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San Antonio Express-News staff writer Tom Orsborn reported on Tuesday that family and friends say they are unsure whether Priest Holmes will retire. They acknowledge, however, that his actions of late aren't in keeping with what he usually does to prepare for the season.

"He hasn't been carrying on as if he was going to play," Holmes' stepfather, Herman Morris, told Orsborn. "Normally, he would be in the gym working out and have a routine going on. Right now, he seems to be laid back and relaxed and not wanting to think about it."

Holmes' NFL career was jeopardized by a helmet-to-helmet collision Oct.30 in San Diego. Diagnosed with head and neck trauma, Holmes' season ended 10 days later when the Chiefs placed him on injured reserve.

Since then, Holmes has undergone several examinations to determine if he is neurologically fit to play a ninth NFL season. Last week, he met with physician Robert Watkins, a Los Angeles-based spine surgeon.

A spokesperson for Holmes' agent, Todd France, told Orsborn on Monday that France and the Chiefs are awaiting a report from Watkins.

While Holmes has been silent in recent weeks, Morris said he's been getting "mixed signals" from regarding his stepson's future.

"It has been difficult for him," Morris said of Holmes. "He still has the desire to play. But he wants to weigh all of his options and make sure the final decision he makes is the final decision."

Holmes has rushed for 1,000 yards or more four times. He ranks first in Chiefs history with 5,933 rushing yards, and the 66 touchdowns he scored from 2002-04 are a league record for a three-year period.

But injuries forced him to miss 17 games the past two seasons. New head coach Herman Edwards already has named fourth-year player Larry Johnson the starter next season, an expected move considering Johnson, 25, rushed for 1,750 yards and 20 TDs last season.

Edwards said Holmes indicated last month he is prepared to continue playing.

"It seemed like he wanted to come back," the Kansas City Star quoted Edwards as saying. "Hopefully, he's going to be cleared, and hopefully, he wants to come back."

However, as Orsborn noted, Holmes typically spends February working out in San Antonio in preparation for grueling conditioning sessions with personal trainer Bremond McClinton.

"He always did his own thing before he came to me in March or April," McClinton said. "He always told me he would rather go get his body and mind right before he sees me because my workouts are so intense."

But instead of lifting weights and running sprints, Holmes has spent much of the offseason "taking care of other priorities," Morris said.

"He's spending a lot of time with his four kids," Morris said. ...

It's worth noting that one of Holmes' favorite teammates, Tony Richardson, might not return either. The veteran fullback's contract is set to expire this week, and according to Star beat writer Adam Teicher, it's looking as if he will finish his career playing against the Chiefs rather than for them. He certainly sounds like a man preparing for that eventuality.

"I definitely will become a free agent," Richardson told Teicher.

Richardson indicated his preference was to remain with the Chiefs and didn't rule out the possibility he would eventually re-sign. He said he recently spoke at length with Edwards but wouldn't reveal whether he was told he was no longer part of their plans.

It's worth noting, however, that in a recent video interview on the team's web site, Edwards indicated the need for the Chiefs to find more youth.

Neither Holmes, at 32, nor the 34-year old Richardson are in the spring-chicken category these days. ...

In Denver. ... Everything Ron Dayne has wanted since entering the NFL finally could be there for the taking: A chance to become a workhorse running back in a system suited to his talents. Now, as Rocky Mountain News staffer Lee Rasizer reported Saturday, all that's standing between Dayne and that opportunity could be his signature on the dotted line on a new contract with the Broncos.

The two sides, working on a two- to three-year deal, spoke again Friday.

It's Dayne's feeling the contract will get done soon, perhaps before the free-agency period begins.

"I'm confident, because I want to be here and they want me," he said.

Should the deal get done as expected, Rasizer believes that Dayne would become the front-runner to inherit the workload vacated by Mike Anderson, who was released Wednesday.

Releasing Anderson was a cost-cutting measure to save salary-cap space, but it also reflected the team's confidence in Dayne. He played sparingly last season, mainly because his style was so similar to Anderson's, but he averaged 5.1 yards an attempt on 53 carries.

Coaches liked Dayne's attitude while he waited in the wings, and they are confident that, with another offseason in their conditioning program and with the fine-tuning of other skills such as pass blocking and receiving, he could emerge as a force as a between-the-tackles runner.

