The Facts: White said his current weight is "anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds from where I need to be." He played in the 245-pound range last season and said he wanted to come to training camp around 230 or 235. "It is way better (than last offseason)," White said. "I want people to keep speculating and keep guessing what I (weigh) because it is great talk. So I am not going to tell people what I weigh, I just want people to speculate." Reported by the Nashville Tennessean

Diehards Line: White, heading into his third NFL season, is still working his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery and will be limited at the team's minicamp practices over the next week. White, however, said he's been "rehabbing like crazy" and the decision to hold him back during mini-camp practices was made more for precautionary reasons. "We're just taking our time," he said. "I am feeling good. We just don't want to blow it out."

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The Facts: Bironas has signed a one-year deal with the team worth $1.47 million. The Titans made Bironas a one-year tender offer in February, but the team remains interested in signing him to a long-term contract. Reported by the Nashville Tennessean

Diehards Line: The 30-year-old Bironas may have been the Titans' offensive MVP a season ago. Bironas connected on 35-of-39 field goals, including an impressive 13-of-15 attempts from 40 yards and beyond. He also averaged 67.6 yards on kickoffs, tops among kickers who played a full season.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Alexander has returned home to Seattle following two free-agent visits this week, first to Cincinnati on Sunday and Monday and then New Orleans on Wednesday. Jim Steiner, Alexander’s agent, said he will be in contact with the Bengals. "We'll be talking to Shaun today and in touch with Bengals today or tomorrow," Steiner said this afternoon in an e-mail to the Enquirer. Reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer

Diehards Line: The Bengals have a glut of running backs but are believed to be interested in Alexander as a possible backup to starter Rudi Johnson. HC Marvin Lewis also said Chris Perry is ready for on-field work beginning May 13. Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey are the team's other tailbacks. Kenny Irons, the team’s second-round draft pick in 2007, is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp in July after tearing an ACL last August. Given Johnson's injury issues last season (and Perry's career-long injury issues), Alexander could provide some insurance.

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The Facts: Duckett is one of the new components of a running-back equation HC Mike Holmgren is still trying to work out. "He has been a halfback," Holmgren said. "But I would like him to move into fullback a little bit." Reported by the Seattle Times

Diehards Line: Duckett's size (254 pounds) makes him unique, and he was an effective and promising back his first four seasons in the league. He averaged nearly eight touchdowns a season from 2002-2005 and gained more than 500 rushing yards in three of those four seasons. Duckett said he's ready for whatever role gets handed to him. "Whatever it is, it doesn't really matter," he said. "Whatever I'm called to do, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability."

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The Facts: Benson is stepping up his defense against charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, hiring a new lawyer in Austin. "I do not believe from what I've been told that Cedric was intoxicated," the new attorney, Sam Bassett, said. "I do not believe he was aggressive toward an officer to warrant being pepper sprayed." Reported by the Austin American-Statesman

Diehards Line: Bassett will represent him in a preliminary hearing, May 19. ... Benson, in brief interviews, said he has "nothing to worry about because I didn't do anything wrong." He said he was "polite" to the officers -- before and after he they pepper sprayed him. He has declined further comment on advice from his lawyer, but an increasing number of witnesses are coming forward to back his version of events.

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The Facts: The Saints completed their visit with Alexander on Wednesday, but he returned home to Seattle without a contract offer. It's unclear how serious the interest is from either side.  Reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Diehards Line: Alexander, who was released by the Seahawks last month, has just started to test the market. He visited Cincinnati on Sunday and Monday before flying to New Orleans. Alexander's agent, Jim Steiner, said the former league MVP and three-time Pro Bowl player has not set a timetable for choosing a team. Other teams have shown interest, but no other visits have been scheduled, Steiner said. Alexander could wait well into the summer to see if injuries create more of a demand for his services, but his future is almost certainly as a role player.

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The Facts: Although his agent has claimed otherwise, Hackett said the Panthers never promised him a starting role, and that he's fine with that. He's just happy to be part of what he sees as a talented group. Reported by the Charlotte Observer

Diehards Line: Muhsin Muhammad and Hackett will both be signficant contributors. Both will play in three-receiver sets, and neither seems to care if he takes the No. 2 or No. 3 role, at least publicly. Still, Observer staffer Stan Olson advised readers not to be surprised if Hackett, the younger and faster of the two, winds up grabbing the most playing time opposite Steve Smith.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Randle El, with crutches under both arms, said Wednesday the surgery on his right knee went as expected and that he hopes to return to the field for offseason practices next month. Reported by ESPN.com

Diehards Line: Randle El said the knee was swollen after mini-camp practice Saturday. An MRI found loose cartilage, possibly the residual effects of getting the knee banged in a couple games last season, and he had arthroscopic surgery Monday. Assuming he's ready to go as advertised, when the team's next round of workouts begin early next month, the procedure is unlikely to have an impact this season.

