The Facts:
Coles , who entered this offseason with two remaining years on his contract worth $11 million but wanted an extension to ensure he'd finish his career as a Jet, yesterday agreed to that extension. Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but it's believed Coles had either two or three years added to his contract. 

Diehards Line:
Coles earlier this offseason was critical of the Jets because he felt they were not going to honor his wish for an extension and he threatened to sit out the off-season conditioning program, which began last week. He didn't show up when the program began, a damaging blow considering his role as captain and one of the more popular players in the locker room. When the Jets let Coles know they would work something out, he appeared at the conditioning program on Monday.

The Facts:
Detroit, Denver and St. Louis are the teams most interested in Pittman, but he said there have been no scheduled visits or contract talks yet. Tampa Bay will likely see what those teams offer Pittman before deciding whether to extend an offer. 

Diehards Line:
Pittman, an unrestricted free agent, hoped there would be more serious interest in his services by now, but is optimistic a team will step up in the future. As Tribune staffer Anwar Richardson notes, the emergence of Earnest Graham, signing of Warrick Dunn, re-signing of Michael Bennett and possible return of Cadillac Williams (Kenneth Darby and Lionel Gates are also on the roster) has made Pittman the odd man out in Tampa Bay.

The Facts:
Marshall, who keeps finding his name in negative news reports, insisted Thursday he's really a good guy who just needs to grow up. "Being truthful, it is time for me to grow up on and off the field," Marshall said Thursday. "I'm not just a guy that's on the team, I'm a starter and have a lot of responsibility on this team. We have goals that we're trying to reach, and I play a big role in that." 

Diehards Line:
In his impromptu meeting with reporters on Thursday, Marshall made light of Denver Post columnist Woody Paige, who called him immature, but he agreed that he needs to act his age. It was Marshall's first extensive public comments since his latest misstep, a freak accident that landed him in the operating room for surgery on his right arm and called into question his maturity level again. "It's time for me to grow up," he added. "From here on out, it's Brandon Marshall, clean-cut guy. ..." Marshall said he has no doubts he'll be healthy in time for training camp and that he'll have another outstanding season in 2008. "This is just a minor setback," he said.

The Facts:
A league source tells PFT that the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with Mare on a two-year, $3.5 million contract. 

Diehards Line:
Mare, who spent 2007 with the Saints, had also received an offer from the Broncos. In Seattle he'll replace Josh Brown, who signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams. ... Mare struggled on field goals last season, making 10 of 17 with a long of 52 yards. But he excelled on kickoffs, booting 28.8 percent of his kicks into the end zone, the second best touchback percentage in the league.

The Facts:
Watson underwent surgery on his left ankle within the past few weeks, surgery which revealed both cartilage damage and scar tissue, according to several sources familiar with the situation. When asked about the surgery this afternoon at Gillette Stadium, Watson, who was there taking part in the offseason conditioning program, declined comment, saying: "I can't talk about it." 

Diehards Line:
According to Herald staffer Karen Guregian, there is now some concern whether Watson will be ready for training camp in July. His progress will merit scrutiny in coming weeks... While Watson caught 36 passes for 369 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, his inability to do much after the catch raised some eyebrows, particularly later in the season. As Guregian suggests, the ankle problem would explain some of Watson's difficulties.

The Facts:
Simms has decided not to participate in the Bucs' off-season workouts, an indication he no longer fits into next season's plans and could be traded. Although the workouts are voluntary, Simms also skipped last week's QB orientation for the first time in his career. 

Diehards Line:
Simms' chances of returning to the field in a Bucs uniform diminished March 3, when they acquired Brian Griese from the Bears for a 2009 sixth-round pick. According to Times staffer Rick Stroud, the most likely scenario is the Bucs, who own just five picks this year, will try to trade Simms before the draft on April 26-27. As Simms put it: "I don't really know what's going to happen. As far as the Bucs and the quarterback position goes, it's always an adventure. ..." Including Simms and the retired Jake Plummer, Tampa has six QBs under contract.

The Facts:
Mare completed a two-day visit with the Broncos Wednesday and came away impressed. The free-agent meeting wasn't enough to prevent him from getting on a plane to Seattle to visit the Seahawks, who have been in contact with him since it was apparent they'd lose Josh Brown, their own money kicker. The Saints, for whom he kicked in 2007, also are in the mix. 

Diehards Line:
The Broncos attempted to get Mare to sign on the dotted line during his stay but he declined -- at least for now. "I know the goal for them was for me not to leave here," he told the News. "But this is my first visit. My goal is not to leave here, either, but I'm going to give Seattle a shot. They've been really positive and interested and we'll see how it goes. ..." Mare, 34, is coming off a dislocation of his right hip making a tackle against the Falcons in December. But he's back to running sprints and kicking once again. He maintained he passed his Broncos physical. He's known for an exceptionally strong leg, leading the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs in 2006.

The Facts:
The NFL’s Thursday night season opener will match the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. The Super Bowl winner traditionally hosts the game. The Redskins’ participation was confirmed by a person familiar with the NFL schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not announced it. 

Diehards Line:
The highlight games of the NFL’s first weekend will be officially announced Monday during league meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. The rest of the schedule will be announced later next month. ... For what it's worth, the opener is now scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 -- the concluding night of the Republican convention -- and will be televised by NBC. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that the NFL is talking with the network about starting an hour-and-a-half earlier to avoid clashing with the convention.

The Facts:
Packers GM Ted Thompson has done things his way without wavering from his philosophy of building through the draft and spending the majority of his salary cap dollars to retain those players. On Tuesday, his way was validated -- at least as far as developing the roster that led to a 13-3 season and an NFC Championship Game appearance last season are concerned -- when he was named The Sporting News' George Young National Football League executive of the year. 

Diehards Line:
The national magazine polled a total of 48 NFL general managers and front office executives and Thompson came out on top with 19 votes, 10 ahead of second-place finisher Jerry Reese, GM of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. New England VP of personnel Scott Pioli finished third with eight votes. Nine others received at least one vote each.

The Facts:
The Colts have signed president Bill Polian to a contract extension through 2011. Team owner Jim Irsay confirmed through a spokeswoman Wednesday that the extension has been finalized. 

Diehards Line:
The Polian-led Colts have posted a 105-55 regular-season record over the past 10 seasons, reached the playoffs eight times and won the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. His draft choices include Peyton Manning, RBs Edgerrin James and Joseph Addai, WR Reggie Wayne, and defensive stars Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders.