News & Info/Headlines

No doubt about it; quarterbacks dominated this week's NFL headlines. And while the ongoing sagas surrounding Chad Pennington (read more here and here) and Daunte Culpepper (read more here) have generated the most intense coverage, there have been a number of other quarterback-related stories that will be of great interest to Fantasy owners.

Starting in St. Louis, where Marc Bulger, who had spoken with Scott Linehan only by phone in the four weeks since the coach was hired, finally met the new boss -- and most of his staff -- face-to-face for the first time Thursday.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat man Jim Thomas, Bulger came away with a favorable first impression.

"I'm sure they're going to be demanding and want things right, but it wasn't like I was up there talking to the Wizard of Oz," the veteran quarterback said. "They talk to you like a normal person. Respectful. I think it's going to be a good working relationship."

Bulger spent most of his time Thursday with Linehan, offensive coordinator Greg Olson and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.

Thomas added that Linehan is just beginning to put together his playbook, so Bulger is getting in on the ground floor.

"We were talking about simple things, like how we want our cadence," Bulger said. "And obviously, he's talking to me and Marshall [Faulk] was even up there for a while."

Bulger was impressed with the fact that Linehan is actively seeking his input as he installs the offense.

"It wasn't to the point up there where he was like, 'This is my stuff and we're sticking to it,'" Bulger said. "Which could happen. I'm sure it happens more often than not. He's real open to: 'What did you guys call this? What did you call that?' There's some give-and-take.

"Everyone's been talking about how he has his ego in check, and to be able to play the give-and-take game with the players, I think we'll respond to that very well."

Among other things, Bulger came away from the meeting with the impression that the Rams will do more things out of the shotgun formation, and be more committed to running the football.

"But it's going to be quarterback-friendly," Bulger said. "And it's going to be aggressive and down the field. It looks exciting."

One of the earliest tasks is to agree on terminology -- the language of calling plays and even discussing the offense.

As Thomas explained, under Mike Martz, the team's play-calling system flowed from a three-digit system first used by coaching great Don Coryell. Linehan's play-calling system will rely on concepts -- or names -- more than a numbering system.

So there will be an adjustment process, but it won't be a radical change. It's a different language to be sure, but Bulger likened it to going from Italian to Spanish.

"In other words, a lot more similarities than it would be going from Chinese to English," he said. "There's going to be a lot of similarities. It helped me a lot learning a system as complicated as our (old) system was. We've done everything in the book here. ... With a couple of months here in the spring, I think we'll get a pretty good grasp of it."

Bulger will return to St. Louis for the start of the offseason conditioning program March 20. Other than the traditional lifting and running, Bulger expects to spend a lot more time in the meeting room this spring learning the offense.

"So my days might be longer, but I plan on being here and doing whatever it takes just to get a firm grasp of it," he said.

Bulger also told Thomas that his injured throwing shoulder is coming along fine.

"I'm able to do everything," Bulger said. "I'm doing some stretching, and there's no flexibility issues. I'm going to (start) weight training in about three weeks."

He plans to start throwing in the next week or two, much earlier than he did a year ago.

"I could throw right now," Bulger said. "But it's one thing throwing; another to take a hit. So I just want to fully tighten (the shoulder) back up and heal.

"I'm going to take a ball on vacation with me, and just warm up. And when I get back, I'm going to start throwing to receivers maybe, just to get back into things."

Last year, he didn't start throwing in earnest until May. ...

In a related note. ... Bulger has heard the Culpepper rumors (which include the Rams among possible destinations for the Vikings signal caller -- due primarily to the fact Linehan previously served as Minnesota's offensive coordinator), but it never occurred to him that those rumors might apply to St. Louis.

"I didn't even put two and two together," Bulger said, laughing. "Maybe I should."

Not really.

According to Thomas, team sources -- speaking Friday on the condition of anonymity, emphatically denied any interest in Culpepper.

One Rams official was incredulous that the subject would even come up. Bulger, after all, is a former Pro Bowl quarterback on a team that has its share of glaring holes, particularly on defense.

"How could anyone even think that about Marc?" the source told Thomas, referring to any Culpepper-St. Louis trade rumors.

Since he was hired last month, Linehan has had nothing but good things to say about Bulger.

"I really think he is one of the elite players in the league," Linehan said at his hiring news conference. "I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league at anticipation of letting the ball go to open areas, and throwing the ball to the guy extremely accurately.

"I know he is one of those kind of quiet, calm leaders. And I like that in a quarterback and a leader. ..."

In Buffalo. ... J.P. Losman won't be handed the Bills starting quarterback job for next season. This time, he's going to have to earn it from Kelly Holcomb.

Incoming head coach Dick Jauron said he'll open the job to a competition this spring between Losman and Holcomb, the veteran journeyman with the hope of having a starter ready by the start of training camp.