"If they give me a chance to play, I'll definitely be happy about that," he said. "I can't really argue or complain about the role they gave me last year. They never told me anything wrong or lied to me. They always said, 'You'll get your chance, but you know it's Mike and Tatum [Bell], and whenever you get the chance to go out there, show everybody what you've got.'"

Although he'll turn 28 this month, Dayne has averted wear and tear by carrying more than 200 times in a season only once, as a rookie in 2000 with the Giants.

As Rasizer suggested, cynics might say he hasn't earned that playing time. Dayne sees it differently.

"I've never really had the opportunity to go out and carry a team, like Mike and Tatum did this year," he said. "Even in New York, I never really had a chance to carry the team. I was in there one game and the next game, Tiki [Barber] was back or I didn't get any carries."

Dayne's career best in starts came in 2001, with seven. He rushed 585 times for 2,067 yards and 16 touchdowns during his five seasons with the Giants, never approaching his billing as a Heisman Trophy winner and first-round pick.

He sees the Broncos' zone-blocking scheme and his one-cut style as a solid match.

"I think I can carry a team and we can do big things," he told Rasizer.

Meanwhile, Rasizer reminded readers that Bell's open-field speed is unquestioned, but he has yet to earn confidence that he'll be anything more than a change-of-pace option, rather than an every-down candidate who can pound between the tackles.

That will once again be Bell's challenge this spring and summer. So far, the speedster has failed to meet that challenge. ...

In Green Bay. ... Confident that running back Ahman Green is on track to make a full recovery from a torn right thigh tendon, the Green Bay Packers are making a strong push to re-sign their second all-time leading rusher.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel beat writer Tom Silverstein, citing league sources, reported on Saturday that Packers officials are aware that Green could command a deal worth more than $2 million per year even though his status for next season won't be known until the start of training camp.

As a result, they have been having regular talks with agent David Dunn and could complete a deal soon.

After Green suffered his injury in an Oct. 23 game at Minnesota, there was some thought that the Packers would re-sign him for only a minimum wage deal before the start of next season. But Green has apparently piqued the interest of a couple of teams that would prefer a less expensive option to unrestricted free agents Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis and DeShaun Foster.

So, Silverstein advised readers the team appears to be committed to spending more than $2 million to bring Green back as their starting running back.

Even though they are impressed with rookie Samkon Gado, who filled in when Green and others were hurt last year, the 29-year-old Green would be their projected starter going into training camp if he re-signs.

Green has made it clear to his agent and the Packers that he would like to remain in Green Bay, where he put together five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2000 to 2004 and appeared in the Pro Bowl four times. But he also would like a multi-year contract, according to sources, and is pushing the Packers to fill that desire.

"I'm hopeful," head coach Mike McCarthy said of Green's possible return. "But those are things in the end, depend on other people. But I'm hopeful it could happen."

There aren't a lot of running backs who are known to have come back from ruptured thigh tendons, but according to Silverstein, Green, who underwent surgery Oct. 25 to repair a full-blown tear, is almost two months ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, Dunn said, and making better progress than most had predicted.

McCarthy said Green has been rehabilitating at the Packers facility so there is no shroud of secrecy regarding his health and the Packers know better than anyone else how much progress he has made. The fact Green showed up at McCarthy's introductory news conference and seems interested in playing for the new coach increases the chances of the two sides completing a deal.

"Absolutely," McCarthy said. "I think it's important when guys are here (working out). I've seen him two or three times in the weight room and I've actually missed him one or two times because I've been in a meeting. He's been around. I feel very optimistic and positive about his contribution to our team next year."

Regardless of what happens with Green, McCarthy told Silverstein that Gado was still in the team's plans. It's harder to predict whether an undrafted rookie who went from the practice squad to the starting lineup will be capable of handling a full-time load better than someone with Green's experience.

"I think when you're dealing with the running back position and even the quarterback position, the toll that individual takes, you never have enough good running backs," McCarthy said. "What Ahman has done in the past obviously speaks for itself.

"Until you've done it for a full 16 games, you never know. Monday morning there are few guys who feel worse than a running back. ..."

