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Kerry Collins got his wish Wednesday, when the New York Giants released the veteran signal caller less than a week after the team traded for rookie Eli Manning.

Collins guaranteed the move by refusing to renegotiate his contact. He was to earn $7 million this season and count $8.95 million against the salary cap.

The release gives Collins time to find a new team for next season.

The Giants have said they will sign a veteran quarterback who might start the season to pave the way for Manning. The Mississippi quarterback was taken by the San Diego Chargers with the first overall pick in the draft and shipped to New York.

"Kerry Collins played his heart out for the Giants and took us to the Super Bowl," general manager Ernie Accorsi said.

"Unfortunately, the economics of the system we work in today determine these most difficult decisions," Accorsi added.

In the meantime, the Giants' search for a veteran backup continues with Neil O'Donnell emerging as the candidate of the day.

O'Donnell's agent, Steve Rosner, told New York Daily News sports writer Ralph Vacchiano that the Giants made first contact as soon as it became apparent they would have difficulty retaining Collins, who is expected to be released in the next few days.

"His initial reaction is he's intrigued," Rosner said. "And, I think, he's a little bit flattered that the Giants see him as someone that could possibly come in and play now and obviously be somewhat of a tutor to Eli."

O'Donnell spent most of the last five seasons as Steve McNair's backup in Tennessee, though he was out of football last season until the Titans re-signed him on Dec. 17. He ended up starting their season finale, completing 18 of 27 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns in a rout of the Buccaneers.

"It was almost a storybook ending," Rosner said. "If that was the ending for Neil."

The Giants are also considering two other ex-Jets quarterbacks -- Jeff Blake and Vinny Testaverde, who will be released on June 1. Ex-Patriot Damon Huard worked out for the Giants on Monday. ...

In a related note. ...

According to East Valley Tribune staffer Darren Urban, the Cardinals have not made a call about Collins. The Daily News reported on Tuesday that Collins agent, David Dunn, had already been contacted by Dallas, Baltimore, Oakland and Arizona. But vice president of football operations Rod Graves told Urban, in terms of the Cardinals, that wasn’t true.

The Cards remain a popular choice for quarterback rumors. When it was revealed Kurt Warner was likely going to be released, the Cardinals were one of the first teams national media speculated he might go.

But head coach Dennis Green has repeatedly and emphatically said Josh McCown will be the team’s quarterback.

Other Fantasy-specific news and notes from around the NFL. ...

According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staff writer Ed Bouchette, Tommy Maddox told head coach Bill Cowher yesterday that he wants to remain with the Steelers and looked forward to keeping his job as their starting quarterback next season, even though they drafted Ben Roethlisberger on the first round Saturday.

In turn, the Steelers plan a bump in pay this year for Maddox, who is scheduled to make $750,000 in salary, a relatively paltry sum for a third-year starting quarterback in the NFL.

The emotions that built within Maddox for months and escalated over the weekend after the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger from Miami (Ohio) with the 11th overall pick, spilled out during a Tuesday morning meeting with Cowher.

Bouchette went on to note that the meeting began at 8 a.m. in Cowher's office with the door closed and lasted about 45 minutes. It started out a little rough as Maddox expressed his views on his situation and the fact he felt he was led to believe he would receive a pay increase long ago. By the end, the coach and his quarterback parted on good terms.

Maddox then went downstairs at the Steelers' headquarters for a workout.

The meeting between Cowher and Maddox eased the uncertainty about the Steelers' quarterback situation. Maddox replaced Kordell Stewart as the starter four games into the 2002 season and has kept that job except for two games he missed with an injury. He had hoped to earn a boost in pay before 2003, but it never happened.

Veteran Charlie Batch re-signed as a free agent with them last year and is scheduled to make $250,000 more in base pay this season than Maddox.

The Steelers soon will begin negotiations to restructure the former XFL star's contract, but they will not have him sign it until after June 1, when they make at least one roster move -- they will release linebacker Jason Gildon -- that will create salary-cap room.

And as Bouchette suggested: "Maddox's decision not to force his way off the Steelers roster raises a question about what becomes of Batch, who noted Saturday that with four quarterbacks on the roster, one must go."

Batch is scheduled to make a $1 million salary this season. ...

In San Francisco. ... As reported by San Jose Mercury News beat man Daniel Brown, free agent wide receiver D'Wayne Bates, a former Vikings starter and ex-Bear, visited the 49ers on Tuesday as the team's hunt for experience at wideout continues.

The 49ers took Rashaun Woods in the first round of last weekend's NFL draft and added Derrick Hamilton in the third, but the team will consider Bates because of its untested receiving corps. The offseason departures of starters Terrell Owens and Tai Streets leaves Cedrick Wilson (50 career catches) as its most accomplished receiver.

Bates started eight games for the Vikings last season, catching 15 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. A season earlier, he played in 14 games (11 starts) and had 50 catches for 689 and four touchdowns. ...

In Minnesota. ... With the Vikings' training camp roster all but set, St. Paul Pioneer Press staffer Bill Williamson reports the team's kicking situation will remain unchanged. After a mediocre first season, the Vikings are fully committed to Aaron Elling. The team signed rookie free agent Dan Orner from North Carolina, but Elling is the heavy favorite to keep the job.

"We like Aaron a lot," head coach Mike Tice said. "We didn't get a veteran, because we believe Aaron is ready to make strides."

In his first NFL season, Elling made 18 of 25 field-goal attempts but struggled on long attempts.

But Elling's leg strength improved as the season progressed last season. New strength and conditioning coach Kurtis Shultz praised Elling on Tuesday, saying the kicker's leg strength has rapidly improved this spring.

"Aaron has a lot of potential," Tice said. "We didn't get anybody, because we think he's the guy. ..."

In Baltimore. ... The Ravens released wide receiver Frank Sanders on Tuesday.

Sanders had 14 catches for 170 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2003 season. He signed a four-year contract with Baltimore as a free agent following an eight-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals.

He became expendable after the Ravens drafted three receivers over the weekend and acquired Kevin Johnson in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. ...

In Atlanta. ... As reported by Associated Press writer George Henry, the Falcons released two-year veteran Kurt Kittner on Tuesday, three days after drafting quarterback Matt Schaub in the third round.

Atlanta, which went 2-10 without Michael Vick starting at quarterback last season, had the NFL's worst completion and interception percentages. As poorly as Doug Johnson played in losing seven of eight starts, Kittner was arguably worse.

Kittner went 1-3 as a starter, but his fourth-quarter rating was an embarrassing 0.9 after he completed only 9 of 29 passes for 63 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.

Atlanta chose Kittner in the fifth round out of Illinois in 2002.

Vick led the Falcons to a 3-1 finish after returning from a fractured right fibula, but he has missed 13 of 32 potential starts since Atlanta released Chris Chandler two years ago.

Ty Detmer is listed No. 2 behind Vick. General manager Rich McKay indicated the selection of Schaub means the Falcons will not sign a veteran to compete with the 35-year-old Detmer. ...

In Jacksonville. ... The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Atlanta backup quarterback Doug Johnson on Wednesday.

Johnson, who played at Florida, started eight games for the Falcons last year when Vick got hurt. The team went 1-7 in those starts, and Atlanta didn't re-sign him when his contract expired after last season.

Byron Leftwich is Jacksonville's starter backed up by David Garrard.