, since he has mostly served as Michael Vick's clipboard carrier. But in his limited time, Schaub has shown to be a reliable fill-in, and the Falcons' offense was in some ways better under him than the less disciplined Vick.

With Schaub and newly signed running back Ahman Green, the Texans are already a better team than the one they were at the end of the 2006 season.

But just how good remains to be seen. After all, they're in a division with the Super Bowl champion Colts, who won't go away any time soon. The Titans are an up-and-coming team with Vince Young, so there's plenty of company in a division that won't be easy to win for a while.

A fairly significant P.S. to the Schaub transaction: The Texans no longer consider Jake Plummer an option. Even though Plummer has been traded to the Buccaneers, there was suspicion among several league executives that his end game was to wind up in Houston with his former offensive coordinator, Gary Kubiak.

But the Schaub trade ends that idea.

As for the Falcons, this means that Vick is the man, in no uncertain terms. There was a good deal of hand-wringing within the Falcons organization about keeping Schaub for another year as an insurance policy in the event Vick did not sufficiently progress, but now that he's gone, this is Vick's team. Period.

The Falcons' draft suddenly becomes very intriguing. They move up to the 8th overall spot, and have two second-round picks as well. There's talk they're interested in moving up for wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is one of the most talked-about players in the entire draft. Atlanta might have to go as high as No. 1 overall, because the Raiders are very interested in Johnson with the top choice.

The Lions are at No. 2 and are open to the idea of moving down. The Brown probably will stay at No. 3 unless they're blown away with an offer.

Look for new commish Roger Goodell to unveil his new program for dealing with players who get into trouble off the field. It might happen as soon as next week at the NFL's owners meetings in Phoenix.

Goodell is none too happy with the behavior problems of people like Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, who has had 10 run-ins with the police; Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson, who was sentenced this week to four months in prison on charges stemming from weapons possession; and a slew of Bengals players busted for a variety of transgressions.

He's mad as hell, and he's not going to take it any more.

Goodell, in consultation with the NFL Players Association, will likely institute much harsher penalties - including long suspensions - for players who violate the law and bring unwanted publicity on a league that prides itself on image.

"What's important to him in developing this policy is that it is supported by a wide faction of people in our league, meaning the owners, the players' association, the players and the clubs," league spokesman Greg Aiello told reporters on a conference call earlier this afternoon. "He's been very encouraged by the strong stance that
the players have taken in terms of looking for a more effective policy."

That's good news for a league that is tarnished by the actions of a few players.

49ers coach Mike Nolan is a big proponent of changing the NFL’s pass interference rule, and he hopes the owners will pass a proposal that will give officials more discretion in interference calls.

Nolan’s idea is to let officials decide if a pass interference call should result in a 15-yard penalty on a non-flagrant violation, or whether interference should be called at the spot of the infraction on more serious violations. Current rules stipulate that defensive pass interference gives the offense a first down at the spot of the foul, or else at the 1-yard line if the penalty occurs in the endzone. Nolan complains that some offensive coaches purposely call longer pass plays hoping for an interference call.

Our message to Nolan: Don’t hold your breath on this one.

Two league sources familiar with the NFL competition committee’s discussions about the proposal tell me the committee voted 8-0 against the proposal, which will be presented to owners at next week’s meetings in Phoenix. It’s almost inconceivable that the current rules will therefore be overturned, since 24 of the league’s 32 teams must approve a rules change.

But there are a couple of other interesting ideas floating around that could subtly change the game. The most significant issue: what to do about overtime games. With the numbers showing an increase in the teams that win the coin toss in overtime winning the games, a rule will be proposed to move overtime kickoffs from the 30-yard line up to the 35-yard line. If passed, the rule would give teams that lose the coin toss a slight advantage on kickoff coverage, and it would presumably increase the number of touchbacks, thereby making it a bit harder for the receiving team to score on its first possession. Kickoffs in regulation would remain at the 30-yard line.

Check out the numbers on overtime, and you'll see why the league is concerned:

Since overtime began in 1974, there have been a total of 402 overtime games. The teams that won the coin toss went on to win the game 214 times, or 53.2 percent of the time. The team that lost the toss won the game 172 times, or 42.8 percent. A total of 16 games – or 4 percent – ended in a tie.

