April 2011 4for4 Player News Articles

The team moved into the second round to select Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas, who could ultimately serve as Ronnie Brown’s replacement. Brown will become a free agent whenever the league year opens for business.

A physical back with the potential to be an every-down player, Thomas also has some intriguing pass-catching abilities that could also make him Brown’s successor if Miami continues to implement the Wildcat offense.

With the Carson Palmer era at an end, the Bengals devoted plenty of time in trying to find their next quarterback. Whether Andy Dalton will be the starter when the season opens Sept. 11 in Cleveland remains to be seen. If it happened, it would mark the first time since 1969 that the Bengals have had a rookie start the opener.

“I feel like I’m a leader. I know how to push guys; I know what it takes to push guys,” Dalton said. “I’m excited to come in, learn the different personalities of everybody there, get on the same page with everybody, and just get to work.”

Gruden asked Dalton at the Combine if he was ready to come in and start quickly. Dalton’s response to him was, “I’m ready now, let’s go.”

Browns WR Greg Little, 6-2 and 220 pounds, had only one full-time season at receiver for former Browns coach Butch Davis. He was a starting tailback his sophomore year, because the Tar Heels were deep with future NFL receivers. He had 62 catches for 724 yards and five touchdowns in 2009, and then was one of several frontline Tar Heel players suspended in 2010 for accepting improper benefits.

Yet coach Pat Shurmur affirmed that he sees enough in Little to project him as the team's possible No. 1 receiver. It helps that North Carolina ran a West Coast-style offense.

"He has a lot of the attributes you look for in a receiver," Shurmur said. "He can beat bump and run. He's extremely good about catching the football. He'll fight for the ball. He finds a way to separate. He's got size. And he finds a way to get in the end zone. That's something very critical for a receiver."

Little's elite size and experience as a "downhill runner" at tailback give him a physical -- almost angry -- temperament on the field. Heckert said, "When he catches the ball, he tries to hurt you."

On Friday night, the Vikings returned to their usual means of operation and stayed true to their board by selecting Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph in the second round. However, the decision was a bit of a surprise considering that of the Vikings' many positional needs, tight end didn't seem to be near the top of the list.

Rudolph joins a depth chart that includes starter Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan. All three will be entering the final season of their contracts, and Rudolph's presence likely means it will be difficult for Dugan to make the roster. Kleinsasser is 34 and will be entering his 13th NFL season, and it's uncertain how much longer he will play after 2011.

Rudolph, who declared for the draft after his junior season, likely would have been a first-round pick if he hadn't suffered a severe hamstring injury last season. He played the first six games with a sore right hamstring before tearing two tendons off the bone against Pittsburgh. He underwent season-ending surgery in mid-October.

Rudolph admits that, in retrospect, he should have shut himself down until what had been a hamstring pull was healed "instead of trying to be a tough guy and grind through it."

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave envision the potential of having the 6-6 Rudolph and 6-4 Shiancoe on the field at the same time in some packages.

"[That] would really create some mismatches for defenses," Frazier said. "In our game, that's a big part of what we are trying to do, create mismatches."

The Ravens needed a speedy receiver to stretch the field. In starters Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason, they have veteran wideouts who make all the catches but won't run past cornerbacks. Last season, the Ravens wide receivers had five receptions over 40 yards.

Torrey Smith brings an element that "strikes fear" in defenses, general manager Ozzie Newsome said.

"We play against other teams and a slip here, and it's a touchdown. And that's deflating," Newsome said. "With everything we already have, we just added the 3-point shooter. At any point, the ball gets in his hands and Billy [Cundiff] is coming out to kick an extra point."

Even though Smith can beat defenses deep, he isn't a one-dimensional receiver who runs down the sideline.

"He shows a willingness to attack the middle," Hortiz said. "He's not afraid. He takes some hits and continues on."

Torrey Smith will fill the role that Donte' Stallworth was meant to fill as a speed guy on the outside. Expect more than 2 catches from Smith though. The Ravens hope he will be the eventual successor to Derrick Mason.

