The Facts:
Mendenhall missed both practices Saturday and will miss the final mini-camp practice today due to a hamstring injury. HC Mike Tomlin hopes he will return when the Steelers resume their spring workouts in two weeks. 

Diehards Line:
As with 2007 first-round pick, LB Lawrence Timmons, Mendenhall came down with an injury after his first day of mini-camp and Tomlin believes top rookies have a problem with injuries in mini-camps. Last year, Timmons left after one practice with a groin injury and No. 2 pick LaMarr Woodley came down with a hamstring injury in mini-camp. Because the top picks are in such demand by the pro scouts before the draft, Tomlin believes it throws off their conditioning. ... Positives? Mendenhall has plenty of time to get healthy.

The Facts:
Jackson was extremely limited during Saturday's rookie mini-camp practice. Neither Jackson nor the Bucs disclosed Jackson's mystery ailment, but HC Jon Gruden said the second-round pick would be 100 percent ready to go for the Bucs' OTA on May 16. 

Diehards Line:
The St. Petersburg Times subsequently reported that Jackson tweaked his hamstring early in Friday's practice. Gruden has hinted that Jackson could compete for a starting assignment this summer. But given his lack of experience going against high-end competition in college, Jackson, who caught 110 passes for 1,846 yards (16.8 avg.) and 17 touchdowns in 55 games (25 starts) at Appalachian State, needs all the reps he can get before camp opens.

The Facts:
Benson was arrested late Saturday night near Austin, Texas, and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, both Class B misdemeanors. 

Diehards Line:
As Tribune staffer Vaughn McClure noted, the Bears sent a clear sign that they wanted more production from their running back by selecting Tulane's Matt Forte in the second round of this year's draft. ... Benson certainly didn't need an off-field issue to add to his on-field shortcomings. ... Stay tuned.

The Facts:
Cowboys RBs coach Skip Peete was fired up when the Cowboys drafted Jones and feels even better about the first-round back after today's workouts. "The guy is a very special kid in my mind," Peete said. "I had an opportunity to coach a guy who had a lot of similarities to him as far as impacting the game -- a kid by the name of Charlie Garner." 

Diehards Line:
Peete considers Garner the best all-around back he's ever coached. Garner, who was undersized but extremely tough, excelled in Oakland as a 12-carry, five-catch kind of back. That's the sort of role Jones could fill for the Cowboys as a rookie complement to MarionBarber's bruising style. Jones didn't catch many passes at Arkansas, which didn't exactly have a great aerial attack, but he impressed Peete with his route-running ability.

The Facts:
Smith participated in his first practice since undergoing surgery in December to repair his separated throwing shoulder. He told reporters his arm felt fine and that coaches did not tailor their play-calling for Smith's shoulder. He said the longest pass he threw was probably 35 to 40 yards and he does not feel comfortable with a deep pass. "It felt good," he said. "Right on schedule with how I'm supposed to be." 

Diehards Line:
It's also worth noting that Smith and HC Mike Nolan, who were at each other's throats last year, shared a quick embrace Friday as Nolan stepped away from his media session and Smith was on the way to his. The gesture, of course, was made for the benefit of the assembled reporters and cameramen. Still, it signaled a break in the cold war the two waged in 2007. Smith accused Nolan of undermining him in the 49ers' locker room, while Nolan sniped about Smith taking his complaints public. "He and I have joked about it a lot, talked about it a lot," Smith said. "Right now, we're at the point where we're comfortable with it. ..." He'll need to be; Smith is competing with Shaun Hill for the starting spot.

The Facts:
HC Lovie Smith praised a handful of players after the workout, beginning with Forte, who was as impressive as any of the 50 rookie participants during the team's initial workout. "Matt Forte stood out," Smith said. "I thought he caught the ball well. He showed some good quickness, he has good size. All the things we thought coming in, we got a chance to see." 

Diehards Line:
The second-round pick from Tulane looked especially fluid and athletic catching the ball out of the backfield. As noted in this week's 2008 Rookie RBs Preview, former first-round pick Cedric Benson's failure to meet expectations places Forte among the incoming rookies with a legitimate shot at earning starting jobs.

The Facts:
The Bills are counting on Hardy to help right away. He is the main addition to an offense that ranked 30th in the NFL. He gives them the dimension -- height -- that has been lacking in their receiving corps. "We've got a nice group [of receivers] but now we've added what we felt was a missing piece, which is a big receiver," said HC Dick Jauron. 

Diehards Line:
As noted in this past week's 2008 Rookie WR Preview, incoming receivers typically do not make a huge impact. Last season nine receivers were drafted in the first two rounds. Five caught more than 30 passes as rookies and only one caught more than 40 passes. That was Dwayne Bowe, who had 70 catches for 995 yards and five touchdowns for Kansas City. As News staffer Mark Gaughan suggests, given the track record of rookie wideouts, a 35-catch, five-touchdown season would be a decent showing for Hardy.

The Facts:
Boldin is attending the team's post-draft camp and shooting down trade talk that surfaced after teammate Larry Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract this offseason. "I've always wanted to be in Arizona," Boldin said after practice Friday. "This is the only place I have known professionally. I don't want to uproot my family and leave. I am happy here. I have a great rapport with everybody around here, coaches included. I am happy here." 

Diehards Line:
The Arizona Republic recently quoted Cardinals officials as saying Boldin's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had asked whether the team would be amenable to a trade. Asked if his agent had requested a trade, Boldin said, "No. ..." Boldin said he plans to go about his work the way he always has, letting his agent handle the contract situation. The team plans to re-work Boldin's contract when the opportunity is right, HC Ken Whisenhunt said Friday.

The Facts:
Tomlinson, who has given his injured knee some rest this offseason after spraining his MCL during the postseason, at least appeared 100 percent in the morning practice. "I'm feeling good," Tomlinson said. "It's a start." 

Diehards Line:
HC Norv Turner was pleased with what he saw from the centerpiece of his offense. "LT's great," Turner said. "He's been involved in the offseason program. He's the two-time defending leading rusher and I'm sure he'd like to do it a third year in a row. ..." And as long as he can avoid further injury issues, that's obviously well within his reach.

The Facts:
A little more than three months after undergoing an operation to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, Rivers was on the field with his teammates Friday morning as they began their 2008 mini-camp. At the conclusion of practice, Rivers expressed a little soreness but was happy with the way the morning went. "It's not 100 percent, but for what we're doing today I was able to pretty much go full go," Rivers said. 

Diehards Line:
Rivers wore a brace on his plant leg but reportedly looked sharp as he dropped back, set his foot in the ground and delivered the ball with zip to his receivers. Rivers will wear a brace on the knee throughout the season. He promised to be aggressive, yet patient as he pushes himself through the rehab process while continuing to be cautious enough with the knee. "I've been smart," Rivers said. "I'm not going to do anything silly that can cause a setback for me and can potentially hurt me and the team. ..." All indications still point toward Rivers being ready for the start of training camp.