Scouting the quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers, Packers: Cut his interceptions nearly in half while throwing for more yards and touchdowns last year. Enters his third season as a starter and is scratching on the door outside the elite status held for Brees and Manning.

Philip Rivers, cheap Chargers jersey : San Diego's best wide receiver (Vincent Jackson) and Pro Bowl left tackle (Marcus McNeill) are holding out, so Rivers getting to 4,000 yards for a third consecutive season could be a challenge.

Carson Palmer, Bengals: There have been a number of reports out of Cincy noting Palmer's diminished arm strength. Yikes.

Kyle Orton, Broncos: Don't sweat Tim Tebow, Orton is the Broncos guy. He shouldn't be yours, however.

Donovan McNabb, Redskins: Coach Mike Shanahan brought his son Kyle over from Houston to coordinate the offense. Kyle, as Matt Schaub owners will attest off last year, likes to throw the ball.

Peyton Manning, Colts: If there's a person picking ahead of you targeting Manning, try to get in his head by mentioning all the recent quarterbacks who have been disasters the year after losing the Super Bowl. Except for Kurt Warner last year, Tom Brady, Rex Grossman, Matt Hasselbeck and Donovan McNabb all got hurt or yanked the season after losing the Supe. Manning has never missed a game in his career

Eli Manning, Giants: He's 29 years old, coming off the best statistical season of his career and has a variety of targets to throw to. If you decide not to draft an elite quarterback, Eli's a fine choice.

Byron Leftwich, wholesale Steelers jersey : He is still fighting with Dennis Dixon to start during Ben Roethlisberger's suspension. Pittsburgh does have a couple decent early matchups (at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay) that those in two-quarterback leagues might consider.

Matt Leinart, Cardinals: Now that Kurt Warner is gone, Arizona is diving into the deep end of the hot tub by handing the keys to Leinart.

Kevin Kolb, Eagles: It's impossible around here to call Kolb a sleeper, but that's how he's being viewed around the country. The biggest question will be his ability to withstand the 16-game schedule. You might want to grab Michael Vick in the last round, just in case.

Chad Henne, Dolphins: It has been a while since Miami had a relevant quarterback, but Henne might be getting there. If he cuts down his interceptions and keeps Brandon Marshall happy, Henne could work his way into starting consideration in large leagues.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks: Yawn.

Joe Flacco, Ravens: The addition of cheap Anquan Boldin jersey has given the Ravens more depth than they ever have had at wide receiver. Baltimore also brought in veteran Marc Bulger as a mentor. Flacco could be a steal in the middle of the draft.

Brett Favre, Vikings: You knew he wasn't going to let the last image of his career be that ridiculous interception in the NFC Championship game. If his ankle becomes problematic, it will affect his fantasy numbers.

Jay Cutler, Bears: New offensive coordinator Mike Martz has a serious man-crush on Cutler. He loves his savvy and his intelligence. There's no arguing that Cutler has the tools, but how much do you trust Chicago's inexperienced receivers?

Matt Cassel, Chiefs: Charlie Weis might have struggled on Saturdays, but the Chiefs new offensive coordinator knows his way around quarterbacks. Don't dare make Cassel your starter, but do keep an eye on him.

Jason Campbell, Raiders: Campbell is an upgrade at quarterback over JaMarcus Russell. But, then again, Naomi Campbell would be an improvement for the Raiders. Take Naomi. Leave Jason for someone else.

Drew Brees, Saints: That Week 1 opener against Brett Favre and the Vikings should get the fantasy season off to a flying start. First one to 40 wins.

Tom Brady jersey , Patriots: Says he wants to play another 10 years. Even if she is a supermodel, married life will do that to you.

Sam Bradford, Rams: No thanks. Ditto for the other rookie quarterbacks out there.

The Seahawks didn't just hope Charlie Whitehurst would be a successful quarterback

The fullback said it was good to get closure on the whole situation.

Not that it helps now.

