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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... Hey now! Off-season mini-camps, OTAs, quarterback schools and other NFL-related festivities of interest roll on.

And that, of course, means plenty of tidbits of interest for Fantasy owners looking to gain an early edge on their competitors.

We'll get the ball rolling this week in Indianapolis, where Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, the running back tandem that helped the Indianapolis Colts win a Super Bowl two years ago, are back together again.

But will they be the same potent 1-2 punch?

According to Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Chappell, that remains to be seen.

Chappell went on to remind readers that Addai and Rhodes were key components in the Colts' championship season in 2006, their first world title in 36 years. The team missed that two-pronged attack a year ago after Rhodes signed a free-agent deal with Oakland and newcomer Kenton Keith regressed over the course of the season.

As the season progressed, the Colts' running game became less and less efficient. In the playoff loss to San Diego, it was a non-factor: 18 carries, for only 44 yards.

Addai's performance in his second season was a tale of two halves and exemplified those struggles. He averaged 4.7 yards per attempt and rushed for at least 100 yards in four of his first seven games. In his final nine games, he managed just 3.3 yards per attempt and rushed for more than 55 yards only three times.

Addai dealt with minor injuries virtually the entire season, and missed the Tampa Bay victory with a bruised chest. However, he refused to use injuries as an excuse for his diminishing returns in the running game.

"I didn't really feel banged up," he said.

And as Chappell pointed out, there were other contributing factors.

Tackles Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem were hurt, forcing a shuffle along the offensive line. Addai also didn't play as much after the Colts had wrapped up their sixth straight playoff berth. He had only 38 carries in the last four regular-season games, a total of just 10 in the last two.

"I didn't see him wearing down," head coach Tony Dungy said of Addai. "I just think we probably as a whole didn't run the ball as well in the second half of the year as we would have liked."

Intent on rectifying the problem, the Colts re-signed Rhodes earlier this month.

In an interview conducted (for this year's Fantasy Football Pro Forecast magazine) just days before Rhodes' signing was announced, I asked Addai how he would feel about such a move.

"I would love for [Dominic] to come back," Addai told me. "He was a key for me doing some of the stuff that I did my rookie year. He helped me out a lot. I watched film with him; I talked to him about things, he explained stuff to me. ...

"There's only one ball to go around, but as far as the running back corps getting better, he can only help us."

Indeed, Rhodes was an ideal complement to Addai in '06; a powerful, decisive runner to Addai's slashing, cutting, accelerating style. Keith filled Rhodes' void in '07 by rushing for 533 yards and three touchdowns, but was inconsistent in the passing game.

"I'm just here trying to fit back in and learn the plays again," Rhodes said. "Hopefully my role will be the same. I'll get in there and make some plays and help Joe out and help this offense and this team."

According to Chappell, no one should question Addai's status as the focal point of the Colts' running game. That said, Fantasy owners shouldn't be quick to dismiss Rhodes' ability to contribute in a secondary role.

As Pro Football Weekly suggested this week, Rhodes will immediately be plugged into the No. 2 job and spell Addai far more frequently than Keith did. ...

In Cleveland. ... According to Canton Repository reporter Steve Doerschuk, Jamal Lewis has a clear understanding of the benefits he gained by signing with the Browns last year.

"The first seven years of my career," the running back said of his time with the Ravens, "the offense was all focused on Jamal Lewis running the football. But now you can't do that.

"You have so many weapons this team can go to. I can do my job without worrying about eight- and nine-man fronts.

"Here, I deal with six- and seven-man boxes. That's what I like to see."

And as Doerschuk pointed out, that's because Baltimore never had a stable of receivers such as Cleveland's.

"As long as I've got good receivers," Lewis said, "I can do my job effectively."

The veteran certainly proved that last season.

In an interview that will appear in this year's Fantasy Football DraftBook magazine, Braylon Edwards talked about Lewis' impact on the offense.

"The things Jamal did allowed us to take our game to that next level," the star receiver said.

Asked specifically what Lewis brought to the table, Edwards explained that Lewis helped the offense set an entirely different tone from his first workout as a Brown.

"Every time he touched the ball," Edwards said. "He was exploding, taking it 40 extra yards. He was just showing us two things. First, he was saying, 'Hey, I've still got something. I got something for you guys. It wasn't a bad move them bringing me here.'

"Second, he was showing us how you get things done. 'This is how you set the tone. This is the kind of work ethic you gotta have to take it to the next level,' so he came on right away.

"He didn't waste any time. He didn't lollygag around and then try to show up on Sundays."