"Somebody will be named heading into camp, but there is always going to be competition," Jauron said on Monday. "We'll try to name that guy going through the spring, but if we don't, we don't. We hope to have a feeling."

In fact, the team released its first official depth chart of the year just two days later with Holcomb holding down the top spot.

Jauron noted that Losman, who is entering his third season, will have to improve.

"You have a veteran quarterback in Kelly, who is comfortable with his game," Jauron said. "J.P. is a young quarterback and plays like one. ... He needs to be better for what he went though last year."

Jauron's desire for competition is a departure from a year ago when former coach Mike Mularkey awarded the starting job to Losman, the second of Buffalo's two 2004 first-round draft picks.

Despite an intensive offseason work regimen, Losman struggled as a first-year starter, finishing the season on the bench after losing the No. 1 job to Holcomb, a 10-year journeyman.

In a 5-11 season, Holcomb went 4-4 as a starter and Losman 1-7, although Losman engineered Buffalo's 14-3 win over Kansas City after Holcomb was hurt during the game.

Holcomb finished with a better completion percentage (67.4 to Losman's 49.6), threw for two more touchdowns (10-8) and had a far superior quarterback rating (85.6-64.9). ...

In Detroit. ... The Lions haven't asked Joey Harrington to renegotiate -- at least not yet -- and according to the Detroit Free Press, Martz, the team's new offensive coordinator, and head coach Rod Marinelli not only sounded like Harrington would be back, they sounded happy about it.

In fact, Martz went out of his way to announce that the West Coast offense in Detroit is officially DOA and he left little doubt that Harrington will be given every opportunity to turn his career around.

And while the commonly held theory has been that Harrington will be given one final chance under the team's new hierarchy, Oakland Press beat man Steve Pate suggested the truth is, Harrington will get his first real opportunity to succeed in an offense Martz expects to shape based on the talent at hand.

Of Harrington, Martz said, "If he'll let me start with a clean slate, I'll let him start with a clean slate. And I think that's important for all the players. This is a new chapter for all of us. ... I just look at the mechanics and how he responds to things. And where he needs help from the mechanical standpoint to help him become a little more accurate.

"(Last year), I just saw a guy who had it thrown on him, and his knees were buckling. We've seen (that happen) throughout the league for years."

For what it's worth, Martz also dubbed tailback Kevin Jones the kind of explosive player "that you can hang your hat on," saying Jones is a 30-carry back.

Martz added: "[Jones is] just scratching the surface. I just think there's so much potential there. When you looked at this job and what was really exciting about it, I think that's probably one of the areas you would start with. ..."

As for the receiving corps of Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams, Martz said: "You look at these guys and see the potential that's not been realized, and you think maybe you can do that. That's the ego in you. ... The only thing I would say is they've got to compete, and we'll give them every opportunity to compete.

"They're going to be made to compete, or basically, it's going to be very difficult for them."

In a semi-related note. ... Kurt Warner signed a three-year contract with the Cardinals on Tuesday. If he plays out the whole contract -- until he is 37 years old -- he would earn at least $15 million.

He could also earn some impressive bonus dollars if he keeps the starting assignment.

But why so much?

As I noted Tuesday, it may have had more than a little to do with Martz signing on in Detroit. While Martz was the driving force behind Warner's departure from the Rams, a number of observers have hinted that Harrington might have forced the coach to re-think his position.

Or as Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon put it, "Compared to Harrington, Warner looked like Joe Montana in his prime. Warner offered the potential of a quick fix in Motown."

Gordon went on to suggest that Martz could have implemented his full scheme much sooner and in turn, allow the team go get more out of their young receiving corps and Jones.

And despite a less-than-friendly split in St. Louis, Gordon added that Martz and Warner had patched up their relationship during their time apart making a reunion more feasible.

So Cardinals executive Rod Graves stepped up, offered Warner major money and assured he could retain his starting role heading into training camp. ...

For what it's worth. ... Gordon also advised readers not to be surprised if Martz asks Lions president Matt Millen to acquire Matt Schaub from Atlanta. Martz apparently loved Schaub, currently facing the less-than-appealing prospect of a career spent as Michael Vick's backup, coming out of college. ...

Meanwhile, in another Warner-related note. ... Although the Cardinals finished first in the league in passing offense, Sports Illustrated senior writer Don Banks went to great lengths to remind readers that doesn't mean Warner had a great season.

While he tossed 11 touchdown passes, Warner also had nine interceptions and the Cardinals went only 2-8 in the 10 game he started. And as Banks noted, a lot of his numbers came in losing efforts.

Warner's 85.8 quarterback rating was solid, but it only ranked 14th overall among starters.