The Rams chose Boise State receiver Austin Pettis with the 78th pick of the NFL draft. Pettis is 6-3, 209 pounds and is Boise's all-time leading receiver in receptions and touchdown catches.

"He's a big receiver, a smart guy, who can play all three positions," Rams GM Billy Devaney said. "He gives us a lot of flexibility. He can play outside, play the slot. He has good hands."

Lions WR Titus Young caught 25 touchdown passes during his career at Boise State, 23 of which were 20 yards or longer and 16 from 40 yards or more. Young's role will be to play the No. 3 receiver, on the outside opposite of Calvin Johnson.

The Lions need a speed player who can threaten deep and occupy a deep safety, opening the field for Detroit's other receivers. It's a role that Young thinks he can fill well.

During his three-year career at Illinois, Lions RB Mikel LeShoure averaged 6.5 yards per carry and rushed for 1,697 yards last season. His role on the team will be as a change-of-pace back to Jahvid Best and to also handle the workload in situations -- four-minute offense (when the Lions are trying to kill the clock), short yardage and goal-line.

Running back Reggie Bush’s(notes) days with the New Orleans Saints all but came to an end Thursday night when the team selected running back Mark Ingram with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

“It’s been fun New Orleans,” Bush posted on his Twitter page Thursday night.

Bush was not expected to return to the Saints next season regardless of what the team did because he has so far declined to take a pay cut when the subject was broached before the NFL lockout began. Bush is due approximately $11.8 million in the 2011 season in base salary and bonuses.

Expect Mark Ingram to take over early down work with Pierre Thomas (recently re-signed) to move into a 3rd-down role. Whatever fantasy value Chris Ivory may have had is now dependent on an Ingram or Thomas injury.

The Falcons' stunning trade with Cleveland, in which they gave up a first-round pick -- among a lot of others -- to get from No. 27 to No. 6 overall in order to draft wide receiver Julio Jones, was an ambitious move that, more than anything, shows the Falcons are going for broke in 2011.

"Our expectation with this move is we believe Julio can come on to the football team and contribute from Day 1," Dimitroff told me Thursday night. "There are going to be growing pains like any rookie wide receiver. He's a true junior who is an incredibly competitive guy with a very hard-to-find skill set. He has a frame at 6-2, 220 and speed that's sub-4.4 (in the 40-yard dash).

"What he adds to our receiver group is an element of play-making explosiveness."

The Jaguars created an instant quarterback controversy Thursday night by making a bold move to trade up for Blaine Gabbert, who is now their quarterback of the future.

The Jaguars dealt their second-round pick to Washington to trade up six spots (10th overall) and take Gabbert, who will eventually replace David Garrard as the team’s starting quarterback. The question is when the transition will take place. both coach Jack Del Rio and general Gene Smith stressed that Garrard is still the starter.

“Our intention is to have David as our quarterback and have Blaine come in and push David,’’ Del Rio said. “David is our quarterback," Smith said. “We’ve got Luke McCown behind him. He’s a proven starter."

While Jack Del Rio may be saying David Garrard is the starter for now, it will only be a matter of time before the reins are handed over to Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars could take the smart rout and let Gabbert hold a clipboard for most of 2011.

New Panthers coach Ron Rivera and long-time general manager Marty Hurney talked last week about needing to find a franchise quarterback and they firmly believe Cam Newton can be that guy even though questions abound about his ability to make the transition from a simplistic offense at Auburn to a more complicated scheme with the Panthers.

“We’ve had a strong feeling for some time that he was the person who could come in and have the most impact on this football team," Hurney said.

And it sounds like he has a chance to play relatively soon as a rookie, something that goes against what Rivera said earlier this week about the importance of bringing a young quarterback along slowly.