True that. ... Adding Lewis helped the Browns' offense average 351.3 yards a game, up from 264.6 in 2006. His 1,304-yard rushing year for a new team was a flashback to 2000, when he gave the Ravens 1,364 yards as a rookie No. 5 overall draft pick.

Lewis will turn 29 in two months. As Doerschuk pointed out, power backs tend to wear out at that age.

Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, one textbook example, was 28 when he rushed for 1,309 yards in 1983. He slumped to 468 yards the next year and never bounced back. Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards for the Ravens in 2003, but didn't come close to that over the next three years.

In his final year with Baltimore, he rushed for 1,132 yards at 3.6 per carry.

"It's a myth when people say I was injured, I was this, I was that," Lewis said. "It was just the position I was in, and where I was at.

"Now I'm with a better team, I'm around better players, and I have help. In the place I was in before, I had no help, so ... it's a much better situation."

And further evidence that he's still got plenty left in the tank, Lewis averaged more than 100 rushing yards over the final seven games. It allowed the offense to overcome Derek Anderson's second-half tail-off as the Browns went 5-2 over that span.

Did he feel as dominant as he did in his 2003 heyday?

"I'm not gonna say that," Lewis told Doerschuk. "But I'll say that because of everybody learning the offense, building the chemistry, me learning my offensive line, the line learning me ... I think that's where those extra yards came late in the season."

A writer threw out some numbers Lewis might shoot for in 2008: 1,500 yards, 4.5 per carry, 10 touchdowns. His 2007 numbers were 1,304, 4.4 and nine.

"I think 1,400 or 1,500 yards is an understatement," Lewis said. "I'd like to get more than that. I think I can get more than that. Missing two games. ...

"I could have gotten more than that last year."

He has a point there. ...

In Jacksonville. ... David Garrard cashed in on last year's impressive effort -- in his first season as an NFL starter -- by signing the most lucrative contract in Jaguars history. Now it's time to prove he's capable of stringing together multiple successes.

"You can't rely on last year. You have to continue to try to get better," Garrard told reporters following a recent OTA session. The veteran signal caller went on to explain he wants to improve his overall game.

"There's not one particular thing I'm thinking of. I'm young in this. This is only my second year as a starting quarterback," he said.

His coordinator, Dirk Koetter, is in his second year in charge of the Jaguars offense, too, and Koetter believes familiarity with what was a new system will breed a significant degree of improvement.

"Last year, it was a new passing system and my first year as coach. Now, we've had a chance to know why things were successful and why things weren't successful. Dave was going week to week last year. The nuances of Dave anticipating what's coming, based on the defensive look. ... Anyone can always improve on anticipating what's coming," Koetter said.

As Jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman noted, Garrard's strength last season was the surprising accuracy and efficiency he displayed. He threw only three interceptions and posted a 102.2 passer rating. This year, Koetter would like to blend in more aggressiveness in the deep-passing game.

"We'd like to improve Dave as a deep-ball thrower. Dave is a good seam thrower but, the over-the-top routes, we're trying to get better in those," Koetter said.

Getting better at those longer routes requires a receiver capable of going deep and team. The Jaguars made an effort to improve that aspect of their attack with the off-season addition of former Raider Jerry Porter.

Reactions were mixed when the Jaguars inked Porter to a six-year, $30 million deal. Some viewed it as a wise move; others saw it as a lot of money to invest in an enigmatic player in need of an attitude adjustment.

According to PFW, if what was on display during initial workouts was any indication of what will transpire during the season, those who praised the acquisition will be vindicated.

Team sources raved about how fluidly Porter moved, and his body control on a couple acrobatic catches was something that hasn't been seen in Jacksonville since Jimmy Smith hung up the pads two years ago.

"I think he's going to be a great receiver here. He's a receiver who can make spectacular plays," Garrard said of Porter.

"There's no question in my mind that Garrard-to-Porter is going to be a combination that will be very productive for us," head coach Jack Del Rio told the Florida Times-Union after the session.

While I certainly don't expect the kind of renaissance Randy Moss enjoyed after leaving Oakland for New England last season, a change of scenery can't possibly hurt Porter.

But based on two recent "experts" drafts I participated in, Porter is still flying a bit under the radar. ...

Also in J-ville. ... Fred Taylor, who has spent most of the offseason training in South Florida the past three seasons, skipped the first week of the voluntary OTAs before deciding to come this past week to get an update on the playbook before the June 6-7 mini-camp, which is mandatory.

According to Times-Union staffer Vito Stellino, Taylor is also starting to think about his legacy at age 32 and doesn't seem to be thinking about retiring any time soon.