By comparison, Banks reminded readers that the still-young Josh McCown, who will sign elsewhere during free agency "after curiously being given up on by head coach Dennis Green," had nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions but went 3-3 in his six starts in relief of the injured Warner.

In his two seasons under Green, McCown went 9-10 as a starter. All other Cardinals starters are 2-11 in that same span.

Banks summed up by suggesting: "Somebody's going to get themselves a pretty good starting-quarterback option in McCown. But it won't be the Cardinals, who have been searching for a consistent winner at the game's most pivotal position seemingly since Jim Hart retired. ..."

In Oakland. ... New head coach Art Shell said at his introductory news conference that he had briefly met with Kerry Collins and wasn't ready to pass judgment on his future with the team.

But according to Sacramento Bee staffer Jim Jenkins, Collins must be willing to rework his contract if he wants to remain in Oakland.

Even if that comes to pass, it doesn't mean the Raiders will ignore the quarterback prospects at the scouting combine.

Pending a tie-breaking coin flip with the 49ers in Indianapolis, the Raiders will end up with the sixth or seventh pick in the April 29-30 draft. All three of the top-rated college quarterbacks -- USC's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler -- are likely to be gone before the Raiders make a selection.

Most observers have Houston leaning toward USC running back Reggie Bush with the first overall pick despite in-state lobbying to take Young.

With New Orleans, at No. 2, seemingly poised to choose Leinart, there is less certainty what the teams in the next three spots will do -- Tennessee, the New York Jets and Green Bay. All have established quarterbacks with injury or age issues.

Jenkins added: "With that backdrop and knowing the Raiders' history of aggressive deals during the draft, don't rule anything out, involving a rookie or veteran quarterback. ..."

In New Orleans. ... Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said this week the team hasn't made a decision as to whether to bring back Aaron Brooks. But according to SportsLine.com insider Pete Prisco, the reality is that decision has been all but made.

Brooks will count $8.48 million against the cap this year with a base salary of $6.5 million. The team can save about $$4.5 million on its cap by releasing him.

As noted above, it's widely assumed the Saints will pick Leinart with the second pick. Prisco added that teammates have said they don't expect Brooks back.

Possible destinations?

A move to Green Bay would be appealing to Brooks, a one-time Packer who had great success under then Saints coordinator -- now Packers head coach -- Mike McCarthy. Such a move would obviously be even more appealing should Brett Favre follow through on his recent statements about retiring. ...

In Tennessee. ... A $50 million option bonus was added to Steve McNair's contract in March 2004. On Friday -- nearly two years later, general manager Floyd Reese said what most everyone expected to hear.

"We won't exercise," Reese said of the bonus. "You can write that if you want, though I don't think it will be a surprise to anybody."

As Nashville Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt noted Saturday, the option, which would add three years to the contract and extend it through 2009, is due in March. Even with the Titans declining to exercise it, McNair will remain under contract through the 2006 season, when he's scheduled to make a base salary of $9 million.

In the meantime, the team will continue to talk with McNair's agent, James "Bus" Cook, about a restructured contract. Reese said a $1 million non-exercise fee isn't due until September.

Wyatt went on to note that if the two sides aren't able to agree on a restructured contract, a number of things could happen, including McNair being released. The Titans would like for McNair to return, but his scheduled cap charge isn't easy to absorb.

"Once they don't exercise that option, their cap number is out the roof," Cook told Wyatt. "If they want to carry that big number through free agency, that is their choice."

Reese isn't expecting a major breakthrough any time soon.

"It's going to be a long, drawn out process," he said.

"This is not going to happen in the next day or two or week or two. It is going to take time and we'll continue to talk on a daily or weekly basis and see if we can't make progress. ... If you look at all the possibilities, anything short of paying the $50 million is a possibility. ..."

For the record, Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker noted on Friday that Reese has said they are budgeted to pay McNair this season.

The Titans hold the No. 3 pick overall in the NFL draft, where they would have a chance to draft McNair's successor in either Leinart, Young or Cutler. ...

In Tampa Bay. ... The Bucs' priority is to sign quarterback Chris Simms to a long-term contract. And as St. Petersburg Times beat man Rick Stroud suggested Saturday, if they succeed, Brian Griese will be looking for his fourth team in five years.

Griese, 31 next month, is owed a $2.6-million roster bonus in March, and the quarterback's salary cap value will rise to more than $7-million this fall.

The Bucs need to trim about $19-million to be in compliance with the cap. But agent Ralph Cindrich said Griese will not restructure his contract unless the value remains the same.

"If they don't exercise (the bonus), we'll be on the market and I suspect will be talking to a number of teams at the appropriate time," Cindrich said. "We're going under the assumption that it's not going to be exercised. But there's really no room for negotiations."

General manager Bruce Allen said he plans to meet with Cindrich at the scouting combine in Indianapolis this week.