Last year, the numbers were of particular concern, since seven of the 11 overtime games were won by the teams winning the coin toss. There were no ties in 2006.

Moving kickoffs up to the 35 in overtime has the support of the competition committee, which voted 7-1 in favor of it. That means there is a reasonable chance that owners will approve the measure.

Another idea floated in recent years to address the overtime situation is a two-possession rule in OT, where each team gets at least one possession. But the idea didn't get very far with the committee this year, and it will not be presented.

I actually like the idea of moving the kickoff up in OT. It's a very subtle change, but at least gives the team that loses the coin toss a better chance of pinning the receiving team deep in its own territory.

Another rule proposal recommended by the competition committee by an 8-0 vote: allowing a coach-to-defensive player communication system. Currently, teams must use hand signals to indicate which alignment is to be used, but league sources tell me that some teams have been stealing those signals in recent years. One league source told me that at least one team would actually film the opposing team’s defensive hand signals and then decipher them.

Allowing a coach to communicate with one defensive player on the field through a headset will help alleviate that problem. Only one defensive player would be given the headset, and if he is not in the game due to substitution or injury, the headset could not be transferred. Currently, there is a coach-to-quarterback system where quarterbacks hear the plays inside their helmets from the sidelines or press box.

Another rules proposal that is not expected to pass muster: Tampa Bay’s idea to include all penalties, excluding offensive holding, in the league’s replay system. The committee unanimously rejected the idea, citing the idea that replay is not intended to address every single play, and that including penalties would bog down the system.

... stay tuned for a few more rules change proposals.

- photo from www.sfgate.com

Apologies from me and Staple for our initial mistake on reporting that Eli Manning's contract had been extended through the 2012 season, although Manning's deal was in essence extended through the 2009 season as a result of the Giants' decision to "buy back" the remainder of his deal.

And as Staple says in his blog, the transaction that occurred earlier this month is an important one, and may explain in part the Giants' reluctance to splurge on the free agent market. They dumped $8 million into Manning's deal to "buy back" the 2008 and 2009 seasons and avoid having Manning become an unrestricted free agent after 2007.

That, combined with the fact that the Giants didn't see much value from an underwhelming free agent class, helps answer why the team has refrained from a spending spree this year.

Keep in mind, too, that the Giants needed to make a decision on the contract buy-back within 15 days from the start of the league year, according to sources familiar with Manning's deal. That gave them until Saturday to make the call, although they exercised the buy-back shortly after the March 2 start of the league year.

And with Manning now counting more than $10 million toward the 2007, 2008 and 2009 salary caps, it could hamper their ability down the road to give out huge dollars to attractive free agents.

Bottom line in all this: The Giants remain committed to Manning as their starter, and they're willing to pay handsomely for that belief.

As we told you several days ago, the Giants' interest in Cato June never materialized, so the Colts free agent linebacker had to look elsewhere. His landing spot: Tampa Bay.

The Bucs signed the outside linebacker, who has terrific coverage skills but whose run defense has been questioned, and don't be surprised if they consider him as an eventual replacement for former All Pro linebacker Derrick Brooks.

League sources tell me there is growing concern about how much longer Brooks has before his play falls off to the point where he may not even make the team, and June is an insurance policy against the that eventuality.

June drew surprisingly little interest in the free agent market, especially after he helped his team to a Super Bowl championship. But there were enough doubts about his run-stopping ability to keep teams - including the Giants - from breaking the bank for his services. Even in a year when mediocre talent drew some huge free agent dollars.

- photo from Indybluecrew.com

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis, who visited the Giants last week, is off the market. Not only is he not joining Big Blue, he's signed on with arch-rival Philadelphia.

As a measure of just how wacky this free agent market is, Curtis got a $7 million signing to join the Eagles as part of a six-year deal worth more than $30 million.

Goofy numbers, for sure.

Curtis received interest from several other teams, including the Titans and Lions, but opted for the Eagles, where he will potentially be the team's No. 1 receiver. He'll join Reggie Brown in the starting lineup.

Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse suffered what some team officials feared was a career-ending injury in Week 2 against the Giants last season. Kearse tore three of his four ligaments, all but the anterior cruciate ligament. And he suffered cartiliage damage and a severe bone bruise as well.

