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I hope so.

Because I'm looking elsewhere for Notebook fodder this week. And I'm hoping to do the same through training camp (although, as I mentioned in this week's FootballDiehards.com Podcast, I suspect we'll know more about Favre in coming days).

Of course, those just getting up to speed on the above mentioned situations are more than welcome to find out all the latest on our Favre, Marshall, Burress and Stallworth profile pages, how about the rest of us look at some other Fantasy-specific items of interest, eh?

We'll get the ball rolling this week in Kansas City, where Associated Press sports writer Doug Tucker recently pointed out that everywhere Matt Cassel has been, a great quarterback got there first. Until now.

Tucker went on to remind readers that not one but two Heisman Trophy winners kept Cassel on the bench throughout his college career at USC, denying him even one start. Then he was drafted by New England and found no less than a Super Bowl MVP was in charge at his position.

Now he's in Kansas City, and things have changed.

That's not Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady he's competing against anymore. It's Tyler Thigpen, Ingle Martin and Brodie Croyle.

At 27, Cassel has a team to call his own for the first time since high school. From the first day of spring drills, a team is finally counting on him not to follow, but to lead; not to hold the clipboard, but to help design plays to put on it.

A mandatory mini-camp held the first week of June brought all the Chiefs players on the field with their new quarterback for the first time. According to Tucker, the realization is sinking in that his time is finally at hand.

"Slowly but surely," Cassel told reporters. "We're building chemistry, we're building rapport and everybody's working hard."

Although head coach Todd Haley refuses to name a starter at any position, there is no question in anyone's mind who the No. 1 quarterback is.

"He's running the team," receiver Bobby Engram said of Cassel. "And I'm very impressed. He's a very sharp guy. He's watching film, he's drawing up plays, he's coaching everybody up. He's shown early on that we're going to be able to rely on him."

Of course, another tip-off about who's running the show is the fact that Cassel will be paid almost $15 million this year.

After he replaced the injured Brady in the season opener last September and proved his worth by throwing for 3,693 yards and 23 touchdowns, the Patriots made him their franchise player.

Their approach was understandable. Cassel was eighth in the league in passing yards and 10th with an 89.4 quarterback rating. He played especially well down the stretch, throwing eight TDs and just one interception as New England won its final four games to finish with an 11-5 record.

Meanwhile, quarterback was a major trouble spot for the Chiefs, who had three different starters during a franchise-worst 2-14 campaign.

The trade to Kansas City soon followed -- thanks no doubt to the presence of former Patriots personnel man Scott Pioli, who was hired to as the Chiefs general manager earlier this year.

Now that Cassel is the officially-unnamed but still-undisputed starter, the real challenge begins. From a Fantasy perspective, that challenge might best be defined like this: Cassel has to prove he's not the next Scott Mitchell.

For you kiddies out there. ... After spending three years as the backup in Miami, Mitchell replaced injured superstar Dan Marino in 1993, played well and was signed by Detroit a year later.

Playing alongside Barry Sanders, Herman Moore and Brett Perriman, Mitchell ultimately had a big season -- but it didn't come immediately and he never enjoyed sustained success.

Indeed, in his first season as a Lion, Mitchell battled injuries while throwing 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in just nine starts.

Cassel could benefit from having a taskmaster as his coach, however.

As Tucker suggested, Haley, the offensive coordinator the past two years at Arizona, is not known as an easy man to please. But when asked about his new quarterback, the coach has been quite positive.

"He's the leader for every workout group. It's hard to outwork this guy," Haley recently said.

"When he's done working out, he's upstairs bugging us. He's making drawings, coming up with ideas, wanting to talk football, all the time on top of working out real hard. He's lost some weight, has his body in shape. We want our quarterback to be one of the hardest workers on the team.

"I think he's clearly shown me that."

Cassel will need others on the offense to do the same in order to maximize his chances of playing up to the potential demonstrated last year.

That might start with Dwayne Bowe.

According to Kansas City Star staffer Kent Babb, if Haley is making Bowe a pet project, the coach has all the material and motivation he can handle. He also has the experience.

Babb went on to remind readers that Haley was a wide-receivers coach for two NFL teams, and his eye is sharp enough to know that Bowe is as talented as he is complex. He's the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver for a reason, but he's as much known for mood swings and dropped passes as spectacular plays.