In Cleveland. ... The Browns had the room under the salary cap to make a run at a marquee free agent running back. But as they are quite happy with the one they have.

After becoming the first Browns' running back to rush for 1,000 yards since 1985, Reuben Droughns was rewarded Friday with a three-year contract extension.

The Browns are more than $21 million under the salary cap for the 2006 season and could have bid for Alexander, James or Lewis once free agency begins.

Instead, they will stay with Droughns as their feature back. He certainly earned the distinction, rushing for 1,232 yards last season after being acquired from Denver in a trade.

"The discussion to extend Reuben's contract was first introduced last spring and we wanted to evaluate Reuben's performance over the course of the season," GM Phil Savage said. "It was the right and honorable thing to do to give Reuben a new contract.

"We are anxious to give him the opportunity to have a focused offseason where he can emerge as a leader on offense."

Droughns, 27, had been used at fullback in his first four years in the NFL before getting his chance as a feature back with Denver in 2004. He responded with a career-high 1,240 yards.

Since Droughns was Denver's fifth different 1,000-yard rusher in six years under Mike Shanahan, many NFL scouts felt he was a product of the system.

But he proved that was not the case last season with Cleveland. ...

Also in Cleveland. ... Savage told reporters at the NFL scouting combine last week that Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are "progressing pretty well" as both try to recover from anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

"They are both pushing each other; I think they are trying to feed off one another in terms of the competitiveness of it," Savage said. "We're anxious to get both of them out there. We don't want to push the envelope too much. I think really a conservative time frame would be that 'K2' would be back sometime in June, maybe for training camp. I think Braylon is going to be more of a later training-camp, September time frame."

Head coach Romeo Crennel has said that getting Winslow and Edwards back on the field was one of the team's major offseason needs. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... The Steelers have some issues to sort through before beginning the defense of their Super Bowl championship in 2006, but depth at running back isn't one of them.

So says running back-turned-NBC analyst Jerome Bettis.

"I really believe Duce Staley can fill that void, and definitely, he can excel in that role if that's the role that's asked of him," Bettis said Monday. "No question he can still play," Bettis said of Staley.

Staley, who turns 31 on Feb. 27, was designated inactive the last four weeks of the regular season and finished an injury-plagued season with 38 carries for 148 yards. But he carried 15 times for 76 yards and a touchdown when pressed into service despite not being fully recovered from preseason knee surgery in a 20-10 win Nov. 6 at Green Bay.

"Nobody knows this because this was internal, but he went to [head coach Bill] Cowher after he was about 80 percent, getting close to 100 percent -- at the Green Bay game he wasn't 100 percent but was still able to carry the load for us -- and he said, 'If there's a question about who plays when I get to 100 percent, I want Jerome to play because this is probably his last year,'" Bettis said. "Because of the criticism he was going to take for not having played, that was a very unselfish approach he took."

Staley had expressed a similar sentiment to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in late October, insisting, "This is the last time you might see No. 36 in that uniform. I would rather for him to actually go out with a bang. If it was up to me and him battling for the last little piece, I would willingly give it up to him."

In an article published Thursday, Tribune-Review staffer Joe Bendel reported that Staley's agent, Derrick Harrison, said the Steelers have restructured his client's contract in order to keep him on board in 2006.

"We're in agreement at this point. It's just some fine-tuning now," Harrison said.

Staley was scheduled to make $2.5 million next season, while counting $4.3 million against the salary cap. But those numbers will be reduced when the Steelers submit their player salaries to the NFL by the 10 p.m. deadline tonight. ...

Which, if you believe Bettis, is good news for the team.

"I really believe he has a lot left in the tank," Bettis, who signed on with NBC last month, said. "If he stays with the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think he's going to be very valuable. He's going to be very valuable, regardless, because he can still play. ..."

In Arizona. ... Head coach Dennis Green continues to maintain the Cardinals will have little interest in landing any of the top free agent backs. "If you ask me if we're going to go after one of the incredible backs that might be available in a blockbuster deal, that probably will not happen," Green said last Saturday at the scouting combine.

The Cardinals are expected to have ample salary-cap room to pursue free agents. But Green said the team is more likely to sign players such as Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry.