When he visited in April, Taylor told Ketchman, "I'm just trying to catch Jim Brown and then I'm going to close the curtains." Taylor is 17th on the all-time list with 10,715 yards; Brown is ninth with 12,312.

Upon further review, he's no longer thinking about stopping if he catches Brown.

"Maybe I'll try to get in the top five or something," Taylor said.

Taylor said he plans to play at least two more years, but wouldn't rule out a third, which would enable him to finish his contract at the end of the 2010 season.

Taylor works out with younger running backs such as Marion Barber of the Cowboys and Frank Gore of the 49ers. "Marion, he always looks over [and says] you don't look like 32. You're acting 25," Taylor said. "It's something good to hear from the guys. It inspires me to keep pushing a lot."

Taylor's workout regimen also could help his longevity. According to Stellino, the veteran looks in top shape and said he's in the 228-229 pound range.

He keeps himself in such good shape that Del Rio doesn't complain about him not participating in all of the team's activities.

"There is no reason in being contentious about battles I can't win," Del Rio said. "I think the good news is he's doing what he needs to do for our team. ..."

In Cincinnati. ... The Bengals' first off-season practice had a familiar look -- a comforting one for the team's coaches and fans -- with a full-sized Rudi Johnson and fleet-footed Chris Perry on the field at the same time.

Both tailbacks, key performers for the 2005 AFC North division-winning team, are making comebacks.

As Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer Mark Curnutte noted, Perry's is more dramatic.

The Bengals' first-round draft pick in 2004, Perry had not stepped foot on a football field as an active player since fracturing and dislocating his right ankle in a November 2006 game at Cleveland.

Johnson, the team's featured back who smashed his way to more than 2,900 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in 2004 and 2005, missed five games last season and finished with just 497 yards because of a hamstring injury.

He had changed his diet and played, he said, at 212 pounds last season, and his running style changed, too.

Johnson, a between-the-tackles bruiser, tried to dance.

Now he's put on 12 to 13 pounds of muscle mass in his chest and shoulders and said he weighs in the neighborhood of 225 pounds -- his desired playing weight.

"Last year when I got hurt, it was definitely frustrating for me," said Johnson, who has worked with strength and conditioning coaches since the end of the 2007 season. "I wanted to come back stronger, more powerful than I've ever been."

According to Curnutte, if Johnson and Perry are healthy, they form a dynamic duo and could help head coach Marvin Lewis fulfill his wish of re-establishing a power run game.

The Bengals are deep at tailback. In addition to Johnson and Perry, they have Kenny Watson (whose 763 rushing yards and seven touchdowns led the team in 2007) and DeDe Dorsey (who had an 8.7-yard average on 21 attempts).

But in 2005, Johnson and third-down back Perry teamed for 1,737 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns -- all by Johnson. They also had 74 catches and two touchdowns -- both from Perry.

The Bengals were 11th in the league in rushing that season. Last year they dropped to 24th.

Given their issues at wideout, their desire to do a better job moving the ball on the ground is understandable.

Although it comes as no real surprise, neither Chad Johnson nor T.J. Houshmandzadeh are taking part in the team's off-season program.

Houshmandzadeh is working with a personal trainer in California. Johnson is holding out with a trade demand.

Asked about the absence of his top targets, Carson Palmer downplayed the situation.

"My frustration level? I'm at zero right now," Palmer said. "I'm not frustrated at all. I'm happy and excited to be back on the field myself, whether they're here or not. I'm excited to be back with these guys, the guys that are here."

Palmer conceded, however, that the absence of Johnson and Houshmandzadeh represents a missed opportunity.

"We're definitely missing valuable time," Palmer added. "We'll get to work whenever they get here. But timing and rhythm is something you build over time with repetition. ..."

In New York. ... As Newark Star-Ledger beat man Dave Hutchinson reminded readers, Thomas Jones sometimes had to make three moves just to get back to the line of scrimmage last season -- and still managed to rush for 1,119 yards.

The Jets didn't draft Arkansas' Darren McFadden to bolster their ailing running game, which ranked 19th in the NFL, but they did sign left guard Alan Faneca and right tackle Damien Woody to free-agent contracts that included $32.2 million guaranteed.

"I'm excited about the new guys," Jones said following an organized team activities session this past week. "They're a hard-working group. They're all experienced guys and they've all won."

Jones, who signed a four-year, $20 million deal last offseason, heard all of the pre-draft talk surrounding the Jets' interest in McFadden but insisted it didn't bother him.