"I really don't care about the 'I'm sorry.' That moment could have been a real, real historic moment. CJ probably would've been 30, 40 yards away from the record, and that was taken away from us. The sorry really doesn't mean anything to me. All I can do is move on and try to get the record this year," Hall said.

At the time, Johnson was about to start celebrating in the back of the end zone before the Titans realized Hochuli had thrown a penalty flag near the line of scrimmage. Hochuli later called it a blatant hold by Hall on his lead block against linebacker David Hawthorne. But he told Hall he was graded down for that call, costing him the chance to work a playoff game.

If the run had counted, Johnson would have had 182 of the 234 yards he Aaron Curry needed to set the season rushing record.

"I do give him credit for saying he made a mistake," said Hall, a former Marine. "Some people know they're dead wrong and refuse to say they're wrong. He's a special guy for admitting he made the wrong call and letting everybody know that and being open with that.

The Seahawks didn't just hope Charlie Whitehurst would be a successful quarterback. Seattle believed it, which is why the Seahawks moved down 20 spots in the second round of the April draft and gave up next year's third-round pick for the privilege of paying him. So did Whitehurst's 214-yard, two-touchdown performance constitute a huge step forward?

"I think it is for you guys," coach Pete Carroll said, motioning to the room of reporters. "We really thought we saw enough of Charlie to make a really good evaluation. ... Charlie's going to really help us. Nothing he's done has told us anything but that."

There is something to that optimism over Red Bryant's move from defensive Matt Hasselbeck  tackle to defensive end. Largely an afterthought his first two years at tackle, Bryant is now playing the run-stopping end in Seattle's scheme — referred to as the five-technique — and he showed an ability to penetrate the backfield and disrupt Tennessee's ground game.

Cornerback Josh Wilson isn't ready to relinquish a starting job. He became a backup last season after the Seahawks signed Ken Lucas, only to earn it back. And when training camp opened, Kelly Jennings was working with the first-unit defense. Well, Wilson not only started Saturday's game, but he made a heck of a play to drive on a ball and pick off Vince Young in the first quarter.

Was that an actual sack we saw Saturday? There were two of them actually, but T.J. Houshmandzadeh you're forgiven if you didn't quite recognize what happened when defensive end Chris Clemons beat two blockers and tackled Chris Simms for a 13-yard loss on Tennessee's third possession. That's a sack, and Seattle had only two of them over the final five games combined last season. Well, Clemons had one sack, rookie Dexter Davis had another. Was it an exhibition mirage, or is Seattle getting traction in its attempt to chase the quarterback?

Where are the Seahawks going to find depth for the offensive line? The backup center is Ben Hamilton, better known as the starting left guard. The backup left tackle was Mansfield Wrotto, who was a guard until this season. The backup right tackle to Sean Locklear was Joe Toledo because Ray Willis did not play. With Chester Pitts still not cleared to practice, Seattle has some work to do to fill out the roster.

Is Seattle's pass defense improved? Sure, the Hawks intercepted two passes, but they also allowed Young to complete all four passes he attempted on Tennessee's first drive, accounting for 70 of the Titans' 79 yards on the touchdown drive.

Jay Cutler, Chicago More of a comeback option than a breakout

Jay Cutler, Chicago (Draft101 rank: 13) - More of a comeback option than a breakout, Cutler will look to bounce back in the Mike Martz passing attack.  The receivers are unproven and the offensive line remains weak but under Martz the Bears will pass early and often with a return to 4,500 yards possible.  This is not a recommendation to bank on Cutler as your starting quarterback but rather a comment that Cutler has the highest ceiling of any quarterback outside of the top 12 this season.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit (NFLDraft101 rank:  16) - The Lions will be a better football team this season and could find themselves in shootouts with the prolific offenses division rivals Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago.  A healthy Calvin Johnson and the addition of RB Jahvid Best, WR Nate Burleson and G Rob Sims positions Stafford to take a major step forward in his second season.