"He'll have an opportunity to play, most definitely. Everybody has an opportunity to play," Rivera said. "Cam will play when Cam gets himself ready to play. I'm putting a little bit of a challenge out there for him. That's what he thrives on."

Many agents and general managers are bracing for the NFL league year to begin as soon as Monday if the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals does not grant the NFL's request for a stay of the ruling in Minneapolis that granted the players an injunction to lift the current lockout.

The league issued a statement on post-injunction operations on Thursday, saying it will distribute a notice to clubs -- likely on Friday -- about the timing for the commencement of the league year, free agent signings and other customary player transactions (such as signings, trades of player contracts, terminations, tryouts, etc.).

Several top agents are advising their clients to prepare for being able to truly hit the free-agent market on Monday, which is when they expect the league year to open. If that happened, there likely would be undrafted rookie free agents hitting the market at the same time as veteran free agents. Many expect the league to implement rules from the 2010 season, though nothing is concrete at this time.

The federal judge who lifted the NFL lockout dealt another blow to the league late Wednesday, denying its request to put her ruling on hold. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson wrote that the NFL "has not met its burden for a stay pending appeal, expedited or otherwise." She dismissed the NFL's argument that it is facing irreparable harm because of her decision Monday to end the 45-day lockout.

"In short, the world of 'chaos' the NFL claims it has been thrust into -- essentially the 'free-market' system this nation otherwise willfully operates under -- is not compelled by this court's order," Nelson wrote.

The judge acknowledged that her decision will be appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis and the NFL has promised that step. There was no immediate word from the league after Nelson's decision.

The ruling means the league has no rules in place, shelved since the collective bargaining agreement ended on March 11 and the lockout was imposed shortly afterward.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning admitted Wednesday that he intentionally tries to underperform on the NFL's preseason baseline concussion test so he can remain off the injury report if he suffers a head injury during the season.

"They have these new (brain) tests we have to take," he said. "Before the season, you have to look at 20 pictures and turn the paper over and then try to draw those 20 pictures. And they do it with words, too. Twenty words, you flip it over, and try to write those 20 words.

"Then, after a concussion, you take the same test and if you do worse than you did on the first test, you can't play. So I just try to do badly on the first test."

Broncos DE Jason Hunter is recovering from a stab wound to the left shoulder.

Sources tell Action News that Hunter, who was driven to Detroit Receiving Hospital by someone he knows, said it was his 23-year-old girlfriend who stabbed him this morning.

Prior to NFL teams locking out players from their facilities, Panthers WR Steve L Smith cleared out his locker of all his personal belongings at Bank of America Stadium.

It is believed that the Panthers will look to deal Smith once trades are back in play and will look to the draft to add a rookie WR.

As for the possibility of Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco ending up with the Patriots, King said: “As a matter of fact, Chad tweeted me recently, a week or so ago, and says, ‘OK, where am I going to end up?’ And I said, ‘New England.’ ”

“Look, I don’t know where he’s going to end up. But all I know is this: The Bengals are tired of his act. Bill Belichick likes him. He’s charmed by him.”

King said Ochocinco is not the malcontent many people think he is. “Chad is a very hard worker,” King said. “He’s a good example — I’m talking physically to other players; I don’t think he’s the best example in the locker room and necessarily off the field, wanting to be involved in 100 things that aren’t football-related. But I do think that especially on a club-friendly contract, which I believe that Ocho would definitely be willing to do, why wouldn’t it be a possibility?

The Giants complex was unlike any other today – the first day after U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson lifted the lockout – in that players were able to use the entire facility if they so chose. While Chris Canty took advantage of the offer, Brandon Jacobs was merely on a reconnaissance mission to find out “if it’s true or not” the facility was open to the players.

It was, and he’ll be back on Wednesday for a workout.

Albert Haynesworth has been indicted on a charge of misdemeanor sexual abuse by a grand jury in Washington, D.C.

Earlier in February, Albert Haynesworth had been charged with assault in a road range incident. In that case, a man said that the nose tackle got out of his car and punched him in the face on Route 7100 in Fairfax County.