That will have to change under Haley. But the new coach's track record with wideouts can't be lost on Bowe.

Haley was Jets receivers coach when Keyshawn Johnson was at his most productive (1998-99); he was receivers coach in Chicago when Marty Booker emerged as a 100-catch player; the passing attacks in Haley's last two stops -- Dallas and Arizona -- were also quite successful.

With so much success coaching the position during his time at the NFL level Haley is more than capable of helping Bowe take the next step in his development.

Asked last week if Bowe taken to the new style of coaching, Haley replied: "I would say that Dwayne's been very receptive to what we're trying to do. He's continually tried to get around me and talk to me about what's expected, he's talked to coach Ward. He's trying to do the right things. Again, they're all trying to learn a lot of new techniques, new schemes, new route combinations – there is a lot going on, on top of working pretty hard physically.

"Dwayne's another one who probably let himself go too far in the off-season so it's been a long road back. That's a lot of work when you're trying to lose 20-25 pounds. There is a lot going on right now.

"But I would say Dwayne's been very receptive to trying to do it our way, and the way we want it done."

It's still early, but Bowe said he trusts his coach enough to go with his suggested format changes.

"It took a while," Bowe acknowledged. "It took a few OTA practices, a few mini-camps, but I see where he's coming from."

So, in addition to holding onto the ball and running more consistent routes, Bowe needs to work a little harder on conditioning. That's where veteran addition Engram can help.

The Chiefs want Bowe to learn from Engram, talk to the veteran about how to avoid the dropped passes that keep plaguing Bowe, and maybe have the kid learn a thing or two about the skills it takes to stick around the NFL for 10 years or more. ...

Bottom line? Between Bowe, Mark Bradley and Engram, Cassel has a talented crew to work with on the outside. Brad Cottam is a bit of a question mark as a receiver at tight end, but Pioli's decision to trade Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta suggests some level of confidence in the younger man.

But the bigger question -- as to whether Cassel will be last year's Cassel or the next Mitchell -- is an answer Fantasy owners won't be able to begin divining until the pads go on this summer. ...

Also in Kansas City -- also according to Babb, Larry Johnson has been very quiet in recent weeks.

And that's a good thing.

Johnson's on-again, off-again love-hate relationship with Kansas City currently seems to be somewhere in the middle of that road. In an interview on a local radio station shortly after the season ended, Johnson made his case for a "clean break."

More recently, however, Johnson has softened his stance and seems willing to remain with the team.

In fact, Babb recently advised readers that one thing has been noticeable about Johnson during offseason practices and mini-camps: He hasn't been noticeable.

Instead, Babb reports that Johnson has blended into the background of Chiefs practices. He's not telling loud jokes like he was at training camp last year. He's not complaining about playing time or how a teammate or coach looked at him in the hallway. Nothing.

Could it be that Johnson is taking the unsolicited advice SI.com's Bucky Brooks offered back in February, when he suggested that shedding his attitude while putting up a Pro Bowl worthy season would offer the veteran running back his best chance to earn most of the six-year, $45 million extension he signed in 2007?

If so, Johnson could create enough interest in his services should he be traded or released by the Chiefs in the future.

Wouldn't it be something if that approach continues?

One last note in KC. ... The Chiefs are being extra cautious about preventing reporters from obtaining too much information about their practice sessions, keeping the media roughly 100 yards away from the action during mini-camp workouts, according to Star columnist Jason Whitlock.

Per Whitlock: "Pioli is loading up on secrecy. Mini-camp practices are now high-security events. The media have to be escorted onto the field and kept at a safe distance."

That comment elicited the following from Profootballtalk.com's Aaron Wilson: Somewhere, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is smiling. ..."

In Detroit. ... According to MLive.com beat writer Tom Kowalski, you might not get anyone with the Lions to admit it publicly, but the wide-ranging belief in the organization is Matthew Stafford might be much better than anyone had dared to hope.

This after Stafford used the team's recent off-season workouts to leave what Kowalski characterized as "an indelible impression" on members of the franchise.

Kowalski went on to explain that Stafford is still a rookie and he's still making mistakes, but the optimism continues to grow about the team's first overall draft choice. On the field, Stafford shows flashes of brilliance with his quick decision making, rapid release and arm strength.

Not surprisingly, new head coach Jim Schwartz is playing it coy about Stafford's progress and the early expectations.