"No, I wasn't concerned," he said. "Not at all. I've been through that before (when the Bears drafted Cedric Benson fourth overall in 2005 after Jones came off a career-best 900-yard season)."

Still, Jones might want to play with at least a little more urgency than he demonstrated last season.

While he'll certainly get a second chance at the starting job, PFW advised readers last week that the Jets are, in fact, peeved with his inability to get on track in '07 and are quite willing to give diminutive scatback Leon Washington and free-agent acquisition Jesse Chatman larger roles in the offense.

By spending so freely to upgrade the line, team officials appear to be putting Jones in a make-or-break situation.

With his back to the wall -- and better blocking -- don't be surprised if the veteran responds as hopes.

Jones is a tough runner to bring down when able to generate downhill momentum, whereas Washington, with his tremendous speed and wiggle, is more adept at creating on his own when his line fails to open consistent holes.

Also of interest. ... Head coach Eric Mangini dismissed the notion that the organization is rooting for the younger and stronger-armed Kellen Clemens to beat out veteran Chad Pennington for the starting quarterback job.

"I'm pulling for whoever gives us the best chance to win," Mangini said.

Nonetheless, Mangini also made several references to changes in philosophy.

While the tight-lipped coach wouldn't discuss specifics, New York Daily News staffer Rich Cimini suggests that if it means more downfield passing, it would give an edge to Clemens. He has a stronger arm than Pennington, who admitted he has to be more consistent on his deep throws. ...

In Oakland. ... According to multiple observers on hand for the Raiders' rookie mini-camp, McFadden lined up in the backfield, split out wide as a receiver and even took a few shotgun snaps as a quarterback at times.

So much for easing him into things.

It would appear that head coach Lane Kiffin wasn't kidding when he said on draft weekend that McFadden would be a major part of the passing game, and he apparently isn't opposed to drawing up some of the direct-snap plays that worked so well for the ballcarrier during his career at Arkansas, either.

"It's so easy for him to run really fast," Kiffin said after watching McFadden in those initial sessions. "He's running by people and it doesn't look like it's really hard to do. Reggie [Bush] was that way. They don't even have to go to the next level until they really need it."

According to San Francisco Chronicle staffer David White, because contact isn't allowed in off-season workouts plays were whistled dead when tackles seemed imminent. But White went on to suggest that not that many defenders on hand looked capable of doing so in an open field.

Meanwhile, last year's fourth-round pick, Michael Bush, who spent last season on injured reserve, was being utilized as a receiver out of the backfield, as well, during the camp.

According to Oakland Tribune beat writer Jerry McDonald, "Bush ran with a smooth athleticism that belied his size at some 250 pounds, and looked natural catching a pass over the middle and pulling away from a linebacker. He glided through holes, and it will be fascinating in July to see what happens the first time a defender really attempts to lay him out. ..."

It will be even more fascinating to see how the backfield pecking order shakes out this summer. One certainty, Bush will be in the mix along with McFadden and incumbent starter Justin Fargas.

As SI.com's Don Banks recently noted, the Raiders are quite high on Bush and want to find a role for him this year. ...

Also in Oakland. ... JaMarcus Russell made his first public appearance as the Raiders quarterback since last Dec. 30, the day he completed 23 of 31 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 30-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

His weight?

"Right now I'm 269," Russell said. "I was never close to 300 pounds."

Russell was addressing a story of his supposed out-of-control weight problem, with Banks reporting he was north of 300 pounds.

Although it was tough to tell body definition in loose fitting red jersey, McDonald notes that Russell's face looked thinner than it did last year and he looked nimble and quick, covering a lot of ground on his rollouts with a giant stride.

Based on their initial session, McDonald advised readers the Raiders are working getting Russell to make quick, safe decisions, get the ball out of his hands and sacrifice risk-taking in the name of efficiency. ...

In Denver. ... Brandon Marshall, who underwent surgery to repair nerve damage in his forearm in March, was able to run pass routes when the Broncos held their first off-season practice Monday -- much sooner than expected.

"He's doing everything a receiver would do except catch the ball," head coach Mike Shanahan said.

Shanahan said Marshall will be cleared to start catching the ball on June 22, or nearly five weeks before the start of training camp on July 25.

"It's ahead of what I thought initially," Shanahan said. "I was told he could not work out until a month before we went to training camp. And we still thought we could get him in shape, ready to go for our first practice."

As Denver Post staffer Mike Klis noted, the Broncos are confident Marshall will again become quarterback Jay Cutler's most trusted receiver this season, but they are not proceeding on blind faith.