If convicted of the sexual assault, Haynesworth faces up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Chaos is ensuing as expected in this unique day in the history of the NFL. When Judge Susan Nelson ruled last night to lift the NFL lockout, I am not sure either she nor her clerks understood the confusion that would reign with her ruling. Appeals by the NFL have been made and hopefully this will sort out soon, but now things are a bit, shall we say, fluid.

Clearly, the NFL and the Players have different interpretations of what "lifting the lockout" means." The NFL does understand that a failure to let players into their facilities would be violating a court order from Judge Nelson. Knowing they do not want to be held in contempt of court, they are opening their doors to the players. It appears, however, that that is all they are doing. The Players appear to believe that lifting the lockout gives them full access to the facility, for which they have been denied.

The NFL has filed its request for an immediate stay of the injunction (keeping the lockout intact) with Judge Nelson. The Players' response is due tomorrow morning. Nelson should rule by late tomorrow. If she rules for the Players, the NFL will request an immediate appeal to the Eighth Circuit to stay the injunction, which could take a couple to a few days. Either way, it is unlikely we will have NFL business during the Draft this week.

One possibility is that Judge Nelson allows for a temporary stay of the injunction -- a week perhaps -- to allow the NFL to get its house in order and set up rules to operate by during this temporary period of litigation.

U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson lifted the lockout on Monday, saying it causing "irreparable harm" to the players. Nelson's action ended the NFL's work stoppage in its 45th day.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday morning that the league will continue operating as is.

"We are going to proceed in an orderly way that is fair to the teams and players and complies with court orders," Aiello said. "Players are being treated with courtesy and respect at club facilities.

"We do not believe it is appropriate for football activities to take place until there are further rulings from the court. Under the last set of proposals made to the NFLPA, teams wouldn't even be into offseason program yet. We need a few days to sort this out, as NFLPA attorney Jim Quinn indicate last night."

Nonetheless, some players returned to team facilities Tuesday morning.

Nelson has given the players until 9 a.m. CT Wednesday to reply to the league's expedited motion for a stay. The stay would put Nelson's decision on hold pending further appeals. So we are again in a holding pattern, but this is certainly a positive sign for the fans. We will likely either have the league back open for business in a few days, or be forced to wait for the appeals process to run its course. Either way, the landscape of the current NFL is continually evolving with lots of unknowns without a CBA in place.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur envisions a two-man backfield of Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis jumpstarting his West Coast offense.

Lions RB Jahvid Best now is completely healthy and ready for a big season.

While Best will continue to be Detroit's feature back, touching the ball 20 to 25 times a game, he won't be the full-time workhorse. The Lions are looking for a versatile runner, a guy with size who can run with power but also has some agility and speed to be an overall threat.

The wife of Dolphins star receiver Brandon Marshall has been arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after allegedly stabbing Marshall yesterday. Bond was set at $7,500 and she remains in jail this morning.

A woman stabbed Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall with a knife and was admitted to intensive care in a hospital, ESPN reported Saturday, citing two league sources.

A team source told Jay Glazer of that doctors have told the Dolphins that Marshall isn't in imminent danger at this point. Another source told ESPN that Marshall is "going to be OK."

Marshall's agent, Kennard McGuire, and lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, issued the following statement: "This is a very difficult time for Brandon and family, thankfully he will make a full recovery, we simply ask that his privacy is respected."

While the headline reads like a horror story and our thoughts go out to Brandon and his family, as a bottom line it sounds like Marshall should be fine within a couple of weeks. However, off the field issues continue to plague Brandon Marshall.

As locked-out NFL players have become nomadic in their search for work-out facilities, a group of St. Louis Rams has chosen the University of Houston as the site to stay in shape and watch film during the league's shut-down. Quarterback Sam Bradford and select receivers have been on campus this week utilizing the UH accommodations to stay prepared for the upcoming season. Former Cougar receiver Donnie Avery is among the players.