Deep Sleepers: 2010 is not a great year for the quarterbacks outside the top 20

Matt Cassell, Kansas City (NFLDraft101 rank: 21) - Cassell struggled in his first season in Kansas City but the addition of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis provides him with his best chance at success.

Buffalo Quarterback (NFLDraft101 rank: Trent Edwards 31) - Chan Gailey could be bringing the spread to Buffalo making whomever wins the quarterback job valuable in a Tyler Thigpen circa 2008 sort of way.  Of course, they have to determine who the quarterback is first.

CJ Spiller (NFLDraft101 rank: 25) - Despite being the best playmaker Jay Cutler in the 2010 NFL Draft, Spiller has failed to generate much fantasy momentum due to playing on a bad offense with a crowded backfield.  A dual purpose back, the Bills did not use the 9th pick to have him sit on the sidelines.  The type of guy you want as a backup running back in the hopes the Bills find the game changer they desperately need.

Donald Brown (NFLDraft101 rank: 28) - Joseph Addai is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons and after being the team's first round pick a year ago, Brown is poised to challenge him for the starting job this season.  Brown's all-around game is an ideal scheme fit and look for him an Addai to split carries early with the bulk of the carries shifting to Brown as the season progresses.

Ahmad Bradshaw (NFLDraft101 rank: 32) - Bradshaw is a playmaker whose role has increased each season.  With Brandon Jacobs coming off a poor season, Bradshaw is poised to steal even more carries in 2010.

Ben Tate - (NFLDraft101 rank: 38) - The least heralded of the rookie running backs because of the Texans three headed monster entering camp but Tate is a good all-around back and ideal fit for the team's zone blocking scheme.  The Texans did not draft him in round two to have him sit the bench.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said Sunday night that Mike Martz's offense fits the team's personnel, and he also favors the aggressive approach.

"I think it definitely fits the personnel we have," Cutler told Fox 32. "The ball's getting pushed down the field, which I like.

"There's a lot of openings. We're taking advantage of matchups."

Cutler said the offense is "a lot different" than the one last year under Ron Turner.

"It's a little bit more spread out," he said. "A lot more motion, and shifting and moving around.

"It's going well. We're picking it up pretty well."

Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe

Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe confirmed Tuesday that Favre had "told a couple of guys on the team" that he planned to retire -- and as much as Favre tried to play it off as a joke on Wednesday, it was no joke at the moment he did it. The reality is that Favre is extremely emotional in his decisions and thus that's why even coach Brad Childress called the situation "fluid" on Tuesday as the Vikings attempted to convince Favre to take more time to make up his mind.

Favre also said the potential money the Vikings might pay him this season won't influence his decision, but if he does return look for Favre to make a base salary of $16 million with the potential for $4 million in incentives. He was to be paid $13 million base this season.

As for his surgically repaired left ankle, Favre will visit surgeon James Andrews next week to see how the ankle is progressing.

Bevell, meanwhile, said he isn't involved in setting any timetable for Brett Favre's return. "We're preparing regardless so the timetable is up to coach and Brett and guys way above me," Bevell said. "All I'm doing is preparing the offense with what we have, the guys that are here. They are working hard, they're competing hard and we're ready to go if we need to one way or the other."

Meanwhile, linebacker Ben Leber said having a veteran team helps the Vikings deal with the Favre situation. "I think we know how to deal with it, we know that it's something that's out of our control," Leber said. "You can only control what you can control. So just let it work itself out."

We wrote a few weeks back about Adrian Peterson's contract situation. He has two years left on his current deal and there was speculation this offseason he wanted a new deal. Peterson downplayed that angle but he did have an interesting response on KFAN Radio today when asked if he would at least like to talk about an extension. "At least talk about it," Peterson said. "It is what it is. It's a business and people really don't understand. The fans really don't understand it but there is a business side of football that my agents take care of while I still come out perform and play football. It's a business side with the Vikings organization and we can talk about whatever, but I'll let those guys handle that and I just do what I've got to do and that's get myself ready to play this season and get to the championship."

