The Facts:
Jones is scheduled to visit the Bucs next week. Jones, who is recovering from knee surgery, met with the Pittsburgh Steelers Wednesday, according to Dr. D.S. Ping, who is helping Jones rehabilitate his injury. 

Diehards Line:
As previously noted, Jones conducted a workout June 29 that was attended by representatives from four teams -- the Dolphins, Packers, Steelers and Lions. Where Jones would fit into the Bucs' backfield is uncertain. Tampa Bay has Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett at tailback. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, who also is recovering from knee surgery, figures to begin training camp on the PUP list. While Jones appears ahead of schedule, he underwent reconstructive knee surgery in December. Expecting him to be at full speed before Week 1 would be overly optimistic.

The Facts:
According to the Washington County, Arkansas Sheriff’s office, Jones was arrested on July 10. Subsequent reports indicate the drug involved was cocaine. Jones is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. 

Diehards Line:
As PFT's Mike Florio notes, the coming season was already of the make-or-break variety for the former first-round pick -- although some felt that was the case last season. In fact, Pro Football Weekly advised readers as early as March that Jones "can all but kiss Jacksonville goodbye." This arrest obviously won't help his cause. ... Stay tuned. We'll have more as further details come to light.

The Facts:
Dilfer, who played the last of his 13 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers last year, said Wednesday he'll make a formal announcement in the coming days that he is retiring from football.  

Diehards Line:
Dilfer, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, said a recent injury to his Achilles' tendon helped make up his mind. "I was going to retire anyway. This just gives clarity to the situation," he said during a news conference for a celebrity golf tournament. The 36-year-old Dilfer said he's been considering some different options post-football but declined to elaborate. ... Don't be surprised if Dilfer turns up in your television box, perhaps with the NFL Network.

The Facts:
McNabb, who missed several days of offseason workouts due to tendinitis in his shoulder now believes that he is fully recovered from the condition. Sal Paolantonio of ESPN recently made the disclosure on ESPN Radio in Philly. 

Diehards Line:
According to PFT, Paolantonio told listeners the expected rehab of two-to-three weeks took only three days. After a vacation with his family, McNabb is working out in Arizona with teammate Brian Dawkins. Paolantonio added that McNabb is telling friends that his shoulder is 100 percent, and that he’s out to prove that he is healthy.

The Facts:
Multiple sources have said the Cowboys are looking for someone else to play immediately behind Tony Romo this season. The name that continues to float around Valley Ranch is former Texas star Simms.  

Diehards Line:
Simms is under contract with the Buccaneers but seems unlikely to remain with the team. According to Star-Telegram staffer Mac Engel, Simms has told friends he would definitely be interested in signing with the Cowboys. Engel added the team's current plan is to use Brad Johnson for the second consecutive season to play behind Romo. But whereas last year, when the Cowboys seemed comfortable with Johnson, there is more of an urgent feeling to upgrade behind Romo -- just in case.

The Facts:
Rodgers didn't comment on the Brett Favre comeback talk during a conference call with reporters this morning in advance of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. But here's what he did say when asked about the rumors: "As the organization has commented, I’m going to keep it pretty much the same. I’m not really going to speculate about any rumors that are out there." 

Diehards Line:
Rodgers, who has to be at least a little unhappy with the media firestorm surrounding the story, is doing his best to downplay the situation. "The media has a job to do, so they’re reporting the information they get," he said. "But other than, I’m not really going to speculate on any rumors that are out there at the moment. ..." Rodgers was also asked if he had any recent conversations with No. 4. "Me and Brett got along real well in Green Bay, became good friends," Rodgers replied. "But I have not talked to him recently about his future plans. ..." Stay tuned.

The Facts:
While Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy acknowledges the gravity of the outcome, neither he nor the man he replaced as guardian of the Packers' brand is expressing belief that Favre will decide to return for an 18th NFL season. "No player leaves the game gracefully. It's kind of the nature of what makes great players great, is they're competitors and they always want to compete and they want that next challenge, and it's hard to find that next thing that's going to give you that excitement and adrenaline. That's what we're seeing a little bit here." 

Diehards Line:
Shortly after, Packers Chairman Emeritus Bob Harlan added: "What I remember about him is he was ready to retire, and that's how I feel today. I think down deep, that's exactly how he feels. ..." The Packers haven't officially addressed the reports indicating the QB wants to return -- and they have no plans to do so unless Favre makes a formal statement. The team's stance seems to suggest the hope that Favre is just considering his options and hasn't actually decided to return. ... Stay tuned. More undoubtedly to come.

The Facts:
Despite making about $2.5 million since 2005 as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, Henry is so broke he wants taxpayers to pay for a record of his trial. "He's broke," said Perry Ancona, the former wide receiver's attorney said Tuesday, July 8. "He doesn't have any money to pay for a transcript." 

Diehards Line:
Henry was arrested after a March 31 incident and charged with criminal damaging and assault. A mistrial was declared last week when jurors couldn't come to a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors said Tuesday they would retry Henry and the trial was set for Monday. ... For the record, Henry signed a five-year, $6 million contract after being drafted in 2005. He received about $1 million to sign plus an average of just over $500,000 for the first three years. He was to be paid $520,000 this year, but the team released him after his arrest. Meanwhile, Henry's $360,000 Kentucky house was auctioned in May when he failed to pay the mortgage. Henry's SUV was repossessed last month.

The Facts:
Colts HC Tony Dungy said Harrison, who's coming off knee surgery, "is doing really well" and reiterated the receiver is not a suspect in an April 29 Philadelphia shooting about which he was questioned. "Everything we've heard and communicated from the Philadelphia police department, he's not a suspect in what's going on there," Dungy said. 

Diehards Line:
Harrison probably won't be ready at the start of training camp but the team has been told he should be good to go for the regular season opener against Chicago Sept. 7. "We're going to ease [Harrison] into things gradually as we go and probably get [him] going," Dungy said. "Really strong those last two weeks of camp. ..." That's going to make it tough for those drafting early to make the best assessment possible. We'll remind you, the Colts spent most of last season expressing optimism about Harrison's return. That optimism turned out to be ill-advised.

The Facts:
The Broncos agreed to terms on a four-year deal with Torain. The fifth-round running back received a signing bonus for a tad less than $200,000. 

Diehards Line:
Selvin Young opens the season as Denver's de facto feature back with Michael Pittman providing a veteran presence for insurance. Torain meanwhile, is a bit of a wild card. He suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot that ended his senior season after six games -- but he was off to a fast start when hurt with three 100-yard games on the heels of a 1,229-yard junior season that had him near the top of prospect lists at his position. Given Denver's traditional success taking RBs in the middle rounds, Torain has potential to develop.