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The Facts: Campbell has what the team described as a minor hamstring injury. "He just felt it grab, it didn't pull all the way," HC Jim Zorn said. "He was feeling his hamstrings all along, and I think it's because I have him" bending his knees more to stay at one level while dropping back. Reported by the Washington Post

Diehards Line: Zorn was not pleased that Campbell was injured, but "just the fact that different things are happening to his body. ... For me it's good," Zorn said. "He'll regroup. He's not a chronic hamstring-puller in my mind. He's going to be fine." He certainly has plenty of time to recover -- as does Clinton Portis (minor hip injury), who sat out the final practice. Wednesday was the last of three off-season practices that supplemented the weekend mini-camp. More practices are scheduled from June 2-12, with training camp starting in late July.

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The Facts: Williams, who suffered a broken right ankle in January, won't take part in organized team activities Thursday and Friday when the Titans begin their workouts. It is not known exactly when Williams will be cleared to take part in off-season work, but when he had surgery shortly after he was hurt, the Titans said at the time they expected him to be fully recovered in time for the coming season. Reported by the Nashville City Paper

Diehards Line: Williams, who started 14 of 16 games last season, developed into one of the Titans' most dependable receivers, tying Justin Gage for the team lead with 55 receptions. He also had 719 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions. As City Paper staffer Terry McCormick notes, his absence from the lineup will give OC Mike Heimerdinger the chance to look at more of the remainder of the WR group that also includes veterans Justin McCareins, Brandon Jones, Biren Ealy, Mike Williams, Paul Williams and Chris Davis.

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The Facts: Former Pats video employee Matt Walsh has turned over videotapes to the NFL. As widely believed in NFL circles, and contrary to a February 2 report from the Boston Herald, the tapes do not include images of the Rams’ walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. The New York Times reports that Walsh possesses no such tape. Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: NFL Network insider Adam Schefter is reporting the same. ... According to the New York Times and Schefter, the tapes show videotaping of defensive coaching signals from six games filmed between 2000 and 2002 -- something for which the Patriots already have been punished. Walsh is scheduled to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on May 13.

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The Facts: In his first public comments since being released by the Bengals, Henry said he is excited about Tuesday's court ruling that he will be allowed to visit other NFL teams. As of Wednesday afternoon, no official visits were scheduled. But Henry mentioned a pair of teams at the top of his wish list. "There are two teams that I would always love to play for: That's New Orleans and Dallas," Henry said. Reported by ESPN.com

Diehards Line: As ESPN.com's James Walker notes, it is unknown at this point if either the Saints or the Cowboys want to meet with Henry, who says he is keeping his options open and "willing to visit whoever is interested." He will be required to show the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court a letter from the team for which he is trying out before being permitted to travel. Henry believes he can be a productive player for someone next season, but much will depend on how commissioner Roger Goodell views Henry's latest legal woes.

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The Facts: Rhodes has rejoined the Colts, signing a one-year deal with the team he helped lead to a Super Bowl championship. Rhodes, a free agent after being recently released by the Oakland Raiders, will receive approximately $650,000. Reported by the Indianapolis Star News

Diehards Line: Rhodes was an integral part of the Colts’ drive to a win in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season. He worked in tandem with rookie Joseph Addai, starting all 16 regular-season games and then coming off the bench in the four post-season games. ... It's safe to assume Rhodes will open camp ahead of Kenton Keith, Clifford Dawson and incoming rookie Mike Hart on the depth chart below Addai.

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The Facts: Sources tell PewterReport.com that Tampa Bay is not interested in signing the former Bengals wide receiver. As noted in a previous item, Henry , who was released due to his off-the-field issues, reportedly has a tryout scheduled with an NFL team. Reported by PewterReport.com

Diehards Line: According to a blog entry made on the Tampa Tribune's website on Tuesday, Henry, who has been suspended twice by the NFL for drug and alcohol-related incidents and was recently released by the Bengals after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting another man, was given permission by a judge in Cincinnati to travel to another city to tryout for another NFL team. That team has not yet been identified, but the Tribune's blog entry speculated that it could be the Buccaneers.