Peterson did not practice this morning and after stretching returned to the Visanthe Shiancoe locker room to do rehab work along with wide receiver Sidney Rice (hip) and cornerback Cedric Griffin (knee), who are both on the physically unable to perform list. Peterson has been slowed in camp because of tightness in his left leg. Bevell said he did not know when Peterson would return.

Longwell, who had said Tuesday that he talked to Favre before and after the morning practice that day, said today that he talked to Favre again Tuesday night and the ankle remains the issue.

"He's still considering the ankle," Longwell said. "If he's healthy, he said, he wants to play."

Another Favre confidante, Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, addressed the saga during his morning news conference. Bevell said he has not spoken to Favre since the retirement reports broke Tuesday. But when told of Favre's comments in Mississippi that health was the ultimate factor, not money, Bevell concurred.

"That's what I've been getting all along," Bevell said. "I always take him for what his word is. He's an emotional guy. He does tell you how he's feeling. He is very honest. That's what I love about him. I think that's what a lot of people love about him. Sometimes it serves him well. Sometimes it doesn't."

Bevell, who was Favre's quarterbacks coach in Green Bay for three seasons before coming to the Vikings in 2006, deflected a question about whether Favre could return sometime during the regular season if he needs more time to rehabilitate his ankle.

"That is not my decision," he said. "We're preparing regardless. The timetable is up to coach (Brad Childress) and Brett and guys way above me. All I'm doing is preparing the offense with what we have. We're ready to go if we need to, one way or another."

Asked whether Favre's dithering is fair to quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson, the presumptive starter, and backup Sage Rosenfels, Bevell credited their handling of the uncertainty.

"I think they've handled it like professionals," Bevell said. "Both of them come out and compete hard. They control what they can control. That's what we talk about with our players all the time — handle the situations you can control."

For the second day, Vikings players exiting the field after the morning practice were deluged with Favre questions. Shiancoe, one of the most talkative players, threw up his hands.

Tight end Greg Olsen

Let's first establish that Cutler didn't have a bad day. During one stretch, Cutler completed seven passes in a row, including two to Johnny Knox and one to tight end Greg Olsen.

But that was in seven-on-seven drills, which means it doesn't include the defensive line.

When lines were on the field, the offense's unit certainly had some positive moments, giving Cutler time to complete passes. But there were a handful of clear sacks, as well, with defensive tackle Tommie Harris once swatting the ball out of Cutler's hands as he ran by in front of him.

Cutler showed the first sign of frustration, picking the ball up and tossing at Harris' feet about five feet away.

Later, though, the offensive line had two bad plays in a row in a full squad situation. Julius Peppers blew by Frank Omiyale. Then, the entire defensive line collapsed the pocket, and Mark Anderson appeared in position to get a sack of Cutler.

The quarterback responded by chucking the ball toward the right sideline, at the top of a large, white tent.

Asked if his quarterback was frustrated, Bears coach Lovie Smith said, "I don't know about frustrated.

"We have scholarship players on the other side of the ball too. Jay's a good player. I'm really pleased with what he's done. But it's good competition."

Peppers, meanwhile, downplayed any frustration the quarterback should have.

"I don't know if we frustrated him because he's not getting hit so he can't really feel it," Peppers said. "Yet. He wasn't taking any punishment."

Other notable things from today's practice:

* LB Brian Iwuh injured his knee during practice, and he was carted off.

* LB Hunter Hillenmeyer didn't practice because of a groin injury, Smith said.

* Cutler's best pass was in the middle of the field, to Rashied Davis. It appeared to be a forced pass, since Brian Urlacher and a safety were in the vicinity. But Davis ran right onto the ball, and he brought it in for about 20 yards.

* One of the more comical sights was seeing James Marten (6 foot 8) lined up at left guard. He's three inches taller than the left tackle on that play, Kevin Shaffer.