"We've not had a blockbuster deal, and a blockbuster deal in my opinion is a deal that eats up most of your cap space," Green said. "It means you get one player and one and done. And we're not going to do that. …

"I think we'll go and get three or four or five free agents that we think are going to have a good impact on our football team, and then we'll add those to the draft picks."

In the meantime, Pro Football Weekly reported on Monday that despite a tough rookie season, the Cardinals have no intention of giving up on J.J. Arrington, last year's second-round pick.

"He just needs another chance," Green told PFW at the combine. "A back has to have blocking, five guys getting it done in both running and passing situations; and nobody had to shuffle on the line like we had to last year."

Added Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves: "I thought J.J. came on strong the latter part of the season. He had to adjust to the speed of the game, but once he got a feel for the tempo at the pro level, he got better. Hopefully, he'll pick up where he left off. ..."

Uh. ... Arrington may have picked up the pace as the season came to a close, but the Cardinals still finished last in the league in rushing and were miserable in short-yardage and red-zone situations -- where they scored touchdowns just 28.3 percent of the time, second-worst in the league.

Bottom line? Arrington, who struggled to run between the tackles and Marcel Shipp, a veteran who can't get outside, failed to get the job done.

Which led the Sports Xchange to suggest a big back with speed -- like USC's LenDale White -- would be a good fit and should be available when the Cardinals' name is called at No. 10 on draft day. ...

Also in Arizona. ... While they clearly need help along the offensive line -- if not running back, the Cardinals, who will have over $20 million in cap space, intend to pursue is Pittsburgh's free-agent wide receiver Antwaan Randle El.

According to NFL Network insider Adam Schefter, team officials believe he could provide more depth to a position that already includes Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Randle El also could bolster their return game.

The problem with Randle El won't be having the money to spend on him. It will be outbidding teams like Chicago and Philadelphia. In fact, one NFL GM told Schefter that Randle El will be one of the most coveted players on this year's market. ...

One last Cardinals-related item. ... According to PFW, Green seems comfortable with the tight-end combination of Adam Bergen and Eric Edwards. "Neither of them were drafted, and both of them made their share of big plays," Green said at the combine. "They're big, young guys with great work ethics. ..."

In Atlanta. ... As expected, the Falcons guaranteed a $7 million March roster bonus due Michael Vick, a move that creates about $5.25 million in additional cap space, and which will help the club squeeze under the NFL's spending limit of $94.5 million by the Thursday night deadline.

The contract extension signed by Vick in December 2004 provided the Falcons the right to make the move, which essentially turns the roster bonus into a signing bonus. Most important to the Falcons, it means that the team can prorate the $7 million bonus over four years and reduce its impact on the 2006 cap.

Atlanta performed a similar maneuver last spring with Vick on a $22.5 million roster bonus.

Meanwhile, Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei noted on Monday that Vick isn't the only one who thinks the Falcons' offense needs a few tweaks. Falcons coaches are working on tailoring the passing game to better suit the athletic signal caller's rare abilities.

Pompei went on to advise readers to look for Atlanta to run more plays in which Vick is on the move.

He'll be encouraged to set up at different points in the backfield. Vick will be operating more on the edge, and the team will deploy a moving pocket. The Falcons are planning on using fewer of the three- to five-step drops that are the staple of the West Coast passing game.

Additionally, Pompei suggested the team to use more designed quarterback runs. ...

Also in Atlanta. ... Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall recently evaluated teammate Michael Jenkins, whom the Falcons selected in the first round of the 2004 draft: "I think he's no different than Larry Fitzgerald, who caught 103 balls (in 2005)," Hall told PFW. "The guy got opportunities to make plays, and that's all Michael Jenkins needs. I'm positive he can make those plays.

"He's a great receiver, great guy. He's definitely going to get it done this season. ..."

In New York. ... If his favorite targets won't come to Giants Stadium this offseason, Eli Manning might go to them. The quarterback said recently he is considering a trip to Miami to spend a few days throwing to Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress.

As New York Newsday staff writer Arthur Staple noted this week, Shockey and Burress are likely to spend much of their time between now and the June mini-camp working out at the University of Miami and not at Giants Stadium, where Manning and the rest of the team will be.