Avery said he's recovered from the knee injury from a physical standpoint but he still has a mental hurdle to overcome.

"I can't go as fast as those guys because it's still in my head," he said. "I'm trying to baby it a little bit because I'm five months out of surgery so it's still kind of in my head. Still got a long way to go."

As for Bradford, Avery said the former Sooners quarterback is displaying the leadership expected of the top pick of the 2010 draft. "He doesn't do lot of talking," Avery said. "He's very structured so whatever he says we know he means business because he rarely talks. He leads by example and we just follow.

"As a team, we know we have a lot of potential and we don't want to lose it so we try to stay positive and stay responsible. We're trying to have a discipline-type structure so we get together to run routes and watch film just like if we were at the facility."

Packers TE Jermichael Finley on himself: Today was the first time since Week 5 that I caught a ball & ran routes. An my my my I look good.

Anyone operating under the assumption Vince Young could remain with the Titans can forget about it. Coach Mike Munchak reiterated Thursday that the team and the quarterback will part ways, no matter what happens in the NFL draft. The fact that the verdict was reached on Jeff Fisher’s watch changes nothing, said Munchak, whose focus is on identifying the next Titans quarterback and whether that player might come from an intriguing group of draft prospects next week.

“That was a decision made months ago and nothing that is going to happen personnel-wise, or how the draft goes, is going to change that,’’ said Munchak, who replaced Fisher in February. “It wasn’t just a Jeff Fisher decision — I think people kind of have that feeling because it happened back then we could change our decision.”

With Kerry Collins a free agent, some had speculated the Titans would re-think their stance on Vince Young. That's not going to happen. Look for the Titans to pursue a QB in both the draft and in free agency. We saw all we needed to see from Rusty Smith last year - 20 of 40 for 200 yards, 0 TDs & 4 INTs.

The San Francisco 49ers would welcome back quarterback Alex Smith if the 2005 first overall pick wants to return.

General manager Trent Baalke said Wednesday that the 49ers have extended an "olive branch" to Smith to come back to the only NFL team he has ever known. All that started before the NFL locked out the players in the ongoing labor dispute.

With the going-nowhere Round 2 of mediation between the owners and players on a break until May 16, it's time for U.S. District Court Judge Susan Nelson of St. Paul, Minn., to take center stage. It's just about time for her ruling on the NFLPA's request for a preliminary injunction to lift the lockout.

I'm hearing Nelson will issue the ruling on Monday. The players are the heavy favorites to win this round.

That doesn't mean the lockout ends right away and free agency starts. Nelson will either issue a stay on her ruling pending appeal to the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis or the loser will get a stay pending appeal directly from the Eighth Circuit. The winner of the appeal gains the leverage.

Jets CB Antonio Cromartie was an ideal fit for Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme that put a premium on man coverage. He teamed with Revis to form one of the elite cornerback tandems in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks completed only 43.9% of passes thrown at Cromartie – the fifth best “burn percentage” in the league, according to STATS, LLC. Darrelle Revis, who was thrown at half as many times as Cromartie, was No. 1 at 33.9%.

Twice in the last two weeks Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings have been linked as potential dance partners for the 2011 NFL season. The Vikings are indeed one of the teams interested in McNabb, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity. But obviously, no deal could be made until there is a new collective bargaining agreement.

One league source said none of the teams interested in McNabb is expected to want to offer much for the 34-year-old quarterback, not because they doubt his skills but because the Redskins already tipped their hand that McNabb doesn’t have a future in Washington.

It’s believed that whenever the lockout ends, the Redskins will have to cooperate with the McNabb on a destination because it is expected that they will have to get him to rework the contract he signed last November.

While this is all still just speculation, a Vikings/McNabb pairing would be a good fantasy fit. Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson & perhaps Sidney Rice would do well to have a veteran QB under center & Donovan McNabb should be able to rejuvenate his career behind a respectable offensive line.