Tight end Greg Olsen, who led the Bears with 60 catches last season, has not made much of an impact as a receiver so far, which was a concern the minute Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator because he doesn't have a history of utilizing that position in the passing game.

Greg Olsen isn't panicking, although he is understandably tired of hearing the questions about his role.

"We've addressed this a ridiculous amount, said Olsen who caught 114 passes for 1,186 yards and 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. "It is what it is. The past has nothing to do with the guys that we have here. Coach Martz has said all along that the guys who show that they can help the team and make plays and do the thing they're asked to do, are going to play."

Coach Lovie Smith was asked about this year's "light practices," by an uninformed TV reporter, even though practice times have been 15-20 minutes longer than in the recent past. Monday's noon session was the most spirited practice this year, with an abundance of full-speed contact in pass-rush drills.

"I don't know where you got the 'take it light in practice,' " Smith chided the talking head. "We're not taking it light at all."

As for the lengthened practice times, which have been running about 2 hours and 15 minutes, Smith said: "We've added some plays, and we've added a period here and there. Especially early on, we just want to get some things done."

Monday's practice ran a few minutes past 2 hours, which was the average practice time the past couple years.

The Bengals open their preseason next Sunday

Adam Jones is just a cornerback trying to prove to the Cincinnati Bengals that the talent of "Pacman" remains, minus the baggage.

The 26-year-old Jones is attempting a comeback after sitting out all of last season when none of the league's 32 teams would take a chance on him.

"I've got a lot to work on," said Jones, following his first day of practice with the Bengals at Georgetown College. "It was my first time playing press coverage in two years, so it was a tough first day. I was on the ground way too many times. But it's good to have a first day."

Tennessee made Jones the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft, and he started 28 games in his first two seasons with the Titans. In the last three years, however, he has played in just nine. He missed the entire 2007 season with the first of two league-mandated suspensions.

The Titans traded Jones to Dallas before the 2008 draft, but an alcohol-related altercation with a bodyguard the Cowboys provided for him cost Jones another six games and, eventually, his job.

Two workouts during this offseason showed the Bengals enough that they Rey Maualuga signed Jones in May to a two-year contract worth the league minimum. He is battling for playing time behind starters Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall in a defensive unit that ranked fourth overall in the NFL last season in yards allowed.

He's listed No. 2 on the depth chart behind Joseph, but depth charts are nothing more than names written in pencil this time of the year.

"His transition will be to play snap-after-snap football and prove that he can do that in a competitive environment all of the time," coach Marvin Lewis said. "He needs to be a disciplined player play in and play out, and execute the techniques and things we're asking him to do."

The hoopla surrounding the acquisition and arrival of free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens last week kept the spotlight away from Jones. The players were teammates in Dallas.

"He's a lot quieter," said Owens of the difference between Adam and "Pacman."

"Everybody knows their own abilities. He's been out of football for a little bit so it's going to take him some time to get his timing back, but as training camp progresses you get your timing back. When you're drafted in the first round, that tells you about your talent level. You just have to play up to those expectations."

The Bengals open their preseason next Sunday in the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Marvin Lewis said after Monday night's practice that Gresham could play in the first of Cincinnati's five preseason games.

"We'll get him in here, get him going and he'll have an opportunity Chad Ochocinco to get into the football game on Sunday," Lewis said. "He has a chance to get off to a great start. He'll get four good weeks of football and be ready for that first week (of the regular season)."

Gresham was expected to win the starting job during camp. The Bengals listed him as the starter even though he was missing practices during the holdout.

A few hours before Gresham reached an agreement, Lewis dropped Gresham lower on the depth chart at the position. Veteran Reggie Kelly has returned from a ruptured Achilles' tendon in his left leg, but is expected to revert to Gresham's backup again when the rookie arrives on Tuesday.