But Kearse is doing exceptionally well in his rehab, and there is little doubt he’ll return next season. Maybe not in time for mini-camp, but team sources tell me he’ll be ready to go at the start of training camp. Kearse said before last season he’d hoped to break the NFL sack record, and he had 3 ½ sacks in his first two games before being hurt.

LSU had its pro day today, and quarterback JaMarcus Russell, potentially the No. 1 pick in the draft, had by all accounts a solid outing. Just as importantly, he trimmed down nearly 10 pounds from the Scouting Combine, weighing in a 256. He's 6-5.

Russell also ran a 4.83 in the 40, which is more than adequate for a man his size.

Where he goes in the draft remains open to debate, just as where Brady Quinn of Notre Dame ends up. Quinn did fine at his pro day as well, so it's a matter of which team is looking for which kind of quarterback that will determine where each guy ends up.

It's possible - although not likely - that they go 1-2, with the Raiders taking Russell and the Lions taking Quinn. But the Lions may be reluctant to go with a quarterback after the Joey Harrington debacle. And it's no lock the Raiders go with Russell, because Al Davis is capable of doing anything. If he trades Randy Moss to the Packers, it's possible he'll get Aaron Rodgers in return, so the quarterback plans are totally up in the air.

The Texans will certainly be looking hard at both quarterbacks, and would be only too willing to give up David Carr in a trade. It's uncertain whether they prefer Russell or Quinn.

And don't count Cleveland out of the mix. With the third overall pick, the Browns are still in the market for a quarterback, although they're also serious about their interest in running back Adrian Peterson. The Jamal Lewis signing doesn't eliminate Peterson as a possibility, because Lewis' deal is only for a year.

One other team to keep in mind: The Dolphins. They are in position to move up, and have a need at quarterback now that Joey Harrington is gone and Daunte Culpepper doesn't appear to be in new coach Cam Cameron's plans. The Dolphins are also poking around about Chiefs veteran Trent Green, who has been given permission to shop for a new team.

Who would you pick first overall? Vote here!

- photo from ESPN.com

I like to reminisce with people I don’t know ... Granted, it takes longer.

It's a small world ... but I wouldn't want to paint it.

Forget about the Patriots. They've already loaded up with receivers Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington. No room there.

Jaguars? Maybe. Bucs? Possible.

The team to watch: Packers.

There are growing indications that Green Bay is the most serious about dealing for the talented, but disgruntled Raiders' receiver. GM Ted Thompson has apparently been eyeballing Moss for quite some time now, and he might end up pulling the trigger on a move.

A potentially huge upside, especially if Moss decides he's interested in becoming a premier receiver again. But an equally big downside if Moss reverts back to the me-me-me guy he too often became in Minnesota and then Oakland. There's no question Moss still has the talent to be an elite receiver.

But if his heart isn't in it, then the Packers are wasting their money.

- photo from www.sfgate.com

One of the biggest surprises of the free agent signing period is that Cato June is still a free agent.

The linebacker is coming off a Super Bowl win, but he's still a man without a team. The Colts didn't make any serious attempts to keep him from hitting free agency, and with a market that's seen huge dollars go to average talent, it's a wonder June is still on the market.

The Giants were rumored to be interested in June, but it's not happening. They're going with second-year man Gerris Wilkinson. I'm told a couple teams have expressed interest in June, but that there's now a fairly decent possibility that he'll re-sign with the Colts. There's a chance he goes elsewhere, but only if the contract is right.

If he does end up back in Indy, it would be a huge coup for the Colts. He fits perfectly in their Cover 2 system - very good coverage linebacker - but he's considered undersized and is still being blamed in some quarters for a good deal of the run-stopping problems the Colts experienced before strong safety Bob Sanders came to the rescue late in the season and into the playoffs.

Look at it this way: Not only do the Giants get a quality running back in Reuben Droughns, who was no longer wanted in Cleveland after the Browns signed Jamal Lewis, but all they had to give up was Tim Carter to take care of their need to get a complementary running back for Brandon Jacobs.

I call that addition by subtraction.