Recently, Kansas City coach Todd Haley said Thomas Jones will be brought back in 2011. Yet, the Chiefs may have to be prepared to give Jamaal Charles a bigger role. Jones will turn 33 in August. He didn’t have more than 68 yards in the final six games of the regular season. His per carry average was 3.4 or fewer in five of those games. Jones had 15 yards on five carries in a playoff loss to Baltimore.

Jones will be faced with the challenge of age moving forward. According to Jason Vida of ESPN Stats & Information, only three running backs in NFL history have rushed for at least 1,000 yards in a season when they were 33 or older on December 31st of that year. The last to do it was John Riggins in 1984 when he ran for 1,239 yards at the age of 35.

Jones should still be able to help keep Kansas City’s ground game elite in 2011, but his late 2010 slide and history at the position is further evidence that it is time to give Charles a bigger role in the offense.

The Dolphins intend on adding a scatback type like DeAngelo Williams through the draft or free agency. They clearly want a runner who can get the edges on stretch plays and sweeps. Or as Ireland puts it, someone who can make something out of nothing. The plan is to also restock the running back corp with a combo of veteran and draftee.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, representing Detroit in his Tigers cap, looked strong in his first public passing display since undergoing shoulder surgery in January.

“It felt good,” Stafford said of his shoulder. “It was fun. We just had a good time out here today — nothing too crazy, just fooling around a little bit. It’s good to be back here at Sanford Stadium in front of these great fans. This was a great turnout and a great day to be out here.”

Up against fellow Georgia quarterback legends and NFL veterans Eric Zeier, David Greene and D.J. Shockley, Stafford threw 12 passes in the competition and turned in the top score in two of the three events.

His most impressive showing ca

Dolphins free-agent running back Ricky Williams said on WQAM's The Sid Rosenberg Show on Thursday that things changed last year and with a new offensive coordinator the team might not want to bring back Ronnie Brown or himself. He also said if the Dolphins make him a fair offer it would be hard for him to leave Miami.

"I think there is always situations and I think Ronnie and I have had some success doing what we been doing here the past couple years, but I think things changed last year," Williams said. "I think we are not the same offense we were two two years ago. I think new offensive coordinator. I think they might want to go in different direction. If Dolphins really want me t o stay and make a fair offer, it would be hard for me to turn down, but I don't know if that is going to happen."

Saints RB Pierre Thomas: I'm finally out of my "walking boot" from my ankle surgery.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt was arrested on three charges Tuesday afternoon after a car chase in his hometown of Bayonne, N.J. A Bayonne police spokesman told FOXSports.com that Britt was charged with eluding a police officer, lying to an officer/hindering apprehension and obstructing governmental function. Eluding an officer is a third-degree felony; the other two charges are misdemeanors.

According to a police report, the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when Britt was clocked driving his blue Porsche at 71 mph in a 50-mph zone. When an officer attempted to enter the roadway to stop the vehicle, the Porsche accelerated and began weaving in and out of highway traffic. The Porsche then exited the highway and was spotted on a local street with Britt and Lord walking away from the vehicle.

The officer ordered them to stop and began questioning Britt and Lord, both of whom denied being in the vehicle. At one point during the interview, Lord ran away on foot, but he was apprehended a block away by a pursuing officer.

Britt and Lord were both released on summons. They are expected to have a future hearing at Hudson County (N.J.) Superior Court.

ESPN's John Clayton thinks it's becoming less likely that Matt Hasselbeck will continue his career with the Seahawks.

"I'm not optimistic now. I'm starting to think that it may not happen," Clayton said of the chances that Hasselbeck re-signs with the Seahawks when the NFL's lockout ends. "It seems like they did put a good effort in, but they didn't come to the right number. And now it's put the Seahawks in a position where I think what'll happen is, if free agency would start -- and we all don't know when -- I think they'll let him test the market. And that could be dangerous because he could go someplace else.