"I think it's a possibility," Manning told Staple. "I have to get with Shockey and Plaxico and find out what their plans are, and talk to [head coach Tom]

, because I need to get a percentage of my workouts in New York. But if I can get a few days of throwing with them, that would go a long way toward getting ready for the season."

Manning made a public plea to Shockey last spring to join the team in New Jersey for workouts, but the mercurial tight end chose to work out at Miami with other NFL players, citing the wear and tear from the artificial turf in the Giants' practice bubble.

Staple added that Manning has spent a couple of hours two or three times a week lifting weights and running on a treadmill as he prepares to start throwing in a few weeks.

Coughlin, speaking from the combine last Friday, said: "If [Manning] wants to travel down there, I'm sure he'll make those arrangements. But I think we'll get more done if those players come to our place.

"Maybe we should turn it around and ask that those guys come up here for a week."

In a related note. ... SportsLine.com insider Pete Prisco noted on Thursday that even though Burress was absent from the team's last day and has had some other run-ins with the coaching staff, Coughlin said he likes him as a player.

"He's a competitor," the coach said.

As for missing the last day, Coughlin said, "Naturally, I was disappointed. That's something we need to work on. You talk to him about it, you make him understand we're all in this thing together. He does get frustrated on occasion. ..."

In Minnesota. ... The repeated public denials of team officials notwithstanding, the Vikings continue to entertain the notion of trading Daunte Culpepper. And according to Schefter, one of the major reasons they're even considering such a move is the quarterback's relationship with new head coach Brad Childress.

The two have butted heads, and Schefter suggests their relationship is off to a strained start that would need some repairing.

The big concern to other teams, of course, is Culpepper's knee.

However, those close to Culpepper are telling Schefter he is going to be completely recovered from his knee injury and that the quarterback is rehabbing almost freakishly. Culpepper appears obsessed to return to the form he had in 2004, not 2005, and is doing what he can during his workouts to ensure this. He already is doing footwork drills on land.

If Culpepper can prove to other teams he is healthy, then the chances of a trade will increase.

Either way, there should be some resolution to the story by March 17, the date that the quarterback's $6 million roster bonus is due. ...

In New Orleans. ... PFW reports that Deuce McAllister's recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament is going better than expected.

McAllister, who suffered a clean tear of his ACL in October, is a couple of weeks ahead of schedule in the healing process, and he's already jogging. The star halfback won't make any football-type running moves until April, but that he should be back at full strength when training camp begins in August.

That said, Fantasy owners shouldn't expect him to return to his 30-carries-per-game role.

Instead, PFW suggests the Saints are likely to try to get shiftier backup Aaron Stecker more involved in the offense. Stecker performed well while sharing carries with power back Antowain Smith after McAllister's injury.

Apparently, the new coaching staff's goal in 2006 will be to get McAllister 20-25 carries per game and another 10 touches for Stecker. ...

And finally. ... According to a variety of reports, the youth and overall inexperience of the Jets' new coaching staff continues to raise eyebrows throughout the league. Six of the new coaches are 34 years old or younger, and four of those coaches are ex-players who have no NFL coaching experience.

Plus, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, 32, has never been more than a position coach.

Though head coach Eric Mangini has only one year of experience as an offensive coach, PFW reports he wants to have more input in the offense and was looking for a young coach with whom he would be able to build the Jets' new offense and grow together in their roles.

Still, there are concerns among Jets observers regarding the team's lack of veteran leadership both on the coaching staff and in the locker room. ...

There's also some concern among the media.

According to Yahoo! Sports NFL writer Charles Robinson, Mangini was by far the most boring interview at the combine. Robinson added: "If you could bottle what Mangini was dishing out, you could cure insomnia worldwide."

SI.com insider Don Banks agreed, noting that Mangini wasn't exactly "Mr. Charisma."

Banks went on to suggest: "Somewhere Bill Belichick must be mighty proud. ... Not to put too fine a point on it, but I thought Mangini went too far when he refused to either confirm or deny it was Thursday."

In other words, Fantasy owners can expect Mangini to join fellow Belichick-disciple Nick Saban in adherence to their mentor's "Iron-Curtain" approach to injury info this year.