"When he's the best quarterback and he's ready, he's going to start. He needs to pass both of those," Schwartz said. "It doesn't matter if he's ready if he's not the best. And if he's the best but he's not ready, (he won't start)."

Schwartz said the Lions want their young players to get accustomed to their surroundings before the coaches start making any decisions.

Still, as SI.com insider Peter King recently wrote, "It's beginning to look a lot like Stafford."

From the sound of Schwartz, King believes Daunte Culpepper needs to be really, really good to hold off the hard-charging youngster.

Would tossing Stafford into the fray immediately be a good idea?

King wrote: "We'll see. I've thought all along the Lions should let Culpepper take the body blows of the early season schedule (at blitzing New Orleans, followed by Minnesota and Washington at home, Chicago on the road, then Pittsburgh at home).

"Those are some aggressive defensive coordinators licking their chops waiting to play the rookie. I've thought for that reason plus the hazards of playing a kid, let Stafford sit, well-padded and protected, while learning."

At this point, however, it doesn't sound like the way the Lions are thinking. If Stafford's clearly the best man, he'll play the opener. And if you're not sure he's got what it takes, listen to Schwartz.

"So far," the coach said, "whatever the opposite of buyers' remorse is, that's what we have. We knew he had the terrific NFL arm. But we've found out his release is just textbook classic."

Kowalski takes that a step further suggesting that off-field progress -- how he's bonding with teammates, and carrying himself in meetings and in the locker room -- has been equally impressive.

Teammates seem to be preparing for the possibility of Stafford starting, too.

As Detroit Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez recently suggested, receiver Calvin Johnson is about as low-key as they come among NFL receivers. But even Johnson is showing signs of excitement and confidence during organized team activities.

"Offense is looking good," he said. "Stafford's doing a good job early. Real exciting getting down to these last few days of OTAs."

Asked specifically about Stafford, Johnson seems pleased with the top draft pick's ability.

"He throws a nice, tight spiral," Johnson said. "Throws a hard ball. He has a big arm, so it's nice to see that."

Also according to Monarrez, the chemistry between Stafford and fellow rookie Brandon Pettigrew appears to be growing as the rookie tight end has emerged as one of Stafford's repeated aiming points during offseason practices.

"It just happened like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm glad we're kind of getting a feel for each other and a good connection going into this thing and having a good relationship. That'll be good. ...

"He's a rookie as well, but he sits in there with composure and attitude and leadership, like he's been here. He's just an all-around good player and good guy."

The two rookies have also obtained some predictable nicknames, per Monarrez.

As the top overall pick of the NFL Draft, Stafford is known as "Big Money." And Pettigrew, who was selected 20th overall, has been dubbed "Half Money" by veterans.

Stafford signed his six-year, maximum value $72 million rookie contract prior to the NFL Draft. Pettigrew hasn't agreed to terms yet. ...

In Tampa Bay. ... It's starting to sound like another rookie has impressed. So much so, in fact, the Bucs are re-evaluating their plans at quarterback and will consider starting rookie Josh Freeman if he continues to progress in training camp.

Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson said "it's not out of the question," that Freeman takes the path of the Falcons' Matt Ryan and the Ravens' Joe Flacco and starts as a rookie.

According to St. Petersburg Times staffer Rick Stroud, Olson said he met with general manager Mark Dominik, head coach Raheem Morris, player personnel coordinator Doug Williams and other coaches last week and decided they might accelerate Freeman's development.

"We did talk last week, and when I say we, I'm talking about everyone in the building from the GM, the head coach, Doug Williams -- other people were involved and we just discussed the Josh Freeman plan," Olson said. "We decided we'll go through the summer, we'll go probably a week into training camp and we'll revisit it again. ...

"We may expedite what he's doing.

"You know, maybe we get him involved early -- earlier than we thought."

As Stroud reminded readers, the plan has been not to rush Freeman into the lineup. But neither McCown nor Leftwich have done much to distinguish themselves in the offseason.

Meanwhile, Freeman has progressed steadily and is making better decisions with the football.

"Early when he first got here, he was forcing the football too much," Olson said. "If he can show he's progressing as far as the decision-making goes, then shoot, why not? He's comfortable in there, he throws a great ball, he's accurate and if he's not turning the ball over, then gosh, maybe he will be ready to play.