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The Facts: A female passenger on Benson's boat Saturday night in Austin, Texas, was concerned enough about his safety after police took him into custody to phone her parents and urge them to call 911, the Tribune has learned. "I called my dad and told him, 'Call 911, my black friend is getting beaten up by police on Lake Travis,'" said Elizabeth Cartwright, 22, a friend of Benson's from the University of Texas. "It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared." Reported by the Chicago Tribune

Diehards Line: Cartwright told the Tribune that she chose to come forward because of concerns that Benson's reputation was being "tainted" by accounts of the incident. Benson faces a May 19 court date on the misdemeanor charges but was informed Tuesday that his lawyer can represent him. Benson has told friends he is considering filing suit against authorities because of the incident. ... Meanwhile, ESPN.com's John Clayton is reporting the Bears will stand by Benson for now.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... The Seattle Seahawks are not going to renegotiate Engram’s contract, despite Engram’s displeasure with his salary. The Seahawks are adamant that Engram plays out the final season of his two-year, $3.4 million contract, after which they would be willing to negotiate with Engram as a free agent. Reported by the Tacoma News Tribune

Diehards Line: Engram skipped a second day of the team’s four-day voluntary mini-camp Tuesday in protest of what he believes is an unfair contract based on his record-setting (94-catch) production last year. He wrote a letter to HC Mike Holmgren, dropping it off on his desk Tuesday morning. Though Holmgren said he had not yet read the letter before he met with the media following Tuesday’s practice, he said he assumed the letter explained why Engram is skipping the team’s mini-camp. ... As News Tribune staffer Frank Hughes speculated, the note might have pointed out that Engram's $1.7 million salary was nearly half of what injured flanker Deion Branch ($3.5 million) and Nate Burleson ($3.25 million) will make.

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The Facts: According to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson, if Denver were to sign a veteran RB, the team would likely have to part ways with veteran Henry. There is likely little chance Denver would hold onto Henry and bring in another veteran. The Broncos also like second-year player Selvin Young and fifth-round pick Ryan Torain.  Reported by ESPN.com

Diehards Line: So, Williamson (a former Denver Post beat writer) contends, if a veteran like Shaun Alexander or Dominic Rhodes comes in (which doesn't seem close to happening at this point), it may be the end of a short run in Denver for Henry. His contract was chopped to about $1 million this season with incentives after a 2007 season which was disrupted by a drug case and injuries. ... We'll remind you that Williamson's piece is highly speculative. The situation is worth watching, but only if a veteran back is added.

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The Facts: According to NFL Network insider Adam Schefter, Thigpen, Minnesota's seventh-round pick in 2007, has impressed Kansas City enough to make the Chiefs think he could challenge for, and even win, the team's starting job. Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: The 6-1, 224-pound Thigpen impressed the Chiefs throughout last year, but especially in Week 13 when he drove the Chiefs down field on one drive against San Diego before throwing an interception in the endzone. With a good arm and a strong presence, Schefter believes Thigpen has impressed them enough to make them think he could unseat Brodie Croyle as the starter in Kansas City.

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The Facts: According to NFL Network insider Adam Schefter, Rhodes and the Colts are expected to reach agreement on a deal that will enable him to back up featured running back Joseph Addai. Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: Indianapolis had drafted Michigan RB Mike Hart in the sixth round with the 202nd overall pick, but Rhodes already has proven himself to the Colts, something he was unable to do in Oakland. Indeed, Rhodes enjoyed his most productive Sundays with the Colts. In 2001, as an undrafted free agent with the Colts, Rhodes rushed for 1,104 yards. In Super Bowl XLI, Rhodes helped the Colts to their first Super Bowl victory, carrying the football 21 times for 113 yards and a touchdown. And now, despite some interest from the Broncos, it appears he's close to returning to Indy.

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The Facts: The TV crews camped out at Halas Hall awaiting the return of Benson, but the Bears’ RB did not meet his stated goal of rejoining the club’s offseason program today. Benson was absent for the voluntary workout program, a teammate said, missing for a second day after his arrest Saturday night on Lake Travis near Austin, Texas. Reported by the Chicago Sun-Times

Diehards Line: The report went on to note that a team official said Benson did show up at Halas Hall today and has met with club officials. Whether or not it counts as participating for the day isn't clear. It is, however, an issue. ... A clause in Benson's contract stipulates that $400,000 of his signing bonus, which was $4 million, is workout pay. That $400,000 is spread out over four offseasons, so if he fails to meet the 85 percent required attendance (34 of 40 days) he has to repay the club $100,000.

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