Droughns is a solid runner with two 1,200-yard seasons on his resume, and he is the perfect addition to Jacobs, who is penciled in as the starter but is still unproven in the role that had been held by Tiki Barber. If Jacobs falters, Droughns is certainly an adequate replacement. Throw in another solid runner in the draft, and the Giants' backfield situation is in decent shape.

The Giants thus get an affordably-priced runner, rather than overspend on the free agents that were out there or overpay for Willis McGahee, who commanded two third-round picks and a seventh-rounder in his trade from Buffalo to Baltimore.

Giants GM Jerry Reese had been getting hammered for his lack of activity on the free agent market, but sometimes it's better not to make any moves and see what shakes loose. This afternoon, a good player shook loose, and the price was well worth it.

"Reuben rushed for 1,200 yards in '04 and '05 and 750 last year. We think he gives us a nice veteran presence and complements Brandon Jacobs and the rest of our running back group nicely," Reese said in a statement. "We wish Tim the best. I think it will be good for him to have a fresh start. We have some young receivers that we are ready to throw in the mix."

No more waiting on Tim Carter to fulfill his potential. And no more Carter drops. The Giants will certainly shore up the receiver position with a second-tier free agent or through the draft. Meantime, they've got a decent running back situation heading into training camp.

And there will be more free agent action before long, according to Reese.

"I realize the perception is that we haven’t done anything through the first week of free agency because we haven’t signed any unrestricted free agents,” he said. “The opposite is true. We have been working very hard to do what’s best for this franchise. The fact is we had a few guys we had targeted that would have made sense for us under the right circumstances. A couple of those simply didn’t work out, but there is a whole lot of the free agency period left and the draft and the rest of the off-season for us to continue to build this roster, and we’re going to work smartly in doing that.”

- photo from NBCSports.com

Hartford Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs wrote one of the most touching columns I've ever read. It is a moving piece on former Patriots beat writer Alan Greenberg, who died suddenly on Tuesday of an apparent heart attack at age 55.

I knew Alan for years, and found him to be one of the most refreshing personalities in our business. He will be missed.

Please read Jacobs' tribute, especially if you are a father.

Keep the tissues handy.

Scratch Dominic Rhodes from the Giants' plans.

While the team had been interested in the Colts free agent running back, he'll be performing now for the Raiders. In a mild surprise, considering the Raiders had already gotten assurances that incumbent LaMont Jordan had agreed to a paycut to remain with the team, Oakland solidified their backfield with Rhodes, who excelled in Super Bowl XLI after losing his starting role to rookie Joseph Addai.

There are only two veteran running backs of consequence left on the market - Corey Dillon and Chris Brown - and you've got to figure one of them will end up with either Buffalo or Tennessee. One league source told me today that he believes the Bills, even if they sign a veteran runner, will still make a move on draft to day to get into the top 5 to get a shot at Adrian Peterson. We'll see if they can get that far after dumping Willis McGahee.

Then again, the Bills Hall of Fame running back, Thurman Thomas, was a second-round pick. And if they can't get Peterson, then Cal's Marshawn Lynch, who won't cost nearly as much to trade up for, could be their man.

They say everyone has a double, and mine is Marquette basketball coach Tom Crean.

Check this out and see for yourself. It's a segment from this morning's Cold Pizza on ESPN2.

First Thomas Jones, now Willis McGahee.

By the end of the week - maybe even by the end of the day - the game of NFL musical running backs will be over.

Jones to the Jets got things moving late Monday, and now it's McGahee to the Ravens in exchange for third-round picks this year and next year, as well as a seventh-rounder this year. All in all, a good trade for both teams. The Bills get quality draft picks and get rid of a player who didn't want to be there. The Ravens get an every-down back who can provide an element of explosivness now that Jamal Lewis jumped to Cleveland after accepting the Browns' one-year, $3.5 million offer.

All that's left now is to see where Dominic Rhodes, Corey Dillon and Chris Brown - the three remaining backs of substance, wind up.

The Giants, Bills, Packers, and Titans are the teams that will be vying for these guys, and we should know shortly where everyone ends up. The Bills have expressed interest in all three backs, and are in good position to offer any of them a starter's role. But I expect Buffalo to think very seriously about drafting a running back next month. I spoke to general manager Marv Levy yesterday, and he told me one of the big reasons for loading up early on fre