"He didn't seem nervous in the huddle at all last week and that was a great sign. He made some big throws as well."

Much of the decision will be based on how well the Bucs play around Freeman.

"That's a big part of why Joe Flacco had success last year," Olson said. "If you can put him in a system where he's got a good offensive line and he has a great weapon at tight end and he has some weapons at wide receiver and we have a good running game, then the quarterback doesn't have to shoulder as much.

"That's something we want to think about."

It's also something that could easily change if either Leftwich or McCown suddenly show signs of life. Current reporting indicates Leftwich hasn't been especially impressive in workouts with the Pewter Report suggesting this week that McCown is winning the race.

But it's June.

And as King recently opined: "I think I cannot believe -- and will refuse to believe until I see him stink it up in training camp, which won't happen -- that Leftwich will not beat out McCown for the Tampa Bay quarterback job.

"Leftwich is just better."

He's also much more experienced.

Leftwich has started 46 regular-season games during his seven-year NFL career. He played well in five games with the Super Bowl champion Steelers last season, completing 21 of 36 passes for 303 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 104.3 rating. He also rushed for a touchdown.

McCown, 27, has played in just 12 games over five seasons, going 1-6 as a starter with four starts coming during his rookie season in Cleveland.

Last season, he attempted one pass during brief appearances in two games.

According to Stroud, Leftwich's biggest obstacle might be the lack of mobility that prompted the Jaguars to replace him as the starter with David Garrard just before the start of the 2007 season.

Playing behind a solid line with a run-first offense could help that. ... Unless, of course, Freeman hits the field this summer and renders the question moot. ...

In Atlanta. ... Ryan's teammates say the quarterback will be even better in 2009 than he was when he won widespread acclaim as the NFL's offensive rookie of the year last season.

As noted in a previous Notebook, Ryan emerged as the face of a sensational turnaround by the Falcons last season. And evidence that he'll pick up where he left off continues to mount.

"By leaps and bounds," Atlanta fullback Ovie Mughelli said of Ryan's improvement on Wednesday as the Falcons approached the end of their organized team activities. "It's actually scary how much he's improved and it's only his second year. People thought he couldn't get much better than last year.

"In the weight room, what he's done out here, his arm strength, the way he reads plays, he's gotten better in every aspect."

Head coach Mike Smith says he has focused on the Falcons' passing game in the organized workouts.

"Matt is making good decisions and being accurate with the football," Smith said. "I don't think those two traits can be overlooked. That's what we've emphasized with Matt, make better decisions and to be more accurate throwing the football."

Ryan told AP sports writer Charles Odum the Falcons already are preparing to deal with increased expectations.

"I heard a quote from coach Smith, 'expect to win but don't get caught up in expectations,"' Ryan said. "I think that's pretty pertinent because you can't worry about all the long-term stuff. You just have to go out there and have confidence in yourself and not worry about all the long-term stuff that goes with it."

Ryan also told Odum he began studying film after the Falcons' playoff loss to Arizona as he focused on making better decisions in key situations.

"The No. 1 thing going into the offseason for me was to improve the decision making and so I've watched a ton of film, just trying to get better and to sharpen up for next season," he said. "I'm going to continue to do that for the next two or three months."

Ryan completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He said there's much room to reach the levels of improvement that Mughelli sees.

"Quarterbacks make their living on third down and in the red zone, so those are areas I felt I could improve on from last year," he said. "You also make your living at the end of the game so you want to make good plays and make good decisions in two-minute situations, so those are areas I definitely focused on."

Given his strong rookie effort, a solid offensive line, a very strong rushing attack powered by Michael Turner and a young, talented receiving corps that gets even more dangerous with the addition of Gonzalez, it's hard to argue against the notion that improvement is coming.

In fact, I've moved Ryan into the top-10 on my current FootballDiehards.com QB Rankings. ...

In Buffalo. ... Trent Edwards is preparing to enter his second season as the Bills starter -- third, including Edwards' rookie year when he won the job midseason -- while being asked to master a new offense that includes the prolific and sometimes volatile Terrell Owens, and an added no-huddle dimension in which the quarterback calls plays at the line.

Meanwhile, AP sports writer John Wawrow points out there's also the added pressure of knowing that this may be the make-or-break year for Edwards to show he can be the bona fide starter playoff-starved Bills fans have been waiting for since Jim Kelly retired 13 years ago.