Just prior to last month's draft, the Broncos signed veteran free agents Darrell Jackson and Samie Parker, both proven No. 2 receivers.

Earlier in the offseason, the Broncos signed another free agent, Keary Colbert, to be their No. 2 receiver. Colbert may be less known, but his signing bonus of $2.5 million is seven times more than the $340,000 of Jackson and Parker combined.

That makes three No. 2 receivers, with Brandon Stokley established at No. 3, in case their No. 1 receiver doesn't recover as hoped.

"I feel we have more depth at that position than we've had," Shanahan said. ...

In a semi-related note. ... ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reports that word inside the Broncos' facility is that the team officials fully expect Tony Scheffler to be back for training camp.

He suffered a foot injury Monday but X-rays were reportedly negative. The team is confident that Scheffler is just sore this year and is shutting him down now to make sure he is ready for camp.

Still, Scheffler underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in the same foot last May. He recovered in time for the team's season opener last year, but started slowly, not catching his first pass until the fifth game.

He later admitted to dealing with soreness in the surgically repaired area throughout the season.

Nonetheless, Scheffler was of the league's most productive tight ends in the final 12 games and finished with 49 catches for 549 yards and five touchdowns. ...

In New England. ... As last season wound down, it looked very much like Laurence Maroney had finally earned the confidence of the Patriots' coaches to be the featured man in the Patriots' backfield.

But according to PFW, a recent visit by former Lions tailback Kevin Jones (and a subsequent visit by Samkon Gado) was an indication that head coach Bill Belichick still doesn't fully trust Maroney.

PFW went on to remind readers that Belichick was critical of Maroney's toughness during the middle portions of the season, believing he took a gratuitously long time recovering from a groin ailment.

The Patriots coveted Jones when he was coming out of Virginia Tech in 2004 and were poised to pick him at No. 32 before the Lions took him 30th.

Jones was cut by Detroit because of concern over his torn anterior cruciate ligament; he visited the Titans this past week. At this point, it would appear both interest from both teams is preliminary. ...

Also in New England. ... For most of last season, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was lauded as one of the premier young play-callers in the game.

Calling the shots on an offense that scored an NFL-record 589 points, McDaniel was one of the most talked-about assistants when it came time for the annual head-coaching searches in the league, before he officially said he was not interested in leaving New England.

But New England's offense slowed down considerably as the season wore on, and the way the Giants' D-line physically abused the Pats in the Super Bowl has some wondering how good McDaniels is at making proper in-game adjustments.

Now those who follow the team closely believe McDaniels will likely have to direct an offense that's almost as proficient as last season's edition if he expects to again receive the same kind of head-coaching interest after the coming season. ...

One last Pats-related item. ... Some quarterbacks will take their offensive linemen out for a steak dinner at the end of the season to thank them for their protection. Others might gift their offensive line with Rolex watches.

But according to Boston Herald staffer Karen Guregian, Tom Brady tends to operate on a much grander scale than most quarterbacks.

Dinner? Fancy watch?

Brady presented three of his linemen with an Audi Q7 SUV (with a base price of about $50,000 each).

Brady surprised the three -- Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal -- by giving them cars as he announced his continued involvement as the honorary chairman and celebrity ambassador of a local charity that raises money for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

"Now you'll be well protected, just like you make me feel. ... Sometimes," Brady joked.

As for what happened in the Super Bowl, when Brady was sacked five times and pressured countless other, the trio chalked it up to it being just one of those games. "It was tough. We knew we didn't have our best day," Mankins said. "We wish it wouldn't have happened that day."

Judging by the presents, Brady didn't hold it against them. ...

And finally this week, in Tennessee. ... Despite coming off a 2006 season in which he won Offensive Rookie of the Year and helped to double the Titans' win total from the previous year, Vince Young said he felt lost in training camp last summer.

He was hurting. He was overwhelmed.

And at age 24 -- only one year into his NFL career -- he said he considered retirement.

Say what?

"I really thought long and hard about it," Young told NFL.com senior columnist Thomas George on Thursday. "There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn't fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone.

"All I was doing was worrying about things. My teammates helped lift me out of it. ..."

Wow.

If Young wasn't having fun then, it'll be interesting to see how he responds to the notoriously surly and abrasive new coordinator Mike Heimerdinger riding him like a rented mule. ...

That's it for this week's Notebook. I'll check in again next Sunday. ... In the meantime, keep an eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news and other tidbits of interest. Watch the Headline News section for more in-depth reviews of current events -- including the Fantasy Notebook.