"I'm glad the signing will happen," Lewis said. "He'll work at it. We've got a lot of snaps for him to get accustomed and get back in. He'll take 50 percent of the snaps."

Tight end was a major problem last season after Kelly and backup Ben Utecht suffered season-ending injuries during camp. Utecht sustained a major concussion. The Bengals drafted Gresham to give Carson Palmer another over-the-middle target.

The Bengals managed to get their top pick in camp before the first preseason game, a major improvement over last season. Offensive tackle Andre Smith missed the first three preseason games in a holdout, then broke his left foot during practice two days later.

Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams

Nice to see Terence Newman greet Wade Phillips' wife, Laurie, and quickly do the tango with her before practice.

Tony Romo said after practice he had a tired right arm. He did not take all of the throws he would normally make in the warmup and most of his throws lacked the regular zip. No need to worry. It's just what happens. In team and seven on seven drills, Romo completed 15 of 20 passes.

Roy Williams cannot win. He was unable to come up with a low throw and the crowd got on him again. But when he caught a touchdown pass that Romo put right over safety Danny McCray he was able to hear some cheers. Williams had a touchdown grab later on a back-shoulder throw. It was the same kind of pass he dropped on Saturday.

Sam Hurd made a great leaping grab of a Jon Kitna throw in seven on seven drills, but he would have been knocked out by safety Alan Ball had it been a game because his ribs were so exposed.

Only one interception for the defense in the afternoon. It came when rookie nose tackle Josh Brent deflected a Matt Nichols' pass into the air, giving linebacker Curtis Johnson the chance to grab it.

The second-team defense should figure out it has to cover Felix Jones. The running back motioned out of the backfield wide to the left and was left uncovered by the defense, giving Romo a free shot for a decent gain.

Tight end Martellus Bennett would have had a touchdown catch from Kitna in team drills but he momentarily stopped his route to push off safety Gerald Sensabaugh. There was no need because he had a step on Sensabaugh and Kitna's throw was deep enough to run under.

Mentioned the other day Orlando Scandrick's ability to read the bubble screen to wide receivers. I have to mention DeMarcus Ware's ability to snuff out the middle screen to the running back. He tied up Tashard Choice, requiring Kitna to put the ball into the turf.

Through 14 training camp practices, Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams has yet to make one memorable leaping, twisting, diving and sprawling catch. His plays are met with yawns.

That is how it should be.

The Cowboys' lightning rod, after more false starts than a Flozell Adams game, could finally be headed in the correct direction.

"Football is fun for me again," Williams said Sunday.

Dramatic catches can be deceiving. Sometimes, they are the result of superlative efforts. Sometimes, they are the result of the receiver zigging when the quarterback expects him to be zagging.

Injured rookie Dez Bryant, a catalyst in this relationship, has wowed the Alamodome crowds with catches only to be told that he made the play more exciting than it had to be by running to the wrong spot. It happens to rookie receivers.

Williams and quarterback Tony Romo have lived that way for one-plus seasons together. In 25 regular-season games, Williams caught only 57 of the 128 throws from Romo.

By the end of last season, they lived in different parallel universes. Romo threw only one pass, an under-pressure incompletion, to Williams in the final six quarters.

Now, in the midst of their second training camp together and after their second off-season together, Romo and Williams have altered the dynamic. Each seems to understand what the other wants to do.

"It's coming together with Romo," Williams said. "That's the number-one thing. A receiver and a quarterback have to learn each other. We've finally got it."

Said Romo: "For me, it's slowly getting better each time out. It's a gradual progression."

Consider a snapshot from the Saturday morning practice. Romo had an overall mediocre day, but he and Williams twice connected on touchdown passes during the red-zone drill. Williams went to the proper spot, and Romo made the proper throw.

It was smooth and machine-like, the way good pass-and-catch combinations work. It was nothing like before, when Romo and Williams seemed to be speaking different languages.

"Roy is doing a better job of being where Tony thinks he'll be," coach Wade Phillips said. "That communication is better."