"But at this stage I'd say the odds are now slipping away that Matt's going to be here (in Seattle)."

Judge Susan Richard Nelson told the NFL and NFL players that she will impose forced mediation on them early this week, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The league had wanted more mediation in Washington, while federal mediator George Cohen and the NFL Players' Association wanted mediation in Minnesota.

Judge Nelson will decide what she feels is best and announce her decision early this week.

Players' side is extremely confident after Wednesday's hearing that Judge Nelson will grant the players' injunction request to end lockout.

New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem told The Sporting News that he had ankle surgery this offseason, but he said he expects to be healthy in time for training camp -- assuming there is a training camp.

Meachem said the ankle bothered him for "pretty much" the entire 2011 season. He was also recovering from 2010 toe surgery last year. That could explain why the former first-round draft pick wasn't able to build on his breakout 2009 performance. Meachem's numbers were more solid than spectacular last year -- 44 catches, 638 yards, five touchdowns.

If Meachem can return to full health, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound speedster still has the potential to become a dynamic, No. 1-caliber receiver for the Saints.

The Jets are planning to have three tailbacks on the roster -- Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight -- but do they have a No. 1 back in the bunch? Ah, that is the question. This is Greene's time to shine, but didn't we say that last year? It didn't happen that way, of course, as Tomlinson was the feature back over the first half of the season. McKnight, who arrived with a diva mentality, matured throughout the season (pine time can have that effect) and flashed promise in the meaningless season finale. He'll have a role, possibly as the No. 2 back, bringing much-needed speed to the backfield. Tomlinson could be the third-down back.

Optimism is always nice this time of the year, but realities will set in once the season starts. LaDainian Tomlinson will have an edge as a veteran, especially if the off-season programs and training camps are delayed. Don't forget how quickly Greene and McKnight were in the dog house for rookie mistakes at the start of last season. Tomlinson will likely wear down as the season progresses, making him a good buy-low, sell high candidate again this year.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford: Headed to rehab in an hour. Met with Dr. Andrews yesterday. More than happy with where I am in rehab. Getting real close to 100%.

After a hearing that lasted over five-and-half hours, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson took the preliminary injunction motion in the Brady v. National Football League suit under advisement and said she will need at least two weeks to make her ruling.

The injunction seeks to end the lockout imposed by the owners after the collective bargaining agreement last month.

In the meantime, Nelson urged both NFL owners and the players to settle the case with the help of the federal court. That’s an option the NFL has repeatedly not had any interest in because any settlement would keep a new collective bargaining agreement under the purview of the court system. The NFL wants a CBA collectively bargaining and third-party arbiters put in place similar to the other major sports.

“The court will rule as quickly as possible,” Nelson said at the conclusion of the proceedings. “But I do feel compelled to say that it will probably take me a couple of weeks to do a fair job to both sides and take a look at the issues and determine if a hearing is needed or not, and to rule

“In the meantime, it seems to me that both sides are at risk. And this is a very good time for you to come back to the table. Not to the union table, not to the players’ table, but to the federal court table which is in the middle. Let’s say neutral table, if you will. It fully protects you in every way from any consequences and this is really a matter which should be resolved in my view. There are a lot of folks who are impacted by this beyond those present today.”

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Saturday the team still is undecided which direction it will go to determine a starting quarterback for next season, whether it be a veteran, a draft choice or ready-and-waiting Joe Webb.

Frazier said he's not leaning any particular way.

"It's kind of a matter of who's available," Frazier said. "And we need to find a guy who we can build around. That would be the ideal situation. But if Joe Webb can be that guy, it'll be Joe Webb. We like Joe; we like some of the things he did at the end of last season. We're going to give him a chance to compete for that starting job as well. It's open. We hope to have a young guy, and maybe a veteran guy. But it's going to be open competition."

The chances the Vikings actually enter the season with Joe Webb as their starter are slim. Any fantasy value he had will also be negated because he will likely not be WR eligible in 2011.