Edwards understands the perception.

"If you want to classify it like that, then I'm completely OK with that," Edwards said. "But I thought last year was a make-or-break year. We showed some glimpses, and I think we'll show more this year.

"I'm excited for it. I'm going to embrace it. And I'm hoping for a big year. And I think that's what we're doing right now, preparing for a big year."

As Wawrow noted, the "glimpses" Edwards referred to have been evident.

He was 7-5 last season and has a 12-10 career record in games in which he played more than a half, including six games in which he engineered comebacks when the Bills trailed or were tied at the start of the fourth quarter. Edwards has completed more than 61 percent of his passes, with 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

The questions are about his consistency.

After helping the Bills to a 5-1 start last season, Edwards endured a terrible four-game skid in which he threw eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and surrendered a safety, contributing to a collapse in which Buffalo lost eight of its last 10 games.

Durability also has been a concern going back to his days at Stanford, when he was in and out the lineup with an assortment of injuries. With Buffalo, Edwards missed two-plus games last season with a groin injury. Shortly after getting the starting job as a rookie, he missed four starts after spraining his right wrist.

Evidence of Edwards' keen focus is apparent when he's asked what might be his biggest test this season. His answer doesn't involve learning the offense, playing with Owens or his durability.

"I just want to be consistent for 17 straight weeks and lead this team into January and February," Edwards said. "I think that's really everyone's goal here. We need to make sure we're doing everything we can, and all of those other questions will take care of themselves."

In Baltimore. ... Following up on an ongoing story that is evolving into a bit of a Fantasy conundrum, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron this week pretty much went out of his way to debunk everything we've been led to believe about the Ravens' backfield.

In an interview with CBSSports.com Fantasy maven Dave Richards, Cameron got the ball rolling by squashing reports that LeRon McClain would be moved to a more traditional fullback role.

"You know, I've read that everybody thinks we've moved him back to fullback and I'm not sure where that came from," Cameron told Richards. "He's a running back. That's the way I view him."

Cameron admitted, however, that McClain is likely to see fewer carries in an offense that is expected to be more open in Flacco's second season, but it's hard to imagine the short-yardage carries going to anybody else -- meaning Ray Rice or Willis McGahee -- whether McClain is lining up at fullback or tailback.

Speaking of Rice and McGahee, Cameron wasn't ready to jump on the Rice bandwagon most of the rest of the world is riding.

As NFL.com's Michael Fabiano noted this week, Rice has had a tremendous offseason and was reportedly the favorite to start, but McGahee has returned to full speed from knee surgery and remains very much in the mix. He participated in a recent mini-camp without limitations and will enter training camp without issue.

Not surprisingly, Cameron wouldn't commit to a starter.

"It truly is running back by committee," the coach told Richards. "And I am convinced that all three of those guys are about winning. Not about contracts or other stuff, and I think all three want to win and they know we're going to need all three of them."

If that's truly the case, of course, all three Baltimore backs will be relegated to Fantasy reserve (or worse, bye-week filler) status. ...

And finally this week, from our "Sometimes It Takes Two Trips To Haul A**" file. ... As PFT's Wilson suggested on Wednesday, it was kind of a tough week for Tony Romo.

In case you missed it, comedian Artie Lange, appearing on (or destroying, if you prefer) HBO's "Joe Buck Live," got the ball rolling Monday night by ridiculing the star signal caller's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, calling her a "fat chick" and comparing her to the late comedian Chris Farley.

But Jessica's derriere wasn't the only backside in the news this week.

Jennifer Floyd Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett had "a come-to-Jesus meeting" with Romo this offseason where he basically told Romo to "get his butt in better shape."

Per Floyd-Engel: "Now nobody is accusing Romo of being Val Kilmer, or even Byron Leftwich. The description used was 'bottom heavy' and the message was more 'We love you but. ...' than butt kicking. What The Redheaded Genius told him was, basically, become a better finisher. ..."

Romo, however, was fuming when he subsequently shot down the report and defended his conditioning habits.

"There was no such meeting," said Romo, per Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News. "We live in a world where it's sensationalized. When you see something or hear something, you write it. That's completely false."

For the record, Romo is listed at 224 pounds on the Cowboys' roster. Simpson's current weight is unknown. ...

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.