The Bucs would like to have Simms and Griese back in 2006.

"There is a scenario ... that we have them both here this year," Allen said. "It doesn't just include them. It includes (what happens) with the rest of the team."

Griese, expected to fully recover from season-ending knee surgery, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent March 3. If the Bucs make a qualifying offer, they can match any offer sheet or receive draft picks as compensation.

"I know Brian would love to play in Tampa," Cindrich said. "It's a great situation for him there. But if you have two quarterbacks and you're going to commit to the young guy, and he's a very good one, then that says to us (Brian) is not going to be around." The Bucs are likely to use the fact that Griese, 5-1 before his injury, is under contract as leverage against Simms to strike a long-term deal.

"I'm assuming they'll try to use us to squeeze Simms and see if we will renegotiate," Cindrich said.

Griese, who turns 31 next month, has started 72 of the 75 games he's played in the NFL since entering the league with the Denver Broncos in 1998. He's completed 63.1 percent of his career passes and thrown for 16,344 yards and tossed 103 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.

During his two seasons with the Bucs, Griese has completed 67 percent of his passes and thrown for 3,768 yards while tossing 27 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

According to PewterReport.com staffer Jim Flynn, if the two sides are unable to reach an agreement and Griese moves on, Detroit and Baltimore could be among those interested in talking to him. ...

In San Diego. ... ESPN insider Chris Mortensen first reported during the network's Pro Bowl broadcast that Chargers officials are wrestling with the idea of making Drew Brees an unrestricted free agent perhaps gambling his shoulder surgery would have a chilling effect on interested teams.

And that initial report continues to look more accurate with each passing day.

In fact, it now appears the Chargers have all but ruled out the possibility of placing either the franchise or transition tag on Brees, leaving them only two options: Signing him to a new contract or letting him hit the free-agent market.

For a month, the Chargers had been considering the transition designation for Brees following his shoulder surgery because it gave them the flexibility of keeping his rights but not offering him a guaranteed contract.

But an interpretation from the NFL Management Council late this week scared them out of that concept.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, because Brees had the franchise tag in 2005 and his $8.078 million salary was guaranteed, the league interpreted two things. First, the tender offer for Brees' transition tag would have to be at 120 percent of his 2005 salary instead of the 2006 quarterback transition number of $8.327 million.

That means Brees would have to be offered $9.7 million by the Chargers. Second, there can be a case made that because his principle terms of the 2005 franchise tag was guaranteed, Brees' 2006 transition tag could also be considered a guaranteed offer.

The Chargers could ask for a hearing to determine whether that was the case or not, but instead have ruled out giving him the franchise or transition tag. The official deadline for assigning the franchise and transition tags is next Thursday (Feb. 23).

In the meantime, negotiations between Brees and the Chargers continue.

General manager A.J. Smith said he wanted to keep all three of his quarterbacks -- Brees, Philip Rivers and A.J. Feeley. Earlier this week, the Chargers worked out a two-year, $2 million deal for Feeley. Rivers is entering the third year of a six-year contract.

Last year Brees threw for 3,576 yards and 24 touchdown passes. Over the past two seasons his passer rating of 96.1 ranks fifth in the NFL.

If Brees, whose rehab from shoulder surgery is said to be ahead of schedule, isn't signed to a new contract by March 3, he will be a free agent. ...

One last note on this one. ... Asked on Saturday what will happen if the Chargers and Brees do not reach an agreement on a long-term contract by Thursday, Smith told San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee: "I think, looking at it, (the team would say) 'Well, it didn't work out. ...'"

And finally, a few additional notes on the Culpepper and Pennington stories. ...

Neither the Vikings nor Culpepper on Thursday would address the news that Culpepper is now available via trade.

Fran Foley, the team's new vice president of player personnel, said the team will no longer discuss its football business in public. Culpepper, meanwhile, said in an e-mailed statement that "trying to delve into speculation, innuendo, rumor or anything else of this nature would be a waste of energy."

More to the point, as Minneapolis Star-Tribune staffer Kevin Seifert noted, neither side denied the essence of a report that the team began shopping Culpepper this week -- partially in response to his request for an additional $10 million in compensation this season. ...

And in an article published Saturday, New York Daily News sports writer Rich Cimini noted that while the two sides still have time to work out an agreement -- the Jets want him to agree to an $8 million pay cut before a March 3 bonus deadline -- a person close to Pennington seemed resigned Friday to the likelihood of the quarterback being released in the coming days.

"It looks like they're ready to move on," the person said of the Jets.

Cimini went on to advise readers the moment of truth likely will occur this week, when general manager Mike Tannenbaum and Pennington's agent, Tom Condon, are expected to meet at the scouting combine.

Cimini added: "It will take a lot of bending from both sides to produce a reworked contract."